First Snow of Winter 2008 !

We had a nice snowfall overnight between Sunday and Monday. Traffic was a snarl because it was below freezing temperatures, following rain and sleet. It created a lot of ice, which led to lots of traffic accidents. Bella and I headed out early for a sled ride in Tugman Park. Wish you all were here to enjoy it with us.

Jannelle and her boyfriend Andrew Mirr will be arriving Wednesday night, to come live with us. They're in for a surprise, as this is the first time I think Jannelle has seen a full blown snow at our home. And, the outlook is good for more between now and the weekend. In fact, we're thinking of having a holiday celebration with a group of friends, which is what happens when the weather is this good (or bad).

Watch the video with Bella and I. We were on our sled, on the street leading to Tugman Park. Made sense to ride down the hill, rather than walk on the slippery slope. We hit the hill 6-8 times at Tugman, and shared our sled with a bunch of different kids. It was great revisiting boyhood and feeling the cold air against my face, watching Bella's response to speed and the thrill of sleighing. She is the major outdoorsy dog. Couldn't have picked a better one.

Bella Lilu Boo-ster Pirate Dog - Take 1 - Cat-like Play

Bella Lilu is making her video debut on You Tube, today. Nothing remarkable in the video considering the fact that she's ridden and run the entire MRT (Mackenzie River Trail) and similarly, the trail surrounding Waldo Lake (rugged, rocky, portions pretty steep and narrow). Nope, this is just her on a typical weekday, bored, laying around, begging for table scraps, and I envisioned what a cat-like play toy might be like for her so I grabbed a few rubber bands, one of her toys, and hung the combination from a dining chair. If you like barking, then you'll LOVE this video. Enjoy !

Summer beat...

Wow, I haven't posted to this since last winter's snow storm. I'm amazed. Last weekend, we took Bella out for her first mountain bike ride. The pictures show her riding in a BOB Ibex trailer, behind my vintage C'Dale SuperV. We used her bed pillow inside a short Rubbermaid tub and kept the BOB bungie above her to add some stability. She sat loose inside the rig, never barking, whining, etc., in fact, every time I looked back at her she was eyes forward and had a smile on her face. What a trooper !

She's officially 1.5 years old now, and a really great companion. She warms our feet every night, and does a great job of listening and participating in family outings. I failed to mention that we were riding on the McKenzie River Trail system, and that she spent half her time running freely between Kelley and I, as we rode along the trail at 6-10 mph.

Bella demonstrates a real knack for climbing, trail running and really loves water. We couldn't have picked a better dog for our lifestyle, though there are still times and places that we can't take her, like the Providence Bridge Pedal ride in Portland, two weeks ago. We end up putting her with a dog kennel and that's been hit or miss. She always seems to be upset and disappointed that she's not going with us - but really lovable and excited when she gets back with us again.

Below is a pic of Kelley and I on our Bike Friday tikits at the start of this year's Bridge Pedal ride. The weather was nice and we managed to do the family ride as we'd signed up, expecting my oldest daughter Jannelle to ride along. But, a few weeks ahead of the ride, Jannelle lost her Grandpa in Las Vegas and had to return home early. She was really missing her boyfriend too.

This weekend, we're trying to get another group together to go riding out at Oakridge. Hopefully, we'll gather up and take some more great shots and vids. This will be our first ride in the Oakridge area, and we've heard lots of great things about the trails. This place is so beautiful for mountain biking, hiking and camping. In fact, the following weekend, Kelley and I are planning to take our mountain bikes, tent, bags and Bella, and head off down the trail in search of a place to camp, fish, hike and relax.

Hope to see you out there, on our bikes of course... JD & Kelley Howell, Eugene, OR.

Howell Haus Eugene

January 27th Snow Storm, Howell Haus Eugene

We, being JD & Kelley Howell (you know, Howell Haus) couldn't have woken to a greater surprise than a winter snow storm that eventually dropped about 8" in our neighborhood, and who knows how much over the passes. It was heavenly. We took our Pom/Cairn terrier Bella for a walk to Tugman Park, where she obsessed over the snow, snowballs and anything wet or muddy. She is such an outdoorsy dog, which is much to our liking.

Kelley and I started the Master Cleanse detox program on our own yesterday. It ended up costing nearly $200 in organic Meyer's Lemons, organic Maple Syrup, organic Baltic Sea Salt (non-iodized nor processed), and organic Cayenne Pepper. Additionally, we picked up 'Smooth Move' organic, decaf tea as an aide to our cleansing. We planned to do this for ten days, but only managed seven. It did amount to some rested organs, cleaner internals, and lighter selves. We each dropped about ten pounds - and have kept it off.

Here are a few pictures from the snow storm we had that day. The first is three of us on our sidewalk, second is front of our home from street, third is our bamboo straining from snow, fourth is our transplanted Florida birdhouse, fifth is our Christmas Tree shaped Holly Tree next to our junior Douglas Fir.

Please stay in touch, drop us a line and remember you can always reach us by email: jd@howellhaus.com.

Picture Catch-up for my Girls !!!

I realized after the first snow we had in Eugene that I needed to sit down and spend a bit of time constructing some photos for my girls to view while they're away. Missing them is only half the pain. It's also knowing how much they enjoy themselves when they're here, and the connection they have with the great outdoors... particularly when they allow themselves that experience !