tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-208355222011-09-01T09:43:25.537-07:00& the Flying Fishcbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.comBlogger1171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-88326037537165707232011-09-01T09:42:00.001-07:002011-09-01T09:43:25.553-07:00

I've been writing up a little trip report of our latest Alaskan Adventures in June and July of this year. It's kind of dense and I'm posting on another blog site here: http://322mxalaska.blogspot.com/2011/08/1-heading-north.html enjoy.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-37631068311259941312011-03-24T10:11:00.000-07:002011-03-24T10:11:13.126-07:00

On the one hand, it's been a good time to have a baby. The way the construction industry has been rapid-cycling over the last 15 years, it's been difficult to imagine taking time off and jumping back into work without paying a severe penalty. It's still a man's business. Despite some nods to progress it remains rare to see a colleague granted time off for paternity leave without a bunch of

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-9045505729483916212010-01-02T13:56:00.000-08:002010-01-02T14:34:56.018-08:00

Christmas day was clear, cold and calm - perfect conditions for mountain flying. We headed up to the hangar after breakfast, loaded our camera gear, hooked up the Oxygen and took off to visit Mt. Baker. Following the Skagit River East to Concrete, we cut north along Lake Shannon and Baker Lake and climbed to the summit. We orbited there for a while, then crossed Austin pass to take a look at the

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-49022065131623891382009-11-24T13:05:00.000-08:002010-01-02T13:55:46.668-08:00

We spent most of August and half of September up at the Shak doing a few improvements. It started with pressure washing the deck and a new coat of paint, then scope creep set in. The next thing you know we were hauling up tools and 2x4's and windows in the back of the plane. a fresh coat of paint a little bit of framingpaint shop in the front yardcoming togetherAt the end of 4 weeks, a fully

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-89521236526577353252009-07-28T13:41:00.000-07:002009-07-28T13:57:58.400-07:00

After countless hours of sorting, we've posted the highlights of our latest Alaskan adventure to our web gallery. Click here and Enjoy!cb & mr

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-24440988366104896242009-06-15T16:59:00.000-07:002009-06-15T17:08:47.969-07:00

Stopped in Palmer to visit with friends and clean up a little. Had an easy trip up the trench to the Yukon. Spent a couple days fishing in Watson Lake - ate very well on lake trout, grayling and northern pike. Got a little smoky from forest fires there so we headed on to Alaska. Flew into the Wrangell/St.Elias mtns and spent a few days flying among the mountains, finding backcountry strips to

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-16141275578894182112009-06-04T15:13:00.000-07:002009-06-04T15:33:17.501-07:00

Since you asked, here's the gear list for a month of bush-flying in Alaska. Much of it is now packed. The last challenge is stowing it all into the plane... (think clowns and VW's)Airframe cargo net spares: oil, alt belts, TW tools headsets primary headset backup headlamp flashlight battery backup Airplane/Navigation 430 database MX20 database 496

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-184081969384744682009-05-29T11:44:00.000-07:002009-06-04T16:18:01.930-07:00

We're leaving for Alaska in a week. Most of the gear is in hand, the last bits are either en-route or at Will Call ready for pick-up. Have to restock the survival vests, replace all the batteries, buy food, pack clothes and then figure out how to camp a month's worth of home into the back of a small plane...

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-83131277159722195492009-05-11T14:43:00.000-07:002009-05-29T11:44:18.600-07:00

We left Algona early in the morning with the intention of making Sheridan, Wyoming for lunch. Clouds were already forming in wisps that would grow to towering cumulus later in the day. Running just above them we were able to catch some smooth air and a bit of a tailwind. Crossed the Missouri River, then the Badlands and stopped to fuel up in Rapid City before deciding how to deal with the Black

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-44016974566888237042009-05-08T16:34:00.000-07:002009-05-08T20:30:32.848-07:00

Better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air...We had a better time in Waterloo than Napoleon did but even so we were pretty happy when the starter finally showed up. Left around noon and dodged growing cumulous clouds until we got pinched off by thunderstorms converging around us. Stopped in Algona (yep, only got 90 miles) and hangared the plane before the rain came. Took the Courtesy

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-87118621584359768582009-05-06T09:08:00.000-07:002009-05-08T20:30:51.440-07:00

Fuel stop - Riverview, MILeft the sunny outer banks just as the weather was moving in. Wound our way around Philly, NYC and Chicago airspace cutting through cold fronts and dodging smaller systems as we flew west. Crossed the Mississippi and stopped in Waterloo, Iowa for fuel but then couldn't quite get going again. Turns out the starter failed on the airplane. The fuel-injected system makes

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-87304255062630356632009-05-01T15:46:00.000-07:002009-05-03T13:05:01.117-07:00

Northern Outer Banks, NCA little yellow airplane circled over Ocracoke towards evening and I rode down to the airstrip to meet my guy. Loaded up my gear the next morning and since it was sunny, warm and a tailwind was blowing, I decided to ride back up to Salvo and meet him there later in the day. I was cruising along on my bike going 20 when he overflew me going about 140. Nice.Took a scenic

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-63495231354427908322009-04-29T13:45:00.000-07:002009-05-01T15:45:47.113-07:00

Stayed a few nights in Ocracoke at the Sand Dollar motel on a tip from the old dudes on bikes. The old dudes - they were my favorite people I met on the trip. It was somewhere in northern Virginia, north of Chesapeake Bay, on a two lane road in the farm country. I crossed paths with two cyclists headed north carrying even more stuff on their bikes than mine. They were loaded down with front and

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-26205949827200907762009-04-27T17:35:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:38:26.948-07:00

Arrived on the Outer Banks just in time for Bike Week. The other kind of bike. Not pedal-powered. And much louder. Mostly Harleys and GoldWings, though I did catch a glimpse of a few Suzukis flying by and a couple of really nice old Triumphs. Took a ride around the Wright Brothers’s monument at Kill Devil Hills, ran into a couple of pilots and traded stories for a while. Then continued on to camp

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-40338635910754260832009-04-25T17:35:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:32:44.605-07:00

Oh darn, another sunny day.Spent a couple days in Virginia Beach with my old college roommate and had a really great visit. Spent some quality time flying kites on the beach and made a visit to King Neptune on the boardwalk. Looks like I’ve finally found spring here and may even run into summertime soon. Continuing down the coast to the Outer Banks and hope to meet my ride on Ocracoke Island

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-17091583407702344832009-04-23T17:34:00.000-07:002009-04-28T07:12:49.023-07:00

Called the friendly lady at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel and arranged for a ride. The bridge itself may not be bike friendly but the folks who work there are. The guy at the toll booth told me about the time he loaded up Lance Armstrong and his bike and drove him across. Nice to know there’s one leg of this trip I can do just as fast as Lance.A storm swept through as we crossed the 20 mile

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-68940360217954510442009-04-21T17:34:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:25:50.513-07:00

Loaded up on freckles walking the boardwalk in Ocean City. Took a ride on a friend’s Harley out to Assateague and checked out the wild ponies and watched the sun set over the bay.Headed south again after a couple days rest and into quiet farm country. This looks like one of those regions where things get older instead of newer. Every now and then there’s a dilapidated farmhouse melting into the

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-2290303528850216812009-04-19T16:48:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:21:41.478-07:00

g'bye JerseyFinally - a day in the sun. Two days actually. In a row!Took the Cape May Ferry to Delaware and rode out to the coast. Camped at a park on the bayside and slept to the sounds of the surf on the ocean side. The land is narrow here. Turn your head east and see sand dunes. Look west and it's marshes.Arrived in Ocean City and looked up old friends on the boardwalk. I'll spend a couple

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-26918828949177586022009-04-16T13:40:00.001-07:002009-05-03T12:19:26.614-07:00

pine barrens Been riding through NJ for three days now. For the first time there’s a little sun overhead. Things are definitely looking up from when I entered this state... Took the ferry from Manhattan to the north side of NJ near the coast. Got off the ferry and a bird nailed me - gross. Welcome to New Joisey. Forgot to charge the GPS and it gave out 5 miles from the campground. Lucky me -

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-30326946964716156462009-04-14T13:31:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:17:59.088-07:00

Mummatus over ManhattanThe wind shifted from the southwest to the northeast and so I packed up and headed into the city. Rode up Broadway and through Central Park to the 100’s and found my cousin Mei. Pleasantly surprised at the ease of navigating NYC by bicycle. Spent Sunday at the MET with the original Ant ‘Tina and we just about keeled over from an overdose of art. We found the cafe just in

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-45518105120121564012009-04-11T13:21:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:12:23.731-07:00

Woke up to the sound of the Atlantic ocean pounding the shore. A friend was kind enough to loan me keys to a condo on the beach in Long Island. Had planned to head straight into the city after a night, but... it’s a really nice place to sit and read a book. Took the train into the city to visit old friends and spend an afternoon at the Guggenheim. Wandered around Central Park for a while. I’ve

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-16477367243864586732009-04-07T13:17:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:06:24.196-07:00

one-girl campHaving argued with the GPS all the way to Newport (I was opting for a more scenic route than it advised) I decided to let it win for a day and followed the pink line to Baltic, CT. I swear it took me the direct route over every hill in eastern CT just to get back at me.Spitting rain, but with a tailwind so I couldn’t really complain about the weather. It is April after all. April

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-89220173478195047822009-04-01T13:14:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:05:06.358-07:00

The conductor took my ticket and asked if I was Desperate or Brave. Brave, I said. Though in reality it was more like bored and restless...It was pouring rain when my sister dropped me off at South Station to catch the train. It was raining a little less when the train dropped me off at Plymouth. I don’t mind riding in the rain. Turned on the GPS and cued up Westport. Thought it was going to be

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-13147372485512515272009-03-20T09:21:00.000-07:002009-03-22T22:51:42.273-07:00

Those who know me also know that I tend to get lost. I only recently learned my left from my right and believe me, it took a lot of effort. For months I had little "L" and "R" post-its on my dash and in the cockpit until it finally sunk in. I won't say that it necessarily correlates, but I do also tend to get lost. But usually not more than once per destination. So for me, time spent planning a

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-9057592790567856272009-02-28T08:50:00.000-08:002009-03-07T09:25:22.053-08:00

We went up to the Shak last weekend and it was so sunny and warm I decided to stay on for a few days. I split a bunch of wood, went for long walks, and read a couple books. On Tuesday it rained, then it got chilly. The rain turned to slush and ice. On Wednesday it snowed. I went for a walk in the snow. It was falling in big chunks, like a billion white moths coming in for landing. An eagle was

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-18594988359893052012009-02-08T17:26:00.000-08:002009-03-07T08:50:11.953-08:00

Report cards were a pretty big deal in our house growing up. A's were expected, B's caused issues. You know, like no Mork & Mindy for a couple weeks. C's were unthinkable - the Atari get's unplugged and no more Pac-Man until those grades improve. Even now, I don't remember if any of us came back with C's on anything other than handwriting (where the only excuse was a broken bone, a plaster cast

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-36114989666596379132009-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:002009-04-18T05:18:21.436-07:00

It's been awhile since I've spent any amount of time wandering around the other coast. Since I've got some time on my hands and I can't think of any reason not to go look up some old friends out there, I've started planning a little bike ride for the month of April. Springtime along the Atlantic. If you're anywhere along the route below and will be around in April, drop me a line. I'd love to see

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-26017719540346828502009-01-06T11:51:00.000-08:002009-01-25T12:17:48.865-08:00

When I got back from Alaska I started a cool new job managing the design and construction of new resorts and hotels for a national resort hotel company. I started working with the design teams on new resort on the Oregon coast, a new downtown resort in Portland while new deals were getting underway in Mazatlan, Puerta Vallarta, and Alaska. I got to travel alot up and down the west coast. It was

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-51659294845569302352008-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:002008-07-20T11:37:32.080-07:00

It took a little while, but we've managed to sort through all our photos from Alaska. The best of them are are now posted on our Alaska Gallery site.Enjoy!

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-54893279205266915352008-07-07T09:20:00.000-07:002008-07-20T12:38:07.518-07:00

There are moments in life when opportunities come up and the only thing to do is say Yes. Just a few days after we returned from Alaska we turned and headed east for France. The occasion was a very special birthday party at the Louvre which we wouldn't miss for the world. So, bonjour from Paris. I cannot begin to describe what it is like to go from the vast landscape of The North to the thrum of

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-17869421667964878412008-07-02T06:52:00.000-07:002008-07-02T06:58:46.128-07:00

The Flying Fish installed the mag on Monday, cast a last goodbye to the fish in Watson Lake, broke camp and headed south solo for home. The last two days of flying were challenging - mountains, weather, and no copilot/navigator - but 322MX flew true and he made it home last night.We have thousands of photos to cull. When we're done, there'll be an expanded journal on this blog, and a link to the

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-9333569886431404722008-06-29T17:42:00.000-07:002008-06-29T17:45:46.060-07:00

The mag arrived in Whitehorse yesterday and this afternoon a SuperCub was kind enough to ferry it on to Watson Lake. It should be arriving there about the time I'm boarding a plane to Vancouver. I'll be arriving in Seattle early tomorrow morning and the Flying Fish should be home in a few days. Certainly never expected to finish out the trip with a sick plane and a ride on the Greyhound - but

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-70749495137170869982008-06-28T18:21:00.000-07:002008-06-28T18:28:35.509-07:00

Weren't planning to spend the weekend fishing at Watson Lake, but 322MX developed a cough. Turns out the left mag has failed and isn't getting power to the lower spark on the #1 cylinder. Spent most of yesterday tracking down a new mag and then trying to figure out how to get it here to us. Got one as far as Whitehorse today, but weather, intermittent bus schedules, and a national holiday here in

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-2807628617007784352008-06-28T18:00:00.000-07:002008-06-28T18:29:03.464-07:00

From Igiugig we headed NW to the Ahklun Mountains. Overflew Tikchik, Upnuk and Nisblik Lakes to find the head of the Aniak River. Flew down the river to fuel at Aniak. Nome was socked in so we headed north to join the Yukon and flew it up as far as Ruby to camp.From Ruby continued up the Yukon as far as Fairbanks, then turned south towards Denali and stopped at Kantishna. Got a good tip on some "

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-27279994897493518482008-06-17T08:51:00.000-07:002008-06-17T09:11:33.905-07:00

From Whitehorse through Haines Junction and on up to clear customs at Northway Alaska. Dodged a cell in Tok and hunkered down a little bit at Tanacross before heading through the pass to Gulkana. Got there on our reserve fuel and were happy to call it a day.Next day we flew down the length of the Copper River - wow - to Cordova. Went back and spent the night at the foot of the Childs Glacier.From

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-85868562184484156522008-06-09T23:12:00.000-07:002008-06-17T09:10:42.138-07:00

Just a quick hello from Whitehorse in the Yukon. We've been flying since Friday as the weather allows, and hopefully the weather will allow us to get to Anchorage tomorrow. I can't begin to describe the awesome scale and remoteness of landscape we've travelled thus far. That'll have to wait to a later post - one with photos. :)At the moment there's just time for the briefest of outlines, so

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-16991505608986370682008-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:002008-06-03T08:03:48.778-07:00

Well, at least I got rid of the #@$#*!! $$@!# kidney stone before we took off.Jeez.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-87039069571550232932008-06-01T12:24:00.000-07:002008-06-02T07:29:00.879-07:00

Lots of final prep to do for 322MX so the Flying Fish has been spending a lot of time in the hangar checking things off the list.Cargo nets, chart rack, quick-access life jacket storage camera holster, rod & reel rack, sound proofing (this was a Huge job, well done Luv!), fix the headset, update the GPS databanks, and so many more maintenance and tuning points too numerous to describe, oh, and of

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-63476741045406033142008-06-01T11:53:00.000-07:002008-06-02T07:29:24.263-07:00

Survival vests, backup camera, lights, guide books, charts, maps, GPS, bear can, bear spray, air horn, cyalume lights, solar panel, gaiters, hats, down jackets, shotgun, camera, tripod, tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, daypacks, mosquito deterrents, sting balm, med kit, light, clotting sponge, rehydration salts, supplementary meds, stove, water filter, cookware, water bags, and lots and lots

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-50321560549851493052008-06-01T10:18:00.000-07:002008-06-01T11:52:53.536-07:00

AKA Buildergrrl goes shopping, buys a shotgun and then the NRA shows her how to use it.You're just going to have to ask me about this sometime. It was really something.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1737714185105120672008-06-01T09:34:00.000-07:002008-06-01T11:47:21.805-07:00

There's a saying when it comes to airplane crashes - what's on you is survival gear, what's in the plane is camping gear. So we each have a fly-fishing vest that we put on when flying over remote terrain. Since I know you're curious, here's my survival vest with all its contents splayed out.  It all packs up like this... Back pocket:  folding cup, ziplock bags (2lg., 2sm.) Inside left pocket:  

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-9355835410433604752008-05-03T07:12:00.000-07:002008-05-10T21:55:36.661-07:00

Bears figure large in the imagination of anyone contemplating an Alaskan adventure - myself included. Alaska has four bears of very different personality: Black Bears, Brown/Grizzly Bears, Brown/Kodiak Bears, and Polar Bears. All are different species, and all can eat you up. And if a bear decides it's going to have you for dinner, well, good luck to you then. So I've been reading Stephen

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-66096895442217605532008-04-11T09:44:00.001-07:002008-06-01T12:41:11.102-07:00

We're planning to fly to Alaska this summer. Figure we'll be flying over some fairly remote terrain, so it's good to be prepared. Got a set of Alaskan Bushwheels for 322MX and flew out to the beach to try them out.There's actually a designated airport on the beach here in Washington at Copalis (S16). So we flew out with our friend Nick (who also has a lovely yellow Sportsman). Between the sand

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-88269595049877937732008-03-28T11:22:00.000-07:002008-03-28T11:23:54.920-07:00

My mom was in town not too long ago. She comes out periodically to check up on the Monkeys and get a little Nana Time with them. While she was in town I screwed up the courage to ask her if she wanted to go for an airplane ride.Actually, I was totally going to chicken out and not offer the ride and just go up for some practice but I when I mentioned it to the Flying Fish he called me on my

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-15276946059293478332008-02-25T18:03:00.000-08:002008-03-28T10:02:02.572-07:00

We had some unseasonably good weather in February and I was able to get up in the air again for a couple of memorable flights.On the second weekend of Feb. the Flying Fish and I went up for further flight training in 322MX. On Saturday we did slow flight, stalls, and a handful of low approaches over Skagit County airport (KBVS). The lesson ended with an actual wheels-down landing by yours truly.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-28487776010464960022008-02-21T23:41:00.000-08:002008-02-22T14:15:37.032-08:00

Last spring I got my dream washer/dryer. I’d researched for a few months and decided on a stacking front-load set. They’re compact, they’re really water and energy efficient, they’re new and they’re awesome. Except for one thing… we live in the second floor apartment of a hundred-year-old house. One of the things that makes the front-load washer so efficient is that it spins at a super high

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-29649465993905562762008-02-12T08:59:00.000-08:002008-02-12T09:05:02.949-08:00

Overheard at the Dome last night by two shaggy-haired twenty-somethings: "Obama's a Mac. Clinton's a PC."True. So true.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-63859245818886370892008-02-09T22:28:00.000-08:002008-02-10T11:57:26.118-08:00

One of the realities of living on the west coast is that national elections are usually called before the polls are closed. And if you're not living in California then nobody really cares cares how you vote. I've got friends here and in Alaska and Hawaii who've never bothered to vote for president before. But this year is different. With no clear front runner after Super Tuesday, all of a sudden

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-68906988575642395402008-02-04T23:37:00.000-08:002008-06-01T12:42:47.875-07:00

We're starting to plan a trip north to Alaska in 322MX. There's a lot to consider. We'll be flying over sparsely populated areas for long distances. We'll be travelling through Canada which has a similar-but-different set of rules for VFR flight. The terrain up north is bigger and more rugged than anywhere in the lower 48. And we'll be camping in moose and bear country.I've collected the

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-52626388789989701502008-02-02T10:03:00.000-08:002008-03-28T11:13:24.385-07:00

My mom was in town not too long ago. She comes out periodically to check up on the Monkeys and get a little Nana Time with them. While she was in town I screwed up the courage to ask her if she wanted to go for an airplane ride.Actually, I was totally going to chicken out and not offer the ride and just go up for some practice but I when I mentioned it to the Flying Fish he called me on my

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-11794735434783252812008-01-25T17:49:00.000-08:002008-03-28T10:19:37.682-07:00

We've had a rare stretch of beautiful weather in the Puget Sound - sky's clear, sun's shining, and it's cold - it's just too nice not to fly. Last week I got checked out in a little DA20 and today I spent a little quality time getting reacquainted with the sky in it.The DA20 is a cute little thing. It looks like a dragonfly and sounds a little like a riding lawnmower. Its sleek design allows it

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-37143717356674949852007-11-15T10:21:00.000-08:002007-12-02T13:33:03.366-08:00

In October I packed up my newly earned private pilot’s license, along with my climbing gear, camping gear, and my survival vest and caught a flight East to meet up with the Flying Fish. He was starting the third leg of his cross-country shakedown cruise with 322MX.322MX on the ground in Indiana He’d already flown solo from Seattle to Boston via Boulder, Grand Rapids and Niagara Falls on his

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-91814596463361866162007-10-18T07:04:00.000-07:002007-10-18T16:35:33.222-07:00

A brief announcement:On Sunday, October 14 the FAA certified the Buildergrrl as fully licensed private pilot.HOORAY!!!

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-7399018499053699552007-10-16T20:34:00.000-07:002008-01-17T10:44:36.739-08:00

(link to the beginning of the story)After a good night's sleep we awoke in the forest. It was peaceful. Here's my dad with the rest of the story...Friday, Day 5 – A Walk Out of the ParkI think we slept well, at least I don’t remember waking up during the night or even hearing Fred snore. I had thought about sleeping under the stars but I was too tired to even make that decision. Fred and I

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-47810702029984035622007-10-15T23:35:00.000-07:002007-10-17T09:18:01.538-07:00

Our summit at 12,000 ft. was just the beginning of our longest day on the mountain. Over the next 12 hours we descended over the same path as we'd come up, but the terrain had changed. Here's my dad to tell you about it...Thursday, Day 4 – Our Rapid DescentWe were all tired from lack of sleep and the low oxygen level.Fred was hurting head to toe, inside and outside.Steve’s headaches were becoming

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-67320150189221856362007-10-14T18:39:00.000-07:002007-10-15T11:35:10.983-07:00

In my family, it's a time honored tradition to but in while someone else is talking. So here I am with a few editorial comments on the trek from Camp Schurman to 12,000 ft.We set out from Camp Schurman following the tracks of the teams that had left earlier in the morning, and we took it slow. We had to pick our way through some parts of the terrain. There were snow bridges to cross over

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-73742167916094084732007-10-11T17:32:00.000-07:002007-10-12T15:15:43.448-07:00

Looking up towards the summit from Camp SchurmanOur third day on the mountain started with a modest goal, to position the team at a higher elevation and get a couple hours sleep before our summit attempt. As we climbed higher the terrain became more exposed and the weather began to change. By the end of the day as we carved our camp into the side of the mountain the wind began to pick up...I'll

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-58541251520628328932007-10-07T16:27:00.000-07:002007-10-12T12:50:01.450-07:00

The second day of our climb took us up to Camp Schurman at 9,500'. This was a long steep climb over snow, slush and ice on the InterGlacier followed by a a climb over a loose rocky prow and down to the Emmonds Glacier. As I said in the last post, it's late in the season to be attempting a summit of Mt Rainier. And as we got our first look at the mid-Emmonds Glacier we realized why. But again,

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-42863078638989362402007-10-07T12:20:00.000-07:002007-10-12T12:53:13.475-07:00

At the end of August my brother and I took my dad & his friend Fred, and my two sisters up Mt. Rainier. It was late in the season and we went up the North side via the Emmonds Glacier route. It was a 5 day trip starting at the White River campground. I'm going to let my dad tell you about it...A Walk in the Park – Day 1 Monday, August 27, 2007; Day 1 - At last this day has finally come. We all

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-44910115247233271302007-08-02T16:25:00.000-07:002007-08-02T17:48:37.027-07:00

I think it's fair to say that this nation's last great infrastructure upgrade occurred in the middle of the 20th Century. Our continued expansion and upkeep has been fragmented and driven largely by local governments, with assistance from State and Federal governments as needed (or negotiated).Infrastructure upgrades are expensive and inconvenient - you've probably heard of the Big Dig in Boston

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-10749434699340695912007-07-13T12:10:00.000-07:002008-02-05T11:37:10.720-08:00

and now a special report from the Flying Fish:With a stroke of a pen on Tuesday, the FAA blessed Sportsman N322MX and transformed if from an “assemblage of parts” to a legally certificated aircraft after an in-depth final inspection. Yesterday morning at 8:25 we took to the sky for the first time from runway 34 at Arlington Airport in Arlington WA. The flight lasted 39 minutes and confirmed a

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-48417193130206617382007-06-29T09:45:00.000-07:002007-06-30T08:46:16.786-07:00

If I won the lottery, I'd buy a Honda Hybrid Civic and fill up the back seat with bumper stickers saying "Nevermind the planet, Check out my ride!" Then I'd go on a 6-month road trip to all the great suburbs of America and smack one of those on the back of every Hummer, Navigator, and Escalade I see. And that's just for starters. Of course, first I'd have to play the lottery...

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-30228455430730205142007-06-21T21:55:00.001-07:002007-06-21T22:00:40.714-07:00

... by the way, these are the Monkeys: Stephen, Seamus & ElizabethAKA: Crash, Shea, and BizThey're cool.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-42966175497264988692007-06-15T22:04:00.000-07:002007-10-07T16:07:11.246-07:00

So one day a month or so ago the Flying Fish looked at me and said quite unequivocally, "You need a vacation." He was right. And more than a vacation, I needed an adventure. So the long and short of it is, I packed up my bike and my tent and went to Scotland for a week and a bit.Getting to Inverness was epic. More so than I care to relate. But once I finally arrived things took a turn for the

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-78954224702038549172007-06-15T22:00:00.001-07:002007-06-21T21:51:38.587-07:00

N322MX has emerged from the paint shop. Ooooooo-We. Zow!

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-8836935276273209912007-05-23T20:50:00.000-07:002007-05-23T21:00:27.198-07:00

N322MX is at the paint shop. Jeff's got the fuselage all faired out, buffed, primed and ready for paint. Here's MX getting the waterline and pinstrip placed...(wings are in the paint booth)(yeah, you were wondering. I could see it in your crinkled forehead)

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-85891219696846080672007-04-12T08:50:00.000-07:002007-07-13T12:28:12.783-07:00

When I was in the fifth grade I had one of those cranky-old-lady teachers who was mean. I've always had an anti-authoritarian streak in me and that year in protest I stopped reading. I read what I needed to get by in school but that was it. In the 9th grade I was on a trip somewhere and bored and I stumbled upon a book called Slapstick. It was a weird and funny book set in the near future when

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-57094510398038369622007-04-11T12:15:00.000-07:002007-04-11T18:23:35.098-07:00

For the past few years the WSDOT has been building a new bridge linking Tacoma with Gig Harbor. It's a really big bridge and a technically challenging build. If you're into construction, it's been a cool project to watch.They're about 80% done and at the point where they're ready to install the expansion joints. The first one shipped from South Dakota several weeks ago. It's really really really

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-88967413167115885682007-03-28T09:18:00.000-07:002007-06-22T19:26:15.103-07:00

"It's ALIVE!!!"N322MX got its first whiff of power Monday and after opening its eye for the first time, one-by-one the instruments woke up.EDM engine monitorGarmin GPS and communication system.Garmin navigation systemDynon situational awareness systemDynon and the amazing Blue MountainThanks for all your help Steve!Wouldn't have done it without you.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-42573216366933623702007-03-07T18:09:00.000-08:002007-03-13T12:09:40.113-07:00

So I'm building a little neighborhood in a development at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. It's a new development and so there's construction happening on adjacent parcels and for the most part we all get along pretty well. But a few weeks ago I discovered that one of my neighbors had tapped into one of my transformers to run power to their jobsite. I discovered this on the morning we

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-81690802363047454532007-02-24T21:16:00.000-08:002007-02-24T21:41:46.818-08:00

Someone had a birthday yesterday. One of those big birthdays that can be the source of dread. The kind of birthday that makes you feel not so young any more. That particular birthday on which you need a little more support from your friends... So from the South Pacific - the very south pacific - see the iceberg back there? - came this salutation from our amigo Daniel and his friends aboard

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-67050943056322344242007-02-23T10:03:00.000-08:002007-02-26T15:19:00.178-08:00

The new bed was constructed in approximately 4 hours and was a joint project between me and the Flying Fish (with a little help from Ikea for the slats). It is very sturdy. And some more amazing improvements... we have carpet for the first time in about 4 years along with a new coat of paint. (Except for the closet door. Maybe I'll paint that this weekend.)It's pretty cozy and that makes it very

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-38980868624190556102007-02-16T10:47:00.000-08:002007-02-21T14:14:12.620-08:00

Ever had one of those days when you feel like you're just lookin' for trouble? I'm having one of those days. The Imp has moved in and unpacked her bag with gusto. So I'm taking myself out to the jobsite where her big mouth can't get me into too much trouble. Besides, I'll go stir crazy if I have to sit here in the office all day... spring has sprung in Seattle and I've just got to go out and get

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-45192661525605089402007-02-11T10:42:00.000-08:002007-02-11T12:23:44.178-08:00

This is the instrument panel for the plane. It's got a combination of traditional and modern "glass" instruments. We've got redundacy for every major instrument: altimeter, airspeed, attitude indicators (artificial horizon), radios, transponders and navigational aids. Redundancy is a good thing.Here are the guts of the panel. It comes prewired so that everything communicates together properly,

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-91221670521745781402007-02-09T15:37:00.000-08:002007-02-23T09:45:17.326-08:00

... built by a master craftsman in just under 45 minutes, approximately 13 years ago. It was made of the highest quality materials... or rather, the best materials money could buy (within a very limited budget)and it doubled as a scratching post...Ah, the bed. It served us well but now it is gone. Another unwitting victim of the remodel purge, relegated to the pile of construction debris in the

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-398010958537885352007-01-02T20:31:00.000-08:002007-01-02T20:47:15.833-08:00

We jumped the last major hurdle in the remodel and installed a window and a door in the back wall. Actually, we didn't install it - Lincoln did. And he did a fine job. See...Jan came in to add insulation, rock and tape in time for Christmas. So we got a Christmas tree to celebrate...

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-35704207967469091152007-01-02T20:03:00.000-08:002007-01-06T16:52:48.938-08:00

I wouldn't be considered a fashonista by any stretch of the imagination, but I did just buy a pair of skinny-leg jeans. And I am so happy!! I have really small feet. I hate flares, bell-bottoms, boot-cuts and wide-legged pants because when I wear then I can't see my toes. Really, it's pretty disconcerting to look down at your feet and not see them there below you. I bought this pair of skinny-leg

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-75008411780127172742006-12-14T20:52:00.000-08:002006-12-16T11:40:05.884-08:00

Mother Nature opened another can of Whup-Ass on us Thursday night and it got pretty windy out thereSo of course we went out to check out the storm at around 10:00pm when the gusts were starting to really rock the house. We went down to Golden Gardens park, by the Shilshole Marina on the sound and walked out to the point. The gusts drove sand in streams up to our knees and white capped waves

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-76176728203134573982006-12-11T23:30:00.000-08:002006-12-11T23:47:31.413-08:00

I went to Pike Place Market on Sunday. Here's what's fresh...mmmmmm... halibut cheeks and lobster. my favorites.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-20066011437083692762006-12-03T20:45:00.000-08:002006-12-03T21:05:40.727-08:00

Last Sunday Captain Brother ran the Seattle Marathon. He ran just short of his goal finishing at an official 4 hours and 49 seconds. It was snowing. And sleeting. And he did stop to pass kisses to his cheerleaders.This is his cheering section. They met him at mile 8 and again at mile 21 pictured below...Good thing they had both large and small flags to wave. After deciding the small flags were

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-51500288130432313212006-12-02T16:50:00.000-08:002006-12-03T21:05:26.475-08:00

It's been really wet. It's been raining a lot. And just when we thought it would never stop, it started snowing. In November. That just doesn't happen out here. So here's one for the scrapbooks... the tree lot at the Top Banana in Ballard covered in snow last Wednesday. Turns out that November was the rainiest month in recorded history for Seattle. Now, that's really not that long, not even a

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-80824434201134866752006-11-20T06:24:00.000-08:002006-11-20T06:42:02.810-08:00

A quick checkup on the Sportsman build.Over the summer the Flying Fish & Friends loaded the plane onto a flatbed and moved it from Arlington Airport to it's new home and an aircraft construction shop was constructed around it. I went to check in on it last weekend. In order to get to the aircraft construction shop, one must first traverse a kite construction shop...Kites all around in various

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-72415341341867312582006-11-18T11:05:00.000-08:002006-12-02T17:12:26.509-08:00

This remodelling thing is a total pain in the neck. I do construction for a living and I swear, remodels are the worst. Give me factory, or a warehouse any day - don't care as long as the job starts with a bulldozer, a trackhoe and a hole in the ground. Add a little concrete and I'm a happy girl.But no, we're living in a remodel. ugh.I've been chipping away at the project and it's finally

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-37153546137411877672006-11-17T15:51:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:11.246-07:00

Our last stop on the road trip was up high in the Nevada range where the bristlecone pines live. It's up around 9,000 feet, and the land is inhospitable. There isn't really any soil there, just rock. And gravel. And given the elevation, there's not much air there either. Think Mordor...There are a bunch of equally craggy trees. Some of them have given up the ghost...But some of them are still

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-88178398231548422512006-11-17T15:24:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:11.247-07:00

We left Utah and headed back to Boise via 2-lane roads in Nevada. Whenever possible I like to drive along the two-lane roads in the west. Sure, they're not as glamorous as the interstates but they're often just as fast with a lot less traffic and plenty more to see. --c'mon, when was the last time you stopped for gas on the interstate and got a soda from a fountain beneath a several stuffed elk

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-9351623151108874602006-11-17T14:43:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:11.247-07:00

Headed west from the Escalante and spent the night in Coral Dunes before heading to Zion for a couple days. We went in through the east entrance past some incredible slickrock formations. They made me wish I'd brought my gear. It was all I could do to keep from scrambling up, and up, and up...But if I had, I'd have missed the greatest climbing draw of Zion canyon - the BIG walls...Unbelievably

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-14374792547062305152006-11-17T14:16:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:54.532-07:00

On our last day in the Escalante, we headed up a side canyon to find phipps arch. The route took us into a box canyon and then up a series of slickrock bulges to an arch tucked into the rim of the canyon...The nice thing about slickrock is that it's really pretty sticky...The skinny white speck above the bush is PHred...And this is the view from where he's standing...That little black speck under

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1162690714313920952006-11-04T17:33:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:54.532-07:00

Stopped at Devil's Garden for a bit of dinner at the end of the day and spent a little time among the hoodoos as the sun set and the light turned magical...Storm cells petered out at the end of the day and we found a nice spot on the canyon rim to sleep under the stars.this is the fifth post in a series on the canyon country road trip

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1162689732164215282006-11-04T17:13:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:54.533-07:00

After clambering out of peekaboo gulch we headed across the rim to this drainage which leads to spooky gulch. And now a word about flash floods and slot canyons. See this drainage...It drains to here. So, say that little storm cell was breaking over this part of the canyon. All the rain hitting the slick rock would roll on down to the drainage and funnel into here...and then it gets squeezed into

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1162535509426785892006-11-02T21:54:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:54.533-07:00

I'd been wanting to check out Peekaboo & Spooky gultches for quite some time. Ever since the Flying Fish and I came here in the spring of 2000ish. That trip we walked in at Harris Wash - a half-day walk across the slickrock and a drop down to a quiet stream in a secluded side canyon off the Escante. For 5 days we saw one other campsite and no one, except the guy who wandered into a cave we'd

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1162521803946874522006-11-02T18:05:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:54.534-07:00

Topside again, after Buckskin Gultch, we headed north into the backcountry of the grand staircase...and started out along 50 miles of dirt road. The formations to the right are like the plates of a stegasaurous. They're 50+ feet tall and march along the road for miles and miles and miles...We camped that night above cottonwood canyon. The sky was clear and so far away from any towns there was no

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1162346399392001672006-10-31T17:32:00.000-08:002007-10-07T16:07:54.535-07:00

In early September I hit the road and headed out to Boise to pick up PHred and we headed south to canyon country in Utah's Grand Staircase Escalante national monument. We'd been there before a few years back and spent a week hiking down Coyote Gulch to the big river and back. This time we were a little less ambitious - owing in part to my inability to find the water filter and bringing the wrong

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1156031633683433122006-08-19T16:40:00.001-07:002006-11-09T00:05:49.311-08:00

On the occasion of our parents' 40th anniversary, we all flew into town and threw them a surprise party. It was all Grace's idea and she was smart enough to get the folks' friends in on it. There was lots of good food and good friends and it was a great surprise. (It's a good thing we didn't wait 'til their 50th or we might have had to call the EMT's.)So here we are all in one place.

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1154736795097356472006-08-04T16:58:00.000-07:002006-11-09T00:05:48.990-08:00

We had a great Shak Shindig 2006! Over 50 people attended and everyone had a great time. The smile quotient was off the scales!My favorite moment was around 5:00 in the afternoon - everyone was wandering on back to the Shak from the beach, the dock, and the meadow... we'd just finished boiling up a whole mess of crab and Kate was serving homemade strawberry shortcake... I looked around and

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1154733917317214952006-08-04T16:02:00.000-07:002006-11-09T00:05:48.848-08:00

We decided we needed to upgrade our grill out at the Shak. So we sat around the campfire one night and, well, one thing led to another, which led to another, which led to...Grill-ZillaThe grillzilla is a custom fabricated 42" steel grill cantilevered off a 4" steel column set in a steel sleeve that's buried in 40+" of concrete. At the base of the sleeve is a bearing plate allowing you to rotate

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1152382361286784292006-07-08T10:37:00.000-07:002007-10-07T16:07:26.191-07:00

Took a weekend off from all my projects and headed for the beach. The northern coastal beaches here are remote, undeveloped, and raw. They don't even have proper names. From north to south we have Rialto Beach, First Beach, Second Beach, Third Beach, Ruby Beach, Beach 5, Beach 4, Beach 3, Beach 2 & Beach 1. They're all part of the Olympic National Park and backcountry camping is the way to go.I

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1152380206323592152006-07-08T10:28:00.000-07:002006-11-17T14:38:06.827-08:00

While I'm catching up on my posts, here are a couple pictures of the place with NO CHIMNEY inside! Big thanks to the treehouse people for coming out and helping schlep out all those bricks - what a huge help. And here's a photo of the flying fish chucking bricks from great heights...The pile of bricks disappeared within a day of posting FREE BRICKS on Craigslist. The dread chimney is now being

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1152378923936409602006-07-08T10:08:00.000-07:002006-11-17T14:38:57.823-08:00

One plane each!

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1152378278816671252006-07-08T10:02:00.000-07:002006-11-17T14:39:13.563-08:00

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20835522.post-1152378147417932402006-07-08T09:58:00.000-07:002006-11-17T14:39:28.919-08:00

cbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15936072554738344438noreply@blogger.com0