Super Saturday

Our second group of guests are here until Monday, so we spent the afternoon in Bend.  Went for a walk on the Deschutes River Trail and saw folks fishing, people walking their dogs, and families out enjoying the day.  The view of the lava rock is pretty spectacular from that part of the trail.

On the way back to town, we stopped in at Seventh Mountain Resort.  Emil and I stayed there a couple of years ago when we came here on vacation.  They have ice skating and a heated pool.  Watching kids throw snowballs at each other and then jumping into the pool was very amusing.

Guests enjoying a hot toddy around the fire pit.

Air temp was around 45 degrees.  Folks are swimming away in a warm pool!

Next to the pool is an ice skating rink.

Next, a stop at Newport Market to look at fun stuff, salivate at the deli counter, and look for goodies.  Mike, one of the produce gurus spent three weeks building a new display for their produce.  It is super cool, and he told us all about it.

 

Emil's parents generously treated us to dinner, so we chose Jackson's Corner.  We've been there a few times and love the atmosphere. So laid back, good music, and fun people watching. Oh yeah...and the beverage coolers.

The pepperoni is from Redmond Smokehouse.

I had an amazing steak sandwich on the best bread EVER.  No pic as it just doesn't do it justice.  Consider this: Tender locally raised steak strips, blue cheese, provolone cheese, and caramelized onions.  Enough said.

Another highlight of the day:  Listening to NPR this morning during my usual Saturday morning. baking.  Ahhh...how I've missed you the past few weeks.

Congrats to Teri and Troy on their new house in Redmond!  Just a few miles from us, and the lovely house overlooks the Dry Canyon Trail with easy access for biking and walking.

Dog Walking Anxiety Attack

Confession:  I'm afraid of big dogs.  I think it leads back to when I was a little kid, and my Grandpa's beagle would chase me and then knock me down.  After face planting a couple of times at a tender age, I'm just a little wary of jumping dogs....and big dogs.  I know a beagle is small, but when you're four years old...it's HUGE!

So what do I do?  Volunteer to walk dogs at the Humane Society.  I like dogs, but I don't have any real experience with them.  Case in point...the collars confuse me.  They are so small that it's hard to see which way they adjust.  Bigger?  Smaller?  I can't tell.  At least they have three sizes, so I can match the dog collar to the dog.  Of course, that's after I go look at the dog, so I can see what size collar I'll need.

I'm trying to remember breeds, but it's hard enough to remember the name of the dog!  I read the card that tells me about the dog, promptly forget the breed, the temperament, and anything else, then take off searching for the dog.  Out of 30+ dogs, it takes a bit of time.  Then, I step into the cage, wait for the dog to calm down, fiddle with the collar for 10 minutes, and we're off for a walk.

Now, I'm super worried the collar (which I try my best to adjust) will slip off the dog while I'm walking him/her around the loop.  During orientation, I learned how to do a field hitch with the leash.  Since I'm so paranoid, I use the field hitch on every dog, big or small.  On the small dogs, they kind of look like a mummy after I wrap the leash around them.  This looks ridiculous, and I've received a few looks around there.  I can totally hear you laughing at me right now as a matter of fact.  It's cool.  I don't mind.

Finally, we're off on the walk, and I'm watching the dog very carefully in case the collar magically falls off.  Halfway through the walk, I panic.  Wait!  What's the dog name?  I just looked at 30 names on cards attached to kennels.  I can't remember who this is!  What am I going to call the dog if they get loose?  Dog!  Dog!!  Dog!!!  Come back! 

Do you see where an anxiety attack might come in?  Despite me laughing at myself as I try and figure out dogs, I have a great time with them.  They get lots of hugs and gentle pats from me, along with dog treats.  And, I want to adopt Sebastian, the whippet mix.  You knew that would happen!   Isn't he cute? 

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22161466

My other favorite is Sassy. 
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22351632

Anyway, I encourage you to volunteer!  They really need volunteers on Sundays when the facility is closed, so all the dogs still get a daily walk.  20 of the dogs didn't get walked last Sunday!

See you there on Sunday!

Break Time

Emil's working hard to complete a cookie tin banjo ukulele for me.  Today, I selected cherry veneer for the peghead, so now he's off and running.  He spends most of his days in the shop and comes in for food breaks and to make sure I'm not having too much fun without him.

Today, I had dog walker orientation at the Humane Society.  Sassy and Sebastian were great dogs to walk, and I look forward to volunteering there several times a week.  Since I'm afraid of big dogs, I'll stick to the smaller dogs.

Uke lessons start up again tomorrow, and I'm on deck to take a Quickbooks class at COCC, so I can handle the finances of Road Trip Ukuleles.  *gasp*  It will be quite a learning experience, I'm sure.

We took a mini break this afternoon and took advantage of the strong winds to fly kites in the pasture.  Upon climbing down, we saw deer hair in several places in the pasture and a ribcage.  Yikes!

Everything else on the farm is rolling along fine.  Still catching mice in Little Red's pen.  The chickens are digging holes everywhere....they really need a new pastime.  Perhaps knitting or bocce ball?

The next round of visitors arrive around the 18th or 19th, and we look forward to their visit!!!