Dogsblog

Sunday, January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

Took the dogs for a 2 mile walk around Lacamas Lake. Really wonderful winter afternoon, cold but no rain. This picture was taken at dusk, if you look at the lake reflection, you can see a bit of the colors of sunset. Below are a pair of ducks we saw in a slough next to the path. They didn't even move when we walked by them with the dogs.

Back to work for me tomorrow after a 2 week vacation, though I have taken a couple of calls from my staff this weekend. Back to reality, I decided that I am not looking at my work e-mail until tomorrow morning as there really isn't anything I can do from home tonight. It will all still be there in the morning....

New Years Day 2012

2012-01-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight we met the Kindleys at the Melting Pot in downtown Portland OR for a fantastic New Years Day Dinner. Martin and I had never been there before and the place definitely lives up to all its rave reviews. It was a first for the grand kids as well and they were great, especially since the meal lasted 3 hours by the time we had all four of our courses. They were very patient and cleaned their plates.

Yes, that is the remains of a lobster tail that we cooked in our fondue pot. We had shrimp, lobster, chicken, pork and assorted vegetables that could be cooked in the fondue. There were also 6 different sauces to dip the main course in that were all excellent.

You can see that Rob is ready for dessert which was two different types of chocolate seen flaming below.

Earlier in the day, Martin and I took the dogs for a nice long walk down around Fort Vancouver and crossed the land bridge which was designed by the same woman who did the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC. There are gathering spots along the way with the names of all the Indian tribes from Washington State.

Here I am being pulled in two directions, not that unusual when you are walking Guido who definitely has a mind of his own. A great first day of 2012!

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone, Santa arrived at our house and delivered some wonderful gifts for Martin and I. We have had a lazy morning with no real schedule, since our Christmas dinner won't be until tomorrow when the family gathers for a Christmas celebration.

We took our time opening our gifts, and Martin was very happy especially since he received his Kindle Fire!

And guess what, I got a Kindle Fire, too. And for once, I was connected to our wireless network and had it up and running before Martin did! I think I am really going to enjoy this thing.

A wonderful relaxing Christmas, I hope this finds you enjoying a day filled with the things you love!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2011-12-25T14:50:00.000-08:00

It was Christmas Eve and we all relaxed knowing that it would not be long until Santa would be coming to the Pacific Northwest. Brandon brought his IPad and Rob brought his new Kindle Fire and we played games and enjoyed spending time together waiting for Santa to arrive.

Brandon showed Grandma Marlene and Grandpa how to check out where Santa was by using a special application on his IPad. He also taught me how to play Angry Birds. Below he is showing Grandpa how to play a Jet Fighter game that he downloaded while he was at our house.

And of course, there were gifts to unwrap. A great prelude to Christmas day.

Below Anna patiently waits for her picture to be taken so she can open her gift.

After all the eating and presents, we settled down to watch "A Christmas Story". A great Christmas Eve and so much fun. After the kids left Martin and I watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and it is!

Santas as Far as the Eye Could See

2011-12-17T20:08:00.000-08:00

We went to the Portland Center Stage this afternoon to see the Christmas Story play. It was fantastic, and put us in the spirit of the holiday. What really put things over the top was the 350 0r more people we ran into who were dressed like Santa, or their interpretation of what he looks like. Apparently, this is an annual event organized on Craig's list, to organize a group of Santa lovers to go bar hopping at Christmas. They were an incredibly friendly group. We were invited repeatedly to join them on their travels. The couple below gave us candy canes and a set of reindeer antlers.

Here I am modeling my gifted reindeer antlers. It was so much fun to see them all and the reactions of the folks on the street who stopped to talk to them like we did.

Here are some more of the "Santas". I didn't know he smoked, did you?

This young woman had a name badge that said 'Naughty Santa', not sure how she earned that name.

You have to love Portland, you never know what you are going to see downtown!

A Double Dog Welcome

2011-12-16T22:51:00.000-08:00

This is a typical greeting that either Marlene or I get upon arriving home. When we had Heartman it was a three dog welcome. For them each time we come home after being gone all day, is like they haven't seen us in years.

Tis the Season

2011-12-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

Martin and I took the day off today and we went to our local Christmas tree farm and got the Noble Fir for our living room. I decorated half the house last weekend and Martin got the lights up on the house too. So it wasn't as exhausting to just have the living room tree to decorate. I love that first look at the tree with the lights on, so festive. I started feeling a bit of Christmas spirit today. Below is a picture of Martin with a basket of goodies I bid on at work and won. Every year we have a silent auction of donated baskets to raise money to buy Christmas presents for kids who wouldn't be having a Christmas otherwise. The basket I won was based on the movie "Christmas Story". It contained some ornaments, a night light, DVD of the movie and a Department 56 Ralphies House. This may be the beginning of a new Christmas collection. It also contained two tickets to the play which we will attend on December 17th at a theatre in Portland.

Walk Along the River

2011-11-20T16:11:00.001-08:00

It wasn't raining today, so we thought we'd get the dogs out for a walk. We live across the street from the river and we only have to walk a couple of blocks to a spot where we can let the dogs off the leashes for a good run. Good shot of Mt. Hood today with a fresh covering of snow. I think the ski areas were able to open this weekend for day skiing. It is always good for the slopes to be able to open before the Thanksgiving holiday. We have finally had our first really hard frost with the temperatures dipping below freezing for the last two nights. No moisture in the air, so no snow on the valley floor where we live.

Here is Martin and Sailor. He is holding Guido's leash with one hand and Sailor is off the leash. Sailor sticks really close by, but Guido would take off if we let him.

The dogs really enjoy going for walks together. They have to smell all the good smells together and be sure to pee on all the right places. Below they confer on what their next move should be.

Guido is really a handsome boy when he isn't being bossy. I have never met such an alpha dog in my life. He is really sweet and loves people, but he wants to be in charge of everything!

They are both sound asleep after all the fresh air and exercise. We are getting ready to have a cup of hot chocolate. Life is good!

Almost Birthday and Thanksgiving

2011-11-13T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today we had an almost birthday party for Brandon who turns 8 on Tuesday the 15th. We decided that since we would not be seeing the Kindleys on Thanksgiving and because my sister Maxine is visiting that we should have an almost Thanksgiving too. So we cooked up turkey and all the trimmings including the traditional green bean casserole. Above you see Brandon blowing out the candles on his almost birthday cake.

Here everyone is trying to figure out how to play the game that we gave Brandon. Sailor is the only one who doesn't look confused! Grandpa got into the mix and the competition was on.. I'm not sure who won, but it was a close contest.

Here's a picture of Brandon opening his gifts. Anna was very interested and she received a belated birthday gift from my sister.

More of the gifts being opened.

Sailor checking out Brandon to make sure that he is OK! The metal gate is supposed to keep the dogs out of the living room, but so much for that idea.

Anna was pretty happy to receive her princess fashion design sticker set.

Holiday Food Festival/Portland Saturday Market

2011-11-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

We decided to hop on the Max train today and head to downtown Portland OR. Our first stop was the Holiday Food and Gift Festival at the Oregon Convention Center. It was filled with holiday treats and unusual gifts and Christmas decorations. The place was packed and we didn't find a single gift there this year, but it was fun to look around and taste the many, dips, candies and wine from the local area. Next stop downtown Portland. We had lunch at a Japanese Restaurant in Pioneer Place then hopped back on the Max Train and headed to the Portland Saturday Market located under the Burnside Bridge next to the Willamette River.

This market started out as a place for local artisans to show their wares and has continued for at least 30 years. I still have a pair of earrings that I bought from an artist when I moved here in 1979! As you can see below, it is still a place to find something unusual and get a chance to speak to the individual who actually made it.

There are some folks that set up shop in a pretty informal way. This artist was very serious about selling this painting today. Not sure what this symbolizes, but it certainly isn't a light commentary on life.

Here I am checking out some leashes below. Nothing that can withstand Sailor's excited chewing when he gets his leash put on and he realizes he is going for a walk. Some pretty neat fabric and styles, I have to admit I was tempted and the price was cheap.

The artist below literally had his shop on his bicycle. Very ingenious, though it might be dangerous dealing with the trains and traffic around the market.

There are many food booths and picnic tables that are protected from the elements to sit and eat and enjoy the people watching which is at its finest here. I always feel like I am revisiting the late 60's - peace, love and flowers. Below are a couple of the street musicians at opposite ends of the music spectrum. Just little snippets of their performance to enjoy so you can share what we did today. As Joni Mitchell said.."they were playing real good for free"

Last Rose of Summer

2011-10-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Martin did a bit of yard work and cut some of the last roses off our bushes in front of our house. They are extremely fragrant, and they make me realize that I am not quite ready to surrender to the idea of winter. Time to knock down the tomato bushes and get the patio furniture covered and ready for the rain. No choice but to think about snow tires and what the winter may hold.

Indian Summer Day 2011

2011-10-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Saturday, no rain, which is incredible for October in the Pacific Northwest. Martin convinced me to squeeze my broken foot into a shoe and go with him and Sailor to the dog park.

This is my first trip to the dog park since I broke my foot in July and there have been some improvements. They have added doggie drinking fountains which is great. Every dog gets some fresh water and owners can depend on having water available without having to transport some when you visit the park. They also added a couple of new benches around the walking loop. Makes a great place for dogs even better and there were many dogs out today enjoying this unusually sunny day. Martin couldn't convince Sailor to try the new fountain, as Sailor prefers to wait until he gets home for a drink.

Look at me basking in the sunshine and enjoying a cast free walk around the park. It has been 10 weeks since I have enjoyed walking in two shoes. I hope that I can officially lose the little cast boot when I go in on the 20th and really be back in shoes. It was really fun to see all the other dogs and dog owners who were there today. The three of us really enjoyed our morning walk!

Victoria BC Redux

2011-09-12T10:26:00.001-07:00

The last night of our cruise we made a quick stop in Victoria BC. We were fortunate that we had spent some time here last August, so we didn't have to try to see things in the four hours that were available to see the major attractions in the city. We were able to take a shuttle bus from the pier to the Empress Hotel, where I had made dinner reservations for us in their dining room. Above is the Parliament Building in Victoria. You can see by the crowds on the sidewalks that it was a busy Saturday night.

Here is Martin standing in front of the hotel. The flowers are still in full bloom and the weather was fantastic. I am standing in front of the hotel below and you can see what a grand place it is.

