Ashleigh's Adventures

20 Hats Completed

2011-11-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

And these 6 hats make 20! CPS is picking them up today along w/3 blankie bears.

Joker-a very good dog waiting for his home

2011-08-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Joker is a sweet boy who is currently at the Coos County Animal Shelter. He's been there since the end of April. People walk right by him all the time because he's a big, black, pitbull. But, he's so much more than that. He gets along well with most other dogs, will chase cats if they run from him, but otherwise is fine with them, loves people and most especially kids! He is neutered, about a year old, has pretty good leash manners, and knows most basic commands. I'm sharing a link to a video of him playing fetch w/my 11yr old daughter Riley. He really is this good, and this was right after we took him out of his kennel to the play yard...and trust me, I don't trust my kids around just anyone, but I'd trust Joker with them w/out hesitation:

http://youtu.be/lA9p6Vv9GME

Mascot of the Day!

2011-07-31T07:55:00.001-07:00

Michelle entered our little girl, Clarice, in a contest at the Animal Rescue Site called Mascot of the Day...Clarice was picked for today!!! You can check out the page & vote for the Coos County Animal Shelter in the Shelter Challenge here:

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/ClickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3&ThirdPartyClicks=ERA_073111_ARS_Html

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2011-03-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

Hope Everyone Had a Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-26T13:41:00.000-08:00

I had a great Christmas...got a wonderful new quilt and some lollipops! We'll do pictures later when I get it all set up. Michelle did the small tree this year, she didn't feel like hauling out all the ornaments and stuff & doing it all herself, so we just set up on the dining room table. It still turned out well & everyone had a great holiday.

It's starting to look like Christmas

2010-12-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

December Mother Bear Project bear holding a couple of the angel ornaments Michelle has been making for friends. And yes, December bear has a definate Christmas type thing going on.

Close up of the face. Michelle likes this face best of the ones she has made.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

Have a safe & happy Halloween!

Finally, Michelle gets back to her projects!

2010-09-12T14:03:00.001-07:00

Well, Michelle finally sat down & got some projects done...she's been getting her Angels For Hope done weekly, but this is the first time she was done by the weekend. She also FINALLY finished the pink blankie bear that has been a work in progress for over a month-they never take that long! And last but not least she finished September's Mother Bear Project bear...she's usually a month ahead on this, so she's running late by her standards.

Tomorrow Gidgett the Foster Chihuahua gets to be driven to Eugene to meet up with the mother of her new little girl. Gidgett just got her last bath here & is currently running around acting crazy like dogs do when they get out of the bath. She will be missed, but it's a great comfort to know that she's going to a home where she is much wanted & will be greatly loved.

Drag racing in Woodburn

2010-08-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

We raced this weekend in Woodburn...They have a big JR dragster Wally race on Saturday, although they let the big cars race also, and then on Sunday it's the All Ford Dragrace/Show/Swapmeet. Doug got perfect light on Saturday! He got stickers for his car & also a t-shirt showing that he's in the Perfect Light Club.

Riley went to the quarter finals on the Wally race, but went out first round during the regular et race & the Run Tough race. She was having major car issues...first she fouled a spark plug, then fuel filter, and then had a flat tire, and finally her clutch driven broke into pieces...by the time we're done it will be a new car!

Here's Michelle's camera bag. It contains video camera, digital camera, cell phone, me, and sometimes Gregg's camera...and on this trip the chargers for all of the above. Saturday the temperatures had to be almost 100 degrees...not good for us Coasties. Thankfully, our hotel had a swimming pool...our first stop after the races.

This was the first time Doug has run a 1/4 mile track. He broke some stuff also. Day one he broke his driveline...it was changed over to his spare. Day two he broke the spare driveline-Gregg & Dean patched one together from the broken two, his starter...again had to be patched together since we didn't have a spare & couldn't find one, and the thing that did him in was his tach broke & he didn't know where to shift. We gotta teach him old school and how to listen to his motor to know when to shift.

Today is Riley's 11th birthday, so a special shout-out:Happy Birthday Riley!

August Mother Bear Project Bear

2010-08-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Michelle just finished her August bear today & got him/her mailed off. She made this one a sleeping bear...just to shake things up a little.

Drag Race Weekend

2010-08-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here is Riley getting ready to make a pass on Saturday. She didn't run on Sunday because she would've been the only JR dragster & that's no fun.

Her friend Tess came out w/us on Saturday to watch Riley run. She got 2nd place on Saturday. She was beaten by Shannon, someone new to our track, but who has been racing for long time & has a really cool car.

Doug ran on Saturday & Sunday.

You can't see it real well in this picture, but there's rubber from his tires from about where I am clear up over the trunk from him doing his burn outs before the race.

He's not really happy about it, now he's got a mess to clean off his car. He went out 2nd round both days, but had a good time!

Garden & Doggie Updates

2010-07-27T17:51:00.001-07:00

Here I am w/Gidgett the foster Chihuahua. We had her for about 10 days & then a family took her for a trial week. They returned her over the weekend while Michelle was at her class reunion. However, she has a great new home lined up & will be staying with us until her new people can make it up here from Southern California to get her.

Here I am in a pot of Dahlias & Impatiens that Michelle recently planted. They are all a pretty happy pink color.

Here is the bush Michelle planted with the Great Crocus Experiment crocuses. They still haven't popped up, but the bush is growing fast!

The Nasturtiums & lavender are blooming in the front planter...

And it looks like we will have tomatoes after all! After the spring we had we weren't sure we were gonna get any tomatoes.

Also still blooming in the front planter...

And we have a few apples! Not as many as last year, but again we didn't think we'd get any after the wet, cold spring we had this year.

And look at this planter on the front porch! Michelle loves the little pink flowers and the geranium has been blooming like crazy this year. I'm gonna have to be better about prompting Michelle to do MY blogs & not just HER blog...but we have been crazy busy lately. Hope everyone else is having a great summer too!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T05:03:00.001-07:00

Have a safe & happy 4th of July!

July 3rd car show in Lakeside

2010-07-03T17:03:00.001-07:00

From left to right:Riley's JR dragster, Doug's 66 Mustang, and Doug's friend JR's 57 Ford in the Lakeside July Celebration car show.

Here I am on Doug's car...I'm the little blue bear in front of the windshield.

