Author: acraigwalker@yahoo.com

We went to Jonah’s soccer game last week.  He was running so fast up and down the field!  Here are a few photos.

One thing we love about living in the Pacific Northwest is the mild climate.  For many months of the year, from spring through fall, we go weeks or months at a time without turning on the heat or air conditioning for our home.

Of course, our frugal nature leads us to tolerate some discomfort in order to save on energy costs.  Coupled with the mild summers, we use our air conditioning only a few days each summer.  On very cold winter days we supplement our heat with our wood stove downstairs.

Since mid to late August, our heat pump has sat idle these past 8 weeks or more.  We were trying to hold out until November 1 but didn’t quite make it.  On Oct. 30 the low dropped to 28 degrees, and we awoke to 59 degrees in the house.  So I threw in the towel and turned on the heat.

Today we had enough sunshine that we reached 70 degrees inside, while our setting was 67 degrees.  So I think we are still doing quite well with economizing on energy costs.

For Halloween evening we had the nicest weather I can remember.  Balmy, clear, calm, and dry.  Yet, we had perhaps the lowest number of trick or treat visitors–only two.  So sad.  Except now I have lots of leftover candy to eat!  (I couldn’t resist the buy four bags of Almond Joy bars, get one free).

Suzanne and I put on our costumes and went to Chipotle to get “boo-ritos” for $3.  The line wasn’t too long and I got lots of stares with my Arab outfit.

 

Here are Jonah and Eli with their hauls of candy.  And Jack Jack with his costume.

We had some cool, wet weather in September and I think it caused the trees to turn colors a little earlier this year.  Here is a scene from my bike ride this morning, looking up to the hills I would climb.

The grassy fields are green this year, instead of their customary September/October brown.

The annual apple festival begins today in Portland.  I’d like to buy some Jonathan apples, if they have them.  Can’t find them in the stores anymore, and we long since removed our tree.

 

Since re-landscaping our yard two years ago we have worked hard planting and maintaining plants and flowers, both annuals and perennials.  Here are a few photos from early summer.

 

And here are some late summer photos.

 

 

It’s a bit of work feeding, watering, and weeding the yard, but we sure enjoy it.  I think the neighbors do, too.

I volunteered this weekend for the third consecutive year as a ham radio operator for the massively popular Hood to Coast Relay Race.  My station was five miles into the Coast Range, just northwest of St. Helens, and I worked the 1AM to 8AM shift this morning (or last night, as it were).  Here are some photos from this morning showing my setup and the exchange area.

In the first photo you can see my antenna at the top of my home brew PVC pipe construction by my van.  I had the radio set up in the van, to protect it from drizzle/dew and dust.  And so I could sit inside to keep warm.

The second photo shows the exchange handoff area, and a few residual runners waiting for their teammates to come in.  This was taken shortly before closing the exchange.  In the middle of the night this area was a madhouse, with dozens of team vans waiting to turn into the parking area, bright lights run by generators, loudspeakers announcing team numbers for arriving runners, and a few hundred teammates milling around to cheer them on, stretch, or use the portable toilets.

The third photo shows a bit of the pastoral setting for the exchange area.

I get a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction working the assignment, using my amateur radio license, skills, and equipment.  And I enjoy partaking in the excitement of the event itself.  It brings back vivid memories of when I used to run the race, especially of running a six mile leg in the middle of the night on a remote Coast Range road, with a runner or two in sight ahead of you, but otherwise in isolation with the stars above.  And the feelings of camaraderie with teammates in the van, on the road, or nearby in sleeping bags.  Here is a photo of our running team from 1995, the first year I did it (with Blair, Bridget, the Garlicks, and others).

 

Yesterday was a perfect day in several ways.  The weather was so pleasant, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 70’s, no wind.  I ventured out for a 25 mile bike ride in the rolling farmland near my house.  Here are a few pictures.

  Here is where we pick strawberries each summer, across the street from where we pick peaches.

After the bike ride I helped Blair install his back yard sprinkler system.  He dug all the trenches by hand the previous day, so I got to help with all the fun part, namely hooking it all together like Tinkertoys.  It was such a satisfying project, even though it took a few hours longer than expected.  The kids had a blast running in the sprinklers when we tested them out.

Each June we pick strawberries at a local commercial field.  It is such a pleasant time of year, with mostly cool spring weather mixed with sunny days.  We went out for our second picking yesterday and were joined by three grandkids.

There is nothing like fresh, deliciously ripe strawberries on cereal or shortcake.  And we also make freezer jam with it, and freeze some for putting on pancakes throughout the year.

Another common memory for me at this time of year, and especially associated with strawberry picking, is hayfever.  I’m usually slammed with itchy eyes and throat, and sneezing, particularly after being outside and active.  But not this year.  My rush immunotherapy allergy shots, which I started a mere two month ago, have been wildly successful.  I’ve taken no allergy medication and have almost zero symptoms.  I’m already at maintenance dosage, needing a shot only every two to four weeks now.  I’m a happy camper.

I’m enjoying my free time since leaving Intel (it became official two weeks ago).  I’m working my way through a long list of projects around the home, and Friday Suzanne and I took a full day to drive some back roads to and from the Oregon Coast.  We stopped at our favorite place, Cape Kiwanda, to hike around the sand mountain and tide pools, then drove down 101 to Newport for dinner and sightseeing.  We drove through coastal forests on lonely, winding roads, and on country roads through scenic rolling farmlands.  It was a pleasant day and we continue to be amazed at God’s beautiful creations.

Click on the Flickr link at right to view more photos from our trip.

We went to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm near Woodburn this morning, meeting up with Emily, Brooklyn, and Eli (and some of their friends).  The colors are striking and I uploaded numerous photos to my Flickr account (click on the Flickr link to the right to view).  We enjoyed the drive through the pleasant and scenic countryside, too.  It was a bit cold out, as early spring can be fickle here.

Here is a sample photo.