Adventures in Daddyland

Not Dead Yet

2011-12-30T05:31:00.000-05:00

So, eventually I will post on here as much as I should have this very memorable year. Just had the best Christmas ever together with my family. Here's to an even better 2012!

rimrock Lake

2011-05-22T22:33:00.000-04:00

Finals Week

2011-05-02T01:39:00.000-04:00

Well, of course I haven't been blogging. I have finished three of four finals to complete the semester, so I did take a breather this weekend and set out for Tucannon. Since we discovered a flat on Friday afternoon and I had finals to worry about it's been a matter of perseverance to make time for fishing. We also had a musical at school for Kayla and we have video and pics from that as well. She was awesome of course. ;)

Pics in a few...

Surviving the mountain Part 1

2011-04-09T16:35:00.002-04:00

We were those schmucks from the city that get lost in the mountains trying to take the scenic route and get caught in some freak natural disaster...

Living in Washington a few years before moving to Florida, we spent countless weekends and various days up in the mountains or traveling through them. Seattle is just a short drive in the morning; Tucannon can be the perfect daytrip for a guaranteed trout in the cooler on the way home. My favorite time of the year up here is spring when we get some of the best fishing in the Lower 48. Sure I was a novice back then, not even knowing how to tie a good fishing knot much less how to camp. My idea of a survival kit was a case of soda and beef jerky.

Since then I have spent so many nights under the stars here in Washington, going to such a family-friendly place like Tucannon seems routine on most trips. Not in the Cascades, Tucannon is over to the east of us in the Blue Mountains we see from the Tri-Cities most mornings. When I thought of Washington as I looked out over the endless horizon of the gulf, it was the sound of the Tucannon River at 3:00 am on a cool, crisp April morning that ran through my mind. Don't get me wrong, I still love St. Pete and can't wait to buy my second home there, but there is something magnetic about the smell of tall pines and the crunch of the mountain under my feet. I have never felt so at peace or so at home as when I am standing in the shallows of a flowing stream dividing a canopy of trees.

Last Friday the family and I set out on what was to be the perfect weekend of fun and fishing. I reserved a little suite at one of the crappy mountain hotels in Dayton, the town between home and our favorite little corner of the Blues. We checked in around 6:00 pm and barely through a few things inside our room to ease up space for a more comfortable ride. Too late for fishing, but we were taking the girls up to make a nice fire and roast some marshmallows to make s'mores. It had been a beautiful day with few clouds and temps in the 70s. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, though I had packed warmer clothes... you know, just in case.

It was the first day of spring break up here, so most of the campsites in the valley were already filled. Being so family-friendly, Tucannon gets rather crowded on certain weekends of the year. Aside from the various trails for hiking, horseback riding or ATV madness, the river, the hunting, or fishing on the river for steelhead, there are several small lakes that sit in company with a hatchery. We are talking thousands of trout, catchable on every single cast. It. Is. Awesome.

Anyway.

I drove up about ten miles to a spot up in the lower mountains, but still far enough to avoid the crowds at an area I am very familiar with. There is a nice clearing right off one of the narrow mountain roads that always has plenty of wood and a left over circle of rocks to build a fire. We roasted our first marshmallow by 7:30 pm and sang songs with the girls. Not that I could remember a whole lot, but we managed to have fun trying anyway. Forgetting essentials like flashlights and my warm hooded sweatshirt, when we saw a few flashes of unexpected lightning we decided to call it an evening. Especially when we heard a clap of thunder really close to us as we extinguished the fire. After finally beginning to make our way down the rocky, dirt mountain road the rain began to fall.

“Well, at least we know the fire is out for sure,” I joked to Robin.

