Shock & Awe

All Ski Patrollers have to renew their CPR and AED training every year. As lead trainer, Dave decided that this year he would add a realistic challenge and fun to the exams. Instead of just arriving and pounding on a naked, plastic Resusci Annie, he wanted them clothed. After cutting off a tee shirt, resuscitators will be faced with a bra which too will have to be removed to place the defibulation pads. I got to go shopping. If you are looking for a 34-36 A cup bra in any of the local St. Vinnies or Good Will, good luck. I bought them out. 

As I was getting another cup of coffee this morning, I looked out to see our maple stump covered with wood peckers. Of course by the time I could grab the camera and make it out the door without excited Chinooks, all had flown off but one female.

 A male landed on a nearby tree. 
 The rest are in the woods.
Nice awe for my morning.

Pink or Purple?

The rebuild of Ferrari is almost complete. We are at the decision point of paint color. Dave was thinking along the line of black with flames. After walking by the crocus in my garden, I briefly thought of pink or purple. 

Nah...

Ferrari should stay red.

Lee Girls

My dad was "Mr.Fit-it" to everyone else but "Daddy-Do" to us girls. He was excited to make/fix/do anything for anyone. Today we cleaned out his shop. Oh the memories of dad in his shop.  They came flooding back to me as I handled his tools. He was there in Lind as she wore his work coat. 

Before GeneAnn heads back to Texas and Linda and I to our busy lives in Oregon, we took pictures of the Lee girls. Gene has dad's smile. Lind was not happy about the bright sun. And I don't know when they got taller than me.   

Away Down the River

Dad's wishes were that his ashes be put in the Santiam River. I think he was above working with Ma Nature. The day my Texas sister could make it was magnificent. Robert Lewis Stevenson's song "Away the Boats" has been stuck in my head. I am taking liberties with it.

Dark blue is the river and golden is the sand.

It flows along forever, with trees on either hand.

Autumn leaves a-floating, eddy on the shore

sending love to dad

Flowers of mine a-floating, for the man we adore.

my little sister and I

Away goes the river, away past the mill

my sisters with their wonderful husbands

 Away down the valley, away past the hill.
 Away down the river, a hundred miles or more
 Away down the river, the man that we adore. 

Got Pumpkin Patch Ghosts?

I Figured it out. I know where the idea of sheet covered, pumpkin patch ghosts originated. Charles Schulz'z wife must also been faced with an impending frost on her tomatoes and covered them with white sheets. Add to that the 30 mph winds we have had this afternoon and you have billowing ghosts in the garden. (My sheets are multicolored but you get the idea). 

 "OK mom, enough with the fantasy - and pictures."
 "OK mom".
 "Do I have to pose too?"
 "How's this? I know my legs are too close together and Koyuk's slobber is on my nose..."
 "Me too?"
 "I'm out of here!"

Signs of Fall

Yesterday I picked, cut and placed 20 lbs of pears in the dryer (YUM!); put my (little used) sailboat away; picked over 100 pumpkins (I can't grow zucchini worth a darn but pumpkins...); made a fall bouquet for the table (which my camera refuses to take a picture of): worked on Ferrari (we are still engineering brakes); made 60 brownies (triple chocolate of course); and had the first meeting of the 2012-2013 Willamette Pass Jr..Ski Patrol (yup, 16 teens - empty brownie plate). 

Today I wasted a whole morning trying to format these pictures. WYSWYG does not work in blogspot. Nor can you just move pictures around. AARG!

Last Sail

Even though it was 86 degrees out and temperatures are predicted to stay unseasonably high for several more days, on schedule, tomorrow the lake will start to drain for the winter. As a last hurrah, yacht club members who spent the day pulling boats and putting away trailers gathered for a "tailgate" potluck. University of Oregon alumni dominated the decorating crew. (I even wore my Letterman's jacket.)

The full moon came up during dinner. I don't know Ma Nature's school colors but for the evening, her pink and purple contrasted beautifully with our green and yellow..

My sailboat is home. The lake trailer is winterized. Tomorrow officially starts my ski season.