Old Blue Blog

test

2008-10-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

The rain in Spain falls gently on the plain, and in Oregon it falls all winter long and not gently but therefore we are green and have lots of fishies

Baby Geese!

2008-05-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

We have five new baby geese hatched out. Pictures soon. Mom and Dad are very careful and proudly walk around with their new offspring. Not like we need any more geese around here however. The pasture is just beginning to recover from an exreme pecking by thousands of geese. My guilt feelings from shooting so many geese as a teenager overcomes my temptation to shoo them away. I just let them eat and figure I am doing penance for breaking up goose families years ago.

"Widowmaker"

2008-04-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

We have a 1972 chevrolet C 50 which is a 1 1/2 ton truck with a dump. It is the "farm truck." We try to name the farm trucks. Everyone will remember "Randy." Randy was the 1960 Chevrolet one ton dual wheel with high sides. "Randy " was pasted on the side thus the name Randy. It was sold to Ron Shinkle and then replaced by what we called the pumpkin truck which is the 72 Chev because it colored orange and looks like a pumpkin. The pumpkin truck is kind of nice because it has a metal dump box and can carry hot asphalt amongst sand, gravel, and hay.

Ross and I had an exciting time in the pumpkin truck years ago a week before he left on his mission. He helped me get a load of hay- a big load. We were rounding a corner on Zena road when the truck started to tip over. The load was tied down. Ross was sitting in the passenger seat and looked at me with terror in his eyes "should we bail?" I said "NO!-- Hold on tight!" Just as it was about to flip- we were turning over petty slow- like in slow motion the rope broke and thetruck pops upright something like a jack in the box as huge 150lb hay bails fly everywhere. Fifteen minutes later here comes the farmer I bought the hay from whith his hay squeeze and crew. He pumped up the truck tires and we were soon on our way which leads to the reason for this post.

Speaking of tires,(we keep the tires inflated now) last month after about ten years the front tires became very bald- one had cord showing. I take it into Superior tire. All the crew comes out to admire the truck. (joke) "We don't work on these wheels" the boss explains. "They'll kill you." he says. He points out parts on the wheels to the tire crew. "Guys these wheels are called 'widowmakers.' They are made in two parts and when you change the tire they can come apart explosively and kill you. That is why they are called widowmakers." He then begins telling stories of tire changers killed by widowmakers. He then proceeds to explain that no one will work on these wheels- duh? Anyway that doesn't help me- I need sand for a beach for Ann down at the new pond. The ending is tha they got me two new front wheels with used tires and Wade is bringing the old widowmakers home to sit on the junk pile as I write this.

There are still four widowmaker wheels on the rear axle. The Pumpkin truck has now been chrisened "Widowmaker." I like that name a lot more don't you? So when you hear about "Widowmmaker" you'll know what I am talkin about.

Electric Fence

2008-04-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

I have been getting pretty good about slipping through the electric fences around the property lately. I did though have a slip up on Saturday. I was fertilizing some new trees on the north forty and coming through the fence I got zapped on the you know what. The ground was pretty wet so it got me "butt good." Later that day I was cleaning out a birdhouse and it turned out it was full of yellow jackets. I back peddled real fast and tumbled over a rock garden. I did avoid getting stung. I also managed at the end of the day to get the tractor stuck in the dirt pit next to the creek.

"Let Us Cross the Bridge and Rest Under the Trees" General "Stonewall" JAckson"

2007-11-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

Following the Battle of Chancellorville in which he led his troups around the Union right resulting in victory he was returning to his camp when he was wounded. His left arm was amputated and he died of pneumonia ten days later. General Lee said "He has lost his left arm but I have lost my right arm." The words above were the dying words of General Stonewall Jackson. He was beloved of his soldiers. He was very devote and disliked fighting on Sundays

The Smell of Bacon

2007-11-15T09:56:00.000-08:00

Our first pig became kind of a pet. Her name was LaWanna, affectionately named after grandma. She was purchased on a trip back from the coast as a little wiener. Everyone fought over feeding her. As the first piglet she gained a lot of attention. Scraps from the table added to her regular fare. She was in a little coral down below the barn. She would escape with regularity and chase kids around. Everyone knew what would eventually happen. When I see the movie "Babe" and the other animals talk to Babe about the purpose of pigs and that pigs are pork I know exactly what they are talking about. There were many comments from children about how they would never eat LaWanna. Well after nearly a year the fateful day arrived. There was some moaning. I kind of wondered if anyone would ever eat LaWanna. Ann said there was nothing to worry about. Several weeks later on a Saturday morning I awoke to the smell of fresh bacon permeating the little red house. I don't remember much about breakfast. However there were no vegetarians that morning.

Red Haired Teacher Chapter 1 Ernest Tigner

2007-11-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

That spring marked my first term in school. We had a school teacher that was something else. She was a nervous wreck. She had very red hair and a temper like no woman or man I have ever seen or heard tell of since. The poor thing was sick. She had to be.

Her favorite way of keeping everybody in line was to take a ruler and slap you on the back of the hand across the knuckles That never happened to me because she had the fear ingrained in me, and so I was a real nice. boy.

But I will never forget one day. There was a young fellow ahead of me, a new boy who had moved in and started attending school. As the teacher came down the aisle, she asked the boy to hand her a pencil. She had a paper or something in her hand and needed a pencil. So the boy handed her a pencil, point first.

She grabbed the pencil, threw it on the floor, grabbed that poor litlle fellow's hand, and started slapping him on the back of his hand with her ruler. Of course the little fellow started crying, and she informed him that she would teach him never to hand a pencil to anyone point first.

That ruler had cut into this boy's hand and the blood started flying. The older children, like my brother and the other boys older than him, saw all this commotion and everybody in shcool was pretty much fed up with what she had been doing.

It happened to be real chilly, windy day in the spring of the year. We all had to go outside in the hallway when it was stormy to eat our lunch. The teacher would shut the door and lock it, so no one would interrupt her rest and lunch hours.

In the corner of the schoolyard was a large pile of rocks that had come to the surface of the ground. A farmer had cleared it and piled it up at one end of the shcoolyard. These boys got together and recruited all of us to pack the rocks over, most of which was about the size of a grapefruit.

We packed a large pile of it and put it on the floor in front of the door. When the boys figured we had enough, they took those rocks and started in on the door...and they pulverized it with those rocks!

The red-haired school teacher was inside screaming. The more she screamed, the more the rocks flew. This may sound kind of cruel, but ... (to be continued)

USS Beca Tina

2007-11-12T15:32:00.000-08:00

You will remember the USS Becca Tina that proudly floated on the little pond until its rear end rotted out and it sunk to the bottem. It has been proudly raised from the deep and now sits below the little red house along the road as a flower pot full of tulips. I have a light shining on the name. Ross and Derek helped me put up swings this weekend. Four swings one especially for little kids one huge rope swing, tire swing and then another swing swing. Okay we have plans for other boats. We will soon float the Kaisa Annie, and then the Melida Marie. The Anneli proudly sits in Uncle Lars Driveway

LET'S GET POLITICAL!

2007-10-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

You shouldn't judge a man by his demographic. That's right folks, I AM VOTING FOR HILLARY CLINTON.

As follows are the top ten reasons why I am voting for the foxy lady with political prowess.

10. The 5k baby bond is an initiative that I can get behind. Liquid funding for our country's neonates will only spur the economy on to more stable, solid things to come.

9. Her willingness to pull the troops out. I couldn't agree more. The irony that a woman once again will have to clean up a man's mess is humorous but tragic.

8. I like attorneys. They always smell kind of minty with a hint of patchouli.

7. Her haircut lifts my spirits. Even my former flame Martha Stewart can't come close to this level of blond froth. Her cheekbones are perfectly set off by her perfect coif. Ask me what nasty misogynistic world leader couldn't be swayed by this vixen. Well, you can ask me, but I don't know the answer!

6. She stands by her man. He's been fat and thin and has sometimes licked the platter, but she still listens when Bill talks about initiatives local and global.

5. She sent her daughter to Pac 10 school. The wind coming off of the Japanese current blows liberally on the West coast giving us better fish and schools. Of course, Hillary did have special access to NAOA files, but I think this is why we haven't had any of those annoying hurricanes. And if we did, we'd get out because of our large trucks.

4. Universal healthcare. Have you seen the price of Band-Aids at Wal-Mart? They're pretty cheap but what happens if you slice your finger off instead of just slam it in the door? Why is the richest county in the world also the nation that doesn't help its poor? Let us not forget that it wasn't the drag queens that brought down Sodom and Gommorah.

3. Apologies are not an option. She may crash your car, vomit on your tire and then remember that she shouldn't have had the prawn martini, but she isn't going to tell you that she is sorry for doing so. She'll suggest a nicer car with better crumple zones and give you some helpful dealers to call when shopping for a new Volvo.

2. Hillary RODHAM Clinton/Ann ROSS Olsen.

1. It's a TWOFER. With Hillary comes Bill. I haven't stopped believin'. Have you?

Back from Vacation

2007-06-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, sorry it has been so long since I posted. Here is the deal.
I was on a long surprise vacation. There were no computers where I was so I could not post. Thanks for all the concern, everything is just fine. I am tanned fit and raring to go with a new granddaughter to boot. Eric

Candyland chapter 3 "A Pleasant Surprise"

2007-05-14T15:56:00.001-07:00

The faint path edged slowly down the side of the mountain. Small streams tumbled here and there, down the side of the mountain cutting across the path. Larry would carefully jump over or wade through the streams. Along each stream, there would be a small path that would wind along the side of each ribbon of water up the mountain. Sometimes he could see small caves from which the streams would emerge. What did this all mean, Larry thought.

As he descended he began to walk among small then larger trees. What had been little rivlets became larger streams, which finally became roaring streams. The path became a little wider. It obviously had seen use, but there were no footprints or tracks of any sort. After several hours of walking Larry sat down next to a larger stream. The path now followed the side of this larger stream. There were lots of trees now, wide meadows and the slope became more gentle as he neared the valley floor. It was warm. If there would have been a sun, Larry thought, it surely would be afternoon. He had been walking now for many hours, first down the long tunnel and then down the side of the mountain. He was exhausted. He laid down on some soft grass and was soon fast asleep.

He slept for he knew not how long. When he awoke the light was still bright and the air warm. He had had nothing to eat since the night before. He was thirsty. Despite being near water the entire trip, he had never stopped to drink. He took several steps down to the edge of the stream and cupped his hand to take up a drink of the pure water. He began to drink. Immediately he threw his hand down. This was no water! It was sweet! As sweet as any drink he had before. It had the distinct taste of sweet lemonade. He wetted his hand again and licked the moisture off to be sure. He was not mistaken. It was deliciously sweet. He cupped his hand and satisfied his thirst with the sweet liquid.

Lining the stream bed were colored rocks of different sizes and shapes. They were everywhere. He had seen nothing like it before. He picked up a particularly beautiful one. It looked good enough to eat, he thought. It was nothing but a rock, nevertheless he just popped it in his mouth. Again he was shocked. This "rock" tasted like sugar, yet different. He began to lick it and slowly it dissolved like a sucker. This rock was rock candy. Where am I, he exclaimed out loud. A small piece of driftwood lay by the side of the stream. He carefully tasted it. Sure enough, it too was candy, chocolate like, to be exact. He reached up and grabbed a leaf from the nearest tree. Again it was sweet candy. Everywhere he looked he picked up this thing or that. Everything was candy. Even the very soil. I am in a place where everything is candy, he thought.

His worries about something to eat dissapeared, as he ate candy leaves and grass, he peeled bark from the tree which tasted like chocolate. Small twigs were tasty sweet morsals. Ice cold lemonade from the stream.

All of a sudden he saw movement. He quickly turned his head. He could not believe what he had just seen. It quickly dissappeared behind a tree and dropped from view. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Kaisa's Memories of Fishing Trips or Writing Lyrics from Boat Cushions

2007-05-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

It seems eight lifetimes ago that I wrestled myself out of bed to tumble into the backseat of the truck or car where everything would still be grey with twilight.

Every trip would commence with a stop by Dunkin' Donuts - or at least the fresh water trips before we upgraded to the ocean. Everytime I wanted the same thing, a strawberry jelly or a vanilla cream filled. I occasionally brave the transfat demons and try one when I go back to Salem, but they never taste the same.

In the very early days, I would also get a hot chocolate heated to the approximate temperatures it takes to heat the fires of Vulcan. Even though I would try to be prudent, I would always end up scalding my tongue to the point where everything I ate for the next 24 hours would taste slightly citrus.

And because I was with Dad, this would be a whole lot of candy.

Scott was usually huddled in the corner in a quilted green coat, ripe for either cuddling or harrassing, depending on my mood. The a.m. was usually reserved for cuddling. We would sometimes share a seatbelt (if we wore one at all) as the car wound its way on mountain curves towards whatever lake we were going. Although it was cold and it was going to be horribly cold wherever we ended up, for the moment, in the car, everything was pleasantly close and warm. There was never a trip where my Dad wouldn't blast the heat. To this day I still hold a disproportionate amount of fondness for any man who will turn the heat to high. It's much rarer than I could have guessed at that time, when I was young and beautiful and planning to be a famous writer/model/actress.

When we finally got out on the lake after enduring the stretched time from the unloading of the supplies to the launch on to the water, two things would become quickly apparent. 1) It was freezing and 2) it was really quiet. Both were natural enemies to young Olsen children.

There was a Oliver Cromwell style kerosene space heater in the boat that was either dead or scalding. No sinful temperance for that thing. To receive heat you must be baptized by fire, and this was the objective of the dangerous thing. Scott and I would hold our denim encased legs close to its grated front as long as we could stand it, and then pull away, shreiking. After about three minutes our smoldering jeans would cool to a pleasant warmness that lasted about two seconds until we had to start the whole thing again.

This activity was usually accompanied by our enthusiastic if somewhat eccentric singing. Everything in our view was subject to verse, from our father telling us to be quiet to the ever present danger of losing your bait and hook in the swampy bottomless seaweed.

Our favorite for a good while however was a simple chant named "Gale Force Warning". For the record, the lyrics go "Gale Force Warning (repeat three times)/Storm Force Warning (repeat three times)/ and finally (with feeling) HURRICANE WARNING!!! WHOOOOOOOO!!!"

It wasn't until I had children of my own that I even knew my Dad was listening. It was a creative and motivating song, but I must confess I stole the lyrics from the floation cushion that had probably been purchased long before I told Scott too much thumb sucking affected his ability to divest milk duds of their chocolate coating. (Which therefore meant he had to give them to me to get the chocolate off so he could have the much easier to digest caramel portion and not suffer any gastronomical discomfort.)

These were good times, and unlike a lot happy things that zip past before you have time to get used to them, I knew they were as they surrounded me. At the end of every fishing trip, right after my Dad slit open the bellies of the unfortunate fish to show me what they had been eating, a spongey feeling of melancholy overcame my soul. The wind of late afternoon shaking the branches of the lazy maples seemed to predict an unavoidable fate where life didn't permit such pleasant freefall, and it was coming soon.

Its not easy being Old by yours truly and the frogs outside my window

2007-05-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Its not easy being old.
having to spend each day without a fishing partner,
When I think it could be nicer with lots of little fishing partners,
or some older grandkids.

Its not easy being old.
It seems you blend in with so many other oldies.
And people tend to pass you over' cause you're
not with a bunch of little fishing partners.

But Old can be nice in other ways.
Old can be wise and friendly like.
And old can be vast like the ocean, or important like a mountain,
or beautiful like a tree.

When old is all there is to be,
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why?
Wonder, I am old and I'll do fine, Its beautiful!
And I think its what I want to be. Maybe.
Naw, I just want a fishing partner.

Thank you kermit and my little frog friends outside my window for helping me cope- Eric

Wanted: Fishing Partner

2007-05-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am depressed. I hate Pizza Hut. My fishing partner now works five days a week from 5-9 at Pizza Hut. This is a real damper on my fishing. It is beautiful outside. I don't like to go by myself. All my grandkids are too little or they live in LA. My wife hates to fish. Now I don't mind fishing with strangers but its not the same. I just want one more day with Kaisa and Scott huddled in the bow singing "gale force." boo hoo, boo hoo. Well now I am just going to curl up in a ball and read "Old Man and the Sea" and then plant some stupid trees.

Candyland chapter 2 The Long Descent

2007-05-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

Now a lot of boys would have just sat down and cried. I would have. But Larry was very brave. After several minutes he began to see clearer in the dark. The light glistened on what looked like very old steps that led down into the ground. The steps were small as steps go and water trickled down off the side of the tunnel walls and flowed down either side of the steps. Larry did the only thing he could do. He started descending the steps one by one.

The tunnel curved here and there but always led downward, deeper into the ground. Sometimes the water flowing next to the steps, would slip into some crack and disappear only for new rivulets to form as he descended deeper. The only constant was the soft light that drifted up from below. After what seemed like hours of descending Larry thought that the light might be getting brighter. The rivulets became a small stream that spilled out onto the steps in places. He had to be very careful not to fall as the steps became very slippery.

The light definitely became brighter and Larry in the far distance saw a bright light shining from deep below. How strange, he wondered, that this light had traveled so far, as he looked over his shoulder from where he had come. As he climbed down, the stairs now became the center of a tumbling stream.

He could not help but get wet. He braced his hands on the sides of the tunnel and headed for the light. Finally he came out to sight of amazement. The stream exited what looked like the side of a mountain from which he had just emerged and a few feet later became a waterfall falling several hundred feet below. On the right side a few stones were carefully placed that led to a rock ledge upon which Larry
stepped.

He was on the side of what appeared to be a huge mountain that went in both directions. Above him, not too far, he could see snow as the mountain climbed up until it was hidden in clouds.Below him lay a valley with hills, trees and fields. In the distance he saw other mountains, rivers and lakes. In the distance he could see mountains all around that went up to what looked like sky. There were white clouds here and there, but try as he could, he could see no sun. "Where am I," he thought. "I am deep under the ground and it is like another world." The colors were bright. He could see what looked like fields of flowers far below. Then he noticed it. Leading from the ledge upon which he stood, there was faint path that again led down, along the side of the mountain. Larry looked carefully for any footprints but there were none to be seen. But it was a footpath and it led down. Again, the very brave boy began his descent, but this time on the side of a mountain, to some unknown valley and whatever else lay below.

