Catching Up

Since I haven’t posted for about 6 months there is alot of catching up to do. I just posted about a trip in August, now there is September through December. We moved from our old place in September, purchased a new home in October, and had Thanksgiving and Christmas in our new house. We also managed some house projects which we will posted soon. Next post: New House Tour.

Getaway weekend – Flashback to August

We celebrated our 6 year anniversary back in August. After reading good things about Port Townsend and the local cider we wanted to give it a try. We borrowed a convertible (Volkswagen Eos) and it was the perfect car for the weekend. We left our girls with their grandparents for the weekend and took off early Saturday morning. We had a 4 hour drive from Portland and wanted plenty of time once we got into town. We arrived around 10:00 and went to our hotel even though it was way before check-in. We booked room #7 at the Palace Hotel.

We grabbed a few maps from the lobby and decided to check out the farmer’s market. At the market we grabbed a couple baked goods then drove back downtown. Again we parked at the hotel.  This time we walked the entire length of Water St. We bought a board game, some books, and some local soaps. We enjoyed browsing the Celtic shop, an importer of woodwork, and the wooden boat shop at the end of the street. We had lunch at Nifty Fifties, which is just what it sounds like: a fifties diner. The service was quick and the food was good.

After lunch we walked back to our car, ready for a cider tour. We chose to hit all three cideries: Alpenfire (formerly Wildfire), Eaglemount, and Finn River. The hostess (and co-owner) of Alpenfire was very nice and answered all our questions from organic tree growing to her travels in Europe to study cider history. The selection was the smallest (3 ciders) and the tasting fee the most expensive ($6). They also don’t apply the fee towards purchase (the other 2 do and are $5 per tasting). We picked up a bottle of their Spark cider, which was the sweetest.

Next on the list was Eaglemount. The brewer makes both ciders and wines. I think there were 6 cider varieties, all of them were good. We particularly liked their pear and raspberry-apple cider. The ginger was also notable. The host (owner) was again very nice and talked to us about his apple selection and his 100+ year old homestead.

Last was Finn River. Their variety was the largest, having both ciders and brandies. We got to taste them all even though we arrived 15 minutes before they closed. I particularly liked the Apple-Blueberry cider. We learned about their farm and cidery and had a great time. It was easily the hippest of 3 we visited. The owners were young and doing cool things with their ciders and spirits as well as their orchards and farms.

It was getting close to dinner time so we headed back into town. We walked around a little more and settled on a Thai restaurant downtown. The food was good and the service was great as well. We retired after dinner to play our new board game before bed.

The next morning we drove the historical building tour suggested by Richard at the front desk of our hotel. It took about 45 minutes and we saw over 50 locations. It was definitely worth the time. For fun we picked up some flyers from houses for sale and even drove out to the lighthouse in Fort Worden.

blog rollin

After hanging out with friends up on Orcas Island, I have some new blogs to follow. The first is Young House Love. This one is about a couple (and cute baby) in Virginia that love fixing up their house. They do tons of stuff and post 5+ times a week. The posts can be a little long but the pictures are always good. Another good one I found is Wayward Spark. This family lives in Oregon, out in the country. They live off the land and raise their kids in a small house. They write about their kids, their garden, and other earthy things. A last one I found just recently is Bower Power. Another couple (and baby) from Atlanta. They have a huge gorgeous house and spend their time with indoor and outdoor projects. They post a lot too and have good pics. I hope you check them out if house projects are what you are in to.

And now, on to us. This weekend we stained our upper deck and rearranged our kitchen and office area. The deck stain was the final step in our upper deck makeover that included new paint and a fancy new cedar plank ceiling. The staining is also part of a larger project: staining all our decks and bridge, as well as painting the handrails. If I’m lucky I might get some pictures up soon.

