On Sunday, Dan and I met in Boise to go snowshoeing. Because Dan had a Monday meeting in Hailey, we drove separately. In Twin Falls we drove together to Magic Mountain Ski Area, the start of the snowshoe. The goal: Mountain View Peak, a rather lame destination in the Goose Creek Mountains. If we felt interested, we would go over to Grand View Peak (adding 3 miles to the trip).
The snowshoe started off on a groomed road. After we reached some cabins, we followed a trail for a little ways before heading directly up the ridge. Once on the ridge, we followed snowmobile trails to the summit. The views were decent but we declined to go over to Grand View Peak so as to get home at a more reasonable hour.
Since I was driving home in actual daylight, I was able to stop at Malad Gorge just off of I-84. I'd always wanted to check it out and I didn't even realize there were so many waterfalls in the canyon.
Despite being an unexciting peak, it was great to get out for the first time since November and to bag my first peak of 2010!
Mountain View Peak Snowshoe Pictures!
Trip statistics: 5 hours, 10 miles, 1000' elevation gain
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
New Years and Other Excitement
We never posted a New Years post so.... Happy 2010 to all 5 (10?) readers! Your devotion to my subpar prose and endless boring trip reports is remarkable and appreciated!
Nothing very exciting has been going on here. My job granted me a five day weekend for New Years and Katie got a "measly" four days. We spent New Years Eve at home and shared a bottle of wine that Katie got from one of her customers at work. That weekend was pretty snowy so we mostly stayed inside and I watched a bunch of college football bowl games. The Humanitarian Bowl was the most memorable as the Idaho Vandals achieved a last-second victory over the Bowling Green Falcons. Somewhere in there we watched the movie Up In The Air, which we both enjoyed. It has lots of corporate black humor which is a bountiful comedy gold mine these days. We also had a nice breakfast with Gary and Bonnie at Addie's on Sunday.
Last weekend we saw Avatar 3D. The visuals definitely lived up to the hype and it was easy to believe the computer-generated planet was real. However the story was pretty formulaic. Overall it was a good movie but I don't consider it the landmark of cinema that some perceive it to be.
Yesterday (Friday) we both attended my company's holiday party... it was held at a faux castle called Castle Gardens. The food (mystery fish, salad, potatoes, veggies, bread) was great and so was the open bar. The facility was modern and open and had a decor heavy on medieval themes - suits of armor, tapestries featuring knights, chalices used as water glasses, etc. Overall it was a great venue for a party with 50-100 people.
Today we ran some errands and had a nice lunch at the Boise Fry Company. I had Red Lady Fries for the first time... they were yummy and comparable in quality to the Yukon Golds which are my reigning favorite. My bison burger and Katie's vegan burger were both great too.
Right now I'm watching the NFL playoffs and the game is super boring. I can also see the Christmas tree staring at me wondering why it has been able to stay up so long. Perhaps that is the next project to undertake?
Nothing very exciting has been going on here. My job granted me a five day weekend for New Years and Katie got a "measly" four days. We spent New Years Eve at home and shared a bottle of wine that Katie got from one of her customers at work. That weekend was pretty snowy so we mostly stayed inside and I watched a bunch of college football bowl games. The Humanitarian Bowl was the most memorable as the Idaho Vandals achieved a last-second victory over the Bowling Green Falcons. Somewhere in there we watched the movie Up In The Air, which we both enjoyed. It has lots of corporate black humor which is a bountiful comedy gold mine these days. We also had a nice breakfast with Gary and Bonnie at Addie's on Sunday.
Last weekend we saw Avatar 3D. The visuals definitely lived up to the hype and it was easy to believe the computer-generated planet was real. However the story was pretty formulaic. Overall it was a good movie but I don't consider it the landmark of cinema that some perceive it to be.
Yesterday (Friday) we both attended my company's holiday party... it was held at a faux castle called Castle Gardens. The food (mystery fish, salad, potatoes, veggies, bread) was great and so was the open bar. The facility was modern and open and had a decor heavy on medieval themes - suits of armor, tapestries featuring knights, chalices used as water glasses, etc. Overall it was a great venue for a party with 50-100 people.
Today we ran some errands and had a nice lunch at the Boise Fry Company. I had Red Lady Fries for the first time... they were yummy and comparable in quality to the Yukon Golds which are my reigning favorite. My bison burger and Katie's vegan burger were both great too.
