Almost Famous...

It has recently come to my attention that my image is starting to get out there...first it started with an article that was published in the July 2008 COOKING LIGHT magazine where they had a special about Colonial Williamsburg (I'm the guy about to apply hot tar to another person's back)...well then it turns out some other photos have been brought to my attention, here they are....

The first one is taken from some random art gallery I am completely unfamiliar with:


This second photo seems to be some part of a display at some mall somewhere...your guess is as good as mine as to what this display is supposed to be for...



And this last photo is perhaps the most exciting ...apparently someone gave my headshot to Victoria Beckham for her to sign ...


How random is that?!?!?

Back To Oregon...A Tribute

It has definitely been a week were I have wished on more than one occasion I could be back in Oregon, or that in some insane way the states of Oregon and Virginia could be far closer than being on opposite coasts from one another!

This weekend marked the 10 year anniversary of my graduation from Pendleton High School…the Buckaroos of 1998 gathered back home in P-town for what I understand was quite the reunion…complete with Pendleton Whisky and all sorts of shenanigans worthy of the class of ’98. Oh how I wish I could have been there! I must admit it was quite a relief to find out the class of ’98 reunion went on as a celebration and not a re-creation of my mother’s 18^th Birthday bash for me…to make a long story short it was a fictional 10 year reunion of the class of ’98 that just happened to coincide with my “funeral” complete with casket and pall bearers. The guests dressed as they saw themselves 10 years down the road (or what they thought they would be like in 2008…boy were most of them off and thankfully so was my mom!) the best part was after the casket had been rolled in by the pall bearers the “spell” was broken by my best friend rising out of the casket and in her best Marilyn Monroe impression led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday.” It was quite the birthday, indeed!

Work is going well and honestly I wouldn’t trade my job for anything in the world…but sometimes as the Broadway Calls song BACK TO OREGON says, “I want to run back to Oregon. Fall every tree that blocks me from my street…” And trust me there are a lot of trees that block my way! I miss my friends, my family, the big outdoors, horizons, views, and stars in the sky at night…those are the hardest things to live without right now. It is difficult to admit but I really wish I could have been there to see my old classmates if nothing else than to re-connect with old friends. I miss having friends around like the ones I had in Bend, to play softball or go exploring with…friends like my best one to go and see a show at Center Stage or go out to a local night spot for food and drinks.

I really miss the outdoors and scenery that Oregon has to offer…here in Virginia I can’t even see across the street due to all the growth of indigenous and non-indigenous plant life that choke out the sky and horizons. My dad, sister, and brother-in-law, and my dad’s dog just came down from the Eagle Cap Wilderness, one of my most favorite places to go and hike and campout. With all the high, glacier lakes and the scenery it is one of my most favorite places to go in Eastern Oregon. Needless to say I am a bit jealous and wish I could have taken Portia so we could have tagged along with all of them!

I miss my family…all of them…it is hard living this far away from home, where it is very difficult to “go home” for the weekend. This week my family lost a big piece…a piece of our family and our history. My great-grandmother Zacharias passed away, or as my Father put it “she crossed over the River Jordan.” Great-Grandma Martha was a loving, wonderful great-grandmother and I feel very fortunate to spend nearly 29 years on this earth with her as her great-grandson…I realize that is an honor not many people are blessed with. She will be missed greatly and I am sad I will be unable to travel to Milton-Freewater to attend the service this Tuesday. My heart will be there no matter what.

For those of you who didn’t get to know her this was my Great-Grandmother Martha Schindler Zacharias:

Aug. 21, 1941-July 23, 2008
Former Milton-Freewater resident Martha R. Zacharias, 93, of Salem died July 23, 2008, at her home.

Graveside service will be Tuesday, July 29, at 11 a.m. at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery with Tim Zacharias officiating. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Monday, July 28, from 9 to noon, 1 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

Mrs. Zacharias was born August 21, 1914 to John and Rachel Wall Schindler in McCluskey, North Dakota. She spent the first years of her life on the Schindler farm in McCluskey. The family then moved to Fargo, N.D., where her father worked on the railroad.

In 1920 the family moved to Startup, Wash., and then to Milton-Freewater in 1926. She grew up and attended schools in Milton-Freewater. She married Eugene Zacharias in Walla Walla, Wash. on March 12, 1931. The couple lived in the Ferndale area near for several years before moving to Enterprise in 1943. They farmed and ranched for many years before moving to Portland, where she was employed as a hospital cook at the Oregon Health Sciences University and Kaiser Permanente hospitals. After retirement, they moved to Hubbard, Oregon, where they lived for a number of years.

Mrs. Zacharias enjoyed flower gardening, homemaking, quilting and embroidery. She especially enjoyed helping her daughter-in-law, Gwen, with ceramics and attending the Haines Baptist Church where her son Eugene was a pastor. She had been an active member in the Rebekah Lodge in Joseph.

She is survived by four sons, Robert Zacharias of Joseph, Eugene V. Zacharias Jr. of Baker City, John Zacharias of Salem and Bill Zacharias of Oregon City; one daughter, Patricia Zacharias of Salem; two sisters, Adeline Stephens of Milton-Freewater and Gladys Hutchinson of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada; 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, 12 great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband on Jan. 21, 1994; a brother, Albert Schindler; a sister, Regina McLane; grandson Neil Zacharias and great-great-granddaughter, Charley Patricia Jenkins.

Memorial contributions for Mrs. Zacharias may be made to the March of Dimes through the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home, 902 S. Main, Milton-Freewater, Oregon 97862.

Oregon, My Oregon...no not the song

It's been a very warm and busy summer here so far. I haven't been very diligent in keep up on my blog here. The picture is from 4th of July when my parents were in town...this is only one small portion of the audience we had that day. And despite the heat and the struggling economy the people still seem to come in droves...which is a good thing. I do apologize in advance as this blog will most likely be a collection of random thoughts and probably not very coherent...

The most exciting news that has happened for the past few weeks is that my buddy Capt. Kirk got engaged to his girl, Janna. (Janna is an amazing professional snowboarder and lover of Christ, she is absolutely perfect for Kirk!) What makes this news even more exciting for me is that Kirk asked me to be in the wedding party!

I of course said yes (much as Janna did just prior to the above photo!)...which means come this September I will be able to return to my beloved Oregon and more specifically Bend, Oregon for a few days. Which to tell you the truth will be a huge blessing in and of itself.

I am not going to lie, I LOVE my job...honestly and truly...even with all the crap that goes on I really do love my job. However, to-date...Virginia sucks...no way around it. I live in a place that has no horizons of any kind...big deal you say? Well, when you don't have any horizons you are left without any real sunrises or sunsets...it just gets brighter and darker every day. Oh and not to mention at night it is almost impossible to see more than a couple dozen stars, that's if you're lucky and are looking real hard.

I still am struggling to find a good church home and a solid group of friends. It's hard to really get involved in much as my only mode of transportation at present is still my own two feet...but I do make every effort to get out and find a church and friends. Yet, I am still in the negative in those two categories.

I have come to the hard realization this week that there is maybe two people I know here whom I can put some trust and faith in...the rest? Well, I have learned it is best to keep your co-workers just that...co-workers...not your buddies, not your pals, not your main set of friends. Now, I am not seeking any sympathy of any kind, I am just stating a lessoned learned. And it isn't a bad or even a hard lesson...heck I know that if it wasn't for our job none of us would have much in common anyway.

Well I suppose I will take my best pal and buddy, Portia, out for the afternoon...I have rambled on here long enough. I hope and pray I continue to stay the course that God has intended for me and that soon enough I will be able to visit my beloved Oregon.

Those Dam Beavers...

Now those of you who know me well, know that I am a born and bred Oregon State Beaver Fan...have been for a long time. While the title of this post may lead you to believe that I am about to post about something related to OSU, trust me I am not...however, because of my love for Oregon and Beavers I could not resist posting this following story...Please enjoy:

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania. This guy's response is hilarious, but read The State's letter before you get to the response letter.

SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20;
Lycoming County

Dear Mr. DeVries:

It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized Activity:

Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams
across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.

A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued.. Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.

The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2007.

Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.

We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
David L. Price
District Representative and Water Management Division

MR. DEVRIES' RESPONSE:

Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County

Dear Mr. Price,

Your certified letter dated 12/17/06 has been handed to me to respond to. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane, Trout Run, Pennsylvania. A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood 'debris' dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond.

While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials 'debris.'

I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.

These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.

My first dam question to you is:
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or
(2) Do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?

If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued.(Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)

I have several concerns. My first concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect.

In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names. If you want the stream 'restored' to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.

In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).

So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2007? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area. It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! The bears are not careful where they dump!

Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine I am sending this response to your dam office.

THANK YOU,
RYAN DEVRIES & THE DAM BEAVERS

Extra, Extra, Read All About It...

That's right everyone needs to run out to their local newsstand and pick of the magazine that is featured here in my blog...the July 2008 Cooking Light magazine.

Inside you will find a story about Colonial Williamsburg and more specifically about our Revolutionary City program. Along with the story they have included numerous pictures of my co-workers and even on of me in action!!

So for all of you who would like to see what it is that I do on a regular basis and just don't have the time or the money to come to Williamsburg right now...go pick up a copy of Cooking Light!