And with it, our yard has started to bloom! Only one problem...we don't really know what is what. Plus, I am famous for thinking that anything with a 'flower' must be intentional, even if my mother insists it's a weed. Can't there be pretty weeds?? Anyhow, pop quiz - what can you help us identify?
#1 - this flower is blooming right next to the hot tub. There's also one by the back fence. So pretty!
#2 - close up view of #1.
#3 - these flowers are on vines that go all around and up our big tree. No thorns!
#4 - close up view of #3.
#5 - Buddha enjoying himself among some pretty purple flowers. There are also some teeny white flowers in the background that appear in various parts of the flower beds.
#6 - close up view of #5 - and my new computer background for now! I love those!
#7 - this little tree/bush is right under the dining room window.
#8 - a close up of the leaf to help identify #7.
#9 - some really adorable tiny flowers.
#10 - this is the plant I thought looked like a shamrock!
#11 - a close up of the leaf to help identify #10.
#12 - this corner needs some help! I think there are two kinds of ground cover here - not sure what the tall grass is supposed to be, plant or weed?? Plus, how can we convince the ground cover to get the spots that are bare? Luckily, this corner really isn't viewed unless you go looking for it on purpose!
#13 - I really like this little tree. It sort of droops over like a willow, but it has red buds on it.
#14 - this crazy looking bush is all over the one corner. We haven't really done anything in that corner at all yet.
#15 - close up view of #14.
#16 - again, we're in a part of the back yard that we haven't really done much with yet - but these little clusters of green appear periodically along the line of the yard in the flower bed. No flowers yet, any ideas?
#17 - this plant looks mighty familiar.....hmmmm. =)
#18 - this plant has the same story as #16. No flowers yet, but it certainly looks like it was meant to be there.
#19 - I'm almost certain this is a weed - but there are only a couple, and they grew so fast...so I'm checking.
#20 - another mystery plant like #16 and #18. Anything?
#21 - I think these will eventually be tulips....I will show you why in #22.
#22 - tulip! It's currently being engulfed by the little tree next to it, which we need to trim a bit more.
#23 - another mystery plant. I have no idea.
#24 - Ok, I get it - this is a real plant! Shrub, whatever. But what is it? Lydia likes it!
Here are some other random pics!
Front of the house, after our first attempt at weeding/trimming/mowing.
Looking down our street, on a nice sunny afternoon!
When you leave our house, and exit our neighborhood going towards Portland, I get to see Mount Hood right between those two striped flags on the corner. On this day, unfortunately, it was too cloudy. (and I took the pic a bit late, it's more to the left)
We decided to take a drive up Skyline Hwy - it's so beautiful up there!
Here are some from Liza's last trip to the beach - they are still pretty tough to look at for me, but there are some great ones.
Liza checking out Haystack Rock.
Enjoying the ocean, while the breeze makes Lydia look like Dumbo!
Liza liked to splash around, but Lydia seemed happier when planting her feet and bracing for the little waves.
A lighthouse off in the distance.
Liza and the ocean.
I think she's wondering where all the water went!
Liza was so tired after our walk in the water that she was falling asleep on her feet.
Lydia offered to help her out.
After we left the beach and headed down the coast, I thought we made a wrong turn and ended up in PA!
These signs creep me out. I'm pretty sure I can't sprint up the side of a mountain like that.
Nehalem Bay. You get some amazing views of it from the highway.
The Bay again.
Thar he blows! It's not much to see, but it's my very first 'wild' whale sighting. We were told later that he was one of the young males, migrating up the coast early before the pods arrived.
One more Bay picture!
We stopped briefly at a little campground area, and I spotted this scene. The picture really doesn't do it justice. The moment was quite beautiful.
There are lots of big rocks along the coast, and I always think they are cool to see!
Look at the trees on this one - it's like a tiny mountain!
We were getting close to Tillamook when I had to take the classic "Seagull on a post with misty mountains in the background" picture.
What's in Tillamook? Well, there's this.
And there's...well, that's about it. It's pretty, though.
Well, they do have a McDonald's - that's where we met "Mac". He's cute!
