The very first year that we visited Cannon Beach we also visited Fort Clatsop.  Fort Clatsop is a replicated fort of the one Lewis and Clark built along the Oregon coast. "Fort Clatsop was really cool because they had visuals. They shot a spit wad out of musket. They showed how you prepare and arm it. They also did a reenactment involving boys from the audience, including my brother Job and showed how 6 men would escape from a bear. Also if you went outside of the fort a little bit there was a place that you could make twine out of bulrush, and we also found out that you can eat the center or a cattail." - Lona

"Fort clatsop was probably one of the most fun activity out of all that we did in Oregon. my favorite part was learning how to load and shoot a flint lock gun. it is always interesting how things work." - Job

"The best part of the Fort Clatsop visit was definitely the flintlock musket demonstration. It is cool to see how they had to do things back then. It was also surprising how small it was. Our house is probably bigger than the fort." - Isaac  (Our house is smaller however we have more living space per person than they did at the fort)

I love it when they do this.  It just cracks me up.

Of course Job had to volunteer to participate in some kind of drama

We excitedly woke and had breakfast. I started piling the luggage, toys, food, and a fan into the back of the van. Each teenager was eager to dig into their buckets of snack that I had specially prepared and shopped  for the day before. The buckets were cleaned ice cream containers that I had lined with plastic grocery bag and then filled with their favorite snacks. Some had applesauce and dried mangos and other had cucumbers and carrots. Then there were the chips and each had a theatre box of their favorite candy. I had made three crucial mistakes though. I didn't realize it at the time. In fact we didn't realize that there was a mistake until about four hours into the trip and we had been in the car all that time and the first mistake was realized. I had packed a root beer for Lona and she had no outlet for all that energy. Soon after the next mistake was made known: beef sticks. Yes, beef sticks are a mistake when each teenager has one and they are strapped in by seatbelt in a car for hours. There broke out a beef stick war. Apparently beef sticks hurt when you are whipped with them. "STOP hitting me with the beef stick!" "I'm going to smack you with my beef stick!" I'm screaming at them "I'm going to take away your beef sticks and smack you with them." "No don't take my beef stick. I'll be good I promise."  "Beef stick I miss you. Can I have my beef stick back" "take that."  " ouch you hit me with my beef stick"  Seriously, Beef sticks cause back seat wars. We finally pulled into the parking lot and a child announced "I can't wait to get to the room to change my clothes. ""What's wrong with your clothes?"

 This is our second food truck we've visited.  I have to say that the customer service was outstanding. We ordered our food and then waited.  This gave me time to ask questions.  They were friendly and engaging. They gave us suggestions of other food trucks to try out.  Wow, love that.  They explained how they came to purchase a food truck in the first place and why they offer gyros. I love gyros and first tasted one in a hole in the wall greek diner. Job says that they are a European taco and I guess that is pretty accurate.  Anyhow, we were given our food in brown boxes with blue and white checkered liners and walked over to our vans to eat.  Pricier than Cicchittis however, the cheeseburger was huge and so was the gyro that Job ordered. My kids couldn't finish their food which was were I came in at.  The burger was juicy and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The gyros was tangy and the meat was seared perfectly.  Then there were the fries.  I hate mushy or soggy fries these weren't that.  They were more like the steak frites from Europe.  They were crisp not crunchy and soft not mushy on the inside.  They were salty but I just shook some of the excess salt off.  Tara said they were perfect. Then came the surprise.  We were eating and talking when we were brought "samples" of their watermelon salad.  I thought the samples were quite large and that allowed all of us to try more than one bite.  Watermelon, feta, nuts, and basil with a vinaigrette.  After trying it I had to get another one to bring home and photograph it. The plus side is they had a garbage.  The downside is that I wish there was a calendar of places that they are at listed on their facebook page.  That is probably the only thing I would change.  I will be going back to eat here again.

I remember when it was my first drive in driver's ed.  We were asked if we've driven before and I said yes. When it was my turn to get into the driver's seat, I didn't know how to make the car drive.  It was an automatic and I had only driven a stick shift. The instructor was frustrated and said "I thought you said you knew how to drive." and he rolled his eyes.  We didn't have an automatic at home.  I had no idea that you put it in drive and it went forward. I couldn't find the clutch. I was flustered to say the least.  Flash forward 39 years. I am a mom with teenagers. We have one vehicle with a clutch and two automatics. Isaac learned how to drive an automatic first and that's all he's driven for the last two years. I've been planning for a while to teach him how to drive a stick shift so when part of the family went back to Montana, I decided to take advantage of the time and teach him how to drive.  The two of us stayed so that Isaac could work and I had a scheduled wedding to photograph. It turned out that we both had more time than we originally thought we would.  We took the truck to the river so the dog could swim and on the way I explained how to work the clutch while I was driving so that he could hear the engine at the same time. Then it was his turn to drive home. I think the dog is a little scarred from riding in the truck with Isaac.  He hates the vehicle to begin with but now it takes a lot of coaxing to get him to put his front legs up on the tailgate. Each day after that we would force the dog into the back of the truck and Isaac would drive to the river and then home again. At one point we were crossing the tracks and I think Isaac stopped breathing when the train signal sounded and the gates started to come down. He hit the gas and we shot the rest of the way across the track. All he could think of was stalling the vehicle and became nervous.  Each time he drove he improved and then came the time to drive around the neighborhood with out me.  Now a couple more times to the river and back and we will try driving in town and stopping on hills.

There are things that defines one culture.  Food is one of those things. I really think that our food culture is fast food, any kind as long as it is fast. I've read a number of books about someone's experience in another country that revolves around traditional food but what is traditional for us? We have regional dishes but when I really think about it our "food" culture is not the in the details of that little extra pinch of sage or the art of making pasta by a technique that has been past down over centuries.  No, our "food culture" is quick and cheap. Meant to be eaten while walking, driving, or standing at a street corner.  As a society we don't typically savor our meals.  Really our meals last 20 minutes? a half hour? an hour and a half at a restaurant for a fancier meal? We don't sit an savor we eat and run. Isn't that a motto somewhere? So after pondering our "food" culture I decided to play tourist in my home town and try our local food trucks with the kids. What could be faster than meals on wheels? I had the intention of visiting one each week but the week were going to start, Lona and I headed out of town. Half way through the summer we finally made it to our first food truck: Cicchitti's.  They serve pizza which you buy by the slice.  We showed up and they made a fresh whole pizza for us with each slice individually done.  The crust was not super thin but thinner than regular crust pizza and the slices were huge.  They also weren't overly cheesy which made me happy. The only downside was that there wasn't a garbage and so I carried the paper plates and cans home with me in my car. Otherwise they were friendly and reasonably priced.  Looking forward to our next adventure of Food Truck eaterys.

How do you say goodbye? How is it that with one phone call a life is changed? How is it that the voice on the other end of the phone can break your heart for them? How do you look through photos of someone's life and not be changed? There is no way but hold the ones with tears tight, to laugh at their funny stories and cry with the sad ones and to remember.

She's 13! Thirteen!  That strange funny magical age.   At thirteen, it's time to say goodbye to childhood, but only when you want to feel grownup.  At thirteen it's called being crazy and wild not childish or immature. Thirteen is the magical age deemed appropriate to have a Facebook account according to the Facebook rules and regulations. At thirteen it is only two years until the drivers permit. At thirteen, the corner has been turned to the teen years.  Thirteen opens the door to so many changes, some good, some bad but forever different than the child years.  Happy birthday daughter.