More from Last Weeks Beach Trip

Morning walk on the beach at Manzanita with her trusty Americana thermos circa 1976.

Sand formations

What is this thing?

It's down on the river side of Astoria, by the canneries:

What ever it is, I like it. It is "Riven-esque".

Abandoned "Red" Cannery.

We took a walk along the wharf. Astoria has put a jogging path along the river that cuts right through the heart of the industrial area, and "Cannery Row" down to the Maritime Museum, abandoned train depot and beyond.
Scout found poppies growing along the banks. in the back you can see one of the cannery's. Just after we took this picture, one of the guys working out back was rinsing all the gurry out into the river, while a sea lion was enjoying the buffet. The stinker kept diving under every time I tried to get a pic of him though, so I eventually gave up.

More of Scout's Starfish

The tide is rapidly climbing up the jetty, and covering up all of the little Starfish.

Too freakin tired!

Perhaps its because of the busy tumult of daily living just catching up with me, perhaps it is the fact that we were all awake last night enjoying the wonderful thunder and lightening storms that came through the area dumping hail and mass amounts of rain. Perhaps it is just being tired after today's biopsy...nothing big, just a dumb 'ol pre-emptive thing. I just didn't expect to be this lethargic. Perhaps it's mostly all of the above put together. I know i spoke to other people today and it seems like we are ALL exhausted. I think it must be that we were all awake listening to the storm. I hope we get another one tonight. I'll just plan for a nap tomorrow if it happens. :o)

Killer thunder storms last night in the wee hours. Finally Scout, Brogin and I got up about 430 to watch. Awesome!

Animal Planet?

I have done nothing but care for other people's pets for the last 2 hours straight.
And that is not counting my friends cat in town.

Most of it is the fault of PetSmart!
The sold my daughter a sick rat, and lied about it. $100 later I will be going back in there to hold them accountable. I may end up going in there again if our other rat gets sick.

Ugh!

But now Pickles is significantly improved, and both cages are sterilized. The dog has been
medicated, the cats fed. Now I gotta do the aquarium and then go into town and do Spaz The Cat. (At least she is pretty easy and quick to care for!)

June Beach Trip, Day 2, Part 2

Scout finds some Starfish on the ocean side of South Jetty.

The mighty Starfish hunter on top of south Jetty.





PS - It's official: I think I hate this new camera.

Beach Day 2

Dismal Nitch.
That is the real true name of the place.
Named by Clark of Lewis and Clark Expedition fame.

Look at that green. It was VERY slippery. Now, in your imagination, can you imagine the stink? Yes. oh yes.

June Beach Day 1: Sadness

The ODFW (Oregon Fish and Wildlife Dept) had him roped/signed off: do not disturb.

Even so, it did not stop humans from paying him homage and even leaving a small trinket in the spirit of endearment and honouring his departure.

Bunny and Sealion: a meaningful connection?

While the tide races in, Scout takes a minute to climb around on a rocky ridge that will be soon submerged.

...and Scout even found some of her initials carved in the stone.


Last time I was here, I managed to skate around to the other side of these rocks at low tide and sneak back in the nick of time as the tide had turned. Below shows the swift tide change as it races in in less that 8 minutes:

It is now ankle deep.

Psychic? How?

This is at the corner of Burnside and Division in Gresham.
One is compelled to ask one's self:

Who needs to have their "Past" told?
"What just happened?"

And really, WHO needs to have their "Present" told?
"What's going on?"

I mean really!

Church Split

Gah!
Must I live through another one?
At least this time I am not related to anyone involved!
Still...
In the words of a good friend,
who said exactly what was in my heart,

The word comes to mind:

"Unnecessary."
Was the impetus for this
really THAT important?

I thought of the bible verse where
it says something akin to:

"It is a foolish woman,
who tears down her own
house."

And for what?
From where I sit,
although I adore the teachings
of my (former) pastor,
There is a niggling thought
chewing at the base of my brain:
After his "administrative (so called) pastor"
borrowed an obscene amount of money in
order to pay intense church staff salaries, they
suddenly manage to throw up their hands
and leave the church, scot-free, while the
actual congregation is still held
liable for the HORRENDOUS debt
incurred.