That's it! Hope you enjoy!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Our small adventure
So, we took Liza to the vet yesterday for a follow up appointment, and of course Lydia came along for the ride. Upon leaving the vet, with the sun shining so brightly and the sky so blue, we were compelled to take a drive, and decided to hop over to the coast! What we discovered driving over the mountain was not entirely expected!
Our first look at snow. Didn't seem too bad...we kept going.
Getting a little deeper. But hey, still not bad. We forged ahead!
Starting to show on the road now. We weren't scared - we're in the FJ Cruiser! The Rig! No problem!
The lookout point. As we passed this point, we began to realize how deep the snow was getting. (and by the way, I took all these pictures from a moving vehicle through windows - so pardon if they are a little blurry!)
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. However, Christmas is over and the guy in front of us is now going 20 miles per hour.
It's beginning to look a lot like the North Pole. The trees were beautiful. There must not be much of a breeze up there, because all the trees were holding the snow on their branches. The non-fir trees looked the most amazing, almost like they were made of crystal.
Reaching the summit. We start to wonder if this was such a good idea. Where are the blue skies and our sunshine?!
So, we finally make it down the mountain and into Cannon Beach. Needless to say, thanks to the frightened driver in front of us taking his time, it took much longer than normal to arrive; and the beach was quite dark. We parked anyway, and decided to let the dogs feel the sand on their paws for the first time. They were both entranced by the sounds of the ocean, although Liza was much braver than Lydia, and wanted desperately to get closer to the water. Since it was freezing cold and pitch black, we couldn't really go that far, and I had to promise her a return visit when it was light. And, you know, after the snow melts. Completely.
Here we are near Haystack Rock. See it in the background there? No? I promise, it's there.
We begin the long journey home, cold, but happy we made the drive. It was fun! We head up Hwy 26 for about 10 minutes only to see some flares on the road, and a fireman approaching the car. He helpfully tells us that Hwy 26 has been closed, and won't reopen for at least an hour.
Uh oh. That's the way home.
So, back to Cannon Beach we went, firing up the GPS and hoping for the best. We had two choices - north or south on US 101. I vetoed North - I figured North = more snow. So, South we went, to pick up Rt 6 and head home. It added....oh, about 2 hours total to our trip. Yikes! The nice thing was that we got to see Nehalem Bay, which was pretty in the dark - and the Tillamook Cheese Factory, which was huge! We resolved to come visit again during the day. We headed back over the mountains, through the snowy passages, and the FJ Cruiser (and it's driver) did a great job getting us home safely.
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday - I know we did! Although Jeff had to go into the hospital for a bit to fight off an infection, we had a great Christmas together and were thrilled to see him make it home by Saturday.
The Powers/Lowes/Collins Christmas celebration!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Our first look at snow. Didn't seem too bad...we kept going.
Getting a little deeper. But hey, still not bad. We forged ahead!
Starting to show on the road now. We weren't scared - we're in the FJ Cruiser! The Rig! No problem!
The lookout point. As we passed this point, we began to realize how deep the snow was getting. (and by the way, I took all these pictures from a moving vehicle through windows - so pardon if they are a little blurry!)
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. However, Christmas is over and the guy in front of us is now going 20 miles per hour.
It's beginning to look a lot like the North Pole. The trees were beautiful. There must not be much of a breeze up there, because all the trees were holding the snow on their branches. The non-fir trees looked the most amazing, almost like they were made of crystal.
Reaching the summit. We start to wonder if this was such a good idea. Where are the blue skies and our sunshine?!
So, we finally make it down the mountain and into Cannon Beach. Needless to say, thanks to the frightened driver in front of us taking his time, it took much longer than normal to arrive; and the beach was quite dark. We parked anyway, and decided to let the dogs feel the sand on their paws for the first time. They were both entranced by the sounds of the ocean, although Liza was much braver than Lydia, and wanted desperately to get closer to the water. Since it was freezing cold and pitch black, we couldn't really go that far, and I had to promise her a return visit when it was light. And, you know, after the snow melts. Completely.
Here we are near Haystack Rock. See it in the background there? No? I promise, it's there.
