Well, we're off! We left today for our big family trip to Yellowstone. We were quite pleased to make a clean getaway this morning, within 30 minutes of our desired departure time. Not bad for us! We drove as far as Boise, and that's about all we did - drive. Having followed much of the Oregon Trail (backwards, that is) across Northern Oregon, we stopped at Blue Mountain State Park to view some of the actual trail up close. There were trails paralleling the original Oregon Trail, with ruts from wagon wheels still visible. The park also boasts a replica of a covered wagon and an ox carcass at the Ranger Talk area. Interesting.
We arrived in Boise around 8:00 and decided to go straight to dinner. The restaurant was not tremendously busy; we were surprised, but didn't think much of it. We checked in at the SpringHill Suites around 9:30. Strangely, the clock in the room said 10:30, as did the clock in the pool area where Emily and I went straightaway. Suddenly, it hit me - we had crossed over into the Mountain Time Zone! No wonder the restaurant was so quiet!
Our $71 Expedia room is lovely. It is indeed a suite, with a very nice seating area separate from the bedroom. New construction, spacious, and very clean... We'd best not get spoiled; I suspect this may be the nicest lodging we find on this trip.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Xeda
We leave tomorrow morning for Yellowstone. This evening, as we pack and make preparations for our trip, I'm feeling rather sorry for our cat, Xeda. She senses that something is going on. In her little cat brain, I'm sure she's remembering that, in the past, when suitcases start piling up, she's left alone.
Poor Xeda. She will be well cared for. Emily's friend, Emily, will be by once a day to feed her, clean the litter box, and play with her - if Xeda will let her. She's not the most social of cats. Particularly if you aren't a family member.
Xeda is social in her own way. She wants to be in the rooms where we are, just for the company. But she wants that company on her own cat-like terms. She is allowed to rub against our legs, as desired, and will usually willingly accept a head rub, in passing. (Especially from Larry's feet. He's the expert at hands-free head rubs.) But, if we dare try to pet her when she's not in the mood, we are likely to be hissed at, or even nipped.
Xeda has not been a lap cat since she was a kitten. We've wished she were, and have tried to coax her into it, but one can only take so many rejections. Finally, we just accepted the sad fact that she isn't that kind of cat.
Then, suddenly, a few months back, she started jumping up onto my lap as I was stretched out watching TV. At first, it was our little secret. She would only jump onto me if no one else was around, and only if I were lying on the sofa. (Perhaps I was her last resort friend?) Once she got settled in place, she'd go to sleep - sometimes we'd even nap together - until someone else entered the room. Then, she'd jump down, all guilty-like, and pretend she didn't know me. Eventually, she started jumping onto my lap when I was sitting in the chair, and now, she even lets herself be seen in my lap by others. Very risky! If Larry is around, however, he always takes precedence for company. He is her favorite.
So, the question remains, will she let Emily the cat-sitter play with her? I wish I could be sure. She's as likely to hide from her as she is to hiss at her. But, in the past, she's allowed Emily to pet her a bit. I suppose if you're lonely enough, you'll welcome any kind of human interaction. I hope for Emily's sake that Xeda is friendly. It's a lot more fun to cat-sit if the kitty is friendly.
As for us, we'll be oh, so much more loved when we get back. Xeda is nothing if not grateful for her family's return.
Poor Xeda. She will be well cared for. Emily's friend, Emily, will be by once a day to feed her, clean the litter box, and play with her - if Xeda will let her. She's not the most social of cats. Particularly if you aren't a family member.
Xeda is social in her own way. She wants to be in the rooms where we are, just for the company. But she wants that company on her own cat-like terms. She is allowed to rub against our legs, as desired, and will usually willingly accept a head rub, in passing. (Especially from Larry's feet. He's the expert at hands-free head rubs.) But, if we dare try to pet her when she's not in the mood, we are likely to be hissed at, or even nipped.
Xeda has not been a lap cat since she was a kitten. We've wished she were, and have tried to coax her into it, but one can only take so many rejections. Finally, we just accepted the sad fact that she isn't that kind of cat.
Then, suddenly, a few months back, she started jumping up onto my lap as I was stretched out watching TV. At first, it was our little secret. She would only jump onto me if no one else was around, and only if I were lying on the sofa. (Perhaps I was her last resort friend?) Once she got settled in place, she'd go to sleep - sometimes we'd even nap together - until someone else entered the room. Then, she'd jump down, all guilty-like, and pretend she didn't know me. Eventually, she started jumping onto my lap when I was sitting in the chair, and now, she even lets herself be seen in my lap by others. Very risky! If Larry is around, however, he always takes precedence for company. He is her favorite.
So, the question remains, will she let Emily the cat-sitter play with her? I wish I could be sure. She's as likely to hide from her as she is to hiss at her. But, in the past, she's allowed Emily to pet her a bit. I suppose if you're lonely enough, you'll welcome any kind of human interaction. I hope for Emily's sake that Xeda is friendly. It's a lot more fun to cat-sit if the kitty is friendly.
As for us, we'll be oh, so much more loved when we get back. Xeda is nothing if not grateful for her family's return.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Cedar Mill Park Concert
Just got back from attending an outdoor concert at Cedar Mill Park. The band tonight was GruVbox; kind of a jazz/soul/pop sound. Nice beat that kept the crowd moving and had people - not just kids - dancing in front of the stage by evening's end. It was a pretty good crowd, and we saw several people we knew. We met Joan, Liza, and Annie there and shared a blanket with them. Right away, Sarah's PA-mate from camp and her mom greeted us. Later, we saw some former Cedar Mill staff members, my friend, Gillian and her family, and a former student attending with her family. It felt like a real community event. Liza, Sarah, and Emily spent some time walking around, playing frisbee, and buying food. Joan and I had a good visit. Nice evening!
I've always been a sucker for outdoor concerts. I just like the casual feel, and the act of coming together as a community with a shared interest. One of my earliest memorable dates with Larry was a Bluegrass Festival across the bay. I attended a number of shows, some with Larry, some with friends, at an outdoor venue in Atlanta, whose name I've forgotten. :-( We went to a number of outdoor concerts in Arizona with our friends, Bert and Patti. We've been to concerts at the zoo here a number of times (one's coming up later this month, in fact), and the Blues and Jazz Festival at Waterfront Park are always a good time. In fact, this is a good town for summer outdoor music, and we ought to go more often.
It seems, though, that we haven't made the right friends here for such events. It's much more fun when we have company. Yet, the friends we've made here don't seem to go for such events. Somebody needs to expand their horizons - or we need to expand our circle of friends. Joan is the exception to the rule - she has gone with me to a friend's neighborhood bluegrass event several times.
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to Garrison Keillor at the zoo in a few weeks. Good times yet to come!
I've always been a sucker for outdoor concerts. I just like the casual feel, and the act of coming together as a community with a shared interest. One of my earliest memorable dates with Larry was a Bluegrass Festival across the bay. I attended a number of shows, some with Larry, some with friends, at an outdoor venue in Atlanta, whose name I've forgotten. :-( We went to a number of outdoor concerts in Arizona with our friends, Bert and Patti. We've been to concerts at the zoo here a number of times (one's coming up later this month, in fact), and the Blues and Jazz Festival at Waterfront Park are always a good time. In fact, this is a good town for summer outdoor music, and we ought to go more often.
It seems, though, that we haven't made the right friends here for such events. It's much more fun when we have company. Yet, the friends we've made here don't seem to go for such events. Somebody needs to expand their horizons - or we need to expand our circle of friends. Joan is the exception to the rule - she has gone with me to a friend's neighborhood bluegrass event several times.
In the meantime, I'm looking forward to Garrison Keillor at the zoo in a few weeks. Good times yet to come!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Day Camp 2010
Sarah, Emily, and I spent last week at Mountaindale at Girl Scout Day Camp. My job this year was that of Supplies person. I was responsible for purchasing, gathering, and organizing the supplies needed for all the units and divisions at camp for the week. A trip to the storage shed yielded such useful items as twine, rope, Sharpies, clothespins, hand sanitizer, pocket knives, and compasses. A good start, based on what was on my list of necessities. I was able to fax my order for items at Mountaindale to the Ranger, so that was pretty easy to accomplish.
My next pre-camp job was to go shopping - never one of my favorite pursuits, especially when it involves comparison shopping. The main items on my list were zip-lock bags of varying sizes, foil, garbage bags, charcoal, candy, sno-cone syrup, and a buffet set-up for keeping food warm at the overnighter. Not too bad a list; I actually accomplished it pretty quickly, and with little trouble. (Except for those units who didn't contact me until two days before camp set-up. Hmmm...) A call to Party Pros, and the sno-cone machine for Friday was reserved.
Gathering... check. Purchasing... check. Now for the organizing part. That, I'm good at - and enjoy. I followed the lead of a friend and former Supplies person, and organized what I could from home into paper bags, labeled with the names of each unit. Then, when I got to camp, I added the stuff that was in the shed there to complete the "coffin boxes" for each unit.
Let me digress for a moment. Each unit (group of campers earning a specific badge) receives a box of supplies to use for the week. They are for use in setting up the unit site in the woods, keeping lunches cool in the ice chests, hanging projects or backpacks, etc. These supplies are packed in individual bins. These bins, as long as I've been around, have been called by the macabre name of "coffin boxes". I finally learned why. Apparently, many years ago, the boxes were long and slender and made of wood. They did look somewhat like coffins. Fast forward to the 21st century, when we are now using plastic bins that look nothing like coffins. Isn't it time to retire this term, and call them "unit boxes" or "supply boxes" or some such?
Back to the discussion: On Saturday before camp starts, we hold"Outdoor Training", followed by some time to set up the unit sites. My unit boxes were due to be ready by 2:00. At 11:30, someone told me in passing that they were ahead of schedule by an hour. Holy *#%@! I needed help to pull this off! I was sent PAs (Program Aides), and we kicked it into gear. I am happy to report we had everything ready by 12:50. Granted, I'd had no lunch, but the leaders were able to get their supplies and get set up. Whew! The hard part of my job was done - until Friday when it all had to be collected and stored again...
During camp week, my job was pretty easy. I hung out by the storage shed...
...surrounded by nature. Not a bad view to look at all week!
I was available during the day to supply units with whatever they might need: pocket knives, compasses, toilet paper, soap. These requests were random and certainly not constant, and invariably came during the odd moments I chose to use the bathroom or grab my lunch. Someone was always looking for me when I got back. I was the most popular person in camp - perhaps because I gave out candy! To keep me from being too lonely, units would stop by and sing to me. In exchange, I'd give out candy to each camper. The most creative/enthusiastic/energetic/prepared group received an award from me each day at Flag Down. As the week wore on, the stakes got higher, the efforts increased, and the quality improved immensely. I got to know all the campers (and leaders) in camp, and vice versa. Pretty fun!
Always alert to nature and the experiences it offers, I had an impressive specimen of a banana slug visit me one day, and adopted it as my pet. I introduced "Nanner" to each unit that visited me. He even posed for us next to his namesakes - and mimicked them! What a well-trained creature!
Both Sarah and Emily were PAs this year. Sarah was with a Brownie unit, and they just adore the big girls who lead their activities all week. Her unit was just up the trail from the Supply shed, so I saw them often.
Emily helped lead the Cooking Program; all the units in camp spent a scheduled time with her learning camp cooking. She taught them how to cook with coals in foil, in a dutch oven, and in a box oven. Next time we camp, she will be our resident expert. She may have exceeded my body of knowledge by now!
There were "theme" days, and campers and leaders were encouraged to participate. Emily and a friend observed "twins" day, and convinced some little girls that they were, indeed, sisters!
Our days started at Flag Up and ended at Flag Down. Clearly, a time for flag ceremonies, but also a chance to teach the girls (and the lone Boys unit) camp songs, do skits, and make announcements. Emily enjoyed leading some of the songs.
Sarah's unit was among those caught with a Mugwump (stuffed animal) hidden in their site one day, and had to perform the dreaded "Squirrelly" in front of all the campers.
I was arrested as part of a skit, and accused of kidnapping. I was, of course, innocent, and protested that fact loudly!
The end of the week brought the huge job of collecting and organizing the used supplies and packing them away for future use. I set up a self check-in system that worked pretty well, and enabled me to get things packed up and make a pretty clean break at the end of Friday.
All in all, we had a successful week: We all enjoyed ourselves, and did a service for Girl Scouts; Sarah earned 30 service hours, and had little girls hanging on her and adoring her (what more could you want?!); Emily grew as a leader and a camp cook, and made a great impression that will serve her well next year.
Will I be willing to do this job again next year? As long as we're in town, yes. It was pretty fun, and had just the right amount of detail and organizational requirements that suited my sensibilities.
My next pre-camp job was to go shopping - never one of my favorite pursuits, especially when it involves comparison shopping. The main items on my list were zip-lock bags of varying sizes, foil, garbage bags, charcoal, candy, sno-cone syrup, and a buffet set-up for keeping food warm at the overnighter. Not too bad a list; I actually accomplished it pretty quickly, and with little trouble. (Except for those units who didn't contact me until two days before camp set-up. Hmmm...) A call to Party Pros, and the sno-cone machine for Friday was reserved.
Gathering... check. Purchasing... check. Now for the organizing part. That, I'm good at - and enjoy. I followed the lead of a friend and former Supplies person, and organized what I could from home into paper bags, labeled with the names of each unit. Then, when I got to camp, I added the stuff that was in the shed there to complete the "coffin boxes" for each unit.
Let me digress for a moment. Each unit (group of campers earning a specific badge) receives a box of supplies to use for the week. They are for use in setting up the unit site in the woods, keeping lunches cool in the ice chests, hanging projects or backpacks, etc. These supplies are packed in individual bins. These bins, as long as I've been around, have been called by the macabre name of "coffin boxes". I finally learned why. Apparently, many years ago, the boxes were long and slender and made of wood. They did look somewhat like coffins. Fast forward to the 21st century, when we are now using plastic bins that look nothing like coffins. Isn't it time to retire this term, and call them "unit boxes" or "supply boxes" or some such?
Back to the discussion: On Saturday before camp starts, we hold"Outdoor Training", followed by some time to set up the unit sites. My unit boxes were due to be ready by 2:00. At 11:30, someone told me in passing that they were ahead of schedule by an hour. Holy *#%@! I needed help to pull this off! I was sent PAs (Program Aides), and we kicked it into gear. I am happy to report we had everything ready by 12:50. Granted, I'd had no lunch, but the leaders were able to get their supplies and get set up. Whew! The hard part of my job was done - until Friday when it all had to be collected and stored again...
During camp week, my job was pretty easy. I hung out by the storage shed...
...surrounded by nature. Not a bad view to look at all week!
I was available during the day to supply units with whatever they might need: pocket knives, compasses, toilet paper, soap. These requests were random and certainly not constant, and invariably came during the odd moments I chose to use the bathroom or grab my lunch. Someone was always looking for me when I got back. I was the most popular person in camp - perhaps because I gave out candy! To keep me from being too lonely, units would stop by and sing to me. In exchange, I'd give out candy to each camper. The most creative/enthusiastic/energetic/prepared group received an award from me each day at Flag Down. As the week wore on, the stakes got higher, the efforts increased, and the quality improved immensely. I got to know all the campers (and leaders) in camp, and vice versa. Pretty fun!
Always alert to nature and the experiences it offers, I had an impressive specimen of a banana slug visit me one day, and adopted it as my pet. I introduced "Nanner" to each unit that visited me. He even posed for us next to his namesakes - and mimicked them! What a well-trained creature!
Both Sarah and Emily were PAs this year. Sarah was with a Brownie unit, and they just adore the big girls who lead their activities all week. Her unit was just up the trail from the Supply shed, so I saw them often.
Emily helped lead the Cooking Program; all the units in camp spent a scheduled time with her learning camp cooking. She taught them how to cook with coals in foil, in a dutch oven, and in a box oven. Next time we camp, she will be our resident expert. She may have exceeded my body of knowledge by now!
There were "theme" days, and campers and leaders were encouraged to participate. Emily and a friend observed "twins" day, and convinced some little girls that they were, indeed, sisters!
Our days started at Flag Up and ended at Flag Down. Clearly, a time for flag ceremonies, but also a chance to teach the girls (and the lone Boys unit) camp songs, do skits, and make announcements. Emily enjoyed leading some of the songs.
Sarah's unit was among those caught with a Mugwump (stuffed animal) hidden in their site one day, and had to perform the dreaded "Squirrelly" in front of all the campers.
I was arrested as part of a skit, and accused of kidnapping. I was, of course, innocent, and protested that fact loudly!
The end of the week brought the huge job of collecting and organizing the used supplies and packing them away for future use. I set up a self check-in system that worked pretty well, and enabled me to get things packed up and make a pretty clean break at the end of Friday.
All in all, we had a successful week: We all enjoyed ourselves, and did a service for Girl Scouts; Sarah earned 30 service hours, and had little girls hanging on her and adoring her (what more could you want?!); Emily grew as a leader and a camp cook, and made a great impression that will serve her well next year.