This is a grievous sin.
And while I do NOT necessarily hold my
pastor accountable for it in it's entirety, I do
hold him some what accountable as the overall
leader and shepherd of this people. The real fiend in
this is the man who "administrated", and who had
himself (somehow) declared as "Administrative Pastor".
the dude doesn't even HOLD a pastoral degree! He has not
been ordained in any way shape or form.
This man is vile in my eyes and steeped in putresence.
(I call "Mizpah" (It's not a nice sweet lovey thing. See link and then see below**). And I say therefore:
"May God judge between me and thee".
Mizpah should not be declared lightly.)

Fortunately for me, God
has no care for politics.
He is no respector of
tradition for it's own sake.
This is not to say some
traditions do not serve Him, but
there are far too many sacred
cows, both in and out
of the church.

Many do not serve Him.

In such a case, I would
quote to myself:
"As for me and my
house, we will serve
The Lord."

No matter if that looks
foul to the official church,
or if it looks foul to
those not part
of His church.

Screw politically correct,
whether it occurs within
the Church, or within those
who think of themselves
as the Intelligencia, or
modern, or right wing
or left wing.

God is NONE of these things.
Which is why He is hated
and dissed.
May I be like Him then.


** Mizpah was a declaration between two men who did not trust each other because one cheated the other and got away with it. And so one man declared "Mizpah" meaning
"...may God judge between us, which one is truthful and which is a liar." - Michelle Paraphrase)

Bad Fridge

By Blake

Architectural Piece

So I got this nutty piece of antique exterior moulding from a vendor in the store.

It fit perfectly on the blank wall behind the wood stove.
To balance the wall out, I also got a clock.

The Barn Candle(tm) company sells their candles in little mason jars with tin lids.
Once the Barn Candles are used up, I have nothing to do with the lids...
until now: I can use them as candle holders for the little disc tea lights. And place them together in groupings...on top of this moulding is a perfect place.

I needed a couple of "oddments" to also balance out the uh..."wall display"?
So I got one juggling pin, paired with an antique brass hose nozzle (of course!)
And I also got...HER!

What is that sculpture of a woman usually found on the front of a ship?
(Dear Susan, of all people, I bet YOU will know this!)
"Maiden Head?" "Mast Head"? Well, there was a nautical booth at the store.
It had this crazy butt-ugly woman-esque-ish figurine for sale.
I thought, "What on Heavens name is THAT and boy is she coyote ugly!"
I like it.

Dear Orange and Black

OSU:

Dare I hope...but it's possible, that YOU, may receive one of our own?!
All Glory to Oregon's Orange and Black!

Dear Beav's,
May you GO!

Dear All-You-Kids,

Last night was a pretty chill party.
There was loud music.
The girls danced with abandon.
There was food.
There were helium filled balloons, emptied, into lungs to create amusing anecdotes.

If all of YOU (tm) were here, then it would have been heaven on earth.

Even so...
It was pretty danged good.

And my heart is full***.

*** Wish you were here.

:o)

My town part 2: in my town cars and pedestrians share the road with deer and people riding their horses in the middle of town and think nothing out odd.

My town part 1: remember in the 1st Toy Story movie how the clouds were painted on Andy's wall? That was the sky today.

The Haircut

You would think it would be a simple, uneventful task?
No.
So there we are in PDX.
We've Off loaded Scout's stuff at the apt, and loaded up the worlds biggest plasma screen TV to take back to Sisters. We've gone to the Hot Cake House at the bottom of the Ross Island Bridge and stuffed ourselves to the brink of vomitting.

And Blake says,"hey, while we are on this side of the river, wanna go get our hair cut at that really GOOD Supercuts?"

James and Jeremy agree.
So we go.

They enter and Blake announces loudly, "we are here. At the best Supercuts ever!" It's me James and Jeremy here to get our hair cut again. It's the Trinity!"

All stylists in the salon are now chuckling.
Except the old crabby one. (But she kinda lightens up at the end.)

"Let's all get the exact same haircut!" they decide.
"We all want to look the same."

