Apple-Bombing Urban Homestead

Horse Camping Campground Review

2011-08-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Camp Wilkerson - July 22, 2009 15-20 min. past Vernonia. Nice because it’s close, shaded for summertime, and not crowded the time we went. 4 stalls each of the 6 horse camps w/ some logging roads and single tracks to ride on. Don’t remember mileage, but made a nice 2 hour ride on the outer loop. Water at sites, don’t remember if there’s electric. Some twisty roads, but overall an easy drive.

LL Stub Stewart- August 22, 2009 and July 25, 2010 Great site for spring, early summer or early fall camping when conditions are wet because the linear trail is usually nice and dry. 5.5 mile and 9 mile loops of single track trails in addition to the linear trail. Can be hot w/ ½ shade in mid summer but still cools off at night -got down to 45 in August. Close to home for easy access on a Friday night after work. Sites 9 and 10 are double sites for 6 horses, 16 people, and up to 4 vehicles (last 2 pay $5/night). All sites are back-in 50-90 feet. Water and Electric at each site. (I‘ve stayed in 13 and 14.) Easy drive, some hill climbing.

Silver Falls- June 17, 2010 Recommend going after July 4th! Great for mid-Summer when the corrals and trails dry out. 4 stalls at each horse site except the group site C which has 12! (Maximum 3 recreational vehicles allowed -any type of camper, motorhome, trailer, etc. Maximum of 6 vehicles -includes any recreational vehicles. Maximum of 24 people; minimum of 8 people. Maximum of 12 horses/pack animals. ) The sites are shady and spacious, so may accommodate more tents than usual, 2 vehicles allowed, 2nd pays $5/night. No electricity, water faucet nearby. I stayed in E, Diana in D, Tammie was in A or B. Trails were mostly single track, some slight ups and downs, mud made them more difficult. Don’t remember the drive, so must have been OK.

Nehalem Bay - July 27, 2010 Closest Beach Horse Camp. There are 5 pull through sites giving these sites the most room. All back-ins are min of 40 feet. No double or group horse sites. All sites have 2 stalls only. Beach is busiest in mid summer, lots of kites and radio aircraft. No electric, water faucet nearby. (I stayed in 2, Diana in 9, Tammie in 17). There is a trail to the point that is nice, otherwise your riding on the beach, which is pretty cool. Getting there on Hwy 101 is scary due to bicyclists on the roadway w/ no shoulder!

Clackamas Lake- July 29, 2011 If you are mixing horse campers and no-horse campers, stay here, if ONLY riders and horses, I recommend staying at Joe Graham instead! Mt. Hood National Forest, near the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Stalls are varied 2-4 w/ minimum requirements of horses in each site. Great access to the Pacific Crest Trail and 14 mile loop around Timothy Lake 2+ miles away. We did a shorter loop up to Timothy lake and back down the PCT, aprox 5 miles/2 hours. Scenery is wonderful, trail is shady but has rocky footing making faster paces difficult. Better trail is the one going towards Warm Springs (head South on PCT), less rocky footing, wider trail, more level. You can ride up to 8 miles down to the Warm Springs River and back. My problem w/ Clackamas Lake is there is only one water spigot between site 2 and 4 for the 11 horse camps, so you are transporting water 50-100 yards. No pull-throughs (except a fake one in 4) 0-45 foot back-ins. At Joe Graham there are taller trees providing more shade, larger back-ins 0-45 (but they look a lot bigger than the Clackamas Lake ones), and 3 water spigots making the water hauling closer! Neither camp has manure bins, so you have to put poop in garbage bags (provided by park host) and heave into dumpster! No electricity, water in limited locations. The drive there required going up and over the Mt. Hood pass, plenty of slow traffic lanes going up, no problem coming down. The drive home was a little scarier w/ some of the down hill parts around hairy turns w/ drop-offs, fast traffic, and no slow lanes.

Maryland trip, Birthdays, friends and cows!

2011-07-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

Went back east for my sister's birthday and while I was there, I visited an old highschool friend I hadn't seen in almost 12 years! Since the last time I've seen her, she's married, had 3 kids, bought 70 acres, and now raises Percheron horses and Long Horn cattle. I had a great time checking out the farm.

Unfortunately, the 100 degree heat must have addled my brain because I have no pictures from the Birthday party itself. I'm hoping I'll get some from other party-goers at some point.

Camping at Deschutes Recreational Area

2011-04-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

First camping trip of the season! It's still so wet in Portland we decided to go east to get some sunshine. We found it! Beautiful campground but the blasted trains hoooooooonk hoooooooooonk over the bridges nearby all night long! Loved W's beer on tap in the camper! And apparently the rails to trails bike ride was a success for multiple levels of riders. We hikers enjoyed our nice stroll up and back along the river. I'll go there again when I'm old and deaf! Otherwise a great trip :-)

What? I'm not doing anything!

2011-04-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Bezu deciding that it was easiest to get at the catnip from on top of it, and trying to look innocent.

Maryland for Pre-Christmas Visit

2010-12-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

Went home to Maryland for a visit this year and had a great time visiting w/ family and friends!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we spent with friends. Everyone contributed something great! 7 desserts and almost that many bottles of wine! Good times!

SteamPunk!

2010-11-20T18:14:00.000-08:00

We went with our friends Mike and Diana to the Steam Punk convention in Seattle. This was the first time we'd attended anything remotely like this and weren't really sure what to expect. So with a few ideas, some homemade jewelry, a little 2nd hand shopping, and a few hours making wierd weapons, we journeyed up to the Wierd Wierd West SteamCon. I thouroughly enjoyed myself and wouldn't mind attending the next one.

