Pickathon

VIEW AFTER KNOCKING DOWN CHAIRS


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VIEW WITH THE CHAIRS

Well folks, I am not going to bore you with the Pickathon story. It was amazing and the weather was perfect. We heard some fantastic musicians and had a terrific weekend. So I will tell you about an annoyance. Tall back chairs. We got to the stage fairly early and got a great spot for music viewing. The spot had to be near beer garden so we could parent from inside whilst enjoying a cold beverage. Ahhh. This is fun. But wait, who is that annoying family who just brought their high back chairs and set them up right in front of us? And why do they not even sit in them? Do they wonder why we knock them over each and every time they leave for hours at a time? No, they do not. I know, I know.....we could just move our blanket, LOW BACK chairs, cooler, hoola hoop, frisbee, children, friends, and their children somewhere else. but we don't. We just knock over their chairs and talk trash. Because that is the way the Dody's Roll.

bye bye trailer

Craigslisted!

I put my crappy travel trailer on Craigslist. Free to a good home. I got 5 immediate responses of people telling me they would come right now. Someone is coming on Thursday morning to haul it away! YAY! Next up. Move over travel trailer. Next up.....Giant chicken coop.

Sam's Photos

Took the fam and my mom to the Kruger's Farm concert. Beautiful night. The kids got to dance and take a hayride and pick berries while listening to some ho-down. Sam left us to go take sunflower photos in the rows of blooms.

Gramma Judy's fast Oregon trip

What? You are only here for 4 days?

My mom is visiting for a very short trip, so that means we have to have fun every single day. The kids wanted to go to Enchanted Forest, so we hit Gramma up for the spendy entrance fee. The place is so great and it reminds me of going to Storybook Forest when I was little.
Yesterday we went to Wahclella Falls in the Columbia Gorge. It was a great easy hike for the kids with a big payoff at the end. The falls were beautiful. Sam was able to do the 2 mile round trip without getting crabby. We decided to go on to Hood River for Lunch at the Historic Columbia Gorge Hotel. Next, a drive down the Fruit Loop with a stop at the Alpaca Farm. We drove back home on Mt. Hood and made it just in time for Sushi with Share. Gramma was a little skeptical, but she did it and I think she even liked it. They won't even believe her when she goes back to WV.
Today Sam wants to take Gramma to The Grotto. Who knew he was Catholic? Tonight...summer concert at Kruger's Farm and then gramma is catching the red-eye.

Bridget's "now famous" hummus recipe

One can of great northern white beans
4 TBS of the bean juice from the can
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup tahini
1 TBS olive oil
1 heaping tsp of cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
3 TBS lemon juice


YUM

Tour de Coop

Chickens Chickens everywhere. We took the kids on the Tour de Coop yesterday in Portland. Backyard chickens are everywhere and we wanted to check out the coop construction. I am thinking that mama Share's Jersey Giant (Bobsyouruncle) is going to need a much bigger area to live since she is going to be about 10 pounds full grown. I wanted to check out some local coops. I was really impressed with the coop with the "green" roof. The top of the coop was basically a 4 inch deep planter with succulents growing. Really cool to see from the kitchen window. Maybe late august after our summer plans start to die down a bit, we can work on a new coop.




After the coop tour, we headed over to the Lone Fir Cemetery for a Heritage Festival and to watch a documentary about the Chinese Immigrants whose remains have been "found" in the cemetery. Our neighbor told us that central catholic high school used to me a monastery and that the football field covers the burial ground of the monks. She also said that legend says our whole block is built over grave stones?????

Addy and Denver

Last week I went to Denver for a few days to offer some help to old friends who are more like family. Their 5 year old daughter was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, which is a deformity in the base of the skull. It was diagnosed on her 5 year old well child visit + MRI. Needless to say, they were frightened and anxious about the surgery.
I made it to the hospital while they were in pre-op and found Addy with all her "stuff" she brought to the hospital for the surgery. The fav. was a GIANT rubber snake which made it's way around to everyone including the staff of The Denver Children's Hospital. It was great to go back and visit with old co-workers and friends from Denver. I spent most of my time hanging out with Lida (8 and Carson's BFF) and Gertrude (Gma). \
Addy must have read the guide to Chiari Surgery because she ended up going home in 4 days! She is home and back to her normal routine and her parents can breath a sigh of relief now.

Some of my co-workers

are awesome. SOME are not so awesome. HMMMMM?

The pie. The best one yet. Fresh Ranier Cherry and Blueberry. Yum.

Each pie is getting better and better. I may get the hang of it yet!

Horseshoe Lake and Cherry Pies

Sheesh, we asked for sun, but this is crazy! The last two days have been around 100 degrees so we had to find someplace to cool off. We headed off to Lewis River for a lazy day but got sidetracked to a "warmer more welcoming" waters. Horseshoe Lake in Woodland, Washington. Worked out great for all! Carson made a new friend and Sam found lots of floaties to kick around on. I baked in the sun and ended up with bright red shoulders. Carson borrowed sam's goggles and it made me remember going to Rock Lake when I was little. I went with Ann Ann and had a Wonderwoman bathing suit. Wish I had one like it now.

