Jason's New Bed

Hi,
As promised here are some pictures of my new bed as well as my recently remodeled bedroom. As you can see it's made out of logs which matches the rest of my furniture. Unforunately my dad couldn't build this one but I still like it just fine! I spend most of my time on top but if I want I can go below and with the help of some hanging sheets I can also have a dark fort below. Pretty cool!

I've got all my favorite blankets up here now and boy is it comfy. I'm already a pretty good sleeper but this makes it even more fun!

I've also got bear paw prints stenciled all around my room that makes an extra something for me to look at. Try as I might, I can't seem to peel them off of wall either!

Lastly I've had to learn how to get in and out of this thing but it's not too bad now since I've been practicing. I've only gotten stuck once but luckily mom decided to come check in on me and had me rescued in no time. Ahhhh I can hardly wait till bedtime!!

P.S. Don't worry about my red eyes. It's not that I haven't been sleeping. It's just the camera. I've got to get mom and dad to adjust that thing. Good night!

Christmas Lights in Brookings Azalea Park

Yesterday as promised mom and dad took Jason and I to see the Christmas lights in Brookings. I think it's becoming a tradition. Anyway I got to wear my new dress and sparkly shoes and boy did I get a lot of attention.

There were lots of pretty lights although our camera just didn't do them justice.

Dad forgot to smile in this picture but he really did have a good time too! One thing that I've never seen before that we saw last night was a "living statue" of two guys playing chess. If they got a donation they would both move robotically taking turns moving their chess pieces. Otherwise they were completely still and mean completely still. Boy was I surprised when they both got up and walked away to take a short break! Oh by the way the glasses I'm wearing were to refract the lights and make them look even more interesting.

Boy were we ever in for a surprise near the end of our light tour! We met and visited with a real celebrity who just happens to live in Brookings.
No it wasn't Santa! He was sitting inside a small chapel that was built inside Azalea Park in honor of his late wife.

His name is Elmo Williams. Who's that you ask? Let me tell what I learned. Toward the end of our conversation my dad mentioned that we were going to Disneyland next week. Mr Williams told us that he knew Walt Disney and was there the day the park opened back in 1955. He also told us that he designed the "Jungle Cruise" ride at Walt's request. But wait there's more! He was also film editor for several well known films including "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea". He is a very nice man and even at age 96 he held me up so that my dad could take both of our pictures. He won an Academy Award For Editing for his work on "High Noon". You can check out his other accomplishments by entering his name on google.com.

"You've Got A Friend In Me"

Guess it's hard not to be thankful when I look at pictures like these. Although this isn't an everyday occurrence it's wonderful to see our kids playing together and having a good time. Jason often does not know what to do with himself and consequently gets fussy because he's just simply bored. On this day though he and his sister were having fun on our indoor swing and smiles were abundant. It's times like these that give me hope for Jason that he's going to get much better as time progresses. On Thanksgiving Day I assembled a loft bed for him that also doubles as playground equipment for his bedroom. We try to provide things that will entertain him and so far this one has been a big hit! Stay tuned for a picture or two of this newest addition.

Sticks 'n Stones (but mostly sticks) "These are a few of my favorite things"

We've had many warm summer-like days this fall even into November. Earlier this week Laurie took Jason and Annalie to the beach to take advantage of the nice weather while it lasts. The following pictures show what Jason seems to be the most interested in right now (besides food).
Fortunately sticks are easy to come by at the beach so there's plenty of entertainment to be had. This one must smell particularly good! I'm sure he likes the salty flavor as well.
It's hard but occasionally we can get these 2 to hold still long enough for a group photo

Picking, Squeezing, Canning, Drinking

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to get all of our apples harvested before the winds and rains knock them all off of the tree. With the help of my friend Mark and his cider press we produced some 50 quarts of cider. Everyone who's ever tasted it says its "very tasty" and I would have to agree.
After picking the next step is to quarter or half each apple depending on its size so it can fit into the food processor. This step helps to maximize how much juice we get out of the apples. In fact they are so juicy that the juice starts flowing freely from the press into our pail before even applying any pressure!
Anyway after coming out of the food processor the mulched apples are placed into the slatted bucket and the real squeezing begins. Now the amber colored liquid really starts running!
The next to the last step is to fire up the canners on the stove after the cider has been placed in quart size jars and lids have been applied. After being heated to the appropriate temperature the jars are carefully removed and allowed to cool. The final step is to come visit us so you can perform your own taste test!

Cruisin' Down The River On A Sunday Afternoon

The title sounds like and old song but that's exactly what we did this past weekend. The weather was beautiful although it was a bit on the warm side for mid September. First order of business after launching was to find a nearby gravel bar to eat our lunch. My friend Mark who owns the canoe also helped with Jason so that I could eat too!

Jason always rides in front and prefers to just sit on the bow where he can put his feet in the water or bang on the side. Annalie must have felt like she was missing out so she shared the small space for awhile as well. We did not see as many critters as the trip we took in the spring probably because of the heat. Never-the-less we saw deer, ducks, blue herons, otter, seals, and a number of salmon that were jumping clear out of the river. Unfortunately none managed to jump into our boat!

