in 100 words or less.....

fantastic weekend...sonic lunch, stupid traffic, hot tamales, old friends (dear friends), crowded market, bridge troll, ferry ride, perfect view, beautiful scenery, late dinner, cute cottage, lazy day, 2 bbq's, generous hosts, sunny weather, cold water, boat ride, phone calls, birthday wishes (mom too), flashing necklace, bright moon, warm bonfire, reeses smores, fireworks galore, big fireworks, loud fireworks, late night, late start, music experience, walked blocks, closed market, no nectarines, rushed goodbyes, night drive, full moon, home again. Best husband, perfect gift....purple vans !!!

New Loves...

The day that Annie died this little angel wandered into Darci's dorm at Girl's State in Salem. While she's Darci's cat and Annie could never be replaced, this little cutie has certainly eased the pain of losing Annie.

This is Lucky a cat that our oldest kidnapped and brought home a couple of years ago. She has ended up our cat, and she's a pretty good cat. We got her her own catnip plant the other day from the nursery. These pictures are of her "getting stoned". Turns out Lucky has quite the addictive personalty.

To-ma-toes

Yep, it's gonna be a good year for tomatoes here at the Hall farm...REAL tomatoes for all you Farm Town folks. We've got Romas, grape, sweet 100's (cherry) and medium slicing tomatoes

In Memoriam

We had our beloved Annie for about 17 yrs.

Update

So, we've been helping kayleigh move stuff to her storage unit this week - in preparation for her move to Idaho. She was complaining because when she moved *into* this apartment, Chris was in Idaho, and unable to participate. So, she said next time they move, she's opting out - Chris can do it all.

Great news !! Kayleigh found out today that she's not being layed off, but will have basically the same position at a different school in the district. One that's actually closer to the apartment she just moved out of :-P

However, I couldn't help but remind her that means she'll be moving again at the end of the summer........while Chris is still in Idaho........

Finally, I was chastised by my oldest daughter that I never post anything about my other kids. So, Kayleigh, this is for you.....

Justine is still waiting tables at a local restaurant / sports bar. She's currently on a break from school, but will be starting back in the next few weeks. Her plan is to get her CNA, and then (hopefully) get a job in that field to help her work her way through the remainder of college. In the meantime, she's spending time with all her friends.

As for Kayleigh, she's moving the last of the boxes out of her apartment tomorrow. She'll be staying with us the rest of the week, then she'll fly to Montana on Saturday. School is out for her this week, and she's moving to Salmon, ID to be with her husband while he fights wild fires again this summer.

With all the recent budget cuts, Kayleigh will be laid off at the end of the school year. She won't know, possibly until the next school year, if she'll have a position available for her. If not, her plans are to return to school full time.

As for Jaime and I, our immediate plans are to spend July 4th in the Bremerton / Seattle area, and we'll have our annual camping trip to the dunes in August. Beyond that, we're happily anticipating the next chapter in our lives, as well.

I've included just a few of her senior pics.

Our (last) graduate

Well, we've reached another milestone....our last child graduated from high school last Thursday. Had a little "weather" concern when major thunderstorms moved through the area that evening. Just like a Texas thunder boomer!! Moved through quickly so, not much more than a good sprinkle by the time we head for the venue.

As for the ceremony itself......it was shorter than I anticipated (only 1.5 hours!!). Darci performed with a small group of drama students, as well as the choir.

Then we headed for the all-night-party....... then the long, endless night commenced. (It seems the older I get, the longer the night seems...) Finally, at 6 am, we hit the bed for a nap.

The next chapter........Darci will be attending PSU (Portland State Univ) in the fall. Til then, the search is on for a job........and a clean room!!!

Fushcia

This years spring production was "A Mid Summer Night's Dream". Darci played the "head" fairy (thus the staff and *much* larger wings!!). As you can imagine (just from these pics) that the production was awesome! Fabulous costumes and the set was equally impressive.

So, with that completed, we're now on the down side of senior year. After that Darci had to present her "Senior Project" - her film festival. Her score sheets showed she made an excellent presentation. High scores combined with great comments !

Next is the Senior Banquet (when we graduated they called it a Senior Tea). Then finally graduation and the All Night Party. Then............I get to relax, and she starts college !!!