Candyland especially for my granddaughters in Los Angeles

2007-05-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

When your sweet mother was five years old I would take her to Montesorri school in Salem. We would sit out in the car and I would tell her a Candyland story. Sometimes a Sammy squirrel story. They are very happy memories

Chapter One: A knock at the window

Many years ago, around 1930, there was a little boy that lived in the little Red House. His name was Larry. Larry was eleven years old. He slept in the little room on the southeast side of the house. This is the exact same room that Katia and Liam slept in.

It was late in August. The plum harvest would begin in a few days. Larry helped his father stack wood, preparing for the plum harvest. His father would tend the furnance for the prune dryer, a big red barn along the little creek below the red house. The creek was low and it was a warm night. Late that night, after his mom and dad had gone to sleep, Larry heard a light tapping on his window. He thought it was just a branch touching the glass. However it was quiet and there was no wind. The tapping came back. Now a little louder, "tap tap tap." He sat up and ran to the window. He looked out over the side of the hill and saw a little man scampering across the road towards the creek below. This was no ordinary man, he was very tiny. In the bright moonlight he saw the little man cross the creek near the bridge. A small door opened out of the ground on the side of the creek next to the bridge. The door was tiny and the little man stooped to step in. Before he stepped in, he turned slowly around and looked straight back at Larry. He waved with his hand. He was not waving goodbye, but waiving for Larry to come.

Larry was very curious. What had he just seen? He quickly pulled on his pants and shirt and slipped on his shoes. He tiptoed out of the house and ran down the hill to the exact spot next to the bridge where the little door was. (I can show you the exact spot.) Larry looked carefully, there was no door to be seen. He crawled down over the bank to the waters edge and felt with his hands all along the ground but all there was only dirt,stones, moss and ferns. Larry said to himself, "maybe I was dreaming." He crawled up and began to walk back home when he heard a sound. "creeeek" He turned around and saw a sliver of light coming from the side of the creek. Slowly before his eyes a little door opened right out of the ground! Larry went back. Sure enough there was a door with hinges and a small iron handle where none had been before. It layed flat against the ground wide open. He slowly crouched down and stepped inside. A soft light came from far down below, what appeared to be a long tunnel. He eased down narrow stone steps when all of sudden the door quietly, without warning shut behind him. He was alone and now a little scared.

Except for the soft light from down below, he was in the dark. The steps led nowhere but down. He turned around and felt for the door to the outside. It was there but the handle would not move. He banged on it and tried to open it, but it was closed tight. "What do I do now?," Larry thought as he gazed down the stairs in the soft light. to be continued

Little Red House = Haunted House

2007-05-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

by popular demand the true story of the haunted little red house

What does Napoleon Dynamite and the Little Red House have in common? Well before Jonathan Heder became famous, he worked on haunted houses. Yes the Little Red House was a Halloween Haunted house around 1990-91. It was a creation of the Heder brothers. It contained a coffin from which emerged a scary body. There was an axe murderer and mad surgeon. There was even a trap door up stairs which sprung open to terrify whoever was in the house. There was blood, spooks and other very scary things. The kids in church had a great time. However there was a problem.

One boy that went through the little red house walked out the door and was never seen from again. I remember he was really scared. He ran outside screaming to the top of his lungs. He headed up the hill and disappeared in the woods behind the house. We all thought he was teasing. He never came back however. We searched all the next day and he never showed up. Some people think he just used the haunted house as an excuse to run away. I know different however, even now sometimes at night I hear screaming from the woods behind the house. I know he is still there, lost, driven mad by the Little Red House, waiting for some poor unsuspecting child that might wander into the deep dark woods up the hill.

To this day there are still people that will not set foot inside the Little Red House because they are still scared of it.

p.s. Everything about the little boy I made up- maybe, however everything else is for sure the truth. And you know what they say once a haunted house always a haunted house. Be careful Shannon and Ross wooooooooooooo

Illegal Immigration

2007-05-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

When I was in the 10th grade I read The Merchant of Venice. I memorized one stanza. It best reflects my opinion on how to solve this problem.

The quality of mercy is not strained
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed:
It blesses him that gives and him that takes
Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better then his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
But mercy is above this sceptered sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an atribute of God himself;
And earthly power doth then show like God's
When mercy seasons justice.

Mexico

2007-05-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

In 2000 when Scott, Derek and I were driving up out of Villehermosa on the east coast of Mexico to Mexico City we played "Who wants to be a millionaire?" The elevation change was from sea level to over 10,000 feet. Derek was just about ready to win a million dollars when all of a sudden I noticed the temperature gauge on the 1996 Dodge Diesel pegged to the high end. In Mexico on many highways there are small, what looks like wishing wells on the side of the road full of water with buckets nearby. I looked up and right in front of me was a well. I immediately pulled over. I thought for sure that the engine was toast. I opened the hood and steam or what was left of any water poured from the engine compartment. I had no sooner pulled over and a 1970's sedan pulled right over. Out jumped three big Mexicans. Oh great, I thought, we are getting robbed too. They ran right past me to the well one of them carrying a bucket from their car and the two others grabbing buckets from the well. They immediately began throwing water on the engine like a bunch of whirling dervishes.

I am really not sure if that is the way to deal with an overheated engine but they sure acted like they knew what they were doing. They threw so much water that a small stream emerged from underneath the truck flowing down the mountain. Before long they cooled the engine. They opened the radiator cap and filled up the radiator. Thankfully the engine was just fine. I offered them some pesos and they vehemently declined and left with my strong Gracia's. Personally I love Mexicans.

First Words

2007-04-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

I will admit I am very excited about having Ross close by. I didn't get to do as much with just the two of us when he was little as I would have liked. Maybe we'll have more of those chances now.

When you have a child it is always fun to remember first words. When we adopted Ross he was very careful not to say anything at all. We stayed in a little apartment in Guatemala City while the paper work was being processed. He was the epitomy of silence. Try as we could we could get nothing to part from his lips. Ross' attempts at learning english was a delight but for now I will discuss his first words. Ross was close to 4 so he could talk. I had a little picture book I would read to him in Spanish and point and ask him what animals they were. He was careful, very careful to never respond. However he eventually slipped up and out came "gato" or cat. He quickly placed his hands over his lips at the idea of being caught. The second word was when he climbed into a cold shower and exclaimed with Latin exuberance, "Ai, Yi Yi," when the shock of the cold water hit. Later he poked his had out of the door when a thunderstorm drifted over and distinctly said "Mama Mia," to the clap of thunder.

We were walking down the street with Annelisa and Ross was right behind us. I heard him very softly but distinctly say, "Mama y Papa, y Bebe y Gilberto, somos familia" which translated says Mom and Dad and baby and Gilberto (his name) we are a family. Finally the last day, I took Ross to a Doctors appointment. Well the doctor brought me into a room while the nurse took Ross into another room, mind you Ross was still not speaking. The Doctor was rattling off to me in Spanish and I understood one tenth of what he said. After a few minutes Ross comes running back into the room screaming to the top of his lungs, "Papa, Papa, Papa" and climbs on my lap wanting to be rescued from that scary nurse. After that he talked. More Rossisms another day.

"Rocks" Olsen

2007-04-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

It took years before the driveway was paved. When Annelisa was around 6 years old I remember seeing her running full speed up the driveway on some very sharp rocks. Now I have walked barefoot on rocks before, but it was always a careful crawl. "Annelisa," I shouted, "How can you run on those sharp rocks?" I imagined blood on those tender tootsies. Instead she matter of factly said, " Gee Dad, my middle name is "Rocks.""

Uncle Ross you still haven't told me if you would sit next to me, I really want to be your friend- well anyone else nice sit next to me?

2007-04-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

"Listen, we have to break this door open or we're going to drown" from the Journel of Ernest Robert TIgner

2007-04-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 1911 (grandpa was 11 years old) we had a huge crop of corn and wheat. It had been exceptionally warm. All of us except for Dad had retired for the night. My dad was studying and reading the Bible. He stepped outside for a few minutes. As he opened the back door, he new something was not right. The air was just like a vacuum. Over to the southwest he saw large black clouds rolling towards our home.

He got us up and we went down in the cellar. The cellar had two doors that sloped up. You would swing one back one direction and one the other direction then step down the steps into the cellar where we stored food. We got down in the cellar and the storm hit. We could hear the wind howling and the rain with it, as we huddled in the cellar. We had beaten a path to the cellar from the house getting food and pretty soon water started coming down that path right under the steps into the cellar.

I began to get excited when the water got up around our ankles and then up to our knees. We knew if the water kept getting higher we would have to get out of there. Suddenly the wind broke off a fork of the elm tree above the cellar and it came right down over the door. That created some excitement. Dad went over to raise the cellar door but could not budge it.

