Friday, June 11, Sumner WA

This is Katie here ...

Today we left LaGrande Oregon at 7:30am. First stop? Columbia Crest Winery. This was a beautiful place to visit, the wine tasting was decadent, even at 10am. We smelled the flowers, walked the grounds, swam in it's magnificence.
Next? Chukar Cherries in Prosser, Wa. Chukar Cherries specializes in making lush, juicy cherries into dried, sweet confections. They had Cabernet cherries, Pinot noir cherries, Mocha cherries, Cherry Peach Salsa, Cherry Peach Pie Cobbler Filling, Amaretto Cherries ... honestly, I could go on and on.

We drove into Yakima and had a fantastic lunch at Miner's of Yakima. You order at the counter and sit down with a number on a pole. I think the little pole was about 3' high. I had a roast beef sandwich on a hamburger bun.

On to Sumner! Our sweet Karen met up with us there with her equally sweet brother, Stephen. Karen had to work so she flew in this afternoon. I thought our concert was amazing, except for when Phil stopped us due to trains blowing in the distance. :D This church is especially meaningful as this is Gayle's hometown. The church was the one she married in, her brother was there, her kids, her mother, her distant relations - it was so very neat to be there. Her mother, Anna, single handedly provided the entire meal for us, it was the perfect pre-concert pick me up.

The concert was hot, well excecuted and well attended. There was a gentleman that truly walked in off the street when he heard us practicing and said, Can I come to hear you sing? We invited him to join us and he came!! Karen's Uncle Louie, Aunt Jeanene and cousin Tyler drove in from Olympia, Karen had no idea they were coming so she was beyond delighted.
Singing for those you love is one of life's quiet joys.