It has been snowing steadily all day, lightly this morning and then a bit heavier since about noon. The temperature is about 17 F so the flakes are small. Gradually the wind is increasing and more snow is moving sideways than down. It ended up being a great afternoon for baking bread and surfing the web for summer plans!
And what were my original plans for today? It was the annual handbell choir festival in Sioux City. When we practiced at 8:30, most of us were hesitant about going due to potential road conditions on our way home. However, the choir director was so excited that none of us spoke up. By 10:30 the father of our college student was adamant that she not go, and the state road report warned against unnecessary travel after 3:00 p.m. So the decision was made to stay home. I'm glad.
We all have memories of the drive home last year through 30+ one lane 'tunnels' through drifts. After watching the snow this afternoon, I am sure we would not have enjoyed the festival, would have had trouble focusing on the music, and would have spent the whole afternoon worrying about the drive ahead.
Pictures? I didn't even think of getting out the camera until the light began to fade.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Gromit's Adventure in Oregon: Christmas with the family
The last few days in Oregon were spent in Portland with family. This is always a fun time with good food, family visits, and PRESENTS! Marilyn and John need to learn to bring big suitcases so they can take home more stuff but they insist on carry-on luggage only. Besides presents, they could buy lots of stuff because Oregon doesn't have a sales tax!
While I have been to Austria, Germany, France, and Italy, I have never been to England. Was I excited to hear that one evening we would go out to a real English pub, right here in Portland. I helped Marilyn drink her cider and eat her fish and chips. Marilyn said it was a lot like the English pubs she'd been in but the fish and chips were even better.
Marilyn and John bought some desserts at Waves of Grain in Cannon Beach for the Christmas Eve dinner. Key lime tart with ginger crust, lemon tart, and mocha (or some coffee flavor) roulade plus a few special cookies.
Grandma Penny, Great Aunt Marilyn, Mom Erin, and Wren all oohed and aahed at an interactive advent calendar.
It was a great trip and I can't wait to go back for another Christmas!
While I have been to Austria, Germany, France, and Italy, I have never been to England. Was I excited to hear that one evening we would go out to a real English pub, right here in Portland. I helped Marilyn drink her cider and eat her fish and chips. Marilyn said it was a lot like the English pubs she'd been in but the fish and chips were even better.
Marilyn and John bought some desserts at Waves of Grain in Cannon Beach for the Christmas Eve dinner. Key lime tart with ginger crust, lemon tart, and mocha (or some coffee flavor) roulade plus a few special cookies.
Grandma Penny, Great Aunt Marilyn, Mom Erin, and Wren all oohed and aahed at an interactive advent calendar.
Presents!
It was a great trip and I can't wait to go back for another Christmas!
Gromit's Adventure in Oregon: Cannon Beach
This is Gromit again, continuing with the trip to Oregon. Whenever Marilyn and John get to Oregon, they find some time to visit the beach. They find the Oregon Coast to be a special place. Sometimes the combination of short December days and often rainy weather means that time walking on the beach to be limited. So, they usually add in some sightseeing; this year that included the Tillamook Cheese Factory.
This was the view from our hotel room. Can you see the double rainbow? It was beautiful but meant that beach walking wasn't going to happen for a while.
So off we headed to Tillamook. My job was to help with navigation. The gps sent us away from the beach for a few miles. Marilyn and John decided to follow that route on the way down but took the coastal route on the way back. I like the coastal route better in spite of more traffic.
Once in Tillamook I got excited when we turned into the Cheese Factory. While I like watching the packaging, the samples and then the ice cream were the BEST.
After we returned to Cannon Beach the weather cleared long enough for a brisk walk on the beach. Haystack Rock is a special place for Marilyn because she spent two weeks here every summer as a child. Can you see me tucked into her jacket? It was windy and cool.
Just as we turned to walk back (with a tailwind!), this shot caught Marilyn's eye. It made me think of my friend Rover and his owner Denise who loves playing with her camera. Marilyn and I both wish she'd been there to capture the scene with her camera too!
