My Second Wind

Seattle Is A Wimp?

2012-01-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

The Ken and Barbie wise-guys in Los Angeles called us Seattle folks “wimps” yesterday because they heard we were crippled and grumbling from the horrific snow and ice storm which is finally now on the melt.

O yeah? I’d love to see how they would handle the barrage of elements that hit us during the past three days. Tinseltown comments, by the way, are pretty much ignored up here in the real world.

Pictured above is what happens when a tree becomes snow-laden and then slightly melts in the day-time sun but then re-freezes in the night chill. The heavy ice that accumulates becomes too much for the tree to bear, and it comes down – not caring what is in the way. Pictured at the top, in contrast, is a sample of the beauty that can be gleaned even from adversity – both photos taken by SeattlePI.com).

When a tree falls on power lines, people are suddenly without electricity. Right now (Friday evening) almost a quarter of a MILLION homes still are in the dark. We were without power for 15 hours on Thursday, and that seemed like an eternity. But we were among the first to get our power back. I can only imagine how these folks are feeling as many of them are now approaching 48 hours of heatless homes.

Above is what our town house complex looked like on Wednesday morning looking out from our garage. Still tonight, the now solidly frozen, tire rutted snow is 6” deep – making it nearly impossible to even walk on. Yesterday, I could not navigate the 200 feet to our mailbox on the slippery ruts, grooves and frozen slush. I simply didn't trust my decrepit knees to hold me up in the wind.

And I don’t consider myself a “wimp”. I grew up in Chicago which can have pretty hideous winter weather, but add steep hills nd an abundance of tall fir trees, and then you have what we have experienced here.

Temperatures finally rose above the freezing mark this morning, but it’s still looking like another day, if not two, before the melt-off is complete. More rain and slowly rising temps tonight are creating more havoc in some areas. Early today when melting snow caused a nearby river to rise suddenly, a car was swept away into the fast-moving water, and lives were lost.

We’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost eight years. We’ve had longer winter storms in that time but none this intensely devastating. We’re thinking tonight of all of those still without power. Crews are coming in from out-of-state to help get things back to normal. It isn’t going to be easy.

In His New Book, “Simply Jesus,” N.T. Wright Suggests We May Miss the Essence of Christianity If We Don’t Understand the Implications of Who Jesus Is

2012-01-03T22:26:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Simply Jesus by Anglican theologian N.T. Wright over the holidays, and, once again, he has radically disturbed my very Western, Americanized perception of Christianity.

On the other hand, in doing so, he has offered a vision of Jesus that is much more compelling, and, which, according to the author, deals with the right questions and enables us to gain a fresh worldview – that of first century Christians.

Wright points out that the questions we ask about Jesus as 21st-century American Christians are very different from those asked by those in the first century. Our questions are generally quite direct: Do heaven and hell exist? How do I get to the first and avoid the second?

Back then, he suggests, the questions were very likely quite different. First century Palestinians had quite a different worldview than ours, and we need to understand their worldview in order to understand what it meant for Jesus to be born, live, die and be resurrected in that period of history. Only then can we understand enough to ask the right questions today.

And so for most of the book, Wright weaves an intricate thread consisting of the strands of history, culture and religion that formed the genre of first century Christianity.

What emerges is an understanding of Jesus that you or I likely did not learn in Sunday School. But it is a powerful and enlightening tapestry which is woven. We learn, according to Wright, that Jesus himself, by his death and resurrection, established the kingdom of God on earth which continues now and will be fully known at his second coming (in spite of the predicaments we find our world in today).

Of course there is considerable theological discussion on the whens and wherefores of the kingdom, but Wright weaves a tightknit and comprehensive brief for his views.

I found the book a fascinating read. But keep your mind open to fresh gleanings. The Jesus you meet in this book is one you’ve likely not seen quite this way before.

Christmas Eve Church Service Celebrates The Culmination Of Advent With “Festival of Lessons and Carols”

2011-12-24T23:21:00.000-08:00

Kay Lynne and I just returned home from the Christmas Eve Church Service at our church, St. Andrews Lutheran in Bellevue, ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who changed the world forever. Pictured above is the choir and orchestra processional.

We have expectantly awaited Christmas Day for slightly more than a month during the season of Advent on the Church calender. The word advent means “coming” or “arrival” and is observed in anticipation of Christ’s coming to earth as a babe in a manger.

In celebrating the Festival of Lessons and Carols, we joined with many churches in observing an historic format for worship to honor the birth of Christ. The Festival tells the story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus in nine short Scripture readings from Genesis, the prophetic books and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas Carols and hymns.

Our service included the participation of our church chancel choir and brass and strings ensemble, which added a wonderful sense of celebration. We concluded by lighting candles and singing several Christmas Carols.

Now we are ready to enjoy the full meaning of Christmas, the celebration of the coming to earth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. In not too many minutes it will be Christmas morning.

Come, Lord Jesus. We are ready for your arrival.

A Foot-Tapping Venture Into Cultural Heritage

2011-12-19T22:53:00.000-08:00

Kay Lynne and I had a most interesting and enjoyable venture into (my) Finnish cultural heritage yesterday, when we traveled to Bainbridge Island (where we used to live) to see, meet and listen to the Finnish folk band Kaivama. Finn cousin Joel Narva, his wife Sandra and daughter Lindsey, joined us at the concert.

The “band” consists of two accomplished Finnish musicians, Sara Pajunen and Jonathan Rundman (above), both born and raised in Midwest Northwoods areas closely resembling the environment of Finland – namely Virginia, MN and Ishpeming, MI. Both areas enjoy long winters, lakeside saunas, dense pine forests, rugged terrain, and solitude – replicating the Nordic country’s climate and landscape.

The music they play can be loosely described as Finnish/Scandinavian folk music, but their training and performance transforms it into so much more.

Here’s what their web site says about their music: Sara Pajunen's unique fiddle playing is the common thread of the album, a meld of technique and nuance. Jonathan Rundman adeptly adds various instruments to each track, from rollicking acoustic guitar to a WWII-era foot-pump harmonium (organ) to his Grandfather's tenor banjo—and some famously American textures thanks to a vintage Hammond organ and Wurlizter electric piano.

Pajunen’s classical training and flirtations with avant-garde string arrangements blend with her dedication to the Finnish pelimanni fiddle tradition. Rundman mixes the harmonic structures of Nordic hymnody with a rough Americana sensibility and hints of '70s-era progressive rock.

The web site also indicates that “Kaivama's first album is a landmark debut, and a worthy bridge between a new Finnish-American generation and the time-honored music of their heritage.” For Joel and me, it was an opportunity to hear for the first time the folk melodies our departed parents often told us had influenced the times of their youth.

No doubt we'll be back to see and hear Kaivama again when they return to Seattle’s Phinney Ridge area for a concert next May.

Click here to see and hear a sample of their music. Click here for their web site.

Hayley Experiences First High School Drama As Freshman

2011-11-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

Our granddaughter Hayley, a high school freshman in Newberg Oregon, is this weekend and next taking part in her first high school drama, the musical comedy Once upon A Mattress, and Kay Lynne and I were privileged to see her performance last night. Above, as Lady Emily (center), she reacts with other Ladies of the Court to antics by the devious Queen Aggravain.

Originally written as an adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea (where true love wins out), the play was expanded and played on Broadway in the early 1960’s. It has become a popular work for high schools and community theater groups.

We thought the Newberg High School peformance was an especially good one. The acting was stellar, the vocals were wonderful, and the chorus and orchestra were all in top form. As one of the Ladies of the Court, Hayley was also a member of the chorus. Photo at right was taken after the show as the cast mingled with the crowd. These are the events that grandparents live for.

Also yesterday, Hayley’s sister, Talli, a senior, ran her best time for the State Cross Country Meet in Eugene, Oregon, at 20:13. Talli went to the State meet all four years in High School. She led the Newberg High varsity ladies to a 10th place team finish, a tremendous accomplishment, as the girls were seeded 12th. According to Run-Down, a sports tracking site, Newberg ladies outperformed their predicted finish greater than any team at the meet. Congratulations, Talli, on another (and final) Cross Country Season!

Talli Qualifies For State X-C Meet Fourth Straight Year

2011-10-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Our eldest granddaughter, Talli, (right, above) now a senior at Newberg High School in Oregon, came in fourth overall last Thursday in the varsity women’s event at the 6A Pacific Conference District Cross-Country Meet in Oregon City.

This qualifies her for the State Cross-Country Meet this coming Saturday in Eugene for the fourth straight year.

The photo above was taken almost half-way through the race just after she established her fourth place position, which she held to the finish. For the first time in many years, the entire Newberg team will go to State, as they finished second as a team at District. Talli led the team with consistent, competitive performances this year, and now the team will enjoy the State Meet experience together.

Congratulations, Talli, for a wonderful Senior Year in Cross-Country!

Btw, sorry for the long spell bwtween posts. Have been very busy but will try to do better in the future.

Drive Around and Onto Mt. Rainier Brings Scenes of Beauty Unsurpassed

2011-07-25T01:31:00.000-07:00

As long as we’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest, my wife and I had never driven up the road to Mt. Rainier and Mt. Rainier National Park. Yesterday we not only did that, but we also continued on around the back side of the mountain (eastern hemisphere), making a big “loop” as we headed home, and were rewarded with nothing but serendipitous beauty. Above is halo-clouded Mt. Rainier from still snow-laden Reflection Lake. You can click on any photo for a larger, down-loadable image.

We approached the great mountain and National Park from the western entrance, and in so doing, you pass through the little town of Elbe, six miles north of Mineral Lake and about 17 miles west of the Park entrance. It is here where the Mt. Rainier Railroad originates and makes summer weekend trips along rickety tracks to the Lake and back. We passed on the railroad ride and continued up the winding mountain road by car.

But while in Elbe, we stopped to take a photo of a beautiful, little white church for my buddy Ed Wall (who collects same), and to our surprise, not only was it a 105-year-old Evangelical Lutheran Church, but it was also a German Lutheran Church (Ed’s heritage is German). The photo above is the church, with Kay Lynne pleasingly gracing the entrance. (Eddie – if you need a shot sans KL for your collection, let me know, as I have one).

We used our Senior “Golden Pass” to gain free entrance into Mt. Rainier National Park and made our way another 15 miles or so to historic Paradise Inn and its famous restaurant, where we planned to enjoy the scrumptious Sunday Brunch Buffet. They did not disappoint. Below is Kay Lynne by the entrance to the Inn.

Sous chef Newnell had prepared to perfection just about every imaginable breakfast and lunch delicacy. There was more food than the eye (or the stomach) could absorb – salads, pastas, fresh fruits, pastries, blueberry cheese blintzes to die for, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, waffles, salmon/lox, and an array of roasted meats. And that doesn’t even mention the devilish desserts of seemingly infinite variety.

We finally decided we’d had enough to last the day and, following taking the above shot of the Tatoosh Mountain Range across the canyon to the south of the Inn, continued our drive eastward along Stevens Ridge, through Box Canyon, arriving finally at the Grove of the Patriarchs and the east Park entrance (exit in our case), Stevens Canyon. The shot below looks north eastward from Reflection Lake toward our exit point.

From there, we drove north along Hwy 123 and merged with WA 410 just a few miles west of Chinook Pass. The drive home from that point was absolutely gorgeous with outside temps varying from 73-degrees at the elevations to 86 in the windless canyons. We followed the White River Canyon down into Greenwater and Enumclaw which approaches the back yard to our area.

All in all, an incredible Day Trip with wonderful memories.

New Pontoon Boat Hits the Water

2011-06-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

Late this afternoon I finally got the new pontoon boat onto the water at nearby Spring Lake. Thanks to Kay Lynne for going along and taking the photo of the momentous event.

The boat is made by the Creek company, popular manufacturer of pontoon boats, float tubes and a zillion fishing accessories. I got it online and on sale at Cabela’s for a ridiculously low price. So, with the money I saved, I decided to get an electric trolling motor and a marine battery (both also on sale). Does anyone pay full retail anymore? The question I’m avoiding is how much I had to spend to get all those great sale prices.

We can at least pronounce the maiden voyage a success as far as the nautical aspects are concerned. The fishing part of it was not as achieving, but I was only out for an hour or so. I marked quite a few fish at 10’ or so in the 12’ – 15’ water depth range, but none chose to taste my tempting power bait offerings. Not even my new Scotty pole holder bolted to the front rail could shake the skunk off.

Thankfully, I had saved my portable, battery-operated fish finder that I bought many years ago when I didn’t own a boat and was just renting them. A set of new “C” batteries and it revived perfectly. A fish finder may show you where the fish are, but unfortunately you've still gotta catch em!

I’m glad to get the “test run” out of the way, and it feels good that everything works as it should. Hopefully I’ll get some serious fishing in this next week with my cousin Joel who has a neat, new inflatable Sea Eagle boat and troller. I’m thinking we’ll knock em dead at a hot lake just south of here, which will remain our secret for now.

Fishing Lakes Abound and the Season Is Here (Weather Notwithstanding)

2011-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Earlier this evening Kay Lynne and I took a drive around the new area in which we live – the southeast burbs of Seattle. Or, at least that was ostensibly what it was.

In my head was a route that I knew would take us past a beautiful park (which she likes) but also would get us to three lakes that are in a cluster about 15 minutes away from our home. All had reported good trout fishing in the last week.

The first body of water we stopped at was Lake Devine, a 72-acre beauty out in the country just past city limits. It is a gorgeous setting with a country club and high-end homes along much of its shore. As we drove on, we saw several fishermen hauling in their catches from today's efforts on the water at Shady Lake, a tiny, 21-acre portage that holds cutthroat trout as well as rainbows. The season at this lake just opened yesterday. Several nice limits were noted with the largest fish about 16” best I could tell.

The last stop was at Spring Lake, just to the east of the other two. This is where I shot the photo above. It’s also a beautiful setting, and I’ve decided to try either Spring Lake or Shady Lake on Saturday morning when I plan to give my new pontoon boat and electric troller its inaugural fishing test.

Though it was still chilly and rainy today, Saturday is forecast to be sunny and a welcome 70-degrees. I never cease to be amazed at the sheer beauty of this State -- and most of it permeates the areas in which we live.

Sunday Worship Is Now A Much Anticipated, Participatory Event

2011-05-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today, during our Sunday Church Service, I realized once again why worshipping regularly is important to maintaining spiritual fitness. I didn’t always feel this way.

There was a time when going to church was more or less another entertainment opportunity – great music, good singing, some random Scripture verses and an engaging sermon. I really like thought-provoking sermons.

The difficulty for me, however, was that no matter how great the music or the sermon, the effect lasted only until about Tuesday night, or maybe even Wednesday. The rest of the week was downhill in a spiritual sense.

All of this has changed in recent years since my wife and I started attending a Lutheran Church – one which has tried and true hymns of the faith, lots of participatory recitation, and – gasp – liturgy. I had been raised to think of liturgy as a form of “vain repetitions.” I have discovered that liturgy (at least in the Lutheran venue) is anything but that.

Simply, I have come to understand liturgy as a prescribed set of components for worship. I find that our liturgy organizes and guides us through the important aspects of a full worship experience. Much of it goes back to early church practices, and various forms of liturgy are practiced around the world in Christendom. Almost all of our liturgy is taken directly from the Scriptures.

Of course different churches and different denominations vary in the practice of liturgy in worship, but most contain some or all of the following elements:
● Confession and forgiveness – via prayers and silent moments
● Praise – recited (using actual Scriptures) or sung as music
● Scripture Lessons – selected readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, the Gospels or the Psalms
● Prayers – thanks, adoration, petition, on behalf of others, or for our own spiritual journey
● Sermon – usually an amplification of, or related to the Scripture Lessons
● Creeds – corporate recitation and endorsement of our ancient creeds of faith, such as the Apostle’s Creed
● Offering – giving back to God for His use, from the abundance He has given us
● Sacrament of Holy Communion – A celebration of reverence, adoration, forgiveness, joy and thanksgiving where God works in us and we are empowered to “go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” It is one of the oldest and least-changed elements of the Liturgy. For me, it is the “power source” of my faith. The image above, btw, is Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”
● Benediction – we are sent out to live out the Gospel in word and deed in a world of need

Week after week, as these rudiments of worship are observed and practiced, the Gospel comes alive within us and we are sustained as active and viable followers of Christ. Thanks be to God.

Talli Qualifies For Second State Meet This School Year

2011-05-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

Our granddaughter Talli, a high school junior (and pictured at right, above), will go to the State Track Meet of Oregon a week from today in Eugene to run the 3,000 meters. This is a remarkable accomplishment for her as last Fall she qualified for the State Cross Country meet as well.

The girls varsity team at her school, Newberg High, won the District Track meet yesterday in McMinnville, where Talli came in second in the 3,000, making her eligible for the State Meet. Her time was 11:09, a scant 10 seconds or so off of her personal best.

Of course, as proud grandparents, we offer her our sincere congratulations and wish her the best next week. Wish we could be there to see her run, but we’ll enjoy the pics I’m sure her dad will take at the meet.

Talli’s 3K Time Places Her First in Her District This Year, And Hayley’s Band Wows in Oregon State Univ. Competition

2011-04-24T23:36:00.000-07:00

We were in Oregon this weekend to watch our granddaughter run in the Centennial High School Invitational Track Meet in Gresham on Saturday and then to spend this Easter Sunday with our son Gregg’s family worshipping at their church, Newberg Friends (Gregg's sermon was spot on) and then enjoying a wonderful day together.

Talli, a Junior, ran the 3,000 meters in a time of 11:08, which is only seconds off of her personal record. Though she came in third in her heat (among contestants from all over Oregon and Washington), her time was good enough to place her first among all varsity 3K runners in the 6A Pacific Conference of which her school is a member – a fabulous achievement.

In the photo above, I caught her (at left) in the last turn before the final stretch of her race. At that point she was slightly in the lead, but strong kicks by the two gals with her just nipped her at the wire. Click on the pic for a larger image – you can see the intensity of competition. Both the boys’ and the girls’ track teams in her school, Newberg High, placed second overall at the Invitational, where over 50 high schools participated.

Granddaughter Hayley, an eighth grader, traveled to Oregon State University for a day last week where her Middle School’s Advanced Band received an “excellent” rating – the highest you can achieve – in a competition among schools from all over the State . Hayley is the first chair clarinet player and performed at least one solo, if not two, if I recall correctly. A pretty good week for granddaughters.

Of course our third-grade granddaughter, Aubrey, is a happy, super-good student and has been occupying her time with horseback riding lessons and piano lessons. Sure was great to catch up on all the kids’ doings and to have some quality time with Gregg and Elaine.

And a Happy Easter to all! Christ is risen. Allelujah!

Every Time We Move, I Say “Never Again”

2011-04-20T23:47:00.000-07:00

A move is somewhere in the top five of things that cause stress. Only a divorce, a death in the immediate family or a job loss is said to cause more anxiety than changing your address.

But that’s exactly what my wife and I did at the end of last month – yet once more. We moved from a northeast burb of Seattle to a southeast burb of the city – ending up almost an hour or so closer to our son and his family in Oregon and a little closer also to our other son and his family who live on Seattle’s Eastside.

A few moves ago, we started counting the number of places we have lived since we were married. We stopped counting in the low 20s, and we weren’t nearly complete. Let’s just say that our sons know what it is like to live up and down the west coast – from a beach city like Santa Cruz, California to the steelhead and salmon paradise of Clackamas, Oregon in the foothills of Mt. Hood, and to the four-season Inland Empire area around Spokane, Washington.

There’s always been a seemingly good reason to move – an interesting job offer, a better climate, a nicer house, a business opportunity or maybe just wanderlust a time or three. This move was because we had an opportunity to purchase a smaller but comfortable town house at a really great price that should serve us well until we head for the old folks home. Truly, I/we hope this is the last move we have to go through for a long, long time.

O, btw, the fire hydrant in the pic above is ideal for our dog, Buddy.

Our new place is just large enough for the two of us and for two house guests a few days at a time. While you’re here visiting, my office will turn mobile (I’ll take my laptop into the master br). So, what are you waiting for? Come see us sometime.

Is Las Vegas Losing it’s Luster?

2011-03-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

Kay Lynne and I spent a few days in Las Vegas this past week, mainly to enjoy some time in a warmer, sunny clime with lifelong friends, Dwight and Lynnette Klassen.

We encountered a city that is going through some enigmatic changes.

Of course we had to go through the casino to get to our room on the 21st floor of the Mirage, and we found the cavernous gambling center rather startlingly sparsely filled. Nearly three quarters of the slots and gaming tables were empty in a place that was relatively recently designed to accommodate large crowds of people.

We weren’t there long enough nor did we visit enough other places to make an accurate observation, but it sure seemed like there were FAR less people there this time than when we last visited the city in January of 2008.

There were two high points, for me at least, on the trip. The first was the latest Cirque du Soleil show, Viva Elvis (top pic -- look closely; those are acrobats on a large "jungle Jim" set designed in the shape of a guitar), at the incredibly beautiful Aria Resort in the new city center complex. Btw, the city center complex (photo above), in contrast to the Mega-Casinos, is bustling with activity – especially the Crystals Retail and Entertainment Center.

It’s hard to put into words what happens at a Cirque du Soleil show. It’s a truly unbelievable combination of art, physicality, acrobatics, music, sound, video, film and visuals. I would even call it “sensory overload”. Suffice it to say, if you haven’t seen a Cirque du Soleil performance – do so if you can!

The other high point was a visit to the new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge which spans Black Canyon some 900 feet above the Colorado River. You can’t see much while crossing the bridge (it’s walled about five feet high on each side for safety reasons) but from the visitors center you can actually walk across the dam side of the bridge. Above photo was taken from a helicopter high above the structure after its completion last October but before traffic was allowed across it.

Dwight and I took a side trip to the site (on the north end of the Strip) of the Pawn Stars reality TV show on the History Channel. It’s amazing what television exposure will do. A perpetual long line of people stand in line daily to get inside the shop where Rick Harrison, his curmudgeonly father, son Corey and “gofer” Chumley roam the aisles. Interestingly, two nearby pawn shops were virtually desolate.

A "Beastly" Win for the Seahawks

2011-01-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

Marshawn Lynch's "Beastly Mode" 67-yard touchdown run highlighted today's 41-36 NFL Playoff win over the defending NFL champion New Orleans Saints by the Seattle Seahawks. QuarterbackMatt Hasselbeck threw four TD passes. Not a bad performance for the first losing season record (7 -9) Division winner.

Is There A Better Way to Start the New Year?

2011-01-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

If there’s a better way to start a new year than, in company with a son, to catch wily steelhead on a world-famous Olympic Peninsula river, I’m open for suggestions.

Spending New Years Eve in (Twilight country) Forks, Washington may be the only down side, but even that was survivable.

Doug and guide Mike Z admire Doug's 11-pound native hen (he also caught 14- and 8-pounders for a spectacular one-day fishing exhibition) following measuring and just before safely releasing the fish.

We started talking about the excursion at the family Christmas celebration in Oregon. Son Gregg determined pretty quickly that it was not an option he could consider this year due to a very full schedule. Son Doug said, “Let’s think about it.” It was, after all, only a week or so ahead of time. Would the weather cooperate? Are any guides available? What are the fishing reports? Lots of questions.

Industrious son jumped on the project as soon as he was back home. The rain/snow had stopped. Water was receding and clearing in the rivers. Weather forecast was good other than it would be cold. There WAS a guide available – and a good one. We decided to go for it.

Doug snapped me playing my 8-pound hatchery buck (pictured at top) which we could keep. Click on the photo to enlarge it, and note the bend in the rod.

I should mention that for those not acquainted with the very long odds of successful steelhead fishing, many unrelated things have to fall in place. Not the least of which are the time of year, the weather, the (river) water, the fish, and the knowledge to connect the dots. That knowledge is stored in the head of a good fishing guide – guys who are there every day and know the water, the holes, what the fish are hitting on, and have access to the spots via a drift boat, etc.

It is said that the average steelhead fisherman must actually fish (with line & lure in the water) for 30 hours for each fish caught. Those are long odds. But that is why the investment in a good fishing guide is money well spent. Simply, it’s the difference between success and failure.

Doug helps Mike Z load his drift boat back on the trailer at day's end on the beautiful Sol Duc river.

Our guide was Mike Zavadlov, owner of Mike Z’s Guide Service and a local resident of Forks. He fishes more than two out of every three days year around. We asked him which of the four fabulous rivers in the area (Hoh, Bogachiel, Calawah and Sol Duc) was best right now. No hesitation: the Sol Duc.

We caught a total of four incredibly beautiful fish (I only got one) while drifting down more than 12 miles of river. Three were natives which had to be safely released. The other was my hatchery buck. I think we used just about everything in Mike’s tackle box, and the result was a spectacular day on the water, albeit a freezing cold one. I’m not sure that the temp got much above freezing all day. But without a guide, it would have been just another day of fishing – and likely without results. We highly recommend Mike Z as an excellent fishing guide.

Next New Years Day perhaps Gregg can join us on the adventure.

The Digital Story of the Nativity

2010-12-19T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Christmas message remains the same, but the method of delivering it changes with the times. I copied this from my son Gregg's facebook status, because it can't be shared too much. Gregg said his church shared this during their worship service today. Just click on the arrow to play...

“Ragtag” Giants Win World Series

2010-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Fifty six years have gone by since I’ve celebrated a Giants World Series win. And now it has finally happened again. Above is games one and five winning pitcher Tim Lincecum celebrating the series victory.

In a post-season run that embraced the many clichés of baseball (great pitching will beat great hitting, for instance) the 2010 San Francisco Giants – called “makeshift and ragtag” by their own manager – are the best in the world right now.

A deserving Edgar Renteria won the MVP award, but a core of homegrown Giants pitchers was the primary reason they have become World Champions. Starters Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and rookie Madison Bumgarner proved too much for the best hitting team in baseball who also had one great pitcher, Cliff Lee.

The Giants were no respecter of pitchers all through the post-season. They beat the best arms that Atlanta, Philadelphia and Texas threw at them -- all while their own staff was virtually unhittable.

Congratulations, 2010 San Francisco Giants – World Series Champions of Major League Baseball.

Giants To Play in World Series

2010-10-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

In one of the more unlikely scenarios in Major League Baseball, the San Francisco Giants -- my favorite team since 1951 -- have made it into the 2010 World Series.

At left is NLCS MVP Cody Ross, a Florida cast-off and late season Giants' pick-up off of waivers, holding his trophy following the gut-wrenching 3-2 win earlier tonight in Philadelphia.

The win was an absolute total team effort and is the first World Series appearance for the Giants since 2002, when they lost to the Angels in seven games.

The Giants have not won the World Series since they moved west in 1958. Their last World Series win was in 1954 when they were still in New York and swept the Cleveland Indians, spurred by Willie Mays' famous first game "catch" off the bat of Vic Wertz in deep center field in the Polo Grounds.

Now it's time to create some fresh history.

Talli Wins Champoeg X-C Invitational

2010-10-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

Our high school junior granddaughter Talli won her third cross country race outright yesterday. But this time it was a large race, the Champoeg Invitational, that attracted a big field from over a dozen high schools. Photo above shows her all alone nearing the finish line.

Just added (10/12): Click here to read the local newspaper story in The Newberg Graphic.

Talli’s winning time was 19:46 for 5,000 meters; it was the second time, I think, that she has broken 20 minutes. I was so happy she did so well, I just wanted to get it on the blog.

Pic above is Talli receiving her blue ribbon. What a great performance!

Refreshing The Soul With A Day On The Water

2010-09-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

My cousin Joel Narva and I drove over the Cascades early this morning to fish for one of the “big ones” that are in Chelan County’s Fish Lake (there are several Fish Lakes).

We caught quite a few rainbow trout; Joel caught abundantly more than I did, as he had his float tube and was serving up locally hand-tied flies. I rented a small Smokercraft Lodge with an 8-horse Yamaha on it – a real smooth rig. I tried to convince the wily things to chomp on my broken back Rapala, but they were too smart.

At this time of the year, it is said that you have as good a chance as any at hooking a five-pound, or larger, fish. Didn’t happen today, although Joel lost one that stripped his fly reel down to the backing – just couldn’t pull the trigger in time.

The early morning was nice, but about 10:00 the wind came up and the rains started to come down. It wasn’t a heavy rain, just an annoying one. Fortunately the temp was warm and we were not chilled. All in all, a great day on the water, and an even better time getting caught up on our common interests.

Birthday People

2010-09-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

In our family we have two instances of common birthdays. Our daughter-in-law Jamie and our grandson NJ share a birthday this month – coming up in a few days, as a matter of fact. And my granddaughter Aubrey and I share a birthday in July.

It’s nothing but fun when you share a birthday with a family member. This afternoon we celebrated NJ’s 2nd birthday along with his mom’s. Pic above shows the boy getting used to his new three-book pack – all about trucks – a gift from his aunt, uncle and cousins. NJ loves trucks – any and all kinds. That’s Aunt Elaine helping him get the books out of the pack.

Whenever it’s possible for both of our sons’ families to be all together, we like to get pics of them. Above are all four of our grandchildren. L to r, Hayley, Talli, NJ and Aubrey. Is there anything better than grandkids?

A Perfectly Beautiful Wedding and A Get Together With Old Friends

2010-08-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks ago Kay Lynne and I left for a short week’s visit to the San Francisco Bay Area, primarily to attend the wedding of our nephew Mike Narva, but also to touch base with our long-time friends there. Pic above was taken at a get together of long-time friends the first evening we arrived. This is the group who first met in a church “young married’s” class over 40 years ago (with two exceptions). Left to right are Ed Wall, Troy Lester (Ted’s betrothed), Mike & Gwen Silkwood, Kay Lynne, moi, Darlene Wall and Ted Petersen.

We also visited old school friends in San Jose and in Discovery Bay before and after the wedding which was on August 7. Mike and Ginny Silver (above) were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in the small community of La Honda, near Half Moon Bay. Mike's dad, my cousin Jim Narva, and wife, Kay, live in Sunnyvale, while the new bride and groom will live in Santa Clara.

It could not have been a better weekend. We got to enjoy a gorgeous wedding, get together with relatives and see friends we have known seemingly forever. Old friends are good friends.

Buddy is in “Paradise” For Five Days

2010-08-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Our dog is in Paradise. No, he hasn’t left us.

Instead, he’s at the “Paradise Pet Lodge” while we travel for a short time. Note the appropriate yellow "convenience station" (above). The place bills itself as “An Exclusive Resort For Pets.” I sure hope it’s a kennel as well, ‘cause that’s really all we were looking for.

The good thing is that we know he’ll be well taken care of. That’s important to us, because Buddy suffers from “separation anxiety.” He won’t eat or drink water on his own when we’re gone. The folks at the “Resort” said they’d hand feed him if necessary, so OUR anxiety levels can remain normal.

Buddy is a great dog. He’ll enjoy the companion-ship of other dogs and the loving care of some good people. Which means we’ll enjoy OUR trip all the more.

The Roslyn Café is Still There

2010-07-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

Early this morning I jumped in the old “fishing buggy” and headed east over the Cascades to do some reconnaissance on potential trout lakes. However, the pic above is a good indication of how the “reconnaissance” went.

On my way from Lake Easton to Cle Elum Lake, I passed through the little town of Roslyn, the town where the popular 1990’s TV series, “Northern Exposure” was filmed. Of course on television the town was not Roslyn, Washington but Cicely, Alaska.

Let’s just say that there is not much in Roslyn, but the famous TV landmark of fictitious Cicely is still there. As you can see, the large wall mural looks like it was freshly painted.

As far as fishing lakes goes, I swung by almost a half dozen lakes: Keechelus, Lost, Kachess, Easton and Cle Elum. Only wet a line at Easton, with little results. I forgot what summer does to lakes on the much warmer eastern slope.

Just about every one was low, shallow at the accessible shoreline, and virtually impossible to fish unless you had a boat – which I didn’t. And in many cases the water was too low to easily launch even if you had a boat.

But I did get a nice picture by which to remember the excursion. However, the moose that walked down the street in the TV version was nowhere to be seen today.

This Little Gal Can Sing!

2010-07-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Seven-year-old Rhema Marvanne --

Life and Death Among Computers

2010-07-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Laptops, for me, seem to last about three or four years – sometimes even less. I’ve always thought that Detroit was guilty of “built-in obsolescence,” but I think the computer industry could be just as guilty.

About two weeks ago, my previous laptop began showing signs of what appeared to be pests and a day or two later simply wouldn’t complete the boot. Fortunately it at least came on, and so I figured the Geeks could do some surgical repair and revive it.

After four days in intensive Geek care, I got the death call. The machine was in a coma and it was just a matter of time. They could remove all the important internal organs, and if I acted quickly in buying a new instrument, they could preserve the body parts long enough for a successful transplant.

Within hours a new laptop (pic above) was ready for the implants and a day later was up and running (with nice upgrades, to boot).

It’s funny how quickly the emotional ties disappear – even from an old buddy. How quickly we lose attachments that no longer serve us. In fact, there will not even be a memorial of any kind. Sounds cold, I know.

But the truth is that the new laptop is already a friendly, functional companion, and the old data and pics have gained their lifelike qualities once again.

Rest in peace, former buddy. Someday, somewhere, there is a chance you might be resurrected.

Grandpa and Granddaughter Share the Same Birthday – 64 Years Apart

2010-07-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Grandma and I were in Oregon Friday and yesterday to celebrate granddaughter Aubrey’s eighth birthday. She and I were born on the same date, though more than six decades apart.

Among the nice presents Aubrey received was a beautiful new mountain bike (pic above). Now she’s ready to keep up with her sisters.

Grandpa got a beautiful picture frame with the word “grandkids” on it from Gregg and Elaine, and it now sits proudly on my desk displaying a gorgeous photo of all four grandchildren, which Gregg printed for me. My office has never looked so good.

Of course there’s always a “blowing-out-the-candles” ritual, and the photo above shows Aubs and I making the attempt. Yep, we had lots of fun this year celebrating our birthdays. The pics above were aptly taken by Grandma who is having fun with the camera of late.

Fun With Grandkids

2010-07-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

This week we’ve been enjoying time with our granddaughter Aubrey who’s with us for the week from Oregon while mom and dad get some much needed “R&R” up in the San Juan Islands.

Yesterday we went to visit her cousin NJ who lives in a nearby burb. They hadn’t seen each other for several months, and we wondered how well the boy would remember his cousin. The pic above answered our question immediately.

Aubrey got a long hug right as she came in the door. From then on it was nothin’ but fun for the entire day! They have another outing together planned for tomorrow. Aubs can’t wait.

Lutheran Culture Scratches Our Spiritual Itch

2010-06-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

You may have heard me say on this blog, a time or three, that of all Christian venues through which my wife and I have traveled, the Lutheran pathway not only is working for us, but also has provided purpose for our lives.

Yesterday, once again, we received another confirmation of this during the sermon by our Pastor, the Rev. Jim McEachran, a gifted scholar and Bible teacher.

Before we get to his Bible text, it may be worth noting that we’ve often used the phrase, “living out the Grace of God in our everyday lives” as sort of a summary capsulization of how we’ve come to understand what it means to live the Christian life in Lutheran terms. By the way, Lutherans love “grace,” as did Martin Luther himself.

The core of yesterday’s sermon text was the familiar message of Ephesians 2:8-10, but for some reason, the way the NRSV Bible translates the 10th verse really struck me yesterday. Here’s the passage:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

"For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Italics on verse 10 are mine; that's the portion that stood out to me yesterday. If that verse doesn't provide an excellent rationale and wonderful perspective for "living out the Grace of God in the world,” I surely don’t know what would.

Thanks be to God.

Spinning Our Wheels?

2010-06-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

I finally finished James Davison Hunter’s book, To Change the World – The Irony, Tragedy & Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. The book really delivers in the realm of social theory, explaining why Christians are mostly ineffective in their efforts to “change the world”.

In fact, “changing the world” should not be our primary focus, he suggests. And he laboriously makes the case that despite our country being nearly 80% “Christian,” the influence of Christianity is, to a great degree, ineffective. Further, he suggests, rather than positively influence society, Christians (especially the Christian Right) have instead come across as angry, bitter and resentful.

A significant part of the problem, he says, (and I’m greatly oversimplifying here) is that the Christian Left, the Christian Right and the neo-Anabaptists, all have chosen, in one way or another, politics, policies and law as the target areas in which to “penetrate” in order to change society.

This will surely fail, he says (two thirds of the book is given to explaining why), and his proposed alternative is what he calls and defines as “faithful presence.” “A theology of faithful presence,” Hunter says, “calls Christians to enact the shalom of God in the circumstances in which God has placed them and to actively seek it on behalf of others.”

This should be done in our daily living, rather than through the political or legal systems as is seemingly the current focus, he offers. You can see that simply understanding what he means and how it should be implemented is a significant challenge - but a worthy one - and one for which the book is very much worth a read.

The book does not end on a particular high note. His own assessment of his theology suggests that even if Christians and the Church could live according to his concept of “faithful presence,” his best prognosis is that we may be able to live in “a better world.”

I think I might have titled the book, Spinning Our Wheels?

Aubrey Performs Like a Veteran in End-of-Year Recital

2010-06-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Our youngest granddaughter, Aubrey, 7, (above) performed wonderfully last night in Oregon at her Year-End Piano Recital, culminating two years of lessons. Sorry, btw, for the less than perfect photo; it was taken with my phone cam under low light conditions.

Grandma and I made our second trip this week to the Yamhill valley to enjoy end-of-the-school-year musical functions (also see Tuesday’s post for a note on Hayley).

For her recital selection, Aubrey chose the rather interesting Paul Revere’s Ride by Jane Smisor Bastein. It’s an airy piece with some almost dissonant chords near the end. Our gal did an absolutely fine job, as she was one of 13 who performed.

Nice going, Kiddo; we were glad it worked out that we could be there. Keep up your great work, Aubrey Joy!

Hayley Shines in Year End Band Concert

2010-06-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we were privileged to attend the year-end band concert of our granddaughter, Hayley (above pic taken by dad), who is in the seventh grade at Chehalem Valley Middle School in Oregon.

Hayley was virtually the only seventh grader in the Advanced Band and Advanced Jazz Band (Advanced Bands consist usually of eighth graders, but she was a good enough clarinet player to make both by audition). She flawless held up her clarinet end of a duet with a trumpet.

The school district is fortunate to have director Dave Sanders and choral director Gwen Gilbertson, who work hard to prepare these hundreds of young musicians for future development in high school.

The Advanced Bands never run from difficulty. Their challenging, and well-performed, renditions included Don’t Stop Believin’, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Lion King. That’s the Advanced Jazz Band above. Hayley is in the top row, second from the left.

Unlikely Friends

2010-06-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

Our grandson loves to watch this video of the most unlikely of friends. Click on the arrow and join in his fun.

Should Christians Try to “Change the World”? A Controversial Sociologist and Theology Professor Believes It May Be A Misdirected Effort

2010-06-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

I enjoy reading “controversial” or “edgy” books that want you to stretch your thinking. I’ve found another one in To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World by James Davisson Hunter.

This professor of Religion, Culture and Social Theory at the U. of Virginia has taken on the views of some heavyweights in the Christian world like Chuck Colson, Jim Dobson and Jim Wallis with his persuasive – and provocative – observations.

His 1991 book, Culture Wars, in which he described the dramatic realignment and polarization that has transformed American politics and culture, laid the groundwork for his current writing efforts.

Christopher Benson, a book reviewer for Christianity Today, said the following in his comments about Hunter’s latest book:

“Faithful presence (Hunter’s coined term) is not about changing culture, let alone the world, but instead emphasizes cooperation between individuals and institutions in order to make disciples and serve the common good. ‘If there are benevolent consequences of our engagement with the world,’ Hunter writes, ‘it is precisely because it is not rooted in a desire to change the world for the better but rather because it is an expression of a desire to honor the creator of all goodness, beauty, and truth, a manifestation of our loving obedience to God, and a fulfillment of God's command to love our neighbor.’"

Interestingly, this is not, at first look, at odds with our Lutheran concept of “living out God's grace in the world.” Stay tuned. More coming when I finish the book.

For Us, There Was No Better Time to Make the Switch

2010-05-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

Our nice, comfortable SUV is now serving some new folks. After much consider-ation, we decided it was time to trade-in the nine-year-old Acura MDX and make the transition to a more fuel efficient automobile.

Pictured above is the “pre-owned” Toyota Prius we recently acquired that has catapulted us into the green age. I was fortunate to get an unexpectedly higher amount on the trade than I thought was possible, and that sealed the deal.

I wrote about the thinking which resulted in the transition to a hybrid in my column in last Sunday’s Kitsap Sun newspaper. To read it, just click here.

I finally had a chance to check the “around town” mileage today, and it came out to 47.8 mpg. At that rate, our monthly gas bill will be cut by just about two-thirds. I couldn’t be happier.

Enjoying Good Times With Old Friends

2010-05-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

Our California friends of some 46 years, Ed and Darlene Wall, stopped by this past week for a couple of days while visiting the Pacific Northwest. They are both natives of the Bremerton area, and my wife and I are mostly Californians. So it seems a bit ironic that they now come to their old haunting grounds to see us.

Whenever Ed and I have a chance to be together, going fishing is high on the priority list. Of course you have to know that the odds of being able to CATCH a fish by just dropping in on a lake, are pretty long. Except for the “Koskela Guide Service.”

We started out at Blackmans Lake, located smack dab in the middle of the city of Snohomish, but had no luck at all. We then headed for Flowing Lake, about ten miles north-northeast, and it wasn’t too long before Ed was fighting a scrappy, young, fat rainbow trout (pic above). We didn’t have a whole lot of time, as we all wanted to drive up to Snoqualmie Falls in the afternoon.

I'm sure Ed is thankful for a competent guide service. To my chagrin, he almost missed the fish while watching a mother duck train her ducklings after I had provided the location, pole, line, bait and may have even baited his hook. Apparently, his mind wanders easily.

Above are Darlene, Ed and Kay Lynne whom I snapped at the Falls overlook. At this time of year, the water is really gushing as you can see.

Good times with old friends is a commodity you can’t purchase. It has to be developed. There were lots of laughs as we recalled several of the more humorous times we’ve shared in the past. Ask Ed sometime about “slippery rock at Donner Lake.” My side hurts from laughing when I think about it.

Moms and Wives

2010-05-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

In a parallel life to retirement and a part time work enterprise, I write a bi-weekly Sunday column for the Kitsap Sun, the daily newspaper in Kitsap County, across the Sound. With it being Mother’s Day, for today’s column I gathered some wisps about my mom and some recollections of the day that have all but disappeared.

You can read the post here, if you’d like.

With moms covered in the newspaper piece, I didn’t want this Day to go by without acknowledging moms (and grandmothers) who are also wives. Specifically that includes my wife, Kay Lynne, who, if you ask either of our sons (or any of our grandkids), is deeply loved and acknowledged as “the Great Encourager” by all of them.

So much is required of a good mother, and when one is blessed with a wife who is also a great mom, one is truly blessed. Happy Mother’s Day, KL.

A “Significant” Birthday for Kay Lynne

2010-05-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

My wife has a “significant” birthday today. I’m not sposed to reveal her age, so I won’t, but here's a sneak clue: she had her first Medicare deduction this month from S.S.

Her first choice on very special occasions is always to be with family, so this morning we went to the Seattle Children’s Museum (with the son, daughter-in-law and grandson who live nearby) and then had lunch at Chinooks in Seattle’s historic Fisherman’s Terminal. The week following next we’ll repeat the celebration in Oregon with the son, daughter-in-law and three granddaughters who live there.

The pic above of the five of us was taken earlier today at FT, and one or two of the boats you see in the background you might have also seen in the extremely popular TV series Deadliest Catch on the Discovery channel. The few crab boats still here will soon be leaving for the treacherous Alaskan waters to search for and harvest King Crab for your next great restaurant or home dining experience.

Grandma is enjoying her day, and deservedly so. This matriarch is the personification of love, care and understanding for the Koskela clan. Happy Birthday, KL – all shmixtysome years worth! You are loved by all who know you!

Discovering Perspective in Lutheran Worship

2010-04-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

The longer my wife and I worship in the Lutheran venue, the more we appreciate its teachings.

During this morning’s worship, we participated in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism for two precious infants who were welcomed into the family of God and whose families and the congregation were commissioned to be an integral part of these young lives until each can declare her own faith at Confirmation. The wonderful photo montage, by the way, is on the main web page of our church, St Andrews Lutheran in Bellevue.

Just as water is needed to sustain physical life, Lutherans believe that the Baptismal water initiates and symbolizes one’s entrance into the kingdom of God. The encompassing support a child receives from family and congregants provides the guidance to lead that young child to his or her own personal faith and salvation.

An idea that is new to Kay Lynne and me is the “sidebar” on each page of our weekly worship bulletins. Each week these informational comments shed light on the particular theme for the week - usually related to the church calendar - or give enlightenment on a liturgical point that we might be celebrating.

As an example, because we had Holy Baptisms today, following is the sidebar which appeared on the first page of our worship order bulletin. It provides a wonderful perspective and deeper understanding as to how Baptism fits in to our faith practice. Here it is:

Today’s Theme – Grace alone is key to our understanding of life with God. In Jesus Christ, we share the promise of forgiveness and new life. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God comes to us again and again through the Means of Grace, the Gospel, Holy Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. This morning we remember God’s enfolding grace that comes to us as we remember our baptisms into the Body of Christ, the Church.

Thanks be to God.

Here Comes #3…

2010-04-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

Seven-year-old Aubrey, the youngest of our three granddaughters, has started in organized sports. She had her first tee-ball game this week.

From the pic above, it’s not clear if it’s pitching in her future – or the outfield. Whatever the case, she’s got the moves. Looks like a fun time on the diamond for the next couple of months. Can’t wait to see her play.

Granddaughters Are Athletes!

2010-04-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Granddaughters Hayley (13) and Aubrey (7) are both very busy with Spring sports in Oregon. Seventh grader Hayley had her first track meet yesterday in Forest Grove, and Aubrey has a new baseball glove and is practicing for her first T-ball game.

Pic above shows Hayley running the hurdles yesterday (the girl is athletic – she also long jumps).

Above is Aubrey with her appropriately colored mitt (it’s Aubrey).

Now, if we can just figure out a day or two when all three of them are playing or running, we might be able to catch them all in action on one trip. Talli (15) is on her high school track team as well.

“His Ribs Feel Fine to Me”

2010-04-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Grandson NJ had fun checking out our Cavalier KC Spaniel, Buddy, yesterday, following Grandma’s delicious ham dinner and his mom’s incredible cheesecake. The boy shows signs of future success as a physician, as he seems to be checking the dog very thoroughly.

Above, he’s having fun counting the Easter eggs he found. Come to think of it, he also shows indications he could end up as an accountant. Eggs are pretty much the same as beans, aren’t they?

Click on any photo for a larger image, if you'd like.

“He Is Not Here; For He Has Been Raised, As He Said”

2010-04-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

This 14th century painting, The Holy Women at the Sepulchre, by Duccio di Buoninsegna, depicts the early moments of that first Easter morning when the angel proclaimed the exciting news of the Resurrection.

We trust your Easter will be filled with worship, thanksgiving, and celebration of the Risen Christ.

He is risen, indeed!

Rare Old San Francisco Film Footage

2010-03-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here's something you likely have never seen before. This film was shot with a 35mm camera mounted on the front of a San Francisco streetcar. Note the chaotic traffic system and apparent lack of vehicle regulations. It looks to me like it was possibly shot on Market St. heading east toward the Ferry Building. Recently recovered from long-time storage, the film is said to have been shot just a few days before the great S.F. earthquake in 1906.

A Reflective and Memorable Palm Sunday Holy Communion

2010-03-28T14:49:00.001-07:00

Today’s worship service at St Andrews Lutheran Church was perhaps one of the most memorable that I can recall in my dozens of years of church attendance.

As we entered, we noticed that behind the center altar in the circular-shaped sanctuary was a long table with 13 places in a tableau-like scene. Following Scripture readings and prayers, 13 people fell into place at the setting, representing the 12 disciples and Jesus at the Last Supper, or Passover Meal.

Each disciple then offered personal reflections on what it was like for him to follow their leader, Jesus. We learned a bit about each one’s home town, family, calling and commitment.

It was a moving worship experience. We were reminded that Christ chose ordinary people, warts and all, to follow him and embrace a changed perspective for living.

When all had spoken, the entire congregation came to the altar one-by-one to celebrate and participate in Holy Communion. Still today we find our spiritual strength renewed and refreshed with every partaking of the meal elements.

My wife and I have learned to appreciate a fresh and deeper meaning to the Communion sacrament since we have been worshiping in the Lutheran tradition. We have become conscious that the Eucharist is much more than just a “remembrance” or a symbolic ritual.

The Eucharist meal, we now recognize, in a mysterious way provides us and sustains us with what we need to live out the grace of God in our daily encounters and occurrences.

Thanks be to God.

Experience Adds Appreciation

2010-03-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

There are certain things in life that you must experience in order to fully appreciate. I suppose a variety of things could fall into this category, but (a) kids and (b) grandkids are certainly two of them.

On Monday night a second cousin of mine gave birth to a beautiful, healthy little girl (click here for their blog story). The feelings and involuntary responses that she and her husband have experienced since then could not have been “explained” to them, nor could they have felt them, ahead of time. But right now they are overwhelmed with love and feelings of bonding for their little sweetheart.

The same was true when Kay Lynne gave birth to our sons, first to Gregg and later to Doug. The intense feelings of love and total acceptance we felt and experienced following their arrivals came totally out-of-the-blue and ended up deep within our beings from where we could not extract them.

The same has been true at the birth of each of our grandchildren. And I’m very happy that things work that way.

For the past two days we were privileged to enjoy time with our sons, daughters-in-law and grandkids at a beautiful ocean beach front vacation home on the coast. Pictured above are all of us just before we left for home (except moi, of course, the “taker”.)

All I can say is that this pleasurable experience has already woven its way deep into my psyche and memory and will forever remain there to “call up” from time to time.

These times together are also occurrences you have to live through to fully grasp. Even so, much takes place at the feeling level, almost subconsciously, and the reality of it all often doesn’t totally sink in until you’ve had a chance to process it.

I think I’m continuing to do that right now, and I’m deeply thankful for each and every one of these incredible human beings whom God has brought into our lives.

A First & A Second For Talli In Track Inaugural

2010-03-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, took first place in the 3K run (and beat several boys in the process – note pic) and a second in the 1500 meters on Thursday in a dual meet at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon, just east of Portland.

What a great start for Talli’s 2010 varsity track season. She ran an 11.36.02 in the 3K and a 5.19.88 in the 1500, getting nosed out by less than 2 seconds. Both are excellent “first race” times, especially when run within an hour of each other. I get tired just thinking about it!

I didn’t know girls ran directly against boys in high school track, but perhaps in a dual meet, when there aren’t that many competitors, they can gain some event efficiencies by doing so. I’m going to ask Talli about it when I see her in a day or so.

Congratulations, Talli. You’re off to a great start for the season!

Happy Birthday, Nikolai

2010-03-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today, I’ve been told, is the birthday of Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. But I think I’ll call him "Nick".

Nick may have been one of the first to use a hyphenated last name. He was a Russian musician who lived through the turn of the 20th century. He died just short of 102 years ago.

A passionate and accomplished pianist, Nick became an active composer and was a contemporary of Tchaikovsky. They were “cautious comrades,” however, each proud of, and protective of, his own work.

One of his more well known pieces is Flight of the Bumblebee which closes act III of his opera, The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899-1900.

The reason I noticed Nick’s birthday is due to a very creative application of his last name. If you’ve ever been to Portland Oregon’s funky east side, you may have come across the Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, a very popular eatery, coffee gathering place and music bistro. Click here to reach their blog.

My wife and I enjoyed some outstading chamber music there back in the 90’s. Apparently, it’s still going strong.

So, Happy Birthday, Nick. Thanks for your music contribution to our lives!

Some Music Fun

2010-03-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

You can't beat this for music improvisation! It was sent to me by my old California friend, "Boof." Click on the arrow below for some great music on video. First grab your guitar/uke/banjo so you can strum along...

Fishing May Take a Back Seat For a While

2010-03-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

Life in general, for this retiree, is getting busier rather than calmer. And I couldn’t be more jazzed about it.

Once you’ve been retired for a period of time, daily routines become less than challenging and efficiencies begin to erode. But it’s really only during the last six months or so that I’ve become more aware of the slide toward inadvertent time squandering.

As a result of an incredibly fortuitous set of circumstances, I now have a part time work assignment that I not only am most happy with but also that provides me with an ideal resolution for time malaise. On top of that, the southern California hi-tech company providing this opportunity operates using cutting-edge technology in its field and grants the opportunity for this older guy to stay on top of things.

The only factor for which I’ll now have to incorporate some creative efficiency is the fact that I’ll have less overall time for my favorite recreational enterprise: salmon, steelhead and trout fishing. Somehow, though, I’ve got a feeling I’ll still be able to work it in from time to time.

Btw, the pic is of the largest trout I’ve ever caught. It was a 17-pound Brown Trout that I hooked in Lake Michigan near Sturgeon Bay, WI three years ago this April. I still can appreciate it everyday because it's mounted on my office wall. (Sorry about the shirt dishevelment in the photo; I wasn't exactly focused on attire.)

Finding the “Right” Church Is a Challenging Experience

2010-02-21T16:36:00.001-08:00

Since we moved to the Eastside (actually the NorthEastside) of the Seattle metro area just over four months ago, my wife and I have been “church hunting” on most Sundays. We’ve been to many churches once but we have visited two churches several times at least.

Today, after a wonderful worship experience at St. Andrews Lutheran in Bellevue (above pic), Kay Lynne and I agreed that we may not have to look much more. It’s a good feeling to be finally zeroing-in on what could become our church “home.” We very much miss the wonderful experiences we had at First Lutheran Church in Poulsbo when we lived in Kitsap County.

As an overview, St Andrews maintains a traditional, orthodox, liturgical worship service (which fits our particular needs at this point in life) with an inclusive, broad-based membership that crosses apparently all socio-economic categories as well as a fairly balanced age distribution from the very young to the very aged (thankfully :). Holy communion is celebrated each Sunday.

The primary preaching minister (and senior Pastor) is the Rev. James McEachran (right), a learned Bible scholar and superb communicator. He’s been at the church since 1983 and appears to be loved and esteemed by the congregation.

One of the things most attractive to us at St Andrews is the incredible variety of Bible studies and opportunities for growth and learning. It looks like there’s no excuse here for relaxing into complacency regarding one’s faith journey.

I won’t be so bold as to say our “church search” is over, but I think we both agree that we’re going to give St Andrews every opportunity to become our church home. Thanks be to God.

It’s “Almost” Spring…

2010-02-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

We got outside for a walk and then some play time on the patio today, as the days are getting longer and warmer, though it was hard to tell in the cool back yard shade this afternoon.

Our grandson NJ is simply happy anytime he can go outside, even if he has to bundle up. Today Kay Lynne caught this pic of him sitting in his own “big boy” patio chair.

Of course he’s not a charmer, or anything like that…

About Time I Posted Something

2010-02-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

I got a phone call today from my former business partner and California fishing buddy, Ed Wall, pictured above this past Christmas with his lovely wife, Darlene.

“How long are we going to have to look at that five- or six-inch long fish?” he asked, referring to a photo in the last post.

“FIVE OR SIX INCHES,” I responded. “It’s at least 15” long.”

“Can’t be if those are ‘two-by-fours’ it’s laying on,” he retorted.

“Ah, but they are two by eights,” I pointed out.

Turns out, he was bored silly and was looking for fresh reading material. Admittedly my last post was two full weeks old.

Well, now it isn’t.

At least Ed has something to read tonight. They were planning to fly out at midnight to visit their son’s family in Maine, but the east coast snow storm cancelled their flight.

Flowing Lake Yields Nice Rainbow on First Trip

2010-01-26T10:26:00.001-08:00

When I stuck my head out the door at 6:30 yesterday morning to check the weather for possible fishing, it felt very cold and it was raining steadily. A perfect reason to head back in for a few more winks.

But by noon the rain had stopped, and the sun, trying to peek through here and there, had warmed the temp a bit. I decided that an afternoon trip to Flowing Lake (see Jan 21 post) might be in the cards.

Finally got there around 3 p.m. only to find the “free” dock loaded with more fishermen than it was designed to hold. So I went back around the lake to the State Park at the north end where I had to pay a small fee to park and fish.

But I was then the only one on the dock.

The top pic, taken with my cell phone cam, shows how beautiful and peaceful it was from that vantage point. I was actually fishing by 3:30 and enjoyed a very quiet 30 minutes with nothing but an occasional dog bark in the distance.

I decided to move the bait a few feet along the bottom (a technique used to sometimes arouse a fish’s interest), and it wasn’t five minutes till the pole tip was twitching furiously.

The fish felt good, so I loosened the drag a bit and let him make several tiring runs. I was then able to ease him out of the water onto the dock to get a closer look at what I had caught. Not spectacular, but it was a very nice 15” rainbow trout (yes, I measured it – 15-1/4” actually – see photo above). He was what we call a “pounder” (weighs about a pound).

I left him in the water on the stringer to swim around until I gutted him just before leaving for home. That kept the fish nice and fresh in case we want to cook him up in a day or so. All in all, it was one of the best “first-time-at-a-lake” experiences I think I’ve ever had.

Underwater Excitement at Seattle Aquarium

2010-01-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Kay Lynne and I had a chance to meet up with our son and grandson at the Seattle Aquarium, right on the waterfront. I snapped the above pic with my cell phone just before we entered.

We had a great time trying to keep up with our grandson as he wanted to see everything and is getting really fast on two feet. He loves to watch any living thing, and fish are among his favorite things to observe.

In one section of the aquarium a large, underwater dome lets you view just about every fish and sea creature said to swim in Puget Sound. Seeing the underside of a large sturgeon provided the biggest surprise (for me, at least); it almost seems as if they have four “legs” on their belly (I think they’re actually stabilizers). Hmmm.. wonder if they once walked around the area. They are said to be prehistoric, you know.

Anyway, we had a great time. I think the boy did too. He was asleep quickly once in the car on the way home.

Fishing Bug Causes Me To Check Out Nearby Lakes

2010-01-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

The fishing bug has been annoying me a lot lately, and it usually takes a catch or two to assuage it.

Rather than actually going fishing today (I did throw the pole in the car, however) I visited three lakes within a 30-mile radius of home for the purpose of doing some reconnaissance work. On my leisurely drive, I stopped at Lake Stevens, east of Everett, Flowing Lake, north of Monroe, and Blackmans Lake right smack dab in the city of Snohomish.

The first stop was at Wyatt Park on the west side of Lake Stevens. There is a beautiful fishing dock there alongside the boat launch but the wind was kicking up quite a bit and I found no one fishing. The largest of the three, Lake Stevens may offer some good trouting later on toward spring.

I then went to Flowing Lake, a beautiful spot tucked into the back roads on the north side of Monroe (on US Hwy 2 about 20 miles east of Everett). There are both a State Park (fee based) and a free public boat launch that have nice docks for fishing. At the free dock I met a very interesting, 80-year-old retired Chicago chef (top pic), who told me that he fishes “eight days a week,” mostly here at Flowing Lake or at nearby Tye Lake. My kind of guy, this man named McCann.

During our conversation I discovered that we had a lot in common. We’re both retired, both lived in Chicago, both spent a lot of time fishing in Wisconsin and Michigan and we both are writers of sorts.

But the astronomical-odds occurrence was that he went to high school some 65 years ago in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with a brother of my late Aunt Beatrice who grew up on a farm near Eau Claire that was actually closer to the little town of Mondovi.

My cousin Linda (Beatrice and Bill’s daughter) and Linda’s daughter Kelly and son Erik all live nearby in the greater Seattle area. I can’t wait to let them know of this wild coincidence to see if there’s any name recognition with the man I met today. (I guess they might see it here first. :)

Final stop was at Blackmans Lake (above), a watershed basin within the city of Snohomish. Three guys were fishing on the dock, and I saw a very nice 13” rainbow reeled in while I was there.

I’ve made this conclusion: all are good lakes for trout fishing from a dock (which is what I was looking for), and I plan to return to all of them. All are good for trout fishing with a boat, if a person has one (I’ve long since sold my last boat but one of my sons does have a beauty). Flowing will have the best tasting fish (from what my new friend said), Blackmans likely has the largest fish but it’s a shallower lake and the fish quality can deteriorate in the summer, and I’m sort of in the dark about the quality of fish at Lake Stevens.

Independents Gaining Influential Political Strength

2010-01-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

Republican Scott Brown (above) captured the hearts and minds of Independent voters in Massachusetts and last night won the late Ted Kennedy’s – er, the PEOPLE’S – Senate seat.

In watching post-election TV wags of all varieties, it became apparent that, right now, if you win over Independents, you’ve got a shot at winning an election.

Massachusetts has more than twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans but the overall plurality goes to registered Independents. Brown won them over and won the election.

Apparently, that’s been going on for a long time in the Cape Cod State – rather unnoticed, I might add. It does explain how an electorate can at the same time vote Ted Kennedy and Mitt Romney into two of the top three political positions in the state some years ago.

Barack Obama won the Presidency by getting overwhelming support from Independents in ’08, and many Democrats were swept into power at the same time with the same formula.

I guess now the question is going to be whether or not Democrats in the elections this Fall can continue to do what they did in the last election year or whether enough Republicans can win over enough Independents to change the balance of power in Congress?
We better stay tuned.

Figuring Things Out at Grandma's & Grandpa's

2010-01-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

All three of our granddaughters and now our grandson have had fun with the “Push-Popper” that we’ve had for almost 15 years. It’s part of the toy menagerie we keep at hand for when our grandkids visit.

Today our grandson discovered the popper and put things together real fast. By the time I snapped the bottom pic he was already right in the groove – navigating it around a strange house (and sometimes putting it on the floor :-).

"Hmmm… how does this thing work?"

"It’s a “Push-Popper!”

"Wow, I can do it!"

My All-Time Favorite Pie

2010-01-02T00:11:00.000-08:00

My mom’s apple and cherry pies were pretty much unsurpassed. Many times in my youth when folks came over for dinner I heard, “That’s the best pie I’ve ever had.” If mom had been business-wise, she could have made money with her pies like Marie Callendar’s does.

But last night, I guess as a New Year treat, my wife made a pie which beats anything mom ever made, in my estimation. It’s coconut custard pie, which has become my all-time favorite over time. It was especially good because it’s been a long time since we’ve had any.

The photo above is a pretty good representation of Kay Lynne’s version (though it is not hers), but at that it doesn’t quite convey the melt-in-your-mouth, toasty goodness of the piece I had last night after dinner. My wife cuts the sugar content quite a bit, and so it is a bit healthier than most recipes.

I couldn’t think of a better treat with which to kick-off the New Year.

A New Decade

2010-01-01T01:53:00.000-08:00

Family Time

2009-12-29T22:42:00.000-08:00

Earlier tonight we enjoyed Christmas together with one son’s family who've been in Oregon for a week or so. We’ll look forward to a celebration with the other son’s family when they get back home to Oregon from California where they are enjoying the holidays.

Pictured is grandson NJ, looking dapper and a little "preppy" in a new outfit. He zoomed around our condo pushing his portable, interactive “gadget pack” that has music, toys and a phone – a Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa. The boy is a gadget-lover to be sure, and now he can “take them with him”. Click on the pic for a larger image; his eyes reveal the fun he's having.

Nothing like Christmas time with family for this grandpa who’s still full from dinner and grandma’s incredible home-made apple pie.

A Very Merry Christmas To You

2009-12-25T09:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Raphael's "Nativity" gives us the real story of Christmas -- the Incarnation.

Budding Photographer?

2009-12-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

The photo above was taken yesterday by grandson NJ. It's his view of the family Christmas tree from his vantage point on my lap.

As I've mentioned before, he loves anything electronic, and our camera falls perfectly into that category. He watched Kay Lynne and I taking pictures and wanted to try it out himself. He's 15 months old. Not bad, I'd say. He may be a natural.

After the camera fun, he climbed back onto my lap to check out my computer case (which he's tightly holding under his arm in the pic at left). He was hoping there'd be something more of the "blinking lights and push button" variety in there. O, btw, he also gave Grandma his "cute" pose for the pic.

Hayley’s Christmas School Band Concert

2009-12-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

Oregon’s Chehalem Valley Middle School music students took on a big challenge by playing some difficult musical pieces Tuesday evening, but they came through with flying colors in a magnificent performance.

We drove down during the day so we could see the concert and our seventh-grade granddaughter, Hayley, (above) who is first-chair clarinet in the Advanced Band. The concert also included performances by the combined Intermediate Bands (Chehalem and Mountain View Middle School), the CVMS Choir and the combined Intermediate and Advanced Strings.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, this school district has one of the strongest music programs at the Middle School level in the entire Pacific Northwest. The bands are directed by David Sanders, and the Strings and Choir are directed by Gwen Gilbertson. Very difficult renditions included Leroy Anderson’s arrangement of Sleigh Ride by the Advanced Band and Robert W. Smith’s The Children’s Carols by the Combined Strings.

Above is the Advanced Band during its performance. Hayley is in the front row, second from left. Thanks to our son, Gregg, for the nice photos.

A Life of Thanksgiving Rather Than Just a Day

2009-11-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.”

Those well known words of King David were expressed in a Psalm and described in I Chronicles, as the ancient Israelites placed the Ark of the Covenant – containing God’s glory – in a tent that David had made expressly for that purpose. The people were asked to thank and praise the Lord God regularly and to do so as well with harps, cymbals and trumpets.

Today, in our culture, we set aside a day to be with family where possible and to thank our God for our blessings. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. Kay Lynne and I today wish you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

There is one word in the chapter mentioned above that stood out to me as I read the passage. The word is “regularly.” It’s wonderful that we give thanks on this day, but how much better it would be if we gave thanks regularly and not just on one day.

I continue to be troubled by the fact that we in America have so much, and people in other areas of the world have little or nothing. As my wife often muses, “why should we be so blessed simply as the result of an accident of where we were born, when others are born in poverty?”

It’s a sobering question for a mostly happy day. We may never have an adequate answer, but we can at least do a little bit to help alleviate the pain in our world. And we can start right here in our neighborhood.

I’ve often seen ministers at this time of year use the sermon title, “Thanksgiving is Thanks Living.” It seems to me that “thanks living” must at least be about helping someone who needs it when we have so much.

A Child of Multifaceted Interests

2009-11-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

Our grandson loves a variety of things: handheld electronic gadgets of all kinds, music, especially with a little beat, a computer screen that’s got some action, blocks and toys, and food, especially fruit puffs that he can eat by himself.

The photo above was taken earlier today when he was occupying himself with two gadgets but suddenly heard a noise near Grandma who was across the room. The little guy is amazing. He can handle three things at once – kinda like a mom who can see around corners and behind things, including behind her own back.

Or should we just consider him a child with multifaceted interests? I like that.

Talli’s Finish in the State H.S. X-C Meet

2009-11-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

Well, our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, has accomplished something in our family that I don’t believe anyone else has. She competed in a State meet and performed very well.

The sport happened to be Cross-Country, and the meet was held this afternoon at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. Talli’s time was 20:25, a fine accomplishment for a STATE meet that was held on a cold, windy and wet day. She was just two seconds behind her friend and teammate, Emily, a senior.

Excellent run, Talli. You’ve had a remarkable season!

“Trick or Treat”

2009-10-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

Earlier this evening we answered the doorbell and there in his pumpkin costume was grandson “NJ”.

Grandma gave him his (non-edible) treat that quickly dropped into his pumpkin “pail.” The boy was more anxious to find Buddy, our dog, to play with. “NJ” and Buddy are quite good pals now.

Pic above is of grandson, mom and dad (and a pumpkin scarecrow) taken at a Trick or Treat party at Country Village a bit earlier in the evening. Is there anything better than a kid having fun on Halloween?

Still Under Effects of the Flu, Talli Guts Out Qualifying Run For State

2009-10-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

We keep observing that our grandchildren are exceptional, and they keep doing things to warrant it.

This afternoon our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, qualified to run in the varsity State Cross Country meet a week from Saturday at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.

But the remarkable thing about what she did was the fact that last Sunday she was still running quite a high fever that finally left on Monday and was feeling the staggering effects of the flu (who knows which variety) that continued through the race today.

So, without any training for almost a week, and weakened by the dreaded bugs going around, Talli still ran a 20:06 time for 5K, which was enough to qualify her for State. Her dad told us after the race that she was “disappointed” with her time. Yikes, girl, how much do you expect of yourself? Seriously, Talli almost always feels she “could have done better”. She’s just made that way.

Congratulations, Talli! You are something very special!

Getting the Hang of Texting…

2009-10-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Our grandson loves to play with cell phones. REAL cell phones, not the plastic imitation "play" ones. The other day he played with my phone for the longest time. Grandma snapped these shots as he sat on my lap...

“Gotta get this note to mom & dad just right…”

“Perfect! There it goes.”

He’s a pretty smart boy for 13 months old!

Hayley Gets Clarinet Solo in Future Concert

2009-10-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Our grandchildren continue to make news, and it’s especially nice for this grandpa who gets to write about it. A few posts ago, we mentioned that Hayley, a 7th grade Intermediate Schooler, had made second chair as a clarinetist in Advanced Band.

As if that wasn’t enough in and of itself, last Friday she was named as the clarinet soloist for an upcoming concert performance. She tried out for the spot and won out over all comers.

As we may have mentioned in the previous post, Hayley only began playing the clarinet about 14 months ago, and has taken to it like a duck to water. No telling what this talented young lady will accomplish. Nice work, Hayley!

Outright Win For Talli Is Her First In X-C

2009-10-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Our granddaughter, Talli, won her first varsity Cross-Country event on Wednesday, taking first place in the 5,000-meter run in a dual meet at Tigard. She is just a high school sophomore, but this is her second year already of varsity competition.

Her winning time was 20:07, at that some 35 seconds off of her personal best this year. This course was a bit tougher, however, than the one on which she did her PR. Click here to read about her win in a news story currently running in the Newberg Graphic.

The pic above is from the race in which she set her personal record (Talli is at left), as I’ve so far not been able to get my hands on a photo of her win. If one does become available, I’ll try to post it.

Congratulations, Talli, on your first varsity win!!

"Tis the Season...

2009-10-13T10:26:00.001-07:00

Sometimes photos are just too cute for words. Grandson "NJ," above, last weekend enjoyed his first experience in a real pumpkin patch. I'm told he spent quite a bit of time making friends with his favorite halloween gourd.

I think dad and mom had as much fun as "NJ" checking out every corner of pumpkinland in order to make just the right selection to bring home.

Now dad gets to test his skills once again as a jack-o-lantern carver. I hope "NJ" realizes that it's getting close to "trick or treat" time. I'm sure he'll get the hang of it real quickly after visiting a house or two. That should be a "slam-dunk." Btw, the photos were taken by mom & dad, and they sure turned out super.

10 Minutes To Great Fishing

2009-10-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

A fish like this Lake Sammamish cutthroat trout would be good anywhere. But it was especially sweet catching it this afternoon just 10 minutes away from our son and daughter-in-law's home.

Because the fish was so bright and "silvery," my son thinks that possibly the fish may have been a sea-run cutt that had made its way back up into Lake Samm via the Ballard Locks, the ship canal, Lake Washington and a stream that connects the two lakes. At any rate it was a really nice fish, measuring 18-1/2” in length and weighing over 2 pounds, maybe even close to 3.

It was a gorgeous but crisp and slightly windy afternoon on the lake today. Photo above is of Doug skippering his new Alaskan boat against the backdrop of the foothills of the Cascades. This is but one of the wonderful benefits of living in the State of Washington.

We only fished for two hours, but it was a memorable trip. We got the skunk off of both my son’s new “back-up” pole rig and off an old man fishing Lake Sammamish for only the second time. As an added bonus, when we got back to their house, he filleted the fish and threw it on the BBQ, doused with their secret fish cooking formula. Just one word to describe it:

Incredible.

Talli Scorches A Full Minute Off Her Previous Personal Record

2009-10-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

Our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, ran the 5,000 meters in 19:31 yesterday at the Harriers Classic in Albany, Oregon, taking a full minute off of her previous personal best. You can see the strain (and the incredible muscle tone) in the above photo taken by her dad.

The best high school runners in the state were all in this meet, and so the competition was fierce. At least this course was a lot more level than her earlier races so far this year, and a lot of kids set personal records.

Talli’s outstanding time in yesterday’s race, I’m told, places her among the top five all-time 5K bests in Newberg High School history. I’d say that’s pretty good company. Fabulous run, Talli!

Hayley Makes 2nd Chair Clarinet in Advanced Band

2009-10-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

As grandparents we learned long ago never to underestimate our grandkids.

Hayley, daughter of Gregg and Elaine, 12 years of age and in 7th grade, has been playing the clarinet for just a little over a year. Yet she has already become among the best clarinet players in her school. Above photo of her was taken earlier this year.

Yesterday Hayley learned that that she has earned the second chair position in her Intermediate School’s Advanced Band.

What’s special about all this is that Advanced Band is usually reserved for 8th graders, but Hayley auditioned at the end of her 6th grade Beginning Band class last May and qualified by test to skip Intermediate Band altogether and go directly to Advanced Band this Fall, though in the 7th grade. Now, she is playing at the higher levels of Advanced Band.

She’s obviously really taken to the newer, higher quality instrument her dad found on eBay near the end of the summer. Having a good clarinet to play can not only be more fun, but the results are also showing by her performance.

Hayley is a remarkable young lady, as are all our grandkids, and we congratulate her on an excellent accomplishment. We’re very proud of her, and already we’re looking forward to her Christmas Band concert.

Talli Runs Strong In Third X-C Meet

2009-09-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

Our high school sophomore granddaughter, Talli, ran a strong race on another tough course yesterday, coming in 4th overall in the varsity 5K Cross-Country race and missing third place by less than a second. Above, Talli (r) and her friend and teammate, Emily, round a corner and head toward the finish.

Emily, a senior, took third place at 21:22.2, while Talli was an eyelash behind her at 21:23.1. The two gals that finished ahead of them are considered by many to be in the top 10 in the State, so Talli and Emily were competing in very good company.

Yesterday’s meet was in Canby, Oregon and featured 6-A level competition among Lakeridge, Lake Oswego, Newberg and Canby high schools. The course was laid out at Molalla State Park, beginning and ending near the boat ramp. Our son Gregg said it was a “tough, hilly course and not fast,” but yet both gals took more than five minutes off their times in the extremely arduous season-opening run at Trask Mountain.

Nice run, Talli, (and Emily). We’re watching your season with great interest.

Whoever Wins Is OK – For This Game Only

2009-09-21T12:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a day when my two favorite football teams played each other, and I can live with whoever wins. Well almost.

The five years of watching the Seahawks players, organization and coaches make steady and appreciable progress, I must admit, has turned me into a Seahawks fan first. But right behind them are the SF 49ers, with whom I go way back to Kezar stadium, Y.A. Tittle and Hugh McElhenny.

Yesterday, but for two incredible long runs by 9er Frank Gore (one shown above), it was a pretty even, rock ‘em, sock ‘em game. In the end, primarily due to the two long jaunts, the Niners won, 23-10.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle’s recently acquired top WR, played pretty well yesterday (looking for room after a catch, above), but not well enough to overcome the two 79+ yard scampers by Gore.

Also yesterday, the 49er faithful enjoyed the enshrinement of Eddie De Bartolo Jr., into the 49er Hall of Fame at Candlestick Park. De Bartolo was the popular owner under whose tenure the team won five Super Bowls. Above Eddie D. is being welcomed back for the ceremonies by none other than former all-everything WR Jerry Rice.

The era of the five Super Bowls was one of those times in sports history that rarely occurs and may never again for the Niners. Now if the Hawks can get it together under Jim Mora….

Sparkling X-C Debut For Talli

2009-09-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Our High School Sophomore granddaughter Talli kicked off her second year of varsity cross country by coming in eighth out of nearly 150 runners in the “Assault on Trask Mountain” last Saturday.

In the photo above, taken by her dad, she’s trying not to smile too much as her teammate Emily had just fallen in the creek. Note the muddy, uphill grind they were running in.

Schools from all over northern Oregon participated, and her school, Newberg High, came in fifth, team wise. The 5K run included hills, rivers, rugged terrain and MUD. It was a true test of who’s in shape and who’s not.

Talli’s time was 26:49.34, pretty good for her first fall race. Her friend and teammate, Emily, a senior, finished about 30 seconds ahead of her. The two of them run well together, each helping to pace the other. Way to go, gals. It looks like a good year for both of you!

Where's the Cake?

2009-09-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

We celebrated "NJ's" first birthday yesterday, and in the pic above, surrounded by cousins, he appears only interested in the cake. But appearances can be a bit deceiving.

Even though Aubrey, Talli and Hayley all eventually enjoyed a full share of delicious cake (along with the rest of us), "NJ" gave his first taste a "4 or 5" (right) on a 10-scale. Of course, that's to his credit. So far in his young life he's only eaten healthy, delicious fruits and vegetables, and he's apparently decided to go a little easy with the acceptance of cakes and like sweets. No problem there; he'll have plenty of time to get acquainted with sugar.

"NJ" received some really cool first birthday gifts. Among them (I shouldn't even attempt a list, 'cause for sure I forgot something:) were: a play work bench with all the bells & whistles (tools:), a "library" of extremely creative, incredulously interactive books, a puzzle where each piece has an appropriate "sound" (think fire engine siren and the like), a gorgeous, hand-made quilt-like blanket, a haberdashery of clothes (that included a really cute "Floyd R. Turbo"-type hat), and a talking, singing play truck with little characters.

Suffice it to say that "NJ" had a wonderful, fun party with family. He conked out really quickly at evening's end, and I haven't heard if he overslept this morning. "NJ" had a ball with his cousins and with his extended family, and last night seemed to pick out Aubrey on whom he practiced his "hair-analysis" antics (right).

Lake Sammamish Prize – A Nice Cutthroat Trout

2009-09-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it didn’t take son Doug long, with new boat and all, to master wily cutthroat trout fishing at Lake Sammamish. Cutts are the prized fish in this beautiful lake, though there are several other species as well that swim in its waters.

Doug took the boat out very late this afternoon on Lake Sammi (for just the third time), and in an hour and a quarter of fishing landed the beautiful fish he’s holding in the above photo. The Cutt was 18-1/2 inches long and weighed at least 2 pounds, maybe more. (It’s always best not to actually weigh a fish, as that gives story-telling latitude later on. :-) That’s his great new boat, a Smokercraft Alaskan, he’s standing in front of.

Here’s the close-up with the tape. What a fine fish! Notice the red slash marks on the lower jaw that identify the species. You can click on the photos for a larger image. What he caught it on will remain a secret for the time being, as once a fisherman finds a system that works, it’s up to others to figure it out for themselves. Especially at this warm time of the year.

Truth is, buy him some gas for trolling, and he’ll be happy to show you how to fish. Can’t wait for the next time I get a chance to go fishing with him.

Mind-Bending Information

2009-08-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

I got this video from a friend in California who says it was originally made as a presentation to a large American corporation. No matter, the information contained on it is truly mind-bending. Click on the arrow to start it.

The question at the end is worth pondering.

Cousins

2009-08-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

When our granddaughters from Oregon come to visit us, it is the perfect opportunity to take them to Seattle where they can have fun with their youngest cousin, "NJ", just a little more than two weeks from being a year old.

Talli, 15, Hayley, 12, and Aubrey, 7, are the daughters of Gregg and Elaine, while "NJ" is the son of Doug and Jamie. Above, the kids are pictured on what was a very hot afternoon Wednesday (Nathan was checking out birds). Jamie took the picture and gave me permission to use it here.

I’ve also added two other pics that Jamie snapped, one of Hayley and "NJ" (left) and the other of Talli and "NJ". As you can tell, the little guy was smothered in love for an entire day, and enjoyed every minute of it. A cool pic of Aubrey and "NJ" is on my July 15 post.

The day was also a special occasion on two other counts. First, it was our first visit to Doug and Jamie’s new home (it’s absolutely beautiful), and secondly, Doug and I took his new Smokercraft Alaskan fishing boat on its maiden voyage on Lake Sammamish.

It was the middle of the day when we went out, so there was little chance to catch any fish, but the boat, motor, electronics and electric downriggers performed flawlessly. Great choice, Doug! And perfect timing! Right after your pop sold his “last” boat. :-)

The fun day was capped with some incredibly good Chinese take out from Chan’s Place, a Seattle favorite.

It is a Hoax!

2009-08-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Turns out the spectacular accomplishment on video shown in my previous post is a HOAX. My cousin Joel Narva sent me the link today that confirmed it.

Click here to read it, if you like. Apparently, it’s an ad by Microsoft, of all people, that attempted to gain internet attention in Germany. For what, I have no idea.

I guess the old adage is true: if it looks like an impossibility, it likely is an impossibility. Where that adage came from is unknown.

Sure was fun to watch, though. And it’s still moving at warp speed through cyber space.

Is This For Real?

2009-08-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Click on arrow to play.

Obviously, this must be "edited." Right? If not, it's spectacular.

If you're a "techie," maybe don't tell me it's not an actual event!

Trouble in River City

2009-08-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while there’s a guy at the boat launch who has to get his boat in the water for the very first time. Sometimes there are problems, as indicated above.

Supposedly, this is a quote from the guy who tried to launch: “I consulted my dealer for advice, but all they said was, ‘Don't let the trailer get too deep when you are trying to launch the boat’."

Thanks to my bud, Bob Rodde, in California, for emailing this unusual shot.

I’m kinda wondering where this might have happened? Wups, probably shouldn’t go there.

Lindsey’s Birthday at Ajax Café

2009-07-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Our niece Lindsey Narva just had her 25th birthday, and her mom and dad, Sandra and Joel, invited us to join them last Thursday to celebrate at the Ajax Café (left) in Port Hadlock. If you live on the west side of the water (and even if you don’t) you’ve likely heard of this great eatery.

At right Linz is blowing out her candle on the special dessert (how does she get off so easy?). Her mom brought a (literal) shopping bag full of gifts; took Linz an hour to get them all opened. We all enjoyed the dinner and party immensely. Pic below is of the bunch of us, Linzz, Sandra, moi, Kay Lynne and Joel.

As an interesting sidelight, we learned that the building shown above, which houses the Ajax Café, is a true historical landmark in Port Hadlock. When it was built just before the turn of the 20th century, it served as the residence for the town’s namesake, Samuel Hadlock. Amazing what you can learn on this blog.

The Sustaining Elements of Authentic Worship

2009-07-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Our church service this morning put spiritual “gas” in the tank, so to speak, for the upcoming week.

What do I mean?

In a previous life I used to think that one went to church “to try and get something out of it.” Was the music good? Did I “enjoy” it? Was the sermon timely? Did it meet “my” needs?

All the wrong questions to ask, of course, as authentic worship focuses on God, not on “me.”

In our Lutheran venue, worship consists of many liturgical elements that can be grouped in a number of ways. I’ve put them in four sets here: 1) Confession and forgiveness, 2) Listening to God through the Scriptures (Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Gospels) and through the sermon, 3) Giving thanks to God with our offerings and with the reciting of the the foundational creeds of our faith, and 4) Partaking in Holy Communion for spiritual strength and sustenance and then, with the benediction, being sent out to serve. Click here for a previous post which amplifies this a bit.

When our worship experience focuses on God, rather than on what we might think we need, the wonderful thing that happens is that our needs are met in ways we could not have anticipated. If you look at the elements of worship mentioned, you’ll see that authentic worship is a kind of “dialog with God” in which we confess our inadequateness to Him and He in turn fills us with what we are lacking.

It just could help explain why the Sunday “pit stop” can make the Monday through Saturday raceway that much more effectual in living out God’s grace through our vocation. Thanks be to God.

Mom Would Have Been 102 Today

2009-07-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

If she had lived, my mom, Helen, would have been 102 years old today. Of course that’s only a fanciful wish, as she died an early death from a stroke at age 51.

The photo above, taken in 1934, the year she and my dad, Hugh, were married, shows the two of them in Chicago sitting on the running board of my dad’s relatively new Dodge coupe.

As an interesting sidebar, in this car while they were courting, they were robbed in downtown Chicago by none other than the notorious John Dillinger gang. With a gun pointing through the driver’s window, my dad was forced to turn over his gold watch, and my mom was stripped of her engagement ring during the heist.

Not a great way to get to know someone famous -- er, infamous.

Mom was born in Finland and immigrated to the U.S. through Canada and into Minnesota before she and her sister, Lina, moved to Chicago. There, both sisters met their husbands.

Happy Birthday, mom!

Aubrey Visits Her Cousin "NJ"

2009-07-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

Today Kay Lynne and I took our granddaughter Aubrey (7) to Seattle to visit her cousin "NJ". They had a blast. I caught the two of them (above) having fun with Grandma who was standing behind me.

"NJ" loved Aubrey’s longer hair and wanted very much to get a hold of it.

In the afternoon Aubrey entertained her cousin by creating some bubbles for "NJ" to watch.

Grandma and grandpa sure enjoyed the day, and the kids seemed to have a lot of fun as well.

More Fun With Aubrey

2009-07-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today Grandma and I had fun at a local park with our granddaughter Aubrey who is visiting us for a few days. Aubrey is pictured above getting the swing going pretty good. Click on the photo to see her smile.

Grandma and Aubrey stopped for a photo at the base of the enclosed tube slide. We were careful to see that no one was coming down before we shot.

Following the park stop, we headed down to the marina and walked around the boardwalk. There were lots of boats in their slips and exposed seaweed on the beach, as it was low tide, just like yesterday. Not a whole lot of days left before we’ll have to take Aubrey home. Buddy is going to be sad, as she has been his special pal while here.

Fun With Grandkids

2009-07-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Our seven-year-old granddaughter Aubrey is visiting us for a few days, and today we went to Illahee State Park just north of Bremerton. I think her dad had told her we were not allowed to have any fun, but we did so anyway. :-)

Aubrey is pictured above holding an interesting shell she discovered on the beach at a low, but starting-to-rise tide. That’s Bainbridge Island in the distance behind her. Below I caught another phone pic of her after she had scribed her name in the sandy beach. Of course, it’ll only last until the tide fully comes in later this evening. Tomorrow we may visit yet another of the numerous Washington recreational parks that are nearby and on the water.

And on Wednesday Aubrey gets to go with us to Seattle to spend most of the day with her cousin "NJ" (pictured below with his bib on at dinnertime earlier tonight and after his first haircut yesterday). Nothin’ but fun!

Plus, last Friday we were in Oregon and we got to watch Hayley work on some increasingly difficult ice skating moves at a rink in an adjacent town. I forgot my new camera, but at least I was able to snap her lacing up her skates (below) on my phone cam. Hayley loves to ice skate and seems to be a natural on figure skates. We shall see….

If you can tell me what's more fun than grandkids, I probably would not believe you.

Sharing and Celebrating Birthdays

2009-07-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

My granddaughter Aubrey and I share a birthday, and yesterday it was time to party. Above Aubrey is contemplating the delicious, home-made birthday cake.

For our annual party, Aubrey always gets to pick the décor and type of cake. Grandpa is just happy to be there. Both of our birthdays this year contain a 7, and I’m a hair more than ten times older.

That’s the riddle for the day (shoulda made it harder).

Pic above shows Aubs and me blowing out our birthday cake candles. A fun day!

The Audacity of Apostolic Economics

2009-06-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday in church we got a lesson in economics unlike one gets at a secular university.

Our associate Pastor, Kent Shane (photo), pointed out that “apostolic economics” (a term used and apparently coined by Dr David Tiede, former president of Luther Seminary and current Bernard M. Christensen Chair professor at Augsburg College) does not involve either “supply side” or Keynesian points of view.

Instead, the term suggests something relatively simple and easy to understand: you must give away what you have in order to gain everything.

What?

Pastor Kent’s sermon focused on our lectionary reading of 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 and reminded us that even as we give away love, our lives become rich in “meaning, purpose and promise.” Following the service, I commented on the term “apostolic economics” and he pointed me to Dr. Tiede’s commentary on these same scriptures.

“God’s distribution of the manna in the wilderness set the standard in Israel that ‘the one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little,’” says Dr. Tiede.

He goes on, “The Gospel of Apostolic Economics is about ‘our Lord Jesus Christ:’ ‘though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor’ (2 Corinthians 8:9). This is the theology of the cross in economic language, leading not to human privilege to possess our wealth, but to Christian freedom to put the well-being of the neighbor ahead of our own interests.”

For me, that’s “the audacity of apostolic economics” stated about as well as it could be expressed. If only we had the audacity to live by it.

U.N. Translator? Or Soccer Fan?

2009-06-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

Our son Doug and his wife Jamie and our grandson Nathan went to the Seattle Sounders Major League Soccer game today at Qwest Field.

Little Nathan had his own ear phones (actually sound repressors) because the noise at Qwest can be deafening at times and also can be a bit intimidating to a little guy. Jamie phone texted above photo of Nathan from the game. Notice his Sounders jersey. Too cool.

Kay Lynne thought his intent expression made him look like a United Nations translator. Sure could be. In reality, he was just one of the younger soccer fans in attendance.

Sounders won, 3-nil.

Sequim’s Oak Table Café Opens Kingston Location

2009-06-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever traveled to or through Sequim but haven’t made a stop at the Oak Table Café at the corner of 3rd & Bell, you’ve missed out on one of the great breakfast/lunch experiences available anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. And that is not an overstatement.

Now, however, there’s good news for those of us who don’t live on the Olympic Peninsula. A second location of the Oak Table Café has opened in Kingston in the new (converted) Firehouse on Hwy 104 (top pic). The better news is that all those delicious breakfast (and lunch) delights seem to taste even better closer to home!

And you guessed it – every table top is made out of oak, to enhance their distinctive décor.

My cousin Joel Narva and his wife Sandra first introduced us to the Sequim site several years ago, and so we were anxious to try out the new eatery in Kitsap County. We finally had a chance to do so this week, and it didn’t disappoint. Owners Ross and Nikki McCurdy have succeeded in cloning the ambiance and family-friendly, delicious food presentations here on our side of the Hood Canal.

Stop by when you have a chance; if the friendly atmosphere doesn’t hook you, the food certainly will. They are open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hayley Leap-Frogs Intermediate Band; Goes Right To The Top

2009-06-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

Our Middle-school granddaughter Hayley will play in her school’s Advanced Band in September, without ever spending a day in Intermediate Band class. She’s pictured at left, playing in her year-end Beginning Band concert just over a week ago.

How was she able to accomplish this?

Hayley worked very hard on her clarinet skills over the last few weeks of her sixth grade school year and then voluntarily stayed after school to take 10 consecutive performance tests. She passed with flying colors, and, as a result, she gets to go straight to Advanced Band this Fall as a seventh grader. Usually, it’s only eighth graders who play in the Advanced Band.

Congratulations, Hayley, for a job well done!

What makes all this even more amazing is that Hayley first picked up a clarinet last September at the beginning of the school year, and began lessons then. So, in just nine months she has progressed from a raw rookie in Beginning Band to make it all the way to Advanced Band. Remarkable!

Above, on the same day as her band concert, Hayley also performed in a drama as part of one of her class projects. She’s the one in orange. :-) And thanks, Gregg, for posting the pics where I could get at them.

Hayley Works on Ice Skating Skills

2009-06-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

Our middle school granddaughter Hayley is turning into quite the artist on ice. Above she is pictured carefully practicing one of her drills, following her instructor's guidance.

As we may have said before, Hayley is very athletic, and she is rapidly developing some wonderful skills in ice skating. She takes lessons weekly, I believe, in neighboring Sherwood, Oregon.

Keep it up, Hayley. You're looking great!

First Piano Recital for Aubrey

2009-06-05T21:52:00.001-07:00

Our almost seven-year-old granddaughter Aubrey performed in her first piano recital last night (above), and from all reports, she was a resounding success.

Aubrey, a first-grader, has been taking piano lessons this year and finally got a chance to show what she’s learned. Her music? “Recital Waltz.” The photo at right shows her introducing her performance piece.

Though we were not able to be at the Recital, we did have a chance earlier in the week to hear Aubrey perform at home. She’s definitely got some of her Grandma’s keyboard touch. Congratulations, Aubrey!

Grandma asked if she planned on continuing piano studies next year. “Probably not,” says Aubs. Maybe the accolades will change her mind.