Laura Aspinall

Jul

14

Camping at Susan Creek, Umpqua National Forest, Oregon: An Engineer’s Perspective

camping / Family / fun / summer / teardrop trailer / travel / Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments
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Here it is! At long last! The last guest blogger’s installment of our camping trip chronicles from earlier this summer. Enjoy!

20150528_150640Hi, my name is Bryan, many of you know me as the devastatingly handsome and exceedingly generous husband of this site’s hostess; Laura, but I like to think of myself more as just another above averagely attractive guy trying to make his way in this crazy world. I’d like to share with you the last leg of our journey through the great wilds of Oregon. There is so much to tell I don’t quite know where to begin. I guess it would be best to begin at the beginning.

The beginning:

After a leisurely breakfast of yogurt and granola, I gave the dogs their second bath in as many days (much to their dismay), and we packed the car, hooked up the trailer, and began our slow but comparatively short drive to Eugene, OR. The weather was so perfect and the scenery was so beautiful as we made our way southwest along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway and then OR58 to our destination that all the construction delays along the way hardly bothered us.

We arrived in Eugene a little after noon just in time for lunch at an old college favorite of Laura’s, the Glenwood restaurant near the University of Oregon campus. Laura and I couldn’t get over how inexpensive the food was in Oregon, and the Glenwood was no exception. The food was good, and apparently the menu hadn’t changed in the last 15 years. Best of all, we ate on the patio and were able to bring the boys in with us while we ate.

After lunch Laura attempted to give me a tour of campus, but as soon as we stepped foot outside I started sneezing and didn’t stop until we got back in the car and headed on our way. Laura told me after that the local Native American word for the Willamette Valley means “valley of sickness” or something like that. I can’t remember ever having such a strong allergic reaction to any other environment.

So after popping into the campus bookstore and purchasing a tastefully colored hat (see picture below), we got back in the car and took a tour of Laura’s old neighborhood. After several trips around the blocks, we finally located her old house, and stopped to take a look. It was in much better condition than when she was staying there she exclaimed, and got out to take a picture. Just then a girl came walking up the street, eying Laura suspiciously, but after Laura explained that she used to live there when she was in school, she smiled and said lived there now and was a sophomore at the college, and after a little bit of small talk we said our goodbyes and were on our way to the middle bit.

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The middle:

After leaving her old neighborhood, Laura once again punched the coordinates of our next destination into the Google and we were off for Ninkasi Brewing Company. Ninkasi has a lovely patio and the weather as I said before was perfect, but after my allergy attack earlier on campus, we decided to sit inside while we sampled their beer. Ninkasi is currently my favorite brewery, and the visit did not disappoint. The beer we sampled was delicious and we met one of the brewers at the bar and had a lovely conversation about Oregon, Sonoma County, and Mad Max. Unfortunately, we still had quite a long drive ahead of us, so we got back in the car, and Laura drove us the rest of the way to our final camping destination in Oregon; Susan Creek Camp ground on the Umpqua River.

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Susan Creek Campground was much less rustic than the other campgrounds we had visited to this point. The campsites were well manicured, with pavers and decomposed granite throughout. The bathrooms had fully functional toilets and sinks with running hot water, and they even have showers. I must say that first shower after several days of camping is a heavenly experience. There is nothing like crawling into bed nice and clean and relaxed after a long day vacationing.

The next day we decided to try out our new inflatable kayak that we got for Christmas on the nearby Umpqua River. The water was cold, but deceptively calm, and so we put in and clumsily paddled our way a short distance downstream. I heard rushing water ahead so we turned around and made our way back up to calmer water, but after a little more practice, we gained some confidence and paddled our way downstream once more. This time we went a little further and were soon caught up in the current. Once again we decided it would be best to get back to calmer water, but this time our inept paddling had little effect, as we continued to drift with the current towards the increasingly louder sound of rushing water downstream. Frantic now as we madly paddled to escape the clutches of the mighty Umpqua river, and after what seemed like ages, found ourselves once again in calm water and as we dragged our kayak shakily out of the water we were greeted by cheers of Bravo! from a campground above. We returned to our site to find that the entire outing lasted about a half an hour.

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The next day sadly we left Oregon. We drove south on I5 to California, and turned off at Highway 3 at Yreka; made our way through Scott’s Valley and down to the Trinity River. It was a lovely drive that I had never yet taken. There were a few small but charming towns along the way that I had not seen before. I wondered aloud; what does one do for a living way out here. After a longer drive than Laura or I had anticipated we arrived at our destination. The Trinity River where the in-laws were camping with their friends Stanley and Irene.

