Fiver!

I was asked at the beginning of the week if I had seen the chalk drawing on the cinder block out by the fire pit. I forgot about it, until tonight, 5 days later. I came home from work nobody was around so I decided to take a walk in the back yard really I was taking a look at the garden area wondering where to start and when I could get started. As I approached the fire pit I was taken back by what I saw. I have to say it was incredible. After bending down to see if it was for real I ran back into the house and got my camera. I am trying to figure out how I can preserve this drawing on the cinder block. I guess the next step is to "google it". I am glad I live in the high desert because I don't have to worry about rain washing it away. As I am typing this I am telling myself to go get the block under cover just in case until I can see what I can come up with to preserve the drawing.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did; The photo above shows the drawing on the far left block. These blocks are used for seats when the fire is nice and hot, put there by Glenn so I don't want to move them, but I want to keep the drawing.

I want to make sure you get the full effect of this drawing the artist used a burnt stick from the fire the night before to draw this drawing. WOW!So now that you looked at the photos can you help me give the drawing a name? As for the Artist, Debbie I am in love with this piece of work you created, Thank you! If I can find a way to preserve the drawing on the cinder block will you draw on the other 2 blocks for me?

It's Birthday Party Time!

I wanted to give Glenn a birthday party this year, and I have to say the week of the party I really had my doubts if I was going to be able to pull this off. I really wanted to call it off and say no party, I will just make a cake instead, I knew that would not work because Glenn doesn't like cake nor does he eat it!

Almost at my breaking point, well not really.

Part of The Voodoo Lounge!

The last time we had a back yard party, I got a little intense at the last minute so I did not want that to happen again. With that said, I did what anybody in my position would do, I made my lists of what had to be done, I checked them off when they were completed and when I needed to "boss" someone around, Paul was there waiting, oh by the way Thanks Paul! I hope I wasn't to hard on you, you were such a good sport.

Paul the one person I was able to "boss" around at the last minute, and his wife Lisa "my friend" :)

Andrew and his dog Cedric hauling wood to the fire.

Debbie decided to tend to the fire and she did a great job.

See how well she did, one of the 3 fires that were going during the party.

Glenn and Paul right before the party started. Glenn looks like he has a little of the pyrat in him. More Sushi anyone?

I was getting a little lets say up tight with about 2 hours to go and I felt like I wasn't ready. I really was so I think sometimes I am a little hard on the moment, but to take the edge off Lisa started pouring the "shots"....



I have to say, Glenn's birthday party was one of the funniest party. My only regret was not remembering saying good bye to our friends and family when they left that night. So if you are one of them that reads my blog, here it is a little late then never, Good Night and Thank you for coming! I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did.

It is sort of funny as to where I was so I have to write about it. I found out in around about way that while my friend was in the Voodoo Lounge she feel off the bar stool onto the gravel "carpet", Glenn was there to pick her up and tell her she was OK and nobody saw. When I found this out I thought it was so funny and I just wished I would of been there to see it for myself. I seek ed out this friend of mine and confronted her about it and the laughing began, and it didn't stop. So we proceeded into the house to the bathroom to pull ourselves together and when we looked in the mirror she had hot wing sauce all over her white shirt. She couldn't figure out how she did that and then we were looking at the photos and there is one photo that shows the culprit, can you pick out who it was?

The Buffalo Wings!

The Culprit, maybe?

Oh what is this I found maybe my friend got the buffalo wing sauce on her shirt herself.

Kadie Jay and Monica having a good time. These girls of ours are such good sports you have not idea:)

Glenn's favorite rum, Pyrat Rum, there is no substitute, so he says.

So during all of this going on and my friend and I in the bathroom I think that is when everyone left that wasn't staying at the house. That's my story and I am sticking to it!

Three people having some fun, nice smoke effect this is my camera but I am in the photo I wonder who took the picture?

Fun Times! Let's do it again....

Junipers Meal Time!

While I was visiting Casey and his wife Holly, I was pleasantly surprised to see how they feed their 2 dogs. I have heard Holly refer to the Dogs as "her boys" so their daily care is very important to the two of them. As I watch their dogs behavior while Casey is making their dinner it just fascinated me, so I proceed to ask Casey all the questions someone would need to know that doesn't understand the importance. He was very educated on this subject and he show me a book he is using as his "guide" to making their dogs food at home.

Casey tells me to look on Amazon for this book and I should pay about $4.50 well he was right, the book; Dr. Pitcairn's complete secrets to the natural health of dogs and cats, is a great reference to start a dogs life style change like this.

No more will we have paid the Vet for Junes allergies to food that causes her to "lick" spots on her body raw. We thought maybe it was a nervous behavior but not necessarily the case. Needless to say we are owners of a very happy dog lately. After asking Casey all the questions I could think of and then reading the dog section of the above book. I have changed June's diet, and I am having some fun doing it.