Here's one last shot from our Cannon Beach walk. It is my favorite!
On Thursday morning we had a snack at the Waves of Grain bakery and then headed back to Portland for Christmas with the family.
This was the view from our hotel room. Can you see the double rainbow? It was beautiful but meant that beach walking wasn't going to happen for a while.
So off we headed to Tillamook. My job was to help with navigation. The gps sent us away from the beach for a few miles. Marilyn and John decided to follow that route on the way down but took the coastal route on the way back. I like the coastal route better in spite of more traffic.
Once in Tillamook I got excited when we turned into the Cheese Factory. While I like watching the packaging, the samples and then the ice cream were the BEST.
After we returned to Cannon Beach the weather cleared long enough for a brisk walk on the beach. Haystack Rock is a special place for Marilyn because she spent two weeks here every summer as a child. Can you see me tucked into her jacket? It was windy and cool.
Just as we turned to walk back (with a tailwind!), this shot caught Marilyn's eye. It made me think of my friend Rover and his owner Denise who loves playing with her camera. Marilyn and I both wish she'd been there to capture the scene with her camera too!
Here's one last shot from our Cannon Beach walk. It is my favorite!
On Thursday morning we had a snack at the Waves of Grain bakery and then headed back to Portland for Christmas with the family.
Gromit's Adventure in Oregon: First Days
Gromit decided he needed to blog about his trip with Marilyn and John to Oregon for Christmas this year. He jumped into nearly every picture taken with Marilyn's camera and then chose the ones he wanted to share. Please note that his words are in italics.
Getting to Oregon requires a plane ride or two. Because of a weather prediction of possible snow, Marilyn and John packed up on Saturday and drove to the Carter Lake Super 8 motel. Did you know that a former oxbow in the Missouri resulted in a little island of Iowa right by the Omaha airport. When you drive from the airport to Omaha, you pass in and out of Carter Lake, Iowa in a blink of an eye.
I had fun in the motel playing with the iPad and then playing Gulliver's Travels with my buddies Enough Already (Gulliver) and Hutch.
The next day we headed to the airport. I traveled in Marilyn's little backpack.
After a longer than expected delay in Salt Lake City, we arrived in Portland and drove to Jenni and Brian's house. We have never stayed there before and it was very exciting. Jenni is Marilyn's niece. Two cats, Pete and Pearl, also live in this house and I decided they should be my friends.
Here I am getting up close and personal with Pearl. I was told she was shy, but she obviously loved me.
Hutch joined me for a chat with Pete. He was quite vocal at times and I know he was singing my praises! I am sure he was upset to see me leave.
We took a field trip to Voodoo Doughnuts, a very 'portland' type place! The doughnuts were normal with unusual toppings, like white frosting with purple sprinkles and purple tang crystals - a Grape Ape.
Here Jenni and Brian pose in front of our selection of doughnuts. Jenni chose the plain one while the rest of us OD-ed on the sugary frosting.
We managed to be there for a wedding. Note the voodoo spear used in the ceremony and the special wedding doughnuts.
Jenni and Marilyn posed in front of the bright pink establishment. All in attendance were glad to have experienced Voodoo Doughnuts but a repeat visit was not necessary.
Back at the house Jenni and Marilyn played with the Wii, got out their iPads named Izzy and Paddy, downloaded some fun apps, especially Scrabble, and watched a Christmas movie on the the big screen (thanks, projectionist Brian!). Unfortunately, the time with Jenni, Brian, Pete, and Pearl was short. On Tuesday we jumped into the rented red HHR and headed to Cannon Beach with a stopover to visit Anne and Vern in Banks. Did you know that Marilyn and Anne were college buddies 40 years ago???
Getting to Oregon requires a plane ride or two. Because of a weather prediction of possible snow, Marilyn and John packed up on Saturday and drove to the Carter Lake Super 8 motel. Did you know that a former oxbow in the Missouri resulted in a little island of Iowa right by the Omaha airport. When you drive from the airport to Omaha, you pass in and out of Carter Lake, Iowa in a blink of an eye.