Here's the plaque Doug won...pretty cool huh, his first car show & he wins a prize!

And here's Doug proudly showing off his plaque.

And of course, not to be out done, Riley won a plaque also! Gregg won the 50/50 drawing so it was a good day for the Kirby clan all the way around!

The Great Crocus Experiment-Failure

2010-06-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

As you can plainly see, this is just NOT working out. So we declare this experiment a failure. But...

They're getting a 2nd chance in this pot outside. They are planted now in a half circle around Ashleigh. Will keep you updated on how it works out now that they are planted.

More June Bears

2010-06-21T14:06:00.001-07:00

Michelle finished up 3 more Blankie Bears for Child Welfare. That makes a grand total of 7 for this month & a personal best!

Tomorrow I'll update you on how the Great Crocus Experiment didn't work at ALL.

June Bears

2010-06-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Michelle has been busy making bears! These are the four blankie bears she has done so far for Children's Services...she's almost done w/a fifth & made one for her friend for an upcoming baby shower (more later). She's got her July Mother Bear Project bear done, and here's next week's Angel for Hope angel. As you can tell two of the blankie bears are "scrappy" bears, but sometimes those turn out the best!

Great Crocus Experiment-week 14

2010-05-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Well, we missed week 13, Riley had an ear infection and we had to deal with that. So this is week 14. We're not impressed with the progress that has been made in the frig...

So, we've moved them to the window & we'll see how this goes. If we're not happy w/this progress, they're going into the dirt.

Bears & Bears & Bears! Oh My!

2010-05-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

Michelle got her June Mother Bear Project done & it will be mailed out today...

And here are the four blankie bears she completed & turned in for May to Children's Services.

Great Crocus Experiment-Week 12

2010-05-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, I really think there's some growth here...one more week & they come out of the fridge regardless.

Drag Racing Today

2010-05-15T15:44:00.001-07:00

Great day to drag race! It was nice out & we had a lot of fun. Here I am with Riley...

Here I am trying to hitch a ride in Doug's shirt pocket...

Riley got a first place tropy...

And so did Gregg!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Great Crocus Experiment-week 11

2010-05-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Week 11 & maybe there's slightly more growth going on...two more weeks & they come out regardless...if there's enough growth, we'll do it their way, if not we'll do it our way.

The Great Crocus Experiment-week 10

2010-05-02T21:14:00.001-07:00

Week 10, there's only supposed to be three weeks to go, so stuff better start growing soon, or they're going out into the garden.

Good Bears of the World

2010-04-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Michelle & I joined Good Bears of the World! Michelle is a Member at Large & I'm a Booster, since we don't have a den closer than Portland, we'll just be our own den. Right now we're going to try to save up enough money to buy a case of Good Bears to donate to the Women's Crisis Center, since we already donate blankie bears to Child Welfare. I also got an award for patience, cuz my paperwork got lost in the shuffle & they had to find it & sign me up.

Great Crocus Experiment-week 9

2010-04-25T21:07:00.001-07:00

Okay, Michelle & I aren't really patient people on a good day. We're not seeing a whole lot of growth here. It's still got four more weeks according to the instructions, but if the growth is not occurring, we're going rogue & doing it our way.

April Blankie Bears

2010-04-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

Michelle got four Blankie Bears done for Child Welfare this month...four seems to be about average. We need more help with this project. Oh, and I have a surprise coming up this week that I will announce probably Monday. Check back tomorrow when we'll have week 9 of the Great Crocus Experiment.

Finally, Spring!

2010-04-24T18:07:00.001-07:00

Finally, we have continuous days of sunshine and flowers blooming!

The apple tree is in on the blooming too! Michelle loves it when the apple tree blooms.

The pansys are out in full force on the front porch.

And the viola's are growing in the garden quite nicely.

And there's still tyme to hang out w/Garden Goose!

Great Crocus Experiment-week 8

2010-04-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

Week 8-some more growth on the top...few more weeks before they can leave the fridge though.

The Great Crocus Experiment-week 7

2010-04-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry we're a little late this week. The picture was taken on Sunday, but Michelle has been sick & then had to work so we didn't get it downloaded until today. We've got a little more growth on top, but still not enough to take out of the fridge yet.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter from Ashleigh & Michelle!

Great Crocus Experiment-week 6

2010-04-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

We've got some more growth, but still not enough to remove from the 'frig. We also have some more budding on the middle one and possibly the front one. Back next week with more.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2010-04-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today, Michelle & I, colored our Easter Eggs! We boiled them yesterday, and today they get color!

Three of them got color & shrink wrap. We shrink wrap first & then color, but you can also color & then shrink wrap.

And here they are all done. Michelle wanted to try pastel colored eggs this year, so we just added a little lemon juice to the water w/the dye pellets. I think they turned out very pretty. We've also got some stickers to put on them if we want.

Ashleigh at work

2010-03-30T09:04:00.001-07:00

Here I am at work yesterday. As you can see I have a comfy chair & lots of stuff to do. The monitor to my right is the telephone, the monitor to the left is CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch). There's one more on the far left, and that one is the radio.

And here is a bag of 4 blankie bears that Michelle gave to Child Welfare yesterday. They gave her a nice thank you card that was signed by everyone at Child Welfare, that was really nice, we weren't expecting it.

Great Crocus Experiment-week 5

2010-03-28T19:16:00.001-07:00

Week 5-I think the tips look more green, and possibly more growth. I still see no roots, this concerns me, I think there should be roots.

Volunteering at the Animal Shelter

2010-03-27T14:26:00.001-07:00

This week during Spring Break, Michelle, Riley & I volunteered at the Coos County Animal shelter. We walked dogs, groomed & cuddled cats, baked homemade dog biscuits, and Riley made Happy Socks for the kitties. She's also been busy taking in cans to raise money to buy food & kitty litter. She raised enough money to buy 3lbs of cat food, 2 lbs of dog food, and 5 lbs of kitty litter!

This little charmer is an American Eskimo & was one of the dogs we walked...Michelle's favorite! If we weren't already owned by three dogs this one would come home with us. He's very smart, and good with kids. He also is just one of the happiest dogs we've ever met. We call him Fluffball.

This is one of the kitties we groomed & cuddled. He's a neutered male and very playful.

Here's Riley with one of her biggest fans. Each day we came, as soon as she walked into the kitty room, this cat & his almost twin would mob Riley! They just love her...as you can tell the sentiment is returned.

We're not sure if this little love is male or female...kinda aloof & stayed under the table watching us. I think he/she is very regal.

Michelle loves the face on this guy...although he's a little irritated with her here. She was chasing him around the kitty room trying to get a picture & he just wanted to be left alone. After Michelle put her camera away, he cuddled right up with her, so all was forgiven.

The Great Crocus Experiment week 4

2010-03-21T20:23:00.001-07:00

Week 4-there's a little more growth on top, but still not enough to remove from the frig yet, and I'm not seeing any roots. I wonder if there's supposed to be roots.

Drag Racing & Tadpoles are Back!

2010-03-20T16:24:00.001-07:00

Today at the track we had arm drop races...these are races like they do on PINKS. Basically it was a nice test & tune for Doug & Gregg. Doug is now racing the 1950 Ford pickup. You can see me in the window looking out.

And here is Gregg checking the air pressure in his tires in the staging lanes. Riley didn't get to race because her car is street legal.

While at the track, Riley, did find some tadpoles though! So tadpoles were caught and added to our little backyard pond. You can just see one coming down the water being poured out of the bottle.

The here's one of the about two dozen that Riley caught today. This week while Doug & Riley are on Spring Break we're going to relocate the roses & then plant the butterfly garden & maybe get a wading pool set up for more tadpoles.

And the Parade of Bunnies Continues

2010-03-18T19:06:00.001-07:00

Here are Doug & Riley's Easter bunnies...Riley's is the pink one, Doug's is the fuzzy one.

And here is this year's Easter Bunny! She has a dress that almst exactly matches my Easter dress!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T19:16:00.001-07:00

Great Crocus Experiment week 3

2010-03-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Week 3 & we think we're starting to see some top growth. Not a lot, but some. And notice on the middle one...there's a new sprout!

New Project Bears

2010-03-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

Michelle has a blankie bear & Mother Bear Project bear finished up. She's about half done w/a 2nd blankie bear. When she has 4-5 done she will give them to Child Welfare. She's hoping to mail out the Mother Bear Project bear on Monday. Can you tell by the colors that she's ready for Spring & Easter?

Bring on the Bunnies!

2010-03-09T09:31:00.001-08:00

Easter is coming! That means we begin the parade of bunnies! The bunny on the left is going to Booger & the bunny on the right is going to T.Rose. They will be on the postal bus sometime this week. Michelle is still working on bunnies so stay tuned there will be more to come.

Getting ready for St Patrick's Day

2010-03-08T18:27:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the vintage bears that live at our house. We thought it would be fun to get dressed up for St Patrick's Day, so Michelle bought us these green ribbons to wear & made Paddy O'Bear a green hat. I, of course, am wearing my St Patrick's Day hat & ribbon also.

The Great Crocus Experiment-Week 2

2010-03-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Week 2-Not a lot of change so far. But since the directions said it would 11-12 weeks, this is not terribly surprising. Check back next Sunday, maybe there will be something.

The Great Crocus Experiment-Day 1

2010-02-28T15:38:00.001-08:00

One of Michelle's Birthday presents was a kit to grow crocuses inside the house! The directions are to fill up the vases with water to just below the narrow part, put the bulb in w/the pointy side up, and put in the refrigerator for 12-16 wks or until the bulb sprouts & is 1.5in tall. Today is day one. We will keep track of the progress weekly until we have blooms!

Flowers & Friends & last day of February

2010-02-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

Michelle got these pretty flowers from Gregg for her Birthday. They are very cheerful!

Check it out! The Narcissus (paperwhites) are blooming! Not only are they pretty, but they sure smell good.

It's lovely out today & the Garden Goose felt like hanging out with me for awhile...here we are tip toeing through the herbs.

And my friends the Gnome and Turtle were out enjoying the sun too! The Gnome sure is strong, he's holding me up with one hand!

Happy Birthday to Me! And Michelle too.

2010-02-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

For my birthday Michelle got me a new bedding set! Isn't it pretty, I love the pink roses. She also cleaned up & organized my bedroom for me, and painted my bookshelves to match the green leaves on my bedding and put my books & what nots on it! Its' so great to have my books safely on the shelves.

Here's a picture so you can see how great it all looks.

Doug & Riley got me this great little wagon & Michelle get me the little kitty. I'm having a great birthday! Michelle got new bedding too (just a coincidence, Michelle has been wanting new bedding & so got some for me & Gregg got the hint & got Michelle the stuff she'd been wanting), and it's a wonderful chocolate brown sheets and matching comforter. She's quite pleased also. Now if it would just stop raining for a little while so we could play outside it'd be perfect.

Look What's Blooming at Mingus Park

2010-02-23T08:59:00.001-08:00

Not quite Spring yet, but there are still some blooms in Mingus park. The pink blooms on this tree are very pretty.

The crocus are still blooming at the park...ours bloomed out already.

Ya gotta love the Magnolia blossums, they are epically pretty.

Close up on the inside of a crocus blossom.

These pretty white flowers are blooming on the pussy willow tree. They almost don't look real.

Check out how this branch is growing. It's all over the place & very interesting.

I just love the Magnolia tree...Riley thinks we need one for our house. It's raining again today, but that's good for the bulbs we planted yesterday, so today we'll just putter around inside. Tomorrow of course is the big day!

A weeding we will go, a weeding we will go...

2010-02-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

So that we can plant Daffodils! Aren't the mini ones too cute!

And Narcissus! Doesn't every love Paperwhites?

And more mini daffodils! They were so cute we had to get two batches. Took forever to weed the front planter...I think Grandpa Kirby had it right. If you spit on the ground here it will grow! Took three old 40lb pellet stove bags to clean up the pile of vegatation the wasn't welcome.

And here is Riley at her game on Saturday. Yeah, she's the smallest player on her team, but she's mighty!

My birthday is coming & the weather is beautiful!

2010-02-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

The weather is beautiful & we're stuck in an office when we could be out cruising in our car...Michelle insists it's HER car, but come on really???

Or we could be at the beach watching the waves & sealions...

Pretty soon our apple will tree will look like this again!

And we could be out weeding in the garden like my friend Mr Panda...in fact that's the plan for tomorrow afternoon.

And my birthday is on Wednesday! I can't wait! Michelle promises she got me some good presents, but won't even give me a hint what they might be.

New Friends at our House

2010-02-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Michelle has been out hitting the thrift shops & a couple of antique stores. We got a cute little bunny, who has volunteered to be our Easter bunny this year. He's a Barton's Creek Collection by Gund, and his name is Carlie. We got another Eeyore too! This one is dressed in an Easter egg & has a silver foot that is engraved with Easter 2002. And at the last place we went we found this wonderful old teddy bear! He's fully jointed, but no tags or markings, so Michelle has some research to do. We also found this wonderful, vintage, homemade Raggedy Ann that was just too sweet to leave behind.

The weather here has been warm & sunny, but the fog rolled in tonight, so we're not sure what tomorrow's weather will look like. A few more days of this wonderful weather & we'll be able to start working in the garden!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2010-02-14T07:44:00.001-08:00

I know this picture is from last year! But, Michelle's computer at home is having issues so we can't upload new pictures at this time. I'm having a good Valentine's Day so far though. Michelle made me a really nice card and I got a boquet of flowers. Gregg got Michelle a cute little bear that makes smoochy noises and some candies and a lovely card, so she's having a good Valentine's Day even though she has to work. We'll get new pictures up as soon as the computer is working, our "computer guy" is going to come look at it today.

Weiner dogs & Crocuses

2010-02-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

Michelle got Booger's Dachsund done. Didn't he turn out cute?! He weighs almost 2 lbs & is weighted everywhere. The doll is for Booger's mom Nicole. She needs a little pick me up. Rosie Posie is getting a Raggedy Andy to go with her Raggedy Ann from last time.

And look what's growing in the garden! Crocuses! Michelle is very excited, these are a favorite.

Bears, raindrops, and your moment of Zen

2010-02-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Michelle finished another Mother Bear Project bear...This one is just wearing a sweater, and she's getting better at shaping the head/ears. She's also finished four more blankie bears, but turned over three of them before she took the picture. They were a pink & red one for Valentines day, a light green one, and a light green & pink one...I'm thinking she was ready for spring. This lavender one she used a different type of yarn than she usually uses, but it turned out okay.

Michelle did get a pretty good picture of a raindrop finally. She took like 20 of them yesterday & this was the one she liked best.

And now for your moment of Zen...this is the goldfish pond at Mingus Park. It was drizzly yesterday so this looks really atmospheric doesn't it.

Happy Groundhog's Day!!!

2010-02-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

That's right it's one of Michelle's favorite holidays again, it's Groundhog's Day! While out & about looking for Punxsutawney Phil, I ran into some other dapper groundhogs getting ready for their big day.

And here are some more all dressed up for their big day. They certainly go all out don't they. But look how handsome.

And here he is! Punxsutawney Phil himself! So what do you think, did he or didn't he see his shadow? Are we doomed to 6 more weeks of winter or is spring just around the corner? If you'd like to know the answer to this burning question click on this link: www.visitpa.com

Raindrops and Teacups

2010-01-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

Michelle bought this pretty teacup yesterday too. I think I look great in it, but Michelle says she's going to use to drink tea...go figure.

Michelle was also questing for a great picture of a raindrop. These aren't great, but they are interesting. These were all taken at Mingus Park.

This one is very atmospheric...which is code for it was kinda dark and drizzly.

I like the way this one reflects back the images upside down.

Some New Bears At Our House

2010-01-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

We've gotten some new bears at our house. Michelle just loves this one. He's a mohair Robert Raikes bear called Kip. He's just gorgeous & really very sweet too.

I may not be an angel, but we have some that live at our house.

These guys are ready for Valentine's Day too!

And today we have some wonderful bears found today. We found a "Radar" bear from the 1950's, a cute little my size bear, and an adorable Boyd's bear all dressed for Christmas.

Rainbows and Roadtrips

2010-01-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

We went on a roadtrip today to look at old pickups. The first one was in Lyon & was NOT as described. We turned our pickup & trailer around & went to Lebanon to look at the second pickup and left with out it also. After we left the house in Lyon we stopped at a charming indoor flea market, met a colorful man and his dog, and Michelle bought the Raggedy Andy to give to our Great-Niece Rosie Posie, and also the cute little Boyd's bear.

Yesterday, Michelle, caught this rainbow! We'll call it your moment of Zen, enjoy.

Winter at Mingus Park

2010-01-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Let's take a walk through Mingus Park in the winter & see what we can see. Remember when these trees has yellow leaves on them? Now they are bare red branches. Look at how big our baby American Coots have gotten! They have such sweet faces.

During the winter the wood ducks hang out at the park. This male has particularly pretty green stripes on his head.

And of course we have the Mallards, but they are here year round. However, I think we get extras during the winter months.

But, the trees are just dormant, not dead. Look there's buds on the end of this branch.

These poor pussywillows are all wet after the heavy rainfall last night.

And check out the moss carpet growing under this tree! It's very soft, you could nap comfortably here...if it weren't cold & wet.

These vines are bare now, but soon enough they'll have leaves & then flowers on them again.

Doesn't this look just like a fairy bower? You could almost imagine them living among the ferns and moss growing on this old tree.

Well, this year Michelle is over winter & ready for spring. I don't think that nature is ready for spring quite yet though.

Signs of Spring?

2010-01-19T09:16:00.001-08:00

Primroses are back in the stores! We had to buy some of course. Now we've got a series of storm systems moving through...you know the usual, high wind & heavy rain.

And Michelle finished her February Mother Bear Project Bear. She went w/a Valentine's Day theme:pink, red, white, heart nose. She also made this one definately a girl!

We've been busy w/household projects too. Michelle has cleaned out & organized the hall closet and refrigerator...neither was as small a job as it sounds & frankly we're exhausted & taking today off to just hang & chill.

So Far So Good

2010-01-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

Well, so far so good on the New Year's resolutions. Michelle mailed off her January Mother Bear Project bear and she's finished 5 blankie bears that have been donated to Child Welfare. This bear was the fifth one. I like the dark red with the white. Michelle says red & white were her high school's colors.

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-01T11:46:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone had a great night & we all have great expectations for this year! The picture above is a baby snake that Michelle made for her Great-Nephew. He has some sensory issues and we are hoping that this little guy will help. He's stuffed with pellets in the middle and will sit on our Booger's lap and hopefully help calm him.

Here is Michelle's third Mother Bear Project bear. Michelle's only New Year's resolution is to make & send one of these guys a month. She'll also be still be doing Angels for Hope and making and mailing one angel a week.

And here are some Blankie Bears that Michelle is going to give to Child Welfare for little ones going into foster care. Michelle will continue to make & donate these also this year. My only New Year's resolution is to get my house organized & cleaned up...it's kinda a mess right now. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Whale Watching take 2

2009-12-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

Today was a beautiful day! We went back out to Shoreacres & did some productive whale watching. We saw spouts & most of us even saw a breach! That's where the whale breaks the surface of the water & you can see the back.

The water was MUCH rougher today. There's a big storm coming in & it was making the water really rough compared to the water yesterday.

But look how gorgeous it was crashing in on the rocks.

Here I am kicked back on the protective rock wall. After we whale watched for awhile we hiked the trails. But more on that in a minute.

After we went down to the beach just south of the observation point, we went North...this way, but the camera battery totally died & so this is the only picture going that direction.

Michelle just really liked the way the waves were washing over the rocks.

And here we are when we hiked down to the cove/beach. It was so pretty watching the waves break over the rocks. It was a really good day to be out.

Michelle tried to catch a spout, but missed it. Oh well, maybe next time.

It's raining, it's pouring, the whales are migrating?

2009-12-29T16:12:00.002-08:00

The week between Christmas & New Year's is whale watching week here on the coast. We went out today to see if we could see some whales. There is an observatory building out at Shoreacres & since it was raining, we went there. Unfortunately, due to the weather, visibility out at sea wasn't great. We might've seen a couple of spouts, but it was really hard to tell.

We did see some sea lions, but Michelle wasn't quick enough to catch them with the camera. We're hoping that the weather clears up & then we'll try again to see some whales.

It didn't matter which way out you looked, there just wasn't much to see.

But even in the rain the ocean is pretty. There were some sea lions playing out by these rocks, but they were camera shy & kept diving.

The water really wasn't that rough, so if the weather had been better we'd probably been able to see some whales, or at least some spouts. Doug is really hoping to see some breach. I'll let you know if we get another chance.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

I had a great Christmas & hope everyone else did too. Here I am getting ready to open my present & my stocking.

Checking out the contents of the box...looks like I made out really well. I must've been extra good this year, cuz Santa was obviously happy with me!

Here is the little Eeyore beanie that Michelle got. I like his plaid Santa hat.

Check it out. I got a soft, fuzzy rug, a crystal ball (will come in handy at work), a pretty ceramic jug with wood utensils, and a copper tea kettle.

Time to check out what's in the stocking.

Whoa! I got a cute little pumpkin teapot & an elephant teapot! They rock!

So, here we have an overview of my presents this year. Can't wait to try out the teapots!

Whew, Busy weekend

2009-12-14T21:02:00.001-08:00

Riley had a recital at the Historic Egyptian Theater. It's so gorgeous inside. This is what the walls leading up to the stage look like. She also had square dancing all weekend, and her 2nd to last volleyball game, as well as recital practice. It was a very busy weekend.

Here is Riley, she's the one in the gold dress in the middle, towards the end of the recital when everyone was taking their last bow. She did a good job. She sang three songs.

Here she is in all her recital finery. We had to find a dress last minute because she's out growing everything. We found this lovely dress at Ross, after hitting all the other stores in town. It was not only the first & only one we agreed on, but it was very reasonably priced.

Michelle also finished her 2nd Mother Bear Project bear. This one went out in the mail today. Michelle has fun making up these bears, so will probably be making up more after Christmas.

Christmas at work

2009-12-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

Last week Michelle was wanting a tree at work & found this cute little live tree. My new lion friend belongs to Rhonda & hung out with me for the day. The little tree now lives at our house...a 911 center is no place for a little tree to live permanently.

Christmas at Shoreacres 2009

2009-12-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

There's nothing quite like the lights at Shoreacres State Park. They are gorgeous. We went last night because Riley was singing Christmas carols with her Girl Scout troupe.

Here she is next to her buddy Rosie getting ready to sing in the pavilion. It was a clear night, but very cold, low 30's to high 20's...on the Coast that is beyond cold.

Another view of another part of the park. It's just breath taking. Volunteers come out every year & help string the lights.

Inside the gardener's cottage they had this beautiful Christmas tree all decorated.

Here is the view from the front window of the gardener's cottage.

Michelle loves the purple lights.

OOOOh, spooky story time!

They have a lot of lights in the form of animals. There are these frogs, that ribbit when you walk by. There is also an animated lighted frog that "jumps" into the pond. There is an animated Orca that "jumps", some animated sea lions that "jump" off a rock into the water, a grey whale that shoots a spout of water, several different butterflies, some turtles, a dragonfly, a worm, grasshopper, several types of fish, puffins, etc.

There's clusters of lights on bushes like this one that kinda look like flowers.

And our favorite, the lighted version of the crane statues that are in the pond. We had a lot of fun at the lights last night despite the cold.

In Memory of Alexandria

2009-11-29T17:21:00.001-08:00

A very sad day today. Our wonderful kitty, Alexandria (Alex) passed away. It was swift and we don't believe that she suffered. She was almost 15 years old. She's been buried in the backyard with her best friend Buffy who passed away almost 6 years ago. She's been buried under Buffy's tree & has her own little tree now planted there too. Michelle ordered a memorial stone for the two of them today. We will miss you Alex.

Angels for Hope

2009-11-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

Angels for Hope is an organization that sends crochet angels, butterflies and smiley faces to people after other people have requested them to be sent. It's all free also. Here are the supplies you would need to make several angels, yarn (Michelle uses baby finger weight), red pony heart beads, gold metalic crochet cotton, ribbon, and these small "wedding rings" that you can buy at craft stores.

And here is a finished angel that is being sent out today. If you are interested in becoming and angel or interested in having an angel sent to someone go to http://www.angelsforhope.org/ and read up on what is required.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T17:08:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you have much to be thankful for.