Martin made friends with a statue that was installed after our visit last August. This is Betsy, who was a famous local artist in Victoria BC. She is accompanied by her dog and visitors are encouraged to interact with her. You can see that Martin was impressed.

Below is Martin's dinner that he had at the Empress. It was a sirloin steak with fresh seafood on top. A bit of a twist on the usual surf and turf. Martin loved it, said it was one of the best meals that he had all week. Pretty high praise and we had a number of excellent meals while traveling this week.

Here I am below enjoying my meal, you can see what a beautiful place the Empress Room is and why I wanted to have dinner there.

And finally the Parliament at night as we were walking to the shuttle bus to return to the ship. I was reminded of what a great place Victoria is to visit and I want to go back again soon.

We are back home again. My sister Maxine picked us up early Sunday morning at the pier and we stopped for breakfast in the Luna district of Seattle. It was a wonderful funky restaurant and a great welcome home to Washington State. Our dogs were very happy to have us home and we arrived to a garden full of ripe tomatoes! I look forward to eating them this week and catching up on the bales of laundry that I have to do from our trip. Great trip, but it is always nice to come home.

Ketchikan Alaska

2011-09-09T16:58:00.001-07:00

Here we are our last stop in Alaska was this morning. It was also our shortest time to be able to explore ashore. We have a long trip to Victoria BC to accomplish by tomorrow evening. Victoria will be our last hurrah for the cruise. The time has flown by and it has been an incredibly fun and relaxing trip.

Martin took this photo as we were docking in Ketchikan. It was a bit foggy, but it cleared off beautifully while we were walking around town. No rain today! Below is a statue in the harbor that honors all the people that made Ketchikan the city that it is today.

The Ketchikan river, they have a viewing video in the US Forest Service building so you can watch the Salmon swim by.

A totem that was outside of the library/museum. The museum was filled with things from the earliest settlement of Ketchikan.

So long Alaska, we have learned a great deal about our 49th state in our visit. It is truly a beautiful place.

Sitka Alaska

2011-09-09T16:39:00.001-07:00

It was a wet Thursday in Sitka Alaska. We had to take the ship tenders over to the Sitka Harbor because the water is too shallow to allow the Oosterdam to dock there. Below is St. Michaels's Church which is probably one of the strongest reminders of the Russian influence in what was once their territory.

Here you can see what the interior of the church looks like. The church burned down in 1966 and the residents of Sitka were able to save all the church icons but one.

More of St. Michael's church in the main sanctuary. Lots of gold and silver leaf, but really very simple compared to what we have seen in some churches.

Above is the statue at the Prospector's Home which was established in 1934 for a place for the original prospectors in Alaska to spend their last days. We had a great lunch in a local restaurant and returned to the ship damp, but happy.

Juneau Alaska

2011-09-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here we are standing in front of Mendenhall Glacier which can be readily reached by traveling on part of Juneau's 63 miles of paved road. There is no way to get anywhere from here except by plane or boat. It is a landlocked city, and I can imagine it could get a bit claustrophobic in the winter months. The locals are still talking about what it was like when the local McDonald's opened in 1982. We made friends with the locals as you can see Martin below, I guess you should really watch your back!

And here I am taking a break from all the shopping we did in town. We were probably a bit of a disappointment as we really didn't purchase all that much.

We went a little out of town to a big Salmon bake. Here's Martin eating some of the wonderful food. It was Coho Salmon cooked over a wood fire.

Oh, and did I mention we saw a bear. A REAL black bear lurking on the outskirts of where everyone was enjoying all the great food. Very near where folks were roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Hold on to those marshmallows folks. I now understand why even the garbage cans in downtown Juneau are bear safe!

Sorry it is not a very clear picture, but I think my hands were shaking a little. He did turn around and walk away.

Back to our ship safe and sound. Today we are in Sitka and waiting for the tender to ferry us into town since the harbor isn't equipped for the big ships. More to come!

Glacier Bay National Park

2011-09-07T16:16:00.001-07:00

Above is John Hopkins Glacier, the only way to get here is by boat and this is the first time this season that the ships were allowed to venture into John Hopkins inlet to get there. Impressive isn't enough of a word to describe what we saw. This glacier is one that is continuing to grow! Nice that global warming hasn't done it in. Below is Martin on the bow of the ship that was opened so we could take it all in. Martin was happy that we bought him that warm coat before we left.

The weather was really labile. It changed from minute to minute. It did present the opportunity for viewing many rainbows.

The clouds cleared away and we could really see what had been hidden in Glacier Bay. So beautiful and incredibly pristine.

Below is Lamplugh Glacier that we passed on our way to John Hopkins. You can really see the glacier blue in the ice. This is the only place in nature that this color occurs naturally.

More gorgeous peaks, so many in one place, it was hard to know where to look.

Below is an ice formation that looks like a flower that is a part of John Hopkins Glacier.

If you look at the piece of ice below you will see about 20 seals snoozing after a hard day of catching fish. Unbelievable that the ship didn't disturb them.

This is how we spent our Tuesday. Today we spent the day in Juneau. More blogging to follow.

Anchors Away

2011-09-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here we go on a much needed vacation. With our house sitter taking care of the dogs and keeping things under control at the house, we made our way to Seattle to catch the Holland America Oosterdam for a 7 day inland cruise of Alaska. Thanks to my sister Maxine and my nephew Paul who gave us a ride down to the dock, we made our way to the ship and had no problems getting on board.

Here is the Seattle skyline as we pulled out of the pier about 4 in the afternoon on Sunday.

First order of business was finding a good place to watch as we set sail in Elliot Bay headed for the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

We did happen to find the drink of the day, which happened to be some fruity concoction in a fancy plastic glass.

Above is the huge rotating globe in the atrium of the ship.

This is the view out of our cabin window. We have a great little deck complete with chairs and a table.

Some sailboats docked in Elliot Bay.

Moving on out, the ship slowly backs out of its berth and we are on our way. Looking forward to a relaxing afternoon and a great dinner in the dining room tonight. We checked the menu, and it looks good! Monday is a day at sea, and we are looking forward to kicking back and enjoying the ride.

Anna's 5th Birthday Party

2011-08-28T12:56:00.001-07:00

Anna is turning 5 years old on September 15th, so Molly decided to have her birthday party early this year before the kids go back to school full time. It was held in a park close to their house on Saturday that turned out to be a beautiful summer day. She had a princess cake to honor her day.

All the kids were very interested in watching Molly cut the cake. No one wanted to miss getting their piece of birthday cake!

There was the usual opening of presents, below she is opening the Barbie doll that we got her!

There was even a castle shaped pinata that was opened by finding the right ribbon to pull. Look how everyone lined up for their turn.

And special entertainment was Grandma on her roller cart. Looks like a pretty skeptical audience doesn't it! Great day for Anna to celebrate her birthday with family and friends.

Clark County Fair 2011

2011-08-07T17:36:00.001-07:00

Went to the Clark County Fair today. Martin and I go every year, it is a happy ritual for us to get out and see all the sights. What is different, is for the first time in my life, I couldn't walk the fair. So instead of using my crutches, we took my handy little knee scooter with us. We rode the bus to the fair only 2 dollars round trip and they drop you off right at the main gate. I actually had to use the lift to get on the bus, but it worked really well and had no difficulties with the ride. Martin was dubious at first about my ability to navigate my way around the fair, but 4 hours later called the trip a success.

This year the theme of the fair was Pioneers of Fire Fighting. There was some of the most incredible fire equipment that I had ever seen in one place without going to some huge Fire Museum someplace. All the equipment came from the communities located in Clark County and much is owned by private collectors. I ran into a nurse that used to work in the ED with me. She and her husband owned many of the antique fire suppression equipment that was there.

Cathy and Doug owned this pumper that has actually appeared in the films "Hello Dolly" and "Chicago". It is fully restored and works and is the boiler is certified every year. Below is a Ford Fire Truck that was beautifully restored.

The engine pictured below belongs to Camas Fire and was used up until 1968. Martin realized that it was the Camas Fire engine that was used when his father lived in Camas.

Below is a General Motors Fire Engine, Martin really loved that 1930's look and snub nose on it.

Last but not least, below is a Hydrangea flower that was featured in the 4H display and grown by one of the kids. We love to see all the 4H projects and all the food, photos, quilts and other hand made items by the folks that live in our County. Another year and another great fair.

Happy Birthday Marlene

2011-07-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

Marlene's birthday cake, this year it wasn't smashed!

She is obviously very touched by the singing and the special votive candle to blow out, happy to report she was successful. Let's hope her wish comes true!

Here is Marlene with Anna. It is actually the day before her birthday, but we decided to get everyone together to celebrate early. Anna signed her cast and provided her with a smiley faced balloon. The balloon scared our dog Sailor who stood in the family room and barked at it for several minutes. I guess those smiley face balloons are a bit sinister. We grilled steak, chicken, hotdogs and hamburgers and a good time was had by all.

A Piece of Our Heart

2011-07-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Heartman in the Columbia River Gorge.

Heartman at Columbia State Hills Park.

Heartman and I out for a walk by the river.

Heartman and Sailor in the van on the way home from Enterprise Oregon. Below, Heartman at Barking Mad Farm in Enterprise.

Today, we lost one of our beloved Irish Wolfhounds, Kellcastle's Heartman, call name Heartman.

He had a nasty fall on Wednesday, slipping on the floor in the garage. We took him immediately to the vet, and he was medicated and it was a watch and see situation. Martin and I took turns sleeping on the couch to be close to him. We were amazed when in spite of his pain he started bouncing around the house on three legs to do what he liked to do. I actually broke my right foot trying to avoid coming in contact with that left leg as he went bouncing by me. We had set up a follow up appointment with his regular vet today. And watched a real decline and change in his ability to move around on Sunday evening. We noticed that his "bad" left leg was looking swollen. I suspected he had actually broken his leg and I was not wrong. But what I didn't realize was what was causing all his issues with his left rear leg, the Xray revealed bone cancer spread throughout his left leg. His breeder and former owner Ann came over to our house Sunday afternoon, and she realized the probability of today's outcome. We questioned our sanity for loving a breed whose lives could be so short. No dog so sweet in spirit and so full of love should ever be allowed to suffer for any reason. So that is why our beloved Heartman did not come home with us. We thanked Ann for giving us a dog so full of love and joy. Every minute with him was a blessing. I find myself without a pair of wolfhounds for the first time in 11 years. Would I dare get another one? Even in our sadness, Martin and I realize, that yes we would do it all over again and probably will. In the meantime, we will keep our surviving wolfhound Sailor busy and he still has Guido our other dog to keep him company. And Martin and I will console ourselves with some incredible memories of a totally beautiful dog.