I had fun in the motel playing with the iPad and then playing Gulliver's Travels with my buddies Enough Already (Gulliver) and Hutch.
The next day we headed to the airport. I traveled in Marilyn's little backpack.
After a longer than expected delay in Salt Lake City, we arrived in Portland and drove to Jenni and Brian's house. We have never stayed there before and it was very exciting. Jenni is Marilyn's niece. Two cats, Pete and Pearl, also live in this house and I decided they should be my friends.
Here I am getting up close and personal with Pearl. I was told she was shy, but she obviously loved me.
Hutch joined me for a chat with Pete. He was quite vocal at times and I know he was singing my praises! I am sure he was upset to see me leave.
We took a field trip to Voodoo Doughnuts, a very 'portland' type place! The doughnuts were normal with unusual toppings, like white frosting with purple sprinkles and purple tang crystals - a Grape Ape.
Here Jenni and Brian pose in front of our selection of doughnuts. Jenni chose the plain one while the rest of us OD-ed on the sugary frosting.
We managed to be there for a wedding. Note the voodoo spear used in the ceremony and the special wedding doughnuts.
Jenni and Marilyn posed in front of the bright pink establishment. All in attendance were glad to have experienced Voodoo Doughnuts but a repeat visit was not necessary.
Back at the house Jenni and Marilyn played with the Wii, got out their iPads named Izzy and Paddy, downloaded some fun apps, especially Scrabble, and watched a Christmas movie on the the big screen (thanks, projectionist Brian!). Unfortunately, the time with Jenni, Brian, Pete, and Pearl was short. On Tuesday we jumped into the rented red HHR and headed to Cannon Beach with a stopover to visit Anne and Vern in Banks. Did you know that Marilyn and Anne were college buddies 40 years ago???
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Brr!
It is a good day to stay inside. The snow is moving sideways and in swirls. The thermometer indicates 7 Fahrenheit. Brr!
This is the view from INSIDE. Sorry, but it just doesn't show how nasty it is and you can't hear the roar of the wind!
On days like today I really appreciate electricity, natural gas pipelines, and central heating!The following is an updated photo from about 3:00 p.m. At 4:15 the snow plow made its first run. Perhaps that will be enough to keep the drifts manageable until the wind dies down. Now this is supposed to last through noon on Sunday. I think it is time for a cup of cocoa...
Monday, October 18, 2010
Fall Adventures, Close to Home
Here I am at Ashfall State Historical Park. It is in rolling hills, with tall grass similar to original prairie grasses and doesn't look too exciting until...
you walk into the Rhino Barn and see all the full sized fossils in situ. This was a watering hole that the animals came to during the ashfall from a volcano in what is now Idaho. Because of the water hole, the heavy ashfall, and the ingestion of the ash, the animals all died in this one spot. 
The Rhino Barn has just been enlarged and is about 100-150 feet long. There will be archeological work here for many years to come!
Here is Gromit at Lewis and Clark State Park near Yankton, SD. He loves riding on the bike!
This is Gavins Point Dam with all the spillways open. That doesn't happen very often but it has been like this for at least a month. We drive over the dam to get to the bike path and state park and then ride along the toe road as part of the bike path.
Early October is paddlefish season. This is a very popular but very short season. Paddlefish are bottom feeders with very long snouts. There are barrels in the parking area where the fisher people have to place the snouts! Lots of boats... and lots of people on shore too!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Rocky Mountain National Park
In early August we headed west to Rocky Mountain National Park. We had reservations for four nights but ended up staying a whole week. When we arrived, the reserved camp site was unacceptable for our pop-up camper and the van so we found a great site in the unreserved section. That was fortunate because we could then extend our stay.
