First goal

Marlee scored her first goal today as a left midfielder. But she spent
much of the day shutting the other team down as a defender. She can't
wait to tell Nate.

Emma's Dinner

Emma caught this little guy at the neighbor's house an hour ago. But
it was hooked in the gut so we couldn't release it. I have my doubts
as to how it will taste.

Cailin's new look

Kid's cell phone?

For some strange reason, my oldest daughter thinks she needs a cell
phone. Marlee is explaining the difference between needs and wants.

I'm a bit upset with Cailin's friends' parents, who seem to have made
her the only girl in fourth grade without one.

This is her best puppy dog face. A bit pathetic, don't you think? I'm
thinking something along the lines of, "Over my dead body!" I guess
that I've built up an immunity.

Family Time

Yesterday was Easter, and the bunny brought Marlee a kid's climbing harness. It was a nice sunny day, and so we tried it out on an oak tree next to the barn. The tree ended up getting a lot of love by the end of the day, and Marlee and I had to share our harnesses. And after 4 trips up and down I was ready for Easter dinner.

Marlee showing off the sit/stand technique for advancing up the rope.

Marlee hanging halfway.

This is the triple crown foot loop that I had the girls using. The prusik knot is where it attaches to the orange climbing line. They can stand in the loops and advance their main friction hitch up the line. Then sit in the saddle supported by the main knot and lift their feet into a sitting position and slide the foot loop prusik up the line. Repeat often.

Marlee rings the bell. Well, not really, there is no actual bell so touching the rings at the top (behind my green climbing line) has to do. I was told by Marlee, Cailin, and Erin yesterday that I need to put a real bell up there for them to ring when they get to the top.

Next it was Cailin's turn. The first thing she tried was hanging upside down.

Mom came out and took a picture of us. You can see the barn roof behind us, and the "bell" at the very top of the picture.

Cailin found a branch to chill on for a little while.

And then she made it to the top. I don't know why she's flashing the peace sign, I guess she's practicing for a future as an anti-war activist? Or is that something uncool kids just do?

At one point I found a great branch to lay out on and rest while waiting for the kids.

Erin goes up the tree too. Marlee is on the right, making sure Mom is doing everything safely. The kid is already a climbing know-it-all.

Everyone had fun, and the kids are upset they didn't get to do it more and that I won't let them do it by themselves. Ahh, to be a kid with no fear.

After a long day

Tax season is almost over and daddy couldn't be happier.

Tree Climbing Daddy Style

We'll start at the end of the day for perspective, and then rewind:

Marlee was bragging to Cailin at the dinner table that she got to go tree climbing. Cailin's response was, "So, I climbed a tree today too." And then came the "No, I got to climb a tree daddy style!" Unfortunately, I never got a picture of Marlee doing this, but she got a couple pictures of me earlier in the day.

I hear the Easter Bunny might be bringing her a real kid's saddle so she can climb without going numb in the lower extremities from the ad hoc rope saddle daddy made. Then I may have time to get the camera. Turns out recreational tree climbing is a growing sport, and a great family activity. In fact there is even a great company that is right down Riverbanks Road from where Erin used to live: www.newtribe.com. Check 'em out if you have a few minutes. I've got lots of other sites if anyone is interested.


Here I'm maybe 50 ft up rigging the bull ropes to lower a branch that hangs over the house. The offending branch is the large one below me coming across the right side of the picture.


Here you get a little perspective, although the ground still isn't in the shot. You can make out the spot where the troublesome branch was removed.


This is my climbing buddy, Jason. Also known as Sawyer J. This is up a neighboring tree where we were pruning a lot of the nasty lower branches purely for aesthetics.


After doing some delicate tree work at my house on rope, we went up to my neighbor's house to have a little fun just plain dropping some of his dead trees. I was feeling pretty cocky after dropping three dead pines exactly where I wanted. Jason really likes my big MS460 Magnum, I think it fits his personality.




Finally, we have a little video of Sawyer J dropping this dead oak tree at the neighbor's house. If you would like to comment on his OSHA-approved technique, I'm sure he'd be glad to hear it, just send him an e-mail.

Mashed potatoes

Meet my new favorite way to make mashed potatoes. Always been a hand masher, but my shoulder is bothering me so I tried something new. Ten seconds later I had the fluffiest potatoes ever. Never going back now.

Late Night Breadathon

Guess I'm not a clean cook...