Gilbert Ranch: A Great Trip for All Ages

(Harry blogging...)

Gilbert Ranch:
Gilbert Ranch, a Cub Scout camp, was a very enjoyable experience. Highlights include B.B. Guns, Archery, (Where I hit a fleur de lis Bullseye,) Geology, and Horseback Riding.
At the B.B. Range, We at first used actual B.B. Targets, then we started to use playing cards- apparently it's cheaper. Either way, I guess it's whatever is most cost effective in the end. A lot of the time, however, it looked like you never hit it. Honestly the only way I knew if my own target, actually anyone's target for that matter, is if the card flew out of the close pins.
The Archery Range and Horseback Riding, however were much more complicated. The horse's seemed to like each other and at the archery range the bows were short ranged until you pulled them completely back. Still, this is Boy Scout Camp, you have to make what you have last.
All in all, Gilbert Ranch is an experience I would recommend to anyone, any age. Though it has some downsides, what are you expecting, a five star hotel?

-Harry

Pinewood Derby 2011

(Michael blogging...)

Carter is now the only kid left in our house who is involved in Cub Scouts (Justin is now enjoying Boy Scouts). This week was his first foray into making and racing his own pinewood derby car.

I started him out by asking him what kind of a car he wanted to make. This perplexed him at first -but he soon discovered that he needed to design, cut, sand, paint, and add wheels to his car. He surmised this when he opened his kit to find a mere block of pine wood and four loose wheels.

Carter's initial plans were for a car that was more like a vulture with with wheels than an actual car. Not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm - but also wanting his to finish the project this decade, I was able to talk him into a more simplistic concept of a lightening bolt in the front with racing stripes on the sides. He acquiesced, but was adamant that the colors were to be red, black, and white - which, as they are Trail Blazer colors, was just fine with me.

I helped him make some cuts with the hacksaw and a chisel. Carter then did the bulk of the sanding, painting, and spraying of the car with an acrylic coating. He needed a little help to get the wheels hammered in place; however, he undertook every phase and task with his typically zeal and aplomb.

The whole process took place over several weeks time and he never bored or tired of the task of doing the step in his car creation. He had actually been given the kit by his Den Leader back in December and Carter wanted to dive into the project right away. I had to contain his zeal for over a month in order to make sure we were doing things properly. There are, as I found out, strident and unflinchingly rigid rules and guidelines about weight, dimensions, materials, and lubricating powder. It was clear from the get-go that this would be no overnight little project.

When race day came - his car weighed in almost a whole ounce underweight. This typically means that such a car will not go as fast as other "heftier" models. Nonetheless, Carter wasn't interested in adding washers or coins, as per my suggestion, to the car to weigh it down. He was happy with it the way it was - and so I encouraged him about it no further.

At the race itself, his and about 50 other car in the pack were to be lined up atop a 50 foot ramp and released. Gravity would do the rest. His car was in the first racing "heat" of the den meeting and...finished in last place by a comfortable margin. When I turned to see Carter's reaction - he clenched his fists, grinned, and proclaimed, "That was fun." He spent the rest of the meeting dutifully watching each ensuing race and cheering. He was very happy to learn that ALL scouts who entered a car in the derby got a free Dilly Bar from Dairy Queen. Awesome!

One thing I did notice that day was that many of the other cars that entered in the race were obviously made by a work effort of 95% dad and 5% kid. These cars looked like Formula-1 prototypes. While they were far more streamlined and sexy and a more sure bet to perform well - they (in my mind) didn't serve the purpose of having young scouts make the cars in the first place. I felt strangely proud of the fact that Carter's car (while a slow-poke car to be sure) was truly of his own making.

Carter has already begun laying plans for his pinewood derby entry next year. Perhaps I'll let him pursue that vulture-car design after all. We'll see...

Make a wish...

(Michael blogging...) Here is the action from Carter and Brendan snapping the wishbone.

Visit to Spokane

(Michael blogging...) Took a trip to Yakima and Spokane a few days ago and managed to squeak in a visit to my long-time friend David at the end of the trip. While I wish I had time for a longer visit - I did manage to snap this photo as I was getting into the car at the early hours of Thursday morning on the way to the airport.

The view is from his house in northern Spokane that overlooks a great view of the city and there was a nice crescent moon in the sky. Thanks for the visit, David!

Halloween 2010

(Michael blogging...)

Just a few quick pics of my four on Halloween night.

Pumpkin Carve-off 2010

(Michael blogging...) Even though tonight was a school night - it also was one of the few nights we had left where we'd have all the kids together at one time before Halloween. Ergo, we rationed, we must carve pumpkins! So - with that, Ethan and I and his friend Marissa, shuffled off to Fred Meyer to pick out three shiny orange gourds (but of course had to settle for dirty ones).

Now - undoubtedly, your first reaction must be: "But, Michael! You have six kids in the house. How could three pumpkins be enough?!?!" Because! This summer Laura and I bought a few pumpkin plants from the Beaverton Farmer's market and planted them on the side of the house. A week or so ago, we harvested our bountiful crop and reaped a net total of four healthy sized pumpkins! Yowza!

Now armed with seven total pumpkins and our ever-sturdy little carving knives, Laura and I orchestrated a giant pumpkin-carving event of which all kids participated. First we lopped off the tops of the pumpkins and set the kids to the task of degutting the seeds and innards. After about 20 minutes of that - all the pumpkins had been scraped more thoroughly than a fisherman's' knuckles.

However, before anyone was allowed to cut into the face of their pumpkin - each kid was asked to draw their design idea on a 3x5 card so that Laura and I could assist with the actual carving, when needed. All the drawings were pretty standard for pumpkin fare - although Emma's pumpkin was to come complete with eyelashes and Carter's initial drawing looked simply like a pumpkin that had been strafed with gunfire (I urged him to reconsider and he acquiesced).

Getting Emma to dip her arm into the juicy guts and seeds of the pumpkin was the most difficult task of the night. The best I could get her to do was to gingerly and carefully lower her arm into the pumpkin just enough to grab a single seed with two fingers - and then reverse the process to take the seed out - taking extreme caution to never let her arm graze the side of the pumpkin shell. It was like a live-action, Halloween version of the board game "Operation." Once the seed was removed, she held it out in front of her like a dead cockroach and dropped it into the garbage can - thoroughly nonplussed with the entire experience. Nonetheless, all the other boys (and Marissa, too) dove into the task with zeal and aplomb.

Eventually, all pumpkins were carved and Laura set them alight on the front porch. While I still have misty-eyed reverie for my Obama pumpkin from two years ago - I must say, these are a pretty fine damn bunch of pumpkins!

Next year, Laura and I will plant our pumpkin starters in a different spot in the yard and (hopefully) we'll get a bigger yield. Who knows - maybe we'll have so many we'll need to make all forms of pumpkin-based desserts and baked goods out of them - just like the amazing pumpkin pecan crumble cake that I am just now polishing off! Now - bring on the trick-or-treaters!

Acolyting for the first time...

(Michael blogging...) Emma and Carter had their first experiences as acolytes at our church. This means that they get to wear little white robes and carry a flame to the front of the church and light the candles at the front of the sanctuary during the first part of the Sunday service.

After a few times of running though the routine for practice - it was showtime! They both pulled it off without a hitch and beamed with pride as they walked back down the aisle. I met them both afterward to help them disrobe and tell them that they did a great job. Carter's reply was: "Now everyone knows I'm old enough to handle fire!" Great...