Goose Alley

Unexpected Milestone

2012-01-28T10:45:00.001-08:00

Wow. I have been gone a while. So here is the deal. From October 2009 to July 2011, I was working two jobs. One in retail and one as an HR Admin. Together, these jobs kept me working between 60-70 hours a week, depending on the week. The first year I worked 7 days a week, and then starting in Jan 2011, I managed to get Sunday off. During the summer of 2010 I applied for over 40 teaching jobs. I got interviews, but jobs went to candidates already working in the school districts. The summer of 2011 I went to the teaching fair in Portland and it appeared that NO one was hiring in science. It was a little depressing. I didn't really find any great job listings as the summer progressed until my sister, who subs for the Vancouver School District, called me and said that there was a posting for a science position. This was in the middle of July and it had already been posted for a week (Note: School starts at the beginning of September). I applied, and, after a few weeks, I was called in for an interview. I thought the interview went well, but I realized that there were probably a lot of qualified candidates. When the middle of August rolled around, I figured that since this left only two weeks until school, the position had probably been filled.

Earlier in the year, my siblings and I had planned a camping trip at Barview for three days at the end of August. We got two adjacent sites and set up lots of tents! It was so much fun to have Kristin, Katie, Megan and I, along with Megan's husband and children, Matt and our cousin Emden all together. We relaxed, played on the beach, ate good food, and had a generally great time. The third day of the camping trip I was getting ready to take a shower (Barview campground has great showers, by the way) when Matt's phone (which we had been set up to receive forwarded calls from our home phone) rang, and, after answering, Matt held out the phone to me. The person on the other line indicated they were with Vancouver School District HR and were very interested in me but could not get in contact with any of my references. WOW. Here I was in the "wilderness" holding my clothes, toiletries, and a towel and thinking that it hadn't occurred to me that having my references' phone numbers on me at all times was a good plan. I told HR I would try to contact my references myself and have them call back. I got off of the phone, told everybody what had happened, and then Matt and I frantically tried to find phone numbers for everyone! As two of my primary references were college professors, we were able to find their office numbers online. However, this was a week and a half before the fall semester started and I didn't expect anyone to be there. This proved to be accurate, but I left messages anyway. I then called my current employer, described the situation, and asked if she would be willing to at least provide a reference. She very kindly did so, and then, luckily for me, my CBC/WSU professor called me back and she also called in a reference.

When I returned from the showers, we started packing up camp. When everything but the last tent was packed, HR called back and OFFERED ME THE JOB!!! I was to come in for HR stuff on Thursday, which was exactly one week before school started. Best camping trip ever!

I saw my classroom for the first time the following Friday and then put my nose to the grindstone! It has been a wild and crazy ride so far, but it feels SO good to do what I love! The work load is approximately 70-80 hours a week...(not a lot has changed here), but it is much more enjoyable. I am enjoying students and the academic experience. I have a great administrative staff, science colleagues, and kids. I honestly couldn't have asked for a more perfect situation. I teach two class of integrated science (this is a Freshman course) and thee of Chemistry at Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver, WA. The commute is short (25 minutes) and I have my own classroom. I am truly grateful!

So, if you don't hear from me too often, know that I am writing or grading something or maybe sleeping! Matt and I have tried to make Saturday our "no school work day," but that is a work in progress. Today we are headed out to run errands: get binders for school, get notebooks for school, get binder clips for school.... you get the idea!

Back-log #1 - Fisher Family Visit in July 2010

2011-08-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

In July our friends John and Connie and their two kids Natalie and Kai came through town and stopped to say hi. Connie had been staying in their home in Spokane with the kids while John worked at a new job in California. This visit was the beginning of a few summer weeks where they would all get to be together. The kids were excited.

I'm Back!

2011-08-03T16:20:00.001-07:00

July has been an eventful month! As most of you know, I have been working two jobs for the last 18 months: a retail job and an HR job. Together I was pulling about 60-70 hours a week, and for the first year I didn't have any days off of both jobs! In January I kept the same hours, but managed to arrange to have Sunday off. In April the store announced that they would be closing our location and that the last day would be on July 14th. So, I am down to one job, and I am finally getting around to the many things I have been wanting to do.

I have managed to have a LITTLE bit of a life between work hours, and I have managed to document most important events with photos. As my blog is essentially my journal, and because I think some of you might be interested, I am going to post "back-logs" every couple of days until I am caught up. Some of them are from last year....

Life Bird 240

2011-02-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

Life bird 240 came to visit the suet feeder today. I was beginning to think that I had the the most "life skills challenged" birds in the neighborhood because the suet feeder, which contains my premium, homemade, lard, peanut butter, oat and cornmeal mix, was totally ignored for the first three weeks that I put it out!!! Fortunately, the cold weather convinced a few birds to have a go, and now I have Juncos, fox sparrows, goldfinches, and a BEWICKS WREN all taking turns. I was surprised that I hadn't seen a Bewicks yet - but upon further reflection, it makes sense, because most of the Wren's I have spotted were either in Texas, in an ancient caldera located in Malheur, or in a Marsh. So, I have the Carolina Wren, the Rock and Canyon wrens, and the marsh wren - which I wrecked a brand new pair of tennis shoes to get a good look at because it WOULDN'T hold still!!

Bird 239 was the bushtit which I have spent countless hours hunting, and never gotten a good look at (although I am SURE I have spotted them flitting about several times.) This also occurred in my postage stamp sized back yard. I was watching the feeder absentmindedly when a flock of "frolicking" birds overtook the cherry tree for about three minutes and then moved on. They were unmistakable, due to their behavior and general color and size, but I did get a good look at a couple - FINALLY!

The birds I am currently hunting shouldn't be too hard to find, but have eluded me so far include:
Barrows Goldeneye
Ruddy Turnstone
Mountain Quail
Barred Owl
Western Screech Owl
Virginia Rail
Gyrfalcon
Merlin (identified by ME)
and various warblers, peeps and shorebirds

I am hoping to schedule in a few Audobon outings here in the spring. I know that there are SO many hotspots in this area that I am overlooking! I can't wait to get out there again!

New Reads

2011-02-27T22:18:00.000-08:00

So far this year, I have tried to fit in a little reading each evening and sometimes during my 1/2 hour downtime between jobs Tues, Wed, and Thurs. Last year my reading was a little more sporadic and focused on Biology topics (which I still LOVE), but this year, I am starting with the classics that I should have read at some point in my academic career, but didn't.

The first book I read was Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck. I enjoyed the intro which really helped me better understand why I was reading a story about a Chineese family written by a white woman. I found the book both intriguing and disturbing. I was surprised to find that I am a farmer at heart :) I loved the relationship that the main character had with the land and his descriptions of how growing crops and even just handling the soil gave him joy. The role of women in the story, however, I found disturbing. I thought Western culture had the monopoly on the oppression of women, but I was wrong. I found it interesting that as I reflected on the story, I found myself oddly sympathetic to the main male character, even though his treatment of his "wife" was so...unfeeling. It has made me want to read a novel that portrays life in modern China. Anyone have any suggestions?

I have started 1984, and so far, I have found it very..."the opposite of subtle." It many of what Melinda used to call "Hemingway Hints," which are very brick-like in nature. I am only about three pages in, but already I have a better understanding of some social references that I only vaguely understood before. Big Brother, for instance.

Not sure what to read next. I think I may try The Scarlet Letter. I am open to suggestions. FYI, my favorite classic novels are: Wuthering Heights, Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, and The Chosen (and the rest of the series by Potok). I have hit most of the Newberry's. I find Dickens a bit slow, and frankly boring at times. I enjoy a little C.S. Lewis, but, again, find he takes way too much time to explain something and then tends to "re-explain" it 2-5 more times before moving onto a new subject (especially in his religious works). I love Faulkner's ability to provide exquisite descriptions, I like a little of the macabre (A Rose for Emily is my favorite short story), and my guilty pleasures (which, incidentally, can all be categorized as juvenile literature), that I have read at least 20 times, include the Anne of Green Gables series, The Secret Garden, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

Sew Fun

2011-01-31T18:04:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying working on all sorts of sewing projects lately. In addition to the many aprons I have attempted, my two new sewing projects are an elephant pin cushion and a "pinafore bag." I saw a finished model of the elephant at work one day and I HAD to have one. Of course, I have never learned how to do anything "small," and I soon had about 20 elephants cut out! I decided that this would be one of my primary Christmas gifts this year! I love the little details. The flowers are cut out of wool felt, and the centers are embellished with seed beads.

After the elephant, I found this bag pattern. Unfortunately, the details are hard to see in the photos, but they really make the bag. The bottom corners have darts, creating a nice, open, roomy feel, the front part of the bag has rows of decorative quilting (just lines - but they look cool), and there is a pleat in the middle of both sides of the bag.

Additionally, the handles have two rows of stitching detail. I fell in love with the picture on the pattern, but I like my fabric even better :) I like an aqua and brown bag.... Shocking isn't it?

The other fun project I have been working on is felting ornaments. Birds are the easiest, and I have managed to make a few that I like. This one went to Matt's dad at Christmas.

Chickadees are my next project..

Resolutions

2011-01-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

I am not one of those people who thinks that the new year is a silly time to start trying to improve oneself. I think it is a perfectly respectable time. Especially since waiting until the new year to try and implement self betterment projects generally means that I can eat what I want during the holidays. Generally, this works out pretty well for me. I gain a pound or two during Christmas, and then, after the sight of chocolate makes me grimace, I quit eating it for a while, and the pounds come off again! Of course, attaining goal weight is not the only, or the most important goal of the year. I also have found a way to have Sundays off so that I can attend and enjoy church again, I plan to spend time USING the cool craft stuff I have, I want to write letters to people I care about on a regular basis (the REAL kind), I plan to make the most of the time while I am not teaching to create cool lesson plans in my spare time, I plan to read, read READ!, I plan to calendar in birding time, and I plan to continue to make family a priority. Basically, this should all easily be accomplished by having a real day off each week. After having worked at least one of the two jobs I have every day of the week (and both half the week) for the last year, I finally have a day off. Ahhhhhh.... the possibilities are endless.

I also want to keep up my journal (um, I mean blog) more regularly. So...I will catch up the fun things I did last year periodically, but I decided that if I keep waiting until I can catch up, I will never post again.

For anyone who still visits my blog, I wish you a very happy, peaceful, and prosperous 2011.

Planting Seeds

2010-08-02T18:54:00.001-07:00

Wow. It's been a while. Since I have a few posts to add, I think I will mete them out over the next few days in case anyone is actually reading!!

"Our" Spring building project was a planter for the side of the patio. Ok, so it was really MY building project. I tend to get excited when there is building to be done. I sorta take over the putting together part, and relegate Matt to the cutting and fetching part. He doesn't seem to mind too much....

Anyway, it turned out great! I also made better steps for the patio. We tried to level the base together.......Adding a little gravel here, compacting a little there, using a level...an activities NOT recommended for date night.

The project was supposed to house all of my basil I planned to grow this summer. Unfortunately for the basil seeds (that are already two years old - but I know will grow because I have a habit of doing this...) they will have to wait until next year. We visited the nursery, and, well, we bought our favorites.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture in its prime, but it is still enjoyable. The violas and pansies were incredible. There were also mist like flower bushes, but they perished at the first hint of heat. I planted a few Godetia (one of my FAVORITE flowers to raise from seed), but we had puny results. I am hoping for at least one blossom at the end of the summer!

Just popped outside and look what I found!

Here is the planter in its current state.

We decided to put the arch trellis against the back fence, thinking that perhaps the vine on the fence would start to grow on it. It did! Very quickly! It was covered within a couple of weeks. I have no idea what this vine is, but it has dark purple flowers that hang down in double bells, and it grows like a WEED. I already had rooting compound ready to get some starts this fall.

All things considered, our little dirt patch has turned out pretty well. We enjoy the occasional breakfast or dinner out here. The hummingbirds, however, dine every night.

Astoria Trip

2010-05-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

Matt and I decided that I would take a day off (still working seven days a week between my two jobs) and spend it taking a trip to Cannon Beach and maybe Astoria! Matt had never been to Astoria, and we were itching to get to the coast. So, we loaded up Tills, cameras, and rain gear and headed out!

We had expected rain (and maybe some snow) but we were a little surprised by the winter wonderland we encountered in the pass! Fortunately, we traveled during the day, and it was relatively easy to traverse.

We sure picked a blustery day! We found it hard to believe it was the end of Spring Break for most school goers. We enjoyed traipsing about Cannon beach though, and even found new places we had never been before. The only drawback was the periodic downpours we encountered - not only of rain but of HAIL! We were glad to have packed the BIG umbrella!

After a little shop hopping, we stopped to look at the wind blowing the sand on the beach. Looked like a good way to exfoliate...

Instead of wandering the beach, we decided to drive up to Astoria and check out the Astor Column. We arrived in between a couple of serious downpours, with the wind just whipping at us when we got out. When we got to the door - it was locked. We barely made it to the little gift shop across the parking lot before the rain came again in sheets. They said the column was closed due to high winds. Ummm...yeah. You could say that! We thought the little trailer that serves as the gift shop might take off down the hill!

We were disappointed, but we checked out some historical info from the gift shop and enjoyed driving around and looking at the old houses. We even found the home featured in the Goonies. :) We ended up in an antique store - with actual old antiques. I got to play an old mandolin (sounded AWESOME!) and we found all kinds of gadgets that intrigued us both.

We came back in the twilight. It was a lovely day.

First Spring Morning at the Japanese Gardens

2010-05-15T19:53:00.001-07:00

In early April, Matt and I invited a friend from work to the Gardens on a Sunday morning. Because we are "members" we can enter at 8am, whereas the general public has to wait until 10am. We find that when we visit early, we are often we the only ones in the gardenm and it is very beautiful and relaxing. We were hoping to see the cherry trees and azaleas in bloom, as they have almost bloomed out all over town. Apparently, the slightly higher altitude has a relatively significant effect on bloom times, because the cherry was still in bloom, and most of the azaleas had not "popped" yet. There were, however, Camellias in bloom everywhere!! We enjoyed them immensely.

A Walk in the Park (On the Wildwood Trail)

2010-05-04T20:48:00.001-07:00

To enjoy this beautiful Spring, Matt and I decided to Take Tills out for a romp.

We recently realized that we haven't had a picture of just us taken in...years. So we took our own - I should publish all of the "misses" - they were hilarious!

Silly, happy, bounding Tillie

As a PNWesterner, I believe that shady places grow the most beautiful things...

In Memoriam

2010-03-14T21:28:00.001-07:00

Linus
October 31, 2001 - February, 2010

Oh, Pooky Bear. I miss you. I have been putting off this announcement because I knew I was going to cry while I wrote it. And I am. I think everyone who loves cats eventually has that one. The one that sees you as "his person." In Linus's case, I was his one and only person; Everyone else was expendable.

Linus came into our life while we lived in Tri-cities, WA. When we moved from Texas, Matt's adopted stray, Hobbes, was very distraught as he had moved from being an outdoor cat in Texas to a permanently indoor cat in Washington. After a few weeks of him hiding under the bed and not stirring except to eat, we decided we needed to do something drastic. I figured that adding another cat to mix might be just the ticket. I was pretty excited about this prospect because Hobbes loves Matt. Hobbes does not love me. He ducks when I pet him. Always has. Probably always will. So...after thinking it over for a few days, I found myself at Costco on Halloween day - which just happened to be across from the humane society. After shopping I decided just to take a peek. I walked into the kitten room, and there were three cages of kittens. One with black and white tuxedo cats - all VERY cute - one with a couple of tabby siblings, and one with two black kitties - one very large, and one very small. I don't know what it was about him. He wasn't one of those cats who puts his paw through the door, or flips on his back to play. He just sat there and looked at me. I have always wanted a black cat (my little panther was one of his nick-names), and he just seemed like his level gaze was saying, "I'm not gonna beg, but if you really like me, I'll be your cat." So I took him out and held him, and he laid across my arms like a little limp bag of sand. I was smitten. I called Matt - a couple of times. He eventually said I could have him. The checkout counter sported a long list of pet names. When I came to Linus, with it being Halloween and all, it was decided.

Once he got home, he began sneezing and showing signs of an upper respiratory infection. We had already planned to sequester him initially to control the cat introductions, but it ended up being a whole month before he met Hobbes face to face. Every day for three weeks I would sit "Indian Style" in the craft room and put a dropper full of medicine in his little mouth - with its little sharp teeth. But he let me, and only left me with only a few permanent scars.

After his month of sequestration we introduced him to Hobbes via the instructions from the cat psychology book (yes, really). I will never forget the look on Hobbes face when he first realized that there was another cat in the house (even though I think he had his suspicions, as he spent hours peering at the craft room door.) He stopped mid-step and then hissed. We started by feeding them on opposite sides of the room (fancy, yummy, soft food), and each day we increased the duration of time they were in the same room, and moved the food a little closer. Hobbes had little use for Linus for about six months, but one day, there they were, curled up on the bed together. Hobbes was considered the dominant cat, and so things worked out.

During this initial period, I had noticed something strange about Linus. When I would be holding him and petting him repeatedly, he would periodically freak out and turn into a whirling ball of claws and teeth. I always felt very maligned, but he would immediately jump back into my lap as if nothing had happened. I was beginning to get pretty offended until I read in a book (yes, same one) that some cats (specifically Siamese) have a neurological disorder that can make them react to over stimulation – petting in this case – in this manner. Once we figured that out, we got along fine.

Linus loved to curl up under my chin – even as an adult – but only if he initiated contact. His interest in being held was pretty minimal, but the couple time a month that he did jump in lap, I learned to take the time to enjoy him. Never in his nine years did he jump up in any one else’s lap and sit. Ever. This was our special time where I felt like he was saying, “I know I am kinda aloof, but I really do love you.”

I’ll skip the many cat adventures, but needless to say we had the usually clawing adventures (resorted to nail caps eventually)– and some others that tend to go with cats that have “character,” as the Welsh woman who we boarded them with in Tri-Cities commented once. But one of his most charming characteristics was that he was not the kind of cat that slept on the bed and encroached slowly until he was almost sleeping on your head. He would lay at the foot of the bed, but if there was one slight jog he would jump down, unless Matt was away. When Matt stayed with my parents for almost a year and only came home once every 6-8 weeks, Linus slept on Matt’s side - every night Matt was gone.

Needless to say, when he started drinking a lot of water and losing weight rapidly, I was sick. I knew it would not be good news, whatever the diagnosis. To hear that it was diabetes was especially hard, because we could attempt to keep him alive with insulin shots, but were concerned about his quality of life. Fortunately, I think, we were not forced to make that decision. He went downhill rapidly, and although our vet put in his own time (and didn’t charge us for the extra procedures), Linus did not respond to the insulin. I was able to say goodbye and know that I was making the right choice for him.

Although losing him was so hard, I am very grateful that I had his company for while. He was a special cat. One of a kind.

Valentine Cards

2010-02-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend both Matt and I were recuperating from a nasty cold which are both pretty certain we obtained from the urgent care clinic we visited last Sunday for my cut finger and subsequent tetanus shot.

We were finally beginning to feel better, so I convinced Matt to bring a bunch of card-making supplies to the living room, and for four hours I made cards! I have found that being required to make models for the store QUICKLY has helped me improve both my conceptualization and construction efficiency. With these cards, I had fun focusing on playing with dry embossing texture, inking techniques, and utilization of scrap papers!!

Homemade Pasta

2010-02-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

Matt and I have been enjoying the pasta maker he got from my parents for Christmas. These are pictures of his first attempt. Through repeated practice we have learned we like the super thin setting for fettuccine, that flouring before the last pass allows you to easily separate individual noodles, and that canned, diced tomatoes, instead of tomatoe sauce, are FABULOUS on top!!

New Year's Day - Year of the Crow

2010-01-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

When I got my work schedule, I was very happy to see that I had New Year's Eve and New Year's Day off. Usually my days off are separated, so we decided to take advantage of our fortune and spend the new year with Gram and Candy! We arrived about three in the afternoon. The weather was wet and rainy...as it should be! We arrived to all kinds of yummy food (thank you Candy!) and enjoyed the company of Diane (Terry was ill) and Chris. There was a challenging puzzle to attack, yarn to knit, and Crib to play. Unfortunately for me, I think I had the worst crib hands of my entire Crib career. And I was playing Uncle Chris, who won THREE games in a row that evening!! Chris stayed for the traditional ball drop and then we all went to bed!

The next morning Candy, Matt and I took a trip up to the bar to check out the waves and do a little car birding on the way. Of course, like a fool, I forgot to shield my eyes from birds until something interesting showed up, so this is the year of the crow (better than the year of the starling) as that is the first bird I saw in Gram's front yard. Saw most of the usual suspects (including lots of pelicans), and some incredible waves. We took pictures through the car window between windshield wiper swipes. Only Matt braved the elements, but it was just a short trip out of the car to inform the family that had just sauntered onto the bar (three kids and two adults with thin jackets and cameras in tow) that the waves were big, snuck up on you, and it wasn't a safe place to stand! Fortunately, they listened. We actually ran into them at the oyster factory later, and they thanked us. New York license plates. The bar REALLY needs a sign.

The view from the jetty was impressive. The waves were coving the south jetty and shooting up to what looked like about 10-15 feet in the air.

The big bird in the center is one of the many pelicans we observed.

I didn't manage to catch any really high waves, but they were getting pretty close to the car!

The view of the headland.

