Week 30 - Oregon City -  July 22 to July 28, 202

We celebrated Bev's 46th birthday - How can that be?  We...Dad, Jessica, Whitney, and I took her to breakfast at The Screen Door which is one of her favorite breakfast places.

And... on Sunday we sang to her a dinner "over" another lovely cake made by Warren.  We also sand to Darlo Scott.

Every day this week I walked for 2-3 miles in the woods and I carried a 25- pound pack.  I am training for next weekend's hike to Obsidian when I take Logan for his birthday backpacking trip.

Jack and Zelensky usually come along with me.  Here is Jack on a fallen (leaning) tree trunk.

West Slope and Water Pipe Slope are very "grassy" this year - mostly because I didn't spray herbicide everywhere.  I saw this really pretty yellow bird sitting in a tall cluster of flowers.  I think it was eating seeds.

For months I have been walking by a small Doug fir that has been overgrown by the sild climbing Clematis.  Finally, this week I decided to "free" the tree from the vine.

Can't have a weekly blog without a photo of sleeping cats.

Next week - the Obsidian Limited Entry Area!!!

 Week 29 - Oregon City - July 15 - July 21, 2024

On Monday the hay people came to cut the hay. The next day the hay was raked, windrowed and baled....but now its Sunday and the bales of hay are still in the field.

Ruby loved running and leaping over the rows of cut hay.

Warren came and helped up put up the shade cloth...again....after the painters removed it.  I know he doesn't like doing it, but we really appreciate his help.

ATV rides with the kids.

A really relaxed deer lounging in front of the barn.

We had two cubic yards of 3/4 minus gravel delivered so that we could place it under the balcony - - rather than just leaving it to weeds and water and mud--like we've done for the last thirty-two years.  We had the dump truck place two piles, and then Dad pushed each pile toward the wall using the scoop of the tractor - worked really wall.  Then with shovels and rakes, we smoothed everything out - it is beautiful - as only a fresh load of gravel can be beautiful.

Then to top the project off with a delicious cherry, I got some concrete blocks from Ted Anderson and placed them along the base of the wall and used the support of the blocks to store all of our outdoor tools - - in ONE PLACE!

I walked every day this week - in the early morning to beat the heat - trying to prepare for hiking the Obsidian Trail.  I did three miles each time with a 25 pound pack  - in 2 hours 29 minutes.  I will do it every day next week too.

I finally decided that I had to pull up a fallen tree that has annoyed me every time I walk because I have to climb over it.  I had Dad cut it into 44-inch lengths using the big heavy chainsaw.  Then I used the tried and true method of using a rope and an ATV to pull each piece up to the wood cutting/splitting area.

I removed all of the bark because the were a bazillion ants living just under the bark.  It was a mess but I didn't want the bark or the ants in the wood up by the house.

The OC 2 Ward Picnic was on Saturday.  It was a baked potato bar along with desserts that families had brought.  It was a good activity - after the confusion of where to park and "where is the key to the cable blocking the parking lot --were resolved.  I should have taken more photos but only got this one of Copeland with a big plate of picnic food.

It was super hot and awful this week....in upper 80's and lower 90's.  The cats were really tired all week.

Next week I am going to walk every day!!  And, I try to get some scaffolding in place so I can begin painting the brown frames of the windows.

 Week 28 Oregon City - July 8 - July, 14, 2024

This was a super busy week.  

First I took Abby and Ruby to Wahtum Lake.  Then Bev and Paul went on a long distance run, and we had their four kids over the long weekend.  And.....Holland, Copeland, and Ruby had their birthday campout in the woods...along with the Louthan kids.

MONDAY - Wahtum Lake.

And it was hot....like 102 in Oregon City which made it about 85 at the lake - - which was kind of nice because the kids had fun swimming in the lake.  They are standing on Mermaid Rock.

Dolores and Koda went with us.

Dolores LOVES to swim in lakes!!!!!!

Our campsite..........there were a lot of mosquitos, and it was hot too.

On our second day we took the 2.5 mi (one way) hike up to Chinidere Mountain.  Whereas it was delightful to do last week with Jude and Eric, on this day, it was so hot that you had to concentrate on the goal of making it to the top. 

We finally reached the top and took the iconic photos!  Unfortunately, I didn't realize that Abby has an aversion to heights, and she wasn't particularly  happy.

Back at camp we decided it was too hot and there were too many mosquitos, so we opted to leave rather than spent the second night.

The cats were hot kittens

One day while the kids were here, Ruby and Jude helped me water many of the trees - two to four gallons of water per tree.  I really appreciated their help.

One day for lunch we went to Holcomb for the "Free Lunch" that is offered in the summer.

After lunch we went to the local Seven Eleven store (the date was 7-11), and we all go a free Slurpee.  It was my first Slurpee ever - have never even been inside the store.

The afternoon's entertainment was the Blue Dragon/Slip and Slide/Splash Pad.  It was a great amount of fun.  The "airborne" person is Whitney.

Friday evening we headed down into the woods to Sector 2 for the campout.

Cup of Noodles was a favorite.

As were S'mores prepared over the Solo Stove

Jude was testing his Balance Beam skills.

The kids finally all got in the tent and were peacefully asleep for the whole night.

Dinner Saturday night.

Saturday night all the kids ended up in our bedroom

German Babies for breakfast.

Jude is looking Very Dapper Indeed....except for the loose tie.

Tyler practicing his sun tan.

And...just to top the week off....the dryer broke, couldn't be repaired, so we bought a used one from our repairman.  Seems to work perfectly.

Yep, - it was a very busy week....maybe too busy.