If you don’t get over to Beaver Valley Road or route 104 or Port Townsend, you might think there aren’t many folks around enjoying the Olympic Peninsula. They are back, with cars from Canada and California, and I am trying to keep up with why they are here with us.

We had a couple of grandsons, 11 and 16, visit us for four days. They wanted to see the new movie “Inside Out 2”. (I was rudely informed there was a plain old “Inside Out” some time ago.) BJ and I took the boys to the Rose for an afternoon showing providing me with an opportunity for a nap during the movie, a not rare skill practiced by many of us of a certain age engaged in watching almost any kind of movie in the theater. The evening was capped with pizza from the new “That Peetza Place” in Port Ludlow.

We also took the boys over to Port Angeles one evening for an exciting baseball game between the PA “Lefties” and the Redmond “Dudes.” The “Lefties” prevailed 5-4 after third baseman Spencer Dickinson broke up a pitcher’s duel with a three-run home run. Our grandsons were selected to compete against each other in a remote controlled “monster truck” race from first to third bases after the sixth inning. You would have thought the youngest grandson won an Olympics gold medal after he beat his older brother. The truth is the older grandson was stuck with a remote controller cobbled with a dead battery at first base.

Mike and Judy Cavett celebrated 31 years of owning and operating “FairWinds Winery” in Port Townsend on a recent Sunday afternoon. Their daughter Michelle is doing most of the managing of the business so she promoted an event that included free hot dogs, a $5 glass of wine that include the glass, barrel rolling, corn hole, and fraternizing with Judy, Mike and several of their friends. BJ and I encouraged some of our friends to join us, the McCluskys, the Grosses, the Drapers and the Thomases. All appreciated the free, yet vintage, wine glasses left over from some long ago “St. Paddy’s Wine Tour.” Thanks Michelle.

Independence Day brought out the display of over 300 American flags generated by subscribers to the scholarship fundraising program by the East Jefferson Rotary Club. In 10 years this program has created over $150,000 in scholarship funds for area students as well as providing a celebratory look for the community on major holidays. The sunny weather and the light breezes made the project look fairly nice!

We joined friends to go see the new Kevin Costner movie, “Horizon.” One of us who shall go unnamed was so unimpressed by the movie I think he wanted the movie to go over the horizon very soon. Of course, he joins many other critics of the movie with his low opinion. For me, it is a western and it was fun, even though I saw no evidence of Lash LaRue or Randolph Scott. My friend cannot wait to skip “Horizon” Chapter 2. (Yep, there is one coming.)

Okay there they are, movies, wineries, and celebrations of all varieties. This has been just a fraction of what is available to enjoy around here. Heck, the roundabout at Beaver Valley Road and 104 is just about done so that won’t hold you up anymore. Uh-oh, there is the imminent travel interruption about to get us at Paradise Bay Road and 104.

Just don’t forget words of Carl Sagan: “Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.”

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week!

ned@ptleader.com