the great pumpkin

Over our favorite bridge, the St.Johns Bridge, to Sauvie Island, to the pumpkin patch to find a perfect pumpkin for each of us. Halloween is near! Watch out for that bright white harvest moon!

Rock Them Sock Them

Aunt To Be

Jenna is going to by my newest aunt next year, but I already think of her and call her Aunt Jenna. She came to play her saxaphone at some Portland bars and she stayed with us. Good news for me! My parents were in the thick, or thin, of their not-eating-food and they were very low energy and low conversation and luckily Jenna had some enthusiasm to play with me. I love playing with her. We play games that I make up as I go and only I know the rules so I usually win but good try Jenna, good try though. Hope she comes back soon and next time with Uncle Mike also. Who wants to get cozy???

Master and Servant

Breakfast! Lunch! And dinner! This is what my parents have been only eating for days: juiced lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. No food, no caffeine, no fun. I have to say they are a wee bit grumpy! It is called the Master Cleanse and it is so they can flush out all the toxins that have been in their bodies for their whole lives since they began putting bad things into their bodies. They are supposed to do this for 10 days but they are just going to make it as far as they can. You should see the look on my mom's face when she makes me my delicious smelling meals. They can't stop thinking and talking about food. Let's wish them good luck on this healthy adventure and hope it inspires them to continue a non-toxic life!

The Sensitive Stormtrooper

50 Ways To Leave Your Stinker

Scenic Distractions Part 2

My parents' quest to the secretly famous Umpqua Hot Springs. Five hours by car to southern Oregon. When they finally arrived there was a sign saying the road to the Springs was closed. They drove up to the road, it was closed, they couldn't get through. They were devastated.


They went back to a ranger sign which showed a little dotted line to the Springs--a trail! They could get there on foot. So they set up camp and prepared for Plan B.


They got up early, packed a lunch and headed out into the unknown.


It was precarious and beautiful, like all of life ought to be.


Three miles later they peaked over the ridge to find this: a paradise of six limestone pools cut into the cliffs surrounded by nothing but thick forest, overlooking the rushing Umpqua river. And they had the whole cliff to themselves.


The pools on the top were 109 degrees hot. How is the water up on a cold mountain so hot? The answer is: because of science.


As the pools got lower they got less hot. The ones on the edge of the cliff were a perfect warm bathwater temperature. They say they could have sat there forever. It was a one-with-nature type of experience that people just don't get much and it kind of changed them, for the better.


The wonderful hippies of Oregon had built a deck and a little log roof over the hot hot pool which made you think about how crazy cool it would be to be sitting in their while it was raining or snowing out. Those generous hippies think of everything!


In the Umpqua Hot Springs is where my parents celebrated 7 years of an excellent marriage. What a perfect way to celebrate all the friendship and love between them. It's been a complete success so far and they are looking forward to the next 7 years which they think may be even more exciting and interesting than the first. Keep up the good work, guys! I love you so much.

Scenic Distractions Part 1

So, I'm back from my Canadian holiday. It was super great. Me and Grandpa traveling the world like real jet setters. I got to meet and spend time with my Great Granny and my Great Uncle Derek. I got to see every last darn thing there is to see in Fort Erie, including the Fort which is the site of the bloodiest battle of Canadian History and the Art Museum of Buffalo and a donut shop called Tim Hortons that we went to every day. My granny cried when I left because she learned to love me so much while I was there. What a sweet special lady! Miss you Great Guys!

Apparently, while I was away, when they weren't desperately missing me, my parents had a real fun time as well. They got to have nighttime in Portland which is something they don't really get much because once it's my bedtime they are stuck in the house kind of like a prison, but a prison that they really love. They rode bikes out every night to restaurants and bars and wherever, just being free and youthful, and they slept in without alarm clocks or me to wake them. And, they went on a camping trip to the Umpqua River in Southern Oregon. They had heard about the most amazing hot springs up there so they took their one childless chance to go.


The view from their tent. The mighty Umpqua. Fresh and cold.


After they set up camp they took a short walk exploring.


Totekee Lake.


They sat side by side in silence and watched the fish jump out of the glassy lake. Sounds like I had more fun at Tim Hortons!


Stillness. Go get it.