Proof that Greg actually works @ his national conferences (click here on headline)

http://streaming.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=105

Day after Thanksgiving 2006

Autumn in Oregon Wine Country

Ricky at his mother's side

Kim's Thanksgiving candles

A visit to Brick House Winery

Our old pal Melissa

Now co-owner of a winery.

At the end of a long 2006 season.

Great to see you and Doug again.

I never thought I would do this

This is a line.

A line at Canby Fred Meyer.

On the day after Thanksgiving.

At 4:55 am.

There was...a sense of community to it.

A tribal experience.

I walked into the electronics department and saw a person with 3 discounted TVs in her cart.

Some folks almost seemed to have a panic about them -- there were products being sold out...so I've got to get them first.

For a moment I thought --gosh I need to run around and....buy something.

So I bought some socks.

Best Part of the Ducks 2006 Season

Tailgating -- in this photo, inside Randy and Manson's heated tent.

Catie (somewhere in there) has the spirit

Tailgating - chow time

Ricky shows his spirit

Our Duck Bear

Giving thanks there were no border patrols in 1620

It's come to this...

Still life: feet and dog

Expecting to hear the voice of God

There was a break in the weather so Simba and I decided to take a walk to the meadow and take a few photos. I have been reading on ways to take better photos and was anxious to make use of a day with changing light. We snapped a few of the brown ferns -- and then waited as the clouds began to move.....

and the Lord said, blessed are the peacemakers

looking outside the cabin

It was a stormy weekend at the cabin. Forecasts indicated huge wind and rain -- we got the rain -- lots of it. However, on Saturday the clouds parted and we got some November sunshine.

Cabin weekend mealtime

Catie's twice baked taters

a fungi by the side of the road

During our walks, Simba and I came upon this pretty mushroom next to the meadow.

A doe...a deer

On a walk at the cabin heading to Sitka Center.

Odd looking little dude

Later Uncle Bud identified this as one with hallucinogenic traits.

Reunion reflections

My uncle sent me a note about his 50th class reunion. In it, he spoke of being envious of other kid's families. It reminded me about a reunion I had.


I remember going to a wedding with Kim in Olympia. Kim and her girlfriends were bonding so I contacted my best friend from college. We had been roommates and experienced much life together. I admired his family. I wished it was my own. Over drinks, I confessed to Dave for the first time how much I envied his family. How one time in particular, Dave and I were out fishing in Puget Sound. I was silently watching him skillfully prepares his tackle. I clumsily tied a square knot on my line and tossed it in the water.

That night I told Dave about that moment -- how I ached that I didn't have the type of father-son relationship he had where the manly arts of fishing were handed down.
Dave laughed a sincere laugh.
Dave said, "my dad didn't teach me any of that. I had to read a book." Dave went on, "the family man thing was all fake. We pretended because dad was a minister. But even now -- he never comes to visit our kids -- his grandkids."
It was an odd moment.
I realized I carried a lifelong envy of something that only appeared to exist.

A new addition to the family

Meet Casper -- as in the friendly ghost.

It's been a year since we said goodbye to Ashley the cat.

Ash had been through 3 moves with us and many things. We loved and missed him much.

But it was time for a kitten. Our pup Simba couldn't make friends with psychocat Lolo -- and Casper seems to be doing much better in the interspecie relationships.

and now the movie:Daddy, what did you do on 666?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hnJtmG-RQ8