October 20,2017- Scottish Boarders and Home

Greetings All,
We decide to try and get one more historic site on our way home.The ride down the Scottish Boarders is my kind of drive. Secondary roads with little traffic to the last site we hope to visit. It is very over cast but Mother Nature co-operates and we get our last site in Jedburgh Abbey. Towards the middle of the 9th century ,when the area was part of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria there were two Gedworths as they were known then. The southern one has long disappeared and the only mention of it is with a burial  of a assassin of William Walcher a Bishop of Durham.

 In 1811 Prince David established a foundation of canons regular to
the order of St Augustine before ascending to the throne. It started out as a priory, then a monastery and in 1147 a full fledged Abbey to the Virgin Mary. The nave and choir were built in the 13th century and continued to grow in stature and importance.  During the Protestant Reformation the monks were allowed to stay  but the abbey became a Kirk (church ) to the reformed religion. We are able to climb up to what would have been the second floor of the Abbey and get a good view down to the ground floor.

In in its time it must have been a most impressive Abbey based on the ruins we see today. Sadly in 1671 the abbey started to fall into disrepair with the movement over to the western part of the nave. The situation continued until in 1871 the Abbey was no longer considered safe for worship. The Marquis of Lothian started repair work but in 1917 it was handed over to the state and is now in the hands of Historic Scotland.

We now are on our final journey home and I enjoy the rather quiet roads until we have to hit the motorway  on the last bit of our journey. Mother Nature finally gives way and the heavens open. We are

now on the motorway and I have quite a few "Holy Shit" moments. I feel for Fred as I am sure I don't make his driving experience any easier. We do stop at a Tebay a rest stop that has a shop that sells produce from the area. We pick up some venison and pheasant to enjoy at home.
If you do decide to visit Scotland and are in the area for a short time I recommend that you take advantage of a Historic Scotland Explorer Pass it is well worth the money and a great saving, we certainly got our moneys worth out of ours.
We hope you have enjoyed this segment of our travels . So till our next adventure,

Ta Ra

Sandy & Fred.

October 19,2017 - Exploring The Lothians - Scotland

Greetings all  ,

We have a good start after a nice breakfast so that we arrive when the palace opens.  Our first stop of the day is Linlithgow Palace. The palace was one of the principle residences of the monarchs of Scotland during the 15th and 16th centuries.The picture on the right is of the Gate Entrance to the grounds built by King James V around 1533. The engravings in the gate are the 4 orders of chivalry which King James V belonged to, The Order of the Garter, Order of The Thistle, Order of the Golden Fleece and Order of St Michael .

In 1424 a great fire partially destroyed the town of Linlithgow and King James I started rebuilding the Palace as a grand resident for Scottish royalty as well as the Church of St Michael. Over the following century the Palace developed into a formal courtyard structure with significant additions by King James III,IV and V . Mary Queen of Scots was born here in December  1542 and occasionally stayed here during her reign .
The Duke of Cumberland's army destroyed most of the palace by burning in January 1746. We spend only a hour here exploring a picture taking as it is a true ruin. We also have a quick look in St Michael's Church which is still used as a place of worship today.


Our next stop is Blackness Castle built by Sir George Crichton Lord High Admiral of Scotland in the 1400's on the Forth River. It served as a residence to Sir George as well as a prison until he handed the Crichton lands including the castle over to James II  of Scotland in
1453 and has been crown property ever since. Known as the Ship That Never Sailed because of  boat like shape. We spent a good couple of hours here exploring as the castle is largely intact.

 The picture on the left is of the great hall that was in the residence side of the castle. Strengthened in the mid 16th century the castle became one of the most advanced artillery fortifications of its time.
A century later it fell to Oliver Cromwell's Army . It again served as a barracks and prison and was a ammunition depot until 1912. During the First World War is was used by the army for a brief period of time.  From the pier we get a great view of the Firth of Forth Bridge as pictured on the right.

Our last stop of the day  is Craigmillar Castle. Building started in the late 14th century and continued into the 15th and 16th centuries. The castle was a prison for he younger brother of James III and is best known as a retreat for Mary Queen of Scots. A proposal to renovate the castle for the use of Queen Victoria in 1842 was put forth but nothing came of it. Victoria did visit the castle in 1886 were much restoration work has been done by the current owner Walter Gilmour. From the upper tower you get a fantastic

view of Edinburgh Castle as pictured on the right. This was taken with my camera on it telephoto lens .  Also they are building a movie set on site for the filming of a British production of medieval time but we do not find our what the film will be called. The last picture is one of the constructed peasant hut. It was interesting to watch as the workers used some of the old ways of building to make the hut and walls around the little village look authentic.