Stylists eyebrows go up.

And from there...
a verbal comedy routine/party/banter is launched.

Blake's stylist looks at me and says, "is he always like this?"
"Yes" say all of us at the same time.
But see, James is no less a slacker in the yakkity comedy BS dept.

They filled this poor salon to the ceiling with their B.S.

A good (if not exhausting) time was had by all.

Facts and Aftermath.

So in the week following her completion of school, and before the actual commencement
ceremonies, Scout has moved to PDX to live with Blake, James and Jeremy, (brother, and friends from Camp).

Worrisome bits:

-She is in the exact middle of change of medications, the effects of change should be showing up anytime now.

-She has never driven in the city. And certainly not on any of the freeways.

-Can become overwhelmed and over tired with too much change going on. I don't know that Blake will be able to recognise the signs of her overload. I barely can.

-The boys are all pretty chaotic. She needs some sort of order.

-She will either share a bedroom with her brother, or won't get one at all (pending). She needs a bit of private time.

-Needs a job.

-Almost got run off the road yesterday because she refused to merge and allow another car in between hers and mine. Repeatedly. In excess of 60 mph. I hope she doesn't get in a car accident. She really has no experience driving on freeways.

When Blake first moved to Portland, he stayed with camp friends, but they were all living with one boys family. (Mom Dad etc) I knew he was going to be fed at least 1 square meal a day and have a safe environment. This is different. Not that Blake, James and JEremy are unsafe - they are safe - but they are 20-23 yr olds. Every minute of every day is one big adventure, and if not, they make it into one. Even yesterday, going to get a simple hair cut turned into a hilarious, spontaneous media-esque event. Scout needs some "down time" at some point, or she will 'pop'. (Especially in the midst of a med change from Zoloft to Selexa.)

I hate this "worry" part of the transition.

ADDENDUM:
I had a lengthy texting conversation with Bryan today. Bryan is a long time friend and a dad. During the course of this convo I came to the conclusion that I am only just small. I should remain alert and yet at the same time, knowing that although I adore my kids, God loves them FAR more and dude! HE is able to be EVERYWHERE. I sure can't. So I have to trust. And pray, and just remain open and available.

Ugh!

I don't want any (ANY!) of "My Kids" (tm) to experience unnecessary pain or discomfort.
(Are "My Kids" (tm) hearin' me?!)
And yet...such is the stuff of normal life.

So I pray.

Dear Season of Flip Flops...

...how I LOVE thee!
Please bless me with your presence and linger long, after other seasonal guests depart.
:o)

Carpet Stain Mystery Solved

So I thought all the stained carpet areas beneath the chair where my dad sits for dinner were a result of maybe clumsiness or poor eye-sight, or deteriorated hand-eye coordination on his part.

Not so.

I saw it last night.
I witnessed it.

He throws morsels from his dinner, to the dog - who cannot catch to save her life. She lets it fall and then eats it when it is no longer in motion.

(sigh. *slaps own forehead!*)

I am going to slap him!

New Favorite Beach

I found it Friday morning and since I was unsure if the tide was in or out at this time, I decided to check back later in the day. It is a bit of a rocky beach at times, and there are lots of them jutting up out of the water, making it an interesting walk. (Note the waterline)




Yes Virginia, there is a low tide. (Again, make note of the green waterline areas.)





And these are what one finds around the other side of it...









All of the above are part of a horseshoe shaped cave/bowl that during high tide is entirely submerged. Next time I go back I will try and shoot enough to stitch up a panoramic so that you can see how huge the enclosure is. When you see it and stand here, on the dry land and realise that it is entirely buried underwater everyday, it is a bit awe inspiring.


And there it was, further down the cut-off part of the beach:

It's really starting to break up now.

The time it took me to walk from the gap in the big rocks to here was approx 7 minutes. In the time it took me to come through the gap, take this photo and get back to the gap the tide was already moving in at an alarming rate. If I waited another 20-30 minutes, I bet I wouldn't be able to cross back through without getting fairly wet, if I would be able to pass through at all. I was stunned at how quickly the tide races in.

