It's fall on the Oregon Coast, well, it's fall everywhere, but you know what I mean. I love it! Last Saturday, oops, I guess it was the Saturday before that, anyway, Bill was outside to pull in the last of the branches and finally burn the pile that has been gathering all summer long. We can officially burn our burn pile. It's just one of the fall things we do here after we get our first good rain, and boy did we have it. I can't believe I'm actually saying it, but it was kind of nice for a change. Seriously, did I just admit that the rain was kind of nice? I'll reevaluate later this winter after our first 30". Anyway, back to "the burn".

I'm not sure Bill likes me taking his picture while he is out doing his normal stuff. He just doesn't get the whole blog thing yet, but he's coming around. Besides, he is the major thing that makes my life so good, so he has to let me, right??? So here are two more pictures of the man at work and his fire.

It actually got really, really tall, but I had to run to town and missed it. I think Lane, Shay and Todd, three of my nephews, could really get into this. I hear they love doing monster fires. I kind of like it too, though it seems I rarely have time to just go out and sit and watch it burn, when it finally dies down enough to enjoy it. I've been trying to get a fire pit in my yard for years now, don't have one yet, but we will some day. Until then, we have the fall burn, and I love it.

Here is another reason I love fall here.

Mutsu Apples! I love Mutsu apples. They are crisp and tart, but not too tart. I love them! Here is the whole tree.

Something happened to another of our apple trees (we have 3), but we can't figure it out. Bill thinks it was 50 mph winds we had a few weeks ago. I think it was either a bear or elk trying to eat the apples, which happens every year.

I don't know if you can see this or not, but a whole branch is broken and just hanging there. I'm sure some large animal was either leaning on it to get higher, or climbed up and thought it would hold his 500 lb bear body, who knows, but we lost a big limb. Honestly, we don't take great care of these trees, I keep forgetting to get someone in here in January that can prune it and spray it for blight, or whatever apples get. We really need to do better, cause they are yummy. Why don't you all come visit next October and have one!

Our Temple Weekend

One weekend a month Shirley Kilmer and I serve in the Medford Oregon Temple. It is one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. I knew I would love doing it, but never really realized how much it would actually change my life. My only wish is that we lived closer than 3-1/2 hours away and could go more often.

If you want to know more about Temples--click here

I have met some wonderful people who have opened their homes for us to stay the night, as well as those I serve with in the Temple. We work Friday evening shift and then early Saturday morning shift before heading home. It is actually in Central Point, Oregon. My life has been blessed by serving there. I can't even begin to explain it, but it is a choice experience that I hope will last a lifetime, in which ever temple we are living near. Here is another picture of it.

When it was first being built Lyn Winona and I would take our kids, Zach, Maddie, Dustin and Jenny Eichelberger and Hailie Mulder. We went to the ground breaking, corner stone. I can't remember all of it. I'll try to figure out how to copy a 12x12 scrapbook page I have of it to show some pictures. Does anyone have any idea on how to do that?

The Portland Oregon Temple is closer to us by about 1/2 an hour, but because we live the farthest north in our Stake (which goes from Florence, which is about at the Central Oregon Coast point down to the California Border), the Medford Temple is closer for everyone else. I keep trying to tell people we need one centrally located on the Coast and that Florence would be a wonderful spot. We just happen to have a few acres for sale next door. Why won't anyone listen!!! :)

It is a wonderful weekend and is always hard to leave. We have a great time and just chat up a storm about so many things going there and back. It has been a fun thing to do with Shirley.

Here is a try at scanning an 8-1/2 x 11, but it came out short for some reason, but I did get it in. It had trouble reading the SD disk. Anyway, you get the idea.

Afternoon walk on our beach

Yesterday we went for an afternoon walk on our beach. We have to walk down this trail on a cliff north of us to get there.

We are so used to being the only ones on "our" beach, so it was very strange to see people there. What's with that! We must have seen eight people. I know, we're spoiled. I can't say I blame anyone. It was a gorgeous day, the tide was out, though not quite far enough to reach the cave, but it was very nice. I just walked around in a T-shirt most of the time. We did get a picture of us which was kind of nice, I guess. Dare I put this up!!!

Quick, scroll down! Usually when the tide is out this far we find tons of sand dollars, so we were excited and both brought our own bags to gather. There weren't any! Not even one! We were so surprised, there were no shells of any kind. There have been times when we have picked up 35 at a time, for 3 days in a row, or some crazy number like that. It isn't usually that good, but last year it was. What there was however, that was also very different, are those sand crabs. You know, the ones that come in on a wave and dig down into the sand. In Newport they are just tiny, these were all pretty big, maybe 1.5" long. Big things. There were hundreds of them, all looking like dinner for all the seagulls lurking about. I took it on myself to "save" as many as I could see. Some of them couldn't dig down deep enough to be hid because the sand was to compact. They were like kids that hid their heads and thought no one could see them. The picture is a little blurry, but you can see how big they are. This is just his hiney.

When I was a little girl my dad used to put me on his shoulders and we used to go out in the ocean in Newport Beach, CA. He would reach down and bring up these same crabs but they were almost as big as his hands. I have to tell you, it freaked me out, they were HUGE! So, I spent the afternoon digging up a bunch of them and putting them in pools of water that were everywhere, where they could dig deeper into softer sand. There were so many I finally had to just not look down anymore. I think Bill thought I was nuts. So what's new.

We also saw some star fish, I know we are supposed to call them Sea Stars now, but whatever.

Here are a couple more pictures of the day. See, people on our beach! :)

These are all over the side of the cliff. You can walk by them and they are making spitting and popping noises.

Relaxing on the cliff with the warm sun on my face. It felt so good!

You should all come with us next time!

I love my life

I have a great life! I live in a beautiful place, even if it does rain a little to much for me. I have a great husband who loves me, wonderful kids (3 boys), awesome daughters-in-law (2 for now) and the most beautiful granddaughter in the world. I have two sisters that are THE BEST, the most incredibly awesome nieces and nephews and wonderful friends that make me laugh until I either cry or wet my pants (my sisters have been known to cause this as well). I have 2 cats that love to sit on my lap, elk in my yard, a beautiful view of a pasture full of horses, a bear every now and then, chickens in the yard, a cow in the pasture, a flock of Canadian geese and a beautiful coast line close by. Who could ask for more, and yet, there is so much more that makes my life wonderful, which will probably be brought out in the future.


In spite of all of that, I live a pretty boring life. Pretty much the same day in and day out, not too much drama (though we haven't been totally exempt from drama). This is what makes it hard for me to imagine anyone wanting to read about my life. However, it looks so fun and I like to read about what all my friends are doing, so I thought I would give it a try. So, if you find yourself bored with my life, that's okay. I get it. Sometimes I am too. :) Nonetheless, I have a great life and I know it! I am grateful for that and try to express it every day of my life.


Because I am new at this, I have a lot to learn about how to even do it all. I only got this up and started because a great friend, Bethany, was patient as I sat next to her today and kept asking her to tweak this or that, over and over again. This was after she and I emailed back and forth more times that I want to admit. Did I mention she is incredibly patient with me? I promised her that I would learn to do it myself, though she will have to teach me. In the long run, I think it will be worth it to her. I hope! What a great gal she is.



So, here goes. Let's see if I can do this