Well, Jaime and I recently visited Houston-our nephew James (Steven's son) was baptized. We seem to make it about once every 3 years, so it's usually quite an event for us !!! We were able to see most of Jaime's family and I was also able to visit with my mom, grandma and one of my aunts. This was a nice bonus because my grandma and aunt both live in Illinois, so I don't have the opportunity to see them very often. (The last time was when I turned 40 - and no, I won't mention how long ago that was...).

We were also able to have a mini-reunion with several of our friends. Although it's always difficult for me to process the fact that everyone's kids are getting older!!! But lots of fun catching up with everyone.

However, we weren't prepared for the weather. There was a band of thunderstorms that came through Friday and Saturday. As is typical in that area, we experienced widespread flooding. It really became problematic on Saturday, making it difficult for us to get around. In fact, we were over an hour late to the baptism on Saturday. According to the rain gauge, we received about 3.5 inches in 36 hours.

It was really irritating, because it really limited what we were able to do on Saturday. But, Jaime really enjoyed the thunderstorms (or at least until one struct less than 2 blocks from the house !!).

But regardless of the weather, it was still a great trip.

Film Festival

When we moved to Oregon 10 years ago (really??), we discovered they do things differently in the schools. Some good, some not-so-good. One of the things they do here in the high schools is what's known as a "senior project".

It kinda reminds me of a thesis. They have to choose a mentor, then they begin work on this project. At some point during their senior year, they must complete the project, including various documentation. Then at the end of the year, during "boards", they give an oral presentation of their project, including visuals.

Since Darci is interested in Drama, naturally her project would reflect that interest. Last week, Darci hosted her very own Film Festival. Somehow she coaxed several of her drama friends into putting together short movies (10 mins or less). Actually, I have a feeling it didn't take much coaxing..............

And, as a bonus, she charged an admission which was then donated to the drama department.

It was actually very entertaining. She associates with a very creative group of students. We weren't sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised with the results.

Next chapter........... The drama department is doing "A Midsummer Nights Dream" for their spring production. Darci plays the lead fairie.

Why I love my job...

Today I was "forced" to go work here...(cel phone pictures just don't do it justice).

View from the top of Dam 1 Bull Run Reservoirs.

The Bear Creek House at Dam 1.

Looking East from Dam 1.

I get to go here every now and then also...the lake is Portland's source of drinking water, Bull Run Lake. That's Mt. Hood in the background.

My morning commute...

Here are some pictures from the morning commute this morning in Portland. Luckily I was already at work when the heavier stuff started falling...these are courtesy of BikePortland.org

Snow again.....really?

It started about 8 this morning.....about the time I headed into work. We've got probably a good inch, and it's still coming down.

Forecast says it will turn to icy rain by mid day, and icy road conditions tomorrow morning.

When we moved to Oregon 10 years ago......this was not what we signed up for !!!!

I don't know if I can even say it.............it snowed, AGAIN!!! We probably had a good 1/2 inch when I got up this morning for my early-morning church meeting.

S-N-O-W is becoming one of those 4 letter words we really should not be using......

As the wind blows......

This is certainly a winter full of unusual weather. It began with all of our Christmas and New Years snow. Then things dried out and we had several really sunny days (though still a little chilly). Which, believe or not, is unusual - this is normally our rainy season.

Now, we're (hopefully) at the tail end of a wicked wind storm. Weather reports say we're having 45-50 mph wind gusts. If you're outside driving around in it, this seems like an understatement. It's like living in a hurricane!!

Not only are we dealing with tree branches & road signs in the road, but our yard is filled with roof shingles. Fortunately, not from our own roof. Power outages are also the norm. We were driving through Gresham last night, waiting to get through an intersection......we noticed all the lights flicker & then everything went black. The only light was from headlights. It was very eerie. Didn't realize how much the lights of the city contribute to the driving experience.

I can't believe I'm saying this, again...............it's snowing!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Holy Moly...........we got more snow today!! We finally thawed out. In fact, we were getting so much rain that flooding became an issue. And wham, we get (measureable) snow again. Certainly not how I expected the new year to begin.

So we're sending new year wishes to our friends & family. I hope this finds you looking back on a good year, and forward to a great one.

My only resolution is to regularly post to this blog! With our kids mostly grown, we seem to live relatively boring lives. (Not that I'm complaining....)