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Author Topic: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.  (Read 84782 times)

Offline Cindi

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #160 on: September 01, 2008, 11:33:07 pm »
This will be late, we got home from Brian's home about 11:00 AM.  I have been swamped, the things that must be taken care of once returned from a get-a-way..........my wonderful family has taken care of most....but there are things that have required that personal tough.....JP, where are all the Muscoy clan....they had your picture posted as the "most wanted', but something went array (hee, hee, that inside joke....).  I found the bags full of onions and spices, but where did the ducks go?  Did you forget to take in tow those roasting bags.....Agibail is still here, so is Sir Drake....I am waiting for the tail that Richard will tell, and I know he will tell me alot.  I will be working on a beautiful post tomorrow morning, I will show you things that we did, things that we done, our memories of a great time spent together, My Husband, Brian, Brendhan, Janel, Jody, Bruce, and all the barnyard critters, be patient, we all know.....all good things take time.  Take this wonderful day, to be yours to hold in your hands, and love life, live life, love is worth that for surely.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Understudy

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #161 on: September 02, 2008, 12:24:57 am »
Hi All,

The wife and I are no in Victoria and completely exhausted. Somehow my wife found and energy spike and dragged me through Butchart gardens. Which was gorgeous. Then to the Natural History Museum. We got a two day pass for the price of one day because the ticket agent knew we wouldn't be able to do the whole thing in one day. Then we walked around downtown Victoria for about two hours. They had a Blues/Jazz fest also going so we stopped and listened to music for a while. We have gotten back to the hotel we my wife has insisted I was my clothes because they smell of Billy Goat. So laundry bath and then pass out. Who knows what tomorrow brings.

Hey Cindi we may take you up on that offer to visit.

Brian, I cannot thank you enough for all your gracious accommodations and just overall incredible time. It was just wonderful on all levels.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

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Offline Cindi

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #162 on: September 02, 2008, 02:38:43 pm »
Brendhan, still can't smell the billy goat, huh?  Visit us, we would welcome that for surely.  Now for my post.....been working on it all morning.  Fifteen pictures, I hope the thread will hold them all.  I typed the text in word first, it was quite the hummdinger of a piece of work.

Wow, so where do I begin?  I want to keep this as short as I can, (good luck with that, hee, hee).  We got to Brian’s home on Saturday afternoon.  Brendhan and Janel were already there, what a nice reception from all three of them.

By the way, my Husband wants to call this get-together the 1st Annual Forum International Bee-B-Que.  I get such a kick out of this wonderful man!!!

Brian lives in a beautiful town called Anacortes.  Such a pretty town, very close to the ocean.  He has farm critters galore, the pictures will show you them.  It was hard to get a picture of the rabbits because of the layout of the cages, and the pigeons, oh, they are a beauty.  He races some of his pigeons and many had returned from their release the night before, how cool was that!!!!

We visited for awhile and then it was time for Brian to go and pick up a ram (that be a male sheep).  Brendhan and Ken (my Husband) went for the ride.  Oh what a funny picture coming back.  Brendhan had to travel in the back of the pick up truck to take care of the ram.  Now that must have been fun, hee, hee.  The ram was unloaded and went to take his place in the pen with the lovely and most wonderfully smelling male goat, which is called a billy, there was a nanny (a female goat) and her female young one, not sure what you call that, maybe a doeling (right?  Wrong?)

Ever smelled a billy goat?  No wonder the goat in that famous story was called “Billy Goat Gruff”.  This dude stinks, and man oh man, one can smell it at least 20 feet away.  I am finding out the hard way that men cannot smell the billy goat stench!!!!  This billy goat loves to rub up against people, and he particularly likes Brian.  Brian smelled very strongly of this billy goat, could smell him about 20 feet away too (no offence Brian, hee, hee).  Now Ken and Brendhan, they are pretty much the same stinky men from this billy goat.  They petted him and now their hands stink, really, really bad.  Janel and I both were almost gagging.  All three of these men could not smell the stink of this billy goat dude.  Go figure that!!!!  Must be a guy thing, girl thing.  I think it must be common amongst all men.  BECAUSE when Poka-bee (Jody) and her Husband, Bruce came, he couldn’t smell this obnoxious smell either.  Eeeks!!!  What more can I say, I have a different appreciation for the male gender now, hee, hee and more hee hees.

Brian was a wonderful host, the food that he had ready (or should I say, almost ready, that is a different part of the story, told later).

