Meeting the Weavers

Did you ever wonder if you have blinders on when it comes to something you really like or think is wonderful?  Perhaps your “eye” is just a little prejudiced or you are seeing through rose colored glasses.  Sometimes I wonder if that describes me and the way I feel about Oregon.  That is why I love reading blogs about my home state.  I love to see my Oregon through new eyes and read what others think of this beautiful state.  Several bloggers have visited Oregon in the last few months and I enjoy reading what they have to say and seeing all the wonderful pictures.  I hope we see more of you come through Oregon this summer and if you get a chance to look us up, please do that.

One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is “Where’s Weaver.”  Paul and Marsha Weaver have been making their way up the west coast and have been in Oregon now for several days.  They are currently in Florence, OR and today they took a side trip inland to Eugene.  We were privileged to meet up with these great folks at what has become sort of our unofficial blogger meeting place, Roaring Rapids Pizza.  Previously we have met Rick and Paulette here and also Sue and Mo.   This is one of the few places in town where you can actually eat outside by the river and enjoy the ambiance of al fresco dining while watching the activity on the Willamette River.   Today there were four fishing boats in the water and the ospreys were active, looking for the catch of the day.


We had a great time and like many have said before, it was like meeting old friends.  It’s always fun to hear about the places others are traveling to and exchange stories about places you have both visited.  The only thing they didn’t tell us ahead of time is today is Marsha's birthday!  Happy Birthday friend, hope it was a good one.

This is part of the outdoor seating area at the pizza place.


A view of the river.

Potted African Daisy on the patio.  I’ve never seen one like this before.


Paul and Marsha had not yet visited the University of Oregon’s football field, Autzen Stadium.  I told them to follow me and I’d show them where it was.  What I didn’t know is there is another round of construction going on there and the entrance I wanted them to use was closed.  So I ended up taking them on a wild goose (or should I say DUCK) chase!  If you are coming to Eugene and want to see the home of the Oregon Ducks, take the Leo Harris Parkway off MLK Blvd!  Now I know!!  Sorry Paul and Marsha.

Although we gave up our season tickets a couple of years ago, we still have many fond memories of our days sitting in Autzen Stadium watching the Ducks play football.  Being tied down to those games sure cuts into the travel time though – we can always watch them on TV!  Hope you got to see at least some of the stadium Paul and Marsha and if not, here’s a picture.



Just one more thing…we were driving around the other day when Russ spied this duck family just walking up someone’s front walkway.  From the size of this crew, I think Mama Duck must have adopted some babies.  There were 9 or 10 ducklings all following along behind her.  Sorry, photo is blurry but I still wanted to share.



Have a great rest of the weekend.


Thought for the day:  The optimist can be wrong as often as the pessimist but the optimist is happier!

Last Day With the Grands and Amazon Prime

Today is the last day of grandkids week.  We didn’t get as many hours in with all the grands as we would have liked but we did what we could. 

Today we went to pizza at Roaring Rapids on the river.  After all the rain we have had, the place has definitely earned its name.  Here's a picture I took last October when Rick and Paulette stopped by on their way to California and next to that a picture of what the river looked like today.  In the summer, the Willamette is a popular river for fishing from a drift boat or just rafting for fun, but I sure wouldn’t do it now.



We managed to burn off some of the kid’s energy in the arcade.  They gravitated to the air hockey game and had a great time playing various versions of two against one.  Just look at that puck fly.





Then we got home and the Wii games that I ordered yesterday afternoon from Amazon had arrived!!  I cannot say enough about Amazon Prime.  Not only do you get free shipping no matter what the cost, it is the FASTEST shipping I have ever received from Amazon.  Now that is only items fulfilled by Amazon so if you go to an off-site store that handles their own fulfillment, you might have to pay.  I don’t think I have purchased very many items that were not fulfilled by Amazon so it’s not a concern for me.  I also love the fact that I can get tons of movies and older TV shows for free with Amazon Prime.  For $79 annually, I think it's a heck of a deal. 

So back to the new Wii games.  I bought several Dance games and the kids have been at it ever since we got back from the pizza place.  It sure uses up some energy and it’s good for them.  Here’s a short clip of them dancing – they didn’t know I was filming but they were sure having fun.



And with that we bid a fond farewell to Spring Break at the grandparents…but summer break will be here before we know it.  It’s been fun, now I’m ready for a nap!!!