A Full-time Life

Category: Family

  • SUMMER and FAMILY

    We're having some great family time here in Oregon. 

    These are the snapshots that I'd have on our refrigerator right now if it weren't wood instead of metal.  The ones right below are from somebody's big 7-0 birthday celebration.  (Let's see, who's the oldest person we know here?)  The family gathering was at Cyndi and Jeff's house  (they're the parents of our three grownup — and farflung — grand-children).  With the birthday "boy" (yeah, right!) is our grandson Ryan who is visiting all of his Oregon relatives for a while.

    Lower collage:  Those are our other two younger Grandkids, Sarah & Collin, and some more pictures of Ryan (and Aunt Cyndi) at the Lake. 

    Summertime!  Kids!  Gotta' love 'em!  They make us feel young again (well, almost anyway).

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  • MEMORIES IN A TUMBLE-DOWN TOWN

    CA STATE LINE 095 We've been married just about forever and sometime back at the dawning of civilization*, we lived for a couple of years in New Pine Creek.  We went to see it last week when we were in Southeast Oregon.  It's a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of place that straddles the Oregon-California border on Highway 395. 

      This little farm community is twenty miles south of Lakeview Oregon and 50 miles north of Alturas California, with nothing much else in between.  It's the outback of the outback.  Back then (*it really was 1959 through 1961), we thought we were so lucky to get to move there.  Bill had just graduated from a two-year program at a Teacher's College in Idaho and he got a position as teacher/principal (and janitor) at New Pine Creek Elementary, a one-room school on the California side of the border.  (California!  It paid more than Idaho, where most of his fellow graduates went.)  

    OUR OLD HOUSE 088 We had a one-year old son and a baby on the way.  (Our daughter was born in Lakeview).  This is the house where we lived — as you can see, it is  about a foot from the highway.  The house actually looks better now than it did then; we didn't have siding or a fence.  It snowed a lot in the Winters we were there. The snowplow would come past several times a day and plow the snow into drifts that blocked the house in.  Those winter days were long!

    THE SCHOOL 90 This is the old school building — it was about the length of two blocks straight up the highway from our house.  Someone is living in it now; the school closed years ago.  It is funny to realize that the eighth-graders Bill taught were actually only six or seven years younger than he was. 

    It was a very small village even then.  But there were a couple of grocery stores, a good butcher, a barbershop and a Grange Hall that had an active social schedule. Now the Grange Building looks like something straight out of a ghost story.GRANGE BLDG 93

    There isn't much left of the town now.  Both of the grocery store buildings are still standing, but they are now "antique" stores.   Junk shops — especially when there are more than two in a three block stretch — must be the last dying gasp of a small town. 

    After our two years here, we moved back to Eastern Washington.  LIving there again, we had two more sons, bought our first house, worked a bunch of various jobs between us, and, eventually, Bill completed his degree.  (That last sentence alone would be worth a hundred posts if this were really that kind of blog!)   In 1971, we moved to Lane County, Oregon — the opposite side of the State of Oregon from NPC, in every possible definition.

    ABANDONED BLDG 091 Our visit last week was only the third or fourth time we've been through here since we moved and we've long since lost track of the people we knew.   But we'll always remember our two years here — we did a lot of growing up and had a lot of fun too. 

    I wonder if there will be anything left of the town if we ever drive through here again.

     

  • GARDEN OF THE GODS

    Gog f vis ctrpic 55 In 1859 two surveyors exploring locations in Colorado came upon this beautiful area of sandstone formations.  One of them said "this would be a capital place for a beer garden."  The other one, who had a poetic turn of mind, said "Beer Garden?  Why, no, this is a place fit for the gods to assemble.  We will call it Garden of the Gods."  And so it has been called ever since.

    GOG 047 In 1879, the railroad magnate Charles Perkins purchased 240 acres of land here, at first thinking he would build a summer home.  He never did, deciding he would rather leave his wonderland in the natural state for all to enjoy.  He didn't leave any written plans for the area when he died in 1907, but  his children, knowing his feeling for the Garden, gave the 480 acres to the City of Colorado Springs.  They specified that it should forever remain free to the public and that the only buildings on it were to be those necessary for maintaining it as a public park.  (They also specified that there are to be no alcoholic beverages in the park, so that guy who wanted it to be a beer garden would still be out-of-luck.)  Climbers 025

    We went to Garden of the Gods in the late afternoon, after exploring Pikes Peak earlier in the day.  It had been cold and windy up there.  Here, the summer sunshine reflected on these beautiful red rocks made it seem even warmer than the 80 degrees it was.

    You really need to dress in layers in Colorado!

      

    G&L051 Geoff and Lisa at the Park Visitor Center.

     

  • A REAL WINTER POST (GUEST PICTURES)

       

    Winter is simply not something we do any more.  In fact, we've been spending the season where it's warm and dry for so long now that the idea of snow and cold has completely lost its appeal.  (Although we used to ski a bit, that appeal was never terribly strong anyway on my part.)  And now, like all snowbirds, we both really really hate getting cold.  Sometimes it's even hard to remember what time of year it actually is.

    BUT when our grand-daughter Kelsey sent pictures from an Oregon trip she and her husband took in January, it made me long for a magic carpet.  It would have been so much fun to spend the day with them (from the warmth of the ski-lodge of course). 

    Kelsey and Bradley live at Vandeburgh AFB in California — and they had gone to visit their folks (our daughter and son-in-law, Cyndi and Jeff) in Alvadore, Oregon.  These pictures are from their family day-trip to Hoodoo Ski Area, which is about two hours east of where our Oregon kids live.  

    So just to celebrate the end of real Winter everywhere,  I thought I'd share these pictures.  

    Bradley kelsey and cyndi070 Left:  Three ways to get down the slopes at Hoodoo Ski Bowl.  That's Cyndi on the right, with the snowbike, and Kelsey and her husband Bradley  — with skis and snowboard.   

    Cyndi skibiking down058

    On the mountain060

     

    Jacob and Jeff 048

    Our son-in-law Jeff and grandson Jacob, just before they hit the slopes.

     

     

     

    These pictures were so much fun to look at because, of course, there are times when we miss seeing our family and it's great to have their pictures. 

    But when I look at the snow and remember that it is as cold as it is beautiful — and that the rain in the lower elevations of western Oregon lasts such a long time….and can be so wet and dismal ….

    and then remember how much we've enjoyed Florida sunshine this whole winter, it makes me feel pretty darn good about where we are.

    Still wish I'd had that magic carpet though.

  • LANE COUNTY SUMMER

    Lane County, Oregon — it's a great place to spend a summer.  When we're here, it feels just like home, except in a smaller and more manageable house than the one we lived in for so many years.    That house, in Springfield, was a great place to raise a family but at this stage of life, our traveling home gives us more time and less work. 

    Ryan catfish aug 08 32 The best thing was just hanging out with our family and having a chance to visit with friends. 

    We had great times with our Northwest kids and their families — including all six of our grandchildren.  What could be better?  Most of the time, there were no special occasions, just the gift of having time to spend together.  The picture is our grandson Ryan, with two catfish he caught from our little boat at Fern Ridge Shores. 

    We did have one big family event, Andy and Denae's Labor Day wedding at Buford Park in Eugene. (He's our oldest grandson.)   It was a lovely day.  Click here to link to their blog where you can read about their fantastic adventures in India.  There's a wedding picture in there too.

    Click here (and scroll down) to read previous posts about our Oregon summer.  Here are a few extra random bits.  

