March 08, 2010
Garter stitch baby blanket
I just completed this garter stitch blanket for a friend with a two month old and delivered it last night. The fabric is super soft and I'm happy with how it came out.
Posted by Dave at 05:07 PM |
Winter camping on Mt. Hood
"Adventure on your own frontier" was the motto of the summer camp I went to for many years and this weekend, thanks to Jason proposing a winter camping trip on Mt. Hood, I got a healthy dose of that. Jason showed me some of the tricks of winter camping which I hadn't done since some family trips back when I was kid. After celebrating Jason's 30th birthday at a bar with friends the night before we got a late start on Friday. We drove up a snowy road past Laurance Lake near Parkdale and got to the trailhead we were looking for, the Subaru did great. Snowshoeing and skinning the five miles up to Elk Cove at around 5500 feet took a long time; Jason and Sam stayed out in front. We arrived at the meadow well after dark and found a spot for camp. Jason got dinner going and I dug out a pad for our tent. The sky above was filled with stars, we didn't see any other lights except planes. In fact we didn't see anyone the entire weekend.Saturday dawned sunny and calm. We lazed about getting ready in the morning, enjoying our amazing campsite, surrounded by snow-covered Barrett Spur and Mt. Hood. With much lighter packs we hiked up to the ridge and then climbed the ridge to about 7000'. We ditched the packs and hiked further, finding a lookout over the Ladd Glacier. Then it was time for some turns down the mountain, Jason on his telemark skis, me on the snowboard for my first backcountry descent.
All too soon we turned to hike back up to the ridge where we soaked up the sun and lingered. We then skied back to camp down the steeper east side of Barrett Spur where the snow had been in the shade for a while and gotten quite firm. We both managed to ski to the edge of camp which was fun.
So far everything couldn't have really gone any better. Sunday however brought the real adventure. I proposed we go back a different way and Jason eagerly agreed. So we hauled all our stuff up the ridge again and then skied down to our car off-trail. We definitely took the shortest route but predictably we ran in to some very steep terrain. First some icy snowfields in an open forest. I had to find some softer snow in the trees to dig my boots in to on the descent. Sam reluctantly followed me down. Then we quickly found ourselves in even worse shape in a dense forest with lots of downfall and completely icy underfoot. We both were relieved when we got on a gentler slope. There was still some slogging through deep snow between a creek and a clearcut field with young trees before we reached the car. What a trip!
Turns out the adventure wasn't quite over. I was driving the Subaru back down the snowy, icy road and within a few hundred yards of the pavement drove it off to the snowbank on the left, thankfully not the slope down to the creek on the right. It was pretty far off in the snow and it took Jason and I two hours or so of the day's last light to dig it out and get back on the road. I thought we were going to be hiking out of there for a while. Rolling in to Parkdale we enjoyed beer and nachos to celebrate getting out there for some adventure.
More photos on Facebook and check out Jason's excellent shots!
Posted by Dave at 03:47 PM |
February 20, 2010
Wine Country ride
Gorgeous ride in wine country on a sunny Saturday in February!
Posted by Dave at 08:45 PM |
February 08, 2010
My "iPad"
Since I am not Stephen Colbert or Steve Jobs I don't yet have an iPad, but I am planning to modify some of my apps for the device and possibly develop some new ones so I wanted to create a mock-up to help with the interface design process. I was planning to do this on my own from Apple's site but of course someone already did it and I just printed these plans, cut and folded!
Posted by Dave at 02:50 PM |
Sun worshipping
Like most Portlanders my dog is a sun-worshipper this time of year. We're enjoying a window of spring-like conditions.
Posted by Dave at 01:33 PM |
January 23, 2010
Pocket Creek cross-country ski
Beautiful day out on the mountain, went on a six mile cross-country ski loop from the Pocket Creek Sno-Park with Jason, Elvira and Sam. Tried a new Musher's wax on Sam's feet, think it helped but it was also pretty warm. We all enjoyed soaking up the sun and getting some exercise, and as bonus stopped in Hood River on the way home to see a friend's three-week old baby.
Posted by Dave at 06:59 PM |
January 16, 2010
Inaugural 2010 Sisyphean Jersey ride
Enjoyed the first group ride of the year, showing off our new team jerseys. Good to be back on the bike with these guys.
Posted by Dave at 04:14 PM |
January 04, 2010
Whimsy Animals Japanese video
Whimsy Animals was recently featured on another Japanese website from which I was able to get the automatically translated snippet, "It is the one item which you recommend to the iPhone fathers of world." Not bad, best part is this super cute video.
Posted by Dave at 09:31 PM |
December 31, 2009
Happy New Year!
2009 was an eventful and rich year for me with many blessings, first among them my friends and family. In the early, cold, short days of the year I started road biking with a group of people I now count among my good friends. We tackled an insane ride in April and mountain biked around Mount Hood in July. I completed my second triathlon, ran the Wildwood trail, ran around Mount Hood in a day, started cross-country skiing and went camping in an amazing wilderness.
On the business front I started developing apps for the iPhone (and iPod Touch). I am now selling four apps on the iTunes store with more to come. Wish me luck and tell your friends.
I wish you all the best in health and happiness for 2010.
Dave
Posted by Dave at 07:28 PM |
December 26, 2009
More snowplay, this time with canines!
Boy Scout Ridge from White River West Snopark.
more photosPosted by Dave at 08:15 PM |
December 23, 2009
Stenson ski trip
In what I hope will be an annual tradition I joined the Stensons and some friends for a four day stay up at Government Camp. We had a rainy first few days which didn't surprise the locals but the Alaskans had not skied in the rain before. It got colder Monday, bringing some fresh snow to play in. Thanks Jason and Elvira for planning such a fun getaway!
more photosPosted by Dave at 12:55 PM |
December 16, 2009
Whimsy in Japan
I guess this website is popular in Japan because yesterday they mentioned my iPhone app Whimsy which resulted in 732 downloads in Japan for the day after only accruing twenty downloads total in that region since launching on the App Store. Whimsy is a free version of my Whimsy Animals app that has a dozen of the sixty animal puzzles in the paid version. Hopefully this will drive a few paid sales of Whimsy Animals.
The downloads pushed Whimsy to the #3 ranking free kids app and #34 free game and #108 free app overall in the Japan iTunes store. I couldn't make much sense of the review, some online translators claim to work for Japanese to English but here's the translation of a new 5-star user review in Japan for Whimsy: "It was very popular in the son. Furthermore type many in should have become the shank." I think his kid liked it and maybe with a few more animals it could become the "shank".
Posted by Dave at 08:51 AM |
December 07, 2009
Chapter 18: Aging Effects
Mom and I have worked through four chapters of Derek Lea's book Creative Photoshop over the past week. We've learned lots of new techniques and have been inspired.
Posted by Dave at 10:06 AM |
December 05, 2009
Chapter 14: Real World Collage
Our snowy day project from Woods Gap
Posted by Dave at 11:49 AM |
December 02, 2009
Chapter 5 of Creative Photoshop
More rainy day Photoshop work from Derek Lea's book. Lots of pen tool drawing to "trace" this photograph.
Posted by Dave at 12:52 PM |
November 30, 2009
Creative Photoshop
My mom and I have spent the last couple of days working with Photoshop building this image from the book Creative Photoshop by Derek Lea. The final image is the result of combining an image of a model and various architectural images and concrete texture. We learned lots of new techniques for blending and coloring an image. I hope to tackle an original project sometime using some of these same techniques.
Posted by Dave at 12:24 PM |
November 12, 2009
Whimsy apps approved and live on iTunes
My latest iPhone apps, Whimsy and Whimsy Animals, have been approved by Apple and are now on the iPhone app store. Whimsy Animals is a simple kids jigsaw game, check out the video below. My three-year old niece helped beta test the app, look forward to seeing what others think.
Posted by Dave at 05:40 PM |
November 09, 2009
Cross Crusade and SSCXWC at PIR
Posted by Dave at 01:41 PM |
November 07, 2009
Larch mountain
Ran/hiked up Larch mountain today from Multnomah Falls with Scott and Lisa. Weather was good for running on the way up but just as we turned to head down the storm came in and it started snowing/sleeting with thunder. Turned in to a cold rain as we descended and the trail was more and more of a little creek of its own. Fun adventure!
Posted by Dave at 05:25 PM |
October 25, 2009
Hillsboro 'cross
Posted by Dave at 04:49 PM |
Pumpkin carving party
A great tradition continues...
photosPosted by Dave at 09:51 AM |
October 18, 2009
Sherwood 'cross
Great new venue. photos
Posted by Dave at 04:56 PM |
October 14, 2009
Cyclocross: Rainier High School
Drew jumping the barrier. photo: Oregon Velo
I made it out for a beautiful day of racing with Drew, Beth, Scott, Brian and Megan and 1200 other racers for the second Cross Crusade race. It was a hilly and fun course. I managed to finish (barely) without a flat this time. With the rains here this week next Sunday is probably going to be a lot muddier.
Posted by Dave at 11:28 AM |
October 04, 2009
Cyclocross season begins!
Posted by Dave at 07:00 PM |
September 26, 2009
G-20 in Pittsburgh
Yesterday morning I rode around Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood and saw police and protesters gearing up for another day. Thursday there were some clashes on the streets between police and folks protesting the G-20 meeting here. Obama and other world leaders were in town for two days to discuss the world economy. Unlike Thursday, Friday's march was permitted.
Posted by Dave at 07:07 AM |
September 10, 2009
Around Mt. Hood on the Timberline trail
Two years ago on 07/07/07 I did my first circumnav of a local volcano when Scott and I ran/hiked around Mt. St. Helens in a day, with Sam too! Later that summer we also ran around Mt. Adams in a day. Yesterday on 09/09/09 I circumnavigated Mt. Hood on the Timberline trail in fifteen hours. Even though the trail needs plenty of maintenance it is the most established of the three. St. Helens had washout after washout, Adams doesn't have a trail on the Yakima Nation land on the east side, but Hood is also the longest at forty-one miles and has lots of elevation gain and some tricky navigation at the river crossings. The trail is officially closed at the Eliot Branch washout but it is possible to get around although it's a bit of a slog. All in all an amazing day.
Around Mt. Hood on the Timberline trail
Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS Trip Sharing with Google Mapsmore photos
Posted by Dave at 09:40 AM |
August 31, 2009
Multnomah Falls Ride
Rode out to Multnomah Falls yesterday with my usual group plus Mom, Dad and Drew. Beth drove out with the girls and gave them a ride home after taking a little hike. It was cool and overcast biking out and then the sun broke out at the falls. Awesome ride!
GPSPosted by Dave at 07:54 AM |
August 27, 2009
Bike Quiver launches with local blog mention
Bike Quiver was approved by Apple and published to the iTunes App Store last night. This is my third iPhone app and a very simple but hopefully useful one. The idea is it's a great practice to record the serial numbers of all your bikes in case of theft but we don't always get around to it. Now, your phone is right there and your bike is right there so just enter in the info. The app can be used for more too, you can record your seat post height, tube size, gearing, etc. Also there's a whole section to log maintenance done on your bike and mileage.The launch got off to a good start with a mention on BikePortland.org this morning.
Posted by Dave at 02:27 PM |
August 24, 2009
Goat Lake
I spent three days out backpacking with Jenny and Anne in the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington State. Sam came too and was a trooper with all the mountain climbing. He is still recovering. On our last day we scrambled up a ridge to find sixty or so goats all around. There was a moment of surprise on all sides before the goats took off down the cliff and scrambled up the other side. I "took" several photos before realizing my camera was off...
Photos - GPSPosted by Dave at 08:04 AM |
August 15, 2009
A well-deserved rest
Sam and I ran the whole Wildwood trail today! After this rest he got Kibbles n' Bits at the Tin Shed!
Posted by Dave at 05:39 PM |
August 10, 2009
Cascade Huts mountain biking trip
Some friends and I pedaled around Mt. Hood the last four days covering 130+ miles all the while keeping the mountain over our right shoulder even if we couldn't always see it for the trees or the clouds. Cascade Huts stocks three huts with food, sleeping bags, an adjacent outhouse and more so you don't have to carry much on your bike. We linked together little traveled forest service roads and some singletrack, usually staying between 3000'-6000' in elevation. The days were pretty long and it was a little cold at times traveling through the clouds. Amy was very impressive riding drop bars and relatively narrow tires compared to the rest of us on knobbies and with front suspension. Thank goodness for Mt. Hood National Forest!
Facebook photo album
Posted by Dave at 11:49 AM |
July 21, 2009
Knit Buddy a staff pick in Knitscene magazine
Posted by Dave at 01:27 PM |
June 30, 2009
Pacific Crest Triathlon
Posted by Dave at 09:03 PM |
June 18, 2009
Beach getaway
Took a one night mid-week beach getaway with Sam and Jenny. We camped near Cape Lookout. I got a little bit of surfing in and we stopped at Pelican Pub on the way home. Felt like a real vacation and we were gone only a little over twenty-four hours.
Posted by Dave at 09:24 AM |
June 09, 2009
Drew's graduation and trip to Bend
Mom and Dad came in for Drew's medical school graduation and with Dad retired Drew has taken over as the doctor in the family. At the graduation Drew was awarded the special honor of the gold-headed cane. The next day we all headed down to Bend for some recreating and relaxing in the sun. Lots of runs, mountain bikes, road rides and a very cold swim in Elk Lake for Beth and me in preparation for our triathlon at the end of the month. Didn't take too many photos but here's a few snapped with my iPhone, as usual Sarah and Sam star.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 04:54 PM |
May 23, 2009
Goodbye Chickens
When I was out of town in Virginia a raccoon got in to the coop through the nest box and killed my chickens. Thanks to my friends and neighbors for dealing with the situation and looking for survivors.
I had become quite attached to Betty, Celeste and the gray ones (Lucy and Laverne) and was very sad to return home to their absence. Besides feeling the loss of the happy animals in my yard it pains me that I failed in my role as a protector for these vulnerable animals. I built a very solid coop but the nest box door turned out to be a weak point. Raccoons are more persistent than I'd imagined. Especially with Sam not around to run them off.
I'm sorry I failed you guys. You are missed. Rest in peace.
Posted by Dave at 07:55 PM |
May 07, 2009
UniSudoku for the iPhone and iPod Touch
Fast on the heels of Knit Buddy, I have just released UniSudoku for the iPhone. Now the addictive game is available anywhere on your iPhone or iPod Touch. I let my Mac users know about the product through an email and hope their interest will help jump start the game in a very crowded market. There are only a handful of knitting apps for the iPhone but at this point there are dozens and dozens of Sudoku games. However (a) I think UniSudoku is a great implementation of it for the iPhone and (b) with the low cost of games on the App Store people are willing to try something new if they've heard good things. It will be interesting to see how it goes.
Posted by Dave at 09:35 PM |
April 30, 2009
Knit Buddy scores four mice
A nice review from Macworld on Knit Buddy was just published.
Posted by Dave at 03:40 PM |
April 27, 2009
The Dalles Cherry Festival Century
The Dalles Cherry Festival Century
Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS GeotaggingPosted by Dave at 09:40 AM |
April 12, 2009
Twin Lakes Ski
Got out again for a cross-country ski. There was some fresh snow compared to a week ago. We overlapped routes a little bit. No off-trail adventure this time but plenty of fun and exercise. Only saw a couple of snowshoers the whole day.
Posted by Dave at 09:24 AM |
April 09, 2009
Knit Buddy
My first iPhone app has just been released on the iTunes store. I submitted KnitBuddy to iTunes on April 1st and was just informed last night that it passed the review. Now I get to see what all those iPhone and iPod Touch carrying knitters think of it! Apple has created a great development environment for the iPhone and I think it will make a good complement to my Mac development.
Posted by Dave at 08:42 AM |
April 08, 2009
Signing up for Gmail
I mentioned before how hard it is for the seniors I teach at the library to decipher the captchas required to sign up for an email account. So today we decided to click on the handicapped icon to the side of the captcha which is supposed to play numbers you type in (again to verify you're not an automated computer program). Well, the numbers play but in the background are some satanic sounding noises that are pretty disturbing. Are the tests just going to get harder for distinguishing between a human and a computer program? Like on Battlestar Galactica?Posted by Dave at 12:34 PM |
April 06, 2009
Barlow Pass Ski Adventure
It was an outdoors weekend with the weather we had. On Sunday I went out to test my new cross-country skiing gear. We were planning a fairly mellow day but after some off-trail adventuring it turned in to a little more than that. It was a warm day on the mountain and my skis felt great. The highlight was climbing on to a treeless butte with Hood right in front of us and miles of view in every direction. No cameras with us unfortunately. Sam got really tuckered out and is having a quiet morning.
Posted by Dave at 10:13 AM |
De Ronde van Oeste Portlandia
De Ronde van Oeste Portlandia
Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS GeotaggingThe main event was Saturday for our hill climbing bike group and it lived up to all expectations. Each and every Sisyphean Hill Rider had the legs for the long-haul. Those early morning rides up Pittock must have done something. Unlike other epic rides we never were very far from the start or end point but instead intensively worked the core concept of hill climbing and we were always discovering a new hidden garden or Italian villa as the sweat poured from us on what felt like a summer weekend. The wandering route was extremely well marked and we only got off course briefly a couple of times. I was trying to keep up with Jason most of the day.
I managed to avoid walking the steepest hills and spiked my heart rate north of 180 as a result. I did get in a tangle up early in the ride on Brynwood and unfortunately I think it ended the ride for the other party due to a bike problem. Thank goodness for my sturdy Surly mount which I converted back in to a geared bike (triple!) for this ride. I salute the folks who conceived and created this ride, makes you realize we live in a special town.
Posted by Dave at 09:00 AM |
March 28, 2009
A wet hike in the Gorge
Posted by Dave at 04:20 PM |
March 27, 2009
Me and the boys
Maybe I should start a side business looking after dogs with deluxe exercise options. A few weeks ago I was at the Delta with Rae and Sam; today it was Morton, Coulee and Sam. We had a good romp and they all got along great and are pretty quiet now. Mostly it's a lot of fun for both Sam and I to have an extra dog (or two) around for a while.
Posted by Dave at 03:32 PM |
March 13, 2009
Chickens in the coop
I got the hens in the coop today, here they are figuring out the ramp. Now I get to see if my design works for the birds! Aesthetically it turned out well and I'm hopeful it will be a good home for them. I will adapt it as necessary. I think they're going to be happier outside. They promptly laid two eggs to inaugurate the new digs (not in the nest box I built though, we'll work on that).
Posted by Dave at 07:01 PM |
March 12, 2009
Early morning cardio
For the third morning in a row I've gotten out for an early morning workout. It's darker after the time change but I've been able to seen the full moon set and the sun rise. This morning the view from Pittock was incredible as the day dawned.
Posted by Dave at 09:33 AM |
March 06, 2009
Dogs at the Delta
On a gorgeous Friday afternoon in March.
Posted by Dave at 06:09 PM |
February 15, 2009
Worst Day of the Year Ride
There was a promising cold drizzle this morning when I woke up and rode down to the Lucky Lab for the start of the Worst Day of the Year ride. But soon after we began riding the rain stopped and before long it deteriorated into a full blown sunny day. Alas, no bragging rights for riding today. It was a fun route, visiting two REIs and with two good hill climbs. I'd last ridden the climb up Thompson back towards the city on the last day of my cross-country bicycle tour. It's one of those that keeps going turn after turn with great views back west towards the coast range. There were a lot of happy faces at the crest on Skyline. The ride ended with lentil soup, focaccia and beer at the Lucky Lab. At least it was wet enough to get my fuzzy dice muddy.
Posted by Dave at 05:33 PM |
February 08, 2009
Hill riders climb on
I did my fourth ride with the recently dubbed Sisyphean Hill Riders group on Saturday. Our leader Harrison took us all over the southwest hills on a tour of his childhood homes and schools. I never knew Portland had so many fancy houses tucked up there! And the sun felt splendid. We did have a few mechanicals. Jason C. had a flat tire that was quickly dealt with but then Jason S.'s derailleur sheared off shifting gears on our way up to Council Crest! Bummer, but he soon had his bike converted to single speed and we made it up to Council Crest anyway, just in time for sunset and great views of St. Helens and Hood. Then a big bomb down the mountain for beers at the Blue Moon. Whee!
Posted by Dave at 06:12 PM |
January 29, 2009
Back to babysitting
After a bit of a break I'm back to babysitting. Sarah, Sam and I played in the sun on my back deck. She was inspired by the coop being under construction and built her own version out of the scraps. Beth, Emily and Rae walked in the park. I will slowly work up to watching both of them. It was a lot of fun to hang out with Sarah again.
Posted by Dave at 04:32 PM |
January 26, 2009
Hills Ride #3
On Saturday I joined some friends for my second hills ride of the year and it did not disappoint. We climbed to Pittock Mansion, back to downtown, up to Washington Park, up Skyline, down Cornell, up the San Francisco-esque NW Brynwood Ln. It took me two breaks but I made it up that one in the granny gear of my mountain bike. We all watched in awe as a gentleman in his mid-fifties cruised by us at a steady pace, able to converse easily on a Bike Friday. Then we headed over to Forest Park and cruised down Saltzman and Leif Erickson through the thick snow flakes to arrive tired and happy at McMenamin's Blue Moon on NW 21st. The wood stove and a couple Terminator Stouts for me was the perfect recovery.
Posted by Dave at 04:21 PM |
January 20, 2009
President Obama
Thanks to everyone who dropped in for waffles and mimosas to mark the occasion!
Posted by Dave at 10:51 AM |
January 09, 2009
Eggs!
I changed out the chickens' bedding this morning to discover three little eggs! This is way ahead of when I thought they'd be laying. They are still in the bathtub in the basement which does not have a separate nest box. So I am going to get busy on the coop for the yard. In the meantime I turned off the heat lamp to maybe get them to think about not laying as much right now. I am excited to be getting fresh eggs though! Good job Celeste, Betty, Lucy and/or Laverne, not sure which ones are responsible.
Posted by Dave at 01:42 PM |
January 04, 2009
Piggy mittens for Sarah
The snow and short days have made for great knitting weather and these are the latest to come off the assembly line, a pair of piggy mittens for Sarah. I got the pattern off the awesome knitting site Ravelry.
Posted by Dave at 08:18 PM |
December 20, 2008
What a week, I'm loving it!
Posted by Dave at 03:59 PM |
December 18, 2008
iPod Touch Felted Cozie for Mom
I made this sleeve for Mom's new iPod as a Christmas gift. I'm already jealous of it and might have to make one for my phone. It was a quick and satisfying project.
Posted by Dave at 09:22 AM |
December 16, 2008
Winter landscapes in the Gorge
In the spirit of the Portland Art Museum's excellent exhibit Wild Beauty, featuring historical photos of the Columbia River Gorge, I drove out to the Gorge today to take some photos of the winter landscapes. Driving I-84 and snapping some digital pics however is a lot different than what those earlier photographers had to deal with.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 04:18 PM |
December 14, 2008
Waking up to snow is the best
Posted by Dave at 10:24 AM |
December 08, 2008
Welcome Emily!
Posted by Dave at 07:10 PM |
December 06, 2008
Playing in central Oregon
Posted by Dave at 06:28 PM |
December 01, 2008
A Portland Thanksgiving
I had a lot of fun hosting Thanksgiving this year. For many years I've helped out my mom with cooking and everything else but it is a whole other thing to plan everything myself. I successfully pulled off a sit-down dinner for fourteen plus Sarah who sat down only some of the time. Besides family that had travelled from up and down the East coast I had a few neighbors and friends over. more...See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 05:28 PM |
November 27, 2008
Afghan for Michael and Tiffany
Five years ago I made an afghan for Drew and Beth's wedding present and this year I did the same for my friends Michael and Tiffany. They were married a couple months ago but I just mailed them the completed blanket. I'm pleased with how it turned out. It was my first project using a knitting technique called entrelac. Unlike with Drew and Beth's I did not have to knit all the little squares together at the end. It's an especially fitting gift since Tiffany is who taught me to knit.Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Posted by Dave at 01:39 PM |
November 23, 2008
Kruger's Farm cyclocross
Another gorgeous fall day and I headed out with Drew, Beth, Sarah and Sam to the corn fields of Sauvie's Island for one of the last cyclocross races of the season. I haven't raced much this year since it aggravates a low back that has been hurting on and off since early summer. I went out today to cheer on Drew and have a beer in the sun. It's a great venue and Drew raced strong. In fact I'm pretty sure he passed this guy in the photo on the next straightaway. And at the end I was able to get most of the veggies for our Thanksgiving dinner at the farm store.
Posted by Dave at 02:51 PM |
November 15, 2008
Surfing Short Sands with Scott and Sam
Earlier this week the rain came in and I thought our beautiful fall was coming to a close. But the skies cleared again and today was beautiful. Scott and I headed down to the coast to surf and I thought it'd be a good day if it didn't rain but we had lots of sun, warm air, and great waves. I only surf a couple times a year so I don't have the physical stamina to stay out for long nor has it all really clicked for me yet. But it's great to get out in the ocean and paddle. And when I came in and sat watching the waves and dogs and other surfers and listened to the rocks being tumbled by the high tide it was the most peaceful I've felt in a long time.
Posted by Dave at 06:43 PM |
November 06, 2008
So long roosters
Today I said goodbye to my seven (!) roosters, leaving me with four lovely hens. It turned out to be a good thing I got so many chicks or I wouldn't have ended up with enough hens. I may just keep all four that remain. I took the roosters to Linnton Feed and Seed and the woman there said they should be able to find them homes in the next day or so. I was kind of sad dropping them off as these are some colorful and fun characters I've been living with these past two months. But the cock-a-doodle-do's from the basement were waking me up at two and three in the morning. Also, it will be so much easier to care for four chickens instead of eleven. Soon I will move them to a coop I'm building outside. I'm interested to see how the dynamics of the flock will change with all the cocks gone.
Posted by Dave at 01:12 PM |
November 04, 2008
Vote!
This was Scott's pumpkin this year and I really liked it. Voting by mail makes election day a little different in Oregon. I feel deprived of the civic excitement of queuing at the polls that I experienced in North Carolina and Virginia. Overall though I love the convenience and practicality of filling out a lengthy ballot at my own desk. I just finished reading Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama for our book club and it has made me more in awe of what a win for him would represent and mean to our country. At least either way Bush will no longer be our leader and that can only be a good thing.
Posted by Dave at 06:54 AM |
October 26, 2008
Pumpkin Party '08
Posted by Dave at 09:24 AM |
October 12, 2008
Cross Crusade: Villebois
Number two race of cyclocross season was today in Wilsonville. It was on the site of a demolished mental hospital and there will probably be townhouses where we were racing today by next year. It turned in to a beautiful fall day and I was glad I decided to bike out there with Jason. The ride out got me nice and warmed up and I had a better start than usual. In fact I was feeling pretty good despite it being quite a technical course in places. The field as usual was huge. After two and a half laps I pinch flatted my rear tire in a technical section, must have hit a rock wrong. So that ended my race and I became a spectator which was fun and got to see several crashes and endos where I'd flatted. Everyone got back on and kept riding. I only got twenty-five minutes of racing in but a sixty mile road trip ride getting out there and back so it was a big day. Not sure where Drew finished but he was looking good. Thanks for the pics Jason!
Posted by Dave at 08:30 PM |
October 08, 2008
CyberSeniors
This month I started teaching a class at my local library designed to familiarize seniors with the basics of using a computer and the Internet. Today was our second class and we covered a lot. First everyone did mouserobics which turned out to be a great exercise in manipulating the mouse which can be especially hard for seniors. Highlighting to copy and paste was a tough maneuver but everyone was able to do it. Then my co-instructor and I had our seven students sign up for Gmail accounts. This went pretty smoothly until we got to the word verification part. I could barely read these letters and many students couldn't at all. What I thought was most telling is not one person asked why they were asked to do that! Makes me think they do not question the meaning behind most of what they are doing on the computer but simply memorize the steps. The only other hang-up was someone wanted to print out the entire Acceptable Use document before clicking the I Accept button which runs twenty pages in case you were wondering. In the end everyone created a new Gmail account which we will help them use in next week's class.
Posted by Dave at 12:15 PM |
October 05, 2008
Cross Crusade: Alpenrose
Cyclocross got underway today and the conditions were ideal: nice and muddy, but still rideable. There was a big turnout at Alpenrose Dairy and the course was a lot of fun. I have actually been training for the last three weeks but still felt slow. Oh well, it is a blast and a great challenge and there is a lot of room for improvement. I'm excited to get out for a bunch of races this season.
Posted by Dave at 05:09 PM |
September 29, 2008
Backyard chickens
I experienced the adventure of free-range chicken farming today. It was quite warm so I thought it'd be a good day to bring the chickens outside for the first time, let them run about, maybe start to identify them as individuals, not just as one of the three breeds I've got: Black Japanese (2), Silver Duckwing Old English (4), Golden Sebright (5). I'd like to know sooner rather than later which are roosters also. I even thought I might get Sam out on a leash for a little closer introduction if things were going smoothly. more...See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 06:36 PM |
Sunday mountain bike
Drew and I got out for a killer mountain bike ride yesterday out by the coast range. We had a couple of navigational issues but mainly stayed on track. Lots of elevation, lots of great trail. I have not gotten out for enough of these this summer; my first owning a mountain bike in a lot of years. Both dogs had a great run as well. There are a lot of off-road motorcycles in the area but they are on separate trails so you just end up hearing them which wasn't that bad. I found a new site to upload the GPS tracks to and it generated this cool summary of the trip.Gales Creek Campground Loop
Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS GeotaggingPosted by Dave at 11:57 AM |
September 25, 2008
Sarah's sweater
While babysitting today Sarah asked me about my knitting which I'd brought over since she was supposed to be napping but turned out not to be very sleepy. She asked what I was making, who it was for, how to do it. I showed her a little and look forward to being able to teach her to knit as she gets older. Then I pulled out a sweater from her closet that I made for her almost a year ago. It was a little big back then but fits her great now. I'm glad she'll get to wear it at least a couple times before her next growth spurt. Maybe it will look good on Emily down the road. It's made of sturdy hemp that softens after each wash.
Posted by Dave at 05:34 PM |
September 21, 2008
Swifts
This evening I went to Northwest Portland and saw the swifts. It is quite the phenomenon. 5000-10,000 birds circle a school and then after sunset and bug eating spiral down in to a big chimney to roost for the night. Sometimes a hawk shows up to hunt, he made a brief appearance tonight. This is very popular in Portland, last year there must have been about four hundred people watching the day I went, tonight maybe one hundred because of a rain storm that only cleared just before we got there. Quite a few folks considering it's been going on all month long. The weather was beautiful actually: cool clouds, pretty sunset, lots of birds.Last night I wore a jacket for the first time since spring and summer is about up. The equinox is tomorrow. I'm looking forward to knitting with the rain coming down outside but summer felt short this year. We may yet get a few more warm spells.
Posted by Dave at 08:47 PM |
September 16, 2008
In to the tub
Today I moved the chicks from the Rubbermaid in to a cast-iron bath tub I happen to have in my basement. They have grown a lot and I think need the extra space or soon will. I got some new bedding for them from a cool place I discovered called Concentrates in industrial inner SE. I am hoping it will be easier maintenance and smell better than the newspaper. The chicks are a lot of fun to watch, I put a roost in the tub which I hope they use. They have been enjoying roosting on top of the waterer and feeder. Their next move will be to the coop. That is not yet built but I have been collecting ideas from various sources and am excited to build it. I hope the chicks like their new home.
