Monday, August 29, 2005

Tree Falling Part One...

Sunday night at 2:00 am Deb and I had the scare of our lives as a large tree almost fell over with a sound that will make even the half asleep move like the wind!

The three part video covers the end of this adventure.

Note: Once the movie starts playing, right click on the video, select zoom and then full screen to make movie larger.

Tree Falling Part Two...

Tree Falling Part Three...

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Goodbye Yellowjackets...

I planned the attack for 9:00 pm sharp. Using a bright light held way off to the side (If the bug army rushed me they'd pass me on the side) I sprayed the enemy bunker with liquid death! After using half the can on the hole, a leaf blown by the wind brushed by my leg. Like a real man I dropped the light and the can of spray and ran like a little girl! After running so hard as to be winded, (about 15 feet) I slowly headed back and no life was seen in the bunker! Mission accomplished!

P.S. The actual event was very boring... Walked up, sprayed in the hole, nothing flew out so I assume it worked, and then I headed back inside. I just made up all of the drama so it would be fun to read.

I'm OKAY!


Getting my, "mental game on" as I prepare to finish my tower.

Time To Eat...


This photo was shot just moments before the gorging began.

Costa Rica, Meet La Tea Da


The man in the right hand segment of this photo did not actually have hot tea with his meal. Though he seems happy and friendly he threatened an unsuspecting person out of the photo and stole their tea cup for this photo.

He is now serving time in the Tillamook Jail and awaits sentencing.

Now It's Yellowjackets...

Loren found this yesterday nestled in the roots of the large tree in the turn around driveway! I have yet to devise a plan to deal with it, but as you can see, we do not wish to have any accidental encounters with it! The mice must have set this up in retaliation for the poison.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Peacock


A favorite photo from Eastern Oregon.

Lilly Pond


A recent shot from Eastern Oregon travels.

Gratis gaming: 10 real PC games you can download for free

Gratis gaming: 10 real PC games you can download for free - CNET reviews

The Mice Are Back...

Five mice in the last week. Tonight I broke out the war drums and headed under the house! Armed with DeCon and a flashlight I ventured on all fours looking for the writhing nest of rodents who have been infiltrating our home. What did I find? A hole coming out from under the foundation and mouse droppings around it. I dropped a box of DeCon there. I then went to the other three corners of the crawl space and left a box of poison in each. This however, did not answer where they were entering the house. Deb said someone at work had said they had mice coming from under their jet tub, and that they had crawled along the pipes. I headed over to the access door more to appease Deb than fostering any expectations of finding evidence of a mouse. I open the door to find many mouse droppings all over under the tub! Wow! This has to be the place as all of the mice have been found on the master bath side of the house and only upstairs. I had used the entire box of poison under the house, so we headed out and bought some more. Moments before beginning this entry I placed a large, inviting box of DeCon under the jet tub after vacuuming up the many turds. I will check this daily and see if the mice "take the bait." More to follow as the story develops.

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Time To Level The Shed...


Work begins on the placement of the mighty lever.

It's Time To Get Serious...

Who Knew?


Before this event, I would never have thought that a big piece of wood could move so much. The lever if used with skill (as it was!) can move very large things.

Level At Last!


Dirty and tired, but happy to have the shed on an even keel!

I wish to express my deepest sympathy to the many families of mice who were displaced by the shed moving event! Might I suggest the larger house with the same paint scheme next door!

The Fire Pit Arrives At The House...

Using a chain hand winch, the pit was drawn into the trailer for transport to the house. We all figured that getting it out would not be that hard. We did not know how much the fire pit enjoyed being in the trailer, as it put up a monster fight not to leave!

The Beast Finally Gives Up...


The estimated weight of over 1000 pounds made this thing very hard to move! Now comes time to hook the winch to it and drag it down the hill to a small landing pad.

Fire Pit Comes To Rest!


After much hard work the fire pit has been wrestled into place. Now comes the 'building up' of the area around it so there is a place to sit. Since I figure the fire will be big, I better make the seating area large!

Much thanks goes out the providers of 'the pit' and the hard work it took to move it!

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Men do have trouble hearing women: research.

Men do have trouble hearing women: research. 07/08/2005. ABC News Online: "Men who are accused of never listening by women now have an excuse - women's voices are more difficult for men to listen to than other men's.

Reports say researchers at Sheffield University in northern England have discovered startling differences in the way the brain responds to male and female sounds.

The research shows men decipher female voices using the auditory part of the brain that processes music, while male voices engage a simpler mechanism.

The Daily Mail quotes researcher Michael Hunter as saying, 'the female voice is actually more complex than the male voice, due to differences in the size and shape of the vocal cords and larynx between men and women, and also due to women having greater natural 'melody' in their voices'.

'This causes a more complex range of sound frequencies than in a male voice,' Mr Hunter said.

The report says the findings may help explain why people suffering hallucinations usually hear male voices - the brain may find it much harder to conjure up a false female voice accurately than a false male voice."

Tis The Season...

Picking from the blackberry tree.

A Rick Pic

Mobile Berry Picking Platform...

Deb gets agressive and shows those blackberries who is boss!

A Rick Pic

The Final Harvest!

Waiting for vanilla ice cream!

A Rick Pic

Before...

I'm done with this!

A Rick Pic

After...

I dare the trees to drop crap in my gutters!

A Rick Pic

I'm Smiling Because It Is Over...

Really, It's not that high!

A Rick Pic

The End Of Gutter Fest 2005!

Deb holds the ladder while I enjoy the view!

A Rick Pic

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Quakes collapse Mount St. Helens lava dome

kgw.com News for Oregon and SW Washington Local News: "The rumblings at Mount St. Helens have been so strong, the lava dome has collapsed. Scientists are trying to figure out what's behind the recent string of stronger-than-normal quakes at the volcano.

In the last 24 hours, the seismograph has recorded three earthquakes with a magnitude at or near 3.0, and these quakes are shaking things up inside the crater. St. Helens is at it again, shaking and rattling and sending the seismograph needle into overdrive.

Compare a printout of the mountain at rest and of St. Helens in the last several weeks, and you'll notice a striking difference. 'At least one 3.0 magnitude quake everyday.' What do these rumbles mean? Are they a preview to the next big one? Experts are not sure."