Quick Trip to Southern Oregon

2011-07-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

I made a quick run down to Southern Oregon to visit my offices in Florence, Coos Bay, Brookings, and Roseburg. I put over 700 miles on the state car during the two day trip, and visited the furthest SW corner of the state. In fact to get to Roseburg from Brookings you have to go into California, and through part of the Redwood Forest. Below are a few pictures I took along the way. First one is the Smith River just before the Oregon border, and the last two are of the Rocky Southern Oregon Coast between Gold Beach and Brookings.

Party for Lucy

2011-07-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today we headed for Umpqua Oregon for a baby shower at Henry Estate Winery for Colleen. Well actually, Luciana, our great niece enjoyed the benefit of everything that Colleen received today. Lucy is expected into the world in October. Proud parents are Zak, Martin's nephew, and his wife Colleen. This had to have been one of the girlest showers I have ever attended. It was really fun and sweet. The winery was a great place to have a party, neat to sit among the casks of aging wine. We did manage to taste a bit of it and I came home with a bottle of Syrah for Martin.

Above is Molly, Colleen and I. She received some amazing gifts. Beautiful and practical things and so many cute outfits and some of the most darling shoes and accessories for a baby that I have ever seen. This is going to be one classy little baby and loved beyond belief by all. Can't wait to meet her!

Some yummy treats prepared by a friend of Colleen's above and below. Had some good strong Starbuck's coffee to accompany them, life is good....

Fireworks

2011-07-04T22:47:00.001-07:00

There are 3 things you need to take pictures of fireworks. A camera that can take shots in low light conditions, and a tripod...oh the third thing is a willingness to use the tripod. I had the first two tonight when I took these shots in my front yard of the fire works that were going over the Columbia River a few blocks from our house. Without the tripod you can get some rather abstract effects.

Happy 4th of July!

4th of July 2011

2011-07-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

Beautiful 4th of July today. We stoked up the grill and had chicken, ribs and hot dogs. Kate came along to enjoy the festivities and we walked down to the Washougal Port where they were setting up for the local fireworks show tonight. We will probably stay home tonight as the dogs hate the fireworks and all the noise associated with it.

Here is Kate and Martin with Mt Hood in the background. Behind them is the Washougal Port and boat moorage which was not very busy today. It may still be closed because of all the flooding on the Columbia River. The river is still very high, but folks are still finding ways to enjoy it.

Beautiful Mt Hood in all her glory with the Columbia River flowing by, another great 4th of July!

Happy Father's Day, Martin!

2011-06-19T20:09:00.001-07:00

We spent a great afternoon with Martin's two daughters and their families. Pictured above are Martin's daughters Kate and Molly. It is the first time in several years that Kate has been home for Father's Day, so it was especially nice to be able to spend time with both of his girls. Molly and Rob grilled up steaks and we had fruit salad and corn on the cob. Kate and Jon brought apple pie for dessert, everything was delicious. A real summer meal though it didn't feel much like summer with the temperature in the 60's. As usual, Brandon and Anna provided the entertainment with Tater the cat as their backup!

Dog Kisses

2011-06-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Molly, Rob and the kids came over for a cook out to celebrate Kate coming home from Pennsylvania for a visit. The wolfhounds were very happy to have company. Heartman just made himself at home, sitting on Rob's lap to enjoy the conversation. Sailor greeted everyone. Anna wasn't so sure about his affection, so she positioned herself to hide from the lick that was about to come her way.

Brandon on the other hand, got the full Sailor treatment. He loved Brandon and had to show him by licking every single bit of Brandon that he could get his tongue on. We all were laughing so hard we weren't much help.

But Brandon survived, a little wetter, than he was at the start, but there can be no doubt that Sailor really likes him!

A Few Days at the Oregon Coast

2011-06-02T17:28:00.001-07:00

We rented a cute cottage on the Oregon Coast this week for a short vacation with the dogs. This is the view from the upstairs living room window. Totally relaxing to watch the ocean and let the stress of the normal 8 to 5 existence slide away. As you can see below, even Guido enjoyed watching the ocean and all the activity below. We had a few sunny days, so we were able to watch some folks surfing which was really neat, since I had never seen anyone actually on a surf board on the Oregon Coast.

The cottage was very cozy, there were two bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs with the main living area and a small bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. Everyone seemed to find a place that was comfortable for them and the dogs had a great time.

You see Heartman in high relaxation mode, with Guido patrolling the windows to make sure everything was in order.

Sailor found his spot upstairs as well and had plenty of room to stretch out and relax.

The backyard was huge and totally fenced in by a 6 foot wooden fence. There were beautiful flower beds that has that beach look of easy care without being fussy and perfect. Here you see Sailor enjoying the cool grass and sunny day.

The picture below was taken from the street directly below where we were staying. There was a really great paved path that went along the ocean and was great to walk the dogs. To reach the beach you had to go down a long wooden staircase, it was definitely not something that the wolfhounds were interested in trying. There were plenty of other places for them to explore and run around.

Another photo taken on a walk along the ocean path. The water was really wild, probably why there were so many surfers out .

Below is the Devil's Punch Bowl, it is located on the same path as the other ocean pictures. When the tide is high, the water churns around in there something fierce.

The dogs were exhausted from all the exercise and fun new places to explore. Heartman tried to stay awake, but.....

just couldn't keep his eyes open. This has been a great trip, and hopefully we will be able to come back to this cottage again!

Martin's Birthday and Other Stuff

2011-05-30T10:58:00.001-07:00

Martin blew the candles out on another birthday yesterday. We celebrated by going out to dinner with Molly, Rob, and the kids at Tad's Chicken and Dumplings in Troutdale, OR. It is a restaurant that has been open since 1928, and has a fun knotty pine retro feel. Brandon and Anna were amazed at the cloth roller pull towel in the bathrooms. They had never seen one of those before. After dinner we came back to the house for Martin's favorite German Chocolate cake. I only put four candles on it because Brandon thought the cake might melt if I put 63.

Below is Anna with her cast, only a week or so to go and she is free. Though Molly says that the cast hasn't slowed her down one bit!

The picture below is a rare skill known to dog owners. It is called "sleep petting". I would encourage all you newbies to only have cold liquid in the cup until you are fulling able to grasp this new skill.

And finally, a picture from last weekend when my sister Maxine came for a visit. The dogs were thrilled that she was here. We really had a good time just hanging out, I look forward to her next visit in July!

The Columbia River is High

2011-05-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Columbia River, which is across the street from where we live, is about at the highest level that we have seen it in the last six years that we have lived here. Still has quite a way to go before it becomes a problem for any of the river front houses, but it has flooded some lower level areas in Vancouver WA. Below is the walkway for the dock that our subdivision is building.

This walkway will not be so straight out from the shore when the river goes back to its normal level. The actual dock is not completed, but all the pilings are in. Below is the side walk that leads to the dock. There will be a fence and a locked gate when the project is completed.

Martin's Trip to LaGrande and Hermiston OR

2011-05-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Martin headed to Eastern Oregon this week to visit Employment Offices in LaGrande and Hermiston. Martin is the Assistant Director for Business and Employment Services for the Oregon Employment Department, and he likes to visit all the offices at least once a year. This photo is taken from the top of a hill outside of Pendleton Oregon. It is a really beautiful part of the state.

LaGrande is only about a hour and a half away from where his mother lives in Enterprise, so they drove up to meet him in LaGrande for dinner. They celebrated his mother's birthday that is May 21st and she is showing off the outfit that we gave her for her birthday. She will be 84 on Saturday!

Nice picture of Martin and his mom. Below is Josh, Martin's nephew who has lived with her since he was a baby. Josh will be a senior in high school next year, really hard to believe that the time has passed so quickly.

First Day with No Rain

2011-04-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

This is the first day in two weeks without any rain and we took advantage of the good weather. Martin got the lawn mowed, in spite of the backyard being like a marsh, he was able to get it done. We took the dogs out to the dog park and walked for about an hour. That is Sailor's picture above and Heartman's picture below.

Heartman stopped long enough for me to wipe his face. So many good smells he can get a very wet beard and slobber all over everyone. He let me take care of him then went about his business greeting every dog that was there. Since it was such a nice day, there were plenty of other dogs for he and Sailor to meet.

This was one of the wolfhounds smaller fans. A Chihuahua who wasn't afraid of the boys and was very curious in fact. Love the red fleece jacket, very stylish.

First, he greeted Sailor, then he greeted Heartman.

Finally, Heartman got into a position where he could really check him out.

Great day! I hope we see the sun a lot more in the coming weeks.

San Francisco Trip

2011-04-01T17:48:00.001-07:00

I got back yesterday from a two day trip to San Francisco. I was there for a Dept. of Labor Regional meeting. Below is the new San Francisco federal office building where the meetings were held. It's got to be one of the ugliest buildings I have ever seen. It looks like it's under construction, but it's not.

I was lucky to be there while they were having their first real good weather of the year. It was in the 80's for both days I was there, and a fantastic break from the constant rain we've been having in Oregon for the last many months. Below is the iconic TransAmerica Tower.

I hadn't been to San Francisco in over 20 years, so on the evening before I went back home I did some walking up Nob Hill, and down to Fisherman's Wharf.

The hill's are incredibly steep, especially when you are walking them. The picture below, gives a little bit of the feel for that.

I had dinner at Aliotos Restaurant, right on Fisherman's Wharf. The Restaurant has been at the same location for over 100 years. I had a mixed sea food saute. In keeping with the Burrow's tradition of photographing our meals, I took the picture below

A view of the moorage with Alioto's in the background.

And of course you can't go to San Francisco without getting some of their famous Sour Dough Bread. This is a view in the window of Boudins Sourdough bakery. Another long time San Francisco establishment, which has been in continuous operation since 1849

And why settle for a plain loaf of bread when you can get one shaped like an alligator, teddy bear or a turtle.

Alcatraz Island as seen from Fisherman's Wharf

Still one of the best ways to get around San Francisco, the cable cars.

