To Everything a Season...

And winter is here as most of you probably noticed by the white fluffy stuff you have outside. I know, more snow pictures, you'll probably all be wishing you could throw snow balls at me by the end of the post. But we're still excited that the snowy part of winter came to our house this year, usually we have to go hunting for it in the mountains. We've been enjoying it from the comfort of our own home for almost a week now I realized from the pictures. So this was our first round of snow last week when Mr. Tech was gone to Indiana for four days. A. Sus came and kept us company and made things ever so much funner.

First steps outside.


We had to sit Leroy some where, the snow was to wet. Of course big brother thought this was a great idea, and Leroy doesn't seem to mind either.

Collision, or maybe a rearender.

"If he can why not I."

It was great packing snow so Phi met his first snowman.

He wasn't to sure about that guy...

"here Mom I'll hold him at bay for you"

We told Phi to give the snowman a hug and he retreated across the deck to the door. Then he came back and wanted the snowman's hat..

He put it on his head and then gave it to A. Sus and gave the snowman this look...

"Ha, Ha I got your hat," or something to that effect.

Leroy enjoying the snow.

An Oregon Junco

Mr. Squirrel

Our finished snowman, as you can see he was a bit tipsy and had toppled within an hour much to Phi's delight.

So this was last Wednesday approx...

Saturday it was snowing all day and we drove around for the last time with out chains as we ran around town and up to Vancouver. On the way back we saw all the Semi's pulled off before the bridge as OR was requiring them to chain up by law.

And this was Sunday morning, we had to dig ourselves out and put chains on. Thankfully we had gotten some, just in case, the week before or we wouldn't have been going anywhere.

The main street on the way to meeting. It was very dry and would have been fine driving without chains if everything had been plowed. But OR does not expect this much snow in town so it took several days to dig every thing out. The snow plow didn't come down our side road until yesterday (wednesday) and farther out pretty much required four wheel drive or at least a tall vehicle with chains.

The meeting room, where only about four families made it this morning for a late and short S. S. followed by Lord's Table.

There's the swings by Sunday night, I think we had about 15 inches in the end.

This is going down the wheel track on our street Monday morning.

Phi trying to dig out his truck.

The masked man we've seen running around our house recently.

Snow laden Fir Tree branch

Winter Aerobics

Before

After
Ah, the satisfaction of a job well done.

Our icicles.

Yummy!

Oh no, our yard has been taken over by small snowman!

"What does this stuff taste like?"

Well our snow is working on turning to slushy puddles now, it's been dripping all night. Hopefully we don't have any flooding problems in the basement. We've certainly enjoyed it well it was here, hope you've had as much fun with yours.

Winter is here...

And it's actually snowing today!! This is not the typical Oregon winter therefore we enjoy it when it comes, even though it shuts the whole city down for afew days cause we're not use to it. They've been trying to predict when this storm would come since Thursday and had many variations. We actually were in Seattle on Friday for Nexus card appointments and spent a fun day at the Science Center with Dallas, Lisa and Bri, and the Mr. who all happened to have the day off too. We missed you Chatty hope your cold is better soon!! We spent a fun evening playing games at D & L 's and didn't leave until way late. Saturday morning we spent recovering at U. Phil and A. Mary's our gracious host and hostess's. We headed for home around 2:00 p.m. as they had predicted the storm to hit Seattle around 4:00 that evening (we were going to stay the weekend otherwise). We made it home with out incident other than very rainy weather, and once here with a cozy fire going and I kept checking the out of doors HOPING... (our storm was forecasted to start some time that night too) but bedtime came and still no snow, oh the disappointment. But this morning we awoke to snow blowing like we were back in Alaska, yahoo! It's been at it all day and finally stopped this evening leaving us around 3-4 inches of lovely whiteness and (since we're near the Columbia Gorge) strong winds that keep blowing through and ice as the temp is around 18 degrees. Not snowman weather, the snow just drifts every where and won't pack. Dad and Mom B. and A. Sus and U. AJ spent the day here and than went to the reading meeting tonight (reading instead of gospel since we didn't know who could make it.) We were one of the ones that didn't since we have a rear wheel drive and didn't get chains. Instead we bundled up and took a chilly night stroll, Phi had a blast attempting to brush the snow off everything and being pulled around in his truck. While we were out there we watched a guy in his mustang trying to get out of our street, revving and spinning and not going anywhere, killing the engine, trying again. He actually did make it out to the main street but returned in about 5 minutes and got stuck again so other cars couldn't turn on to the road. Finally after a lot more revving and spinning and back and forth he got as far as our house (about half a block) and said the cars out there were all driving faster than they usually did in good weather. When Mr. Tech suggested since he wasn't getting too far maybe he should leave the car and walk he said he was going to get it home if he had to call AAA. :0D He got it moving again and we could hear his poor engine for the next 15 minutes some where around the corner trying to get back home. So I guess it was a good thing we stayed home tonight. Anyway here's a few pix of our goings on.

