Oxenblog

A Day of Sailing

2011-05-07T22:28:00.001-05:00

Where's Waldo?

2011-04-06T00:02:00.000-05:00

Here's our calendar for the next couple of months.

April 9 & 10 - Austin, TX

April 16 & 17 - Houston, TX

April 23 - Waco, TX

April 30 - Houston, TX

May 14 - Ft Worth, TX

May 15 - Tyler, TX

May 20-22 - Gulf Shores Alabama 2nd Annual Hangout Beach Concert!!

May 28 - Boulder Junction, WI

June 11 - Loves Park, IL

June 18 - Harbor Springs, MI

Fabulous Sunday

2011-04-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

Our fabulous day started with Culley & Esther and sailing. Us girls took the Tandem Island, and the guys each had Adventure Islands.

We had great wind and Es and I screamed and squealed all the way to Pine Island.

Wow, that sail is big and powerful. It was a blast!!

Launching the TI off the bulkhead

We stopped off at the Pine Island Cove for a break from the wind and a picnic lunch.

The ride back was promising to be really fast, but then the wind pooped out, so we pretty much pedaled home. Thank goodness for the pedals!

We stopped by the Wet Deck on the way home. We beached at the bar and jumped ashore for beers (and to make sure they still had some crawfish).

It caused the desired effect . . . some shameless promotion for our awesome Hobie boats.

Well it's already April and we just got our first crawfish of the season. After sailing, we went back up to the Wet Deck for their annual party. We've been waiting for this day for a year! We got there last year just as they ran out of those delicious little mud bugs.

Had some fun with Esther's I-phone Camera Apps.

It's funny now, but it was REALLY funny after a couple Corona's . . .

Flats of spicy goodness.

The crawfish were good, the band really fun and the company was excellent!

What a great day of sailing, silliness and spice.

Yumm!

2011-02-09T00:54:00.000-06:00

I was catching up on my favorite blog to follow... Little Sweet Things by my pal Launa. We were lucky to get some time with Launa & Chris and their family during the holidays! I just read a post where she was thanking us for her gift of Cafe Yumm Sauce. We got her hooked on Cafe Yumm when they visited Eugene a couple of summers ago.

Anyway, in this post, Launa had some doubts about my claim to making - not the same - but close enough to satisfy from Texas, homemade Yumm! Sauce.

All I have to say is . . . miss YOU more than Yumm Sauce!

(recipe available upon request)

Today is Grandma's Birthday

2010-12-17T20:54:00.039-06:00

Happy Birthday 1980-ish

Gertrude Young passed away on October 2nd, 2009. She was 95 years old, survived by
two brothers, two daughters, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

That's what the newspaper said.

Seems like enough information when it's someone I don't know.
But it doesn't even scratch the surface. There is so much more.

When Grandma passed, my sister-in-law, Jeannine started an e-mail going around the family, asking each of us to share a memory about Grandma. It's a great idea, and as I was thinking about all of the wonderful moments with Gram that I wanted to share, it was really tough to choose just one. I'm sharing a few more out into the universe so that when my friends and family read it, she will be honored.

The Little Things
I was winding a ball of yarn the other day, and I remembered that Grandma had taught me how to wind the ball so that the end pulls from the middle instead of the outside of the ball. I wonder how many things I do every day that I learned from her?

Speaking of Knitting

Gram (and Mom) both taught me how to knit. She was always very practical, but at the same time wanted to make sure it was fun. She taught me to weave in the ends as I go along in the project. Not to leave all that tedious work for the end. Good advice.

Ever Relevant
Up until just the last couple of years, Grandma kept up on what is going on in the world. She read the paper daily and was good for a lively conversation on politics, local news, sports. She had an open mind, would listen to my point of view and freely share hers. After her eye-sight failed, we read many newspapers together. We would read articles, and talk about what we thought. Local news, Bob Welch and Dear Abby were her favs. I would read her horoscope, she thought that was a little ridiculous, but she would get a laugh. I treasure that time we had together.

Cast Iron

Gertrude & Gene

I can remember having huge family dinners at Grandma's house in Fall Creek. She cooked for 20 people on a great big wood burning stove and her meals were fabulous! I am practicing with cast iron pans, and think of those times when I use them. We would all gather around their big ol' dining room table with card tables added on out into the living room. Piles of fried chicken, home grown vegetables, such a happy place to be.

If we stayed late enough on Sunday evening, we would see the beginning of Disneyland and we got to see the NBC Peacock fan it's tail in COLOR. (Our TV then was black and white.)

The Little Post OfficeGrandma worked at the Little Fall Creek Post Office on Saturday mornings. Paul and I would take turns getting to spend the weekend at Grandma's, so we got to go to work with Gram pretty often. The Post Office is tiny in my memory and you know how things are usually smaller than you remember? So that tells you how small it must have been.

It was freezing in there and she would build a fire in the wood stove first thing to warm it up, and then we'd be peeling off sweaters like crazy in no time. She would sort the mail into the slots, and folks would come in and visit and pick up their mail and some cheery words from Gram. I was amazed how she knew everyone and everyone knew her too.

Grandma & me at LA Zoo 1971

The Wanderer
Between Grandma and Aunt Ruple, I don't have to guess too hard where my love of travel came from. After she moved in to Eugene, Gram used to take me, Paul and Mom on road trips every summer. We would pack up her little lemon yellow Chevy Luv pick up truck and Paul and I would throw our beanbag chairs in the canopy and ride! (Yes, I am a child of the 70's.) We saw Oregon in style.

Gene, Gertrude & Friends

I really admire her sense of adventure. She went on tons of trips with her girlfriends from Lakewood Park. They drove all the way to Vermont to see the Fall Colors. Branson. She'd drive to Montana with Uncle Dave (her brother). She was always exploring and enjoyed every minute of it.

Polly Anna
Steve's Mom called Gram Polly Anna, she said her Dad used to call her that too, so she really liked it.
And she was.

Beauty
Gram just got more beautiful every day.

You are loved and missed today and every day.