This was Annalie's second trip down the river...about 10 miles and 4 hours on the water. She spent most of her time facing backward except when I coaxed her to turn around for a quick picture.

We stopped briefly to take a closer look at some wild grapes growing along the riverbank. Many people pick these for jams or jelly.

The jet boat tours were also out in force which surprised me a little since we are well into September. Maybe the secret is finally out that some of our very best weather occurs this time of year!

Although his expression may not show it I know that this is an activity that Jason enjoys as much as I do so hopefully we can continue to make these excursions at least a couple of times a year.

This final picture was interesting to me just because it seems to combine the past with the present. The Indian camps are all gone and some million dollar homes now take their place instead. Fortunately the Rogue R. itself still continues to be a beautiful and fun source of recreation for us!

Home and Garden

We haven't been out and about too much recently but I thought it might me fun to share a few pictures of our yard with you. We are blessed to live where we do and we do enjoy working in our yard. We consider it a "work in progress" never to be finished. Here Annalie is posing in front of a small fountain that we built a few years back. It provides a bath for birds as well as a calming sound of dripping water we can listen to at night with the window open.


Here's another shot of Annalie standing on the path that meanders around and behind our house. The flowers add lots of color. Low voltage lamps light up the walkway after dark. The bird house that we built behind her and to the left has actually been used by birds for nesting.

We are standing in front of Annalies play house located in the front yard. Hanging baskets and a purple colored clematis accent the redwood colored siding and green metal roof. Annalie has her own mailbox which occasionally gets filled with some special mail!

Yes Annalie takes pictures too! She's getting pretty good at it.

One last shot of our deck which we enjoy very much. We try to stain it every summer to try to keep it looking its best. Thanks for looking.

Gold Beach Garden Tour 2009

Two weeks ago we checked out this years picks for the Gold Beach Garden Tour. I probably don't have to mention that this place stole the show. It's a beautiful place that located about 12 miles north of Gold Beach on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I've always wondered what this place must be like and we finally got our chance without having to trespass. It sits on 23 acres and has it's own private beach, lake, waterfall, and guest house just to name a few of the amenities.

Out first stop was at the conservatory or greenhouse which is full of flowers and vegetables. It appeared to be climate controlled as well as have an automated watering system. It was also next to some "employees only" buildings as I'm sure it takes a crew of folks to maintain this place. By the way the owner doesn't even live here. He lives in Chicago. Maybe this is his second home!

We got Jason sit down long enough to snap a quick one of him. Sorry but he forgot to smile on this one but I guess he did make an interesting face!

My three friends and I are just getting ready to enter into the outdoor patio which is also pretty incredible.

Everything about this place is big including the outdoor fireplace. Speaking of big,
this home is for sale for a big price. How about 14.5 million! A realtor friend who actually has this listing told me he would love to sell this property because his commission would be $300,000. Not bad for a days work!

There was no end of things to look at and this fountain was no exception.

A large assortment of floats hung outside of the guest house and made for a final colorful picture. Later I couldn't help but wonder that while this owner is obviously very wealthy in eathly possesions it is possible that he could be spiritually bankrupt. I hope not!

Dave

Soggy Water Doggies!

Jason is enjoying his slip-n-slide!




Annalie's job is to hold the hose while the pool fills with water. Now she is enjoying her reward. We have been enjoying our "water time" every afternoon this week.


I'm not exactly sure what Annalie is doing here. I don't think Jason was either...


Jason was laughing so hard at Mama that he fell over!

Oregon Caves Anniversary Trip

Dave at the beginning of the regular tour

Hiking back to the chalet after the tour
In front of the chateau
In front of the chalet
At the base of one of the waterfalls in the chateau courtyard area

For our 8th anniversary this year we decided to stay at the Oregon Caves Chateau. It is also the 75th anniversary of the Chateau (open 1934) and the 100th anniversary of Oregon Caves. We went on both the regular tour where the caves are lit and then the candlelight tour where each person takes a candle lantern. The chalet building is where they schedule the tours, has a movie showing during the day, and a gift shop.
The chateau is the lodge and it also houses a restaurant, 50's style diner, gift shop with work from local artisans. There are also tours of the chateau. It is actually located in a ravine. There is a series of waterfalls and the stream actually flows inside through one of the lodge floors between the restaurant and gift shop. Our table at dinner was alongside this indoor stream. Our corner room actually had views of the waterfalls, cave entrance, and the chalet. It was a nice and much needed getaway. It had been almost seven years since we went overnight without any children!

Meadows and Lake Kathleen Railroad Part II

The kids were given the privilege of sitting in the main engine as the volunteer conductor stood by.
Annalie waving from behind the steam engine. Several people were taking her picture at this time.
Here we were approaching the tunnel.
This watertower was made to scale for this railway line. Yes, there was water in it!