Road Trippin'

The Farmer and I went on a road trip last week. It was a honeymoon-moon of sorts, as it was our delayed escape from the Farm after our White Dress Party, Part Two (aka one year wedding reception). Originally we planned a road trip honeymoon-moon for the week after the party. Then we decided that since we were having 225 people in our backyard for the festivities we might be a bit tired to actually leave the premises. Plus, we had done all this work on the Jungle House...why not enjoy it? So instead of a May road trip we had a June road trip. After silage season, of course.

So last week we took a road trip to Oregon. And we freestyled.

Freestyling = no hotel reservations.

I think The Farmer was trying to raise my blood pressure.

My mother said it would be good for me.

At one point when we decided on a tentative direction for our trip I stated - rather calmly - that I was going to look up hotels in that area. The Farmer replied he was going to call my mother.

NevermindIWillStayCalmAsWeAreHeadingToPopulatedAreasThatAreSureToHaveAPlaceForUsToStayThatIsNotOurCar.

I did, however, bring my file folder of travel magazine clippings along for the ride. You can take the girl away from her file cabinet but you can't take the file cabinet away from the girl...

I'm happy to report that we have returned home and did not have to sleep in our car. And three of the four nights were big successes in hotel-land. The first two nights were compliments of Hilton (The Farmer has stated more than once that he married me for my Hilton points).

The fourth night had an amazing view...

The third night? Well, let's just say it was fine but a bit of a "keep your socks on" sort of place. It also was a former smoking room - based on initial smell - but we fixed that by ordering pizza and having a picnic. That said, The Farmer would like you to know that it had the best water pressure of all the hotels.  

You can't win 'em all.

As we drove through Central Oregon we came across the Crooked River and the bridge(s) that go high over it. These pictures don't do it justice...we are 300 feet above the bottom of the ravine.

I'm sure more than a few Oregon pioneers used a few choice words when coming upon the Crooked River. Because, dang, that is deep!

This bridge behind The Farmer is a train trestle. Yes, The Farmer was in heaven.

After two days of rain (a theme for any date The Farmer and The Brunette seem to take) the blue sky and white puffy clouds were a welcome sight. We have zero pictures of Day Two, driving over the Cascades, because, well, we couldn't see anything through the thick clouds and fog. 

And then later in Day Three, we came upon this lovely mountain...

Hello, Mount Hood!

And then we crossed the Columbia on what I think is the world's skinniest bridge. The Farmer insists semis can cross the river here. I'll believe him, but am rather glad we didn't meet an 18-wheeler during our trek across the river. 

After our morning view on Day Four of Mount Hood from the north, we got to drive along side her for the ride home.

Oh, and no road trip would not be complete without the "take it quick...now!" photos of grain silos and/or other farm buildings for The Farmer. I think he takes road trips to just get ideas for his latest model train design. 

We'll see what he comes up with in The Train Room. Until then, I'm going to go peruse the hilton.com website to reassure Paris that I still like her hotels...we just had to go freestylin' for a few days.

I think my blood pressure has returned to normal.

Bear Sightings

The news affiliates have been reporting bear sightings in and around the city during the past few weeks. While disturbing, I didn't worry much; we don't have many bears on the island. The bears would have to cross the river, so the chances of them making it all the way to the Farm undetected is slim.

I spoke too soon.

A few days ago I discovered a bear of our own on my very own back porch.

Do you see it?

 It must have escaped during our White Dress Party (part 2).

Yeah, I wouldn't have wanted to be eaten either.

New Year's Resolutions (No Wonder We Are Tired)

The Farmer and I are coming up a bit blank on this annual question of New Year's Resolutions. Or rather, our goals for the year, as resolutions seems to be a recipe for disaster. I know they'll be broken by Sunday - tops - and so let's instead think of the things we want to accomplish this year. And yes, some sound an awful lot like a resolution. Potato...Potahto.

We are coming up blank because...well...we are tired.

Because this is what happened with our resolutions last year.

We bought a house.

We renovated said house.

We eloped.

And then we have our day jobs.

One of us farmed.

The other one recruited and traveled.

Oh, how'd that photo get in there?!?!??!?!!!

Don't tell The Farmer this was the day he was doing some big dirty icky job in the sleeting rain. 

Instead remind him I'm usually driving from high school to high school, seeking out Starbucks along the way, answering questions about how The College went co-ed in the late 1960s, so yes, we have boys. 

But as I look back on this past year, when I'm tired I try to remember...

We bought a house.

View from the road.

We renovated said house.

The original front entry. Inviting, yes?

The "new" front door.

Staining the doors was quite a project. Good thing The Farmer loves me.

Prepping for the new front porch.

Moving in the door!

Don't notice that it's not yet stained. We had to take it down right after we put it up.

The end result (OK, not really...we're going to wrap the porch to the side door next spring.)

The view from the old master bedroom (now the new front entrance).

This would have been the view from the entrance if we had only moved the front door. Thank goodness we decided the open plan bathroom was a bit much for a first impression.

The view from the entrance...a work in progress.

Drywall!

The new view from the new entrance (aka the old master bedroom). The beams denote the former walls.

Everyone wants carpet in the kitchen. And the refrigerator in the middle of the room. 

Down came the refrigerator wall.

We decided the carpet had to go too. Along with the pink/gray fan wallpaper.

Mummified in preparation for the messy drywallers.

The new kitchen!

Complete with all new appliances (that was a fun day at Home Depot).

The old view from the dining room. The yellow/green wall through the doorway is location of the new front door. 

That carpet had to go too (along with a few walls).

More drywall.

And the new (messy...someone should have moved that blanket before taking this photo) view from the same location (sorta) as the first photo.

The fireplace in the dining room. Before.

The in-progress view of the dining room from another angle. I'm standing where a wall used to be.

Flooring...because the old cork floor under the carpet just wouldn't cut it.

Note the new window frames too.

The old formal dining room, complete with pink carpet. And nowhere near the kitchen.

If anyone wants some pink carpet, we still have a remnant available. The Farmer will deliver.

My new office and craft room.

I've already removed the stickers from the floor mats. 

The left bookcase holds all my genealogy stuff...for my two other blogs.

A second fireplace in the massive living room. (It went away.)

The old front entrance is in the upper right corner.

We didn't like that carpet either.

We added a wall. The window through the doorway is my new office.

We painted. A lot.

Floors make the room.

And all new furniture to round things out. (More on the GDP of the window curtains later.)

The old master bath. This is a relative term, as you can see.  It was located behind the glass block half-wall you can see in the entry "before" photos.

Note the new front door behind the wall frame. The bathroom is in approximately the same location, merely "flipped".

The Farmer insisted on the jacuzzi.

I didn't argue.

Fun with tile.

The end result. 

Don't ask about the shower doors either. That was another GDP story for another time.

We saved two of the blue tiles from the upstairs bath. Why? I'm not sure. 

This bathroom is actually to scale. It is as small as it looks.

Fun with power tools. 

Yes, the tiny bathroom had a false wall. We had to keep the wall (plumbing ran along the base of the wall) but added a nook for storage. 

Still small, but much better. 

I don't miss the blue tile. At all.

One of us farmed.

We recruited and traveled.

(Photo deleted to protect the innocent.)

And most importantly...

We eloped.

What more could you ask for?

Well, if you have to ask...

A closet.

And these tiles in the middle of my bedroom floor to move.

And a finished laundry room.

It's a "choose your favorite color" laundry room!

Still in progress, but toned WAAAAAAY down.

I guess those are my New Year's Resolutions for 2013.

Pretty simple, I guess.

Oh.

And to have a successful one year anniversary party with family and friends.

Because we did elope. And a few people want to celebrate. 

And see the house we bought. And renovated.

Come see us soon!