Since I didn't have to work the following day until later in the afternoon, we opted to stay another night. Hoping to redeem myself, I pulled out the Crib board. This time I even had back-up with a partner! Let's just say my gambling fortune for the next year isn't looking too bright! Ouch! We played three more games, and finally, on the last game, Candy and I (partners) we ahead and just a few pegs from the end. Matt and Chris would have to peg like maniacs to beat us because Candy had first count. So, Chris got six points..., and then Matt went out with THE LAST CARD. Arghhhhh. We had fun though, and really enjoyed everyone's company.

Saturday morning before we left, Matt and Candy went down to check on the park memorial plaque dedicated to Gramps that had been spray-painted to see if they thought they could clean it up. After a little research, they headed out armed with brushes and acetone. Turned out that the paint could be chipped off the letters, but that the textured surface was a different matter. Candy decided to call the manufacturer to find out what products would remove the paint and not damage the sealant the following week. The only disappointing part of the trip was finding out that the graffiti had been done over a month ago, and the city had not followed through and cleaned it up, although they had been made aware, and indicated that they would.

That aside, it was so nice to start the year at the coast and with such enjoyable company. We are hoping this is a year of exciting new experiences, including a teaching job for me. Best wishes to everyone for a peaceful and happy new year.

Christmas Day!

2010-01-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

Mom invited Matt and I to stay at their house Christmas eve, and so we spent the morning (I had the day off!!!) getting our animals set up, Christmas gifts finished, and our gear packed (there is always so much stuff to bring.....)

We enjoyed spending the evening playing games and hanging out. We enjoyed the reading of the Christmas story and The Night Before Christmas. And all of us decided this would be a Christmas that we all slept in....until 7 or 8!

The next morning, Kristin drove over very first thing (at about 7) and we all enjoyed a festive Christmas morning. I enjoyed watching Jesse learn that opening gifts is FUN. We were enjoying ourselves so much that we forgot to take pictures until Mom, Kristin and Megan opened their gifts. I wanted to capture the moment, so Matt snapped this for me!

It was a really enjoyable and relaxing Christmas, and we really appreciated the electricity and beautiful clear bright day (the polar opposite of last year :>

We got all kinds of fun stuff, including a nice chopper (which I am very excited to use) and a pasta maker for Matt!! It should be a fun year in the kitchen!

Christmas Party

2010-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

We were very excited to have a home close enough to family to invite them over for a Christmas shin-dig! Mom, Dad, Paul, Kristin, Megan, Andy, and Jesse all came, and we enjoyed all of the munchie goodies, a silly white elephant exchange, and playing games like taboo and last word.

Our beautiful tree (which we still hadn't taken a picture of - thanks Kris!)

Mom looked good in her blinking Christmas light necklace!

So did Kristin.

Megan was chillin' with the cows. Bessie had been "missing" for a few months, and this was their reunion. They were very happy. (And Megan narrowly escaped a lifetime of coal from Santa.)

Paul and Andy lounging on the couch.

Dad donning his white elephant gift.

Zoo Lights

2009-12-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

Megan and Jesse came up and joined Matt and I for a trip to the zoo to see the "Zoo Lights" display this last Saturday. When we approached the zoo, we saw that there was a traffic jam up right at the entrance and so we made a quick turn and parked in the zoo shuttle lot about a mile away. We got there just as a school bus pulled up, so Matt got in line and we grabbed strollers and gear and met him just in time to fill up the last seats. It took a while to get through the cars that were being routed around to the shuttle lot, but at least it was WARM!

We hopped out into 32 degree weather, but we were prepared! We brought lots of warm clothes and three thermoses of hot chocolate. The walk down the rampway past the goats and the Northwest Path was covered in lights. They were all LEDs and were really bright! We looked out over the zoo at the overlook, and noticed that they had icicle lights in the conifers. They were beautiful.

We decided to go through the sea lion caves to see if anyone was out. They weren't :>, but when we came out on the other side, we passed the monkey exhibit, and moved out to the open theater where the majority of the animal lights were exhibited. The view was spectacular! We also stood in line to have an elephant ear. They are even yummier with hot chocolate and freezing cold hands :>

This alligator was really cool. His mouth opened and shut.

More critters:

This dragonfly had wings that appeared to move (as did many of the "moving" animal lights). However, because of how long my camera lens had to be open to get enough light to get a picture, all of the positions are illuminated in this picture.

The hummingbird wings moved too.

The lion was over by the new Serengeti exhibit.

We had hoped to take a train ride, but the cold temperatures and the line deterred us. We did get a picture of it as it passed by!

This snake was suspended over the pic-nic tables. He was BIG.

After we saw most of the lights, we stopped by an area where different musical groups were performing. In the pavilion they had this old train engine lit up.

Megan, Jesse, and Matt.

The lights lived up to the hype. I highly recommend it!

Spokane Rental and Caramels

2009-12-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update. Matt has been in Spokane to take possession of the keys for the rental and to clean and prepare it for new tenants. We had some unpleasant surprises, the primary one being that the previous tenants chose to turn off the heat, and, in the below freezing temperatures of the last few days, all of the pipes were obviously frozen, as evidenced by the frozen water in the toilet bowls. Matt is going through the required processes to remedy the situation, and then cleaning today. Hopefully he will be able to return this evening before it gets too late, resulting in only two days of vacation from work.

Matt has enjoyed seeing Connie, Kai and Natalie. Thank you Connie for your hospitality!!

On a lighter note....I finally made the perfect caramels without the usual requisite failed attemps! Unfortunately, I was talking on the phone and multitasking, so I have no idea how long I cooked them, at what temperature I had the pan, or the general texture of the sample I took before I decided to turn them off. Oh well. Making caramels has always been a fun adventure at Christmas time. Usually it involves three batches - one so hard it cracks when you cut it (note time), one that is too soft (cut rows "bleed" together after you cut them apart - note time), and one that is just right (always forget to note time). Of course the last batch is made about the time that everyone has made themselves sick on the less than perfect caramels...

Team Member of the Month

2009-12-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today I was pleasantly surprised to be given the October Team Member of the Month Award at work. Especially since I started in October. I knew my science degree and summa cum laude achievements would be rewarded at some point :> I really am flattered. I like it when my hard work is acknowledged.

Here is me in front of the fireplace with my bedazzled work shirt and scarf on, holding my engraved plaque. (It even has my name spelled right!)

Tessa and Baa 'Got Mail'

2009-12-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Tessa and Baa got mail addressed to them. They were VERY excited.

Inside they found...Christmas Hats! (With ear holes!!) Aunt Candy is definitely a FAVORITE around here! They were all smiles (of course, they are ALWAYS all smiles...)

For those of you who don't know Tessa or Baa, it's a LONG, long, long, long, (you get the idea) story.

Christmas Tree

2009-12-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

This year Matt and I decided that we wanted to take full advantage of the size of the living room and the height of the ceiling when choosing our tree. We found a tree farm about 15 minutes away and went to visit Saturday morning, a few hours before I had to go to work. We parked the car at the top of a hill, and then asked where to find tall nobles. We were directed to go "past the house". Ok...so there was a road that led down the hill. It then forked THREE times, each fork creating one side of a triangle around the house, where each road then proceeded away from each of the others to the far corners of each field. Matt ran up the hill and asked again, and we were told to take the first fork. We found several trees, but this lot (along with most of the others) had been pretty picked over in the last few years and had relatively few trees, many of which appeared to belong in a Charlie Brown Special. Additionally, many of them were Grand firs that had been shaved into ugly cones with no natural organic shape anywhere! So Matt ran back up the hill to inquire again, and we were told to take the second fork. Where the fork branched off we passed a small pond and a bunch of bunnies that were in a small pen, under a tree, with NO ROOF.

Looked like a good place for a raccoon to look for dinner! They did have a hutch inside though, where am I sure they were secured at night.

This second fork led us to a bunch of 10-15 foot trees that had beautiful tops....and had blackberry canes intertwined through the bottom four feet of each tree! The bottom branches were also very wimpy, thin, and droopy. So Matt ran up the hill again. This time they said most of the best trees were on the final fork - ummm...would have been good information in the first place! Well, we continued to traipse through the red clay (which was caked all over my boots - and streaked on my pants due to the multiple times I caught me toes on a blackberry cane and almost bit the dust!!) looking for a suitable tree. We found one - with a sold sign on it. We also found a couple of others that were ok, but we now only had about 15 minutes, and the trees looked a lot bigger than 10.5 feet (our goal) and therefore were more expensive. So, we decided to return home so that I would make it to work on time, and come back another day. However, when we returned to the car, we noticed that they had put up a lot more recently cut trees in the lot adjacent to the cars. Since we had a couple of minutes, we checked them all out - but no luck. As we very sadly made our way towards the car I noticed a tree laying on its side that appeared very uniform - and tall. We used the tape measure to measure it and it was over 12 feet - a little too tall (and we didn't want to pay for the extra feet). However, when I had Matt stand it up for me (which was fun to watch as these are BIG, heavy Nobles) it was only about four inches taller than the tree standing next to it which was marked with a 10.5 foot sign. So...we took it!

However, we decided it would be too much for the RAV4 rental (someone rear-ended Matt and the 4runner was [is] in the shop) so we paid, tagged the tree, and then went home. I went to work, and Matt rented a truck to pick it up and bring it home.

When I got home from work, we both brought it into the house. It was HEAVY and I had the light end!! Once in the living room we realized we needed to cut off a pretty good portion of the trunk to make it fit (so Matt sawed away over the living room carpet!). Fortunately, that actually lightened the tree quite a bit and we were able to get it in the stand with little difficulty. However, when Matt started to cut the twine that was binding it we had a Christmas Vacation (Chevy Chase movie) moment - the bottom limbs sprung out and almost completely blocked the entrance into the living room! Yikes! Little full...lot a sap!

After releasing the entire tree, we decided that it needed a little pruning, so I reduced its diameter by about four feet, and now it looks great :>

We have started decorating and plan to finish tonight. I will post pictures of the final product - and a more flattering picture of my living room - tomorrow! (I was sewing and there was stuff everywhere!) As dollars are tight, the tree is our gift to each other this year, and we have greatly enjoyed its incredible aromatic scent (it permeates all of the rooms upstairs!!), and the lovely backdrop it makes for the twinkling lights are sparkling ornaments. As we sit in its shadow, we are grateful for many things, least of which that we live in the same house this year, and get to see each other every day. We look forward to enjoying the season together.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T10:27:00.001-08:00

Fortunately, Matt and I were able to go Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving Dinner this year - even with the vehicle mishap! Matt usually drives our 4runner to work, and about four weeks ago he was rear-ended. The impact smashed our bike rack into the back window/door, making it impossible to access the back. We use the back "entrance" to get Tillie and her crate into the car, so we have been unable to take her anywhere since! The car finally went to the body shop at the beginning of last week, and although they indicated it would be done long before Thanksgiving weekend, they kept moving the date forward for multiple reasons. We did have a rental during this time, a Mitsubishi Eclipse. You couldn't get a hamster in the back of that thing! So when we realized the truck wouldn't be done by Thanksgiving we had to contact the insurance company (twice) to get approval for an upgrade and then find a rental company that had an SUV!! Fortunately, Enterprise followed-up and got us a RAV4 so that Tillie could come along (we can't leave her at home all day!!).