We had a lantern. Dad got his shoulders under the door and hollered for Elmer and me to help him. All three of us were on the step and water was getting waist high by then. "Now listen to me, back up, back up." We crowded together, "Listen, we have to break this door open and get out of here, or we're going to drown." If anybody ever hunched over and lifted, we did. We broke out and got back into the house. Debris and shingles were lying all over the place, a tornado had just missed the house!

The tornado took our orchard, trees and all, right out by the roots. Over in the pasture,where the walnut and oat trees were, the tornado cut a swath right through the grove. Every tree in that grove was twisted off about three or four feet from the stump just like you would twist off a small twig with your finger. The whirling wind picked up the trees carried them out, dropped them here and there, all over the pasture. What a terrible thing to see!

The rain and wind flattened our cornfield like a pancake. The ears were just about ready to form with kernals on them and it flattened all of them. My brother and I rowed all over the cornfield the next day in our rowboat. When the water came down, what a sorry sight that place was. Dad had always wanted to live in Kansas. he thought it was ideal country. After the tornado, he did not feel so good about Kansas.

Eric's note: Great grandpa and grandma left Kansas soon thereafter for eastern Washington. Good thing because that is where grandpa Tigner met Mae Louise Nugent in just a few years, quite a romantic story but that will be for another day.

Gone bear hunting see you in a few days

2007-04-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

"Can Eric come out and play?" or "Be careful when you give art"

2007-04-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

Take a good look at this painting. It was painted by my great aunt Laura Jackson and it has the date 1927 on it. It was given to my folks as a present several years after they were married by Aunt Laura probably around 1950. She was my father's older half sister. Here is the story.

Mom did not like the painting. It was relegated to the closet. When I was five years old (1956) we lived on Hilyard Street in Eugene. My best friend was Jimmy. Jimmy knocked on the front door. "hello Mrs. Olsen can Eric come out and play?" Mom replied, "I'm sorry Jimmy, Eric is just sitting down to dinner." Jimmy, "Boy Mrs. Olsen, that sure smells good." Well Mom invited Jimmy to sit down for dinner at our dining table with the family and Aunt Laura who had arrived that afternoon for a visit. Jimmy, "Wow Mrs. Olsen I sure like that new painting." Jimmy said pointing to Aunt Laura's painting that had been pulled from the closet that am and placed above the dining room table in the alcove. "Oh Jimmy." mom choked, "that painting isn't new that's always been there." "Oh no, Mrs. Olsen, I'm sure, that painting is new, I've never seen that here before." Mom and Dad immediately shouted him down and changed the subject. Well as soon as we were done eating, Mom quickly told us why don't don't we go outside and play. As we left Jimmy says "I sure like that new painting Mrs. Olsen." My mom always wondered why a five year old would take such an interest in art and at that most inoportune time. She always laughed about Jimmy and how she just couldn't get him to keep quiet. Whenever I asked her what Aunt Laura said, mom would shake her head and just laugh.

P.S. This watercolor hangs in the landing at the beach house in Gleneden Beach. When I got older I told mom that I thought it was quite beautiful.(I still do) It depicts a moonlit scene with a stream, swans (geese perhaps?) a bridge and cottages with light coming out of the windows. It is painted in soft blue and gray tones. I guess because I liked it I ended up with it.

"I had a dog!" from the life story of Ernest Robert Tigner, my maternal grandfather

2007-04-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

When we got out of Wenatchee twenty or thirty miles to the little town of Trinidad, (NE Washington) we pulled into a vacant lot and were eating our lunch. (grandpa was eight years old and they were moving by horse and wagon, around 1908) A dog came over and I , of course, started throwing him tidbits of our lunch . The dog became very friendly and so I begged my dad to buy me that dog.

He was a good-sized bulldog. He was not a purebred, but he was a beautiful brown and white dog. Dad looked the dog over and said, "That's a pretty nice dog, but that dog ain't for sale." We got ready to leave and the dog started back to the thouse where he came from. Then my dad said, "Welll, go on over there to the house and ask the folks if they want to sell the dog."

I took off with that dog and went over to the house and knocked on the back door. A lady came to the door, and I told her that we were moving to north of Spokane, out in timber country, and we did not have a dog. I asked her if she would sell that dog.

Then she started crying. That confused me quite a bit, and finally she wiped her eyses and said, "Sonny, if you want the dog, the dog is yours, " She continued, "I had a boy just about your age who passed away two months ago, and that dog has never been the same. They were constant pals." She told me, "You take the dog, because I know you will take good care of him." Boy did I take off. I had a dog!"

Departure from the Norm: Do Wive's really know their Husbands?

2007-04-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

I'm going to answer Eric's tag, and let's see how well I really do know him. I thought this might be fun to get some of "momma's input". He can correct the ones I am wrong about, or elucidate further...

#1 Three Things I can't do:

-Keep track of a cell phone
-Close Cupboard Doors
-Massage Ann's feet more than 1 minute

#2 Three Things I think you should listen to:

-Your father's excellent advise
-The prophet Eric yes but actually Sacrament meeting every sunday whether you want to be there or not
-Your conscience

#3 Three Things Not to Listen to:

-Satan
-Negative Thoughts
-Asking yourself "what if?", or second guessing yourself. Once you make a decision, stick with it, until or unless it is proven manifestly wrong Eric Yes: almost there but I would tweak this a little bit. If you have a big problem and it consumes you. Think it out, come to a conclusion. Imagine the worse thing that can happen and think it through. When you are done figure out a solution or how to deal with it. Make a decision that is sound and you are at peace with. Then later that night or the next day or whenever you start to obsess about the problem again, remember that you have thought it out and come to an answer. Concentrate on that answer and resist the impulse to rehash what you have already resolved.

#4 Three Things I'd like to learn

-How to sail a large round-the-world blue-water sailboat
-How to sing like Pavarotti
-How to never get another ticket/fender bender Eric: not on my list I would add as number 1 here "whats in the sealed plates- easily number one"

#5 Three Things I watched as a kid

-The Fugitive Eric: nope "The Wizard of Oz" eagerily anticipated every December, this was before VCR's we got to see it once a year my all time favorite movie growing up I have every line memorized to this day.
-Leave it to Beaver Eric: nope "Captain Kangaroo" everyday got up early to watch him
-Sargent Bilko (sp?) I love Phil Silvers

#6 Three Things I regret

-For being so inpatient
-Not taking my girls fishing and hunting (got to some with Kaisa, not so much with the other girls)
-Not buying more property 20 years ago Eric: nope, I would have given more compliments to my kids growing up but am trying to change that

#7 Three Things that scare me

-Rats Eric: yeserree
-Scary Movies
-Sad things that can happen to my kids

#8 Three people who make me laugh

-Steve Martin
-That funny guy on the radio Scott got me into Eric: yup that would be Phil Hendrie
-All my family while Playing UNO with them Eric: more particularly Ross!

#9 Three things I love

- My family
-The Gospel
-The Book of Mormon Eric: yes but Moroni in particular
-Trees (and all plant life)
-My Geese

(Sorry, more than 3, but he loves all these so much, I had to put all them in! Could actually come up with so many more!)

#10 Three Things I hate

-Arrogant people
-People who stop their cars to allow people in while driving Eric: yes they think they are being courteous but what about the line of traffic behind and all the people there that are late. They are being courteous at someone else's expense. Now if it was Ann wanting to get in or one of you that would be an exception.
-when people drive on my newly planted lawn or plants Eric: I would tie this with scaring the geese away that on the fields

#11 Three things on my Desk

-My Book of Mormon
-A picture of Paige
-A pile of books a mile high

#12 Three things I'm doing right now

-Watching "Charlotte's Web" to see Aerlind's name and get ideas for my barn Eric Yes: I saw it Aerlind Flynn Janzen producer baby
-Scrolling through ebay, looking for historical relics and buys
-Eating popcorn, red licorice, and drinking either Tab or Coke Zero.

There, I've done my bit for blogging. Love reading everyone's blogs, they are so enjoyable! Had to do a little bit myself, thought this would be fun. Love to all family reading Dad's blog, and wonder how close I actually got to some of his 3 top things? It'll be fun to find out!

The Unprofitable Servant

2007-04-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

Luke 17:5 "And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith...6. But which of you having a servant, plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8. And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird theyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9. Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do."

I love these verses. I have wondered if the parable that the Savior next shared, was meant for the apostles not then, but for years later, when they would be all alone. All the apostles met a martyrs fate. I can see a discouraged Peter or James or any of the other twelve sitting by a fire on a lonely Roman road. As the embers dimmed he would remember what must have seemed like long ago when he heard the Savior say these words,

"But which of you, having a servant, plowing or feeding cattle will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?"

He would remember all that the Savior had done, "plowing and feeding cattle," planting gospel seeds, establishing the church and blessing peoples lives. He would remember the close of the Saviors ministry- did he rest? No, "make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thyself and serve me..." He would remember how the Master Servant knelt before him, washed his feet at the final supper and broke bread at the last supper. Tears would roll down the apostle's cheek as he remembered the night of suffering by the Servant of all mankind at Gethsemene and the cross on Golgotha, "which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain , and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit- and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink-

Again he would remember the words spoken long ago,"9. Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."

