Christmas 2010

Christmas in Oregon

December 23 - The Northern Oregon part of our family shared a great early Christmas dinner and fun time together.  It was good to have so many of our adult "kids" here for a visit.

December 24 - Nancy and I headed for Klamath Falls to spend Christmas with the Southern Oregon part of the family.  Reading stories, being served tea several times a day, building Lego towers,  playing "horsey" with a very active two-year-old cowgirl - it doesn't get much better. 

Nora on her horse in a "photo-shopped" world.  Ride 'em cowgirl!

November Heading South

Señoras y señores: Buenos días. Necesito cervezas y una dirección al baño. Gracias

Nancy and I joined Pam and Doug for a trip to Mazatlan, Mexico.  7 days escaping from the wet and cold of Oregon.  Yes, walking down the beach in bare feet, shorts and no shirt when no one could laugh at my tummy.  Some of the well aged tourist were less inhibited and enjoyed their walks on the beach in their two piece suits.   We had a great time.

The transportation was either a bus, taxi or variations of a re-designed VW called a "Pumonia".  We had many rides  in this cramped, but exciting taxi.  These vehicles are exclusive to Mazatlan.

Some days are there to enjoy. 

This is the crew at dinner with the mariachis.  I brought my Ipod so the leader of the band could hear the song I wanted him to play.  Songa La Nigra.  I usually have the mariachis play the song as a remembrance  to my younger days in that town just across the border that served 54 ounce pitchers for $1.00.  You are remembered Dale, Bobby, Jerry, John and Chet. Fun days at MFD

We joined our 1st, 2nd and 3rd cousins for in Wilsonville for Thanksgiving and it was a wonderful time with family and the food was excellent. 

David, Sherry and her sister Katie, joined us in Milwaukie on Saturday for a second round of turkey.  Good times for all.  The turkey lasted in to early December.  Ham for Christmas.

October and the rain begins

Off to Ashland for some plays, wineries, and antique (junk) shops. 
We attended the Twelfth Night another of Shakespeare's plays that centers on mistaken identity.


She Loves Me is a musical and this is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the 1949 Judy Garland-Van Johnson musical version In the Good Old Summertime. It would surface yet again in 1998 as the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan feature You've Got Mail.

Pride and Prejudice see the video for the full story. 

I took my boat over to the beach to store in the garage for the next few months and went fishing on the Nestucca River.  It was a great boat ride.  These guys were fishing just ahead of us and an eagle is in the tree right above me.  A great day.

September Fun

We started the front yard project at Lincoln City.  I had the utility guys come out and mark all of the things I would probably cut.  I did miss them all this time.  I put in a new rain gutter drain line down the side of the house.  I had to dig a ditch, so I had to rent a Ditch Witch.  Love those big power tools, especially when the ditch is 60 feet long and 24" deep.  We bought a ton of pavers and a bunch of plants.

I bought a suburban to replace my no guts Trail Blazer to tow my boat and it is very comfortable on the road too.  Thanks Phil         Not bad mileage either.

Nancy and I returned to Lincoln City with cousin Mark L. to finish the front yard.  Mission accomplished and no more mowing the front yard.  The mound is just extra dirt. The little plants should grow pretty well at the beach.  I forgot to mention that I had new Hardy Plank put on the house and I painted it.  The fun never ends?

Bruce and I went to the Long Beach Car Show.  It was a real gathering on vintage automobiles.

The month finished with a wine tour in the Willamette Valley and we cerebrated David's birthday.

August with Bud and Nancy

We started of the month with a trip down to Klamath Falls to see Matt, Katie and Nora.  Nancy keep an eye on Nora and had to put on her work out suit.  That little girl is busy.  The rest of us started the demolition of the kitchen.  We repaired walls and got everything ready for the tile work and new appliances.  It was a productive trip.

Week two, my honey and I went to Long Beach, Washington to celebrate of 38 wedding anniversary and to attend the Oysterville Jazz Festival.   Oysters were $0.50 and I love fresh grilled oysters.  The oysters were off the grill, on the plate and into your hand in about 30 seconds.  YUMMMMMMMMMMM.  I always bring extra pesos for the eats.

Nancy and Pam finished the month with a sale at the Oregon City Antique Fair. I load the trailer and take it down to the venue at 4: 00 AM and help them unload and set up the canopy and tables.  They dress the booth up and I go to the nearest coffee shop.  They did well for the day.   We loaded trailer and headed for home to a couple of rounds of scotch (three for me).

