Brownsmead Campout

(From Mid-August 2012)

 

For those that don't live in the area, Brownsmead is a small farming community that is basically on a Columbia River flood plain.  It's quite beautiful when it isn't covered in water...haha!  Brownsmead is a part of the Knappa/Svensen community and we all share Astoria's zip code.  My dear friend Andrea Weaver lives in Brownsmead where her and her husband Craig raise beef cattle.  Craig's family owns and operates Aldrich Point Dairy (also in Brownsmead) which wholesales milk to the famous "Tillamook" brand factories. Craig all but runs the dairy, and I'm sure one day soon he will take over completely. 

 

Anyway, at around mid-summer Andrea's parents graciously gave her their old travel trailer figuring her family would use it more than they. Andrea was stoked and immediately began devising plans to go on a trip.  It's "maiden voyage" was to the Clatsop County Fair and shortly after that...her "back 40."  Yep, we towed our trailers to her back yard.  Their cattle farm is on Blind Slough.  Country kids can find endless things to do when you provide them with a giant field, some dirt, a campfire, and a slough. 

 

We camped three nights total...mainly just our two trailers.  Our friend Sarah Rogers and her kids stayed one night in a tent as well.  While we were there, we had several visitors (Jasper's, Nicholson's, Jacobson's, Kinder's, and Adams') and overall, it was a great time.

 

Raelynn showing off her catch to Brayden, Katelynn, Emily...Cody is staring off the other way.

We had well-planned meals.  This was BBQ chicken night.

Andrea and I 

Soren was CONSTANTLY in the fire...Cody joined the fun

The Nicholson's brought their bean-bag game.  It was pretty competitive! This is Andrea and Daniel Jasper...not sure who their partners were in this round.

Andrea's brother Nick is a fishing fool! He was constantly baiting hooks and here he caught at least two catfish on one cast.  I filleted those slimy fish the next day and we ate them.  They were quite tasty!!

All the kids are impressed with the catfish

The kids caught quite a handful of frogs.

 

Synnove and Kate on the mini

Even the girls got their hands dirty :)

Card games in the trailer. I actually have a better picture of the kids with a flash, but I thought this picture captured the moment much better.  Fun memories :)

Camping Pics

Poor Heidi was in and our of the ER twice for kidney stones.  She eventually finished off her camping trip at home.

The Bigelows borrowed our tent and created an awesome tarp shelter for the forecasted rain.

Dad has lots of experience with tarp shelters.  Northwest Coastal camping requires lots of "tarpage"

2nd annual shooting competition.  Uncle Don won again!

"Mema" Lori playing some baseball with the kids.

The kids spent LOTS of time playing "house" under the trees with the play doh pasta maker Elise bought for them.

We had our traditional potluck on Sunday...lots of yummy food!

Avyrie was going to be turning 1 on the 5th.  We celebrated with cupcakes and gifts at the potluck.

Avyrie didn't like the whole cupcake eating experience so much.  She's good at the "stinkface"

I make blueberry pancakes at every camping trip on one of the mornings.

We camped for 5 days starting the weekend before the 4th, but several still had to work on Monday and Tuesday.  There were only a few of us at camp Monday and it was a dreary/rainy day.  So, the kids camped out in Chris and Tonya's trailer to watch "The Muppets" and dry out for a while.

On the eve of the 3rd, Chris Wilson and Elise set off all the fireworks Chris Bigelow had bought. From left to right: Synnove, Soren, Lori, Tyler, and Faith.

Labor Day Luau

We were certainly blessed this camping season with lots of decent weather and very few raindrops. We were especially blessed for Labor Day camping! The weather was warm and sunny the entire time! The last camping trip of the season is always bittersweet, and this was the first year that I had a kid going back to school the very next day. In the past, Synnove has started school the week after Labor Day...but now she's a big first grader!

I think that every camping trip has something special about it. We were all excited for this trip because we were actually going to bury an entire pig (small one) in traditional khalua fashion. Doris Warren (Aunt Alice's mom) provided both of the animals. Alice's sister and bro in law prepped the pig while the rest of the men devised the best ways of cooking the lamb. They chose to put half of it in the pit and cook the rest on a spit over the fire. While we all waited for everything to get cooked up, we dressed up in leis and listened to luau music. We had a lot of fun with it. In the end, every little morsel of meat was incredible...it really was awesome!