Northern Michigan

2010-11-17T20:52:00.001-06:00

We are lovin the mitten state!

There are a ton of little beach towns. They are so inviting with their colonial architecture, touristy shops, art galleries, cafes, and of course there's the lake. We have been working our way down the Western shoreline so it's the Lake Michigan side. Drove through the Upper Peninsula (the U.P.) in the dark, darn it, so we will have to go back when we can see the scenery.

The towns are deserted (especially the smaller ones) after Labor Day. I think that will be our favorite time to visit. There are a gazillion hotels, motels, cabins we can see that the summer months are crazy here.

Mackinaw City

Mackinac Bridge in the background

Towns go from population 1,000 to 20,000 in the high season. One dealer told us the traffic backs up for miles in both directions from their town because there is only the one main highway that goes through a lot of the towns. Maybe they'll slow down and buy a Hobie!

We took Saturday afternoon off to walk around Harbor Springs and see if we could catch our Ducks in a sportsbar. Someone gave us a tip that there was a bowling alley in near-by Petoskey that may have the game. We blasted down there, and sure enough, they gave us a table right in front of a big screen with those Ducks whompin up on the Huskies!!! Huck the Fuskies! hehe

Harbor Springs


Harbor Springs

That's some clear water!

Barns of Michigan State

2010-11-09T21:54:00.000-06:00

OK, so it's not quite Bridges of Madison County,

and I didn't get to meet Clint Eastwood

(and I think 1 or 2 were in Wisconsin) but,

I'm loving the barns!

We got to see the Land-O-Lakes farm (at 55 mph)... that was pretty cool too.

Jellystone Park

2010-11-09T21:30:00.000-06:00

Just outside of Kansas City in Lawrence, you can stay at Jellystone Park, complete with Yogi, the Ranger and Boo Boo.

And they have the CUTEST Kabins with the cutest dogs and the cutest campers!


Joplin, MO

Chippewa Falls, WI

We had a great time visiting friends in the Minneapolis area. Our sales manager from Stohlquist lives and works from here, so we got to visit with him. Cannon Paddles, who Steve has worked for 8 or so years now, has their HQ, paddle assembly and warehouse in the area. We spent a day with Stu and got to see the whole set-up, including the manufacturing plant where the plastic blades are molded. Steve got to assemble his own paddle to take with us as a demo. There is so much more to it than you would imagine. There are so many steps, and everything is done by hand to ensure a proper fit on the shaft.


Stu & Steve making his paddle

The Great Lakes Road Trip - First Day

2010-10-26T22:50:00.002-05:00

Well, we're off! We have 8 new states to explore and meet our new dealers. After much deliberation, we decided to take the Jet Fighter (aka: Dodge Caravan) instead of the RV. We're not known for being light packers . . .

Jack & Lucy have their own beds in front of all that stuff.

So we left Texas on a beautiful 90 degree day, and spent our first night in Mt Pleasant, TX, in the KOA Storage Shed. Seriously.

After a long day of repping, we got in to Tulsa, OK after dark to set up camp. Steve made the best Ramen noodles ever and we decided to see if all four of us can fit in a two-person tent. It worked out pretty good with Jack sleeping out in the vestibule.

We knew we were next to the Will Rogers Race Track, but what we didn't know was that they would set up the starting gate and do some practicing about 5 am.

The horses were beautiful and so powerful. It was amazing to see them running from so close up. All my "horses running fast" pictures were a bust. :-) More soon!

Gruene Hall

2010-09-24T23:37:00.000-05:00

Gruene Hall in Texas has all this fabulous history. Built in the 1880's it is the oldest dance hall in Texas and many country legends have performed there over the years. Willie Nelson, George Strait, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett just to name a few.

We went in tonight to have a beer and listen to the band. It's really cool with an old wooden floor that has seen many a two-step. There are stages on both ends of the hall, a smaller one up front and a larger one in the back.

The band tonight was using the smaller stage, so we sat on the edge of the larger stage to relax and listen. I was totally absorbing the history, vibe, and ghosts of country stars who've long outgrown the place. I told the two Steve's I was going to go walk in the steps of Willie and I walked up on the empty stage. I pictured Willie and the boys on this very stage, their notes still resonating, their sweaty hand prints still on the door jam leading to the dressing room.

I thought I would go check out the back-stage dressing room. Exited stage left, went down the steps, and there was a dark hallway. There was an ancient cigarette machine in the corner, and the smell of beer, smoke and ummm..... something else. I walked a few more steps and and there I was face to face with Willie, well someone's willie. It was now the men's restroom. How embarrassing. If I had entered the hallway from the dance floor like a normal person instead of from the stage I would have seen the big ol Texas sized "Men's Room" sign.

It was still cool.

Lori's In Texas

2010-09-20T20:13:00.008-05:00

Lori is such a great friend. She took a road trip and drove the van for us, from home all the way to Austin, Texas. Dang!

By the Campfire

Chuck went with her on the first leg and we all met up one evening at their campsite at Lake Mary, CA. They weren't expecting us, I saw the van, so I knew they were close by. It was pitch dark, so was wandering the campground calling Luuuu Lu in my best Homer Simpson fake whisper voice until we found them.

Chuck went on with Lori until Las Vegas and then she was on her own til we met up again in Fort Stockton, TX. For her birthday, we did one of our biggest demo's of the year in Austin. (darn it) We were up early, moved the whole trailer to the demo site, so she couldn't even sleep in, no breakfast in bed. Instead, she helped us get set up for the day. (You're the best Lu).

At the demo the next day she got bit by a brown recluse spider. It turned into a pretty big deal. This picture was early on the second day. It got really ugly.


Damn Spider

OK, we did get to show Lori some fun stuff in Austin too.

Two-Steppin at The Continental Club


Dinner at The Grove, Barton Springs


Lori & Steve-O Shady Grove

Lone Star for All!


South Congress

Motorcycle Diaries

2010-08-24T21:37:00.003-05:00


Our first day!

For vacation this year, we bought a 1984 Honda Goldwing Interstate motorcycle! Huge thanks to Robert, who scoured the ads, had Craig's List on auto-update to his phone, and went with us to look at every touring bike for sale in Lane County.