She thought I had been a little too meticulous in putting out the fire. As we crept forward Robin commented how the trees seemed so close to the road they appeared to lay across it. I thought that was odd since to my left there was a two-hundred foot drop straight down to the river below. To my right there is a 25 foot incline that goes straight up, then flattens to slowly rise and make up the side of the mountain. There shouldn't be any trees near the road at this point. But there it was. A large, burnt pine had fallen over the only road in or out of this portion of the Umatilla National Forest. A tree several stories tall and weighing countless tons had fallen just moments before we passed by. That was not thunder that we had heard as we loaded the Land Cruiser with kids. It was a big friggin' tree that had just made my hotel suite down the road something of a distant dream. We were trapped.

'smore snow

2011-04-04T02:50:00.000-04:00

In case I missed your call..

2011-03-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

We were out of range. Went to Tucannon again this weekend to do some more fishing, which turned out well since everyone caught fish. I look forward to this coming weekend, with another week of warmer temps the fish should be more active.

First Fishing Trip of 2011! Tucannon Lakes

2011-03-21T05:12:00.001-04:00

Kid pictures!

2011-03-20T07:34:00.000-04:00

March in the Tri-Cities!!

2011-03-20T07:23:00.000-04:00

We made it! It was a rough trip from Florida to Washington, with the longest pit stop ever in Texas. We are here and moved in to a great house that I am proud to say isn't completely empty. I worked hard to get the house together and keep up with school - coincidentally, I am supposed to be taking a mid-term right now instead of blogging. I had to post something, I got more pictures to upload. Hopefully, I will be more daily with posts this month. Lots of fishing and the first camping trip of the year is right around the corner. Look back to see what we are up to!

Seattle By Friday

2011-02-07T20:34:00.001-05:00

Well, all my bags are NOT packed. In fact, thanks to the twins and the flu NOTHING is packed or shipped for that matter. Guess I will get busy later. Tonight. They have to sleep sometime, right?

Anyway, I bought our tickets to fly home to Seattle on Friday. Then after a trip over the Cascades and through the Yakima Valley we will arrive at our new home where Robin impatiently awaits.

It's Official: We're Head North!

2011-01-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, so back in 2005 I stumbled upon this cool new site called blogger. Since then it has been sold to google and changed a bit. A few famous people use it now, some people got famous using it. I pretty much began to ignore it when I got on facebook. The reason I came here to begin with was a move to Washington state.

Well, since Robin has been working back at Hanford since October we are officially Dry-Siders once again. The kids and I will leave Super Bowl mayhem here in Big D this week and arrive to our new house in Kennewick.

So, here is the warning: I am going to be posting here again. I know, I know, I have said that before here on this very sparse blog over the last couple of years. Well, I am not sure what the picture limit is on Facebook, but I am sure I am probably close. That means look for the pictures of us camping, fishing, and living Northwest-fabulous right here.

Welcome Back Students...

2010-09-22T22:45:00.000-04:00

9/20/2010 Assignment from Instructor:
Post a paragraph on the DISCUSSION BOARD introducing yourself to the class. Include information such as birthplace, interests, educational background, current location, etc. This is NOT graded, but is a nice exercise for the purpose of getting the writing muscles into shape.

Posted 9/21/2010 JHenderson RE: Class Introduction:

Hello Fellow Classmates and The Mysterious Mr. G,

I am known by my middle name, Brian, but here of course I will likely be called James Henderson. I am the proud father of five beautiful daughters, the newest of which are my twins born this past July. If you happen to find me on campus pushing a double stroller, please refrain from being the latest moron to ask if, indeed, they are twins.

The answer is obviously, “No, they had a two-for-one special at the hospital.”

The other dumb question you might find yourself wanting to ask is whether the two infants in front of you wearing pink are in fact both girls. Again the answer is quite obvious.

“No, the chubby one is gay.”

The lady wearing the Glenn Beck t-shirt while in line at Walmart actually tried to figure out which one was the chubbiest. It made my day.

I was born in June of 1976 in Buffalo, Wyoming. I live nearby on Treasure Island and I’m married to an environmental scientist and geologist. No, I am not Mormon my wife has two degrees. I have worked in radio broadcasting since 1992, which due to deregulation and monopolization is no longer a growth industry. I am at SPC to obtain a degree in Public Policy and Administration and later a law degree.

Comments:

RE: Hello, My Name is Brian

9/21/2010

Brian,
This response was a very lively read, and clearly could only have come from a person with 5 daughters. I have only 3 of those. While I definitely enjoy a good sense of humor, I must ask you to refrain from material which could be perceived as potentially inflammatory.
Looking forward to the personal narrative. I'm certain it will be interesting.
Thank you for understanding,
Mr.G

From thursday

2010-08-20T19:58:00.000-04:00

Girls on the beach

2010-08-20T19:35:00.000-04:00

A bird at the beach this afternoon

2010-08-18T23:57:00.000-04:00

Day at the beach

2010-08-18T23:49:00.000-04:00

Spending some quality time... with Addy

2010-08-17T21:30:00.000-04:00

The Twins get ready to hit the town

2010-08-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

Already August

2010-08-09T20:57:00.002-04:00

Back Home to Florida

2010-07-04T13:29:00.002-04:00

More Than Two Feet!

2010-02-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

First pics from Feb snowstorm... 15 inches and counting

2010-02-06T04:04:00.000-05:00

More from Christmas

2010-02-06T03:52:00.001-05:00

Christmas Pictures... Our first PA Christmas

2010-02-06T03:43:00.001-05:00

After three daughters, TWINS!

2010-01-22T01:59:00.000-05:00

2009-12-20T19:30:00.000-05:00

Playing at the Mall

2009-12-11T09:29:00.001-05:00

Eating out too much these days

2009-12-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Zoo

2009-12-11T09:08:00.001-05:00

Halloween in Huntingdon

2009-11-22T20:44:00.002-05:00

Roadtrip! The girls got their wish as we went roadtrippin' over the weekend.

2009-10-12T09:55:00.002-04:00

Nashville - Dierks Bently and Darius Rucker perform downtown

2009-10-12T09:41:00.003-04:00

The St. Petersburg Bowl 2008

2008-12-21T03:14:00.000-05:00

Football at the Trop

2008-12-21T03:11:00.000-05:00

Kayla pics

2008-12-21T03:07:00.001-05:00

Kayla the football fanatic

2008-12-21T02:56:00.002-05:00

Watching the game

2008-12-21T02:54:00.000-05:00

The Bulls Won

2008-12-21T02:51:00.000-05:00

Christmas 2008

2008-12-21T02:46:00.000-05:00

Going to see Santa!

2008-12-21T02:34:00.000-05:00

Waiting to see Santa

2008-12-21T02:32:00.000-05:00

A7X

2008-12-21T02:30:00.000-05:00

NBT 12.7.08

2008-12-21T02:27:00.001-05:00

Best of 2008... from the beach to Disney

2008-12-19T23:06:00.001-05:00

Best of 2008... from the beach to Disney

2008-12-18T20:54:00.001-05:00

2008-12-18T20:01:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T19:47:00.001-05:00

2008-12-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T19:39:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T19:35:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T19:32:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T19:28:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T13:18:00.000-05:00

97X Greenroom on the roof of the Push Ultra Lounge in downtown St. Pete with Gaslight Anthem lead singer Brian Fallon. 10/21

2008-12-18T13:11:00.000-05:00

Alkaline Trio on the Roof of the Push Lounge in St. Pete

2008-12-18T13:09:00.000-05:00

Yes We Can! Yes We Did! From Oct in Tampa....

2008-12-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

Chillin at da beach

2008-12-18T13:04:00.000-05:00

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2008-12-18T13:02:00.000-05:00

Our First Bucs Game

2008-12-18T12:59:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

2008-12-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN

2008-05-22T14:21:00.001-04:00

Some New Pics

2008-05-20T19:44:00.000-04:00

Willow eats some lunch

2007-10-31T22:50:00.000-04:00

Let's go to the next house!