I had too many fun pictures from the 4-day weekend, so I selected a good handful for a slideshow...enjoy! You'll have to click on the link to view them...can't get the slideshow on blogger for some reason...

https://picasaweb.google.com/101845145426293001798/September262011?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Camping Out at Home

I think bedtimes around our house began their summer schedules sometime in May before school was out. The goal is for me to get the kids in bed before 9, but that hasn't happened. Life on the coast can be dreary, and when it stays light outside passed 8, it's a bonus we just can't avoid. Much of July was dreary. The rain came, and when it wasn't raining it seemed like we had many gray days. Our outdoor fun was limited.

The kids had been begging to sleep out in the tent like they did with Adam last summer, but it wasn't nice enough yet. So, Synnove suggested they sleep in their tiny play tents in the downstairs living room. Once I finally agreed that it was a good idea, the kids went straight down to start prepping for their good night's sleep. They crammed their tents with pillows, blankets and every stuffed animal they could find. There was absolutely no room for sleeping when they were done. Because the tents are so small, I said they could choose 2-3 animals and have one pillow. They both had to sleep diagonally in order to fit semi-comfortably, and they certainly couldn't stretch out straight.

Before Adam and I went to bed, we went down to check on them. Surprisingly, Synnove (the wiggle worm) was still nestled diagonally, while Soren was stretched out with his feet out of the tent and under the couch. I quietly moved them out from underneath the couch so that he wouldn't break his little legs in the middle of the night trying to free them.

They woke early the next morning. I asked the kids how they liked it. Synnove had fun, but Soren said "I didn't fit!"


Later in the month, the sun finally decided to show up. Adam and I had been busy for several days down in the shop cleaning and organizing. I came upon my old tent still wadded up and unfolded from last summer's little camp out. I carefully folded it up and crammed it back in it's bag only to see it return to the house a few days later and set up on the deck...*sigh* Even though it was the middle of the week, Adam agreed to sleep outside with the kids. I suggested they take out the little TV and VCR so they could watch movies out there. It was already late, but Adam hooked it all up and settled down to watch "The Voyage of Sinbad" while eating popcorn. Adam was snoring long before the kids settled down. I checked on them again at midnight and they were all sound asleep.

That was about two weeks ago...the tent is still out there waiting for ME to fold it up...again.

4th of July Camp Trip: The Creek

Maybe it was the unusual amount of sunshine, but for some reason I took a lot of pictures this camp trip. Hopefully, I'll get around to posting some more.

In the last couple of years, the weather on our camping trips has been less than desirable. We're happy if it only rains one or two days out of the usual four that we camp. This trip was perfect! It wasn't too hot, and it wasn't too cold...and we even put on our shorts! Ha ha! The kids are always anxious to get down to the creek, and it's even better when they can actually put on their swimming suits and take a dip.

Synnove, on the new 4-wheeler ready to go!

Chris, Tonya and Faith didn't actually camp overnight this trip but came for breakfast and didn't leave till after dinner every day. Tonya's baby was due June 30th and was very uncomfortable, and sleeping in the trailer wasn't the best idea. Faith didn't bring her swimming suit, so her and Chris just put their feet in...

Over the years, we've continued to rebuild a little dam and the built up water creates enough current for a fun little jaunt on a floatie. Somehow Soren suckered Lori into bringing him back up every time he went down...

Dam building...etc.

Soren was brave enough to go down river numerous times before Synnove got up the courage to do it as well.

Heather (aka "Herbie"), me, and Heidi (aka "FiFi")

Adam's Week Off

Once in a while it's fun to map out a detailed week-in-the-life....so forgive the length of this post.

When Adam takes time off, there is no rest at the Brown house. There is always places to go, people to see, and LOTS of things to do. Adam had planned to get a good handful of things done during his week off, mainly clean the embarrassingly messy shop. But, after evaluating his long list, he decided to do something else...[insert sarcastic remark here]. He actually worked really REALLY hard all week building a cool loft in the shop. No, building the loft wasn't top priority, but it was something he was excited to tackle. He did a professional job, and I'm quite proud of him. I don't have any pictures yet, but I will.