On thing I noticed about the Manzanita beack is how much debris is strewn about it now. Not just driftwood and kelp, but pieces of structures, and lumber etc. Every beach I went to had the same story - of course some of them I had never been to before so I had no previous reference, but the Manzanita beach is usually VERY clean, save for the driftwood and kelp.

Weirdness.

Dear Beach

I can't WAIT to see you in 2 days! I am bringing ALL of my camera's, including the
Fish-eye...although if you blow sand on me like last time (which I LOVED-don't get me wrong),
I will be forced to use the cheapest, crap camera = Ye Olde Minolta.

I will be searching for some old Ghost towns on the Washington side as well.

So far it looks like it's just going to be you and me!
I don't think I have EVER been able to have a one-on-one visit with you before.

Dear Beach, I can't WAIT to see what you have planned!

How does it feel?

How does it feel, on one of the first sunny days on the central Oregon High Desert, when you fill the Studebaker up with people and run into Bend for Bacon Burger Baskets at the Sonic (where they rollerskate your food out to your car still)?

According to Kristina Coulter: it feels like playing hookie.

Yes.
It does.

Status Update;

Dear God,

I like how you are both Not a Freak, and also, a Total Freak,

simultaneously.

It was Katherine Hepburn...

who was my all time favorite actress.
She is still numbered with the greats in my heart, but for actresses living,
I must say my current fave is Meryl Streep.
She is SO amazing! Her range and depth and abilities are beyond comparison.

Among similar greats:
Dame Maggie Smith
Dame Judy Dench.

Hopes:
May Kate Blanchett carry out her current course.
I believe she is racing at a galloping run, toward the
halls of greatness.

Wacky Royal Hats

What is the deal with the Royals
and their odd love of

Outlandish Hats ?

Narcissus, Op. 13, No. 4

When we got the player piano, we got more than 100 rolls of 1900-1930 music. Here is a sample of
one of those songs:

Narcissus Op.13, No. 4.

If you will close your eyes, and imagine that you've gone back in time, to 1910-ish,
you may find this song utterly charming.

April 28th Snow!

I LOVE it!
It's the end of April and we have just dropped a 1/2 inch of snow in the last 15 minutes!
What a DAY!

It's awesome!
:oD

New Things!

1). I think we may get another house guest! A friend of Scout and Kenz may be coming to stay
with us for a while in the Japanese room. Who knows...maybe she will come to stay long term! :oD

2).I have new love: Netflix!

3). I may have found a new fun place to shoot portraits. A hidden ravine/dump in the back end of Madras. I can't wait to hike the ravine and the abandoned railroad to see whats there.

4). And piggy-backing on #3, it will soon be spring (ever so briefly May 3ish thru May 20ish) on the Central Oregon High Desert. This means we will go back down into the canyon and shoot the caves in spring time.

Desperately Seeking Midwest Food

So now there are traces of radiation showing up in milk along the pacific NW Coast and even trackably as far inland as Spokane - although that was from one report - and has been poo-pooed by grocers and others locally.

I am not taking any more chances.
Normally, I feed my family locally.
Not now.
Milk-I have started buying in powdered form from a big chain such as WalMart where the likely hood that its been-

A). sitting on the shelf for a while and
B). come from an inland source

gives me a little better protection from the Pacific radioactive goodness.
If push comes to shove, I would buy Soy Milk as Soybeans (I think) come from the midwest and the south.)

Cheese - I buy an off brand that has likely come from inland or the midwest.

Fruit is a quandry:

-South American and Mexican produce is available, but they are also pacific coast nations.
Hmmmm....what to do about that.
Buy off brand frozen berries and canned fruits that have more likely come from the midwest and south?

Meat - I gotta buy inland...so that means a big chain maybe like Costco or Walmart that pull product from outside of my region. The worry there is that they bring in seafood from China etc. So I will have to find a seafood supplier who is Atlantic.

Heh! And I thought crafting a menu plan for pre-diabetes was tricky!

ugh!

I love you so.
I lay awake at night, thinking of ways to offer you
choices by which you might fly, in the own trueness
of yourself, as God has made you alone to be.
I pull my heart out of my chest and divide it into
pieces in case some of them might give you a leg up,
as stepping stones, that you may see your own
wonderfulness, and that you are appreciated.

