The Huni Family (Almost) Daily Diatribe

Blogs out of style?

2011-01-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

Guess blogging has passed out of style in our house--too many alternative ways to tell you what's going on. FB, email, photo-sharing, websites, etc. Just can't keep it all up to date, so time to simplify. Hope you've enjoyed our on again off again tales of the family. Going to go dormant (as if the last 6 months wasn't enough) before we take this offline.

D&J&D&M&B + P

Shoulda been a long-haul trucker

2010-07-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

I have to say, my husband could have been a cross-country trucker. Despite having a willing relief driver, he has done all the driving himself this trip, with 400+ miles per day.

We spent our second night in Ogden, Utah, at the Century RV, which I would heartily recommend. Despite being right in town, and barely off the interstate, it was quiet, and park-like.

We went to Mass at Hill AFB--although it was held in the Club--apparently the chapel is under renovation. David and I had a bit of a chuckle at the Alleluia--15 years ago, we sang in the Hill AFB chapel choir, and we sang the exact same Alleluia. None of the singers or musicians were the same, but the music remains!

Sunday night saw us in Cheyenne, Wyoming at AB Camping, another nice site. Then it was off to Rock Port, Missouri--yes we were covering some distance! This was a KOA under renovation, and someone decided it would be a good idea to drive heavy equipment half the night. We aren't sure if it was the KOA personnel (who were moving dirt earlier in the evening) or a neighbor, but the sudden lack of sound at 2:30 am sure woke us up. That had to have been the worst night since our try at Wal-Mart camping a few years ago!

On Tuesday we drove to Okawville, Illinois, where we missed our host, Glenn, by literally five minutes. We spent two nights in the park next to the Beach house, and enjoyed Ruth's company, but Glenn had to attend training in Louisville. We also went to the St Louis City Museum which is AWESOME!!! Here's a link to their web site, and a few shots.

Yes, that is Bridget climbing in those tubes. And both David and I climbed most of the tubes and slid down most of the slides (including the 10-story slide!) too! If you're ever in St Louis, no matter what your age, you have GOT to go!

On the Road Again

2010-07-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, trying to get caught up here. We decided to spend half the summer on the road again. Julia told the college she couldn't teach the first half of the term, so she's signed up to do two double-speed classes (10 weeks of class in 5 weeks) in the second half of the term. We got the lawn-cutting and house-sitting set up and off we went!

First stop: picking up Douglas at summer camp. He spent a week at the Diocese of Baker High School Kick Back camp, run by our own Father Radloff. He had a great time and we picked him up on Friday, June 25 and hit the road at 4pm.

After encountering mud on the road from the Malheur River flood, we spent the first night Vale, Oregon, just a few miles from the Idaho border.

Time to get the Rig Ready

2010-06-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

Time to clear the rig for the road. School's out in just 8 calendar days and then we'll be lookin' to get back on the open road for a piece. Be warned all you folks on the East Coast...we might just be a knockin' on your door in about three weeks give or take.

Still in Procrastination Mode

2010-01-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

Well, the website mentioned in the last post is really coming together...and I'm still procrastinating on other things like looking for employment (I guess, rather applying for employment) and such. Oh well....

Procrastination as a Motivator

2010-01-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but procrastinating is one of my strongest motivators to get priority B & C things done on my To Do List. I've been working hard these last couple days to get the Church's web site fully up and avoiding doing other, harder volunteer work (writing a newspaper article). Anyway, if you'd like to see a great start on our web site, look here: http://www.stedwardsisters.org

New Year's Eve's Eve's Eve

2009-12-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

How could we finish out 2009 without an update after keeping you all in suspense for more than a month? Well, with much trial and tribulation (and $$$) we got through our rough patch and all appliances/vehicles are operating normal again. The temperatures outside have moderated and snow is once again falling on Central Oregon. So what is keeping us up these long winter nights? The joyful noise of children playing with their new toys and the rising stock market? No, I'd say it's more of concern about the year ahead and what waits for us to discover and hopefully enjoy in what it brings to us. We hope to take trips to Montana and perhaps back east to NY next summer. We hope to improve our lawn and our financial position (don't all Americans desire this?). We hope to learn new skills and continue to give back to our community. We hope to see our children continue to grow and become responsible people. We hope to see friends and family from all parts of our lives come calling for happy reasons. And we wish everyone well even if they can't ;)
So, to wrap this up, Happppppy New Year's Eve's Eve's Eve -- we've been thinking about you all. DJDMB&P

Appliance Hell: curses come in threes

2009-11-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

As you know, the coffee maker and the fridge both died last week. This Monday, the power company had a planned power outtage which apparently did in our water heater. We called our neighbor who is also a plumber and they replaced the heating elements. Fortunately, it wasn't TOO expensive. And now that three appliances have failed, we should be out of hot water, right?

Appliance Hell is Here!

2009-11-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the main house frig slowly failed (9 months out of a 5 yr warranty), this morning, our coffee maker flooded (no evidence of leakage from the basket) with coffee all over the counter. Can't guess what's next. And we were going to have a peaceful day of remembrance of all the vets today...

Happy Columbus Day!

2009-10-12T16:46:00.001-07:00

Been awhile since I was here. The latest excuse was that the kids had the flu, then me. Luckily, Julia escaped the crud and kept on truckin' to work all last week. It has been noticeably cooler the last few days. Temps about 20 in the morning and not higher than 50 during the day. Anyway, the usual things have been taking up time. Getting the kids to do homework, cleaning up around church, Kiwanis, volunteering at school and with the veterans. In some ways it was a good break last week in spite of the pain and lack of good sleep--folks recognize you are gone and call to check up on ya.

Hope all is well in you part of the country/world. We're just about ready for winter. Good thing, 'cause it's about here.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait?

2009-09-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

OK, apologies for being so vague in the last entry, let me continue. I have been working with a principle of a business on a new opportunity in the local area. The company has built a beautiful new facility and has been too busy with other concerns to set it up for success. It seems my background in organizational management might be just what the doctor ordered. So, at the urging of this principle, I called the CEO with a proposal for a position to solve the aforementioned situation. Unfortunately, he has not decided how he is going to add in this business unit yet. I made a good case to make it separate from his current ops…but apparently it was not compelling enough for him to jump on it. I may have to build him a business plan—and show him he can’t do it with current staff, needs to make it self-sustaining and that the model will grow him to what he has envisioned.

Not much else to report. Do I have you all thoroughly confused?

Ask, and then be scared of what you might receive!

2009-09-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

We are staring into the maw of a giant beast. A few weeks back we had a special guest for dinner and we were ruminating on the challenges of job hunting for the senior member of our little clan. He took in all we were saying and a day or to later came to tell us of his need for an accomplice in his daily endeavors.

More to come...

Face Booking It

2009-08-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

Been distracted for a week or two by my new FB account. Julia's enjoying watching me connect with old friends and actually some of her friends because the new friend search is based on our joint addressbook.

In other news, the dog days of Summer have once again reached Sisters. The temps have been in the upper 90's and if we're not seeking out a swimming place, the kids are inside avoiding the worst of it. They are constantly craving ice cream or tofutti (non-dairy ice cream like sandwichs) and wanting to have friends come over.

I am starting the newest round of job search with the help of a placement specialist contracted by the VA. He's promised to open up some new avenues for me--but the thing I'm dreading is tracking (unemployment-style) all the listings I view and contacts I make. I've always been extremely well organized, but this seems like tiresome busywork. Somebody call me and offer me a job and put me out of my misery!!! I just need to work again...a sad admission of my need to belong and produce.

Swimsuit Friends

2009-07-26T18:58:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Max!

2009-07-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't like a birthday where you get a couple of your wishlist toys, go swimming and jumping off the high diveboard, and then go home and have pizza, soda, and Kirby cake with ice cream.

Max sure had himself a good day. Hope you did too!

A Buzz with Activity

2009-07-21T14:27:00.001-07:00

It's the big middle guy's birthday tomorrow and all is a buzz in the house. Max turns 11 and he's ready to tackle a new Lego set (Republic Attack Shuttle for you enthusiasts-- http://starwars.lego.com/en-us/products/clonewars/8019.aspx ). He's also planning a attack on a chocolate cake version of Kirby, one of his favorite video game characters --

Come back tomorrow and see his creations and pics of the birthday boy having fun.

Going No Where Fast

2009-07-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

It's Lewis and Clark Huni trying to make their way across Suttle Lake....where many have boldly gone before.

Today, we were visited by our financial advisor. His purpose in stopping by was to tell us how wonderful things were in the world...or rather how soon they would be getting better. We're learning alot about the economy...and why we'll never truly get ahead. I guess we should be grateful, our portfolio has gained back some of its lost glory--why do I still feel though like it's a robbery in progress. Guess until we really benefit from our discipline in saving, I feel like we're subsidizing the existence of those who never gave a thought to saving.

On a lighter note, we did enjoy an afternoon of American freedom on the shores and waters of Suttle Lake. We had fun launching log torpedoes at one another and cruising around the lake in the kayak. In fact, the kayak is still on top of the van hoping for another outing somewhere in paradise tomorrow. We may be relatively poor in some ways, but we are rich in what truly matters. Here's hoping you find some of that wealth wherever you are.

Black Butte 2 Fire

2009-07-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

From Black Butte Climb

Click the above picture to see Black Butte on fire...started by lightning in the wee hours today. Per local news, about 300 acres are burning. The burn area looks to be below the trail we went up about 8 days ago.

Just call her Professor

2009-07-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

In other news, Julia has started working again. She's now the one of the newest part-time faculty members at Central Oregon Community College. She's teaching Computer Concepts, a 100-level class that is required for graduation. She spent the last two weeks teaching hardware and software concepts, and has now launched into Key Applications--which in this Microsoft-controlled world means teaching Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access. After that, she'll do a unit called Living On-line. She's teaching two sections of the class back-to-back, which means she's in Bend all day on Mondays and Wednesdays until mid-August. Not to mention the hours of lesson-planning and assignment grading from home. There go our dreams of a huge summer RV trip...but it's nice to have the extra income.

Black Butte Climb

2009-06-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, Black Butte is just another rock conquered by the Huni Family. Everyone decided however, after the first quarter mile of the 2 mile trail, that we were out of shape. And to further prove it, after an hour and 40 minute climb to ascend 1,596 ft, we rested at the summit below the fire lookout at 6,436 ft above sea level (about 3,000 ft above our home). Coming down was much easier, but still took us an hour. I felt the kids needed extra motivation to get back down, so we baited them with a promised visit to McDonald's. All are now resting and enjoying Ice Age 2. Hope they're not too sore tomorrow--I want to do a few more adventures like this before the summer is out.

New Neighbors

2009-06-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

We knew new neighbors were arriving because the realtor had put up a For Rent sign. These guys and gals seem kind of shy.

Skylight Cave N44, 20.920' W121, 42.949'

2009-06-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

We went caving today...take a look at the below slideshow.

Pictured at left is Douglas below two of the vents in the lava tube on the westernmost end (uphill side) of the cave. We explored in two shifts because Max would not go down. In fact he sat in the car while Julia and I took turns going back and forth with Doug and Bridget. It was damper and much cooler (about 10 degrees) than topside. We were surprised there was no evidence of animals (other than humans) down there. According to the Forest Service factsheet, the lava tube is about 900 feet long. We covered most of the accessible space in about an hour. The kids like that this was only about 20 minutes from home. Next up...hiking up Black Butte if the weather cooperates. Should get some really great views of Mt Washington , Three Fingered Jack, Mt Jefferson and the Three Sisters from there...hopefully in the next week.

View Skylight Cave in a larger map

The Rodeo Was Here

2009-06-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

It was the usual weather for this time of year. That is to say, we had afternoon rain and thundershowers. We had all but given up on going to the Rodeo on Kid's Night (Friday), but something made me drive my daughter and her friend out to the grounds in spite of the downpour. As luck would have it, a blue hole opened up and the clouds drifted away from the arean just as the Rodeo show was starting. We climbed out of the minivan and headed for the admission line. It was a great performance! I practically had to drag the worn out girls back to the van...we had to get up for the parade the next morning. Both are Girl Scouts and had to be in the procession--this year dressed up as Rodeo Queens.

Freak Hail Storm Pounds Sisters

2009-06-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

We were treated to a thunderous hail storm that dumped the temperature down 20 degrees and left us with hail all around the yard today. It's really not over yet...but just had to share.

Pet Day(s) 2009

2009-06-08T10:05:00.001-07:00

Pets are a big thing here in Sisters. Friday, the Elementary School had Pet Day and hundreds of pets were brought to the school. Today, the 7th grade life science class had pet presentation day. Shown above is Doug making a presentation about Pippin and Westies.

Field Tripping

2009-05-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

2009 4th Grade Field Trip

Well it wasn't a trip like on LSD (not that I would know), but it sure kept us busy and seeing colorful things. If we weren't singing on the bus, listening to the telling of tales of the pioneers on the Oregon Trail by the docents, and the teachers pressing us onward, we wouldn't have made it there and back. We started at the end of the Oregon Trail at Laurel Hill just West of Government Camp near Mt Hood, went to Ft Vancouver, overnighted at Kraxberg Middle school in Gladstone, visited the Oregon Historical Society Museum in Portland, then visited the state capitol in Salem. Our 4th grader, Max enjoyed the trip but was happy to be back to the comforts of home. Click the picture above to see pictures from the trip.

May Birthdays are Over, Phew!

2009-05-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, talk about sensory overload. Who's idea was it to have three family birthdays in one month. We've uploaded some photos so you can see some of the fun while we catch up on our rest and start our cake-free diets ; )

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=3x70wrv.2z3t64yf&x=0&y=-s6leym&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button

Yet Again!

2009-04-29T07:15:00.001-07:00

Another Project Complete

2009-04-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

I finally got past the "Mother May I" approach I felt I had to take (chain of command, regulations and all that) in the military and "just did it" to the web site for our Kiwanis Club here in Sisters. Granted, I had a lot of help from the software (iWeb), but I feel pretty proud about how things came out. Sorta like this blog, you can plug in photo slideshows, videos, and all kinds of cool widgets that are out there to be had.

Take a look at: http://www.sisterskiwanis.org

You'll probably run across pictures of a few people you recognize.

My Own Two Hands Parade

2009-04-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

We got to be Something Wild for the My Own Two Hands parade today. It was lots of fun. Thanks to our friend Athena and her brother, those of us who came unprepared for the parade were more than adequately adorned in their creations. Play the video and see an exclusive report by our on the spot reporter, Doug Dougerson...or simply watch our slideshow to see some of the fun...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=3x70wrv.3kw70t4n&x=0&y=yr3aiu&localeid=en_US

You can read/learn more about My Own Two Hands and the Americana Project at:
http://www.sistersfolkfestival.org/mo2h.html

or in the local paper:

http://www.nuggetnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=65&SubSectionID=105&ArticleID=15711&TM=78097.81

Eek! What Happened

2009-04-13T19:24:00.001-07:00

We are amazed at the veracity and vitality of the Central Oregon Winter!!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

This year we did the latest rage for Easter--a staycation. In other words we stayed in the comforts of our Sisters Oregon retreat and home. Of course, this is mainly because we already went on a major vacation this Spring...simply see the previous posts below.

Aside from all the other things we are happy for each Easter, we are happy that more of our East Coast family is getting online--WELCOME!!!

Here are a few pictures from our day, piles of debris from our pine needle and tree trimming, Easter day with the kiddos, and the egg hunt at church. Enjoy and Happy Easter to all!

Kodak Gallery Photos

Gadget's Go Coaster

2009-04-01T15:09:00.001-07:00

Here's another coaster video...smilin' Bridget with Mom and Max in the back.

Spring Break 2009

2009-03-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

We're back from our latest adventure--a whirlwind trip to Disneyland and California Adventure. It's a two-day drive from Sisters, nearly 2,000 miles roundtrip. We stopped half way and stayed overnight at Beale AFB...near Marysville and Yuba City in northern CA. It was a little off track, but we made up for it by visiting the commissary and stocking up on some groceries and sundries we pay almost double for here in Central Oregon. We also took advantage of the inexpensive military haircuts for the boys....Julia went shopping and David gave the instructions to the Barbers. Don't think she'll do that again. In the end, it cost us more, because we had to by hats to protect their newly scalped heads. After picking up our 3-day Park Hopper tickets at the base (including a free one for David as a military retiree) we headed to Anaheim and stayed in the RV at a park about a mile from Disneyland. This gave us a short trip into the park and free fireworks show every night!!! See some of our vacation pictures in our Kodak Gallery at the link below:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ViewSlideshow.action?&collidparam=8537530603.641649980703.1238516557738

You can also see a video of Max enjoying a roller coaster ride here:

We also dropped in and paid David's brother Dan and his wife Judi a visit in Coalinga. They were pretty surprised as we gave them all of 40 minutes notice...well sort of. We called Dan's cell and got a message and when we called their house, they thought we were a wrong number, so we got hung up on. Anyway, a 15 miles side trip is nothing to take a chance and stop in, so stop in we did and surprised them as they were relaxing from the work week on Saturday afternoon. We stayed about an hour and a half and then headed back north to Beale for our half way stop and rest. Winds were high Sunday, so we delayed our departure until Monday morning. By then we had gone to church, shopped the commissary and refueled for the trip home. We got home around 6 pm and I think the happiest was Pippin who missed all his local dog smelling stops and yard to romp in. We're doing tons of laundry today and just catching up from our week away.

Apologies for Slacking

2009-03-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hey out there! Sorry about not writing is so long. And apologies to our normal Christmas card recipients too! I guess you could say we've been busy again and just plain preoccupied with local life.

Friday was a big night for us--the 2nd Annual Sisters Parent Teacher Community Green and Gold Gala. This was a fund-raising auction held at Brand 33 restaurant at Aspen Lakes Golf Club. We were heavily involved again this year, from planning, advertising, soliciting donations, helping with a classroom project, updating the blog, writing Tweets, and pulling off the big evening. David was the computer master again, and Julia used her stamping and paper skills to create wonderful displays, signs and just make the place look great. (There's a link to the right if you want to read about it/see stuff).

Anyway, that's over and on to other important business like deciding what to do with the kids 2-week Spring break. We had planned to fly back East, but they've had a horrible Winter and it's not letting go yet...so we're putting that off 'til Summer. So apologies to our relatives too!

Oh, and we're done battling the Tax Man this year (we won, sort of) -- so no more excuses. We will update a little more often.

Hope you're all surviving the world we live in today. Don't know what we'd do if we hadn't made the choices we did to get where we are. It sure seems ugly out there.

Take Care and let us know what your piece of reality is like from time to time.

HooDoo2 -- Do You?

2009-02-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Max and Doug take to the slopes of HooDoo once again one recent icy Friday night in February. This video is just over 3 minutes long...sorry about the canned music...the real audio was sporadic--though funny at times.

Kiddos Skiing at HooDoo

2009-02-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

A little video using our little Canon point and shoot digital camera. Best footage is of Bridget...less than a minute long so enjoy!

Here's a few still pictures here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/HuniFamily/SkiingAtHooDoo?feat=directlink

Employment Free Again!

2009-02-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

As a belated birthday present, the Chamber laid off my beloved this morning. I think we knew it was coming long before they did. After all, how can you continue to operate when you're looking at a huge deficit? I'm happy to have her back home with me...but we're still trying to wash the whole bad feeling off of the last couple weeks there. You can read more about it at the newspaper's site if you care to:

http://nuggetnewspaper.blogspot.com/2009/01/turmoil-at-chamber-ii.html

Good thing we're smart enough to know Sisters is not well represented by this situation.

Cheers

Happy Birthday Julia!

2009-02-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Mom!

Von Trapps We're Not!

2009-01-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog Reader,

Last night we went to the mountain. Believe it or not all were on skis and managed to survive the night without major harm to any (or the mountain). We have become part of the HooDoo (www.hoodoo.com) Friday night crowd and have learned a few of the locals' secrets to inexpensive tickets. If you're really bored on a Friday, go to their web site and see if you can notice us wondering the lodge or at the base of one of the lifts. Sorry no pics or videos yet...we haven't got a helmet cam we're happy with ; ) though maybe you'll get a treat before season's end.

In other news, today is the eve of the annual celebration of the Matriarchs' (both OR and NY based Huni's) arrival into the world. Preparations are ongoing to make it a day to remember that will have nothing to do with the Steelers vs the Cards. The OR-based matriarch notes that this competing event is a young start-up that won't last as long as she does anyway.

Here's a wish to both for a day the way they'd like it.

Mid-January Update

2009-01-11T18:20:00.001-08:00

Time ot update you all out in the blogosphere what's happening in our proximity. The kiddos started downhill skiing lessons Friday night. The boys took to them very well and can't wait to get back up to HooDoo next weekend. The rest of us occupied the sledding hill and had a great time crashing our noggins on the snow and each other. The little girl had three spectacular and drama filled crashes. The first found her flying over the berm and the bottom of the hill and landing like a sack of potatos, the second was a side slide until she caught a tread and flipped over on her forehead and the last was a head-on with her brother on his first and last run of the night. Drama aside, all have recovered from their bumps and bangs.

We went shopping for more gear yesterday. We are now accompanied to the slopes by "The Bad Lieutenant" and another guy who likes like a clone trooper out of Star Wars.

A busy week awaits us. Come back next weekend to see how it went. Tschuss for now.

Surviving to Live Another Day...

2008-12-25T16:26:00.000-08:00

It's nearly 4:30 PM and we have seemingly survived another Christmas. Our neighbor with the ATV and plow rig plowed out the end of our driveway and I spent 1 1/2 hours clearing the rest by shovel. After that, my lady noticed a leak coming in at the top of her window...so it was up on the ladder to knock down ice and clear the low roofs. Another 1 1/2 hours and then it was time for lunch.

Sledding, Lego building, and picture taking later, it's time for a snack.

Here are some pics I uploaded of the fun. I feeling that good kind of tired coming on. Best Wishes to all and Merry Christmas!!!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ViewSlideshow.action?&collidparam=8537530603.812767257603.1230251674003

A (Near) Christmas Story

2008-12-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

As the kid says in "A Christmas Story" Oh, I think I shot my eye out! Not really, the kiddo who looks like a pugilist actually got injured in a modern way. He was visiting his Mom's office and using one of the computers to keep out of trouble, when suddenly he felt the urge to jump up and hit his left eye on the corner of a glass shelf that was behind him on his right. Let the joyous screaming begin!!! After a trip to the local fire department for triage, we headed to the local clinic (which was closed for lunch). Patiently sobbing, we got to see a Doc who referred us to an opthamalogist about 30 minutes away. Thankfully, no permanent damage was done, but he has a corneal laceration from mid-pupil down to his lower eyelid.

I might note we took this picture in mirror image to accentuate the look.

The same day before the glass shelf incident, subject kiddo noticed our doggy had weird pouches on the backs of his hind knees. I checked them out and called the vet and scheduled a same day. Since I was occupied running #1 to various medical concerns, Momma took Pippin to the vet. I'm sure the tech had a good laugh when she manipulated the pouches to find out they were simply fur balls the snow had pushed up and made firm.

Got to Get Revved Up

2008-12-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a little over a week away!!! The season sure has gotten busy. Between school, church, and work holiday programs and subbing for the school, the whole family has been flying from one event to the next. This week we only have two holiday parties at school to get ready for--we're ready for a few days of rest before Christmas ushers in a new round of chaos around here. Snow has finally arrived for good and the temps are hovering near ZERO -- didn't think I'd see or feel that again unless I was on a mountain top. Such is life in the shadow of the Three Sisters. Time to get back to creating a little holiday magic.

Hope you'll stay tuned.

Gingerbread House Update

2008-11-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

The house was finished last night before the Christmas Tree Lighting here in Sisters. Folks can come by and see it in person (and vote for it) as they visit businesses hosting the "Home on the Range" Gingerbread Trail fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. The kids thoroughly enjoyed their construction efforts which include WALL-E, Sunburst Snowmen and alot of playful candy arrangements on the roof and grounds. Click the pictures to see a larger view.

The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce is at 291 E. Main Ave in Sisters.

Have a happy holiday season!

WALL-E

Just Because it's Fun

2008-11-27T11:07:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Guess, We've Really Been Slipping on the Blog

2008-11-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

You know, I don't think it was until today I realized how tough it can be to be a stay-at-home-fill-in-the-blank. The kids are out of school and I'm wore out. It's non-stop, they or the dog need something. Makes you wish you were back working for someone...then at least most days you can walk out and take a lunch away.

Tonight, Frau and Fraulein are busy with the Gingerbread house/Gingerbread Nativity.

Local Wood Carving Legend Finishes Massive Doors

2008-11-17T13:03:00.001-08:00

Wow! Skip Armstrong has done an amazing job with this project! See what the Nugget Newspaper had to say about this work at: http://www.nuggetnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=65&SubSectionID=105&ArticleID=15176&TM=57782.68

The above picture is what will greet parishioners at St Mary's in Boise, ID in a few weeks. We went out to Skip's workshop in the woods where the doors are having the finishing touches put to them before being shipped to Boise next week. This is world class work by a truly talented man.

Keeping the Home Fires Burning

2008-10-27T07:53:00.001-07:00

I used to love burning leaves back East with my family in the Fall--before burning was banned there. Leaves were so much more funb than pine needles. You could pile them head high and ride your bike through them or just jump and play hide-n-go-seek in them. Pine needles are just a hot dirty chore...though initially they smell good. If you do your burning right, there's very little smoke--that's when the fire is the hottest and you have a gentle breeze to feed the fire with oxygen.

Anyway, we've cleared our lawn for the second weekend in a row and cleared up the backlog when left over when the burn season closed early last spring. Now it's just a matter of clearing up in the woods before the rain or snow flies.

At least it got us outdoors and enjoying the sun and warm Fall temperatures. Time to take a walk and see how the rest of our neighbors are doing.

Can You Say Rocks!

2008-10-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Cellular Biology

2008-10-12T19:14:00.001-07:00

Who'da thunk biology could be delicious and fun! This was Doug's idea 100%.

Snow is in the Air

2008-10-10T08:41:00.001-07:00

Old Man Winter is begging to get back into the action. We've had two straight days of flurries in the air--it's way too early! On top of that, the kids are off today--teacher training day, and we're getting caught up on all that quality time stuff, each person is in front of their own screen at the moment. Well, I guess I'm being a little facetious. Anyway, the squabbles up 'til three seconds ago were short lived and everyone was in their own world of bliss. Don't get me wrong, we have plenty to do today, like help set up the Book Fair at school and possibly attend a trail building seminar at the Brewery tonight. The changing seasons are always alittle unsettling and it seems like there's too much to do before winter sets in.

I finally signed up for the "How to Start Your Own Business" course taught locally by the community college. I don't see many downsides to not starting it (minimal start-up costs--it's a personal service) and I'm not ready to cave in and fit myself back into a corporate setting working long hours. Fortunately, my lady is patient with me and economic times as bad as they are, we are surviving. Guess that's the impeteus, we're used to more than surviving, and we want to get back to that lifestyle as soon as we can--just complimented with work we enjoy doing.

Have a great Columbus Day Weekend!

Survival of the Fittest

2008-10-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

The cute little guy above is a recent orphan and probably won't survive...how sad. Yesterday I was getting wood from the stack and he comes hopping up to me. I didn't know what was going on, was he being fed by a neighbor? Or was this a sick animal to stay away from. I called the little girl of the house out to take some pictures and then we followed him around the yard for a while. On the way home from church we had seen a large squirrel that had been recently killed by a car--might have been Momma.

But wait, the story gets worse. Under our deck is another little guy. This one is either very sick or catatonic (turned out he was dying) and he is curled into a little ball but still moving when gently probed. His little brother or sister stayed under the deck with him for the rest of the afternoon--until I want out for more wood. Then the survivor follows me about 20 yards back down to the wood pile and climbs a tree, and that's where he stayed the night. Haven't seen him this morning, but we're not to sure he's a good forager. We laid the other guy to rest.

In other news, Pippin the Wonderdog just has a mild case of Kennel Cough. Yup, he caught it his first (and only) day at Doggie Daycare, despite their strict vaccine policy. It's good news because it's relatively easy to treat (Julia was envisioning dangerous and expensive surgery to remove a Lego from his trachea.)

