Tuesday 30th August

 My garden has produced enough rhubarb for me to make two rhubarb pies. Isn't that great? And there are still a few stalks to pick - you can see them in the top left of the picture above.
We ate one at teatime last night and I've frozen the other one for another day :)

If I can work out where, I'm going to plant some raspberry canes and maybe some more rhubarb and don't forget, we have an apple tree too which has several apples on it! Not bad eh?


But my slug and snail populations took liberties while I was away on holiday . . . how is this for cheek?

The bare stems you can see in the photo should be a beautiful lilly! 

When I came back from holiday, I looked at the stems - there was another skeleton in the other cavity wall exactly the same. But I had no idea what on earth I had planted! It took me almost a week to remember and my memory only came back because I had gone out for a walk the other day and came across some lillies in a garden up on Burnett Terrace.
It all flooded back! I had planted them in the earth to save them from possible dehydration which was a possibility since Ross was in charge of the watering while I was away. Well, that didn't work, did it!

 

Slugs and snails - Grrrr - they're making it very difficult for me not to hate them!!

According to my wee book '50 ways to kill a Slug', slugs love porridge oats. 

Here's what the book says. . .

1. Scatter oat bran around your plant and wait.

2. Oat bran is a favourite with slugs, but once eaten it expands inside them and their end is nigh - they have been known to literally explode.

They can forget the tossing onto the embankment or even death by beer . . . this is war!!

Thursday morning

I'm sharing my seat, here at the computer with Holly, the velcro dog. She has this thing about sitting right beside you or better still - on top of you!

This is a 'catch up' entry, because we went to Ashland on Monday and you haven't seen any of my photos so here goes. . .

ASHLAND

Ashland is a lovely place. It's not far from Grants Pass - probably took us about 40 minutes to get there. It's a spa town - got the fountain with the horrible smelly water that's supposed to be beneficial.

Here's a few photos taken in the park. It's shady which is great, has a swing park and has a little 'creek' running through it which is a magnet for all the kids and a lot of the adults who are feeling the heat.

This was the view from behind the others as we started back down the hill from the top of the park to the main road.

And this is the Elizabethan theatre that's been built in the town. It's a replica of The Globe in London!

Here's Ian posing outside.

And here he is disappearing through the entrance :)

It's open to the public as long as there isn't a performance going on. So we went in and had a wee wander around.

Long distance shot of Ian down at the stage.

Close up of Lucy, Ian and Cade  in front of the stage.

Braeden wanted to get up on the stage and perform but sadly there was a big sign up denying access :(

You can't see it, but the flag I tried to photograph was a skull and crossbones!
And I don't know if you noticed in the close up photo further back, but you can see sailing ship ropes.
What was being performed this week? I'll give you a clue, it was a musical. . .
Ian worked it out.
Something close to my heart because when I think of it I remember my baby son dressed in a silk dressing gown with a twirly moustache drawn onto his little face.
He was primary seven.
And somewhere in our house there is a video ( now there's a technological blast from the past)!
Was he playing the part (and singing!!) of the major general? !!
Did you get it?
 Did I hear you say, The Pirates of Penzance?
Yes, you got it!

Cade asked me to take this photo of him sitting on this particular seat. It's got the same number as his football shirt from last year. Most of the seats have little plaques on them with names and dedications on them. Think about fundraising 'buy a bricks' and you've got the idea!

And here we are in the Standing Stones Microbrewery having lunch.
Would you believe, as an appetizer we had deep fried brussell sprouts?
Yes, we did! And very nice they were too!!

Smashing day! :)

Tuesday morning

I took this photo when we were just about ready to leave for Springfield/Eugene. Can you make out Holly's wee face peaking over the top of the truck? She's heading for her holiday home where she was spending Saturday night with all her little buddies.
No doggies allowed at the hotel :(

Short legs meant I was in the back of the truck for the journey, with the boys, and Ian was in Lucy's seat in the front,with Lucy sitting in the little, make shift seat which I think is usually the arm rest for the front seats.
It was snug! :)

Half way to our destination, we took a comfort break at a bagle shop - ever noticed how my blogs always manage to include food? Why is that? I don't know . . .
Anyway, I had a BLT bagle with cream cheese which was lovely! I'm not usually a bagle fan but maybe I'll give them a second chance :)

AT THE FESTIVAL

My artistic shot. What do you think?

It was fun sitting below the canopy listening to the music and trying the different beers.



Here's Cade showing you a frozen chocolate banana . . . I tried it frozen and then again when it had defrosted and much preferred the latter :)

And here are Ian and Braeden listening to the music .

 

I didn't, but there were food stalls all around to tempt you and Scott and the boys filled up on tacos.
There's only so much you can eat :( and my bagle was more than enough to keep me going till dinner time :(

In the evening after dinner, we split up and while Ian and I went back to the festival, Lucy, Scott and the boys headed for a sports shop called Cabelas and look what Braeden caught!!

Lucy didn't come away empty handed either. . .

Check out the new footwear. She says they are ultra comfortable!

Cade found a big cuddly brown trout to bring home (I'll take a photo of it to show you later) but poor Scott left empty handed :(

Friday night

All about 'it'?
All about what, I hear you ask.
I know, I said I would tell you all about it but I hadn't actually started telling you so you don't know what I'm talking about. . .but I do.
I was going to tell you about our trip to The Family Fun Park in Medford on Cade's birthday. Ian was the one who did all the work. I was the chronicler.
With two cameras - Ian's and mine.

I'm thinking about sending this photo to Persil to see if they would like to use it for their whiter than white adverts

In the park, there were three outdoor activities:
bumper boats
crazy golf
go carts
And inside there were electronic games machines.
Outdoor activities? We can cope.
Indoor activities? Nightmare!!!!!! These places are always dark. Your ears are assaulted by dings and dongs and your brain is fried by flashing lights. . . you can tell how I feel about them?


We decided to spend time out of doors first.
Go carts . . .

Waiting for the flag . . .

C'mon Granda! hands on the steering wheel, foot on the pedal! Let's get going!

And here come the leaders of the pack. . . well actually the only folk on the track!

Bumper boats were fun too!

Ian, you're squirting in the wrong direction. Turn round!

Braeden quickly learned to use the controls after heading into the fray in a circular motion :)

And Cade?

Look out Granda, here he comes!!!

The battle over, the brave trio were soaked to the skin.

Luckily it was time for lunch and there were plenty of picnic tables out of doors to sit at and dry out :)

After lunch, armed with a cup of tokens, we entered the Nightmare.
And the boys loved it!
Here goes. . .

Phew that was exhausting wasn't it?

Thursday evening

Ian and I are home alone.
Lucy is at football practice with Braeden.
Scott is at football practice with Cade.
The little foorballers wear these cute little tops that look like string vests, baggy with with sleeves. I'll get a photo and show you.


Lucy is now on holiday from now till we leave, another week and Scott will be joining us too!
Well actually till two days after we leave . . . Scott says :)

Yesterday was Cade's birthday and Ian and I had agreed to take the boys to the Family Fun Centre. . .

However, I left this entry to take Holly for a walk and she ran me ragged so i'll tell you all about it tomorrow :)

Tuesday afternoon

Two o'clock . . . hot.
Lucy and Scott are at work.
Cade is in his room playing with his xbox.
Braeden is watching some cartoons and eating a lemonade ice lolly in the living room and Ian is sleeping on a lounger outside.
Nothing is stirring. Not even the dog. She's lying beside me out for the count.
So what better time to pop some holiday photos onto the blog. Let's go back and cover Saturday :)

SATURDAY MORNING

This one was taken at the farmer's market. Lucy, Braeden and I took a wee wander round it in the morning. That's homemade lemonade Braeden has in his cup. Gee, it was so sour!

It reminded me of the lemonade Lucy used to make when she was a wee girl from Jif Lemon juice. . . it made you shudder too!
Sorry Lucy :)

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Cade's birthday party

Here comes the cake! 

The candles are fighting a losing battle against the gentle breeze.

 Lucy tries once again to light the candles. She's not doing too well. That gentle breeze keeps blowing them out again. Note for future - have the blowing out of the candles indoors :)

 So here she goes again. Give the girl her due, she's determined to light those candles!

 And still determined . . . 

Quick Cade! Blow out the few that are still burning. We're losing the will to live here!

This little cutie trying to climb onto the table below is the youngest member of the Lesina clan. 

Meet Lincoln! 

Second son of Scott's sister Laramie.

And here's first born - Davies. 

He's about four months younger than Luca.

That's Laramie you can see at the opposite side of the table to Ian. 

You can see Bill Scott's dad, in most of the photos above and if you look closely you can make out Laramie's husband Vic, but I seem to have cut Karen, Scott's mum and Cindy, her sister out of all these photos! 

It's just the angle. So here's one that they just about appear in. . . 

Cindy is closer to the camera on the right of the photo and Karen is sitting on Cindy's right. Note for future re action shots - often difficult to get a good look at folk!

Monday morning

We made it!

Aberdeen to Grants Pass. . . actually, the journey wasn't as bad as I'd prepared myself for!

Ross - poor wee lad that he  - and I hope I can use the past tense here - was, had come down with a 'shivery shaky, muscles achy' bug on Wednesday last, and he had volunteered to take us to the airport at five o'clock on the Thursday morning!!

"I'll manage," he'd said when Ian had suggested we should create a plan B, and he did :) Always knew that stubborn streak would come in handy some day :)

The flight to London was uneventful. The cooked breakfast of sausage, bacon and scrambled egg being squeezed in between taking off and landing. 

And the big flight?

We had really good seats. Front row in our compartment meant that we had more leg room than anybody. I could stretch my legs straight out in front of me. 

Overnight in Los Angelos. We set every alarm we could for six to make sure we got up in time for our flights on Friday and in the end we were both wide awake by five having spent the night waking up, telling ourselves it was still too early to get up and lying there willing ourselves to 'go to sleeeep again!'

But, I am so upset. . . I did it again :(

The song says, I left my heart in San Francisco, yes?

Well, guess who left her coat in Los Angelos?

Yep. Unbelievable isn't it?

Numpty now has a coat in Sydney and another in Los Angelos!

I think I left it over the back of the seat I sat on to have breakfast in the airport.

Ian has filled in a lost property form on line for me but the form states they will only be in touch if the coat is handed in and so far we've heard nothing :( 

Anyway, thumbs up for Portland airport. Do not be afraid to land there en route to somewhere else. It's bright and airy and has a really good eating place, Gustav's. Excellent German sausages and tasty beers. Dare I say, we had a nice time there?

Yes, we did!

So here we are! And here is Braeden!

A little aside? I have already put on three pounds since I got here. But don't worry. I factored this in before I came. I still have another two pounds to play with :)