Life at a "Swell's" pace

Road Trip: McDowell Creek

I have to say, I am so glad we got this hike in before the 100 degree weather hit. Yesterday we got well over 110! Our poor black doggies were hot, hot, hot. We always try to accommodate them in the summer, like shaving fur, ice in their water, bringing them inside, but it's so dry that even we are all pretty toasty inside the house. The Bean has been slipping up and down his Slip-n-Slide on a regular basis this week and The Mr. and I have even joined him. So with that I can say that this hike would have been a pretty sweaty and honestly miserable time had we gone now, but the day we went it was a beautiful, cool day and was really enjoyable.

McDowell Creek is sort of the Valley's hidden secret. I don't believe it makes any travel brochures to any great detail, and if you live around the area, it is a great place to head to just to get some nature therapy and enjoy the hidden gem of Linn County. We tend to frequent this place a lot throughout the years past and the scenery always changes with the seasons. It's a great place to check out during all four season just to see the difference.

There's two falls along the path we took, Royal Terrace Falls and one we call "Horsetail Falls". It isn't named Horsetail Falls, but we gave it that name as you can see in the picture below. The one pictured above is Royal Terrace Falls and the one below is an extension of that falls, but we like to refer to it as the "Horsetail Falls."

This falls is the one we refer to as "Horsetail Falls," for good reason. The water running down the rocks looks like a horse's tail.

It's a beautiful area to explore and hike.

The steps leading to the top of the falls is a workout, but once you reach the top there's plenty of places to take your mind off the five stories you just climbed. The photo above was part of my Instagram story. I try to do a story for every road trip we take, so follow along so you can see each one.

Check out the other times we've hiked the falls here.

Five simple things

Hello.

This week was amazing! It's been a great week since last Friday. I didn't post a "Five simple things" that day because, we were all on baby watch with my brother and sister-in-law. We welcomed a new, little member to the family, and I am a proud aunt once again.

This is the first baby for my brother and sister-in-law, and they-and the rest of the family-are tickled pink with joy. Little Henry James was born at 11:42 p.m. Arkansas time and was 7.3 pound, 20-inches long. He is perfect and we are so thrilled for my brother and sister-in-law and the start to their little family. (check out the little red wagon of flowers we sent them in the last picture-cute right? you can get them here) So not that anything can top that news, here are a few other things that made this week great!

1. These boxes.

Yogi Surprise is always one of my favorite things to get each month and each box just gets better and better with items. This month was no different in it's contents and I am loving each and every thing the Lifestyle box and Jewelry box contained. You can get your own box here.

Grab a subscription for the coming months. Trust me, you'll love it!

2. This tree.

Have you heard of Shoe Trees? They are pretty interesting and some of them are actually useful. This one was located on the outskirts of Redmond, Oregon, and was started in 1997.

3. The fair.

The Mr. scored some free county fair tickets and a parking pass from work and the three of us headed over and enjoyed the day. We had only planned to be there a few hours, but it ended up being all day and well into the evening. We were all worn out by the time we rolled back home, but it was a blast!

4. This fridge.

We said goodbye to our old refrigerator this week and bought a new one, finally. We've had this same refrigerator for the past 10 years and it was time for an upgrade. The ice maker and water dispenser in the front was never used due to not having water hookup in the house we live in, so ultimately it was a waste of space for us. We decided to downgrade to a smaller refrigerator and one that matches our oven that we purchased about a year ago. It works perfect in the space and also goes along with the minimal efforts we are working toward. We love it!

5. Pizza nights

Last but not least is this pizza dough. We have been finding more ways to cook at home and bring in less waste into the house, so I have mastered a great go-to pizza dough recipe and if you like pizza like we do, I think you will love this recipe.

Basic Pizza Dough:

Makes two 12-inch pizzas

2 cups unbleached flour

2 cups organic whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon quick yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons organic sugar

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

In a stand mixer or large bowl, mix the flours, yeast and salt. Warm the water to 110-115 degrees, which feels hot to the touch. Add the oil to the water. Mix the water into the flour mixture, kneading until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. I use my hands for this because it's just easier. It should be soft and pliable but not overly sticky. If it is sticking to your fingers, add a little more flour. Knead for a few minutes, then place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and place near but not on the stove. Let rise for at least an hour. Freeze the remaining, or use right away.

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Cut dough in half and use the dough at room temperature

Sprinkle a good amount of flour on a working surface

Roll out dough and if you're good, flip into the air, to make a round 12-inches

Place onto a baking stone, or pan, or if you're lucky, a wood-fired pizza oven, add your toppings, and bake 12 to 15 minutes

Enjoy!

-Toppings we enjoy:

Good ol' pepperoni and mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend

Roma tomatoes, basil, garlic, and mozzarella cheese

Chicken breast, Parmesan, mozzarella cheese.

Have a great weekend!

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.