2007-10-31T22:49:00.000-04:00

spooky

2007-10-31T22:48:00.000-04:00

Mikayla the cowgirl

2007-10-31T22:47:00.000-04:00

waiting

2007-10-31T22:46:00.000-04:00

Walking to the sppoky mansion

2007-10-31T22:45:00.000-04:00

hee hee

2007-10-31T22:44:00.000-04:00

What are you, some kind of horse?

2007-10-31T22:43:00.000-04:00

another house

2007-10-31T22:39:00.000-04:00

Chloe the witch

2007-10-31T22:38:00.000-04:00

thank you

2007-10-31T22:36:00.000-04:00

Willow the spider

2007-10-31T22:35:00.000-04:00

The girls practice trick or treating with Papa

2007-10-31T22:34:00.000-04:00

Boxing at the Chilli Pepper Festival

2007-10-31T22:32:00.000-04:00

whoohoo

2007-10-31T22:30:00.000-04:00

Running

2007-10-31T22:29:00.000-04:00

Take our picture, Daddy

2007-10-31T22:27:00.000-04:00

2007-08-27T19:34:00.001-04:00

2007-08-27T19:33:00.000-04:00

2007-08-27T19:32:00.000-04:00

2007-08-27T19:31:00.000-04:00

2007-08-27T19:29:00.002-04:00

2007-08-27T19:29:00.001-04:00

2007-08-27T19:28:00.000-04:00

2007-08-27T19:27:00.000-04:00

2007-08-27T19:26:00.002-04:00

2007-08-27T19:26:00.001-04:00

2007-08-27T19:25:00.000-04:00

2007-08-27T19:23:00.002-04:00

2007-08-27T19:23:00.001-04:00

2007-08-27T19:22:00.000-04:00

2007-08-27T19:21:00.002-04:00

2007-08-27T19:21:00.001-04:00

2007-08-27T19:20:00.002-04:00

2007-08-27T19:20:00.001-04:00

Adventures in Daddyland

Not Dead Yet

rimrock Lake

Finals Week

Surviving the mountain Part 1

'smore snow

In case I missed your call..

First Fishing Trip of 2011! Tucannon Lakes

Kid pictures!

March in the Tri-Cities!!

Seattle By Friday

It's Official: We're Head North!

Welcome Back Students...

From thursday

Girls on the beach

More beach video

A bird at the beach this afternoon

Day at the beach

Spending some quality time... with Addy

The Twins get ready to hit the town

Already August

Back Home to Florida

More Than Two Feet!

First pics from Feb snowstorm... 15 inches and counting

More from Christmas

Christmas Pictures... Our first PA Christmas

After three daughters, TWINS!

Playing at the Mall

Eating out too much these days

The Pittsburgh Zoo

Halloween in Huntingdon

Roadtrip! The girls got their wish as we went roadtrippin' over the weekend.

Nashville - Dierks Bently and Darius Rucker perform downtown

The St. Petersburg Bowl 2008

Football at the Trop

Kayla pics

Kayla the football fanatic

Watching the game

The Bulls Won

Christmas 2008

Going to see Santa!

Waiting to see Santa

A7X

NBT 12.7.08

Best of 2008... from the beach to Disney

Best of 2008... from the beach to Disney

97X Greenroom on the roof of the Push Ultra Lounge in downtown St. Pete with Gaslight Anthem lead singer Brian Fallon. 10/21

Alkaline Trio on the Roof of the Push Lounge in St. Pete

Yes We Can! Yes We Did! From Oct in Tampa....

Chillin at da beach

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Our First Bucs Game

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN

Some New Pics

Willow eats some lunch

Let's go to the next house!

spooky

Mikayla the cowgirl

waiting

Walking to the sppoky mansion

hee hee

What are you, some kind of horse?

another house

Chloe the witch

thank you

Willow the spider

The girls practice trick or treating with Papa

Boxing at the Chilli Pepper Festival

whoohoo

Running

Take our picture, Daddy