A couple new books

I had a gift card for Barnes & Noble left over from my birthday in May. I went to B&N soon after my birthday but couldn’t decide on any books. I really wanted Modern Homestead by Renee Wilkinson but knew she was doing a book signing in St. Johns. I wanted a signed copy so I held off on that book. I checked out a books including The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes, which I had heard about on the RadioLab podcast. I also looked at Plan B 2.0 by Lester Brown, a book about new energy sources. Well, I went back to B&N last week and after much searching decided on 2 books. They both fit into my recent “going green” kick. The first is The Quarter Acre Farm by Spring Warren, a book about growing enough food to live on with just a small backyard garden. It is a story setting with many tips and experiences. I have learned alot and am inspired to make my own garden bigger and better next year. I would love to have the fruit trees she has in her backyard. The other book I picked out is The Everything Guide to Living off the Grid by Terri Reid. The title really says it all and is useful for people that want to make small changes all the way up to completely off the grid. I am sure I will find many great ideas in this book.

This term I am taking my first sustainability class as part of my MBA at Marylhurst. It is called Resource Economics and I am enjoying the class. Just the other day my professor pointed me toward Governing the Commons by Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom. Now that book is on my list too.

Do you have any book suggestions that go along with sustainability, gardening, or living green? I would love to hear about good books you recommend.

the Green episode

I am going to use this blog as an update to all the green stuff going on. First of all, our garden is in! Six raised beds are filled with onions, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cilantro, dill, snap peas, beans, carrots, and lettuces. Everything is doing well so far and the mix of rain and sun in Portland have been a big help. We are now deciding on a rain barrel and composter. I also recently came across the National Wildlife Foundation and we are working on getting our backyard certified as a Wildlife Habitat.

I recently saw a movie that really inspired me to focus on the planet. It is called Deep Green and is produced by a fellow Oregonian. He lives in a net zero carbon footprint house that I also had the chance to tour. The movie focuses on carbon emissions as the major downfall of our planet. Throughout the movie, the author showcases ways that governments, cities, and individuals are making a difference. Everyone can do something. As part of a team project at school, I videotaped myself changing out an old lightbulb for a new CLF bulb. We are putting together videos from everyone in the group and then calculating the effect of just one or two bulbs.

I came across a book that looks really good too. It is called Modern Homestead and is written by another Portlander, who keeps up a great blog. I haven’t read it yet but hope to read it before an interview I am doing with the author early next month.

I have been too busy to spend time on the Ghia. But, I have been thinking about it. At the house tour I mentioned above, there were several electric cars, one being a full electric VW Beetle (the original Beetle). I had been thinking about putting a TDI engine in the Ghia but electric would be even better. I wonder if anyone gives grants or sponsorship for electric car conversions. I think an electric Ghia would be the ultimate combination of classic styling and modern technology. I need to do alot of research but I am sure it can be done.

The old and the new

So much has changed. I am going back to school for my MBA and really enjoying it. One of my passions and dreams is to make a lasting difference in the world. For my MBA, I chose Marylhurst University because of their Sustainability focused MBA program. I hope to use my acquired skills to launch me into fantastic new opportunities. The classroom time with professors and classmates is very rewarding. I am even applying some of my new knowledge to my position at work. School has allowed me to be a bit bolder and be more confident with myself. I am taking it slow, only one class a term, but like it that way. With so many other projects and demands on my time, I don’t want school taking up too much time.

Speaking of other projects, I have a confession to make. For a couple reasons, we sold our beloved Volkswagen Bus. The time and money was right, plus it was going to another great family. We felt so much pride seeing someone else thoroughly love what we had done. After all, the rebuild was a bonding experience for me in many ways. I really got to know my best friend, wife, and the Volkswagen community at large through the restoration process. That is a major reason why we are getting another project car. This time I chose a 1972 VW Karmann Ghia. This project should test me in many new ways and should be a blast. We haven’t officially picked it up yet, but that should happen this weekend.

Our house is also keeping us busy. We have done many updates from recessed lighting to paint to insulation. A big project we are working on now is a garden space. Currently, there is an old shed in the way that we are trying to move. Once moved, we are going to put down river rock and build raised beds. I want to install a couple rain barrels on the downspouts to keep the garden watered during the summer months. We are planning a berry patch of sorts for blueberries and raspberries as well.

Stay tuned for LOTS of car updates as well as progress on the garden.

Welcome Back

It is pretty clear that I haven’t posted in a while. There is so much to catch up on. We moved across town over the summer and really like our new place. We are on a quieter street and back to a green space. The hardest part is that now I am further from work and friends.