We planned to get there in the morning, but ended up arriving around noon. I had started a fall table runner that I really wanted to finish for Thanksgiving dinner, so I spent the morning working on the binding and Matt cooked the pumpkin cake.

We did eventually get all packed and convinced Tills that the new car wasn't that scary. The traffic wasn't horrible, but took about an extra 20 minutes to get there!

Matt went right to work on rolls when we arrived, and Mom, Meg and I finished hand sewing the binding on the runner. Got it on the table just in the nick of time! It was fun to have Kristin, Paul, Meg and I together. We missed Katie and Will. Dinner was fabulous and everyone crashed afterward (except for Mom, Meg, Dad, and Matt who cleaned up dinner). After everyone's naps, the girls made magnets (a Craft Warehouse inspired activity), and then later I showed Megan some knitting stitche.

Later, Megan, Andy, Matt and I played some hearts and speed-scrabble. Mom and Dad went to bed early because they planned to get up at 3am in order to get to the coast for more hunting.

Having family close-by is fun. We have to make time for more family outings! Megan and I are already planning our spring camping trip....

Family Halloween Party

2009-10-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

When Mom mentioned that Megan had suggested a family Halloween Party, I was excited! I decided that I would dress up as mom (you know, the big hair, nude colored lipstick variety) and decreed that we ALL should dress up! Amazingly - they listened! Check everyone out!

Andy is the ghost of Patrick Swayze, I was mom, Matt was a mad scientist (scarily, the only item he donned that he doesn't normally wear at work was the tape on his glasses), Jesse was a gorilla, Megan was a stoned hippy, Mom was....scary (Matt brought a plastic severed limb, and she kept acting like she was gnawing on it!!), Kristin was a vampire, (as I think was Paul - he had yellow eyes with a red ring around them!!), and Dad....Elvis - complete with the spray on hair. The funniest part of the evening was when we kidded him that the spray was meant for hair, not skin, and probably would leave a lingering black residue. Hee, hee, hee.

Here is a close-up of the three undead. (Check out the eyes!!)

Vampira ready to munch on her nephew.

Afterwards we all carved pumpkins (except for dad).

What a ghoulish night!!

Forest Park

2009-10-26T15:01:00.001-07:00

Lest all of my readers think that Matt and I only go on outings to the Japanese Gardens and the zoo, I thought I would include pictures from our hike in Forest Park a couple of weeks ago. I was aware that there were hiking trails in the area around the zoo (Washington Park), but didn't realize that there were 5100 acres and over 70 miles of hiking trails in the adjacent area (north)! The park is relatively long and narrow, and follows the Columbia River on the other side of NW St. Helens Rd (Hwy 30). I found it interesting that it is the largest forested area within city limits in the United States. A main trail called the Wildwood Trail traverses the entire length of the park, and several smaller trails branch off and often form loops.

Our first hike was along Birch Path to where it connects to the Wildwood Trail, and then to the Leif Erickson and Dogwood Trails to make a round trip.

We had planned to make it a 3 mile hike, but due to a small map reading error, we ended up taking a 2 mile detour. It was worth it though! We saw lots of birds - primarily woodpeckers. There were little warbler-like birds everywhere, but I wanted to enjoy the scenery and plan to go birding on our next trip. We did see a pair of downy woodpeckers that were only about 15 feet away foraging for food. They totally ignored us, and we got a really good, long look. I like being able to bird without binoculars.

The day was pretty warm (over 80) but the entire area we hiked was densely wooded and the canopy kept us shaded and cool for the entire hike. We are looking forward to exploring more trails this coming winter. I want to have the lay of the land down so that I can bird for warblers and such in the spring!

Japanese Gardens and New Zoo Exhibits

2009-10-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Matt and I decided to spend an afternoon we had off work together at the Japanese Gardens and checking out the new exhibits at the zoo (the Serengeti!)

The day was overcast with just a slight chill in the air (very comfortable!) and perfect for photography. The gardens were relatively empty so we were able to get several nice landscape shots without waiting for long periods of time. The pictures below follow the pathway we took. Enjoy!

Main Pond

Iris Garden

Upper Garden Walk

By the exhibit building

We went to the zoo afterwards and really enjoyed the new exhibits.

Painted Dogs (COOL!!)

Cheetah

Hornbill

Lions

After we saw the new exhibits we popped into the aviary to check out the birds. This guy was singing at me from three feet and acted almost tame. The book listed him as (drumroll!!) a yellow-breasted STARLING!!!

New Job!

2009-10-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Today was my second day at Craft Warehouse! I am enjoying getting to know my co-workers, the procedures for running registers and helping customers, and figuring out where everything is in the store! Today I as I straightened papers I realized that Matt and I really need to do some scrapbook pages together. Some of those papers are SOOOO cute! Today was especially fun because I worked in the scrapbook section and was able to help a woman construct a card for a holiday invitation. I like helping people :>

The last few weeks here have been absolutely gorgeous; the sun was out even though there was a crispness in the air and the leaves had really really begun to turn in earnest. However, this morning as I entered the bathroom, I could hear the tell-tale tapping of rain on the skylight, and I realized that the rain was here. The leaves were blowing down from the trees and across the roads in a steep arc as I drove to work this morning and the roads were reflective. Those who know me realize that I am able to embrace the grays of the rainy season (Oct - June) because I realize that it brings me that much closer to CHRISTMAS! One of the most fabulous parts of working at Craft Warehouse is that the people who work there AND the customers feel the same way. I get to work in the holiday spirit for two and a half months. I come home smelling of cinnamon. They play Christmas music ALL DAY. Couldn't be better.

Bird Joy

2009-10-07T13:08:00.001-07:00

I have all kinds of pictures to upload and stories to tell since my last post...but they will have to wait. The general theme of most of my time recently has involved looking for work. There are some jobs out there, but in this market employers can afford to be really specific about experience which sometimes makes it difficult to apply for jobs that I really am qualified for, even though I don't have the specific requisite experience. My most recent interview was with Craft Warehouse. If I am offered the job, it would start Monday. That would be good.

As far as birds go, what a backyard I have. One would think that having a yard with a 10x8 deck in it, that itself is only about 15 x 15 would result in some pretty spotty birding. Not true in Beaverton! We installed sod earlier in the summer and planted a row of bushes (hummer and fruit-eater friendly) along the side of one fence. There is some sort of vine growing over the fence on the other side, a small cedar tree and rhodie on opposite sides of the yard, and a crabapple that shares half of its shade with my yard, even though it grows in the neighbors. From the day I put out my hummingbird feeder I have seldom seen it without a bird. There are black chins, rufous and perhaps an Anna's female (still debating with Sibley, Kaufman and the bins).

Additionally, I have song, fox, and English sparrows, and the thistle feeder is alive with goldfinches. And by alive I mean very loud, aggressive, and competitive eating competitions are going on!! Then, just yesterday, I notice that the crabapple was brimming with movement. Saw a flash of a gray/yellow bird that was bigger than a sparrow, and I knew - WAXWINGS!! A tree full!! There are about 20 of them, and I have scanned each for the telltale yellow wing of a Bohemian, but, alas, they are all cedars.

Not that this is bad...just would be really nice to finally get the Boho on my list. Lots of funny looking juvies too! They are hilarious to watch because the crabapple fruit are pretty good sized, and so they will sit there and try to swallow the berries over and over and over until they mash them enough that they go down.

OH MY GOSH!! While I was typing that last sentence, a downy woodpecker male perched on my fence right next to the thistle feeder! Cheeky little devil!

This brings me to the other most exciting spot of recent days - not to mention lends credence to my identification... I was out watering the plants that Matt and I had just potted (succulents) the other evening, and I saw a bird about the size of a Robin land in the crabapple. BUT, it didn't just have red on its breast, it had a red head too! Additionally, it also had a pretty long bill and a white mark above its bill that continued into its face. Its breast was cream/yellow, with a few marks on its flanks. The sun was behind it, so the color was a little washed out, but it gave me the distinct impression of a woodpecker! I only observed it for about 15 seconds before it flew, but when I consulted Sibley in the woodpecker section, lo and behold, what has a red-head and breast, cream/yellow belly, an obvious white mark above its beak and lives here (year-round, I might add)? A red-breasted sap-sucker, that's what!! I think I will start scouting for their tell-tale drilling pattern (see pic below). If I could find that on a tree nearby, I would feel confident counting him. Won't Matt be excited...an evening birding walk where I ask him to use his binocs to look for holes in trees....!

I have been hesitant to count it in my life-list because I couldn't figure out why a woodpecker would be in my yard, and it was only a brief look, but with the downy showing up, I would say that this must be woodpecker territory! Yeah!!

While I was typing that paragraph four hummers have been diving and challenging each other for the spots at the feeder (which I just refilled). They are really fearless. They are always at the feeders, even when you are in the postage-stamp-sized back yard with them. They perch in the trees and chit at you all the time too. In fact, I hadn't really even thought about putting up the feeder until I was hanging my planter off the front porch arbor, and a hummer started chitting at me from the tree just a few feet away. I had seen the neighbors feeders, but never any birds (come to find out they were not aware that sugar-water gets nasty after a few days.....) The second I put mine up they were swarming it!

I think my favorite part of the birds back here is that they are all here at the same time. Sparrows eating thistle right next to goldfinches (and apparently downies checking out the feeder from short range), along with Robins, waxwings, and sparrows, goldfinches, and hummers all sharing the tree! It's charming!! Obviously, we really like the final backyard. We have a very small bistro table and two chairs that back there next to a potted 6ft japanese maple and three pots of succulents. We ate dinner out there the other night (after the smokers went inside..grrrrr). I am so grateful that the yard is "productive" as we miss the one we worked so hard on in Spokane.

I have been toying with getting out the telephoto lens and trying to take some pics, but the yard is in shade most of the day, and the birds move so fast that I would have a hard time getting a good pic. I will just have to take mental memory snapshots. Those are the best kind anyway...

Will post pics soon. (Birdy pics here from google.) Think happy job thoughts for me, and happy birding!

In Memoriam

2009-09-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

Molly
May 2007 - August 2009

Our sweet little rat Molly has joined our other rats that have passed on. She had a tumor on her spine, but had been eating and functioning normally until the last few days. We will miss her!

O-Bon

2009-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

In mid-August, Matt and I decided to attend the O-bon (pronounced oh-bowhn) festival at the Japanese Gardens. The festival is celebrated in Japanese villages sometime during the late summer and is an event that occurs after they invite their ancestors to join them for three days. The event we attended is intended to send them back to the spirit world. It is a happy occasion.