You pull out the baseball bat.
You club me over and over and over again.
The bleeding, pulsating remnants of my being
lie on the ground. oozing what life might be there.
Hoping it will leak, in a trail, to your feet...and some
how, impart encouragement to be you.

Sometimes...
I get REALLY tired.
And wish for death.
But that is not my call.

1 Day can make all the difference in a life.

And for me, it is this day.
If it were not for THIS day:
-I would have a mess of a life.
-I would have no children.
-I would have no hope.
-I would have no life.

If I were the only human being, throughout the entire history of
man's existence, who was ever imperfect, God Himself STILL
would have come and endured all that He has, in order to provide
a way for me to avoid the eternal penalties for my choices
(aka damnation), and to have a sane, family-filled, hopeful life
that will last for all eternity.

I am not perfect.
I am in desperate need of forgiveness, (because I do
and say stupid things every single day whether
I want to or not) and I need a Saviour who
can change me starting with the inside first.
I can not perfect myself.

When it all boils down, I am truly rich.
Whether my earthly possessions reflect it or not.

No matter what, I will always have Him and His life.
No matter what else I appear to have, I really have
nothing else.

And I am good with it.

Dear God,
Thank you for You.

Bad Fridge Update

Mostly by Scout.
(with a couple of words by Mih)

by Mih

Cleaned out the Garage

I should have taken a photo BEFORE I started.

Scout came in from extricating her bi-fold closet doors from the mess that was the garage.
"Mom, it's a hazard out there", says she.

So yesterday I tackled it.

The BEFORE pic would have shown no floor space, as one was forced to walk ON TOP of everything in there including but not limited to camping gear, broken jars, various tools, an old ripped blue piece of tarp clothing, boots, mis-matched shoes, sports equipment, and other unmentionables.

In any case, the debacle that was, has now been tamed to this:

The front half of the garage:


And the back of the garage is the "Cube" aka the "Boy Lair" that my son and his friends inhabit when he comes home to visit:



Last night I was in SO much pain I could not do a thing. I actually resorted to taking a
Flexeril - which I do not like. I don't even like to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen. I don't like pain meds. The main reason for my pain, I believe, is due to moving the "Golden-Food-Bot" (shown below) from its entombed state within the bowels of the garage, up onto this dolley, almost singlehandedly. (Scout helped by holding the dolley in place while I lifted, scooted and pushed the Food Bot into its place.)

"I have been spray painted with metallic gold paint."

Today is only a marginal improvement, as I still had "loose end" tasks to complete in the aftermath of this grand clean out.
Tomorrow is Easter.
I will rest between cooking tasks.

Bad Fridge Update

By Mih

By Scout

Dear Inhaler, where are you?

ok so after a 4 day trial, hoping that my asthma might be an aberration on my part, I have come to recognize that it would behoove me to invest some man hours seeking out my errant inhaler.

Is drawing a breath a privilege or a right.

No matter, it is def a necessity, if one is to continue pondering that concept.

2 Month Slap?

Ugh!
You know it's been a fair two months since I deleted my facebook account.
I sincerely do NOT regret it, and yet there are moments, when I wish I could just reach
out and blab and see what others are blabbing about...
and yet I know that..for me...it's not a good thing.

Suffice to say, I miss MANY awesome knuckleheads (who know who they are (tm)). ;o)

How was it that more of my posts from several years ago seemed (at least to me) to be FAR more amusing than my posts of today?

What is different?
Am I still me?

Apparently, back when I was at "my most pithy" was when I was working full time, as an executive secretary. Surrounded by people 8.5 hours a day, and subjected to the crazy whims of an elite commercial real estate developer boss, I seemed more able to gain access to a sense of the absurd.

Maybe it was the fact that I was inescapably surrounded by human beings, and had ample fodder for ridiculous commentary?

Perhaps it was that my direct supervisor, Donna Kightlinger, possessed a razor sharp mind, wit and quick tongue, and her witty repartee propelled my own creativity?

