A Full-time Life

Category: Family

  • HANGING OUT

     

    It doesn't take a lot to amuse this great-grandmother.  When I get a chance to hang out with our daughter on a summer day, I'd be happy just sitting under their magnificent black walnut tree.  It's a perfect place to visit or to read or just to listen to the birds.

     

    P1010509

     But it is even more fun when the great-grands are spending the day at the same time.    They bring the party!  

      

    2015-07-261

    First we ran around the five acres.  And then we got slimed!     Here are the  two boys with their grandma (our daughter) creating the goo.  Some of us love to get dirty.  Others are learning to enjoy it.   (And as you noticed, I'm well out of slime range, taking pictures.  Somebody has to do it.)  

     

    2015-07-26

     

     

     Then there was a hose-off followed by a dip/swim in the hot-tub  – a cool tub actually on this warm (for Oregon) summer day.

     

      P1010515

     

    After that it was  lunch under the tree and visiting (for the grandparents and great-grandparents among us).  And more running around the acreage for the rest! 

    It was a play-day for three generations.  We all had fun!  

     

    LINKING TO:  OUR WORLD on Tuesday (Lady Fi, Sandy, Sylvia, Gattina, Arija, and Jenn);  and  Monica's  NATURE FOOTSTEP TREES.        Thank you to all of the hosts for these fun memes.

  • KENTUCKY CARDINAL in FLORIDA

     

     

    When I was growing up in Eastern Washington State, the only Cardinals we ever saw were those on Christmas cards.  But whenever we opened one of those cards, my mother (who was born and raised in Kentucky)  would always mention that it was her favorite bird when she was a child.

     

    P1040125

     

    That made quite an impression on me because really my parents weren't what you would call nature lovers.   In fact, our family  didn't do much outside at all, but my mother had grown up in the country and ridden horses and (apparently) enjoyed nature before she migrated out west.   I liked hearing about what seemed to me her different and exotic past life.  

     

    2014-03-312

     

     

    So I didn't see a real cardinal until years and years later when Bill and I traveled South for the first time.   And when we saw our first one as we were driving, I yelled for him to stop the truck … I was so excited.     I did soon realize that these were fairly common birds in other parts of the country … they just don't hang out in the Pacific Northwest.    Although we see them more often nowadays, I still get excited… they'll never be a commonplace bird to me.

    This cardinal is  one we  spotted  on a day trip here in Florida just last month.  He kept posing so beautifully that I thought the least I could do was to post him to   WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Thank you Stewart.

  • GRATEFUL

     

     

     

     For all of the sunrises …

     

     

    P1020443-001

     

     

     And for all of the sunsets …

     

     

    P1010045

     

     And for all of the (mostly) blue skies in between  ….

     

     

    2013-11-242

     

     

      ….   And for all that we have shared

    I am grateful.    

     

    (Thanksgiving Day is our 56th Anniversary.)

     

     

    Shared with SKYWATCH FRIDAY.      Thank you to Yogi, Sylvia, and Sandy and HAPPY THANKSGIVING  to all.

     

     

  • CRABBY

     

    Last week I posted some scenic pictures from  Winchester Bay, where we spent the past ten days.  That scenery is reason enough to go there as often as possible.   

     
    P1020629-002

    But we did have an additional purpose in mind  this time …. and that was to trap (and devour) a few of the Pacific Coast's delicious Dungeness crabs.  

     

    P1020546-001

     Back before we started RV traveling, we spent most of a few summer/early falls here   … and we got darn good at crab-catching.    The best months  to crab in the Bay are September and October, so we were a little early for peak-of-the-season this time.   But we did OK.

     
    P1020544-001

     

    Most of the time when we're on the boat, I am too busy (and too wet) to get any pictures.  But last weekend, our grandson Jacob and his friend Ana came over for the day.  So among us, were able to get a few quick snapshots.  

     

    P1020545-001

    Below, our good-looking company relaxing after we got back to our campsite with the days catch.  We were waiting for the crabpot to boil.


    P1020549-001

     No more pictures after that…. we cooked, we cleaned, we ate.  We got messy and didn't touch the camera.   

    It's a lot of fun and a lot of work…. by the time you sit back to enjoy the bounty of the sea, you really feel as if you deserve the fabulous meal!!  

     

    Thank you to the lovely ladies of the OUR WORLD team:   Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy, Arija, Gattina, and Jenn.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • MCKENZIE RIVER part 2

    Last Tuesday, I posted about  our raft trip on the McKenzie (here) and showed pictures  as we shot through Marten Rapids.    Here are some of the pictures I took of the calmer parts of this beautiful river.

     

     

     

    330 little island
    *
    We started this trip at Finn Rock, near Blue River.  There are lovely long stretches of calm river like this one and a few small rapids.
    *

    334 lunch stop
    *
    We stopped for lunch at this small beach.
    *

    324 McK driftboat fishers
    *
    Wooden drift boats  similar to this one have been used by fishermen and  river runners on the McKenzie for over a century.    It is a design uniquely suited to this Oregon river.    
    *
    340 small rapid just passed
    *
    We had just rafted through this  rapids and I was able to get the camera out of the wet bag in time to get a picture before we were out of range.  This was before I knew that we'd get our pictures taken later right in the middle of the larger and even more exciting Marten Rapids.
    *
    337 riverside
    *
    We had fun riding the rapids — and  are proud to have the bragging rights that come with that.  But  truly I think we both enjoy the quiet peaceful parts of the trip just as much.    The McKenzie is such a beautiful and unspoiled river.  
    *

    344 driftboat
    *
    This post is linked to  OUR WORLD on TUESDAY and  SCENIC WEEKENDS   Thank you to Lady Fi and the OW Team and Gemma  for SW.