We have enjoyed a full day and head back to the hotel for some refreshment then dinner at the mall. Tonight we head out to Pizza Express  and enjoy a leisurely dinner before head back to pack for the trip home.

Bye for now,
Sandy & Fred

Oct 18-19,2017- Exploring Central & West Scotland

Greetings all,

We are having a mini  mid week break away to Scotland as we have points on our Mercure account the we want to keep current  and not lose  them for our trip to Spain next year. I have wanted to do Stirling Castle so we book a Mercure Hotel in Livingston which is central to what we want to explore. Our drive up is a mixture of secondary roads and highway and we check late in the afternoon and take a a stroll . It turns out our hotel is basically across the street from a large outlet mall that also has a number of eating places. Our first night we have booked our meal in which allows us to plan our two days of exploring.

We are up and out reasonably early as most sites do not open until 10:00 AM. Our first stop of the day is Inchmahome Priory on Lake of Menteith. A 7 minute boat ride to the island . Founded in 1238 by the Earl of Monteith, Walter Comyn for a small community of the Augustinian Order (the Black Canons) .  The priory has recieved many notable guests ,
King Robert the Bruce, Robert the II and Queen Mary. The decline of the monasteries and priory where hasten by the Scottish Reformation and land falling into secular hands. Much of the 13th Century  structure remains and this is what we visit today. We also walk around the island  taking in the sights. While here we purchase a 3 day pass which allows us to visit Historic Scotland  with a great savings.

Our next stop is Stirling Castle.Pictured on the left is Robert The Bruce that is just outside the castle walls. Stirling is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland both historically and architecturally . Sitting at the top of a crag it is surrounded by cliffs on three sides giving it a strong defensive position and until the 1890's was the furthers downstream crossing of the River Forth. Most of the castles primary buildings date from the 15th and 16th centuries with the outer walls dating from the early 18th century.  Before union with England the castle was home to many Scottish Royalty and served as  much as a palace as well as a fortress. Many monarchs were crowned here including Mary Queen of Scots in 1542. Many were born or died here as well. The castle also has a tumultuous history with war seeing it change hands many times between the Scottish and British. We spend a good three hours exploring the castle and palace.
They have volunteers dressed in period that welcome you and explain bit about what happened  during Mary Queen of Scots reign . The picture on the right is of the great hall in the palace. The roof  has been recently repaired due to wood rot and woodworm using the old ways of construction. It is a very impressive bit of construction  especially when you consider the time it was built. We have had a full day exploring and head back to out hotel for some refreshment and a bit of rest before heading out to dinner. A leisurely stroll over to Wagamama a Japanese restaurant.
To see more pictures of our day out check out my Facebook wall (Sandy) as I have posted many more here.

Cheers,
Sandy & Fred

Aug 4th - 13th - Exploring the North, Edinburgh Scotland and Home

Greetings All,

Today we headed off early to drive into Yorkshire to explore Fountains Abbey and the City of York. Construction of Fountains Abbey began in 1132 when a group of 13 disaffected monks from St. Mary's Abbey in York came to this wild wooden valley in search of a simpler and more devout life. Prayer alone could not sustain the newly founded monastic community so the monks sought out lay brothers skills as shepherds, tanners, masons and brewers to help build the abbey's wealth. By the mid 1200's the abbey became one of the largest and most powerful religious houses in the country. It was one of the leading producers and exporters of wool the main source of its wealth. So much for a simpler life style.

The abbey operated for 407 years until 1539 when Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries.

We spent a good couple of hours exploring the Abbey and the grounds surrounding the Abbey. These grounds are part of Studley Royal an estate that John Aislabie, a politician that fell from favour, created. His son William managed to buy the ruins in 1767 so it became part of the gardens. William kept his fathers formal designs but added wild wooded and picturesque walks. Today, the Abbey is a Grade 1 listed building and is owned by the National Trust, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

From the Abbey we head into The City of York. The city was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. It is a historic walled city though we have never walked the walls and did not do it on this visit.