Brian took us on a tour of his area.  We went way, way up to the top of a mountain, by the name of Erie.  From the viewpoints that he took us to you could see the most incredible islands, an island inside a lake on the island that he lives on, Fudalgo Island.  You will see by the pictures that this is the most incredible sight of the ocean, lake, and islands, it was something so beautiful that I can barely begin to describe it.  We went on some other tours of his area, parks, seaside park, extremely beautiful, most beautiful….say no more, let your imagination wander, go there in your mind’s eye.

Now, you know that I can be very lengthy with my writings.  I am trying to keep this short, but this is an impossibility.

Come Sunday, this was the day to get the pigeons breasts ready for the BBQ that we were going to have this evening.  Brian taught us how to ready the pigeons for the table.  The guys were too chicken to come and delve in, to get dinner ready, so Janel and I were the watchful crew.  Now, I have to tell you, this woman has guts, she has the guts and determination of something wonderful.  She delved right in with sharp knife in hand, and prepared two breasts of pigeon, beautiful, along with the heart and gizzard, Brian prepared the other four.  Me, being a little bit more of a chicken (hee, hee, get that pun), I just watched, but with keen interest.  It was a procedure that was pretty cool.  And these we ate for dinner, wonderful and very fresh.  We also ate a duck, which I had brought along.  It was already eviscerated though, so we didn’t have to do any work there (oh, I thank my lucky stars, a Muscovy duck is a rather large bird to ready for a table, and I don’t go there, hee, hee).  Another bonus, some friends of Brian brought us a big bag of crab legs, oh what a feast!!! 

Poka-bee and her Husband came Sunday afternoon.  It was quite a drive for them, encompassing about 2 hours, and man can that girl bake!!!  She brought along a wonderful apple crumble, REAL whipping cream, that was the yummiest apple crumble I have ever tasted.

This was the wonderful menu!!!!

Potato salad (Brian had readied the ingredients, Janel and I assembled it – she learned many things this weekend, she can now prepare a potato salad from scratch and get a live pigeon ready for the table!!!  Yeah Janel, go, girl, go!!!!
Pigeon breasts, hearts and gizzards
Muscovy duck, cranberry sauce
Rock crab legs
Hotdogs and delicious hamburgers coming out our ears
That most beautiful apple crumble

Lots of soda and lots of wine

Brendhan was the master of the barbequing, and oh, can that dude bbq some mean food (I didn’t think they bbq’d in hot Florida).  He cooked the food perfectly, and my hat is off to him!!!

We had the most wonderful time together.  Each person is delightful, and stronger bonds have been created, far more than the already created bond of cyberspace friends.

We tasted Brendhan’s, Jody’s and my honey, each one is so unique and wonderfully tasteful, I feel privileged to have been able to taste these, special, special honeys.  And yes, Brendhan’s made it there, without the TSA touching it!!!!  What a bonus that was, hee, hee.

I loved to see Brian’s home and all his critters that he keeps right smack dabble in the middle of a neighbourhood of houses.  He has been able to keep this piece of land, untouched by modern development.  He has many neighbourhood children that come to see his farmyard critters, it is something like what we call a petting zoo, and it does wonderful PR in this neighbourhood.  It is so great to see that he can keep all his chickens, pigeons, livestock so close to many houses, that have their tiny little yards.  It must make all the children that come to visit his stock very, very happy.  My hat off to Brian!!!!  Brian has a myriad of fruit trees, fruit shrubs, flowers, flowering trees, he is a lucky man.  And, you should see his wild bird feeders on his porch, he has many, and the hundreds of birds that one can see at any time of the day, would make your head swim.  Looking out his kitchen window, one could stand there for hours…..these bird feeders and in plain view, and the birds cause such a compelling need to watch them.  A thing of beauty for surely.

It was time to say goodbye on Sunday night.  Jody and Bruce had to go back home.  That was a long day for them, the travelling.  Brendhan and Janel were heading off early in the morning to catch a ferry to go and see Vancouver Island, and Brian…..well, I knew for surely that he would love to have a great sleep in.  He had worked very, very hard to make our Barbeque happen, and that he did.  Ken and I headed off on Monday morning too, having spent a wonderful weekend at Brian’s and having the time of our lives.

Brian gave me some hatching eggs to take home to incubate.  He has some beautiful chickens and I wanted to bring this little memory of his beautiful place home, to make my barnyard stocked with some of his stock, that be a wonderful thing.

I am going to put in some pictures, I am not sure how many can go in a thread, but I will give as many as I think the thread will allow, enjoy.  If I can figure out ever how to get a link to bring in the rest of the pictures, I will….but I cannot make any promises.

Our first glimpse of Brian's cool place:



Brian, Brendhan, Janel and me, we didn't get a whole group shot, unfortunately, but this is all that we got



Poka-bee (Jody) and Husband, Bruce


THE t-shirt


The rock crab legs and yummy pigeon breast


Me and the duck attack


Brendhan, saying "oh no" did I really ride home with that?  The beautiful ram that Brian got!!!!