We picked up the bike just in time to join Robert, Ann, Joe & Carrie for a ride up the MacKenzie River.

We had a wonderful summer of riding with Robert & Ann. We went about 2,500 miles. So many beautiful pictures of Oregon's fabulous scenery. So here is a bit of the photo album of our summer on the road . . .


Crater Lake


Alsea Falls


Columbia River Gorge


The Sampler


Newport Bay


Takoda on the MacKenzie


Foggy Morning at the Lighthouse, Hwy 101


Stopped for visit with Mike & Renee


Bridge of the Gods


Lava Beds, Old Hwy 242


Big Guy in a Little Shower!


Beaver Marsh Motel

Fashion Show

2010-08-21T03:41:00.001-05:00

Hello to my one and only reader.... Hi Launa, sorry I haven't been writing lately, but will catch up on all of our summer at some point and do my famous backward dating so you will wonder why you didn't see that post from June until August. hehe. Anyway, we just had a wonderful week with our nieces Sierah and Karlie. Sierah is going to Oregon State University for Fashion Design and she had her second fashion show Wednesday. It was so good. She had everything extremely organized, had 13 models and sewed outfits, gathered accessories, designed hair and make up for all. It was amazing! The show was so fun. There were 26 designers from the area and a whole array of presentations, from Moulin Rouge to Mad Max and everything in between.

Karlie, Ann and I got to be part of the on-stage hair styling demonstration.

Here is the whole group wearing our designer clothing from.... SEW fresh.

Her tag line is

You call me a misfit...

like it's a bad thing?!

Sierah with finishing touches

Here are some close ups of the outfits.

Lovely Smith ladies

Outside the dressing area

Feeling Saucy!

My mysterious debut


Fabulous Martin Gals

Karlie with some 'tude!

Yes, she is wearing a pillow case

It was a great day of fashion & fun. Now I know what I want to be when I grow up!
(Don't worry, I won't quit my day job.)

The Hoback River Pullout

2010-06-14T22:33:00.003-05:00

This is our favorite pull-out spot. We try to camp here at least a couple nights every time we go through Jackson. We only got to stay one night this time, but it was fabulous. Right on the Hoback River with the Tetons in the distance.

Moose Tracks, it's not just a delicious flavor of ice cream!

(Don't get me started on Chocolate Thunder)

Miss Piggy in her happy place.

Bad Day at the Office

2010-06-11T17:26:00.000-05:00

300 mile drive today over the mountains. The truck overheats on the uphills. The brakes overheat on the downhills. The turn signals quit working.... had to find part store. GPS/phone isn't working. Maneuvered congested round-a-bouts in Glenwood Springs with big rig. Lucy has diarrhea.

I want be home.

Sheesh!

2010-05-22T21:49:00.007-05:00

So we came back to the Texas house after a couple weeks on the road, and someone had drilled a hole in the window frame, next to the latch. All they have to do is stick a screw driver in and open the latch.

We spent a couple hours cutting PVC to jam into the windows.

They didn't take anything. I think we have a new room mate.

The Hang Out Beach Music Fest - Sunday

2010-05-16T22:30:00.001-05:00

The Hang Out Beach Music Fest - Saturday

2010-05-15T22:27:00.002-05:00

The Hang Out Beach, Music & Arts Festival - Friday

2010-05-14T21:37:00.027-05:00

As Long As We're Home

2010-04-14T22:38:00.000-05:00

Well since we've been unexpectedly grounded the last couple weeks, I've had some fun in the kitchen. I got on-line and bought a couple of cast iron pans and I love them. They just cook everything so nice. Blackened pork chops, Pan Seared King Salmon - Steve called it fish candy (in a good way).

Fennel Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce. Holy Cow! I licked the plate. Happy to share the recipe, it was really easy. Feeling all homesteadie with my cast iron and fancy new recipes, candles burning, and a hand knit towel to dab damp fingers. Then had to mop up a major blackberry juice spill with mounds of paper towels... oh well. It's a work in progress. BTW, I'm getting fat. :-(

And, of course there has been knitting. One of our dealers and friends in Kansas City just had a baby. I've struggled with the usefulness and practicality vs. fun and cuteness of baby gifts, so this is my latest idea. It's a hooded towel and wash cloths, served up with a satchel of home-made goat's milk soap. The soaps were made by the sister of our dealer in Lafayette, so they are a special treat. New mommy, Lauren, is a sailor and a Hobie Cat dealer, so the sailboat will hopefully be a hit.

We were washing the poor ol' truck and heard music coming from the neighborhood lakeside bar, The Wet Deck. It's about 1/2 mile from our place. We could see tons of cars parked at the end of the road, and the music was unusually loud. Figured it must be a party, so we hopped on the kayaks and peddled down to see what was going on. Thought we'd hang out on the water and listen to the band. It was a crawfish boil, but we were too late, out of crawfish, darn. So we just hung out and watched the party from afar. It was a great end to the afternoon.

Steve had two fishing poles, I hadn't brought one, so he gave me one of his and look what happened. You know how I feel about actually catching the fish. It's a white bass. Steve had his phone, so we got a picture, then catch and release.

As long as I'm posting pictures, this one is just cute.

Steve & Lucy the Wonder Dog

Nothing Really Happened

2010-04-06T23:23:00.001-05:00

Steve and I were heading back to Livingston from a day trip to Dallas. I was driving. A gal ran a stop light in front of us going about 30mph. I just had time to brake before we hit. I guess the big truck won, the impact felt like hitting a card board box. I thought to myself wow, that wasn't bad. Then her car flew up in the air and started rolling. She hit two more cars before landing upside down. Amazingly, everyone was fine.

I spent the weekend hugging my hubby, trying not to dwell on what if. All of the cliches are coming to my mind: life turns on a dime, life can change in an instant.

I have one of those rare opportunities to take the situation, and instead of just having life happen to me, I have a choice. I can get the truck fixed and and move on like nothing happened, because nothing really happened. Or, I can keep on hugging my hubby with that extra special feeling of thankfulness to be with him everyday, for the rest of our lives.