    Spooky island g 6 This picture is Spooky Island on the lower McKenzie River.  It's about three miles from the RV Park in Coburg where we stayed in July and just a few blocks from where we used to live in Springfield.  Our kids used to play here.  There is a huge new modern hospital now right across from here (where there used to be bean fields that provided summer jobs for all the neighborhood kids, including ours).This is it:Peace health hosp riverbend11

     

     

    Oly trials 14 Some friends and I had fun on a 6K Volkswalk that took us through the Olympics Track Trials Fan Village at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.  We got to see some of the meet on the big screen and enjoy the excitement — no cost, and great fun and exercise.  Eugene did a very good job on the Trials. I thought it would make it more fun to watch the Bejing Olympics, but sadly nobody we saw did very well there.   

    Oregon has a bunch of excellent wineries, several in Lane County.  The picture below right is at King Estates, probably the best-known one.  King estates06

    The wine is good and the scenery is terrific.

    One day we drove to McMinnville with friends to see the Spruce Goose Museum (below). It's an interesting museum and kind of amazing story the way this iconic plane ended up in this tiny town.  That is one big plane!  There are a bunch of other air-related exhibits, the miniatures of the plane's interior and exterior that were used in shooting the film "The Aviator" and an I-Max Theater. 

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    Our feet start to get itchy when Oregon's rainy season approaches.  But since we never have quite enough time to see all we want to of our family and friends, it is always hard to leave Oregon.  I guess we have split personalities.  When we're in Oregon, the part of us that enjoys routine and familiarity kicks in and it becomes difficult to leave.  We always seem to put off our departure day several times before we finally hit the road.  Thus, it was mid-October before our summer in Lane County ended. 

    We enjoyed every minute of it.  Thank you everybody for the wonderful times.  We love y'all!

  • A CORNBREAD STORY

    Cornbread  Yesterday I baked a perfect pan of cornbread.  Now, normally this would certainly not be blog-worthy news.  But just this one time it really is.  Because earlier in the day, "we" installed our NEW CONVECTION OVEN!  (Click on the posts listed in Food and Drink category on the right to read the whole saga of our microwave troubles.)  This time we have changed brands completely and we have a Sharp.  It fits in the space where the old one was!  It works like it is supposed to!  Life is good!   

    We like cornbread and there is a kind of family history to it that we enjoy thinking about while we eat:

    Bill's dad was the oldest in a family of nine children, growing up during the Depression.  He told us that cornmeal was a family staple when money was scarce. He remembered that on several birthdays, the cake was a big pan of cornbread with a candle in the middle.  This actually might not be as sad as it sounds, because this grandmother, (who was still alive and healthy well after our children were born) was a wonderful cook — she worked some in restaurants and scout camps — probably not too different than cooking for her family had been.  So if anyone could make cornbread into a celebration, she was the one.    My father-in-law still liked to eat it all his life, so I guess it must have been good. 

    We like it too — but not for birthdays!

    There's no recipe to accompany this Food post, because I just use the one that's always on the box of cornmeal.  I wish I had Bill's Grandmother's though; I'm sure it was better.

  • ARCHES, CANYONLANDS and MOAB

    Cynlands moab arches 1292 There was only one thing wrong with our 2006 visit to these two beautiful national parks — we didn't get to stay long enough.  We hope we get to go back.
    We visited both parks at least twice during our time in the area.  Does everyone know about the National Park's lifetime Golden Age Pass?  It's absolutely the best travel buy going for anyone over 62 (I think it was 55 when we got ours.)  We've had ours for years (well, duh) but I just checked and the current price is only $10.00.    You get in to any National Park and most other National Recreation areas without further cost.  I can't even begin to add up how many times over we've gotten our monies worth.  Get one if you're eligible!

    The vistas at Canyonlands and Arches are awe-inspiring.   And the walking is great  – once you recover.  The Visitor Centers at both parks were helpful in providing an overview of the history and geology of the areas.    

       Geoff and Sallie at keyhole _1352  Moab 9538 Used cynlnds arches hiking path 1331 Used Keyhole arches NP 1330

    We stayed in the nearby town of Moab — touristy, but still charming.

