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Happy New Year to all our friends. 2023 has ended and we've all made it through another year. As we watch that chaos that is happening around the world in so many places, we feel blessed to be leading a quiet, abundant life, retired from life's stresses and just enjoying our time together with the company of our wonderful dogs. We hope 2025 may bring us all peace and prosperity and a cessation of hostilities all around the world: Cheers! Prost! Salute! Santé! Salud! Na Zdorowie!
Today Saturday, Jan 18, overdue for a haircut, we took a bedraggled Riley in to the groomer, Nicole at Petco. She has been doing him for a while now and she's really good at it. in that picture he looks like something we rescued from the pound. I give Taffy her haircuts myself as she stands patiently for it, but Riley is still such a little devil at age two, he's hard to clip. I hope to be able to do it one of these days. Professional grooming is so damn expensive... but at leafs Nicole does a wonderful job!
These dogs have so many toys, but of course they like to covet the one that the other one wants. Lately Taffy has taken to carrying around the stuffed rabbit toy Libby bought years ago, and Riley takes any opportunity he can to steal it from her. So we found them online on Walmart.com and ordered a half dozen so we have a pair for home, a pair for Veneta and a pair for the motorhome. Anything to keep the peace around here!
On Feb 8th we drove over to the Lazyboy gallery to look at a new recliner. I have lazyboy recliners in our motorhome, our 5th wheel RV and here at home. In the RV's I have Astor wall hugger recliners. At home I have an old Randell Lazyboy which I bought some 20 years ago. It has held up remarkably well, but they have made some enhancements in the new ones including power controls for recline, leg lift, head rest and lumbar support, plus optional memory foam seat cushion. Being at home all winter and in relatively inclement weather much of the time, I spend a lot of time in my recliner. So today we bought a brand new Randell Power Wall Recliner to be delivered in about 6 weeks. With as much time as I spend in my recliner each day, this will provide a lot of health and comfort.
Spring is coming... here is a gorgeous photo of Oregon's own Mt Hood photographed with a mirror reflection in Trillium lake up near Government Camp
Ad here's another heartwarming shot of our own Fern Ridge Shores swimming beach park and the lake which is filling rapidly with the spring rain. We shall be sailing soon!
Libby has always loved birds... she's done some organized bird watching and always likes to visit aviaries and bird santuaries as we travel about. We were watching Grant's Getaways on the local NBC station. The weekly segments and programs feature themes such as fishing, urban hiking, surfing, geocaching, whale watching, kayaking, and rafting. Television personality Grant McOmie takes you. He had a segment which featured a fellow named Dennis Frame a woodworker from Forest Grove, OR who builds exquisite handcrafted little bird resorts in his home workshop. So on Sunday afternoon we drove the hour out to Forest Grove to see him and purchased this cool little anniversary (March 19) gift for Libby.
After we left Dennis Frame's house, we drove into downtown Forest Grove, Oregon where stands this HUGE Giant Sequoia on the corner of Pacific Avenue and B street. According to the National Center for Conservation Science & Policy this tree is the Oregon State Co-Champion. The girth of the tree, measured at a height of 1.40 m, is 9.96 m. Its height is around 21.34 m
From Forest Grove we drove over to Hillsboro on our way back to Hwy 26 which takes us back to Portland. There is a small grove of Giant Sequoias in front of the Washington County Courthouse in downtown Hillsboro. Not as massive as the one above in Forest Grove, but still mighty impressive. I have always been considered a large fellow but these monsters dwarf little old me as I am standing in the middle of the walkway out front.
This plaque is anchored outside the 1873 Washington County Courthouse in Hillsboro, OR explaining the history when these trees were planted as 3 year old seedlings in 1880 and are now more than 150' in height and 30' in circumference.
March 13, we have been watching the Eagle Nest Cam live stream on the Friends of Big Bear Valley website. You can get all the latest news on the FOBBV Facebook page. The adventures of Jackie and her mate Shadow. In the past week or two, beginning on March 2, their 3 eggs have hatched, yielding three adorable little eaglets. Today is a pretty severe snow storm and dutiful mom Jackie is doing her level best to keep the 3 chicks safe and warm. We are with her 100%. There are a few hours this afternoon where the snow will be heavy again, but then it should lighten up tonite and tomorrow and be nice and sunny and warm again on Saturday. We sure hope so!
Check out these three little characters all hatched in the last couple weeks. the last one is now only about 4 days old! It is precious to watch the parents feeding them little bits of fresh fish which they bring in from Big Bear Lake below. Friends of Big Bear Valley will hold a naming contest soon probably once we get past this storm and back to consistent clear weather.
Here's Jackie and Shadow taking a break and enjoying each other's company before they had to begin sitting on the nest 24/7 with their chicks. Their nest is in the foreground sitting in a tall pine high above Big Bear Lake in the California mountains just north of Los Angeles.