When men hire employees or "servants" it is to make a profit. No one wants to be an "unprofitable servant." But the Savior wanted the apostles and us to remember his atonement. When we make the atonement part of our life our faith will increase. There is no service that we can render, no work we can do, that will ever compensate for Christ's atonement on our behalf individually and collectively. Thus we are all "unprofitable servants" in a positive way.

King Bengamin said, " I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitables servants. And behold, all that he requres of you is to keep his commandments...therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you."

Have a great week! Don't trip on a conker Eric

This is for Shannon, sorry its a little long- The Little Red House- Craftsman Style House

2007-04-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my life when I was quite into house styles. Ann and I very carefully studied our home and it is built quite accurately as a Georgian Home from the 1700's. My office which was built in 1886 is an Italianate, a victorian style. Certain style homes were built during specific periods of time. You are all probably familiar with "ranch style" homes which were popular during the 50's and 60's. Then there are homes that have no particular style. Its hard to peg new homes today. Not that they aren't great but the styles seem to get mixed up.

Anyway the Little Red House is what is called a "craftsman" style home. This style was popular in the early 1900's. Craftsman style homes were built of natural materials native to the area. Thus The little red house is sided with fir shingles. The eaves are wide. (this is the area where the roof overhangs the house) It has what are called knee braces on the roof line which are designed to look like a beam protruding from the roof. They serve no structural purpose but are a classic design feature of a craftsman style home. Craftsman homes have large porches. (we added a porch in the front several years ago) Double hung windows are common. The design is simple. The little red house was built as the caretakers cottage for the barn which was a prune dryer. A caretaker was necessary to man the wood fired dryer to dry the plums. The caretaker that live here was "Willy." Kind of like "Billy." There are not too many barns with a huge chimney. The red house was built when the barn was built around 1920. At one time Salem was the "Prune Capital" of the world. There are not too many of these old prune barns left which used to number in the hundreds around Salem. Ours is one of the best preserved. The workers would write their names and the years they worked above the dryer doors that are still there. Mrs. Vaughn who passed away last year, has her initials with her first boyfriend when she was 12 years old with a heart around. The Little Red House is also a haunted house (a nice haunted) but that is a blog for another day.

Projects for the summer are to remove the old dormer that we added when we moved into the house in 1986. Remove the old porch on the east side.(overlooking the garden) Reroof the house with wood shakes. I just planted a white climbing rose to crawl up the south side of the house. When it is done it will look like a little gingerbread house. The inside is like new.

Last year we cleaned out all the brush and cut down ugly trees around the house opening everything up. Derek and I brought in several tons or rock and built a raised wall around the south and east side to make the lawn level and surrounded it with minature roses to flow down over the stone wall and flowering strawberries. Yes Billy helped too. We used the tractor to bring in loads of great topsoil from our soil quarry down by the creek, in the forest close to Mrs. Vaughns. There is a bend in the creek hidden by the trees where we can get great loam.

Derek and I planted Prickly pear cactus on the bank along the road. It gets very hot and dry on that south facing bank and the cactus should do great. I have a variety of prickly pear cactus that would overrun the Willamette Valley if given a chance!

The big project this summer is to cap the drain pipes on the little pond the red house looks over and let the water drain over the top. In other words, turn it into a waterfall. I am very excited about this. When it is done, when you come around the corner you will see a nearly ten foot waterfall pouring from the pond into the creek. It will look very natural. The red house is really built on a beautiful spot the front overlooking the big pond and the geese, the east side the creek, garden and barn, the west side the hillside with the horses and trees and the back with the little pond and soon to be waterfall. Billy is seriously lobbying me to tear it down and build a hobbit hole there, but I don't think so.

"Kaisa's Jewels" by Sigrid

2007-04-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

The biggest joy mom had during her last years were Scott & Kaisa. There was a gift store off of Commercial where they sold marked down costume jewelry and other children's toys.(for her grandkids) Mom would say she had to go in and check on what they had out periodically. But the way mom said it was typical of her delightful way of speaking. She would say "I have to go in and see about Kaisa's Jewels." She wanted to make sure that Kaisa had enough jewels, ha ha.

Red Horse chestnuts Obly, obly-onker

2007-04-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Obly, obly-onker
My best conker
Obly, obly O,
My best go.

I love Red Horsechestnut trees. I remember seeing them on the capital grounds when I was a boy. They have the most bright red blooms in the spring which you will get to see pretty soon. The nuts or "conkers" are spectacular. They are smooth and shiny and look like brown little agate or marble stones polished in a tumbling brook. Thus children in Great Britain would gather the shiny "conkers" and play a kind of marbles on a string and recite the little chant above before giving their best shot.

Anyway last fall I gathered some lovely Red Horsechestnut conkers from a tree I planted years ago and layered them in soil over the winter. I carefully dug them up a few weeks ago and to my delight they were all spliting open sending new little shoots. I gave Nate, Annelisa's friend a couple of conkers to take to his dad in Colorado last Thanksgiving. We will see how good an arborist he is or if he should stick to back surgery. This is one of the Red Horsechestnut trees starting to sprout. I have about a dozen or so. I will carefully raise them this year and plant them out next year or perhaps this fall. Can you imagine swinging in a grove of blooming Red Horsechestnuts? Wow!

"They Must Use Cascade"

2007-04-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I found myself doing an unusual amount of dishes. Compared to many that is probably not a lot, but for me I found myself using the dishwasher maybe 3-4 times over a two day period. Usually its once a week. I reached under the sink and grabbed a bottle of "Cascade." If you don't know, Cascade dish detergent has been around awhile.

My mother Pearl Marie passed away early in life from lymphoma a type of cancer. She was 54. The only grandchild she really knew was Kaisa. Scott was three and Rebecca was just a newborn when she passed away. Mother loved Kaisa dearly. Kaisa was a great joy to my mother in her illness. Oh how she would have loved to have seen all her grandchildren and great grandchildren- you have no idea.

One weekend Kaisa was staying with Mom at the coast. Kaisa was always precocious. Mother and Kaisa were sitting at a nice restaurant in Lincoln City for lunch. Mom was with a friend and Kaisa as her "pal." Kaisa was probably all of four years old. Mother held up a piece of silverware and commented how bright and shiny it was. Mom said Kaisa then held up a fork examined it closely and said, "yes grandma, they must use Cascade." Mom would always chuckle when she told this story. Whenever I use Cascade I can see my little girl holding that fork up and spying it carefully. Whenever I buy dishwashing soap it is always Cascade.

The Missing Shingle, or Rescuing Rebecca

2007-04-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

I will never forget the phone call years ago. I was at work. Mom was apparently gone. Becky called me "Daddee pleaze come home quick. The Piggee is trying to eat us daddee, the piggee is trying to eat us daddee." When we lived in the little red house and were new farmers we raised pigs for our own consumption. We mainly fed them left over table scraps. However with eight hungry kids scraps were sometimes few and far between. In fact one time the butcher told me that we had the leanest pork he had ever seen. Anyway getting back to the Piggee trying to eat Rebecca. I left the office and bought a sack of dog food. Dog Food works as a substitute if Pig feed is not readily avialable.

I drove up to the red house and saw a couple of little noses planted against the window staring outside, Rebecca, Ross and Annelisa. On the front porch, next to the window was a big black slender hungry pig. He was right in front of the door. He saw me, grunted, "oink oink," reached up and grabbed a shingle off the side of the house and began to crunch and chew the shingle down. Now that's a hungry pig! When he saw the sack of food he quickly followed me to the "pig pen" down below the barn. I repaired it again. I imagine it worked till he was real hungry again. The Shingle is still missing to this day and I can point right to it. I always laugh when I see the missing shingle. "Daddee pleaze come home quick. The piggee is trying to eat us daddy. Pleaze daddee the piggee is trying to eat us."

Easter Egg Hunters I

2007-04-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Egg Hunters on the prowl

Scott and Elijah "hanging out"

Mary I mean Gretchen shows off her loot

Before the Big Easter Egg Hunt

2007-04-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Grandpa says that we will never eat Goose for Easter

Just think aunt Annelisa used to use this very swing

Paige and Liam try the zip line

These tulips smell good

These are the shakes for the new roof for the little red house

I miss my slide

Paige says: "Have a nice Easter everyone and remember grandpa says no goose dinner for us!"

What we do is important

2007-04-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ether 13:10 And that a New Jerusalem should be built upon this land, unto the remant of the seed of Joseph

There was once a father who lived in a remote mountain valley. Within this valley grew trees with the straitest grain and most beautiful wood in all the land. One day the father climbed the hillside to work next to his son who planted seedlings that grew into the magnificient trees. "I am tired father of trudging up and down these mountainsides and planting these seedlings. Most of them are dead the next year. Those that grow, grow so slowly that I will never see them very tall."

The father visited his second son who felled the mighty trees along the mountainside and hauled them to the mill in the valley. "Father why must I spend all my days cutting down these trees? My back is sore and my legs aches. My friends can do what they want. Why must I do this work?"

In the mountain valley the father visited his third son who worked in the mill. "Father it is loud and hot. This work is so tedious. Is there something else I can do?"

