Team WRECK

Scenes from the Mini-Secret Rickreall Closed

2012-01-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

All photos by Cory the Kid.

Rickreall Open 2012

2011-11-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

It's on. July 13-15, 2012. An old school Open with bikes, BB guns, bocce, points and prizes. 100 points to anyone that rides their bike down so start training now. More details to come.

A Volcanic Deathmarch

2011-06-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

I've been threatening this for years, now it's on. September 16-18 we head for Mt. St. Helens to ride the Ape Canyon/Plains of Abraham/Windy Ridge loop and enjoy a midnight mystery hike through the Ape Caves.

Journey Down the North Umpqua

2011-06-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

photo by Gabrial Amadeus, see more here.

Another fun weekend on the Umpqua. Big thanks to Scoutmaster Milkshake for the motivation, Dan for the van and keg and Mace, Maitland, Gabe and even Dabby for maintaining positive, winning attitudes.

Conspirasteve Down Under!

2011-05-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Conspirasteve was kind enough to let me do a little light editing of his latest screed, here's a sneak preview:

I would like to offer congratulations to our brilliant, yet humble and possibly drunk readership. Because once more, left clicking onto our verbose and bravado filled blog has filled yours truly with joy and left our enemies dismayed. But enough I say. Enough! It is time to dispense with our much maligned soliloquy for the serious business of science!

While I, Conspirasteve, have been preoccupied with other endeavours, including, but not limited to: Extreme pogo sticking, heckling body surfers and yelling at concrete. A little known "clique" in the Conspirasteve Nation have been "tirelessly" investigating the above title. I have been informed that these experiments were conducted in a controlled environment, possibly a clean room, most likely a hotel room and a bathroom. Rumors of single malt scotch impeding the progress is being investigated. None the less! Our internal auditing is of no consequence to you, our patient yet highly stylistic readership. The time for truth or consequence is upon us!

While stationed in our previous headquarters in the Northern hemisphere (herein referred to as PHQ), there was some debate amongst various factions of the Conspirasteve Nation regarding which direction the toilet bowl would "swirl". Now that we are ensconced in the new and marginally improved HQ, located in the Southern hemisphere (herein known as the HQ.New Style), we are ready to put it to the test.

While the author of this esteemed blog has at times taken some extreme positions on various issues TRUTH will not be, and shall not be a position in which we shall "opine". There are some absolutes in this world, my insouciant yet heavily burdened readers! These are "body surfing bad, tacos good" type scenarios which are immutable. With these positions in mind, and without further ado, we at last present the findings of of the Conpirasteve Nation's "Mystery of the Toilet Bowl Revealed" findings:

Yes indeed, the toilet bowl swirls in the clockwise rotation here in the HQ New Style as apposed to the PHQ's standard counterclockwise swirl!!!

With these findings, we here at Conpirasteve Nation, deeply buried within the in the Bunker of Truth(tm), do heap congratulations upon EZ E's mom for correctly predicting the outcome of our month long experiment! To borrow from the local patwa: Good on ya mate.

Up next! : In-laws and out-laws, a case study in duality

Death March Down Under : The Final Walkabout

2011-02-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

Last night much of Team Wreck was on hand to say goodbye to Beefa as he heads off to the southern hemisphere. A plan was hatched to follow him there in the summer of 2012 for the ultimate Deathmarch. So start saving your pennies, it's an expensive ticket but I guarantee it'll be worth it.

Also, follow Beefa's exploits on his new blog, Conspirasteve Down Under.

Tree Work

2011-02-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

Cory and Wade came down to the farm to help us take out a couple of rotten oaks that were threatening to fall on the old barn.

I like the bounce in the last one.

Good job Wade, you're a pro.

I didn't realize it at the time but now I see they're negotiating the price. I like the body language in this one.

Trail Building Party

2011-02-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

March 26-27 at Boat Farm. If it's dry there may be some backhoe action, if not we'll build in the woods. Bring shovels, rakes, BBQ food, beer and a sleeping bag. And a towel if you want to hot tub.

two posts in one day

2011-02-04T00:50:00.002-08:00

Men in belted sweaters, my prediction for fucked up fashion of 2011.

I'd vote for him.

Glenna Evans as hot for teacher.

Rev. Phil rocking my boat on Lake Piticaca.

Lt. Uhuru

Anthony Perkins playing bike polo.

I have a blog.

2011-01-31T23:20:00.000-08:00

The only good use for a squirrel, carrying Chewbacca into battle against evil nazis.

Ha ha, Washington.

Tear down the freeways.

Glenna Evans.

Boston Jeff and Dave Canale announce a joint birthday party.

2010-11-11T18:28:00.001-08:00

Boston asked me to post this. Knowing those two, it should be an epic.

Sunday November 28th, 2pm-? Check back for the address, Boston said he would email it.

Westside!

2010-11-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

WestSide Invite 11! Er, I mean West Coast Unvitational 1! Whatever, any reason to go to Canada, and this time I'm bringing my own booze, it's crazy expensive up there!

Salem Alleycat!

2010-10-24T00:48:00.000-07:00

NOISE Ride 2010

2010-09-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

Noise Ride - Saturday, October 16th, 12 noon at the Fresh Pot on N. Mississippi.

I still don't know what NOISE stands for...National Onespeed Invitational Singlespeed Event?
I do know that it's always a fun day of riding and debauchery.

The Oakridge Shred

2010-09-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

Elements of Team Wreck and Team Cthulhu journeyed to Oakridge last weekend. We rode Alpine, the lower 18 miles of the Middle Fork of the Willamette trail and Larrisson Rock.

Great trails and great times. Big ups to Beefa for the White River Chile Stew, Boston for the storytelling, Brandon for the shuttling, Spencer for the youthful enthusiasm,JBone for his magical bin and Milkshake for pulling it all together.

We had to climb over a landslide to get to the top of the Alpine Trail. It was worth it.

Milkshake and Spencer may look disaffected here but actually we all got along quite well.

The view from the top of Larrison Rock.

Boston catching some air.

We took a wrong turn and ran into this weird shrine way up a fire road.

Survey marker at the top of Larrison Rock.

For more and better photos check Milkshake's blog, Velograph.net

where he asks the question "What do vodka and four loko taste like together?"

Guest Post : Conspirasteve!

2010-09-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

The Enemies List

Greetings and salutations to all dear readers of Dawhite's stellar yet underutilized blog spot. It has been more than a few months since I have bestowed the humble, yet exciting, mostly convoluted, trappings of the Conspirasteve inner sanctum of round table discussion forums upon Dawhite's staid yet brave readership. However, dear readers, after must discussion, ballyhoo and bravado from various members of said round table, I have declared ENOUGH! Yes of course names were named, fingers were pointed, drunkenness and fights ensued. However! We have come to the point of action! The here, the now, so on and so forth. While there was a multitude of venal and vicious villains which we could vilify on this list, it became apparent that this list would be a list of One. One you ask? With all the worthwhile vermin worthy of scorn? Indeed, dear readers of Dawhites esteemed blog, One.
While there were a multitude of villainous candidates deserving honorable mention, such as: Milkshake's mustache, Sean Hannity, rigid mountain bike forks, body surfing and Dabby , to name a few who had the dubious distinction of being discussed in our round table forum. Their's was but a veneer of viciousness on the Conspirasteve nation body politic. Never truly rising to the level of "Numero Uno" so to speak.

So without further ado:
1: This creature goes by many names, The Mt St Helens Gorilla, Devil Monkey, Skukum , Sasquatch, Big Foot, and my favorite OH-MAN.( no shit, that's actually a name).
Growing up in the Pacific N.W. I have heard plenty of tales surrounding this mythical monster over the years, mostly full of shit, but exciting all the same. My favorite coming from my Dad's one armed friend who purported to have lost his arm when he and his friends were attacked by a roving gang of Big Foots ( or would that be Big Feet?) but I digress....Ok where was I?.. oh yeah..in the Mt St Helens National Forest. He apparently escaped in the back of my Dad's pickup. Unfortunately for him one of the Sasquatches grabbed a hold of his arm while my Dad floored it and ripped his arm off...good times.

NO dear reader this story is a far cry from the reason OH-MAN is the king of all enemies..I know what you're asking yourself..."why why why" ?...The reason for the election of the Devil Monkey is placed squarely in hands of this blogs author, none other than Dawhite himself. I'll get to the point. I had the pleasure of camping with Dawhite and ten other virtuous souls on a Death March at the American Ridge Lodge on or around January of 2008. From the cabin we had a view of an ancient ski slope roughly 1/4 mile long, 100 feet wide at which seem to be of a 45 degree angle. A good portion of the group were casing the slope to decide at which angle we should try to commit suicide that night by whisky and sled. When a bi-pedal humanoid creature roughly 9 feet tall crossed the top of the slope.. Of course this being a Death March I quickly numbed my fear by doing shots and making fun of Rev Phil. All was well until Dawhite recounted the story to me this past weekend by campfire mere moments before I retired for the evening.
From that moment on, until the daybreak, every whistling of the leaves or steps of a small forest creature sent Conspirasteve Nation straight to defcon 5! It was just a matter of moments before the Devil Monkey would be pulling my spine out and using it as a tooth pick. And for disturbing my slumber, YOU Sasquatch have the dubious distinction of being #1 on Conpirasteve nations Enemies List. Congrats.

RETURN OF THE GUEST POST

2010-08-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

RETURN OF THE GUEST POST, as written by reverend phil

The road is a pretty interesting place. It's where messages are delivered in person, where the action is, where danger lurks round the corner. When that danger comes a knocking you might be lucky enough to come away unharmed, and if you are even more lucky others will not be harmed by you.

I take this as a sign that humanity is still holding on. That people can be marginally responsible for their actions and carry on their days. Even though we might not be able to forget the crazy person in the elevator that was having a conniption fit, we should actually be thankful for the person with whom we had a poor interaction with and still managed to let bygones be bygones.

stolen with gratitude from zoobomb.net

Oakridge Shred

2010-08-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Milkshake has announced an end of the summer trip to Oakridge. Good call.

More info on the facebooks.

Boat Farm Blog

2010-08-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

Blog spin off!

www.boatfarmers.com

News from Boat Farm

2010-07-14T23:14:00.001-07:00

We harvested some lovely garlic. Just enough for personal use but we plan to expand next year.

Move this pile over there!

Look for our Chiogga and Bulls Blood beets at Wild Pear in Salem.

La Capitale is also featuring our wild cherries with their cheese plate.

We finally started phase 1A of Project Chicken Coop : fix the leaky roof.

AAhhh! Sunlight on the garlic and quiver!

We raised the sails on Grace O'Malley for the first time.

A good excuse to break out the stainless steel martini glasses.

Co-captains, steady at the helm.

Jaden flying the Teamwreck colors at 8th grade graduation.

Rickreall Open postponed.

2010-07-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry to report that the Open has to be postponed. Our friend Glenna passed away on Friday and we will be traveling to Vancouver for the funeral. Sad news indeed, she was a special person and will be deeply missed by many.

Rickreall Open VII

2010-07-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

July 16-18. It's coming up fast.

Events may include extreme bocce ball, ditchstyle, BB gun biathalon and a pump track time trial. And of course fire jumping, speed scrabble, tree climbing and a midnight mystery ride. Maybe we should bring back whiffle ball home run derby or White Trash Iron Chef?

You'll probably want a flashlight or headlamp, a towel, mosquito repellent and a bmx or mountain bike.

Boat Farm

2010-06-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

Our first success! A handful of cloves from Garlicana turned into buckets full of beautiful Basque Red Garlic.

A big thanks to Sauvie Island Organics for all the drip tape.

Wildflowers on the pump bumps.

It's a start.

The eyes of a killer. A mole a day, that's all I ask.

The strawberries are thriving, they must have enjoyed the wet spring.

That merit badge I got for knot tying? If I knew where it was I would give it back. I pretty much faked it.
My experimental tomato trellis.

Boat Farm Nursery

Boat Farm Brewery!

2010-06-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

My first batch of IPA is bubbling away happily. Many thanks to Claire of the So Pathetic Brewclub for the knowledge and help and to Milkshake for much of the equipment.

La Ocho

2010-05-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

"Hello All
I'm working with Nadir on La Ocho and you can see some developments on the track geometry here: http://www.behance.net/Gallery/La-Ocho-CMWC-2010/514612"

Posted by Dieter Janssen to Team WRECK at 11:59 AM

The Human Powered Rollercoaster is reborn in wood and soon, dirt.

One step closer to an Ewok village.

2010-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Great build day despite the low turnout.

As many dogs as workers and they were no help at all.
Teamwork.

Big ups to Rickreall Bargain Center for the lumber, we'll be back.

Pumpapalooza

2010-05-15T23:15:00.000-07:00

June 12, Dabby's Pedalpalooza event : Pumpapalooza, an adventure in suburban Vancouver aka Nw Pump Track Championships.

New Belgium beer, pump track, antics.

Group ride with alleycat option meet at 1pm at the Paul Bunyan statue.

Finish and at : 1417 NW 103rd Circle, Vancouver, WA

If you drive with your BMX please park outside the cul-de-sac to preserve room for footdown.

"It was a hard choice building a pump track in Vancouver because I knew I would be riding it by myself, but it turns out it's really fast and really fun."

catching up

2010-05-13T23:49:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic trip to Victoria on my birthday weekend.

I like this photo of Mace getting his foot stuck in mud during a trip down the Hide and Seek trail at Sandy Ridge.

With Grace O'Malley docked at Riverplace, Dayglo Ponds are my front yard.

2010 Rickreall Open

2010-05-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

The Rickreall Open will be July 16-18. More details to follow.

Build Day + Blackrock this weekend.

2010-05-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Picture two giant wooden ladders descending from this log, dropping about 15 feet into berms and jumps. Wade and Cory have a crazy plan to make it happen.

The Marty Memorial Platform.

The beginnings of dandelion wine, my first foray into homemade booze. I'm attempting a batch of IPA in the next few days, keep your fingers crossed for me, no one's ever accused me of being meticulous or detail oriented.

Farm Party + Sweet T's birthday

2010-04-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Dropping into the ditchstyle.

Here's Joel showing us a thing or two about siphoning.

Sweet T, getting ready to sell some shoes.

Dabby's sketchy start ramp finally caves in while Billy is riding it.

Natty had the most fun of anyone, acting as the fun police on a herd of dogs, Kalu, Inyo, Hodges and Bean.
Timmy doing a hot lap of the Berms of Endearment trail. Current world record : 13.9 seconds.

Scenes from a Deathmarch

2010-03-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

Are gators the new tweed?

A quick fashion shoot before the hike begins.

Beefa poised for action.

We hiked to the top of Boulder Ridge. This would be a sweet picture of Mt. Hood if those clouds weren't in the way.

Mountain Mace.

2010-02-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

Arbor Day

2010-02-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

Cory and Wade came out to help with a problematic cherry tree.

Tools of the trade.

It was rotten at the base.

And growing into the gutters of the former dog pen and soon to be chicken coop.

Now the chickens will have a perch.

This log will be heating my hot tub in the winter of 2011.

What a pro.

Count It!

2010-01-20T00:44:00.001-08:00

January 30

2010-01-20T00:28:00.001-08:00

I had been planning on the 1st annual Tweed Ride, mostly based on the strength of this flyer, but am now leaning toward a sojourn to Seattle for the 4th annual Tapeworm Timetrial instead.

tractor shopping

2010-01-11T23:28:00.001-08:00

Team Wreck Yacht Club

2009-12-16T20:25:00.001-08:00

We finally brought Grace O'Malley down the Columbia and up the Willamette.

Spence was kind enough to hook me up with two of his sailor buddies, Nate and Chris. In addition to their charming, old-timey style they have a lot of nautical experience, including stints on the Lady Washington.

I was glad they were along when, 20 minutes into the voyage, the tiller delaminated and broke off at the base. Luckily we were in the middle of the river and nothing was close by or it could have been ugly. We all stayed pretty calm and soon enough located some hose clamps and twine, lashed it together and kept going. Yikes!

Justine at the helm, approaching the Broadway Bridge.

Attempting to look intrepid.

A working river.

Chris on VHF channel 13, hoping to cause the Hawthorne bridge to raise.

Success! Under the bridge and we were quickly tied up at Grace's new home, Riverplace marina, where we'll be most afternoons, rebedding and caulking every single deck fitting in an attempt to slow down the leaks.

Death Sleepover and Wine Tour

2009-12-15T23:06:00.001-08:00

The Winter Deathmarch underwent some changes due to weather concerns, lack of interest and general wussiness. No camping or hiking, but a few team mates came down to the farm for a mini holiday party. Milkshake and Misia made some righteous gumbo featuring huge king crab legs, Justine made an excellent chocolate cake featuring wild cherries we packed in amaretto and vodka in the summer. There was speed scrabble and boggle and a midnight mystery hike. The next day we did a little gravel road tour, visiting Firesteed winery for a tasting then riding to Baskett Slough and hiking to the top of the butte.

Nice light over the slough. photo by Justine.

We saw a pair of bald eagles at the top. Disco insisted they were crows but I think he may be wrong this time.

I think we were trying to spell out Team Wreck.

A few of the many poses struck by the Tiahdactyl.

Doom sells out.

2009-12-09T22:42:00.001-08:00

Hawaii pt. 5

2009-11-30T00:00:00.001-08:00

The valley of kings.

We hiked into the Waipaio valley along the steepest road I've ever traveled. 25% grade at some points.
This car came down the short way I guess.

The beach was well worth the trip. We tried to ford the river but the current was strong and after Justine fell in we gave up.

An Ironwood tree near the beach.
We hiked up the valley a ways, hoping to get close to this epic waterfall.

After a few more river crossings we turned back at this one. It was deep and we were getting some serious stink eye from the locals.

Hawaii pt. 4

2009-11-29T23:20:00.000-08:00

I attempted to catch a pheasant for Thanksgiving dinner.

It didn't work out but luckily Trevor brined and smoked a turkey and it was excellent.

Justine making some sort of breadfruit/squash/ginger thing.

Skateboarding - the only thing dumber than cyclocross?

A fence composed of lava rock, firewood, chainsaws, bowling balls and an engine block.

Some pictures from a hike to akkaka falls.

J and our rental PT Loser, Smurfette.

Cook rice, not ice.

Hawaii pt. 3

2009-11-25T23:34:00.001-08:00

Lava steam plume at sunset.

The surf busily making fresh pahoehoe into a black sand beach.

Possible emo album cover?

Lava entering the ocean. Believe it or not this was more impressive in person.

A beautiful volcano warmed pool along the Puna coast.

The old diving tower, Hilo harbor.

Mmmm, Garden Snack Club, home of the avocado, lime, mint, honey and tumeric smoothie.

Volcanos!

2009-11-23T20:15:00.001-08:00

We're currently staying in the village of Volcano with Rob, who started out a friend of a friend of a friend but is now a straight up friend. And a wonderful host.