We have really enjoyed preparing for the holiday season this year. Claire is loving all the holiday decorations and traditions. Even Madeline enjoys the Christmas music and lights. We are enjoying three days of Christmas and will be spending Christmas Day at our house with just us. It should be really fun and stress free.

I have started posting some pictures on Flickr and can feel myself getting addicted. You can check out my photos here. I am just starting to upload pictures but please have a look and let me know what you think. I have to relearn how to post pictures here but I will some up soon.

It’s good to be back.

The Road Less Traveled

This past weekend we decided to be spontaneous and travel down to San Jose to visit some friends. We left Friday night after work, around 5:30, and immediately hit the worst traffic trying to get out of Portland in the rain at the beginning of a three day weekend. Once out of Portland it was smooth sailing. The temperature increased and we headed south and that added to our already growing excitement of a fun filled weekend. We arrived very tired around 4:30 am. The bed felt wonderful after trying to nap in the car.

On our first morning a couple more friends came over for a nice brunch. French toast casserole, eggs, and fruit were in order. We took our time catching up and talking about movies and our childhoods. Lunch rolled around and we were ready for some In-n-Out Burger. We were headed for Santa Cruz and the beach. It was much cooler along the beach and much windier. We only stayed at the first beach long enough for a couple pictures and to dip our toes in the cold ocean. The next stop was much better with the aid of some large rocks to block the wind. We had a great time building sand castles, exploring the tide poles, and relaxing in the sun. We finished the day with some delicious Thai food and a movie.

The last day was spend in San Francisco and in San Francisco traffic. We had grand plans to walk the Golden Gate park and spend the afternoon at Point Reyes. We did enjoy the park. We saw turtles, egrets, ducks, and koi. The park is far too big to explore in a couple hours and we had plans. Unfortunately, the traffic heading north was at a crawl. We finally made it across the bridge but too late to travel further north. We did head up to a viewpoint made out of an old World War II lookout post. The weather again was spotless but a little windy. We could see the whole city and Alcatraz in the distance. The drive home was less painful and we relaxed while watching some TV and eating ice cream.

Monday was a driving day but we took it a little slower. We stopped in Ashland to play at a park and stopped at the in-laws for dinner. It felt great to be home after such a long weekend. We had a great time with friends and really enjoyed the warm weather. San Jose, we can’t wait to be back!

A great place to bring the kids

Playing in the sand

Having fun at the beach

Just above our little cove

Turtle at Golden Gate Park

Photo op

Bright and sunny

His and hers houses

Beach Trip

For our first family road trip in the bus we decided to go to the beach. We did a big loop, going through McMinnville to Lincoln City, then heading north and home through Tillamook. The weather was wonderful and we all had a great time. We spent some time on the beach and the girls loved it. It was Madeline’s first time on the beach and Claire’s first time in nice weather. She couldn’t stop running with her bare feet in the sand.

Even Madeline enjoyed the beach and couldn’t help crawling through the warm dry sand. The bus drove well, with only a couple small hiccups just before Tillamook. I pulled over briefly and filled the tank in Tillamook and the problem didn’t come back. We got some good shots of the bus with the ocean in the background. The girls love seeing out the windows so well. Now when we drive in the bus, Claire always asks if we are going to the beach.

Road Trip

A couple weekends ago I decided it was time for the bus’s first road trip. A friend and I were invited down to Eugene for a disc golf tournament and thought it would be fun to take the bus. The bus ran great and we put on about 300 miles. It is still slow climbing hills but the coolness factor more than makes up for that!

We headed down to Eugene early Saturday morning. We made it to Westmoreland Park around 9 for a quick warm up round of disc golf. After playing, we headed east of Springfield to a home made course laid out on 26 acres in the hills. The course layout was unique with only 9 holes. Each hole was approached from two directions making a total of 18 holes. We played the full course twice and had a great time. BBQed burgers and home brew for lunch and we were in paradise. The weather was fantastic and the company was great too.

We stayed at a friends Saturday night and went bowling. We got up early the next morning too. We had just enough time to catch a memory round at our home course of Willamette Park in Corvallis. This is the course I learned to play on and have played several tournaments on. It was great playing a round here even though we both shot well above our best.