This place is home

When we tell people in Colorado that we're moving to Boulder for a few years for a PhD program, they say we'll love it so much that we'll never move away from it. Like John Denver, it's true we've longed for more Rocky Mountain highs. And now we'll get a chance to explore there, become familiar with it, grow to love it, and embrace our time there. But I suspect most people we talk to in Colorado have never lived in Oregon - or the Pacific NorthWest for that matter. And those friends that have, now live in Oregon and the PNW. So many diverse environments. Such richness. Such solitude  Such grandeur. I'm sure we'll love Colorado and the area and the people, and for many good reasons. Of this I am certain. But here are more than just a few reasons why we call, and will continue to call, Oregon and the PNW our home. 

This place is special. 


This Place from Instrument on Vimeo.

There were a marvelous set of videos produced for Travel Oregon to bolster tourism in the state. This is a brief compilation of the seven top videos. Explore the full length videos of each of the seven, others submissions, and tons of other great Oregon material at Travel Oregon's 7 Wonders.


Perhaps the best IS saved for last. These stunning time-lapse shots taken in Oregon over several months capture a fraction of Oregon's splendor. For other incredible outdoor and living space footage, check out the other awesome stuff from Uncage the Soul Productions (see their link below this video).

Finding Oregon from Uncage the Soul Productions on Vimeo.

In short, I have no doubt we'll love Colorado, probably more than we even realize. But we also love the PNW. And we call it home. Probably always will. So have no fear, Oregon...we can't quit you.

Christmas Newsletter 2013

Happy Kwanzanukkahristmas Everyone! And a Merry Christmas, too!

We hope this newsletter finds you safe and well and wonderfully blessed this holiday season.

It has been another adventurous year for our family, full of summer travels and a number of changes on the horizon. We write this with coffee in hand and dogs at our feet realizing just how fast time is disappearing. Finn is so tall and READING now…wow! Little man is in pre-K and was a Christmas angel in his school pageant. Imagine…our wild man an ANGEL! Wonders truly never cease.

Finn is taking second grade (still at Muddy Creek Charter School) by storm. She’s doing so well! She has learned to read quite well and amazes us every day with how much she’s advanced. She’s discovered a love of math this year after it being her least favorite subject last year. She’s also kept up with her regular horse riding and has learned to work with our friend’s larger horse It has truly been beautiful to watch her confidence blossom. She still enjoys family bike rides to/from her school bus stop a few miles away. Her fascination with art and science is only deepening and she continues to fill our home with her many art and science projects. You can follow along on her classroom blog (a bit dated) at http://missmelissaclassblog.wordpress.com/.

Little man (Jeremiah August) is still at Good Samaritan School but now in Pre-K three mornings a week. He is LOVING school and all the friends he’s made there. He’s had a big year, learning his numbers and letters, how to fish, ride a scoot (bike without the pedals) and fallen in love with Legos and his teacher Ms. Meagan. One day as Cat picked him up from school and they were walking home, he turned around and yelled “goodbye Ms. Meagan” then turned to Mummy and said “she sure is beautiful”. You can find photos of his school year at http://www.goodsamschool.org/media-gallery.php .

Cat’s year has been filled with BUSYNESS. With Finn in school full-time and Jeremiah in Pre-K three mornings a week, work has been a bit less crazy of a juggling act. She’s still works from home to be available for our kiddos but her work has only increased. She loves directing the Family Violence Prevention program (part time) and has had the privilege of advocating for clients who live outside the state of Oklahoma. Additionally, she’s a still teaching women’s studies courses online for Oregon State University. It can be a crazy busy life at times but she loves the diversity and flexibility of being able to volunteer at our kids’ schools while teaching and growing her work for women’s health and safety of her tribe. Check out her program’s website at: http://fvp.estoo-nsn.gov/.

This has been an outstanding year for Jeremiah. After a hectic first year in his second Masters program, this one in the Public Policy program at Oregon State University (he took two years of course work in one year) he’s busy writing his thesis while applying for PhD programs…oh and publishing journal articles, blogs (NotQuiteConvergent) and presenting at and organizing science communication sessions at national meetings. Currently, he’s working on renewable energy policy, public perception/opinion, and potential impacts of renewable energy development on natural resources. He also teaches undergraduate classes. Despite the busy school schedule, he still reserves plentiful time for his family, playing with kiddos, making meals together with his beloved bride, and enjoying the fall harvest and bounty the Pacific Northwest offers.