Family Visit

2010-09-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Mom, Dad, and my niece Annika all came out for a visit in August. We took a trip out to Hell's Canyon since none of us had ever been. It's the deepest canyon in North America, deeper than the Grand Canyon so we thought we should see it. We stopped on our way in Pendleton, OR where the famous Pendelton Roundup is held and checked out the local sights. Its mostly a very quiet little town of 16,000 people. But it's home to the Pendleton Woolen Mills, the Pendleton Underground and the Pendleton Round up when it gets an influx of 50,000 people for the week of the rodeo. We missed the rodeo by a few weeks, but that was ok since we wouldn't have been able to get a hotel room then!
After checking out Pendleton, we drove on to Clarkston, WA, right next to Lewiston, ID. There was miles and miles of rolling wheat fields on the way there, w/ the occasional field of wind turbines in the distance. Not a whole lot to look at. We caught our Jet boat in Clarkston the next morning and went on a 10 hour tour through Hell's Canyon on the Snake river. I have to say, the scenery was nice, but not varied enough for a 10 hour trip. Everything looked the same and although the canyon is the deepest, it's not like the Grand Canyon with steep cliff walls. It's more like a river running through tall hills since the highest part is far enough back that you never see it from the river. Not the most interesting destination but we had a good time visiting w/ Mom and Dad and Annika.

Horse stuff 2010

2010-05-23T14:10:00.001-07:00

Starting Gunner over small stuff. He's not too sure about this yet. Trail riding w/ my pals Tammie and Diana.

Getting ready to do my first ever horse show w/ Gunner. The NW Mountian Trail Spring Adventure down in Eugene. Maiden voyage of the camper, and first time hauling the horse trailer w/ the camper on the truck. Made the windy trip down very "interesting." Check out the link to see where we were. http://www.oregonhorsecenter.com/ Gunner did great for his first time!

March 2010

2010-04-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

My new camper that B got me as an early Bday present... nice! Going out for B's Bday. We tried out The Gilt Club, very good food and nice atmosphere.

Family trip to Colorado. Dad and I went to meetings twice a day and skied in between. I did pretty good w/ my new hip although still very cautious about it. I think skiing w/ the kids was the most fun, Elodie did fantastic and kept up no problem!

At the end of the month my friend Francine came out for a visit. We enjoyed lots of gluten free foods and the chinese gardens. She is still a hoot! Thanks Francine for coming out! Loved it!

Christmas and New Years

2010-01-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

This year we went home to Maryland for Christmas to see my family, and then headed up to New York to see Amanda and Neill for New Years Eve. We spent a lot of time relaxing around the wood stove at Mom and Dads, going to movies, playing games, and visiting with family. Once we got to New York, it was rice crispie time, fighting our way through a New York grocery store, and a real knock down Settlers of Catan game. We got to practice our skills again on Saturday w/ their friend F, who whopped butt in our 3 hour game after Brian’s excellent Garlic Chicken dinner. Visiting with great friends is a perfect way to bring in the new year! Happy New Year!

Manzanita then Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T13:06:00.000-08:00

Another trip to the beach. Including my PA conference at Newport, this was the 3rd time this year. A record for me. This trip was in honor of L’s 50th Birthday, something not to be missed. They rented a great house in Manzanita, OR and we spent the weekend eating and listening to the music provided by L and friends.
The next Thursday was Thanksgiving. We stayed home again and celebrated with friends. There was 9 of us for dinner, pot-luck style, and plenty of deserts!

Exploring the Coast

2009-10-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

My friends M and D are also horse owners and we had been talking all summer about different horse trips we could do. One was renting a house at the coast that had stalls available. So they packed up the horses and we all went to the coast. I decided to just scout it out this trip and left Gunner at home, figuring I wasn’t ready to tackle him and his hysterical love of M’s horse Indy. We had better weather than expected and the horses attention was certainly captured by the ocean. I wonder how Gunner will be next summer when I take him.

Labor Day Campout

2009-09-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Labor Day was spent at Camp Wilkerson, camping in the rain with friends. M and I got there early and set up tarps in the horse stalls to cover our tents. It worked pretty well too. G and J were set up in their truck camper, but poor S was uncovered and soon had a river running through her tent. She spent the next night listening to the rain pour on the tin roof of my truck canopy… That had to be ridiculously LOUD. Despite the rotten weather, we all had a great time, playing cards and hanging out around the campfire.

Horse camping at Stubb Stewart

2009-08-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

August was rounded out with a last horse camping trip of the season with my niece Taylar. We brought Gunner and King and they did great together. Taylar spent 12 hours in the saddle that week and did remarkably well for how little time she had ridden the previous year.

