Kimler Adventure Pages (http://randsco.com)

Scott & Rachel took their 3 1/2 year-old daughter on her 3rd self-supported bicycle touring adventure. They cycled from Yellow Point to Seattle and back (350 miles or so). Read about their 10-day journey. (Completed through Day 4)

338 Miles, 5 Ferries & 10 Days of Sunshine

Carry & Ferry Tour: We cycled from Nanaimo, to Victoria, ferried to Port Angeles, cycled and ferried to Seattle and then back via Redmond, Bellingham and the Tswwassen ferry. Whew! 338 miles towing the Oop!

Early this month, we enjoyed a 10-day bicycle loop adventure. We started from our home in Yellow Point, just south of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island and rode to Seattle Washington (via Victoria) and then back, along the Washington coast. Along the way, we took a few ferry boats, which helped break up the riding for our 3-and-a-half year-old daughter.

It was Alex's third cycle-tour! (For a 3 year-old, that's pretty good!)

We experienced 10 days of glorious Indian Summer weather, we camped out, we visited with friends in Victoria, West Seattle, Redmond and Bellingham, we had an unlikely encounter with an old PCT friend, and we even managed to cycle a fair distance.

Join us for the tour! See photos, maps and read the daily log. Learn which routes made for good cycling, where we'd visit again, why Washington State is bicycle-friendly and more about the logistics of cycling with a kid, riding ferries and cycling western Washington, Vancouver Island and the Vancouver lower-mainland.

We just bought a 1993 Ford F-250 4x4 pickup truck. Read all about it and how we've made a deal to get unlimited amount of gasoline, in exchange for the first 20 years of Alex's earnings (once she's graduated from medical school)!

Our boat towing and material hauling problems have been solved. Unfortunately, the solution comes with two problems (which sound like one problem) - a huge appetite for gasoline.

We're now the proud owners of a brand-new-to-us, 1993 Ford F-250 Super-cab 4x4 pickup truck!

In order to spare front-page readers the agony of reading about how excited we are to buy a 12-year old behemoth of a truck and gush about it, as if we'd just driven it off the car lot, in brand new condition ... we require you to hit 'read full story' to carry on. Mind you ... those brave souls who do that, will be rewarded with BIG PICTURES of the big beast!

More about "The F-250 Beast"

Rachel reviews "Midwives", a fictional novel by Chris Bohjalian.

(Fiction)Review of "Midwives" a novel by Chris Bohjalian

"Midwives" - a fictional novel by Chris Bohjalian about a seasoned midwife taking desperate measures to save a baby's life, on a snowy Vermont night and the drama that ensues.

Although I have never experienced one myself, novelist Chris Bohjalian made me feel the chilling cold of a winter storm in Vermont. It was due to the storm that experienced midwife Sibyl Danforth found herself in unfamiliar territory; normally she would have transferred her laboring patient to the hospital for failure to progress, but the storm rendered them cut off from the outside world. In a noble attempt to save the life of an unborn baby, Sibyl performs an emergency cesarean section on the mother, whom she believes has just died from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, but there are those who assert that although Sibyl saved the baby, it was the c-section that had actually killed the mother. The dramatic story of the subsequent investigation, trial and emotional impact on her family is told by Sibyl’s daughter, Connie, who was 13 at the time of the ordeal.

Click the link "Read full story" to continue ...

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We plunked the double-hulled, aluminum shrimping boat "Pugwis" into Vancouver Island waters for the first time. Read about her maiden voyage and why we were dejected, when we pulled the boat out of the water

Sitting at the Dock in the Bay: Pugwis was successfully plunked into the water. Rachel holds the boat in place, while Alex & Scott park the car at the Ladysmith boat launch.

Pugwis Hits the Water

After a few months in the boat yard, "Pugwis", was nearly ready for a dip in the ocean. Scott still had to re-wire the trailer, clean the deck and then the boat was ready for her maiden voyage. Unfortunately, we discovered that the boat was laden with nearly 340 pounds of water and had to find a way to drain her.

Finally, "Pugwis" was lighter, her trailer wired and ready to go. Last week, the Gods were with us as both weather and our busy work schedules converged, allowing us to take "Pugwis" down to the public boat ramp at the Ladysmith harbor. With nervous excitement, we hitched the boat to our minivan and headed south, along Yellow Point Road.

To read about the maiden voyage of "Pugwis" the boat and why we're now calling her, "Pug the Lug" ... carry on.

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The "Happy House" (Alex's play house) is looking a bit happier, these days, as we've started to pull it back from the brink of destruction. A progress report on "The Happy House Project".

A "Happy House" Project Update

Happy House? What Happy House? Sadly, the "Happy House" is nearly hidden from view. Such as it is, this is the "BEFORE" picture! (It's not till you get closer, that you can actually SEE the play house).

Alex's derelict, 2-story play house, which was nicknamed "The Happy House" by previous Hutton House owners, is in serious need of attention.

It must be 20 years old (or more). The three Hutton kids - 2 boys and a girl - played in it while they were growing up. At least, that's who it was built for. Who knows how old they were when it was built? All I know is that they're now in their late 20's and early 30's. Our plan has always been to fix it up so that the Oop can play in it, letting her imagination take her to far away places, have countless tea parties with imaginary dignitaries and maybe even a sleep-over or two.

Before then, however, there's much work to be done.

Read more about "The Happy House" project ...

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