Hmmm how to start this one? I guess I will just dive right in. You guys will find out in a few days that I am divorcing your step mother. I know you guys don't like her very much so that isn't going to be an issue. The part that will be hard on you will be no more Nan and Pop, and for Nathaniel it means no more sister Brooke. Both of which are going to make Nathaniel really sad and Alec the Nan and Pop thing is probably going to affect you as well. Hopefully I break the news to you guys properly so I don't hurt your little minds in any way.
This means I will be moving to Plains as I had originally planned before I met your step mom. Bob still had the cabin for rent that I wanted so I will be moving there this week. I am actually there now typing this because I slept here last night on my way home so that I could move in all the stuff I brought down from the Oregon apartment. I have so much to do here to get it ready before you guys get here later this month. The task seems overwhelming if I look at it as a whole because I have so little right now with which to set up a house, even this small cabin for us. I had sold off all my stuff when I married your step mom so I am going to have to get on Craigs list and try and find all kinds of stuff cheap because I don't have the funds to buy new.
So this morning I was up at 5am unloading the car. Bob dropped off some wood for me last night to hold me over until Ty gets here with a load of many cords for me sometime today or tomorrow. I have to call him in a bit to arrange when he will come over so I can give him the check for the wood. I need to call a guy about beds for you guys as well along with a thousand other things that need to get done today. Well you know what they say about large problems right? How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So I am doing this one bite at a time and trying to be as efficient as possible.
So hopefully when I call you guys at weeks' end and break the news to you, I will be all moved in and working on getting the stuff I need for you guys set up.
Remember always that I love you. - Love Dad.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
There (Thursday Dec 1st 2011)
I got up early this morning so I could wash clothes, pack and leave early because I had things to take care of on the way over. I did however manage to get some good pictures of two of my favorite views from the drive. The first is looking back at Flathead Lake as I travel up Hwy 28 from where it hits Hwy 93 at Elmo:
The next one is of Dog (Rainbow) Lake at the far end where Hwy 28 crosses the culvert that the stream into it runs through:
I'm not sure why, there are a lot of really pretty views along the drive, but those two are probably my all time favorites of all the views. I will post some of the other views for you guys as time goes on and when I have time to take pictures of them.
The drive was clear to Coeur d'Alene, very few clouds and crisp and cold. The pavement was very dry, I like that kind of winter driving, very little snow and no construction :)
Once I reached Coeur d'Alene it got cloudy and dark but no moisture falling and there wasn't much on the pavement either which made for a good drive to Tri-cities. I stopped and got a few groceries at WinCo there and then headed on down to Hermiston. I paid the rent here in person as soon as I arrived to save a stamp and envelope and also so I don't forget it accidentally once you guys are here and I get all excited and happy :)
Had two hot dogs for dinner along with some pickles and saltines with Dijon mustard. Quick and easy meal that filled me up and surprisingly I like that combination of tastes when I make little saltines sandwiches out of the hot dog slices and pickles with a little mustard :) Sort of like your snack lunches you like Alec but all combined at once.
I called your mom on the way over and she said you guys can skip school tomorrow and come out here with me so we get an extra day together. This makes me SUPER HAPPY!
I'm not sure why but I am really tired, I think it is probably all the stress I am under from your step mom and my job. I think I will read for a while or possibly watch a Netflix movie then go to bed.
Well that is another 400 miles down for the day :)
Remember always that I love you guys. Love Dad.
The drive was clear to Coeur d'Alene, very few clouds and crisp and cold. The pavement was very dry, I like that kind of winter driving, very little snow and no construction :)
Once I reached Coeur d'Alene it got cloudy and dark but no moisture falling and there wasn't much on the pavement either which made for a good drive to Tri-cities. I stopped and got a few groceries at WinCo there and then headed on down to Hermiston. I paid the rent here in person as soon as I arrived to save a stamp and envelope and also so I don't forget it accidentally once you guys are here and I get all excited and happy :)
Had two hot dogs for dinner along with some pickles and saltines with Dijon mustard. Quick and easy meal that filled me up and surprisingly I like that combination of tastes when I make little saltines sandwiches out of the hot dog slices and pickles with a little mustard :) Sort of like your snack lunches you like Alec but all combined at once.
I called your mom on the way over and she said you guys can skip school tomorrow and come out here with me so we get an extra day together. This makes me SUPER HAPPY!
I'm not sure why but I am really tired, I think it is probably all the stress I am under from your step mom and my job. I think I will read for a while or possibly watch a Netflix movie then go to bed.
