October 2007

October has been pretty quiet other than a few adventures;
One of the best adventures was participating in the harvest at the vineyard. I have put together a page all about the Lenne Harvest '07. Head on over and check it out! I have also been doing physical therapy to help strengthen my back. I had a few problems with it since early July and then it got worse while down in Chile. It was very slowly but surely getting better, but I knew I needed to do something more. While doing all the driving to get back and forth to the PT, I was able to watch the colors change along many of the roads and I am including a few of those pictures this month. Jim and I also headed over to the Oregon coast for a few days, my parents go over every year to fish for the fall Chinook salmon run near the town of Tillamook (actually in Garibaldi). My sister Heidi goes over for a couple of days and stays with them in their RV, but Jim and I took ours over also. Jim continued to work, I on the other hand just took it easy, enjoyed the great sea smells and visited with my parents. Good thing we went over, Dad ended up needing a little help with their RV, they had a brake problem that Jim helped them with. Last but not least, my family decided they needed a reason to get together so they chose to use us as the excuse :) Since we will be leaving at the end of the month to head back to Texas, it was a good enough reason to get the family together for a meal. My Dad was generous enough to share what little salmon they caught while at the beach for the dinner. It was wonderful and I enjoyed every bite! Thanks Dad for the salmon and Al & Teresa for all the hard work they put into the get together.


Here comes a storm! I love listening to the rain on the roof of the RV and it's a good thing, we got quite a bit while at the coast.	Jim and my Dad checking out the wheel(s) that were having brake problems.

A view of the marina from the RV park, lots and lots of boats.	more of the marina, but also some of the ocean with the low clouds hanging around.
Next, here is a little color to be found around the Portland, OR area. I kept driving by so much color, but of course, I wouldn't have my camera at hand. My cell phone camera just doesn't do it justice...

A row of trees by the local non-denominational church. Their whole parking lot is gorgeous with color this time of the year.	Skylar with a little color behind and over head while peering through some decorative grass.

This picture is through the front window of our car while driving up a local street in my parents neighborhood.	Color along the West end of Burnside not far from the Zupan grocery store.

More color from the opposite direction as the picture above	Peony bushes in my sister Teresa's yard that have changed colors.
Then there is the dinner. It seems that all we do when we get together is eat (and enjoy an adult beverage or two), but then we have some great cooks in the family!

Mom borrowed Jim's bib so that she could enjoy her dinner easily.	Luisa, Al, Jeff and Jim with Teresa in her kitchen.

Bri (nephew's girlfriend), niece Sam and Ashley...	Skylar and niece Chandler, not sure if they are enjoying themselves yet...

In the food line, Teresa, nephew Andrew and Dad...	some headed outside to enjoy the last of the sun... Sylvia in the back, Johannah, Mark and sister Lisa.

Heidi squeezed in-between Jeff and Jim at the dining table.	Dad finally sat down next to Luisa to enjoy his dinner.
I want to put in another very special thanks to Teresa and Al. We have been parked next to their house all the time that we have stayed in the Portland area. We have been using their bathroom for showers in the morning and we are running an electrical cord to their house to augment our batteries. We invade them every evening for drinks and dinner, though I have done some of the cooking. I try to make up some of it by doing a dish or too, but there isn't enough things to do to thank them. I am sure they are going to be glad to see us go, but I have truly enjoyed this time with them.
	This is where we live while in Portland, on the side of my sisters house (the white house). Our slide-outs go over into their yard, we step out in the street. We just make sure that we do it very carefully!

October has been pretty quiet other than a few adventures;