My favorite, the Seattle space needle on a dark and stormy night from below.

Phi's favorite exhibit, water and toys.

There was an insect exhibit with some pretty creepy crawlers. Some alive some dead, this one was dead and it said he was from Peru! I didn't get a good comparison shot but he was about 3 1/2 to 4 inches long. The sign said some kids liked to keep them as pets, I couldn't stand the thought of one of them flying around,(it had wings whether it could use them or not I don't know.)

Have you ever seen a naked mole rat?? Now you have. They are the strangest thing I've ever seen, so weird and funny at the same time. They lived in glass tunnels and were constantly climbing over each other, almost constantly moving. Their teeth never stop growing so they had a block of cement to gnaw on. The guy there said they will actually gnaw holes in to it eventually, they just go and go and never stop it looked like. Strange little critters but entertaining to watch!

A few more strange critters, only these ones are cuter. Leroy learned to crawl, finally, at 9 months and is loving his freedom. Grampa joined him for this jaunt down the hall, he loves growling at Grampa cause Grampa growls back.

He just learn this trick this last week, pulling himself up in his crib. He thinks he's so cool when he accomplishes it. He stands there and hollers these loud "AHH, AHH's," loud and abrupt so that some one will come see what he did.

And here's our snow tonight, white and chilly.

Some icicles.

4 inches at least!

Phi in his 4x4. (it's motorless)

Well, here's it motor actually.

The wind is just freezing when it blows in your face. Phi had a great time in spite of it once I put this muffler around his head. He jabbered away happily from behind it with only his eyeballs peering out.

I'm listening to the chilly wind blowing out side as I type this and being thankful for our cozy wood stove. It is supposed to be freezing temps all week so maybe Mr. Tech will have tomorrow off, anyway we're enjoying our snow while it's here. Hope you're all warm and cozy too.

We are still here...

Every day for a week and then not at all for two weeks about evens things out I figure. :0) We had a great Thanks giving down in Florence by the coast although we never actually saw the beach. (LOL we were 10 minutes from it all weekend but never went there) It was busy and somewhat relaxing at the same time, if that's posible. We stayed at a very nice condo for the two nights we were there, wished we could have stayed longer, it's a great place. We were almost the only ones there as they're brand new condos that are actually on the market to sell but are being rented out on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, I guess because of the bad market for selling right now. They are fully furnished and the three bedroom unit we stayed in with J&D and Dad and Mom was selling for almost 500,000!!! seemed a bit high to me for a condo but I don't know houseing prices that well. The set up was great for us though. The actual Thanksgiving gathering was at a church, sounds abit unusual, but with forty people there it worked out great. Delicious food of course and way too much desert. (sigh) Deb brought those snickers she has a picture of and I couldn't stop eating them. I didn't get many pictures, too busy eating I guess, :0P we went out to Grandpa and Grandma's and tramped through the woods and then blasted away with a 44 (plug your ears) and 22's that U. Dave and U. AJ brought along one day and sang around the piano together another. There was a basket ball hoop in doors and ping pong and air hockey so lots to do to run off steam. That was most of our thanks giving, family, fun, and food not necessarily in that order. Mr. Tech switched every thing over to a new, faster, computer for me which is a good thing, only I still haven't figured out how to upload my photos yet so those will have to wait( if there's any worth posting). Must run the little men are calling.