I'm so lucky. I get to choose.

12 Weeks of Demos

2010-03-01T21:05:00.001-06:00

Just thought I'd share our schedule this Spring so my friends and family will know (approximately) where we been, where we are and where we're going. I looked at the calendar and we have 12 weekends in a row, each in a different city. Guess that's why I haven't been blogging much lately.

Feb 27-28 ... Omaha, NE
Mar 3 ... Houston, TX
Mar 6-7 ... Lafayette. LA
Mar 13-14 ... Gonzales, LA
Mar 20-21 ... Austin, TX
Mar 27-28 ... Houston, TX
Apr 3 ... New Orleans, LA
Apr 10 ... Springdale, AR
Apr 17 ... Fort Worth, TX
Apr 22-25 ... Corpus Christi, TX
May 1 ... Baton Rouge, LA
May 8 ... Lafayette, LA

May 15 ... Weekend Off!! Going to the "Hang Out Music Fest" in Gulf Shores, AL!!!! woo hoo! Check it out, it looks really cool. http://www.hangoutmusicfest.com/ We'll be meeting up with fellow Hobie rep, Frank, from Florida. More on this later.

A Stop By The Lake

2010-02-27T23:53:00.001-06:00

We took a break from the road and headed to the lake for a few days. We got a nice day and hung out on the dock. Even Jack came out, the first time since he fell off last year.

We got BBQ from our favorite restaurant in Livingston.... Florida's. There are quite a few run-down, out of business, buildings around town. The first few times we drove past Florida's, we thought it was just another one of the abandoned businesses. Then we drove by on a Saturday, and the parking lot was PACKED. We thought we'd better give it a try.

The BBQ smoker out back is in amidst piles of discarded chairs, an old sink, and an smashed up Florida's sign, among other things.

It started out as a small house, and then they just kept adding on. The floor height and coverings change with each addition. The kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant and open on 2 sides.

Did I mention it is DELICIOUS!! Everything is down home, southern cookin'. Buttermilk pie, sweet tea, fried cat fish, potato salad. Ribs that'll send you straight to heaven, served with white bread, a pile of onions and a pile of dill pickles.When you come to visit us, we will definitely take you there.

Really enjoyed our days to recharge at the lake.
Back on the road again.

Boatshows

2010-02-17T23:22:00.001-06:00

We have been the boatshow kids lately. I enjoy the shows because we get to talk to so many people that have never seen Hobie Kayaks before. It's also fun to get to hang out with our dealers. It's a great group of people and the more we hang out, the more it's like going to visit friends.

Steve & Chris from Austin

Steve & Carol from St Louis

Chris from St Louis & Me

Some of the dealers really go all out on their booth and we've had a couple really represent when it comes to Hobie . . .

Mirage Tandem Island

Woody pedals that kayak all day without even a corn dog break. A TV on each side of the display play Hobie videos.

There was some snow and we had a nice walk (about 8 blocks) from the hotel to the convention center each day. We walked past the arch on the way.

A Walk on the Beach

2010-01-05T00:05:00.040-06:00

What a wonderful visit with Chris & Launa, Makena & Michael.

Makena loves the dogs, and she really bonded with Lucy this trip. She is the only little-one that Lucy truly enjoys being around.

Jack is so sweet with both Mak and Michael. The big ol lug is just so gentle with them. He loves to give the tennis ball to Michael to throw. Michael thinks it tastes really good (much to Launa's horror).

We took a walk on the boardwalk at San Clemente where Launa & Chris live. It was a beautiful day and us girls went for a wade in the ocean. Launa has a personal policy not to go to the beach without dipping in at least a toe. I think that's a fabulous way to live.

A boy and his doggies.

Bye bye train!

Thanks so much Mamola's! We had a great time, but it was short and we can't wait to see you again soon. xoxo

Home for the Holidays

2010-01-02T16:43:00.029-06:00

What a whirl wind trip! Days were filled with Christmas shopping, getting in all our hair cuts and Dr visits, and of course catching up with friends and family.

We had one big Birthday bash celebrating Becky, Marsha, Sarah, Robert and me on Robert's birthday. That was the first day of my 12 days of birthday.

Christmas Eve was spent with the Ross family.

We had lots of wonderful food with our traditional Grandma Ross's Shrimp Cocktail, ham and Mom's Potatoes Romanoff.

The kids all have fedora's now. Lookin' Good!

Christmas Day we spent with the Oxenfords. More great food and fun.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

For my birthday, Jen and I went for fabulous pampering at Gervais Salon.

It was wonderful! My toes are Party Girl Purple.

And then lunch at Steelhead Brewery with the fella's.

For birthday dinner Ann & Robert made my Grandma's Beef Stroganoff recipe. It was delicious and so thoughtful. AND, the girls came home for dinner. Also very thoughtful and special for my day.

On my eighth day of birthday, Lori and I went for sushi... yum!

The Rose Bowl!

Well, we all know how that went. But it was a fun party, and I finished Lori's Purple Haze sweater.

It was wonderful to be home. I miss everyone so much when we are gone. We keep busy and see lots of cool stuff on the road, but it is no substitute for our roots, our home.

Napa Valley

2009-12-12T22:23:00.002-06:00

We visited Napa Valley this weekend with Clay and Laura from Advanced Elements.

They were nice enough to include us in their company Christmas Party last night. It was held at Bottega. The restaurant is owned by Michael Chierallo, a famous chef from the area. His restaurant was featured on the "Top Chef" program last week. Clay and Laura are regulars, and he stopped by our table to say hello to Laura, who he loves. They had been at the restaurant earlier this year as guests with Sammy Hagar.... so they're kinda a big deal.

Everything about the experience was amazing. The Food, the service, the food, the atmosphere, the FOOD. We had a private room, and I felt very pampered.