Machu Picchu

2009-08-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

After the rest of our party arrived, we spent an evening at the Peruvian circus, and an afternoon at a destination restaurant. They had great food and plenty of activities. Soon it was time to leave Lima and fly to Cusco for our tour of the ruins. Once in Cusco, we made sure we had plenty of coca candy and water to prepare for the altitude. No one in our party ever got sick, but some of us felt a little yucky every once in a while. We did end up going out and walking around the town a couple of evenings, enjoying the markets, the amazing stone work, and the pleasant vibe of the city. Definitely worth returning too.
The morning we went to Machu Picchu, we had to get up ridiculously early so we could catch the breakfast train to the ruin. It was over 2 freezing hours to get there, but we did get blankets, breakfast, and plenty of hot drinks to keep us warm. Once in the national park, we had to race through the market to buy bus tickets to get us up the mountain where the ruins are. It took another ½ hour hike to get up to the first viewing area, but it was all well worth it for the fantastic view of the mountain and ruins. Mom and I took it very easy with all the walking and climbing. It was still hard to do it all and we missed a couple of areas of the ruins, but what we did see was gorgeous. By 2:30 it was time to head back… hike, bus, and train back to Cusco. Needless to say it was a very long day and we were all very tired by the end of it.
The next day we went and saw 3 other ruins, Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Tambo Machay, and Pisaq. Mom, Dad and I skipped out on a couple of these, by this time being “ruined-out” and tired. The rest of the crew persevered, and looking through the sequence of photos, it was their own version of “Survivor” as only 5 were at the top of the last ruin, Pam, Javier, Brian, Amanda, and Neill. Yea Team!
Our group split up after that, the Henderson crowd returning to Lima, and Amanda and Neill staying another couple of days around Cusco. They were able to see Moray, Moras, and Ollantaytambo and took some great photos there, giving me another reason to return. We spent another couple of days in Cinequilla at Pam and Javier’s house, taking trips into Lima to do some last minute shopping. That was one of my favorite activities there. We brought back a lot of souvenirs and memories from that trip.
Thank you Pam, Javier, Monica, and Dudi for a wonderful trip!

Cieneguilla, Peru

2009-07-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

We've arrived in Peru, where the drivers have more balls than brains! So far we've seen a couple of markets, relaxed w/ Peruvian family, and eaten a lot of good food. Once the rest of the party gets here, we'll be seeing more of the city, a circus, the water show, and probably a downtown bus tour before we head up to Cusco to see the ancient city of Machu Pichu. Today is a national holiday like the 4th of July in America. So we will have lots of visitors today and probably do a picnic outside the house.

The house in Cieneguilla. Phoebe is self entertaining in the pool.

Having lunch w/ Pam, Dudi, Javier, Annika, and Monica. Lunch made by Olga.

Phoebe's room where Amanda and Neill will be sleeping. Sorry for the mismatched heights, but I'm sure it will only add to the challenge.

One of the local markets where you can get almost anything.

One of the Indian markets in downtown Lima. I love the leatherwork on the purses.

Back in the Saddle- Take Two

2009-07-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

I was told I could ride again at 8 weeks post-op. On Wednesday the 17th, at exactly 8 weeks, I went out, saddled Gunner up, and got on. ..... and had NO pain. I think I grinned the whole time I was up. I even went on a short trail ride w/ the barn trainer and one of her students. We walked the whole way and it was wonderful to get outside on horseback again. Since then, I've been trying to ride twice a week, doing a little more each time. I've mostly been walking with a little bit of trotting. I've cantered a couple of times, but that one is still a little sore to do. The hip joint is still pain free, but the muscles around it are complaining loudly after a ride, so I have to give them time to recover in between each ride.

I'm very lucky to have the horse I do because he is very patient and easy going. Only occasionly does he need to be discouraged from bad behavior, and it's easy to do because it would require too much effort to put a lot of energy into being bad.

In a couple of weeks we'll be trying out horse camping for the 1st time. We had another trip planed, but that got canceled, so this will be our maiden voyage. It's a campground only 44 miles from the barn, so we can always come back if we have any problems. I just bought a used truck and horse trailer and I'm hoping to have them ready by then. If not, I'll continue to tag along with my friends Mike and Diana in their 3 horse trailer.

And 3 weeks from now, I'll be leaving for Peru. Pam is trying to set up a couple of horse rides for us, in between the sight-seeing, shopping, and lounging by the pool that is scheduled. But I'll be writing more about that trip later!

My parents 50th Wedding Anniversary

2009-06-01T12:46:00.001-07:00

I came home to Maryland for a week for Mom and Dad's 50Th Anniversary. Parrie gave a funny speech (yes you were right, it wasn't too long), there was a lot of stories told, including mine about whether Dad had a mustache or not (he did and Mom didn't remember), and a lot of visiting with people we haven't seen in ages. For instance, John Pollock, who was the contractor who built part of the log house while we built the other part of it, Andrew Walker who was my father's instrument flight trainer, Lt. Col. Jim Commer who let us camp at his house on one of our multiple trips across country in the 70's, our neighbor's across the street, Don and Fostine Ervin who provided us with countless "oops" necessities over the years, and best of all, our long missed relatives who traveled from Tennessee and Florida to come up for the occasion. Aunt Sis and Uncle Gordon (you might remember him from our wedding), Aunt Betty-Grace, and Uncle Buddy and Aunt Barbara- it was wonderful to see them all and have a chance to visit with them over the weekend.

While I am home, I also get to visit my friends Amanda, her family, and Francine. It's great to be able to spend time with them, although it's never seems like enough. I'm looking forward to seeing Amanda and Neill in Peru when we go this August, and I'll see Francine again when we come out again for Christmas. But I will be glad to get home on Thursday to see my hubby! Unfortunately, he couldn't get away for this week since we already have his vacation time accounted for. He missed out on all the family reminiscing, which sometimes is a good thing! :-)

Hip Hip Hurray! (couldn't help myself w/ that one)

2009-05-04T14:07:00.001-07:00

On April 22nd I went in to get my munched up hip replaced. They gave me some Versed prior to putting in some spinal morphine, so I don't remember squat from the pre-op area until I woke up in my room. Not sure I like the memory gap part, but I did like the no pain part. Typically spinal morphine lasts for 14-16 hours. I think mine lasted almost 48 because that is when my itching finally stoped and the pain finally put in an appearance. I have to mention the itching again because it was so incredibly irresistable. I've never itched like that before and hope to never again. And what else are you going to do while lying in bed, but scratch?

