At the Butte

Our stay at Black Butte Ranch in Oregon is flying by already.  The weather is fantastic...around 55 degrees in the morning but rising quickly to 66 and hitting mid-80s in the early afternoon.  The kids, who still wake up early because of the time zone change, hit their bikes wearing their jackets, sometimes taking off unsupervised to ride to the playground.  Samuel especially loves the independence of it all and Joshua delights in befriending the friendly Golden Mantle Chipmunks who hanker for gifts of peanuts.

The ranch itself is filled with Oregonians who are hungry for the sun.  Barely dried out from the recent long stretch of rain and cold weather, they flock to the Glazed Meadow pool, filling it and the surrounding area to bare their very pale skin to the sun.  The Oregonian moles rarely get to see sun and water together in the same place, which drives them to soak up every ounce of Vitamin D available in  preparation for another long rainy winter. It brings back memories of living in Oregon and seeking out sun at every opportunity.  Years ago, Daryl and I even went so far as to pretend that the sun at the beach made it warm enough to wear our swim suits in the 60 something weather with a biting wind.  We sheltered behind a large rock but soon had to cave and wrap ourselves in thick towels to avoid the worst of the shivering.  So, I can relate to the scramble for a close up with sun and water but living in Florida now, I treasure the cool weather that makes being outdoors in the summer pleasurable. 

Yesterday the boys took private tennis lessons from the pro here.  Greg used to coach the Oregon Ducks, which is a Division 1 team. I can't say enough about his skill level working with these kids (and adults). He focuses on teaching good technique and just 30 to 60 minutes with him makes a world of difference in what the kids can do on the court. 

Today, Samuel held an impromptu outdoor art class.  The focus was on artistic lettering - 'bubble' and 'graffitti' letters...such fun.  I think that a play that the whole family can participate in is on tap next. I hope they don't make me play the dufus. :/

We're heading into Bend soon...about 45 minutes from here.  We plan to stop at the High Desert Museum, drive a few go-carts, and find some sushi!! I am really missing my sushi out here but clearly I'm finding other food that I DON'T need. :/  Mom and I have also set our sights on some shopping.

Not sure what tomorrow will hold, other than more of the same and 9 holes of golf for the family.  It's such a relief to relax and do whatever comes our way.

 

Photos of the Evergreen Water Park in McMinnville, Oregon

These pictures show the outside of just one of the four buildings that make up the air museum.  The water tubes start IN THE PLANE that sits on top of the building.  More pics to come.  Oh, this last one is the post-water park lunch with all of the beach-goers - Daryl left, Robbie, Joshua, my Mom (Myra), Samuel, and Uncle Kaye on the right.  Such a great group.

Evergreen Air Museum Water Park

The little town of McMinnville Oregon has a new main attraction.  An indoor water park has been added to the extensive air and space museum and carries the theme of flight into an aquatic venue.  Four water slide tubes are accessed from the very top of a building, upon which sits an old 747.  Each tube has it's own name and is a different experience.  The water park also includes a wave pool, swimming pool, and a water "treehouse" of sorts. 

There are numerous lifeguards, ready to give helpful advice on which tube is best for the first ride with a young child...the yellow one, as it turns out.  Joshua and I decided to head for the yellow with a double inner tube and take the plunge.  After climbing umpteen million stairs with a big double tube, trying to keep up with my 6 year old who was taking two steps at a time, I wondered if I would want to climb those stairs four times to try every tube!! Panting soon gave way to exhilaration on the yellow tube...a fantastic ride.  I opted out of the double tube next time though and had Daryl help me carry up a tube each for Josh and I to take the green tube down.  The green tube dumps you into a whirlpool of sorts, where you spin around and around before being shot down the rest of the ride.  That one is a favorite of many. 

My Aunt and Uncle copped a squat in their beach chairs along the breaking shore of the wave pool.  My Aunt kept her sun hat on the whole time so she wouldn't be overexposed to the...??? It was a smart move in the end because she didn't come out with a sun burn or skin irritation from the lights? :) Pretending to be on the beach was fun, for sure.  The sand, however, was a little too hard packed (into concrete) to build a sandcastle.

At some point, I decided to climb the upteen million stairs again to ride another tube...this time it was the Mach 1.  An aptly named tube that you embark on sans innertube, feet crossed, hands on chest.  It was, shall we say, INTENSE! It's the longest ride of all with twists, turns, and rushing water that thrills and evokes trepidation all at once.  At the end, the tube vomits you out with great force into a pool, where nearly without fail the force of the expulsion forces water up your nose.   I've been on white water rapids that were less intense but it was worth the climb and the nasal flushing. :)

The water park also boasts a an area that allows for hands-on exploration of what water does, how dams work, etc.  It's like a mini science museum and kept my kids entertained for quite a while.  The entrance fee is pretty hefty $30 per "swimmer" and $10 for "watchers" but well worth it if you're in McMinnville or anywhere near by and need to escape for the day.  Bring a picnic lunch and you can leave the water park to enjoy the outdoor park just outside and return to the water park when you're ready to get wet again.  They alos sell the usual fast food fare inside but the park outside is awesome.

Our time on the farm

We couldn't have planned it more perfectly.  We were bedraggled travelers leaving the airport after a full day of travel with two exhausted boys, heading for the refuge of my Aunt and Uncle's farm in McMinnville.  We were greated with big smiles and warm hugs, as well as comfy beds for the sleeping children and ourselves. Even waking up at 5 a.m. to the sound of excited children couldn't dampen the joy and utter relaxation we felt being there. 

The kids couldn't quite undertand that 5 a.m. was still night time and even after a few explanations continued to ask every few minutes if Uncle Kaye was up! Aunt Robbie and I held down the early morning fort, while the boys took their energy out on the farm, greeting the dogs, enjoying the swings and getting into anything else they could find. 

Heaven for me was the sight of Aunt  Robbie's homemade raspberry jam, which she makes with very little sugar.  Now, usually I wouldn't really get to enjoy jam because I no longer eat gluten and there is nothing for me to put the jam on, but my lovely Aunt is also gluten intolerant and offered me multiple grainy options that I could cover with her lovely jam.  Uncle Kaye busied himself with scrambled eggs and I sat down to a REAL breakfast...something I hadn't done in a very long time.  The best of it all, however, was the company and simply feeling at home in a familiar place with people I love and who love me.  Ahhhh...a far cry from draining my brain on the latest report and pushing unreasonable work deadlines!

The rest of the day brought more of the same...more of the same...farm fresh, homemade food to die for...split pea and ham soup anyone? Pasta with yummy marinara and chicken sausage, fresh picked raspberries (the boys, Auntie and I picked raspberries out of the garden), salad, cookies...the list goes on.  You get the idea that we werne't going hungry, right and not only that, that hunger was not the REASON to be eating...nope...just the desire to devour all the good tasting food!

The boys love the farm for other reasons...mostly that Kaye is super fun to follow around...especially for Samuel.  I can't count all of the ideas Samuel had in one day for building/ making something. I think the first was a catapult, followed by a dog house, a bridge over the creek, and on and on.  Uncle Kaye listened with patience and interest to the requests and found things for Samuel that COULD be accomplished with ease and with his own effort.  In the end, Samuel provided some much needed help to my feebly-minded Aunt and Uncle (just kidding!) by making sure that things around the farm were properly labeled: "In to the garden" "Out of the garden" "Clothes line" "Amber's fortress" (Amber is the dog).  They surely won't lose their way around the farm again! :)

My time with Aunt Robbie and Daryl's time with Kaye are always priceless...some of the best times of our lives, in fact.  What amazing people they are...so giving, so real and fun.  Their laughter will ring in my ears for months to come. I really could never say how much they warm our hearts, lift our spirits, encourage belief and love, tolerance and forgiveness.

A slow start

We were off and running...or so we thought! Dreams of hearing the pitter patter of Oregon rain today gave way to a major flight delay. We now sit in the Tampa airport, getting flight updates on the iPhone and playing the flight juggling act that will eventually end in a PDX arrival. Don't know when yet, but we're all surprisingly calm and happy, regardless. Clearly any time away from work is a boon, even if it involves sitting in an airport!