Big week this week. Wednesday was the Growing Tree graduation ceremony.
if I look a little upset in this picture, it is because someone cleaned up my shave ice (the Tree hired a shave ice truck to cater graduation – boy am I going to miss the tree) before I finished it.
On Saturday, I went to the Bend Rock Gym to climb with Hazel. It was awesome. I can’t wait to go back.
I made some mini heart-shaped cakes with green frosting and red, green, and white sprinkles this weekend. Happy Holidays(?):
Some other things we ate this week include watermelon and mango salad:
pasta with kale, capers, and anchovies:
falafel sandwiches with tahini sauce and pickled daikon and carrots:
tofu po’boys:
and, finally, Hawaiian shave ice (promised to me after the graduation incident) after our mountain bike ride on Sunday:
Mom made paella this week. Not my favorite. There was much grumbling about the price of saffron and questions like, do I think other kids’ moms make them PAELLA?
We went to Hood River this week/weekend. This is the view (sorta) from our campsite.
The first night, I explored the Columbia River,
while Dad got out and did some windsurfing.
The next day we went for a run and then out to a u-pick farm. I picked cherries…
2.3 pounds of cherries, which I ate most of, …
and pet some animals.
After cherry picking, it was back to the river for some windsurfing and rock climbing.
The next day we hiked to the Tamanawas Falls.
We hiked BEHIND the falls! It was cool (figuratively and literally).
After the hike we dropped Dad off at the river and Mom and I headed to the pump track. We had it all to ourselves.
On Saturday we rode the 8 Mile Creek Loop. I believe we may have disturbed some Ewoks.
Afterwards, we had lunch by the Hood River.
Then some more wind surfing followed by a birthday dinner at Ferment. They had tasty beers (and marionberry lemonade) and food.
I had the salmon burger – alaskan salmon patty, sweet chili sauce, bread and butter pickles, and cabbage slaw.
The Bigs had falafel wraps – hummus, herbed tahini sauce, cucumber, mixed greens, pickled veggies, flatbread – and fried brussel sprouts with soy vinegar sauce. Everyone was happy!
Then it was off to meet Kaelia (Griffin, Jay’s daughter) for ice cream at Mike’s.
Some pics of Mount Hood from the ride home.
Now that we are home, it’s time to get serious about making music! Check out the ukulele I bought myself with my allowance.
I just go and go (and jibber jabber and jibber jabber). Nan and Pop kept right up. Check out Nan’s soccer moves!
Silly, Pop you think you can out run me wearing flip flops?!
Pop wanted to take us to a nice dinner. The Bigs suggested the The Midtown Yacht Club. Sounds fancy, right?! It’s a food truck pod. Pop was not amused.
Pop and I made bread. I usually try to avoid recipes, but our loaves turned out great. Maybe I’ll start using more recipes – did The Bigs just sigh with relief?!
We also went paddle boarding on the Deschutes River.
Pop, follow me…
On Saturday we rode our bikes around Cultus Lake and stopped for a dip…
I play tennis now. Getting the feel for things on the backboard:
See if any of you tennis experts out there can identify what went wrong here:
We went to the Midtown Yacht Club food truck pod for a belated Father’s Day dinner out (Thanks, Nan and Pop!):
Afterwards, we went to Bonta for Gelato:
It has been hot in Bend. Really hot. We went to the coast for a few days to escape the heat. We stayed along the North Umpqua River on the way to the coast. It was hot there too, but we stayed cool in the river all afternoon.
I got to bike along the river to get to our swimming spot:
The next morning we headed to the beach. We had a beautiful beach all to ourselves at Yoakam Point:
I dug in the sand and ran in and out of the waves for hours. It took me a little while to warm up to the waves:
We camped near the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area:
Our campsite had a great climbing tree:
The Dunes were amazing:
I’m the little speck in the middle of this photo (the Bigs were hanging back to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet):
Jumping down the dunes was the best:
The next day started off a little foggy and windy, so we went to Sea Lion Caves, a tourist trap that the Bigs have always driven by, because they were too cheap to go in. It was awesome! (The Bigs agreed with that assessment.)
Check out what I’m wearing. It was 110 degrees in Bend when this photo was taken:
Next, we went for a five-mile walk along a beautiful beach.
The beach ended at a cliff.
And, tide pools!
After the walk, it was construction time. I built a sand/rock/driftwood house:
To top off another great day at the beach: roasted marshmallows!
When we headed home the next day, I was just a little tired:
Thursdays are bike-class days:
On Saturday, I got to ride with Isaac again:
Sunday, was the Fourth of July. After a paddle board on the river, Nan and Pop showed up!
Now that I am a big swimmer, I need to work on my lats.
Every year around this time, we ride up Mackenzie Pass to the Castle of Dragons. I chose this riding attire.
It was not as sunny and warm as we thought it would be and I quickly bundled up.
By the time we got to the castle, we were cold and wet and in no mood to look for the dragon – unless he wanted to warm our frozen digits with his fiery breath.
If you look closely you can see moisture on my glasses. Wet. Very cold, pretty wet, but I didn’t complain at all. I just kept riding.
And I made it back to the car after…
riding 15 miles!
My day was not done, though. I had planting to do. I put some gerbera daisies
and petunias in for some color.
On Sunday, I met Issac for a ride on ELV and some gnome counting.
We stopped by the ‘flying chicken’ too.
Part I of Phase 3 of the Great Wall got installed this week. Soon there will be blackberries growing up the ‘cattle panel’ (metal mesh).
This week we tried grilled portabello burgers topped with grilled pineapple and sweet and spicy Brussels sprouts. This meal was ‘not my favorite’ as I like to say.
Strangely, I did love our other Brussels sprouts dish this week: Brussels sprout and apple salad.
Sometimes you have a week where the good things just don’t stop. First, I got a tennis racket from Pop. Awesome!
Then, I got some super fast new sneakers and they were free, thanks to a gift certificate from Nan! Hmmm…I think I can beat Dad now.
Next it was nice enough for a picnic, so I treated The Bigs to takeout from my favorite restaurant, Monkless. They mumbled something about if I was taking Mom out for our belated Mother’s Day dinner she should get to choose the restaurant. Silly Bigs, how would I get poutine then?
Then I lost my tooth!
And then Papa came!
I showed him some of my new mountain biking skills. I am getting much braver and I make Mom ride the stuff with me, so she is too.
Phase II of the Great Wall started this week. First twelve bamboo trees arrived.
Along with fancy shnancy bamboo containment planters.
The trees were 8 ft + but they shipped them wrapped in ‘hearts’
It was in the 50s and rainy on Saturday. Perfect for planting – bamboo and little boys.
56 bags of potting soil and two sore Bigs later.
Neighbors? What neighbors?
It wasn’t all work and no play. We still had time for breakfast coffee on the porch. The Bigs are sure I do espresso shots when they aren’t looking.
I also had swim lessons and a very chilly mountain bike class.
This week The Bigs made Israeli couscous with pistachios and apricots with roasted cauliflower with mint and toast almonds.
We also had Hummingbird cake. Mom saw a recipe in the New York Times (theirs was more attractive – two layers and covered in edible flowers). She thought if she made it the hummies should start visiting our feeder – plus who doesn’t want a cake full of bananas, pineapple, and pecans!