Adam's little vacation started on Saturday, June 25th. Adam worked in the shop while the kids and I went to a birthday party. Saturday was the beginning of a long trend of late nights. We left at 6PM for the 1.75 hour trek to Vancouver with a truckload of Adam's Mom's stuff that she has been storing at our house for the last 2 years. This needed to be done in order for Adam to start his loft project. Fortunately, the timing was perfect as Steve and my MIL's basement dwellers (Steve's son and wife) had just moved out and Patty had a place to actually put the stuff we were bringing. We made good use of the trip by planning to visit Home Depot just a mile away from their house on our way home. We didn't arrive at Steve and Patty's till 8 and Home Depot closed at 9. Steve and Adam went to Home Depot while Patty, the kids and I visited and played with sidewalk chalk. They got back from Home Depot a little after 9...just in time for us to head to Red Lobster for a late night dinner. The kids held up very well considering! I think we got home around midnight.

Sunday, June 26th was another very big day. Crossroads Church (the Svensen Friend's church) was having a 50-year anniversary celebration service just 2 miles down the road from our house. Adam and I don't attend that church, but I wanted to go to the celebration because my great grandparents (Warren and Ruth Thompson) started the church and eventually helped build the building. My great aunt and uncle (Naomi and Gene Brown *not the same "Browns"*) came up from Eugene for the celebration as well. Naomi brought great grandma's scrapbook from the start of the church and it was fun to look at photos and hear stories. Naomi and Gene were also celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary. They were actually the first couple to be married at the new church building.

After the celebration we all headed to Grandma and Grandpa Thompson's house for Grandpa's 76th birthday party for good food, family, and fellowship.

FiFi and Weesie...matching eyes

Musta been and good one! (Gene and Naomi in background)

I think, due to technical difficulties, Grandpa didn't get to make his 76th birthday wish...

On Monday, June 27th, we all spent the day at Uncle Don's cutting and splitting wood. Oh man...it was backbreaking work. My back was already sore from when I tweaked it packing furniture on Saturday. Adam worked ALL day, while I just helped from 11 till 5. It rained off and on all day and we worked later because Synnove's game got cancelled. I left at 5 to go home and shower before heading over to Kara's ("Miss Kara") house for a scrapbooking night. I got home at 1AM.

On Tuesday, June 28th Bible study got cancelled because of the poor weather. During the summer it's difficult doing BS on rainy days because all of our kids are out of school and having the kids play indoors would be insanity! I was glad because I had much to do at home to prep for camping. Adam worked on his loft. By early afternoon I had a pretty bad headache from working so hard the day before. I drugged myself up before being picked up by my mom at about 4:30 to go with Elise to Cornelius to pick up a nursery set she found on Craigslist. First, us three girls packed in Elise's oversized crew cab in Warrenton and drove 1.5 hours to Coastal Farm and Ranch in Cornelius before it closed at 7PM. We are all about efficiency, so it made sense to pick up 22 fence posts for the fence Adam and I will be building soon before picking up Elise's nursery set. After picking up the set, we headed to Walmart to pick up a few camping essentials and pulled into my driveway at roughly 10:30 to drop everything off. The nursery set was poorly painted, so I told Elise I would fix it up and paint it for her.

Wednesday, June 29th was mostly laundry and clean-up for me. The kids were always busy riding their 4-wheelers. In fact they had been riding non-stop since the week before when Synnove finally scored her "home run." Adam continued to work on the loft. At around 11:00 I headed to town to Elise's coffee shop to meet up with My great uncle Jim and his wife Corky. They were road-tripping the western USA visiting family here and there and everywhere. I don't think I left until 2. I had planned to go to the store to do camping shopping, but it was impractical as I didn't have enough time to get everything done before I needed to get back home to pick up my family and go to the movies to see "Cars 2" with my mom, Elise, and Chris. We got out of the movie close to 8PM...just in time to go to Home Depot to pick up more lumber for the loft. We closed the place down and arrived home just before 10. *Sigh*...another late night.

On Thursday, June 30th Adam headed out early to visit his Dad in Beaverton and make another trip to Coastal Farm and Ranch for more fence supplies. I was really dragging my feet. I really needed to head to town to do my camping shopping...but I wasn't feeling too great. My head was still aching and all I wanted to do was plant myself on the couch. The kids were perpetually outside riding 4-wheelers and using their imaginations. One thing I thought was pretty cute is that they made a storefront complete with signs and "inventory." This actually went on for several days and inventory ranged from huckleberries, to flowers, to tortilla chips.

Synnove's side...

Soren's side...