Right now I'm watching the NFL playoffs and the game is super boring. I can also see the Christmas tree staring at me wondering why it has been able to stay up so long. Perhaps that is the next project to undertake?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Christmas 2009
For the third consecutive year, Katie and I traveled to Vancouver for Christmas. After getting up at 5am MST on Christmas Eve, we arrived in Bellingham about 9am and met Megan and Dave at the airport. We proceeded to do some shopping before grabbing lunch at Jack in the Box. Sadly our quest for See's Chocolates was aborted... they had run out of chocolates! By the time we got to Vancouver it was mid-afternoon...which meant it was time for my nap! After Panago pizza for dinner, we attended the Christmas Eve service at Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church. After the service, we socialized at the Trant household for a couple of hours. It was good to meet more of the Trant family, puzzle over whatsits, and drink some nice scotch. Upon returning to the Shepherd house, we wrapped presents and performed other preparations for Christmas Day.
On Christmas Day we had the traditional brunch and present opening followed by the evening dinner. It was great getting to catch up with everyone and of course the food was amazing! Also, I opened several nice gifts and a well-stuffed stocking. Thank you everyone for your generosity!
Boxing Day (12/26) was pretty uneventful... about all we did was meet Greg and Carmina for lunch at Dave's restaurant, Cravings. My omelet was awesome - thanks Dave!
On Sunday we all attended a service at the church where the last of Ian's ashes were placed in the memorial garden which he established and maintained. It was the strongest of many reminders that it was the first Christmas since his passing. We all miss you Ian!
Monday we awoke at 4am to return to Boise. The idea was to get to Boise at 9am and then go to work that day. Sadly, we got to the airport less than 30 minutes before departure and the evil airline (Horizon) had given away our tickets to standby passengers. Katie was able to board standby but I had to wait in the Bellingham terminal for another flight five hours later. I spent a little bit of time with Dave and Greg (who had driven us to Bellingham) but sadly there is little to do in "The City of Subdued Excitement" at 5am. After stops in Seattle and Portland (and some beer), I arrived in Boise at 5:30pm. Katie worked all day and picked me up at the airport. Fortunately I only had to work one day that week - I got the 30th, 31st, and 1st off!
Christmas 2009 Pictures!
On Christmas Day we had the traditional brunch and present opening followed by the evening dinner. It was great getting to catch up with everyone and of course the food was amazing! Also, I opened several nice gifts and a well-stuffed stocking. Thank you everyone for your generosity!
Boxing Day (12/26) was pretty uneventful... about all we did was meet Greg and Carmina for lunch at Dave's restaurant, Cravings. My omelet was awesome - thanks Dave!
On Sunday we all attended a service at the church where the last of Ian's ashes were placed in the memorial garden which he established and maintained. It was the strongest of many reminders that it was the first Christmas since his passing. We all miss you Ian!
Monday we awoke at 4am to return to Boise. The idea was to get to Boise at 9am and then go to work that day. Sadly, we got to the airport less than 30 minutes before departure and the evil airline (Horizon) had given away our tickets to standby passengers. Katie was able to board standby but I had to wait in the Bellingham terminal for another flight five hours later. I spent a little bit of time with Dave and Greg (who had driven us to Bellingham) but sadly there is little to do in "The City of Subdued Excitement" at 5am. After stops in Seattle and Portland (and some beer), I arrived in Boise at 5:30pm. Katie worked all day and picked me up at the airport. Fortunately I only had to work one day that week - I got the 30th, 31st, and 1st off!
Christmas 2009 Pictures!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Christmas Tree
For the second time in three years, we set up our (fake) Christmas tree complete with my shockingly large ornament collection. I also set up the Lionel Pennsylvania train that my parents gave us a few years ago. Note the beautiful stockings made by Grandma Savage!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Goose Creek Mountains Snowshoe Trip
It was Black Friday and I had no desire to do any shopping. The weather looked OK for hiking and after waking up at 6:30am I decided to head for the Goose Creek Mountains south of Twin Falls. Unsure about the snow conditions in the area (Magic Mountain Ski Area reported 6" of snow) I was hoping I could get close enough to my destination. The road into the mountains was snow covered but fortunately with decent tread from other vehicles having packed down the snow somewhat. The Escape made it up until the road started to get steep roughly 2.5 miles from Monument Peak - close enough!
