The Parkins Report

Events of 2000

The Summer of Wildfire: Sula, Montana, August 6 (BLM-Alaska photo)

The 20^th century went out with a bang as wildfires raged all around us during August, turning day into a pale red haze.

Our first winter in Montana was relatively mild. Larye rode his bike to work every day and only crashed on the ice once, resulting in a serious hamstring injury from which he is mostly recovered.

The Missoula bungalow got a kitchen facelift and a complete bathroom redo over the winter, while the cabin got outfitted on the interior and was habitable by late spring. We spent a couple nights a month at the cabin, working slowly toward making it cozy.

Travels:

We combined our family visit to New Mexico with a few days in Arizona, taking a break from the Montana winter in two feet of Arizona blizzard; took a plane trip and a car trip to Tacoma; and a car trip to Madison, with a side trip by air to New Orleans for a nursing convention, and stops at various relatives on both sides, in Devils Lake, ND, Coon Rapids, MN, Madison, WI, and Jackson, MN.

Again, job changes, additions, and expansions.

Judy developed her skills and reputation as a machine quilter, attending a national convention in Illinois and entering quilts in the Missoula Quilt Show. Then the insurance business called again in September. She now works as Medical Care Coordinator for VRI, a large multi-state case management firm in Missoula , with offices in Billings and Helena.

Larye is still at the University of Montana Computing and Information Services department. The department is expanding, with the addition of four more systems administrators, two Unix and two Windows NT/2000, and a veritable explosion of new servers as we gear up for the 21^st century Internet technologies and Windows 2000.

Larye also continues his home-based consulting business, Information Engineering Services: this year the primary project has been Timeless Treasures Quilt Shop's web site, which he designed and, working with the client, evolved into a dynamic web driven by interactive data entry programs.

Contacts

Larye & Judy Parkins
501 Blaine St.
Missoula, MT 59801

(406) 543-3871 Note: New Number

larye@parkins.org (406) 240-3328

judy@parkins.org (406) 240-3329

Family

Additions: Year 2000 babies: Greatgrandson D'Angelo Ray Giron, born to Krysti and Marty March 1, their third; grandson Zundrian Parkins-Santacroce, born to Shawna and Steve December 22, also a third child; and, a fifth great grandchild, Patrick Anthony Lopez, born to Kalen and Paul December 28, their second.

Felines Nicolaus, 7, and Delia, 3, joined our household in June.

Our spring visit to the New Mexico Parkins clan saw us as guests at Sheri and Jose's, a few days after D'Angelo's arrival. We visited daughter Lisa to congratulate her on her fourth grandchild. Grandson Zanthian was almost walking.

On the Bock side of the family, we spent Christmas 1999 with Mark, Candice, and all the Hoffmans; a quick trip for taxes in February, and a four-day weekend tour that included the Olympia farmer's market, a major quilt show in Seattle, and most quilt shops on I-90 and U.S. 12. And, a visit with Matt,Tricia, Ashley (12), and Travis (8) in Wisconsin in October / November.