The picture on the left is part of the ruins which we passed on our way into the city proper. We head up to York Minster for a look inside but the kids pass on entering to explore as the charge is quite expensive. It has been a while since we have visited and I don't remember that there was a fee to enter. As we are walking around the grounds we come upon stone masons who are using the old way of making new gargoyles to replace those that are badly damaged or crumbing with age. Picture on the right is a new construction and below it

on of the weathered figures on the church itself. It is fascinating to watch them chip away at the stone but I am rather surprised that a couple of the masons do not have protective eye gear on. Health and safety doesn't seem to be a issue. We next entered an area called the Shambles the oldest street in York. The overhanging timber framed buildings date back to the 14th Century. Once know as The Great Flesh Shambles because of the butchers that lined the street. In 1872 there were 25 butchers along the street, sadly today there are none. The shops have been replaced with souvenir sellers, bookshops, treat, bakery and clothing stores. We found a quaint little pub off the main street down a little alley way and stopped for some refreshment and a bit of a rest before heading back home.



The morning of the 5th was wet so we relaxed at home. It brightened up in the afternoon so we headed into Crosby for a walk along the beach and to show the kids Antony Gormley's sculptures "Another Place". Iron Men have been placed along the beach at various different levels and mark the levels of tide when the water is in. Some men are completely submerged when the tide is in. The men on this visit have been dressed in shirts some with ties and hats. Check out my Facebook page for pictures.


The 6th saw us heading back into Wales. This time to visit a castle at Denbigh and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Denbigh Castle was a fortress built following the 13th Century conquest of Wales by Edward I. Built in two phases the first in 1232 then the second after a attack in 1294 by Madog ap Llewelyn. There were redesigns made and the result was the most architecturally sophisticated gatehouse of the thirteenth century. Denbigh really is a ruin with little to see except the gatehouse is still in place. We opted not to pay the entrance fee as you can see what remains from the gatehouse. Another ruin for Mitchell though not very exciting and a one and done for us as we have said we should visit the site before. We now headed off to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a site we had wanted to take the kids to on our previous visit to Wales but ran out of time.

The 18-arched stone and cast iron structure took ten years to design and build and was completed in 1805. It is now the oldest and longest navigable aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest in the world. The aqueduct was built by Thomas Telford and William Jessop. Pictured on the left is Amanda and Mitchell at the beginning of the walkway along the aqueduct.

The next two days were spent getting ready for our trip to Edinburg Scotland. Laundry which takes forever and then packing for our two night stopover. The drive up is all motorway or highway and I sit in the back with Amanda. I hate driving on the highway and am a terrible passenger and as a result I make Amanda very nervous. We stopped in Gretna Green for lunch and to show the kids were young English people used to go to the get married without their parents permission. Sadly, it has lost most of its charm as it has become so commercial with bus loads of tourist stopping. While we are there there is a wedding at the Blacksmith Shop were in the past marriages did take place. 

Fred and I get a silly picture of us while at Gretna.

Mitchell has cousins in Edinburgh and they invited all of us for dinner on our first night. His cousin Marjorie had also got us tickets for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo something we could not get as they were sold out online.

We booked into a Marriott just outside Edinburgh city centre and while out to get flowers for the lady of the house we discovered the tram stop is a short 10 minute walk for our hotel.

We had a delightful evening with Stanley and Marjorie and our meal was delicious. Chicken and leek pie plenty of wine and the most amazing trifle. A light version that was made with yogurt and custard. Stanley insisted on picking us up so we could all enjoy some drinks and we got a taxi back to the hotel. We left with new friends who Fred and I feel we have known for a long time that was how welcoming they were.

August 10th we grabbed the tram into Edinburgh. It was very reasonably priced at £4.00 each for a full day pass which allowed us unlimited use of the tram and buses. The tram stopped at Princess street so it was a short upward walk to the castle. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was also on and it was crazy busy on the Royal Mile. We recommended the kids explore the castle and arranged to meet them after a couple of hours. Fred and I wandered off to find a pub and a place to sit but were unsuccessful as everywhere is jammed packed. We checked out the whiskey store as I wanted to get some to take back and found the single malt that I enjoyed the night before at Stanley and Marjorie's. We then wandered though some shops but everywhere we turn there were the rudest Asian tourists. I feel for the shop workers as they literally destroy the displays and push themselves through everything. We headed back to the whiskey shop where I made my purchase then waited for the kids to return from exploring the castle. It turned out the lineup to get in was long but they did get in to explore. They sadly also had the same experience as us with the Asian tourists. We now headed down the Royal Mile and because of the fringe it was like running the gauntlet. It was crowded with buskers, people handing out flyers for shows plus people in general. We stopped and grabbed a quick sandwich then continued on to check out other sites. Once beyond the main area of the fringe it thinned out and the walk down the Mile was pleasant. We headed back to the the hotel for dinner and to get warmer clothes on for the Tattoo tonight as once the sun goes down it does get quite cool.