Sailor's New Toy

2011-03-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

Dogs were a little bored today. We couldn't take them to the dog park because of the muddy conditions and gusty day, so we gave them each a new toy to keep them entertained. Sailor ended up with both toys in the end, but Heartman didn't seem to mind. Guido patroled the wolfhounds to make sure that there wasn't any trouble.

Sailor enjoys his new toybelow.

Heartman is OK

2011-03-19T13:56:00.001-07:00

Heartman is resting comfortably today. Yesterday I took him to get his blood drawn. He is taking Meloxicam for a lesion that he has on the nerve in his neck. The Meloxicam is a non steroidal anti inflammatory that keeps him comfortable and pain free. His breeder Kellcastle Irish Wolfhounds, had shown him and he earned points, but she noticed that something was not quite right with his gait. Ten thousand dollars and a laparoscopic shoulder surgery later, it wasn't fixed. Unfortunately, they didn't diagnose the neck problem which we found out after he came to live with us. I noticed that sometimes he would cry out in the middle of the night. A new young sharp vet figured it out after doing a neurological exam. He is happy and content now and managed on only 7mg of the medication. He takes it with his food every morning and really doesn't notice that he is getting anything. He has to have his liver function tested at least once a year because the drug could cause problems. He got the news that his values were all normal today after yesterday's test. You can see he is unimpressed, but his humans are very happy. Here is Guido choosing to relax by Heartman. Guido is feeling much friendlier since I noticed
that his allergies were bothering him again. Just a week back on the Benadryl and he is like a new dog.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2011-02-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is something we are not used to seeing in the Pacific Northwest, an icicle! It was 15F when we got up this morning. We are about 4 days into our cold snap and we did actually see a bit of snow. It was gone quickly, and I am amazed at the die hard residents who carry on like nothing has happened. I saw a gentleman at the grocery store yesterday, who had shorts and a T-shirt. I guess I don't have that kind of internal heating system. Hopefully, we will be back to our usual rain and more rain by the time the weekend is over.

This is how our dogs handle the cold weather. Not a bad solution, if I say so myself.

The cold weather has brought the birds to our yard to feed. Above are a pair of Turtle Doves who come to feed at the ground feeder every day. Below is a flock of Mourning Doves who stop by frequently to feed as well. Haven't seen too many finches, but I intend to put out some sunflower seeds that might bring them back to the yard.

I apologize for the quality of the picture above. I had to take it through the window, so I have a bit of reflection from the glass.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all, both near and far. This is one of those years where I have been so consumed with work, that I barely noticed that the 14th was approaching. I did manage to get Martin a card and some practical gifts that will hopefully be more romantic because they are wrapped in tissue paper. We aren't doing anything much to support the economy. We are having a nice dinner at home appreciating all we have together. Hopefully, you will take the time today to think about those that you love and count your blessings.....

Spring is on the Way!

2011-02-13T14:35:00.001-08:00

I noticed last week that my Primrose's were blooming again. Primroses in the Pacific Northwest are supposed to be annuals, but I have Primroses that volunteer to bloom every year without much encouragement from me. Here are a couple of them that are blooming in my front flower bed. Everything looks tired from the winter, so I am really enjoying the bright primary colors popping up. I planted my pots out front with the same colors, can spring be far behind?

I'll move these primroses to my flower bed when I plant my pots with my summer annuals. Maybe these will come up next spring!

Portland Auto Show

2011-01-30T18:30:00.001-08:00

Like all environmentally aware people Martin and I boarded public transportation to get to the Portland Auto Show at the Convention Center in downtown Portland. Some may say that the idea of public transportation to an auto show is paradoxical, but bear in mind they were showing all the new electric cars as well as numerous hybrid models. Please note in the picture of me below that I am sitting in the senior seats on the Max train, my husband is 62 after all...sorry honey.

We met Molly, Rob and the kids at the show. They took the Max train from Hillsboro to meet us. You can see how excited the kids were they ran to meet us!

The kids had a great time. There were some Shriner's clowns in the children's area who were making balloon animals and other exciting creatures. The kids even got his autograph.

Here Molly is giving Anna her first driving lesson. Never too early to start, Anna has good taste in cars. That is a pretty nice looking red convertible.

Here I am pointing out the special options of this Mini Cooper convertible to Molly and the kids.

Here the kids got to sit in an actual race car, how cool is that...

I told you that there were environmentally friendly cars, check out the electric Tesla sports car below. My husband wants one, I have to say that they are beautiful.

But below, is the love of his life, the Lotus Evora. What a hot car, Martin says I get to pick out the color when we get one. I'm not holding my breath on that one, but we can dream can't we?

No cars were purchased, but it was really fun to see what is out there to buy....and who knows, maybe we will get a new car in the next 5 years or so. I guess it will be good to know what we want!

The Blue Monk

2011-01-29T23:45:00.000-08:00

We were invited by Jim and Shawn to join them at the Blue Monk a club in SE Portland. One of their favorite local groups Three Leg Torso was playing. What can I say about 3 Leg Torso. Such a uniquely Portland group which plays what I call Portland Circus Music. Classical roots with Eastern European flair reflecting the Hungarian roots of the fiddle player. I kept thinking that I could envision Circus acts in the Center ring. The group has a fiddle, accordion, stand up bass and two percussion players who play literally everything but the kitchen sink. I think they would have played that as well if they could have got it into the basement of the club where the stage is.

Here's Martin, I caught him with his eyes closed and below is the wonderful antipasto platter we had before our meal. We all had pasta in one form or another and I have to say that the meals besides being reasonably priced were very yummy. I forget how Portland is...though I laugh hysterically at the new IFC show Portlandia. We are safely hidden away from all the weirdness across the Columbia river in Washington.

3 Leg Torso performs

Making Spaghetti

2011-01-15T22:23:00.001-08:00

Tonight we tried out the pasta maker attachment that I got for Christmas with my Kitchen Aid mixer. I have to say that it worked like a charm. We used the recipe book that came with the pasta maker and the pasta turned out great the first time. I have to admit that this is the first fresh pasta that Martin and I have ever made. It was such a success that we are planning macaroni and lasagna noodles next.

Martin handled the drying process after I made the noodles. Below you see the cooked results being dished up. We had some good home made marinara sauce that we used with the pasta.

Great meal, I can't wait to try something else!

Short Holiday

2011-01-14T09:53:00.001-08:00

Martin and I both took Thursday and Friday off so we could spend some time with his daughter Kate. Kate accompanied us to the dog park and as you can see the wolfhounds were happy to have the company. After we wore the dogs out (see below) the three of us went to the movies and saw 'True Grit'. Good movie and a fun day. We just dropped Kate off at the Portland Airport for her flight home to Pennsylvania and back to work and school.

Tired wolfhounds, but they enjoyed the company!

Dakota Dog Park

2011-01-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

We went to a different off leash dog park today called the Dakota after a police dog that was killed in action. This park has only one area for large and small dogs. It is much more developed than our ususal park that is closer to home. There are doggie drinking fountains and bathrooms for the humans. The park was packed with dogs and humans. There had to have been 70 dogs of all sizes running around. Our boys seemed a bit anxious. At one point, Sailor thought he lost us!

They stuck pretty close to us, but enjoyed meeting the multitude of fellow canines running around.

This was Sailor about ten minutes after we got home. I think we wore him out!

Short video of the fun at the off leash park is below.

New Year's Day

2011-01-01T19:32:00.001-08:00

A repeat of a week ago, we have the family over for our traditional New Year's Day celebration. Every year we make our two favorite Nova Scotian recipees of Blue Nose punch, made with blueberries and Cranberry lamb stew. Delicious, to say the least. This year we added 5 cheese lasagna for our meat free main course as well. Oh, did I mention the red velvet cake for dessert?

Brandon provided his mom with a neck rub. Molly is training him well.

Aunt Kate got a big hug from Anna.

And so did I......

Here's Martin showing off one of Maxine's chocolate mint cookies made special for our get together today. 2011 is going to be a great year!

Family Christmas Party

2010-12-26T21:04:00.000-08:00

Anna was very happy with her rabbit family and little house that she got from grandma and grandpa.

Coleen and Grandma Penny get a hug in after all the presents were opened.

Rob is showing off the electronic Scrabble game and keeping track of Brandon's and Anna's presents as well.

Jon and Kate watch as someone is opening a gift.

Kate and Martin are all smiles.

And so am I with my sister Maxine.

Grandma Penny with Molly and Anna.

Josh with Grandma Penny.

Brandon played games on his Itouch before the party started.

The table was full of goodies to eat.

Josh showed off his medals from cross country and wrestling.

We had the gathering of the clan on December 26th this year. Kate didn't get to Portland until late on Christmas Eve, so this definitely worked out the best for everyone. It was a blast. Lots of good food and family, can't ask for more than that can you...

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T10:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends near and far. We are enjoying a wonderful Christmas and wish the same to all of you!

Christmas Eve Brunch

2010-12-24T15:08:00.001-08:00

Treated to a yummy Christmas Eve brunch at Molly's today. Wonderful array of special treats to get us all ready for Santa's arrival tonight. Needless to say the kids are a bit excited knowing that the jolly old gentleman will be making his rounds tonight!

Martin and I are settling in for the jolly old man's arrival and hunkering down until we have the family party on Sunday. Tonight we are having our traditional home made French Onion Soup and watching movies. Santa come on down we are ready.

Today at the Dog Park

2010-12-23T10:56:00.000-08:00

Great fun today at the dog park. It was nice and cool and the wolfhounds loved running around and hanging out with the other dogs. Fun for us as well to meet fellow dog lovers with the same goal.

Crisis Services Winter Solstice Potluck

2010-12-21T19:42:00.001-08:00

The anticipation of the food was palpable, as folks waited in the bullpen for Dave to come back to the office with the fried chicken. It only looks kicked back as my staff have learned over the years to 'let it ride' and take what comes their way.

The food was finally together and we ate and ate and ate. The phones were mercifully quiet while we put on the feedbag. Above is Lisa and Jeff, oh and Michelle's arm poised for the attack.

We had a pirate gift exchange, and Diane is carefully considering the tea she chose out of the gifts. Unfortunately for Diane, Kara decided she wanted the tea when it was her turn to choose, sending Diane back to the gift pile.

Dave is showing a crowd favorite, a robot kitchen timer. It was "won" by Ben who just may use it for time outs at home. Watch out kids!

