tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015842185800361512024-03-08T05:38:37.446-08:00The Moyes and Their ToysThe Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-65683670513837969952011-04-03T18:39:00.000-07:002011-04-03T18:45:41.630-07:00April Cabin TripWe were lucky to have decent weather on Sat. and Sun. at the cabin. Max did some mt. biking, and made a cool slingshot. Steve split wood and made some delicious "Hot and Sour Soup" on Saturday night - it turned out great, and we may have a new "food blogger" on our hands! The trails were extra wet/muddy due to rains earlier in the week...I snapped a chain on Saturday AND Sunday!!! Good thing I purchased a new, sturdy chain tool a couple of months ago...I hate making trailside repairs like that, but, it is part of the experience. Other than that, I had a 2 really good rides. We will return to the cabin later in the week as the boys are off for Spring Break.The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-25208919763825823422011-03-20T19:31:00.000-07:002011-03-20T19:38:52.666-07:00Random things...<span style="color:#ff99ff;">The boys enjoyed snow during their mid-winter break...at least they did not miss any more school days because of it. Max has applied for the "Science/Technology" program for next year...he wrote an excellent paper on why he is interested in this program, and Steve turned it in with the other application materials. We all hope he gets in!</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;"></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;">We had some decent weather during our latest trip to the cabin. The boys found a couple of croquet mallets by the river, no doubt washed down after the flooding earlier this winter. They had a great time using these to smash up rotten logs, hit rocks, etc. They also built a ramp to ride their bikes off of - good fun! Steve cut down a tree, and split lots of wood, and mom went, well...you know.....</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-26408357174099798692011-02-06T21:15:00.000-08:002011-02-06T21:21:48.310-08:00Early February Cabin Trip<span style="color:#cc9933;">The weather was pretty decent this weekend - only a few sprinkles. Lots of hiking along the river, which has changed after this winter's flooding. Rex was not feeling well, and staying in his bunk most of the time. I made him chicken soup, which is his favorite when he is under the weather.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc9933;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc9933;">Mom, Dad and Max went on several hikes along the river. The floods increased "our" beach somewhat, so we can walk a good distance before having to cross the waterway. Tony enjoyed the river walks as well.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc9933;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc9933;">The MTB trails were in better shape, with many of the deep puddles gone. Very, very fast and fun!</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-69734978532607160882011-01-23T19:16:00.000-08:002011-01-23T19:22:31.357-08:00January Cabin Trip<span style="color:#9999ff;">Finally, some decent weather for us at the cabin! Our nice neighbors, Amy and Gray stopped by. They have been building a treehouse on their lot, which is very cool! They are still putting the finishing touches on it, but it looks great now.</span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">Steve and Max played several games of Monopoly and Stratego, while Mom and Rex hiked along the river. Because Steve left earlier on Friday, he took a drive to the town of Tahuya, and looked at the vintage fire trucks at the Tahuya Fire Station. Pretty neat!</span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#9999ff;">A couple of gnarly mt. bike rides were had...by someone...who shall remain nameless...</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-91540648723054667102010-12-26T19:31:00.000-08:002010-12-26T19:44:34.362-08:00A busy Christmas<span style="color:#ff0000;">I was working and on-call for the Christmas holiday this year, but we managed to host Gram, Doug and Mimi for a Xmas Eve dinner and gift exchange. Steve took the boys over to Auntie Susan's for Christmas dinner, and had a nice, relaxing visit with everyone. It was extra special to have 1 week old baby Ireland for this year's celebration...Rex and Max reported that she was "really cute," especially when she cried. Hopefully, I will get to see her sometime soon!</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Everyone at our house loved their gifts...the boys each received laptops of their own, and various video game accessories. Steve got some cool stuff, especially the new beanie made by Gram, and hydraulic disc brakes for his bike. I love my new hydration pack, mt. bike gloves, socks and oxygenating wine glass!</span><br /><p><span style="color:#ff0000;">We are so fortunate...another great holiday with awesome family and friends!</p><br /><br /></span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-4543388254540598062010-12-12T20:21:00.000-08:002010-12-12T20:29:03.151-08:00thanksgiving-Xmas blur...<span style="color:#cc0000;">Time is flying by...it seems like it was just Halloween. We hosted Thanksgiving with Mom, Doug, Mimi, Sis & family, and are now trying to prepare for Xmas stuff...a quick trip to the cabin this weekend was cozy and fun, as very, very wet weather forced us to enjoy indoor activities. Fortunately, Steve installed a solar panel and 2 lights for the kitchen...that, with the old wood cookstove has made it the "place to be," with all of us hanging out there, as opposed to the main cabin with sleeping loft.