It has been a while since I gave an update on the upstairs remodel. Since January, we have spent almost every free moment working on the construction. The completed list includes: removing the interior walls, fixing large patches of the floor, building new walls, running electrical, data, leveling all surfaces and … finally… insulation! Above […]

Our friend Jason “Nabor J” Waicunas just passed along this great photo from 2005, when we hiked the PCT. Judging by my glowing tan/burn – this must have been taken in northern California. From left to right: Me, Chowder and Goodfoot  

My mother is a woman of many talents. This weekend, we received a very special quilt that she has been working on for our unborn daughter. It is based on the classic Sunbonnet Sue pattern – where each square depicts a playful girl with a big bonnet. However, in this quilt, our Sue working on […]

This weekend, my brother and sister-in-law stopped by for a visit. Liz is due just two weeks before Sam – so our daughter will have cousin that is almost exactly the same age. With all the lovely bellies around, it seemed like a good photo opportunity.

Last day of winter. First day of spring. Super Moon? It seemed like a good time to go bicycle camping. John, Jamie and I packed up the bikes, parked in Estacada and started riding the 40 uphill miles to Bagby hotsprings. We were hit with hail and rain along the way. At the top, there […]

Back in 2007, I got my hands on some of the elusive Bhut Jolokia seeds and grew a single plant. We got a few peppers, but the yield wasn’t great – so, I decided to not waste the room in my small garden during  the following years. But now, we have a huge garden with […]

This is the third batch (in 3 weeks) to be dumped on the same yeast. First we had the Cream Ale, then an Evil Red. Ranger Recipe This awesome IPA is one of the few New Belgium beers that I really like. It is crisp and clean and very hoppy. Here is the original recipe. […]

Last week, we brewed up the Cream Ale and used a some yeast culture (WLP 001)  that had been sitting in my fridge for over a year. Regardless of the age, fermentation started out strong and smelled clean. So to reward these awesome yeasties, I decided to dump on another batch of beer once the […]

I brewed a batch last year, but substituted the corn sugar for more 2-row. It turned out well, but a bit too sweet. Let’s follow the recipe this time to replicate the award-winning original: Kiwanda Cream Ale This is for a full 12gallon batch: 15.5 lb – pale 2 row 1.25 lb – Cara/Pils 1.25 […]

The first set is from December. You may recognize that second one. These next photos were just taken on the 1st of February: