August Trip to Oregon

For the last two weeks, I was in Oregon. I flew up with my dad and he stayed for a week, then I stayed for another week. Upon arrival, we started going out on the boat.

The first major adventure we completed was Oneonta Gorge (east of Portland). We went with my uncle, cousin, and grandparents. everyone except the grandparents made it to the waterfall. The hike went through a creek and over giant logs. In total the hike is about 250 yards.

The Second adventure was Ape Caves in Cougar, Washington. The cave is a lava tube at the base of Mt. Saint Helens. We hiked underground for 1.8 miles and walked back on the surface. In the cave, we encountered giant rock piles and ten foot walls. Once again, my uncle, my cousin, dad and myself went through the cave and my grandparents waited for our return back at the parking lot.

Most of the days, we went out boating. One day, my uncle who always puts the boat in and takes the boat out, and everything else did not come. So we had to do it from what we knew. It was a nice day on the river. My dad went water skiing and I went tubing. When my dad water-skied, I drove the boat. It was my first time pulling a water-skier and it took me a couple tries to figure out how to get him to stand up, and finally I figured it out.

A week after we arrived, my dad went back to California and I stayed. During the second week, I spent many nights at my uncle's house. We played pool, listened to LPs, and burned stuff in the fire pit.

At my grandparent's house, I played golf and drove the golf cart.

One day, we went to Portland to see the Pittock Mansion.

New Chickens

We just got two new chickens. One is a Sicilian Buttercup and one is a Buff Brahma.

We named the Buff Brahma, Sadie (as is Sexy Sadie), and we named the Sicilian Buttercup, Beatrice Buttercup.

Sadie in front. Beatrice behind.

Beatrice

Sixteenth Day in New York

Yesterday morning, our friend from Washington came to visit for the day. We basically sat in Adirondack chairs and talked until 3:00 PM. At around 3:30 PM, my cousin, aunt, and uncle came for dinner. When they got here, my cousin and I headed off to the pond for swimming and fishing.

For dinner, we had hamburgers and hot dogs. After dinner, my cousin, aunt, and uncle left. Then, my grandma, grandpa and I went to the grocery store to buy flares and go down to the lake to light them. We ended up getting stuck in traffic down by the lake and not setting them off. We also hit a tree backing up. It left a big dent in the car.

We came home and watched the fireworks around the lake.

Fifteenth Day in New York

Yesterday morning, I went on the computer, then sat in the living room doing nothing. Then, my mom, grandpa, and I went in the truck to a u-pick farm to get raspberries for the jam. We ended up get sugar snap peas, strawberries, black raspberries, and red raspberries. We were there for about an hour and 45 minutes.
When we got back, we had lunch. Then I mowed a patch in the backyard that was getting a bit too high. Meanwhile, my mom was priming the porch, then painted it.

Then, my grandma and I went to the nature center. We went through the butterfly cage, saw a fox, and went into a 4 story tree house. The tree house is a giant rectangular structure with dead tree branches going up the outside. Very cool indeed.

When we got back to the house, it started to rain, then stopped raining a half hour later. For dinner, we had pork. After dinner, my mom and I went to the pond and caught three fish.

Fourteenth Day in New York

Yesterday morning, I helped put away the chairs from the party and finished weed-whacking. Then, my grandma went to the library to volunteer, My mom left on a run to the library, and my grandpa and I went to the library to return a book. When we all got back, my mom and I went down the street to pick berries. Still not enough to make jam.

At around 3:00 PM, my grandpa and my mom went to the hardware store to get paint and primer for the front porch which is in need of a paint job. Then, my mom scraped loose paint off the porch and cleaned the porch. Afterwords, we all played croquet.

Before

For dinner, we had chicken and we ate dinner on the back porch. After dinner, we went down to the park to watch the fireworks. They were very very loud.

Thirteenth Day in New York: Independence Day Parade

Yesterday, the second Independence day parade took place. In the morning, we my mom cleared out the paths while I helped set up the tables and chairs. Then, I finished my decorations on the tractor. At 1:00 PM, I went down to a neighbor's house to drive back a tractor for my grandma. When I got back my aunt and cousins have arrived. (I wanted to drive the tractor back because it is my favorite tractor to drive.) My mom also got a tractor from a neighbor.

At 2:30  PM, we started heading to the starting location. There were about seven vehicles, two bikes, and five pedestrians. I led the parade. The parade was 21 minutes long.

After the parade was done and over with, one of my cousins and I went to the pond. I caught one and he caught one. Then, we went swimming. We also went in the canoe which was on the shore.

For dinner, we had hamburgers. After dinner, I watched the TV show "The Great Escape". They were trying to escape the USS Hornet, which I have been to.

Twelfth Day in New York

Yesterday, I went to the big farmer's market wanting to get raspberries for jam. They didn't have any, but we got maple syrup. When we got back, the trapper came and caught another woodchuck. Then, my mom and I went to the grocery store to get raspberries and fill the tires up on the truck. They didn't have raspberries. Then, we went for a drive in the country looking for someone selling raspberries. Nothing.

At 8:00 PM, we went to see the play, Lend Me A Tenor. It was pretty funny.

During the night we had a little rain and it woke me up.

Eleventh Day in New York

Yesterday, I got a hair cut, finally. Then, I helped my mom and my grandma cut down a hideous bush. It was very big. Then, I put the small flags out in front of the house for the parade.

For lunch I had eggs and bacon in a bagel. After lunch I messed around with an old satellite receiver. It didn't work. For the rest of the after noon, I do much because it was very hot outside.

For dinner, we had shrimp and angel hair. After dinner, my mom and I went down the street to the pond. She caught 1 and I caught 4.

Tenth Day in New York

Yesterday, we picked my mom up at the airport. When we got back, she immediately started trimming the bushes and doing yard work. Then, we went to get fresh eggs at a friend's house. My mom insisted on taking the truck. When we got back, my grandma left for the grocery store and I made pound cake. Then, my mom took a nap while I waited for my cake.  When the cake finished, it was time to put the tractor decorations back together for the parade. My grandpa and I spent 45 minutes repairing it and putting it together. Then, my grandma got back and my mom woke up.

We had steak for dinner, then, we played Masterpiece.

Ninth Day in New York

Yesterday, I woke up, then I took a drive in the tractor. When I was driving, I saw the trapper had come to take away the woodchucks he trapped. He shot them on the spot. It was pretty disgusting. Then, I mainly drove the tractor around for the rest of the day until the late afternoon. Then, I went out with my grandma to pass out the rest of the flyers.

For dinner, we had meatloaf. After dinner, I watched America's Got Talent.