Looking back...

Looking back over 2008 there are two happenings that stick out: our family gathering in California early in the summer and our kayaking. For Christmas I made posters for Nicki to celebrate both of those events.

Happy Holidays!

Oliver wishes everyone happy holidays! May Santa bring you plenty of treats, may the squirrels stay away from your bird feeders, and may the weather allow for walks and car rides and chasing balls in the snow.

Free Dog Food for Voting!

Oliver thinks it is a good idea.

Michigan Trip

Nicki and I were part of a guided canoe/kayak tour in several loosely connected lakes including Gun Lake in Michigan. We started with a champagne brunch on the launch ramp, entered the water on one smallish lake (where we met the swans and geese), went through a culvert to another (where we met the turtle), carried our boats across a road to a narrow waterway through the tall cattails and weeds, which eventually flowed into Gun Lake. Afterwards we had a late lunch at Sam’s Joint. The weather was perfect, the company good, and the guide got us through the maze of cattails. Nobody got wet and nobody complained. A very good day.

Oliver and his Ball

Oliver has a strong attraction to balls - tennis balls, soccer balls, great big exercise balls. This particular ball became very deflated soon after this video was filmed (teeth do that) but that doesn't stop Oliver from trying to play with it. I think a major expense for us will be ball replacement.

Evening update: We found a supplier for the exercise balls so Oliver has a brand new toy (with two extra backups handy). We even had a choice of three colors! He barked his joy watching me pump up the new one - and I think I've learned what the "exercise" in "exercise ball" means. I can see a strong possibility of a new video forthcoming.

PS: Can you name that tune?

Oliver

Meet Oliver, our newest dog. So far he's shown that he can really herd an exercise ball. And he has "come", "sit", "down", "stay", and "heel" mastered but I predict we adults may be a little lax with consistent enforcement. We'll see how that works out. It may be interesting as we get accustomed again to sharing a house with a dog.

Fallen Tree

We had a bit of a problem during a storm last night. The top third of a very large sweet-gum tree broke off in the high winds and came down in our yard but luckily leaned gently(?) onto the front of our house. It smushed the rain gutter but didn't penetrate the roof or break our big living room picture window. We weren't at our house during the fall but had a call soon from a neighbor. Early morning call to the insurance agent. Possible appointment later today with our tree trimmer guy. And maybe some roof work?

The storm also knocked out power in our section of Oberlin for almost 12 hours which gave us an evening of candlelight and a lot less technology. But nice that our cellphones did work.

California Trip - Summer 2008

To see the photos in much larger screen-size versions, click on the photo group title that appears when you slide your mouse cursor over the bottom left corner of the small photo. When you get to the Picassa site collection click on the "Slideshow" link. There are 5 groups of photos in this post.


Wedding Celebration

Held at the Roberts Regional Recreation Area, near Oakland. Friends and family of Sarah and Sergio. A beautiful Sunday afternoon.


Yosemite Valley & Evergreen Lodge

Monday’s breakfast was in downtown Alameda. Arrived in the valley of the Yosemite National Park mid-afternoon. Began with a walk to the Lower Yosemite Falls. Martin climbed to the base of the falls while Sarah, Laura, Nicki and I waited and watched and played with the cameras. On the drive out of the valley we spotted a bear (tagged 31) and a one-antlered deer in the same meadow. Arrived just at sunset at the Evergreen Lodge and had dinner in their outside area and roasted marshmallows in the fireplace of the recreational building (internet access and free landline phone). Watched a few shooting stars on the balconies of our cabins. Tuesday began with Martin and Sarah climbing up to a pool beneath Bridal Veil Falls, lunch in the Ahwahnee Dining Room, walking in the valley, and then back to the Evergreen Lodge. A good sunset, great dinner again in the outside dining area, more marshmallow roasting. Nicki spotted a deer running between our cabins.


Carlon Falls - Tuolumne River

Kids woke up Wednesday with a scorpion in their bathtub. Martin relocated it to a more natural environment. Goal for the day was to swim beneath a waterfall. Headed for Carlon Falls near the Evergreen Lodge on the northern border of Yosemite National Park. We thought it would be a nice scenic walk along the Tuolumne River but it turned out to be a mile and a half one-way of undeveloped trail with some steep ups and downs. You wonder what you’ve got yourself into but the falls was worth the exercise. Nice drive back to Alameda. Dinner with Sergio at Zachary’s Pizza Excellent deep dish pizza - not Lorenzos- but the best on the west coast.


San Francisco Chinatown

Started Thursday with a great breakfast in Oakland - Rockridge Cafe. Then we drove into San Francisco and did a walking tour of the Chinatown area. Finally we drove south along the coast to the Half Moon Bay area watching surfers and pelicans with dinner at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.


California Coast - Beginning & End of Trip

Photos taken Sunday along the coast near our hotel in Alameda at the beginning of our trip and Thursday near Half Moon Bay at the end of our trip just before going to the airport for the overnight flight home. Touchdown Friday morning in Cleveland at 6:30 AM.

Around the house...

Got a new camera - a Nikon D300. I do this every couple years to keep pace with the technology. Here's a few experimental shots around the house taken yesterday before, during, and after a summer thunderstorm. To see the shots in a bigger slideshow form just click on the D300 link above and then "slideshow". Nicki wasn't left out - she got a Nikon D60 which is smaller and lighter and has a few less of the gizmos I like playing with.

Kayak Season Begins Again

It's been a busy spring so kayak season started late and slowly. So far Nicki and I have only been to our local favorite Findley Lake and a smaller and less eventful lake near it. Photos above from several visits to Findley Lake - Blue Herons, Green Heron, Night Heron, Turtle, and a Birdhouse.