Posted by Dave at 11:03 PM |
September 14, 2008
Michael's wedding
I made a quick trip to the Jersey shore this weekend to see my friend Michael married and stand as his best man. It was a long way for a short trip but I was very happy to be there. I've gotten to know Tiffany over the last several years and he found an amazing woman in her. Of many reasons I am glad to know her, she taught me to knit which I have enjoyed for over five years now. She made her sister/maid of honor's dress and while in Thailand for six months last year worked with a Thai tailor to make her own wedding dress which was unique and beautiful. more...See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 11:06 PM |
September 09, 2008
Beer!
On Friday Jen and Kyle had a beer tasting party for Jen's birthday. I'd never been to one before but discovered that as you might expect it's a great concept. Folks brought growlers and told only Jen what kind of beer they contained. Then we all tasted away on a beautiful evening and voted for our favorite IPA, pale, other, and best overall. There were prizes for the people who brought the winning beers. There was a good variety of local beer including some homebrews. I had trouble pouring a little bit for a taste rather than just having a beer. Next time perhaps I'll grab a smaller glass. I bought my first growler for the party at Hopworks for $15. I'm excited to bring it to a bar and say "Fill 'er up". I think you can do that, this is still new to me.
more...
Posted by Dave at 12:32 PM |
September 02, 2008
Chicks!
Half the reason I decided to blog again is that on Thursday just after returning from the beach I got fifteen baby chicks in the mail! I recently went to a workshop on raising chickens in an urban setting. The nursery that gave the workshop had several bantams running around during the class. This is a smaller breed of chicken. I decided they were for me. Most of the local places only sell chicks seasonally though so I ordered online (where many nurseries get their chicks too). The minimum order was fifteen so the chicks can keep themselves warm in the mail. It is a rough start to their life, they are born and then put in a box and spend a day in the postal system.
more...
Posted by Dave at 03:53 PM |
Hood to Coast and Manzanita
I organized a Hood to Coast team this year and ran the race for the first time. It was an intense thirty hours of racing even though a whole lot of that was sitting in a van. I'm definitely glad to have experienced this huge event that runs right through Portland but I don't think I need to do it every year. I enjoyed running in the coastal forest at 2 am under a beautiful night sky a lot more than I expected to, I'll have to do that again! Everyone had a great time in both of our vans and then we all crashed at a beach house in Manzanita. The first night I counted twenty racers and supporters plus Sarah! Most everyone left on Sunday but the family stayed down for several more nights and lots of fun activities at the beach. Thanks to everyone for making it a special time, especially to my folks for everything, including procuring food and driving! And to our volunteers Kelly, Rachel, Elvira and Patty!See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 03:33 PM |
Soulfly
This event was way back in July but it was just too fun not to get a mention here. The second annual Southeast Soulfly generally lived up to the very extravagant expectations set by the original. Again it kicked off at my place and then travelled to five other houses each with a dish, game, and a drink. And some of those drinks were pretty damn strong! Lots of creative costumes and fun people on bikes, how could it go wrong really? Genius Jess!See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 03:07 PM |
Back from vacation
I started this site to post about my bicycle trip across the country in 2002. I did not imagine I would be actively updating it for the next six years. For most of that time blogging has been a fulfilling way to share pictures and stories from my life with family and friends spread out around the country and the world. Earlier this summer the idea of having so much of what I've been up to up for public viewing felt vulnerable for the first time. So I put my blog "on vacation" and also deleted my Facebook account. However I have missed the outlet to share my photos, projects, adventures and stories. And I have heard from others who have missed the updates. And so I resume my blog today knowing that this site is a portal in to my life, it is not my life. There is still a boundary there. My life is in the photographs, behind the camera, in the words of the entries, and in the uncaptured moments.
The photo I had up while my blog was on vacation was a sunset from a trip along the Lost Coast I took with Michael in 2005.
Posted by Dave at 08:28 AM |
July 14, 2008
Days of summer
Michael drove up with his dog Sandy for a visit to Portland. We have known each other a long time and it is rewarding to continue to enjoy each other's company so much. I'm really glad he made the trip.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 11:14 AM |
July 06, 2008
Fourth of July in Mendocino
I just returned from a long overdue family reunion with my mom's extended family. Everyone was looking great and Mendocino was more fun than ever; it was hard to leave the sun and coast yesterday. The ocean was calm enough to swim in, the parade downtown was packed, David organized a wine tasting, and there were many fun rounds of disc golf! Best of all was catching up with everyone.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 08:54 AM |
June 29, 2008
Pacific Crest
I am so proud of myself! As a kid I spent six formative summers at Camp Mondamin in western North Carolina. The founder, "Chief" or Frank Bell Sr., defined adventure as "activity on one's personal frontier" and I've really taken that to heart since there is always someone faster, smarter, stronger, better looking, whatever out there and even if you are a gold medal Olympian you don't hold that spot for very long. Yesterday I danced on my own frontiers as I competed in the Pacific Crest Half-Ironman in Sunriver, OR. Last year Drew (bike), Beth (swim) and I (run) competed as a relay team, this year I had to do it all on my own. Swim-bike-run became Fear-joy-pain. more...See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 04:49 PM |
June 21, 2008
Baking bread
I have always been a fiend for bread, at least from the consumption side. And I've enjoyed baking bread too with a focus on finding the simplest way to bring it to the table. For a while this meant a bread machine that I inherited from my grandmother, then a no-knead French country-style bread. And most recently I've been making a no-knead bread publicized in the New York Times that comes out great. However when Scott gave me Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads book for my birthday this year I knew it was time to get "serious" about baking bread.
more...
See the images...
Posted by Dave at 06:23 PM |
June 15, 2008
"Zoom, zoom, riding in backpack!"
I got wished a Happy Father's Day today out on the trail. Drew was out racing the fifty mile mountain bike Test of Endurance on a single speed. Happy Father's Day to him!
Posted by Dave at 12:49 PM |
June 14, 2008
Portland Ultimate
Mom brought the sun with her to Portland and we have been getting out and enjoying it. Today we went to Delta Park to watch several friends in the Portland Ultimate frisbee tournament. The half-time show for the finals was a naked ultimate point. Mom is getting the full Portland experience.
Posted by Dave at 05:08 PM |
June 08, 2008
Sunny weekend
Today, for the third year in a row I ran the Dirty Half, a trail run down in Bend, my favorite organized run. I headed out of Portland in a drizzle Saturday morning and not in the best mood but gradually I was enjoying the drive along 22 near Detroit and then coming over Santiam Pass the sky was blue in a way I hadn't seen for a good while and the sun was out. That did wonders for my mood and then Sam and I went for a mountain bike ride on some trails near Sisters that I first visited on foot a couple of years ago. Afterwards I met up with friends down in Bend where we camped out in the forest, throwing the frisbee until dark and then sitting around the fire. After a chilly night it was up and at 'em early for the race. It's a big event with 800 runners and a good section of the fit local crowd as well as folks from farther away like us. After bonking on many long runs over the past couple of months I was happy to have strength throughout and feel my legs under me again. That gives me some confidence for the half-Ironman in three weeks.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 05:24 PM |
June 04, 2008
Lucky uncle
One of the greatest joys in my life right now is babysitting my niece Sarah every week. She is such a happy being to be around and full of energy. We resumed that schedule today after a bit of a break. I had missed it and Sarah said she missed me too! My services will be even more in demand with another baby on the way. It's a win-win situation.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 02:43 PM |
May 30, 2008
Garden update or, where have all the tomatoes gone?
After a promising start all but two of my tomato starts died, I think by drowning after I left them outside during a rainy spell. I planted the two little survivors but with Sam romping around the backyard I am not too hopeful. Good thing I belong to a CSA which just started up... On a more positive note the natives I reported on earlier are doing great. At left is Oregon vine maple which I saw all over the trail on my hike on Monday. Now all I need is a snow-melt creek and an old-growth forest in my backyard. Below are the golden currant and Pacific nine-bark. The golden currant has really taken off, it is supposed to smell like cloves which it doesn't yet but I'm looking forward to that, especially since it is close to the hot tub. Two of its branches are growing more horizontal than vertical which I hope is OK/normal. | 
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Posted by Dave at 12:32 PM |
May 26, 2008
Memorial Day weekend
Memorial Day weekend must be about when the urge to get out and enjoy some outdoor activities in anticipation of summer really hits. Last year Scott and I played in central Oregon, this year was pretty active for me too. Saturday Meredith and I did a "brick" workout which combined a bike ride to Sauvie's Island and a run on the Maple trail on the way home as part of our training for our triathlon next month. We both thought it went better than expected. I hope we can say the same about the event.Yesterday was the highlight as I met Drew for a mountain bike on the McKenzie River trail. The upper stretch of trail was too snow-covered to ride so we did an out and back from the lower trailhead and ended up doing about thirty-five miles. We covered one section a few times trying to keep track of a lost dog we ran into, Oliver. He must have come from a rafting party because we hadn't seen anyone for ages when he turned up and started following us. We didn't see the happy reunion but he had numbers on his collar and another couple by the road took him in. Sam kept up the whole day and hide his fatigue pretty well until we stopped and he did some serious relaxing.
Still he recovered quick enough to do an eight and half mile hike with Jennie, Rae, Walnut and me today out in the Trapper Creek Wilderness. What an amazing state! Five years plus in and there are still a lifetime of places to explore here.
Posted by Dave at 05:28 PM |
May 21, 2008
Happy Birthday Sam!
Sam recently turned three and I also just picked up a scanner from my folks that they weren't using. So what better time to bring out some of Sam's baby photos I got from the breeder in Eugene? He was seven weeks when I picked him up so he's a bit younger than that in these photos.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 11:33 AM |
May 20, 2008
Woods Gap Spring 2008
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 04:37 PM |
May 18, 2008
Milk carton box
My mom took a bookmaking class a while back and was introduced to a technique invented by Jennifer Brooks in Asheville, NC to turn an empty half-gallon paper milk carton into a little box. With mom's help I recently followed the pattern and made my own. I bought some playing cards that fit perfectly inside, now I just need to rustle up a game of poker.
Posted by Dave at 06:54 AM |
May 09, 2008
Noble Sam
My mom has been taking some photographs of Sam trying for a good black and white portrait; she is still at it but I had to share this promising negative. Sam is enjoying a retreat at Woods Gap, aka "Doggie Heaven". He patrols the fields and keeps the deer at bay but mostly just follows his nose. We walk the property every morning. He is an incredible companion, he's even won over some non-dog lovers recently. He's also had his first kill but luckily I don't think he got a taste for it but was more mystified about what happened. He was barking his head off at a groundhog and I was telling him to leave it with no effect. Then he charged expecting the animal to run off as most do but the groundhog held his ground and looked like it might fight but Sam immediately grabbed him by the back, shook him and dropped him and that was it. I suppose he could have crushed the spine but I think the groundhog just died from the shock of it all.
Posted by Dave at 05:23 AM |
April 30, 2008
Impromptu East Coast bike tour
Six years ago I bicycled across the country, leaving my life and job in Washington, DC and journeying to Portland, Oregon, which became my new home, over 4500 miles and three months. I just completed my first solo bike tour since then and while much shorter I felt echoes of that previous trip, a transforming experience that marked a change in my life's course. I traveled from northern New Jersey to southwest Virginia in six days, covering 590 miles.more...
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 02:13 PM |
April 21, 2008
Rock Castle Gorge loop
My run with Meredith and Sam this morning.
Posted by Dave at 10:38 AM |
April 08, 2008
Tomatoes
A week ago I got some old tomato seeds from a friend, I wasn't sure how old actually. I planted a dozen or so in a little pot with soil and compost and placed them near a window. I've never been a gardener so I wasn't sure what to expect. But today lots of little sprouts surfaced. Still a ways before I'm eating a tomato but it's a positive first step.
Posted by Dave at 03:46 PM |
April 02, 2008
Natives
Bit by bit I've begun planting a few things in my yard and some things are doing pretty well. I have been trying to plant the right thing in the right place but that is a learning process. On the left is a golden currant which has been in the ground only a few weeks and is looking great. On the right is Pacific ninebark, another shrub that's been planted just about a month and had no green on it at all then.
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Posted by Dave at 02:13 PM |
March 30, 2008
Donuts and Davidson
Davidson College, a school of 1700, faces Kansas, a basketball dynasty, this afternoon in Detroit and all odds are against them. Of course that was the case with Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin as well. How long can their magical run continue? I'm hoping for a close game, there have been a few too many blowouts in the tourney so far. On my way home from some errands this morning I got a box of Delicious Donuts (SE Grand and Burnside) to eat while watching the game. Hopefully a couple will last until then...
Go Wildcats!
Posted by Dave at 11:53 AM |
March 13, 2008
Death of a Flower
My last photography class is tonight and for my final project I shot a bouquet of flowers over a week. I was hoping to show the decay from fresh bloom to brown dried petal but the daffodils and especially the hyacinth are pretty hardy, they only significantly weathered today, the last day, a week after being picked. The crocuses disintegrated in a day on the other hand.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 04:41 PM |
February 29, 2008
One person's trash is another's treasure
I got a Milwaukee Super Sawzall this week which enabled me to finally dismantle the remains of my chain link fence in the backyard that used to be a dog run. I decided to put the demolished fence parts on the curb first before hauling it all to the dump. At 4:15pm this afternoon I put a free sign by the pile and posted it on Craigslist and took Sam for a walk in the park. When we got back at 5pm every scrap, including random rusted poles and bits, was gone. Way to go Portland!
Posted by Dave at 06:32 PM |
February 27, 2008
Composition
Last week for photography class we submitted images shot with the intent to explore the elements of composition. My camera lens busted over the week and so the images I shot were with my point and shoot and some are just snapshots from my ski trip, still I wanted to submit something. I have ordered a new lens which should be here Thursday, I'm excited to try it out.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 10:06 AM |
February 20, 2008
Vander Ski Weekend
I spent President's Day weekend up at Government Camp in a big house with a lot of fun people playing in the snow. Life is pretty good! It was a gorgeous weekend, with no new snow cross-country skiing was more appealing to me than downhill although I did go boarding Friday night. It was great to have a full day on the mountain and at the end of it be able to kick back at the house or Charlie's with a beer rather than driving back to Portland. Then you could have a leisurely morning but still be heading out at a reasonable time to start another adventure. Thank you Becky for organizing this getaway!See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 10:05 AM |
February 18, 2008
Depth of field
Our latest homework in photography class was to play around with shallow and deep depths of field manipulated through aperture, distance to subject, and focal length of lens.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 08:08 PM |
February 07, 2008
Time and Motion Studies
Our assignment the past week in photography class was to experiment with a range of shutter speeds to capture motion, by freezing it and blurring it.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 09:46 PM |
February 02, 2008
Birthday activities
Thanks to everyone who made celebrating my birthday so wonderful. Snowboarding at SkiBowl, beer at the warming hut, party with friends.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 03:24 PM |
Beauty
I've started a beginning digital photography class at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in the Pearl. Our first assignment was to bring ten images of our concept of beauty to class. I didn't get out as much as I'd hoped but here is what I came up with. Our assignment for next week is to shoot in shutter priority and experiment with freezing action, blurring motion and pan shots. I'm excited to learn more about my digital SLR and post-processing digital images.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 12:33 PM |
January 25, 2008
Meredith skating (déjà vu)
The last few days have been pretty cold around here, enough that the park pond is once again solid enough to walk out on, or in Meredith's athletically gifted case, to ice skate upon. There are more thinner sections than last year but no mishaps occurred. Sam got out there as well. Just after we all got off the ice the Portland Police did a megaphone drive-by ending the fun of some newcomers. Must be tough growing up a kid in the city...
Posted by Dave at 05:44 PM |
January 22, 2008
Paragon's first flight
I've always thought that mountain biking feels like personal flight on the right section of swoopy singletrack. On Saturday I got a new mountain bike (thanks Mom and Dad!) at the Hollywood Bike Gallery, a Gary Fisher Paragon. Reviewed by one as the "working man's 29er." Today was the first chance I had to take her out for a break-in ride. I was mostly on pavement but hit many dedicated bike paths, sidewalks, and 9 1/4 miles of Leif Erikson in Forest Park. The 29er does feel like a big rig, kind of a big truck like feeling as you imagine just rolling over anything in front of you. Usually riding thirty-five miles on a mountain bike would get me in the back or shoulders but so far I feel pretty good. It was real cold though...
Posted by Dave at 07:12 PM |
January 20, 2008
Snowshoe Sunday
Pocket Creek snowshoe
Posted by Dave at 04:49 PM |
January 13, 2008
Composting
Sunnyside residents breathed a sigh of relief as a local organics trasher reformed his ways. So I have been throwing all my CSA scraps, coffee grounds, cracker crumbs and other organic materials straight into the trash all these long months and in my town and among my group of friends this is a definite no-no. I mean geez Meredith makes sure even a PDX traveler can send his half-eaten Wendy's burger into composting heaven. So I am sure tensions will ease now that I have my very own worm bin in my backyard. Meredith brought over some worms, I made a top for a planter that's in my backyard and I just buried my first bucket of organic material which includes a desiccated brussels sprout stalk, coffee grounds, potato and celeriac cut-offs from my soup last night and more. Hopefully the worms will like all of that and their new home and start creating some luscious compost. At least I've diverted some of my waste stream from the landfill, right?
Posted by Dave at 05:26 PM |
January 11, 2008
Swimming at Buckman Pool
Meredith and I filmed each other at Buckman Pool yesterday to help improve our stroke technique. Problem is I'm not sure what to look for, any comments from the peanut gallery? I used my camera's underwater capabilities which was pretty cool.
Posted by Dave at 10:14 AM |
January 06, 2008
Powder Day
Got up to SkiBowl today with Scott and Meredith. Conditions were great and consequently the mountain was the most crowded I've ever seen it. Still not much of a line for the Upper Bowl but the Warming Hut was packed. Strangely I became nauseous riding the lift today, that has never happened to me before. A few other folks including Meredith experienced similar symptoms. Something was swaying funny out there. After about two and a half hours I went to the warming hut and didn't emerge for a while. I swear that's half the reason I drive up to the mountain anyway...
Posted by Dave at 07:35 PM |
January 03, 2008
Good dog
Sam started barking like nobody's business early this evening and I went out and discovered that he had treed this poor racoon in the backyard. My backyard is pretty small but there are four small trees. I believe the racoon has since moved on, but at least I don't think anybody is sneaking up unexpected around here.Posted by Dave at 11:32 PM |
December 25, 2007
Christmas stockings
At the wire I finished Sarah's stocking, just in time for Santa to fill it last night. I did it quickly but am happy with the result. Also pictured is Beth's stocking which I knitted a couple years ago when Beth had her first Christmas with us at Woods Gap. I'm carrying on a family tradition as we all have hand-knitted stocking from either my grandmother Mimi or Uncle George. Unknowingly I knit the same pattern as Uncle George did for my mom's stocking sixty years ago! I only hope Sarah's holds up as well...
Posted by Dave at 03:13 PM |
December 16, 2007
Christmas Lights Bike Tour II
This was one event I really wish I had my camera for. There would have been some great shots but the photography would have been challenging. A group of friends and I took off from the Lucky Lab just after dark to tour some of the neighborhood Christmas lights. Some of them had done this last year but it was a first for me. The event reminded me of Soulfly without the stops. We were eleven, many with great battery-powered lights on the bike and person. We went through Ladds, to the madness of Peacock Lane, and then worked our way out to the top of Rocky Butte. The view from there on a beautiful winter evening was outstanding. Afterward we split up and Meredith and I went to the top of Mount Tabor for a bit closer-in view of downtown. Then home. I just had a bow and blinker on my bike, next year I'm going for some spoke lights, those are cool! Elvira had a great idea that we should bring an iPod with external speakers to blast some Christmas cheer as we cruise through town.Posted by Dave at 08:47 PM |
December 14, 2007
Sam and Walnut
Walnut has been a guest at my house the last couple of weeks and he has certainly livened things up around here, especially the walk to the park. He and Sam are best buds and when they're not rough-housing you can often find them here in each other's beds in the kitchen. It doesn't matter if only one is lying down or who lies down first they seem to greatly prefer the other's bed over their own.
Posted by Dave at 12:01 PM |
December 11, 2007
Tondero
Last night I ate a fabulous meal for free at a new restaurant downtown that hasn't even opened yet. All thanks to my friend Kelly who is in training as a server at Tondero, a "New Latin" restaurant opening next to the Fox Tower movie theaters. We picked a ceviche, appetizer and entree randomly before we were seated but got to choose our own drinks. I had a mojito and a caipirinha, new to me. I joined some co-workers from Kelly's day job with Portland Parks at a four top. The whole night was a practice run for the kitchen, servers and entire operation. From my perspective it was great, yummy and interesting food, nice view out the windows to Portland's downtown decorated for Christmas. The decor was maybe a little too abstract contemporary for me. We shared just about everything but I had a tamale with oxtail appetizer and a potato dish with avocado and fish. My entree was a saffron coconut rice dish with scallops, shrimp and mussels. The night felt especially gluttonous not only because of how much I ate but because I skipped my last yoga class of the term which was practically across the street to attend dinner. However one of my dinner companions noted that both activities are good for the soul. Thanks Kelly!Posted by Dave at 09:09 AM |
December 03, 2007
A Portland weekend (or how I have been too busy to take any photos)
A wet and dreary weekend did not prove to be a slow one around Portland. Friday night Meredith and I went to the Unicycle Bastards holiday party. It was about two miles away so we decided to unicycle over to get in the mood. We took some quiet neighborhood streets and slowly made our way over to my old neighborhood in Hollywood. We ate at the Laurelwood before heading over to the unicycle house, dubbed The Armory. We were expecting some sort of chaotic, rowdy party based on our brief interactions with this group in the past. On the contrary it was a regular sort of holiday cocktail party, albeit with unicycle "porn", aka videos of people unicycling, playing in the background. All in all, a fun time. We headed back in time to catch the tail end of a cyclocross photography exhibit that opened at the home of Vanilla Bicycles around the corner from my place. There was a fun bikey crowd there and I got to hear about the photographer's next project, to go film the Tour D'Afrique, a dream of mine to set out on one day.more...
Posted by Dave at 12:21 PM |
November 25, 2007
Kruger's Crossing CX Classic
After spending Thanksgiving in Florida it was a little rough landing back in cold and gray Portland. Today however showed me everything I love about home. It was cool but clear in the morning. After going out for a great breakfast I picked up Drew and we headed to Sauvie's Island for our last cyclocross race of the year. We both felt good racing single speed and then we stayed to watch the women, A's and for the Portland Racing raffle. The atmosphere on the farm is always a good one and today didn't disappoint with a raging bonfire, a low winter sun, Cycle-Sportif waffles and lots of racing.
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 08:44 PM |
November 19, 2007
Mudfest at Hillsboro
For the final stop in the Cross Crusade series we had some real Oregon mud to contend with. I rode the sixteen miles out to Hillsboro and was pretty cold through when I got there. I grabbed a cup of coffee and hopped in Drew and Beth's van to try and warm myself before the race. I was fine except for my hands which were blocks during the race. Not really painful, just kind of weird. Very painful when they thawed after the race though... I wasn't feeling real fast but it was a very fun race. When you're picking your way through the mud and your whole body gets sprayed it's just like being a kid again. Usually there's a few races like this but it's been a dry fall up until a few days ago. I'm planning to do one more cyclocross race next weekend up at Sauvie's Island.
Posted by Dave at 10:18 AM |
November 10, 2007
SSCXWC
The Cross Crusade hosted the Single Speed World Championships this weekend. While the likes of Sven Nys did not show up, champions Ryan Trebon and Barry Wicks did. Saturday there was a time trial to qualify for the big day. Drew and I both just barely missed getting in on our TT time. They had a bonus round of bunny hopping and brakeless aerobar descending where Drew was able to add 30 seconds and get a berth in the championship. Not being a bunny-hopper myself I did a two lap race at the end of the day and came in 10th with the top 15 advancing to Sunday's main event. During that race I got my first push from a spectator, some woman in the beer garden reached out and helped me up the muddy slope, just like those fans of Lance and Ulrich in the Alps.Sunday they called the whole field by name in order of qualifying times so Drew and I were at the back but then they turned the whole field around and we started right at the front of eighty some riders. All the fast guys had to fight to get to the front which is usually where they start off. After one lap and about ten minutes I got a flat in my rear tire. Having no spare wheels in the pit this ended my race. I was really bummed. More than that I think my body fired off all kinds of endorphins or something at the beginning of the race that I would have spent or used in an hour effort but quitting after ten minutes they were all still racing around me, even now I feel bottled up, I think I'll need to run today. Drew had a great day, looking strong all the way to the finish, he is indeed a world champion. Thanks to Michelle for cheering both days and taking some great photos on Sunday.
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 06:34 PM |
November 05, 2007
Racing at Barton Park
Cyclocross racing moved to Barton Park near Estacada yesterday. I missed the last couple of outings so it was great to be out for a day of racing both on the unicycle and my single speed. Meredith raced again on unicycle and had a lot more fun as so much more of this course, basically all of it, was rideable. The bike race was a fast one, a test of cornering in gravel and how hard you could push yourself or catch a draft on the long flat sections. This was probably the best course for me to challenge Drew on but he still had the edge. Another fun day on the bike. (Photo by Canis Studio)
Posted by Dave at 10:05 AM |
October 29, 2007
Pumpkin Carving
My fourth annual pumpkin carving party was the best yet and the first in my new house. We also celebrated my brother's birthday. There were old friends and new friends, hot tub and margaritas, carrot and minestrone, Jay-Z and Jeik B. Once again I had too much fun hosting to carve a pumpkin. Enjoy the photos.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 12:57 PM |
Running the Wildwood
On Saturday I accomplished a goal I've had since I took up trail running a few years ago, to run the entire length of the Wildwood, the trail that forms the backbone of Forest Park. With excellent company and weather it was an amazing day. In fact I'd like to do this run every year. I will train more for the uphills next time. I didn't have my camera with me but I may update this entry if I get some photos from other folks.Posted by Dave at 12:49 PM |
October 14, 2007
Cross Crusade: Horning's Hideout
It just gets better and better. A window of warmth and sun hit the Portland region this weekend and after a little fog in the early morning today was a gorgeous fall day to race a bike. The venue at Horning's Hideout is idyllic with a pond and beautiful woods. Lots of fit folks showed up for Cross Crusade #2 including Adam Craig, a nine-time national mountain bike and cyclocross champion from Bend. But the racing is so much fun for us weekend warriors as well. Earlier this week I changed my front chain ring from a 42 to a 39 and flipped my rear wheel from the 16-tooth cog to the 18 resulting in an easier gear. Man, am I glad I did that! I would have been toast in my old gear on this very hilly course. Meredith and I both raced unicross also in the morning. She also took some sweet videos.Here's my finish, I even passed a couple of folks through the barricades!
And here's Adam Craig bunny hopping the barricades as he did on all eleven laps! And then he pops a wheelie to ride over the finish line. Notice however the guy dismounting behind him actually gets the (temporary) pass.
Posted by Dave at 06:12 PM |
October 13, 2007
Salmon River - Hunchback Ridge loop
Today was a beautiful October Saturday, so treasured in this gray climate. I ran/hiked a loop on the Salmon River and Hunchback Ridge trails with Becky and Sam. The same loop I hiked earlier this summer but we went a bit faster as Becky is a rockstar when it comes to running (and anything athletic from what I've seen). Great views of Hood, the one picture I took was totally blown out for the mountain... Great day to put in the bank for the drizzle ahead. Returning to the car we saw this dog and bike but no owner in sight. The dog was a sweetheart and patiently waiting for his owner to return.
Posted by Dave at 07:54 PM |
October 07, 2007
Cross Crusade: Alpenrose
I felt much stronger at today's cyclocross race. Rain and chilly temps were expected but it turned out to be a pretty nice day and also mostly dry on the course. It's Oregon though, can't be long before it gets muddy. My right brake lever got loose halfway through the race and bothered me a little. I got to take better care of the bike! Drew also had a mechanical but was able to fix and continue albeit with lost time. Beth raced with the women for the first time and loved it. And Sarah attended her first cyclocross race. I just barely avoiding being lapped and so raced for 55 minutes. I guess it's only a 45 minute race for the leaders!
Posted by Dave at 05:10 PM |
October 06, 2007
UniSudoku on sale this weekend
Only $8.99 at MacUpdate Promo for Saturday and Sunday only.
Posted by Dave at 08:16 AM |
September 30, 2007
Jennie and Nate's wedding
Jennie and Nate were married in Chapel Hill yesterday!See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 07:36 PM |
Woods Gap
Beth, Sarah, Sam and I have been at Woods Gap the last week and are headed home tomorrow.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 06:49 PM |
September 25, 2007
Cyclocross kick-off
Sunday I went out to Hood River for my first cyclocross race of the season. It was a perfect day, great course, fun friends. I was not altogether happy with my performance but there is room and time for improvement this season. I decided I ran my tires way too high pressure and had a rough ride as a result. Also there was one section where I wish I had chosen my easier gear on the single speed but that's also probably just getting used to racing single speed. Finally I definitely need a more extensive warm-up because about twenty to thirty minutes into the course I felt much better but of course was already way back. Dan and Micah raced Men's B. Drew couldn't make this race but is planning to join me in the single speed category for a little sibling rivalry. Although unless I step it up, it might not be much of a rivalry.
Posted by Dave at 11:23 AM |
September 15, 2007
Kruger's Kermesse, a farm crit
I bicycled out to Sauvie's Island today for a tune-up race for the cyclocross season, an unusual off-road criterium race modeled on a popular Belgian race called a Kermesse. Basically we did laps of a bit over a mile on farm roads of varying quality. Mostly hard-packed dirt but plenty of loose gravel, sand, pot holes, a little mud. I have switched my Surly over to single speed and raced in that category. It was lots of fun, especially since they lined us up along with the top men and women's riders. The top men lapped me a couple of times, it was fun to see how fast they could cruise around the course in a tight paceline. I felt pretty good, it's tough to know how to measure your effort over the 55 or so minutes. Single speed was perfect as it was mostly flat with just a few mild climbs and one descent. After the race I hung out with Beth and Sarah and watched Drew and Dan compete in the two-man relay. Always a pleasure going to Sauvie's Island, a real rural getaway from Portland. Here's the race captured by my GPS which I started about a half mile into the first lap.Now off to an early bed to get some rest for tomorrow's half-marathon that I'm doing with Beth.
Posted by Dave at 08:27 PM |
August 26, 2007
Portland Century
I rode the Portland Century today with Meredith and some other folks, they improved the route from last year, had better rest stops and it was a gorgeous not too hot day. So we had a lot of fun. Meredith did her first hundred in good form. Around mile 95 she learned that you don't have to go in the drops to brake. She was pretty excited about that one. We got some good hills in the middle of the ride but nothing too crazy. After eating Hot Lips pizza at Blue Lake we had a headwind heading west along the Columbia but we just put our heads down and hammered, some guy hopped on for the ride. The best of all though was chilling at the Park Blocks with free beer, a great salmon dinner and catching up with friends that had been spread out all over the route.
Posted by Dave at 07:44 PM |
August 23, 2007
Only in Portland
Posted by Dave at 05:38 PM |
August 17, 2007
Mount Adams in a day
"Good to be alive" was an oft-repeated phrase yesterday as Scott, Meredith, Rich and I ran through the high alpine meadows around Mount Adams. For Scott and I this was our second circumnavigation of a Cascade peak this year after circling St. Helens last month. The distance around Mt. Adams at thirty-five miles was a little longer but we weren't expecting the wash-outs or as much elevation change as on Helens. For the first twenty miles or so that was the case but on the east side of the mountain we faced difficult route finding and significant climbing. We were treated with a full day's adventure.
more...