July in Oregon

We were busy with many projects around the house that are almost worth mentioning, but not today.
 Nancy and I went to the Lincoln City for a few days of rest and chores.  I have been mowing the grass with Round-up and it is working well.  You will see why later.

I went on a three day fly fishing trip on the Dechutes River.  I am using a two handed spey fly rod that is 12' 6" long and casts like a dream.  See Video   The spey rod really saves my shoulders and I can fish for a couple hours straight with the new rod and reel combo.  I could only use a one handed rod for about 30 to 45 minutes and then a 20 minute rest and several Advil.  The spey rod is more enjoyable and no Advil.  Not me in the picture.

November 1 Back in the Saddle

The hiatius is over for awhile.

In June the family converged on Bandon, Oregon for the 22nd year to enjoy some fun on the beach. 

                                                            Lane's and Reiner's

 

Matt and Nora crabbing on the Coquille River.                                                          David and Sherry ( Sherry's sisters Katie & Jill 0)

                   





  Enjoying the light show.

June 1 Rainbow from the back yard

May 31 A sunny day and picking peas

We finally had a little sun today.  Nancy picked some produce from the garden.  Fresh snow peas are scrumptious.  I hurried and mowed the lawn,  cleaned the gutters, trimmed the tree near the roof line and planted some tomatoes I grew from seed.  A productive day.

 

May 30 Builders

David purchased a DYI shed kit.  The project went well and the weatherman predicted a fine day for a building project.  We started about 10:00 and enjoyed 6 hours of nice weather.  We capped it, put the tar paper down and tacked up the doors and window about 7:30.  You will notice that the math shows we did not have ideal conditions for the entire project, but we were able to change into some dry clothes and have a great salmon dinner.  It was a fun day with David.  Nancy and Sherry went to a movie and cheered us on. 

May 29 Wine Tour

We scout wineries for our fall wine tour.  Tough duty, but we have volunteered for the last several years.  We get to travel around Oregon's beautiful Willamette Valley and see some beautiful places.  The picture on the left is from the patio of one winery.   Later in the day we dined with our own picnic lunch and bought a bottle of fine wine at the winery.  The friends are great, the views spectacular, the food delicious and the wine superb.
LIFE IS GOOD

left to right  ~ Ross, Debbie, Sharon, Bruce, Bud and Nancy

May 22 Returning Home

Matt and I woke up early and headed to the Pizza Place about 7:00 am. The owner invited us to come in before he usually opens, so we could have some breakfast before we head home. (Most of the places open at 8 or 9). Matt F. served us up a great breakfast and a fantastic cup of coffee.

Matt L. headed for Klamath Falls and I eased my way back to Portland over Mt. Hood.

I took this picture near the summit of Highway 26, near Government Camp.
Enough said for Oregon weather.

May 21 Fly Fishing on the Deschutes

Matt and I met in Maupin, Oregon Friday evening. Saturday we were in a class for fly fishing instruction and some fishing from 8:00 am to 7 pm. Tough duty. The class was taught by Deschutes Angler fly shop. Thanks Andrew, for all of your help on our casting and reading the water. It was great to only have 3 in the class.



We sampled food from most of the 5 restaurants in town. Great burger at Stone Bridge Pub and a terrific meatball sub at the local pizza place.


Friday, after 30 years, I made connections with an Army buddy that had moved to Maupin. We had a great visit and it was nice to reconnect. See you soon Howard and Kathy

Thanks Lee for the photo.

Mother's Day

David, Sherry, Rocky and Stella joined us for dinner.  Matt checked in via phone.

May 8 Cleaning up around the house

The treat of the day was sitting down with a pot of coffee, the paper and no place we needed to go. The bags unpacked, clothes washed and working in the garden. I was surprised that anything was still alive after in snowed last week. I love the seasons in Oregon, jumbled.

May 6 O-dark-thirty and home

The wake-up call came at 03:45, yes that is AM, for our 06:05. We gathered the luggage and headed for the motel shuttle. We arrived at 04:30 and Southwest didn't even open the baggage check in until 05:00, so much for hurrying to the airport for that two hour check in.


STL to DEN, then DEN to PDX and home. Nice to be sleeping in our own bed. Granted, time was a little confused after being three time zones during the trip.

May 5 Stops to St. Louis

We made a short stop to say goodbye and to thank Claude and Mildred for their hospitality. They are gems in God's crown.

On the way to the motel in St. Louis, we stopped to see Donnie Marie, Allison, Lanie and Campbell in Wentzville.
Wilma and Shirley were kind enough to entertain us with a fine dinner at Wilma's house in St Charles.

