Wintertime in Oregon

Oregon went pretty easy on us for our first winter back.  It was awfully cold–it actually reached zero one night!–but it was also very dry.  We had two separate nice big snowy weeks that involved lots of shoveling and sitting around the wood stove.  We were pretty much home-bound, but we enjoyed wandering through campus and the snowy environs.  Other than that it was generally very dry, so we had plenty of chances to get outside and go on hikes and little explorations.

Lots to do at our new home!  Rachael repainted the front rooms of the house to a cheery warm red.  I installed a bunch of shelving in our basement, and erected a wall and laid down some flooring to try and create a rec room of sorts.  Most importantly, we did away with the giant pile of boxes and belongings left over from our move!  We discovered an unfinished pine floor under the carpet in Josef’s room, so we had it finished and sealed and painted his room an inviting yellow.  It sure looks cozy in there now.  And last but not least, we finally caught up with the 1950s when we installed a dishwasher.  I haven’t had one since I was 17, so I guess I finally reached adulthood.

We have lots of grand schemes and hopes and dreams for our spectacular yard, but alas this winter was more about maintenance.  Things really grow wild around here, so most of my efforts were at hacking away at the laurels blackberries and ivies who would no doubt eventually find their way into my room at night and choke me in my sleep.  I also spent a lot of time on that other iconic emblem of domesticated adulthood: the lawn.  I scattered enough fertilizer lime and conditioner to choke a whale, and now young Josef will have a lush carpet of green upon which to frolic this summer.

Amidst all the winter projects we still found time for lots of fun.  We took a trip down to Los Angeles for a week in January, and Opa came to visit for a week in February.  Josef and I got in a handful of steelhead fishing trips with Grandpa Steve, and took about 37 early-morning walks down to The Peacock for breakfast.