When family and friends come to visit "The Ranch" where my parents live, Daddy always has projects going on in which he involves the visitors right away. Even on his 90th birthday weekend!
July 16, 2010. Trying to dump a load of scrap wood from Daddy's Mode A Ford pickup is not a simple thing at The Ranch . . . there are 2 flat tires to fix.
Then he checks the oil. Yep, it's low - gotta take care of the engine so it will last another 80 years. But adding oil isn't that simple.
Linda gets to do the running around since Daddy has a hard time walking. First, she needs to grab the 'perfect' oil container high up on the shelf, which, of course, is empty . . .
So she has to fill it from this big bucket full of oil . . .
In order to do that, Linda has to go "find the middle size can - not the dirty one, but the clean one."
My dad knows he has a dirty one and a clean one right next to each other, both for different uses . . .
After finding the clean can, she has to find the funnel out on the shelf full of things, "near" where the clean and dirty cans were. And sure enough, there it is . . .
Now try to maneuver that big blue bucket, with the tiny funnel into the tiny "perfect" oil container to fill it.
THEN, FINALLY, he can put the oil into the engine. The tires are changed, the oil level is just right and the load of scrap wood is ready to take.
Hmmm, where do we take it to? "Oh, let's go for a drive and see where to put it."
OK, finally ready to begin the trip.
Ummm - there are spider webs everywhere - where are the spiders? Are they poisonous Black Widows? Where's the floorboard? The muffler, transmission, battery and ground below are in plain view!
Soon it becomes obvious why the floorboard is gone. The old car just "quits," and Daddy has to carefuly bend down and tap the battery terminal with one the tools he always carries in his back pocket. Then it roars to life again!
About 200 feet from the house, the pickup stops, and Daddy says, "Okay! We're unloading here!" "But why here? It's by the garden, but kind of in the middle of . . . well, right near the road you drive on!" "Well, this way it's close if I need it!" "But where did the wood come from?" "Oh, from around the house, I just want it in one place now, but some is 'good wood' and some is 'bad wood,' so we need to seperate it . . ."
"This looks like a good one . . ."
My sister Lanita helps unload.
Good pile to the left, bad pile to the right.
Just about finished!
"Wait! don't throw that board away! That's the floorboard!"
Okay, toss in the cane and on to the next project . . .
Getting in and out of a vehicle 10 years younger than the driver can be a challenge for someone going on 90. Well, that job took all morning to do. Now it's noon and lunchtime! What's on the agenda this afternoon? Siesta time, of course! Besides, it's getting too hot to work.
By evening everyone has rested and it's cooled off a little. Time to finish thinning the apples. Dr. Linda only allows VERY SHORT ladder use - under HER supervision!
Kinda got behind on the thinning on this tree.
Meanwhile, Mama's busy in the kitchen, making boysenberry-rhubarb crisp. Nope, no recipe - just put a little of this and that - with delicious results!
Sabbath morning, July 17 it's off to Camino Seventh-day Adventist church.
Where my sister Lanita enthusiastically gives a presentation about the values her parents have instilled in us children. She shares how we've grown to enjoy serving others at home and overseas by learning from their example.
We attend the Spanish church in the nearby chapel afterwards.
This particular day the children have the entire church service, including prayer, music, short lessons from the Bible and more.
Back at The Ranch, evening is a favorite time to relax and observe the wildlife. Our good friend April Dawson from Idaho joins the family.
Several foxes come nearly every night. They tolerate bread, but they prefer donuts.
In fact, they'll come right in the front door to get a powdered-sugar coated donut!
Some tame deer come along. They love to eat stale tortillas.
A black bear ambled by the front door a few days earlier, and after licking out Daddy's honey containers & chewing up some frames, tried to get into a bee hive..
When my dad scared it away, the bear climbed a tree to "hang out" and watch the humans below.
The weekend of July 10, my cousins Diann Ziegler and Denise Hettrick came from Missouri and surprised my parents, arriving a week ahead of my dad's birthday. Denise's former husband Lon & son Lonnie came too.
It was good to see my cousins again - I rarely get to see them anymore.
Freddie Adams, Denise Hettrick, Diann Ziegler, Gloria Keeping, Betty & Celian Adams enjoying good food and fun stories at our home on July 11, 2010.
Sunday morning, July 18, 2010 - Daddy's 90th birthday. He was up before 6:00, determined to get some work done. My sisters Linda & Lanita, along with our faithful helper Victor, get the Model A Ford pickup ready to go - this time it's only water in the radiator.
Daddy saws some slabs to put in dips in the road before all the cars arrive.
Daddy kept Victor running as he slowly moved from one rolling water bar dip to the next.
More slabs in another dip, until the whole road is satisfactory.
After several hours of morning work, it was time for a siesta - and a change of clothes.
Meanwhile, back at our house, folks began getting the food ready. We had 2 tables with taco salad fixins - what we call "Haystacks." Another table was loaded with fruit and melons. April is a physician, so she got the job of cutting things . . .
Steve & Janet Taylor came all the way from Kansas. Janet is the youngest of my 3 half-sisters, and we haven't seen her in decades!
Boots and Russ Mitchell came from Reno, Nevada. She's the middle half-sister, and a lot of fun.
Boots' daughter Deana Trujillo brought her family and their dog Barney.
Barney is such a cute little fellow! Here Deana visits with my sister Linda Adams.
Deana's daughters Emilia and Gillian were helpful and fun to have around. Their dad Gilbert watches from the sofa in the cormer.