We begin the long journey home, cold, but happy we made the drive. It was fun! We head up Hwy 26 for about 10 minutes only to see some flares on the road, and a fireman approaching the car. He helpfully tells us that Hwy 26 has been closed, and won't reopen for at least an hour.
Uh oh. That's the way home.
So, back to Cannon Beach we went, firing up the GPS and hoping for the best. We had two choices - north or south on US 101. I vetoed North - I figured North = more snow. So, South we went, to pick up Rt 6 and head home. It added....oh, about 2 hours total to our trip. Yikes! The nice thing was that we got to see Nehalem Bay, which was pretty in the dark - and the Tillamook Cheese Factory, which was huge! We resolved to come visit again during the day. We headed back over the mountains, through the snowy passages, and the FJ Cruiser (and it's driver) did a great job getting us home safely.
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday - I know we did! Although Jeff had to go into the hospital for a bit to fight off an infection, we had a great Christmas together and were thrilled to see him make it home by Saturday.
The Powers/Lowes/Collins Christmas celebration!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Oregon + snow = insanity
It snowed. Not just a little - but 2-4 inches in some areas. Here, maybe 3 at most - a lot of which is melting already. I did grab some quick pictures though!
What's really amusing to me is the response to the snow - everything shuts down! You'd think there had been a blizzard, complete with two feet of snow! They were literally advising people on the news last night not to leave their homes unless it was absolutely necessary. ?!
Want an example? Here's a quote from the local news: "Interstate 205 has reopened after a tanker truck carrying 5,000 gallons of a deicing chemical flipped over, closing the freeway for an hour. Magnesium chloride acetate, which is used in deicing formulas for roads, spilled in the crash, said Lt. Allen Oswalt, a Portland Fire Bureau spokesman.
What's really amusing to me is the response to the snow - everything shuts down! You'd think there had been a blizzard, complete with two feet of snow! They were literally advising people on the news last night not to leave their homes unless it was absolutely necessary. ?!
Want an example? Here's a quote from the local news: "Interstate 205 has reopened after a tanker truck carrying 5,000 gallons of a deicing chemical flipped over, closing the freeway for an hour. Magnesium chloride acetate, which is used in deicing formulas for roads, spilled in the crash, said Lt. Allen Oswalt, a Portland Fire Bureau spokesman.
"Ironically, it didn't spill onto the road," Oswalt said."
....good grief.
Here's a couple more: "On southbound I-5, there's a report of plywood in two lanes near Delta Park. On U.S. 26 westbound at Oregon 212, two semi-trucks hauling cargo have collided. One is in the ditch. The other is on its side."
"The Oregon Department of Transportation has revoked its requirement for chains on Portland area highways. Still, it's slick and freezing out there. Keep them in your trunk."
Chains....in my trunk.....for what now? Sean's FJ Cruiser could climb Mount Hood, but we can't drive on the highway with 3 inches of snow without chains on the wheels?? Who does this?? Are there no cinders or salt in Oregon?! Oh well. I just want it gone before Friday.
Pictures!
Lydia, looking for her nemesis, Chubby the Squirrel.
Liza ventures off the porch, snug and warm in her sweater.
Lydia is certain that Chubby is near....she can almost smell him.
Liza indulges in her favorite winter treat - snowcones! Or, just plain old snow licking.
Out front - yep, those roads are treacherous.
The stairwell skylight - I just thought it looked pretty!
Happy Holidays!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sean and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving together yesterday, and I made my very first turkey dinner. Luckily for me, he liked it! Nothing is as good as mom's, of course, but I did my best. For an apprentice cook like myself, this was a huge undertaking. So, we took some pictures to share!
The Spread
Another view (I think this one is funny; it looks like someone stuck their finger in the pie - really, that was from the knife I dipped in to test it. I had to test it about a dozen times because it just wouldn't set up in the oven!)
The Bird Our turkey looks a bit like a chicken, right? It was only 9 lbs!
One more view
Liza checks out the table - her tail is wagging so fast it's a blur!
