The Moyes and Their Toys

April Cabin Trip

2011-04-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

We 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.

Random things...

2011-03-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

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!

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.....

Early February Cabin Trip

2011-02-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

The MTB trails were in better shape, with many of the deep puddles gone. Very, very fast and fun!

January Cabin Trip

2011-01-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

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.

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!

A couple of gnarly mt. bike rides were had...by someone...who shall remain nameless...

A busy Christmas

2010-12-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

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!

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!

We are so fortunate...another great holiday with awesome family and friends!

thanksgiving-Xmas blur...

2010-12-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

Dawn's Party and Halloween

2010-11-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

It was a busy weekend...

On Saturday, we hosted a 40th birthday party for my OR nurse buddy, Dawn. Everything was great, the food, homebrew, and especially the company!

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!)

100 Year Old Cookstove Installed!

2010-10-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

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).

Pumpkin Carving at the Cabin

2010-10-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

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.

Shelley's new bike

2010-10-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

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!

Thanks for the perfect anniversary present, sweetie!

17th Anniversary!

2010-10-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it has been 17 years...I love you, baby!

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

The 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).

The pizza oven was put into operation, and the results were...delish!

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 www.vimeo.com/channels/michellemoye to see the fun.

The Earth Oven Survives First Meal

2010-08-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

It 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).

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 Pizza Oven Chronicles - Part III

2010-06-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Although 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.

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!

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.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

It was wet and soggy. The pizza oven suffered rain damage, and will have to be redone, which is a bummer.

Nevertheless, we had a fun time...mountain biking, motorcycles, board games, time away from the computer and video games is always good.

Lurkers, please leave a comment...it would be great to know that someone (other than Megan and Karin) actually read this drivel.

Another layer on the pizza oven

2010-05-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

The 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).

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.

Fun with clay...or not!

2010-05-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

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.

The boys enjoyed playing with the clay, digging holes, bike riding and a campfire.

Pizza oven is coming along

2010-04-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Rainy 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!

Rex's Victory Garden

2010-04-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

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.

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!

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.

Merry...er...Easter?

2010-04-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

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.

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!

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.

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.

All in all, another memorable, long weekend to conclude the boys' spring break.

One year since last post!

2010-03-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

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.

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!

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!

We hope you will check back for blog updates - I will definitely try to do better in the coming months!

February Fun!

2009-03-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

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!

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.

Hopefully, our contractor (the other Tony) will complete the gravel and grading so that we quit tracking MUD into the buildings.

A White Christmas

2009-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

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.

Hope all of you had a safe and wonderful holiday!

Cabin interior coming along

2008-12-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

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.

Working weekend at the Cabin

2008-11-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

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.

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!)

Perfect Fall Weekend

2008-10-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful weekend! Our 3rd consecutive at the property...the kids did not really want to head out there again, but it was so nice out...we had such a nice time, they were sad to leave on Sunday.

Steve finished a few carpentry chores, while the boys played with the Go-Kart, and Mom got in a couple of awesome mtb rides - the trails are in great shape! Rex also took a dip in the river (Brrr!) and we carved some jack-o-lanterns.

It will be great when we don't have to haul the trailer out to the place...we need to get the septic installed, and water lines run from the well. It will be a while, yet.

I am on-call next weekend, so the kids will have a little "break" from camping. That is all for now...enjoy the new pics!

A rainy 15th Anniversary

2008-10-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

Steve and I took Thursday/Friday off and we all headed out after the boys were finished with school on Thursday. As soon as we arrived in Belfair, it began pouring rain....and I mean POURING! Oh well, we picked up some dinner at the Teriyaki place and set up camp. It continued to rain heavily. We made a campfire and hung out under the awning nearby.

On Friday morning we awoke to ....HEAVY RAIN. No problem, I made breakfast for everyone (and a BIG campfire). Afterward, Steve headed over to finish staining the interior of the cabins. The weather was no deterrent for the boys, who chose to put some miles on Rex's birthday present, a new Go-Kart (spoiled kid!) They have some cool, safe areas to "putt" around on (although Rex has discovered how to shift gears now!)

By Saturday a.m. the Moye Compound was one big mud puddle! The rain subsided some, going from "constant" to "intermittent" so I was able to get out on a short mt. bike ride that included a bear sighting - WOO-HOO! We had intended on staying through Sunday, but the weather report included a "High Wind Advisory" so we decided to split. We packed up and were home by 2:30pm on Saturday (I am bummed, as I really wanted to stay another night).

It was still a nice Anniversary weekend...15 years! I wish I could post a wedding photo on here, but that was long before digital cameras were the norm, although I am sure there is another way to do it. Anyway, it has been a great ride (literally) so far, and we feel fortunate and humbled as we reflect on how far we have come!

The 4th Weekend in a Row

2008-09-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

Steve arrived at the Moye Compound early on Friday to begin staining the cabins. He was able to spray the exterior of both bldgs. before the kids and I arrived for dinner. The fumes from the stain were nearly unbearable for him, even with a respirator! He was able to get most of the first bldg. interior stained, but the rest will have to wait until he purchases goggles and a "tyvek moonsuit."

