Birthday's and Banks

We went home this last weekend, in part to celebrate Dave's 30th birthday and because it was a 3 day weekend. The somewhat understated big day turned out to be a lot of fun. We went to Almira to eat lunch at the "new" Hotel Almira with Dave and Kathy (Dawson and Dan were snowboarding). (Re)Built in 1916 it sat abandoned for over 15 years, and before that it wasn't well kept anyway. We met the new owner who is an avid antique collector from Lyndon, WA who has done a great job at restoring the old Hotel. The food was better than good and we got the bonus of touring the old National Bank of Commerce across the street. That building was built in (about) 1902 at a time when there were still bank robbers and the industry was trying to instill confidence in the average American. (Thus the beautiful, ornate decor (gorgeous tin ceilings) and two heafty vaults with 2 feet of cement all around them).





We also got to visit with Grandma Claudine and Grandpa Tommy a couple of times. They are so dear to us!





Those are pics of the old bank as are these, how cool is that?