My trip consisted of snowshoeing from the vehicle up to Monument Peak (both summits), then over to Trapper Peak, thence to Flatiron Mountain. Conditions were decent - temperatures in the 40s, overcast, with a light wind. Other than worrying about a lack of daylight, it was a pleasant day for snowshoeing on roads, ATV trails, and a little bit of cross-country terrain. Of course, most of the ridge tops were free of snow so I had to take the snowshoes off on several occasions. The area, normally known for being overrun with ATVs and snowmobiles, was actually pretty quiet. The only people I saw were woodcutters looking for Christmas trees!
Summiting all three peaks enabled me to reach my goal of climbing 25 peaks in 2009. Now I can be lazy for all of December :-)
Goose Creek Snowshoeing Pictures!
Trip statistics: 14 miles, 2600' elevation gain, 5.5 hours
My trip consisted of snowshoeing from the vehicle up to Monument Peak (both summits), then over to Trapper Peak, thence to Flatiron Mountain. Conditions were decent - temperatures in the 40s, overcast, with a light wind. Other than worrying about a lack of daylight, it was a pleasant day for snowshoeing on roads, ATV trails, and a little bit of cross-country terrain. Of course, most of the ridge tops were free of snow so I had to take the snowshoes off on several occasions. The area, normally known for being overrun with ATVs and snowmobiles, was actually pretty quiet. The only people I saw were woodcutters looking for Christmas trees!
Summiting all three peaks enabled me to reach my goal of climbing 25 peaks in 2009. Now I can be lazy for all of December :-)
Goose Creek Snowshoeing Pictures!
Trip statistics: 14 miles, 2600' elevation gain, 5.5 hours
Sunday, November 29, 2009
(American) Thanksgiving in Boise
For the fifth year in a row, our Thanksgiving dinner was at Gary and Bonnie's house. As always, Bonnie and her mother Frona did a great job with the dinner - turkey, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, cranberries, and corn were all made and they were all quite delicious. Katie made dinner rolls which were also great for sating my craving for carbs. After dinner, we relaxed around the TV and watched Casino Royale which was airing on the Syfy Channel.
Thanksgiving is always a great time to reflect and focus on what we have. We're thankful for having each other in our lives, our awesome family, our good health, and our stable jobs in these rocky times. We are truly blessed!!
Dinner!
Thanksgiving is always a great time to reflect and focus on what we have. We're thankful for having each other in our lives, our awesome family, our good health, and our stable jobs in these rocky times. We are truly blessed!!
Dinner!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Squaw Butte Hike
I passed up the opportunity to climb The Box in the Pioneers due to weather concerns and lack of interest in a big climb. Since the weather looked good in the Owyhees, I chose Squaw Butte (not to be confused with another Squaw Butte), a reasonably short hike just an hour from home.
After one wrong turn, I made it to the trailhead at about 10:15am. Soon I was on my way up the peak... however I didn't check the map closely enough and started climbing the wrong ridge. Fortunately in this area it is very open and mistakes are easily corrected! The weather down low was very nice...sunny and with just enough breeze to keep me from feeling warm in my winter gear. Up on the summit it was quite windy and colder... I should've brought the balaclava! Needless to say, I didn't spend much time up there despite the great views of the surrounding area. I took a more direct route on the descent, making for a nice loop hike featuring both ridge walks and canyon terrain.
In summary, this was a perfect short Fall hike... I was home by 3:30pm and in time to watch prime time college football!
Squaw Butte Pictures!
Trip statistics: 9 miles, 2700' elevation gain, 3.75 hours
After one wrong turn, I made it to the trailhead at about 10:15am. Soon I was on my way up the peak... however I didn't check the map closely enough and started climbing the wrong ridge. Fortunately in this area it is very open and mistakes are easily corrected! The weather down low was very nice...sunny and with just enough breeze to keep me from feeling warm in my winter gear. Up on the summit it was quite windy and colder... I should've brought the balaclava! Needless to say, I didn't spend much time up there despite the great views of the surrounding area. I took a more direct route on the descent, making for a nice loop hike featuring both ridge walks and canyon terrain.