The other morning Monica as picking the dried strawberries out of her special K cereal. I quickly looked in my book and strawberries are listed as a fruit that is good for dogs so I ask Monica to put the strawberries on a paper towel and leave them for June's breakfast. Well I am sure all of you know what Monica's response was but boy did June like the surprise she had in her oats that morning. I have found that it really takes no time at all to put together her meal and when I go to her cupboard to get her special mixing bowl and spoon that I use, she is right there at my feet, sitting there waiting and actually drooling knowing she is getting her new diet food. This is something she looks forward to twice a day and I get this weird satisfaction that I have found something that will work finally, and without paying $40 + for a special bag of dog food.

Here is an example of her diet:

Morning - quick cooked oats, 2 egg yokes, chopped up carrots (for crunch and chewing up something), flax seed, protein oil, ( I will use protein powder when her current spot goes away) and topped with a teaspoon of yeast, and Monica's dried strawberries from her cereal.

Dinner - mixture of brown and white rice cooked, turkey meat, carrots, if I have an apple cut up I use that also, flax seed, protein oil, water and topped with yeast.

There is so much you can use from your fridge, we had some spinach that I knew we weren't going to finish and in the past it would of went into the garbage but now it was part of June's recipe. I just find this fascinating and from what Casey tells me and what I read in the book the cost factor is quite a bit less then buying dog food.

So with that, homemade dog food means one happy Junipe Berry!

Easter Day 2009

Song bird's eggs courtesy of the the web!

Wow! Do you think they used paint with real gold in it? photo courtesy of the web.

Our Easter Day, what a great day we had, take a look.

We went to a Easter Egg Hunt at Pronghorn Resort. I had a hard time finding a Easter Egg hunt on Sunday, it seemed like every one I heard or read about was on Saturday. But we had fun and Lucy was a real good sport, and boy did she catch on quickly. I sure she had as much fun and Grandma Betty and Grandpa.

Amanda (Lucy's Mom) and Lucy finding eggs.

Lucy was very good with the Easter Bunny, she made the Easter Bunny feel very welcome to be at this egg hunt!

Lucy's Easter basket from Grandma Betty and Grandpa.

These basket of chicks were my 1st Easter decoration made by Casey's Grandma Toshi in 1981. They come out every year for about a month so we can enjoy them.

Visiting Portland and My Son!

There are some very special times of the year I get to spend the weekend with my Son Casey and his wife Holly. My time is short when I go to Portland but that doesn't matter to me because we always make our time spent wonderful.

Simon, Casey's dog just loves to cuddle!

Casey and I enjoying the moment!

Casey and Holly put together a very nice dinner for us which we started about 8pm and finished around 11pm. Boy do those two know how to cook my only regret was we were to tired to have desert so I missed out on that but maybe next time.

A nice start to dinner vegetable tempura.

During the night we (Glenn & I) woke up around 2 am and our camping mattress sprung a hole we were on the hardwood floor. Glenn starts the little compressor, when it is full he tells me to hurry and get into my sleeping bag because I only have about 4 good hours of sleep before we were on the floor again. He was right at 7am we were on the floor again so we got up.

After another wonderful meal, morning breakfast,espresso and another espresso.. We took off for our walk to I think its called Peninsula Crossing and Bybee Lake. What a beautiful area, I bet in the summer this area is something else to look at.




I find my times I get to spend with my Son in Portland are so memorable to me and I always enjoy myself so much. I can't wait till the next time we get to go.

Crystal Crane Hotsprings

Welcome!

Our Cabin!

I never really thought I would come to enjoy Eastern Oregon as much as I have. When I was growing up our vacations were going to places like Eastern Oregon looking at cattle ranches, at the time I found this very boring and just dreaded the driving. But now I just love it. There is so many adventures you can get into with out even trying. Hotsprings at 7:30am the water was great.

Crystal Crane Hot springs is about 2 1/2 hours from our house if you take the main road. I will explain later in my post. If you want to go online and take a look here is the website, http://www.cranehotsprings.com/ the water is perfect, the cabins are fun and the nights are dark.

The best swimming hole ever!

The 2nd chapter to this adventure is the drive back home, I thought it would be fun to follow the streets and trips GPS on our laptop. So I followed the route on the roads that I think no one has been on for months maybe longer. The route was very indirect probably 35 miles out of the way but I think it was the 3 hours it took to go the 35 miles that got a little intense.

Believe it or not there is a road in this photo, a GPS told me so!

For the record the roads listed on the program were not roads at times you could hardly see the ruts where tracks had been. But what fun it was going right down the center of some alkali flats, it made you feel like you were in a part from a mad max film.

Glad I packed a lunch I don't see a resturant anywhere.

Smiling now that we are almost on a paved road, after 3 hours of back country driving!