Historic Rainfall

I was surprised and pleased with how well our neighorhood handled the rain.

Celebrating Lee's Birthday and more

Morgan, Daniel and Lee came over on Sunday night. We had a triple celebration: Lee's birthday on Thursday; Morgan and Daniel's wedding on Friday; and Daniel's birthday on Saturday. We facetimed with Drew before dinner.

Daniel made his mother's enchilada recipe for dinner. Sharon got a great cake from whole foods to commemorate the trip to the Zoo.

2021 Fall Dinner Party

Sharon and I have made it a tradition to host a fall dinner party [2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003]. We skipped last year due to the COVID pandemic. We did hold a fall dinner party Zoom cocktail hour last year, but it was a poor substitute for the real thing. With the Sanborns moving to South Carolina and Janie moving to Oklahoma, we decided to go with a smaller group this year. The group included the Larkins and the Gainsleys.

With the smaller group, we used the Garden Room for dinner for the first time for a fall dinner party. Sharon is planning to use the tablescape through Thanksgiving.

The theme this year was Adventures in Oregon. While we have typically organized the fall dinner party around a trip we had taken. This year was unique. We sourced a number of the ingredients for the dinner as we traveled Oregon on our anniversary trip. This included the wine, cheese, hazelnuts and pork.

We started the evening with a blind vertical wine tasting of Anderson Family Vineyard Chardonnay. Sharon put together a great meal. It included hazelnut crusted salmon, wild mushroom soup, butternut squash ravoli and pork loin chops. The full menu is here.

After dinner, we ended up watching episode one of season one of Ted Lasso. This was followed by Dinner For One. Everyone was clammoring for the Lonely Plant skits, but I couldn't find them on the AppleTV. Like two years ago, I was got a little flatfooted trying to tee up this content.

It was just about 11 pm when we walked everyone to the front gate to catch an Uber. With the earlier 5 pm start time for the dinner, it was a long evening!

2021 Kings versus Jazz

For the first time in twenty-one (21) months, I went to an in-person Kings game. Larkin and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus Utah Jazz NBA game. It felt like a very competitive game. With the Kings leading for most of the first three quarters, the Jazz outscored the Kings 29 to 21 in the fourth quarter and won the game by the score of 110 to 101.

Harold Barnes was the Kings leading scorer. He had 25 points on 9 for 20 from the field, 2 for 6 from three and 5 for 6 from the free throw line. Barnes added 15 rebounds.

De'Aaron Fox had an off shooting night. He was 5 for 19 from the field and 0 for 5 from three. As a team, the Kings were 8 for 36 (22%) from three.

The leading scorer for the Jazz was Donovan Mitchell. He had 27 points on 9 for 25 from the field, 6 for 14 from three and 3 for 4 from the free throw line. I was surprised how big Mitchell looked; he is listed as 6' 1" and 215 pounds.

Three other random notes. After getting a DNP in the first game, Marvin Bagley played 10 minutes. Utah's Joe Ingles was ejected in the first quarter after being charged with a flagrant-2 foul on a Davion Mitchell dunk attempt. The Kings are playing a three guard set a lot in the first two games; It will be interesting to see how this works over the course of the season.

Larkin and I visited with Snipes and Keith before the game and with Snipes at half-time.

The Kings have one loss in games that I have seen in the 2021-2022 NBA season.

Lee's 2nd Birthday

Salishan Golf Links Scorecard

My scorecard from on Day 5 of our 25th Wedding Anniversary Trip.

Sunriver Bike Ride

A map of our bike ride at Sunriver on Day 11 of our 25th Wedding Anniversary Trip.

Crosswater Scorecard

My scorecard from Crosswater on Day 12 of our 25th Wedding Anniversary Trip.

Ranking the 25th Wedding Anniversary Trip Dinners

During our eight hour drive home on Thursday, Sharon and I ranked all of the meals that we had on our 25th Wedding Anniversary Trip. The ranked list of dinners includes:

  1 - 10/08 - Painted Lady - tasting menu
  2 - 10/13 - Ariana - Rabbit/Scallops
  3 - 10/02 - Tu Tu’ Tun - Rib Eye
  4 - 10/09 - Joel Palmer House - tasting menu [food good; service very bad]
  5 - 10/03 - Tu Tu’ Tun - Stripped Pacific Bass
  6 - 10/01 - Amuse - Grilled Steelhead/Pork
  7 - 10/10 - Carson’s American Kitchen - Elk Meat loaf [best meal loaf ever!]
  8 - 10/06 - Jory - Wagyu striploin
  9 - 10/12 - Open Door - Halibut/Lasagna [with the Martins]
10 - 10/05 - Fathoms - Pacific Salmon with Wild Rice
11 - 10/07 - Jory - Burgers
12 - 10/11 - Twisted River Tavern - Salads
13 - 10/04 - Salishan Provisions - Ancient Grains Salad/Vegetable Chopped Salad

Eileen and Will's Wedding

Saturday afternoon, Sharon and I went to Eileen and Will's wedding at the Julietta Winery. Sharon was the officiant. She did a very nice job with ceremony.

Sharon and Brun are Eileen's godparents. There is a picture of the three of them here from Eileen's first communion and another picture here from Eileen's high graduation.

At dinner, we sat with Eileen's parents Tim and Kathy, Jim and Tom. It was a very nice evening. We left just as they were calling last dance and closing down the bar about 9:50 pm.

LIthia Park Hike

A map of our walk in Lithia Park on Day 1 of our 25th Wedding Anniversary Trip.

2021 Oregon - Day 14 - Heading Home - 25th Wedding Anniversary

Up at 5:20 am, I let Sharon sleep until about 6:10 am. We had the car loaded and were on the road by 6:57 am.

We took 97 to 5 to 80. There were some great views of Mount Shasta from Highway 97. With stops for a fast food breakfast in Klamath Falls, gas in Weed and driver changes in Red Bluff and Zamora, we were home just before 3 pm; almost exactly eight hours.

In total, we covered 1,860 miles in fourteen days. It was a great trip!