It has been snowing most of the day... finally around 4:30 this afternoon it has mostly stopped, at least for a while... it has cleared a bit and one can see the lake below. Hopefully Shadow will show up with some fish for dinner. He brought in a black bird earlier this afternoon (see photo) and gave Jackie a break on the nest. She went off for about half an hour but then came back and crowded Shadow off the chicks again... nobody tore into the bird which eventually got covered up with snow (saving for a frozen dinner?) Following the blog on the FOBBV facebook page, I learned that Eagles are apparently built for this... not only is their body temp upwards of 105 degrees they instinctively prepare for these storms feeding the chicks more than the usual amount of fish...rearranging the fluff to keep the nest warm. And their nest weighs upwards of 2 tons...4400 lbs., so that nest isn't going anywhere - and those three amigos are in a basket of fluff and warmth with their crops filled - they should ride this out fine.
Our little eagle family survived the snowstorms fairly well... one chick was lost but the other two are doing well and the parents, Jackie and Shadow, take turns feeding them mostly on a diet of fresh fish caught on morning hunting expeditions in the lake below.
Libby and I are Grandparents again. Patrick and Linjia welcomed their new baby girl into the world March 14, 2025. Both are doing very well. Linjia remained in the hospital for a few days and is back home now home. Libby is staying with them in NYC right now and will be there for the next couple weeks to help out. I'm holding down the fort with the two dogs at home.
This certificate is one of the first take-home documentations of the baby's birth. So sweet, so tiny. She's born! Black hair and brown eyes. 7 lbs 5 ounces. 19 3/4 inches tall.
The eagle chicks are growing... it is fun to observe as the fuzzy little twins progress to moving about the nest. Here they are gazing out at the lake as the parents leave them alone in the nest for brief periods to begin to explore their independence
Today I want to take a moment to wish a very Happy Birthday to my hero Secretariat. On March 29, a few years back in the spring of 2015 we visited Claiborne Farm in Lexington, KY. Owned by the Hancock Family, Claiborne Farm has been a leading Thoroughbred farm for generations. Claiborne is where the greatest racehorse of all time, Secretariat, my favorite athlete of all time, stood at stud and is buried. Tens of thousands visit the gravesite every year. I brought my own treasured bronze racehorse statue
to the gravesite to physically imbue it with Secretariat's spirit.
Secretariat was born March 30, 1970, and was named Thoroughbred Racing's Horse of the year as a two year old, the first time a two year old ever won that honor. He became the first Triple Crown Winner in 50 years in 1973, breaking track records for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and the Belmont, where he won the race by a record 31 lengths, a record which still stands today. He retired after the season as a three year old and stood at Stud until age nineteen at Claiborne Farms in Lexington, KY. You can watch this video of the gorgeous stallion running free in his paddock.... and this special tribute to the racing legend. Called by some "The greatest athlete the world has ever seen", every year on his birthday I watch this touching tribute and it brings tears to my eyes ... R.I.P. Big Red".
As our little eaglet friends continue to grow, their baby down coats beginning to be replaced by black feathers, the ever watchful parents, Jackie and Shadow, take turns watching the nest, hunting, feeding the chicks and keeping them warm at nights. At this altitude temps are still dropping into the low 30's at night. But days are sunny and warming into the 60's, excellent weather for baby birds to thrive. Here's a rare moment where both parents are taking a pause in the nest together.
My 80th birthday is coming up in two weeks. Hard to believe... it even feels strange to write that! But it is happening and today we got the new Lazy Boy Randell Power Recliner for the family room for me. This is a 4 way adjustable with remote... back tilt, foot rest life, head rest tilt and lumbar support. Pretty great. Cost a small fortune (more than my first new car (1970 VW bug) but we got in their president's day sale for 25% off! We ordered it in the custom fabric and with the memory foam seat cushion which is a little firmer and higher than the standard latex. So when I lower the footrest with the remote, and sit forward I can stand right up with no push off at all. This one is NOT a rocker like my old one so when you lean forward to stand up out of it it does not rock forward making this one much easier to stand... and the arm rests do not move because of the rocker mechanism. This one is effortless.
The fuzzy little eagle chicks are definitely beginning to look like young birds, as they sit in the nest patiently waiting for some dinner from mom. The two kids were the subjects of a national naming contest conducted by Friends of Big Bear Valley. Their official names are now Gizmo and Sunny.
The little eaglets are now more than 6 weeks old and are instinctively stretching their little wings as they look forward to becoming full-fledged fledglings. Young eagles are called fledglings once they leave the nest for the first time. They typically do so around 10-13 weeks of age. We are excited to watch Gizmo and Sunny develop into fledglings. Here Gizmo is stretching his wings as he imagines flying out into the open sky above Big Bear Lake. Mom Jackie looks on approvingly and little brother Sunny ducks for cover in the background.
