Jenny finally got in a good sail. For the past few years she has been waiting for a good Southworth sail. She has been out on the boat a few times, but the wind has never been too cooperative. This weekend provided the conditions for a perfect sail. Bjorn got to skipper his dad's new boat for the first time as well. I repaired the rudder this week after an adventurous mishap last weekend, and the boat handled well. After saying a goodbye to Markus on Friday night, Esther and I had twelve hours of empty nest before Bjorn, Jenny and Ada came for a visit. Jenny and Ada had just flown in from Georgia for a visit with Jenny's sister Jill and new baby Jackson. it was good to hear about the two young mothers comparing notes. Esther and I got our 'Ada fix' this weekend. But now it's time for the real empty nest.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
final hike of the season
After two disappointing rain checks, we finally had gorgeous weather to go hiking with Keven and Martha. Hurricane Ridge put us in the high country; and after a picnic lunch, we took the Mount Angeles saddle trail for great views of the Olympics and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I also talked the others into driving the eight mile one way dirt road out to Obstruction Point. The drive, while somewhat precarious for the passengers, provided panoramic views of the valleys and peaks. It was great to catch up with Keven and Martha and enjoy the beauty of PNW.
Friday, September 11, 2009
IMA Olympics
Our classroom started out the year with the IMA Olympics. The weather was a perfect 80 degrees and sunny. The students designed flags to represent their tables in preparation for the games. After an opening ceremony, the games began. The exciting competition included disc golf, 'blindfold' and 'old clothes' relays. The climax of the games was the 'water cup relay' where tables leaders held empty bottles on their heads while table members tried to fill them with dixie cupfuls. Otter pops and music closed the games. The afternoon went a long way in building teamwork and camaraderie, which we trust will pay off in the classroom. Check out more pics at the 'classroom blog.'
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Calvin is off
On Saturday, Calvin embarked on his college voyage aboard the Trinity Western vessel. We spent most of Saturday and Sunday in various orientation meetings. Calvin is excited to be in the international dorm. He has a Chinese roommate and is surrounded by students from a variety of countries. Esther and I were again impressed with how great an institution Trinity Western has become. The school is quickly distinguishing itself among Canadian Universities and maintains a strong evangelical perspective. Seeing our last child off to college is one of life's big transitions, and Esther did not survive it without shedding some tears. We spent the remainder of the Labor Day weekend with family in Lynden. My siblings and I made the painful decision to move my mother to the next level of care. It is hard to watch her continual mental confusion and uncharacteristic aggressive behavior. Monday was spent with the Eide clan at the cabin. We were able to get our granddaughter fix before starting back to school.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Leaders Hike Mt. Townsend
Today Don and I took our classroom leaders on a hike. These students were with us last year and will also be with us this year. They are chosen for their proven responsibility and cooperativeness. They will help us manage the 60 fourth and fifth graders in our classroom this year. We climbed Mt. Townsend on the north end of the Olympics. It is a formidable hike for these kids and they all made it. It is four steep miles up to the top (3000 ft.), and four more aching miles back to the trailhead. The morning weather didn't look very promising, but it was partially sunny by the time we were at the trailhead and we had sun the whole trip. We are looking forward to a great year with these leaders.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
guests from Norway
dinner with Ingvar and Svanhild from Norway (Esther's cousin)
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor
In other news - Esther and I are back to work and are realizing that our days with Calvin at home are dwindling down.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
a family cruise
Our original hiking plans for the day got postponed, and my family surprised me by all wanting to join me in sailing this afternoon. The wind had just shifted to a north breeze of 10-15 kt; so conditions were perfect. We had all the wind we needed with the main and working jib. The extra ballast contributed to a stable ride. We had an enjoyable sunny sail around Blake Island and were home for Papa Murphys pizza for supper.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Staying cool on the Sound
I spent a 'cool' day on the Puget Sound today. Esther and the boys went school clothes shopping and I enjoyed the day on my sailboat. The wind was brisk in the morning so I got an early start. I tacked up the Sound under a reefed mainsail as it was gusty. By noon, I raised it to full sail and got to really enjoy the stable windward ability of the boat. If it was a hot day, I didn't notice as I wore my sweatshirt most of the day. I cruised by Alkai Point and crossed Elliot Bay to Magnolia bluffs before turning around to ride the tide and wind back home. The wind died at the south end of Blake Island so I putted in the last half mile.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
San Juan Island - Day 4
Our final day on the island started with Esther and my ‘Ada’ time, as she is bright and lively at the crack of dawn, while her parents want to enjoy the lazy morning. After packing up, the girls went to Roche Harbor for window shopping and the boys played another round of disc golf which ended in a sudden death between Markus and Bjorn. We ate lunch in Friday Harbor and visited the whale museum before boarding the scenic evening ferry back to Anacortes. We were fortunate to have wonderful weather and we are thankful for a wonderful family getaway.
San Juan Island - Day 3
Another relaxing start to the morning including blueberry pancakes and a walk with Ada brought us to a morning stroll through nearby Roche Harbor. The rest of them dragged me onto a tour of a $4 million stink pot. There is a unique sculpture park where we quickly toured before lunch. After lunch it was hard to stir the napping and sleeping masses to a hike up Young Mountain for a great view of the western San Juans and beyond. While the girls prepared fajitias, the boys went for a round at a nearby disc golf, where Calvin took the honors. We ended the day with Shakespeare Under the Stars ‘As You Like It’ at nearby Roche Harbor. The play was well done and enjoyed by all including Ada.
San Juan Island - Day 2
A slow relaxing start to the day brought us to a tour of English Camp (i.e. Pig War) True to British style, the camp was an oasis of civilization on the outskirts of the western frontier. After a lunch and nap back at the cabin, we stopped at Lime Kiln Park, a park that is famous for its whale sightings. Our intention was to walk the loop and move on to the next destination. However, shortly after we got there, a super pod of Orcas came right passed us. What a spectacular sight as no less than 50 Orca paraded in front of us, some less than 20 yards away! We later discovered how fortunate we were as records show that there are about 60 sightings a year from this spot. The rest of the day paled in comparison to our whale watching, but we took a quick tour of American Camp and Cattle Point before heading back to the cabin for seafood fettuccini.
San Juan Island - Day 1
We got up early so that we could get in line at Anacortes for an 11 am ferry to Friday Harbor. The San Juans greeted us with typical gray skies, but displayed their charm non-the-less. Arriving in Friday Harbor, we had fried seafood lunch and browsed the town before checking out our cabin. Westcott Woods cabin is a very unique rustic structure nestled in the woods above Westcott Bay. The original cabin was constructed in the 70’s with recycled lumber. Some newer additions attempt to maintain the rustic theme. The bookshelves are filled with classic literature, which made our literary fans happy. The evening was spent enjoying the surroundings and cozy cabin.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Now - About That Boat
I have waited to give much detail about my 'new' sailboat until I was actually using it. It took me about a month to clean her up a little and get a mooring ready for her. Well, she's been in the water for about a week, and I have had the opportunity to sail her a couple of times, albeit in light wind. I really like the boat. I think it is just the upgrade to get Esther on the water more often, and take a few more cruises. The Montgomery 17 is 17' long (duh!) and about 7' wide. She weighs 1600 lbs. including 600 lbs. of ballast (weight underneath to keep it upright) This particular boat came with 5 sails, though I can only use two at a time. Each of the 4 'headsails' are for different wind conditions, from light air to storm. The rigging is much more sophisticated than my last boat, and I am 'learning the ropes' as I go. I am very grateful to have her, and I look forward to many years of nautical pleasure.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Navigation System or Compass?
Today I preached at our church, so much of my spare time this past week was spent in preparation. My topic was decision making and I used the new Navigation System and the classic compass as object lessons. I likened a Nav System to discerning 'God's Will' through 'signs.' - just looking for the next direction point on the screen. I tried to point out that this strategy is not supported by Scripture, and could really be viewed as a form of divination. In contrast, the Bible outlines a set of guidelines for decision making that is like the points of a compass. Scriptural Wisdom, Good Advice, Providential Circumstances and Prayer are the cardinal points in the decision making compass. I kind of gave the Nav System a bad rap in the analogy; so I guess I better not get one for a while:)
Sunday, August 02, 2009
A Hot Week in Lynden
Esther and I spent most of the hot spell this week in Lynden. It was quite eventful as Bjorn and Jenny celebrated their second anniversary and Esther her " !? "-second birthday. We got to spend a lot of time with Ada, even babysitting overnight as Bjorn and Jenny were at the cabin. I spent three days scraping, priming and painting the barge trim of the house and repairing a few window sills. On one hot afternoon, I was able to give my mom a ride to Birch Bay in our air conditioned van. Her apartment was very hot, but she wasn't complaining. We were also able to share some great meals with Mike and Marti and John and Kay. Brea was the only teenage/young adult on the compound as everyone else was gone. We made it home for Calvin's short break from camp duty on Saturday, celebrating his birthday a little late.
Monday, July 27, 2009
local recreation
Esther and I had an active weekend doing a couple of recreational day trips. On Saturday, we dusted off the canoe and paddled to Blake Island, hiking around the Island and taking supper on the spit. While hiking we noticed the sky clouding up, and by the time we started back in the canoe, a storm was brewing. Fortunately, we were paddling with the wind and we made a quick passage back to Southworth. After seeing Calvin off to camp early Sunday afternoon, we decided to find a bike trail to explore. Given the heat, we wanted something shady. We found just the ticket with the Woodard Bay trail in North Thurston. Almost the entire trail was in the shade. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be our favorite, but it was just right for a hot afternoon.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sis in Southworth
My sister Ellen stopped by for a day in Southworth on her way up to Lynden. She drove up from Sacramento in her new Mitsubishi Eclipse. We enjoyed hearing about her recent trip to a Hillcrest reunion (our childhood African boarding school) Ellen also gave us an update on our Chicago relatives. Jack and Sue also dropped by for lunch on their way home from a week in Sequim.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Markus' Birthday
Twenty-two and counting. Having had an eventful weekend with friends at a cabin near Arlington, and last week at the Shakespeare Festival, Markus chose to have a lay low birthday today. We did go to Spiros for supper and had the customary oreo ice cream for dessert.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Ashland and Shakespeare
We had a great week in Southern Oregon. The performances at the Shakespeare Festival were great. I think that I enjoyed 'Much Ado About Nothing' a little better than 'Henry VIII' I understood more of the lines. But both were good. We had better seats for 'Much Ado'; so that may have made a difference. I feel like i just took a crash refresher course in Shakespeare and English history as I read a lot of background material this past week. The bummer of the trip was when Esther lost her camera in Ashland. She must have set it down somewhere in a shop. After scouring the town for an hour, we gave up. Consequently, we don't have any pictures of Ashland. The theater didn't allow any photography, so all our pictures were of the town. The weather was very hot; so it was uncomfortable during the day, but just right at 8:30 pm - show time. We managed to squeeze a disgolf game in one morning at a primitive course with poles and tin cans. On the way home, we went to Crater Lake which was beautiful. The temperature was just right and the lake was an amazing blue color. This weekend Markus and Calvin are both with friends, so Esther and I are alone.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Off to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Some parents get dragged to monster truck rallies or rock concerts to connect with their sons; we get to attend Elizabethan theaters to watch Shakespeare plays. Calvin and Markus, along with Esther and I will spend the next few days in Ashland, Oregon at the Shakespeare Festival. We have tickets for 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Henry VIII.' Markus read Much Ado this past quarter in a Shakespeare class, so he can keep us from becoming too confused. We leave early tomorrow to make the evening play, but not without a stop at Powell's Books in Portland.
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