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 01:51 PM |
August 14, 2007
New fence, gate and hot tub
I have long wanted a hot tub and when I moved to Portland and experienced the gray cool winters I wanted one even more. My new house had a perfect spot for a hot tub, in fact the last owner had taken out a hot tub. Also there was no bath tub in the house. So on Thursday my hot tub came. I had to take out the fence and gate for them to get it in the backyard. This was no big loss because both were falling apart and the gate was troublesome to use and only opened about 18 inches. So I built a new fence and gate, improving the line at the same time. Here are better photos of just the hot tub and just the fence and gate.
Posted by Dave at 04:50 PM |
August 12, 2007
Bridge Pedal
Rode Bridge Pedal today with about twenty thousand other folks, some of whom I knew (see photo). This year was special as we stopped for Bloody Marys in Sellwood and had to catch back up to the ride afterwards. Once we passed the truck picking up the cones we were good. The Fremont bridge remains my favorite. We had to walk for about 1/2 an hour before Ross Island but the crowd had a good feel, singing Happy Birthday and doing the wave. I got some great photos, will post them later. Update: here are the photos.
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 04:43 PM |
August 01, 2007
UniSudoku receives 4 1/2 mice from MacWorld
Woo hoo! UniSudoku has been glowingly reviewed by Dan Frakes at MacWorld, receiving a very high 4 1/2 mice (
). The review is quite in-depth and does a great job of explaining the benefits of my software. Of course I hope this will boost sales but it's also just great to have someone look hard at your work and then tell the world how great it is, even if it's just a game for the Mac.
Posted by Dave at 09:34 PM |
July 20, 2007
CSA goodness
Summer is in full swing in Portland and as such the vegetables are local and fresh. Along with a few good friends I joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) this season. For an upfront fee you get a basket of produce every week from May-December. Early in the season there was a lot of lettuce but it was otherwise fairly thin. The share is cooking now though with all sorts of goodies. Featured here are broccoli, summer squash, candy stripe beets, zucchini and carrots. Also on the grill tonight were a potato and an onion, both right on the coals. The onion had to win for sweetest veggie. The skin burned nicely and fell off revealing an amazing center. Also incredible were the summer squash and zucchini followed by the carrots. The broccoli was most surprising as I've never grilled it before. It was perfect with each little floret a bit crispy and the stalk tender but not mushy. The beets were the only ok veggie and I'm not sure why as I normally love them. Maybe they needed more time on the grill. We should be able to look forward to several more weeks of this bounty of vegetables. If you are interested in local produce and food production in general I cannot recommend more highly Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma. It really affected me and my thinking about food in a way books and articles on similar topics have not.
Posted by Dave at 08:52 PM |
July 08, 2007
Going around the mountain
Scott and I have long talked about circumnavigating some of the local peaks in one day. On Saturday we got out to adventure trail run around Mt. St. Helens on the Loowit trail. more...See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 06:07 PM |
July 05, 2007
Fourth festivities
Enjoyed a full day on yesterday's holiday. Woke up early and headed out to Hood River for the Joe Kollas Memorial Run, a 7.4 mile event from the small town of Odell to Jackson Park in Hood River. Nate shuttled Jennie and I so we could leave our cars at the finish. It was a fun event, especially finishing along the parade route just before the parade started in Hood River (or were we the start of the parade?). Watched a little bit of the parade then made my way back to Portland for the 1st annual Soulfly bike party, alternatively known as Patriots Gone Wild. This is the brain child of Mark and Jess and they made it all happen yesterday. Things started off mildly enough at my place around 2 o'clock with margaritas, bike decorating, darts and balance board. Actually, the last two were combined successfully, see photo. Then we flew through the streets strutting our stuff to five more houses with fun games and drinks at all of them. Games included beer pong (my partner and I were champs), bobbing for eggs, bocce ball, foosball, croquet. You kind of had to be there and I already can't wait for next year.
Posted by Dave at 08:29 AM |
July 01, 2007
Sam's pack
Last week when my parents were visiting my mom and I went to REI and I bought Sam a pack to wear on our longer hikes when I needed to bring food and water for him. Today I got a chance to try it out on a 16-mile loop on the Salmon River trail connecting to the Hunchback Ridge trail. At first Sam wasn't quite used to the pack and would hit things on the side because he stuck out more. However it didn't take long before he was running all over the place as usual and even jumping logs with aplomb. It was a gorgeous hike with views of Hood
and Jefferson on top of the ridge.
Posted by Dave at 09:42 PM |
June 25, 2007
Barlow Trail Century
The day after the triathlon (see previous post) we were back in Portland for River City's Barlow Trail Century, my favorite supported event ride. Drew, Scott and I started in Gresham for the 100-mile option while friends Meredith, Becky, Jennie and Nate, along with Dad, started at Roslyn Lake near Sandy for a 60-mile route. The highlight and turn-around for both rides was the top of Lolo Pass on the shoulders of Mt. Hood. Last year there were excellent views of the mountain however everything was socked in yesterday. We had some fairly challenging weather. Fortunately the good folks from River City had a fire going at the rest stop at the bottom of the super chilly descent. I also tried stuffing the newspaper under the jersey for the first time and that helped with the wind chill. Scott crashed early on but managed to fall well and limit his injuries. At the end we all enjoyed Laughing Planet burritos, smoothies and Full Sail beer. Becky reluctantly turned in her demo bike from Seven Cycles.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 02:20 PM |
Pacific Crest Half-Ironman
Saturday, the Ross family competed in the Pacific Crest Half-Ironman triathlon as a relay team. Beth swam, Drew rode the bike, and I ran. Mom and Dad provided logistical support including dog and baby-sitting. It was a long day but lots of fun. I found it tough getting out of the house around 6:30am but having to wait to run until around 1pm. Consequently I went out a little too fast which cost me later but overall I was pleased with the run. It was especially fun to be on a team. We stayed in a rental house in Bend for two nights beforehand and enjoyed the trip away from Portland.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 02:13 PM |
June 10, 2007
Dirty Half (Old No. 6)
Went down to Bend this weekend for the Dirty Half with Jennie. Footzone hosts a great race that is becoming crazy popular. All sorts of folks come out. I was blown away that the winner of this event ran 1:13, unbelievable on this course. I had a great race, ended up starting a little too far in the back, especially after I had to take a pit stop early on. Passing people is tough on the single-track. Especially with 800 folks out on the course! Deschutes Brewery even brewed a special Down and Dirty Ale to commemorate the event. Jennie and I had some pints Saturday night in town and they had it on tap after the race. Saturday I stopped by the Lower Deschutes again for some brief fishing. I brought in one trout, a very beautiful fish that I released back into the water, grateful that he had taken my dry. I will be running another half-marathon in Bend in two weeks when Drew (bike), Beth (swim), and I (run) compete as a team in the Pacific Crest Half-Ironman.Posted by Dave at 08:17 PM |
May 29, 2007
Memorial Day Multisport Adventure
Headed out for an early Memorial Day weekend Friday morning with Scott. We kept busy and came back with lots of sun and good memories. more...See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 08:48 AM |
May 20, 2007
Eagle Creek - Tanner Butte
Yesterday Scott, Meredith, Jennie, Sam and I headed up Eagle Creek trail, a route I never tire of. I enjoy it most on a coolish, misty day, especially when running the trail. After Tunnel Falls Jennie and Meredith turned to head back down while Scott, Sam and I ran on, going up Eagle-Tanner trail, to Tanner Butte trail in a 25-mile loop back to the start. We ran where runnable but walked steeper uphills and the many tight sections where the trail was almost completely overgrown. We ran into a group of three backpackers and no one else except nearer the trailheads. Scott and I have plans to do many more of these types of adventures, including circumnavigating Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood. For complete metrics on the route, visit MotionBased.com.
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 05:35 PM |
April 24, 2007
Cherry of a Ride
Sunday I went out to the Dalles for the 3rd annual Cherry of a Ride century. Jennie and Nate had organized a bunch of us to come out for the ride. I dropped Sam off at Jennie's to play with Walnut for the day and then we all headed to the start. Meredith and Kristen did the 48-mile loop while Nate, Gary and I did the 100-mile option. This was the first big ride of the season for me and was full of hills, especially in the second half of the ride. However the weather favored us and we had an incredible day. It got me excited to get on the road bike more and to look forward to other road rides, such as the Barlow Trail Century. As usual I had my Forerunner on and you can view the course at motionbased.com. Check out the elevation profile! I would love to get out to the eastern reaches of the Columbia River gorge for some more riding as there was very little traffic and beautiful views.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 08:46 AM |
April 23, 2007
Enjoying the new back porch
Posted by Dave at 11:25 AM |
April 16, 2007
Sam is a superstar
Meredith, Scott, and I camped out in Sisters the night before yesterday's Peterson Ridge Rumble 30K. About a half mile into the race I let Sam off-leash and because the race was still so grouped together Sam took off to the front and I didn't see him again until the finish where he joined me for the final run-in on the track. It was a painful day for me and I'm resolved to train more for my next race. We lucked out with clear cool weather for the run after mixed sleet on Saturday.
Posted by Dave at 11:48 AM |
April 08, 2007
Happy Easter!
I've moved! Only two blocks away but now I am a homeowner after renting for a dozen years. I feel so fortunate to own and live in a beautiful house in a great Portland neighborhood. Meredith organized an egg-dying party the other night and we hung them on my new front porch for Easter.
Posted by Dave at 10:24 PM |
March 31, 2007
Dragon's Back
Another day, another twenty mile mountain bike. This time Beth, Drew and I biked and hiked our bikes onto a beautiful ridgeline south of Roanoke. The riding was very technical with tight, rocky, leaf-covered trail. Today we wrapped up the mountain biking vacation with another ride at Pandapas Pond. My body is pretty beat up from the week but my spirit is high.
Posted by Dave at 12:55 PM |
March 26, 2007
Poverty Creek mountain bike ride
Drew and I rode a 20-mile mountain bike route today on the trails around Poverty Creek and Brush Mountain northwest of Blacksburg, Virginia. Our route hit most of the trails in the area and was sufficient to wipe me out. I haven't done a long mountain bike in quite a while. The dogs Sam and Rae were along as well and did great. Fortunately there was water they could drink from and soak in pretty often along the trail. Somehow I am going to survive the rest of the week and more riding.
Posted by Dave at 03:43 PM |
March 22, 2007
Sam in meadow
Posted by Dave at 04:18 PM |
March 21, 2007
Dogs at play (altered)
I'm working with Photoshop and I applied the following changes to the image above:
- Clone tool to remove trash
- Crop
- Blur tool to blur background
- Increase red channel
- Increase contrast
- Resize
- Mild USM
Posted by Dave at 06:11 AM |
March 20, 2007
Dogs at play
Posted by Dave at 05:12 PM |
March 12, 2007
Run to eat
Yesterday I ran in the 8K Shamrock Run in downtown Portland for the second year. Jennie and Nate registered me for my birthday this year. The weather turned warm and humid and we all enjoyed getting out and sweating with a few thousand other people in the morning.The real reward was eating (and drinking) at Genie's afterwards.
Posted by Dave at 08:08 AM |
February 19, 2007
Google Earth + GPS
A cool feature of the MotionBased site I've been using with my Garmin Forerunner is the ability to export to Google Earth. For instance, this is a satellite image of Forest Park and overlayed on the image is the route Lisa and I trail ran yesterday. Where as this is a static image, in Google Earth you can zoom in and out on your route, tilt the perceived elevation of your viewpoint, see other landmarks and more. It's especially fun now that I have many activities I've recorded with my GPS. I can zip around the Google Earth application near Portland and see my favorite places. I'm looking forward to recording our route when we run the entire length of the Wildwood trail and when we circumnavigate Mt. Hood on the Timberline trail. If you have installed Google Earth, which is free and available for Mac and Windows, this KML file can be imported to the program to see where I ran on Sunday.
Posted by Dave at 09:58 AM |
February 13, 2007
Worst Day of the Year Ride
Mom and Dad were in town the last few days and on Sunday we rode in the Worst Day of the Year Ride, a Portland tradition for the last several years. Unfortunately Sarah is too young to trailer on such a long ride so Beth stayed home with her. We also rode with my friends Meredith, Lisa, and Julie. At packet pickup the night before the organizers had run out of goodie bags and also had no safety pins to attach riding numbers so I was a little apprehensive about how well organized the ride was going to be. However it was a great route, well-marked with good rest stops and best of all a really fun group of 1500 riders showed up, many in costumes and decorated bikes. I had a leprechaun hat and was trailering Sam as my pot of gold. Mom was Dracula's grandmother, Dad went for a Hawaiian theme and Drew was a bike commuter with limited peripheral vision that had recently been to Mardi Gras. Sam did pretty well in the trailer except we got off to a bad start when the marching band next to us started beating the drums really loud. Poor Sam of course couldn't cover his ears and has better hearing than the rest of us. I got him out of there as fast as I could. This was the first of what should be many fun organized rides this year. As you can see it wasn't horrible weather but we did get a little bit of everything.
Posted by Dave at 08:34 AM |
February 04, 2007
Towing in the rain
Drew and I went for a road ride yesterday, just before the rains returned to Portland. Afterwards Drew made some yummy pancakes and then he hooked up the Burley trailer and Beth and Sarah joined us. I hooked up my own Burley with Sam in tow. We pedaled over to Mt. Tabor and then I headed home as I wasn't quite dressed for the rain that broke our long streak of sunny days.
Posted by Dave at 07:46 AM |
January 28, 2007
Winter playground
Not all snow sports need be gravity based. I went snowshoeing yesterday for the first time, exploring Newton Creek on the southeast side of Mt. Hood. There was considerably more snow for our trip than in this satellite photo. Sam had never been in the snow before save for the dustings we've gotten in Portland. Other than a little shivering at the lunch stop he had the time of his life. Though we only went six miles he worked a lot harder than a fifteen mile run because lacking snowshoes he sank in the snow and had to jump ahead. Also he played hard with his pal Walnut, Jennie's dog.
| 
|
On turning around though I decided we should return traveling overland, following the contours of the land and my Forerunner's arrow pointing to the car. It was a lot of fun leaving the tracked path; we were able to truly benefit from the snowshoe's design, all while soaking up a rare and treasured sunny January day.Posted by Dave at 03:02 PM |
January 24, 2007
Brittany on board
Yesterday I purchased a Burley bike trailer on Craigslist. I had been contemplating such a move for a while. I would like to make a few trips to the grocery store and other hauling errands especially on nicer days. Also I am hoping to take Sam around for rides. He likes riding in the car and I am hoping he'll enjoy the fresh air of the bike trailer. It's a little on the small side for him especially with the top snapped on but he fits. I can't tell yet if he will just tolerate it or come to enjoy it. We bicycled over to Mt. Tabor Park today about two and half miles away where I let him out to play for a bit before heading home. I also might use the trailer if I do some more bike touring.
Posted by Dave at 12:47 PM |
January 16, 2007
Sledding in the park
Unusual winter weather for Portland continues with snow today!
Posted by Dave at 09:17 AM |
January 15, 2007
Skating in the park
Portland has been so cold recently that the pond at Laurelhurst Park has frozen solid. Since moving to Portland my friend Meredith has dreamed of skating there. This morning she was able to. Sam and I went along to watch. I had some trepidation in walking on the ice but after watching Meredith jump a few times on it I thought I'd risk it. Even Sam got out there! And yes that is him whining on the first video :)Posted by Dave at 04:37 PM |
January 14, 2007
Forest Park run
It has been clear and cold in Portland, today is gorgeous. Here is a profile on the run we did in Forest Park this morning.Posted by Dave at 01:41 PM |
January 07, 2007
Great day snowboarding
Drew drove and we had a packed Subaru with two boarders and two tele-skiers and Drew who brought both for our trip up to SkiBowl this morning. We got there nice and early and the conditions started off great. In fact in my limited experience I have not boarded on softer more fun snow. After a couple of hours it started precipitating wet snow and rain and the slopes got pretty sticky. We drove home tired and happy. Here's Meredith ripping it up.Posted by Dave at 04:38 PM |
January 03, 2007
Precipitation
The good thing about rain in Portland
is it's often snow up on Mt. Hood.
Posted by Dave at 05:25 PM |
January 02, 2007
Garmin Forerunner 305
Posted by Dave at 09:19 AM |
January 01, 2007
Sunny Saturday Snowboarding
Can't talk now...I'm going to the warming hut.
Posted by Dave at 06:50 PM |
December 28, 2006
Mom's hat
I made this hat for Mom over the summer but just photographed it recently. I've made a number of hats but I knit all of them in the round mostly with stockinette pattern which makes a great hat. This time around I felt like trying something new and had Mom look through a Vogue knitting book on hats. She settled on this pattern and we went to Knit Purl to get the yarn. We chose this cotton yarn because wool can irritate Mom's skin. It's knitted in a herring-bone pattern into several pieces that are later seamed together. I think it's supposed to evoke a style from the twenties.
Posted by Dave at 10:25 AM |
Splitting wood
When I arrived at Woods Gap for Christmas my dad was almost through with a massive project to cut some timber someone had dropped off and split the logs into firewood for the wood stove. He borrowed the neighbor's commercial log splitter and had already split and stacked most of the wood. I helped him finish it off. I enjoy swinging an axe but for this size project the splitter was really cool and very effective. First Dad had to chainsaw all the logs to appropriate length. After splitting we loaded the trailer and drove it up the hill to stack by the house.
Posted by Dave at 10:00 AM |
December 25, 2006
A rainy Christmas morning
Posted by Dave at 09:19 AM |
December 24, 2006
Hole-in-one!
I set a new record this morning out on the Herbert B. Pratt Memorial Disc Golf Course. I shot a bogey-free twenty-three over nine holes, five below par. On hole four I finally found my distance on the drive and finessed some trees at the end to score my first birdie on the hole. The real excitement came on eight where my drive sailed down the hill, took a slight curve, was pushed down by the wind and slammed satisfyingly and securely into the chains for a hole-in-one! Dad was there to witness it though we don't have any photographic documentation. This photograph is from a round a couple of days ago where I got into a little more trouble.
Posted by Dave at 08:42 AM |
December 21, 2006
Woods Gap Christmas Tree
We got up to the mountain house this morning and it looked like rain so we hurried to get the saw out and went down to the overgrown stand of Christmas trees by the workshop. We quickly picked a tree that needed to be thinned and cut it down. After cutting about seven feet off the top we hauled the tree up to the house and here it sits. Tonight we will decorate it. Pretty fun having such a fresh tree.Update: Mouse over the image to light the Christmas tree!
Posted by Dave at 10:02 AM |
December 16, 2006
First day snowboarding of the season
Today I finally got up for the first day of snowboarding of the season. I'd planned to go a few times but had cancelled due to the conditions. Today though the skies cleared some and there was fresh snow on the mountain from the recent storm. Since I snowboard with Scott who is much better than me the first run of the day was a little beyond my current skill level and I tumbled down the mountain. However it was fun and it will be something to shoot for as the season progresses. I went to a more appropriate slope and was soon carving and listening to Cat Stevens and then the Dixie Chicks. I closed out the day listening to Shawn Colvin's Shotgun Down the Avalanche. Across the valley over on Mt. Hood we saw search helicopters and planes working to find the lost climbers however I read they have still not been found. And of course a trip to SkiBowl would not be complete without a stop at the warming hut.
Posted by Dave at 06:27 PM |
December 05, 2006
Ross boys at Kruger's Crossing
Drew and I both competed in the Men's C category in the last cyclocross race of the season, a new event at a farm on Sauvie's Island on Sunday. Drew proved himself once again the mud king and rode to a 1st place finish! Looks like it will be Men's B for him next year, unless third-year rotations cut too much out of training time. I don't even know if Drew did much training outside of his burly 45-minute one way bicycle commute twice daily. I imagine with more specific and focused training he'd be out there with the A guys. I left the unicycle at home this time and hopped on my bike for once. I succumbed to the mud and wallowed through much of the race. The laps were pretty evenly split between a slow muddy half and a fast drier half. BikePortland.org has some good photos from the day. I did at least avoid getting lapped by Drew. Cyclocross demands high levels of anaerobic fitness, good bike handling skills and a race mentality, all areas I'd like to work on for next year. Great job Drew!
Posted by Dave at 11:45 AM |
November 28, 2006
Sarah's First Thanksgiving
I traveled with my sister-in-law and niece to Thanksgiving as Drew had to stay in town a bit longer for an exam. Sarah proved herself an exceptional traveler especially compared with others her age. She mostly slept on the way out though it was plenty of work for Beth with feedings and soothings. On the plane someone said she had her father's hair and even though I am her uncle she does have some similar curls at the moment.Our first Thanksgiving at Woods Gap was amazing. I took advantage of nearby Rocky Knob by going on several trail runs. The leaves on the ground occasionally made finding your footing interesting but the views through the barren trees were worth it. I'm afraid Sam is in for a bit of letdown after the activity level at the Gap.
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 11:06 AM |
November 15, 2006
Unicross World Championships
On Sunday I went out to Estacada's Timber Park to ride in the Unicross "World Championships" put on by the Cross Crusade series. For a few years now they've had a unicycle class that I first rode in last year. This year however they declared the end of season race to be the official Unicross World Championships. It may take a few years for the title to be recognized among unicyclists everywhere but I don't know where else you can do a race like this on your unicycle. A call was put out on unicyclist.com for riders but unfortunately only five of us showed up at the starting line. A few of the regulars were out due to injuries from earlier races. It was a great course for the unis, very rideable and fun. Lots of crowd support as always. Even the bike racers passing you usually shout some sort of encouragement. It was a lot of fun and motivated me to push myself more on the unicycle. At the end of the video I've linked to it lists me as fourth for some reason but actually I managed to place on the podium with a third place finish. I hope to post a podium photo when I get one. We even got medals and Cross Crusade hats. Besides working on my skills over the next year I'm going to see if there's anyway we can get more folks on the unis. It'd be amazing if we had a field of twenty or more at the starting line.
Posted by Dave at 06:49 AM |
November 07, 2006
Rumble (update)
The event organizers have posted some photos one of which I'm including here so you'll know I wasn't kidding in my earlier entry about all the mud.
Also, the official results are in and Drew got 2nd! I am listed as DNF because while I did finish I was too out of it to give any official my race number tag.
Posted by Dave at 07:17 AM |
November 04, 2006
Eagle Creek on a rainy day
Scott has some friends in town and today we went with them for a classic Gorge hike on the Eagle Creek trail along with new friends Meredith and Lisa. We were in the rain from start to finish but what a gorgeous hike and fun day! We were all a little cold by the end and glad to reach the warm cars. However it's an experience you look back on all the better for a little adversity. Sam came along but I kept him on a leash because of how exposed the trail is in many places. A benefit of the rain and doing the hike in November is that there are far fewer folks on this often crowded trail, even on a Saturday. Sam and I are going to sleep well tonight.
Posted by Dave at 06:42 PM |
October 30, 2006
Run Like Hell
We've been having a stretch of beautiful fall days here in Portland but we were lucky enough to get a wintry drizzle for the Run Like Hell half-marathon yesterday to make it an authentic end of October Portland event. The extra hour of sleep from turning back the clock really helped make the 7am start easier. Waiting at the start was a little chilly but the temperature was great once you started running. I got great comments for my "pink princess" outfit. Afterwards a bunch of us enjoyed a big breakfast at Utopia. It doesn't get much better than that for a Sunday morning.
Posted by Dave at 11:10 AM |
3rd annual pumpkin carving party
Saturday night I hosted my third annual pumpkin carving party and it was another great success. We carved a total of twelve pumpkins, some from patterns and some straight from the imagination. I didn't end up carving a pumpkin but enjoyed watching everyone else work and visiting. Everyone was amazed how much better the pumpkins look once you take them outside and light them from within.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 10:43 AM |
October 26, 2006
Sauvie's Island
Posted by Dave at 05:58 PM |
October 24, 2006
Horning's Hideout
Sunday I finally made it to the starting line of a cyclocross race this year. I missed the first couple after turning my ankle on the Timberline trail. Sunday dawned a perfect day, cool and sunny with the air getting fresher as I drove west of Portland and north of Highway 26 to the aptly named Horning's Hideout that is in a beautiful little canyon a world away from town. I raced in both the beginner men's category and with my unicycle. On the bike I quickly remembered how cyclocross takes the breath out of you pronto and keeps the heart rate high for the duration. What a great workout and tons of fun. The course was challenging, so little of it was flat that you didn't have many opportunities to rest. One steep hill run-up was a real tester. I came in 32 out of 100 finishers in beginner men's which I was happy about especially after starting around 70th or so off the line. It can be hard to pass on the mostly narrow courses. Drew posted another top 10 finish with 8th in the men's category C. In the unicycles I was DFL of maybe 8 of us but not too worried about it since I was still a little winded from the first race and hadn't been on my unicycle in a while. Also there are some great riders who show up. Going to miss the cyclocross race this weekend but I hope to hit a couple more before the season is out.
Posted by Dave at 03:54 PM |
October 16, 2006
Rumble at the Ranch
With two mountain bikes on the back and little Sarah strapped in a car seat, Drew, Beth and I headed out to Yamhill yesterday for the Rumble at the Ranch put on by X-Dog Events. The event is an off-road duathlon with the emphasis on "off". On the six-mile run we encountered everything from a nice gravel road to steep single-track uphills to slip and slide downhills and of course plenty of fun stream crossing; and I don't mean ones that you can leap across with a giant stride and keep going. You have to plow through the water and then scramble up through the briars on the other side.
I was expecting all this since I've done two previous scrambles by the X-Dog folks, most recently up at Mt. Hood. However the rude awakening occurred on the 11-mile mountain bike. I hadn't been on my mountain bike in forever, maybe one ride a year and half ago and then I can't remember so I was expecting to be a little rusty. However the course just plain kicked my butt. The biggest challenge was this ungodly mud that gunked up your tires quickly causing them to stop spinning as the space between your tire and brakes filled in to where you could probably plant a nice patch of vegetables there. So either you lift your bike on your shoulders and walk or you roll your bike but stop every ten feet to clean out your tires.
Despite and partly because of all the obstacles the ride was a blast and a terrific challenge. I am definitely pumped up to do some more riding although I hope on firmer trails but that might be wishful thinking this time of year in Oregon. Drew rocked the course, we think coming in third but the results aren't out yet. He had a solid run then passed most of the rest of us on the bike.
Posted by Dave at 11:01 AM |
October 01, 2006
Timberline trail
Scott, Sam and I went for a run/hike along the Timberline trail east of Timberline lodge on Posted by Dave at 05:29 PM |
September 25, 2006
Czech Republic bicycle tour
Scott and I are back from our two week trip to Austria and the Czech Republic. We spent two days in Vienna, then cycled to Prague where we enjoyed two days before flying home. I took quite a few photos and whittled them down significantly for this album however there are still a lot more than I usually post. Enjoy! For even more photos check out this slideshow (137 MB Quicktime movie).See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 09:21 AM |
September 15, 2006
South Moravia
Scott and I have been cruising through South Moravia in the Czech Republic with sunny skies, massive tailwinds and plenty of good beer, not to mention a few local wines. We´re in Slavonice right now, headed to Telc tonight. The next part of our trip is through South Bohemia. Small farming villages are very close together and the roads we are on have very few cars. On the way into town we picked some ripe plums that were delicious. Next Wednesday we arrive in Prague.Posted by Dave at 05:27 AM |
September 12, 2006
Vienna
Scott and I are in Vienna and spent yesterday exploring all over the inner city. It's a beautiful city that reminds me of Paris except with excellent bike paths and more pedestrian streets and plazas. This morning we took an hour's run down to the Palace Belvedere and along the river where we saw many dog walkers and joggers. Tonight we make our way to Stockerau and will start our bicycle trip tomorrow to Prague! Auf Wiedersehen!Posted by Dave at 01:18 AM |
September 02, 2006
Fun at the Sandy Delta
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Posted by Dave at 03:21 PM |
August 27, 2006
Portland Century
Scott, Drew and I rode in the inaugural Portland Century today and it was a blast! It was the first century for both Drew and Scott and we all survived admirably. There were a few hiccups with it being the first time this event has been put on such as long packet pickup lines, a few quirks in the directions and routing and the dreaded invisible third rest stop at mile 70 in the middle of an industrial wasteland with water bottles on empty! However all that aside it was a super day, a beautiful route with fun Portland bikey people. Scott and I have decided that women on bikes are even cuter than women runners...the legs! more...See the photos...
![](http://dave.ross.name/galleries/portland_century/thumbs/the_"mile_80"_tavern_thumb.jpg)
Posted by Dave at 08:42 PM |
August 14, 2006
2nd largest recreational ride in the country
Yesterday, Drew, Dad and I joined 18,000 other Bridge Pedal riders to cross all ten of Portland's bridges on bikes. We had a perfect Portland summer morning to revel in riding where cars usually dominate. Portland is very bike friendly however the bridges are a bit of a weak point in that respect. Not yesterday though as we listened to music and took in the view on top of the Fremont/I-405 bridge. The ride ran smoother than last year although you shouldn't be in too much of a rush for this one.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 02:48 PM |
August 02, 2006
San Francisco Marathon
Half: 1:58:39 pace: 9:04
Finish: 4:33:32 pace: 10:26
As you can see from those numbers the second half of Sunday's marathon was tough for me! In fact for a while I wanted to quit the marathon and never run again. However I just kept taking one more step no matter how slow (and it was pretty slow) and somehow made it home. Not sure why I had problems from so early on (around mile 15 or so) because I've felt much stronger this year in general. But you can never tell when you're going to have a good or bad day. Also I have been running mostly on trails and the pavement really beat me up. Not to mention that there are some hills in San Francisco!
The course was beautiful, especially the first half. We started down at the Embarcadero and ran along the waterfront then out and back on the Golden Gate Bridge (a highlight!) then by the Presidio to Golden Gate Park. Finally down Haight, then onto 16th Street and past SBC Stadium back to the beginning. It was nice and cool at the start (5:50 am!) but the sun came out strong and it was a little hot for running by the second half.
I'm not sure when my next road marathon will be. Part of me says to stick with the trails and shorter road runs and another part of me wants to keep going for it until I can finish a road marathon strongly.
Posted by Dave at 01:19 PM |
July 24, 2006
The Long Run
The San Francisco marathon is on Sunday and I'm looking forward to escaping the heat of Portland for the weekend. The best part of a big event though is the training it motivates you to do. Scott and I have been getting out every weekend now since April for a long run. We run almost exclusively on the trail and our runs of 10-20 miles have taken us to some beautiful places. Here we're at the 10-mile turn around on the Eagle Creek trail in the Gorge. Sam joined us for most of the runs. In Portland we are blessed to have miles of trails minutes away in Forest Park and many miles more in the surrounding forests.
4/16 (10 miles) - Shuttle for Paria Canyon trip
4/22 (10K + 6 miles) - Cherry Festival 10K in the Dalles and a 6 mile out back along the Deschutes River
4/29 (13 miles) - Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls
5/6 (10 miles) - Wildwood
5/13 (14 miles) - Wildwood
5/20 (15 miles) - Salmon River Trail
5/27 (13 miles) - Clackamas River Trail
6/4 (13 miles) - Sauvie's Island
6/11 (13 miles) - Dirty Half Marathon in Bend
6/18 (6 miles + 8 miles) - Mt. Hood Scramble + Maple Trail loop
6/24 (20 miles) - Eagle Creek
7/1 (15 miles) - Little Nestucca River Rd. near Pacific City
7/8 (20 miles) - Wildwood; point to point
7/15 (12 miles) - Wildwood
7/22 (10 miles) - Historic Hwy from Hood River to Mosier
Posted by Dave at 08:17 AM |
July 16, 2006
Welcome to the world Sarah Elizabeth!
My niece!