I went for a couple of mt. bike rides, and we hiked along the river, inspecting other cabins in our area. Rex has learned to "skip" stones across the water, which is very exciting.

I am on-call next weekend, so we won't be back until the weekend of our 15th wedding anniversary, and Rex's 9th birthday. It will be a 4-day stay for us, with Rex receiving a very special birthday suprise - stay tuned!

Buildings are done....

2008-09-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

...but not funished. Rhrett Connor and his crew have completed their job, and we are very happy with the results - they really do high quality work, and were done sooner than we expected. Our next step is for Steve to stain the interior and exterior of the cabins, install flooring, wood stove, bathroom fixtures, and some other finish work. We will also apply "chinking" to the exterior of the bldgs. at some point, after the logs dry out some. We also need to get the septic system installed and plumbed in before we can really utilize the cabins.

We plan to head out again next weekend (this will make 4 weekends in a row). The kids are ready for a break, but we've got to get the stain sprayed on before it starts raining. We are really excited about how everythng is turning out, and feel very fortunate that we are able to move forward on our long-time dream of having our own cabin in the woods!

Cabin 1 Nearly Complete

2008-09-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the Moye Compound on Friday night to see our first cabin building is nearly complete. This will be our main living quarters with a woodstove and sleeping loft. A second, identical cabin will be built at an "L" shape to the first. This will have interior dividing walls separating the bathroom/kitchen/ storage areas. This configuration will allow us to avoid building permits and rezoning of the land. We also plan to have a graveled area with water/septic hookup to park our trailer, giving us more flexibility to have guests stay over.

Speaking of septic, I checked the mail when we got home on Sunday afternoon, and our septic design has been approved - yay! Everything is happening so fast, but there is still a lot to do. Stay tuned!

Making progress

2008-09-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Lots of stuff going on at the property...the well has been completed, and the septic design is awaiting approval. Steve has been working with all of the contractors, spending extra time and trips out there to fall trees and finalize our layout.

Fortunately, Rex is very talented at operating our little bulldozer - he worked all day Saturday with Steve, moving logs and pushing dirt to make way for our cabin. The contractor, Rhett, showed up late Sunday with his crew and a truckload of logs. They already had the first building framed in by the time we left on Monday. It is looking awesome!

Check back for more updates and pictures - things are really moving along!

Another fun camping trip

2008-07-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

We were able to camp over 4th of July weekend, and the following weekend....I have to say, we are having so much fun! The boys have been getting into mountain biking over these last two camping trips, leaving the motorcycles parked. They also played in the river and hiked up the hill behind our property to the road above, finding snakes, frogs, etc.

Steve got out for a ride on the local trails, and I did my usual route of late, 4 miles up dusty Hurd Road to the Tahuya River Trail for another 4 miles of rugged singletrack.

We are so fortunate to be able to spend this time together having fun! Steve and I hope that the boys will have fond memories of these camping trips in the years to come.

More camping

2008-06-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

My work schedule has been two 12-hr shifts on Tues/Wed, and 2 8-hr shifts on Thurs/Fri, which is working out great for our weekend camping trips. We were able to escape to our property on Friday afternoon for another fun weekend! Rex, Max and Mom mountain biked, and Steve and the boys rode motorcycles. We all enjoyed the campfire, and spent some time by the river. Rex has been bringing a shovel with him and is attempting to "dig for treasure." So far, he has found a sink/faucet set up that was washed down from December's flooding.

We enjoyed a spaghetti/salad dinner on Friday night, and Saturday's menu was tacos. Dessert for both nights was "S'more's" which Steve and I prefer to use a Mr. Goodbar and the boys like the plain Hershey's bar. Rex is the only one who likes his marshmallow to be "burnt."

We did run into Belfair on Saturday...there was an estate sale we checked out, then went to QFC, where the boys picked out a couple of books - Max is reading "Indiana Jones, Kindom of the Crystal Skull" and Rex has an interesting book entitled, "The Boy's Pocket Dangerous Book" which has instructions on how to do/make a variety of things: How to make a bow and arrow, how to make a go-kart, how to play poker, how to make a battery, etc....we are all enjoying that one.

More camping next weekend...we can't wait!

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

We were able to get out to the property this weekend to try out my Mother's Day gift...a new trailer! We are now able to haul all of our toys inside the unit, instead of taking a separate vehicle to bring the motorcycles. It is also a better layout inside for us, as well. Needless to say, we had a great time. Steve managed to smooth out the "motorcycle track" for the boys by pulling an I-beam behind his quad. He also burned most of 1 pile of debris left over from the initial clearing process (4 more piles to go!)

Since we just got the trailer, we are still figuring out the batteries/tank capacity/water issues, and managed to depelete the batteries entirely on Saturday night. So much so, that the on-board genererator would not start. Unfortunately, Stevie forgot to throw in some jumper cables...bottom line - we would not have a furnace, lights, radio, or running water for the evening. Fortunately, I am married to the "part-time McGyver"(sp.?) and he fashioned some jumper cables out of an old extension cord. Hurray!!

1st Camping Trip at Our Property!

2008-04-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

Michelle was able to get last Friday off, and we had an AWESOME camping trip at our property! The weather was great - 80 degrees on Saturday...unfortunatey, we did not pack any shorts. Steve "made" some for each of us out of our sweatpants (and his buck knife). The boys rode their motorcycles, mom mt. biked, we all hiked and enjoyed s'mores.

We spent some time planning the location of the well, septic, and future cabin. We also met some of our neighbors up the hill - nice people.

We all can't wait to go back!

The Family Ride

2008-04-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we decided to take a "road ride" to the meat/produce market to get supplies for our pizza dinner. It was cold, windy and rainy, but the Moye family pedalled on!

2 weekends in one post

2008-03-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Due to a heavy brewing schedule, I didn't have time to post last weekend. Rex had a playdate at Cameron's, so Steve and Max went trail riding at Mission Creek Trail. Max did great on all of the roots and rocks! The ride seemed to wear him out, as he did not make a peep the rest of the day. This is pretty remarkable for our usually chatty little guy!

This weekend brought unseasonable weather conditions...3" of snow! The boys got up this morning, threw their snow gear on over their pajamas, and got down to business!

Chilly Sunday

2008-03-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

Moye's Brewhouse is getting really stocked up...I brewed a Pilsener on Saturday, a Dunkelweisen and an Alt on Sunday. Thank goodness Steve and the boys got home in time to help me, as they spent the morning with Uncle Dennis at Mud Mountain Dam. They found 2 caches, and dropped off Rex's special coin that he received from Molly and Amy. A yummy dinner of "spent grain" pizza was a great ending to a clammy, cold Sunday.

Motorcycles and Brewing

2008-03-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

After a 1.5 year hiatus, Steve and I managed to get my brewery back up and running! I stopped by Larry's Brewing on Saturday to pick up supplies - and I must say, the "hop shortage" that we have been reading about is true...there were slim pickings! I mangaged to find some adequate substitutes for my award-winning Stevie's Oatmeal Stout recipe, which was brewed up on Sunday.

Rex and Max got in a couple of motorcycle rides while the weather was dry. Stevie spent some time on Craig's List looking for a new (old) ride. He also cleaned George's cage (yay!) so, he will be handsomely rewarded with a delectable pint of S.O.S.....in about 8 weeks. It will be worth the wait.

Geocaching on Taylor Mountain

2008-01-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

Steve and Rex met up with Bill and his son, Anthony for some mountain biking and geocaching on Taylor Mountain. They rode some of the new trails up there - some good stuff! I haven't ridden Taylor for about a year, so it sounds like it's time to revisit these trails. Steve said that Rex out-cranked him up the hills - he is getting to be such a strong rider!

A day trip to our Tahuya property

2008-01-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, we purchased a piece of property near Tahuya State Forest (Hoot Canal area) last November. We cannot camp or build on it at this time, because it has not yet been cleared, so, we decided to head out there for the day to cut some trees down, and play by the river. I brought my mountain bike to check out some of the trails in the area. Steve brought his chainsaw and started cutting in preparation for Uncle Bill to bring his equipment down.

The boys had fun playing around in the woods, and down by the river. I posted a few pics of the future "Moye Compound."

Geocaching and Bike riding

2008-01-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

The weather was awesome for a January Sunday, so the Moyes spent it outdoors. Steve and Rex met Uncle Dennis in Enumclaw for some geocaching...they found 4 caches off of Hwy 410, south of Enumclaw. Steve said that they ended up doing about 5 miles of hiking.

Meanwhile, Max and Michelle decided to take the tandem out for a spin around the neighborhood, then out to the "Hop-In" for some snacks. Max did not want to head down Jones Road to the Cedar River Trail (BUMMER) but we did have a pretty decent ride anyway. Hope you enjoyed the unusually nice weather today!

A not too lazy Sunday

2008-01-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

The boys did a little riding around our place today. Then it was time to "wrench" on the motocycles. Rex is learning how to do some of his own mechanics and maintenance - he changed spark plugs and replaced a brake lever all by himself! Mom went for a mt. bike ride at Lake Sawyer in the (1/2 inch) snow - brrr! Hope you all had a great weekend!

Camping at Fort Ebey St. Park

2008-01-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

Our property near Tahuya State Forest has not been cleared yet, so we decided to camp at Fort Ebey on Whidbey Island. It was cold, but mostly dry. Good thing Steve brought lots of firewood! I was able to get in a couple of fun mountain bike rides while the boys (all three of them) played on the beach and at the Gun Battery. We all took a drive to Coupeville to find the "Ebey Bluffs" geocache - about 3 miles of hilly hiking along the Bluff Trail. Max did not whine at all! My birthday was on Sunday, so Steve fixed me a dinner of pocorn and beer, which I enjoyed by the campfire.

New Year - New Blog

2008-01-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to inspiration from my cousin, Megan, I am going to attempt to start a family blog that focuses on our many fun hobbies, outings and camping trips. The main "characters" are my sons Rex (8), Max (6), hubby Steve, and me (Michelle).