2021 Oregon - Day 13 - Benham Falls - 25th Wedding Anniversary

Moving a little slow, we had breakfast at the Cafe Sintra in the Sunriver Village. I had a FETA CHEESE & PROVENÇAL OLIVES omelet [with fresh basil and sweet peppers], while Sharon had the SPINACH EGG CREPE [Filled with scrambled eggs, goat cheese, sautéed spinach and mushrooms with a side of fruit].

Sharon had originally wanted to drive northeast to hike. With a long drive planned for Thursday, I talked her into staying local. We drove to the Benham Falls East Trailhead. We hiked north to Benham Falls and then continued along the Deschutes River Trail. In total, we hiked four miles in about an hour and fifty minutes. A map is here.

Visually, it was an interesting hike. There is a section of the river below the falls that was running hard. The other side of the river is the Lava Lands.

Afterwards, Sharon did some shopping in the Sunriver village and at the lodge. We picked up some ice, crackers, cheese and meat at the market.

For the rest of the afternoon, we hung out at the room. We had a comfortable two story room looking out on the 10th fairway and green. We had a light lunch and a couple of glasses to champange to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary and exchanged gifts. We sat for a while on the deck, but it has been cold the last couple of days with highs only into the 40s.

We finished the day with an anniversary dinner at Ariana in Bend. Passing on the seven course tasting menu, we shared HAMACHI CRUDO [passionfruit-habanero kosho, avocado, radish] and BONE MARROW [king trumpets, roasted bone jus, parsley salad, grilled bread] for appetizers. We split the SOUP DU JOUR [butternut squash]. For entrees, I had SCALLOPS [seared wild jumbo scallops, sea urchin risotto], while Sharon had RABBIT [bay cream braised leg and thigh, potato gnocchi, chanterelle confit]. The meal was very good.

As part of the card that I gave her for our anniversary, I included a list of things that I appreciated about her that I had written more than twenty years ago. The list is still very apt today.

2021 Oregon - Day 12 - Crosswater Golf Course - 25th Wedding Anniversary

Sharon slept very late; after 8 am. We had a quick bite at Brewed Awakenings in the Sunriver Village.

The plan for the day was playing golf at the Crosswater Golf Course. Due to single digit temperatures overnight, there was a frost delay. We had a 10:15 am tee time, but it was pushed until 11:27 am.

We ended up playing with Ryan Wigley. I asked him what he did for a living about the twelfth hole. It turned out that he is the first assistant Golf Professional at Rogue Valley Country Club. I was glad that we didn't know that he was a golf pro until later in the round.

I felt solid on the driving range, but I continue to be very inconsistent. Most of the day, I drove the ball pretty well. On the first three par threes, I actually had a chance at par. My short chipping was off again. Additionally, the greens were very difficult; they were extremely fast and sloped back to front.

I fell apart on the par three 17th. It was a 190 yard shot across a wasteland. I now count this as the worst I have played on a hole in forty years.

I ended up shooting a liberally scored 116. The scorecard is here.

Dashing back to the room, we got changed and headed to Sisters. We drove to Bill and Carol Martin's house. They moved from Sacramento to Sisters in June of 2020. Sharon and I worked with Bill at Farm Credit. Sharon also has some history with them before she and I got together. We had dinner with them and the Wongs in 2017.

After a cocktail at their house, the four of us went to The Open Door for dinner. The Martins had reserved a small greenhouse in the back yard; it was very cool. After an appetizer of BACON & ROASTED BRUSSELS [served with balsamic glaze drizzle & Parmesan], Sharon and Bill had WILD HALIBUT [WITH BASIL PESTO WITH SHAVED PARMESAN SERVED OVER HOUSE-MADE MASHED POTATOES], while Carol and I had ITALIAN SAUSAGE LASAGNAS [Italian sausage layered with ricotta and mozzarella and parmesan]. It was a very nice evening.

By the time, Sharon and I drove back to Sunriver and crashed, it was after 11 pm.

2021 Oregon - Day 11 - Sunriver - 25th Wedding Anniversary

After grabbing breakfast at Starbucks, we drove to the Pro Shop for the Crosswater Golf Course. Sharon wanted to look for some warm golf pants. We will be playing the course on Tuesday.

The plan for the day was bike riding around Sunriver. We rented a couple of bikes at Village Bike and Ski. We ended up riding about twelve and a half miles in two hours. A map in here.

It was a little cold and windy, but I enjoyed exploring the area. I only got us lost once, but we recovered quickly.

After returning the bikes, we headed into Bend. Sharon wanted to shop in the Old Mill District. This turned out to be a huge disappointment. The area was no different than an outdoor mall that you would find anywhere. We grabbed some pot stickers and nachos at Greg's Grill.

While we were eating, I started looking at the Ale Trail app. We ended up heading into Old Town. This was more to Sharon's liking. It had a number of small boutiques and restaurants. Sharon shopped for a while. We stopped for a beer at the Bend Brewing Company.

We finished the day having a light dinner at the Twisted River Tavern. We watched the Giants beat the Dodgers by the score of 1 to 0. Have I said recently how much I hate the Dodgers?

2021 Oregon - Day 10 - Silver Falls State Park - 25th Wedding Anniversary

Moving day.

After packing up the room, we had breakfast in the Jory Restaurant at the Inn. We both had huevos rancheros [crispy tortilla, two fried eggs, avocado crema, black beans, ranchero salsa, house chorizo].

Loading the car, we rolled from the inn about 10:15 am. With the wine purchases in the Williamette Valley, the car is very loaded down.

A litte over an hour from Newberg, we stopped at Silver Falls State Park and hiked the Trail of Ten Falls. We ended up seeing seven of the waterfalls. We covered about 5.75 miles in two and a half hours. A map is here.

It was a spectacular hike!

Back in the car about 3:30 pm, it was three hour drive from there to Sunriver. We rolled up to the Sunriver Lodge just after 6:30 pm. We are spending the last four nights of our trip at Sunriver Resort.