Adam didn't get back home till around 5. That evening I headed to Warrenton to do a MK delivery and finish my camping shopping. I was exhausted and felt pretty miserable. I was at the store for over 2 hours along with every other person doing last-minute 4th of July shopping. While I was there I called Kara to get a yummy dessert salad recipe. She didn't answer so I guessed what was in the salad. I didn't get home till after 9PM and she called me back when I was about 10 minutes from home. I had gotten every ingredient right except for ONE! Worst part was that it needed to be cooked, set overnight, then finished the next day! The store in Svensen closes at 8 and I wasn't about drive 20 minutes to the nearest store. So, I asked Adam to wake up at 8 the next morn to get it and I would try to make it without letting it set overnight. Being the nice husband that he is, he agreed. It ended up working out OK.

Friday, July 1st...CAMP DAY! The day started off without a headache...woo hoo! I hadn't packed a single thing and got busy right away. I thought we would try to leave early, but we found out that the road was being worked on so we wouldn't be able to get our trailer in for a few hours anyway. Adam was happy to stay home and work on the loft. The kids were soooo anxious to leave town and Synnove helped me pack things down to the trailer with her 4-wheeler. Amidst the bustle, I received 3 sales calls. Two were MK calls, while the other had to do with Young Living products. Those calls/consultations/deliveries sucked a good 2.5 hours out of my already busy day...however, I grossed about $250 in sales (WORTH IT!). Then, as if that wasn't enough, received two last minute t-ball calls where I had to contact all the parents with cancellation/game/picture information (I'm the "team mom"). I suppose it was a good thing we got delayed because I don't have cell service where we camp and there might have been a lot of angry uninformed people out there! We didn't get to camp till around 7.

Yes, it was quite a busy week. Adam didn't finish the loft...but he got the bulk of it done. Our busy-ness continued through last week and doesn't show any signs of stopping...

A Couple of Memorial Memories

I know it's been three weeks since we went camping for Memorial weekend, but better late than never! This year, camping season couldn't come fast enough for us. We were all tired of being sick and tired, and we really needed a relaxing break. Every camping trip has it's own vibe, and I think this one had a great one. Only the die hard campers were present for this trip...but it was still fun filled. The weather was fairly decent, we played LOTS of games, we enjoyed late night movies, and we partook in the traditional potluck feast complete with steamed oysters.

We decided Lucy would have to stay home from this trip...and probably future trips. It's a bit sad, and kind of a hassle, but her barky-ness and puppy-ness is just too much to handle.

The same ol' camping pics get old after a while, so I only included a couple...

This wasn't Soren's first time on the 4-wheeler, but it was the first camping trip that we were able to leave him "fairly" unattended to blaze his own trails. He did fantastically! We are looking forward to our 4th of July trip when Soren and Synnove won't have to share....(more on that later).

On Sunday night, Aunt Alice brought out the silly string so that Synnove, Soren, FiFi, Taylor, and Bronson could douse each other with it. I especially love this shot because it shows off Synnove's recent toothless grin...

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend was a welcome break. Our family was plum pooped and we needed some lazy days sitting by the fire. The weather was decent and nobody was sick...so we were already off to a great start! Usually, Labor Day camping is the BEST because most everyone is available to come. However, we were missing a few this year, and it was quieter than normal. It was great to have Jeremy and Jessica and their kids there. Our kids love camping, but they love it even more when they have friends to play with. So, between my kids, their kids, and Faith they kept themselves pretty busy.

Faith is slightly terrified of the ATVs, and so we all did some coaxing to get her to overcome her fear. She did NOT want to be on the 4-wheeler! Once the weekend was up, she was an avid rider :)

I told him to smile...

On Saturday, Adam and I had to run home to shower and head to Vancouver for our friend Kristin's wedding. No, I wasn't too happy to leave camping and be in the car for 4 hours, but I wouldn't have missed my friend's wedding. Ultimately, she's the reason I even met Adam! It was a beautiful, intimate, backyard ceremony. If you wanna check out some of her pictures, they are posted HERE.

Just before everyone started to leave on Monday, they all gathered to move the BIG woodpile under cover for the fall/winter. Earlier in the weekend, they all went out and did some ATV logging and cleared more trails.