Volunteering gets Complicated

2008-10-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Pippin at Doggie Daycare.

Can you say, American Legion, School Site Committee, Garden Club, Book Fair, Walkathon, Local Option Committee, etc. Guess we're getting immersed and those are just some fun things we're involved in. I thought we'd put our planners away, but it looks like that was just a pause.

In other news, the working one received a raise (oh yeah!) and the other guy subbed at school for the secretary and librarian for several days last week. The kids seem to be taking it all in stride and are busy developing huge Christmas lists--guess they think Santa is not affected by all the bad economic news.

Not to leave Pippin out of the discussion, we're off to the Vet today--he's got something making him choke every 5 or 10 minutes--made sleep near impossible for us. I suspect they won't find anything and we'll just have to tough it out until whatever passes.

Kayaking Three Creeks Lake

2008-09-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

My son and I, adventurers that we are drove up to Three Creeks Lake which is only about 20 miles from the house. Once the pavement ends on Forest Road 16, the driving gets really slow because the road is so rough you worry about bottoming out on your oil pan. The lake is picturesque and calm. It is located in a glacial cirque, below Tam McArthur Rim, which was probably last occupied by glacial ice about 13,000 years ago during the Canyon Creek advance of the Cabot Creek glaciation. The outlet stream from the lake flows northward and is joined by two other streams to form Three Creek. See the slideshow below. Click it to go to the album for a larger view.

One More Photosynth

2008-09-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here is the view of the Three Sisters and Patterson's Elk Ranch in Sisters, Oregon--a view we see everyday going to and from town to our home.

Photosynth -- Sea of Lava

2008-09-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

I made another short trek today. This time west of the homestead up Highway 242 to the Sea of Lava. Note Mount Washington in the background of this Synth. Be sure to look at the image full screen to see the whole effect at the world of PhotoSynth at: http://photosynth.net/Default.aspx Search for "242".

Enjoy!

Photosynth is Pretty Cool!

2008-09-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

Checkout the collage of the Three Sisters I made using the new technology by Microsoft at:

This Synthy was made with 207 pictures I took in about 5 minutes on the way to grocery shop this morning. Be sure to use the arrows to look all around and zoom the image. I look forward to bringing you other sights around Sisters soon...

Western and Native American Art Festival

2008-08-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

What a smile!

New Blog Up!

2008-08-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

I created a new blog for our organization at school...much like a PTA, but not quite as formal. See it and related pictures at the SPTC link to the right.

Sisters Doll Parade and Ice Cream Social

2008-08-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

We took part in the Doll Parade today. Over 70 little girls and their dolls...plus Ice Cream, what a mix. Some of the older girls talked about their dolls--there were a few there close to 100 years old. See more pictures by clicking the album below:

Sisters Doll Parade and Ice Cream Social 8/20/08 2:14 PM

One Fish, Two Fish, Black Fish, Blue Fish

2008-08-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

We went adventuring at Camp Sherman today and were intending to go for a walk along the Metolius with Scott Blau.

The kiddos got antsy, so we headed up the road a bit to the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery.

I did not know there were such a thing as blue trout! Apparently they are a the result of a genetic mutation similar to albinoism. Learn something new every day...

Next we headed to the Head of the Metolius...the place where geology has resulted in the birth of this river. It's a little overgrown these days...

Chippy the Chipmunk was patrolling the park and soliciting up close for donations.

Got Pickles?

2008-08-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

The house chef prepared and canned a few quarts of pickles while the rest of us went back to school shopping for supplies and the last toys of summer. Lego, Barbie and Yu-Gi-Oh! were the winners.

Projects Part 2

2008-08-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Julia made a new dress for Bridget and her American Doll this afternoon.

This morning we attended the new fire station dedication. Fire engine rides and tours of the station. The kids wanted to go down the two poles they have...but had to be satisfied with jumping up on them from below...

Busy with Projects

2008-07-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

First, there's another episode of Don't Call Me Martha in the works (check at the link to the right), Let's Make Pitas. Second, we've been making progress on the kids play area removing big rocks...pretty amazing as it's done with a 6 foot pry bar and a shovel.

See the Pics below:

Don't Call Me Martha Update

2008-07-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

New episodes of Don't Call Me Martha are available on her blog link to the right. See if you can hear the family sound effects in the background.

Ciao

Happy 10th Max!

2008-07-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Lonely King

2008-07-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

The lone buck in the area settles in for a warm morning in the sun.

Sisters 33rd Annual Outdoor Quilt Show

2008-07-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Click Picture to enlarge and see detail

1,200+ quilts is an overwhelming number of pieces of art to try to see in one day, let alone do it in the few hours we spent there this morning. With more than 20,000 people roaming the town and tour buses trying to jam in more, vendors and quilt artists were pleased.

We rode our bikes into town early while it was still cool. The Girl Scouts are manning water stations throughout town and J&B are manning the one at Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store. We boys chickened out and escaped the madness to the comfort and quiet of home. See some of the beautiful quilts in the link to our Newest Albums at the right ==>

The official web site for the show is at:

http://www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org/

Flowers We See

2008-07-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

Some of the beauty we see here in flowers...more in the albums to the right ==>

The 4th

2008-07-07T11:05:00.001-07:00

Our 4th of July was a little more tame than last year at Mary's...in fact we didn't go see fireworks anywhere. Instead, we were invited to a community party at Cyrus Pond and had a great afternoon sharing the sun and cool waters of the mountain stream-fed pond with some of the kids schoolmates. See more pictures in the album links at the right ==>

In the Local News

2008-07-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

How could I fail to mention the lady of the house also made the paper this week. Gentle reader go to the following link to read The Nugget Newspaper and see what she does for the fine City of Sisters, Oregon.

http://www.nuggetnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=88&ArticleID=14649&TM=68134.15

New Stuff to See

2008-07-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Lots of deer around the house lately eating clover,

The kiddos checkout a new swimming hole at Scout Lake...