In summary, this was a perfect short Fall hike... I was home by 3:30pm and in time to watch prime time college football!
Squaw Butte Pictures!
Trip statistics: 9 miles, 2700' elevation gain, 3.75 hours
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sinker Butte Hike
For some needed exercise, I opted for a quick Sunday hike to Sinker Butte just south of Boise. It is a pleasant desert hike that starts at the Swan Falls Dam, and climbs out of the Snake River Canyon onto a small prominence on the expansive Snake River Plain. The hike is located within the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (what a mouthful!) and as expected, raptors are plentiful in the area. This is a very short but enjoyable hike for the late Fall!
Sinker Butte Hike Pictures!
Trip statistics: 5 miles, 1250' elevation gain, 2 hours
Sinker Butte Hike Pictures!
Trip statistics: 5 miles, 1250' elevation gain, 2 hours
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Texas Vacation
My parents planned a trip to Texas to visit the family there. Katie and I decided to join the trip since we don't get over there very often. We coordinated our flights so that we both arrived in Dallas at the same time on Saturday the 7th. This worked better than expected as we arrived at our designated meeting spot within a minute of each other!
While in town, we visited with all of our Texas family, some of whom I had not seen in 15+ years (and of course Katie had never met). Everyone was present for the family dinner at Spring Creek Barbeque to both catch up and enjoy the wonderful food! We also made time to tour the new $1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium which is certainly an impressive facility. We also enjoyed several fine meals at area restaurants such as Beto's, Chuy's, and BJ's.
While in Texas, we also visited my Mom's friend Kathy, who was formerly a teacher in the Clay County School District alongside Mom. Kathy had made the decision to retire in Texas to be close to her daughter so our trip provided an opportunity for them to catch up and for us to see her new house.
Sadly, the trip was not as long as it could have been due to limited vacation days. But it was great to see everyone and spend some time in the beautiful Fall weather in Texas!
Texas Pictures!
Mom's Texas Pictures!
While in town, we visited with all of our Texas family, some of whom I had not seen in 15+ years (and of course Katie had never met). Everyone was present for the family dinner at Spring Creek Barbeque to both catch up and enjoy the wonderful food! We also made time to tour the new $1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium which is certainly an impressive facility. We also enjoyed several fine meals at area restaurants such as Beto's, Chuy's, and BJ's.
While in Texas, we also visited my Mom's friend Kathy, who was formerly a teacher in the Clay County School District alongside Mom. Kathy had made the decision to retire in Texas to be close to her daughter so our trip provided an opportunity for them to catch up and for us to see her new house.
Sadly, the trip was not as long as it could have been due to limited vacation days. But it was great to see everyone and spend some time in the beautiful Fall weather in Texas!
Texas Pictures!
Mom's Texas Pictures!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Cervidae Peak Hike
Since I hadn't climbed a peak since August, it was high time to get back into the mountains. Being out of shape, I opted for Cervidae Peak, a short hike just outside of Boise which is popular with locals when the bigger peaks are snowbound. I had climbed the peak two previous times, in 2001 and 2008, each time by a different route. This time I chose yet another route since this peak offers countless variations with its open terrain. Also, this was the first time I climbed the peak when it was not under snow.
The hike was uneventful but the route I chose was quite steep, perhaps a little too steep given that I chose to wear trail running shoes. After some morning clouds, the day turned gorgeous with reasonably warm temperatures for November.
Cervidae Peak Pictures!
Trip statistics: 2.5 miles, 1.75 hours, 1800' elevation gain
The hike was uneventful but the route I chose was quite steep, perhaps a little too steep given that I chose to wear trail running shoes. After some morning clouds, the day turned gorgeous with reasonably warm temperatures for November.
Cervidae Peak Pictures!
Trip statistics: 2.5 miles, 1.75 hours, 1800' elevation gain
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Boise Sightseeing & Other Happenings..
Happy Halloween everyone!
Last weekend the weather was nice so Katie and I took a little drive a did some sightseeing. Pictures below:
Boise Sightseeing Pictures!
Otherwise, things have been cruising along. My job has been busy with numerous projects, far more than our staff can reasonably tackle right now. The $3.4 billion smart grid stimulus package is expected to make things even more busy. At this point I'm a little worried whether we'll be able to keep up! Also, I've been having some ergonomic issues at work and decided to splurge on a fancy super adjustable office chair. Based on positive experience with the chair at Micron, I chose the Haworth Zody from a local purveyor of office furniture. It cost $600 but I'm confident it will be worth it! When you pay that much for a chair you get to choose the fabric pattern, color, and have a designer vet your choices. Sadly it won't be under my bum for another three weeks or so.
Katie's job has also been keeping her busy, but thankfully there haven't been any working Saturdays with her new position.
As I type we just got our first trick-or-treaters. Last year we only got 20 or so. Next weekend we're off to Texas for a mini-vacation to visit the Vickery family out there!
Last weekend the weather was nice so Katie and I took a little drive a did some sightseeing. Pictures below:
Boise Sightseeing Pictures!
Otherwise, things have been cruising along. My job has been busy with numerous projects, far more than our staff can reasonably tackle right now. The $3.4 billion smart grid stimulus package is expected to make things even more busy. At this point I'm a little worried whether we'll be able to keep up! Also, I've been having some ergonomic issues at work and decided to splurge on a fancy super adjustable office chair. Based on positive experience with the chair at Micron, I chose the Haworth Zody from a local purveyor of office furniture. It cost $600 but I'm confident it will be worth it! When you pay that much for a chair you get to choose the fabric pattern, color, and have a designer vet your choices. Sadly it won't be under my bum for another three weeks or so.
Katie's job has also been keeping her busy, but thankfully there haven't been any working Saturdays with her new position.
As I type we just got our first trick-or-treaters. Last year we only got 20 or so. Next weekend we're off to Texas for a mini-vacation to visit the Vickery family out there!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Turkey Day, eh?!
So, today is the official Canadian Thanksgiving, and we did it up right at the Vickery household! For all of our American readers, you may have always wondered why those crazy Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving at a different time than in the US...well, wonder no more! I've answered this question roughly 40 times in the past 5 days, so I'm basically a professional at this.
Canada doesn't have Plymouth Rock or the Mayflower to celebrate; our Thanksgiving is more of a celebration of the harvest, and since it gets colder earlier in Canada, the harvest is obviously earlier than it is south of the border. We eat the same food, and many of us watch football (both the American & Canadian versions!). It was really strange to me, when I first moved to the US, that Thanksgiving was only a month before Christmas...that's a lot of turkey in a month! So, there you have it...everything you've wanted to know about Canadian Thanksgiving.
Here in Boise, I cooked up a couple of turkey breast tenderloins with rosemary, and made some cranberry sauce from fresh berries (thanks for the recipe, Mom!). We also had Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. Of course I made sure to wish everyone at work a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Overall, it was a pretty low-key Thanksgiving - we didn't even get a day off, which is ridiculous in my opinion...I should be able to celebrate all Canadian AND American holidays!! (how great would that be?! I can dream)
This time last year, Mom, Dad, Dave & Greg were all here visiting for the long weekend, and we had a fabulous dinner with Bonnie & Gary. What a fun weekend that was - it was so great to have you all here - and what wonderful memories we have. Wish we could have been in Vancouver for this year's dinner, I'm sure it was excellent!
Other than the celebration of a Canadian holiday, it's been pretty laid-back around here. We got a Wii system last weekend, and have been busy learning all about that - we just got Wii Fit Plus this past weekend, which is really cool - each person has their own character (called a Mii...haha), and you play a whole bunch of different games & do workouts along with a trainer, it's like an interactive video game. Wii Fit has aerobics, strength training, and yoga, along with lots of other things, and it tracks your weight loss & BMI changes. So far we're both really enjoying it, and getting some exercise to boot!
I hope everyone is having a great Monday/Thanksgiving Holiday!
Love,
Katie & Zach
Canada doesn't have Plymouth Rock or the Mayflower to celebrate; our Thanksgiving is more of a celebration of the harvest, and since it gets colder earlier in Canada, the harvest is obviously earlier than it is south of the border. We eat the same food, and many of us watch football (both the American & Canadian versions!). It was really strange to me, when I first moved to the US, that Thanksgiving was only a month before Christmas...that's a lot of turkey in a month! So, there you have it...everything you've wanted to know about Canadian Thanksgiving.