I managed to pass my physical therapy and occupational therapy with flying colors and got discharged on the 24th. I was pretty happy about that because it meant I could go home and celebrate my birthday at home. Since Brian has gotten really good at home nursing, he has been working from home, keeping an eye on me. And luckily we still had all the "accessible" modifications to the home still in place, making it pretty easy to make the transition home.

So now it's just a matter of following my hip precautions and doing my excercises. I've already had my staples removed, advanced to using a cane instead of a walker, downgraded my pain meds, and am cleared to drive short distances. All in less than 2 weeks! I think I'll have a better idea of how much of a success it is once I'm entirely off the pain meds, but so far things are going great!

The Dr. didn't need to take any more of the old hardware out. You can see the 2 new screws holding the cup in pointing upwards. This is my femoral head. I know, yuck. It should look like the ends of a chicken bone, smooth and white, NOT like it's been half chewed off w/ a big divot in the top. (the top is on the bottom next to the pen) I love it that my Dr. took this picture for me!

I plan on this being the last post regarding the accident and my hip. It has been a long 15 months dealing with all the injuries and other consequences of the accident. I'm hoping that within a couple of months, I won't notice my hip anymore and I won't have to revist it for a long long time! ...now I just have to find myself some work!

Easter in San Diego and Kauai with Friends

2009-04-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter with Brian's family in San Diego, going to Sea World, Easter Egg hunting, and eating way too much of their good cooking! After enjoying our weekend visit, we caught a plane to Kauai where we met up with Sam and Mel. We spent 5 days there finally getting to know some of the beaches since we actually had sun on this trip. We beach hopped, tried out the different poke, went to a Luau, and did a ditch-tubing trip through the old sugar can irrigation channels. It was nice to enjoy some sunshine and warm weather!

Spring has Sprung

2009-03-29T15:20:00.001-07:00

These are all photos taken by our neighbor, Janell. Great pictures! And they are of our yard and flowers.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic

2009-02-21T22:28:00.000-08:00

I went and saw the Orthopedist Wednesday. We decided to try a Lidocain + Cortisone shot in my hip to confirm that the pain I was having was coming from the joint and not from the surrounding soft tissue. I got in that afternoon, had the shot, and yes, 90% or better of the pain was gone. AMAZING! So, that's what it would feel like if I got a total hip replacement?

Sign me up!

So, in April I'm scheduled to get a new hip. And in the process, I hope to get back to walking w/out a limp, being interested in walking more than 10 yards at a time, getting in and out of the car w/out wincing, and getting back on the horse. In the meantime, I'll keep swimming so I have a good start for my rehabilitation post-op.

My X-Ray shows the arthritis. You can see how the lines are parallel on my right (normal) hip, and how they diverge in the left hip. Apparently the deformed socket (acetabulum) and the missing cartilage on the femoral head are pushing the head of the femur out laterally. So, although the injection is making my hip feel better, it's only a short term pain reliever, not a fix.

And this is the most likely brand of implant that will be used. It's a modular one, making it easier to fit my deformed hip so everything can be aligned properly. When I asked about getting the rest of the hardware removed, I was told that the more muscle and tissue that was dissected away, the more loose and prone to dislocation my hip would be. And besides, when they were taking my screws out in December, the plate was well contoured to my bone, there was bone growing over it, and good thick tissue on top of that. Making it unlikely that the rest of the hardware could be giving me any trouble. After getting the injection, I'm inclined to believe that.

Deschutes County Sheriff's Pictures

2009-01-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

We found out later that the defendant had been sentenced for the mandatory 70 months for the 2nd degree assault charges.

These pictures were sent to us by the DA's office.

Months later I would be searching for our game "Spite and Malice".... and here it is, scattered all over the ground. The "debris field," as the sheriff department called it, was quite large, our belongings shattered and scattered for at least 50 yards.

In the trauma room and months afterwards I got the question "were you wearing your seatbelt?" I had begun to have my own doubts based on how smashed up I was. However, the rescue team had to cut me out of the seat belt, and the deputy testified to that effect. It was a relief to have that doubt erased.

Here is the back window that Mel and Sam crawled through to get out. Imagine trying to do that while dazed and beat up.

When the car rolled, it bounced off this tree, leaving an impact mark in the bark from the 4Runner's rims. You can find our crash site by finding this tree just before getting into Sisters, Oregon. The vinyl fence is no longer there, probably because we trashed so much of it.

The Toyota is completely destroyed.

Impact zone on our car, showing he rammed us really hard off center, which is why we ended up rolling.

Mr. Defendant's car. There was no way to tell exactly how fast the guy was going, but the Judge proposed he was going 90-100 miles an hour to do this kind of damage to his own car.

This is the schematic of the crash. They measured and diagrammed everything.

You can find the site because of the shopping center in the background. It's just past the McDonald's on the right.

Just The Facts

2009-01-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

This will be short and sweet until we return to Portland where the internet connection is more reliable.
The drunk driver was found guilty on all 11 counts.
7 counts of reckless endangerment
1 count reckless driving
1 count giving false ID to police
1 count DUI
and one doozy of a count- 2nd degree assault on moi

He will serve a mandatory 70 months in jail for the 2nd degree assault, no time out for good behavior. The other 10 counts may be served concurrently, or consecutively. We won't know until Jan 23 when the sentenceing occures. We will not return for that, they will call us and let us know the outcome.

More later...

Christmas in Roseburg

2008-12-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

We decided on a small tree this year and put it on the entertainment case/bar. Bezu found a great hiding place under the tree. Must have been great to have nature brought inside where it was warm! We drove down to Roseburg on Wednesday in a break between snows. With all the ice ruts on the road and the crawling traffic, it took us almost 3 hours to get to Salem (normal is 45 min.).