Posted by Dave at 08:06 PM |
July 10, 2006
Bark cover
Sam's photo that appeared in the pages of Bark's last issue is now on the cover of their July/August issue up in the upper right-hand corner. We've gotten plenty of mileage out of that one photo. And I have hundreds of him...
Posted by Dave at 08:54 PM |
July 04, 2006
Sam and Scott on the trail
Tunnel Falls on Eagle Creek trail in the Columbia Gorge
Posted by Dave at 04:31 PM |
June 13, 2006
Bend weekend
On Saturday Scott and I headed down to Bend for the weekend. What a change of scenery just a few hours out of town. In fact as soon as you're driving down the east side of Mt. Hood you're in a high desert that few associate with Oregon that have only visited the Willamette Valley and coast. Saturday evening we went to Big Eddy along the Deschutes river where Scott fished and I wandered about with my camera, wrote in my journal and read my book. That night we camped in the surrounding National Forest and Sunday morning we showed up for the Dirty Half marathon that I think should be called the Dusty Half. It was a fun race that sold out at 500 participants and attracted a lot of the semi-professional and professional outdoor recreaters that have congregated in Bend. Bend is amazing in that twenty to thirty minutes out of town you can mountain bike, cross-country ski, kayak, downhill ski, rock climb, fly fish, trail run and more I'm sure at amazing places. The run was a little tough for me since it was much drier and warmer than I'm used to around the Portland area. Great post-race goodies including beer from Deschutes Brewery. Who's in for next year?See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 08:27 AM |
May 15, 2006
Celebrity dog
Sam took his first step towards fame and fortune this month by appearing on the pages of Bark magazine. I sent in his photo to their "Smiling Dogs" section and the editor liked his shot and included it in the May/June 2006 issue. We're just waiting for the Hollywood agents to call now. He had a busy, active dog weekend. We went for a fourteen mile run on Saturday, his longest yet, and he was strong the whole way. He looks his happiest when bounding along the trails of Forest Park. Yesterday we went out to the Clackamas River and hiked with Beth and Rae. He played in the water some but didn't go so far in that his feet left the ground.
Sam turns 1 year old today!
Posted by Dave at 05:58 AM |
April 17, 2006
Sloppy + muddy
So read the ranger's sign summarizing conditions for the hike Scott and I had traveled out for from Portland to the desert canyon country of southwestern Utah. We started the trip by flying to Las Vegas, the closest airport to this remote area. I'd never seen the sights of Vegas so we stayed in the Westin just off the strip the night we flew in. It didn't take long to realize Vegas wasn't really my scene.
Posted by Dave at 05:20 PM |
March 18, 2006
Ahh...sun :)
The next couple of days are supposed to have plenty of sun which around this time of year in Portland is a welcome relief. Sam and I both plan to enjoy them.
Posted by Dave at 03:48 PM |
March 13, 2006
Mmm...biscuits!
That's what Sam is thinking as the aroma of these biscuits I'm baking floats about the apartment. This is the second time I've made biscuits for Sam and they have been a big hit with him. He gets one each morning when we come home from the park. Rae and Ross also thought they were tasty. I got a recipe from Two Dog Press that's super easy. It's a quick satisfying project and well-appreciated by others :)
Posted by Dave at 02:38 PM |
February 16, 2006
Pulsar: the on-demand timepiece
Before my grandfather passed on he gave me a watch he bought in the seventies. It is a Pulsar, the world's first digital LED watch and about as old as I am. It was a watch he wore often as I was growing up and we used to ask him to show it to us because unlike your standard watch of today most of the time the display was completely black. To show the time you press a little command button on the side. This feature was to save batteries however I love the concept and consider it a very polite watch, only speaking when spoken to. Besides, when someone annoyingly leans over to look at your watch so they don't have to talk to you they will be sorely disappointed.
Posted by Dave at 11:19 AM |
February 10, 2006
Announcing UniSudoku
I made the switch and have just released UniSudoku, my first program for the Mac. I actually have lusted after the Mac for years and then finally got a Titanium Powerbook a few years ago which I loved but then which got stolen from my apartment. So it was back to the PC for a while but I knew it wouldn't be forever. I walked into the Apple store last fall and bought a new iBook. I got a copy of Aaron Hillegass' Cocoa Programming book and got to work.
Posted by Dave at 02:44 PM |
January 28, 2006
Look Dad, no leash!
I didn't take the camera with me but Sam and I went for a run on the Maple Trail, my favorite loop in Forest Park. I started him on the leash and he was doing well, not pulling as much as usual. When we got off the fire road and to the trail I let him off the leash and to my surprise he did great. He would go a little bit ahead then turn around and wait until I caught up or sometimes he'd run back to get me. Near the end he was a little tired and ran just behind me. He is a blast to trail run with, seeing his happy self bouncing in the woods puts a little extra spring in my step.Posted by Dave at 09:02 PM |
January 24, 2006
Snowboarding
My friend Michael is visiting from San Francisco and he wanted to go skiing so on Sunday we headed out to Mt. Hood with my friend Scott. I decided to try snowboarding for the first time and borrowed my brother's board and boots. We went to Mt. Hood SkiBowl. I fell a lot but also felt like I was improving on most runs to where I was able to link some turns after a few times down the mountain. Today my body is very sore, especially the ankles. However I already like it better than skiing and hope to get out there some more this year. The snow has been much better than last year. Scott had his camera and took some fun photos.
Posted by Dave at 06:19 AM |
January 21, 2006
Bye bye bunny (and Pooh)
Since Sam's early puppy days his favorite toy has been a stuffed bunny Beth and Suzie got him at Goodwill. He's always been delicate with it, his favorite activity being to drink a lot of water and then go mouth bunny as if nursing his mom (see this shot by my mom). Occasionally he would run around with bunny getting a little vigorous but it held up for a while and several washes. No more though, Sam is getting a little rougher with his soft toys. He finally got down to bunny's stuffing last night. I imagine he will have some bunny withdrawal symptoms.
Posted by Dave at 09:25 AM |
January 15, 2006
Sam's first trail run
A friend and I went for a run in Forest Park this morning and for the first time I brought Sam along. I'd been waiting to bring him until he was older since the vet said running isn't too good for growing puppy bones. He's eight months today though and seemed ready. We did a six mile loop near the north end of the park that was new to me. I started Sam off leash but he wanted to follow his nose every which way but down the trail so I put him on a leash. He did well on the leash, usually pulling ahead but not zig-zagging and tripping me up too much. He looked strong the whole way. On one uphill he ran beside me for a while but mostly he was out in front. At the moment though he looks wiped. He's curled up in his bed doing some major recuperating. I'm looking forward to many more runs with him.
Posted by Dave at 12:36 PM |
December 18, 2005
Sam's first snow
We're having a rare day of snow in Portland which is preferable to the freezing rain that was predicted. Sam thinks sticks taste about the same in the snow, maybe a little wetter. It's been cold and dry for at least a couple of weeks so I imagine the stuff will stick for a little bit. We should have fun at the park tomorrow.
Posted by Dave at 02:42 PM |
December 05, 2005
First sweater
So my mom says I haven't blogged in a while and who can argue with that so here's me wearing the first sweater I've ever knitted. I started this project about a year and a half ago and picked it up here and there. For a while it was all done except for blocking it which I did recently. The pattern suggested I further stabilize the back neck and shoulders by sewing over along the seam which I may get around to doing. The various knitting patterns turned out beautifully in this wool/mohair/silk yarn called Prairie Silks by the Brown Sheep Company. As you can see the sweater is a little big on me with a few extra folds (click the photo for a detail of the sweater). I may later try it in the drier to shrink it some more... Still I will wear it with pride and just be careful Sam doesn't get his jaws on it as he thinks it and all yarn whether knitted or not is the cat's pajamas.
Posted by Dave at 02:41 PM |
November 04, 2005
Pumpkins!
My second annual pumpkin carving party was a great success with eleven pumpkins carved and much soup and muffins consumed. Next time though I'm heading to a farm to get the pumpkins. I had to wrangle eleven pumpkins into a shopping cart at Fred-Meyer, then onto the counter so the clerk could weigh each one, then back into the cart, out into the parking lot and finally into my car. And these were good twenty-five to thirty pound pumpkins. The innovation this year was to open the pumpkin from the bottom to take the seeds and pulp out. Much easier and the pumpkin lies flat. I also found it easier to light the candles which just sit on the porch and then put the pumpkin over them. I read about this online, someone said Martha Stewart came up with it. For the designs some people decided to go freehand, others used a pattern they affixed to the pumpkin. My friend Scott organized and took this photo. I still have six pumpkins on my porch which I'll have to ditch soon, but not yet...
Posted by Dave at 06:57 AM |
November 02, 2005
Bed rest
Sam got neutered yesterday. It's a pretty routine operation but it's still a big deal in a dog's life. Sam had one undescended testicle so he had to have an extra incision and a little more surgery to extract that from his abdomen. Also when they shaved him it revealed a skin infection and the clippers encountering the infection left a few nasty abrasions. Overall though the vet said it went well. Picking Sam up yesterday he looked very pitiful however I soon realized that 95% of that was his hatred for the "Elizabethan" collar that prevents him from licking his sutures and prolonging the healing process. He's already much better with it today and perhaps in ten days he'll consider it an indispensable fashion accessory. Ten days is when his sutures come out and it's no park time until then. As you can see here for the moment he's content to snooze on my bed receiving special privileges from being in recovery. I can see him getting a little restless after ten days of no park though. After five days we can start taking some longer walks at least. In a month or so I hope it will all be a distant memory for him or even forgotten altogther. I'm not sure how a dog's memory works.
Posted by Dave at 11:53 AM |
October 30, 2005
Unicross
Last week I did my first unicycle cyclocross race, otherwise known as unicross. I'd been waiting until after the marathon to race and I'm glad I did, it is hard on the body. It's almost like picking up unicycling from the beginning again taking it onto the grass and rocks and mud. Next week I'm going to do another race. I've been practicing a rolling mount which would really help. My normal unicycle mount can be tough to pull of on a gravelly uphill. With the rolling mount you ideally walk/jog beside the unicycle, then hop on and mount with the wheel moving the whole time. This keeps your momentum going over the challenging section. Maybe I'll be able to do something like that in a week, we'll see. Drew and Beth are racing on more traditional cyclocross bikes and having a blast. They did a race today, I instead did the Run Like Hell 5K downtown dressed as a vampire. Last week I came in fourth in the unicycle class and no you can't ask how many unicyclists there were!
Posted by Dave at 06:44 PM |
October 26, 2005
Backyard Booty
Sam has a bit of a digging problem which can be annoying but he has a good nose and some of his finds are pretty interesting. Here's a selection of characters that must have sparked the imagination of some kid who lived here. Sam is scheduled for a neutering next week. I'm hoping it goes smoothly of course and I wonder if I'll notice any behavior changes. Also he's losing his baby teeth right now.
Posted by Dave at 05:06 PM |
October 12, 2005
Juror interrupted
Settlement is the best word you can hear as a juror. On Monday I reported to the Multnomah County Courthouse responding to a jury summons. I and 49 other folks got called up to be a pool of potential jurors for a civil case.
more...Posted by Dave at 07:35 PM |
October 11, 2005
Tired, but happy
I ran and finished the Portland Marathon on Sunday! Before this year I would never have thought I'd run a marathon. Now I'm already looking forward to my next one. Drew and Beth came out to support me and some of my friends. They were on bikes so were able to get all over the course. I was doing pretty well through mile 20 when my leg pain got to be a bit much. Centered around my knee I had some very tender spots that killed when pounding the pavement. I took a few walking breaks around this point. Drew and Beth gave me some ibuprofen which really helped once it kicked in. I was able to finish the last couple of miles running. Being in such a big event was thrilling, there was entertainment and excitement almost the whole 26.2 miles. The challenge of it all also touches something central to me. So that's why I'm already looking forward to my next run and my next marathon.
Posted by Dave at 06:00 PM |
October 03, 2005
Cross Crusade Series
Cyclocross season has rolled around again in Portland with the opening race yesterday out in Hillsboro. I decided not to participate since the marathon is next weekend but I went to cheer Drew, Beth, and Staci. Here are Beth and Staci charging up a hill; Beth on her new Bianchi Axis which she declared as totally awesome. Last year she raced in a heavy mountain bike. Drew is capturing the action from a different angle. I didn't get more than a couple of shots though before my battery declared itself exhausted and I found myself without my usual spare. I may race in a couple of weeks after the marathon. I have to decide whether to race my normal bike, my single-speed, or the unicycle! There were about ten unicycle participants. I am going to have to try some off-road unicycling to see how much of the skills from the road transfer.
Beth and Drew got some more photos, check out Drew's blog.
Posted by Dave at 10:45 AM |
September 27, 2005
Curious Sam
Sam continues to delight. He is emerging into later puppyhood. He seems more eager to learn at the moment which I'm loving. We've started going to the dog park every morning which is a great new routine for the both of us. On a good day he gets to romp around and tire himself out with his favorite pals. Our biggest training goal right now is walking on the leash without pulling.
Posted by Dave at 10:20 AM |
September 14, 2005
A puppy graduation
Sam and I have been taking puppy classes, learning some obedience and getting a chance to socialize with other pups. Last night was our last class and graduation ceremony. Beth came to watch Sam show off all he's learned. He did pretty well. They had a fun final class with many stations to practice the stuff we've worked on, like "leave it" and "stay" as well as some fun stuff like a tunnel. Sam got the hang of the tunnel no sweat. For the talent show Sam demonstrated giving a shake on both sides and spin around in both directions. We're still working on his crawl and roll over.
Posted by Dave at 07:34 AM |
September 11, 2005
First swimming lesson
Sam took his first trip to the Sandy Delta today with Beth and Rae along for company. This is a great dog area out where the Sandy River runs into the Columbia. Rae goes there all the time and showed Sam how to romp around but still stay within range of Mom or Dad. We went to the river where Rae loves to retrieve her stick. Sam was a little unsure of the whole thing but he did great. He sure wore himself out though and has been pretty quiet in his crate all evening.
Posted by Dave at 09:16 PM |
September 05, 2005
Who's a big boy now?
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| 11 weeks | 16 weeks |
He's still my little guy but the guy is growing. We're in the midst of puppy class and learning all sorts of new stuff. The most challenging thing so far is loose leash walking. He wants to follow that scent whether it's within leash range or not. So far he's great at the park. We went this morning and he played hard with two bigger dogs. They all were wet and tired in the end. Just now he's investigating his latest toy, the Buster cube. This dispenses food as he plays with it by moving it around the floor and turning it over. He seemed frustrated at first but now he's really into it and I can hear him getting the food out. He gets a lot more stimulation from eating his food this way than in a bowl. Of course it is noisier!
Posted by Dave at 07:14 PM |
August 27, 2005
Running through it
Since I previously had an entry where I was writing from a real runner's high I thought it only natural to write about a tough run. Recently I've been in a bit of slump with my marathon training.
more...Posted by Dave at 07:23 PM |
August 26, 2005
Another "white coat" in the family
My brother just started medical school at OHSU. This morning his wife and I went to his white coat ceremony where he receives a white coat symbolizing his entry into the profession of medicine. At first it was a little strange attending a graduation type ceremony (many friends and family attended) with him just starting school. However medicine is a true profession and the beginning of medical school is really his entry into that. There were a few speeches. Most unfortunately were pretty boring but there was a more personable story by a member of the faculty. Doctors have enough talents, I suppose they can't all be blessed with excellent public speaking skills. It ended with the students all taking the Oath of Geneva which is a modern equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath.
Posted by Dave at 06:46 PM |
August 17, 2005
New albums on Mom's site
My mom has an online photo site at suzieross.com. She just posted two great new albums, one is a re-cap of the Ross family summer, while the other is a dear to my heart album of Sam.Posted by Dave at 06:17 PM |
August 16, 2005
Chair workshop
Last week my dad and I took a chair-building workshop at the Northwest Woodworking Studio. The class was a birthday gift from my brother and taught by famed chairmaker Brian Boggs from Berea, Kentucky.