The head waiter would describe the dishes, and make everything sound soooo delishious. Of course I made a huge green stain on the table cloth. I put a bread plate over to cover it up. He moved the plate, saw the stain and then put the plate back. :-) The rest of the night he would keep the stain covered with various tableware.... giving me a hard time along the way.

Today we visited several wineries in the valley. Beaulieu Vineyard is one of the oldest, and the first to make a red in the valley.

Then we went to Rutherford Hill where we tasted several wines and took a tour of their facility.

This is a grape crusher.

They age their wine in a cave 150' below the surface.

The wine ages for almost 2 years in oak barrels. There are 200 yards worth of 2009 barrels.

The tour was really cool. And the wine is tasty.

It was a wonderful day. It's now 8 pm and I'm ready for bed.

Four State Day

2009-12-09T22:11:00.000-06:00

800 miles.

3 time zones... Central, Mountain, Pacific

Four States... Texas, New Mexico, Arizona & California

Who's idea was it to drive instead of fly?
Oh yeah, it was Jack & Lucy. :-)

Hammocks

2009-11-30T20:18:00.002-06:00

My sweet husband got a hammock for me. I love it. I can lay there swaying in the breeze, watching the lake, knitting, throwing the ball for J & L, all at the same time. It's multi-tasking at its finest.

I can even take interesting pictures of my darling doggies from my hammock.

And I must mention that I've napped in zillions of places, but nothing, nothing beats a hammock nap. Like my Dad and Grandpa Ross before me... I'm thinking of going Pro.

Around Louisiana in 8 Days

2009-11-24T22:36:00.005-06:00

We've been making the rounds in Louisiana this week. Started in Lafayette, visiting a new dealer there. Steve did an employee clinic. Their shop is beautiful with lots of open wooden beams. They had a fishing clinic presented by our Regional Hobie Fishing Team Member. It was standing room only. I learned a lot about lures. Oh, the guy in the red shirt was signing the clinic. He was cool to watch too.

Next we headed to Baton Rouge where Steve gave a clinic to our dealer there.

Then it was on to New Orleans for the weekend. We worked a show just a few blocks from the French Quarter. The show was really interesting. It was scientists from all over the world who work on projects studying human-environmental interactions. SETAC They liked our yaks, and understood the mechanics of the pedals at a glance... wow! Then they would ask me questions in scienceez... yikes! (Oh, I see the fin is cantilevered, but how does the propulsion compare to that of a rotary propeller?)

Yes, we did take a look around town. While Monday afternoon on Bourbon Street is pretty tame, but we found some gumbo and jumbalaya. Played a little black jack at Harrah's. (I made $5 last an hour and a half. Had it up to $25... but then blew it all. Just couldn't walk away a winner.) haha

We took a stroll down the River Walk along the Mississippi. The shipping freighters are fun to watch. I was surprised how fast they cruise.

They have the palm trees all dressed up for the Holidays.

Fishin' at the Lake

2009-11-13T21:24:00.001-06:00

One of the cool things about being in kayak sales is that we need to keep up on our fishing skills . . . it's for work.

We took an afternoon to putt around and search the lake for some fish. I caught a striped bass on practically the first cast. Ew! It was just a little one, and he got away before I had to touch it. I love everything about fishing, except for catching the fish. The guys would have liked to catch one though.

On the bright side, the sunset was gorgeous!

Culley and Steve... aren't they handsome.

Another Texas Surprise

2009-11-10T23:47:00.006-06:00

BUTTERFLYS! I guess it's butterfly season. They are beautiful.

The lawn (ok the clover) is just alive with them. I am continually amazed at the new things there are to discover here.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The gecko's are really cool too. They line up along the outside lights at night to eat the bugs.

As long as they stay outside, we get along just fine.

Big ass spiders have moved in. We've seen two so far. Those, I'm not so happy about.

Photos not available due to the freaking out and throwing of shoes.

Red Fish in the Kitchen

2009-10-14T23:00:00.003-05:00

Capt Fishman Fil gave us some Red Fish from the coast. So I thought I'd try my hand at blackening. Cooked outside on the camp grill, and used this seasoning from a Dom Deluise look-a-like. It came out really good. Just wished for Grandma's cast iron skillet. (next time)

Thanks Fishman!!!

Fall Demo Days in Houston

2009-10-11T22:47:00.003-05:00

Demo Days with Fishing Tackle Unlimited in Houston. This store is the Nordstrom of fishing... if there can be such a thing. 33,000 square feet of nuthin but fishin. We were indoors Friday,
another 4 inches of rain in one day. But Saturday was a beautiful day. And, we sold some stuff. :-)

Demo Days Part 2

2009-10-02T22:17:00.001-05:00

The next weekend we went to San Marcos, TX to the city park. It was really a pretty place for a demo. Sloping, grassy bank, gentle entry into the water.... it was great... until it started raining. They reported 4 inches of rain on that Saturday afternoon. Yuk.

The good news is, Sunday was a beautiful day. :-)

It's Fall Demo Season!

2009-10-01T21:28:00.000-05:00

Demo Days are here. We've had a good run through East Texas. First was Austin with Austin Canoe & Kayak. These guys are always fun and they draw a great crowd. Usually somewhere around 300 folks over the weekend.

AND... it is the gathering of the Steve's. Steve Sell, our fabulous friend and competition from Confluence Kayaks.

Steve Messana and well, Steve O. Steve M is one of the owners of ACK.

Here is THE most decked out Outback we have seen yet. The guy that did it has had his boat for about 4 months, and it has 22 fishing rod holders. He said he's all most got it how he wants it.

Here is the Adventure Island with the new trampolines on the aka's. It makes it really fun to take two people.... and blue dog. Steve and I had a great day out on Lake Livingston on the AI in May. Then we tried bringing Jack & Lucy at Blue Lake Res. um.... we kinda sank, I had to abandon ship. haha

Climbing at Enchanted Rock, TX

2009-09-30T23:11:00.007-05:00

The Hill Country in Texas, what a beautiful place to climb.

This is a State Park called Enchanted Rock. The scenery is wonderful. The rock is sticky and low angle, there was a cool breeze blowing, and the company was delightful.

What a perfect day.

We went with Steve and Lisa, our Texas alter selves,

and Liam who Steve has climbed with several times.

It was Lisa's first time climbing outdoors, and she did GREAT!

The rappel is fabulous.... just too short.

Someone forgot to tell Steve not to run when he's on belay. At least he's not carrying scissors.

Hoping to go back soon.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

2008-04-15T22:38:00.002-05:00

OK, we have seen a lot of cool stuff on the road, but no kidding, this is THE best adventure yet. Just so you know when you come to visit us in Texas, we are making the 4 hour drive to this place.

Adam Eyers is one of our Hobie dealers by night, but by day he is in charge of all the hooved animals at Fossil Rim. JJ is in charge of the endangered Prairie Chickens. We got to spend last weekend with Adam and JJ, and we had a great time doing a couple of kayak demos, going out for good food in Glen Rose (you know how we love that), and just hanging out for good conversation. But on Monday, Adam had to go back to work, and he invited us to shadow him at the preserve for the day. We were going to head back to the lake house, but decided to take him up on the offer. AWESOME DECISION.

"Our" first assignment was to bring in a Oryk who had given birth the day before. Her baby fell into a crevasse, and was rescued, but she needed to be re-introduced to the mother. She also was in need of colostrum (found in the mother's first milk) to be healthy. Adam and his team went to the area where the mother was last seen, while we rode with Kelly to watch for the herd to come over the hill, in case the mother were to run after she was darted.

I felt like I was one of Marlin Perkin's side kicks as we watched for movement on the ridge line. Then we got the call, the Oryk was down. We went to their location and watched as the team quickly worked together to check her condition, record information, cover her antlers and load her into the back of our truck. Once in the clinic, they updated her shots, did blood work and took some of her milk for the little one. Steve got in on the action, holding her back legs in case she were to have a reaction while Adam relieved her of milk.

Our next assignment was to dart and bring in a young male zebra who needed to be castrated in preparation for transportation to the Dallas Zoo. There can only be one male zebra in each herd, so the operation was necessary for the new zebra to fit into his new environment. Despite moral opposition from Steve, the operation was a success.

It was our first time in an operating room, of any kind. We were really impressed with the team, and the way they all worked together for the common good of the animal. Holly is the veterinarian in charge and was overseeing the procedures, self-proclaimed back seat operator (haha) and cleanser of the sheath. Rebecca, Asst Vet and Jim, preceptor, actually performed the operation. McKenzie was in charge of the anesthesia, vital signs and general comfort and well being of the zebra. We had no function what so ever. But I did get to pet the zebra, giving him encouraging words and healing energy. I'm sure it was most helpful. Thanks to McKenzie, he slept through the whole thing.

I was surprised by his shaved skin, which is also striped, and his pink teeth.

The rest of the day was a wonderful tour of the property. Even though the road was a little bumpy (huh Adam). Here are some pictures and if you just can't get enough, you can go to our web album and see more photos Fossil Rim Web Album

Close encounter with an ostrich. Its head is inside the car!

Feeding the Rhino's. It's a lot like feeding the black angus back home, but the horns (among other things) are bigger.

Ostrich goosing a rhino, now you just don't see that every day.

Another close encounter. We had a wonderful time with the rhino's. Holly & McKenzie told me that I would enjoy rubbing a rhino's inner thigh. I didn't believe them until I experienced it for myself. You'd just have to be there.

Adam and JJ, I don't know if you will read this, but if you do, please know that we will never forget our weekend, and our trip to Fossil Rim. Thank you so much.

www.fossilrim.org

2 Little Oregonians at the NCAA Finals

2008-04-07T22:31:00.003-05:00

WHAT A GAME!! Wow, thanks to Brent & Molly's friend, Brian for tickets to the Finals. We hooked up with Molly & Brent in Austin (they are here for a conference) and Brian was nice enough to set us up with four tickets.

We made a day of it! Fellow kayak sales rep, Steve Sells, picked us up in the afternoon. Oh, BTW, he is the BIGGEST college basketball fan I have ever met. He's from Indiana (explains a lot) and never misses a minute of the tournament. On top of that, it was his actual real life birthday!

We headed to San Antonio from San Marcos and walked around the pre-game party. They had a massive playground for kids called Hoop City. There were hundreds of kids playing 3-3, enjoying skills drills, playing mini soccer games, softball, free throw contests, guitar hero, dance contest for the dads.... it was an awesome family event.

We forgot to bring some kids, so we were in search of a mojito and excellent South American food at a restaurant by the canal. Hakeem Olajuwon was having lunch a couple of tables over. He was really nice about pics/autographs, but we didn't ask.

Then we headed out to the main street where there was music and a great people parade. Both the Jayhawks' and the Tigers' colors are blue, so pretty much everyone was looking like big Smurfs. Hootie & The Blowfish were playing. They sounded ahrite for me, a little pitchy at times, but they brought it in the end. haha

OK, finally it was time to head to the game. We met up with our friend Chirs (here is Chris' smile) from Austin Canoe and Kayak. And oh man, what a game!!! We got to see Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, and Olajuwon all inducted into the Hall of Fame. The teams switched lead back and forth. Tennessee lead most of the fourth quarter . . . Kansas brought it into overtime with a last second three-pointer . . . EXCELLENT!

First Kayak Trip from Home

2008-02-25T20:39:00.007-06:00

Well we've been in our new house for a week now, and have been out on the water a couple of times. The Adventure Islands are so much fun. There is usually pretty good wind in the early afternoons. Had some white caps the first day, so we got to go pretty fast! The next trip we went out to the island a couple miles out, cruised around the backside and had a great ride home. Whole trip was about 8 miles.

Oh man, Jack fell off the dock yesterday. We don't have a place where the dogs can get out of the water, so Steve had to run over to the ladder at the neighbor's place, Jack swam over (luckily) and Steve scooped him up and climbed the ladder with 85 lb Jack laying across his arms. I don't know how he did it, super human adreniline strength I guess. yikes! I slept through the whole thing, so was no help at all. The dogs haven't really seemed like they wanted to jump in the water, but we never thought he would just fall in. doh!