Here in Boise, I cooked up a couple of turkey breast tenderloins with rosemary, and made some cranberry sauce from fresh berries (thanks for the recipe, Mom!). We also had Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. Of course I made sure to wish everyone at work a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Overall, it was a pretty low-key Thanksgiving - we didn't even get a day off, which is ridiculous in my opinion...I should be able to celebrate all Canadian AND American holidays!! (how great would that be?! I can dream)
This time last year, Mom, Dad, Dave & Greg were all here visiting for the long weekend, and we had a fabulous dinner with Bonnie & Gary. What a fun weekend that was - it was so great to have you all here - and what wonderful memories we have. Wish we could have been in Vancouver for this year's dinner, I'm sure it was excellent!
Other than the celebration of a Canadian holiday, it's been pretty laid-back around here. We got a Wii system last weekend, and have been busy learning all about that - we just got Wii Fit Plus this past weekend, which is really cool - each person has their own character (called a Mii...haha), and you play a whole bunch of different games & do workouts along with a trainer, it's like an interactive video game. Wii Fit has aerobics, strength training, and yoga, along with lots of other things, and it tracks your weight loss & BMI changes. So far we're both really enjoying it, and getting some exercise to boot!
I hope everyone is having a great Monday/Thanksgiving Holiday!
Love,
Katie & Zach
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Manitoba!
Katie and I traveled to Manitoba on the 25th to attend her cousin Neil's wedding. For cost reasons we ended up flying into Fargo, ND, instead of Winnipeg, MB. Our flight was uneventful and Auntie Cathy was very gracious in driving down to pick us up at the airport - thank you Auntie Cathy! Dave rode down with Auntie Cathy and we all enjoyed lunch at BW3, did some shopping, then drove up to Miami, MB, where we would spend the night at Grandma's house.
On Saturday we had a nice leisurely morning in Miami and then headed up to Winnipeg for the wedding. The wedding itself was very well done and went off without a hitch. After the wedding, we headed to the hotel (the Winnipeg Radisson) for some pre-reception drinks and general partying. Since the hotel struggled to get our rooms ready, all of us had to crowd into one room - which made it all the more fun! The reception was great and included the standard activites: introduction of the married couple, good food, a few good stories, cake cutting, dancing, an open bar, and a midnight buffet. It also included a few non-standard features: injured breakdancing, a certain someone with ripped pants, chases around the ballroom, and lots of 90s music. In summary, it was a great time, right up there with any wedding I've attended!
Sunday we struggled to recover in the morning but made it to Uncle Gord and Auntie Cheryl's house for a nice brunch. After spending a few hours there, we said our goodbyes and headed to Stony Mountain to visit the Lucas family. We had a great dinner there and also got a chance to catch up with the family and play on the Wii. After dinner we returned to Miami where we spent our final night in the 204.
On Monday, we left Miami around 1pm and Auntie Cathy once again drove to Fargo to safely deliver us to the airport. The trip and flight were uneventful and put us in Boise just before 11pm. Of course we both had to work the next day... but the weekend was well worth it!
Congratulations Neil and Tara!!
Manitoba Pictures!
On Saturday we had a nice leisurely morning in Miami and then headed up to Winnipeg for the wedding. The wedding itself was very well done and went off without a hitch. After the wedding, we headed to the hotel (the Winnipeg Radisson) for some pre-reception drinks and general partying. Since the hotel struggled to get our rooms ready, all of us had to crowd into one room - which made it all the more fun! The reception was great and included the standard activites: introduction of the married couple, good food, a few good stories, cake cutting, dancing, an open bar, and a midnight buffet. It also included a few non-standard features: injured breakdancing, a certain someone with ripped pants, chases around the ballroom, and lots of 90s music. In summary, it was a great time, right up there with any wedding I've attended!
Sunday we struggled to recover in the morning but made it to Uncle Gord and Auntie Cheryl's house for a nice brunch. After spending a few hours there, we said our goodbyes and headed to Stony Mountain to visit the Lucas family. We had a great dinner there and also got a chance to catch up with the family and play on the Wii. After dinner we returned to Miami where we spent our final night in the 204.
On Monday, we left Miami around 1pm and Auntie Cathy once again drove to Fargo to safely deliver us to the airport. The trip and flight were uneventful and put us in Boise just before 11pm. Of course we both had to work the next day... but the weekend was well worth it!
Congratulations Neil and Tara!!
Manitoba Pictures!
Friday, September 11, 2009
MVP Camping Trip #2
In 2007, we met our friends Sam & Joey Pilon, Karen and Shaun Mouton (all of Olympia) at the Crow Butte Park in south-central Washington. This trip, appropriately dubbed the MVP camping trip, was a great way to reconnect with old friends and made for an excellent weekend. Sadly, there was no such trip in 2008 but thanks to Facebook a 2009 edition was planned for Labor Day weekend. This trip also featured a new participant, Sam and Joey's 8 month old daughter Cecilia!
Due to last-minute planning of the trip, our camping choices were limited but we were able to secure two adjacent campsites at Memaloose State Park in Oregon, just outside of The Dalles. We had concerns that this would be a lackluster place due to it being one of the few unreserved sites left on Labor Day weekend (as of July). Upon arrival, we were quite impressed that our two sites were together, somewhat spaced from other sites, and wooded. The sites also had water and pretty good restroom ("washroom" for any Canadians reading this) access. The park does have some noise issues with a nearby rail line and freeway, however neither was disturbing enough to consider a major negative.
We had a great time meeting Cecilia, catching up, eating lots of food, drinking beer, taking it easy by the fire... all the usual camping traditions. Joey, Sam, and I took a brief hike down through some of the other areas of the park to check out the scenery. The Columbia Gorge is a fascinating place and is a great locale in which to spend a few nights outdoors! Before leaving we resolved to put together a 2010 edition of the trip.. possibly at Ohanapekosh Campground?
MVP Camping Trip #2 Pictures!
Due to last-minute planning of the trip, our camping choices were limited but we were able to secure two adjacent campsites at Memaloose State Park in Oregon, just outside of The Dalles. We had concerns that this would be a lackluster place due to it being one of the few unreserved sites left on Labor Day weekend (as of July). Upon arrival, we were quite impressed that our two sites were together, somewhat spaced from other sites, and wooded. The sites also had water and pretty good restroom ("washroom" for any Canadians reading this) access. The park does have some noise issues with a nearby rail line and freeway, however neither was disturbing enough to consider a major negative.
We had a great time meeting Cecilia, catching up, eating lots of food, drinking beer, taking it easy by the fire... all the usual camping traditions. Joey, Sam, and I took a brief hike down through some of the other areas of the park to check out the scenery. The Columbia Gorge is a fascinating place and is a great locale in which to spend a few nights outdoors! Before leaving we resolved to put together a 2010 edition of the trip.. possibly at Ohanapekosh Campground?
MVP Camping Trip #2 Pictures!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
McCleary Band @ The Idaho Botanical Garden
Uncle Gary's band The McCleary Band was playing at the Idaho Botanical Garden as part of the "Great Garden Escape" concert series. After leaving work and having a quick dinner at Subway, I got to the garden around 7:30pm. Katie was unable to attend as she was doing some baking in preparation for our upcoming camping trip.
Having never been to the garden before, I spent a little time checking out the various exhibits which turned out to be quite interesting. There is a large exhibit dedicated to the plants encountered by Lewis and Clark on their travels through various vegetation zones. Having seen many of the plants on hikes around Idaho, it was interesting to learn more about them. I think the Botanical Garden would be especially interesting to visit in the Spring and I definitely plan on going back when there is a little more daylight!
The McCleary Band was excellent as always and Gary was of course on fire. It was a good show that ended a little bit after 9pm in the darkness. The concert atmosphere was great and the entire event was very well put together by the Botanical Garden. They even had Highland Hollow beer on tap!
McCleary Band Pictures!
Having never been to the garden before, I spent a little time checking out the various exhibits which turned out to be quite interesting. There is a large exhibit dedicated to the plants encountered by Lewis and Clark on their travels through various vegetation zones. Having seen many of the plants on hikes around Idaho, it was interesting to learn more about them. I think the Botanical Garden would be especially interesting to visit in the Spring and I definitely plan on going back when there is a little more daylight!
The McCleary Band was excellent as always and Gary was of course on fire. It was a good show that ended a little bit after 9pm in the darkness. The concert atmosphere was great and the entire event was very well put together by the Botanical Garden. They even had Highland Hollow beer on tap!
McCleary Band Pictures!
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