Chairs are a special challenge because there aren't too many right angles. Chairs are a special joy as well because you get to use a shaving horse which is a real joy to sit at and make shavings with either a drawknife or a spokeshave. Up to Thursday night both my dad and I were dubious we would have finished chairs by the end of the week however Brian had everything under control and we weaved the hickory bark seats Friday afternoon with everyone successfully assembling their chairs. I still need to do some final shaping and apply finish to the chair.
Posted by Dave at 03:37 PM |
August 15, 2005
Bridge Pedal
Yesterday with the parents in town we all went on the 10th annual Providence Bridge Pedal. This 38 mile ride goes over 10 Willamette River bridges in Portland. That's all the bridges save a freight train railroad trestle. This includes two interstate bridges where the entire top levels were closed to motorized traffic. What a celebration of the bicycle!See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 12:30 PM |
July 19, 2005
Attentive dog
Posted by Dave at 08:06 AM |
July 10, 2005
Running for life
Just back from a seventeen mile training run with the Portland Marathon Clinic. It is the longest I've ever run and it felt great. We were mostly on the marathon course so it was a good mental preview of what we'll face in October. Our group pace leader was about to turn sixty and really impressed me with his smooth running style. He looked like he could be walking but was going at a good clip. He said he carried the mental image of rolling logs with his stride and I kept that in my mind for the rest of the run and it seemed to help. I strive to make the running as easy and efficient as possible.Posted by Dave at 02:02 PM |
July 09, 2005
More Sam
This may be a weekly feature for a while. Here's Sam with a new ball his loving Aunt Beth gave to him. Sam's had a busy day but still found the energy to tear around the yard for the last half hour. A pet store near by was having a grand opening and Beth and I headed over to check it out. I brought Sam in my arms and everyone fawned over him. I let him walk around and sniff some too. It was a great chance for him to meet lots of nice dog people. We won a raffle for a free Kong and took home some sample dog food as well. It'll probably be my main pet store as it's close and well stocked.
Posted by Dave at 05:15 PM |
July 05, 2005
Sam
My life has changed dramatically, I am now responsible for a puppy named Sam. I have been planning on getting a dog for a while but when it finally worked out it happened fast. Sunday Beth and I went down to Eugene to see a litter of Brittany puppies I had found out about. It was a big litter of eleven puppies. We met and liked both the mom and dad. Brittanys are medium-sized bird hunting dogs reaching about 40 lbs full grown. Eight of the puppies were already spoken for. They took out the three available males they had and we played on the deck with Red, Yellow, and Green: the stoplight gang. Everyone looked very healthy and playful. Both Beth and I were especially drawn to Red because he was curious and playful but not too domineering. So I took Red and Red is now Sam or actually Samwise as in Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings. Expect to hear (and see) more about Sam here.
Posted by Dave at 08:38 AM |
June 26, 2005
Barlow Trail
This morning Drew, Beth, Scott and I piled our bikes and ourselves into the Westie and headed out to Gresham for the Barlow Trail Century ride. The century ride headed up Lolo Pass but none of us were up for a day at that level so we took the forty mile option looping out to Rosslyn Lake. It was a cloudy cool morning perfect for a cycle. We hopped on the Springwater Trail to start out and quickly got a good pace going as the ride headed out on some backroads. Mostly though we sat back and enjoyed the scenery and companionship. The ride was very well organized with a great rest stop halfway out (the highlight was some yummy raisin-nut bread from Great Harvest Bakery). At the finish we found Laughing Planet burritos and smoothies. Top it all off with a cup of Stumptown coffee for the ride home and call it a fabulous day! Thank you Jason and the folks at River City Bicycles for organizing a great event.
Posted by Dave at 04:54 PM |
June 20, 2005
Scavenger Hunt
Could you find where this Portland icon is located and identify when the hotel across the street was built? The majority of the seventy-four participants (including six children) in Saturday's Bike Scavenger Hunt were able to solve this and twenty-seven other clues. Just about everyone seemed to enjoy the hunt around inner Portland by bicycle. We finished the ride up at Wild Oats and handed out a few prizes. Thanks to everyone who showed up to make this event so much fun and to help support the BTA. Also thanks to our sponsors and volunteers.
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 10:55 AM |
June 04, 2005
14 miles!
I am training for this year's Portland Marathon along with a few friends. Amazingly I am enjoying running, much more than ever before. Being consistent has helped and this is the first time I've run without being a smoker. Every weekend (just about) I go on a long group run as part of the Portland Marathon Clinic. They organize free group runs every Saturday and Sunday from March to the Marathon in October. Volunteers lead groups at different paces. Being with a group really helps on the long runs.
So today I ran 14 miles along the Springwater Trail in Gresham! Longer than I've ever run before in my life. The runner's high is for real.
Posted by Dave at 01:12 PM |
May 25, 2005
Yoga mat bags
Since January I've been taking yoga regularly but both my parents have been doing it for years. When I saw a pattern for a yoga mat bag in Stitch n' Bitch Nation I thought of them. I gave them the bags for their birthdays this year.
Posted by Dave at 07:04 AM |
April 28, 2005
In Memoriam
Celi at rest
Celi hasn't been living with me for some time but we were together for many years after I got her at nine years old from a friend. Before her I never even liked cats all that much. She was good at playing hard to get though which for some reason is always appealing. When I lived at a professor's house in college she was a stealthy hunter capturing all manner of voles and occasionally other creatures such as a snake, squirrel, woodpecker, or a bunny rabbit on Easter morning. Mostly however she enjoyed a good perch on a window sill where she could catch a little sun and watch the world go by. While independent she was not aloof and enjoyed being stroked just right (never absent-mindedly or she'd object).
She lived to a hearty eighteen years old and will be missed by me and her most recent owner, Tehnaz.
Posted by Dave at 09:52 AM |
Favorites Finder
I've just released my latest software title, Favorites Finder. Favorites Finder runs right inside your Internet Explorer browser and allows you to navigate to your favorite websites with a few keystrokes. You can now add as many web sites to your favorites as you like; they'll be easy to find with the full-text search capabilities of Favorites Finder. Instead of scrolling through a long list of bookmarks or typing the full address for a website you can simply click in the Favorites Finder bar, type a few letters from the website title, address or folder name, hit Enter and be off to that site. It's especially useful for those sites you're always visiting, be it an ebay listing, your webmail, or favorite blog.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
Posted by Dave at 08:12 AM |
April 20, 2005
Bike Scavenger Hunt
Last year I participated with some friends and family in a bike event where you ride all over town guided by a clue sheet you have to fill out. It was an amazingly fun experience and I was already looking forward to this year's ride so I asked around about it. Turns out the Willamette Week which has organized the ride in the past wasn't doing it this year. Quel horreur! So after doing a little more asking and looking around I've decided to organize this year's ride.
Of course I won't be able to participate now but organizing the ride is proving to be fun also. The proceeds from the ride will benefit the BTA. If you'll be in Portland June 18, consider entering the Bike Scavenger Hunt!
Posted by Dave at 10:40 AM |
April 08, 2005
Lost coast adventure
I just returned from a hiking trip along California's Lost Coast with my friend Michael. It'd been a while since either of us had gone backpacking but we returned to it gladly. We packed way too much food and ate like kings. The bears stayed away but we saw sea lions, sea otters, birds, deer, squirrels; all while walking a still wild coastal landscape.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 11:15 AM |
March 28, 2005
Kauai
I'm just back from a week's family vacation on the island of Kauai, my first visit to the Hawaiian islands. I enjoyed escaping rainy Portland for the week with hikes, helicopter and boat rides, and plenty of beach time spent snorkeling, swimming, and boogie boarding. Already I miss the soft air, roosters outside the door, and the closeness of family.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 10:36 AM |
February 22, 2005
Winter wonders
Unbelievable. The dry winter is not good for skiers, the upcoming fire season, or salmon, but wow is it good for my spirits.
Posted by Dave at 05:49 PM |
January 22, 2005
Neahkahnie Mountain
My friend Jennie and I had planned a cross-country skiing trip for yesterday but some unseasonably warm weather has made the snow conditions very unfavorable. So we switched gears and headed to the Oregon coast. You'd never think it was January. We hiked up Neahkahnie mountain through some fecund coastal woods and up to some magnificent views.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 10:43 AM |
January 02, 2005
New Year's
Happy New Year! I spent the holiday with my parents in North Carolina and Virginia. We've been having a ball. For the weekend we went to their mountain home in Virginia. Here are some photos.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 08:27 AM |
December 26, 2004
Workshop Christmas
Christmas was a change for the family this year. My brother spent it with his wife's family and Mom, Dad, and I celebrated in the workshop at my parent's mountain home. The house is under renovation.We woke up Christmas morning to 9 degrees and sunny. After we brewed our second cup of coffee the power went out. We bundled up and headed outdoors.
See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 02:17 PM |
December 02, 2004
Thanksgiving 2004
I went back to North Carolina per tradition to celebrate my favorite holiday with the family. We were blessed with good health, good food, and good times. Only the airlines were not entirely with the program.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 10:06 AM |
November 19, 2004
More socks
I'm back at knitting socks. I make them on two circular needles as taught by Judy Wilcox at the Yarn Garden. This current pair is for a friend.
See my first pair here.
My second pair completed
One pair of socks on two circulars
Close-up view
Posted by Dave at 09:37 AM |
November 04, 2004
Darkroom class
I had another darkroom class last night and I'm becoming more sure that I will eventually have my own darkroom. We've explored several techniques in our classes: controlling contrast, burning and dodging, various camera techniques. I like the structure of the class since we spend most of the time with hands on practice. Since most of us don't have regular access to a darkroom this is a great use of the time.
I've posted a gallery of some images scanned from prints I've made in the first few classes. I have only developed two rolls and have spent more time on printing than shooting film recently.
Posted by Dave at 09:53 AM |
October 14, 2004
Cyclocross
My brother, sister-in-law and I have been doing some cyclocross racing this fall. I've never bicycle raced before but it's a great atmosphere. Here's my brother at the first race which was sunny and dry. At the second race it was full on mud. This is a scan of my second print ever in the darkroom.
Posted by Dave at 06:27 AM |
Photography class
I've recently started a photography class at Portland Community College. We made our first prints last night. So here's a scan of my first print ever!
Posted by Dave at 06:24 AM |
September 14, 2004
WindowSizer 1.3 Released
I keep improving WindowSizer, this time with new keyboard shortcuts and a window exclusions list. Now more and more the challenge is to get the word out. Marketing, start your engines.
Posted by Dave at 01:25 PM |
Back in PDX
I had some serious knee pain my second day bicycling out of Portland and headed home. I'm recuperating and planning my next trip.
Posted by Dave at 01:23 PM |
September 06, 2004
Portland to San Francisco
I'm leaving tomorrow on a bicycle tour from my home in Portland to a friend's home in San Francisco. It's been a while since I've hit the road on my bicycle and I'm looking forward to the sensations of freedom and challenge. While not quite the epic of my cross-country tour I'm expecting some adventures.
I'll post from the road when I get a chance.
Posted by Dave at 01:41 PM |
August 24, 2004
Rae and Dave in print
I'm taking care of my brother and sister-in-law's dog while they're adventuring and the other day an Oregonian reporter showed up at the park and took a bunch of photos of me playing with Rae.
This one made the front page of Sunday's Metro section. Photo by Rob Finch of the Oregonian.
Posted by Dave at 07:33 AM |
July 03, 2004
From the seat of a unicycle
I've recently taken up the wonderful though much neglected practice of leisure unicycling. It all started earlier this spring when my dad bought one out of the blue and my brother and I immediately became determined to be able to ride it. If we were twenty years younger this would probably have been a few hours work. Andrew still got it pretty fast. I wasn't riding it by the time our vacation home was over but I was already hooked.
I've got my own unicycle now and go just about every day for a short ride at least. It clears my head and it's just one of the most fun things you'll ever do.
Posted by Dave at 06:28 AM |
June 15, 2004
WindowSizer now supports multiple monitors
Where are the recent photos, the knitting projects, etc.? I've been busy working on WindowSizer. I just released version 1.1. WindowSizer now supports multiple monitors with tiled layouts on each display. It's super cool. There are also some other enhancements and fixes.
Much more info at WindowSizer homepage.
Posted by Dave at 03:40 PM |
May 19, 2004
WindowSizer Released!
For the past couple months I've been developing a software program for Microsoft Windows® that is designed to help you view multiple application windows at once. It's evolved into quite a handy program. I'm now offering a free trial. I have no idea if it will become popular or not but I've had a lot of fun developing it and it's made me remember that I do enjoy programming. Also it's what I had in mind (even a little cooler) when I started. There are a few competitors but from what I've seen I like my software best :)
You decide, visit http://www.windowsizer.com and check it out.
Posted by Dave at 12:27 PM |
May 11, 2004
I've moved
I'm still in Portland but have moved to the hip Belmont neighborhood. I'm quite close to beautiful Laurelhurst Park. Thanks to Gene and Drew for some great moving help as witnessed in this photo.
For my new address, click here.
Posted by Dave at 09:31 AM |
April 05, 2004
Lots going on
I recently visited my parents' home near Floyd, Virginia for a family vacation. While I was there, with some help from my dad who turned the legs, I built a shaving horse. This inspired me to also post some pictures of my workbench at home.
Besides staying busy in the workshop I went for a hike on Rocky Knob with my parents. Back in Portland we've been having great weather and I went for a hike at Wahclella Falls in the Columbia Gorge yesterday.
Neighbors' horse farm in Floyd, VA.
Posted by Dave at 05:37 PM |
March 09, 2004
Night shots
Almost as exciting as a Bob Seger song by a similar name, our photography class took a field trip in downtown Portland on a recent evening. We learned to look at the many different sources of light after the sun goes down. more...See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 06:54 PM |
February 23, 2004
Field trip
These latest images were taken in the last couple days, some on a class field trip Saturday morning, others on my own.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 05:46 PM |
February 18, 2004
Slides
Our most recent assignment in photography class was to shoot a roll of slides. Here are a few of the results. I haven't seen these slides projected yet. Overall my scanner does a poor job with slides and crops an unacceptable amount of the image.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 05:30 PM |
February 16, 2004
Socks
I just completed my first pair of knitted socks! For those who don't knit, socks look pretty small and unimpressive but I've just learned how much go into them. They were a lot of fun though and I'll be doing more for sure. I made these as part of class I took through the Yarn Garden of Portland taught by Judy Wilcox.
Posted by Dave at 09:23 AM |
February 11, 2004
Composition
Our third assignment in my photography class was to shoot a roll of film keeping in mind some compositional guidelines.
more...See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 05:24 PM |
February 03, 2004
Beginning Photography
I have been taking a class at Portland Community College, Beginning Photography with Warren Mitchell. The class is a fun group and I'm learning. It's good motivation to get out and take some shots. Our second assignment was shadows. Shadows can be hard to come by this time of year in Portland. Here are a few images from that assignment.See the photos...
Posted by Dave at 11:20 PM |
January 06, 2004
Happy New Year
Happy New Year everyone! Portland is having some real winter weather today.
Posted by Dave at 09:35 AM |
November 20, 2003
China
I've recently returned from a twenty-five day trip to China. My port of entry and exit was Hong Kong. I went with my friend Li Lin who grew up in Quanzhou, China and Hong Kong. China was busy, booming, crowded, and fun. It was a lot of things and I only saw a small slice of its immensity. more...Posted by Dave at 04:07 PM |
October 06, 2003
About Me
 |
Don't be a stranger! If you'd like prints of a photo you've seen on my web site, just want to say hi, or think I should be working for you, then get in touch! (my family) David Ross Portland, OR My resume (pdf) |
Posted by Dave at 04:34 PM
September 16, 2003
Welcome
Welcome to my website. You'll find all assortment of things here. Check back often for updates. I have put up some photo galleries of recent trips as well as entries about some of my recent activities. If you're looking for the journal of my cross-country bicycling trip, it's still here.
Posted by Dave at 09:08 AM |