Well that is another 400 miles down for the day :)
Remember always that I love you guys. Love Dad.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Back again(Nov 20th 2011)
I dropped you guys off with your mom today at around 2pm your time and headed back. Diesel is cheaper in Idaho right now than it is in Oregon so I refueled in Coeur d'Alene. I decided to cross over at Biggs and take SR-14 up to see if it saves any time on the way back. It turned out to be slightly shorter distance wise but it is only two lane so it takes longer. It was a prettier drive than I-84 for sure but I think I end up saving about 15 - 20 minutes by driving I-84 and that more than makes up for the few miles SR-14 is shorter.
It is getting dark on me now between Tri-Cities and Spokane so the drive is harder now. The mountain passes are starting to get lots of snow so soon there will be some very slow travel as I go over Lookout and 4th of July passes on my way home. Last year I only had to chain up a few times. Hopefully this year is the same, chaining and unchaining takes 5 - 10 minutes each time, plus my wheels are real close to the wells so sometimes I have to scrape the wells with a shovel to get enough hand room to put on the chains. If I have to chain and unchain on both passes it adds an extra 40 minutes to the drive, and then sometimes I have to chain up across the reservation too. On a really bad trip with chaining and unchaining and having to drive 35mph on the bad areas with chains it can add an extra three hours to the trip.
Thankfully that wasn't the case this time. I was tired by St Regis but not too bad so I decided to head on in to Plains and sleep in the car just outside Plains. I nearly hit a deer along the river between St Regis and Camp Bighorn. The deer aren't usually that far in to the canyon so I wasn't expecting them but fortunately one walked across the snow in the median and I saw it up ahead against the white of the snow at the edge of my lights so I slammed on the brakes and came to a stop before I hit the deer. Stupid thing was walking right down the road to avoid having to walk through the snow. It was lucky I came through not a semi, they don't even slow down they just roll right over the deer. That is one big reason to never follow a semi close over here, they will toss a deer right through your windshield and never even know it. That is what happened to Michael and Kayla's old car that caused them to have to buy their Highlander they have now. Michael was following a semi too close and it hit a deer and the rear wheels threw it up into their windshield. The semi driver never even slowed down.
I woke up their outside Plains about 2am and drove the rest of the way home. Didn't sleep at all once I got home just kind of rested then got up for work at 7am. It was a pretty good drive back all in all.
Love,
Dad
It is getting dark on me now between Tri-Cities and Spokane so the drive is harder now. The mountain passes are starting to get lots of snow so soon there will be some very slow travel as I go over Lookout and 4th of July passes on my way home. Last year I only had to chain up a few times. Hopefully this year is the same, chaining and unchaining takes 5 - 10 minutes each time, plus my wheels are real close to the wells so sometimes I have to scrape the wells with a shovel to get enough hand room to put on the chains. If I have to chain and unchain on both passes it adds an extra 40 minutes to the drive, and then sometimes I have to chain up across the reservation too. On a really bad trip with chaining and unchaining and having to drive 35mph on the bad areas with chains it can add an extra three hours to the trip.
Thankfully that wasn't the case this time. I was tired by St Regis but not too bad so I decided to head on in to Plains and sleep in the car just outside Plains. I nearly hit a deer along the river between St Regis and Camp Bighorn. The deer aren't usually that far in to the canyon so I wasn't expecting them but fortunately one walked across the snow in the median and I saw it up ahead against the white of the snow at the edge of my lights so I slammed on the brakes and came to a stop before I hit the deer. Stupid thing was walking right down the road to avoid having to walk through the snow. It was lucky I came through not a semi, they don't even slow down they just roll right over the deer. That is one big reason to never follow a semi close over here, they will toss a deer right through your windshield and never even know it. That is what happened to Michael and Kayla's old car that caused them to have to buy their Highlander they have now. Michael was following a semi too close and it hit a deer and the rear wheels threw it up into their windshield. The semi driver never even slowed down.
I woke up their outside Plains about 2am and drove the rest of the way home. Didn't sleep at all once I got home just kind of rested then got up for work at 7am. It was a pretty good drive back all in all.
Love,
Dad
Friday, November 18, 2011
There (Thursday Nov 17th 2011)
A few things have happened since I last saw you boys. I got my deer so we have meat for this winter that has super low fat and no hormones etc. Better than grass grown beef :) Here is a picture of it, I had to tie the tag to the antler with my bow stringer because I forgot tape in my pack that day.
I butchered and wrapped the meat and got it in the freezer last weekend so that is all taken care of. You guys know you can see the antlers if you want in the garage but I don't mount them because it seems disrespectful to treat something that gives us so much as simply an object to be possessed. We will make the antlers into something useful over this winter be it knife handles or arrow nocks etc. You guys know the drill, you have helped me make stuff from them many times before.