    Usednear moab _1290

    Geoff on natural bridge 1307 Moab 9552  Top of the keyhole trail _1338

    Geoff drove over from neighboring Colorado to join us for a couple days of our stay, so we were able to explore some back roads with his Jeep. (Part of trail pictured below).    It's a rite of passage toward acceptance of middle- (or greater) age when you can trust your life to someone whom you taught to drive!  But once you get over this angst, it's a great feeling.  We loved the ride.

    At one stop on the trail, we met some people from the Netherlands.     It was their first visit to this country and first time to drive a Jeep (they had a rental).   They'd been watching and following us (at a good distance).  We were happy that we — and they — hadn't had any troubleArches jeep trail _1319Jeep trail we took 1309. 

    Bill had to walk in front a few times to  a guide Geoff, because he couldn't always see the travel line through the rocks we encountered. 

     

     

     

    How to move a rock moab_1284 The huge balanced rock was beside a road out of Moab.  It looks like Bill is trying to find the best way to move it.    

     

     

     

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    Just before we got to Moab, we stayed for a few nights at Bloomfield, Utah, only about 200 miles away.  It was from there that we visited Chaco Canyon.  http://travelingrainvilles.typepad.com/traveling_home/2008/02/chaco-canyon-ju.html

    We really hope to go back to this area.  We'd like to revisit all three of these beautiful parks and see the rest of the Four Corners area.

  • A VISIT TO A MOUNTAIN TOP – COLORADO JUNE 2008

    GROCKY MOUNTAINS NEAR MT EVANS11 034 Mount Evans is one of quite a few 14,000+ feet peaks near where our son Geoff and his wife Lisa live (and also near where we live when we're in Colorado).  But this Mountain is different from the rest because it has a paved road all the way to the top.  It is said to be the highest paved road in the world.

    This is really a lucky break for us — believe me, we're not going to be climbing anything that high ever.   Just getting out of Geoff's Jeep and walking around is enough high-altitude hiking for us. 

    The wind was blowing very hard.  We really noticed the difference in altitude and temperature as we "climbed". 

    GMT VIEW 014
    We are glad that we got to experience a little bit of what it's like up on the top of the world.

    Real climbers probably kind of hate that there is an easy way to get to the top of this mountain and I really couldn't blame them.  But this real mountain climber didn't seem to mind us being there as he looked down from his even higher perch.

    OkGOAT download June 11 023

    This building on top of the peak, called Crest House, was built in 1939 and was the highest structure in the world at 14,260 feet.   It was destroyed in a propane explosion in 1979.  Only the outer walls remain; it's now an observation platform.  You can see for miles. 

    Reading the warning sign actually made me feel good — as if we were in pretty good shape just to stay alive up there! 

    CREST HOUSE 033 HIGH ALTITUDE SGN MT EVANS 23

  • More from Colorado

    Columbine_colorado_st_flower_086This is Colorado's state flower, the columbine.  We saw it last August, when it was still like spring up in the mountains above Denver.  Wouldn't it be cool if we could get a picture of every State flower?

    This visit to Colorado wasn't actually an RV trip at all.  When we came home from our London stay, we flew into Denver and then spent a while with our kids in Colorado before heading back to the Northwest by car.    (We had stored the fifth-wheeler in Oregon.) 

    On one of the days we were there, Geoff took us on a Jeep ride up to these mountains above Breckenridge.  I don't think there could be a greater contrast than between living in the busy and crowded city of London and then just a few days later being up in these wide-open spaces.  We were so lucky to get to do both!

    Jeep_trail_033 This is the Jeep Trail up the Mountain.  Jeep_ride_with_geoffThe pass is called Radical Hill(!).

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    And here's some of what we saw when we got to the top.  (Click on the pictures to get full views.)

    Best_goats_and_mountains_084 Goats_and_mt_085  Wildflower_meadow011

    Mountain_view_079 There were so many great views and the mountain goats were so amusing.  I could hardly stop taking pictures.  These are just a sample.   It was a great day.Goats_and_natural_bridge_073