We only had Lucy for one short week before taking her on her first camping trip. I was a bit nervous, but she fared OK, considering. We gave her some Dramamine for the trip there and back, but both times she got pretty darn sick. As the weekend progressed, she had to be kept on the line more and more. She would bark and whine because she so desperately wanted to be with everyone else and play with the other dogs, but she was just too mischievous. At night we had to keep her in the trailer (not my first choice!) because there were lots of coyotes out. Amazingly enough, she stayed quiet and did awesomely in the trailer! Next year will be a completely different story...I'm sure of it.

Blog Post #200: The Last Week of Summer

I know it's a cliche, but time has flown by. Two years ago, when I started blogging, I didn't really think I would stick to it...but here I am. And, for some reason, people actually read what I write! Folks, these days, are fascinated by reality...whether it be extraordinary or mundane. I don't see my family as either, but somewhere in between. Still, you all keep reading...and I'll keep writing, regardless.

If I haven't mentioned it before, I'll say it again: This has been the busiest summer of my life. Much of it has been spent in the car traveling back and forth to town. That's one of the major downsides of living in the sticks. Even if I've got a quick errand to run, it turns into an all-day event. I've got to make the trip worth-while...right? Thankfully, I've got my reliable fuel efficient money saver to keep me on the go. Well...less than a month ago, that little car of mine broke down. Fortunately, it happened in a place where I could pull over and Aunt Alice was able to pick up the kids and I within a short 10 minutes of parking. Adam towed it home the next day and fixed it. I wish that was the end of the story.

The week before Labor Day weekend, Adam took the week off of work. He had some parts coming in the mail to fix the exhaust on his Montero. That project, along with the kick-off of hunting season, was going to keep him busy for most of the week. It was Monday afternoon, and I was just getting back from an overnight bachelorette party for Tonya. I can't remember, but I think I got home in time for Adam to take a trip to the auto parts store. I went up to the house to visit Lucy (we had had her for only 5 days) and found that the water to the hose was turned off. Then Adam came up behind me and informed me that the water was turned off completely. There were some guys doing some work on the waterline up the road and we just assumed it was an emergency shut-off. I was kinda miffed as it was a warm day and we hadn't received a call from the water company.

That night we were going to my parent's house for dinner...they were having an experimental moose roast. Monday also happened to be the day before my mom's 50th, so we celebrated with gifts. ANYway, before getting in the car at about 6:00, I decided I should call the water company to see what was up. Adam was dirty and sweaty and needed a shower, and I wanted to make sure I didn't need to bring some shower items to take to my mom and dad's to take a shower as well. I couldn't believe that the water was off all day and we hadn't gotten a call. The water company was closed and there was no emergency phone message. After some last-minute finagling with the water-main and a few trips up an down our driveway, we decided to go up the road to ask the guys still working on the waterline. On our way, the car started to make a rattling sound. We asked the water guys what was up. Turns out it was a planned water shut-off and we were not informed. UNbelievable. Anyway, they were actually turning the water back on as we drove back down to our house, and the car started rattling with a small vengeance. We parked it, popped the hood, and Adam discovered that what he fixed before was now broken again. It's been jacked up in the garage ever since. I was thankful, however, that we were able to make it up our driveway and we didn't need to town it home again. We can thank the stupid water company for that!

Having two out of our three vehicles out of service made for an interesting week. Either I or Adam had something going on every day that needed a vehicle. Plus, we were supposed to be going camping on Thursday. Adam and I were both on edge and getting very frustrated with each other over everything. Quite honestly, it was a terrible week...not a great way to spend a week off of work. On Tuesday, after Adam's morning hunt, the truck (either I or Adam driving) went back and forth from town to home 3 times for three different things...there was no way around it. That night I had my MK meeting (Tracy picked me up) and Adam needed to get a part welded at Don's. The kids ended up eating at the Logger Restaurant at 8:30 that night! They were so hungry that Adam let the kids eat pie before their actual food came. On Wednesday Adam tried to fix the car...and was unsuccessful. That night we drove the fam into Warrenton to attend an open house for Henry (my little bro) and his baby...the Warrenton High School Fish Hatchery. Henry has been getting some attention from news wires around the state for the new water filtration system he and his team developed. It's impressive! I have pictures on my camera upstairs...ha ha! After getting back home that night, I put the kids to bed while Adam worked till 2:30 AM to fix the exhaust on his Montero so that we could bring it camping the next day.