We got there a little early, so we decided to do a quick stroll around the Rose Garden. We found a little side garden that didn't have any roses it. It had a plaque dedicating it to the soldiers of world war I. We thought that these trumpet flowers were incredible.

We arrived at the gardens, and were seated outside the gates in folding chairs. Because we arrived early, we got front row seats. I even was seated by the "garden ambassador" from Japan that came to Portland with his family to celebrate the festival! The event began with three dances. They were initially performed by Buddhist Temple members, and then the audience was invited to join in.

This woman has been leading the dancing for the O-Bon festival in Portland at this garden for the last 60 years. Wow.

Members of a local Buddhist temple dressed in traditional clothes performed three dances, accompanied by the drum.

After the temple members had performed the first dance, they invited anyone who wanted to participate to join in.

After the dancing, we were invited to enter the garden, and each of us was given a candle. We formed a line around the main pond, and as a Buddhist monk chanted, we filed past and had our candle lit and placed in the pond. The candles were to remember someone who had passed on that we loved. The garden was magical with all of the lights on the water and about 200 people standing in silence with the chanting in the background. It was a fun foray into the customs of another culture.

Zoo

2009-09-01T11:51:00.001-07:00

Matt and I decided that since the zoo is one of our favorite places we would buy a year pass (pays for itself in three visits). We have already been there twice together (and I have been a third time with Mom and Megan.) I decided to lump all of my zoo pics together.

On our first trip, it was about 100 degrees and we were roasting!! We decided to do the northwest path last, but ended up being too tired after hitting everything else, so we saved it for the next trip.

Doesn't this remind you of a early Beatles haircut?

The elephants were moving around quite a bit (probably because it was hot!). They kept blowing dust on their backs. Isn't the baby CUTE!

The aviary is in my top three favorite exhibits. I like to sit (and wait for loud people to leave) until the birds get comfortable and come out. It is amazing how well they hide. I found at least 10 species, but the book they usually have all of the bird names and info posted in was "broken" and all but three were missing, so I don't know what the majority of them are. After I took this picture, this bird perched above my head and pooped on my camera!

Hammerkop. This guy made a really loud noise! He also had a huge nest. The keepers had posted a sign below it that said "Excuse our mess, we are under construction."

This bird was hanging upside down from the branches while eating.

Is it just me, or does he look like a pouting teenager...

We could not get over how long and skinny this critter's neck was!

This is a fulvous whistling duck. He is way at the top of my "want to see" birding life list. Unfortunately, I do not count captive sightings...

I love the bird exhibits here! This bee eater was magnificent!

Meerkat! (Finally got one holding still after about 20 shots).

Our second trip was early on a cool Saturday. We only stayed an hour, but saw the polar bears and sea lions playing, walked the northwest path, and checked out the wolves.

Cool fish "mural" (it was made of stone and on the ground...) on the Northwest path.

The wolves were howling and pacing. As we left we saw the keeper come in to feed them. Just like our dog....

Trip with Megan, Mom, and Jesse.

We enjoyed the birds of prey show. The eagle was massive! He was flipping his head around when he first perched on her as if he was trying to grab something near her face. It would have made me VERY nervous. Mom's pic.

Ground Hornbill. Cool, ugly bird. Again, mom's pic.

Tessa was very excited to be invited (by Grandma no less...)

Meg, Jesse and me!

This little monster was biting me - and not nicely! He drank nectar for a while, and then went to town on my hand. I had "beak dents" for the rest of the day....

Kayaking

2009-09-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad decided to kayak the Willamette one weekend afternoon, so we dropped them off and picked them up. Don't they look cute in their sun hats!!

Japanese Garden and Rose Garden

2009-09-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of days after mom's birthday, she and I went to Portland to try out her new camera lens at the Japanese Gardens and Rose Garden. I had never been to either and both were really spectacular. We went to the Japanese Garden first. We enjoyed the shade and bolted throught the areas of sun to return to the shade because it was so hot!!

This boardwalk was edged with dense irises. There were also HUGE koi in the pond.

One of my favorite "rock features" of the entire garden.

The use of rocks in the pathways was really creative. It was hard to get many good pictures because it was a bright sunny day and the trees made pretty dark shade, so the camera had difficulty getting the light setting right. I thought the rocks leading up to this resting bench were pretty, but I really liked where they mixed different types of natural (looking at least) stone instead of using concrete.

They have a beautiful long building built in the traditional Japanese style, including doors with paper shades, which is used for exhibits and can be rented for events. It had these lanterns hanging along the back porch.

City view from behind the entertainment facility.

After the Japanese Garden, we spent about an hour at the Rose Gardens, which are located across the road. I wasn't feeling well (and it was REALLY hot!) so I chilled in the shade while mom took lots of pictures. I did manage the three below though.

Mom's Birthday

2009-09-01T11:32:00.001-07:00

For mom's birthday I made an angel food cake, but forgot to buy candes...so we made due with one very large taper which was supported nicely by the cake when placed in the center hole (albeit at an angle...). Dad got mom a really nice camera lens...and I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Visit to Grams

2009-09-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

In July, Matt and I took a short trip to Grams. We took the traditional drive to Barview and took the same pictures for the 100th time :>

I wanted a few more black and white driftwood pictures to fill some more frames, so I took a few closeups of the big stump currently placed at the entrance to the jetty. After I took this I thought it looked strikingly like the face of a whale...or a sea turtle!

Smith Family Reunion

2009-08-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Matt and I enjoyed seeing everyone at the Smith Family Reunion. We met in a lovely park in Portland and enjoyed a relatively cool morning which was refreshing after the heat wave we had been experiencing. Several family groups set up canopies, but our family had a little difficulty with ours due to a mechanical malfunction... (How many men does it take...)

Peyton was a little monkey!

Matt started the music, and then Emden, her boyfriend Donovan, and I joined later.

Grace did a nice job of organizing the event.

It was fun to see my cousin Jim. We stayed with his family in DC when I was very young and just beginning to talk.

Lincoln City Trip

2009-08-31T13:26:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I am a little behind! I have a pretty good excuse... I thought I would spend a few minutes doing a few quick catch up entries, and then tell you about what is going on now.

On a beautiful summer afternoon, Kristin, Mom and I traveled to Lincoln City just to enjoy the beach. It was a gorgeous day, and our visit to the Connie Hansen Memorial Garden was a real delight. I took a lot of pictures, but have chosen just my favorites.

The most exciting find (to me) was this flower that didn't have a name plaque. I am dying to know what it is because I MUST have it.

This thing was huge!! (The plant, not mom.)

Camping at Seal Rock

2009-07-10T12:06:00.001-07:00

Mom and Dad had been planning a camping trip to Seal Rock for several weeks, and so they took the trailer over to the coast the Monday after the fourth to stay for three days along with Jim and Glennis. On Tuesday, mom and dad called and said that I should come out and join them, and that Pat was coming for lunch and Lorna, Bob and Anna were coming for dinner. I decided to take them up on it, and so I packed quickly (for those who know me, this was quite a feat...), arranged for Matt to take care of Tillie, and departed (driving the Prius!!) It was a good thing I did, because as annoying as the "directions chick" is (she speaks soooooo s l o w l y....) she helped guide me through Corvallis. It has been a while!

I arrived Tuesday as everyone was eating lunch. My parents camp site was really nice. It was near the crest of the hill with a view of the ocean over the top of the neighbors, and it had nice shrubbery around the fire pit which provided complete privacy.

After lunch, we all headed to Newport because Patrick had to leave around dinnertime, and he wanted to see Lorna. We spent some time on the Newport waterfront as well before saying goodbye to Patrick and returning to camp for dinner where Lorna, Bob and Anna joined us.

In the picture below they are comparing ankles...or something!

Dinnertime!

Dad and Jim were telling stories and had us all in stitches (as usual.)

Of course, Dad still laughs at his own stories before he gets to the punch line...

Mom, Glennis and I took a few minutes to check out the beach. The tide was not out very far, but we did find some interesting things.

You could see the different "strata" of seaweed on the rocks. Many were bright green, while others were red or brown.

I love the look of gooseneck barnacles.

There were lots of limpets and snails on the rocks, and I found it particularly interesting that there were just a few bright red/orange shells scattered among groups of snails. I wonder what the advantage/disadvantage of this coloring is? Do predators think they are poisonous? Or do they usually get eaten first, which is why their white, brown, and black counterparts were more abundant?

The big find was the partially eaten octopus (the gulls were having a hay day!) We looked for the beak (I would have loved to keep it and use it in class), but it looked as if it had been partially removed by a scavenger. Too bad. It was a pretty good sized one too. The "head" was about the size of a large cantaloupe.

As always, nature created beautiful sculptural arrangements of stuff that was brought in by the tide.

The eroded hills were brightly colored, showing the different soil types in the strata.

Wednesday morning Glennis tried to heat up yesterday's dinner over the fire (tomales) and toasted me a bagel!

Later, Mom and I returned to the beach during a much lower tide to see what we could find. There were tons of tide pools, and we had fun making our way across them without stepping on critters or falling on the slick seaweed. There were starfish everywhere and we couldn't help taking tons of pictures.

When these fish would stop moving in a tide pool with broken shells, they would completely disappear. It was a good think we weren't predators, however, because this tide pool was shell-free.

Here are the many starfish pics (with a few anemones thrown in for good measure).

A pair of pigeon guillemots were nesting on a nearby rock and let us know when we got too close. This is the male. It was hard to hold the telephoto lens stable enough to get a good pic without a tripod.

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

After a week at Mom and Dad's we are relatively settled, and all of the animals are doing well. (We did have quite the adventure moving all of the critters and stuff from the cracked tank into the new tank however....)

For the 4th weekend, Mom and Dad had planned to go out and help gram paint her house along with Terry, Diane, Chris, and Bev, so we decided to go along and help. Matt and I have really missed the beach, and we left a little early Friday so that we could stop at a beach and take Tillie out. However, we didn't get going until later in the day, and decided the beaches were probably going to be pretty crowded, so we stopped for a short hike at Munson Creek Falls instead. It was a fabulous decision! There was only one other car there, and it was fun to take Tillie back to the place she went on her very first outing!

The evening light was beautiful, and Tillie was excited to be out and about!!

There were salmon berries everywhere. They were pretty tart though...

Tillie, who it like me and HATES to be hot (which to us is over 70 degrees), was very excited to wade into the creek! She loves to take a sip, and then lay down to cool off quickly!

The park is located just off of 22, right before Tillamook, at the end of a long gravel road. I was shocked to see that the adjacent hill was in the process of being completely logged. I wish logging companies would stick to strip logging. It leaves the hills some habitat, not to mention some dignity. Fortunately, the logging did not impact the park trail in any way, and we enjoyed the peaceful stream, and woody underbrush.

