Great Weather for this Time of Year!

So this past week the weather has just been incredible and I love that, seems like though that is coming to an end soon but it has been really nice seeing the sun. I was able to get out for a mountain bike ride with Stacie, road ride with some friends on one windy day and a couple of great runs with Shanti and Roxy along with a few rides on the motorcycle. The runs have been great, Shanti and Roxy, AKA the Girls just love getting out there, they start to go "crazy" when I start getting my running gear out and once the running shoes go on there is no stopping them. The good thing is that once we get back to the house they are so tired, I want to one day put my GPS watch on Roxy and just see how many miles she gets in on one of our runs, I think that she doubles my distance! Anyway, they are happy:) and we like that!

So the other thing with the weather was getting out on the motorcycle, it was cold some of those days but once out there it all just goes away! On Friday I got in about 125 miles on the bike and found some incredible roads that I had never been on and just incredible views.

Well enough of this, got to head into work very soon and looking forward to that as well.... Heading back East next week to visit with Mom and Dad for a few days and looking forward to that as well and seeing some friends back there that I haven't seen in awhile... Enjoy the weekend!

2007 is gone and 2008 is here

So we left for the Oregon Coast on New Year's Eve morning, the drive out was interesting for sure. Just about 40 miles West of Portland the road went from dry to a sheet of ice, we noticed that as we get behind a firetruck responding to an accident as we were following it up into the mountains. We were first car to be stopped going West so we got to see all the medics and firefighters responding to the accident and sliding around as they walked. Anyway we were able to get by after about a 30 minute wait but the remainder drive was nothing but a sheet of ice. We have studded tires and we took Stacie's Subaru and it did great, I never worried about us but there were many people that I think that was the first time they had ever driven on snow or ice.

Anyway we get to the coast in the afternoon and checked into our room at the Hillcrest Inn there in Seaside, OR. Great place too, I had been told about this place from my friends Nate and Katie and it lived up to its reputation.

We went out had some fish and chips and one of the worst service restaurants that I have ever been too, no kidding and I even had a beer there, yeah I know, I say that I don't like to drink in public but it was really fun:) Fact remains that it was the worse service that I have ever gotten.....After a walk on the beach and watching the sunset we headed out for a nice dinner and I hate to say it but I think that I was asleep by 10PM, I suppose that I am getting older and like my sleep....

We woke early, another walk on the beach and then headed up to Astoria and the surrounding area, great day again but it was another cold one.

We did all that we wanted to there in Astoria and hit the road driving home, much better drive back than the drive out the day before.

I think that Stacie and I had the best time out there, great to get away and we left Shanti and Roxy in the hands of our neighbors, Kevin, Lisa and Olivia so no need to worry about them being left alone here in Lyle!!!

So this is what things have come to in our house, the dogs are content to spend their time either sleeping on the sofas or on the bed. Roxy really seems to like to be wrapped up! The weather here has turned to rain now and not so much of the snow, I suppose that the grey above is something that we should accept and that it is going to stay this way for awhile. I did catch an afternoon to get out on the motorcycle, fun for sure, was snowing when I left the house but the roads were good. I took a dirt road as far as I could or rather i didn't feel like going any higher was a good idea. I have spent two days up on the mountain and had a good time, I will wait for Wednesday to get back up there.... Think Snow..

Stacie's Accident

Well I have to say that I am not the greatest at keeping up with this blog. Something happened in my life and Stacie's that was huge and that happened over two months ago and here I am now getting around to writing about it. As most of you already know Stacie broke her leg while windsurfing near the end of August, freak accident for sure and more freakish was the time that it took for us to get her off the water. I think that by the time that she got to the hospital it had been about 3.5 hours...... Long time..... So the injury was having fractures just below her knee resulting in getting surgery of some screws tied all together with a metal plate. (Notice pen marks on knee and leg to make sure that they get the correct leg for the operation) She has just recently starting to put weight on her leg again and is doing great. Her recovery has been about bending that knee and pool sessions with a list of different exercises to do and now starting to ride the stationary bike.

So in her spare time she has started to knit and is learning to play the guitar, I have learned how to be a nurse and I will say that this has brought us closer together than ever. She is one strong woman and I hope that her recovery goes as fast as it can!!!

Eastern Oregon Trip

So last week we headed out to Eastern Oregon to get away and do some backpacking and the trip was great. The plan was to go out to the Lostine River and hike up that trail to the high alpine lakes and spend the night there. Mileage on the hike in was about 9 miles but I can say it was a beat down. I went in with an out look like that we would be there in no time, I run 9 miles on trails a lot and thought that we would be there fast, that didn't happen though. We had about 3,000 feet of climbing to go up from the trail head to the lakes and it was technical hiking so the pace wasn't very fast and having on heavy packs didn't help any either. We got to the lake about 5 hours after we started hiking and I can honestly say that I have never seen a trail that was a dusty as this one.

So we got to lake and set up camp, we had looked around for one of those "Outside Magazine Cover Shot" campsites but just didn't find one that really would work out great. We get the tent up, have a snack and then Stacie goes down to the lake and comes back with some news. So we go down and she shows me this new campsite and it is incredible, great view of the lake and mountains so we head back up and grab our gear and move down there. I can honestly say that this was the best spot for a tent that I have ever seen....very nice!

Anyway we had fun, the hike out was long and dusty and we were both glad to see the car, hate to say that but I think that I am getting soft in my old age:)

New Toy

So as the last post said I did sell the truck and camper but I had found a used BMW motorcycle in Bend, OR last weekend and I wanted to go down there and see what the bike was like. The bike is a 2005 BMW R1200GS, it is one amazing bike. It has luggage already on it with hard side bags and the one on the top in the back.

I must say that at the test drive I was a little scared about taking it out, I had never ridden something this big before and I will say that I was blown away at just how this thing handled. Once on the bike you really forget just how big it is, it is tall but I don't think that will bother me. All that i can really say is this test drive made me want it even more.

The previous owner had done some upgrades and that helped close the deal for me, the hard bags are great, taller windshield, engine guards, heated grips, etc... They all make for one nice ride:)

So my only concern was to see if Stacie would ride with me, I bought her a helmet while down there and when I got home and she saw the bike I am not sure if you wanted to ride it or not, now she likes riding and it only took one ride for her to like it. We have been traveling around on it and I really like it when she and I go out for a ride.

It is a lot of fun to ride and I just want to be very safe while out there while riding.

Saying Goodbye to a "family member"

So on Monday we said goodbye to the truck and camper, it left with a great family that will get lots of use out of it. Ashley and Sheila Wegner from up in Washington came down and drove her home and I must say that it was a sad day seeing it leave.

Stacie and I traveled so much in that thing and had many adventures in it. It enabled us to see parts of the country that were just great and was a cheap way to travel. I think that if we had it to do all over again we would do it just the same way. We had been all over in that truck and camper and had made the trip across the US 5 times I think....... So I am rambling, great combo and that is all that I will say about that....