  • MARTEN (aka MARTIN’S) RAPIDS

     

    A couple of weeks ago, we got a chance to raft the beautiful McKenzie River with the best river guides in the world.  Here we are with those guides (our grandson Andy and g-daughter-in-law  Denae) at our lunch stop.    None of the pictures in this post are mine.  This one was taken by a nice fisherman who offered to take our picture with "your good looking kids".  (We agreed and didn't even confess that we were just the grandparents.)

     

     

    336 good looking kids and us2best

     I took some pretty good scenic pictures along the calmer stretches of the river and a few of rapids we had just passed through, but I had to put my camera in the waterproof bag when we got close to the adventurous parts.   I thought I'd be happy settling for blogging those but then we found out that a professional camera company called West Coast Action Photos has a gig taking pictures of rafts as they go through Marten Rapids, the best one on the river.  

     

    0078 ANDY WORKING GOING IN

     We were delighted to go online and purchase the CD of our adventure.  And so here are the brave great-grandparents riding the rapids.

     

    0079 IN ok

     

     

    Having fun getting soaked!  The day was overcast and cool so Andy kept us out of most of the splash on the previous rapids (McKenzie River  water is COLD!).  

    Marten's was the last rapids before  our take-out, so it was a perfect time to get wet.  (And we didn't have any choice on this one anyway.)


    0080 SPLASH

     I didn't put in any of the pictures of me yelling!   The photographer kept snapping no matter what we looked like.

    0088 happy

     

     

    We stayed with the raft.  That's a very good thing!


    0093 here we go

     

     I'll show more of the quieter parts of the beautiful McKenzie in a later post.

     


    331 me bill andy(Denae took this one.)

     

     Sharing this great day with OUR WORLD    (thank you to Lady Fi, the new host!)  Visit the links to see adventures and beauty from all over the world!

     

     

  • TWO MOONS

     

    We were staying with our Colorado kids the night of the June Supermoon…and when it began to get dark all four of us looked but didn't see any sign of a moon.  We decided maybe the still-smoky skies would keep it hidden from view.


     

    JUNE SUPERMOON2

     So we played games and visited and then Bill and I headed upstairs to bed.  And looked out the bedroom window to see this.  (And yes, I went racing downstairs in my PJs to tell Geoff and Lisa and we all went outside to look.  But I was in such a hurry to let them know that I forgot my camera, so the only shot I got was this one through the bedroom window.)

    (The "extra" moon is a reflection in the window, but I liked the way it looks.)
    **
    We were here at Fern Ridge Shores the other day for the July moon, which I guess was just an ordinary full moon, not a super one.   This time, we spotted it well before it got dark.    And it cast a beautiful golden light on our shallow lake.
    P1020245-001
    *
    Just playing with settings on the camera… standing pretty much in the same spot.
    *
    P1020239
    *
    Really, I think any Full Moon is super!
    *
    P1020243
    **
    Linked to SKYWATCH FRIDAY, with thanks to Yogi and Sandy and Sylvia, the host team.

  • GLORIOUS GLASS

     

     Geoff and Lisa introduced us to Glassworks Studio and Gallery, one of their favorite shops in the town of Estes Park.  We loved it too. 

     

     
    2013-06-242

     

     We enjoyed watching  the creative process happening right before our eyes as the craftsman worked at the furnace.  

     

     
    2013-06-24

    There was only chicken wire between the "audience" and the artist, so he was able to talk to people and answer questions.   He's working in very hot conditions!

     

     
    2013-06-243

    Hard to pick a favorite.

     

     
    2013-06-241

     

    But, for a change, we actually got out of our usual window-shopping mode and bought a  glass bowl with colors that will be perfect in our Florida cottage.    A practical and beautiful souvenir that will remind us of Colorado and the great times we've had there!

     

     

     

    This stop on our recent roadtrip is linked to the blogging communities at Mary's MOSAIC MONDAY and to   OUR WORLD TUESDAY  — with thanks to Sandy and the rest of the OW team (Sandy, Sylvia, Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, and Jennifer).

  • UNICORN

     

    We saw a "unicorn"  (really a slightly-the-worst-for-wear Mountain Goat) while on this wonderfully scenic Jeep ride with our son a few years ago.    


    Unicorn on a walk 035-001

    Below are a few more members of the large herd: 

     

    Mt goat family 040
    More Colorado memories from a few years ago for Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS.

  • MOUNTAIN MEMORIES

    More  mountain memories for SCENIC WEEKENDS.   This Friday Flashback is to the beautiful state of Colorado (practically synonomous with the word  "mountain").  Our youngest son and daughter-in-law live in this beautiful place and we love visiting!!

     

    The jeep trail 032

    On this visit, Geoff took us four-wheeling up Webster Pass ( somewhere up above Denver).  


    Wildflowers 14
     

    Fields of beautiful wildflowers were blooming where the snow had only recently melted.



    Mountain view 079

    Oh — and did I mention that these pictures were taken in August?  Early spring up in these mountains!

     

    Thanks to Gemma for hosting Scenic Weekends.  (Visit the links for a virtual tour of beautiful spots around the world.)