The trail is only 1/4 of a mile long, and ends with a few wooden steps that take you to a lookout across from the water fall. Tillie took a rest in her usual fashion on steps - she sits on one step with her back legs, and puts her extended front legs on the next one down!

This trip reminded us that although we loved Spokane, there really is not a more beautiful place than the west side of Oregon.

As a responsible pet owner, I always walk Tillie on a leash. However, when we can see that there are no other people or animals around, we sometimes give her a few minutes of freedom off leash. As soon as I let her off, she raced to the creek and laid down in the water. Silly dog.

After we dried Tills off, we made it to Grams house were we enjoyed clam fritters and a game of crib...which Gram won. Of course.

The next day we all started working on the painting and really enjoyed each other's company. At the end of the day, when we were all out of house paint, we were able to complete the entire house and trim with two very small exceptions. It was fun to walk around and see our handiwork, and Gram was pleased. It is amazing how many hands can get work done so fast! Look at my mom's blog (linked) to see painting photos.

That evening we had grilled brats, potato salad, and other yummy food, sang a few songs, shared a few stories, and then Matt and I set off a few fireworks that Diane had found lurking in a closet. It was a fun weekend.

The move - Thank you John and Connie!!

2009-07-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

At the end of June, Matt flew out to the Spokane house and helped me finish packing for three days. The first day we finished the backyard - which looks fabulous. We are so disappointed to have worked to hard on it, and that we will never have the chance to enjoy it! We did learn a lot about planting trees, putting in planting borders, laying sod (and the all important soil prep), drainage strategies, lavender cultivation, successful rock garden plants, large rock moving techniques, and and aspen tree growth rates, however! We hope to be able to implement our knowledge in a new yard some year soon! The second day we picked up the two rental trucks and trailer (2 26 foot trucks, and one 6x12 trailer), and packed up the first truck. Friday we worked on getting the second truck and trailer packed. Saturday, we were supposed to leave at 8:30 in the morning (after turning over the keys to the new tenants), but didn't get everything packed and CLEAN until 7pm. Good grief. John, Matt's friend from ReliOn, came over Saturday morning as he had agreed to drive one of the trucks (the animals were all packed in the 4-runner, so we had three vehicles). He ended up staying all day to help, and the family came over to help too. I cannot thank Connie and John enough. I would have lost my sanity without their help, and their positive can do attitude.

I ended up giving away patio tables, wine barrel planters, wheelbarrow, potted trees and plants, perf pipe....etc to neighbors. Fortunately, our renters were understanding, and came early to begin painting in the rooms that we had cleaned out already while we continued to clean and pack. The kitchen and garage were the last to go and it was all we could do to squeeze in the last few items. The trucks were FULL!

Unfortunately, we had arranged for people to help us unload at the storage unit in Portland about the time that we left! We called ahead and thanked them for their willingness to help, and indicated we were not going to be there until early Sunday morning if we chose to drive through the night.

We decided to pull out and just get going at 7pm. After saying goodbye to all of the neighbors, we took one look back, and then proceeded on our new adventure. No tears this time, but it was sad. We got to Tri-cities a couple of hours later, and stopped at the Evil Empire (Walmart)to evaluate pet status and get some food. Just to give you an idea of the crowded conditions, John had two bird cages in his passenger seat, I had two cats (Linus and Hobbes) in my passenger seat, and Matt had Sabrina (cat), Tillie (dog), three cages of rats, the aquarium, and one cage of 12 finches in the truck. Everyone seemed fine, and we were about to depart, when I noticed that the fish tank rocks had shifted slightly (we had left in enough water to cover the rocks, about 1/3 tank), and so we got out the flashlight to make sure all inhabitants were safe. Upon closer inspection, we found that the tank had cracked and sprung a leak!!!! Matt went back into the store to purchase a new tank (a 10 gallon) and a towel, and then we debated about the next course of action. Finally, after much discussion, the engineers convinced me that it was a slow leak, the crack in the glass was complete (wouldn't keep fracturing), and that it was unlikely to get worse. So we jammed the towel around the tank and hoped for the best.

Around Boardman, we decided that we needed a short nap, so we all pulled over and slept for about two hours. Let me just say that u-haul trucks were not made to sleep in, especially when you have two cats next to you!! I managed to twist myself sideways and Tessa (the stuffed cow) volunteered to be a pillow. I think I made out better than Matt, who couldn't shift at all due to the critters....

We continued on our way at about 2 in the morning, after calling mom and dad and asking for help to get the pets to Salem (obviously, they didn't all fit in the 4-runner and we couldn't add that many miles to the vans). Dad agreed to come up when we called in the morning, but he hadn't counted on our two hour nap, so by the time we called, it was about 4 am. Since it was essentially morning anyway by the time we arrived (5:30), Mom and dad both decided to come up. When they met us at the storage unit we discussed how to proceed, because the trucks were due that morning at 11am, or we had to pay an additional $300 dollars. We decided just to get started unpacking and see how it went. We must have looked pretty grubby, because Mom just gave us that "look." Everyone was extremely grateful for the food she thought to pack, and we were able to fill (and I do mean fill) our 20x30 storage unit with 20 minutes to spare, and get the trucks back to a u-haul place down the road just in time to avoid the time penalty. So there we were, at 11 am, Matt John and I only getting 2 hours sleep during the last 26 hours. We were TIRED!

Got home, got everyone settled, stabilized the fish tank (in the bathtub), and let the poor cats and dog out. Again, we wouldn't have survived without help, and I really appreciate everyone who contributed to the move!

End of a Chapter

2009-06-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

Well, my student teaching is officially completed. Wow. Time flies. I have really enjoyed getting to know my students, learning how to manage a classroom, and creating and implementing lessons. I feel like I have really found my niche. The day before finals, I took pictures of each class. (I posted one "normal" and one "goofy" for each class.)

It is so interesting how each class has its own "culture" or personality. I think I will always remember each of these kids...

Next up: moving and job applications!!

1st period

2nd period

4th period

5th period

6th period

Spring Tea Party

2009-05-21T00:09:00.000-07:00

Last year I invited Natalie (John and Connie's daughter) and one of her friends, along with their moms, to a tea party. We had so much fun, we did it again, this time with two friends, Cora and Josephine! I think the pictures speak for themselves...

My invitation was pinned to a floppy hat.

The girls arrived in style, and we sat down to have tea first.

Afterwards, they tried on jewelry.

Afterwards, we took a few pictures outside.

The girls also posed with their moms. (We had to convince Cora to join everyone....)

Finally, the girls posed in the rock garden before saying goodbye.

Spring Break

2009-04-05T14:03:00.001-07:00

This spring break has been fun, even though it has included a lot of necessary projects. Matt flew in on Wednesday evening, and we have enjoyed finishing some projects that are long overdue, relaxing, and visiting with friends.

I finally finished my quilt top that I started at the beginning of the week. After taking all of the time to sew on the middle circle of each block, I decided that I had made them too small (they were not recognizable as circles after the squares were sewn together) and so I picked all of them off. It gives the quilt a less cluttered appearance, and, hopefully, sets off the primary circle in each square. Hope to finish the whole quilt (I am tying it) next weekend, when I will have time to borrow a quilting stand.

Matt and I plan to finish our decoupage eggs (a Martha Stewart Living Magazine lark) this evening. We chose to use wood eggs (to facilitate long term storage and minimal frustration). I will post pics when done.

Spring Break Quilt Project

2009-03-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

My newest project... Needed to do something creative before I return to lesson plans! This is my version of the quilt Megan did. I used all of my Batik scraps (I had a lot...)

March Coast Trip

2009-03-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

Our friends Chuck and Wendy invited us for a weekend trip to the west side to enjoy the coast and attend a concert. I drove out with them on a Friday morning, and we arrived just after noon. Snoqualmie pass was nice and snowy.

It was one of those PERFECT days at the coast in the winter - the kind that make you think spring is just around the corner! The sun was shining and it was gorgeous. We stopped and got some food in Olympia and then headed out to Shelton to find the house that we had rented for the weekend. The house was at the end of a long lane, and faced an inlet of the sound. The map in the house didn't have a name for this particular intlet, but the point of land was called Cannery Point. This old structure was located next to the house, and we wondered what it may have
been in its earlier life.

Matt drove up at the end of his work day, and met us in time for the concert. The concert featured three artists that played guitar blues and sang and they were FABULOUS. Being the nerd I am, I have already forgotten their names, but the main attraction was the gentleman who was in the bands Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. The lady, Ruthie Foster, was my fav. I will be on i-tunes to get some of her music! I will add the correct names of the others later....

After the concert we crashed at this great house! It had three bedrooms and two baths. We took the one downstairs, and our window looked out into the beautiful trees.

I didn't manage to take any pictures of the house, but it was relatively new, and very nicely taken care of. It had a wood stove, and the main living room had a wall of windows that faced the water, and resulted in the panorama I included at the beginning of the post. There was a deck off of the back of the house right behind it, but it didn't block the view. We set up the spotting scope and managed to see all kinds of fun things! There were hundreds of mergansers - both common and red breasted, all the time. They hung out in a cove across the way, and also came flying down the inlet in the evening. The house rental had mentioned that "Sammy the seal" liked to hang out there, and indeed he did make an appearance - with Sally the seal! They frolicked and jumped out of the water almost completely right before our eyes! There were also buffleheads, cormorants, and a persistent little kingfisher.

The next morning (Saturday) we decided to go on a hike on a beach on the west side of the Peninsula. We had all brought our rain gear, hats, scarves, and gloves, but it appeared initially we may have prepared in vain. However, the clouds began to gather and when we got to the beach there was some serious wind, and the sun was covered. We stopped at the first beach we came to, only to find cars driving all over it! There were signs indicating this was legal, so we moved on the the second beach. At the second beach, we found the same problem!!! The third beach was the charm and included lots of dunes, somewhat reminiscent of Bay Ocean on the Oregon Coast. We got all dressed up and then headed out. We probably hiked about a mile out and back, and during that time it rained, sleeted, almost snowed, was brilliantly sunny, at different times. The wind was consistent though - it could hold you up when you leaned into it!

I was only able to take out the camera during the sunny times, so the pictures are a little misleading as far as the weather we experienced, but we really enjoyed all of the sights.

This beach had hundreds of WHOLE bleached sand dollars! I convinced Matt to put about 16 of them in his pockets (we were unprepared with baggies....you would think I had never been to the beach....) even though they were slightly wet and sandy!

Saturday night we played a bunch of Pictionary as we watched the sun go down over the water (and munched Jordan almonds...I love those things!).

Sunday morning we woke to snow!!

Matt and I decided to head to Olympia to do some window shopping, and Chuck and Wendy took on walk. On their walk they encountered these critters...and there is still some debate as to whether they are sheep or goats!!

When we got back it was close to noon and time for us to head west, and Matt to head home. We stopped and took a look at the goats (sheep?) on our way out...