Will I be willing to do this job again next year? As long as we're in town, yes. It was pretty fun, and had just the right amount of detail and organizational requirements that suited my sensibilities.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Deer in the 'hood
I love my neighborhood. As a crow flies, we live 5 miles from downtown Portland, but driving up the hill to our house, it feels like we're in the country. In fact, this whole area used to be farms and forest. A few stray barns still pop up here and there, and one neighbor around the corner has horses and chickens.
Today, Emily and I were coming home after running errands, and looked up ahead to see three deer walking single-file down the middle of our street. They were yearlings, new antlers just sprouting out of their heads, and were seemingly out for a mid-day stroll. They turned the corner and continued down the next street like they were off to join their buddies for a game of b-ball. Quite the sight.
Occasionally, they'll show up in our backyard. One day, a doe and her fawn were grazing in our backyard. They had walked in through the open front gate, but seemed confused as to how to leave. I went down to open the back gate for them, and spooked the mom. She jumped over the fence and left the poor baby stranded and disoriented. I backed off, and the fawn finally left the way it came in. Uh oh! Now the mother was in the back on the next street, and the baby was in front - alone! I'm sure they found each other eventually, but I felt very guilty for interfering with nature.
Today, alas, I didn't have a camera. But, I didn't interfere with our neighborhood deer and their apparent social appointment. I just enjoyed their visit.
Today, Emily and I were coming home after running errands, and looked up ahead to see three deer walking single-file down the middle of our street. They were yearlings, new antlers just sprouting out of their heads, and were seemingly out for a mid-day stroll. They turned the corner and continued down the next street like they were off to join their buddies for a game of b-ball. Quite the sight.
Occasionally, they'll show up in our backyard. One day, a doe and her fawn were grazing in our backyard. They had walked in through the open front gate, but seemed confused as to how to leave. I went down to open the back gate for them, and spooked the mom. She jumped over the fence and left the poor baby stranded and disoriented. I backed off, and the fawn finally left the way it came in. Uh oh! Now the mother was in the back on the next street, and the baby was in front - alone! I'm sure they found each other eventually, but I felt very guilty for interfering with nature.
Today, alas, I didn't have a camera. But, I didn't interfere with our neighborhood deer and their apparent social appointment. I just enjoyed their visit.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Lost!
OK, I admit it. I'm hooked. Sarah discovered the TV show, Lost, last summer, and watched it from the beginning in preparation for its final season. She was so involved, and talked about it so much, I became curious. As a result, she insisted I watch it with her over the summer.
Now, let me say, I made a conscious decision NOT to get involved in this drama when it first aired. I had a lot of programs I was already watching, and just didn't have the time for any more. Over the years, as more and more people talked about it, I became more intrigued - it truly did sound like something I would enjoy. But by then, it'd been on for so long that I didn't want to start watching in the middle of the series and feel lost (pun totally intended!) from the get-go.
Sarah reminded me, however, that I could watch the whole thing on DVD, start at the beginning, and go straight through. So, that's what we're doing. And I was grabbed immediately, in the very first episode. We are 2/3 of the way through Season 1 now, and I can't get enough. OMG! There are six seasons! I'm afraid I won't get anything else accomplished this summer because I just want to speed through to the next episode and see what is happening next!
Now, let me say, I made a conscious decision NOT to get involved in this drama when it first aired. I had a lot of programs I was already watching, and just didn't have the time for any more. Over the years, as more and more people talked about it, I became more intrigued - it truly did sound like something I would enjoy. But by then, it'd been on for so long that I didn't want to start watching in the middle of the series and feel lost (pun totally intended!) from the get-go.
Sarah reminded me, however, that I could watch the whole thing on DVD, start at the beginning, and go straight through. So, that's what we're doing. And I was grabbed immediately, in the very first episode. We are 2/3 of the way through Season 1 now, and I can't get enough. OMG! There are six seasons! I'm afraid I won't get anything else accomplished this summer because I just want to speed through to the next episode and see what is happening next!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
It's BEDA!
Sarah and I have decided to participate in BEDA - Blog Every Day in August. We're not even sure it's an official event, but it is in our house! I'm looking forward to blogging about Day Camp, CSA-inspired dishes, Xeda, Lost, and, inevitably, our trip to Yellowstone. (Hope our limited internet accessibility while traveling doesn't interfere too much with our BEDA intentions!) Who knows what else I'll come up with; it will be fun finding out!
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