Lydia begs in comfort from the couch
And here are just a couple more cute ones of the pets that I couldn't resist:
Lydia and Spencer come to an understanding (if you know Lydia personally, you know how difficult this is for her!)
Liza uses Lydia for a pillow - I'm thinking of starting a whole series of photos in which Liza uses another family member as a pillow. She does it a lot! =)
Sean says use the flash. I say I don't want to wake them up! He says nah, it will be ok. Result.
So that was our Thanksgiving! I hope yours was wonderful too!
The Spread
Another view (I think this one is funny; it looks like someone stuck their finger in the pie - really, that was from the knife I dipped in to test it. I had to test it about a dozen times because it just wouldn't set up in the oven!)
The Bird Our turkey looks a bit like a chicken, right? It was only 9 lbs!
One more view
Liza checks out the table - her tail is wagging so fast it's a blur!
Lydia begs in comfort from the couch
And here are just a couple more cute ones of the pets that I couldn't resist:
Lydia and Spencer come to an understanding (if you know Lydia personally, you know how difficult this is for her!)
Liza uses Lydia for a pillow - I'm thinking of starting a whole series of photos in which Liza uses another family member as a pillow. She does it a lot! =)
Sean says use the flash. I say I don't want to wake them up! He says nah, it will be ok. Result.
So that was our Thanksgiving! I hope yours was wonderful too!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
And more pictures!
Bookshelf in the office, work in progress.
The Den, also in progress.
Those boxes represent where my bookshelf would be, if it hadn't arrived broken. Oops.
This is the exercise room/cat hideaway. It's a weird combo, I know. The red square is a little cat tent thing. They have a triangle one also. Spoiled kitties!
Guest bedroom, or what I refer to as "Mom's Room"!
Guest bathroom.
The master bedroom, with our new comforter set.
Another bedroom view - Liza can't wait to hop on the bed when we're upstairs.
Master bathroom.
Waving hello!
The spa. It's wonderful!
Bad kitty Iris!
Lydia joins Liza on the bed, as always!
My view when I wake up in the morning. On the weekend, that field is filled with soccer kids.
The rest of the field.
The 'nut' tree that makes our squirrels huge. No idea what they are!
Liza LOVES the new pillows. I swear I didn't pose her for this picture - this is what she does when I'm not looking!
Hope you enjoy the pictures!
The Den, also in progress.
Those boxes represent where my bookshelf would be, if it hadn't arrived broken. Oops.
This is the exercise room/cat hideaway. It's a weird combo, I know. The red square is a little cat tent thing. They have a triangle one also. Spoiled kitties!
Guest bedroom, or what I refer to as "Mom's Room"!
Guest bathroom.
The master bedroom, with our new comforter set.
Another bedroom view - Liza can't wait to hop on the bed when we're upstairs.
Master bathroom.
Waving hello!
The spa. It's wonderful!
Bad kitty Iris!
Lydia joins Liza on the bed, as always!
My view when I wake up in the morning. On the weekend, that field is filled with soccer kids.
The rest of the field.
The 'nut' tree that makes our squirrels huge. No idea what they are!
Liza LOVES the new pillows. I swear I didn't pose her for this picture - this is what she does when I'm not looking!
Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Some cute pictures!
Liza using Spencer as a pillow.
Liza sharing the couch with Spencer and Iris. (do we have enough remotes?)
Liza stylin' in her new sweater.
Lydia reclinin'.
Liza stylin' and Lydia reclinin'.
A nice shot of the living room!
And here's the dining room!
Liza and Lydia sharing their new dog bed in the office! We actually have two of these, identical - but this one is right between our computer desks, and is apparently the prime location.
More house pictures coming soon!
Liza sharing the couch with Spencer and Iris. (do we have enough remotes?)
Liza stylin' in her new sweater.
Lydia reclinin'.
Liza stylin' and Lydia reclinin'.
A nice shot of the living room!
And here's the dining room!
Liza and Lydia sharing their new dog bed in the office! We actually have two of these, identical - but this one is right between our computer desks, and is apparently the prime location.
More house pictures coming soon!
Monday, October 20, 2008
We made it!