My oldest half-sister Gloria Keeping (right), husband Ronny, son Troy and his wife Maryann.
My sister Lanita from Maine having fun with her nephew Troy from Arkansas. He always hated calling her "Aunt," especially since he's less than 2 years younger than she is.
After a rest and change of clothes, my parents arrived from their home a mile away on the other end of the property. They were overwhelmed seeing so many cars and loved ones!
Janet gives Daddy a hug after not seeing him in at least 22 years.
Daddy's cousin Ron Cox came from Carson City, Nevada.
Our good friends Debbie & Devery Minor and daughter Marjorie live here in Mosquito - that's the name of our community across the canyon from Placerville.
The temperature hit 103 degrees, so it was time to get inside the air-conditioned house.
Troy Keeping - poor guy, he always seems to get teased by his "Uncle Freddie" - that's me - and his aunts Linda & Lanita.
Barbara Julier and Marti Baughman with my sister Linda.
Neighbors here in Mosquito Ron Speake & Jan Okumura with my dad.
Carolyn Larson knew me ever since I was a toddler.
Dominique Liguori (center) used to help me file papers and organize my things at age 10. Her mom Samantha & husband Seth Ford have a cute girl Aisilyn. They were wonderful neighbors, but moved away a few years back. We really appreciate their visits.
Pat, Gigi & Ron Cox with my parents.
This is the fruit and melon table - along with the cake. Everyone enjoyed eating, talking and taking pictures.
Virginia and Bob Feagans (center) live a mile away and are Master Gardeners, always sharing plants with their neighbors. My wife Diana is on the left; Ron Speake on the right.
More neighbors - Marty and Martin Dominguez with Zane Davis in the center.
Neighbors Virginia Feagans and Zane's mother June Davis. Keep in mind our neibors in this community live a mile or more away, so we enjoy plenty of peace and quiet.
There was no way 90 candles could fit on the cake, so they settled with two that said 90. All those juicy melons sure tasted good on a hot day!
Aisilyn is ready for cake!
Both candles are lit - can a 90-year-old blow them out? Everybody watches in suspense . . .
Hooray - he did it!
Want some cake and ice cream?
Bob Shimmin congratulates Daddy, who's ready to dig into that cake!
Things were a little noise with so many people visiting!
Our helper Victor with wife Becky and twin boys Joseph and Jared enjoyed looking through the album made at Daddy's 80th birthday get-together.
Daddy was like a little kid opening his presents. April gave him some genuine Idaho-made candy. I guess they do more than grow potatoes there!
Ready to open another present . . .
Hmmm, what could this be? Just flat cardboard . . .
There was something inside from granddaughter Deana - a genuine newspaper printed on the day Daddy was born - July 18, 1920. Now that's a rare treasure!
Daddy reads a newspaper exactly as old as he is - amazing!
It was from Charleston, South Carolina. The ads are really fun to read - items for sale and prices were quite different back then!
Out comes the trusty pocketknife to open the cards.
This looks like an interesting one . . .
Wow, a fat envelope from daughter Gloria and grandson Troy had a thick stack of bills! A ten on top, then 90 dollar bills underneath.
Troy said there was a dollar for every year and 10 to grow on.
This folding chair/canopy combination was from daughter Boots and granddaughter Deana.
Emilia is a loveable little girl, just liker her mom and grandma.
Bill Wills from Grandpa's Compounding Pharmacy and wife Joni came too. They live in our old house in Placerville, and are among our best friends.
Daddy rolled the pickup down the hill for pictures.
Even though it was still VERY HOT outside, we dashed out for family photos in front of the 1930 pickup. Here's Daddy with his 5 daughters and me, his only son.
Then we added the spouses, grandkids and great-grandkids.
Four generations - Deana, Emilia & Gillian Trujillo, Boots Mitchell & Celian Adams on his 90th birthday - July 18, 2010.
Daddy with all his daughters, youngest to oldest: Lanita Medina, Linda Adams, Janet Taylor, Boots Mitchell and Gloria Keeping.
Betty & Celian Adams still in love after 56 years of marriage.
Joni & Bill Wills with my parents.
April Dawson had to get in there too!
And grandson Troy Keeping.
He had fun driving his old Ford Pinto that Daddy had converted into a pickup.
The girls piled in, bracing themselves for a wild ride!
Troy is a crazy driver . . .
Hard to see through that cracked windshield!
Away they go!
Things calm down when Troy gets out from behind the wheel, and Daddy is happy that his kids survived the ride.
Troy likes Daddy's hat, which he found quite suitable to use with the new iPhone 4 - no antenna problems using this hat!
Victor and Becky with Daddy.
Lanita pulls out her laptop so the others can see her pictures.
Then it's time to go cruisin' again!
Up to the old Ranch place and taking a ride in the Model A Roadster! Good thing Maryann's sitting in front Troy - otherwise with you standing on the back it might pop a wheelie! Good thing they made good sturdy bumpers back in the old days! OK, you know I love you Troy when I tease a little bit . . . ;-)
By dark nearly everyone is gone. One last hug from April . . .
Everyone held up pretty will in spite of the big day! Now it's time to say good night - everyone else has gone, and the girls fly off Monday morning.
Daddy's cane makes a perfect hat rack as he retires for the evening of a very memorable day.
Things are peaceful and quiet again in our country home. It's hard to believe there were 46 of us crowded into our small house and garage! Thanks so much to all who came to make Daddy's 90th birthday so special for all of us!