And the lady of the house tries out her new scheme to make cash the residual way.

Checkout more pics at the Blog and Album links at the right!

New Roles

2008-06-25T09:30:00.001-07:00

Perhaps you've noticed the silence of late. Momma started a new job last Monday and we're all learning our new roles. She's working for the local Chamber of Commerce in Community Relations and is in charge of running the Visitor Center and managing the volunteer corps. She gets to meet interesting people everyday wanting to learn about the area and is picking up tidbits about the successes and demises of local businesses. As for Dad, he is experiencing summer with the kids who need much pushing to get out the door to do something other than watch TV and play video games. We plan on several hikes and swimming/kayaking in some of the warmer mountain lakes near by. In the meantime, the search goes on for the ideal business niche or job... Stay tuned...

They're Back!

2008-06-17T07:49:00.001-07:00

The new playmates are here...

Post 101! & Rodeo in Sisters

2008-06-14T16:00:00.001-07:00

The much awaited rodeo weekend is here in Sisters and it has been fun! We went to the Les Schwab Family Night and enjoyed the show and all the Rodeo characters. Today was the biggest parade of the year here. We had our own rodeo clown trumpet player marching as well as our Daisy scout and Mom. Here are a few sample pictures. There are hoops more in the Picasa Public Albums at the links to the right -->

The Last Day of School

2008-06-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sisters Oregon does the last day of school right. Student assembly in the morning (rodeo performers visit, farewells to staff and awards), picnic lunch, afternoon field day including a visit from the fire department and rooftop water balloon barrage. See many pictures of the fun found by clicking into our Picasa Public Album in the link under our favorites to the right.

Tomorrow night it's off to the rodeo...can't wait to see that! http://www.sistersrodeo.com/

3rd/4th Grade Field Trip by Bike to Cold Springs Campground

2008-06-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

See the pics for the trip at the links list to the right. Suffice it to say it was a cold Oregon day...

Pet Day at Sisters Elementary

2008-06-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Click the Link in our favorites at the right to see a few pictures of the pets at Pet Day. There were new kittens, snakes, hatching chicks, giant dogs, tiny dogs, frogs, turtles, rabbits, horses, and much more...

New Guys In Town

2008-06-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

We are not the new guys in town any longer...these guys are.

This afternoon I was walking up the road with the wonder dog Pippin. He didn't even notice the deer to our right as we passed by. Then something weird happened...the deer followed us. Pippin noticed then but was good and did not make a sound. I turned to face our trailing buddy now only a dozen feet away t o see what was up. As I turned around, I noticed the new family members about 50 yards away nursing in our neighbors yard. Pippin and I quickly took our leave and went home. I grabbed my camera and approached Mom and the kiddos from downwind. I was still about 50 yards away when I snapped these. Our other deer buddy never approached me even though when I took the bottom picture I was closer to the kiddo than Mom. Guess she didn't consider me a threat. When I left, I made sure she saw and heard me leave.

BTW, another little milestone, we finally got Oregon tags for all our cars...a year after leaving the D.C. area we no longer appear to be outsiders.

Playtime at Home, Field Trip, and a New Brownie

2008-05-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

A busy week here. Guess which picture goes with which event.

Memorial Day

2008-05-28T09:24:00.000-07:00

The bagpipes played to remember the fallen in a Memorial Day ceremony commemorating a new monument Monday in Sisters. Note the boy in the red jacket in the far right side of the photo--you may know him. He can also be seen twice in this TV News clip covering the event:

http://www.kohd.com/article.aspx?id=37464

Princess' Birthday

2008-05-22T16:41:00.001-07:00

The cake!!! View more pictures of the party courtesy of Kodak Gallery here:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?UV=582918266521_210820990603&conn_speed=1&collid=8537530603.264820990603.1211592215517&mode=fromsite

Let the Squirting Begin

2008-05-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

The temperatures reached the nineties today and the kiddos begged to have their second water fight of the season. The fever spread to our neighbors and before you knew it we were having crossborder exchanges.

Outdoor School Begins

2008-05-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Our #1 headed off to outdoor school today with his 6th grade classmates--3 overnights on the Central Oregon Coast. There was alot of excitement in the air which added swirls in the smoke from all the control burns that go on here in the forest in the Spring.

Back from the 50th

2008-05-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

My parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary back in NNY. My brother, his wife of a year and I flew out from our separate West Coast locales to join our other siblings for a family get together at the house in B.R. We had a great dinner together in M and D's favorite Italian restaurant and then went back to the house for cake and coffee.

Family Dance and Culture Night

2008-04-27T18:23:00.001-07:00

Living in Sisters is fun. Here's a photo of oneof the groups performing at our Elementary School's event Frinday night.

Signs of Spring

2008-04-09T14:35:00.001-07:00

Spring Break and Taxes

2008-04-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Two things have us under siege this year, Spring Break and Taxes. For the first time in all our travels and different school systems, our kiddos have a two week break -- an anomaly even here in Central Oregon. The break started out well with our trip up to Tacoma for Easter, but this week has been a challenge for us...or rather of us vs them...can't wait until school resumes on Monday. For the most part they have been keeping themselves busy, but there have been the usual squabbles and yelling matches to sooth.

We have also been struggling to deal with filing taxes this year--in fact, this is the latest we've ever filed. Unfortunately we are going to miss out on the good deals the government is offering this year (the stimulus and child tax credits) because life events have conspired against us to make us ineligible. Anyway, we will be paying your stimulus check--so enjoy!