The drive over was really bad. I got the flu on Wednesday and was running a fever all night and in to Thursday. It was also storming and the roads were covered with ice and snow. Due to the amount of effort it was going to take to cross the mountains and how sick I was I felt it best to take the day off and then I could take naps on the way over as I grew tired. I only ended up having to rest once in near Plains because the drive across the reservation was so bad and so long due to only being able to go 25mph in many places.
Once I reached Kellog the roads began to be clear and dry and the rest of the trip over was uneventful other than being kind of light headed from being so sick the previous day.
By Friday morning I am feeling nearly 100% better and I will drive to come get you guys in just a few hours. Alec you called me earlier to let me know you were going to a movie with your mother and would then meet me in the Dalles.
Remember I love you both and I will see you in just a few hours. - Dad
I butchered and wrapped the meat and got it in the freezer last weekend so that is all taken care of. You guys know you can see the antlers if you want in the garage but I don't mount them because it seems disrespectful to treat something that gives us so much as simply an object to be possessed. We will make the antlers into something useful over this winter be it knife handles or arrow nocks etc. You guys know the drill, you have helped me make stuff from them many times before.
The drive over was really bad. I got the flu on Wednesday and was running a fever all night and in to Thursday. It was also storming and the roads were covered with ice and snow. Due to the amount of effort it was going to take to cross the mountains and how sick I was I felt it best to take the day off and then I could take naps on the way over as I grew tired. I only ended up having to rest once in near Plains because the drive across the reservation was so bad and so long due to only being able to go 25mph in many places.
Once I reached Kellog the roads began to be clear and dry and the rest of the trip over was uneventful other than being kind of light headed from being so sick the previous day.
By Friday morning I am feeling nearly 100% better and I will drive to come get you guys in just a few hours. Alec you called me earlier to let me know you were going to a movie with your mother and would then meet me in the Dalles.
Remember I love you both and I will see you in just a few hours. - Dad
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Back again(Nov 6th 2011)
Well it took me a bit to post this one because work got so busy right when I got back here to Montana.
Sunday I dropped you guys off with your mom in the Dalles and then I headed back to Montana. I usually stop for diesel in Hermiston on the way back at that Space Age truck stop off Hwy 207. Diesel is more expensive now in Oregon than Montana which is the reverse from what it was earlier this fall.
The drive from Hermiston to Spokane was normal except that it is getting dark now by the time I get to Spokane. I stopped in Coeur d'Alene to get some sun flower seeds and a coke to drink to stay awake on the drive through the mountains.
Oh I e-mailed Jenny and sure enough it was her I saw on my way over, the school had an early out so she was done teaching for the day and that is why she was out and about when I drove through.
The moon was out pretty bright on the way over the mountains until I got to Lookout pass and then it clouded up. It is still hunting season so I saw no animals out at all. Too many Montuckey Cleetuses shooting at them at night so they stay away from the roads this time of year for the most part.
Got too tired to drive any further so I pulled over just before the CSKT reservation and slept in the car for a bit. As usual the cold woke me up about an hour later and I had a bit of my coke and then continued toward home. I almost hit a collared dog around midnight on the far side of the reservation. Not sure what it was doing on Hwy 93 at midnight but its collar was reflective so I was able to see it and stop in time. Just a few seconds later I saw a deer in the road so it was good the dog caused me to slow down. I wonder if maybe the dog had been chasing deer and that is why they were both up on the hwy? Anyway after that I continued home and saw no more animals.
Pretty uneventful but the return drives generally are this time of year. I like uneventful because later on when the weather gets bad and I have to drive 25mph on icy roads across the passes it is a lot less fun of a drive. Also not hitting any deer and having to have body work done on the car is always a bonus :)
Oh and my friend Ty who makes the lures we use for perch fishing got his elk this week. A nice four by five. It is a raghorn but his family needs the meat not the horns just like us so I am glad they got one. Here is a picture:
Sunday I dropped you guys off with your mom in the Dalles and then I headed back to Montana. I usually stop for diesel in Hermiston on the way back at that Space Age truck stop off Hwy 207. Diesel is more expensive now in Oregon than Montana which is the reverse from what it was earlier this fall.
The drive from Hermiston to Spokane was normal except that it is getting dark now by the time I get to Spokane. I stopped in Coeur d'Alene to get some sun flower seeds and a coke to drink to stay awake on the drive through the mountains.
Oh I e-mailed Jenny and sure enough it was her I saw on my way over, the school had an early out so she was done teaching for the day and that is why she was out and about when I drove through.
