Wedding Central

SEDRO WOOLLEY, Wash. – We arrived safely at Wedding Central, a hillside house at the foot of Anderson Mountain.

The gathering place

This rental sleeps 16, we’re told.  And as we prepare for friends and family to arrive, I consider the overflow possibilities – a crib would be my last resort, though it does have toys.

It’s hard to overstate the contrast of this place and where we left.  Kansas City suffers from 104- and 106-degree days, while Anderson Mountain boasts night-time temperatures of the mid 40s and even-more-pleasant mid 70s at day.

We hear that things will cool back home with the arrival of the All-Stars on Tuesday.  We’re grateful, especially on behalf of the panting dogs we left behind.

Water from above.

As to this place, well … it’s the Great Northwest after all.  On the east side of the house is the foot of the mountain itself.  Dense, thick forests march upward on the other side of the drive.  A small, mountain brook bubbles down, sending soft murmurings to the front porch.

Inviting trails wind their way up the hillside, though it’s hard to know where they go.  Their entrances are easily seen, but the paths are swallowed quickly by the dark green.  We’ll explore later.

Wildflowers below.

Down the hill are wildflowers and wild berries.  A swath of deep grass by one berry patch was flattened, obviously by something big and hungry.

It’s the birds, though, that are the stars.  We don’t have binoculars, and we’re not expert in birdcalls, so the species elude us.  But they’re a vocal lot.  They were up with the dawn, which comes at about 4:30.  And judging by the range of tunes, some in concert, others discordant, there’s enough variety here to make a birder blissful.

A favorite among critters.

But it's a 100-strong chorus in need of a choir director.

The house itself is spacious – sleeps 16! – with a design more contemporary than we’re used to.  But very pleasant … almost Norwegian with its blonde floors and smooth, spare  furnishings.   The kitchen is very large and boasts a table as big as a flatboat with two long benches at either side. A good place for friends and family to gather.

Friends start arriving tomorrow.  Today, though, we’ll hook up with Meghan and Eric and their friends, the Humphreys.  The four went camping last night south of Bellingham.  We assume it was a pleasant night, though Meghan called this morning asking if they could stop in for breakfast.

They had brought all the fixings for their own early meal but forgot the forks.

“Sure,” we said!  We have forks.  At least 16.  And so we await their arrival.

It’ll be good to see them.  Cindy and I have both been a bit teary as we march ever closer to the big day.  But I think that’s mainly because we’ve been on our own as we traveled, with time to think about the wedding.

That’ll change as more people arrive.  Then each hour will begin to tick by, the activity will hasten, the to-do list will grow.  I imagine it’ll be a bit like a wormhole in space … you get pulled along its path, ever faster … very fast! … only to pop out the other side to peace and calm.

Whatever it is, it will be a fun ride.  Emotional, sure.  But we’ll have our silly times, too.

Steve and Nina, middle, help toast the cottage's final days.

Laurel Slack maybe said it best in a Facebook post a few days ago.  Laurel’s the daughter of Steve and Nina Slack, close friends of many years.  Steve will be the officiate at the wedding.

Laurel and her friend Jake arrive tomorrow.  Steve and Nina get in Wednesday.  Their son Tyler and friend Sarah arrive Friday.  Meantime, our son Zach arrives tonight.

It seems anytime the Weavers and Slacks converge, merriment ensues.  Not the har-de-har, bad-joke stuff.  No … more the nonsense that sends us to senseless giggling.

I remember when Cindy, Nina, Steve and I went to a stylish restaurant in Glen Arbor, Mich., during one of our many visits Up North. Steve ordered a Rob Roy, I ordered a Manhattan. Both came equipped with cherries.  The area is cherry country, if you don’t know. 

Those potent drinks and a menu heavy in cherry-related dishes had Steve and I imagining cherry concoctions the way Bubba spilled shrimp recipes to Forest Gump.

Steve and I laughed, then cried, causing deep frowns among Cindy, Nina and the stuffy folk at nearby tables. He and I tumbled out the side door with snorts and tears, gasping for some Michigan air.

From left, Eric, Zach, Meghan, Laurel, Tyler, Jake.

After a few deep breaths, we returned, almost serious now, and ordered Poulet aux Cerises … chicken with cherries.

Anyway, Laurel said it best on Facebook:

“Super excited to see Meghan, Zach, Doug and Cindy in 3 days!  Get ready to laugh – the Slacks are coming to Bellingham!”

Indeed they are.  Wedding Central becomes Comedy Central. 

We’re ready.