After school got out last June we all began a summer of adventures. In July, all four of us (and our eldest dog, 10yo Quinn) floated the Grande Ronde River. It was four days on the water…beautiful sunshine, lots of splashing and wonderful fishing. We then spent a few days camping on the Oregon Coast with a large part of our family. In August we spent two weeks in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri and oh what a time we had! We visited family, went to the Eastern Shawnee Children’s Pow-Wow, toured/explored limestone caves, excavated salt crystals, visited where LauraIngalls Wilder lived as a little girl in Kansas and where she lived as an adult and wrote her books in Missouri…we even got to see Pa’s actual fiddle! We caught fireflies with family and had a wonderful time getting to know our cousins better over late evenings of visiting and hot sultry days of junior high school softball games. We came home in September so the kiddos could start school then all four of us took two weeks and went elk hunting in the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness area. What an experience that was, cold mornings but warm fall afternoons to explore the woods together and spend quality family time.

For those of you that love updates about our furry children, they are both doing remarkably well. We often forget how old they really are as they are in such good shape. Quinn will be 11 years old this Christmas and Sidda will be 9 in February. We have noticed Quinn slowing down a bit, not so much on hikes or backpacking adventures, but in the evenings after big days of exertion. He tends to sleep a little longer, prefers to sleep by the fire, and sometimes grunts a little bit when getting up, old man that he is. Sidda is still as crazy fast as ever and never seems to find anything but high speed gears. Only occasionally will we be able to fully wear her out…and usually only after she’s worn blisters on her pads. Stinky pinky, our sweet furry girl. They do grace and bless our lives so much. It’s hard to imagine them not being a part of our lives in the relatively near future. Perhaps we can clone them…

Our family has had an amazing adventurous year. God has truly blessed us! And we wish the same blessings on you and your families this coming year and beyond.

Astronauts

Underwear helmets? Water immersion landing suits? Special water landing vehicles? Electronic transmissions between ground control and Astronaut Zero? The rough life of kid astronauts and their parents (via text messages)...

Hooked on fishing and the great outdoors

On the mighty Willamette River!

Today, my daughter and I went on a date. Just to spend a little time together. Connect. Life's been a bit crazy for her since...well, since her brother was born, since mummy's business took off, since Papa went back to school, since she started at another school, since...you get the picture. When she was an infant/toddler, we used to get a lot of time just her and I. And we still get some time, but not enough to satiate either of our thirsts.

So we took half a day to just be together. And it rocked! Figuratively and literally.

Finding agates and quartz along the riverbanks.

After seeing me head out fishing several times in the recent weeks (early one morning here, late one afternoon there), she'd started asking me to take her steelhead fishing, too. And I had promised I'd find a time. Today was that time.

And let me tell you, she was excited!

Truth be told, so was I.

We packed her pole, my fly rod, some snacks, plenty of warm clothing and headed south along Highway 99 for places yet to be explored. We peered through the fog at geese hunkered down in foggy farmers' fields, played the animal guessing game, talked about school (and a bit of misbehaving in school last week), and just let the discussions ebb and flow as they may. After about twenty minutes, we found ourselves around Old River Road and decided to drive the back roads looking for a couple of County Parks that had thus far eluded us. In all the dense valley fog, they still eluded us. So we landed at one of our favorites, Irish Bend County Park.

We grabbed our gear and headed upriver toward a familiar gravel bar, wondering what adventure awaited us ahead. The water was running low for this time of year so we had our pick of spots along the bar. We found a spot that looked good and set down our gear. I asked Finn, "Are you ready?!" to which she replied, "Yep, but let's collect some agates first." So off we went in hot pursuit of semi-opaque rocks.

Oh the beautifully structured nonconformity of a gravel bar.

After a while of searching for and finding lots of various sized and colored agates and quartz crystals, we decided it was time to wet the lines. Finn set about her casting with aplomb, zinging her teardrop bobber and fly half way across the river with nearly every cast (she's been a pro caster since the age of 2!). Eventually she got her line a little fouled up and brought it to me to fix. I had her hold my fly rod while I untangled it. I could see her looking at my rod/reel with interest and she wondering aloud if she could fly fish sometime. I assured her she could and asked her when she'd like to try it to which she responded "Right now!" I asked her to wait for just a minute so I could finish untangling her line. I set about the task of releasing the knot in her line totally absorbed in my task only to be jolted back to reality with an incredibly piercing pain in my lip. I look down the bridge of my nose and am astonished to see a size 2X bullet head wooly bugger protruding from my lip, the recognition slowly dawning on me that this fly looks strikingly similar to one of the ones I have tied to my fly line. A fraction of a second later, the pain piercing my lip crescendos in rhythm as Finn continues whipping my fly rod around, wondering where the fly went.

It all happened so fast, I could hardly believe it. But there I was, attached to the end of my own fly rod at the hands of my beautiful daughter. I held the line firm, slowly tugged the hook to see how deeply it had set (it was fully through my lip) and hoped beyond hope that I had remembered to pinch the barb down. Luckily, I had so the extrication was without issue...except for the blood spurting from my lower lip. I looked up at Finn to see a look of shock, horror and mild bemusement on her face. I assured her that I was OK but it must have been met with disbelief as the look on her face wasn't one of comfort. We had a brief talk about listening to parents and unintended consequences, I washed my lip off and we both had a good laugh about it.

At this point, we decided to hang up the rods for the day, which was probably a good thing since it was so cold we'd had to keep breaking our lines free from our line guides as they would ice up every few casts. It was her first (but surely not last) experience with her line guides icing up. In her words, it was so cold, "It feels like my hands are dead! This is awesome!" But before we left, I wanted Finn and I sit down at the river's edge, in quiet, and just listen to the sounds for a few minutes...see where our minds wandered. I told her that this was one of my favorite things about being on the river, just letting my mind clear itself and wander. So we did. At one point, she asked me to close my eyes to listen. I obliged. Then we shared our thoughts. She was reminded of the sounds from a multi-day rafting trip down the John Day River a couple of years ago. I was washed over with emotion thinking about how much I love this wonderful creature that Cat and I brought into this world. She looked into my eyes, smiled, gave a muted giggle and hugged me.

Melt. My. Heart.

Listening to what the river has to say.

We beat feet back to Corvallis and I tried to convince her to have some spicy Mexican food with me but she had her heart set on a hand-spanked Painted Hills Natural Beef burger and fries from Block 15's menu. Reluctantly (riiiight!), I obliged. And was glad I did because the waitress captured a wonderful shot of Finn and me. We tweaked the image in Instagram because Finn wanted a "black and white, older look". We were both happy with the outcome. And I was pleased with the French Cognac barrel-aged Louis le Whopper craft beer I had with my spicy chicken grinder sammy and mushroom/sage soup of the day.

It was a winning day, all around. Gosh I love this girl...

Lunch date at Block 15. 

In answer to your question? No, this experience will not keep me from sticking more fish lips. But I AM glad that this little lesson for Finn seems to have stuck.

The crinkle in the sheets

LJ at my office earlier in the day.

Have you ever heard your child's bed crinkle when tucking them in? I'm not talking about the sound of the wet-protection cover. Or books on the bed. Or fresh lined dried sheets. I'm talking about a real, authentic snap and crackle.

I just heard it.

And it truly startled me. Not because it was a foreign sound. No. Not at all. In fact, it is quite a familiar sound. Rather, it was shocking because the sound was so out of context. Much like seeing someone you vaguely know but only ever in a certain situation. Then you see them outside of that context and they look very familiar but you're not sure quite why. And then it hits you. That sort of startling.

So I investigated. Upon investigating found - tucked between his sheets, between his blankets, under his pillow, tucked beside his bed and the wall, tucked in nearly every nook and cranny of his bed - Fall leaf after Fall leaf. Everywhere. 

And suddenly, like a bolt, I remembered how earlier in the day he'd come running up to me and told me how excited he was to find Fall leaves everywhere while on a morning walk with mummy. He'd said to me, with such a proud look in his eyes, that he'd collected them and I had remembered wondering at that moment what he did with them, but hadn't asked. 

Holding this handfull of Fall leaves I'd gathered from his bed, I turned around to look at him and the biggest, beaming, "I'm so proud of myself" and "I told you I found the leaves" smile bathed his entire face. It was truly remarkable to behold. Rather than chide him for having leaves in his bed - as my first inclination was to do - I just gathered him up in my arms, hugged him tight, and told him how truly proud of him I am. (I'm choking back the tears right now just remembering it as I type this). He is truly a remarkable person.

Some fall leaves from little Jeremiah's bed.

LJ and his cousin David!

Coloring on the tables during a man date for lunch at Block 15.

Ready to tackle a day at school!

The fellas.

Proud of his cubby and lunch box.

Eatin' oxalis (clover) atop Mary's Peak.

Cousin Emma, Mummy, and little man!

Catching the Sunlight

This morning as the sun breaks over the top of Marys Peak, bathing the forest floor of Marys Peak Campground, I point out to my daughter how beautiful it is. She, working on an art project at the picnic table, looks around thoughtfully for a few quiet moments, then closes hers eyes, turns toward the sun peeking through the tree tops, lets it wash over her face and says - somewhat introspectively and with her eyes still closed - "Papa, I'm catching some of the sunlight." Incredible. She, and life, is truly incredible.

Finn resting on my arm as we drive forest roads.

Finn working on her art table at one of our camping spots.

Finn in the evening light atop Marys Peak.

Sunset through the wires (Bald Hill).

Camping - the three amigos

Setting sun over our camp - site A19, Moonshine Park.

I tend to get some quiet time now and again. Or, at least, time away from the family and to myself (I often fill it with things, though). But Cat rarely gets some of her own time...and has been needing it. Time to spend without the chaotic distractions that are a part of normal daily life in Western cultures. So, after looking at our mad-crazy summer calendards, we planned it.

I decided to take the kiddos on a 2-day, 1-night camping trip figuring that'd give her a couple of days of much-needed respite. We headed over to one of our favorite local, coast range spots, Lincoln County's Moonshine Park. When it's hot in the valley, it's always 10-15 degrees cooler there along the Siletz River. And with plenty of beaches and river to play on and swim in, paved trails to hike and ride bikes and scooters and miles of prime summer steelhead fishing, what more could we ask for?!

So off we headed, with just a tent, blankets, some food, and lots of outdoor toys. We fished, panned for gold, swam in the river, built forts in the woods, hunted for mushrooms, rode our bikes and scooters, read books, cut firewood, sat around the glowing campfire, and watched the stars.

Papa, the water strider jumped out!

Nothin' yet, Papa...

Happily passed out on the way home.

And we just drank each other in until, at days end, the kiddos passed out happily in the car on our way back to mummy.

I so love my children. And my wonderful friend, spouse, and partner. And perhaps the best part - we came back to a rejuvenated mums!

A little afternoon canoeing fun

With all the recent rains here in the Willamette Valley, the rivers have really come up, flooding many low-lying areas. And then the rains stopped and the sun came out today! And according to the weather forcast, it's the last sun we'll probably see for the next several days. So we decided to take out canoe out for it's first voyage of 2012 - a little paddle in flooded Willamette Park. We all felt a little shaky at first, dusting off our canoeing smarts, but had a blast. It was so warm Finn wanted to just relax in her seat and take a nap, mums just soaked it all in, and little man was a worry wort the whole time. "I no like it. It's sinking!" he says. "Want to go home. No more boat. Want my boatiak" (that's what he calls our extra stable Zodiac). After the paddle and everything was packed up, he says "Tanks for da ride, Papa. Want to go back out der on da canoe again!" Silly, fickle boy.

Getting ready to offload the canoe at Willamette Park.

Getting ready to launch

On the flooded foot path, near the parking lot bike racks

Me and my girl, post-paddle

A double present

While preparing homemade Yumm! bowls for lunch for the family today, Finn comes up to me and says, very matter-of-factly,

"I have something I have to do for you today, Papa, and you probably shouldn't be here since it's a surprise. Maybe you should probably go out of the house for a little bit. Maybe you should go find Dan (Sobota) and go fishing for a little bit while I work on your surprise."

OK! Count me in! I get two presents in one! Now to go check the ODFW recreation report and river levels...

Our community garden plot

We've had so much fun over the last few years gardening in our community garden plot. This year, we had a bumper crop of peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, squash, broccoli, sunflowers, pumpkins, leeks, spinach, etc. Just before the first hard frost of the fall, we all headed out to the plot to get the last of our produce and Cat had the great idea of getting a classic fall harvest family shot. We took a few and had a great time. Happy Harvest!

Woodcutting Day

 

There's nothing quite like a day spent out in the woods. And this particular Saturday was no different. Our good friend Dan S. joined us for a day of woodcutting in the Oregon Coast Range outside of Nashville up on the Siletz River. Little Jeremiah wasn't feeling so good so Finn and I were going originally going to be the only ones going besides Dan. But just before Dan arrived at the house, we all decided we didn't want to spend the day apart so we hurriedly packed additional food, supplies and a couple of toy trucks and out the door we rushed, excited for the day's adventure. Four hours later, we had cut, split and loaded two cord of seasoned alder, the kids were exhausted, and Dan's and my backs were tightening up (guess we're not getting any younger!). 