Our busy weekend

2009-11-21T20:36:00.001-08:00

Life around here has been very busy lately. Yesterday, Michelle & Gregg, went to Newport, OR for the OPOA Awards Banquet. Michelle won an award for Public Service.

Here is some of the finery she wore for the event. She had a lot of help getting ready. Her friend Daphne loaned her a wonderful dress and then took her shopping for the accessories. I love the little clutch purse. Her friend Melissa did her hair. Usually, Michelle's hair is down & a mess or in a ponytail & in a mess (it's hard to not have messy looking hair when it's curly). Melissa did a very nice updo.

Here is a view from the road of the waves coming in. There was another storm coming in when this was taken (it's here now) and the water was really rough, but pretty.

When we got down to almost Florence, the sun was trying to make an appearance. It didn't last very long.

We got home just in time for Riley's volleyball game! This is her first year doing volleyball & she is really improving. She even scored several points today!

Ta Da! Here is Michelle all done up for the awards banquet! She doesn't normally look like this, so Gregg felt the occassion ought to be captured for posterity. Maybe one day she'll even post a picture of what she normally looks like...but today is not that day & it doesn't look good for tomorrow.

Mushrooms!

2009-11-06T15:27:00.001-08:00

Check out this gorgeous mushroom! We found it down the road from our house.

It makes the perfect seat! Just the right height, lots of room to get comfy.

It's just perfect!

Here's a small field of smaller mushrooms.

These would make great umbrellas.

And here is one in a lovely shade of purple.

Mother Bear Project

2009-11-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

With the holidays coming up, Michelle wanted to do some projects to provide for others. She found the Mother Bear Project site several months ago & ordered the pattern, then put it some place safe and couldn't find it again, until recently. She made up the pattern and the bear pictured with me is the result. This bear will be sent to a child somewhere in Africa and will hopefully give that child comfort & the knowledge that people out in the world love that child and care about him/her.

Mother Bear Project sends thousands of bears a year to many parts of Africa. You can order a knit or crochet pattern to make one of these bears if you'd like to help too. The link to Mother Bear Project is www.motherbearproject.org

Even if you don't knit or crochet you can help by making a donation of money, supplies, or volunteer time to help with the sorting and packing for shipping. Please check out the website & help however you can.

More Halloween Pictures

2009-11-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

Don't be afraid, it's just Riley dressed as a vampire...you can tell, it's still daylight out.

Doug & Riley's jack-0-lanterns.

The big jack-0-lantern.

And mine & Michelle's little jack-0-lantern.

Trick or Treat!

2009-10-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

I'm all ready to go trick or treating, but first we have a costume party to go to. Then it's the downtown business trick or treating & then the mall for trick or treating & then our neighborhood. But first, Michelle is working on carving our pumpkins!

The Kittens are Huge!

2009-10-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

They are from left to right:Hayden, Ruby, Oreo, and Garfy. Michelle & the kids are sad because we have to start looking for homes for them now. They are such little characters! We are going to look for homes with people who will love them as much as we do!

Just a few days until Halloween! Just wait until you see my costume...it rocks!

Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Pumpking Patch in Lakeside. Look at all these little, tiny, baby pumpkins!

Here's a good medium sized one.

Isabelle and I relax on a nicely shaped pumpkin.

Ahhh, here is a baby pumpkin that would be lots of fun to carve.

Ooooh, the Haunted Graveyard is open...let's go check it out.

First there's a row of spooky shacks. Looking through the windows was scary!

Ugh! That guy needs a facial!

Undertaker! We must be in the right spot for the spooky graveyard.

Wow, this casket lid is pretty small.

I don't think I'll be staying for dinner...

Stay back! Don't get too close, you don't want to get grabbed.

Wow, this lady took her practice pretty seriously. She's literally played her fingers to the bone!

Uh oh, how'd this headstone get knocked over?

Ummm, yeah.

Quick, Isabelle, run this way...away from the ghost rider, not towards it.

Nothing a quick trip to the beauty parlor can't fix right?

RUN AWAY!

Don't worry no little blue bears were harmed in the spooky graveyard, it was just good, scary, fun. We bought one medium sized pumpkin, two baby pumpkins, and one of the tiny ones. We'll carve those the week of Halloween.

Let's take a fall walk

2009-10-14T20:37:00.001-07:00

You don't often think of looking at the color here on the coast. Usually, the wind & rain blow the leaves down before they get really gorgeous, but this year we are having a late Indian Summer & the results have been spectacular!

This is the tree out front of City Hall now. It's so red this year, and it's spectacular.

Here's another tree in front of city hall...this one turned a spectacular yellow.

Close up of some beautiful red leaves.

Check out the pine cones on this Shorepine. They are really big! Michelle wants to snag one when they start dropping.

Here are a couple of trees in Choshi Gardens. They turned yellow too & absolutely glow in the afternoon sun.

Here's the view looking up through the leaves. Very dramatic.

Here's another red tree...

And this one is not only turning red, but has red berries!

Another glowy yellow tree...

And this one is actually turning rust colored! I love the color of the leaves on this one. We've got storms moving through now. The first really good windstorm was last night & there's pine needles, leaves, and branches down all over the place. There's another one coming in soon, so I suspect it's a good thing we got these pictures when we did. Although, now comes Michelle's favorite, walking through the crunchy leaves.

Teach the Kids to Fish & You'll eat Trout!!!

2009-10-11T06:22:00.001-07:00

The kids had a long weekend and they spent a couple hours one morning of it fishing. Check it out! They limited out on beautiful, fat, juicy trout! They went to Empire Lake which was just recently stocked w/trout. We have feasted! You know how bears like fish...well Brown bears like salmon, so I figure little blue bears like Rainbow Trout :-)

A Trip to the Coos Bay Boardwalk

2009-10-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today, for the first time, we (Michelle, Riley, Doug & myself) went to the Coos Bay Boardwalk for the first time.

The first stop was the tugboat, Doug was fascinated.

Here is a view of some of the boats that use the Coos Bay dock.

Can you find me?

Inside the middle pavillion they have posts made of all the different local trees w/signs that ID them. Michelle like the Myrtle.

Looking out over the water...

Here is part of the statue in the third pavillion for the fallen soldiers.

And here is the top half.

Looking over the railing into the water is interesting.

Another view out over the water...isn't is lovely. We had a fun time on the Boardwalk.

Kitten Update!