Most of his yard is actually wild ginger.

Hair of the Floyd.

We hiked around and across the floor of the Kiluea Iki crater.

Rob has a variety of machetes and cane knives, some more well kept than others.

Honeymoon in Hawaii!

2009-11-22T02:19:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from the Big Island. I'll add captions later, when I have time and wi-fi.

Autumn

2009-11-08T23:55:00.001-08:00

Warning : Despite the placid begining there are pictures of two different dead animals later on in this post, a rat and a deer. So if you are squeamish about such things maybe skip this one.

Sweet T, Mace, Milkshake and Boston came down for a weekend. We shredded the pump track and had a blast at Blackrock.

Martell and his rat butt.

We checked out cross races in Wilsonville and Salem. My verdict? Still dumb. What's with all the getting off and running?

Possible witch.
Graybeard Natty.

Memento mori.

She appears alert because I mentioned squirrels.

The hot tub is sweet. Now I just need a drain, cover and deck with bench, covered towel hooks and wood storage.

Beyond Thunderdome

2009-11-03T21:18:00.001-08:00

SSCXWC09 is this weekend.
I still think cyclocross is dumb but I might show up for the Festivities Ride and party on Saturday. Anyone else going to be there?

NBA update!

2009-10-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Shocking excerpts from the book the NBA doesn't want you to read!

"If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line."

"Studying under Dick Bavetta for 13 years was like pursuing a graduate degree in advanced game manipulation."
"We were running up and down the court, laughing our asses off as the players got hammered with no whistles. "

2009-10-19T15:38:00.001-07:00

a walk around

2009-10-10T09:54:00.001-07:00

Strawberries in October? Thank you genetic science.

The tomatoes are mostly done though.

I thought I didn't like kale but it turned out I wasn't using enough bacon grease.

The winter beds. We emptied every single clod of dirt, found and patched the holes in the mesh where the voles were getting in, refilled the beds with new dirt and compost and planted radishes, mustard greens, cabbage and more.

Natty's eyebrows.

My killing team has kicked it into high gear. It's been an endless parade of mice, shrews, snakes, dragonflies, a few birds and the occasional worm. Next up : voles, moles, gophers and squirrels.

CMWC

2009-10-04T16:55:00.001-07:00

Not sure where I got this photo but it must be from CMWC Tokyo because that's Augie in the middle. Looks like a fun time. I was excited about Chicago's bid for CMWC 2011 but I've read it went to Warsaw instead.

Mustache Ride

2009-09-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Another fun Mustache Ride. There was wall ball, lockshoes, a beanbag toss, 4 square and some spirited frisbee 500.
We also happened across some kind of Dada boating event. A posse of hipster artists (who were actually really nice) built boats in Old Town, using nothing but cardboard, duct tape and spray paint, then launched them into the river for a race. Very entertaining.

Disco talked his way onto this "ship" as a mate.

Interior view of the vessel.

The predictable but hilarious results.

I spotted this sweet timetrial machine at a quickemart in the NEP.

Big Air at Blackrock

2009-09-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

Drove out to Blackrock with Mace, Tom and Boston on Sunday. Super fun. I didn't get especially rad but I did clean the entire climb for the first time ever, so that was gratifying.

Hang loose, Boston!

No boats or love in these pictures!

2009-09-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

The cats seem to think we've arranged for the filberts to fall for their enjoyment. 13 acres of cat toys!

Sunset through the Hinoki.

I was going to eject this spider from the house but then it caught a yellow jacket. I guess the enemy of my enemy must be my friend.

Wood chips plus goat manure equals strange fungus.

Mustache Ride!

2009-09-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

The 4th Annual Mustache Ride is Saturday, September 26. The day begins at Col. Summers Park at 1:30pm and concludes with a twister wrestling tournament. Mustaches required!

more pictures about boats and love

2009-09-14T21:34:00.001-07:00

The African Queen?
Captain Murphy.

Perfect weather for a schooner race.

2009-09-09T17:54:00.001-07:00

Getting moto at Blackrock

2009-09-08T20:13:00.001-07:00

The tools of the trade.

I felt like the woods were watching me.

Justine was railing it, until :

a slippery root tripped her up.

A weekend in Port Townsend

2009-09-08T19:55:00.001-07:00

Ah, the joys of boating. In the interest of stopping a leak we pulled all the pulleys (or I guess we call them blocks on a boat) off and recaulked them.

A sweet converted elevator car for rent as a food cart.

On the throne at Memory's Vault, Fort Worden.

Team Wreck Yacht Club

2009-09-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

The TWYC Advisory Committee is traveling North to look at a possible flagship.

2009-08-25T00:02:00.001-07:00

Scenes from the Polk County Fair

2009-08-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

City boy and mountain man.

4H kids taking their goats to auction.

Horses seem a little outmoded to me. Sure, they were of great use for a portion of our history but now I see them as a luxury item. We don't eat them or use their milk, most people use them for pleasure or status. Though many are still used to herd and drive cattle a lot of ranchers use ATVs instead. I'm sure some Luddites still use them to pull wagons, plows, carts, harvest timber, etc. OK, maybe horses aren't outmoded but I still think they're overrated.

She makes a compelling case.

6 for 6.That's a $5 dollar penguin.

One of the founders of Oak Grove.

This clown couldn't match the talking robot of 2 years ago but she held several local kids enthralled.

For steep vineyards I guess.

I didn't know this existed. I bet it's called a bucket-claw or loader-thumb. This could make short work of several brush/blackberry zones around the farm.

creepy

2009-08-09T01:31:00.001-07:00

I saved these pictures from an Oregonian article a few weeks ago. They seem straight out of an unreleased David Lynch movie.

The accused killer. Bobby Peru's nephew?

The pond where the hand was found.

The trailer in question.

Neighbors who now sleep with guns under their pillows.

Scenes from the Redwoods

2009-08-09T01:03:00.001-07:00

We found lots of big trees but very few good mountain bike trails.

This is what happens when you let a Canadian choose a German restaurant in North Bend, Oregon.

At the Trees of Mystery. We didn't enter the actual attraction but the gift shop and museum kicked ass.

At the Hobbit Trail beach.

The best meal we had on the trip...duck potstickers!

Strange fungus.