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The end:

After setting up camp Laura, Stanley, Frank, and I went out fishing on the river. Laura and Stanley in Stanley’s boat, and Frank and I in his inflatable boat. Frank let me drive, and after a few minutes of falling further and further behind to the faster gasoline engine, Frank instructed me to open it up to the maximum throttle which turned out to be about 4 knots upstream. We soon lost sight of Laura and Stanley as we made our way up river. Suddenly the motor cut out vibrating violently and Frank and I came to an abrupt standstill. We fiddled about with the throttle a bit and it seemed to work at lower speeds so we continued our trip upstream to the dam where Stanley proclaimed the fishing to be optimal.

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After about an hour of not catching anything, Frank and I made our way back downstream to camp, making sure to keep the throttle down for fear of breaking down again (I swear I did not break the boat). We eventually arrived back at camp to enjoy a lovely dinner of chicken prepared by Carol and fresh fish caught by Stanley and prepared by Stanley and Irene, a wonderful apple crumble made by my lovely wife, and game of ladder ball in the warm central valley evening. It was a very nice end to our camping vacation. I am very pleased with the performance of our little teardrop trailer, and I look forward to many future trips with friends and family.

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Jun

21

Frank Aspinall: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

Dads / Family  Posted by / 2 comments
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Here is what I know about my dad:
1. He is all in. There is no half way, no kind of sort of. If something is going to be done its going to be done all the way. My close friends know this and have often benefitted from his thoroughness, be it building them furniture, doing house repairs, taking them to doctors’ appointments, consulting on and performing car repairs, etc. Your project is his project. I don’t think I can list all the projects my dad has done for me or with me, but I am going to try:
  • Built me a doll house
  • Built me a desk
  • Repaired the first three cars I owned
  • Built me a TV console
  • Painted and repaired our rental house
  • Built me a bed
  • Renovated our bathroom
  • Rebuilt our patio cover
  • Renovated our kitchen
  • Built our kitchen table
  • Renovated our bathroom (again)
  •  Renovated our living room
  •  Refinished our wood floors
  • Installed crown molding throughout our house
  • Built custom cabinets for our bathroom
  • Built our garden shed
  • Built our chicken coop
  • Built my art studio
  • Built our teardrop trailer
  • Built our guest bed
  • Built countless planters and planter boxes
  • Dug many ditches
  • Repaired our sewer line
  • Installed irrigation and water lines
  • Repaired all of our home appliances (except for the one time I took the vacuum to a repair shop. Big, big mistake)
  • Installed lighting throughout our house
  • Been the first person I call when something goes wrong for my entire life.
And about a million other things I am sure I am leaving out (don’t worry, he’ll email me an revised list later), but you get the idea. He’s extraordinary.
2. If its important to you its important to him. And he doesn’t have to understand it to get on board. I am sure  there were many times during our childhood that my dad looked at my brother and I and wondered how he ended up with us. Neither of us athletic, both of us artistic, he an engineer and soccer player. Hours spent trying to explain basic principles of math to  his confused daughter, attempting to boost our enthusiasm for sports by coaching our soccer and T-ball teams (unsuccessfully I might add), surely left him all the more puzzled as to where his genes went. But despite that, you want to go to art school? Okay, let’s go tour some over spring break. Heavy metal drumming? Great, let’s convert the spare room into your drum studio and sound proof it while we are at it. My dad supports his kids the way he does everything, in a whole-hearted and most thorough capacity.
P10804833. He is a very funny man. Frank is a fan favorite where ever he goes. Co-workers ask me about him, Home Depot checkers send their regards, the office staff at our dentist say, “Your dad was JUST here, he is SUCH a character!” Twinkly and mischevious are both appropriate adjectives to describe my dad. He delights in making us laugh and takes particular pleasure in eliciting  hysterical  laughter from my mom; wheezing, barely able to talk and tears streaming down her face, she finally squeaks out, “Frank! Stop it!” He looking all innocent and wide eyed replies, “What?”
4. He is incredibly generous. With his time, his talents and his heart.  I’ll tell him something in passing about myself or someone else and sometime later he’ll call me back have pondered the issue with a host of solutions. And a plan for how he’ll start implementation ASAP.
5. He loves his family. He may not say it frequently but it is evident in everything he does. All the projects, all the jokes, all the sage advice is my dad’s way of showing his love. I hope he knows it’s not lost on us.
 Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you, I appreciate you, and I’m proud to be your daughter.
Jun

