Still tickin'...

[Harpoon]

Just thought I'd take a moment to catch folks up in case anyone was keeping score....


First off, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

Dunno if I mentioned that before, but my wife and I purchased a nice little house with a big creek (the one that runs through the village we live in) in the back yard. We actually own a little bit of the land on the other side of said creek.

The house was newly remodeled and the folks that did it primed all the walls but did not paint them so we get to pick out whatever colors we want for our new house...

That's about half done, the painting I mean.

Also have to get a stove, do some electrical work for said stove and for the laundry room (everything's wired for gas and we have electric.) Plus an ADA code ramp before we can really move in.

The living/dining/kitchen area is one big space with an island in the kitchen part and a big space for a dining table (ours seats 6 comfortably, we just got it) and a nice space for the living area. Very open, recessed lighting in the ceiling, cosy...

Two baths, one main and one off the master bedroom. Two other bedrooms plus decent closet space and a detached, 1.5 car garage.

Oh, and did I mention the creek in the back yard???? =)


Moving on...

Still a firefighter, been pretty active with that and I'm currently taking a class for firefighting stuff. I just completed my EMT training with a final exam that was Thursday, won't hear results until (hopefully) Christmas time, but I think I did ok and should start off the new year as a certified emergency medical technician.

Good stuff.

Oh yeah, and I got a new job, sort of.

One of the reporters left for another job out west somewhere and I put my name in to replace him. I'm now a full-time reporter/photographer (with benefits.)

Everything heart-wise is going well, been doing that for quite a while now and it's a very cool thing.

I still tend to amaze myself sometimes, usually when doing firefighting stuff, that I'm doing as well as I am. Still remember how bad I was before I had my valve replacement in 2003, quite literally at Death's door...

Hope everyone else in here's doing well. Sorry I can't jump in here more often, been quite busy, but I'm doing well and keeping myself as active as I can.

I'll be around....

 

[Ross]

Pics man, where are the pics?

 

[geebee]

I was wondering recently where you were especially last month on your birthday.

Congrats on the new house - it sounds great and I am sure it has kept you busy along with your reporting job and the fire station - whew. I get tired just thinking about all you're doing.

As Ross said - where are the pics, Mr. Photo Reporter.

Enjoy.

 

[Mary]

Harpoon,
You've been made conspicuous by your absence! I keep wondering where you are and when you're going to pop back in. I'm glad things are going well.
Just watch that creek in your back yard; creeks around here tend to become rivers in heavy rain.
Mary

 

[tobagotwo]

Good to hear from you again. This is the kind of news that I enjoy hearing about. I assume there are fish in this creek which is making you so happy.

Enjoy. It's what you did it for.

Best wishes,

 

[Curtsmum]

Im kind of new here but just wanted to say, good luck in your new job and new home, sounds wonderful Paula x

 

[Marguerite53]

Hello!!

Hello!!

Hi Harpoon! Great to hear from you. Wondered how busy your life had gotten that you weren't dropping by. Sounds like you have a wonderful situation going. Congrats on the new job! The house sounds wonderful! We have a greenspace behind us with a creek. It is wonderful to watch it change as the seasons go by. We had weeks of heavy rains (actually unusual for Oregon) and it did turn into a monster churning river of water!! There is so much wildlife that ventures in and out. We used to have a cacaphony of frogs and crickets, but then 4 cats moved in next door and it seems to have seriously quieted down.

As everyone else who "knows" you here........we want photos!! Of anything! Yours are so wonderful.

Thanks for dropping in and with all your good news, too!!

Marguerite

 

[Glenda]

It's great to see you posting again. I've been missing you and your pictures. We also have a creek in our back yard, of course because it's been so dry for so long, it is dry. When it's running, it runs into out pond. When it has water in it you see so many deer and other animals down there getting a drink. That's really cool.

It's good to have you back. Congratulations on the new house.

 

[EVELYN]

Hey Harpoon

So glad you checked in.....CONGRATS on the new house!!!! WHOO HOOO!!! You sure sound busy and back to normal, huh!!!

Glad to hear from you....keep on EMT'in.

Evelyn
Retired EMTD

 

[hensylee]

I have been keeping score and wondrin where you are. I am OLD and can't recall names (well, it's a lifelong problem to me) and wanted to post several times but HARPOON (like that's a regular common name) wouldn't come to me. I thought I'd say something like 'where's our photog/firefighter/reporter', but kept hoping you'd come on in - and you got my message via ESP!

 

[Phyllis]

Congrats, Harpoon - sounds like everything is wonderful- just the way we like it after valve replacement! Enjoy!!

 

[Karlynn]

I was wondering where you had gone off to! Glad to hear things are going so well. Congrats on the new house.

 

[epstns]

Harpoon,

It's great to hear from you -- especially hearing how things are going. May you have many, many years of happiness and pleasure in that new (to you) house. We've been in our house nearly 25 years, and have decided that there will only be one more move. . . into a smaller place, probably condo, when we retire.

Be well, stay happy, and visit when you can!

 

[Harpoon]

Name's Steven.... =)

Name's Steven.... =)

Been pretty busy as you all can imagine between the house, work, new job, another job that I had for a while but left because I got hired full-time at the paper, plus the EMT stuff plus the firefighting course plus the kid and the wife and the, and the, and the......

Ya get the idea.

As it turns out, there was a fire today at a local hotel in their kitchen and I got to go out and shoot it for the paper and write up a short story. The photo's below, that's my fire helmet which I took off so I could shoot with the flash (the helmet brim gets in the way.)

I've got photos of the house, but they were all shot the day we got the keys after closing, we've done a lot of interior work since.

I don't do the fishing thing any more, but my dad does and he takes my son out a lot in the summer. I'm certain they'll be in the backyard catchin' something next spring/summer while my wife and I are getting ready to cook it up on the grill (gotta get one of those) and eat it on our back deck...

Don't have much of me in my turnout gear at a fire. One of the things that happens when you're the one who shoots for the paper and such, there aren't very many photos around of youself at such things.

In this case, another photographer who works for the paper was sent shoot the fire. It was my day off from work.