Meg came in on her day off and brought her youngest, Jake. Is he the cutest Santa or what!

David R. is below. He came in on his day off as well. Nice to see him in something else other than business attire.

The work room was full of incredible treats...Please don't tell facilities that we had all those crock pots plugged in at one time. What a great time, we really didn't mind that it was the shortest day of the year!!

Martin is on Vacation

2010-12-19T16:57:00.001-08:00

Martin's vacation started after work on Friday. I still have two days to work before I can wrap it up for Christmas. Seems like Heartman and Sailor know he's home too. Martin is getting their undivided attention. I am going to drive our car to work for the next two days so Martin can take the dogs to the dog park weather permitting. It is rainy and cold tonight. I spent the weekend making about 12 pounds of Almond Roca. I usually gift my team with some of it for Christmas every year. On Tuesday, we are having a holiday potluck during the lunch hour

complete with a pirate gift exchange. Luckily our work room counter turns into a good buffet and our interview room is big enough for three tables so we all can sit and eat. We have to be available to answer Crisis calls and respond in the community as always. Sometimes the 24/7 nature of the team is hard, but the team is dedicated to bringing the best services possible to our community. I feel very fortunate to have such professional caring individuals working for me!

Jim and Shawn - 2nd Anniversary

2010-12-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

Two years ago Jim and Shawn got married at our house. Sailor was best dog in the wedding and he took his role very seriously. Shawn and Sailor hit it off immediately and he still remembers her. There is a picture below of Sailor getting a kiss for doing such a good job in the wedding

Jim and Shawn came over for dinner tonight to celebrate their anniversary and their birthdays. Sailor was so happy to see them both. He wouldn't leave them alone. Jim and Shawn are cat people. I think they got enough wolfhound and Guido love to last them to their next anniversary!

Has it been two years? Hard to believe in wolfhound time that is about 16 years. Yes, Sailor seemed to remember the important role he played in their special day.

We had a great dinner of chicken pot pie, Caesar salad and cranberry chutney. Oh, yes there was Tiramisu for dessert.

Friday Shopping Trip

2010-12-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Maxine in front of the Christmas Tree at the Woodburn Outlet Mall in Oregon. One of the malls we visited.

On Friday, Maxine and I did some Christmas shopping. I took the day off work and we got an early start on the task at hand. Turns out it was a good choice, not many crowds and we found some good sales to boot. Now I need to start wrapping!!!

Quick Trip to Miami

2010-12-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

I had a quick trip to Miami Florida this week for a business meeting (National Association of State Workforce Agencies) I represent Oregon on the Employment and Training Committee of this organization so end up travelling out of state three or four times a year for meetings. I was looking forward to a little warm sunshine for a break from Oregon Winter weather...I got the sunshine but not the warm...it was unseasonable cold there this week. Not cold by Oregon/Washington standards (low 60's) but very cold by theirs. I didn't have much time to see anything except for one evening walk towards the South Beach area.

The picture above is the beach right behind the hotel the meeting was in. Below is the lobby of the hotel...yes they do celebrate Christmas in Florida.
One view out my Hotel window of the canal on one side of Miami Beach
The Ocean side from the other side of my room window.
Below, the outside of the Hotel I was in.
And across the canal one of the little houses on the shore.
Lots of interesting architecture around South beach. Mostly small hotels and condos

It was a quick trip- left Monday Morning, and got back home Wed. night. Now back to the regular grind.

All Decorated And Ready to Go!

2010-12-05T17:03:00.001-08:00

Finished the decorating today. What an exhausting job. I don't remember it taking two days to get the house in shape, but maybe I'm blocking it out of my memory. It is more fun to put it up than take it down for sure. The house always looks so empty when Christmas is over and the decorations come down. Molly is hosting the family party at our house this year, so I wanted it to look festive.

We call this tree in the family room the "dog tree". It has survived a number of puppies and has all unbreakable ornaments on it, just in case it gets knocked down. That is a wolfhound sleeping on the couch. And Sailor sleeping on the bed behind the couch below. Had to move their bed for the tree. Sorry guys, but Sailor seems to prefer it. OK, Christmas I guess we are ready.

Oh, Christmas Tree How Lovely Are Thy Branches

2010-12-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

We braved the cold and the harsh east wind today, to head out to Farrell's Tree Farm in Washougal to find our Christmas tree. We have got a tree there every year since moving to Camas. First we use the measuring pole they provide to find a tree that is the right height.

We were fortunate and one of the young men who worked there showed up with a chain saw which made our job so much easier. I marked the tree with a ribbon that had our name on it below.

They shake all the extra needles off of it then put it through the machine that wraps it in string for the trip home.

While they were shaking the needles off of it and getting it ready to travel I sought the warmth of their camp fire.

Like the new look of earmuffs over the hood. They fell off and I didn't want to lose them so this was my bright idea.

OK, it made it home and after many hours of chores we finally got it decorated. I'm looking forward to getting the rest of my decorations up tomorrow.

Friday after Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

We thought for sure that we would be the only folks at the dog park today, but we weren't. There was another couple our age that brought out their two dogs for a run " to protect their sanity." I know what they mean, the wolfhounds were ready for a good run after being couped up in this cold weather. The rain didn't bother them at all though they came running when we pulled out the towels to dry them off before we put them in back in the van.

If you notice, the black dog only has three legs. Her owners told us that she usually runs away from other dogs when she comes to the park. For some reason, she seemed to enjoy the wolfhounds and followed them around for a bit. Sailor's bandage came flying off at some point in the run, so I think I will leave it off for a bit, so it can get some air. Below is a short film of the merriment.

Thanksgiving With All the Trimmings

2010-11-25T20:19:00.001-08:00

What a great Thanksgiving! Molly did the whole dinner, we just had to show up with some cranberries and a pumpkin pie. Brandon and Anna did their best to entertain themselves before dinner was ready. That is Anna riding Brandon around the living room, her own personal horse.

The turkey was finished and it was beautiful and tasted as good as it looked. An incredible first turkey, great job Molly! Everything was delicious and we made pretty short order of the meal.

The table was very pretty too. We had a bit of wine and the kids had sparkling apple cider. It is safe to say that no one went hungry today. After dinner we participated in a family project and decorated the gingerbread house. Brandon and Anna did all the hard work of decorating and were allowed to eat any of the leftover candy, though I think a few disappeared before the work was done.

I thought that it turned out pretty well. It was my first gingerbread house decorating project and we all had a hand in getting it done.

After the gingerbread house was finished it was time to decorate the Christmas tree. Well first Anna and Brandon decorated each other while waiting for it to be time to put the ornaments on the tree.

Finally it was time for the ornaments, and the tree is up and gorgeous. The kids did a really good job of putting the decorations on, I hope that their cat Tater doesn't take them off!

Wonderful time, I am starting to really get into the holiday spirit....

Sunday Chores and Snow

2010-11-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

Snow surprised us this afternoon. The forecast said there might be some, but this is pretty early in the year for us to experience it. We did get our hard frost last night. When we woke up this morning every thing had a nice white blanket on it. It went away pretty quickly, but the temperature stayed around 33 degrees F.

It started coming down pretty quickly and heavy at one point. We could have had a winter wonderland had it continued, but it is all gone. I guess we will have to see what happens if it freezes tonight.

Martin did finish the door to the garage. Above is the side from the laundry room and below is the garage side. He put some heavy duty Plexiglas on it to keep the scratches from the dogs from destroying the door. The dogs signal to go outside is scratching the door, so this allows them to continue what they have been doing without any problem.

Below is a short film of a squirrel I was watching during the heaviest part of the snow.

Saturday Chores

2010-11-20T19:28:00.001-08:00

Sailor is sleeping soundly. He didn't even notice that I bandaged his tail. We can't figure out what he did to it. We think it is probably a wagging injury. I put a little antibiotic ointment on it and wrapped it up. We'll see if it makes it through the night.

You can see my lovely first aid job. Sailor didn't even open his eyes while I took care of it for him. I hope he doesn't notice it!

One lonely sun flower still blooming by my ground feeder. You can see how wet our backyard is, the grass is like standing on a sponge. The dogs won't be able to go out there until spring or the ground freezes. Speaking of which it is cold and clear, we will probably get our first hard frost tonight.

Martin painted the door from our laundry room to the garage today. He will put on some Plexiglas to cover the lower panel on both sides to help prevent dog scratches. Busy Saturday, all this and I did the grocery shopping too.

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Remembering today all the Veterans who have served our country for many years and through many wars. Especially remembering those in mine and Marlene's family (including myself).

On the left 1st Lt. Martin Burrows, in Germany around 1971-72. Below a more official photo from the same period. I was stationed with HHC 3st Bde, 1st Armored Division.

Seaman First Class Jimmie L. Burrows - served in the Pacific, WWII

Marlene's Dad, Samuel Sassali, also US Navy WWII

Not pictured my grandfather, Richard Preston, US Army, WWI - France where he lost a leg on his 18th birthday. I know there were many others...these are just some of the ones we are familiar with.

Thanks to them all.

Sunset

2010-10-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

Another hard day at the Oregon coast. Just had to try a few shots of sunset, and the result is below. Still no rain today which is a surprise. The last shot of these three is of a light house a few miles from where I am. Tomorrow back to home....

Another Hard Day At The Office

2010-10-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Well another hard day at the office for me today....except that my office today is at the Beach.
I'm in Newport Oregon for a Veterans Conference. I will be here tomorrow and tomorrow night as well for an awards banquet, and then back to the real office on friday....for a half day, and then a dentists appointment in the PM. That half day will turn out to be the only time I spend in my "real" office this week. During the first two days of this week I was at another conference, this time in Portland on ex-offender re-entry.

A couple shots are bleow of the beach today. So far, amazingly there has been no rain, just the typical overcast and wind. Both beach shots were taken from my room and the middle one is the room its self. I've tried to talk Marlene in coming down and joining me, but she has a class to teach she doesn't think she can skip out of..darn. I miss her, and our big dogs....oh yeah, Guido too....

Very Wet Sunday - 10/24/10

2010-10-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Close call! The pie almost didn't make it to dinner, luckily I turned around to see Sailor at his naughtiest. Sorry, Sailor, no pie for you.