Standing at a viewpoint on Mount Erie, I think Brian said the elevation was something like 1,495 feet (Brian, corraborate or deny, hee, hee).  An island in a lake on an island, outlooking to beautiful islands on the ocean



Looking out at three islands in the distance


A beautiful, craggy old tree at one of the viewpoints


Brendhan and Janel, sitting in a tree, (oops, I guess it was standing on a beach), K.I.S.S.I.N.G., first came love, then came marriage, no babies yet in their baby carriage.....little diddy from what we used to tease each other with as kids.



My Husband, the love of my life, standing at one of the viewpoints


The billy goat, that apparently no person of the male gender can smell, what's with that?


The ram (male sheep) that all three men went to get on Saturday, Brendhan, having the joy of riding home in the back with, hee, hee


Some of Brian's chickenyard critters, what a beautiful rooster eh?


Enjoy these pictures, there are many more, but I was reluctant to put too many in this thread.

If someone can teach me how to make a link, I could link the remaining photos, (hint, hint, I know someone can).  Beautiful, beautiful day, Cindi

I concur with Brendhan, so many hats off to Brian for instigating this wonderful and awesome get-together, hugs, Cindi

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #163 on: September 02, 2008, 04:58:09 pm »
Glad all went well. Seeing Brendan reminds me, I need my haircut again. I cant stand the heat. How does he do it? Removals w/ that hair do! Yikes.  I would have loved a field dressing lesson on the pigeons as no one in my family hunts and as such, I dont know how  to do it.
 If I smelled like a goat, my wife would have left me in Anacortes! She is a real life blood hound like no one i have ever met before.(Everything stinks/smells to her, yet she continues to sniff and complain-go figure). The view is wonderful. Always wanted to see the great northwest and will somweday.
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Offline Irwin

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #164 on: September 02, 2008, 05:02:19 pm »
Thank's Cindi the pic's were GREAT :-D
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Offline buzzbee

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #165 on: September 02, 2008, 06:07:37 pm »
Great pics of a great time I'm sure.
Cindi,you can post the pics on somewhere like photobucket or something then post a link to the album.

Offline pdmattox

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #166 on: September 02, 2008, 06:21:31 pm »
Thanks Cindi, I love the pics. Brian has a great place.

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #167 on: September 02, 2008, 09:33:00 pm »
great pics!!!
 Just what we've all been waiting for!
way to go!!
your friend,
john

Offline Understudy

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #168 on: September 02, 2008, 11:43:13 pm »
Hi All,

Made to Vancouver today. We are going to explore the downtown. Tomorrow we will visit Cindi.

I went to post pictures but the hotel is blocking ftp and ssh. So it will have to wait a bit longer. I took pictures of the trip not of Brian's place because everyone else took pictures at Brian's place.

Poka-Bee I would love to take you up on your offer. PM me your number and I will get in contact with you.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

Offline Cindi

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #169 on: September 03, 2008, 01:26:05 am »
Brendhan.  You ain't seen nuthin' yet.  See ya, give me a call and, let me know when we expect your arrival....this is a great life, live this life, as there was narry a tomorrow.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline poka-bee

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #170 on: September 03, 2008, 01:47:43 pm »
Brendhan , We would love to have you, I PM'd the info.  It is going to be nice the next few days, you will get a chance to see the beauty of the PNW from Cindi's to Brians to My corner.  We are much the same yet very different!  If you come I'll call Sean Kelly.  He lives right off the Raaiiii-nnnneerrr Beeeeerrrr road which is a couple of miles from our place.  Have fun@ Cindi's!!  Jody
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #171 on: September 04, 2008, 12:14:23 am »
The Lava Dome, aka Mount Erie, is 1394 ft add a zero and you get the height of Mt Baker which we view from our dining room.
 
Cindi, How many hatching eggs did you end up taking? 

I slept in as you know on Monday,absolutely wore out.  Then Tuesday was hit with bouts of Fibromyalgia and Arachnoiditis...Felt like someone had tied me to a rotisserie over a fire (Fibro) while sawing on my lower back with a dull saw (Arachnoiditis). 

If we do this again I might have to rent a tour bus to show everybody what's what around here.  I only got to show the out of stater's about a 1/3 of the sites and taking the Ferry as a walk-on to Friday Harbor and back was out of the question, not enough time.

So Brendhan, did the Ferry trip to Victoria, via Sidney,live up to my hype?

If we do this again, I don't mind playing host, I can park up to 30 cars in the grass strip in the circular driveway....hint, hint.  But I'm going to have to cut back on how much I do physically.
Things we could have done but didn't as I didn't have enough time or physical ability to get it all done: put up horse shoe pit, roast marshmellows, Play music or sing songs (I did have my guitar, amp, and microphone ready though), press cider, or dive into the hives.
So there's a lot we could do next year to make it even better.

I did recite the vaudeville act (including jokes between choruses) "You Can't Fool an Old Horse Fly" to all. 

Life is a school.  What have you learned?   :brian:      The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Offline Cindi

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #172 on: September 04, 2008, 11:12:56 am »
Brian, oh, I was worried about having the invasion of your bee pals over the weekend might wear you out, I predicted correct.  Having a number of people come and stay with one is a big job, I totally understand why a couple of your conditions spiked and you were very worn out and rested, that was good you rested, bad that you got those health attacks.  Hope all is well now.

I was amazed when Brian recited that vaudville act, "you can't fool an old horsefly", it was funnier than get out and an incredibly long piece of work to have memorized, it was very, very cool, we loved it.

We'll see what comes if we get together again next year.  If we decide it is a go, I will do the preparations, Brian, you will do nothing, but be the host, I would try to promise that. 

Brian, I wound up taking 15 hatching eggs, I have been gathering eggs from my hens each day now, tomorrow I will set the incubator to work and hatch out a whack of little baby chics.  I am very excited to have some of your breeds of chickens at my place.  I LOVED the Light Brahma breed, so pretty, pretty.  Thank you for being so gracious to have let me take some eggs home, to have your chickens progeny at my place, yeah!!!!!  That made me happppppeeeeee.......Have that most wonderful and awesomely great day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Understudy

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #173 on: September 04, 2008, 12:16:20 pm »
Help,

Cindi has locked me in her basement and has a big dog that barks at me if I open the door. Cindi has promised to throw scraps of food down but I think the dog gets them first.  ;)

Reality check. :mrgreen:

Actually Cindi's place is gorgeous and she has been a wonderful host. Ken cooked wonderful steaks last night. Cindi did potatoes, cauliflower, and more. Followed up by some apple pie and ice cream. A nice evening spent talking about all sorts of things.

Now I just need to get Janel off Cindi's motorcycle so we can head down toward Poka-Bee.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
 
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Offline Cindi

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #174 on: September 05, 2008, 01:53:05 am »
Brendhan, oweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!  Loved the time spent with you both, your both are our dear pals,, so good to make such wonderful connections, these are special times, lovin' every minute of it!!!!!.....beautiful day, love our great lives.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Understudy

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #175 on: September 05, 2008, 03:51:31 am »
Brian the ferry to Victoria was marvelous.

I have posted pics of the trip here.
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=157


Sincerely,
Brendhan
The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

Offline annette

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #176 on: September 05, 2008, 06:39:07 pm »
WOW, Those gardens are truly beautiful and I must go there one day.  Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos


Offline JP

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #177 on: September 06, 2008, 02:47:52 am »
I knew ya'll would have a terrific time and the pictures prove it!!

Its wonderful you guys were able to get together in the flesh and share some good times, thanks Brendhan for the phone call, hope it wasn't that expensive!!!

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Offline Understudy

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #178 on: September 06, 2008, 03:02:15 am »
Well I need to thank Jody and her husband. They let us visit them for a while it was wonderful. Jody drove us out today to Lake Mowich. Which was an absolutely gorgeous area. Along the trail I dropped my camera into the lake. Looks like it may have taken a bad hit. I still have the memory card and that is fine so I will upload some more photos later. Right now Janel and I are taking it easy in Seattle.

Sincerley,
Brendhan

 
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Offline Cindi

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Re: B Square for Labor Day Weekend 2008.
« Reply #179 on: September 06, 2008, 12:54:26 pm »
Brendhan, what!!!!  Come on, how on earth did you drop your camera into the lake (well, actually, I know how, I seen you drop it a couple of times at my place, hee, hee).  What a bummer, now you are gonna have to get a new one.  Well, thank goodness the memory card was OK, go figure that one, wonder how some things make it and some things don't.

So nice that Jody was able to take you out and show you some stuff.  Did you meet up with Sean while you were there?  I bet you will have stories to tell us when you get back.  I have stories too, and some pics, but am gonna be very busy this weekend helping Ken build a horse barn, now that is another tale to tell, lucky me, I am gonna be pushing a wheelbarrow full of cement  :'( :'( :'(, oops, was I whining, hee, hee.  Enjoy Seattle, it is a very beautiful place too!!!!  Wonderful day in this greatest of lives.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service