The next day the father took his sons to the top of the mountain in whose shadow the valley lay. He carried a telescope and carefully focused it. He invited each of his sons to look. As they gazed they saw in a land far away a beautiful city in the center of which was a beautiful temple with spires rising high into the sky and other temples rising from the ground. "What is it father?" they exclaimed. "It is a city built for our God. The wood from our trees is building that city and those temples."

The sons went down from the mountain top to their work. They retained a vision of that magnificient city and temple in the far away city. When the first son planted his seedlings he said with joy, "I plant trees for temples to our God." When the second son harvested the tall trees he declared with gladness in his heart, "The trees will be used to build the city and temples to the Lord." And the third son cut and sanded the wood with love in heart knowing what he did was for the glory of God.

TOP TEN LIST WHY I MISS DEREK

2007-03-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

10. no fishing partner
9. no one to get 32 ouncers (4 wheelers) for me
8 I can't figure out how to turn on the tv
7. I have to take the garbage out
6. Cat is meowing constantly
5. Derek: "I'll drive"
4. no one to help me plant trees
3. no one to go bowling with
2. Derek: "I like your blog dad"
1. Derek: "Lets go fishing"

Welcome Home Grandma

2007-03-30T22:44:00.001-07:00

Exciting Times in Utah

2007-03-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sally Really Wants to See Annelisa Too
Scott Loading Up
Come on Mom We Really want to Hang out with Annelisa
Scott Driving Between 12-4am
Annelisa Examining the Loot
Well we are here in Utah arrived at around 5:30 am. Annelisa excited about her new furniture. Several hours of sleep and off to Park City. I am typing from an internet cafe in Park City Liam's red dodge pickup's transmission went kaput. AAA has towed the dodge to Hinckley Dodge in SLC. Can't go bad with a car repair shop named Hinkley in SLC right? Anyway I have rented a car. Hinckley will fix and will fix the pickup by Monday PM. Scott and I will leave then and drive all night which we are very adept at doing. I will solicit Rebecca to pick up Ann and Derek.

Scott is up sking right now he is like a kid in a candy shop. I will post pictures soon. It could have been worse. It could have happened in Tapachula, or Morelia, or Cabo or between bend an burns, or between burns and boise or in Enterprise or a lot of other places. Look at the positive side. The engine runs great. Now we can go Bear hunting knowing we won't get broke down.

Grandama Please Come Home Now! I Miss You

2007-03-28T08:33:00.001-07:00

Hi Liam and Aerlind its Paigee

2007-03-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

"Hi you guys this is Paigee"

Luk Airlind an Liam at da nu tre dat granpa Toten has! Its a Wollemi Pine from Austrla where Unkle Billiee yur daddee liam went on his missin. It was discuverd in 1994 when unkle Derek was onli for. It is 250 zillin years olde. A manne fonded it in a canyun. Peepul tot it was extinctie. Granpu Toten seys it is mircle tre. Thar wer onli for tres luftin da hol wurld rit thar. Granpu Toten sur luvs tres lik he luvs his grankidies

ann

2007-03-27T18:18:00.001-07:00

my email is eolsen@olsendaines.com

ann

2007-03-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

my email is eolsen@olsendaines.com

Ice Country

2007-03-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mt Jefferson with Three Finger Jack in the Foreground taken 7:30 am March 23,2007 Friday

Ice is a strange thing. Jets don't have a problem with it, they go so fast that the ice doesn't have a chance to stick. They also punch up through the clouds fast. They fly high where there are no clouds and thus no moisture. There must be moisture for there to be ice. Thus clouds and freezing temperatures are a recipe for ice. Ice on airplane wings can do strange things. However certain types of ice is worse than other ice. The most common form of ice is "rime" ice. Rime ice is small even granules that form evenly over the front or leading edges of the wings and other parts of the plane. It is not uncommon to pick up a little rime ice either ascending above or descending below the clouds. Clear ice is entirely different. Clear ice is like the ice you see on your windshields, sometimes when you get freezing rain. It can form streaks. That ice is very dangerous. There also is what is called mixed ice. Mixed ice is a combination of rime and clear ice- it can get pretty ragged. All ice is dangerous, but the last two can accumulate quite fast. Since an airplane travels so fast through frozen moisture there is a potential to accumulate ice. What ice does is deform the wings and if care is not taken to get out, it can cause the plane to stall by the wings not being able to generate lift. The weight isn't the problem, it is the deformation of the wings that causes the problem.

I will never fly if there is clear ice forecast, or an ice storm. They are quite rare but that is a flat rule. If I encounter ice it usually quite easy to determine the rate of accumulation and also to fly at an altitude where the ice does not accumulate or fly above or below the clouds. Remember moisture or clouds are necessary for ice. Having a turbocharged engine allows me to climb high above the clouds ,and at around 1000 feet per minute, which for a small plane is pretty fast.

One time coming back from Klamath Falls I climbed up to over 19,000 feet to get out of the clouds. Usually I never have to climb that high. Last Monday afternoon coming back from Tri Cities I encountered light rime ice. I always report ice to the air traffic controllers I am talking to. It is mandatory. They want to know the outside air temperature, rate of accumulation light, moderate, or heavy and type of ice. They are very willing to facilitate a routing or altitude to get out of the ice. It is always a good feeling when you descend, when you get close to 32 degrees. The ice on the windshield starts to slide off like frosting off of a cake, then peels off the wings. Sometimes you will hear chunks hit parts of the plane as it flies off.

Say "Cheeese"

2007-03-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

Melida, Paige and Elijah come for dinner

"Time for dinner where's Liam?"

Paige gave a very nice prayer

Elijah couldn't wait for prayer

"I like spagetti"

Uncle Scott back from skiing

Visitors Today

2007-03-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

Desperate Geese

Scott

Dwarves

Why I Miss Master Ann by Sally

2007-03-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

10. She is always glad to see me
9. She gives me treats from the fridge all the time.
8. She is nice to Finn
7. She throws balls for Finn and understands when I am tired
6. She lets me sleep on the couch
5. She lets me go hunting with Derek and Eric
4. She sees that my hair gets trimmed in the spring
3. She says "good Sally" and pets me nice
2. She never yells when I am muddy from digging for gophers which is often
1. She understands me. She was there for me through all my babies. We girls need to stick together

Annelisa's New Furniture

2007-03-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

Anne Louise, "Can I go to BYU and live with Annelisa and her roommates? Pleeease?"

Elijah, "I want to go too I'm bored in Corvallis. I think the BYU chicks would find me irristable, don't you agree?"

Paige, "I would prefer to just stay with my grandpa."

Its Safer on the Island

2007-03-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

TOP TEN LIST WHY I MISS ANN

2007-03-23T23:50:00.000-07:00

10. "Good morning are you going to exercise this morning."
9. "Don't you think my new shoes are cute."
8. "You can rub my feet if you want."
7. "I am very worried about___________" (insert any child's name)
6. "time for prayer."
5. "do we have any ice cream?"
4. phone messages for Ann on message machine, "I'm returning your call about the boat I have for sale."
3. "Look what I made for __________" (insert any grandchild's name.)
2. "Scott needs a girlfriend."
1. xoxoxoxox

Why I Like Oats

2007-03-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

NICK

Nick: "I like oats because they are nice and crunchy and they make my tummy feel good."

GIBSON

Gibson: "I don't know, I guess because my Mom liked oats."

WINSLOW

Winslow: "I like oats because they make me feel good when I'm feeling down, you know the gelding thing. Makes me feel like a stallion. I also like searching for that last oat, the one that is in the corner of the trough that everyone else missed."

VANITY

Vanity: "Why do like oats? You know its in the scriptures, wheat for man, corn for the ox and oats for the horse." (D&C 89)

VISITORS TODAY

2007-03-22T22:26:00.001-07:00

Going, Going, Gone, Billy Wins the Auction to Rescue Scott

2007-03-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

I received a call from Scott yesterday afternoon at around 4:30. He had managed to lose my keys to the Honda sking, in addition to his wallet and cell phone. He had probably been too excited to get going in the morning and forgot to zip up his pocket. I couldn't get angry because he was talking to the orignal key loser in the world. The key has an electronic chip so a locksmith is no good. I went home and found the valet key which will work. Scott calls and I tell him I do not want to drive to Mount Hood Meadows. Well, Jeff his friends mother can go. "How old is she" I ask, imagining I was sending some 90 year old lady up to the mountains in the dark, noise in the background, Scott, "she is in her 40's" "Well she is younger then me, I am in my 50's so she can go." "Okay" Scott says, "but she is not wild about it." Wade is next to me. "Wade do you want to go up to Mount Hood Meadows, Scott will give you $100." "Surrre" Wade says. I call Scott. Five minutes later Scott calls back. "I have a guy from work that will come up here for $50. (the rescue price is getting cheaper) "Can you pay him dad and I'll pay you back." "Sure." Ten minutes later, another call from Scott. "Billy is all alone and will come up and doesn't need any money. (ah hah thats the best bid yet) He will go down to Salem and pick up the key." Billy comes I give him $40 for gas and food. He turns it down, but I insist, I say to salve my concience since I am the father and this is a huge favor. Scott pulled in around midnight looking like Rocky Raccoon (it was a sunny day)

It's Wild and Dangerous Out Here

2007-03-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

The night before last I was laying in bed. I had the window open. I heard a goose honk- it was close to midnight. I awoke with a shock. Ann remembers. I turned to Ann and said, "that wasn't a normal honk that was a very scared terrified honk, something terrible just happened." Ann said, "go back to sleep and don't worry about it." Well I did worry about it.

