A follow up on our trip south......

Just a short follow up to my last entry. On our trip south last month we also stopped by what is touted to be the largest collection of old logging equipment in the world! What I found most fascinating was the huge wheels that they used to move logs around back when there was only horse and oxen power.

Lorelei gives some scale to one of the huge wheels.






And then a couple of more from Crater Lake




Other news around the place. The weather for the last month has been absolutely perfect! Not much rain and cool temperatures have made it very pleasant.
For the moment most everything is working as it should. The well system is back functioning as it should and hopefully will run trouble free for a while. Lorelei helped me do the front brakes and rotors on the Honda last weekend. One side is wearing too fast so I need to replace the calipers on that side. Small projects and lot's of going to yard sales have been our main weekend entertainment.

We have been eating fresh blueberries both from our plants and some purchased. The blackberries are ripening and the boys picked enough the other day for Lorelei to make a cobbler! The garden looks like we may eventually get some cucumbers and tomatoes. We have been eating good lettuce and a few peppers and carrots.

Adam came for a visit last weekend with his roommate Jon. Adam had been searching around Portland for a guitar for Cody and brought it with him.We met for lunch and then spent the rest of the day visiting.

Jon is on the annual bike trip with his youth group at the San Juan Islands in Washington this week. I think they took some 85 young people this year! Jon is a "small group leader" so he is in charge of several of the youth. Jon has worked very hard with everything from fund raising to working on putting bikes together for those that have none so they could go on this trip. He returns tomorrow.

Cody has just been hanging out and doing lots of reading!

In animal news we are trying to get rid of Queenie's fleas. We are getting close to giving her "the shave" similar to the one she got last year. We got our first egg from the new chickens yesterday so we will soon have more than we can eat. We have been watching the antics at the bird feeder recently where the mothers of the new fledglings are still feeding their "babies" that are now bigger than they are. It is quite comical to see one of these huge young birds flying around, eating and drinking on their own and then suddenly the mother flies up to it and starts cramming more food and water down it's throat. Ummmm can you say "helicopter parent"?

It's suppose to be HOT this weekend so we may have to head for the river to cool off.
That's about all for now.

Leave us a comment, we enjoy hearing from everyone.

Glynn Jr.

Crater Lake!

Last Saturday Lorelei, Cody and I headed south for a short weekend trip to southern Oregon. We stayed in Klamath Falls and visited Crater Lake on Sunday. This is an absolutely fascinating and beautiful place. In our nearly 3 hour visit we didn't even make it half way around the lake. We each had a camera and we had a great time taking a bunch of pictures.
Below are a few of Lorelei's shots.

At over 1,900 ft deep it is the deepest lake in the U.S.


The water is really that blue.



With no inlets and no outlets and being supplied only by snow melt it is thought to be the purest fresh water body of water in the world.

We had a great trip but it was too short. We hope to get down that way again.



Bye for now.
Glynn Jr.

Summer finally made it to Oregon.....

We had the coolest and wettest spring on record here in Oregon. This past week we finally had some temps into the 90's although it is suppose to cool off a bit for the weekend. The garden has finally perked up and the plants are enjoying the sunshine. We have been eating lots of fresh strawberries and raspberries. The blueberries are ripening and we have had a few cherries also.

We seem to be going through one of those phases here on the Pennington homestead where it seems that everything breaks at once. The lawn tractor has been giving me trouble and will need maintenance and a major overhaul of the mowing deck. Up in the pump house we had a pipe break. Thankfully the system worked as designed and shut the pump off before any major damage occurred but on investigation it was clear that we needed a new pressure tank. Also in the pump house one of the tanks that treats the well water is clogged and it looks like it will take some work to get it back on line.

Inside the house our clothes dryer needed repair AGAIN. Same problem with a faulty Kenmore design. Lorelei helped me pull it apart and replace the offending parts.
I replaced the faucet in our bathroom and we bought a nice one at a yard sale that will go in the boys.

This years allergy season has been a rough one. The late start of the warm weather has pushed the season well into July. Normally by the 4th we are starting to feel better but not this year. I seem to be particularly sensitive this year with Lorelei and Cody suffering also. The farmers are just now starting to harvest the wheat and grass seed, so another week or so and we should start to feel better.
We have taken a break from photography the past few weeks but I had to get out for an hour or so and get a few shots. Our place is awesome this time of year with flowers blooming everywhere.

Daisies up on the knoll near our campsite.


A Pacific Madrone leaf. These broadleaf evergreen's shed their old leaves and bark in the summer and grow new ones that stay green all through the winter.



A caterpillar I found.


I think this is a Chinese Lantern? Lorelei knows all the names.


I have no idea what this one is but they grow amidst the fields of Daisies. Maybe someone can identify?


A close up of the aforementioned mystery flower.


Ok, I should know this one but I don't and the resident expert is asleep.


In animal news, Queenie is doing well. The younger chickens have been assimilated with the two older ones and should start laying any time now. The bird houses outside in the grape arbor are full of babies. Lorelei and I sat outside last night watching the adult Wren's and Swallow's busily flying in and out trying to satisfy the ravenous youngsters. Whenever the adults leave there is a chorus of cheeps coming from the houses until the adults return with more food.

We haven't seen Adam for a few weeks. He is busy working. Jon is enjoying some time away from school and running. Cody has been doing lots of reading and playing Lego's.

That's about all for now.

Glynn Jr.

Jon's graduation.........

Last Thursday was the Amity HS Flunk Trip. This is a trip payed for with fund raising and donations for the seniors who do not participate in a "Senior Ditch Day". Lorelei and I got to go with the group of about 50 seniors and a few teachers and we had a fun day! We started out with Laser Tag and pizza and then headed over to OMSI to board the Willamette Jet Boat Cruises boat for a tour of the Willamette river. It was 50 degrees and pouring rain as we boarded the boat.
This is NOT a leisurely sight seeing tour. These boats are big and fast and apparently they have made a reputation by seeing how much water they can manage to splash over the sides and front of the boat. So not only were we being rained on from above, we continually had walls of water from the front and sides, until all occupants of the vessel were completely saturated. I planned accordingly and had full rain gear but it was a challenge keeping my camera dry. The kids had a blast and many were shivering by the time we got back to the dock.
Now you would think that a company that makes a reputation practically drowning it's patrons, would have somewhere for them to change after the event??? NOT. So we made do and gathered all the boys around the corner while the girls changed on the bus and then the boys had their turn.

Below: The tour on the jet boat took us up very close to the Oregon City Falls.


After the jet boat ride we headed to Claim Jumpers for a great dinner.
Below: Corina, Lorelei and Jon.


Then on Saturday was the big day and Jon graduated from high school.

Below: Jon and Corina


As Salutatorian Jon gave a speech and what an awesome speech it was. Jon is a natural in front of an audience. He spoke of life, family and his Lord and Savior.








My dad and Franci flew in for the graduation. Adam was here from Portland and brought his roommate John. We had a great time celebrating Jon's accomplishment.

In other news, this has been the wettest June on record here in the Northwest.
The garden is a mess with wilting, yellowing tomato plants but we are getting some strawberries.
The kids are all out of school and we are celebrating Cody's birthday this weekend. He turns 12!
Our allergies are acting up and for the next few weeks we will be suffering as the pollen increases.

That's about all for now,

Glynn Jr.