We always just hung the stockings for decorations, but Sherry has a lot of fun filling the stocking to bursting. They have to be brought down, they're too heavy to hang!

Presents for all the kids and grandkids adds up to quite a few. They are leaking across the carpet like a Christmas tide!

As always, everyone is hanging out in the kitchen, salivating in anticipation for the prime rib to get done.

Snow in Portland

2008-12-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

This was the first snow we had, only 4-5 inches. You can still see the lights on the walkway through the snow. I just love the tree lights in the snow!

Our street wasn't plowed. Neither was the main road out front. It just turned into big ice ruts.

Brian shoveled out a walkway so he could get to the mailbox, but I don't think we got any mail for a few days. Our last "big" snow was January 2007 where we got a whole whopping 3 inches. This year we topped that with 12 inches, the most in the last 40 years for Portland. We've been staying warm and cozy inside and feeling bad for our friends who don't have heated floors. And I have to say I really think Christmas lights on snow are really pretty. Happy Holidays Everyone!

Trilobites

2008-12-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

The accident was in late February and I started walking on my left leg at the end of May. Never being in this situation before, I really didn't know what to expect. By October, I was getting more sore, not less. Was I being a wuss? Should I just keep going even though it hurt? Fortunately, Jeff got tired of watching me limp around and recommended (very strongly) I see a surgeon that does Hip Arthroscopes, Dr. Wagner. After reviewing my CT scan, and having several other people review my scan, he was almost 100% sure that there was a screw in my hip joint. He requested one of his peers at Emanuel to come assist in taking the screw out, after he preformed the arthroscope to check out the condition of the joint.

My surgery was Wednesday, Dec 10Th (yesterday) and I'm already home recuperating. I discovered I was not being a wuss, since the screw was sitting in my joint like a trilobite in a cave wall. It had done enough damage to remove 30% of my cartilage on the surface of the femur. Maybe I should have been more of a wuss earlier. The pictures are hard to decipher, but I've outlined the edge of the cartilage that was worn away. And the screw is very noticable.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

After having friends mimic my limp, I decided to use it in my costume. So I became Igorina, a combination of Igor in Young Frankenstein and the Igors that inhabit the Disc World. And since Igors always work for Mad Scientists, Brian's costume was a given.

Too bad I couldn't make my hump switch sides like the one in Young Frankenstein

Getting the Mad Scientist look for Brian took more effort than I anticipated. Crazy hair doesn't come easy.

What I want to be Reincarnated as...

2008-10-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's not really fair that they can look so contented just lying in a spot of sun. I'm envious.

6 Weeks of Mental Anguish

2008-09-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Every 6 years I have to recertify for my profession. Not just continuing education, but a repeat of the original certifying exam, same as new grads have to take. 300 multiple guess questions on everything..Dermatology, Endocrine, OB/Gyn, Hematology, Oncology, Rheumatology, etc... I didn't enjoy it 13 years ago when I first learned and now I don't remember squat! The only redeeming quality is that it is a take home exam, over 6 weeks long. I think I'll have a heart attack when I have to do the 3 hour exam in another 6 years.

Think Aerosmith

2008-08-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

"I'm back! I'm back in the saddle again! I'm Back! I'm back in the saddle again."

After being in a wheelchair for 3 months and rehab for the last 3 months, I'm finally here. And despite Gunner's disgruntled expression (what are you doing back there?) , he was a perfect gentleman. The hardest part was getting that left leg to do the push/ turn so I could swing my right leg over. We did some walking and once around at a trot, but I limited it to 30 minutes so I would be able to walk tomorrow. Thanks Caitlin for your cell phone camera!

Cider House Rules!

2008-08-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

No not the book or movie... just us getting all the gear, necessary instructions, and able bodies together to grind and press the apples. I'm figuring it was probably only 150 pounds, since 2 years ago we also made apple butter and sauce and that was 200 pounds. We were also using the generous loan of a grape press, but it really didn't like fruit larger than grapes. This year Brian did end up renting a grinder and press and it made a HUGE difference. Larger hopper, larger crank, and metal seive instead of cloth.... only took a few hours instead of being an all day opperation.

Now We've got our 6 gallons sitting in the pantry, sugar and yeast added. 2 months from now we'll be bottling the hard cider but since it was better the longer we let it age, we probably won't be drinking it for a while.

Blue sky day!

2008-08-11T14:25:00.001-07:00

Can't get enough of this awesome weather! The flowers are amazing this year, and the apples are falling already, keeping the neighbors up at night.Sunflowers are so "in your face" about summer... the jerks!

There are beautiful pale pink ones too! Thanks Rosie for the new colors!

We've already netted quite a few, Brian is storing them in the shop fridge... they add up fast!

It will be a cider year for sure! Just have to rent the cider press this year, not using the 4x4 post this time!

Special Thanks Edition

2008-08-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

As I've been getting better and better, I have to pause and think about the long journey the past 5 months have been. I couldn't have done as well as I have without all the people around me, holding me up, physically and emotionally. I can't say enough about all my family and friends who have been there for me when I needed it most. And I have to thank everyone for all of their cards, calls, visits, flowers, food, and overwhelming love and support!

And there are special thanks for many of you....just like in the Oscars!....