Twilight Criterium

2009-08-08T23:40:00.001-07:00

I had an awesome time at the Twilight Criterium. A lot of old friends were there and I was too busy socializing to take any pictures so I handed my Nikon off to Dabby. He took around 250 shots and they almost all looked like this:

Pretty realistic. The pace was so fast it was hard to watch.

I like this shot of Magnum going by.

Molly was involved in a crash that looked worse than it was. Everyone walked away. Molly must have been given a free lap as she was back up with the leaders within a few laps. Tough.

Smellen shows Dabby how she really feels.

Big and little but we both love Brooklyn.

An excellent crepe. Fig, chevre and honey, it really hit the spot. The cart zone at 12th and Hawthorne was super busy well after midnight.

NAHBPC Seattle

2009-08-04T12:12:00.001-07:00

Tourism

2009-08-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

I might need to slot Mongolia into my 10 year itinerary. That is a sweet statue and I bet the T-shirts are killer.

The Great Oregon Steam Up

2009-07-27T00:08:00.001-07:00

Great Oregon Steam Up

The crazy face.

I couldn't guess a single one.

Harder than it looked.

This guy was a total freak but he had a few funny jokes.

Mini steam powered baler.

Steam machines in action.

This woman was awesome. She had a bunch of old brass faucets hooked up to an array of pipes powered by a steam engine. Each faucet had a story and she was eager to share.

extreme cuteness

2009-07-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

Mia Fay Rock

likes : blueberries, African jazz, yanking kittens around by the whiskers
dislikes : naptime, bananas

Scenes from Deumling's Goat Roast

2009-07-19T23:07:00.001-07:00

Big ups to B&K for the invite to the best goat roast ever.

Removing the goat.

Goat aftermath.

We toured the amazing new barn. Almost all the lumber was cut and milled right on the property.

I lack the vocabulary to describe this kind of construction but I still found it impressive.

Detail of one of the many large and dangerous looking pieces of machinery.

Now THAT is a farm truck.

dogs and cats living together pt 2

2009-07-19T23:00:00.001-07:00

Birdwatching at Baskett Slough

2009-07-17T20:59:00.001-07:00

Ok, I find birdwatching boring but I really like watching the people who watch birds.

I guess this is what I look like.

This is about the driest the slough ever gets. Nonetheless we saw quite a few birds, including a bald eagle, turkey vultures, stilts, snipes, finches, ducks, geese, etc. Plus a family of nutria and tons of deer.
Jeff was packing some serious optics.

Justine expounding on her favorite Vin Diesel quote " I do what I want when I want." So true.

dogs and cats living together

2009-07-15T00:20:00.001-07:00

Hot tub party

2009-07-12T20:00:00.001-07:00

I'm one step closer to being a king of leisure.

Phase 17 of site prep. Dabby and I dug down 2 feet and filled it with gravel. Then I rented a plate compacter and whacked it down, then we dug in some cinder blocks, leveled them and whacked it down again. Then we set 6"X6"s on the blocks and the hot tub on top of that. I turned out level and very sturdy, which is good as the full tub weighs over 5000 pounds.

Big thanks to my custom carpenter crew : Devon, Sam and Justin. They did a great job for a fair price. I'll get some detail pics if it ever stops raining.

Yes, I got four kittens. Filbert, Fig, Marty and Ghostface.

media blitz!

2009-07-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

"It causes problems in my life sometimes," he says, "because it's all I think about."

The Boregonian gives Sweet T some love : Fringe Sports

blogging

2009-07-04T23:24:00.001-07:00

Shit, forgot I had a blog again. I guess I've been too busy with real life. Here are some pictures from the last week or so.

I overcame my aversion to "bike culture" and attended the MCBF. It was fun, this 10 year old girl won at foot down and soaked in the glory. I saw Meghan, Magpie, Rev. Phil, Sweet T, Sarah, and lots of other friends and acquaintances.

Glenna came down from BC to pay us a visit.

Shepherd, meet sheep.

And goat.
Justine at the Molalla River. We also swam in the Sandy and twice in the Rickreall Creek.

The boys. After years of threats I finally made it to the Humane Society. Squirrels, mice, etc, your days are numbered.

Glenna longboarded Orchard Heights Road and pronounced it "pretty tame"

Another good year for poison oak.

Heating up Rickreall Creek.

mtb ride this Sunday

2009-06-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

Meet at Ristretto, 42nd North of Fremont by 9:30am for a 10am departure.

The Return of Shiprek!

2009-06-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

Reentering the Atmosphere

Walking out

2009-06-17T19:43:00.001-07:00

An interesting walk out today. I went for a little road ride in the late afternoon, just to stretch my legs, I told myself. Of course as soon as the road turned up and that LCD Sounsystem song I like came on the headphones I started riding like I was Pantani on the Col de Galibier. By the time I hit the top I was deep in oxygen debt and my judgement must have been impaired. I thought "I'll just head down this little gravel road for a ways, I'm pretty sure it connects up with a paved road in less than a mile", of course it got steep and soon I was going fast, having fun, bunny hopping storm debris, mooing at cows, etc. About 2 miles later I hit pavement, thinking "I made it", only to feel both tires get softer as I coasted along. Two flats. No problem, I thought, I always carry at least two tubes in my tool bag plus a patch kit. I pulled over to a conveniently placed boulder and unloaded, pump, tire levers, uh-oh where are the tubes...oh yeah, I gave them away last weekend and neglected to replace them. Open the patch kit...no glue. I must have swiped it for the other patch kit in my other backpack. Idiot.
I was a little pissed at my lack of preparedness but quickly got over it and had a mostly enjoyable 5 mile walk home. The only bad part was the shoes. If I had been rocking New Balance or Saucony, no problem, but tight fitting Sidis with metals bits bolted to the bottom proved to be less than ideal. Once I got into the walking though I started to really enjoy it. I saw all kinds of things I had missed when driving or biking. Several new views, though I still haven't found a good view of my house, there's always a hill or tree in the way. Wildlife : A deer, various hawks, various rodents, one barking dog, four cows. Dead : a large beetle, two frogs, scrub jay, squirrel (yes!)
I got passed by quite a few cars but no one stopped to ask if I needed help. Maybe I was striding confidently or something. Maybe people are just dicks. If a slow moving farm truck had been going my way I might have stuck a thumb out and offered 5 bucks for a ride but it was all sedans and luxury SUVs. One guy did stop when I was almost home, he was headed East over the Eola hills and wondering if he was going the right direction for Willamina. I was tempted to give him the old "keep going, you can't miss it" but gave him the straight dope instead. As I cut a diagonal through the Farmer family filbert orchard my watch said 94 minutes, not too bad. Natty was installed in her favorite corner of the green leather couch, I'm not sure she knew I was gone.

