PUPPY KOKO'OLUA We're so excited! Spring is almost here, bringing with it change, growth and rebirth. But for Erin and I, spring brings with it something new this year....a puppy. In particular, and 8-week old puppy named Koko'olua (meaning 'companion' in Hawaiian). Lua or lu-lu for short. Here are some pictures of her. She is a Mini Tri-Colored Australian Shepherd. And she is a bundle of uber-cute love. She's a licker, a cuddler, and a non-barker. Everything is great so far and we're excited about the present and future with our new human-canine family. Hope everyone is healthy and happy. Write [View Full Entry]

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BELOW THE FALLS - SHANE'S CREATION 2 people. 2, two-storey timber-frame homes. 2 years. Amazing..... A Herculean feat by anyone's standards. Located on a stretch of Glenn Creek where wild salmon and steelhead return each year to spawn, and just below the natural beauty of Golden and Silver Falls, are two, lodge-style, timber-frame homes that were artfully designed and constructed by Erin's older brother, Shane Daugherty. The homes have been constructed in such a way that they conjure up times past, when simple, yet highly skilled craftsmen used the art of mother nature herself for their inspiration. The homes use myrtlewood, [View Full Entry]

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ROGUE VALLEY WINE TASTING What could be better than autumn in Oregon? Mushrooms, Pears, Squash, Salmon, Wine. The tree leaves changing from green to sienna to crimson. The crisp, dewy mornings. The nights just cold enough to require that extra blanket and a fire in the woodstove. Ah, sweet sweet Ore-gone, we missed you. On our way back up to Portland after staying with Al and Sharon in Santa Clara, we stayed with Buck and Laurie in Rogue River (which is north of Ashland and Medford, and south of Grants Pass). Beautiful country with fertile valleys and wooded mountains. While we [View Full Entry]

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We lost all of our pictures on Naxos and had one day to replace them. ): But if you want to see Naxos pictures they are on the Naxos blog. SANTORINI-LICIOUS Santorini's bleached, white-stuccoed, clifftop village overlooking the most amazing caldera you've ever seen - its many restaurants with live greek music, seafood, and local specialties (ie "fried tomato balls") - and its endless black sand beaches that lead to the strange sensation of smooth volcanic rock nce you step into the water - has made this stunningly beautiful island one of our all time favorites. We took a sailing boat [View Full Entry]

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THE ULTIMATE BLOG First and foremost, thank you to everyone for sharing this trip with us. Your notes and messages along the way have been appreciated more than you know. We wanted to write this final entry (trademarked - The Ultimate Blog) for posterity, something to let the kids read someday along with looking at all the pictures. But it's hard to know where to begin and what to say. We really packed a lot into 5 months of traveling. The conclusion of a trip like this is apparently an emotional thing. But here goes... Our initial plan was to rent [View Full Entry]

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NAXOS Naxos is a truly perfect Mediterranean island. Its a laid back and relaxing place with some of the best white sand beaches and clearest water we ve seen on our trip thus far. It has a lively port town (Chora) with fresh seafood restaurants and a storybook maze (no joke) of backalleys in the old town fit for exploring and shopping. Naxos also has an amazing mountainous interior with many hilltop villages, churches, and ancient sites. The interior of the island is also covered with vineyards, olive groves and citrus trees. Naxian wine is delicious, Naxian goat cheeses are first [View Full Entry]

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MIKENAS Mycenae pictures. We are on Naxos and it is fantastic! Everything you wish a Greek island would be. [View Full Entry]

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NAFPLIO Beautiful Greek town on the mediterrranean with a Venetian castle standing guard above it, on a clifftop. In its hay-day, Nafplio was a thriving Venetian port and the architecture of the buildings in the old town along with its "piazza" make you feel like you might still be in Italy. Swimming was amazing. Warm, clear, calm water. People were very friendly here, the view from our balcony was top notch, and we had a few excellent dinners at small family restaurants: stuffed grape leaves, fresh (not frozen) calamari, rabbit in tomato sauce, and stuffed lamb. We also took a day [View Full Entry]

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POSITANO A few picturesque towns nestled into cliffs and v-shaped coves, beautiful flowers, beautiful and distinct churches, winding roads that induce vertigo and sphincter spasms, and expensive restaurants. Positano wasnt our favorite, but it was worth the visit. [View Full Entry]

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KARDAMYLI Kardamyli is a peaceful little village on the Mediterranean, in the Messinian Mani. The people treat you like family and not like tourists. It was a refreshing experience at this point in our trip. Our trip was cut short by the terrible fires that have affected Greece for the past week. But while we were in Kardamyli, we had a great conversation with a local named Yanni in his olive oil - honey - wine - dried herb - soap - lotion - book shop (all homemade), we swam daily, ate our own greek salad and canned dolmas on our [View Full Entry]

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