I’m so grateful for my wonderful Mom who came out and spent 6 weeks helping Brian take care of me during the worst of my recovery. My Dad, who came out to lend support and tried to read (though the laughter) some of my favorite books to me. My sister, Pam, who left her family in Maryland to come out for a week and help us, and Amanda, my long time best friend who came out from Manhattan for a week as well, and humored me by riding my horse. My family and family-in-law, who called and sent goodies and good wishes our way. My Mom-in-Law, Sherry, who brought us shower aids, and my friend, Lisa, who has loaned us a wheelchair, both have been a god-send during my recovery. My friend John who took care of my precious cats and our house the week we were in Bend. Brian’s work, Intel, and particularly his manager, who have been supportive and generous through-out. My friend Jeff for all his support and patience at work during my recovery. My friend and associate Monte, for covering my job for months. My friends, Chris, John, Mel, Ray and Pat, who all came out and stayed with me on those days that Brian had to be gone. My friends Jen M, Stephanie, Helen, Jen C, Kathy, Brittany, Berne, Terri, Sam, Suzanne, and Nancy, who all brought us good food and good company! My friends Brittany, Tracy, and Helen for keeping my horse, Gunner, well loved, fed, and exercised. My friend Wade, who drove down on a moments notice to bring Brian and I some supplies and give support right after the accident, and who also modified our stairs and shower for us. You are wonderful people and I'm so grateful you're in my life!

And I’m especially thankful for my absolutely fantastic husband, who has been so patient, helpful, and supportive, and continues to be, through-out this whole ordeal.

Disney in July... phuu-wee it's HOT!

2008-07-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

The scooters were a hit, both with me and tired little feet. One thing they forget to mention when you rent them, there are NO BRAKES, so pedestrians Beware!

A nice dinner and then out and about in Downtown Disney. Yea, some of us have had a few drinks!
4th of July, a sing-a-long, roasted marshmallows and s'mores! A great time.

Also enjoyed catching up with the Florida relatives.... see any resemblances?

Mobile and accessory free!

2008-06-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, May 27th I was given permission to start putting weight on my left leg using a crutch. On Thursday, my armpit was so sore, I stopped using the crutch! Over the next couple of weeks I would still occasionally use a walker or wheelchair, but for the most part I was walking w/out accessories! Woo Hoo! Look Ma! No hands!

You have no idea how nice it is to have 2 hands free! No more dragging a walker around, trying to hold onto one other thing.... pain in the patootie! Of course that also meant I was able to start cleaning, cooking, and doing the dishes... hmmm...maybe I still need the walker a little bit?

I've now been mobile for 4 weeks. I still have a limp, but it's getting better the stronger I get. I've even made a couple of test runs at work, did a little suturing, did too much standing, and can't use the torque wrench yet at all... maybe in another couple of weeks I'll be doing that too.

B's 40th and Easter!

2008-03-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

Instead of skiing in Utah for Brian's 40th, we spent it here in Oregon. His Whole family showed up to support and/or Harass him. It also happened to be Easter weekend so there had to be an Easter egg hunt. We had over 100 eggs out in the back yard, and it was a lot of fun watching the kids on the hunt. Thanks to Heather for the pictures!

The Birthday boy!
That was a tough one to get too!
Have to check out what's inside them, make sure it's still good.

After all that sugar, they needed to play football and work it all out.

St. Charles Hosp, Bend, OR.

2008-03-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is in the ICU at St. Charles Hospital. I think sometime Sunday since I think that’s when Wade came down and took the pictures. I don’t remember much about that time, but apparently I was appropriate and pleasant at the time. I have vague recollections of calling my family and Brian holding the phone for me so I could talk. When Brian called my parents, he had done so on a pay phone, his cell phone being lost in the accident and mine still in police custody. Brian was a bit shell shocked and forgot to tell my parents where we were so they had to call the pay phone back and ask the random stranger who answered what hospital it was.
I was pretty messed up, but overjoyed that Brian and my friends, Mel and Sam, were safe, and that I wasn’t paralyzed.
I did have a broken skull, a broken neck, multiple broken ribs and transverse processes, a broken sternum, contused lungs, a broken wrist on the left, a fracture-dislocation and a partially paralyzed wrist on the right, a partial de-gloving of my right thumb, and a fracture-dislocation of my left acetabulum and femur.
It will be a long journey to recovery.

My Xrays

2008-03-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Posted at a much later date.....

Shit Happens

2008-02-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

11:00pm, Friday, February 22, 2008. Well, most of you know the story by now. Drunk driver going really fast hits us from behind, causing our 4Runner to roll multiple times. I was very thankful that none of us were killed, or permanently damaged, but, really, I could have shared a few breaks with you...
The car looks like it's already seen the compactor. I'm not sure how Mel and Sam got out the back, or Brian got out the front windshield... But I got out w/ lots of help from a saws-all and my own brigade of firefighters. I'm just glad I don't remember any of it, and hope I never do.

p.s.-pictures from the Sister's Nugget News http://www.nuggetnews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=14098&SectionID=5&SubSectionID=&S=1

Meeting? In Kauaii? You betcha!

2008-01-27T10:12:00.000-08:00

Can you think of a nicer place to go for a boring ol' conference? ...Me neither. I finally went to a spine meeting, first I've been to in the eight years I've been working on 'em. The meeting was put on at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu. It was absolutly lovely. The weather could have been a little better, but it was January, after all.

I was able to steal a little time away (he he) and go riding. Even dragged Brian w/ me for one of them. It was really nice seeing the island up close w/out all the buildings and tourists (except for the ones on horseback w/ us).

New Bar! Fill 'er UP!

2007-12-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

We've had the idea for years, ever since we saw the 1950's TV rise up out of the console. But since we already had a great home theater, we didn't need another TV, we needed a BAR! Besides, B's Mom thought our old liquor cabinet w/ the booze on top was tacky :-)

Now, we get to hide the good stuff away until we want it. Which lately seems to be fairly frequently, but I think that's because we want to watch our new toy! And we listened to all those who shared their opinions w/ us and didn't put in any centerpiece! If we come up w/ something better than the previous ideas, we can always add it in, but personally, I think it's a done deal.

