A Visit to the Seattle Seahawks Training Camp

"Quarterback competition" has been the key word in the Seattle Seahawks training camp which has been going on for two weeks now.  Kay Lynne and I visited the training facility yesterday morning accompanied by son Doug who planned and organized the outing.  Many thanks, Doug; it was a most enjoyable time.

Newly signed Matt Flynn (from Green Bay), rookie Russell Wilson (U of Wisconsin) and veteran Tavaris Jackson (last year's starter) are all vying to be the starting quarter back for 2012.  As of today, it looks like Matt Flynn is in the lead, named to start Saturday's game and play the first half.  Wilson will get the nod in the second half.  Same as the first game.  TJack, unfortunately, is rumored to be on the trading block.

I took a few photos, and above are Flynn (15) and Wilson (3) getting ready for a passing drill with several of the top receivers -- Sydney Rice (long hair), Doug Baldwin (89), Deon Butler (11), Golden Tate (81) and Braylon Edwards (17).

Above, in a quarterback drill, Russell Wilson hands off to rookie running back Robert Turbin from Utah State.  He's a tank who can squeeze through small holes with blinding speed.  He should be fun to watch this year.

Above, line coach Tom Cable works with the versatile 300-lb behemoths who make up Seattle's offensive line.  These guys are not only big, but they can move like cats.  Cable teaches each one to play any line position (except center) so he has ultimate versatility and substitution capabilities.  Seattle is expected to give the 49ers a run for the NFC West title -- which may be a daunting task.  We shall see.  Btw, click on any photo to make a larger image.

Perfect Weather Enhances Victoria, B.C. Trip With Long-Time Friends

It isn't often you get to visit a real castle.  But we did so last weekend on a trip to Victoria, B.C. with our long-time friends, Dwight and Lynnette Klassen, from discovery Bay, California.  Dwight and I have been friends for over 50 years, first meeting as incoming freshmen at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.  That's Craigdarroch Castle above, located in the heart of Victoria.  Completed in 1908, the castle was primarily the home of coal barron Robert Dunsmuir (the namesake of the city of Dunsmuir, California) and his wife, Joan, and several children and grandchildren.  It has also served as a military hospital, a college and a music school.







Above are Dwight, Lynnette and Kay Lynne at the entrance to the castle.  Below is the "everyday" dining room of the Dunsmuirs, reflecting the opulence in which the very rich lived at the beginning of the 20th century.

The formal dining room used when there were guests was even more elaborate.





We arrived in Canada on Friday evening and made our way to Brentwood Bay, where Kay Lynne and I had first visited about 40 years ago.  Then it was called Brentwood Inn and was a small motel with a coffee shop.  Now it is Brentwood Bay Lodge and Pub with hundreds of waterfront rooms and a dock and marina at water's edge.  That's the four old friends above, Lynnette, Dwight, Kay Lynne and moi.

On Saturday, we visited the Royal Canadian Museum, also in downtown Victoria, known for its exhbits of pre-historic creatures and its re-creation of Victoria streets as they looked about 100 years ago.   Above photo is a reconstruction of one of the dinosaur skeletons.

Saturday morning we spent down at the harbor.  Above pic was taken from a harbor dock looking toward the famous Empress Hotel.  We passed on afternoon tea this time.

We enjoyed absolutely fabulous weather for the entire weekend -- an unusual occurrence in Victoria.  On the way back to the ferry dock in Sydney for the return trip home, we stopped and had lunch at the Rum Runner Pub, a delightful eatery.  Above is the view from the restaurant looking back toward Anacortes and Mt. Baker, which you can make out in the distant mountain range just to the right of center.  You can click on any photo for a larger view of it.  The ferry ride back through the San Juan Islands was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend.

Photo Post - A Whale of A Good Time With Friends

The killer whale called the Orca (above) is what we were seeking to view in its natural habitat.  Our long-time friends, Ed and Darlene Wall from San Jose, California, visited us last week, and so we went on the Victoria Clipper on a whale-watching excursion last Thursday.   On the 2-1/2 hour search on the Clipper we did see several Orcas swimming in families -- all but one from the local "J" pod, but none as close as in the shot above, which was taken on a similar trip in 2008.

Above, we are approaching the Deception Pass Bridge at the north end of Whidbey Island on our way to where the whales frolic, mostly in the Strait of Juan de Fuca adjacent to the San Juan Islands.  The area just past the bridge was shrouded in fog for several miles until we got out in open water.

After the whale-watching, we pulled into Friday Harbor to have a late lunch.  Coincidentally, the Washington State ferry, the Yakima, was just pulling into her berth, presumably on her way to Sydney, BC, near Victoria.

Above are Ed & Darlene making their way back to the Clipper after a short shopping jaunt following lunch.

The actual harbor at Friday Harbor bustles with activity all the time.  As in any Washington State harbor, you'll find a diverse variety of locally owned vessels.

Just as we were getting ready to board the Clipper for our return voyage to Seattle, the movie-famous schooner, Spike Africa, chugged back toward her berth after an afternoon of charter sailing with a load of tourists.  Built by well known maritimer, Bob Sloan, she is functionally elegant and provides an unforgettable sailing adventure for all who climb aboard.

Talli Makes State Meet For 6th Time in H.S. Track and Cross-Country Career; Comes In 2nd in District in 3,000 Meters To Qualify

Our high school granddaughter, Talli, a Senior, qualified yesterday for the High School State Track Meet of Oregon in Eugene May 25 & 26, by running a 10:49 race in the 3,000 meters, coming in second in the District by only two seconds.

In posted times for the year, Talli is actually first in her District with her 10:43 PR time a few weeks ago at the Centennial Invitational.  In the photo above taken by her dad, she (left, in blue) is approaching the finish line in yesterday’s run already having established second place but was just not quite able to overtake first place.  She ran a fabulous race.

At the State meet, she is tentatively scheduled to run, pending final adjustments, just before noon next Friday, May 25, at the famed Hayward Field (think Steve Prefontaine) on the University of Oregon Campus.

Congratulations, Talli, on an incredible high school Track and Cross Country career! She has made the State meet SIX TIMES during her four years of high school.  This is her second time at the State meet in Track, and she made State all four years in Cross country.  I’m not sure how many varsity letters Talli has, but I think it’s in double digits. 

Now I’m wondering if she’ll like the feel of the track at Azusa Pacific well enough to run in college?  But I think I also may have overheard her say, “Show me the scholarship money first!”  Smart girl.

Talli Beats Five Boys and Wins 3,000 Women’s Run in Hillsborough

Our HS senior granddaughter, Talli, yesterday tied her own personal best in the varsity track 3,000-meter run and won the women’s race in just under 11 minutes in a dual meet with Century High School in Hillsborough, Oregon.  With the guys running with the gals (to reduce heats) Talli beat four of the nine Newberg guys in the race.

I’d say that’s mighty good!

She’s been working hard lately, and it is paying off for her.  The photo above shows her ahead of two boys and heading for the finish line.  Based on analysis of her time in this race, she may qualify to run in the fast heat at the Centennial Invitational a week from Saturday.  Go Talli!

As long as we’re on the subject of grandkids, it’s been a while since I’ve posted their photos…..

 

Above are their Easter photos taken a week ago Sunday.  That’s Talli, Aubrey and Hayley in the top pic and Ally and NJ in the bottom pic.  Are they special, or what?

Three Ancient Jocks Attempt to Conquer Spring Training in Phoenix – Post #3

We Actually Saw Some Baseball


Amidst the disorientation, forgetfulness, old-men-driving-in-a-strange-town-antics, and just general tomfoolery that all went on during our time in Arizona, we actually saw some baseball!

In fact, all three games that we took in were good baseball games other than the scores, which in two cases at least, could have been different. The first game we saw featured the Giants hosting the Cubs in Scottsdale. The good guys (Giants, of course) scored first but ended up losing the game, 8-6.

We sat behind a boisterous group of Cub fans who were enjoying the 85-degree temps with us, and who normally would be happy to be away from the friendly confines at this time of the year, but the temps in Chicago were not far behind – very abnormally in the 60’s. A gal, who obviously knew her baseball and who also was not afraid to speak her mind, began raving about the Cubs reorganization and their new president, youthful phenom Theo Epstein.

Unfortunately, the Cubs, again this year, are not figured to go anywhere in the NL Central – not with St. Louis, Milwaukee and even Cincinnati in that same division. The gal yakked on and on about Epstein, so finally I asked her, “What’s so good about him so far?” (the Cubs haven’t made many changes in the time he’s been with them).

Her answer: “He’s cute.”

About then the Cubbies rallied for a few runs and all the Cub fans came to life. I was born in Chicago, so I’m not exactly a Cub-hater. But the best part of this game, for me, was that I think sitting in the hot sun for several hours put the nail in the coffin of the bad chest cold I had had for a couple of weeks previous.

The second game we saw was against the Cleveland Indians, again in Scottsdale. But this time our seats were down the right field line – Giants territory. In spite of that, we happened to sit behind a young couple who were from the Cleveland area but who had recently moved to Kentucky so the man could attend seminary. They were Cleveland fans.

He was a married Roman Catholic who was planning to enter the Diaconate (new to me) of the Church and eventually assist a priest in a local parish. He was a knowledgeable baseball fan as well as a smart seminary student, and so he, Joe and I had a wonderful discussion about the church, his mission – and baseball.

He may be one of the most interesting young men – if not one of the most dedicated – I’ve ever encountered. Dwight and his wife talked family dynamics (wives serve equally in the Diaconate) and kids (they had two young children). Another excellent game, which, incidentally, ended up tied at 6. They don’t go into extra innings in Spring Training.

The final game – Giants against my hometown Seattle Mariners in the Mariners stadium in Peoria – turned out to be the best game of all (pic above shows M's stretching and warming up before the game -- #20 is hard hitting Mike Carp). Giants bats finally came to life in this one, and they pretty much sewed up the game early, although the M’s came on late to get within a couple runs. Final score, if I remember correctly, was 8-6 Giants.

But the interesting thing was how beautiful the Mariners stadium complex was in comparison to the Giants’. The M’s are in a farther-out suburb of Phoenix and share the complex with the San Diego Padres; however, there is a beautiful new stadium, ample parking and a slew of restaurants and shopping across the street.

The Giants, on the other hand, play in downtown Scottsdale in an older park with uncomfortable seating and totally inadequate parking (see first post). The Giants facility is fine overall, but it’s obvious the newer complexes have many fan advantages.

I’d have a photo of the three of us normally in this post. Dwight had a lady take one on his FILM camera (he’s techno-challenged) but she somehow didn’t click the shutter correctly. So when he got home and developed the film, nothing was there but the shots he took.

He told me yesterday he’s looking at an iPhone. Guaranteed more interesting stories if he gets one. :-)  

Three Ancient Jocks Attempt to Conquer Spring Training in Phoenix – Post #2

My Smart Phone Saves Our Bacon

When three old codgers, once proficient baseball team mates, rendezvous in Phoenix some 50 years after their prime to take in several Spring Training games – well, strange things can happen.

Cell phones can vanish. Deteriorating brain cells can short out and cause the loss of all sense of direction. Meticulously laid plans can unravel. And it all happened the first day we were there (see previous post).

Of the three of us, Joe is probably the least tech savvy, but I’m not around him enough to really know. He’s a retired high school teacher, as is Dwight, and they obviously had to have enough skills to navigate the school system – of 10 years ago. However, Joe had given his cell phone to his daughter recently and came on the trip without one.

As we learned after the fact, Dwight’s cell had fallen out of the pocket of his loosely fitted pants onto the floor of his car on the way to his departing airport, and he arrived in Arizona without one as well. As for myself, I’m an age-appropriate tech junkie, so my phone was strapped securely to my belt.

Why is this important? My smart phone (an i-phone4) saved our bacon. Many times.

Of course the phone has built-in GPS, and so we were able to easily navigate out of the airport and quickly head in the right direction to the ballpark of the first game we were going to see. Dwight drove the rental car, I sat in the right seat as navigator, and Joe periodically – no, often – shouted what he perceived as warnings from the back seat – which were usually ignored.

The phone GPS system does not talk to you sweetly with directions. However, it is a good mapping device, and shows your location, so you can navigate better than if you had a paper map. And it’s search feature was primarily the element which saved the hides of these old, directionally handicapped friends.

For example, after the first game in Scottsdale on Tuesday, I just plugged in the name of our hotel in Mesa (we got by far the best deal there), and my trusty phone pointed the way without error. When we got hungry later in the evening, the i-phone suggested three great restaurants, all less than a mile away.

And so it went. When Joe needed to text his daughter, it was a snap. When we needed to find the Giants’ minor league practice facility (photo above) – no problem. And when we needed to find the best way to drive 60 miles to the Mariners’ game in Peoria on Thursday, the i-phone came through again.

I wonder how bad-off these three old friends would have been without a smart phone. Not sure I want to think much about that.

Three Ancient Jocks Attempt to Conquer Spring Training in Phoenix

POST #1 – Almost A Strike Out on Day One

I can’t remember exactly when we decided to go to Spring Training, but I think it was back in January. Several of us San Jose State college roommates (from back in the late 1950’s) had been emailing about which San Francisco Giants games we wanted to attend this year – something we did initially a few years ago.

Somehow we struck on the idea of going to Spring Training in Arizona where “you can see the teams and players up close,” rather than going to regular season games. After many digital discussions, we picked some dates that seemed to work. The Cubs at the Giants home stadium in Scottsdale last Tuesday afternoon (above photo), the Indians (also at Scottsdale) on Wednesday afternoon, and the Mariners at their home stadium in Peoria against the Giants on Thursday evening. We were happy with the schedule.

The two other guys, Dwight Klassen of Discovery Bay, California, and Joe Medal of San Jose, California are Giants fans of course. I’ve been a Giants fan since the Bobby Thompson home run in 1951 against the Dodgers, which got them into the World Series that year. All three of us lived together in college and have been friends ever since. Our birthdates are separated by only a month, and all of us love every aspect of the incredible game of baseball.

I should point out that we played a fairly high level of organized softball together for almost 10 years after college – not the slow pitch variety that is so popular now, but the fast pitch version where the ball travels nearly as fast as a baseball, but the pitcher’s mound is 20-feet closer to the batter than in baseball. If you blink at the plate, the ball is in the catcher’s glove.

Enough history. We planned to meet in Phoenix at Sky Harbor airport last Tuesday morning about 10:30, which would give us plenty of time to get to Scottsdale by the 1:05 game time. Or so we thought.

I tried calling Dwight’s cell phone as soon as I landed about 10:15. I muttered as the phone message said, “the Verizon customer you are trying to reach is unavailable at this time.” “Where could he be?” I thought. Dwight is not exactly a techno freak, and I immediately wondered if he had forgotten his phone (which has happened before).

I called his wife a bit later when I realized that Dwight and Joe came in at one terminal and I had arrived at another. There was no way we could meet “at baggage” as we had arranged, because each terminal had its own baggage pick up. STRIKE ONE.

I determined that the best chance of meeting up with them (especially if Dwight had no phone) was to take the shuttle bus over to the car rental center and we would likely run into each other there. Wrong. After an hour’s wait, I finally called Dwight’s wife at their home and asked if she knew if he had taken his phone with him. She had no idea, but thought so. So I told her I was at the car rental center in case Dwight called home asking if she’d heard from me. Turns out it was good that I had done so.

I then went over to the car rental agency with whom I knew he had made the reservation and asked if they had a car ready for Klassen. After several minutes of looking, the agent said, “We can’t find a thing under that name.” STRIKE TWO. And it was less than two hours to game time. I was getting very antsy.

Finally, a half hour later, here comes Dwight and Joe, looking frustrated and a bit disheveled. “Where’s your phone? I ask him. “It must have dropped out of my pocket in the car before I walked into the Oakland airport,” he said sheepishly. “I don’t have it.” Fortunately, he had been able to call his wife and find out where I was.

Ok, now to solve the car dilemma. Of course the biggest dilemma was the comedy of misunderstandings, wrong turns and incorrect assumptions made by three old men who used to be able to easily get ‘em out on the ball field. Age is not kind, even to old athletes.

To make a long story short, using my cell phone, Dwight finally tracked down the persons with whom he had made the reservation (a “travel club” with special deals) and we were able to get our car and head towards Scottsdale. In the frustrating process, we learned the rental agency would have been happy to provide us with a car for three days – but at more than $800! Our “club rate” was only $165, so we were pretty freaked until Dwight got it worked out. Amazing how supply, demand and a simple advance reservation can affect the price you end up paying. O yeah, and spelling the customer’s name correctly (they had it under Klaason, not Klassen, so the computer search did not bring it up).

Our buddy Joe just sat contentedly under his large, fedora-like wide-brimmed hat while Dwight and I stewed over the mix-up. Joe is a straightline guy – relatively unaffected by circumstance.

We finally arrived at the stadium just as the National Anthem was being sung. But of course in downtown Scottsdale, there wasn’t a parking place within a half mile of the stadium. We finally found a spot quite a ways away and began the long, slow walk. Tres viejecitos andando mas despacio.

The first good thing that happened to us that day was in the form of a pretty young college gal who was driving a converted golf cart that was carting passengers from their cars to the field. We jumped on, and, later minus $10, arrived at our seats just as the Giants were coming to bat.

The Cubs eventually won, 8-6, but something happened after the game that had NEVER before happened to any of us. We couldn’t remember where we had parked. New city. New ballpark. New streets. Pretty girl driving the golf cart. We were doomed.

For 45 minutes after the game we drove around the stadium area to no avail. We kept explaining to the kind post-game cart driver where we thought the car was, and he would drive there – but our car was nowhere to be seen. Dwight might could be excused as he sat up front next to the young lady, while Joe and I were talking in the back and never paid attention to where we got on the jitney. And I didn’t mark the gps on my phone.

Eventually the after-game driver found the car, based on descriptions of the area we each thought we remembered. Ageing is wonderful in many ways – but not when you’re in a strange place. It was almost STRIKE THREE, but we finally, sheepishly, got in our car and headed for the hotel.

Seattle Is A Wimp?

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

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”

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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!