2009-10-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

The babies are getting huge! They are almost 1 month old. Here they are with their Momma Tottie.

Hayden is the one on the left trying to climb out of their box. Oreo is on Hayden's tail. Garfy is laying next to Oreo & Ruby is the one checking out the empty (because they tipped it over) food dish.

Summer's over...sigh

2009-09-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we took the T-bird (with the top off) to Myrtle Point for the Harvest Festival car show. It was beautiful, sunny, and warm-we didn't even need a jacket on the highway! Sunday we took the Falcon convertible to Toledo & drove around town with the top down & part of the way home. But look at the sky today! Where did the sun go?

The Tree at city hall is even more red than it was a few days ago...

These are the trees in the park...the only place we'll see sunny yellow is apparently in the trees.

It's not dappled sunshine, but it's all we're getting.

This poor tree has it's seasons mixed up & is blooming right now!

Wouldn't this be a great place to relax in the sun...if we actually had sun.

And then the rains came...summer is over.

Autumn is coming, ready or not

2009-09-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

Here is the tree we look at out the window all day at work...it's getting pretty red, fall/Autumn must be coming.

The Canadian Geese have returned to Mingus Park...Autumn must be coming.

But look at the pretty daisies, Autumn is not completely here yet.

And check out this Hydrangea! It's shades of blue & cream & really pretty...but it's a late summer/early fall bloomer, sigh.

Uh, oh, look at the leaf I found...definately Autumn colors...but it's not crunchy yet, Michelle loves to walk on the crunchy leaves.

Here's a better shot of the Canadian Geese. This is a mated pair that has been at the park for a couple of weeks.

The turtles are still hanging out, so it must not be TOO cool out yet.

These red berries almost match my sweater exactly!

This Japanese Maple is turning yellow! It almost glows with the afternoon sun hitting it.

The Wood Ducks are starting to return to the pond too, Autumn MUST be coming. Michelle loves the wood ducks. This one is a lovely female.

Wow, what a busy weekend

2009-09-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday there was the 2nd to last race scheduled, but it got rained out. It was also Bay Area Fun Festival weekend. Saturday is the big day with the Prefontaine Memorial Run, Parade, and the Cruz the Coos. Michelle had to work, but we got to go to the Cruz. Sunday was bright & sunny so they did two races in one day...we were pooped at the end of the day. Here's Riley & Me already to go for the first time trial.

Doug got to race too! Now that he's 16 & has his driver's license, he can race in a regular car. He didn't like the JR dragster when he was younger, far too closed in for his tastes. He had a ball & did both races, running in Sportsman class in this Aerostar panel van. Michelle was glad that she got to see him race, so it was kinda a mixed blessing that Saturday got rained out.

Back at our house, we've got several sunflowers in full bloom! They are gorgeous!

The spiders are also out in full force! Michelle likes spiders, I'm kinda on the fence about them. I realize they do a lot of good, but still...This one is on the apple tree & has been busy cleaning up the other creepy crawlies around the yard.

Here's a close up. He's a pretty good sized one & actually kinda pretty isn't he/she/it?

And the apples are ready to be picked. We'll wait until Riley comes home from school as picking the apples is one of her favorite things.

The little tomatoes are getting ready to go to. Here are the first three to be ripe.

In Memory of Bandit

2009-09-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Our friend Bandit has been missing from Mingus Park for at least two months. We've come to the conclusion that we must suspect the worst & that she will not show back up. At the time she went missing, one of her "boys", Frank, got his wing broken, so we can only guess that something got her & injured Frank at the same time. So today blog is in fond memory of our friend Bandit the duck.

Bandit appeared to be a Muscovy duck, which is a domestic duck breed, and was the only one of her kind in Mingus Park. She always hung out in the Choshi Garden, usually in the Koi pond.

Sometimes at the side of the pond...

She often sat on the rocks around the pond. The ducks to the right are Jesse (the Mallard) and Frank, the one on the right, and have always been referred to as her "boys". Frank & Jesse still are in the area & Frank appears to be recovering nicely from his broken wing.

And here is Bandit on her Princess Rock...she often like to perch on one of the smaller rocks & look out over her domain.

We'll miss you Bandit.

Meet the Kittens

2009-09-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

The girls, yes, they are all girls, are starting to get their eyes open now. The orange one is Garfield, but we call her Garfy now that we know she's a she. She's also the biggest kitten.

This little sweetie is one of the "twins" and her name is Ruby.

Oreo is the runt of the litter. She has a white stripe that runs down her belly, so when you hold her on her back she looks just like an Oreo cookie!

And the other "twin" is Hayden. It's odd that the twins have their eyes pretty much open, but the other two are still working on getting theirs open. Anyway, here they are & aren't they just cute!

Look a Woodling!

2009-09-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

I was taking my walk through the backyard when I heard some rustling coming from Buffy's tree. I climbed up to see what was making the noise & look what I found! A baby Woodling all snuggled up in his nest.

He's very delicate and cute! I had to get a closer look.

I couldn't help it, I had to hold him. I'm gonna ask Michelle to make him a hat & blankie...I don't want him to get cold!

Check out what's growing in the Garden!

2009-09-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hey, we got a sunflower blooming! We got another couple that will hopefully pop open soon too.

The cherry tomatoes are getting closer to ripe also.

Doncha just love the petals on this daisy?

Check out the little Prim rose that could...it's a tiny delicate bloom, but it's also September & way past their bloom date.

A Great Book Series to Read

2009-09-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

Pictured is the fifth & reportedly last (but we're really hoping not) book of the Bear Collector's Mystery series by John J. Lamb. Michelle just finished this book...she got it right before we left for Woodburn & picked it up every chance she got. The books in order are:
1-The Mournful Teddy
2-The False-Hearted Teddy
3-The Crafty Teddy
4-The Clockwork Teddy
5-The Treacherous Teddy
These books are a favorite & we love the characters...I'm named after the wife of the protaganist! Anyway, I thought that since schools have started up again & fall is in the air, that you all might want some good books to curl up with & these definately fit the bill!

Totties Babies

2009-09-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

While we were in Woodburn racing Tottie had her kittens! She had four, and they are three days old today. There are two tabbies, one tuxedo, and one marmalade kitten. Look how little they are compared to Doug!