If any of you have any custom work you need done in the Portland area, this is the same guy who did our built-in master bedroom furniture, I can give you his name and number.

He does excellent work!

From Bled dry to In your face Purple

2007-11-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

So this is what it looks like so far. We're still waiting on the cove base to come in, and for the new fixtures to be put in. Our friend the remodeler, WS, is a bit overwhelmed at another job, so we may be waiting a while. No hurries. And yes we will be painting, and no, not sea foam green.

Great Fall Weather Scenery

2007-11-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

I went out for a slow stroll w/ Gunner and decided to get some shots of the great scenery. Not far from here is where we saw the young Elk. It was cool to see, but slightly uncomfortable as I was looking around for the adults and/or the Hunters! This is taken in our own back yard. Got up one morning to a beautiful sunrise, and decided it was too good to not capture. I don't think we got bad weather immediatly afterwards... Hope your enjoying your fall weather as much as we are!

Some last great riding weather...

2007-10-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

"That's a big Dog!" BD and I out enjoying the last of the great fall weather. Forgot how hard it is to get some good pictures while your bouncing around, and Gunner is such a slow-poke, while Jackson could win a walking race. I was very tempted to add Jackson to the Managerie, but was too slow making the purchase. Probably a good thing... but I will miss riding him on occasion.

NUDE art- cover your eyes!

2007-10-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I get a bug to paint. At first it was animals, then it was landscapes, then I tried to paint someone I knew, and now I've done me. I've had the idea for my painting in my mind since Jan 2004 when we moved into the new bedroom, but as with most things, I'm a bit of a procrastinator. And no, that's not the whole painting...just all your going to see :-)

No longer my double-wide

2007-10-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

I'd just spent months finding the perfect saddle and now my double-wide is reduced to a single-wide. He's lost a good bit of weight, making that saddle fitting a problem again. Fortunantly he's still very comfortable to ride bare-back.

Bathroom- remodel or redecorate?

2007-09-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's time.

I love this bathroom, but it's beginning to remind me of a carcass that's been bled dry. I think when they were getting our house ready to sell, they wanted to put in neutral colors, perhaps to hide the pink-ness of the fixtures. hmmm.... someone should have told them

YOU CAN'T HIDE PINK.

So, we're putting in a new floor and new tile. Something that will celebrate it's Pink-ness.

I know, I know, your thinking, just get rid of the pink. But it's 60 years old, in pristine condition, and you just can't find quality like that anymore. Besides, it's kind of cute.

Nervous Sweat

2007-08-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

The flight or fight response is amazing. I got to experience it myself this evening when I was asked to inject the intrathecal morphine into our patient this evening. Doctor J left it til the end, then had to leave. I've seen it given a million times, but never done it myself. Now I was holding the hypo, poking it into the Dura (that's the SPINAL CORD FOR CRYING OUT LOUD) drawing a flash-back, and injecting 0.35cc. ACK!!!!! I broke out in an immediate nervous sweat. Next time we're in surgery, I'll be asking to do it again.

The Gorge Amphitheater, George, WA

2007-08-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, there really is a place called George, Washington. I always thought people were making a joke until I went there for a concert. It's a 5 hour drive from Portland, but the venue is amazing. Your in the middle of High Desert, on the edge of a canyon, there aren't any city lights to compete with the stars, and the concert was one of the best I've been to in years.

A couple of months ago, Stephanie got us tickets to see the show and camping reservations nearby so we wouldn't have to do the drive 2x in one 24 hour period. Unfortunantly I goofed on the dates, and we were supposed to be in Sun River w/ Brian's family for the weekend. I was able to sell one ticket but not both, so we divided and conquered. Brian went to Sun River for the family get-together, and I went camping with the girls. The early Friday drive over was enlived with a missed exit and having to drive 40 miles out of the way... and lots of embarassment over that. We finially made it and gathered the group to join the other cattle waiting to get in to the Amphitheater.

We saw Finger 11, Puddle of Mudd, and the headliners, Nickelback. They were Awsome! They really enjoyed themselves on stage, had fun interacting with the crowd, and just put on a great show.

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing around the camp, reading, swimming, going on a short walk to see the petrified ginko trees, and quite a bit of catching up with the girls.

(these are not my pictures - they're off the internet -Partyin' Peeps blog and hob.com)

Garden Porn -Part Deux

2007-08-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

This summer hasn't been warm enough to rippen the tomatoes or corn very fast, but we have gotten an overabundance of peas, beans, radishes, carrots, squash, zuchini, and cucumbers. I'm anticipating when all those bizzillion tomatoes get ripe at the same time. There will have to be a processing party one of these weekends. (I call it a party- my soon to be ex-friends call it forced labor)

Camping at Lewis River, WA

2007-08-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

At the end of July we were invited to join Mike on his property for a weekend camp-out. I'd never been to up to see it in the 4 years he's had it, and now he's thinking of selling it next year. Anyone want 5 acres on a beautiful river? And it was beautiful. The property had been cleared at one point, so there was an ongoing war with the blackberry bushes and cottonwoods, but there was plenty of room for the tents, a camp kitchen, and a campfire near the river. And I was very grateful to Mike for renting the Porta-Potties for the weekend. I'm not really that great at the "squat uphill" pose to miss your shoes in the middle of the night.

Some of the usual suspects were there. John-John, Wade, Scott and Nancy (the honeymooners), Liz, Dan, and of course Mike. And there were a few new faces to me, nice people to hang w/ around a campfire.