It has been about 40 years since Fred and I were at a Edinburgh Tattoo and this year the theme is all about the Clans. Our seats are fantastic we are right in the middle and at the bottom with only Amanda and Mitchell in front of us. The tattoo is fantastic. Guest performers are from France, Japan and the States.

The picture on the left is from the very beginning of the Tattoo when the clans and the heads are welcomed in with a dram of whisky. One of the clans was the MacDonald but I can't remember the other. We all throughly enjoy the show and the finale is awesome!!

It has been a great visit to Edinburgh and the kids have really enjoyed themselves. We took the tram back to he hotel and enjoyed a nightcap before heading off to bed. We were in no great rush so had a bit of a lie in and then breakfast before we headed back home. We stopped on the way to check out the Kelpies in Falkirk. Kelpies are a mythical creature of Scotland around bodies of water that can take on various shapes. The sculptures in Falkirk are 98 feet tall and represent the creature in its horse form. It is a cool wet day so the stop was a short one for photos.



The 12th saw the kids organising their bags for their trip back to Canada. We had a quick stop at Fred's cousins so they could use the internet to make sure all was right with their flights and stopped to pick up some nice steaks from the butcher for our last dinner together.

Bedtime was relatively early as we were to be up at 5:00 a.m. to get them to the airport.

We have had a great time entertaining Amanda and Mitchell and hope they have enjoyed their short time in the UK.

Now we need to plan our next adventure.


Cheers All,


Sandy & Fred

July 29 - Aug 3, 2017 - Company Arrives Amanda & Mitchell

Greetings All,

We are getting settled in the house now that we are home and prepare for our first company in our new home. My niece Amanda and her hubby Mitchell are coming. They arrive on the 29th and we pick them up at Manchester Airport in the morning. Once settled in at our place we relax around the house with them trying to stay up as long as possible so they can adjust to the time difference.

The 30th we head into Liverpool so they can see some of the sites and do a bit of shopping. The picture of the left is of them in front of a tall ship. Her Mom and family have all gone to Halifax (Canada) to see the tall ships and I tease Amanda saying see we have tall ships here. We wonder around town and stop at a pub for some refreshment before heading home. I am once again in my element with cooking for more then just me and Fred.

July 31st we are out relatively early and head into Chester so they can see the Tudor Style architecture. We walk around town then along the wall that surrounds the city. On our last visit large sections of the wall was closed  off for renovations. Today it is all open and
we walk quite a distance. We stop for lunch in a pub that Fred and I have frequented before where the food and service was good. Today the service is terrible and they mess up our order. We do however get a free round of drinks thanks to the crap service so all is not lost. Tummies full we head into the Cathedral . On this visit there is a artistic display on of various sculptures. I call this one Kong come to Church. There are may beautiful pieces and some rather bizarre ones. A calve enclosed in glass and some scary skeletal creatures. Check out my face book page for some of the other pictures I took.

Aug 1st we head off early into Wales and Conwy Castle. Built by Edward I between 1283-1289 we finally get to a item on Mitchell's list.UNESCO considers the castle to be one of the finest examples of late 13th early 14th century military architectures in Europe. We spend a good couple of hours exploring the ruin with Mitchell taking full advantage and climbing the turrets to get some photos.
We have lunch in town at a quaint little pub. The food is very good and the staff are friendly . We now head off to Llangollen which was originally founded as a religious settlement by Saint Collen a 6th Century monk who built a church by the river, We do a quick walk through town then up to the canal to see the horse drawn barges.

 The canal is a navigable waterway that crosses the border between Wales and England. The canal was to be part of a larger scheme of the Ellesmere Canal that was to link The Mersey River to the Severn River although work started in 1795 it was never finished due to several factors. Cost, the introduction of the railway and the maintenance of the waterway. It was restored in the later half of the 20th century with the increased use of leisure craft. Pictured on the right is one of the quarter horses that is used to pull the tourist barges along a section of the canal. We are late in the day so see the horses being put in their stables for the night.

Once we are home the kids tell us that we can have a day of rest and there is no need to do something every day.  We wanted to take advantage of the good weather as well as show them as much as possible as this is their first trip forgetting that maybe they would like just a chill day.
Aug 2nd is rainy so we relax around the house and get some laundry done and a bit of food shopping .

Aug 3rd the kids have a good sleep in. Fred and I have a good chuckle as we are supposed to be the old folks but we are raring to go and the kids are exhausted. Mind you we have not really given them much chance to stop. It clears up late in the morning so we decided to head to Southport which is a short drive to walk along the pier and check out the main street . Southport hosted the British Open this year and a sculpture to golf is still up at the Town Hall. It has turned into a very pleasant day . We have a nice BQ for supper and then have a evening of playing One Eyed Jacks a card game that combines cards and a board. Of course it is teams men vs the women. The women lose but we have had fun.

