Ukulele University Part Two

Emil took really great pics of the event.  Please see below.

A few members of The Refreshments from Eugene, OR

The Runway Ranch Band

Back from the Dead featuring, BUGs member, Bob Shimek

Rick Zeek and Rhan Wilson from Santa Cruz

The Anvil Blasters, featuring BUGs member, Jeff Woodruff

I love Jeff!

Playing with The Refreshments - see video below.

Cinder Blue

What a great event!  Emil's working on some videos from the event.  Here's the first one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DJ9Gqb9TAM&feature=youtu.be

Ukulele University Part One

Whew!  What a weekend!  Emil and I are on the Steering Committee for the first annual Ukulele University here in Bend.  Imagine 150 ukers having a good time, attending workshops, learning to fingerpick, Doo Wop, and more.  We had a wonderful Luau on Friday night.

Festive decorations

Bend Ukulele Group (BUGs) singing a welcome song.

Dancing lessons while Lyndon sings.

So cute!

Lots of jamming - planned and impromptu.

Singing "Koke'e" with Kurt Silva, who has the most beautiful voice!

And this was just Friday's festivities with some volunteer shifts thrown in and a night jam.  On Saturday, we did some volunteering and then attended workshops.  I attended "Rhythm," taught by Rhan Wilson, Santa Cruz.  Emil went to the "Finger Pickin," taught by Earl Mullins (who lived in AK for awhile), member of the Boise Ukulele Group.

For the afternoon workshop, I really enjoyed the Doo Wop, by The Refreshments from Eugene, Oregon.  We learned "Come Go With Me" by The Del-Vikings.  Then, we played on stage with The Refreshments during their gig.  Video to be posted later in Part Two.

Sunday morning, we went to a gospel session led by Rick Zeek and Rhan Wilson, Santa Cruz.  It was fantastic!  Lots of familiar tunes.   

Now, it's time for a hot shower, catch up on social media, and lots of laundry from camping all weekend!

Oh yeah...and a fun news clip!  http://www.ktvz.com/news/-Ukulele-University-Teaches-New-Players/-/413192/15638062/-/9h2h7u/-/index.html
 

Tis the Festival Season

Busy weekend!  Bend Summer Festival is going on this weekend, so we walked down this afternoon.  Yes...walked!  LOVE being close to everything.  Gorgeous sunny weather with a light wind.

I can sit up front while Emil pedals.  Awesome.

Cool little trailer, two beds and a table inside.

4+ stages of live music, booths, food, and more.

Cute guys playing fun music!

Blue Raspberry Shaved Ice = blue tongue, blue teeth, blue lips.

Community Bluegrass Jam - fellow ukers up there.

Viviane on mandolin.

Roger, lead vocals on "You Ain't Going Nowhere."

Steve, a fellow Alaskan and uker!

What a nice afternoon!  This week is super busy with writing group, book club, and the ukulele festival that we're helping to coordinate.  Better start strumming and practicing!

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

Inspiring.  Overwhelming.  Gorgeous.  Thousands of people.  Achy feet.  Pretty darn amazing.

Love the cute trees!

The purple is vibrant!

Estimated attendance for today is 12,000 folks.

Super cool quilts!

My favorite quilt was a set of 21 quilts called Quilt for Two Rivers.  Here's the background on it:

Our world is like a quilt, stitched together of many pieces- rivers, mountains, plants, rocks, wildlife… and people.  “Quilt for Two Rivers” is a ground-breaking collaboration between the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, National Forest Foundation and U.S. Forest Service to find a new way to connect people to the wild rivers that frame Sisters – the Metolius River and Whychus Creek. Through the lens of fiber art, the Quilt for Two Rivers goal is to inspire and educate people about the need to care for the lost river Whychus, a gem that has been forgotten for a century and is only now being rediscovered as its historic name, water flows, and fish return. 

The project outcome will be a forty foot long quilt installation, made up of seventeen quilt panels, with Whychus Creek as the single connecting element. A second, smaller group of quilts will consist of four tall and narrow panels. The pieces will communicate the importance of this dynamic river to the community, for both its natural and cultural resources.

It's on display in Sisters until the end of the month.  I may go to Sisters again to show Emil.

Pretty cool, eh?  Definitely worth the time to see it and brave the masses.  Actually, the crowd wasn't bad at all since the whole town is blocked off.  Plenty of room to meander.  We packed a lunch, wore comfy shoes, and plenty of sunscreen.

http://www.sistersoutdoorquiltshow.org/

Must buy a microwave

Is there an appliance you can do without?  Silly me thinks we can do without a microwave.  I figure we upgraded the toaster to a toaster oven.  Isn't that enough?

- It's hot out.  No need to reheat my coffee like I normally do (sometimes twice each morning...I get distracted or lose the location of my coffee).  Drink it either room temp or toss in a few ice cubes.

- I'm a Southern gal, and I love me some biscuits.  Either homemade cream biscuits or Bisquick rolled ones.  And, I just picked up a huge box of Bisquick at Costco that won't even fit in my fridge without laying it on its' side.  Wait...how am I going to warm up my biscuits each morning?  

- Weight Watchers Impossible Vegetable Pie.  So few points, easy to make, and perfect for lunches.  Well, I tried to eat some tonight, cold from the fridge.  AWFUL.  I tossed it in the toaster oven for 10 minutes.  Nothing.  Still cold, a little burnt on top. 

- Uncluttered counter space.  I am my Mother's daughter.  Her pet peeve is cluttered counter space, and I tend to agree.  Plenty of room for prepping meals is essential.  Why have a microwave take up space unless you really need it?

I think I'll give in and pick up a microwave tomorrow from Costco.  Biscuits with butter are calling my name.

Settling In

Before we left Redmond, a free concert in the park was on deck with good friends, Teri and Troy.  Our wonderful neighbors were there too with a huge group of friends.  What a big party!  The band, Larry and His Flask, was a fusion of ska and punk...think Squirrel Nut Zippers with a little more intensity.  The mosh pit consisted of several hundred people of all different ages.  Love it!

The mosh pit starts to assemble.

Really settling in...It's our second night in the new home, and we're starting to settle in bit by bit.  The weather has been really warm (90's), and it's a great motivator to get an early start.
Teri and Troy helped us with the last load of goods from Redmond.  We splurged and had dinner at Pilot Butte Drive In.  I think it will be a once a year gut bomb (borrowing Erica's expression "gut bomb").

Super Dog with neon green relish.  Interesting.

Best Cheeseburger I've ever had (sorry White Spot in Anchorage).

It's been a thrifty spending spree over the last week.  Since most of our stuff is in storage in Alaska, we've had to buy EVERYTHING!  Trash cans, rugs, hand towels, measuring spoons, coffee cups, blankets, and more...most from thrift stores.  We need furniture, but most pieces will have to wait a bit.  We did stumble upon some really nice white oak chairs today.  I hope my friend, Becky, will reupholster them.

Very lightweight, two different styles. 

I've explored a few different trails for running.  Tomorrow morning, I'm contemplating a bike ride, but I'm a little hesitant with the roads and traffic here.  Just used to wide open country roads with very little traffic!

Wandering Wildlife

While I was out doing a big bike ride (to make up for a generous helping of apricot bread pudding and vanilla ice cream from last night), Emil took some pics of visitors in the yard this morning.

Saves us from trimming trees.  But, stay away from the begonias!

It's gorgeous, 90 degrees, light wind, and absolutely beautiful today.  Sending cool thoughts to my family in the midwest and east coast, dealing with 100 degrees.  Please cool down before we come there to visit.  I may melt or spend all my time inside the beach house cooking big meals for everyone.  Hmm....that sounds perfect!  I'll get together my recipes just in case.

Packing Perfection

Here's how I pack:

Here's how Emil packs:

Moving was uneventful other than Emil saying, "You're manic.  Take a break."  He said this because I am inexperienced with a hand truck, so I carried every single box to Emil, who was stacking boxes in the 14 foot truck.  Maybe he couldn't keep up with me.  Heh Heh Heh.

We have a week left in Redmond country paradise.  It will be hard to say goodbye to the beautiful sunsets, mountain views, sweet kitties, silly chickens, gorgeous home, kind neighbors and more.