The moon was out pretty bright on the way over the mountains until I got to Lookout pass and then it clouded up. It is still hunting season so I saw no animals out at all. Too many Montuckey Cleetuses shooting at them at night so they stay away from the roads this time of year for the most part.
Got too tired to drive any further so I pulled over just before the CSKT reservation and slept in the car for a bit. As usual the cold woke me up about an hour later and I had a bit of my coke and then continued toward home. I almost hit a collared dog around midnight on the far side of the reservation. Not sure what it was doing on Hwy 93 at midnight but its collar was reflective so I was able to see it and stop in time. Just a few seconds later I saw a deer in the road so it was good the dog caused me to slow down. I wonder if maybe the dog had been chasing deer and that is why they were both up on the hwy? Anyway after that I continued home and saw no more animals.
Pretty uneventful but the return drives generally are this time of year. I like uneventful because later on when the weather gets bad and I have to drive 25mph on icy roads across the passes it is a lot less fun of a drive. Also not hitting any deer and having to have body work done on the car is always a bonus :)
Oh and my friend Ty who makes the lures we use for perch fishing got his elk this week. A nice four by five. It is a raghorn but his family needs the meat not the horns just like us so I am glad they got one. Here is a picture:
Thursday, November 3, 2011
There (Thursday Nov 3rd 2011)
Like I do every other Thursday I woke up early this morning and started work long before sun up so I can leave at noon to drive over here to Oregon. Everything went well and I was able to leave home by noon. The news was warning of snow in the mountains but I just missed it. It was dry but overcast the whole way over once I hit the main mountains from St Regis to Coeur d'alene.
I was going to take a picture of Dog (Rainbow) Lake on my way over in its fall colors but when I snapped the pic it said my battery was dead so I won't know if it actually took the picture until I get batteries for the camera tomorrow. One of these days I am going to have to e-mail Lester Big Crane who is the fish and wildlife program manager for the CSKT reservation and ask him why Dog lake has two names. I will write the reason here if he knows so that you guys will know it too.
Thought I saw my friend Jenny Griffin when I drove through St Regis today. I waved but with the Oregon plates on the car I was driving she probably just thought I was a crazy person :) I'll have to e-mail her tonight and see if it was her. I need to get that car's plates moved to Montana plates, I just keep getting busy and forgetting.
Hunting season is on and due to this the animals are staying away from the roads so I didn't see much in the way of animal life on my way over.
Kellog oddly enough was almost completely covered in smoke like a thick fog, hard to see through in places. I thought maybe it was a forest fire at first but when I got to the far end it turned out just to be every Cletus in the valley was burning their slash piles and the whole valley was covered in smoke. I wonder what Dilbert at the local county office decided it would be a good idea to give everyone a burn permit for the same day? Or maybe they OKd it because they thought it would snow today and hold down the smoke and when it didn't they ended up with a valley full of unbreathable air?
I stopped at Winco in Tri-Cities and picked up your favorite drinks and food for the weekend. In case it changes as you grow up I'll tell you what your favorites are currently.
For you Alec you like to have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast but they have to be made from scratch, for lunch you like cold cuts, pickles, cheese, and saltines or oyster crackers, for dinner you like my home made pizza or else broiled hamburgers, for snacks you like salt and pepper popcorn cooked on the stove and your favorite drink is yellow Gatorade.
Nathaniel you still prefer regular Lays potato chips, and apple juice for every meal if I would let you.
You also both like the organic milk I get for you. After all my years growing up on a dairy farm there is no way I would let you guys drink non-organic milk. I saw what other dairy farmers did with their cows and there is no way I would ever want you guys drinking that.
I watched Delhi Belly(it was pretty funny) and made myself some all vegetable sushi tonight to eat while I was watching it. It was good, the movie and the sushi. I really prefer it with fish on it but veggies work in a pinch and it is easy to make so it works for an easy meal for me when I get here and I am too tired to make much of anything. I used a mixture of half Quinoa and half Japanese rice for the rice in my sushi rolls. The Quinoa adds protein and flavor and it ends up being a lot tastier than just straight rice.
Well guys I am going to put some hamburger out to thaw for dinner tomorrow, watch a funny video clip uncle Adam sent to me today and then I am going to hit the rack it is 23:20 Montana time right now.
Remember I love you both. Night. - Dad
I was going to take a picture of Dog (Rainbow) Lake on my way over in its fall colors but when I snapped the pic it said my battery was dead so I won't know if it actually took the picture until I get batteries for the camera tomorrow. One of these days I am going to have to e-mail Lester Big Crane who is the fish and wildlife program manager for the CSKT reservation and ask him why Dog lake has two names. I will write the reason here if he knows so that you guys will know it too.
Thought I saw my friend Jenny Griffin when I drove through St Regis today. I waved but with the Oregon plates on the car I was driving she probably just thought I was a crazy person :) I'll have to e-mail her tonight and see if it was her. I need to get that car's plates moved to Montana plates, I just keep getting busy and forgetting.
Hunting season is on and due to this the animals are staying away from the roads so I didn't see much in the way of animal life on my way over.
Kellog oddly enough was almost completely covered in smoke like a thick fog, hard to see through in places. I thought maybe it was a forest fire at first but when I got to the far end it turned out just to be every Cletus in the valley was burning their slash piles and the whole valley was covered in smoke. I wonder what Dilbert at the local county office decided it would be a good idea to give everyone a burn permit for the same day? Or maybe they OKd it because they thought it would snow today and hold down the smoke and when it didn't they ended up with a valley full of unbreathable air?
I stopped at Winco in Tri-Cities and picked up your favorite drinks and food for the weekend. In case it changes as you grow up I'll tell you what your favorites are currently.
For you Alec you like to have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast but they have to be made from scratch, for lunch you like cold cuts, pickles, cheese, and saltines or oyster crackers, for dinner you like my home made pizza or else broiled hamburgers, for snacks you like salt and pepper popcorn cooked on the stove and your favorite drink is yellow Gatorade.
Nathaniel you still prefer regular Lays potato chips, and apple juice for every meal if I would let you.
You also both like the organic milk I get for you. After all my years growing up on a dairy farm there is no way I would let you guys drink non-organic milk. I saw what other dairy farmers did with their cows and there is no way I would ever want you guys drinking that.
I watched Delhi Belly(it was pretty funny) and made myself some all vegetable sushi tonight to eat while I was watching it. It was good, the movie and the sushi. I really prefer it with fish on it but veggies work in a pinch and it is easy to make so it works for an easy meal for me when I get here and I am too tired to make much of anything. I used a mixture of half Quinoa and half Japanese rice for the rice in my sushi rolls. The Quinoa adds protein and flavor and it ends up being a lot tastier than just straight rice.
Well guys I am going to put some hamburger out to thaw for dinner tomorrow, watch a funny video clip uncle Adam sent to me today and then I am going to hit the rack it is 23:20 Montana time right now.
Remember I love you both. Night. - Dad
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
What this is
First and foremost I am a father of two wonderful boys. I live in Montana, they live in SW Washington with their mother(my ex). Every other week I drive 1,200 miles to see them and spend the weekend with them. They are the lights of my life. Before I was a father I was a Marine, nothing special just a regular infantry grunt TOW gunner. I served 8 years and saw my share of war. Now I am an engineer and I also write software for other engineers mostly in the field of optical engineering.
So what this blog is, is an open letter to my boys that they can read when they get older about their father's travels to see them so when I am gone some day they know what I went through to be able to spend time with them, so that they know how much I love them. When they turn 18 I will hopefully be printing all the entries and images into a small book for each of them to have.
I see a lot of neat things on the drive over and back as well so hopefully there will be pictures and neat stories too. I have been doing this drive for nearly 2 years now. I average about 40,000 miles a year on my car between regular weekend visits, holiday visits etc. So some post will be about working on the car and keeping it in shape for those long drives. My vehicle is a diesel VW Jetta that averages around 40+ mpg and I do 99% of the work on it myself to keep it healthy. Some posts will be about my life here in Montana so they can see the things I do here while I am not with them.
If you happen on my blog by chance and decide to read it, then welcome, but bear in my mind this is ultimately for my children not for anyone else and they may be reading it as they grow older so if you comment please only post things that are child friendly.
So what this blog is, is an open letter to my boys that they can read when they get older about their father's travels to see them so when I am gone some day they know what I went through to be able to spend time with them, so that they know how much I love them. When they turn 18 I will hopefully be printing all the entries and images into a small book for each of them to have.
I see a lot of neat things on the drive over and back as well so hopefully there will be pictures and neat stories too. I have been doing this drive for nearly 2 years now. I average about 40,000 miles a year on my car between regular weekend visits, holiday visits etc. So some post will be about working on the car and keeping it in shape for those long drives. My vehicle is a diesel VW Jetta that averages around 40+ mpg and I do 99% of the work on it myself to keep it healthy. Some posts will be about my life here in Montana so they can see the things I do here while I am not with them.
If you happen on my blog by chance and decide to read it, then welcome, but bear in my mind this is ultimately for my children not for anyone else and they may be reading it as they grow older so if you comment please only post things that are child friendly.
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