2026-08-22 More of the same in Bend - trip down memory lane

Not much new.   Another week in Bend.  More of the same - seems like the more we sell, the more Kris's dad Norm is willing to get rid of more stuff which is great.

Sold Norms canoe, he only used once, but nice Kevlar canoe.  The new owners were super happy to get it.

This week was more sorting and organizing, and selling.  This week Kris tackled researching and pricing items from the China cabinets, full of glassware and collectibles.   A lot was family stuff, which we set aside for Kris's sister to look at.   So far we have sold 55 items for a total of  $39,000 for Norm, We have another 54 items listed we would like to get rid of ranging from $10 to $1200.

We took in our gold nugget to get assayed, but won't know for a few weeks how we did with that.

Tuesday, Kris went in and got her blood drawn, just to do a health check, and have a baseline before she turns 65 in 3 plus more years and has one through Medicare.   All her results look good - but Kris being Kris is not happy, and wants to improve on her cholesterol numbers.

Wednesday we took a drive down memory lane, and took Norm up to Elk Lake.  It's about an hour outside of Bend up in the mountains.   Norm used to keep his Catalina 22 sailboat there, and Kris used to work there during the summers.   It was a nice trip, and Kris and Norm both shocked at some of the changes that have happened in the last 20 years since they were last up there.    Water levels are very low, so that changes the looks of things, but still a pretty drive, topped off by ice cream at Elk Lake Resort lodge.

Elk Lake lodge on left

Elk Lake Marina where they kept the boat

Elk Lake undeveloped end

On the drive, nice scenery - Sparks Lake in the background - water used to be up to where the photo was taken many years ago.

Friday Kris's sister Kay came over to look through all the family items, and take those items she wanted, so we could look at selling the rest.   Had a good visit, and Kris was happy that her sister took quite a bit, reducing how much we have to sell.

Still doing our daily morning walks, enjoying the varied wildlife.

One of Norm's neighbors decorates the wagon and "horses" for every holiday and season

Kris gives the cows a moo - but they don't always pay attention

We let this guy meander along the road unmolested.

Another week of working on selling, then we will take a break and go visit more family and friends.

2026-08-16 Sold the boat - more time in Bend

Another busy week in Bend cleaning, sorting and selling.  It takes some time to figure out how much something is worth, then clean it, take photos and list the item of Facebook Marketplace or eBay or Craigslist - or a combination of all three.   We currently have about 20 items listed on Marketplace, and about 8 on eBay.  We have already sold about 50 items.

This week was a good week, as the boat sold.   A very nice young couple who were super excited to get the boat.   They drove down from Seattle, WA and arrived around 12:30 in the afternoon.   We got to work right away going through the boat, and putting up the mast so they could see how everything worked on the boat.  It was close to 6:30 p.m. before we were done.   Kris spent most the time with them walking through the boat, and they had lots of "living on a boat" questions as well, about power, water, sewage, electrical systems and such - that she also talked with them about. 

New buyers learning how to raise the mast

Kris showing where all the lines go

Buyers Matt and Kristina with Norm

We also took a full trailer load of garbage to the dump.  Norm has a tilt trailer, that he loads with his household garbage, and takes to the dump about twice a year.  We had a full load, so got rid of that, and then have taken 4 trips to the recycling center with odd items like old butane bottles, paint, batteries, paper and electronics.   

We are ready now to start with some of the harder items to price and sell, and there are two china cabinets full of collectible glassware to price and sell now, as well as the china cabinets.

The China cabinet packed with collectibles, not china

In addition, there is a small collectibles cabinet on the wall, made from an old printers case.

You can see we have our work cut out for us, researching, pricing, listing and probably shipping all the items.    All the items are things Kris's Mom has picked up over the years, and Norm doesn't care about - so trying to sell for the best value while we have the time to do so.

We still take our daily walks, as it has not been too smoky here from all the wildfires around.  Enjoy seeing the local livestock as well as the wildlife.

Friendly cow along the walk

One special project this last week was to take all the gold leaf, and mixed gold items that had no marks, or no sale value and melt them all down.   Dean's brother Lee has a small kiln for just this purpose that we borrowed.   Interesting process, and in the end we ended up with a small nugget.

Norm and Dean monitoring the gold melting kiln

Our gold nugget - maybe 1/4 ounce of gold

We have also spent time getting quotes and figuring out paint color for Norm's house, which needs to be painted.  Have been using AI to try out different paint schemes, which works pretty well.

House and shop as-is

One of the AI generated paint schemes we are thinking about.

We have another full week of work ahead of us, and then we might take a break to visit friends in Montana and Washington.

2026-08-09 Time in Boise - more e-foil work

Sunday we took Derek's e-foil to Lucky Peak Reservoir.  We did not install the battery, but put a water sensor inside the battery compartment.  Dean and Derek carried it down to the boat ramp, and we put it in.  It floated great.  Then Derek got on it and bounced up and down, submerging one end and then the other, and darn it - water sensor went off.

Carrying the e-foil- without foil attached to the water

Getting ready to test

Back to the house to figure out the issue.   We found a small amount of water inside, but good news the seal was working, and the water was coming in from somewhere else, and travelling through the closed cell foam, and seeping out in the battery compartment.   Unfortunately, the design of the board and battery compartment had a couple of 90 degree turns, and fiberglass just doesn't like 90 degrees, so the glass lifted off the epoxy creating gaps.   We fixed all that with some epoxy filler, sanding, more epoxy, and thought we had it.    Did a hose test, and still leaks.   Realized that the hinges for the battery compartment door needed to be sealed, so did that and did another hose test - all was good.   Then submerged in the hot tub, and one small leak.   

Decided the leak was small enough it was worth heading to the reservoir.   So headed out, and once again put the e-foil in - and all was great, except Derek could not get it to foil.   Found out that a setting was limiting the e-foil to half power.   So back home.    Back home, found the final leak, Derek found the setting that was off, and got it fixed, but by then our time in Boise was up, so he will test it without us, and hope all goes great.

Carrying to reservoir for testing, foil is attached now

High hopes

It works - just cant get enough speed

Other than working on the e-foil we did some other things.    We both got haircuts, had a nice lunch with Dean's Mom, Kris went shopping for clothes at the thrift store and found some nice items.  We also took some small items into a coin and jewelry place and got another $100 for Norm from stuff we sold.

Kris brought a couple boxes of items of Norms with and spent time listing them on eBay after looking up values.    Derek's cat Smokey helped.

Kris working on the computer with help

Thursday morning we headed out after Dean went to his first Medicare required doctor's appointment.   

The drive back to Bend was very hazy, but the road previously closed by fire was back open.   Lots of burns along the way.  Hard to see in the photo, but about 15 miles along the road, everything had been in the wildfire.

Hillsides are burned

We also drove by lots of crops, and there is a spot alongside the road where a guy has been living for about 8 years.  Old article here.   Think he was actually in a different spot, but had to move due to the fires.

This guy has been living alongside the road for about 6 years.

Lots and lots of onions

Potatoes?

Back in Bend, we settled back into a routing.  Norm working on puzzle, we work on computers, and relax, and do we all do at least a project a day.

Saturdays project was to take the boat out and go for a drive to make sure all was good with the trailer.

Heading out with the boat in tow

All went well.  Great to have a shop you can drive through, makes parking the boat easy.

All went well with the trailer and boat.  Had to fix some wiring for all the headlights to work, but easy fix and all works so we are ready for Tuesday when the new owners come to pay for it and pick it up.  Hope it all goes well.

2026-08-02 More work in Bend, and off to Boise

More time in Bend.   Kris finished up all the work in the office, and it is neat and clean and organized now.  Norm even helped to move some photos around so the ones he enjoys are in there.

The big job this week was changing the Direct TV plan, the phone system, and the internet.   We installed Starlink, cutting $160 from Norm's monthly bill for internet.  Downgraded his Direct TV package, saving another $70 a month for him, and finally the phone, which was a $75 per month savings.  We had to run some wires through the attic and make a bit of a custom mount for the Starlink, but the savings were worth it.

Kris also tackled a new section of the garage, organizing her Moms old business supplies, which took a full day.  Dean and Norm were also out in the garage that day, and by coincidence Norm wore a shirt that was made up when we had our first boat - and sailed to Mexico.  Norm came and spent a month with us then, and brought the T-shirt that he made.   Dean was wearing an equally old shirt - from Monitor wind vanes, which we had installed on that boat.   So a couple of old guys, wearing old shirts - both shirts from 1993 - 33-year-old T-shirts.

33-year-old shirts on a 94-year-old and 65-year-old

Of course time relaxing, eating lunches on the deck, and watching the wildlife took some time as well.  Watched a Coopers Hawk, taking a bath in the small stream between ponds in Norms backyard.

Coopers hawk checking out the stream and taking a bath

Saw a couple rabbits as well, and even got a photo this time.

Thursday we left Bend, and headed to Boise.  Due to wildfires the direct route was closed, so had to take about an hour detour making it a 6 1/2-hour drive.   It was smoky, but not too bad.  Passed a fire camp on the way.

Tents set up along the road for fire camp

In Boise, home of the blue turf Broncos - for you football watchers.  We helped Derek with his efoil board he is building.  Working on some finishing touches.

Blue turf of the Broncos stadium

The efoil board is nearing completion

Saturday we went to a park up by a reservoir for our sisters-in-law 75th birthday party.   We took Deans Mom, Nita with us, who is doing pretty good at 92.

Deans mom Nita, and older brother Lee 

Good time at the party.  Derek and girlfriend Emma went as well.

Derek and Emma playing Jenga

Derek lives next to a wildlife preserve so enjoyed a walk around that area as well.  Much smokier here in Boise than in Bend.

Nice nature preserve walk by Derek's place

Smoky skies in Boise

Today is a big day - will head out and test out Derek's' home built efoil board for the first time. Hope all goes well.