Tuesday Morning (repost)

2008-03-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

We survived the Gold and Green Gala and can now move on to other things in life. A breather is in order and we're taking a short respite as the kiddos head into a two week Spring Break starting Saturday. We're heading up to the traditional Easter celebration--now only a 6 or 7 hour drive from home that day and plan on staying to visit a few of the Frau's college buddies and family--some she hasn't seen in 10+ years.

Other than that, this post is really just here to push the current one off the top. Not getting too many comments, but am sure it's not getting many reads either. A Blessed Easter to All

Pine Cones and Deer Poop

2008-03-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

If you are easily offended by the vision of animal waste, please do not scroll down any further.

Today, the kids had a day off from school for a Teacher's In Service Day (training). To celebrate, we had the 1st annual Pine Cones and Deer Poop Collection Contest. Prizes ranged from $.50 to $2 to the winner who brought in the most stuff the fastest. We told the kids to view this as a warm-up for the Easter Egg Hunt coming up later this month. Anyway, this is probably the best motivational idea I've had to get the kids outside and working to date. They picked up more than 12 plastic grocery bags full of pine cones (I was still stuck cleaning up the deer poop) and they cleared the lawn and surrounding areas in about 7 minutes.

I was so happy, I've written a folk song about it entitled none other than "Pine Cones and Deer Poop" but I won't make you endure listening to it until it's picked up by a recording studio.

That's it for now...unless you really want to see the picture of some of the stuff nature drops on us.

Life is Crazy

2008-03-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

The auction is fast approaching and we're heavily involved. This week David has been putting together the catalog so it can go to print early next week. After a slow start, we got a LOT of donations--almost two weeks after the cut-off date they're still rolling in. Not that we're going to turn anyone down! But we'll have to stop accepting items pretty soon--we've got to finalize the catalog. I've been spending my time doing whatever Melanie, our event coordinator, needs me to do--selling tickets, making arrangements with the venue, designing posters, editing item descriptions, setting up for the "grand unveiling," standing out in the parking lot in a leprechaun hat trying to drum up business. You know, the usual.

Ticket sales are not going quite as well. Everyone tells us people around here tend to procrastinate, so keep your fingers crossed for us. We've sold about 70 tickets so far, and we were hoping to have 200 people. But there was an article in the newspaper this week (it comes out on Wednesdays) and ticket sales are picking up. Unfortunately, the chef needs a rough count by the end of the week, and final by Wednesday, so our ticket sales were supposed to end Friday. We've extended until Tuesday, praying that most people WON'T wait until the last minute. Of course, only about 25% of the committee members have bought tickets so far, so I guess we can't complain about procrastinators too much!

We've probably mentioned before that each class made a project for the auction. If you'd like to see pictures of the items, just click on the Gold and Green Gala link to the right, listed under "Some of our favorite links" You'll recognize Bridget's class (under the First Grade link) from the photo on a previous post; Max is in the Life Skills class. In fact, most of those handprints are his--the other kids weren't too keen on getting their hands gooey. He's also in Mrs Holden and Mrs Jacobsen's class, (Fourth Grade) but their project isn't finished yet.

If you don't hear from us for the next few weeks, don't despair--we're just going crazy with the final details. We'll let you know how it all turns out.

The White Stuff Returns

2008-03-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

Just when we thought Spring might have a toehold on Central Oregon, the white stuff returned overnight. Go figure! Of course it was 56 degrees yesterday--64 in Bend. Anyway, all is covered again and we're keeping warm doing indoor projects.

My Talented Yet Humble Wife

2008-02-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

The lady pictured behind the quilt is my talented but humble wife. Her creation will be highlighted in an upcoming fundraiser for the elementary school. All the kids in the class made a square for this flannel and denim rag quilt. I think, once seen by the public, her services will be in high demand. Here comes the gravy train at last (if only)!

Total Eclipse of the Moon Feb 20, 2008

2008-02-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

We all tromped outside to watch the eclipse...too cool! Good picture but I caught some pine needles on the edge of the moon.

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

Today is a day for recognizing that(those) special someone(s) in your life. Brought to you by our youngest...

Snowy Daze

2008-02-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

The snow has fallen everyday for about the last five days. I've lost count of how many shovels of snow we've pushed and lifted over the banks.

Luckily, there's no wind!

Here's a link to a the usual slideshow: http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=3x70wrv.212vu61z&Uy=-klyuxk&Ux=0

Happy Birthday from Pac Man

2008-02-01T15:49:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to the #1 Mom and Lady of the house! Pac Man came to pay homage to the Queen and to celebrate but was himself consumed by a mob of hungry, silly children.

Do You HooDoo?

2008-01-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

Friday night we went up to HooDoo Ski Resort. It's just over the Santiam pass on Highway 20 towards Eugene; about 25 miles from us. We met some friends for sledding and pot-luck in the lodge. The kids had a blast sledding on their groomed slope. They also have an "autobahn" where they have up to 16 (or 20 depending on which page of their web site you are reading) lanes set up for inner tubing. There's a rope-tow to get you back to the top, but if you're willing to walk up you get extra runs for your money. Unfortunately, it isn't open at night.

David and I are going to try to get back up there some time soon; they have "Tightwad Tuesdays" all season. A $19 lift ticket seems like a reasonable price for a couple who haven't skied in a decade. We'll test it out, then see about ski lessons for the kids. Although maybe not: the daughter of a friend of ours just broke her wrist in three places while skiing.

You can check out HooDoo at http://www.hoodoo.com/

Science Project goes Terrrrrribly Wrong!

2008-01-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

Sisters, Oregon -- It was bound to happen....Doug drank some of the "Safe" microwaved water. Who'da thunk? It certainly didn't mutate the plants?

See other monstrosities at: http://gallery.mac.com/hunifamily#100016