It's Time to 'GO', as in, Sylvan Sport Go...

After the Return to Forever concert with Zappa plays Zappa, Friday night... we're going to 'try' to sleep, but it won't be easy.  Reason is, out in the carport is our new Sylvan Sport Go, just waiting to leave.  When we get out of bed, which I assume will be early, we're going to load and roll out of Eugene, destination unknown.

Subaru Forester towing Sylvan Sport Go  

Go'ing with us will be our FS bikes and offroad capable Pom-Cairn Terrier... more widely known as 'Bella Lilu Boo-ster Pirate Dog', or more affectionately 'Bella-Boo'.  On a ride with Jannelle earlier this year, we met two couples on the MiddleFork trail who noticed Bella and said, 'there's that dog from YouTube' !  Hilarious...

Saturday night will be the inaugural set up and sleep arrangement.  We also added a Kelty Binto Box system and kitchen table, as well as a Coleman Folding Table and Bench setup.  We fully intend to be spending many more weekends at the trail and campground.  As much as we love our ever-improving home, we love the outdoors even more.

The Go has a weight of 840 lbs and a tongue weight of just 70 lbs.  Having already pulled it around town I can tell you, I barely notice it behind the car, in terms of weight and strain on the engine.  I know it's there, and I can see and feel it - especially on bumps, but not the way I do when I've pulled a UHaul trailer behind her. 

The Go is creating about an inch of sag, causing my headlights to point up on the car.  But, that will all go away when I replace my worn MacPherson struts with a set of kSport Kontrol Pro - Coilover Struts.  They're totally adjustable in height with tunable damping.  These will also raise the spring rate and weight of my rear coil spring from the factory 157 lbs to 375 pounds.  The fronts will be improved as well...

If you're interested in seeing and learning about the Sylvan Sport Go and live anywhere in OR, N. Cali and Southern WA, feel free to drop us a line, ask where our next destination is... we'll hook up, give you the nickel tour of it - and hopefully, get you sipping the Go'Green koolaid too.  It is as it's marked - the 'coolest camper ever'...

Hope to see you out there, on your bikes, of course... JD & Kelley Howell, Eugene, OR and beautiful destinations, near and far...

Alice & Jason - getting married...

Toasting at Zenger Farms

This weekend, my wife Kelley and I are headed up to Portland for a block-style wedding celebration for our 'still new' and not well-known, but kindred spirit friends... Alice Lasher and Jason Busch.  These two people are so fortunate to have each other and have such a deep interest in making the world a better place to live, let alone Portland.  Hopefully, I'll have more to report back, but what I'd say here is that I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing the additional right-of-way gardens that they've introduced to their neighborhood.  When we met them the first time at their 'getting updated, weatherized and beautified home', we were enamored with the types of work they'd done in their walkable neighborhood.  It felt more beautiful, safe and friendly.  Isn't that what we all wish for ?

Bella Lilu Boo'ster Pirate Dog

Following the wedding, it's SE beyond Estacada for a weekend of mountain biking, trout fishing in a reservoir, possibly some fly fishing in the river beyond, general debauchery, hair-hanging, campfires, smores (howell-style), dutch over dinners and sizzling bacon breakfasts... camping at the end of summer in Oregon, can't be beat ! 

And I almost forgot, our little buddy - Bella Lilu Boo'ster Pirate Dog is coming along for the wedding, trail rides, fishing and bacon... can't forget her !

Trail, Tent & Garden...

Spent the past couple weekends fervently amending soil, transplanting seedlings we'd germinated, adding a vertical train for the peas and beans, putting together one more cloche.  It's now past our last frost date, the corn is rising, carrots, beets, beans, peas, spinach, kale, chard, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, all seem to be hanging in there.  Lettuces are over-producing as we speak.  Kelley's been successfully harvesting russian kale and bok choy for her smoothies for quite some time.  Now, it's time to germinate again...

Spent a nice 3-day weekend at Belknap Springs, celebrating Kelley's 42nd birthday.  Happy 42 honey, you earned every minute of time off used.  Belknap was a better destination for us this time.  In times past we have only been in their main lodge and walked briefly across the bridge above the McKenzie River.  This time we explored their whole site, spent a good amount of time in both of their hot spring pools, and got to take advantage of their facilities while we cooked, camped, hiked and mountain biked, alongside the McKenzie River Trail (MRT).  Plus, Bella Lilu Booster Pirate Dog was there in full-force, hitting the gas, using her outriggers and otherwise, tearing up the trail - with us...

Gotta say, if it hadn't been for the cold, rainy conditions, I might not have enjoyed the hot springs quite so much... nor the coffee we made with our Aerobie Press.  That's turned out to be a serious advantage over our previous camping-sized french press.  The taste was pretty amazing for coffee that had been ground days ahead.  And while sipping it in the pool, its flavor was enhanced that much more by the contrast of cold, drizzly rain and hot, soaking body.  Great time, wish you could have been there with us...

Winter Garden 2009

I can't express my dismay with our garden. The acorns were huge and plentiful this year, hence the squirrels have been working overtime, disturbing roots. Though that's only partially a problem, because most of the beds have netting over them to keep the deer at bay.

All the lettuces we've planted are still infant, though we did try starting them from seed this year. Typically I germinate, then transplant. Radishes are stalled. Kale, chard, spinach, all tiny. The only thing with any sense of growth is our cover crop area. Everything else is stunted.

We did mix in compost we purchased from Down to Earth. I figured it would help if the soil had some extra feeding. It doesn't like it helped at all. I think I'm going to contact a Master Gardener and seek a fix. At the present rate things are growing, we're not going to have much of a yield, which is a bummer.

This is when we eat the most greens annually, and I'm not going to be happy if I don't have a huge mess of kale, chard and spinach to stir fry throughout the winter - let alone the winter salads we enjoy so much.