It is definitely fall in the Pacific Northwest, raining on and off all day today. We spent the day doing chores and finishing up small projects. I did get my apple pie baked this afternoon. It looks good, though we haven't tasted it yet. I used 4 different varieties of the apples in the pie, so I look forward to trying it at dinner. The big pot on the stove is some homemade marinara sauce. Great comfort food Sunday dinner tonight! Martin looks pleased with all the effort.

Apples and More - 10/23/10

2010-10-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

After some deliberation this morning over weather reports and the potential for heavy rain, we decided to go to Hood River Oregon and go to one of the orchards there for apples. This photo is at Cape Horn in the Columbia River Gorge and is 10 miles from our house up the Lewis and Clark Highway also known as Hwy 14 to the locals. Beautiful cloudy foggy day over the Columbia River. There wasn't much traffic, so we stopped so I could get this picture.

Another shot in the same spot of the Columbia River. Just as I got out of the car an enormous hawk flew away and scared me. I was sorry that I didn't catch it in the picture. You can see that the leaves are just starting to get their fall color on.

Here we go across the old toll bridge to get to the Oregon side of the river. This bridge is a skinny two lane metal monstrosity that shortens our trip by about 25 miles. The toll is only a dollar and is worth it just in the view from the bridge.

This is the orchard where we stopped. There are at least 16 other fruit orchards along the way, but Martin had his heart set on us heading to Kahneeta for lunch after we bought some apples. We bought about 25 pounds of apples in about 6 different varieties. There was tasting available, but it cost $3, so we decided just to buy the varieties we remembered from last year.

About 55 miles and an hour and a half, we were on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation at the Kahneeta Resort. We had lunch in their restaurant that overlooks the valley where I am standing . There is a golf course at the floor of the valley which isn't pictured above. There is a tiny casino attached to the resort and I managed to lose $20. Pictured below are some of the apples we purchased. Tomorrow maybe an apple pie!

Sunday, October 17,2010

2010-10-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

The weekend has flown by again. Molly, Rob and the kids came over for supper tonight. Above you see Molly and Brandon practicing some magic tricks with playing cards. They stopped at the library and checked out a book on magic tricks. Brandon seems to enjoy trying all of them. He especially likes to have you pick a card, the top one from the deck. Then magically he is able to tell you what the card is you picked. He was also able to take a crayon and make it go through his brain and come out his mouth. Molly says that Brandon doesn't have a brain and has the X rays from the dentist to prove it! They almost had one of his classmates convinced it was true. I can only imagine what that kid went home and told his family.

Brandon also came over sporting a new Star Wars tattoo. Looks pretty real doesn't it. He says it will last a few days. We had lots of fun and ate a wonderful pot roast, potatoes, carrots and biscuits, with key lime squares for dessert. Tomorrow back to the grind.

Saturday Surprise - 10/16/10

2010-10-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

It started out normal enough a fun visit to the dog park. Lots of other dogs there today. The wolfhounds were in their glory. Heartman has become Mr. Sociable and has to great every dog in the park. It is interesting how they choose their playmates. They don't like the same dogs all the time. Sailor had a good run chasing a dog who was chasing a Frisbee!

OK, we round them up and head for the surprise.....

Surprise!!! the next stop is the dog wash. We purposely took them after the dog park so they would be tired and not try and fight the inevitable. That is a lot of dog to wash from this perspective.

Sailor is not loving the experience by any means, but he and Heartman survived. Both dogs and humans are exhausted. See the handsome wolfhounds and the passed out human on the couch.

He's really not asleep, just watching football. That fuzzy thing at the bottom of the picture below is Guido's tail.

Lazy Fall Morning - 10/15/10

2010-10-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

Guido is only half interested in my English muffin. He at least has his eyes open as opposed to the wolfhounds below who are totally sacked out.

Since the mornings have been cooler the dogs have really had a hard time getting up in the morning. This morning Sailor and Heartman are total slugs. They have totally ignored all my morning preparations choosing to snooze away.

Running Y

2010-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

While Marlene has been home playing with her new washer and dryer, I've been down in Klamath Falls at an Oregon Employers Council (OEC) Board retreat. This is being held this year at the Running Y Lodge, about 10 miles or so from K falls. (Yes and they do have the state rate Marlene) I left yesterday during a torrential downpour back up north, but down here, it's been gorgeous, and the trees are just beginning to turn their fall colors. I took a short walk this morning and took the photos below.

This was taken at the back of the lodge, and just like the groundhog, I do see my shadow.

The golf course here, makes me want to take up the game again.

The front entrance and down below, inside the lobby area. I would like to come back here with Marlene, sometime when I'm not working....wonder if the would take Irish Wolfhounds?

Good bye Old Faithful Friends - Washer and Dryer that is!

2010-10-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

For 16 years this pair has tirelessly served me at my beck and call. No complaints when I loaded them down with dirty dog beds or large quilts. They put up with my abuse; accidentally ripping a knob off with some piece of clothing or changing detergent without explanation, or what ever item I threw in them including tennis shoes. The washing machine probably could have agitated on for a bit, but the dryer had given up on its duties taking me about 4 hours to dry a load. So patiently with Martin's budgeting abilities we saved up for the new set which cost about 3 times what I paid for this sturdy pair. So with sadness I watched what was familiar and easy to use get loaded on a truck this afternoon. It was nothing short of a miracle that the new set could be delivered the day after I purchased it. I really haven't had time to adjust to the idea of these newcomers.

Look at these two, they mock me. Eyes wide open, it just about takes a special license to operate them. No more plain old detergent or dryer sheets, I bow to the monthly careful maintenance in hopes that these two can last even half as long as my other trusty pair. OK, I will attempt to read the manual, and head to the store for that special HE detergent and let the washing begin. Boy these two better be good.

The Rains Begin - Saturday, October 9,2010

2010-10-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

The fall weather has come. We enjoyed a sunny 70 degree week, now our normal rain, all day. We have been doing our chores today and plan to see "The Town" directed by Ben Affleck this afternoon. I was reading magazines and Heartman decided to sit on the foot stool and make himself right at home. At least he wasn't sitting on me which he usually does! Below you see Sailor modeling an old Halloween costume of a bug. He shook off the bug antenna he had on his head. We decided to donate the costumes to the Salvation Army as the dogs don't seem to enjoy dressing up.

Time to put a new load of clothes into the dryer. Off to the show in about an hour.

Sunday, October 3 2010

2010-10-03T18:15:00.001-07:00

Martin and I planted 3 photinia and a blue spruce today in the dog run. Martin also did the mowing and edged the whole front yard. It was a productive day, though we really didn't get out and do anything fun. My excursion today was grocery shopping. Well, we may not have played, but it felt good to get all these chores accomplished.

After working so hard in the yard, Martin took a well deserved break with a snack and a new 1000 page novel he started.

October is Here

2010-10-03T09:32:00.001-07:00

Time to take out my Halloween Village. I can't believe we are moving toward the holidays. Over the last 7 years or so I have been given or purchased the things for our scary village. It's fun and the windmill and Ferris wheel can make scary noises when they are turned on. Martin and I have noticed that we haven't wanted to go out much preferring to hang out at home. We did make it to the dog park on Saturday which has seemed to wear the boys out even today. I wonder if the shortening days are sending us into an early hibernation mode.

Martin had to travel for work this week. He was in Roseburg for an afternoon then went to Grants Pass. He brought home a little gift for me. Halloween salt and pepper shakers. Again somehow, I have a collection of seasonal salt and pepper shakers most of them gifts. It is kind of fun to have a change of pace from the boring normal set that usually grace a table. These are Halloween cats in their costumes.

Dog Eat Dog....Not Really

2010-09-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Another Sunday and a trip to our local off leash dog park for some socialization. Above is Sailor who is very happy to be visiting with all his friends today.

And here is Heartman, his tongue is hanging out because he ran all over the park to meet every dog that was there!

Ah, yes, a little sniff and you find out every thing you need to know about this cute little pug.

This shows you all the different kinds of dogs that were there today and every one got along just fine!

Saturday Morning September 18, 2010

2010-09-18T10:54:00.001-07:00

I went out early this morning and planted the Photinias that I bought last weekend. It was sunny and looked for an hour like we were going to have a beautiful day. I had to dig out the dead hydrangea tree that was there before I could put these two in. These should be better, they are evergreens whose new growth is red and has tiny white flowers in the spring. I am hoping it will provide some good bird habitat once they get bigger. I scared the hawk out of our yard when I went outside. Martin said he found a pile of brown bird feathers when he mowed yesterday. Sounds like our hawk has found something to eat!

Hawk

2010-09-12T20:31:00.001-07:00

We had a Red Tail Hawk staking out our backyard this weekend. He usually sits on our fence looking for the bunnies and squirrels that frequent our yard, but this was the first time we saw him on the ground. He stayed their for several minutes before something startled him.

Anna Turns 4

2010-09-12T18:03:00.001-07:00

Gosh what a Sunday, we started it at a birthday luncheon for Anna who is turning 4 on Wednesday. There were grandparents everywhere. Presents and fantastic food was the order of the day. Anna was in high gear, opening presents in what had to be some kind of record. I have never seen so much pink and purple in my life! Oh, the joy of a Zhu zhu, especially a pink one.

Here is Anna with her trusty assistant Brandon. He made sure that she opened everything in the correct order and explained everything she received. Bit of a bonus for the big brother since his Zhu zhu Rocky gets to use the exercise ball that Anna got today.

Oh, yes and could her day be complete without her purple frosted birthday cake. She had no trouble blowing out those candles. I told Molly it was the best pink and purple birthday cake that I have ever eaten. See below it is really pink and purple!

And on the home front, poor Heartman has another ear infection. This means that he has another two weeks of ear drops. After we took him to the vet on Saturday, he and Sailor got to go to the dog park which they dearly love. There were a bunch of dogs there and they were in 7th heaven. They are kicking back this afternoon, enjoying the breeze from the sliding glass door. What a perfect weekend.

Dog Shearing

2010-09-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

Guido got a hair cut today, and I think it could be compared to shearing a sheep. If anyone out there would like his fur to spin yarn for a sweater, just drop me a note. I think it would be an extremely warm and water resistant yarn! As you might guess, Guido wasn't too impressed with the whole deal, but really didn't get angry until Martin accidentally stepped on this tail. He survived and as you can see below, is looking pretty handsome.

Yes, Guido, you are still king! The wolfhounds would not go outside while he was getting a hair cut. They are smarter than we think.

September 5, 2010 - Portland Beavers

2010-09-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to friends of Molly and Rob's we were able to go see the next to last Portland Beaver's game. They won the game which was great! It was also a kids eat free day so Brandon and Anna got hot dogs and potato chips to munch on. Anna did pretty well for an almost 4 year old and we had a mitt ready just in case a foul ball came our way. Rob ended up on the giant TV screen between innings! Afterwards we went to their house for dinner and hanging out. The kids performed circus tricks and a good time was had by all.

We had our usual Sunday kind of breakfast before we left. The dogs are very smart they know they get the leftovers, so these pancakes were for them and they watched Martin very closely while he made them.

The weekend is here

2010-09-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Glad that the three day weekend is here. Both Marlene and I need it, even though we've only been back to work for two weeks.

This week I unveiled a major reorganization to my Division at an all managers meeting. It was not a good message for everyone, because it results in reclassification of several managers positions...some up, but several down. The planning for this has been going on for almost two years. All in all it went well, however I still have fallout to deal with, and probably will for several weeks.

A couple of the photos they took at the meeting actually came out not bad for a change, so I thought I would share.....

Paul Hill, one of my program managers and Laurie Warner, my boss, and Agency Director...and me...

Our Anniversary Present Arrives

2010-08-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

A few years ago we decided that for our anniversary every year we would get ourselves a present for our house that we both could share. This year we decided to purchase a set of Italian pottery canisters. I have had my eye on them since we visited Sicily 4 years ago. Instead of getting the canister set we purchased a huge plate that hangs in our dining room. The plate has oranges and lemons on a dark blue background. We both fell in love with the Sicilian pottery, the bright colors are our favorites. They are gorgeous, not as fun as a trip to Italy, but a wonderful reminder. They were made at La Giara pottery in San Stefano Sicily. I found their website and mama mia it is gorgeous.

Hood to Coast 2010

2010-08-28T10:44:00.001-07:00

Last night Martin did his annual volunteer bit for the Hood to Coast race. For you out of towners, it is a team race of runners and walkers that starts from Mt Hood and goes all the way to the Oregon Coast town of Seaside. Every team must donate 3 volunteers in order to be in the race. Martin has volunteered for the Employment Department Team for at least 13 years. A couple of times they needed extra people so I went along too. Martin was stationed way out in the coast range. A rancher donated his pasture for the pit stop which also had Ham radio operators there since there was no cell phone reception. You see above one of the friends Martin made while waiting for teams to come through. He thought they looked like Irish Wolfhounds! Martin got to see the end of the walking teams and the fastest running teams. It is an amazing race in so many ways

This is what the entrance to the pit stop looked like. Volunteers waiting for the racers and their support vans.

It's Our Anniversary

2010-08-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Celebrated our anniversary with a trip to the Oregon Garden in Silverton. Not quite Butchart Gardens, but beautiful none the less. This photo was taken by a woman who was attending the wedding of her nephew on the grounds. We could watch them from the restaurant. The food was great and definitely worth starving ourselves for all day. We played hard today, a great way to mark the end of our vacation

Friday at my Sister's

2010-08-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

Martin and I went to dinner at my sister's house on Friday. It was an added treat because we got to visit with my nephew Paul, his wife Lisa, and my great niece Ann. Ann is going to spend a week with my sister her grandma, so Paul and Lisa can get some heavy duty chores done at home. Ann is a dynamo, here you can see her racing around the yard. She told me that she was having so much fun, that "I could do this until evening!"

She was happy to pose for Martin, and showed us some of the moves that she has learned in dance class.

I think I will check in periodically this week, just to see how Maxine's energy level is doing...

Vacation Sunset

2010-08-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Our three week vacation comes to an end tomorrow. We've had a great time, and really enjoyed the way we did it this year. The first week was spent at our rented beach house in Waldport, the second week in Seattle and Victoria, and this final week has been at home, doing things around the vicinity, and just relaxing. It started at the beach with Marlene's 60th Birthday and ended today with our 6th Anniversary. It feels like it started a long time ago, but then again, way too short.....and speaking of sunsets, heres a couple shots of one I took the other day out our back door.

Ft. Vancouver

2010-08-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's vacation activity was a visit to a place right in our own back yard, Ft. Vancouver.

Ft. Vancouver is run by the National Park Service, and is a reconstructed, "living history" fort build on the exact location as the original. The Fort was established by the Hudson Bay Company and was the first established European settlement on the West Coast. It's primary purpose when it was built was to promote and facilitate the lucrative fur trade.

The Flag of the Hudson Bay Company, flying over the Fort.

The front gate of the fort. To get there you pass through a re-creation of the elaborate gardens that existed there at the time.
One of the main building inside the fort was the Chief Factors house.

Inside the carpenters shed, where everything is made without the help of electricity or power tools.

Marlene in the Jail...She got out on bail.

Inside the infirmary

One corner of the reconstructed palisades and bastion.

Me inside the bastion...couldn't figure out how to fire the cannons.

Victoria Butterfly Garden

2010-08-12T20:32:00.001-07:00

This is the place to come and be dive bombed by butterflys. There are thousands in this place. They keep it nice and warm with plenty of humidity and there were pupae all over the place because some of the butterflys do reproduce here.

An ususal one with green on its wings.

What about the sign?

A twofer....

What they look with their wings wide, there were many of this type.

Some kind of giant moth.

Yipes, stripes.

A couple of snoozing flamingoes.

Martin tried to take one with him, but we spotted it in the knick of time. On our way home tomorrow. I know our dogs and our housesitter will be glad to see us!

Butchart Gardens - Victoria BC

2010-08-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

They should call this place Heaven on earth. I think it is one of the loveliest places I have ever been. The gardens are huge and it is a self tour. We were told by several locals that this has been one of the nicest days Victoria has seen this summer. A perfect day to go on a walk in a beautiful place. The Sunken Garden

A field of Zinnias.

An arbor of hanging baskets in the Rose Garden.

Even the garbage cans have flowers.

Beautiful fountains pop up out of nowhere..

Look at these roses in their rose garden.

An incredible Dahlia.

This fountain was incredible, I think we have some even better pictures of this.

Look at the bee doing his thing on this flower!

A hanging basket garden.

Me in the gardens, what a wonderful day. We have more pictures and we will work on editing them for a future album. If you ever get the chance, visit Butchart Gardens in the summer.

Victoria BC - Day 2

2010-08-12T19:10:00.001-07:00

We started out the day at the Empress Hotel for breakfast. It was fantastic and the wait staff were gracious and helpful. We did manage to confuse our waitress when Martin asked for his eggs "straight up" and I questioned what they referred to as a "whole egg omelet" OK, so I didn't want egg whites. After breakfast we drove to Butchart Gardens and the Butterfly Gardens. I will do separate posts for those two places because they are both incredible. Below is how we spent our afternoon today.

There was a farmer's market happening today. Above is a piece of public art that is in an area directly across from the wharf.

There is the Port Angeles ferry, we will be on that tomorrow morning.

We took this tour boat for an hour long ride in what they refer to as the gorge. We got to see a part of Victoria that most tourists miss. These ferries also double as cabs, dropping and picking up folks all along the waterfront.

We met this mime on the wharf. She became my friend after we gave her a dollar!

This is a statue of Queen Victoria, namesake of this beautiful city. This statue is located on the grounds of the Parliament building.

Here are some of the boats moored in the wharf. We even spotted one that was from Florida, that is a long ride. I am going to work on the Butchart garden post next. It will be difficult as there are so many pictures to choose from!

Victoria British Columbia - Day One

2010-08-11T20:37:00.001-07:00

We went down to the Ferry at 7am so we could catch the 755am boat to Bainbridge island. Look through the fog and you can see the space needle as the ferry pulls away. It was a very pleasant ride and the fog burned off in the 35 minutes it took for us to get Bainbridge. We drove north crossing the Hood Canal bridge then took 101 up to Port Angeles where we catch the ferry to Vancouver Island.

Leaving Port Angeles behind, we had an hour ride on the ferry to Vancouver Island and Victoria. It is about an hour ride to Victoria, for a minute it felt like we were on a cruise.

Here is the Parliament building. The grounds are open and you can self tour, or join a tour group to see all the high points of the building. You are not allowed to enter the chamber where the sessions are actually held, but can see enough of the beautiful building and learn about the government here.

Yes, we realized we were really in another Country with a different culture and it only took us about 4 hours including the two ferry rides to get here.

This stained glass window in the Parliament building was done to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 50th year on the throne. The guide told us that the Queen and Prince Phillip actually came to Victoria for its dedication. A rare occurrence for the British Colombians.

Inside of the dome in the Parliament building. The structure that is visible in the dome is a spiral staircase that allows access to the outside. I wondered if they didn't somehow use it for security as well.

The legendary Empress Hotel, perhaps tomorrow we will have time for high tea.

To the right in this photo is the Irish Pub where we ate dinner tonight. The food was very good and the wait staff all wore kilts, even the guys!

This is Rogers' Chocolates, a store that has been in the same location for 125 years. The young saleswoman told us that all the woodwork and cabinets are from the original store. It is a beautiful place and the smell is out of this world. Hands down the best chocolate I have ever had, not cheap but worth every penny.

Some Seattle Pictures Just to Good to Miss

2010-08-11T19:10:00.001-07:00

Love the sign at night....

It's not Wrigley, but it is a beautiful field.

It's the wind up!

Looks like he wants to bunt!

The pitch!

Ichiro gets ready to bring home the first run of the game.

Downtown Seattle from the Needle

Lake Washington from the Space Needle. Sorry about the window reflection in the picture.

Safeco Field as seen from the top of the Space Needle

Day in Seattle

2010-08-10T16:44:00.001-07:00

Look at these happy Mariners fans, they won the game, 2 to zero. It was great fun and a beautiful field. We had seats right behind home plate and didn't miss a minute of the action.
Safeco Field is gorgeous, and not to hard to get in and out of either. We had even prepaid for our parking on line at the parking structure across the street from the field.

We had reservations for lunch at the Space Needle, so we got to town a bit early and walked around Seattle Center before lunch. Here is a great fountain that is programmed to change its pattern and water flow. The kids were loving it and it was a beautiful afternoon.

A view of the Space Needle from the ground up. Still impressive after 50 years.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience, we didn't go this time because of time constraints. Still impressive to look at the building.

The arches, another landmark left over from the World's Fair.

