Hanging Around

Still fairly cuckoo, here. Just very busy and everyone doing so many things. But we went over to a friend's house and busted some moves on their ropes.

As my cousin Anne Frahm notes, their hair is fairly well-conditioned.

Miki's hands are quite torn up from this action, and doing the rings relentlessly at school, so now she wears fingerless gloves everywhere, to keep her fancy bandaids in place.  This makes her look like a little thug Michael Jackson.

Can you see Ida, high in this tree?  We went on a sweet sunny hike on Mt. Hood yesterday...

the summer of March

Wow. Really weird weather we're having. Just trying to deal with it. Went on some nice hikes these last Sundays. Last one, Powell Butte, the old favorite...

Many fairies and trolls live in these places.

Miki is working on many tricks, let me tell you.

This is some of MIki's homework. I'm thinking of trying to write a story based this remarkable plot

Our magnolia tree bloomed about six weeks early; it'll keep blooming and dropping unlimited detritus for me to pick up for the next 8 months.  But it's pretty.

Today we went out to Strawberry Island, up on the mighty Columbia.  Washington side.  Ate some sandwiches, ate some chocolate.  Excellent.

And Ida built a very important marker, down on the beach.

Whoa!

Additionally; lost photos found!

These images were misplaced.  Our place in Black Butte, a house we've rented in the past, backs onto National Forest land.  Last year we could ski out the back door; this year, with no snow, the girls were left to find and devise many homes for Reepacheep, Owl Rex, Prince Caspian, various fairies, Hermione, etc.

Presidents' Day Weekend Trip to Black Butte!

It's becoming like a tradition, which is to say we stayed here last year (check it!) and it was so fun that we decided to do it again. Look at Maggie, all taking care of all of us and everything (stay tuned about those sandwiches):

We headed out on a hike but the road was closed for the winter so we just went on a different hike, through some crazy burned out areas beyond Sisters.  Here I am using my fancier camera but I got it stuck in a mode that isn't even exactly black and white.  Sorry.

Blazing vibrant color.  That's a Sister.  (Below; that's also a sistah, above)

More sisters:

A lot of strange things happened on this trip.  Like Arthur's ear wax debacle, and how I got lost and went running for an hour and a half and got berated by a golf course attendant.  But all I have documented are gems like this:

And this.  My ladies!

Arthur is a nefarious fellow.

Very good outfit by Ella, per usual.

Theo meanwhile decided to go old school with the "only tights" look.

Almost ten years they've been wed!  Lunch was a little tense because Arthur left all the PB & Js on the counter back at the cabin.

How does Maggie do that, anyway?  Look at this tired hiker:

The next day we drove down to Bachelor and did some ferocious skiing.

Arthur is not a fan of Bachelor as a resort, it turns out, but he has high standards.  He did "yeoman work" in training Ida, and Maggie put in some serious hours with Miki.  It really paid off.  The girls are proud of their skillz!

Strength Grows

Skamania comparison

May, 2013

February, 2015

Jim and Grambee, the long visitation

By the Lion's Mane, this visit was a long time in the making and planning!  And we did so many, many things and--this is kind of a testament to how interesting it was--we just really didn't take many pictures of much of our doings.

Delicious meals were had, high end wine was drunken.

This daughter-in-law (above) was incredibly patient and offered geriatric medical advice mostly in private (I learned not to pass this on).

This brave granddaughter  had a sleepover in Jim/Grambee's rental across the street!  She slept in a basement room with a skeleton.  Fearless!

Meanwhile, this ferocious granddaughter (below) got her cast off just in time to go swimming at Skamania, where we partied crazily and went in and out of the outdoor hot tub.  Grambee rocked some exquisite fashions!

Grambee, what can be said?  She did some "full body scan meditations" that can be documented another time, and worked various miracles with everyone.  A living legend.

This fellow went to the eastern coast and was reassured that everyone could hold it together.

Sheepishly, I smiled.

This is how it's done:

Bikes

As you may have heard, Miki broke her arm in a bike crash.

"Well, it was a big hill, and I only have foot brakes, and the pedals started going around faster and faster, so I took my feet off and then I couldn't stop and I crashed."

Fortunately, the cast was on for three weeks and now it's off and Miki's better than ever! Besides, it was a CAMO cast.

Meanwhile, Ida was ripping it up at the Lumberyard this weekend, racing these young bros around the ramps and halfpipes. Shredder!

1999, etc.

Ella: "I'm still partying like it's 1999."

Ida:  "I'm still farting like it's the 2000s."

Ella:  "Partying."

Ida:  "Oh."

Overheard breakfast conversation

M:  I know how to spell the "a" word.

I:  What is it?

M: "a-s-s."

I:  Ass?  What does that mean?

M:  I don't know.

I:  Well, I know the "s" word.

M:  The "s" word!"

I:  "s-h-i-k."  Shik!  I don't know why that's such a bad word, but it is.

M:  Wow.  "Shik."