Last evening Scott came up to borrow the Honda to go sking, a rather regular occurence. After he left he came right back up and said there was a dead goose down by the red house. I jumped in the car with him and went down to the house. Sure enough, there was a huge goose in the road. The dogs had pulled him out of the grass or whereever they had found him. They had chewed on him which is natural but they were not responsible for his death. He was just a treat. In fact when I brought him up to the house they slunk in the corner knowing that they had to keep far away from a goose. He was stone cold. This was the goose that had let out the terrified shriek the night before. It could have been a mink, perhaps a skunk or even possibly a weasel. A coyote is a possiblity but a coyote would have eaten him all down. My vote is for a mink. He was not a desperate goose. I think he had a mate. I will keep my eyes open for a lonesome mate. I am sorry for the sad news but it can be a cold hard world even for peaceful geese.

Let us not be too sad. He is happy now. Ann commented the other night that there is no sadness in the death of goodness only that they will be missed by those still here. He and his mate will again be together. He is in heaven, someday he will be ressurected with all the other geese and again fly through the skies.

How Not to Bake a Cake by Grandpa Tigner

2007-03-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

"I was about four years old. I had seen my mother and sister make cakes and I decided I would make one to pass the time. I got everything I had seen them use, like flour and lard, and lots of vanilla to give it a good flavor. When I went to get the sugar, I did not get the right dish; I got a bowl of salt instead. I like my cake sweet, so I put in plenty of this so-called sugar.

When my sister came home from school, my cake was in the oven, just about done. She saw the mess I had made, pulled out my cake, and went outside and scattered it all over for the chickens to eat.

My mother had purchased several Plymouth Rock chickens, which are grey chickens about the size of a Rhode Island Red. These chickens were always hungry. So here came these purebred Plymouth Rock hens which my mother was going to use for a big start in the chicken business, and they gobbled up that salty cake.

Then you know what happened. There was not any water around, and that salt killed the chickens. When my mother came home, her old hens and little chickens were upside down in the yard stone dead! I heard about that in no uncertain terms.

Comments

2007-03-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Comments can be nice. When I was in the 4th grade my dad with a group of other men presented a bill to the Oregon legislature that would ban raising crops with the intent not to harvest them, in order to attract wildlife. This was before our National Wildlife Refuges in the Willamette Valley. A man by the name of Glasser, between Albany and Corvallis had a huge duck club. Dad was convinced the reason we were having a hard time shooting any ducks was because they were all at Glassers. Glasser planted hundreds of acres of corn and left it for the ducks and his hunters. Dad thought it would be good PR if I testified in front of the legislature. And I did. My picture was on the the front page of the Statesman. However that was nothing like what happened earlier that day.

I went to school that day in a suit and tie I had for church. Dad would pick me up at school. Mom always tried to see that I looked nice. I was in Mrs. Boardman's class (some of you will remember her, she later taught at Brush College.) Anyway, there was a pretty girl in class that came up to me that morning and made this exact comment, "My Eric Olsen you look handsome today." As comments go that is the first comment I can ever remember. In fact for a long time it was the only comment I ever remembered. It is still is on my top ten list of comments. I remember it as if it happened yesterday. I have liked comments ever since.

Another Beautiful Day Years Ago

2007-03-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day like today. I had taken Ann to the hospital several times before for false alarms. We were in the prebirth room again when things started getting exciting. I rang for the nurse and in she came. Rebecca appeared early. She was slipery as a fresh caught salmon. It was just the nurse and me, and mom of course. "Look Ann its Rebecca!" She was feisty and sweet from the beginning. Later that night Rebecca's grandmother Pearl Marie came up with her uncle Lars who was around 15 years old and held Rebecca.

One of my sweetest memories was when she was three years old. We went to visit my grandpa and grandma Tigner. They lived in a care facility. Ross and Scott were with me. After our visit I was piling kids into the car and Rebecca was missing. Where could she be? I ran back into the facility. There was a line of chairs shaped like an L along the front window and around a wall. There were no less than 15 -20 old ladies sitting in those chairs. There Rebecca was traveling down the row from one to the next. She climbed on each ones lap and gave her a hug and kiss. She was half way down the row. She saw me and said, "Daddy I'm giving the grandmas loves." I waited till she was done with her appointed task and off we went. You could call it a type of things to come.

Puerto Penesco, Chola Bay and Jesus

2007-03-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

My family moved to Phoenix Arizona when I was twelve years old. Soon thereafter my Dad, my brother Dirk and I went to Cholla Bay, Puerto Penesco, or Rocky Point in Sonora Mexico. This is at the very northern end of the gulf of Baja California on the mainland side. We took our boat, the Lucky Lady to go fishing. I had never been to Mexico before. The tide would go over a mile out, so the local Mexicans had built cars on stilts with engines way up in the air to drive out pulling your trailer to pick you up, or take your boat out, since the water was so shallow. When you were ready to be picked up you would get on the radio and call a Mexican fellow named Jesus. It was my job to call Jesus. I felt kind of funny, "Lucky Lady calling Jesus, please pick us up Jesus." The driver would be paid a couple of dollars and that is how they earned their living. Driving to Puerto Penesco I saw houses built out of cardboard. Entire families were living in these cardboard shacks in the middle of the desert. It was like nothing I had seen before. One time Dirk and I spotted a stream of water shoot five feet high out of the mud flat. We ran over and dug up a huge clam. His shell is still in my office.

Horse Hay or "I need a metal detector"

2007-03-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

There is something about hay that I love. In the middle of winter you crack open the bail and you get a whif of spring when it was cut. I love to hear the horses neigh when I walk in the barn. They stomp their feet as if to say "hurry up and feed me Seymor." I bought 12 more sacks of oats yesterday. Now horses will do almost anything for an oat. I have the upper fields blocked off to let the grass grow tall so oats and hay it is for the next 4-6 weeks.

Back to the hay. We bought some hay this winter that was like no other hay I have purchased. Each morning when I went to feed the horse I would examine the horse trough for what was left over from the hay the day before. This hay must have grown up over an old barn because there was all kinds of old rusty metal. Here is a list of things I collected from the bottom of the manger. An assortment of tin can lids, various hinges of different sizes. Assundry collection of bolts including carriage bolts. One very old rusty can opener. Angle iron of different shapes and sizes all in a high degree of rusting. Enough nails to build a tree house for the grandkids (on my list) and other mysterious pieces of metal that must have come from outer space. (space shuttle debris?) The horse have pretty sensitive lips so this stuff just is avoided. It did make for a little more excitement in the morning. It was kind of like christmas morning. I found my self excitedly anticipating what treasure I would find that morning. I was hoping for gold bar but no such luck

NEWS FLASH! SWALLOWS ARE BACK!

2007-03-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

West Salem Journel Salem OR AP. Eric Olsen of Brush College reports that the first contingent of barn swallows has arrived from sunny Mexico back to their home at Swallows Nest. They appeared at aproximately 7:30 am this sunny morning swooping around inspecting eves and gutters and eyeing out nesting spots for the coming spring. The main contingency is somewhere in Northern Mexico taking their time. They will pass through L.A. on the way north passing by Manchester. This group, however, wanted a head start and were lonesome for Oregon. They will get the prime nesting spots. As they say "the early bird gets the worm." Stay tuned for more exciting swallow news!

More Sack Lunches: "Cornbread for Whitebread"

2007-03-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

From the journel of Ernest Robert Tigner, my grandfather, father of my mother Pearl Marie

"Dad was ninteen or twenty years old. He was downtown (Topeka Kansas) one day seeing what was going on, and a Salvation Army band was playing on the street corner. Dad got interested in the speaker.... Eventually my dad converted to the Salvation Army and he took off preaching in Kansas. One night in the audience was a beautiful young lady sitting there listening to him preach. After the services he met her, shook hands with her and passed the time of day. The next day this young woman was back...To make a long story short the young lady was my mother...Corn was a big crop at the time, since they could not raise much wheat around there, so the diet at my mother,s home was mostly connbread. Whitebread was a luxury when they could get the flower to make it.

All the kids in school packed their lunches, and cornbread was the staple item in their lunchpails. One day a new family moved in which was quite well-to-do. Lo and behold, the new girl, when she went to get her lunch, had sandwiches made out of white bread.

She looked over and saw my mother and the other girls eating cornbread, and she asked, "what is that?" And they told her. She traded bread with them, and the white bread was very delicious. They had quite a time trading cornbread for whitebread."

My 5 Desperate Housegeese

2007-03-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting time of year for Canadian Geese. There are always anywhere from 20 to several hundreds on the pond or fields at all times. Since we have lived here every single year, beginning in spring 1988 we have had an average of 3-11 goslings born. The average number is probably six. I have seen only one baby that didn't make it in all these years. Geese mate for life.