These are my tomatoes, getting big aren't they. Actually, these are in the children's garden section the Center. Quick post, we are getting ready to head to Victoria and have to catch a ferry!

Clark County Fair 2010

2010-08-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Raise the flags, it is Clark County Fair week. What is unusual is that Martin and I are on vacation, so we were able to go on a Monday and avoid all the crowds and usual long lines for everything. One of the perks of working for the County is that we are able to get fair tickets at a discount and parking for a buck off. Above is the Clark County Fair Queen Taylor. She is carrying a flag that flew over a mission in Iraq and brought back by her father who did a tour of duty there. This is the opening of the barrel races today. Free for all fair goers you can't beat the price! Below you see us watching the barrel races. If you look closely they are reflected in my sun glasses.

I know I am on vacation, but I thought I could make a few extra bucks doing some forensic evaluations. Wait, it is just part of the Alien exhibit, which is the fair special commercial theme.

Ah, yes, Martin loves to take pictures of me eating. A tradition we started about 4 years ago when we went to the Mediterranean countries. So here is the token picture of me eating my Yakisoba noodles my fair lunch. I also had an elephant ear, a sugary treat I have to have whenever I go to a fair.

Pictured below, are some of the fantastic quilts that were entered in this years fair. This was in the 4H building, but some of the displays are entries from all over. I am trying to convince Martin to enter some of his photos next year.

Of course, lots of animals, this is a County fair afterall, below is one of the Llamas who was also enjoying her lunch.

For some reason, this lion was part of the Alien exhibit this year. There were a number of exotic animals that had been rescued and were on display including large snakes and other things that I didn't want to get too close to!

Now here is one of the genuine Aliens, a friendly fellow to be sure. I didn't ask him what planet that he was from but I guarantee you that he is not from Arizona...

More vacation fun tomorrow. We are off to Seattle to see a Mariners game, then on to Victoria, British Columbia. Stay tuned!

More Beach Bash

2010-08-06T16:40:00.001-07:00

Here is the picture of the wolfhounds, crowding themselves on to the car seat to avoid the evil Guido who had taken over the whole open space in the van. These two pictures were taken on our way home from the beach today. I didn't think that much dog could crowd into such a small space.

Here they are 'sitting' side by side on the seat. You can see the evil Guido patrolling the area, making sure those wolfhounds don't step out of line.

Here is a picture of Molly, Brandon, Anna and Rob, tired after a busy day at the beach and waiting for dessert after dinner on Saturday. Maxine made some great chocolate snickerdoodles. We didn't tell the kids they were Vegan.

Below is a video of me and the dogs walking on the beach on my birthday.

Birthday Trip to the Beach

2010-08-06T15:54:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe, but I actually have turned 60! Where did all the time go? Wait a minute, I think I know...To celebrate this auspicious occasion, Martin, my sister Maxine, Molly, Rob and the kids and I made our way to Waldport, OR where Martin and I rented a house for 6 days. 6 days turning 60, provided some sort of symmetry I guess.

Here I go, blowing out those candles. 3 candles each with 20 years on them. Hold on to your wigs and valuables, I almost blew Brandon off the chair. It was a yummy German chocolate cake, that didn't make the trip very well, but thanks to Molly and a can of frosting, its purpose became visible again.

Here's Martin and Sailor, we walked on the beach everyday. Just had to walk down the stairs and across the road to get there. Surprising how often we had the beach to ourselves, with the only other people barely visible down the beach.

My birthday evening we were treated to a beautiful sunset. It was the best one of the six we had. There was mist in the morning and evenings, but during the late morning the sun came out every single day we were there.

Here I am with Sailor and Heartman. Look at Sailor's tongue hanging out. We were able to take them off the leases so they could have a good run which they did every day.

Here is the great room of the house. The kitchen, dining room and living room are all in one room. Notice Guido relaxing on the couch. He doesn't get to do that at home. We especially like this house because the backyard is fenced in and it has a large deck with an incredible ocean view through every window at the front of the house.

Here's Martin and Sailor again, hanging out down at the beach.

Here's Maxine relaxing on the deck, knitting of course!

Molly, Rob, Brandon and Anna collecting shells on the beach. They came back with two buckets full of shells.

A self portrait, taken on the deck with my new birthday camera!

Maxine trying to relax after a hard day of relaxing. I don't think Heartman is helping! All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday or 6 days of fun and super relaxation.

Camas Days

2010-07-24T16:47:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the yearly summer festival in downtown Camas known as the Camas days. We invited Molly, Rob and the kids for an exciting day of enjoying only the kind of event that a small town can provide you. The picture above is after we returned to our house, we cooked burgers and hot dogs. The lines at the food tents were way too long and the temperature too hot, so we decided to picnic at home. We wanted to document Brandon and Anna petting Guido! Perhaps next the big dogs...

Here we have the famous bath tub races. Water courtesy of Camas Fire who also provided what turned out to be a giant sprinkler for the kids.

Here we have a horse drawn hearse, complete with flag draped coffin in the back. I have to say it is a first for me to see a hearse in a parade, even considering it is an antique one. But this parade was full of firsts, like this is the first time I have ever received a roll of toilet paper thrown out of a Georgia Pacific float and I received a camouflage pencil from some other group in the parade.

Here is Anna decked out in her special princess head band of stars and ribbons, though it almost didn't survive the visit to our house after the parade. She really put it through its paces and we all did get to try it on.

Here is a Shriner's clown. Really nice to see that there are still some of them around and taking part in a small town summer parade.

This is the Lacamas Shores Umbrella Drill Team. I was shocked to find out that I have lived in Camas for six years and this is the first time I had ever heard of them. Here they are doing one of their routines.

The Sheriff of Clark County and the Police Chief in Camas led off the parade. You can see all the folks lining 4th St. which is the main street in town. Below is Brandon, Molly and Anna sitting on the curb watching the parade. It was really a good time, I hope we can attend many more of these.

Forest Grove Concours de Elegance

2010-07-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Martin and I headed to Pacific University to the Concours de Elegance classic car show. We have been trying to get to this for at least 7 years and we finally made it. This year is the 38th year for the show and we were amazed at all the unbelievable vehicles that were there.
Many of them are still in the original owner's family. One vehicle was into the 4th generation of a family, his great grandfather had bought the car off the showroom floor in 1906! Above is the model of the first car I remember driving, a 1963 Chevy supersport, though the one in our family was brown color that had faded considerably in the 5 years my family owned it. It was really fun to see cars that have driven through our lives.

Both Martin's Dad and my brother Gordy owned a black TR3. This was the only one close to the model and year that we both remembered.

Martin's first car he ever purchased was a 1971 Lotus Europa that he purchased directly from the factory when he was stationed in Germany. He drove the Lotus all over Europe, attended the Gran Prix in Monaco and the Cannes film festival. He was sad to have to leave his Lotus in Europe when he returned to the States, selling it to another soldier who was stationed at the same base he was. Above is a Lotus Elan, no Europas in the show, but Martin was happy to see at least one Lotus.

Here's Martin standing in front of a beautifully restored Bentley. Unfortunately, we don't know anyone with a Bentley, it was just a fantastic car.

This is a 47 or 48 Woody. My Uncle John owned a Woody and I can remember driving back from Janesville Wisconsin in a thunderstorm in it when I was a very little girl.

This is the grill of a 1936 Packard. What incredible craftsmanship and artistry. In those days design mattered. Every car was almost a work of art. I wonder if we will feel the same way about our Prius' and Kias in 70 years. Below is a picture of the car itself. It is easy to see where they stole the design for the PT cruiser.

It was a great show and a beautiful day, and I hope we can make attending an annual event.

Sailor's Bad Day

2010-07-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

The boys stick close together today after Sailor returned from the vet. He has a small cut on the inside of his inner ear that bled and took some work to stop. We got the bleeding stopped last night, then about 3am he got up to go outside and shook his head as dog's do, and started to bleed again. So I got up with him and applied pressure to his cut and was able to stop the bleeding again.

He was still bleeding a bit this morning and I was able to get him into his vet's first appointment this morning. We considered a trip to the emergency vet last night, but thanks to my band aid work, was able to get things under control. Dr. Fritch was impressed with the band aids and when the cut was cleaned up realized that it wasn't big enough to require sutures. It was a tiny L shaped cut and two tiny pin marks causing all the drama. The ear has such a great blood supply that it made the bleeding dramatic for a small injury. He came out with his ear hair pulled up in a pony tail in the hope that it would keep it from opening the cuts again when he shakes his head. He showed us by shaking his head in the waiting room that the plan was flawed and that is how he ended up with the big bandage around his head.

If you look closely, its whole purpose is to keep his ear from moving when he shakes his head, so the scabs have a chance to heal. So I have spent the rest of the day soaking and washing the blood stained clothes and towels and cleaning the rugs with hydrogen peroxide. Lots of drama for a small injury!

4th of July

2010-07-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Stayed at home with our terrified dogs as the rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in the air happened all around us. My sister Maxine came over and we had a wonderful summer cook out even though the day was somewhat cloudy and cool. We shut ourselves up in the house in the evening, but even that didn't help Sailor who was the most frightened of the three dogs of all the fireworks that were happening all around us. We were able to get Heartman and Guido out for pictures but Sailor chose to stay in the house where it was safe.

Wednesday Mid Week Day Off

2010-06-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a mid week break and take today off. I had a bunch of errands to run including a trip to Costco and my other big box store favorites. On my way home I decided to drive through Camas and I saw the sign for the weekly summer farmer's market, so I found a place to park and away I went.

Yes, you see my bounty, the cherries are local Washington picks and the flowers above are also grown locally. It really felt like summer going to the market. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who were there shopping.

The market is down in front of the library. Right across from the fire department and happens every Wednesday until the end of September. Here is the young woman that I bought the flowers from preparing my bouquet. You get to choose what flowers you would like, and it is a huge bunch for $10. Below is a picture of downtown Camas. I took the picture from where my car was parked. It is the neatest small town and we try to patronize the downtown merchants as much as we can.

Another shot of downtown below, Martin's father was raised in Camas. Martin's grandfather worked at the paper mill and built a small house about 6 blocks from where this picture was taken. Martin's great grandparents are buried in the Camas cemetery and in spite of the fact they died in the 1800's we were able to find their head stones. Martin remembers when the trees were planted downtown in the early 60's I love walking around downtown, and today felt like what I remembered summer days to be.