Ta ra for now,
                                          Sandy & Fred

July 7th -12,2007 - Last Week Already !!

Greetings All,

After a day for rest from a busy long weekend we head of to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry better know as OMSI. The museum was founded in 1903 and has had five relocations due to eviction, outgrowing premises and  growing exhibits. Its current location on the east bank of the Willamette River. Our trip is involves a bus ride and two trams. Once in the city we do get a bit turned around trying to locate the second tram and it is amazing the number of people who have not heard of the tram line. Near the  tram stop is a number of small sculptures that show the wildlife of Oregon. The trip takes just over a hour and it is all

 part of the adventure for Paul as he is excited about the bus and tram rides.
He still knows what bus number we took with him and tells us when we chat with him on Skype. There are six themed halls as well as a planetarium a ultra large screen theatre and auditorium with a stage for science fairs. It is a non-profit organisation. All the exhibits are hands on and educational but we think s bit old for Paul. He is happy to push buttons pull ropes and touch the items they are allowed to handle. Pictured on the right is a picture of him pulling ropes that teach the kids about mass and displacement. He manages to get the heaviest weight right to the top by pulling down and squatting. Not a easy task as I struggled with two hands and walking away from the exhibit. We wonder around trying out the various and exhibits and then we find the shipping container exhibit. This allows the kids to load blocks on a container move it along the dump the blocks. A popular exhibit with the boys it seems and Paul waits patiently for his turn, A older boy calls Paul over and shows him how things work and they play together for a bit. So nice to see a polite young man take interest in a younger child and share nicely. His parents should be very proud. We take a break for lunch and once again the food offered is fresh made and a large variety. After lunch we head up to the second level to check out what is on display for the kids but it holds little interest to Paul except a large area to run around and left off some steam. We vist the container exhibit once more before heading home. I should mention there is also a submarine in site but there are height restrictions. Paul makes it over the bulkhead doors easily but he is just not quite tall enough to be allowed on. I am sure is three months time he will have the height restriction beat as he is very tall for his age of 3 ½.  The trip home is as exciting

as the trip out for Paul as he points out trucks, construction vehicles
 and buses we pass on route. I love what Portland calls seniors on their tickets. Honored Citizen ! Mom and Dad beat us home on this day and Paul is excited to tell them about his adventure.

Saturday rolls around quickly thanks to the long weekend before and we head off to the Farmers Market to pick up the kids weekly supply of fresh fruits and veggies a program that they have signed up for where produce from local farms is packed and they just pick up on the Saturday morning at the market. They get a good selection of seasonal produce that is organically grown and fresh.

The kids take us out to Christopher's favourite Micro Brewery in Hillsboro for dinner. Here I finally get a picture of me and Paul. I have busy making sure that I had a lot of
pictures of Paul with Grandpa but none with me. Paul continues to amaze us with the variety and quality of food he eats. He is not a fuzzy eater at all and will try anything. Hopefully this will carry on as he gets older.

Our last Sunday with the kids turns out to be quite a dramatic experience.
The day starts out normal with swimming for Paul and laundry, packing for me. Then it goes downhill . The kids have to go into work for a couple of hours and leave us in charge. Paul is down for his nap and all is quiet. Sitting in the kitchen all of a sudden there is a young turkey on the porch railing.

I get Paul up to see the bird as he is not asleep then call for Smudge their French Bulldog to get the bird. We then discover there is no dog around. I email the kids and ask it they took the dog to work them and get the dreaded reply "No". We chase the bird out of the yard then proceeded to search for the dog. I go into the neighbours yard and discover a dead chicken on the ground while calling Smudge, no dog comes and it is very hot out. The turkey mean while has wondered down the road to another neighbours yard that has another young turkey in it. We think nothing of it as we figure the bird must have come from there. The kids have now returned and the hunt for Smudge is really on. As it turns out Christopher let Smudge out earlier and never brought her back in a bit of a relief for us as we feared we had failed somehow. I tell Christopher about the dead chicken next door and he goes and checks and finds Smudge in the yard lying beside another dead chicken the far side behind the porch. If I had gone further into the yard I would have found the dog along with the second bird, turns out she broke through a rotten part of the fence and proceeded to kill the birds as they are hunters by natural instinct. Explains how the turkey came to be in our yard and the other turkey a few houses down.  Poor dog is now labeled the "Chicken Killer" None of the family is at home until much later in the evening. Christopher meets with the son to explain what happened and finds out when the parents will be home. They check out the fence and it turns out to be rotten at the bottom in a few areas as a result of how landscaping was done . In the end compensation for the birds was worked out after we had left and Christopher made fence repairs so Smudge could not get through. The only concern the family had was the kids being attacked by the dog. Christopher explained that the breed is a natural hunter but the kids where very safe as they would not have a dog that was a threat to children. What a way to end our visit drama all around but thankfully resolved.