04

Camping At Mallard Marsh, Deschutes National Forest: A Brown and White Chihuahua Terrier’s Perspective

camping / Chihuahua / fun / summer / teardrop trailer / Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments
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Hello Make Room readers. I’ve been asked to recount a portion our camping trip for your reading pleasure. I have graciously accepted the offer and taken time out of my busy day to offer you the following commentary:

It was another long trip in the car. But I didn’t mind.  I had my bed, my dearest love Baby, and both Baby and were turning a delightful shade of dirty grey. My crate was positioned so that I had a view of the passing scenery and could take advantage of the sun:
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Petie was also there, but mostly I just pretended he was a warm throw pillow. My name is Spanky Aspinall-Heinzelman, I am a Chihuahua-Terrier (somedays more one than the other) and the best looking member of my family. My fur is ridiculously soft, my nose and tummy are, what I have been told, a mesmerizing shade of pink and I have a disarmingly endearing floppy ear (which I know how to use to full advantage). I am highly skilled with a tennis ball and have almost mastered the art of Jedi mind control. Soon all the time will be kibble time…

We were headed to our next camping destination. As we drove on the elevation rose and the trees grew closer together, I heard the
Call of the Wild.  The terrier in me longed to run free, chase rabbits, howl at the moon, and then sleep peacefully in my warm comfy bed (okay the last part might be the Chihuahua in me).
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We finally arrived. The air was brisk and cool, I instructed my humans to set up camp while I made myself busy alerting the inhabitants to our arrival and showed Baby the sights. Petie and leaped through the tall grass and chased a RABBIT. A real life RABBIT. Because I was feeling generous I let the rabbit live. I was just settling in, feeling wild,mighty and free when this happened:
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All the wind was effectively taken out of my sails. So much for reconnecting with my ancestral roots. But I was not deterred for long.The next morning I started fresh and renewed with a dust bath. Filthy, sun drenched, satisfied, and surrounded by my favorite items  I eagerly anticipated the day:
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But, yet again disappointment was riiiight around the corner. Just as I thought I’d be getting in the car, adventure bound, I found myself on top of the picnic table being bathed. I am certain I heard that rabbit from the day before snickering. Petie was smirking too, but then it was his turn. Not so smug after that.
I managed to salvage my dignity on the car ride. A mere 30 minutes until we treated the people of Bend to a march around their downtown. Many heads turned as they watched in awe as a most handsome specimen of a dog proudly walk by leading his humans. I would have been more proud if the humans had had a bath. I really don’t understand this hyper concern with my hygiene when theirs really left something to be desired.
We made a few stops in Bend. And the last one Petie and I got out to enjoy a pint at Crux Fermentation Project. Nothing really ends a satisfying day out like a icy cold frosty brew dog.
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As much as I enjoyed Bend, I was pleased to return to camp. Nature was calling. I longed to run free across the marsh and through the Pine forest. It was a little chilly though. And the humans really did need my protection. Certainly I could not let Petie shoulder all the responsibility. It was a hard decision, but in the end I made the sacrifice and curled up in my warm bed tucked up with Baby and my fleecy blanket. Creatures of Deschutes  Forest, we shall meet again.
Jun

03

Camping at Hirz Bay, Lake Shasta, California: A small brown Chihuahua’s Perspective

camping / Chihuahua / fun / small space / summer / teardrop trailer / Uncategorized  Posted by / 1 comments
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I am very excited to make my debut on Make Room! So much so I am shaking RIGHT now. I also shook earlier today when we went to Camping World AND last night when my new giant dog bed came crashing down. But more on that later. My name is Petie Peterson Aspinall-Heinzelman. I am a terrific little guy with a big personality and penchant for the ladies. I also enjoy the constant warmth of a blanket and a lap to go with it. I am incredibly soft and smell great. My people parents really struck a gold mine when they adopted me.