After unloading the car, we drove back to the lodge. We had dinner at Carson's American Kitchen. I started with CLAM CHOWDER [cream, Yukon Gold potatoes, bacon lardon, mirepoux, Manilla clam], while Sharon had an ICEBERG WEDGE [bacon, tomato, bleu cheese crumbles, and bleu cheese dressing]. We both had ELK MEATLOAF [Topped with bacon, caramelized onions, Sunriver's signature coffee BBQ sauce and served with broccolini and butter whipped mashed potatoes]. Sharon said that it was the best meatloaf that she ever had!

We crashed about 11 pm watching reruns of The Big Bang Theory.

2021 Oregon - Day 9 - Champeog State Park - 25th Wedding Anniversary

Grabbing breakfast and coffee from Starbucks, Sharon and I headed to Champeog State Park. We hiked 3.8 miles in just under an hour and a half. The area has some interesting history; we passed one Oregon Historical Marker. A map of the hike is here.

Heading back to the hotel, the plan for the afternoon was a couples massage. We have only done this once before. It was definitely better than the first time that I did it... We hung out with a bottle of champange in room for an hour after the massages

We grabbed a late light lunch at the bar in the Inn. I had a heirloom beet salad [arugula, goat cheese panna cotta, fried onion threads], while Sharon had garden tomato salad [pesto, olive tapenade, pickled peppers, burrata, finissimo basil].

After a nap in the room, we headed to the Joel Palmer House for a late dinner. While the food was solid, the service was bad. The person who greeted us [Levi] introduced himself as the floor manager and sommelier. When we tried to order a couple of wines by the glass, he couldn't be brothered. When Sharon asked about the Pinots, he said "they are all good." The table next to us got a ten minute discussion of the wines by the glasses from a different "sommelier." We had a number of other odd experiences with the servers. I don't recommend this restaurant.

For the first course, I had Heidi’s Three Mushroom Tart [Slippery Jacks, Porcini (Boletus edulis), and Button Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)], whie Sharon had Joe’s Wild Mushroom Soup [purée of Slippery Jack Mushrooms (Suillus luteus) with a sunken quenelle of mushroom risotto].

For a second course, we both had Escargots [with truffle garlic butter, Black Trumpet Mushrooms (Craterellus cornucopioides), and lemon-lime emulsion].

For a third course, I had Sturgeon [marinated in cilantro and lime juice, with chanterelle mushrooms and served over curry quinoa & cayenne aioli]. Sharon had Beef Stroganoff [with wild mushrooms over seasoned rice].

For a fourth Course, I had Duck Breast [Chinese 5 spice scented with Marion Berry & foie gras purée, and seared apple]. Sharon had Mushroom & Elk Wellington [sautéed leeks & Iraqi tahini painted Elk NY over portobello wrapped in puff pastry with seasonal mushroom purée].

For dessert, we split Candy Cap Mushroom Crème Brûlée (Lactarius fragilis) and Chocolate Mousse (Mushroom Hunting on a plate).

We finished the night watching Bill Maher on the AppleTv.

2021 Oregon - Day 8 - More Wine Tasting plus... - 25th Wedding Anniversary

Sharon and I started the day with a thirty minute walk on the street near the Inn. Afterwards, I did a couple of Peloton strength classes.

After an agressive Thursday, I was thinking that we would have a more low key day; I was wrong. It turned out pretty active, including:

• Breakfast at the Red Hills Market in Dundee - Sharon had chilaquiles [tortilla chips, salsa verde, pickled red onions, carnitas, cotija, lime crema, cilantro, two eggs], while I had a grande breakfast burrito [carnitas, eggs, queso fresco, avocado, salsa verde].
• Wandered downtown Newberg.
• Tasted at the Rex Hill Winery.
• Tasted at the Rain Dance Vineyards - The tasting room was walking distance from the Inn. It is owned by the same people that own the Inn. I really enjoyed this tasting.
• We drove out to Tabula Rasa Farms in Carlton. Sharon wanted to shop for the main course for the fall dinner party.
• We stopped for a quick beer at the Wolves and People Brewery. We had driven by it a couple of times and it looked interesing.
• We finished the day with a three hour plus fixed menu dinner with wine pairing at The Painted Lady Restaurant. The menu is here.

We watched the cold open for Saturday Night Live and crashed about 11:30 pm.

2021 Oregon - Day 7 - Wine Tasting - 25th Wedding Anniversary

Moving slowly, Sharon and I had breakfast at the Jory Restaurant in the inn. We both had steel-cut oatmeal with brown sugar & cinnamon. Afterwards, we walked for thirty minutes around the grounds.

The plan for the day was a wine tasting tour. Sharon had arranged with Oregon Select Wine Tours to drive us. Jeff Petersen picked us up at 10:45 am. We tasted at four wineries, including:

• Anderson Family Vineyard - This was a very intimate tasting; we talked with the owners in a very small hilltop location.
• De Ponte Cellars - We had a sandwiches at this stop.
• Résonance Vineyard - With the vineyards starting to change color, this stop had one of the most amazing views that I have ever seen. Sitting outside, the afternoon weather was gorgeous.
• Saffron Fields Vineyard

We got dropped off back at the Inn about 5:15 pm. I really enjoyed the day!

I wandered down to the hot tub and pool. Eventually, Sharon and I had dinner in the lounge of the inn. We both had the wood-grilled “pinot” burger [tillamook cheddar, house-smoked bacon, charred onion relish, dijon aioli].

We crashed early.

2021 Oregon - Day 6 - Allison Inn - 25th Wedding Anniversary

After an ambitious day and a late night, we were moving slowly. Eventually, we wandered down to the Provisions Market again for breakfast. I had a breakfast bagel, while Sharon had avocado toast.

Today is moving day. We packed up the room and loaded the car. We were in the car and moving about 10:15 am.

We made a quick stop at The Alder House. Sharon bought a glass pumpkin to add to the ones that she got in Vermont. We also stopped briefly at the pottery shop next door.

Heading into the Williamette Valley, we made a stop at Bernards Farm. Sharon wanted to get some hazelnuts for a potential recipe for the fall dinner party.

We had lunch at the Two Dogs Taphouse in McMinnville. I had Greek Veggie Wrap [House made garlic hummus, red onion, tomato, feta cheese, and mixed greens]. Sharon had a House Salad [Mixed greens with cucumber, tomato, and choice of house made ranch, blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, citrus poppy seed, or cilantro lime dressing].

At lunch, Sharon worked to find somewhere that we could wine taste. After calling a couple of places, we ended up at Domaine Senere. It was a spectacular hilltop tasting room. Sharon often complains that tasting rooms don't take advantage of the view; this one did. Pictures wouldn't do the view justice. The wine was very good. It is a winery where we would consider joining the wine club. We had a leisurely hour and a half tasting sitting on the patio.

We rolled up to the hotel just after 4 pm. We are spending four nights at the Allison Inn. After getting settled in the room, we explored the hotel and grounds. There is a fairly extensive set of walking trails around the hotel, including a fair amount of outdoor art pieces.

We had dinner at the Jory restaurant at the Inn. We split a tomato salad [pesto, olive tapenade, burrata, pickled peppers, finnisimo basil] and oysters on the half shell [raw with horseradish crème fraîche and whitefish roe]. We both had a 9oz. australian wagyu striploin [yukon gold potatoes, oregon bleu, braised lobster mushrooms, broccolini, steak jus] as an entree. The meal was very good; I liked the steak better at the Tu Tu' Tun.

We finished the night watching the last three innings of the Cardinals versus Dodgers wild card game. The Dodgers won the game by the score of 3 to 1 with a walk off homer in the bottom of the ninth. I hate the Dodgers...

2021 Oregon - Day 5 - Salishan - 25th Wedding Anniversary

With few options on site, we had breakfast at the Provisions Market. We both had steel cut oatmeal.

The original plan for the day was golf. Unfortunately, it was raining hard. After stopping briefly at the pro shop, we decided to pivot and head North.

We drove to Tillamook. I have been there once for work. We stopped at the Blue Heron Cheese Company. It was a tourist trap; I don't recommend it. We did end up buying some cheese for the fall dinner party.

From there we drove to the Tillamook Creamery. This was more professionally organized and intellectually interesting. You have a chance to see the factory floor. I bought some ten year old cheese that might make it to the dinner party...

For lunch, we headed to Schooners in Netarts. We had a very nice lunch that included chowder, oysters and a Crispy Calamari Salad [Calamari, cabbage medley, cilantro, mint, peanuts + sweet chili vinaigrette].

Sharon drove the next leg. We followed the Three Capes Scenic Loop to Pacific City. We stopped and had a couple of beers at the Pelican Brewery. We bought some beer for the fall dinner party.

With the weather clearing up, we decided to head back to the golf course. We ended up playing the front nine at the Salishan Golf Links. It is a beautiful course. We had no one in front of us or behind us. Without a warm up, I struggled initially, but struck the ball well as the round went on. The greens were treacherous. Although they were wet, they were cut very short and were very fast.

I ended up with a very, very liberally scored 55. The scorecard is here.

Getting cleaned up, we headed to dinner at Fathoms Restaurant at the Inn at Spanish Head. After more oysters, chowder and a salad, we both had grilled wild pacific salmon with wild rice.

We finished a long ambitious day watching the movie CODA on the AppleTV.

2021 Oregon - Day 4 - Cape Perpetua - 25th Wedding Anniversary

After packing up the room, we had breakfast in the lodge. We both had Seasonal Garden Vegetable Frittata with spinach, mushroom, sweet pepper and feta cheese. It was served with potatoes, homemade toast and Northwest Peppered Bacon.

We rolled from the Tu Tu' Tun about 9:15 am. We had a number of stops planned for the day. We broke the day into four one hour hops.

The first stop was Bandon Dunes. When we first started planning the trip in May, we tried to book a couple of nights there. It was already completely booked. We decided to stop there and check the place out. I am intriguted. Maybe we will come back with the Wongs or the Gainsleys for a golf trop.

The second hop was the Dean's Creek Elk Viewing area. This was a little of a kerfuffle; they were sealing the road. Regardless, we got a chance to see a number of elk.

The third hop was a lunch stop. We had a nice lunch at the Luna Sea Fish Market in Yachats. Sharon had halibut fish and chips and I had a halibut sandwich. Sharon said that it was the best fish and chips that she had ever had!

The last stop for the day was Cape Perpetua. We parked at the visitor center and hiked the Captain Cook Trail down to the ocean. The area includes Thor's Well and the Spouting Horn. Looping back to the Visitor Center, we hiked the Giant Spruce Trail out and back. In total, we hiked a little over three miles in an hour and a half.
We finally rolled up to the lodge about 5:45 pm. We are spending two nights at the Salishan Coast Lodge. This is a large rambling property with a number of buildings spread across the hillside.

Sharon was not very happy with the room. It is a little dated. Apparently, the property has changed ownership recently.

We walked back to the main lodge. One of the struggles is going to be finding somewhere to eat. Most of the restaurants on the property are closed on Monday and Tuesday. We knew this ahead of time.

After some discussion and research, we ended up getting dinner at the Provision Market in the lodge. I had a Vegetable Chop Salad [romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, red onions, carrots, poblano avocado ranch dressing], while Sharon had a Ancient Grains Saiad [quinoa, arugula, tomato, carrot, almond, green goddess dressing]. We split Vegetarian Dumplings.

We finished the night watching episode eleven of season two of Ted Lasso on the AppleTV.

2021 Oregon - Day 3 - Rogue River - 25th Wedding Anniversary

<Up and moving at 7 am, we had breakfast at the Tu Tu' Tun Lodge. I had blueberry pancakes, while Sharon had eggs.  My breakfast was good, but I don't anything will top the Ashland Creek Inn.

The plan for the day was a jet boat trip on the Rogue River. We drove into the port in Gold Beach to Jerry's Rogue Jets. We took the 930 am boat. Sharon had signed up for the mail boat tour. We ended up on one of the smaller boats that they use for the whitewater tours.

It was a nice day. The tour travels thirty-two miles up the Rogue River to Agnes. We stopped there and had lunch at the Cougar Lane Lodge. Sharon and I split a caesar salad and a veggie burger. Along the way there and back, we saw a large family of River otters, bald eagles, a seal and lots of other birds.

There were a lot of drift boats on the river fishing for salmon and steelhead. Sharon and I talked about coming back and either fishing or hiking the Rogue River. I am starting a formal list of trip ideas for the future.

The boat driver was the grandson of the founder of the company. Much to Sharon's initial chagrin, due to the fact we were in one of the smaller boats, he did several spins along the way.

We were back at the lodge about 2:45 pm. Sharon wanted to go to the pool, but once we got there decide it was too cool.

Pivoting we took our books down to the lawn chairs and read for a while. Back at the room, we spent some time planning Monday. We are going to make a number of stops along the coast.

We had a later dinner at Lodge. The set menu included:

• a FIRST COURSE of Potato & Leek Soup [Dill Crackers];
• a SECOND COURSE of Chopped Vegetable Salad [Organic Vegetables, Sesame Mustard Dressing, Candied Cashews do Kataifi];
• THE MAIN EVENT of Pacific Striped Bass [Toasted Parmesan, Sauce au Poivre] with White Bean Ragout [Camembert Lemon] and Local Farm Vegetables in Beurre-Fondue; and,
• the SWEETEST ENDING of Poached TuTu' Tun Pears [Mascarpone, Candied Pecans].

2021 Oregon - Day 2 - Tu Tu' Tun - 25th Wedding Anniversary

We took an early morning walk around downtown Ashland exploring the city and the Shakespeare venues. I was surprised that theaters were located so close to the downtown and Lithia Park.

The Ashland Creek Inn offerred at fantastic breakfast. Sitting along the creek, we had a leisurely meal. We chatted on and off with the owner who was helping to serve the food.

We rolled from the inn about 10:15 am. We made a quick stop at Best Buy in Medford; I forgot to bring an AppleTV.

We headed to the Oregon Coast: 5 to Grant's Pass, 199 towards Cresent City and then 101 to Gold Beach. We split the driving almost exactly in half with Sharon driving first. Although fitting the luggage is a little of a Chinese puzzle, we have Sharon's car on this trip.

We stopped at Secret Beach. This is one of several spots that Sharon had tagged as wanting to stop along the coast in the next couple of days. It was a short steep hike down to an interesting supposedly black sand beach.

From Secret Beach, it was less than thirty minutes to the hotel; we got there about 3:15 pm. We are spending two nights at the Tu Tu' Tun Lodge. We staying in room 5.

After getting settled in the room, we got a drink from the bar and wandered down to the river. The lodge has a lawn chairs on a grassy area along the water.

Skipping lunch, we had an early dinner. The set menu included: a small spicy butter lettuce salad; a broccolini soup; another salad with kale; pop-overs and, rib eye steak with pasta and mushrooms. The food was very good.

We finished the night in a soaking tub on the deck of the room.

2021 Oregon - Day 1 - Ashland - 25th Wedding Anniversary

Sharon and I are off for two weeks to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Originally, we were planning to do ten days in Paris. In May, we decided to pivot and do two weeks in Oregon. Although we have taken a number of trips, it has probably been almost five years since I took two full weeks off and unplugged from work.

Rolling from the house at 7:45 am, we switched drivers just north of Red Bluff. We stopped for lunch at the Mount Shasta Resort. We had a very nice lunch. Sharon had a Farro Salad, while I had Baja Fish Tacos. This is definitely somewhere we would come back and play golf.

We switched drivers again. I drove to Ashland. Unfortunately, we started to have trouble with Carplay; hopefully, we will be able to get it working on the trip.

We rolled into Ashland just after 2 pm. I had never been to Ashland before. We are staying one night at the Ashland Creek Inn in the Sienna Room. It offers a 2 pm check-in.

After getting settled in the room (including lugging 150 pounds of luggage up four flights of stairs), we took off for a hike. The plan for the afternoon was a hike in Lithia Park. We covered just over three miles in an hour and twenty minutes. A map of our hike is here.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped and had a beer and glass of wine at Oberon's Restaurant & Bar. There is a section of the creek with restaurants that reminds of San Antonio.

We finished the night with an early dinner at Amuse. Sharon and Tom had dinner there before. We had two appetizer specials that were very good: a cauliflower salad and a mushroom dish. For entrees, Sharon had Charcoal Grilled Steelhead [Pole Beans, Concasse Tomatoes, Herbs], while I had Seared Duroc Pork Loin [White Beans, Local Kale, Apple Gastrique]. The meal was very good. Sharon is going to rate all of the meals over the course of the trip. Sharon said that this was a 10.

Jack is off

After spending a few days with us, Jack and Jason are off to Southern California. They are going to spend a couple of nights in Fullerton with Jason's sister. This weekend, they are heading to Santa Barbara for Gabe's wedding. After the wedding, Jack is taking the train back to SoCal to spend a couple of nights with Drew before flying back to DC.

It was very nice to have Jack here for a couple of days!

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within

Looking for something lighter after the 700 plus page John Tyler biography, my book for September was The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers. I previously read her first three books: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet [July 2017], A Closed and Common Orbit [April 2018] and The Record of a Spaceborn Few [January 2019]. It is loosely a sequel to the first three books.

The novel takes place at the Five-Hop One-Stop, a refueling and licensing station located on the planet Gora. A technical failure causes nearly all of the satellites in orbit around Gora to crash and all traffic is halted. The five different aliens are trapped together for several days and end up confronting their similarities, differences, prejudices and personal challenges.

This book continues the author's excellent world building. I enjoyed it a lot more than the third book, but not as much as the first two books. I gave the first two books a "B+" and the third book a "C". I recommend the book and give it a solid "B" grade.

The Hurt Locker

With Sharon in Napa, I watched The Hurt Locker on Friday night. I have had this movie on a short list to watch ever since I watched The Town.

The Hurt Locker is a 2008 war thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. It stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Christian Camargo, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Guy Pearce.

The film follows an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team who are targeted by insurgents. It examines their psychological reactions to the stress of combat.

The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards. It won six, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

The movie is very good. The footage of the urban warefare in Iraq is disturbing.

Sacramento Kings will make the playoffs or live in NBA infamy

From Sunday's Sacramento Bee, "The Kings team will either immortalize itself as the one that finally ends the city's suffering after 15 consecutive losing seasons or live alone in infamy with a dubious record for the longest playoff drought in NBA history."

I was at the last playoff game: May 5, 2006 against the Spurs.

Janie for Dinner

After Jack and I played Catan with Drew, we finished the night having dinner with Sharon and Janie on the deck. Sharon made a great dinner of cornflake chicken, scalloped potatoes and green beans.

Catan

Sunday afternoon, Jack, Drew and I played two games of Catan. Jack won both games.

Jack is back!

Taking an Uber to Union Station, Jack caught a regional train to BWI. He boarded an 8:24 am eastern time United flight to Denver. Jack was on the ground in Denver just after 10 am mountain time. He took a United flight from Denver to Sacramento. Leaving a little late at 11:50 am, Jack was on the ground at 1:08 pm pacific time in Sacramento. I picked him up.

I am surprised to find the parking garage and all of the short term parking full. I ended up circling the terminals and stopping in the cell phone waiting lot.

Jack, Sharon and I finished the day watching episode ten of season two of Ted Lasso.

To Napa

With Janie visiting California, Sharon and Janie spent the day in Napa. They shopped at CABi, wined tasted at Bouchaine and had dinner at Coqueta. They split Paella Mar y Montaña [head-on gulf prawns ala plancha, clams, mussles, fresh garlic scapes, chorizo, atop bomba rice, cooked in fire roasted tomato soffrito, jamon-shellfish broth].

I finished the day watching The Hurt Locker.

California Historical Landmark #772

Sharon and I passed this historical marker while we were hiking the SF Crosstown Trail.

Original Site of St. Mary's College
California State Historical Landmark #772
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This landmark is located at 220 College Avenue, San Francisco, California. There are 48 other California State Historical Landmarks in San Francisco County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 37° 44' 06.6" N 122° 25' 27.6" W.


In August 1863, Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, OP, opened St. Mary's College here with a faculty of two diocesan priests, four laymen, and two student teachers. In August 1868, at the invitation of the archbishop, Brother Justin McMahon and seven Christian Brothers took charge of St. Mary's.

The White Lotus

Sunday night, Sharon and I finished watching season one of The White Lotus.

The White Lotus is a satirical comedy-drama television series created, written, and directed by Mike White. It premiered on HBO on July 11, 2021.

The series was greenlit in October 2020 and filmed in Hawaii at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in late 2020. It features an ensemble cast including Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy, Natasha Rothwell, and Steve Zahn.

The first season consists of six episodes. The series details a week in the life of vacationers as they relax at a tropical resort in Hawaii. With each passing day, a darker complexity emerges of the travelers and the hotel's employees.

Following its critical acclaim, the show was renewed as an anthology series. Season two will tell the story of a different group of travelers during their stay at another White Lotus property.

I have mixed feelings about The White Lotus. Before we watched the show, I heard a lot of people raving about it on several of The Ringer podcasts. While it was interesting and well done, it didn't live up to my expectations. I give it a "B" grade and a lukewarm recommendation.

Neighborhood Homeowners Association Meeting

Monday night, Sharon and I went to the annual neighborhood homeowners association meeting at the pool. Sharon was re-elected to the board.

The meeting was pretty well attended. Nine of the twenty-four properties were represented. After reports on the improvements over the last year and the finances, there was a lengthy round robin of feedback.

I love our neighborhood.

Lee Overnight - Day 2

Sharon and I kept Lee overnight so that Daniel and Morgan could go to a concert with Drew and Carmen at the Greek Theater on Sunday night. It was the third time [May, August] that Lee had spent a night away from Morgan. They dropped Lee off about 8:45 am on Sunday. It was a very easy day, including:

• we took Lee to Davis Ranch on Sunday morning;
• while Lee took his nap on Sunday afternoon, I ran 6.5 miles around Ancil Hoffman park;
• we took Lee grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon; and,
• after Lee went to bed, Sharon and I watched the last episode of The White Lotus Sunday night.

Lee slept until about 6:45 am on Monday morning. Daniel scooped him up at 7:30 am.

Davis Ranch [Lee Overnight - Day 1]

Sunday morning, Sharon and I made a pilgrimage to Davis Ranch to get fall decorations. We have gone there for a car load of stuff 16 of the last 18 years [2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020]. We didn't go to Davis Ranch in 2016 when the fall dinner party was held at Sea Ranch or in 2017 due to our fall trip to New Engl@nd. One of my favorite pictures from those trips is here.

This year, we had Lee with us!

Bike Ride with Laura

Sharon spent the afternoon bike riding with Laura. They rode from our house to Arden Pond and then east on the bike trail. Unfortunately, Sharon got a flat tire. I had to pick them up at Hagan Community Park.

Shopping for an Anniversary Present

While I worked in the room, Sharon did some shopping. We had a late lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen (Santa Fe Bowls).

The plan for the afternoon was to shop for an anniversary present for Sharon. October 13th will mark our 25th Wedding Anniversary. We spent about an hour and a half at the David Yurman store in the Santa Clara Westfield Valley Fair Mall picking out her present.

The drive home was a struggle. 880 to 680 to 80 to 50 took almost four hours. Waze took us off the freeway in Concord and Davis. The world is a parking lot.

To Santa Clara

Taking off after work, Sharon and I headed to Santa Clara. Taking 80 to 680 to 237, it took us about 2 1/2 hours. We are spending one night at the Element Santa Clara.

After having a drink at the bar in the hotel, we had a late dinner at the Athena Grill. For a starter, we split Octopus Mezes [Traditional grilled octopus with olive oil, lemon juice and oregano]. For main dishes, I had a Lamb Souvlaki Plate [Tender pieces of marinated lamb loin grilled on a skewer, served with rice and vegetable medley], while Sharon had a Gyro Plate [Thin slices of seasoned beef served over warm pita, with tzatziki sauce, tomato and red onion, served with side of garlic fries].

President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler

My book for the summer (June, July and August) was President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler by Christopher Leahy. Drew give me the book for Christmas in 2019. After finishing a book about Polk, I was interested in reading about Tyler. It fits into my long term project to read books about all of the presidents.

Tyler was born to a prominent Virginia family. He had a long and varied political career, including serving as a Virginia state legislator, Virginia governor, US representative, and US senator.

Tyler was initially a Democrat, but he opposed Andrew Jackson during the South Carolina Nullification Crisis. Tyler believed in the fundamental tenets of Jeffersonian democracy and limited federal power. He saw Jackson's actions as infringing on states' rights. This led Tyler to ally with the Whig Party. He was put on the 1840 presidential ticket to attract states' rights Southerners to a Whig coalition to defeat Martin Van Buren's re-election bid.

President Harrison died just one month after taking office. Tyler became the first vice president to succeed to the presidency without election.

This presidency was marked by battles over a national bank, tariffs and the distribution of proceeds from the sale of federal lands. Tyler vetoed two national banking acts pushed by the Whig controlled Congress. His term also included the Annexation of Texas.

Tyler fathered more children than any other American president. His first wife was Letitia Christian with whom he had eight children. Letitia died of a stroke in the White House in September 1842. While still President, Tyler married again to Julia Gardiner with whom he had seven children.

Tyler was seated in the Confederate Congress on August 1, 1861 and served until just before his death in 1862. In November 1861, he was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives but he died of a stroke before the first session could open in February 1862.

At the 700 pages, the book was a bit of a load. Rather than a linear outline of Tyler's life, the author spends a lot of time exploring and intepreting the movitations of the key players. It is an interesting story, but not my favorite presidential biography. I give it a "B-" grade.

I have been disappointed in the pace of my reading over the last eighteen months. I still haven't figured out a rhythm for my every day reading while we work from home and largely continue to shelter in place.

Dances with Wolves

Friday night, Sharon and I watched Dances with Wolves. I had never seen the movie. It caught my eye earlier in the year; it won the best picture Oscar the year that Godfather Part III was nominated.

Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic Western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake. It tells the story of Union Army Lieutenant John J. Dunbar (Costner) who travels to the American frontier to find a military post and of his dealings with a group of Lakota.

The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards at the 63rd Academy Awards. It won seven, including: Best Picture; Best Director for Costner; Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Film Editing; Best Cinematography, and; Best Original Score. It is one of three westerns to win best picture. The other two are Unforgiven (1992) and Cimarron (1931).

I enjoyed and recommend the movie. It is a little dated both in the music and the cinematography. It would have been an interesting film to see on the big screen.

Work From Home - Day 547 - Eighteen Months

Today marks eighteen (18) months since we vacated our five story, 1,300 employee headquarters and haven’t been back since.

Bing Maloney

Sharon and I played golf at Bing Maloney with the Gainsleys. It is probably only the second time that I have played the course in fourty years. I was haunted by some fragments of memories of playing the course with Nooter, Wallen and Dave Hare.

Teeing off at 10:36 am, I enjoyed the company and the course. In spite of how much golf we have been playing, I remain frustratingly inconsistent. My goal is to legitimately break 100.

The four of us finished the day with an early dinner at Scott's Seafood on the River. Sharon and I split an order of Pork-Kimchi Potstickers [asian slaw / sweet chili drizzle / bulgogi dipping sauce]. I had some Boston Clam Chowder. For entrees, I had Lemon Grilled Hawaiian Swordfish [summer vegetable risotto / grilled asparagus / sundried tomato pesto], while Sharon had the Macadamia Nut Crusted Alaskan Halibut [brown butter / citrus wild rice pilaf / steamed vegetables].

Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story on AppleTV.

In this retrospective, Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year tenure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage spanning from Casino Royale to No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, in the lead up to his final performance as the iconic secret agent. After an almost eighteen month delay, No Time To Die is now scheduled to be released October 8.

We have seen all of the Bond movies. Watching the retrospective, Sharon and I talked about rewatching the Daniel Craig Bond films. Craig is Sharon's favorite Bond.

Matteos

Sharon and I finished the work week with curbside pick up from Matteos. For an appetizer, we had Heirloom Tomato Caprese [Heirloom Tomatoes, Fresh Burrata, Fresh Basil, Virgin Olive Oil and Caramelized Fig Balsamic Glaze]. For entrees, we both had Lamb Burgers [Pink Peppercorn and Cumin Seasoned Fresh Ground Leg of Lamb Burger with Feta Cheese, Chimichurri Aioli, House Made English Cucumber Pickles, Red Onion, Tomato and Arugula] served with Fries.

We got a bottle of Poe Pinot Meunier from the Van der Kamp Vineyard 2016, Sonoma Mountain. It wasn't as good as the Pinot Meunier from Bouchaine!

We finished the night watching Dances with Wolves.

Yellowstone - Season One

Sharon and I finished watching season one of Yellowstone.

Yellowstone was created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson. Season one premiered on June 20, 2018 on the Paramount Network. It stars Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, and Gil Birmingham.

The series follows the conflicts along the shared borders of a large cattle ranch, a Native reservation, and land developers. Kevin Costner as John Dutton stars as a sixth-generation patriarch who operates the Yellowstone/Dutton Ranch, the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. As the series progresses, he is continually challenged by those seeking to take control of the ranch's land.

Sharon enjoyed the series much more than I did. From my perspective, every episode had some event that jumped the shark. I don't recommend the show. Nevertheless, given that Sharon enjoyed it, I expect that we will watch a couple more seasons...

California Historical Landmark #79

Sharon and I passed this historical marker while we were hiking in the Presidio.

The Presidio of San Francisco
California State Historical Landmark #1002
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This landmark is located at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Funston Avenue, San Francisco, California. There are 48 other California State Historical Landmarks in San Francisco County. The GPS coordinates for this location are 37° 48' 02.9" N 122° 27' 17.1" W.


Formally established on September 17, 1776, the San Francisco Presidio has been administered successively as a military headquarters by Spain, Mexico, and the United States. A major command post during the Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean War, it remains a symbol of United States authority in the Pacific.

Peloton Tread

Over the last twenty-two years, I have owned three different treadmills. They have been a large part of my fitness routine.

I bought my first treadmill in the fall of 1999 while we were still living at East View. It lasted until 2006.

In 2006, I purchased a Horizon Fitness T63. I had several different problems with this treadmill. I had to replace some of the electronics in the first year that I had it.

A two-hundred pound person pounding along puts a large stress on a treadmill. In 2010, the running platform split. I took the treadmill apart and replaced the platform and the belt.

In September of 2013, I bought a NordicTrack 2450 treadmill. It has gotten a lot of use, particularly in the last eighteen months. The treadmill is connected to the iFit website. One of the features that I particularly love is that it will play back a workout. I can get on the treadmill and it will automatically increase the speed at set intervals and then decrease the speed as a cool down.

In September of 2017, I had to replace the running platform; it split. I had to take the treadmill almost completely apart and put it back together.

The NordicTrack is pretty beat up at this point. The belt slips as it gets warmed up. Sharon is very uncomfortable with it and won't use it. When Drew and Carmen were here on Sunday, I took the treadmill apart. Drew helped me wrestle the biggest piece downstairs and into the garage.

In the fall of 2018, I got Sharon a Peloton bike as an anniversary present. I have been extremely pleased with the bike and the quality of the Peloton content.

After a safety recall, Peloton starting selling their treadmill again last Monday. I purchased one first thing Monday morning. It was delivered and installed this afternoon.

Djokovic versus Brooksby

I don't watch much tennis, but Monday evening, Sharon and I watched our neighbor's son play Djokovic in the round of sixteen at the US Open. Jensen Brooksby was a major topic of conversation at dinner on Sunday night.

Djokovic has been on a roll. He won the Australian Open in February, the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July. The last man to go 4 for 4 at the majors was Rod Laver in 1969.

At age 20, Brooksby is the youngest American to make it this far in the tournament since Andy Roddick in 2002. He was ranked 99th in the world.

Brooksby won the first set 6 to 1. With Djokovic serving, they played an epic game at 3 to 1 in the second set: six break chances; nine deuces; 24 points in all; spread out over nearly 20 minutes. Brooksby won, but Djokovic turned around and broke him on the next game. Djokovic wore Brooksby down after that game.

Djokovic ended up winning the match 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. He moved within three victories of the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men's tennis in 52 years.

One of the more interesting aspects of the match was John McEnroe talking about Brooksby's serve. Throughout the match, McEnroe was very complimentary of Brooksby's game, but very critical of his serve. He said that Brooksby needs to add more than ten miles an hour to his serve to be a top ten player.

Ancil Hoffman Neighborhood Golf Tournament

Sharon and I played in a neighborhood golf tournament on Sunday afternoon. This the third time in the last two years that we have played with this group [July 2020, April 2021].

Teeing off with Mike and Jill about 2:30 pm, we played the first sixth holes with them. At the seventh tee, we switched to John and Jan. Finally at the thirteenth tee, we switched to playing with Jim and Debbie. We have played with Jim and Debbie a couple of times.

The format was a couple scramble. With Sharon driving the ball very well, I thought that we had a chance for a fairly low score. We started strong; we parred the first hole. Unfortunately, we could never really get going. Our medium irons and chipping were horrible. Although I carried us to a par on the fourteenth, I felt like I could never get any momentum.

We ended up with a 92. We parred four holes and Sharon had a birdie on seventeen. She also won the closet to the pin for women on that hole. We used six of my drives and twelve of Sharon's drives!

We finished night with appetizers and dinner in John and Jan's backyard. Jan made pork chili for dinner. Sharon made cornbread muffins.

Family Dinner

Drew, Carmen, Morgan, Daniel and Lee all came over the dinner. Sharon made cornflake chicken and scalloped potatoes. Morgan and Daniel contributed a salad. Drew and Carmen brought a dessert.

After dinner, Drew, Carmen, Sharon and I took Tiber for a creek walk. We finished the night playing Unstable Unicorns. I won the first game and then Drew won the next three. With Drew and Carmen spending the night, we crashed about 10:30 pm.

I really enjoyed the evening.

End of Ordinary Time

Over the last twenty years, Sharon and I have lived into a rhythm of decorating the house. Starting Labor Day, Sharon starts to decorate the house with fall decorations. Orginally, this was driven by the fall dinner party, but it has taken on a live of its own.

At Thanksgiving, we switch the house to Christmas decorations. We have an enormous amount of Christmas decorations: 25 plus boxes?

In recent years, Sharon has started to accumulate more Valentines Day decorations that she puts up after we take down the Christmas decorations. After Valentines Day, the house transitions to Easter.

After we take the Easter decorations down, we have started calling it "Ordinary Time." This lasts about four months from Easter to Labor Day.

I spent Friday afternoon pulling the fall boxes out of the shed. In total, there are nine boxes plus some other assorted items.

to Arnold

Sharon and her brother Tom took off Wednesday afternoon. They had dinner in Murphy and spent the night at the Murphy Suites. They had dinner at Grounds. Sharon had fried chicken sous vide with house mashed potato, sauteed heirloom carrots & carnival cauliflower.

Tom's father-in-law (Becky's dad) passed away recently in Arizona. The family owns a cabin in Arnold. As part of sorting out the estate, Sharon and Tom meet an appraiser at the cabin.

After a light lunch in Murphy, they were back in Carmichael about 5 pm.

Carmel Valley Ranch Scorecard

My scorecard from Carmel Valley Ranch on Saturday.