July the 10th and we are off to Seattle. Christopher and Paul drive us up to the Marriott by the airport as Christopher has booked the day off. We do not fly out till the 12th but as it is a 3 hour drive going up in the afternoon the day before makes much more sense then getting up at a ungodly hour to get to the airport. I have my last bit of time with Paul in the back seat ,reading,playing and checking out the views along the way. Turns out the drive takes longer due to construction and the traffic is heavy so a good choice on our part. Once at the Marriott we get the Paul and his dad some supper so they can head home. I am very good with my goodbyes and hold it together completely. It is not until we are in the members lounge that I lose it when our waitress asks where we are headed and what has brought us to the hotel. Poor dear did not know what to do . I must tell you at this point that the snacks on offer in the lounge were not what we where used to in the UK but they did have a full half of smoked salmon. I am not a fish lover but I tried a bit of Fred's and it was the most delicious salmon I have ever had. I devoured a large junk , the Northwest Coast really knowns how to smoke.
Dinner was scallops which I do love done in a asian style so snacks and dinner was amazing end to our trip. We have a bit of a sleep in as we are 10 minutes by shuttle to the airport and our flight is smooth. We have ungraded to Premier Economy and I would recommend it ti anyone taking a long flight. Spacious seats, better meals with real cutlery . You even get a little menu that gives your dinner with two choices for your main. A little bit of class for the journey home. We have also booked first class for our train ride back to Liverpool as the tickets were super cheap due to a anniversary promotion Virgin had. Sadly there is a death a Milton Keyes and all trains are cancelled. We check and ours should be still available but sadly because of the earlier cancellations no first class service so we have yet to experienced it . The last Picture is somewhere over
Greenland form the plane.
This has been all about family and making memories and I hope you have enjoyed it .

Bye for Now,

Sandy & Fred

June 28th-July 5th 2017 - Fun Days with Paul

Greetings All,

Our routine with Paul continues with plenty of play and learning time. Paul has come up with a scheme to extend his time for going to bed. His mom tells him kiss and hug everyone then to bed for his story and sleep. Dad and Grandpa get a kiss and hug but he refuses to come to me and marches off to his room. Just as his door is to be closed for story time he says in a loud voice "Wait wait I forgot to say goodnight to Grandma " then run back to me for lots of kisses and hugs. This only gives him a couple of extra minutes but he seems proud of himself that he has developed this strategy .

On the 28th we head off to The Children's Museum. Founded in 1946 as a Adventure House It moved to downtown Portland in 1950 and had a pet library from which children could check out animals as well as interactive and informative exhibits . The museum also held regular arts and craft workshops as well as sports and other activities . It moved to its current location in March 2001 with a mission of  collaboration to create a transformative learning experience through arts and science. With 9 indoor exhibits as well as outdoor exhibits to explore.
                                       
  The first open area is all about health , with Grandpa
 and Paul brushing the alligators teeth. Our next stop was Groundworks exhibit and this was by far Paul's most favourite . We spend a good hour here with Paul  playing with the various shovels and construction tools. Sadly some parents just dump the kids to play and pay no or little attention to them. There are a couple of kids who are quite obnoxious and do not play well. We decide it is time to move on . Paul however does not want to leave so Grandpa has a few words with him. We leave but his bottom lip is trembling and I am thinking please don't cry . With promises to return again we head off to the waterworks exhibit and woodland exhibit. Paul is soon distracted with the puppets, tree's and playing with Grandpa. We have a brief stop for lunch and while the eating facilities are small the food offered is very good ,far better then what the zoo offered and is freshly made. After lunch we head outdoors to see what is being offered. Of course the first thing we come across is a large sand area with construction toys . Paul is once again in his element. As he digs in the sand he comes across a tiny. dinosaur . We manage to explore the maze before heading back in to explore the rest of the museum and return to the Groundworks room as we promised Paul.


