Drupal 6 upgrade

The website has recently been upgraded to Drupal 6. As well, I've switched from using gallery for my photos to using an embedded version of picasa web albums. there are still a few items to implement, such as web links, but over the upgrade went pretty well.

Seven Hot Springs

Recently we went for a hot springs discovery excursion, visiting seven springs in a day. We drove up towards Featherville and then over towards pine and then back down to Fairfield. The first hot springs we visited was 'bridge' near Anderson Ranch reservoir. And the next we looked at Paradise which is private and near abandoned. Then we went up towards Featherville and hiked up to Willow Creek hot springs. Next, we drove to Baumgartner hot springs, and then drove to Lightfoot hot springs. We were going to go to Skillern, but it was too much of a hike at that point (two miles each way), and we were hoping to hit Fairfield for dinner. So we proceeded onwards to Preis hot springs (probably the smallest developed hot springs in the world, see photo). The last one hit was Worswick, which was the grandest. The spring runoff made it to much for sandy deposits filling the pool, but it was a blast to explore. After that we headed down to Fairfield for dinner, and back to Boise. More photos here.

Breville Ikon

A few months back, I purchased a coffee grinder, as my old grinder wasn't cutting it anymore, and cleaning the blender after every brew was a little much. So I bought a Breville BCG450XL. It's a conical burr grinder. It holds ½ a pound of coffee beans. I suppose you could grinder other types of beans if you feel the need. It's really been a champion performer for making genuinely good coffee. And though burr grinders are more expensive, they sure beat using a crank operated coffee grinder.

Wii Mariokart

Mariokart for the Wii was released last weekend. I just picked it up this evening and enjoyed a few races around the track. The single player is fun. The Multiplayer is fun. This game captures the simplicity of the Nintendo 64 version, but brings in the ability to play online with people all over the world. Battle mode, race mode, co-op versions; Mariokart Wii is an excellent game for the Wii.

Honda Accord

Melissa and I recently bought a 2001 Honda Accord. We tested its roadworthiness out this weekend on a trip to McCall. It performed admirably. Compared to the Explorer, it handles like an Indy car. We also visited Gold Fork Hot Springs, which was a wonderful soak. I'm hoping to do away with the Explorer soon; maybe to be replaced with a true four wheel drive vehicle.

Grapevines

I recently picked up some grapevines. I am hoping to plant in some vines in our back yard. I love the smell of grapes when they are blossoming. I am planning on planting some seedless table grapes. I am going to plant some Black Monukka, and either some Interlaken or Nimrod white table grapes. The next step is to research what type of terra-forming and landscaping will be necessary to turn our backyard into a fully functional micro vineyard. Yay!

Shellback Adirondack Chairs

There exist various plans for adirondack chairs floating around the internet. Melissa and I have been interested in getting some chairs since last spring. As a result of wanting to get some chairs, and having some extra time, I decided to make some chairs. I decided on using some plans from a website called buildeazy. However, I quickly went to work modifying the chairs from their original design. Some modifications were things which I wanted in the chair (a cup holder, more slats for the back), and others were necessary modifications(bracing). Anyway, they are at the brink of being finished, and I am very happy with them. More photos are available here.