The fellas...just before our backs tightened up! ;)

Enjoying sitting on the wood pile.

Dan and I both had additional things we needed to get done so we all headed home around noon to unload and stack the wood and take some ibuprofen (wink). Little man couldn't stand the thought of me working out in the garage stacking wood without him so he did his best to help with the afternoon's work...and I was proud! :) All in all, it was a wonderful family day together and felt so rewarding knowing that we were putting up wood to keep our family warm next winter.

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Biking to school

Finn just loves it - and, quite frankly, so do I - when we get to bike to her school together. I'm often already at the office when she heads to school with her brother and mummy - usually walking together - so when I get the opportunity to take her, we both usually pounce on it. It's the little things in life that seem to be the most rewarding to me. Is it the same for you?

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Fort Clatsop and the Lewis and Clark Expedition: an educational and fun family field trip

Fort Clatsop NHP sign. Beautiful.

This weekend, as our Christmas gift to each other and our family, we made a trip over to the coast and explored the northern coast region of Oregon. Partly as a result of the fee free dates at National Parks - this one in honor of MLK, Jr. day/weekend - we found ourselves at Lewis and Clark National Park's Fort Clatsop. We had also heard that this weekend was the largest live reenactment of the year, timed to coincide with the winter the expedition spent at the Fort in 1805-1806. What we didn't know, in advance, was that - similar to the time period - they were prepared to trade. Unbeknownst to them, however, we had dried apricots in the car...and Finn drives a hard bargain. And dried fruit was in high demand amongst the inhabitants of the fort (she knew this from our reading the signs in the interpretive center).

A living history "explorer" from the Lewis and Clark expedition

Before we went and retrieved the dried fruit, Toussaint Charbonneau - husband of Sacagawea - wanted to know what manner of thing was her umbrella? She said it kept the rain off and was called an umbrella. And he said, "Oh! Like a little roof!" She then offered it to him and he inquired what she might want in exchange for it. She declared - in a very matter of fact way - that she wanted his musket rifle. To which he thanked her and said that his musket was one of his most prized possessions and worth many beaver pelts so no thank you. Later, after we retrieved the dried fruit for trade, he offered her one white trade bead for an apricot for his wife. To which Finn replied, "I already have white beads at home". So he said, in his broken French-English "You are right, white trade beads aren't very special and worth very much. How about the white bead along with a special 'verde' green bead...but for TWO apricots?" She agreed and they signed to each other that it was a good trade (the sign is a fist over your heart and the other arm folded cross-wise across the other arm and over the chest, with moving one arm away from you in a flat plane and opening the fist as you do).

Captain William Clark didn't find it necessary to trade anything. Said the other members of his party should have first selection of the apricots. From another French boatman (whose name I have forgotten), she offered her apricots. He pulled out some beads to which she interrupted, "I have lots of beads and that last man traded me some, too. Do you have anything else?" He dug around for a bit and found his last military uniform button to which she beamed and accepted for one apricot. From another gentleman we encountered outside of the fort (he was out on a hunt with the hunting party), she got several small, blue trade beads and one small red bead for one apricot. He loved it so much he wanted another. So she traded him another apricot "but not for any more beads", she said. She had been watching him measure out beads for her in a small, tin thimble. He saw her eying it and, with raised eyebrow, surmised that she might want it (and asked her the like). She was beaming again, almost as if her smile went ear to ear and all she could do was nod vigorously in affirmation. The trade was made but she was too embarrassed to sign good trade (we talked about it later) but was beside herself proud of trading with them (as were both Cat and I)!

I think the experience made a distinct impression on her. And Cat and I had so much fun watching her. We also loved listening - via story - to the hardships they experienced. In time, I think Finn will love hearing the stories, too. But it was a wonderful experience, made all the more acute by the bone-chilling torrential rains and pounding wind we traipsed around in for a couple of hours while at the Fort. What a great time...

Rainy deluge and dreams of sunny hikes

It's been raining like the dickens (etymology?) for several days. Most of the local rivers have risen to near or are at flood stage now, especially along the North Coast. Everything's sopping wet. And we love the water...but our whole household is longing for a sunny hiking break. So we figured the next best thing was to go back and look at some of our hiking photos from this past year. And it worked. Except now we're REALLY longing for a sunny break in the weather, and it looks like it's coming this weekend! Nevertheless, we thought we'd share some of our (mostly) sunny outdoor photos from this past year with ya'll.

("Huh! How 'bout that?! I said ya'll. I guess I AM local!") name that movie...