The travel game...

Turtle designed a new game this week called The Travel Game. Named this way because "it's small and portable, and you can take it with you". It's really neat and fun to play. Yesterday we had Turtle and Mu's parent/teacher "conferences" - they were both great. Both boys are doing extremely well and "are a delight to have in the class". The boys teacher - who is sooooo lovely - told us a story about OMSI camp. Apparently there was a ritual where each day a piece was added to a puzzle and the person adding it was meant to say "ooh ahh most revealing". One evening all the boys were being silly and kept saying "ooh ahh most revealing" whenever they spoke. After a while Turtle pipes up and says "ooh ahh most annoying". All the adults cracked up because it was totally annoying!

New headers....

Turtle and Mu have designed a range of new headers for the blog. There was a huge debate over which one should be used - in the end we chose one of Turtle's.

A wonderful weekend...

We've just had the best weekend away! Friday saw us drive south for about four hours (in the torrential rain) to Camp Sherman, where we holed up in a little cabin on the Metolius River. There was hardly anyone about, just the odd fly-fisherman and the occasional elk or squirrel. The scenery was stunning - lots of ponderosa pines, and autumn colours. There is one small store in Camp Sherman that sells all sorts of fly-fishing gear and basic supplies, oh and there's a tiny little post office but that's about it. Saturday we 'hiked' along the Metolius, got a little bit lost, and quite some time later managed to 'hike' back, before heading into Sisters for the afternoon. A bit of pottering about the odd collection of shops then back to the little cabin for some down time. On Sunday we drove home via Bend, then up through the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, on through Mt Hood and back to the condo. Being able to get away for weekend like that make all the difference, as much as Portland has lots to offer nothing beats getting out into the wop-wops* and getting away from it all!

* The wop-wops is not a small town in New Zealand, as someone who shall remain nameless thought. It is New Zealand slang for remote country areas.

Camp debrief...

The boys arrived back from their camp near Bend last week. They were full of news, and quite tired, and just a little grubby! Mu had trouble sleeping on the first night because "it was too dark for me". Sadly (for Mu) they weren't allowed to use their headlamps for the night hike, but he said really enjoyed "the aquatic ecology study" they did. No wild animals were sighted, except for a salamander and a few rowdy children. And they both seem to have returned home with half of the Bend bush in their bags!

This weekend we are off here - which we are all very excited about. If you look closely you can see the little cabin tucked away in the trees - that will be our home for the weekend - hooray!

Images from here and here.

Camping...

Turtle & Mu departed for camp early (and I mean early) on Tuesday morning in the freezing rain! From what we hear they are having a blast - there's snow on the ground, and tonight they are all going on a 'night hike'. Bats, owls, animal tracks and so on seem to be the order of the day. Both R and I are very much looking forward to seeing both boys tomorrow evening and hearing all their news. We will post pics (they both took cameras) in the coming days.

Image from LAS Outdoors.

A day off school...

School was closed today, so the boys and I headed off to OMSI. Just over four hours later we emerged super excited. Well truth be told Turtle & Mu were the excited ones, whereas I was just in need of a good cup of tea! A few errands around town, then off to meet R for dinner. Oh and to purchase more outdoor gear for OMSI camp. I swear they boys are so well equipped they could tackle Everest.

Tomorrow we're heading off to Mount St Helens which should be fun. Even more so if she decides to erupt!

Hiking the Garden Trail...

I joined Turtle & Mu's class for their weekly hike this afternoon. After a picnic lunch at the bottom of the Japanese Garden, we headed off up the Garden Trail in Washington Park. It was a jolly decent 'hike' with lots of hills and switchbacks. All the kids did really well, and so did the parents! And of course the scenery was stunning. Huge stands of Sequoia, and lots of pretty bright green Alder sparkling in the dappled sunlight.

Our OMSI Camp organising is well underway. Both boys now have hiking boots, and a somewhat extensive range of super-duper outdoor gear. They even have little packets of disposable soap leaves!?!? Short of a bear attack they should be more than adequately prepared for most eventualities.

Things have been busy...

I'm a few days behind. We've been super duper busy organising Turtle & Mu's gear for next week's camp. Both boys are beyond excited.

Our weekend was fun - we went to the local farmers market which was brilliant. Lots of yummy organic fruits and vegetables, all kinds of artisan produce, fresh fish, meat, homemade cheese, cakes, and flowers like you wouldn't believe. Sunday saw us head up Mt Hood to Timberline. One word - amazing. The scenery was breathtaking. There was snow on the ground and sprinkled across the trees. R said it was bit like being inside a snow globe! And you could smell the clear air and fresh scent of the trees - sublime! We had lunch at the historic Timberline Lodge. Built in the 1930's it is a wonderful reminder of an era gone by. We can't wait to head back into the hills!

Images from Portland Farmers Market and Timberline Lodge.