The Woodshed

    

         One of the best things about the "off season" is having time for house projects (as long as they are for fun and don't have to get done).  So far this year we have tackled our laundry room and built a wood shed. The wood shed replaced our solution of stacking wood against the fence and putting a tarp over it.  It's a pretty common solution and creates many an eyesore around town.

        Using a wood stove as our primary heat source has become one of our favorite winter pastimes. It requires more effort and thought than flipping a switch but we find it more rewarding as well. A quote found in the treasured Snow Creek cabin says, "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.  After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."  I'm not sure exactly what it means but maybe that our basic tasks are meaningful in themselves and shouldn't be dismissed as chores.

        Ideally we wanted to have enough storage for two years of wood.  Last year we burned about 2-3 cords (a cord is measured 4'x4'x8').

     Our new storage area holds 4 cords so we will be fine for heating our home this winter and may have to cut some next year to "stay ahead of the curve".  If you look closely you can see the different coloration in the oak and pine.

    Our roommate Brian helped a ton with the project. We are also thankful for our friend Mark Deglomine who bought us a Skilsaw as a housewarming gift.  Thanks Brian & Mark! Now we're ready for winter.

The First Ski of the Season

Michael, Murphy and I headed up to Red Top Peak in the Ansel Adams for our first ski of the season.  The previous night's storm left some great snow that hadn't solidified yet.  Pretty good powder for our side of the mountains.  Murphy worked the hardest without skis to support him. The snowmobiling was the most challenging part.  I attached Murphy's pack to an alpine harness I wore.  This helped for the bumpy ride out and back.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We enjoyed a great day with Mark & Dorothy Landry (top left), Kevin and Doree Kelly (front right) and their granddaughter Rebecca Lahud (back middle), and our local, surrogate grandparents Linda & Bill Seaberg (top right).  

We were treated by a special performance of, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" by the Seaburg trio.

Our contribution was a Sweet Potato pie (compliments of Graham) from our recent issue of Fresh Home, complete with bacon lattice and crumbled blue cheese.  Yum.

Total Tchaikovsky

It's hard to tell by looking at him but this kid is a demon on the violin!  We had such a special opportunity last week: some dear friends from church who have season tickets to the Fresno Philharmonic had to leave town to attend their granddaughter's birthday party.  So, guess who were the blessed recipients of their tickets!

"Total Tchaikovsky" was the title of the concert, and Tchaikovsky happens to be my favorite composer, and his violin concerto happens to be my favorite composition of his.  I think I have it memorized, even though it is too difficult for me to ever play.  However, despite my love of the concerto and the emotive precision with which 16-year-old Chad Hoopes played it, the highlight for both of us was the first piece: a symphonic poem titled "Fatum (fate)."  Tchaikovsky composed "Fatum" during his 20's and destroyed the final score after it received a scathing review.  It was not performed again until after his death when a friend resurrected the piece from Tchaikovsky's drafts, and it is still a seldom-known work by the famous composer.  The symphonic poem told a dark, sad story with signs of hope throughout: there was an immense amount of variety is dynamic, texture, mood, and depth.  The percussion and brass sections were enormous for romantic music, and it was evident that the conductor and musicians relished the opportunity to perform the piece for the first time in the Fresno Philharmonic's 57-year history.

The third piece of the night was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1, composed 2 years before "Fatum."  We moved from the balcony to the 2nd row during intermission, and we enjoyed watching the fast-moving fingers of the violinists, interpreting the facial expressions of the cellists, and listening to the grunts and quick breaths of the conductor.  That was our third symphony concert together, and we hope to continue sharing memorable, musical experiences.  Thank you, Bob and Joanne Celum, for those tickets!

Doors of Cinque Terre

       During our visit to Cinque Terre, Italy we were amazed at the doors and gateways we passed.  No doubt many go unnoticed with all of the other sights to take in.  Besides serving their functional role, they were a sight we enjoyed seeking out in each village we passed through. We ended up with about 150 pictures of doors and doorways and aren't quite sure what to do with them. Here are a some of our favorites...

First Condor Sighting

         On a detour from I-5 we stopped at the Bitter Creek Wildlife Refuge to see Sarah's brother Steve.  He is working there in efforts to re-establish the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). Steve told us that the Condor helps "recycle" animals.  We learned that there are less than 200 wild birds. One impressive site were all of the unborn cow carcasses they use to feed the birds in captivity.  Keep up the good work Steve!