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">A fun weekend turned short, as heavy rains wreaked havoc on area roads...many road closures due to water over them, and Steve had to "saw" our way out as trees had fallen across our access road.</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-84474456760228184872010-11-01T20:50:00.000-07:002010-11-01T20:57:42.826-07:00Dawn's Party and Halloween<span style="color:#ffcc00;">It was a busy weekend...</span><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;">On Saturday, we hosted a 40th birthday party for my OR nurse buddy, Dawn. Everything was great, the food, homebrew, and especially the company!</span><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Sunday provided party cleanup/recovery, and Trick or Treating with my 2 gangsters - they received lots of compliments on their costumes (and lung cancer warnings!)</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-69890318046003225982010-10-24T17:12:00.000-07:002010-10-24T17:16:11.815-07:00100 Year Old Cookstove Installed!We returned for a quick overnight so that Steve could finish installing the wood-burning cookstove. Here are some pics...it really looks awesome in person! Also, it works great - heats the room, and we cooked some pizzas in it for dinner. We were able to boil water on top of it relatively quickly, too. One of these days, I will attempt a Thanksgiving turkey...(maybe after we get the guest cabin built).The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-15314729080532541572010-10-18T20:36:00.000-07:002010-10-18T20:39:32.568-07:00Pumpkin Carving at the Cabin<span style="color:#ff6600;">The weather was beautiful...cool, but clear. The boys carved jack-0-lanterns which were spooky-cool around the campfire. Steve got the stovepipe through the kitchen ceiling, ready to accept the 100 yr. old wood cookstove. More pics on that to come.</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-6488626621501377162010-10-10T16:40:00.000-07:002010-10-10T16:44:32.512-07:00Shelley's new bike<span style="color:#006600;">Here are some pics of my new bike - it is awesome! Did I mention that is rocks, too? It kicks butt...I can SLAM it into the corners and rail the gnarliest of trails, both up and down. Trail users be warned...GET OUT OF MY WAY!</span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Thanks for the perfect anniversary present, sweetie!</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-3922513971905440482010-10-03T20:13:00.000-07:002010-10-03T20:15:11.415-07:0017th Anniversary!<span style="color:#3366ff;">Hard to believe it has been 17 years...I love you, baby!</span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-54279201197069128332010-09-06T21:06:00.000-07:002010-09-06T21:11:53.139-07:00Labor Day WeekendThe weather was OK...a few showers on Saturday, Friday and Sunday were decent. The boys went fishing at nearby Howell Lake, and caught 2 trout, and several carps (carps were thrown back).<br /><br />The pizza oven was put into operation, and the results were...delish!<br /><br />We decided to leave on Sunday afternoon, as bad weather was expected to move in. I got in some GREAT mt. bike rides over the three days...check out my video channel at <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/channels/michellemoye">www.vimeo.com/channels/michellemoye</a> to see the fun.The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-21484691872127271752010-08-22T18:53:00.000-07:002010-08-22T18:58:19.222-07:00The Earth Oven Survives First MealIt was the moment of truth...after several months of planning, building, rebuilding, repairing and rebuilding again, it was time to actually cook something in the earth oven. Guess what - it worked! Steve made breadsticks, a pizza, and "overnight oatmeal" (that one was not a complete success, but Tony enjoyed it for breakfast).<br /><br />Rex's friend, Cameron joined us for the weekend...he has been to the cabin a few times before, and always enjoys the campfires and playing by the river. We all had a great time!The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-28078573878666760642010-06-27T19:22:00.000-07:002010-06-27T19:33:33.635-07:00The Pizza Oven Chronicles - Part IIIAlthough the second edition of our pizza oven looked great when we left it 2 weeks ago, it had several major cracks upon our latest visit. Apparently, the PNW climate is not the best for clay ovens (duh). I suggested removing the damaged clay dome and replace it with a brick structure, but Steve decided to give it one last attempt. We are keeping our fingers crossed.<br /><br />Steve borrowed Bill's tractor and most of the weekend was devoted to grading/leveling certain areas, and making a spot for the future hot tub and guest cabin. He really got a lot done - thanks, Bill!<br /><br />The boys biked, swam, hiked and read. Mom went on some gnarly trails, and even saw a bear (6th one this season!) All in all, a great weekend.The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-37258114022374126432010-05-31T21:33:00.000-07:002010-05-31T21:39:09.096-07:00Memorial Day WeekendIt was wet and soggy. The pizza oven suffered rain damage, and will have to be redone, which is a bummer.<br /><br />Nevertheless, we had a fun time...mountain biking, motorcycles, board games, time away from the computer and video games is always good.<br /><br />Lurkers, please leave a comment...it would be great to know that someone (other than Megan and Karin) actually read this drivel.The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-69843028446081596132010-05-16T19:41:00.000-07:002010-05-16T19:46:56.113-07:00Another layer on the pizza ovenThe weather was great this weekend! Uncle Dennis came out on Saturday to help with the earth oven...he and Steve repaired cracks from earlier drying, and added an insulating layer of "cobb" (clay + hay = cobb).<br /><br />The boys put in plenty of miles on thier motorcyle and quad, and Rex went innertubing on the river. Mom blew a fork seal out on the trails, but had a couple of great rides (even though my new "Panaracer Rampage" tires suck...will be switching back to the tried and true "Kenda Nevegals.") Look for more mt. biking references in the future.The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-79374325379066295562010-05-02T19:07:00.000-07:002010-05-02T19:33:01.864-07:00Fun with clay...or not!Another fun and busy weekend at the cabin. Last week, mom welded up a metal frame for the fire brick cooking surface on the pizza oven. Steve slid it into place, and placed the fire brick tiles to form a perfect fit. He then began construction of the dome: forming a sand pile roughly the size of the oven interior, covered with a 3-inch thick clay layer (done in two stages). Once this dries (who knows when, in our NW climate) another clay layer mixed with hay will form an insulating layer.<br /><br />The boys enjoyed playing with the clay, digging holes, bike riding and a campfire.The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-67073459433814069672010-04-18T17:59:00.000-07:002010-04-18T18:02:05.058-07:00Pizza oven is coming alongRainy weather on Saturday did not deter Steve from continuing to work on the pizza oven. He was able to work under a tarp most of the day, and finished the brick base, which will allow for wood storage underneath. The next step will be for Michelle to dust off her welding torch and create a metal framework for the firebrick to sit upon. Stay tuned!The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-15502156973878196112010-04-11T18:45:00.000-07:002010-04-11T19:06:19.546-07:00Rex's Victory Garden<span style="color:#ffff00;">Rex has planted and maintained his own garden for the last 4 years (well, 5 years, if you count the first 2 blueberry bushes that Uncle Dennis gave him in Kindergarten). Yes, it started with 2 blueberry plants which he lovingly cared for and harvested. The next year he added pumpkins, and a sunflower plant Max had brought home from preschool. Grandma got on board, and gave him seed packets which were planted and cared for in the following seasons. Last year he had about a dozen or so different veggies and berries in his ever-growing plot.</span><br /><span style="color:#ffff00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffff00;">This year, Steve removed the boys' play structure. He and Rex shovelled out all of the bark chips. Uncle Dennis brought over a load of compost and tiller, and soon Rex's garden was ready for action!</span><br /><span style="color:#ffff00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffff00;">Grandma had already dropped off some seed packets, but we all went down to McLendon's and picked out more, as well as a new pair of gardening gloves and a hoe. Steve and Rex went to work, and got it about halfway planted. Hopefully they can finish up this week.</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-77022820545365672762010-04-04T19:10:00.000-07:002010-04-04T19:26:49.623-07:00Merry...er...Easter?<span style="color:#ff6666;">We had some unusual weather out at the cabin during our long Easter weekend. After arriving on Thursday to partly sunny skies, Steve and Rex finished the last two sections of fence. The weather report warned that a very strong storm would be moving in on Friday, bringing heavy rain and high winds. I planned on getting out for a mt. bike ride early, before the winds picked up.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;">Mother nature had something else in store for us, however...we awoke Friday morning to see fat snowflakes falling. Assuming it would be short-lived, we went about our usual morning routine, only to see it snowing harder, and sticking! The boys suited up and went out for some snowballs, etc., while Steve turned on the weather radio...apparenly, we were the only folks getting snow, because there was no mention of it during the forecast. By mid-day, it was steady, heavy rain, and strong winds, as promised. No bike ride for mom!</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;">Despite being stuck indoors all day, we still had fun...Monopoly, Sorry, Mad Magazines and Peanuts. Something about the cozy cabin makes those simple things something special.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;">We had an Easter egg hunt during a break in the weather on Saturday, and the boys enjoyed their Easter baskets filled with candy and a stuffed creature for each.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;">All in all, another memorable, long weekend to conclude the boys' spring break.</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-69824790048394272142010-03-21T17:50:00.000-07:002010-03-21T18:07:39.699-07:00One year since last post!<span style="color:#99ff99;">Wow, time sure flies! I have become a "fallen" blogger over the last year. After stumbling across another blog titled, "One Post Wonders" which is showcases blogs that have, literally, only one post, I started feeling guilty. Anyway, will try to update our family blog more frequently in the coming months.