Rickreall Open 2009 pt.2

2009-06-14T20:56:00.001-07:00

The Kid demonstrating his footlock technique.

Much speed scrabble was played. I may have won one game early but once Sarah, Tiah and Misia heated up I was out of my league.

Disco knows a thing or two about starting fires.

Tiahdactyl's description of the weekend, from facebook :

ride ride ride, corndog, tacos, ride ride ride, arrival!,people, dogs, beer beer beer, pump track races, hot dogs, russian salad, biscuits and gravy, hot dogs,beer beer beer, speed scrabble!, bonfire, dance party,sleep, speed scrabble, coffee, chit chat, tree climbing!, little bike ride, sweeping, lunch, departure in a vehicle...

Tiah took a lot more photos than I did, you can see them on her flickr page.

Those young hipsters, touring on track bikes...

Climbing the old oak.

Hodges, Rusty and Bean have a dog party. I made a half hearted attempt to get Natty to pose with them but she wasn't into it. Apparently the queen does not lay down with her subjects.
Bean in the orchard.

Chas and Fox depart for Eugene and San Francisco by Friday.

Check out those sweet Black Star panniers.

Lucky and Sweet T prepare for takeoff.

MTB ride

2009-06-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

This Friday, June 19.
Meet at Ristretto Roasters, NE 42nd just N. of Fremont by 9am for a 9:15 departure.
Maybe 3 Corner Rock or a Wilson River trail. Suggestions are welcome.

CMWC Guatemala 2010

2009-06-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

I am going to this. Book it.
CMWC Guatemala, September 1-13, 2010
featuring :
La Ocho
A reincarnation of the original “human powered rollercoaster”, a figure-8 bike racing track featuring an “over-under”. The Guatemalan version will be made of clay with a wooden bridge. It will be a featured attraction at CMWC 2010 and serve as the primary pre-event.

Rickreall Open 2009 pt.1

2009-06-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Another great Open in the books. A thunderstorm hit Friday night and made most of the trails unrideable but we managed a few time trials Saturday afternoon. It was super slick but still fun. Timmy did the most laps in 2.4 minutes with 9. A bunch of others got 8 including me, Drew, Mace, Matt, Chas and Milkshake, who was wearing a protective boot on his ankle. The road race was canceled due to lack of interest, except from Drew. So maybe Timmy wins. Maybe Drew wins because everyone else forfeit the road race. I'm going to call it a draw, put the small amount of cash raised in the TW Slush Fund and have another Open in the late summer. ~~Let's say August 21-23. It may also be a birthday party for Justine, Tiah, Jefe and any other late August birthdays, we'll see.~~Canceled in favor of a yoga seminar. Details of the next Open to come.

Rickreall Open

2009-06-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Open starts tomorrow!

The weather may not be ideal, I know some were hoping for 95 and sunny so we could have a pool....but I actually prefer 72 and partly cloudy.

The Berms trail is fast and flowy. Thanks to Dabby for all the digging and shaping. Just for the record Dabby will not be attending this Open in the interest of fostering Team unity and camaraderie, but look for a newish and gradually improving Dabby in the future!

The Annex is primed for big air. Bring pads and helmets. I had a vision for nighttime hijinks that is best described as "twin fire descent"...hard to explain but you'll understand when you see it.

Remember to bring a flashlight, headlamp or lantern, sleeping bag, food to BBQ, beer and ice, mosquito repellent, hay fever meds if you get it (it's pollen city out here), Ipods or records and a BMX or mountain bike.

Also I wasn't joking about the $10 per car parking fee, so be ready for that.

And... Sweet-T and Boston have both inquired as to rides down Saturday night, anyone have extra room?

Plus! Remember to support our sponsor, The Rickreall Mini-Mart located in downtown Rickreall. Or just bring your beer money to the farm and we'll mount a massive expedition with Bob trailer or truck.

Rickreall Open 2009

2009-06-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

It is on. You are welcome from Friday morning to Monday evening. Bring cash, beer, food, and a positive, winning attitude.

scenes from a mini work party

2009-06-06T17:59:00.001-07:00

We built up the new Fat Chance for Jaden to ride around. it turned out pretty light as a single speed. It's not for sale but if someone I really like wants to buy it and pledges to go riding with me a bunch I could be convinced to let it go for a good price.

I'm a 24 inch convert. 26ers feel floppy now.

The upshot of my decision to cancel the satellite TV service. I moved most of the crap out of the TV room and made it a guest room. I ended up with two of these Ikea tables that I had no use for and decided to integrate them into the Berms of Endearment trail. This stunt will henceforth be known as "the tabletop".

Jaden and his crab stabbing stick.

2009-06-03T21:20:00.001-07:00

Best of luck to Sweet T, Eric and Brian as they represent Team WRECK in Milwaukee.

pre-open work party this weekend

2009-06-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here's your chance to sculpt the time trial course to your liking and maybe pre-ride the road course. Bring gloves and a willingness to move some dirt and logs.

real estate update

2009-06-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

If anyone wants to be my neighbor the property two fields south of me just went on the market. It's a little spendy but I bet they'd come way down, in this tough economy, as they say. It's on a little hill and includes a bunch of outbuildings and a large grove of mature oaks. A zip line to the pump track could be possible with a really, really tall tower.

weekend linkage

2009-05-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I read an interesting article in the Times about how a Dutch company is trying to bring polaroid film back. They touched on how, in this era of digital photography speed doesn't matter anymore and the advantage of polaroid is the physical photo becomes art. With a built in frame and it's own color saturation and a certain realness. Anyway that wasn't interesting enough to blog about but today the Times ran their photo editor's 426 favorite reader submissions. Mace, you should check it out.

I guess this link is also for Mace, a long article about the NBA and the evolution of the game and referees. I don't usually link the Sports Guy's stuff, but this was interesting to me. His podcast has gotten better also, good interviews with Jeff VanGundy, Mark Cuban and David Stern recently.

But pro-hugging students say it is not a romantic or sexual gesture, simply the “hello” of their generation. “We like to get cozy,” said Katie Dea, an eighth grader at Claire Lilienthal Alternative School in San Francisco. “The high-five is, like, boring.”
Once again, I'm ahead of the curve.

