Making wine

Eric's neighborhood is so very cool. They have set up a wine cooperative. We all get together and smash up grapes under the supervision of Josh who actually knows what he's doing. Eventually, we get to drink it. Eventually.

I don't have pictures of the crushing party, but here are some of the pressing party pictures.

This is Josh, who conned us all into doing the heavy labor. ;)

Rin and his bud Chloe

Eric and I. Man it was cold.

Last hints of summer

I realized that I didn't take any pictures of my garden this year, which is pretty silly of me. So, this is not at its best, but here is the last hint of summer in my garden. And Rin enjoying the sleepy sunshine

All of my summer effort here

Rin sure loves Eric

Eric's house

This is all actually old news, but I'm finally posting, so no complaints anyone. Eric's house is actually much further along than this.

These are the building blocks for the basement. Yes, they are styrofoam.

The footing just poorer

A layer of recycled crushed concrete

Then sand, and it took some effort to get the compactor into the work area

Next, a bunch of layers of radon barriers and other goodies

more styrofoam insulation

And then its all about putting the lego blocks together

The basement is actually done and they are working on the main floor foundations now, but I don't have pictures yet. Oh well, progress is being made.

Deschutes trip

I finally convinced Eric to take a quick camping trip to the Deschutes. It was a bit of work to drag him away from work, and haunting the permit office, but it was worth it.

wildflowers, in September?

I went to California in September, to work on some leftover PhD stuff in Davis, and to spend some time with my Grandma in Arnold.

We went for a hike up on the pacific crest trail (not a long one, but still!)

The weather was sketchy, but there were wildflowers everywhere. Tons of them.

I haven't seen so many, in wildflower season, but the end of september at 8000 feet? crazy things

We eventually got chased out by the thunder storms. Beautiful, but a little unnerving

Framing the footing

Well, it's almost October, and still no building permit. The permit office folk are getting to know Eric real well at this point. I love the comment from one secretary: 'we wish you were a jerk, because then we wouldn't feel so guilty'

But, the framing is up for the footing and they are ready to go, the moment they get the signal

Vancouver BC

Eric and I went up to Vancouver to meet with some of his friends, and get away for a while. The camera didn't come out much, so this is basically the only picture I got, but it's pretty...

The birth of a hole

Now that the house is down, the hole is being dug for the basement. It is one big hole.

The well

The foreman, or so he thought.

Eric's place: the beginning

This is the beginning (as far as I saw it, poor Eric had a year into this already) of the process to build Eric's dream home. The house on the lot was, according to the inspector, asbestos and mold held together by lead paint. yippie

The walls were black inside.

But, 2 acres

with the most amazing (admittedly overgrown) berries including raspberries, boysenberries, and cascade blackberries. yummmm

And a view that can't be beat

Summer Classes

With the whole buying of a house thing, working in the summer became rather important.

I taught 2 classes, one at PCC and one at the University of Portland.

This is my PCC 101 class. This was a condensed version, 6 hours a day of biology. these guys did amazingly well.

This is my Env Sci 182 at UP.

These poor guys had 3.5 hours of lecture, in a dark, basement room. They made it though

And now Im free! until fall quarter starts again