We are on a camping adventure. Right now. I know, its extremely exciting. 24 hour access to my favorite person in the entire world, Bryan Heinelman, 1000’s of new smells, car rides, hunting lizards, laying in the dirt, filthy, sweaty humans that need cleaning. ITS ALL JUST SO EXCITING. Okay, I need to change the subject, I’m shaking again.
We left yesterday morning. At first I was concerned (more shaking). Maybe I wasn’t going with. That happens and it makes me very angry. That morning though I saw Spanky’s crate come out of the bedroom (why do we always take Spanky’s crate?) and I knew it was happening- ROAD TRIP! I’ll be honest, it was a long car ride. And I was forced to poop in some less than desirable locales. Towards the end, and I’m not proud of this, I kind of lost it. Okay, truth, I really lost it and screamed bloody murder the last few miles to our destination. But in my defense enough was ENOUGH. A dog can only ride in a crate with his adopted brother and his adopted brother’s raggedy smelly “baby” for so long.
We got to the campsite and it was warm (my favorite night time temperature), my people made themselves busy readying my new giant dog bed. Spanky and I secured the perimeter and let the dogs in the area know we had arrived. We had our kibble- some new flavor I was a little suspicious of. While I was making my mind up about it Spanky swooped in and finished it. So rude. We really should leave him at home more often.
Then is was bedtime! My absolute most favorite time of the day!
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We all climbed into my new giant  bed, started to settle in, and then CRASH!!!!! My beautiful new bed came crashing down. Dark red liquid rained down all over. My people parents jumped out of my bed. I stayed behind and shook. I heard exclamations, something about a “catastrophic failure”, lots of jostling and Bryan Heinzelman uttered some words I found quite shocking. Fortunately Bryan Heinzelman, besides having a colorful vocabulary, is a god among men and was able to fix my lovely bed. The next morning I saw that this had happened:
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 Apparently the frame isn’t supposed to be all wavy like that. I blame Spanky. That extra kibble he ate put us over weight.
We returned to our blanket-y cacoon to watch this:
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Then, things were pretty much great. I slept wedged between my people blissfully all night. Apart from having to tolerate my lame new kibble AGAIN, it was an excellent morning too. Lots of sniffing, peeing and sitting in the dirt. I felt quite dangerous and wild.
Until we were packing up for our outing. Then all hell broke loose. MORE loud noises, MORE unseemly language from Bryan Heinzelman. I’ll put it down to stress, but he and I are going to have a little chat if this continues. I am a dog with delicate sensibilities. I sent Spanky to investigate while I stayed back in my crate (and shook). He reported back that something on our bed’s hatch had broken. I really don’t know what a hatch is, other than that’s where the treats and snacks and my stupid, embarrassing harness are kept:
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There was a lot of murmuring on the part of my humans and eventually we got in the car. and drove a LONG way to some exotic place called “Camping World”. Various items were purchased. Including a tie out for Spanky and I. So humiliating. Spanky may need to be tied up but I certainly don’t. He’s always ruining everything for both of us…
After being tied up (grrrrrr.), the humans set about fixing my bed permanently. I watched on admiringly; Bryan Heinzelman’s muscles flexed, sweat beaded on his brow as he installed the new jacks. He really is awe inspiring.
Then is was time for a nap. BIG TIME. We all napped in the shade. Well, mostly I kept watch for invaders, but either way it was grand. After dinner, as bedtime approached I started to get VERY excited. Soon it would be time to return to my giant bed. Which is why it was absolutely devastating when I was shoved into this tiny cupboard above MY bed. WHAT WAS THIS NONSENSE?????! I may have uttered a few choice phrases myself. HOW COULD BRYAN HEINZELMAN BETRAY ME THIS WAY????! I could tell he was ashamed- the man could not look me in the eye.
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The next morning it was go time. Camp was packed up under my watchful eye and we hit the road. So far this road trip has earned a B+, more time in my bed, less time in the cupboard could move it up to an A though. I hope you are reading this Bryan Heinzelman….
Jun

03

The Maiden Voyage! Ahoy Matey!

camping / fun / summer / teardrop trailer / Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments
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Welcome to summer! While not the official start of summer, it is for me. With the spring semester coming to a close, Bryan and I took off for some camping in Northern California and Oregon in our new custom teardrop. I know. I never finished blogging about the completion of that project. Yet again work intervened. I duly pledge to tie up those loose ends this summer. But in the mean time, I thought I might entertain you with some camping tales. And who better to regale you than my traveling companions? That’s right Make Roomers, for the first time ever, we have some guest bloggers. Read on this week as our guests share their camping experiences. Cheers all, I wish you many summer adventures!