We are pleased to report that on Aptil 14, we have arrived back down at Fern Ridge Shores on west side of Fern Ridge Lake, Oregon just west of Eugene. The lake is almost full for the season and should get there by end of the month, as the Army Corps allows it to fill gradually. The marinas are open and we'll be launching the boats very soon. Looking forward to another great sailing season at Fern Ridge Lake. We plan to be here all summer until the lake closes again October 1.
When I purchased our beautiful battery powered British Racing Green 2017 EZ-GO golf cart last year, I factored in the reality that it would need a new set of batteries. Batteries for a 48v cart are no small item. It has six 8v batteries and these can run up to $2000 for a set of wet cell batteries. AGM (glass mat) batteries cost wice that. Lithium Ion batteries can be substituted and are a bit cheaper nowadays, but older systems are not compatible with lithium ion and then there are the worries of fires. So we stuck with wet cell lead acid batteries. Pictured is the old bank of Trojan batteries... and I replaced them with the same Trojan batteries today. I ordered them from Golf Cart Geeks for for $1400 and they were delivered yesterday. I installed them today, April 21, reusing the same Trojan Hydrolink watering system.
Today, Thursday Aptil 24, we got in an excellent day of sailing on Fern ridge Lake... winds in the 10-12 range, sunny skies and temps in the upper 60's. A great start to the 2025 sailing season. The lake levels are up at the maximum (full pool) so we're looking forward to a full 6 month season... hopefully lots of time on the water. Still a little chilly so I have my flannel shirt on... but bright sun, nonetheless, so I have my sunglasses with attached nose shield in place. Too many years of unprotected exposure on the old schnozola so I have to protect it every time we go out on the boat. The full brim helps as well.
Our young eagles are growing everyday, rapidly developing from chicks to real eagles. As mentioned before, young eagles are called fledglings once they leave the nest for the first time. which happens around 10-13 weeks of age. We have been watching Gizmo and Sunny since they were first hatched in early March, so as of now at April 29 they are now 9 weeks old and are practicing their skills every day, as they stand at the edge of their nest and flap their wings in mock flight. It won't be long before they take flight for real. probably in the next couple weeks. I feel like these two are my Godchildren so I look in on them every day. The video footage gives us the ability to back up the time line up to 24 hours or so, and thus I hope to be able to catch one or both flying off for the first time. That will be my next post.
Today, May 6, we had Manny with Affordable Mobile RV Repairs out to handle a number of chores for us on the Vilano 5th wheel... servicing the A/C units on the roof, servicing the leveling jacks and slide mechanisms, etc etc. This is his pickup and trailer in the driveway with the inset showing him up on the roof of the Vilano.
On May 10 we got out sailing again after being gone for more than a week while Libby flew to San Diego to visit the grandkids and then attend her 50th high school reunion in L.A. Today was only our second day on the water for the season, but we're looking forward to many more as head towards summer. Winds were light so we were under full sail and pretty relaxed.
While on the water we were treated to some seaplane training maneuvers with a vintage military seaplane practicing on the lake. He landed on the water and took off several times while we were out there and one time he passed pretty close off our bow! You can see the pontoons on the ends of the wings.
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In a major step toward restful sleep to enable more enjoyable summers in Veneta, today, May 13, my new bed was delivered... a Purple Mattress and Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Ergo 3.0 Adjustable Base. This will replace my half of our kingsize bed space in our Vilano 5th Wheel. Libby's half is a standard luxury twin mattress recut to fit the remaining space. This complements our splitking adjustable bed with the black Beautyrest mattresses which we have at home in Vancouver.
Here we are down by the marina at our RV Park. Lib and the dogs posed for a photo lakeside. Whenever we go down to the boat, we ride down in the golf cart. It really isn't very far to walk, but the electric golf cart is convenient and fun.
Two days ago Sunny's little sister, Gizmo, fledged and we have been looking in occasionally on the eagle cam. Four days earlier Sunny fledged... now it's little Gizzie's turn. She soared to a nearby tree, where she spent the night, and next morning daddy Shadow brought her some fresh trout for breakfast. A lot of this is captured here on this cute edited video. ENJOY! This morning I checked in early and both sisters were in the nest at dawn and at 1:00 pm the eagle cam wide shot had them side by side in a nearby tree together. Here we are (left) mid afternoon back in the nest together having a late fish lunch brought in by Jackie. Very heartwarming!
This screenshot of our beloved eagle family was taken this morning 6/12 about 7:00 am. Both parents joined the two girls in a treetop near their nest. This marked the very first time I have seen the whole eagle family together outside the nest. The young girls are learning the necessary skills to survive on their own in the wild... and eventually maybe become parents themselves. They are spending their days learning their environment as they soar around the immediate area and perch in the tree tops. That's proud parents Jackie and Shadow, and the two beautiful girls, Sunny and Gizmo, now about 14 or 15 weeks old.
