Three Days in the Life

I don't know how much any of you really care about the minute details of our daily life. But if you do care, and if you are anything like me, you have been starting to wonder what Andrew and I have been doing to fill our time in between trips. What with neither of us really working and all. So I decided to try and log some of our activities. From Monday afternoon until Wednesday evening on the three hottest days in the last 16 years, here is how we have been spending our time:

• Trumpet practicing.
• Blueberry picking. And eating and freezing.
• Going to Costco to buy frozen yogurt and cool off.
• Weed pulling. I picked the hottest day to decide to turn this:Into this. Still very weedy I know. But a definite improvement.

• Starting a compost pile that now needs a bin to be built around it.
• BBQing. On this particular occasion it was corn on the cob and salmon. We have also done some kabobs.
  
• Playing lots of shade games to keep the house cool.
  
• Doping our cat with catnip buds after I prune the plants.
• Copious amounts of bruschetta making and eating.
• Book Reading. You can click here to see what I have been reading.
  
• Cleaning out Emails and writing thank you notes.
• Sorting through pictures of Josh. You can see most of them on In Memory of Josh Ward. If you have any good ones, send them to me. I am collecting.
  
• Watering plants.
  
• Sleeping outside.
• Rotating the sprinkler.
• Browsing REI for new camping/hiking gear. A very dangerous pastime. Especially when there are amazing shoes on sale.
  
• Teaching trumpet lessons.
• Going to rehearsals for trumpet playing work.
• Making lists about housework that needs to be done and not doing it.
• Making and drinking lemon mint sun tea.
  
• Trying to go for runs, but really it is too hot.
• Eating blackberries in our yard.
• Talking to our landlord who gives us giant zucchinis, turnips, and fresh eggs from his hens. Who knows what he will give us next.
• Cooking delicious food with said giant zucchinis.
• Meeting my cooperating teacher at 6:30 in the morning to go for a walk before it gets hot.
• Trying to figure out how to get my fat, black cats to eat or drink.
  
• Buying a push lawn mower. And not mowing the lawn.
  

And now, off for a three day backpacking trip on the coast!

Jammy Jam

I have a new favorite place. Boxx Berry Farm. We have gone there the last couple years to pick berries, but now that it is 3 miles away, it makes the favorite place list. We missed strawberries this year, but we were right on for raspberries. The farm also has lots of other fresh produce, u-cut flowers, and ridiculously large ice cream cones for the price of a large soda. Did I mention that it is only 3 miles away?

The berries
Making the jam
Washing, sorting, and freezing the whole berries
Almost finished product

Final verdict: Two batches of freezer jam, mashed frozen berries for an addition two batches of freezer jam, two gallon size ziploc bags of frozen whole berries, full bellies, red fingers, and smiling faces.

P.S. We later brought a small container to our landlord, who in turn gave us some extremely large zucchinis, some small turnips, and discussed letting us use a large freezer for more storage. More smiling faces.

Camping with the Bybees

It is becoming a tradition for the Bybee's to get together to raft the White Salmon River once a summer. This year we had quite a crew. Andrew and I, Wade and Lynne, Tyler and his friend Wendy, Carina and her fiance Matt, Lisa, and Garth. We camped for two nights this year instead of one like last year. Andrew also decided to take some pictures (kind of rare these days) so there are quite a few photos. Rafting photos coming soon!

These first photos are taken by Andrew and include his original captioning.
Camp set up fight.
Mom, brother, sister arm.
Brother
Sister and soon to be brother.
Frrp.

Waiting for breakfast.
Dad making breakfast.
Breakafast.

King of the forrest.


I love my Mom and Dad.

Water falling.
Looking at the falls.

These last pictures are from Lynne, with my captions.
Andrew and I at Multnomah Falls.
A smaller Andrew and I at Multnomah Falls.
Carina and Matt at Multnomah Falls.
Me resting on Andrew's back.
Multnomah falls without any people in the way.
Ghost Tyler playing guitar around the fire.
Real Tyler playing guitar around the fire.
The kid crew eating the customary pizza after trip.
Group fire pic.
Ghost photo.
Fire and sleeping.
Andrew almost ghost playing guitar around the fire.
Real Andrew playing guitar around the fire. Carina enjoying the music.

It was fun, can't wait until next year when we can do it again!

Andrew's Jazz Band Concert

I have decided that I am a terrible blogger. These pictures are from June 5th when Andrew's parents came up to hear his Jazz Band concert. We loved having them up and the concert was great, as usual. Actually, if I remember right, it was better than usual.Wade and Lynne trying on the Viking hats from the office.
Andrew putting away his intruments.
Andrew playing.
And Andrew at dinner, at Jekyll and Hyde Deli, a favorite place to go when company comes.