Frankly I think the latter, combined with a sprinkling of the former, was to blame. Also, the fact tha I have become old, dismal, hermit-like, and take care of an elderly old coot who makes me crazy, and then of course, I also care for my elderly dad. ;o)
I suppose these things suck the creative spirit right out of me.
:o)

Anyway. I hoep that by barfing out a plethora of words on a daily basis will remedy the situation and perhaps I will find my old humour again.

I know it lives.
I see it every day in my kids - not that their humour is mine, but I see glimpses of myself in them and it inspires me to accept myself more.

Scout Discovers Time Machine

Ok well this did not happen today, but several years ago.

At the time, it was such an "out of the blue" genius thing for a 12 year old to say, that I blogged it.
This is one of the things I found while reading the old blog posts this morning.

It is right HERE.

Started Reading Backwards

So on a whim this morning while I was waiting for my coffee to be ready, I took a peak at some blog stats and then...clicked the last link on the Past Blog Posts Archive list. It started off in the winter of 2004 when the site was called "Blog Biscuit."

It was kinda fun to look back nostalgically and read some of the the goofy-funny bits as well as some of the difficult times surrounding Mysteria plannings and play productions and kid stuff. Of the time when Donna and I used to prank each other at the office, and plot pranks for Dan - which we never carried out of course, the time Donna suggested the Frozen Turkey Purse solution, and the locating of a second time machine/portal in the house. (The first one was found by Scout and turned out to be the Microwave.)

Sometimes it is really good to look back.

And remind ones self.

by Blake (back in Nov 2011)

by Scout

Bad Fridge Update

Blake modeling with his and Jeremy's most
recent Bad Fridge submission.

Bad Fridge Update

by Scout

by Blake, James and Jeremy

an abuse of the original above, by Blake, James and Jeremy

by Blake, James and Jeremy.
And Mih

When you think of the first missionary that ever was, you might think of Paul or Peter. Actually, it was The Lunatic.

Isn't it funny? If you say you really don't know what you're talking about..people think you know more than you're letting on. And vice versa.

Game Lounge Still Lives Thanks to Video Surveillance Cameras!

I think I may have gained the upper hand on this horrific respiratory thing!
Finally!
Just in time to volunteer some hours at the Game Lounge.

A friend of mine, who already runs a perfectly good business servicing computers, started up a second business - a game lounge.

Our town desperately needs this game lounge.
In a town with a population of less than 2000, there are not so many options for entertainment during the winter months especially. Our kids NEED something to DO rather than drugs and vandalism and generally getting into trouble.

So the # Peaks Game Lounge opened Christmas break. They charge $5 per hour to play games (inlcuding use of the pool table), and if you just want to come in and hang out and "lounge" around watching without playing, then you only have to pay $1 cover charge. $20 gets you in for an entire day of game play. Since that 1st day they have barely made a dime, even though there is almost ALWAYs someone there. Well, with the potential of permanent closure looming April 1st, my friend decided to watch the video security cam tapes.
Lo and behold, he discovered he was being robbed. On a daily basis! The responsible parties were arrested and jailed, but that didn't solve the problem of the deep financial hole in which the game lounge came to rest. Permanent closure still appeared to be looming on the horizon. Local parents were appalled and students and parents alike came forward to volunteer man hours in order to keep the game lounge running and allow it to recupe some of its losses.

The beauty of the security camera's allows there to be no argument as to blame no matter what is going on at any given time 24-7. For security, I am SOLD on video surveillance. It was all there in glorious black and white. No question. It was obvious who the guilty parties were, and due to the multiple angles of all the cameras there was no way a person could turn their body to hide or shield what they were doing.

Video security ROCKS!

So anyway... today is my day to volunteer. Actually, Thursday night was also my day to volunteer but I didn't figure he wanted me in there with a raging fever so my friend went in instead.

There is renewed hope for the game lounge in Sisters.
It's pretty cool.

Maybe I will take some photos of the interior tonight so you can see how warm and homey it is in there.

When ur sick with a fever there is no comfort food like a good old movie. 2nites fare: Hitchcocks "The Birds", with Tippi Hedren.