I'm pretty sure we slept in on Thursday, but I could be wrong. There was lots to do to get ready for camping...including a trip to Warrenton for groceries. At around noon, Adam took Lucy into town for her shots while I went to the store. The vet was closed for lunch, so I met Lucy and Adam at Elise's shop for a sandwich. *Sigh*...After all our packing and running around was done, we headed to Naselle and arrived just before it was too dark to set up camp.

Since getting home, the up-and-running '89 Montero has been the family sedan. We drive the truck as little as possible to save on gas. Our trouble with vehicles lately has put me over the edge. The Civic has given us a large handful of trouble this spring/summer (not just it's current problem). No, none of the problems have been huge, and all have been fixable...but it's getting tiresome. It's fortunate that Adam has been able to fix most of the problems on our "vintage" Honda, but time is precious, and Adam doesn't have much of it. I'm hoping for a vehicle maintenance-free fall, because, quite frankly, our cars have stolen our summer.

While Mom's Away...

While I was at Creation, Adam stayed home and played with the kids. He had planned a handful of things, including camping out in the field, and going on some hikes. On Friday they went and got some rocks for the house (landscaping? wall-building?) and discovered a field of foxgloves.

On the way back, they stopped at Hunt's Market to pick up some necessary items for dinner. I was so busy last week that I didn't have time to go to the grocery store and left Adam with an empty fridge.

That night they pitched the tent in the field and Adam built a little coffee can cook stove for the kids to heat hot chocolate and roast marshmallows. They were so excited to sleep with Daddy outside...and Charlie. They left the waterproof top off the tent so they could sleep under the stars (sort of).

Soren as he woke up the next morning...drool and all...

That day they did chores around the house, went on another hike (I think) and then headed to the beach in Warrenton after a much needed nap. That night the kids begged Adam to sleep in the tent another night, but he was so tired from the night before that they ended up in the house.

The next morning they headed to church and I made it home 15 minutes after they got back. They were full of fun stories to tell me. I hope one day they realize what a rare and wonderful daddy they have.

Creation Northwest 2010

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend Creation Northwest with Weesie and the Wilson's. Originally, mom was gonna go, but she very nicely offered me her ticket. I even tired to arrange for Adam to go too, but he really wanted to just stay home and hang out with the kids because he's been so busy lately. So, Elise and I headed up Friday at around 1:00. The Wilson's had been camped there since Tuesday, but Elise and I were only free for the weekend.

It's been a while since I've been to any kind of concert. I think the last concert I went to was at some punk/rock festival where Nickelback played....sometime back when Adam and I were engaged. I like concerts, but usually don't like the spend the money to go to them. Although, I really enjoyed going to Jesus Northwest back in the 90s. I think I went in 1991 and 1997 (it's last year). ANYway, when Creation was "created" back in 1998 I was kinda bummed because it was clear over at the Gorge, where it's really hot and quite a far drive. I always thought it'd be fun to go, but the opportunity never came around. This year was the first year it was going to be in Enumclaw, WA. Enumclaw is a lot closer than the Gorge, and certainly a lot cooler! The Wilson's go every year, and this year they had two extra tickets...woo hoo!

We went. It was a blast. I wanna go again.

I just took my iPhone as my camera and left Adam the regular camera because I knew he was going to take the kids on many adventures while I was gone. Needless to say, the pictures I took are terrible...but, you get the idea.

Elise, Chris, and I waiting in the "mosh pit" for Toby Mac's concert to start. It was a fun concert! I saw Toby back in 1991 when DC Talk was just starting out. I was even in the same room with the entire band, but was too chicken to get their autographs.

Throughout the days of the festival, youth leaders could go to a sort of "v.i.p." area to talk to the different artists. Doug and Sherry had a couple of leader passes, so Elise and I went with them to see Superchick talk...they were so down to earth and hilarious!
We also went to see the lead singer of Skillet chat with folks...he was funny too. One of the questions somebody asked was "what's it like being on tour with your wife and kids?" He responded..."we're like the Osbournes....but we're saved!" Ha ha! Guess you had to be there...

Below is Superchick

Doug and Sherry waiting for Tenth Avenue North to play...

I put this picture in for Doug...he thought he was being so funny...

And....SKILLET! It was a killer concert...lots of fire, smoke, and fireworks. This is a shot I took from the back as the concert was starting. Elise and I couldn't stand to sit in the back any longer, so we ran up to the pit to rock out with the rest of the panheads.