</span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;"></span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">Steve's work schedule allows him to have every other Friday off, so we have settled into a pattern of heading to the cabin every other weekend. The boys seem to enjoy this routine, which allows them alternating weekends to spend at home on the computer, Xbox, Nintendo DS and Wii. Entertainment at the cabin continues to include campfires, mt. biking, board games, reading, building things, chopping firewood (which Rex is getting GOOD at) good food, wine and conversation. We love it!</span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;"></span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">Steve has been plugging away at many projects. He is almost done with a beefy fence, built from timbers he milled himself from the big trees dropped during the initial clearing of the land. He also poured a concrete pad near the kitchen, which will become the base of our wood-fired pizza oven. Future projects include (but, are not limited to) installing a 100 yr. old wood-burning cookstove we purchased off of Craigslist a few months back, a new loft ladder, and (hopefully) a wood-fired hot tub!</span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;"></span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">We hope you will check back for blog updates - I will definitely try to do better in the coming months!</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-79756492220623748042009-03-01T20:37:00.000-08:002009-03-01T20:52:00.800-08:00February Fun!<span style="color:#999900;">Finally a full weekend at the cabin! Snow and illness have made our winter trips to the property either brief or non-existent. Rex has saved his money and (with our permission) decided to purchase a BB gun. Yes, we are complete rednecks now!</span><br /><span style="color:#999900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#999900;">We had a great time over the weekend! Steve finished his woodshed project, and I got in 2 fun mt. bike rides. The boys are really enjoying my old paperbacks...Peanuts, Mad, Andy Capp, Family Circle. Steve and Max got in a few games of Monopoly and Clue (Simpsons edition, of course). Tony got plenty of exercise playing ball and "swimming" in the river.</span><br /><span style="color:#999900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#999900;">Hopefully, our contractor (the other Tony) will complete the gravel and grading so that we quit tracking MUD into the buildings.</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-24592674771664564092009-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:002009-01-01T19:45:21.805-08:00A White Christmas<span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">The Moye Family had a great Christmas - everyone enjoyed their gifts, and we had an awesome dinner gathering at Auntie Susan's (Megan, if you are reading this, don't forget to email me the photos!) We have not made it to the cabin for about a month now due to snow...we had hoped to get out there this weekend, but....it SNOWED on the Kitsap Penninsula today (not here, yet). Reports are that there is still 1 foot of snow on the ground out there from the last few storms.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">Hope all of you had a safe and wonderful holiday!</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-82438947822258347632008-12-07T20:01:00.000-08:002008-12-07T20:09:40.123-08:00Cabin interior coming along<span style="color:#ff99ff;">We have stayed in the cabin the last two weekends, but are still bringing the trailer because the bathroom/plumbing is not yet complete. Steve's friend, Patrick, came down on Saturday and they worked all day digging the crawl space, installed the shower, and completed the waste lines. They hope to work next Friday as well.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;">The interior looks AWESOME! It is very cozy, with the woodstove working so efficiently. The neighbors came by and took a look, and were very excited for us. We hope to inspire them to develop their property soon.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;">The weather has been great for this time of year (it was record-breaking flooding at this time last year). I got in a couple of great mt. bike rides, and discovered a new trail network to explore next time. We are home next weekend, but can't wait to return later in the month.</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401584218580036151.post-25170587645156903812008-11-01T19:23:00.000-07:002008-11-01T19:30:08.971-07:00Working weekend at the Cabin<span style="color:#cc6600;">Just a quick update and photos of the cabin progress...the interior is coming along, with Stevie installing the wood-burning stove (it works great!) and some finishing touches on the interior. The historical oil lamps are THE BOMB!! I built some IKEA stuff to go inside...and put up some wall hangings. We plan to stay our first night inside next weekend.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;">Another update...we aquired a new family member! A chocolate lab was found wandering our neighborhood last week, so we decided to adopt him. He is about 5 yrs. old, well trained, good with kids, people, etc. Rex named him "Tony Hawk," but we just call him "Tony." He is a good boy, and enjoyed camping with us over the weekend. Sorry, no pics, but will get some up soon (he's a cutie!)</span>The Moyes and Their Toyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12746163726352309914noreply@blogger.com1