Thet are wonderful parents. If you figure each one of those goslings eventually got married and had babies and came back to visit it is easy to know why all through the winter we regularly are home to 100's and sometimes 1000's of geese. I kind of think most of them are related somehow. Certainly flocks of geese are families and extended family groups.

Anyway getting back to my desperate housegeese. Each spring at least one set of parents will hatch out its little family. They fly off together by July 4 and come back together before Thanksgiving. However around this time of year the parents will kick out the kids as they prepare to have another family. Up to a few weeks ago there was a flock of seven which was the five kids from last year and the parents. They have been very friendly towards me all year and not scared at all. Well now when I walk around there are pairs of geese everywhere. Last week I counted 7 pair on various parts of the property. Each pair had its romantic corner of the property. Then there are my 5 desperate housegeese. These are the siblings that have been "kicked out" by the parents. They wander around the yard kind of lost honking. I see what I think are their parents a little ways away. The kids are kind of lost- desperate like. Honestly this happens every single year. They haven't found love. They honk a lot more than normal. Anyway I am hoping they will find love this summer. I am sure they will. There are plenty of second and third cousins that come to visit and probably a new goose from up north. And romance among the geese is in the air- there is lots of honking going on down at the pond. I am hoping things go well so there isn't so much desperate honking in the air.

Barbers I have known

2007-03-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

I just got my hair cut. My barbers last name was Mattila- a Finish name. I asked her if she knew where her name came from and she did. It brought back memories of a certain time in Finland when I got my hair cut.

When I was six years old mom would put give me a couple of dollars and send me down to the grocery store on my bike. I would buy milk or cheese and then stop at the triangle barber shop. I remember my toes would not touch the ground. There were lots of magazines and especially comic books. Comic books were a spare commodity in my house. I was young enough that I was just starting to read and comic books were way above "run Jane run." I was careful to appear that I was reading although I didn't understand but a word or two. This I did by turning the pages slowly. Two, what appeared to me then old men were the barbers. There was always a wait for me to catch up on batman, superman or spiderman.

When I was fourteen and we had moved back to Salem from Arizona we spotted a barber that advertised haircuts for a dollar. My younger brother Dirk and Dad went to the barber. The haircut Dirk got consisted of a shave on each side of the head with a long length of hair running right down the middle. Back then in 1964 there were a few mohawk haircuts. Dirk had his mohawk although not intentional. When he came home he was howling. When he slinked into the house a neighbor kids saw him and yelled out "neat haircut." Wow that really did it. He never seemed to care before but the haircut really set him off. When mom saw him she told my dad to march right out and get it fixed. Well it proved more difficult to fix then they imagined. He came back with a butch.

My first haircut in Finland was my most memorable. I was in Turku Finland. My companion and I walked into the barber and lo and behold it was a woman- actually a young girl my age. Not any girl but a beautiful girl. I had no idea that girls cut hair, it was a new thing for me- in fact in Finland the only barbers were women. For the next half hour I was worried I was breaking the mission rules. After that experience I was careful that my barber was an older woman.

Sack Lunches

2007-03-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

One of the most pleasant things about life is sack lunches. First it is nice to know there is food sitting somewhere close by. One less thing to worry about. But what makes sack lunches especially neat is when someone else makes them for you. When I was 10 years old I would take a sack lunch on the bus to the berry or bean field. Mom would make the lunch. It was always exciting to see what was inside the sack. when you make it yourself its not quite the same. I would purposefully not look into the sack until I was near the berry field. Then I would rifle through it. Mom would put a can of pop in the freezer for an hour and then she would wrap it with newspaper and put it at the bottom of the sack. If things were perfect it would be a cold slush when I used the can opener at noon. A can opener was always inside the sack. Dad was not above making lunches either. He would make the cheese or peanut butter extra thick. Peanut butter was the standard fare. It is always fun to have extra little things in the lunch. Half a banana, sliced apple, cookies, you know. I make lunches now for Derek who will be 17 this week. He likes things a particular way. When I make the lunch I think about what he will think when he opens it. Never miss an opportunity to make a sack lunch for someone else. The quality of sack lunches is not strained it blesses him that makes it and him that eats it.

Memory of a close call

2007-03-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

I flew down to Roseburg yesterday to pick up a wrongful death case. When I approached Roseburg 10 miles north at around 4500 feet I heard over the radio another plane taking off coming my direction. Sure enough I saw him early and he was heading directly for me perhaps 2 miles away. I turned to my right. Seattle center called him and warned him about me but I had already set off to the right. Years ago out of Roseburg I heard another plane talking to Seattle Center. I knew a plane was in my vicinity. I carefully scanned the sky and saw a Mooney descending. My first thought was that we were lined up directly to collide. My second thought was that if I did not turn that instant I would be dead in about 3-5 seconds. I immediately banked hard to the right and my heart began pumping like mad. I called on the local frequency and asked if the plane coming into Roseburg had seen me. He called back and said he had looked up out of his window and saw the belly of my plane in his left window. He was breathing hard. He said he was putting his lunch away. He thanked me for saving his life. The next Monday we had a huge bouquet of flowers delivered to the office. There was a note from this pilot. It simply said "nice bank Eric- thanks again" After that I invested $5000 in a little instrument called a TCAD or traffic collision avoidance device. It gives a signal and alarm when a plane is three miles away or 2000 feet above or below me. It is not 100% but it does go off on occasion. Most of the time I won't even see the plane that sets off the alarm. The skys in Oregon are generally a lonely place. Lots of room with no company around. A collision in the air is about as bad a thing that could happen. There is no room for error. There are no fender benders in the air

Moroni 10:25

2007-03-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last several years studying Moroni in the Book of Mormon. He wrote a total of 527 verses. This is the introduction to my papers for those that are interested:
The One Among You that Doeth Good:
Moroni’s Hidden Witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Short Study of Moroni 10:25 2.18.07 revision
Eric W. Olsen
"But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known." (Mosiah 8:17)

Introduction

Moroni 10, the final chapter of the Book of Mormon, is best known for Moroni’s promise in verses 4-5. Yet, more insights can be found in the verses that follow this beloved promise. For instance we find Moroni’s description of the gifts of the spirit in verses 9-16. He culminates with a provocative statement regarding a time when the gifts of the spirit would not be found upon the earth. We know verse 25 to be important because in the immediately previous verse, he broadens his exhortation to include the, "ends of the earth":

24. And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth- that if the day cometh that
the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall because
of unbelief.
25. And wo be unto the children of men if this be the case; for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God (italics added)

President Ezra Taft Benson said this of the Book of Mormon authors:
if they, saw our day, and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day of age? Joseph Smith taught regarding his study of the scriptures, "I have a key by which I understand the scriptures. I enquire, what was the question which drew out the answer.... To ascertain its meaning, we must dig up the root and ascertain what it was that drew the saying."2

With this advice in mind, I will examine Moroni 10:25. This is commonly read as a general maxim. If a person does good he is working by the gifts and power of God. Using President Benson’s advice and Joseph Smith’s key, can verse 25 be read in a different, more probing manner? I will analyze the particular words and phrases in verse 25 and compare them with like words or phrases in Moroni’s other writings. These scriptures will be examined in order to determine if there is evidence to show that Moroni, also wanted the reader to refer to the Prophet Joseph Smith as, "the one among you that doeth good." A close review of the gifts of the spirit in Moroni 10: 9-16, evidences of doing good in Moroni 10:25, will determine if Moroni intended them additionally to serve as a witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The language Moroni used to describe these gifts will be compared to writings by other Book of Mormon authors that testify of the latter day prophet. Then Moroni’s writings will be analyzed in order to find evidence why he would interweave a hidden testimony in his final words.
Avraham Gileadi explained regarding Book of Mormon study:

As we pursue the truth, ought we not try to determine all that the prophet-writer
intended and not limit ourselves to less? The prophet knew what he meant and he
imbedded the meaning in his writings. In characteristic fashion, moreover, he left
ample clues to discover his meaning by our "searching" the things he wrote.3

Landing on an aircraft carrier

2007-03-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Mom and I flew down to visit Kaisa, Matt, Katia and Arlyn this past weeked. It was wonderful spending time with two sweet grandaughters and Kaisa and Matt. We went in a "submarine," Arlyn was intrigued by the fish. Maybe she will be a deep sea explorer some day! Mom and I flew into Catalina Island Friday morning then I flew back to Santa Monica to pickup the Janzens around 4 to be back on the island by 5 when the airport shuts down. The airport on Catalina Island is interesting. It is the top of two mountains that were shaved off. It is called the airport in the sky. We went down ( I mean down to to California) at around 15,000 feet with oxygen. We were very lucky as we had tailwinds going down and tailwind coming back up. Took just under 4 hours in the 210 at 12,000 feet coming back. Since I had Mom on board we went via Red Bluff then direct to Salem. Direct from Santa Monica usually takes us right over the back of the cascades just east of Shasta and west of K falls. She spent her time knitting a birth day present for a birthday coming up. The skys were clear and weather was beautiful. We got home in time to see Derek off to Pizza hut. Mom said that next time we go to Catalina we will sail into the harbor. We shall see.

test

2007-03-04T16:42:00.000-08:00