After a windy and rainy week - the weekend is here again with temperatures in the 70s. So - we packed a lunch and set out on a quick Tour de Cure training. This was trip nunmber eight.
A short trip to Ibach Park, AKA "The Dinosaur Park" for lunch, playground time, and then back home. Three and a half miles. We're getting stronger!
Friday - April 25, 2008.
Check - Grass cut.
Check - Driveway edged with a hand edger to cleanup the line.
Check - Done.
Then - on Saturday, our new neighbor (new since December, but we only met her two weeks ago) cut down the maple tree that was growing up on/through our front fence. This tree was probably less than eight years old, and started by accident. When we first moved here, it was one of those accident trees, planted by some bird, and was less than 8 feet tall. We asked the previous neighbor if we could cut it down 2-3 years ago - and he said not to worry about it and that he would take care of it. Yeah - they were those kind of neighbors. Once a year yard work type neighbors.
This weekend, we had a brand new adventure. Mick was looking for something to do this weekend that would get us out and moving and something new. She found out about The Columbia River Orienteering Club. This is an organization that involves the sport of orienteering. To summarize the sport in a paragraph (there are lots of websites with more info if you want - here, here, here, and - or use your friend Google) the goal is usually to get a map of your course, visit all the control points on your map, punch a card with the card puncher located at the control point, then return to the start. You can do this as fast as you can - or you can just go out and enjoy the day and the course someone else has created.
This Saturday, the club was having an event at the Champoeg State Park. South of the Portland metro area, and less than 20 miles away - we decided to make this our next adventure. The weather forecasts were predicting rain and snow and cold weather, so we dressed up warm and dry. We arrived and headed to the meeting location. While we got registered and orienteered - it began to snow and hail. Soon it turned into a light rain. After a quick intro to the sport and directions given by one of the club members, we began the course.
We found our 1st control point with no problems. The control points are white/orange triangle flag type things. There was also an old CD in the flag with the control point number. Good thing too....because that 2nd point - well - Brian blew it. We took the wrong trail off the end of a parking lot, and ended up going and finding the 9th control point by accident. After a little better reading of the map - we found the 2nd point.
Soon the weather began to change for the better. The sun came out and we had a nice walk. Our course was a beginner level, or White course. So we could complete the course by staying on or near a walking path. Good thing too... since the course was just over two miles long, and the ground was wet and muddy. We saw lots of other people following their maps (the more difficult courses might not follow the paths) and they were often quite wet. We stopped for lunch near the halfway point.
Tegan checking out punch card
Brian with the map - the sun came out!
We found all the control points and had the proof! At the end of the course you MUST check back in with the organizers. If you don't - they assume you are lost on the course and send out the helicopters and the search teams. Not a good thing when you are sitting at home watching TV and see the newsbreak "Some lost participants at an orienteering event - news at 11".
Tegan with our finished card
While this was not a biking event for us - we considered it training for the Tour de Cure. We were building our endurance and stretching muscles.
What is wrong with this forecast? Snow in Portland in the middle of April? It is true! On Saturday, April 19, 2008 - we had snow falling. Just a few flakes and nothing would stick - so no snowmen this year. It did also hail quite a bit and that did make for nice piles of white in the grass. The weather forecasters also say we've got more to come in the next 24 hours.
Here is the forecast for the next five days for the Tualatin area - look at those temperatures. Last Saturday we had the upper 70°s and sunny days.
Compare the Portland forecast with the upper Wisconsin forecast. Sunny and 72°. I don't see any snow forecast. What is going on? Global warming in the midwest, and global cooling in the northwest?
Weather forecast graphics were provided by the National Weather Service in Portland, Oregon. I love their large graphical forecasts - called the Hourly Weather Graphs. They provide graphs showing predicted temperatures and % probability for other weather statistics for the next two days and more. The Mapped Observations are also a neat tool for seeing what the weather has been the past few days.
Happy forecasting!
So - have you ever visited a volcano? An active volcano? Come to Portland and we'll take you to see Mount Saint Helens.
Ten days later. A nice summer-like Saturday, April 12th. Temperatures in the upper 70s. The lawn has been getting watered - not by us, but by the spring rain. It needs to be cut again. And here is the chance - for rain returns on Sunday or Monday.
This time - I got out the edger. It would have taken a little longer than a normal, quick, edging job. Along the driveway, all the pine needles, dust, and dirt from winter had filled in the nice edging job from last fall. This is what is looks like now, after the job is done. I never think to take a before photo. You would surely be impressed.
But - the edger - a Black and Decker 14" Grasshog - just didn't want to work. This is only the 2nd edger we've owned. The first was also a Black and Decker. The difference is the feed of the cutting line. The 1st model we had gave out more line when you 'bumped' the spool cap on the ground. It worked pretty well - but the aluminum handle finally gave out and cracked after about 10 years. So the motor and mechanism still worked, but there was no way to hold it. We purchased the 2nd model - and it has an automatic feed - AFS™ Automatic Feed Spool - No Bumping Required! Centrifugal Force Feeds Line as Needed. Nice selling point at Home Depot. There are just too many options to choose from. Check out The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz for an interest take on this topic. How many different types of cereal, bread, or even Oreos do we need? 45 ways to buy Oreos!
OK - back to the edger... The AFS™ would be great if it worked. It just doesn't work (at least for me, the one I bought). I've looked at the mechanism to see if any parts have become lost or something is jammed. No luck - it looks fine. But it just doesn't work. So - to get more line to feed out - I have to open the spool cap each time. Much more painful than the old 'bump' method.
Live and learn. When this thing finally gives up (or it end up in the neighbor's yard due to a frustrated throw) - we must just go back to the 'old' technology.
Tired - but still standing!
Here is a link to a website that tests you on your geography knowledge. There are 12 levels, and you need to get a certain score on each level to continue.
On my first try, I only made it up to level 8. See if you can beat me!
You'll have to go play at this site....our blog isn't wide enough to show the whole screen. Besides - you'll need to have more room when looking for Whoknowswhere, Neverheardaboutit.
A completely different adventure from visiting OMSI, is a quick trip out to Silver Falls State Park. It is a state park with 10 waterfalls, a campground, a horse campground, and a day use area. This is the link to the official State Parks website.
I don't have any photos to post - because we haven't been out there since we got our digital camera a few years ago.
The trail to see all 10 falls is quite long, and one we never completed. Many of the falls are viewable with a quick walk from the day use area.
So - you've got to come visit so we can see a few more of the falls we've missed!
For those of you keeping track (or maybe you've subscribed to our blog via RSS, waiting for the next posting...) - it was the third mowing of the season today - April 2nd.
So - you are planning to visit us here in Portland, Oregon. First of all - we actually live in Tualatin. It is a suburb of Portland about 10 or so miles down I-5 south of the city. We used to live in NE Portland, but the commute to work for Brian and the cost of houses within Portland pushed us out. The closest house with all the features we wanted was found in Tualatin.
So once you arrive - either by plane and the Portland International Airport, or by train at Union Station, or by the Interstate Highway System - we've got to figure out what you want to do. The opportunities are endless! So - here is the first in a series of posts about some of our favorite things to do. Make a list of the ones you like
A favorite of young and old alike - the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry - is never called that. It goes by the name of OMSI.
OMSI has so many fun things to do - you should just go to their website and read about them. One of the added attractions is a tour of the USS Blueback. This is a real submarine floating out in the Willamette River. This sub was used in the movie The Hunt for Red October. Do you recognize it?
Connor even got to drive!
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