2015 Year End Letter

(These pictures and more are available here)

In June, Paul’s company (Cinder Staffing, where he is COO) was recognized as the #1 Fastest Growing Company in Oregon (and Southwest Washington) by the Portland Business Journal. The award was announced at a big event and the attendees did not know the results in advance. Paul’s team sure was excited! :) Cinder has continued to grow this year and Paul is enjoying the many challenges associated with growing a business.  Paul has a great team and works well with the other executives at the company. He really likes that his position allows him the opportunity to meet so many new and interesting people in Portland.

Dude ranch in Colorado

The clouds smile on SJ

The Cinder team reacts to our #1 ranking

Susan Jane continues her excellent collaborative work in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. An independent, state-wide review of environmental work happening in Oregon described the Blue Mountain Forest Partners, the collaborative group she works with in Eastern Oregon, as “a sign of hope” for the conservation community. In addition to teaching her yearly Forest Law and Policy course at Lewis and Clark Law School, she was elected to serve as the co-chair of a Department of Agriculture Committee - a federal committee that reviews the work being done on National Forests and makes recommendations on how to implement forest policy. She has been enjoying that work and the opportunity to work with leaders in her field.

SJ's parents joined us for Thanksgiving

Upper Yosemite Falls

We got out for a few neighborhood bike rides

Niki is part bat

SJ visits Eastern Oregon frequently

Susan Jane finished her Senior Leader Training with TREC (Training Resources for the Environmental Community) earlier this year, which helped SJ further develop her leadership skills. Susan Jane enjoys strong support for her collaborative work from her law firm (the Western Environmental Law Center, where she is the Wildlands and Wildlife Program Director), and still finds time to litigate on a variety of issues including post fire salvage, endangered species, and natural gas pipelines.

SJ visited the Biltmore Mansion, 

birthplace of modern forestry

Paul was very excited when his company won their award

(the event had a "western" theme)

Race for the Cure in September

The WELC Staff on Retreat

Early this year, Paul was introduced to the local non-profit Growing Gardens, an organization focused on helping low-income families grow their own food, including educating school children, building community gardens, and teaching incarcerated adults and children to grow their own food. This organization is exactly what Paul has been hoping to find for the past several years! Since February, Paul has volunteered over 100 hours, built more than 30 garden beds, led a team that built a greenhouse, served as a wine steward for 2 fundraising dinners, and joined the Board of Directors. It is very fulfilling to find a cause that he believes in so strongly, and Paul is glad to be contributing to the community.

SJ and friends before a hike

SJ and friend, Gilly

Some Growing Gardens volunteers and a happy home owner

Our big trip this year was a trio of National Parks in California (Sequoia, King’s Canyon, and Yosemite) in May. We drove down and met SJ’s parents and were able to find a “VRBO” rental inside Yosemite for several of the days we were there. Except for Susan Jane, none of us had seen Yosemite or the giant sequoias before and they were as incredible as you have heard. You can see some pictures from that trip on this page, and view more here. 

Paul and friends made it out for a few runs this year

Paul with niece Malia (8) and nephew Drew (6)

The Sequoias' size is stunning

SJ is tiny against the trunk of a Giant Sequoia

In August, Paul visited his college friend Ann in Colorado, then went back two weeks later to meet his father for a long weekend at Laramie River Ranch (a “dude ranch”). That was quite an adventure - it has been many years since Paul was on a horse several days in a row. The trip was to celebrate his dad's 70th birthday and was a great opportunity to spend time together. More pictures are here.

Paul's team of volunteers that built a greenhouse

SJ and Lesley in November

Indy and Niki went hiking with Mom

Paul and SJ at a WELC fundraiser

Paul with CEO, Ryan, celebrating our win

Andrew and Tanya's basement

The ladies at a spa day

The biggest “house” project this year involved Paul helping our friends Andrew and Tanya refinish their basement (particularly the floor and stairs). Andrew and Tanya did most of the work themselves, but it was a very fun project during which Paul made a heck of a mess on several occasions.

SJ and friends in Bend

Before

The dogs are almost the same size

During

Andrew and Paul after grinding concrete for an hour

We did repaint our house this year and we’re pretty happy with the results. We had a great turnout for our garden party in June and we were able to do the bridge pedal again this year.

Building a community garden in early May

After - what a nice outcome!

The same garden 10 weeks later

Great turnout for our Garden Party on a beautiful night

The dogs had a mostly uneventful year of chasing each other around the house and making friends at daycare until Niki decided to run off from the dog park in mid-September. Amazingly, she turned up back at our house a few days later, hungry, thirsty, and with very painful blisters on all of her feet, but was otherwise no worse for wear. For any dog owners out there, we highly recommend getting a GPS collar! The company Whistle makes an excellent product (with a mobile app), and will provide you with peace of mind for about $10/month. Our dogs will never be without those collar attachments again!

Waterfall in King's Canyon

SJ at a fire lookout on the Malheur National Forest

(several weeks before much of it burned)

Entering King's Canyon

Many sequoias have huge burn scars

The dogs have become inseparable...

well, mostly

Both of us have lived with pairs of dogs since we were children and we have never seen two dogs get along as well as Indy and Niki. They play many hours every day and are constantly entertaining us. We love seeing them communicate with each other and all the different games they play.

Yosemite is Beautiful

We still love our yard (pictured here in late May)

Niki keeps a vigilant watch from her "perch"