REXKLAM: May 2008

GREAT

CONVERSATIONS

IV

Next week we start discussing the first selection from the Great Books’, Great Conversations IV: Plato’s, Meno.

We just finished another of the GB/GC series: The Seven Deadly Sins.

At the end of this new series we will read and discuss two full length novels: Emma ,by Jane Austen, and Swan’s Way, by Marcel Proust. We will undoubtedly watch theatrical films for both of these too.

Any comments, on any of the selections, are welcome.

HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Goes to, my next-door neighbor, Dale Pierce.

A few weeks ago a Mallard hen, duck, decided to build her nest and hatch her brood in the shrubbery next to Dale’s house and front door.

Most of the neighbors on our street were aware of her presence and we all kept an eye out for her comings and goings. Dale, so as not to disturb her, only mowed his lawn while the hen was away from the nest feeding.

Well, finally, Saturday afternoon, they all hatched, ten in all, and the hen was walking them around the neighborhood looking for a path to water. Dale noticed them, and their dilemma, as there is no direct path out of the neighborhood to water. Water is near by but it’s blocked by houses, fences, household pets, playing children, and patrolling Raptors in the sky.

Dale decided that he had to help her get out of the neighborhood, safely, and to the water. He started by herding her forward, out of our cul-d-sac, down a block, around the corner and down another two blocks to an irrigation canal. As luck would have it, the canal was dry! It then took another quarter of a mile down the dry canal to the main canal, water, and safety for mother hen and all her ten ducklings. Dale said that it took him almost two hours for the complete trip.

That’s the story and I think Dale deserves a: Hear Hear, a tip of the hat, a pat on the back, and a, hip hip hooray!

STUKEL MOUNTAIN AGAIN

Today my neighbors, John Paridis, Gary Peterson, and I circumnavigated Stukel Mountain on our ATV’s, all in all approximately 40 miles.

We experienced every type of terrain and weather one could expect to encounter.

We had no problems, the scenery and vistas were fantastic, beyond description or photographic imaging.

We are planning another ATV run Monday to Swan Mountain peak. I’ll try to post some pictures.

KLAMATH RIVER GORGE RUN REDUX

John, my next door neighbor, and I, took another crack at the Klamath River Gorge today except this time down the southern bank.

We started at Topsy Reservoir and took the Topsy Grade road to the grade down into the Gorge, and the “Frain Ranch.” We met up with some other Quad’ers there and they showed us the way on down river another 8 or 10 miles to another old homestead, the “Way Ranch”. In-between the ranches we found their old cemetery where “Frain” and “Way” ancestors are buried.

This trip we covered about 50 miles the round trip.

STUKEL MOUNTAIN QUAD RUN

My neighbors John and Gary, and I made a Quad (ATV) run on Stukel Mountain this afternoon.

We started approximately 5:00 PM and reached the summit by 5:30 PM. From the summit we could survey several roads that criss cross the rest of the mountain’s over 100 square miles of area. We picked out a couple of interesting looking loops and took off down from the peak to check them out.

Our loops through the saddle of the mountain were exciting and beautiful; we spent about an hour traversing them.

Our next adventure was ascending one of the mountains, other, minor peaks. The trail up to this peak was much more challenging than the main summit. It had many sharp wiggly turns, large rocks and brush over growth, and it was very steep. I was quite proud to have made it with my little 360 motor and two wheel drive rig; Gary and John are sporting 800 motors and four wheel drives.

We made it back to our trucks about 7:45, loaded up and were home by 8:00 PM.

We had so much fun we decided that we had to re-cap it all over a few beers and a hamburger at our local Wingers Restaurant; the beer, the burgers, and the wings were all great, the roughness and steepness of the roads got rougher and steeper, and we were last to leave at 11:20.

The picture is Stukel Mountain, as seen from my house approximately 3 miles away.

All in all, a great day!

OIT SOFTBALL

The Lady Owls lost the NAIA Region 1 Lady’s Softball Championship final Tournament game today.

Yesterday afternoon we lost to College of Idaho, lady Yotes.

This morning we played the Simon Fraser University Clan, which have won the National Championship the past six years, and defeated them, 5 to 4!

This put us back in to play for the championship if we could defeat College of Idaho in two consecutive games; we lost the first game 6-3.

The College of Idaho Yotes will now go to Decatur Alabama, next weekend, to play in the NAIA National Championship Tournament.

Good luck Yotes!

OIT SOFTBALL

The Lady Owls (Hooters) are playing in the NAIA Region 1 Lady’s Softball Championship Tournament this week at the OIT Softball Complex here in Klamath Falls.

Ray Correlli and I were there to root them on this afternoon.

The Lady Owls won their first game of the tournament this afternoon 7 to 5 over Concordia.

They play the Yote’s of the College of Idaho this afternoon at approximately 4:30 PM.

The winner of this tournament will go to the finals in Decatur Alabama.

GO HOOTERS!

KLAMATH RIVER GORGE RUN!

My next door neighbors John and Gary and I went on an ATV (Quads) run down the north side of Klamath River today.

It was a stunningly beautiful day: sunny, clear skies, and comfortable temperature.

We left home at 10 AM and returned at approximately 5 PM. We made 44 miles the round trip.

We plan to make the same run down the other side of the river in a couple of weeks. This time we are leaving early and will try to go all the way to the river crossing, at Copco Lake; which will make about an 80 mile round trip. It is possible to go all the way to Hwy. 5; maybe we will do that too someday.

The little creek is where we stopped for lunch.