We were told the best fishing is right off of our own dock. Steve's caught 3 so far. 2 catfish and 1 bass.

We made a tradition to watch the sun set every night. And every night we think . . . . this is the best one yet. So, here is the best one yet . . . tonight. :-)

More Lake House

2008-02-03T20:09:00.000-06:00

Her are sommore pictures from the lake. The inspection went just fine, and the owners were nice enough to let us camp in the driveway for a couple days.

It was wonderful. We fished, explored the town a little, and enjoyed every sunset. The weather was pretty cold and really windy. We can’t wait to sail the Adventure Islands out there. Just have to figure out how to get the boats down to the water.

On The Waterfront

2008-01-24T10:24:00.000-06:00

After gruelingly searching for one whole day, we found a beautiful house on Lake Livingston that just screamed "this is it!" Our offer has been accepted, and we'll spend the next month to six weeks jumping through the buying a house hoops before we'll get the keys.

The living, dining and kitchen all overlook the water to the west. Hoping for many beautiful sunsets. The owners were kind enough to leave the house furnished, including a 21' pontoon boat, with lift, and the John Deere riding lawn mower. (I am more of an International Harvester girl myself.) Lake Livingston is the second largest lake in Texas and is around 60 miles long and 20 miles wide in places. It is great for fishing and sailing the Adventure Island!

We get to go there Tuesday for inspections, so will take more pictures to post. Anyhow, we are just bustin to get to stay there and can't wait for all y'all to come and visit. (How's my drawl?)

Denver

2008-01-24T09:10:00.000-06:00

Here we are in Denver, Colorado. The high yesterday was 11. It has snowed a little and we have a beautiful view from our hotel room.

The convention center where our shows are being held is just across the street. The blue bear watches over us and the escalator plays sounds of people laughing all day. It makes me laugh every time.

Got to see Steve's Uncle Dan & Aunt Renee last night for a wonderful authentic Mexican dinner and tour of the city. We saw Coors Field, Union Station, the LoDo district, and the Klud home on the hill.

Maui

2007-10-24T00:20:00.000-05:00

I'll just say that I feel very lucky to have had the last (almost) year of traveling and seeing new places, people, foods, etc. But my favorite new state to visit is Hawaii. I'm drafting a memo to Hobie to ask if it could be added to our sales territory. Wish me luck.

We went with our friends from Dana Point, CA, Chris, Launa and Makena Mamola. We had a wonderful time seeing Lahaina and Kaanapali, shopping, swimming, snorkeling, playing cards. AND, I got to hold that beautiful baby anytime I want. :-)

We were there for Halloween, which is like a mini Mardigras in Lahaina. The streets were filled with folks dressed in fantastic costumes.

My Grandma described her visit to Hawaii as
one long, warm, party.
I'd have to definitely agree.

Jellystone Park

2007-07-22T23:28:00.001-05:00

Well we took a day off and went for a little 300 mile scootercycle ride through Teton National Park and Yellowstone Park. It was my first time, and it was spectacular. And yes, we did see Yogi and BooBoo, but they didn't ask for our pic-i-nic basket (thank goodness).

We saw grizzly bear, moose, elk, antalope, bald eagle, cranes, marmot, and most massively…. bison.

We had seen quite a few bison in the days before, as we were camping in a reserve where they are free to roam, and it was not rare to have traffic stopped while they cross the road. (Where does the bison cross the road? Anywhere he wants!) Anyway, it was the same in Yellowstone, bison roaming the range as they please. We were on the back stretch heading out of the Park at the end of the day and a small herd (herdlette?) of bison

were heading towards the road in our direction. The two cars in front of us stopped to watch, as people do there, as well as some cars behind, and the oncoming traffic. We felt kinda trapped and exposed sitting there on the bike, but got a good close up view of the bison as they crossed the road a couple cars ahead. They started running and snorting and playing in the field to the right of us, it was amazing to watch those 2,000 lb animals kick up their heels. We were mesmerized. And then, we heard a loud snort coming from behind us, we both jumped and turned to see that 4-5 of their friends had not made it across the road and were not happy about all those cars blocking their path. We were the weak spot, we knew it, they knew it. We knew they knew it. How do 4-5 one ton beasts sneak up behind you, you may be asking yourself? We still can't figure it out. They stomped and snorted, planning their escape, one was looking Steve right in the eye from one lane away. Just as Steve was ready to hit the gas and get the heck outta there, one of the bison made a break for it behind the car behind us. Thankfully Steve's pal and all the rest followed the leader. The bison were reunited, and we were unharmed (well, nothing a change of shorts wouldn't fix). Don't you just love a happy ending? (BTW – no there aren't any pix from the event, I was too busy freaking out to save the moment.)

Here are the grizzlies (click on the picture to enlarge). This was a much safer commune with nature. There were two Park rangers pulled over watching the bears with us (and about 30 other people). It is a mom and two babies. They stayed for a good 10 minutes before they wandered off. They never seemed like they noticed their adoring fans.

Old Faithful was neat. Put on a good show for us.

Here's our campsite at Slide Lake. It's about 30 mins outside of Jackson Hole, WY. We took the boats out a couple times to try and catch some wind. We also had the boat demo here with the local kayak shop. Beautiful.

HOME SWEET HOME

2007-06-15T19:33:00.000-05:00

We made it home for just 3 (and a half) days in June. We were sad not to see everyone, but we were happy to be home and catch up with as many folks as possible.
Robert, Ann, Sierah and Karlie were nice enough to have a party so we got to see the whole gang! The farm looks way better than ever (way). Many many thanks to you guys for being there and taking care of everything and making it your home. It looks like a park!

Paul and Jeannine's place looks great as usual. Especially the bamboo.

Had a wonderful visit at Lane. So great to see everyone. Thanks Rodger for the great day. We were cracking up because folks are so used to seeing Rodger and I around campus together, they didn't realize I've been gone. They just say oh hi guys . . . (double take) . . . OH, HI!!