Viva Frida

My tribute to the most beautiful, tragic, and talented woman, Frida.

Side Trippy Trip

Peterson's Rock Garden. This was a bizarre side trip about 3 miles off the main road. When we drove onto the property I immediately knew we had found a hidden treasure. There were roaming peacocks and a horse and the place was unkempt.


The Petersen Rock Gardens were started in 1935 by Rasmus Petersen. Mr. Petersen was born in Denmark July 21, 1883, and came to Central Oregon in 1906.

Here he built his home and began farming, gradually buying land until he had nearly 300 acres under cultivation. By 1935, he had time to devote to his own back yard, and began by building a small rockery a few feet west of his house.

As his friends came and admired his handiwork- and brought their friends- he continued to build. He learned where to find the various kinds of rocks that he eventually came to use as he covered four acres with castles, ponds and bridges.

Almost all the rocks he used came from within a n 85 mile radius of the Gardens. Included are petrified wood, agate, jasper, thundereggs, malachite, lava and obsidian.

The Oregon Lake tour

A little teaser for you re: our trip. We have been to Trillium Lake, Crater Lake, Diamond Lake, Lake of the Woods, Fish Lake and now we are finally back to WIFI civility. I was without computer and cell phones for 4 days. HEAVEN!

new girls in town

I promise to write about something more than chickens soon.
We are leaving for Crater Lake, Or in two days and I am sure we will have something great to tell.

New Hens

With the Rooster (SWVCPP) gone now it is time to add to the flock. Can you call two hens a flock? So we went hen shopping. We had to find an old enough hen since the big ones would really pick on a younger one. All the advice says to add two or more hens at a time to keep from causing a ruckus. Sam and I went out last week to 4 different places that had pullets, but none of them were right. He wanted a Welsummer or a Rhode Island Red and would settle for nothing less. He wanted a girl that lays "dark dark brown eggs". Well, he knows what he wants. I finally told him that a lady was bringing her hens to the nursery on Thursday and he had to choose one of them. Turns out she had one Welsummer mix and we snagged it up. It is beautiful brown with weird bluish legs. He named her Blue Leg. Clever. I also picked out a beautiful Jersey Giant for Sharon. Seems these are the biggest chickens out there and she won't start laying until she is about 9 months old. She should get to a hefty 10 pounds. I think she looks like a big raven right now. Sharon hasn't named her yet, but we are all weighing in on what we think she should name her hen. I can't really see Sharon naming her hen Shimmer, but that is what Carson is going for.

2nd trap added yesterday. We got us a RAT!

My family.

Hard to believe Jess the Nurse/photographer took more than 200 photos. I love the 10 I have seen. Can't wait to get the rest.

End of Year Party

Carson's class had their end of year party yesterday. They are now third graders! I can barely believe that. My baby is going to Kindergarten? How can it be so?
We made bags with shrinky dink tags for the teachers. It is amazing how grown up she has become in just the last few months. She is so much fun now. I am counting on her to help me with a stubborn 5 year old this summer.

small rooster crow.

Spidey Worm Von Chicken Pot Pie was hiding behind the bike crowing.......

Critter Control Diagnosis = RATS!

Trap set!   CREEPSTER!  I will be taking pictures of everything that gets caught in trap.

Cockadoodledoo

SpideyWorm Von Chicken Pot Pie is a rooster.   I am trying to get a hilarious video of him practicing his crowing.   Many hours of entertainment.  He is going back to the farm on Sunday.  Sorry for the next 5 days of wake up calls to my neighbors.  Next up......Critter control is coming on Wednesday to help get rid of whatever is living in the Dody sidewalk holes.  Another fresh hole has been dug.  The Critter Control people say RATS!!!!!

The tale of three SAMS.

Actually, there is one Sam with three birthday parties.   Sam  first celebrated early with Maggie and Rowan who share a birthday with him.  We partied with old friends who feel more like family while in Colorado.   Then on the actual birthday we had a dinner and cake celebration with Gma and Gpa Dody.    He still kept asking when his "real" party was going to be so we threw together a partay at Mt. Tabor Park on the only dry day of the week.   Obviously his mommy couldn't pull together a real birthday cake and threw some old plastic sad toys on a chocolate cake for his birthday.  Luckily Mama Share made some delish cupcakes for the kid party.  His friends Manu and Aiden came to Mt. Tabor and then three stranger (gasp) boys joined in for cupcakes and stomp rockets.   The third party was over when Sam and Manu told another boy on the playground that they were going to give him THREE wedgies if he didn't shut up.   Here is a pic from each party...................

pathetic cake by Mommy Kim                                                   Sam at Mt. Tabor with Manu.

Mile High Love

So the Dodys just got back from the Mile High City.   We had a wonderful trip visiting old friends and catching up on each others lives.  All the kids have grown up in the last three years and played together like they had never been apart.   The weather was beautiful and the altitude kicked our butts.  We slept about 4 to 6 hours per night so we could hang with our friends as long as possible.  Who needs sleep when you have friends, beer, and 3 years of pure adulterated gossip.

Ok, so that last one was just for fun.   Seems like when we get with our friends we just act like we have no sense.  That is what friends are for, right?