Our favorite campground is Glacier Basin with this wonderful meadow. Long's Peak is just out of the picture (on the left). The campground was closed last season for tree removal due to the pine beetle devastation. The area we were in still had trees but many were showing signs of beetle infestation and we are sure they will be removed soon. The sites just across the road from us were closed because a tree fell earlier in the season and the whole section was destined for tree removal. At a ranger talk we learned that the trees become very brittle and can fall at any time, without warning.
The shuttle bus system provides great transportation to a variety of trail heads. Only one hike we took the whole week required us to drive! The bus system allows us to do a great 9+ miles hike from Bear Lake to the Fern Lake trail head. We have done this hike three times now and each time we have hiked the last part in the rain.
As we hiked past Fern Lake, there were horses in the corral. The wrangler never moved a muscle as we walked right by! The rain and hail began in earnest within about five minutes and we hope he moved then!
When the hail started we thought we could wait it out under a tree. We both chose trees with lots of dry soil underneath but after about five minutes, we realized that it wasn't going to let up any time soon so we broke out the rain pants. This photo is pre-rain pants with lots of hail. The camera doesn't do it justice, but it was fun to see the hail that was passing by the lens!
The camera went into an inner pocket for the next hour or more as the the skies continued to open up. We felt like we were hiking in a stream and I wanted to get a picture. It finally cleared up enough for a quick pic, but it just doesn't show how much water was on the trail while it was really raining.
We had planned to visit the Snowy Range west of Centennial, Wyoming but began to have second thoughts. We had lots of rain, more than the normal afternoon mountain shower. We were fairly comfortable camped at 8,000+ feet but in the Snowy Range we would be at 10,000 feet and knew from past experience it would be a lot colder. That's when we were glad to be in the non-reservable campsite so we could just stay where we were!
For the first time we hiked up Deer Mountain. The views at the summit were wonderful. This view is south towards the Bear Lake and Glacier Basin areas. We could also see down into Estes Park. Watching the traffic driving into the park made us glad that we could utilize that bus system!
Our favorite campground is Glacier Basin with this wonderful meadow. Long's Peak is just out of the picture (on the left). The campground was closed last season for tree removal due to the pine beetle devastation. The area we were in still had trees but many were showing signs of beetle infestation and we are sure they will be removed soon. The sites just across the road from us were closed because a tree fell earlier in the season and the whole section was destined for tree removal. At a ranger talk we learned that the trees become very brittle and can fall at any time, without warning.The shuttle bus system provides great transportation to a variety of trail heads. Only one hike we took the whole week required us to drive! The bus system allows us to do a great 9+ miles hike from Bear Lake to the Fern Lake trail head. We have done this hike three times now and each time we have hiked the last part in the rain.
As we hiked past Fern Lake, there were horses in the corral. The wrangler never moved a muscle as we walked right by! The rain and hail began in earnest within about five minutes and we hope he moved then!
When the hail started we thought we could wait it out under a tree. We both chose trees with lots of dry soil underneath but after about five minutes, we realized that it wasn't going to let up any time soon so we broke out the rain pants. This photo is pre-rain pants with lots of hail. The camera doesn't do it justice, but it was fun to see the hail that was passing by the lens!
The camera went into an inner pocket for the next hour or more as the the skies continued to open up. We felt like we were hiking in a stream and I wanted to get a picture. It finally cleared up enough for a quick pic, but it just doesn't show how much water was on the trail while it was really raining.
We had planned to visit the Snowy Range west of Centennial, Wyoming but began to have second thoughts. We had lots of rain, more than the normal afternoon mountain shower. We were fairly comfortable camped at 8,000+ feet but in the Snowy Range we would be at 10,000 feet and knew from past experience it would be a lot colder. That's when we were glad to be in the non-reservable campsite so we could just stay where we were!For the first time we hiked up Deer Mountain. The views at the summit were wonderful. This view is south towards the Bear Lake and Glacier Basin areas. We could also see down into Estes Park. Watching the traffic driving into the park made us glad that we could utilize that bus system!
It is hard to beat scenery like this.... The Loch.
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