 We get some more pictures before leaving . Outside Paul enjoys playing the piano and has a imaginary train ride with us on a model train that is also outside the museum . We discover the train whistle really works.
It has been a enjoyable day and I would highly recommend having a membership to this museum if you have young kids and of course live in the area and make the suggestion to the kids.

Friday is baking day as the kids have invited friends over for a Bar-B-Que on Saturday. Meaghan has a cake mix and we decide to do cupcakes. Paul once again assists me .He really enjoys cooking and baking which I think is something all kids need to learn   and starting young never hurts. Dessert is done both for tonight and Saturday . I do some of the food prep for the Bar-B-Que n Saturday.

Saturday  morning sees us off to Home Depot for a program they run the first Saturday of the month a building of various items for kids. Each time a child completes a project they receive a badge which goes on their work apron. This month they are making bug boxes , Paul and Fred are intently working on their project. Paul manages to hammer Fred's finger quite well and I try not to laugh. Paul declares in a very loud voice that is was Grandpa's vault as he wasn't paying attention. I get to paint with Paul once the building is done then we are picked up by the kids and go into the store for Fred and Christopher to check out styrofoam as a base for the pool. We have put the pool up but the yard slope downs it is uneven. Also in the shade so the water never really warms up. Christopher has picked a stop at the bottom of the garden  by the veggie plot and his hops . With a bit of router-tilling we get the ground level and move the pool so the kids can play in it on Sunday. While Paul naps I prepare the salads for the afternoon. I really miss entertaining and Meaghan is happy to let me take over the food preparation . Company arrives and we have a great afternoon meeting the kids friends and      

their son Nahor. The kids are very entertaining and really enjoy the pool as well as the sandbox. Dinner is a success and Christopher's home brew goes down a treat with the company who are beer drinkers.

Sunday as it is a long weekend there is no swim glass so we are off for a hike n the Hoyt Arboretum. The Arboretum is home to over 6000 trees and shrubs with 2000 species from all over the world, of which 63 are endangered or vulnerable. There are over 12 miles of hiking trails and we do a relatively short one 1 ½ miles one way. It is uphill hike but the
trail is a easy one. Paul and Fred enjoy a special bond and lead the way . We reach the top of the Arboretum and the kids head back down to get the car while Fred ,Paul and I wait for them to return. We purchase a snack for Paul and are entertained by a group of hikers.

The afternoon see's us off the the friends of Christopher and Meaghan's who we met on Saturday for a BQ and fireworks as it is Independence Day. We also experience a extra bit of pride as Nahor introduces us as Grandma and Grandpa to his friends that are already there.  The fireworks are scary for Paul so we head inside too play. We head home before it gets really dark in hope we can get Paul to sleep before the big fireworks go off. As Portland is close to Washington there are many illegal fireworks going off. These are more spectacular and louder then the ones available in Portland but Paul sleeps through all the noise thankfully..
It has been another action packed week and our time is passing far too quickly.

Bye for Now,

Sandy & Fred

June 23-25th - Bend and Celebrations

Greetings All,

Christopher and Meaghan have arranged a long weekend away for all of us to Bend to celebrate Christopher's birthday. We are off early in a lovely van that provides all of us will plenty of space. We head down to Bend which is located in central Oregon and take a route that follows the Cascade Range.  The picture on the left is of Mount Washington that we pass by as we are driving down. We stop for lunch at a micro brewery that Christopher has researched and wants to try. After a great lunch we continue on our journey and stop at a National Park on the Deshutes River to stretch our legs
and allow Paul to burn off some energy as well as water Smudge.
It is quite hot and there are a number of tubers on the river. It looks so inviting and I would have loved to be able to join them. Christopher takes a family selfie as we hike along . Smudge soon becomes tired due to the heat so we head back to the car and into Bend. Bend was originally a logging town but now is a gateway to many outdoor sports. There is a big beer festival this weekend and is one of the main reasons Christopher wanted to celebrate his birthday here.

We get settled in and have great rooms that are adjoining which give Paul a bit more space to run around and allows the kids to sit with us when Paul goes to bed. Fred and I head over to Walmart to get some liquid refreshment for all of us and pick up a swimming pool to take back for Paul.
We head out for supper but the place is jammed due to the festival so we find a different location and enjoy a very leisurely supper.

June 24th we are up very early and Paul joins us for a second breakfast as he has been up at 6:00 AM and already has eaten. He has another healthy breakfast with us , the kid sure has a hollow leg. We are off Newberry National Volcanic Park and are there by 9:00 AM as the weather is calling for high 90's and we want to hike before it gets to hot.