May 4 Finding Grandma

Earlier in the week I found out that grandmother Neary was not buried in Holy Name next to grandfather and her sister as it was penciled in the church records. After the initial shock, I made a few calls and found her buried with her second husband in Mt. Olivet. Hence a trip to find grandma. In the process, I also found the headstones for my grandfather Varney's two brothers. A very successful day tracking down relatives.

Nancy and I dined at Lula Belle's in Hannibal. I was informed by a very reliable source that this was one houses for sporting women. We had another great meal with lots of interesting decor.

We stopped by cousin Anita and Dick's for a visit and joined Claude and Mildred for dinner and time for a casual visit. I just love to hear Claude's flying stories.

May 3 Myth Busters

Nancy and I journeyed over to Quincy, Illinois to find out some information about my great grandfather and his brother. We checked the records and no sign of Theodore and John, bummer.....

We did have a good lunch at The Olive.

Nancy and I returned to Hannibal for dinner and a long visit with Steve, Kathy, Claude and Mildred at TJ's.

May 2

Phil, Linda, Carol, Nancy and I returned to Doug and Sue's for lunch. We joined Sue's son, two grandsons, plus Claude and Mildred, who drove down from Hannibal. After a delightful visit and pictures, the traveling Lanes were on the road to meet more cousins in St. Peter, MO.

We joined Wilma, Shirley, Donnie and Campbell for dinner at Olive Garden. Nancy and I dropped off Phil, Linda and Carol at the motel, so they could catch their flights home the next morning. Nancy and I headed back to Hannibal. The trip.

May Day ~~ Hannibal to Fulton

We toured the former town of Ilasco, Mark Twain Caves gift shop and Lover's Leap (group picture).

We had a nice lunch at Drake's before we headed to Fulton, Missouri to see Doug. Sue and Carol lead our two car caravan which was uneventful until.....we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Fulton ready to unload our bags and head to Sue and Doug's home, but someone at the Holiday Inn made a major screw-up and we ended up at the Comfort Inn about 8 miles away. We were not happy, but we ended up with two free nights and our points returned.

The disgruntled group, perked up with dinner at Sir Winston's. It was nice to visit with Doug and Sue.

April 30 Hannibal Tour and dinner

Cousin Claude Monroe narrated a tour around Hannibal to show us (Carol, Linda, Phil, Nancy and me) the different places where his mom and dad lived and worked around the town Mark Twain made famous. The trip down "Memory Lanes" was full of informative and funny stories related to each stop. Claude is the consummate story teller, with a keen eye for relevant details and finding the humorous side of events.

The visiting Lanes were treated to a great dinner at Steve and Kathy's home. Their daughter Steffani drove up from Southeast Missouri State University to join us. We were happy that their other two daughters and children, who live in the area, were also able to be there. We had a great time visiting with family and enjoying a fantastic meal together.

April 29 Hannibal, Mo

Hannibal is were we have some relatives.  My mom and dad met and married in Hannibal in 1945.  Our group has grown by one with the addition of CUZ Phil.  We are off to see some more cousins for dinner.

April 28 Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg is half way or 60 miles from both Washington, DC and Richmond, VA.  See map    Before the Civil War it was the center of commerce with boat traffic on the Rappahannock River, roads and railroads intersecting at this gentile southern town.  Control of the roads and railroads was important to both sides and both sides paid dearly to gain control of the town.  Four battles, 1st and 2nd battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and the Battle of the Wilderness we fought in and around Fredericksburg.  The town was in very bad shape and did not recover for over a 100 years. Fredericksburg is a very nice town to visit.  Of course we were hunting relatives on the Shepherd side of the family and hit a gold mine in the locale library.  There were a passel, dating back to the late 1700's.


Lunch ~ Fredericksburg     Sammy T's (find any other spot to eat)

Dinner at Red Hot & Blues  Great Bar-B-Que......  Yummy in my tummy.cksburg

Linda and Nancy on the hunt in Fredericksburg

April 27 Oak Hill Cemetery Georgetown in DC

Linda, Nancy and I went headstone hunting for some of Linda's relatives in the beautiful Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown.  We found a bundle of them scattered around two sections of the cemetery. 

Lunch at Clyde's in Georgetown.  Great food. We sat at the second table back in the picture.

Chapel at Oak Hill

April 25 & 26 Gettysburg

April 24 Escape from Washington

We followed the route of J.W. Boothe from the Ford's Theater to Garret's farm.  An all day bus ride with a guide talking the entire time..

