A Big Welcome in Merced!

 Old friends, Kate and Ed Osborne, and a wonderful, out-of-this-world meal that Kate cooked.  Oh yum, it was soooooooooooooo good.  Steak grilled on the Barbie to perfection, baked potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, string beans, fresh fruit salad, green salad, jello salad w/marshmallows.  Pumpkin pie and whipped cream or ice-cream for dessert.  Ed & Kate used to come to our home for meeting in Seattle.

 Ed & Kate's daughter, Cheryl Behm and her two girls.  Cheryl's husband Steve was home with their little boy who was sick. :(  So we missed seeing both of them.

 Russ Osborne here at his folks' home.  We enjoyed our time with Russ and Ingrid.  They were just going to be in their home for another week.  Having a new home built which they hope to be in in the spring of 2012...planning to be in one of their rentals in the interim (since their current home has sold).  They, along with Cheryl and her girls all went over to Ed and Kate's for supper.  Had a special time and visits together.

 Ingrid Osborne with her three girls, Melissa (youngest), Sheree (middle) & Natasha (oldest).

Russ is an appliance repair man and they have rental houses as well.  This is their home below that they just sold and planned to be out of within the week after we were there.

The new home they plan to be in by Spring of 2012.  About 6 miles from where they are now in Merced.  The picture below is the back side of the home.  This home will have a pool as well.

This waterway is back behind the home and on their property.

A fresh fig cut in half so you can see the inside of it.

figs drying on screens beside the home being built for Russ and Ingrid Osborne.  We tasted one.  They are pretty good dried.  Think of a fig newton without the cookie part...just the filling. :)

The home next door to the new home Russ & Ingrid are having built.  He already has it rented out to some people and will keep it rented to them.

The "barn" on the property also is being rented out or a portion of it has an apartment in it being rented out as well behind Russ and Ingrids new home that is being built.