Road Trip: Over the Cascades

For National Ice Cream Day we decided to take a short trip over the Cascade Mountains, have some ice cream cones in Sisters, Oregon, and make a day of it in Eastern Oregon. We started out just driving and seeing where it took us, but ultimately we ended up exploring the area for most of the day.

Our first stop took us to BJ's Ice Cream Parlor in Sisters, Oregon. We also planned to grab a cone on this road trip because it was National Ice Cream Day-(July 16). The boys stuck with mint chip, while I had to mix it up a bit with some salted caramel flavor.

We stopped along the way at the lookout point for Mount Washington. The trees in this area are still recovering from the B & B Complex Fire from 2003. The fire started due to lightning and ultimately scorched over 90,000 acres of land in the end. This season of summer in the Willamette Valley has been quite a scary one so far though. We've had a few grass fires, house fires, and brush fires already this summer, but hopefully, we will get some rain relief soon. Unfortunately, it won't be anytime before it hits over 100 degrees here I'm afraid.

We headed next to the Head of the Metolius River just outside of Bend, Oregon. The river seemingly comes right out of the side of the mountain here and the view of Mount Washington isn't bad either. 

I have to mention the trustworthy chipmunks here. There were peanut shells scattered around, so apparently they are so trusting because they get fed regularly by visitors. I have to admit, we would have fed them too had we brought any food along with us. 

Beautiful day too!

Our next stop was the Shoe Tree along US 97 headed north. You'll have to read about this Shoe Tree here. Roadside attractions are the best!

We ended the trip with a huge burger from the Bend Burger Company and let me tell ya, if you have Bend, Oregon, on your bucket list this place is a definite MUST! The picture above was part of my story on Instagram, so it has the boys and the location tagged. If you don't follow me on Instagram, what are you waiting for? We take a lot of fun, little, road trips here and there and we'd love to share them with you. You can follow me here. And for the curious, The Mr.'s Instagram, and The Bean's Instagram.

Five simple things

So since I skipped last Friday posting about the "Five simple things," we are going to post for the last two weeks. In all honesty, The Mr. had the fifth off after the Fourth of July and it threw my entire week off. When he gets a day off during the week it feels like it's a Sunday to me and therefore I am behind in my thinking for the rest of the weekend. But anyway, we did have a nice time with him having that day off and it was a great day for us to be able to relax and enjoy the day. The Mr. and The Bean put on a great fountain show and we displayed old glory all over the place. The rest of the week was fantastic and this past week was even better, so here are the things that made this week-and last-great!

1. The flag, of course.

We have an ecclectic collection of U.S. flags at our house and the two posted above are our favorites. The one on the left is from an old trunk we bought at a yard sale about 15 years ago, before we moved to Oregon, and it has been proudly flown every year for various holidays. The one on the right is one that was flown on the Navy aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise. It's a great flag with history and we are so proud to fly her still.

2. Lavender honeybees.

I mean really, is there anything more amazing than watching a honeybee suck nectar from a lavender bloom?

3. This moment.

Good ol' Baz. Still going strong after 17 years and loving/living life to the fullest. 

4. Dirt pile.

It's gone! It's finally gone! And we have the driveway back. If you don't follow me on Instagram and know the story well, what are you waiting for. Check it out here!

5. July book.

Check out this month's book selection: Thirteen Ways of Looking

by Colum McCann. -Find out more here.

Happy birthday, America!

Hope your Fourth of July was great! Here's what we did...
We here at the South North South house, or as my son likes to refer to it, "The Thicket," blew up the neighborhood with fountains. The Mr. had July 5 off so I wanted to make it a day where we spent some time together at home, doing nothing. We did just that and we all were in need of some down time. It seems the last few weeks we have been running and going and we all, even today, are wanting to take long naps. Maybe by this weekend we will have caught up on some much needed rest.

With our Fourth though, here in Oregon you can't have anything that leaves the ground and nothing that explodes. Boring right? When we lived in Arkansas we were blowing things sky high and the best part, you could even shoot fireworks off throughout the year. But then again, it wasn't as dry in the south as it is here in the north. Oregon, however, if snakes and sparklers are your favorite things then this is the place to live! The Mr. ended up buying the packaged fireworks that are always way over-priced, but he thought, it's the Fourth and we never do this, so let's mix it up a bit. So he brings home this...

...and he is going to light them with his "homemade" blow torch. See I told you, blowing up the neighborhood.

Before the fireworks went off, PITA was sitting with us all calm and collected, but once the bangs happened, he wanted to go hide in his blanket. I really do hate this time of year for our doggies (and other animals) they just don't understand what's happening. We let PITA get all snug in his blankets before starting and Baz-the older one-went deaf a few years back and it was the best thing to happen to him when it comes to this holiday.

Before we shot off some fireworks, I ran to the store to pick up a few things for dinner and this view of the sun setting was kind of magical. I couldn't help but snap a few shots from the car.

The Bean made our sidewalk all festive for the day and I couldn't help but share his creativity. I just love what comes into his head sometimes.

Almost is a shame that it will disappear over the next few days.

Hope your Fourth of July was amazing!
Happy Birthday, America!

A visit to the Willamette National Cemetery

The Mr., The Bean, and I took a drive through the Willamette National Cemetery this past week. We always wondered how the view of the Cascades was in this area and boy, were we in for quite a delight. The grounds of the cemetery are maintained by the government and only military personnel and spouses are buried here. The grass, bushes, flowers, and even the view is spectacular. It really is a nice place to show honor to the men and women that gave their all to give us what we have today. The Mr. and I were so pleased to be able to show The Bean this area before Fourth of July. It really put the entire holiday into a different light for all three of us.

Views of downtown Portland from the west side of the grounds.

View of Mount Hood from the south end of the grounds.

View of Mount St. Helens from the north end of the grounds. 

There is an area near the entrance that you can look up a grave. There are so many men and women buried here that the areas are marked off in sections. And this view is just one of the sections. It's really heartbreaking how many people have lost their lives due to war, but at least this place gives them the respect they truly deserve.

Oregon Korean War Memorial Wall

Honoring the men and women (nurses) from Oregon that served in the Korean War.

It's a beautiful area. If you have a bucket list, you might consider adding this one to it.

Out of respect, I did not take pictures of the graves-any that show up in the background was purely accidental.

Friday things

Things that made this week a bit of alright.

1. Afternoon golf

The Mr., The Bean, and I went to the driving range this week to practice our drives. The Bean is hitting harder and harder these days and pretty much has better form than The Mr. and I put together. We are really proud of him for a lot of things recently and his golf is one.

2. Nighttime badminton.

The Mr. and The Bean have been having afternoon badminton challenges lately. We lit the net up to be able to see the game better in the evening, and the games have continued long into the night.

3. Our garden.

 What a delight it is

  When, of a morning,

  I get up and go out

  To find in full bloom a flower

  That yesterday was not there. 

TACHIBANA AKEMI

(1812-68)

We have always had some sort of garden each year, but this year I am so thrilled. We have been reading a lot about Monsanto issues and decided to clean up our habits from the ground up. We purchased all USDA Organic seeds, or starts, and pulled out anything that wasn't organic. We literally started over from scratch and made changes that will last. The Mr. and I have included our habits into what foods we buy and what goes into our bodies. We have decided to purchase only foods that are USDA Organic, including drinks. Call us conspiracy theorist, but The Mr. has lost 40 pounds and I have lost 30. We feel good, have more energy, and also our moods are more positive. If you haven't read about Monsanto/Bayer, you might want to take a minute to read. My most recent tweet on Twitter is how we feel about the company completely.

What's the best way to control a population of people? Answer: @MonsantoCo and @BayerPharma #donotbetricked

— South North South (@sh3lly) June 30, 2017

If you're concerned about Monsanto/Bayer the first thing you can do is stop using any Roundup products in your lawn, or garden. You can read more about it here, right off the Monsanto site.

4. These packages.

The first one was this month's Mighty Nest packages. The glass lunch container with the orange lid was their monthly gift, but the other was a lunch container The Mr. wanted to replace his regular lunch container. We have completely cut out regular plastics in our home. BPA-free plastic lids are the only exception right now. We eventually want to become waste-free in our home and these changes are getting us in the right direction. You can sign up for Mighty Nest here and get a monthly item that will help you change your habits one item at a time.

This package was given to The Mr. for his service to the community for being a fire fighter. The package was given to him from Operation Gratitude. The Mr. was really grateful for the gift and felt humbled by the fact that Operation Gratitude thought of him in such a way. We are extremely proud of The Mr. for the years he has put in with the fire department and putting his life on the line to save others. Thank you, Operation Gratitude.

5. This telephone

The Bean finally got his 1950s hotel rotary phone back from the Old Phone Shop. The wires for the wall outlet had come loose in the mail and the repair man is shipping a new cord out to us. We can't wait to plug it in and use it for day-to-day calls on our landline. It will be such a neat treat to hear it ring and make calls on it. I'll update once we get the new cord.

Have a great weekend!

Friday things

Another Friday things, so here it is. Things that made this week great.

1. These strawberries.

2. The Mr.

A week after being hit by a car while riding his bike and he is still nursing some battle scars. He only complains once in a great while about the sourness, but overall he is healing up quite well. And our Facebook group page for advocacy in the town we live in is coming along well. Join us here.

3. These boxes.

Yogi Surprise is one of my absolute favorite things to receive in the mail each month. This month's boxes were mind-blowing. The Lifestyle box came with some great things, but my favorite thing was the herbs from High Mowing Seeds. Perfect timing for them too, as we were in the process of planting our herb garden that weekend. (You can pick up a Yogi Surprise box here; You'll love it!)

4. This view.

I couldn't help but love this picture. The Bean and I snapped this one, while on a walk. We weren't headed to the chocolate company here, but we "had" to have some hand-dipped chocolates. The chocolate company is called Victorian Chocolate Company.

5. This thought.

We are still working toward a minimal household. I feel like we get rid of a car-load of stuff each week. It's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate over the years. Random stuff that really shouldn't have been purchased in the first place. But this is a start and we are staying on track toward a better life. Looking forward to being where we need to be. You can follow along with me each Monday on my Instagram here and see what the focus is for that week on going minimal. 

Have a great weekend!