Friday, October 30, 2009

New Computer after the Crash

Howdee all,

Finally went to Best Buy to buy a new computer..

The Geek Squad took a look at my old computer…and said the Hard Drive was gone…must have been that clicking sound that gave it away……they said they could run a utility to see if they could recover any documents…I decided to wait on that. Maybe brother can help me with that at a later date.

Anyway……

I wanted the Dell with a 17 inch screen..but once in Best Buy…I was convinced I should buy an HP computer that had a few faster components.

So I did..as they were registering the Antivirus software Windows froze.

So they gave me a new HP computer, which I took outside and started to play with it.

  Windows froze on me as well.

Brought the computer back and opted for the Dell computer with the 17 inch screen.dell laptop

So far a few minor glitches ..everything seems to be working fine.

If not..this one goes back too!

Wish me luck…..I will spend the next few days transferring documents etc from my hard drive. Setting up programs, downloading software etc etc..

Hope to be up and running at full capacity by next week..

After all..it still is

MUSHROOM SEASON

and I might just have to pick a few…

Monday, October 26, 2009

Computer Crashed

Howdee all,

I am typing this via Jeffs computer, my computer crashed...looks like the hard drive is a goner.
So I hope to get a new computer very soon..today hopefully..
Best Buy has a Dell computer on sale this week that looks pretty good.

So I did loose a few photos that I wanted...the before photos of the coach being worked on...otherwise my latest back up was a month ago..and most of my photos that were lost were on my Blog, thank goodness.

It will take a while to get the new computer set up ...
Hope to be back and running by the end of the week.

Oh well...
See You all then!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Yachats Mushroom Festival..The dinner

Howdee all,

Last weekend Jeff and I attended the 10th annual Yachats Mushroom Fest

We started going to this event about 9 years ago when we first learned about mushroom picking in Oregon. We love this event and go whenever we are in the area.

mushroom festival_20091016_012The

kickoff of the weekend of walks, displays, sales and lectures is

The Friday night mushroom dinner. Thirty dollars a head.

This year all the proceeds went to benefit the public trails at the Gerdemann Botanical Preserve..

The cakes and deserts below are auctioned off at the end of the dinner..

mushroom festival_20091016_003mushroom festival_20091016_009mushroom festival_20091016_014

Young woodland fairies helped serve the meal. 
mushroom festival_20091016_004

The menu

Menu Items donated by local restaurants.mushroom festival_20091020_064

Mushroom almond Pate in Puff pastrymushroom festival_20091016_019Wild mushroom tapenade toastsmushroom festival_20091016_020Our hostess decked out as a Cauliflower mushroom fairy.mushroom festival_20091016_022Entertainment by the Woodlands Triomushroom festival_20091016_023French Onion and Morel Soup

mushroom festival_20091016_027Puff pastry Salmon with Chanterelle Creammushroom festival_20091016_028Mushroom salad with Parma Ham and Chicken of the Woods Polenta with Cauliflower Fungus Cream.mushroom festival_20091016_029Stuffed shells with Wild Oregon Mushrooms and Heirloom Tomato Sauce mushroom festival_20091016_030Candy Cap Mushroom Cakemushroom festival_20091016_024The Auction went well with many cakes going from 50 to 100 dollars..

This particular cake went for 300 dollars..and the woman who donated sat at our table ..we all enjoyed this wonderful mousse cake! mushroom festival_20091016_033 If you are ever at the Oregon Coast in October, and you love mushrooms, I highly recommend this event.

My Utube Video from 2006 Mushroom festival

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

We are finally at the coast, parked in our friends Driveway, where we will stay for a few weeks…picking mushrooms and visiting.

Sorry Muther and Sickstas for not getting the renovation photos up yet…

Jeff took a few..but i really want to take my own..and ..well…I have been too busy picking mushrooms …all day…….cleaning mushrooms ..spending time with friends in the evening………and then crashing..…….so no time…

I am writing this post at 6 in the morning.

We have friends coming from Eugene to the coast today to pick mushrooms with us..

Tonight dinner with Jim and some of his friends and family…

Fun…busy…miss U all online…

Hope to catch up soon!

YIPEEE ITS MUSHROOM SEASON!!!!!!!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Skywatch Friday…Yellowstone sky

Howdee all,

It has been over an month since we have been to Yellowstone..

Yellowstone dawns_20090906_072I thought I would share a few more photos

Yellowstone dawns_20090906_080

of the amazing skies we saw Yellowstone dawns_20090906_088Yellowstone skies….Yellowstone dawns_20090906_083I also want to mention…that it took the foresight Yellowstone dawns_20090906_084 Of different people..to save places like Yellowstone from destruction.

Yellowstone dawns_20090906_089

There are still many areas of Natural beauty …worth savingYellowstone dawns_20090906_090

Here's hoping that more Natural areas are saved….

You can help…you can be that person to help save our natural spaces..

Please read this information below and take action.

Did you know they are removing the tops of mountains in Appalachia?

Mountains decapitated. Forest obliterated. Water Polluted
Take action now to stop Mountain top removal..by clicking on this and signing the petition
.

if you haven't read this article below….You Must Read it…

Tear That Mountain Down By Julie Zickefoose

Please Take Action…

Now for more wonderful skies….click on the photo below!

skywatch

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Two Ocean Lake, Tetons pt 2

Howdee all,

This is the second part of our hike around Two Ocean Lake…

We started the hike on the north side of the lake…

and took the side trail to the Grand View Point..a  1.2 mile detour..two ocean lake hike_20090914_079

up a few switch backs…offering views of two Ocean lake on the lefttwo ocean lake hike_20090914_076A Distant Fire…two ocean lake hike_20090914_075more views of Two Ocean Lake as we hike higher…

On the way up we heard some very strange animal calls..I thought maybe marmots..

but we couldn't find where the sound was coming from..

two ocean lake hike_20090914_074We continue to hike to the top…two ocean lake hike_20090914_072And finally we arrive at the top..

Grand View Vista

two ocean lake hike_20090914_073The Tetons ….always dramatictwo ocean lake hike_20090914_070I zoom in for a closer look..the view to the west…two ocean lake hike_20090914_068Charlene and Tom in the clouds…..two ocean lake hike_20090914_048  The View to the east and  Two Ocean lake on the left..two ocean lake hike_20090914_041          We stop to take in the scene and have lunch..

jeffs pics two ocean_20090914_004

on the way down…We hear the same animal sound..

and we discover what it is…

two ocean lake hike_20090914_039 At least three Great Gray Owls…

We assume young and adults ..

jeffs pics two ocean_20090914_047

We hung out with the owls for over a half hour..

In the video below..Tom talks to the owl…and I am a bit concerned that the owl might come toward us…as it seems so comfortable and unafraid…

Tom and Jeff head down the hill before Charlene and I. 

We pick Chanterelle mushrooms on the way down…

to the south side of the lake….

jeffs pics two ocean_20090914_053 Its early evening… two ocean lake hike_20090914_026  the sun is starting to set…jeffs pics two ocean_20090914_056Tom, takes photos…two ocean lake hike_20090914_023 I take a few photos…two ocean lake hike_20090914_022before we start to speed up our pace..

A storm is brewing…and its getting darktwo ocean lake hike_20090914_020  I find a very cool looking copper colored cricket?

two ocean lake hike_20090914_015And some remains of what I think is Bear Poop….

Any scat professionals out there?

two ocean lake hike_20090914_007  We made it to the car just as it started to rain..

Another awesome day in the Tetons..

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Two Ocean Lake Trail, Grand Tetons, Part 1

Howdee all.,

Sept 14th Jeff, sicksta Charlene her husband Tom and I took a very nice hike around Two Ocean Lake. ..an area of the Tetons that doesn't get as much hiking traffic.

But before we get to the trail…we stop for…

photos..of the Tetons two ocean lake hike_20090914_164 Thistle heads…and the Tetons….

jeffs pics two ocean_20090914_025

clouds..and the Tetonsjeffs pics two ocean_20090914_023 What's this? Fall color?

two ocean lake hike_20090914_160

Awesome Orange trees in the distancetwo ocean lake hike_20090914_159

I don't know what they are….but they make a nice backdrop to the thistle…two ocean lake hike_20090914_158

and lookie here…I get lucky

two ocean lake hike_20090914_151  And  Capture a bug in flight…two ocean lake hike_20090914_151 We arrive at the Trail head for…Two Ocean Lake

A beautiful easy hike

The natural lake is 2.4 miles A 6.4 mile trail circles the lake passing through groves of Aspen and conifers.
  The name Two Ocean also refers to nearby Two Ocean Pass which spans the Continental Divide and where a small stream splits into two distributaries named Pacific Creek and Atlantic Creek that flow toward different oceans. Two Ocean Lake is on the western side of the divide, and only drains into Pacific Creek, which flows to the nearby Snake River.

We hiked Grand View Point, which added about 2.5 miles

two ocean lake hike_20090914_147

The start of the hike…two ocean lake hike_20090914_146

Distant Teton views..two ocean lake hike_20090914_140Sicksta Charlene taking in the view…   two ocean lake hike_20090914_141a seed head…don't know what kind  two ocean lake hike_20090914_138

And..more droplets..couldn't help myself…two ocean lake hike_20090914_137

The path crosses a large field of grasses and wildflower seed headstwo ocean lake hike_20090914_136

   Views from the field….

two ocean lake hike_20090914_133

Fields of Grasses…two ocean lake hike_20090914_130

The field had an interesting patch of green that mimicked  the rounded patch of shrubbery in the backtwo ocean lake hike_20090914_132

   Ahh…Teton Viewstwo ocean lake hike_20090914_128

Zoomed in View…two ocean lake hike_20090914_126

   We walk thru woods..two ocean lake hike_20090914_125

I notice a tree …differenttwo ocean lake hike_20090914_123

Bark off and resin showingtwo ocean lake hike_20090914_122 Dripping..two ocean lake hike_20090914_118 About halfway across one side of the lake

two ocean lake hike_20090914_115

Autumn shows its colors in the dried grasses and colorful foliagetwo ocean lake hike_20090914_113 A butterfly says hellotwo ocean lake hike_20090914_098Distant Teton views…two ocean lake hike_20090914_094Zoomed in…

two ocean lake hike_20090914_095 Bugs sharing a flower…gathering pollen

two ocean lake hike_20090914_092

We are almost across the northern half of the lake…two ocean lake hike_20090914_089 Alfred Hitchcock or Winston Churchill?two ocean lake hike_20090914_087

The northern half of the lake has the most scenic views of the Tetonsjeffs pics two ocean_20090914_012

But the southern portion of the hike also quite beautiful…

For more nature posts click on the photo below…..

nature-notes2 Stay tuned for Two Ocean Lake Hike Part 2