Thursday, September 6, 2012

the herd

The house you see in the background of the photo below is where our neighbor, "the deer lady", lives.  You've heard of crazy cat ladies before, right?  Well this particular older, divorced, apparently lonely lady has found her own brand of crazy.  She feeds deer.  I'm not talking about a salt lick or a few table scraps.  She feeds the deer at least twice a day and usually in a bathrobe (I have seen her in at least 4 different bathrobes-an impressive collection!).  Buckets of food.  Potatoes, carrots, white sandwich bread, and buckets of some sort of feed that looks like sawdust.  And so it is that we have a resident herd of domesticated deer.  There are certain characters.  The patriarch with the red ear tag.  The mama who had the tiny spotted baby in June.  The "unicorn" (named by my mother) who has one antler that points straight down.  They wait at her patio morning and night for their rations.  She talks to them.  This may all sound like exaggeration, but I do a lot of dishes each day and my kitchen window looks out to her deck.  The deer lady's house has very little property.  The stone patio in the picture belongs to different neighbors and it is newly (and expensively) built and landscaped.  The deer like to sleep in the  flower bed.  If it were my patio I would not be pleased.  But as worried about these deer and annoyed with this neighbor as we first felt...I kind of get it.  We sort of like the herd.  It is fun to watch them and their presence is some what reassuring.  But I'm still not talking to them or passing out slices of bread...   





Tumalo Falls






Wednesday, August 1, 2012

back to school

We've started back-to-school early this year.  Our new school, River Song School, does a montessori boot camp for new students in August.  We are so excited to experience this new (to us) educational philosophy!  Let the learning begin!
School supplies (just like big kids!): check.
Lunch boxes packed: check.
Obligatory cute first day picture: check.  

weekending with Grandma Kelley

Did you catch the photo of Zena (Grandma Kelley's dog) in the last post?  That is the only photographic evidence of Grandma Kelley's Bend visit!  But it was a grand weekend, full of fun and adventures.  Brunch, Hossmer Lake, the horse show, and dinner with Kelley's sister and brother-in-law.    The horse show was immensely fun, that will definitely be a repeat for next summer.      

day trip: hossmer lake










a CEO who sews



Daddy had a homework assignment this weekend from the ladies at work.  Keep and eye on Connecting Threads for his installment of "Gifty Galore", a Christmas gift ideas sew-a-long that you can read about on the Notions Blog.  
(Tana and Matt's project hasn't been featured yet...check back later in August.)

balloons over bend

 As it turns out, 8am is too late to see the hot air balloons take off from Riverbend Park.  But we had a nice breakfast picnic and played pinecone football.  
However, if you are up at 6am Sunday morning (like our Wally, who excitedly called to us from his perch sitting unbeknownst to his still sleeping parents, quiet and still in front of the glass patio doors)... you might just see this magic floating by.  
Next year we won't miss the launch and also must go to the "after glow" Friday evening where they blow up the glowing balloons in the dark.  Beautiful!  
Watch this: