Climbing at Smith Rock State Park

This image pretty much describes what Sadie does all day. She runs around constantly exploring/sniffing new things. I was really surprised we actually caught HER on camera and not her alter ego = "THE BLUR". This time we brought her up to the Mountain Lakes Wilderness area (about an hour's drive) a few weekends ago, and it still had snow. We thought she'd wimp out and run for the car, but she went nuts. She loves the stuff...which is great news since we have to live with it for 4 months of the year.


Jill and I have been doing great. Ever since summer came, we've spent every chance we've had outside. We've hiked in sub-alpine wilderness areas, explored old-growth forests while driving over the Cascades, and much more.












We found this huge incense-cedar on one trip. The entire interior was burned out, which allowed me to comfortably walk inside it and turn around. I was looking for bats but stopped when I started to hear it cracking in the wind....that's happened to me 1 too many times already.

But these trips don't compare to what we did THIS week. We finally took a quick weekend to go rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park, about 3.5 hours north of Klamath Falls.


It was a gorgeous canyon with rock faces reaching almost 1,000ft high. These are both of Jill climbing. I would lead the climb to set the ropes and anchors (below), and then Jill would follow up behind me (above)...and Sadie baked in the sun.



The picture below is the highest we made it. We met some people that held our camera for us while we worked our way to the top. Click on the image for a close up, and look on the right side. SWEET!!













Just kidding! We were just watching from the river....but there's always next weekend!!

We eventually ran out of daylight ...and steam, so we found an opening next the canyon rim. Just in time to watch the sunset. Either Sadie was dehydrated and exhausted, or she, too, was blown away at the view.














Little did we know that our tent window probably had the best view in the camp. (We were climbing the rock faces around the middle of the cliffs below.)

Quite the adventure!! We'll be back soon....just as soon as the desert cools off a bit.
Hope we get the chance to take you climbing some day!
I better run now...Sadie just killed her first jack rabbit! Good dog!!

Sadie has arrived!

Well, we've done it. After almost 2 years of talking about getting a puppy, the stars have finally aligned and we now own a young German Short-Haired Pointer named Sadie.

She appears to be very intelligent, but a little bit of a dare devil...accidental-like! It even seems she's been pre-programmed for being house-broken and sitting....so far.

Our first morning with her we took her to the resort just outside of town. They've got some good easy trails through some brush and boulders. At one point Sadie climbed up onto a boulder, looked down, and immediately freaked out at how high she got up. I was calling to her on the other side of a bush, but from her birdDOG's-eye-view, there's was only one way to get around this bush. Without hesitation she took a flying leap off the four-foot cliff into rocks and brush. I gave her landing a 7. She landed on her head, but had an excellent recovery! She's since taken a few flying leaps, but none quite so high.

Luckily, those Dumbo-like ears stable her otherwise wobbly legs.

She's very playful and she'll never leave your side if you go on a walk, but at the moment it's pretty easy to tire her out. I'm sure this is a favor she'll repay very soon!

So far she's a perfect hiking companion with minimal maintainance, but we'll see if she can earn her keep when pheasant season starts this fall!

And and for a quick update on the house projects, all the upstairs windows are half installed, and as soon as they're done with that, we'll finish the bathroom! It's about time!!!!! Sarah and Chris can vouch for how much of a luxury a finished bathroom is since they spent a great weekend with us recently and was able to witness water shooting out of the wall into my face and across the room. Like they say....it's been real and it's been fun, but it hasn't been real fun!

It's coming along... but not even close

First of all, our apologies on such a long time in between posts.... I keep on waiting for the house to look a little better before we post pictures... But since I know everyone is asking to see more pictures of what the house looks like with our little touch to it.. I guess it doesn't have to be perfect.... Be aware there are messes that will eventually get cleaned up. There are paint cans that will eventually get put away or actually used. View these images at your own risk of pity for these Sebastians.... or just laugh.

One of the first little projects we tackled, once we were moved in, was figuring out the setup of the kitchen a little better... (sheesh, and we thought was was a big kitchen!!) so we decided to cut off the bottom of one of the shelves and move the fridge over...

This is the useless space before...

The little cubby where the fridge was

Yes! I love this kinda of stuff! Tear it up, Babe!

And the after! Hooray... perfection... great job Brian!

And... this is the mess that was there for quite a while...

until...
We got a table! Our very first brand new piece of furniture!!

The door to the left goes down to the basement

The finished(well... for the next few months.... until we get tax refund and FIRE MONEY... I think I'll be pushing Brian out the door to pay for all the other remodels I'd like to do!) kitchen... And Brian making his second batch of homebrew....

And that little table... well, Brian put it to good use on his work shop area in the garage/basement area!

The workshop area is directly to the left

TAlking about basement.... it is now BRIAN'S MAN CAVE
business in the front

Party in the back.... wait... I think that's the saying for a mullet!? eh, that works too.


WE also decided to actually move into our room... tacky vinyl flooring and all.... but we did get a large temporary rug to hide it a little...

And the after.... well still several things need to be hung that are still sitting on the floor...



These next pictures are of the house so far...

Our Living room... the first thing(wekll, sorta, after you make the turn, technically the first thing you'd see if you'll see when you walk in is my smiling face greeting you... and the closet behind me... blah)


That's the entrance/foyer - behind me is the dinig area... in the next picture

This is the dining area... it's all open to the living are you jsut saw



I actually did a project on my own! I reupholstered a chair! I miss sewing and it's beena while since I've put my seamstress skills to use... Let me explain the "funky/70s" pattern (as Brian calls it) I wanted something bright and fun for my art room. Orignally my art room was going to be brian's "man cave" in the basement, but we had a change of plans... after we painted the room a DARK green. So I HAD to get bright colors to make it livelier... hence the fun bright chair and matching pillows! So, my art room is also the guest room where YOU will stay when you come see us! And... we will have those boxes gone! :)

MY first re-uphostery project! and I totally could sell it. The seams are practically perfect (just like Mary Poppins!)

The art/guest room.. wow, this room looks really busy... but it's just messy... maybe I'll work on it this weekend... now that i see how bad it is in a picture.


And, I forgot to mention... the room also serves as Brian's closet... I get the master closet all to myself! What a sweet husband!

Our next project is the bathroom.... Sarah and Chris, we'd like to be good hosts and have a shower for you! so we've been tile shopping and this weekend plan to make the big purchases and get started... maybe next weekend?



And our backyard/deck... I'm thinking a future father/son project... ;)


We really haven't taken many trips lately. It's been snowing off and on, and I just LOVE it!!! And driving in it isn't as terrible as it once was. Having good snow traction tires makes a HUGE difference. I think I might love snow almost as much as I love the SUN.... almost! But since we get 300 days of sun here, the snow days (no matter how bad work/school is NEVER cancelled) are sooo exciting, to me at least. ALL my co-workers dislike the snow. Since they know how much I love it, they make sure to let me know when it's snowing hard for me to peek out and then say, this is your fault, for bringing the snow, ugh! I happily say, yea... sure. Brian's had more opportunities to see much more snow than I. He was in Bend (the Breckenridge of Oregon - Brian's words) last week for work and it snowed the whole time!
We had some friends over a few weeks ago for a good meal and fun.... GUMBO... that was intersting... It cooked all day and was GREAT by night. But, no one had a clue what it was or how to eat it (over rice and with file) They all seemed to enjoy it.

Then we had a fun game of Cranium.... No one got this one... haha! can you tell that both teams seem to be pretty clueless?


We've had our home church group meet at our home a few times. Such a great blessing t be able to share our home for God's glory. And the more we go to Friends Church, the more we feel this is the place God has for us. It is so people/sommunity driven. Our pastor, Faith (a good friend of Jill's) has a heart for serving and last weekend we met with several other churches on how we can meet the needs of our community in this hard time. Oregon has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. I think Klamath Falls is at 12.5% right now and expected to worsen. Brian and I are so blessed and don't want to be selfish with what God has given us. So we've been trying to reach out to others and help in practical ways. I hope all of you who read this also live out your faith as Christ taught us and help the needy and poor. We all have gifts. Use them, even if it is uncomfortable.

Love you all.