Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
in memory of...
On this Memorial Day, keeping in mind Lt. Bertha Mae Akers & Capt. Robert C. Heald (my Grandma & Grandpa), and their service through WWII, Vietman & Korea. While neither died while in our nation's service, it still seems appropriate to remember them at this time.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Wanapums & Stonehenge
On the way back from the 'Math is Cool' state championships, we stopped at an overlook for the Columbia River. It had some neat information about one of the native tribes that use to live there.
It also had some spectacular views...
...amazing how big and long this river is!
(same view, both kids...)
As we were leaving the central part of southern Washington, and heading back over to the Columbia River Gorge (the boundry between Oregon & Washington), we passed through several of the huge 'wind farms' they have there.
The have a whole lot of windmills out there...
Dusk was a great time for some pictures!
Further down the gorge, just before dark we stopped at the re-creation of Stonehenge.
It's actually a war memorial, but it's a full-scale concrete re-production of what Stonehenge would look like if it was still new.
Dedicated to the locals who served.
The kids were interested in what it really meant...
...that required a bit of explanation.
Still, it's a pretty cool place to stop, and near sunset you can have the whole place to yourself!
It also commands spectacular views of the gorge.
And a pretty nice view of the east side of Mt. Hood at sunset!
Side Story: Groing up, my dad use to haul us all over Oregon camping and seeing the sights. During those trips, we heard a lot about Sam Hill, a local pioneer. It seemed like every time you turned around the phrase "what the Sam Hill" (used as you might think...) was followed with a 'tale tale' of how Sam did this or that. He wasn't quite on the level of John Henry, Pecos Bill or Paul Bunyon, but you would think that dad was trying to make him so.
After about 40 or 50 of dad's stories, I pretty much had written them off as 'rural legend' - or dad just making up things. But later, when I was older and not nearly as smart as I was as a kid, I started to notice things that made me re-evaluate both the stories and my dad. This sign, near the Stonehenge memorial and Maryhill Museum (Mary Hill - get it - took me a long time to figure that one out...) bears witness to the fact that some - if not all - of the stories were true, and my dad may just have know a whole lot more than a 'smart' kid might have thought...
It also had some spectacular views...
...amazing how big and long this river is!
(same view, both kids...)
As we were leaving the central part of southern Washington, and heading back over to the Columbia River Gorge (the boundry between Oregon & Washington), we passed through several of the huge 'wind farms' they have there.
The have a whole lot of windmills out there...
Dusk was a great time for some pictures!
Further down the gorge, just before dark we stopped at the re-creation of Stonehenge.
It's actually a war memorial, but it's a full-scale concrete re-production of what Stonehenge would look like if it was still new.
Dedicated to the locals who served.
The kids were interested in what it really meant...
...that required a bit of explanation.
Still, it's a pretty cool place to stop, and near sunset you can have the whole place to yourself!
It also commands spectacular views of the gorge.
And a pretty nice view of the east side of Mt. Hood at sunset!
Side Story: Groing up, my dad use to haul us all over Oregon camping and seeing the sights. During those trips, we heard a lot about Sam Hill, a local pioneer. It seemed like every time you turned around the phrase "what the Sam Hill" (used as you might think...) was followed with a 'tale tale' of how Sam did this or that. He wasn't quite on the level of John Henry, Pecos Bill or Paul Bunyon, but you would think that dad was trying to make him so.
After about 40 or 50 of dad's stories, I pretty much had written them off as 'rural legend' - or dad just making up things. But later, when I was older and not nearly as smart as I was as a kid, I started to notice things that made me re-evaluate both the stories and my dad. This sign, near the Stonehenge memorial and Maryhill Museum (Mary Hill - get it - took me a long time to figure that one out...) bears witness to the fact that some - if not all - of the stories were true, and my dad may just have know a whole lot more than a 'smart' kid might have thought...
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Kayl's girl Legos
We got some 'girl parts' (i.e. long hair, faces with lips, pink blocks, etc.) at the used Legos store, and Kayl got busy making some girls and homes for them. She was so excited, since most of the Lego stuff is boys...
It's a girl party zone!
Hey, girls can be astronauts, too.
Not sure why the Hermione has her 'angry' face on...
Coffee mug - hairbrush - too much steriotyping for anyone?
This group of gals is just chillin'...
We need to get at least one more set of hair.
Not sure how this one fit into the whole 'girl' theme - must be a girl ninja and a girl skeleton...
It's a girl party zone!
Hey, girls can be astronauts, too.
Not sure why the Hermione has her 'angry' face on...
Coffee mug - hairbrush - too much steriotyping for anyone?
This group of gals is just chillin'...
We need to get at least one more set of hair.
Not sure how this one fit into the whole 'girl' theme - must be a girl ninja and a girl skeleton...
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