So....much.....unpacking. And organizing. But we're home! The dogs settled in immediately, happy to be in one place, I think. They just follow us around, lounging happily whenever we sit still.
The cats spent the first day and night in the laundry room, just resting; yesterday we let them out to explore the house, and last night Iris disappeared, sending Sean into a panic. Now, this isn't the first time this has happened; while we were still in PA, Iris disappeared one night and we couldn't find her. I wasn't surprised by this; she's a tiny cat, and she's always finding small spaces to take naps. She always pops up eventually. She has never been outside, so she doesn't really want to go there - so I knew she was in the house somewhere. At my house in PA, I was pretty confident that I knew most of her hiding places, but poor Sean didn't feel right until he finally found her, hidden among the boxes in my living room, way back under the loveseat. Here, however, I had no idea where she might be; and Sean was determined to find her.
After searching the entire house, upstairs and down, including outside in the yard and the garage, at least three times, I was ready to throw in the towel. I admit I was starting to panic a bit, mainly because if she had somehow gotten outside, I didn't believe we had been here long enough for her to imprint on this house as "home". She is microchipped, but that doesn't stop a car, right? In frustration, I went into the living room and sat down on the couch. From right underneath me, I suddenly heard Iris meow. Now, of course we had already picked up the couch and looked under it, and she wasn't there. I called Sean, and we picked it up again - no Iris. However, since I was absolutely sure I had heard her meow, I tapped the fabric on the bottom of the couch where I spotted a strange cat shaped lump. It meowed.
SHE WAS IN THE COUCH.
The silly feline had climbed down behind one of the cushions, found a space where the fabric was pulled away from the underside of the couch and dove right in. What a great place for a nap! We were quite relieved and yet ready to strangle her all at the same time. =)
After resucing her from the couch, she spent the next hour running full speed throughout the house, specifically up and down the stairs; it was really funny. She's a nut.
We haven't taken any house pictures yet because we still have luggage and boxes all over the place. As we get things organized I promise we'll take some! I still have some that I took along the Columbia river to upload as well; I'll try and get them posted later today. We have a lot of laundry to do today! =)
Love and miss everyone!
Kim and Sean
The cats spent the first day and night in the laundry room, just resting; yesterday we let them out to explore the house, and last night Iris disappeared, sending Sean into a panic. Now, this isn't the first time this has happened; while we were still in PA, Iris disappeared one night and we couldn't find her. I wasn't surprised by this; she's a tiny cat, and she's always finding small spaces to take naps. She always pops up eventually. She has never been outside, so she doesn't really want to go there - so I knew she was in the house somewhere. At my house in PA, I was pretty confident that I knew most of her hiding places, but poor Sean didn't feel right until he finally found her, hidden among the boxes in my living room, way back under the loveseat. Here, however, I had no idea where she might be; and Sean was determined to find her.
After searching the entire house, upstairs and down, including outside in the yard and the garage, at least three times, I was ready to throw in the towel. I admit I was starting to panic a bit, mainly because if she had somehow gotten outside, I didn't believe we had been here long enough for her to imprint on this house as "home". She is microchipped, but that doesn't stop a car, right? In frustration, I went into the living room and sat down on the couch. From right underneath me, I suddenly heard Iris meow. Now, of course we had already picked up the couch and looked under it, and she wasn't there. I called Sean, and we picked it up again - no Iris. However, since I was absolutely sure I had heard her meow, I tapped the fabric on the bottom of the couch where I spotted a strange cat shaped lump. It meowed.
SHE WAS IN THE COUCH.
The silly feline had climbed down behind one of the cushions, found a space where the fabric was pulled away from the underside of the couch and dove right in. What a great place for a nap! We were quite relieved and yet ready to strangle her all at the same time. =)
After resucing her from the couch, she spent the next hour running full speed throughout the house, specifically up and down the stairs; it was really funny. She's a nut.
We haven't taken any house pictures yet because we still have luggage and boxes all over the place. As we get things organized I promise we'll take some! I still have some that I took along the Columbia river to upload as well; I'll try and get them posted later today. We have a lot of laundry to do today! =)
Love and miss everyone!
Kim and Sean
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