The area we explore is the Lava Cast Forest. The volcano erupted 7000 years ago and the forest was formed when the lava overtook old growth forest and then cooled to form casts of the trees that once stood there. The trail is a mile and is easily walked as it has been paved. It is really amazing the conditions of the casts given the age of the area and weather erosion that occurred over the years. The picture on the left is a cast of a tree trunk though it is hard to tell from this picture. Check out my Facebook wall to see more pictures . The area has new growth  and while dry the ground it is rich in nutrients. Mother nature always finds a why to get the most out of the land. The second picture is if the twisted trees that dot the area. To get the most out of the rocky soil the roots and trunks twist around to pull out the life giving nutrients that they require to grow. We spend a good couple

of hours taking photo's and exploring before heading back to the hotel. We stop to pick up some lunch for Paul and Meaghan as Paul needs to have a nap and Fred Christopher and I are heading into a beer garden at one of the micro breweries that has events going on. Entrance if free but we have to get a bracelet allowing you to purchase alcohol. Christopher gets asked for ID and I laugh saying he is 35 today. Bad Mom that I am he is 36 today  as he quickly corrects me. Thankfully they have cider as well which is nice and chilled as it must be in the 90's now. We share a wood stove cooked pizza and find a seat . There is little or no shade and I manage to get quite a bit of sun sitting . We meet a nice young couple who are hiking the area and they tell us about Smith Rock State Park a area to check out on our way home. We spend a couple of hours there with Fred and Christopher enjoying samples before heading back to the hotel. Paul has had a good nap and Meaghan, Paul and I head down to the pool. Paul has become a bit of a dare devil in the water and we have to watch him very closely. His lessons have paid off and he has become quite the little swimmer.  Refreshed we now head into Bend for Christopher's birthday dinner. The main streets of the town is closed down for the festival but we manage to get a good parking spot that is not to far of a walk. We have to bring Smudge as while the hotel is dog friendly they do not let you leave the dog unattended . This puts a bit of a crimp in our dinner plans as we have to sit outside to eat and it is very hot.

I never thought I would complain about the heat but it is almost unbearable. We get seated in partial shade at a very small table then move to a larger table that has some shade as well,however we forget the sun moves as it sets so we all end up in the full sun.  The birthday boy is pictured on the right. He is very happy that he has gotten to sample all the beers he wanted to.


The 25th sees us up early as we are heading home but are stopping on the way to take in some sites. Fred, Paul and I are dropped off at the High Desert Museum for opening time 9:00AM while the kids pack up the car for the trip home. It is great as we basically have the place to ourselves.

Opened in 1982 as a guiding principle of education and experience and is a Smithsonian Affiliate. We explore the main building which has a number of galleries with Paul. In the Hall of Plateau Indians I tell Paul that had I lived in the 1800's that I would have lived in a tepee like the one pictured on the left. He has no concept of time and now thinks this is what we live in now. trying to explain to a 3 ½ year old is quite challenging. We head to the outside exhibits and one of Paul's favourites is the Autzen Otter Exhibit.

The river otters are very playful and they seem to look at Paul . He is very excited telling us he's looking at me Grandma and Grandpa. We explore the outside exhibits which show life in the early 1900's and well as a Bird of Prey Centre. We are all done the museum by 11:00 AM and it is starting to get busy. We head out outside to contact the kids but they are already waiting for us.

Our trip back takes us into entirely different landscape then the one down. We are travelling through arid desertlike  landscape of Northeast Oregon. There are numerous farms along the way and I am amazed that they manage to etch out a living given the dry conditions . We stop at Smith Rock State Park located in central Oregon's high desert. We hope to do a bit of a hike here but the temperature is already in the high 90's

Given the heat we opt to do a short walk to get some photos and let Paul burn off some energy. Smith Rock became famous in the mid 1980's as a rock climbing destination and offers routes for beginners and experts alike. Even now in the high heat of the day there are a number of climbers Smith Rock and are just tiny moving specks to the naked eye. Photo op done we now carry on with our journey. We were going to stop at a mining site that the kids have visited before to do some rock hounding but the temperature outside has hit 110 F so we all agree it is far to hot to stop.  We stop in a small town at a Safeway to pick up sandwiches and drinks to eat in the car to continue the trip home. We slowly travel out of the desert region and into more reasonable summer temperatures We have one more stop as Paul is getting cranky with the long drive and stop at a rest area on the Columbia River. There is a nice breeze off the river and Paul gets a chance to run around . From here it is just a short drive home. We have had a wonderful weekend and seen some new sites with family.

Bye for now,

Sandy & Fred