Lincoln's police guard was next door having a drink. Boothe walked down the back isle of the balcony to Lincoln's box, opened the door, barred it from the inside and shot him.  Boothe slashed the arm of an Army major who was in the box and who tried to defend Lincoln from Boothe.  He jumped from Lincoln's box onto the stage and was off on horseback.


Happy 30th Birthday Matt and Jackie

April 23 Manassas or Bull Run

The Battle of First Manassas (First Bull Run)  was July 19, 1861
Battle of Second Manassas (Second Bull Run)  was in late August of 1862

The most dramatic thing about the Civil War battlefields, is that most were slight rolling "hills" about 6 to 12 feet high about 100 or more yards apart and  no other cover to speak of.  These large open field with soldiers advancing on foot sometimes over 500 yards in the open in frontal assaults.  The picture below shows a statue about 400 yards from the canon and the range of most of their rifles was at best was about 200 yards.  They wouldn't start running until they were about 200 or 300 yards.  It is a wonder that anyone survived these assaults.  Imagine running at this canon position with infantry on either side if it.

April 22 ~ George Washington Masonic Memorial ~ Fort Ward

George Washington Masonic Memorial - This magnificent building on a hill in Alexandria is privately funded through the contributions of Freemasons and others.  It is one of the sites described in the Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol.  From the front steps you can see the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument. 

We went about 3 miles outside of Alexandria to Fort Ward, one of the last remaining forts used in the defense of Washington during the Civil War.  Nancy and I have great grandfathers who defended Washington at the end of the war.

Lunch - Char-broiled chicken and spinach burritos. We ate on the dock next to the Potomac.
 Beautiful day - great food!

Dinner - I cooked for Nancy, Carol and Linda.  Stir fried jumbo shrimp, carmelized onion in balsamic vinegar and fresh cut vegetables served over steamed rice.

April 21 Newseum Washington DC

We went to the News Museum (Newseum) in DC, just off of the Capitol Mall. It was very interesting to see all of the same news event covered from many papers around the country and world. One of the exhibits was the news coverage of Lincoln's assignation and how it helped find the conspirators. More information on Saturday. The Pulitzer prize photographs were the most compelling for me.

The most interesting part of the day was talking to a guy waiting to watch a news conference at the Newseum on a new telescope (Solar Dynamics Observatory) that is observing the sun. He was the nicest guy and he loved talking about the satellite. Ed finally told me he was an astrophysicist and he helped design the telescope.  Pretty incredible pictures that the satellite is sending back to earth. 

A forgettable lunch at the Newseum. 

An afternoon snack of homemade chili, jalapeno corn muffins and a super tasting porter at the Capitol Brewery.

Dinner- I pooched fresh tillapia fillets over lemon slices and covered with a light coating of mayonnaise.  Nancy and Carol filled out the menu with steamed broccoli and yellow baked potatoes.

April 20 Ball's Bluff and Antietam battlefields

Nancy and I started our day traveling to Ball's Bluff battlefield in Leesburg, Virginia. Nancy's  great grandfather fought in the battlle. The USA units were ravaged. 550 captured and 230 killed.

We traveled another 35 miles to Antietam to find where another great grandfather fought. It looks like his Ohio unit fought at the battle for control of the Burnside Bridge. The battle of Antietam was costly for both sides. One CSA unit lost 83% of their soldiers. A USA unit lost 2200 people in 20 minutes. I don't believe that the death ever leaves that ground.

Lunch was at the South Street Under restaurant  in Leesburg.  We tried carmelized onions in balsamic vinegar as a relish on our sandwiches.  Yum!

Dinner back in Leesburg at the Tuscarora Mill Restaurant (locals call it Tuskie's). Another great meal! Thanks for the tip, Jim and Darlene.

April 19 The Adventure begins

We arrived in Washington D.C. to visit nearby Civil War battlefields.  We are visiting places where some of our relatives fought or were stationed during the Civil War.  We will be on the road tomorrow.  More later.

Spring Fishing news

Doug, my brother-in-law, and I took drift boat trip down one of the coast rivers.  Those are two nice Steelhead Salmon I caught and our guide Doug Miller. 

The next photos are Chinook Salmon caught from my boat in the Columbia River.

Bruce with a 15 pounder.                                                            Doug and Roger 15 and 11 pounders.

Nora's Second Birthday

We had a great time celebrating Nora's birthday. 

The excitment with a set of drums at the Childrens Museum in K Falls.

 
Katie and Nora playing in a antique dentist chair.

Fun with static electricity.