On Saturday, we took a curvy 2 hour drive up to see the Lower and Middle Lewis River Falls. The falls were fantastic and the scenery was great, but we ran out of time to visit the Upper Falls. There was a bit of a hike involved and by then it was after 5pm and we still had to drive back to camp and cook.

We're planning on doing this again for Labor Day weekend if we can get enough people together to make renting the porta-potties worth-while. Maybe this time we'll check out the golf course and the horse camping facilities for possible future use.

Flower Fireworks!

2007-07-05T14:00:00.001-07:00

One of the things I love about having flowers in the garden, is bringing the occasional bunch inside to admire or giving away to friends. They are georgous right now.

Trail Riding!

2007-07-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

Yea! Our first real trail ride was a success. Diana and Mike and I went out for 2 hours on the BLM land behind the barn. Gunner did great! Mike's horse, Indy, had to lead most of the time, the other 2 weren't too keen on it, but Gunner was willing for a short while. There were some exciting canters, through the overgrown brush reminencient of some of the canters in Spain. Those didn't last too long, once stopping to pick up Mikes straw hat w/ a stick after he got whacked in the head by a low hanging branch. I also go to see how Gunner reacts to water and cars... basically doesn't care about either. But he does NOT like to be left behind, blasting into a canter like he was shot from a cannon. And in the arena he practically has to be thumped to get him going. Great progress and I was very happily exhausted at the end of the ride.

Fruits of Labor

2007-06-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, we're just being cruel now.... Knee high corn, sweet crunchy peas, radishes, mustard greens, fresh spinach, carrots, lettuce, and soon to be green beans and tomatoes. Pretty soon we won't need any vegies from the store for our salads. And we've got strawberries out the Wazoo... we've already processed 2 batches of Jam, 2 recipes for strawberry sorbet, and 16 cups of sliced frozen berries... and this is what we've got to process now. Poor us, huh?

The Bees seem to be happy

2007-06-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

So, here's a few weeks later after I did all that digging and planting. Not much yet, but it will be a burst of bright color soon. And I love those Lupines, although they are reproducing at an alarming rate. Want any?

Garden Porn

2007-06-06T19:58:00.001-07:00

Seeing the ol' gang in Philly

2007-06-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

Keeping up w/ my certification requires that I retake a test every 6 years, and passing. If I want to do the "take home" 6 week version instead of the 4 hour sit at a computer version, I have to accumulate 400 CME credits over the 6 years. (which is 100 credits over the normal requirement) So, off to Philidelphia for the National American Academy of Physician Assistants conference. Fortunantly, I had 3 of my PA classmates join me, and 2 of my PA friends from Portland to make it bearable. There's not much more boring than sitting in a convention center auditorium w/ 300 other people listening to mediocre lectures. I'm not sure how much I learned, but I survived, earned my credits, and got to see some friends.

An afternoon at the barn

2007-05-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

Once again I'm out at the barn, and for once I remembered to have someone photograph us both. We're working on simple things, like turning, not stopping every few minutes, and getting used to the surroundings. He's still not too sure about where he is and what's going on, but is taking it all w/ mostly a good nature.

Digging, digging, digging....

2007-05-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

I've been busy redesigning and replanting a couple of the planter beds at the back patio. Every time I get into this I realize why there are so many landscaping companies out there. It's Hard Work! You try transplanting a dozen bushes (means digging 2 holes each), hand digging a 10 x 6 foot plot, trying not to wack the gladiola bulbs in to multiple pieces, getting all the ornery wild morning glory weeds out, and putting in about 20 plants.... let me know how it goes. My back hurt for a week. And then I got to do it all over again with the bigger bed next to it. But I'm really looking forward to it in full bloom in August. Annn-ti-ci-paaaa-tion....
You'll be invited to come see it too.

Wine Tasting for the 40th Birthday!

2007-04-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Run Away! Run Away!

That seemed the best thing to do when your turning 40 and don't want to see any black crap(e) at a party. And fortifying the difficult transition with copious amounts of wine seemed like a good idea to me! We stayed at a wonderful place called the Wine Country Inn in St. Helena, went on a chauffeured wine tour, and then went to great resturants. It was a great weekend and Brian arranged it all.

A Horse of Course

2007-04-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

After 3 years of leasing and leaving 'em, I've decided to make a permanent committment to a nice guy w/ spots. He's a little clueless, needs encouragement frequently, and is a bit unsettled. But there's a good heart in that big wide body.

Give me a couple of months and we'll have it all worked out!

Whistler with Mom and Dad

2007-03-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

Dad and I signed up for a boon-dogle conference in Whister, I got us a slope-side condo on Blackcomb Mt. and we all met in Seattle for the drive over. The weather at Whistler can make or break your trip, but w/ another reason to go, we didn't lose out completely when the weather wasn't cooperating. Good thing too, since it was typical spring conditions w/ the "cascade cement" on the slopes. We also succeeded in addicting Dad to one of our games, Carcassone.

J comes for a visit

2007-02-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

A short week, including a trip to Mt. Bachelor w/ J, Ray, Brian and I. We ate great food, drank a LOT of great wine, wore the 'baclava' of EVIL, and skied. And I got to do my first Geocaching.

It's snowing, It's snowing!

2007-01-16T21:14:00.000-08:00

Portland's not equipted to handle the 3 inches we got. So we stayed home and watched all the crashes on the internet. Apparently a 15 car crash, including a bus, a firetruck, and cars bouncing around in slow motion is worthy of the national news.

Our Holiday Finest

2007-01-10T21:09:00.000-08:00

Getting your picture taken can be a great oppertunity to get dressed up and go out afterwards. We ended up at our favorite sushi resturant, I Love Sushi. Besides, it was almost the end of the year, when you get to start over counting calories. Right?