For My Knitting Buddies

2007-06-01T23:26:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from the knitting/craft nite at Marisa's in March. Better late than never?? Who was that short chick? She seemed kinda one (or two) dimensional. Thanks Miss Maris for an excellent night... and your new place looked great!

Oh yes, I have been knitting on the road. There's always time to knit! There was an unexplicable burst of babies this spring, which led me to my bootie phase. By the time I got to bootie #6, I was really ready to knit something (anything) else! As I put the finishing touches on that last pink bootie late one night, I reached into my bag for the scissors . . . and there to my surprise was an identical pink bootie #6 all ready completed. Curses! Three pink booties. Needless to say, it will be a while before I bust out bootie #8. :-)

The good news is, the pink booties were made for gorgeous baby Makena in Dana Pt, CA and go just dandy with her matching pink sailor(ette?) sweater. ahhhh

Thanks for the Great Time!

2007-05-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

Lori and John in Alabama! Wow, it was great to see these guys. It's been almost 2 years since they left Duck country. Here's their house in Auburn, it's off the chain (right Lu?). Anyway we had a blast just hangin out and visiting. Lori is planning her next big adventure. John is about halfway through classes for Dr school. Syd the dog is almost 15 and stiff hip aside, acting like a big puppy.

Southern BBQ . . . it is somethin special. We went to a place in Warm Springs, Georgia (where FDR built his southern whitehouse) and sat on the back porch, drank sweet tea, and ate BBQ. yum

BTW, apparently they DO fry everything!

We went the gardens and butterfly conservatory at Callaway Gardens in Georgia. I got really excited about the butterflies . . .

New Orleans

2007-05-26T13:58:00.000-05:00

Quick trip to NO.

Got to see the French Quarter, Bourbon Street and stay in a funky (not in a good way) hotel a couple blocks off the main street.

Although we didnt go to areas where the effects of Katrina are still visible, we heard stories about FEMA waste and injustice, many people remain homeless and have not gotten their allocation to even start the rebuilding process.

And there is water everywhere. Much of the freeway is built as causeways just several feet above the swamps.

The streets in the French Quarter were charming and quiet.

What a blend of old and new.

And then there was Bourbon Street. We spent the evening checking out the tourist traps, junk shops and of course drinking Hurricane Rum

and listening to some great music. There's so much to see and do, we're going to go back real soon.

Next stop . . . Salt Lake City, whew - there's a contrast!

Medians to left of me, Guardrails to the right . . .

2007-05-12T17:12:00.000-05:00

here I am - stuck in Peculiar, MO with you! Yes we are camping (almost) literally on the I-71, give or take 50 feet. The truck has been in and out of the shop three times this weeks, and this last time we were all hooked up, ready to leave town when it started acting up again. So, like the persistant consumers that we are, we pulled into the Ford service center (they were really happy to see us for the FOURTH time) and asked if we could sleep over.

Ahh, it takes me back to those wild days when we protested with the Sanderson's at the Volkswagon dealership for a grueling 2-3 hours one morning. (My arm hurt a little from holding the sign, and it was kinda chilly, but right is right.)

Anyway, we missed 2 clinics and a show in Houston this week. argh! Next stop is Baton Rouge for a flight out to visit Lori & John in 'bama . . . still hoping to make it Lu.

Drove around KC today on the scooter. Downtown is a nice mix of old/new architecture and some rolling green views from a bridge or two. Welp, time to head back to home-sweet-Ford. Be well and be in touch.

Islands, Faries and Sand Castles

2007-05-03T21:58:00.000-05:00

We were driving to our next destination, Mustang Island on the Gulf of Mexico, near Corpus Christi. The map showed lots of bays with bridges, but it looked like hwy all the way to the island. About 10 miles from the island, we started seeing signs along the hwy explaining the rules on the ferry. FERRY-- WE"RE not getting on a ferry with a 40' trailer!!! We decided the ferry must be a tourist attraction. The signs kept passing by . . . no smoking on the ferry . . . turn off your engine on the ferry . . . etc. And yep, you guessed it, the ferry was part of the hwy system (darn map). We got in line expecting to be turned away, but they waived us on to a ferry through a tight S curve.

You sure we're gonna fit?
Please pull forward sir. The deck hand ran to the back of the trailer and then ran up to the bow of the boat where he instructed each of the cars in front of us to pull forward.
Is there a problem?
Please pull forward sir. Steve pulled forward again. More running.
Um, sir we're gonna have to ask you to back off of the ship.
We're sorry sir.
So off the boat we backed, through the S curve in reverse . . . good thing Steve was driving!
We're very sorry sir.

We made it on to the next ferry without any backing up, and looked up our reservation on Mustang Island. The RV manager said hey you guys are late . . . late for what we asked? The Sand Sculpture Contest! High tide is due in about 2 hours and they'll be gone, so we hopped on the scootercycle and headed down to the beach. Gosh are we glad we did. Here are some pix from the contest on the Gulf of Mexico. Really impressive, I hope the photos give you an idea of the details. More photos available upon request.

FLAG!

2007-05-03T20:40:00.000-05:00

Texans are especially friendly, helpful and patriotic folk. There must be more American flags flying in east Texas than the whole rest of the States added together. And much of the time, right next to the 'ol stars and stripes will be a Texas State flag.

We've made a game out of it, kinda like Slug Bug (0nly no hitting). You get double points for objects that are not flags, but they have been painted in the likeness of the flag; coffee mugs, door mats, mail boxes, and our personal favorite a huge plastic horse greeting all who dared enter the feed & tack shoppe.

We Love Our People!

2007-05-02T23:24:00.000-05:00

The hardest part about leaving Eugene was saying "see ya later" to all our family and friends. We had so many people help us in wonderful ways and we will always be grateful to each of you.

What the Heck is a Blog???

2007-05-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

OK, don't be afraid, this is a blog, and it's cool because our friends and fam can talk to us, and we can share our pix and stuff. So please leave us some comments, we'd love to hear from everyone. We're new at this too, so we'll all hold hands and figure it out together. :-)

So the journey begins. . .