Here's a close up. Aren't they just the sweetest little bubbas? Tottie will get spayed when they are 6wks old and we will be looking for good homes for the little babies.

NHRA Division 6 Finals

2009-09-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

Here we are Thursday, Sept 3, 2009, at the NHRA Division Finals! Here is Riley in her team sweatshirt for the JRs. It has our track name, her name and on the back...

A picture of her driving her car! How cool is that. Michelle, Gregg, Doug & Riley also got the team t-shirts to wear, but they weren't so personalized, they just had the team name on them. Today was a test & tune day and so was the 4th, although only Gregg got to run.

Sept 5, 2009:the day of the Race of Champions that Gregg was driving in & the JR races which Riley was competing in. We had a lot of rain delays during this race weekend, but more on that later. Race of Champions is for the top 4 drivers in points for each class for each track. Gregg was in the top 4 in Pro class. They only take the top 4 JRs from each track also & Riley is tied with William for first so she also got to race. The other two on the JR's team was Nicole and Billie. Riley only got to make one pass before eliminations started and with the new clutch we didn't know where to dial her car, so unfortunately, she went out first round. Gregg had a little better luck & made it to round 2 where he cut a .012 red light, a .000 is perfect, so he was close & as Riley said "He was just trying really hard."

Sept 6, 2009:Well, we had a lot of rain delays today too! We were supposed to leave today, but Gregg had just won his race for round 2 when they shut it down for the day due to weather. We didn't have a motel room for tonight since we thought we were going home, but due to A LOT of generosity from other team members we rounded up 2 air mattresses, a sleeping bag, and three blankets (we already had our pillows & Riley had brought 3 of her own blankets) so we slept in the trailer.

Here was the track the morning of the big race. The track officials are getting it dried off & ready for the races to start. They don't run JRs during this race, but Gregg still got to compete. During the big race they run Sportsman, Compact Sport, Pro, Super Pro, and Motorcycle/sled and there's a LOT more cars than Race of Champions.

Here's one of the rainbows that was showing up Sunday night, we were hopeful this was a good sign.

And Monday morning dawned bright & sunny, but it didn't last. We had another rain delay from about 10:30am to 3pm. Gregg finally got to do round 3 about 3:30pm & broke out. He did a 12.10 seconds on a 12.12 second dial. We were already pretty much loaded up, so it was just load up his car & drive home.

Riley started 5th grade at Millicome Intermediate School today, Doug starts his Junior year at high school tomorrow & just wait until you see the little surprises we came home to!

Houses Where Bears Want to Live #5

2009-09-01T08:36:00.001-07:00

This house is also in Coquille. It's another wonderful, old, Victorian. Michelle used to have a friend who lived in this house & the interesting thing about it is that it has a lot rooms & you can close off all of them. I believe this was so that it was easier to keep heated in the winter.

How can you not love this house? It has a turret, wrap around porch, bay windows, and loads of charm.

House Where Bears Want to Live #4

2009-08-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

House #4 is in Coquille. Michelle lived next door to this house for a brief time when she was little & fell in love with the house then. It was yellow at that time and belonged to some family friends. Michelle would get up in the morning walk next door & stay all day in the house for no other reason than that she loved this house. She never quite got over it. It was for sale about 12 years ago & she almost talked Gregg into buying it & moving to Coquille, but alas common sense finally kicked in...they both work in Coos Bay & again, while it has a two car carport, there's not nearly enough room for the cars here.

And again, I know another Victorian! I swear there will be some homes on the list that aren't, but come on, how can you beat this type of house? So while this house may be #4 on my list, it's still #1 in Michelle's heart.

Cool Coastal Nights & Doug's 16th Birthday

2009-08-30T09:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the Cool Coastal Nights car show & cruise in Winchester Bay. It was also Doug's 16th birthday!

We absolutely LOVED this little pickup at the carshow. There were lots of great cars & pickups. Michelle is just convinced that we need a Rat Rod now.

Doug drove during the cruise. Here we are just about ready to start. We took our 1964 Ford Falcon convertible to the cruise. Of course by the time the cruise started, the fog had rolled in...love coastal weather, if you don't like what it's doing now, just wait 5 mins.

Here I am trying to help Doug navigate. You can see some of the cool cars & rods that were part of the cruise.

And, Doug won a prize! We got the last award of the night! It was a great 16th birthday present for him. Although, I think he liked the pizza for dinner the best.

Burn Out Contest

2009-08-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the Burn Out Contest is Winchester Bay last night. It's exactly what it sounds like, it's a burn the tires off the back of your car contest. Several cars popped one or both of their back tires & had to "reload" before the next round of competition. They do this every year just before their "Cool August Nights" car show & cruise.

This is Andy...he won the competition.

And this is our friend Donny who ended up popping four tires before the night was through. He came in 2nd place, but it was very close w/two vote offs before Andy was declared the winner. We still think that Donny was robbed...he popped one more tire than Andy, and didn't break his car.

Look at all the tire smoke!

Sprint Car Races!

2009-08-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

After the birthday party we decided to go out & watch our friend Al drive his Sprint car on the dirt circle track. They run three classes:4 cylinders, street stock, and late models.

This is Al's car before it got all banged up. He spent a year & a half getting his car done. This is his 2nd race. He was in a horrible crash, but still managed to finish the race & get third place. Unfortunately the only straight panel that was left on his car is the passenger door...even the roof got dented!

Here is one of the late models going around the turn. Most of them have the front tire lift up like this. We had a lot of fun at the races, even though Al's crash was scary. Riley got to sing the National Anthem again too!

THE Birthday Party

2009-08-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

Riley's birthday was last Sunday, Doug's birthday is next Saturday, so...today we had the first ever joint Doug/Riley birthday party. Before, Michelle has always made sure they each get their own party, but this year our weekends are just too booked. We were in Woodburn for Riley's birthday, and Doug's birthday weekend is the big car doin's in Winchester Bay, Michelle has to work tomorrow, so that left today. Riley was at one end of the table & Doug at the other. It actually worked out okay, until Rosie got stung on the lip by a yellow jacket. The good news is, is that Riley doesn't need any more clothes for school & Doug only needs another couple pairs of jeans! Oh yeah, and we gotta finish school supply shopping this week, cuz we gots coupons! And tonight we get to go watch circle track racing!