Lesson Plans

2009-03-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hey all. Friday I took my last undergraduate final EVER! Yeah! Maybe more for a master's in my future....but not for a while. :>

I am writing my lesson plans for the next week and I just spent the last hour isolating DNA from split peas. I am using a combination of information found on the web to write my lab, and I was really excited when my first trial worked!

The green layer on the bottom is split peas blended with water and a bit of salt (strained), and the top (clear) layer is 90% isopropyl alcohol. The foamy stuff is just a byproduct of the blending, but the white stringy looking stuff is DNA precipitate! Cool. Hope the kids enjoy it...

I will post pics of Matt and my trip to the coast last weekend sometime tomorrow!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

Whew, I am caught up...I can't believe it!! If you have noticed the lack of posts the last few months and are interested, I have posted all of my "back-log" under February.

Valentine's Day (and President's Day) weekend, Matt flew out for a three day weekend. It was REALLY nice to see him again! Our friends John and Connie, and three of the kids (Rory, Natalie and Kai), invited us to go ice skating on Valentine's Day.

It had been a LONG time since I had donned ice skates, but I don't remember it being quite so hard to stay upright....

This was Matt's first ice skating experience. He said it felt just like roller blades.

Kai calls Matt "Uncle Matt" and gets VERY excited every time he sees him. Matt took him around the rink a couple of times. (Natalie is in pink!)

Rory was a little concerned about the ice, so he and Connie went around once together.

Pics of John and Connie:

We had big plans for the weekend...organizing, cleaning....decided just to relax. It was nice.

After Matt left, Hobbes went into withdrawal. I think he was seeking comfort from my other furry friends.

Trip to Grams

2009-02-22T10:56:00.001-08:00

Megan and Andy decided that Megan and Jesse should stay another week, so we took some family pics before Andy set off.

Megan had been really disappointed that she wasn't able to visit Gram, so we took off for another coast trip.

Our first stop on a quick driving tour was the Garibaldi boat docks. Megan and Jesse enjoyed a quick stroll.

I love the textures and colors at these boat docks. I always have to take pictures....

Of course we had to check out the bar....

Along Latimer Road, we spotted some elk and jumped out to take a few quick pics. The first picture was before they noticed us...

And this was after!

Matt had to work that day, but he and Dad traveled over to Grams together in the evening, and we all enjoyed the night with gram and my aunts and uncles.

Day Trip to the Coast

2009-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

Because Megan and Andy only planned to stay a week, we decided to make a "day trip" to the Oregon Coast. (If you have lived at the coast and then move inland, you actually go through withdrawals at about six months, which get progressively worse until you almost can't function...and Megan was there!)

We headed out in weather that looked less than optimal!

First we stopped at Lincoln City Beach and decided to feed the monstrous gulls! These guys were AGGRESSIVE! They would dive bomb you in the AIR and take the food out of your hands as you prepared to throw it!!

This is my birdlady moment....my dear sisters think my expression paired with the position of my hood make me look especially goofy...

Little beggar!

They seemed to think that dad's car was a spectacular taking off point!

Some crazy people got out and ran around the beach! The wind was so strong it just about blew you over!

Megan

Megan and Katie

Dad Megan and Katie

Next we headed a little south and stopped at another favorite beach:

Family picture

Andy at the beach in THONGS!

Matt

Mom freezing

Megan and Jesse

Jesse taking it all in....

The beach was covered in foam:

Sadly, I even found a casualty...but he was still fascinating! Can you tell what it is?

The wind was transforming the tops of the waves into filmy veils:

After getting very wet and cold, we decided to grab a bite to eat at Mos.

Check out Jesses hat hair!

While we were waiting for food, someone gave Jesse a lemon slice. Check out these faces!

He must have liked it though because he wanted another one!

Christmas Day

2009-02-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning (or actually I think it was the day before Christmas) dad found a way to plug the generator into the house so that we could have lights!! We enjoyed seeing the Christmas lights and had a good morning.

A boy, his cat, and a cow....nothing better!

The cows were very happy to be reunited. They spent most of Christmas in a pile! (If you don't know Tessa and the gang, it's a long, long, long story....)

We all pitched in to help with Christmas dinner. Because it was colder outside that it was in the refrigerator, we cooled the jello salad OUTSIDE!

Matt made pie:

Megan sliced yummy English cheese...drooooooool. (My favorites - stilton with mangos and ginger and cotswold.)

Late morning, the electricity came back on!!! The first thing mom and dad did was WASH DISHES!!!

Living Without Electricity

2009-02-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

During the days before Christmas, we learned to really appreciate three things: the wood stove (we had heat and a way to cook), and running water and lights - things we didn't have. Dad set up the generator and so we were able to keep the fridge and a couple of lamps going, but we also used candles etc.

Dinnertime (everyone is trying to make Jesse laugh):

Several of us trying our hands at cooking.

When it was my turn I had to wear shorts to keep from boiling!

Initially, we thought that the outage would be fixed within a couple of days, but when that didn't happen, we took a look around and realized that lines had come down on roads near our home in at least three places.

Fortunately, Kristin's apartment wasn't too far away, and we were able to get over there to take showers the first few days, and then later, rigged up the camp shower at mom and dad's. It actually worked really well!! It only does take about 5 gallons to shower, and the water was nice and warm because it was heated on the top of the stove.

Everyone always felt better after shower though! Jesse really was quite good tempered for the whole week. Near the end he began to suffer from a teething bout, but all things considered, he definitely handled the lack of electricity the best!

Christmas Ice Storm

2009-02-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to spend two weeks at mom and dad's house for Christmas. Usually the drive takes between six and seven hours - but this time it took ten because of the road conditions. I was lucky, though. Although I left late morning after we got OVER two feet of snow in one night (fun shoveling the driveway, let me tell you) - on top of the foot or so already there....after I got about 30 miles south of Spokane, the roads cleared up and I didn't have any difficulties until Hood River. Even Hood River into Portland wasn't bad enough to put on chains, and as I never have put them on before, and had no idea how to do it, I was very grateful.

Of course after I got to mom and dad's, the freezing rain/ice storm arrived (about the same time as Megan, Andy, and Jesse) and we lost power for a WEEK! The power came on Christmas Day.

I went outside and took some pics of the nature's artwork...

Christmas Ugly Ornament Party

2009-02-21T14:19:00.001-08:00

"We" held our second annual (and probably last in Spokane... sigh) Christmas Ugly Ornament Party a few weeks before Christmas. The same gang that attended last year was able to come again, and it was really nice to catch up with everyone.

Karen and Connie

Chuck and Wendy

Matt was able to attend via "i-chat." The kids thought this was great fun and spent almost and hour talking to Matt through different filters (fun house mirror, snowflakes falling etc.).

In fact, everyone piled into the "library" to say hi at ONE TIME! It's amazing how many people can fit into one room!!

Tillie enjoyed lots of attention. She especially liked Steve.

We had some stellar ugly ornaments this year!

One of my favorites was the "Sarah Palin" ornament.

The scariest was this snowman though!

It was a fun evening!

Day After Thanksgiving Snow!

2008-11-28T18:46:00.000-08:00

Matt and I enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with our friends at John and Connie's home. It was a relaxing evening and we enjoyed the food. Matt and I made pumpkin and apple pie and Matt made rolls. That evening it began to snow - just enough to make things white.

Today, Matt and I got up and did some animal cage cleaning chores. Before we left, I noticed the birds out at my feeder were lining up on the crabapple tree, which is still sporting its red fruit. I took a few quick pics. The house finches with their red breasts look beautiful! It was hard to focus the camera with the window in the way though....

We left home to get the tree around 12:00, and noticed that although it wasn't sticking, there were some pretty big flakes coming down. By the time we got the tree it was snowing big old flakes and it looked like a Currier and Ives postcard! What fun! We managed to get the tree up on the truck and got it home in safety. Will post pics of the decorating etc. tomorrow!

The Joys of Teaching

2008-11-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

So far in my teaching endeavors, I have learned what I thought I already knew - I really like teenagers. They crack me up. They usually have a great sense of humor, they can be VERY honest, and they thrive when challenged. So far, I have been in a high school biology classroom for two periods three times a week for the last five weeks. During that time, I have been able to teach four lessons, and have been on hand to answer questions (and direct traffic - an Anne specialty :>) during labs and individual work time. I am learning a lot of things from my cooperating teacher (the H.S. teacher whose classroom I spend time in), and have also learned a lot from my ed classes. To be honest, more than I anticipated I would.

Many of my classes have focused on inquiry methods which essentially consist of presenting students with a problem and allowing them to figure things out. The instructor provides directed-guiding questions when students are stuck or on the wrong track. This technique is usually applied to "lab type" activities. Although I would have hated them during high school...they really do require a higher level of thinking, and when mixed with other types of instruction, can really raise the level of students' confidence and ability to solve problems.

My schedule is a little crazy, but at least I stay busy which keeps me from feeling sorry for myself with Matt away. In addition to my full load of classes and 6 hours of high school class time a week, I am also teaching lab twice a week at EWU for a biology 101 class. It has been a good experience, and I have "remembered" a lot! It really is amazing how much you think you understand, but have difficulty applying until you teach it yourself! It has been good review.

I recently was made aware that I qualified for a second degree, Bachelors of Art in Education, instead of just earning my professional certification. So today I applied for graduation! Having an ed degree accompanied by a degree in my area of expertise should make me much more marketable as a teacher, as will my additional endorsements in general science and chemistry that I will also have earned.

So, I guess in a nutshell, I am having fun amidst the craziness! I love reading everyone's blogs (check them between classes!) Keep up the posts.

Wreath Making Activity

2008-10-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I was asked to do a wreath-making class for Relief Society (a women's church group). I decided to take some pictures of the process, and post the final results! Everyone did very well, and we had lots of fun.

Supplies you will need (aside from fir boughs):
wire cutters, floral wire of medium gauge, a bow (or ribbon and pick to make a bow), a wire hanger, a pair of pliers, and some malleable organic material to "fatten" up your hanger (I have used scotch broom, weeping willow branches, and this time, poplar branches).

First, you need to find some fir boughs (not pine, not hemlock, and not spruce). (If you don't know a pine from a fir, find someone knowledgeable, or find a identification book). I usually get a Christmas tree about 1 foot taller than I need and cut off the bottom six branches. I then make 6-8 inch cuttings off of each branch which turns out to be enough for a wreath.

Next, I get a wire hanger (heavier gauge, preferably with a rubber coating), and then use pliers to form it into a round shape.

This is what it should look like when you are done:

Next, I wrap the malleable material around the hanger to give it a diameter between 1/2 and 3/4 inch. In this instance, I used poplar branches:

Next I take one or two boughs (if thin, I use two and offset them to make the "packet" seem fuller) and place them on the wreath. I like to plan where the bow is going to go, and place the packet on the wreath with the stems pointing in a clockwise direction just an inch or so after (in reference to clockwise) where I want the bow. Then I twist the end of the wire on itself after going around the bough once. After that, I wrap tightly three times.

The first packet should be in the direction of the wreath (in the same direction as a tangent line). The next should be placed about 1 inch farther along (in the clockwise direction) and the tip should be about 1-2 inches to the left (or middle) of the wreath. The third should be placed with the tip about 1-2 inches to the right (or outside). This pattern should be repeated until the circle is completed.

To add decorations, space them evenly (and in odd numbers) on packets in the direction of the wreath and wire them on along with the packet.

Final product:

There were the ladies and their wreaths that took my class:

The Side Yard Saga

2008-09-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

For those of you unfamiliar with the details of the side yard...let's just say the landscaping was not "straight forward". Essentially, there were more rocks (big!) than clay, and the clay was as hard as the rocks. Additionally, drainage was a real issue. There was supposed to be a swale, but the builders didn't grade the property correctly, so we not only had to dig an underground drain (with perf pipe and gravel), but had to make it deep because the vents on the foundation have to have the ground at least two inches below them to be up to code. Anyway...it was a pain. Still not finished, but for those who saw it before grass...I think you'll agree that this is a great improvement! I got fifteen rolls of sod this morning and laid the last bit to connect the grass to the backyard that was already done. Feels good!

From the gate:

From the backyard:

Where the dirt pile was:

Candy's Cobbler

2008-09-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, after reading Candy's blog, I decided to use the cans of fruit (peach and blackberry) that I had bought for a dutch oven recipe (and had never gotten to), to make her cobbler! Turned out yummy, but too big for one person!

"Sillies"

2008-09-19T16:01:00.001-07:00

As Megan used to say...

I have been outside all morning working on the lawn and decided to come in and surf the web for cool birding blogs/pictures. I came upon this and had to add it to my blog. Aren't the differences in bird plumage amazing! It is really a testament to their ability to inhabit specific ecological niches.

Backyard Blues

2008-09-10T18:35:00.001-07:00

We are still spending most of our time finishing the yard. We have to dig many ditches to drain the property (we are lowest of all of subdivision), then fill them with gravel, followed by topping with dirt, and then laying grass. It all takes a while. On the bright side - the back-back yard is done!! Yeah! The side yard is in progress and will hopefully get done by Friday evening so that Matt can rest Saturday before he travels to Salem on Sunday. Will post pics soon.

New Job!

2008-08-21T13:49:00.001-07:00

After interviewing with several companies, Matt has decided to accept a position at ClearEdge Power, a fuel cell company in Hillsboro. Matt will be staying with my parents to reduce costs until I finish school and we sell the house here. We are not looking forward to living separately, but are excited that Matt was able to find a job that will allow him to continue working in an area that he really enjoys. Matt will start on September 15, so we have three weeks to finish the back/side yard, and to arrange all of our storage so that I can find things when I need them. School starts near the end of September for me, and I am looking forward to finishing my student teaching. We plan to spend a lot of time on the phone or iChatting so I can tell Matt how things go.

We are really looking forward to living on the west side. Finally. After 11 years. Uncle Chris was right (my mom's brother), when he said we would eventually find a way to get out here, that it would just take some time. We will miss our friends in Spokane, and the gorgeous country around us, but at least now we can convince them to visit on vacation so we can show them around the prettiest part of the PNW.

Matt's Dad's Weekend Visit

2008-08-18T22:20:00.002-07:00

Matt's dad came to visit this weekend after attending a conference in Vancouver, WA. We enjoyed showing him around Greenbluff (our farming community), playing Settlers of Catan, buying a new fish for the saltwater tank (a yellow watchman goby), and just relaxing.

Current View of the Yard

2008-08-18T22:20:00.001-07:00

We have been spending a lot of time working on our backyard. When we moved in it was tall weeds (about 4 feet), thick, in hard clay with lots of large rocks. Because of the rocks, Matt had to weed everything by hand. We managed to lay sod, plant border plants, and put in wood borders and mulch in the main part of the backyard before summer ended last year. We didn't take any real before pictures, but this is what the yard looks like now (the grass has been cut and pasted - hence the photoshopped look...)

The side yard is a work in progress and includeds blackberries (transplanted from the coast) and raspberries. The grass is just "hanging out" until it finds its final resting place.

Some of our favorite trees

Herb and flower wine barrels also in the side yard.

In the front yard, we added plants to the gravel area that was provided with the front yard before we moved in, and added rocks to make a rock garden.

Life Bird 239

2008-08-18T22:14:00.003-07:00

While staying at Mom and Dad's we took a short trip out to Ankeny Hill Wildlife Refuge. We started at the main pavilion where you are only about 20 feet from the closest birds. Interestingly, I have seen a couple of life birds there - always standing out on the closest island bank, looking right at me. This time was no different! Mom asked what the "chunky bird on the bank" was, and after I got the binocs on it, I happy recognized the elusive sora that has been on my "get" list forever! I had to take a quick look in Sibley to be sure, because it did not have the characteristic mask I anticipated, but after consulting the guide, the field marks clearly matched a juvenile.

(Image of juvenile from google).

Yipee!! I am on the way to 250...and hopefully 300 by the end of the year. (Which may require another pelagic trip. Anyone interested in going out of Newports harbor for a 7-10 hour boat ride in September/October - let me know. Don't worry about being seasick - I have great tips for getting vomit out of gortex :> and it really isn't a truly rewarding experience unless you suffer during it...right???)

Opal Creek

2008-08-18T22:14:00.001-07:00

While visiting Mom and Dad, we decided to take a day trip out the Opal Creek, a tributary of the North Fork of the Santiam.

First we stopped at an old family swimming hole, and let Tills have some off-leash time (because no one else was there!!).

The trail to Opal Creek started out on a two mile gravel road. Parts of the road were supported by half-bridges of old timbers, and we even came upon an old mine shaft.

After we crossed the bridge, we came to the actual trail. We ended up hiking first to Opal pool, then to the mining town, and then back to the trail head. The entire trail was about nine miles, and by mile eight, mom and my feet were pretty sore. Fortunately, someone from the mining town was driving out and gave a lift for the last mile!

Matt filming at the trailhead

Opal Creek was VERY clear, and the blue, green and turquoise rocks were beautiful.

An old steam donkey used to log

Matt hanging out over a 20 foot ledge to film a guy jumping into opal pool!!

Tillamook County Fair

2008-08-18T22:13:00.001-07:00

While staying at Gram's after the reunion, we all decided to go to the fair on opening day. As always, it is fun to watch the 4H kids showing their animals.

We saw people showing rabbits,

Pigs,

and Cows.

We also enjoyed looking at the sheep,

goats (a family favorite),

and pigs.

We all enjoyed the flower displays.

Flower arrangments

Gladiolas

Roses

Lilacs

Dahlias

Other flowers

Before we left, Elyse (my cousin Pat's daughter) and Matt decided they needed to do battle on the bumper cars. They both seemed to have a REALLY good time! (Note the concentration and evil looks of glee...)

Life Bird 238

2008-08-18T22:06:00.001-07:00

While staying at Grams house after the reunion, I saw my 238th life bird - in her backyard feeder! We were both looking absently out the window when a faintly red bird landed in the feeder that seemed larger than the average house finch. After a few minutes we pulled out the binoculars, and behold - a red crossbill! Even at about 15 feet, the crossed bill was not discernible, but was very obvious through the binoculars. In addition, the coloring was much different than I had anticipated.

(Picture from google)

Ironically, I have been going out to Turnbull Wildlife Refuge in Spokane (Cheney actually) specifically to see a red crossbill for several months - without luck! When mom and dad visited we did see a red bird, but never got the binoculars on it, and now that I have seen the male, I realize it was actually too red to be a crossbill.

After a while, a female and a juvenile bird accompanied the male in grams feeders allowing a good look at the plumage differences. The male almost has a mottled look with chartreuse, yellow, and red feathers kind of intermingled. The female is more yellow, and the juvenile has even less color. It was a fun and unexpected way to get my next lifebird!

Mills Family Reunion "Jam Session"

2008-08-18T22:05:00.002-07:00

After the reunion, we all headed to Terry and Diane's house for a "Family Jam Session." Some of us played instruments, some sang, some conversed, and some played cribbage (a family pass-time).

Mills Family Reunion

2008-08-18T22:05:00.001-07:00

Mills Family 2008 Reunion

Ruby's Family

Fred's Family

Ellen's Family

The 2008 Mills Family Reunion had almost 60 people in attendance and took place on a beautiful day. It was fun to see the handcrafted items provided at the auction and the gorgeous quilt made by Clarie and Carey.

The food was great, as usual!

We enjoyed catching up, getting business done, and renewing our family ties.

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Mills Family Reunion Bonfire

2008-08-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

The morning of the bonfire dawned wet and misty. We were all a little concerned that we would have to move the bonfire indoors, in fact, we made a sign redirecting everyone to Grams house in case of inclement weather. However, at about three in the afternoon, the sun came out, and the wind died down! I had accidentally marked the bonfire as beginning at 5pm in the mailed notice, so Matt and I scurried down there and moved logs, dug a fire pit, and set up a little awning tent. People started arriving around six, and Terry showed up with $100 dollars worth of crab!!! He had boiled it in sea water with rice vinegar and pickling spices and it was divine.

Unfortunately, because we started at 5pm, we decided to head out just after 9pm, and three loads of family from out of town arrived just after we had left. We did discuss it at the reunion, and decided to move the bonfire to reunion night next reunion.

Kayaking with Karen

2008-08-07T16:00:00.001-07:00

The third weekend in July, Karen came out to visit for the weekend, and we took the chance to go kayaking on Fish Lake. The lake is only about 10 miles from our house, and is a nice size, with lots of inlets and swampy areas to explore. It is called fish lake because most of the lakes in our area are mineral lakes that don't support fish and other wildlife.

Karen's kayak is inflatable, so we spent some time getting it ready, and it was almost dusk when we headed out. Aside from the hungry mosquitos, it was a really nice time of the evening to be out. The sunset was gorgeous, and the reflections on the water were sublime. We are sad that we didn't discover this place a long time ago (and that we just got the silly rack fixed after living here for a year without it. We are hoping that if Matt's future new job takes us to far away lands (translated as nearby states), that we have a good area to kayak close by.

More on Mom and Dads Visit

2008-08-05T09:25:00.001-07:00

On the Sunday evening of my parents visit, we met our friends John, Connie, and Harlow and their children at the Manito Park Gardens. The park was established in the early 1900s and has several different types of flower gardens. We all liked the perennial garden the best, but the roses, dahlias, butterfly, and formal english gardens were all attractive as well.

Will post pictures when I have faster internet access!

Ok, we are visiting at Mom and Dad now, so I can upload pics!

Perennial Garden:

Rose Garden:

Dahlias:

Formal Gardens: