Pic-of-the-Week for August 28, 2013

Hello Family and friends,

The last Pic-of-the-Week we were just leaving Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.  When we got back to civilization where we had internet access I had a surprise email sent from my web site.  Many of you do not know, but I have a web site for my Martin-Parry Model A.  It is not finished and is still pretty crude, but it has been a help in bringing people together that have Martin-Parry vehicles.  The web site is: http://www.martin-parry.com/ if you want to look at it.

Anyway, the email was from a Mr. A. J. Parry from Bend, and the way it started out, I thought I was in trouble for using the name Martin-Parry on my web site as it could possibly be a patented name that I was using without permission.  As it turned out, he is a descendent of the Parry family, (his grandfather was president of the Martin-Parry Corporation) and has collected information for many years.  He was just about ready to send all his information to the Indiana Historical Society when a friend of his told him about the web site.  We met with him and his wife and he allowed me to copy a LOT of information which I will eventually add to the web site.  (Turns out his wife worked with Harriet's sister Sharon years ago at the Eugene Public Library while Sharon was attending the U of O.) 

They turned out to be really nice people, and we took them to dinner the next night.

The Parry Manufacturing Company made buggies prior to merging with the Martin Truck and Body Corporation.

We met with the Purkey family for a weekend and had a good time and good weather on the Deschutes River at Lake Simtustus

It was an area with a lot of beautiful scenery and the weather was nice and warm!  Perfect!  This is the view from our campsite.

(Ben forgot to add this nice photo of his brothers and sister, and sisters-in-law).

Took a drive to visit an area of balancing rocks…..

We finally made it to our residence in Walla Walla where we had a good time visiting with Dick and Julie.  Then it was on to Bull Lake in Montana where we visited with Harriet’s sister and her husband.  While there we went to an area of  old growth Red Cedar trees.

And David took us for rides on the lake where we saw a number of Bald eagles.

For that last few days we've been camped in our friend's yard in Whitefish, MT, and today we're heading south to St. Regis and some other friends' cabin by the Clark Fork River, where we won't have internet access for a few days.  The photos below are from Whitefish, and the sunrise this morning.

There are two Picasa albums for August now.  The newest is
 August Part 2 .
The older one is August 2013.

Until I get in the mood to write again!

Ben, Harriet, Sam and Zoey, (who have worn themselves out trying to catch a squirrel or two!)  

Pic-of-the-Week for August 8, 2013

Hello Friends and Family!

It has been a couple weeks since one of our emails have been sent out.  That doesn’t mean that nothing has been happening, just that I am lazy!  (That's Ben talking!!)

First of all, let me say that we have eaten out a LOT!  We just keep stuffing it in!  Not good on the diet.  (This kid REALLY stuffs it in...he loves to eat!)

Saturday, August 3^rd, we went to the Great Oregon Steam-Up at Antique Powerland near Brooks, Oregon.  There is much to see.  There are a lot of very old steam tractors.

And, many that are not steam.

The kids thought that the train rides were the most fun!  Even some of the train engines were steam.

Some of the other things that are at the same location are a car and motor cycle museum, a working steam lumber mill, an electric trolley, as well as John Deere and Caterpillar both have museums.  There is also a large truck museum.  My brother-in-law restored a 1948 KB-8 International Log Truck which he donated to the museum.

After being in Western Oregon for over a month, we said "goodbye" to Rebecca and her family, and then we were able to travel to the central part of Oregon.  We like it there because it is usually warmer, and dryer than the western part of Oregon.  We took a trip to one of our favorite places in Oregon, Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.  Near Hart Mountain is the very small town of Plush.

Near Plush we came upon a cattle drive on the highway.  (That always makes for interesting “stuff” on our vehicles once we continue down the highway!)

At Hart Mountain we saw deer.

 

And antelope, which aren’t antelope at all, but are really Pronghorns.

Now that I have told you about the wonderful Central Oregon weather, I must say that a strange storm came through the Central Oregon area and the weather for about 4 days was cool, sometimes windy, and sometimes a shower or two as well.

We did camp next to a couple with a 5 year old,  Esther,  who came to our trailer often to play with Sam and Zoey, read some children's books, and play with our colored pens and dry erase board.  Her mother’s name was Harriet!  All 3 of them seemed to have a good time even though they were camping in a tent.  We did have them over for some red wine and cheese and crackers one evening, which gave them a break from the cool weather.

Besides the exceptional scenery at Hart Mountain, there is a wonderful hot springs, which is surrounded by stone walls (to keep the wind out... couldn't do anything about the rain, but it didn't really matter once you're in the nice hot water!)

Some of the scenery.

To see more photos of our travels the last few weeks, check out our August 2013 Picasa album.  There are quite a few videos from the Brooks Steam Up (including the grandkids on the miniature train ride), and some neat rocks (really!)

We don't know when Ben will be inspired to write again, and we're going to be in Bend for a week, anyhow, helping Ben's brother with a green house extension.  After that, it's on to Washington, Idaho and Montana (really, D & S, we're coming!) 

Until next time,

Your Baja amigos vacationing in Oregon...

Ben, Harriet, Sam & Zoey

Pic-of-the-Week for July 24, 2013

Yes, I am a little late getting this one out!

This week has been spent visiting with our daughter  and family in the Eugene area.  We all are staying at Harriet’s cousin’s house.  Our trailer is parked in his driveway, and our daughter and family are staying in their house.  The cousin is a major part of Malpass Farms, LLC and what a farm it is! 

They are currently farming over 8,000 acres.  They grow many types of grass seed, about 4 kinds of wheat, corn, and spear mint.  This is one of their busy times of the year, and they have about 50 employees working in the fields and in the warehouse.  Below is a photo of two of the many barns used to store straw after the seed has been harvested.  Also, in the picture is one of the many large, very old native oak trees that are around the houses where we are staying.  Both barns are full to the brim of the straw now.  This straw is eventually shipped to Japan and used for cattle feed!  

One of the trucks and trailers used to haul the seed from the field to the warehouse.

Here is a combine harvesting wheat, and at the same time, the combine is unloading the grain into a large hopper which then unloads into a truck trailer.  This equipment may look like something you have seen in the past, but it is not!  Modern farm equipment and tractor can pretty much operate by themselves.  The combine is being controlled by a GPS system that controls its path within about 1”.  It could also be controlling the tractor direction and speed.

The tractor when used for an operation like plowing can plow a field by itself once the perimeter has been defined, and the first pass has been made by the operator.

One of our first mornings staying at the farm we were awakened by an airplane spraying mint that was growing on all 4 sides of the house.  

For a video of the airplane spraying, check out our July 2013 Picasa album  .
Specifically, the videos are ONE and TWO.


Harriet thinks that she has the cutest and smartest grand kids in the world!  They seem to think that our travel trailer is just the right size and made just for them!

OK.  Ben wrote the farm stuff.  I get to write the kid stuff.  I bought David a set of wooden, magnetic ABC's, and he's been thrilled to death with them.  So far, he hasn't even lost any letters, I think.  I also got him a magnetic message board for him to write on, and he loves the combination.  The other day, I asked him what he had written on his board.  He told me it was Arabic ABC's, and Rebecca said it was pretty correct, other than backwards (Arabic goes right to left).  Not bad for a three 1/2 year old!!  He even recited them for me! 

Aaron is winning hearts wherever he goes.  How can you resist a smile like this ?

Our two dachshunds, Sam and Zoey, and also enjoying life on the farm.  I bought a ball for the boys to play with the other day, but Sam decided it was HIS!  I've never seen him play with a ball like this before.  He'll chase and bite and roll over it!  Here's the link to the video of Sam and his ball.  

We hope you enjoyed our "farm report".  Until next week,

Your Baja amigos hanging out at the farm with the kids,
Ben, Harriet, Sam & Zoey
 

Pic-of-the-Week for July 16, 2013

Hello Friends!

It's me, Harriet, writing this week, since Ben begged off for the week.  It's been another hot week in Oregon, but we've been having a great time with our daughter and her family, especially those two sweet little boys! Rebecca and Tim were invited to stay at my cousin's home on a farm near Harrisburg, Oregon, and they are very much enjoying their time there.  We kind of like it there, too.  Free power, water and sewer hookup for our trailer, parked under the shade of a big old tree, with about an acre of beautiful green grass for our dogs to enjoy! 

Sam and Zoey are enjoying the attention of the two little boys ... most of the time.  The boys have also been getting their faces washed fairly regularly!  I'm amazed at the agility of these guys.  Up and down stairs, in and out of our trailer, over the sofa onto our bed! We even caught Aaron up in the driver's seat of our truck one time, happy as a clam!  David got a chance to use my aunt and uncle's swimming pool, and they both had a chance to feed the cows!  What fun!

 

Yesterday, Rebecca and I took the boys to the Portland Zoo.  I haven't been there for years, and didn't remember all the hills and ups and downs involved at this zoo!  But it sure was fun (including the ride in the shuttle back up to the top of the hill due to Rebecca's very sore knee!)  We got to see the new baby elephant, Lily.  Her mom gave her a shower bath, then led her over to the dirt where she showered her with a dust bath!  Perfect elephant grooming!!

David was a bit hesitant to stand in front of the gift store bear, but got brave and did it for a photo op!  We also saw a hippo up close and personal!  

Here are the boys watching as it swims by.  Or maybe walking by!  Hard to tell! 

We have been in Salem for a few days for a few more doctor appointments, and will then be going back to Eugene for a couple of weeks.  We hope to see some of you in the Eugene area that we missed when we were there last week.  

By the way, Ben celebrated yet another birthday last week.  My sister and brother, Ben's brother and a sister-in-law celebrated with us at our favorite Italian restaurant, Mazzi's.   A good time was had by all!

More photos are in our July 2013 Picasa album, including some of our church fellowship gathering which our family used to be a part of when we lived in Salem.  

Until next week, or whenever....

Your Baja friends in Oregon,
Harriet, Ben, Sam & Zoey