Just so we're all on the same page, it would be totally insane to spend $400 on a plastic chair and leave it out in the woods, right?
Even if its " a cult product", a "revisited baroque ideatype", "the most daring example in the world of polycarbonate injection in a single mould" and would look so cool in a certain clearing, surrounded by mossy logs and dappled in afternoon sun.

Also, I finally put a deposit down on a hot tub. Not like this one pictured though, mine is being custom built out of reclaimed cedar and the wood stove will be inside the tub. It won't be ready in time for the Open but look for a series of hot tub themed parties this fall.

Westside Invite 9 part 4

2009-05-28T23:34:00.001-07:00

I found a few more photos from the Westside weekend...

Esra and her "crazy" face.

Timmy hydrating.

It's a good sign if you can flash the horns at the last stop of an alleycat. By this point I would be drooling and talking to myself.

Guy claims he got this tattoo in Portland after Team Wreck beat Team Skirt at the first Westside tournament.

She had a good sprint.

I heard Keo killed it in the freestyle. I opted to miss it in favor of deep fried calamari, fish tacos, Stella Artois and good company.

Timmy won the trackstand again. Good to see him get a little glory, the main race sounded brutal.

Celebration time. Mt. Ranier looked a lot bigger in person. Anarchy point was an awesome venue for the afternoon but I always feel a little nervous hanging out at a superfund site for an extended period. I don't think the hill we were sitting on was made of dirt.

I spotted this signed Cannibal jersey at the warehouse space shared by Moebius Cycles.

Someone's quiver. Heavy on the Colnago, Masi and trials. One road bike was buried and I hope it was intended as a joke, a really old bonded Vitus with really old Spinergys. Unsafe at any speed.

Skillz.

Puzzling out the manifest at Hat and Boot park.

Kickstands are the new tarck bikes.

Watch out for this one.

She will scalp you.

a walk around

2009-05-28T12:52:00.001-07:00

I remember my mom ordering some semi-illicit poppy seeds from Amsterdam. I like to think these are an example but I'm not sure.

Disaster in the lettuce bed! The day before these were orderly rows of heirloom lettuce and spinach.

At first I thought of deer but they could have reached all the lettuce without trampling in the bed.
Then I noticed a few holes, so it's an invader from below but not a mole or gopher as there were no mounds at all. Any guesses?
I think the solution is to dig all the dirt out, reline the bottom and sides with heavy steel mesh and refill with new dirt.

Big and little.

I've let a few parts of the Annex go without mowing to see what would happen. The result is (predictably) a mixture of the last crops grown in the field plus weeds.
The majority is this stuff. It seems like a perennial rye grass. I think it might have been grown in the field some years ago but I'm not sure.

There are a few patches of wheat from last year.

This looks like oats to me.

There are a few patches of this thin grass with feathery seeds. I'm pretty sure it's never been planted here. Maybe it's a native or just opportunistic.

This looks like fescue, which was growing here for several years. I expected more of it to come back.

The pit version 2.

In the interest of evening out the twin berms I scooped out the inside track and added a kicker into the right side of the s-curve leading into the harsh berm. Still not even but closer.

Sunnyside Environmental School 7th grade field trip

2009-05-27T15:19:00.001-07:00

My vehicle group. We had a great time once some ground rules were accepted.
A main topic of conversation was my Ipod and why it sucked.
Left to right leaving Jaden out,
Adam : not enough metal, limited Sabbath and Maiden, need more Priest etc.
Brody : Somewhat more reserved, Brody proffered his own CD which was all mid-80s schlock, heavy on the Bon Jovi. I often felt Brody was making fun of me in subtle ways. He may be cooler than me already. Shit.
Isaac : not enough funk, no disco, quotes : "That's all the Stevie Wonder you have?" "Are you racist?"
The only common ground was, surpisingly, "1234" by Feist. After the first time it became traditional to cue it up full volume before every longish bridge, roll down all the windows and scream along with the lyrics. Good times.

My cabin group. Somehow I got stuck with the cool kids. Nearly every second of our "cabin time" was a jam session. Two guitars, a bass, garbage cans and brooms for percussion and Lee's vocal stylings. He had the campfire in stitches but saved his best material for the cabin. I recorded one song in garage band if I can figure out an easy way to post it here I will.

At the Columbia Maritime Museum. Way better than I expected. I'd love to go back and spend a whole afternoon there. A few of the old guys acting as docents seemed super interesting and I'd love to ask them a million questions.

Real or statue?

This figurehead, which may or may not be Lord Admiral Nelson, was found washed up on a nearby beach.

Mmmm, sushi.
The whale skeleton at Long Beach.

Beach sculpture by Junior

The kids at Waikiki Beach.

At the North Head Lighthouse. Another interesting volunteer that I wanted more time with. I did learn that the light had only been extinguished twice, Dec. 7, 1941 and one other earlier time when they were concerned about a British attack. Also I learned the horizon was 20 miles away at the top of the lighthouse. I've always heard from boat level (sea level I guess) the horizon is 7 miles away. Is there an easy formula that correlates height above sea level in feet to visual horizon in miles?

Self portrait with wind.

WSI 9 pt. 3 : Scenes from Polo

2009-05-26T20:08:00.001-07:00

Messman and ~~baby Messman~~ Vivianna. I hear she already has 3 bikes. Queen of the Core at Westside Invite 33, book it.

Disc wheels and drilled out mallets seem to be the rage in contemporary polo.

Wheelie's bike, spare bike and parts of his exoskeleton.

One of my favorite people.

Two thirds of The Three Malletiers. We may have finished 0-2 but we scored goals against two tough teams and no one got seriously injured. Success!

While lurking for the last of the burgers I got a few compliments on my condiment design so I figured it might be photo worthy.

Todd D. Danger, Timbers Superfan.

My slow travel camera missed the high speed crash but I caught the immediate hug and remount.

This guy was doing some cool tarck tricks but every time I tried to take his picture he crashed out.

The Ringer tapping out. Team Haus played a few beautiful games but couldn't make it out of the semifinals.

Irving is pure style. I wish I had gotten a photo of the slinky little number he was wearing Friday night.

Team Pink lost a closely contested 2 out of 3 finals but ~~this guy~~ Nano would get my vote for MVP. He was quick like a snake, playing balls in the air.

After a hard faught finals Soren, Seabass and Drew hang onto their belts for another year.

Westside Invite 9 pt. 2

2009-05-26T18:01:00.001-07:00

Bonus pics! All these were taken by the Machine.

Dr. Doom hung tough in the trackstand despite recent ACL surgery. I expect to see a resurgent robo-Doom when I get to Durango in September.

At Anarchy Point.

Tarck bike tricks while wearing little dresses....not sure I get it but each to his own.

Esra scored the pink Aerospoke by finishing second in the Core Whore ladies only alleycat. First place was an all pink wheelset with custom anodized and engraved Phil Wood hubs and deep dish rims painted in script "Queen of the Core".

Best goldsprints ever.

Westside Invite 9

2009-05-26T10:47:00.001-07:00

Best Westside ever. Big thanks to Justine the Machine for driving me up there, Esra and David for all their hospitality and all the Seattleites that made the event so smooth and fun.
This weekend I tried out the Dabby Method of photography, taking a million random shots, and came up with a few that might be worth sharing so expect a multi part post.

Road trip!
Esra and David, without a doubt the most adorable Turkish/Hawaiian punk couple I have ever had the pleasure of staying with.

I've noticed that these days I have a choice between having fun and RACING and I opted for the fun, working an alleycat checkpoint at Hat and Boots park in Georgetown. And by "working" I mean laying in the grass with snacks and drinks and doing some light heckling.

Plus we took glamour shots.

We had some local kids helping us out. This one was a punk, I had to wrassle him down at one point. I dig his hat though, is this a new urban trend I'm unaware of? Stuffed animals with the guts cut out worn on the head?

David dispenses a little park justice.

Guy and the LA crew showed up and helped with the heckling.

After the time trial we headed over to a superfund site known as Anarchy Point and found the large Portland crew including Tom. He got a sunburn on the spot where his bag normally is.

~~I've met this guy at least 10 times and I still can't remember his name. What is wrong with me? Anyway,~~ Shigeo, he's from Japan, has a sexy bike and can skid really well.

That seems like the ideal skid. It's becoming less about skidding and more about attempting high speed nose manuals.

Which is cool but doesn't always work out.

Mini Super Work Party

2009-05-16T21:47:00.001-07:00

Another mini super work party this weekend, this one focusing on the loop known as the Berms of Endearment, or the BORAT.

Choose your weapon.
photo by Mace

Natty has mostly learned to stay out of trail, though she loves to lay in the freshly dug, cool dirt.

Dabby deployed some guerilla geometry. We measured from entry to exit points, halved it and used twine describe the sweep of the berms. When B&K stopped by we learned that we were employing the "constant radius" I'm sure it was invented by Archimedes or Ptolomey or someone. Whatever, it still works.

Jaden losing control.

Crashing builds character, right?

Mace and Jaden focusing in.

This was a record setting attempt for sure, especially considering no one had ever attempted a 2 person wheelbarrow race around the BOE trail before.

I could see this becoming a popular and dangerous event at the Open this year.

The end of a delicious sandwich made by Jaden. Mustard seed salami from the Overseas Taste Market at 63rd and Holgate, on whole wheat with Tillmook cheddar, mayo, horseradish mustard, tons of spinach and a few miced jalepenos. Perfect.

Watch out, zombies.
Photo by Mace.

We took a few football breaks.
Photo by Mace.

An early test ride of the fern berm.

Mace at night.
A few mellow laps at night.

Party's over.

Holy shit, I got a sponsor!

2009-05-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

The Rickreall Open presented by the Rickreall Mini Mart.

The Rickreall Quik-E-Mart presented by Team Wreck?

Either way my man Steve who runs the Mart has agreed to be a sponsor. We haven't finalized the terms, maybe 10% off beer for those that mention the RO, maybe some coozies and expired jerky, who knows?
The Mart has experienced some tough times recently with the economic slowdown and the recent failure of the main cooler and installation of the new coolers. Steve seems a little worried about the Mart's continued existence which makes me worried.
So if possible please stop at the Mart on the way to the Rickreall Open.
If you're riding down 99W keep going past Farmer Rd. and into Rickreall then take Rickreall Rd. east to Greenwood Rd. and cross the highway.
If you're driving follow 22 past Greenwood Rd. take the next exit and head south.

I suggested he stock up on PBR and High Life. If you have any special requests please leave them in the comments and I will relay them.

the good life

2009-05-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

Once again I waited a little too long to harvest the morels. Quite a few were melted but there were some giants left.

They were super pungent to me from across the room, I can't imagine how it was for Natty.

A nice haul from the Polk County Master Gardener's sale at the fairgrounds and the Independence farmer's market. In a late bid to revitalize the herb garden I picked up cinammon basil, Vietnamese coriander and something labeled "7-Up plant" that really does smell like lemon and lime.

Also a delicious mushroom and garlic ciabbatta from The Bread Board, out of Falls City. A little chatting up also got me the secret business card with directions and news that they'll be offering wood fired pizza on the weekends to lure the apres Blackrock crowd.

Coolest album cover ever?

Rickreall Open 2009

2009-05-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

June 12-14

I'm changing things around a little this year. No flyers, for one thing, so maybe it'll be smaller (or at least not bigger). Also I'm charging a $10 per car parking fee. No charge if you ride here.

I'm also slimming the competition aspect down in the interest of participation and getting everything done in a timely fashion. This year it's a biathalon. $5 gets you into both events and the winner gets the pot or $100 cash whichever is more.

Road Race - Noon on Sunday.
A 15 mile loop through the Eola Hills. See the map with elevation here. Neutral start for the first mile. The start line is the stop sign at Farmer Rd. and Oak Grove Rd. King of the Mountains bonus points will be available at the top of the Orchard Heights and Eagle Crest, at 3.2 and 10.5 miles. I hope to have a caravan or at least one vehicle to take pictures, hand out water and note the top 3 on the climbs.

Time Trial - The 2.4 Minutes of Rickreall - anytime, one official attempt each day.
How many laps of the Berms of Endearment mini loop can you do in 2 minutes 25 seconds?

I'm sure many of the traditional side competitions will still take place, just organized by people other than me. For instance Mace may announce he's having a bocce ball tournament, it's $1 to enter, winner takes all. Or Phil could host a speed scrabble game that is free to enter and the winner gets a signed picture of him doing something nasty to a bike.

And of course count on the usual debauchery. Dance parties, ditchstyle, fire jumping, exotic beverages, tree climbing, midnight mystery rides etc.