The Dyck Duo

Ridin' Double

2009-08-17T21:53:00.003-05:00

What a family reunion! We had too much fun. There are so many pictures but here are some fun ones "ridin' double"...

A FUNtastic Summer Day!

2009-06-27T08:49:00.005-05:00

Summer was meant for: family, friends, horses, river/pond water, ice cream, bonfires, a dog, and an old blue truck "The Apple Truck" ...

Susie's Sprouting

2009-06-05T20:36:00.005-05:00

The pictures below do not express the full spectrum of fun one can have with sprouting grains and seeds, but nearly.
It's like a Chia Pet map of France. See it? A definite two-thumbs up, tasty and good for you, too.Presently, this massive turf is being dehydrated, which keeps the sprouted enzymes alive; next I'll blend it up into teff "flour," mix it with some other suff and make raw crackers. Cool, huh?

Memorial Day - fun as usual

2009-05-31T10:59:00.004-05:00

Out for a drive on the bed of a good 0le truck. What fun!?

Hopkinton Hospitality

2009-04-22T21:03:00.004-05:00

So the race began in Hopkinton, MA, approx. 26 miles from Boston, which most runners are bussed into and the streets close to all vehicular trafic by 6am on race day. For us, we were overwhelmingly blessed to stay with a couple from Hopkinton who was recently reacquainted with Dad at my cousin's wedding last August. We were literally treated like VIPs and family; that alone was probably as memorable as the race itself. We were even able to meet some new cousins because Steve (the aforementioned cousin) and his new wife and baby came to our pre-race dinner Saturday night. Getting to catch up with Steve, Cavi and six-week-old Karline was an additional treat for us.We were well-fueled by good food and company Saturday and well-rested. By this point we've donned our charity clothing (outer layers to toss at the start line for volunteers to collect for charity), and we're comparing pacing strategies. Ready or not, the race is on. I hope to post some evidence of our post race adventures around Boston soon.

Boston

2009-04-20T21:00:00.003-05:00

Scouting out the starting area. The kind police officer stopped traffic, so that we could take pictures on the starting line. He said we could lay down on it if we wanted. Sitting on it was close enough.

A little pre-race sight seeing.Post race, yes, it was freezing. Yet, glorious to be done! 3:22:38

A little Awkward Amusement

2009-03-01T21:33:00.003-05:00

A unique rendition of the 70's and 80's, combined into one style. Take careful note of the rat-tail. Hope you're as amused as we were.

A New Run

2009-02-14T17:44:00.002-05:00

Meeting Shawn Johnson, Olympic gold medalist gymnast. Super cute and short!

Erin Jansen and Susie after the Red Flannel Run in Des Moines. We survived the slippery roads and had fun doing it.

Susie ran most of the race with the guy in red, nice fellow helped to pace her.

Shawn Johnson, shot the gun off for the start of the race and here she's been requested to do a backflip off of the ladder by someone running by in the race. She's contemplating it!

Susie getting ready to run her first race since last April and is not so sure about it.

Getting ready for Christmas

2008-12-15T22:32:00.006-05:00

Guess this would be called getting ready for Christmas, Brazil-style. Here are some co-worker treats that seemed to look rather photogenic: Beijinhos de Coco (coconut kisses) and Brigadeiros (Brazilian truffles, which I understand to be named after some guy who loved chocolate?). Not exactly sure if they are comprable to those in the southern hemisphere but they seem to look the part. We hope that you are enthralled in the Christmas spirit.

Living History Farms Race

2008-11-23T23:18:00.004-05:00

Nice to be up and running again! Here is our latest endeavor. Though only about 30+/- it was nice running weather. However, the pre- and post-race milling around were a little uncomfortable. Altogether it was fun. Costumes were well received. Some 7500 runners! Crazy in some spots. Muddy. Wet. Slippery. You name it.
Watch out for the growly kitten!
This guy called Sus a cheeta (cheater) and told her not to cut the course!

We were freezing! Dave Gray, Robin Gray, Cheeta Dyck and Billy-Bob Dyck

Ledges State Park

2008-10-18T21:36:00.004-05:00

Pretty place: Ledges State Park near Boone, IA. We hiked around and got strangers to heckle us while we took ridiculous pictures.

2008-09-28T18:33:00.012-05:00

Went to Nebraska and back Friday night for a dinner and a show. Great dinner. Even better show. Toby, in the middle - thought I should clarify because of the picture quality and the hair; Toby's was as long as mine but just had it cut that day - is a friend of Jon's and a rock star. Jackson Waters is the band. They are superb. They played in Lincoln at the university, which I might add, in that town there is some definite pride going on. I felt like I'd seen the coliseum in Rome when we passed their football stadium. I digress. We're definitely looking forward to Jackson Waters coming to Des Moines early next year. We returned at 3am from our road trip. Got a full REM cycle of sleep and were ready for the DSM farmer's market, which is the best farmer's market I've yet to experience. Decided to bike. Figured on a scant 20 miles. Try twice that, as it ended up. Good I didn't know that or I'd probably not been so gun-ho about the adventure. "Nice to bite off more than you can chew every once-t'in-a-while, right?" So says Jon. It was worth it for cheese curds, gluten-free granola and fresh Kombucha, plus beet juice. Below, taking a neck break (kinky-neck, the hardest part of biking when you're rusty). Our route was all paved trail, filled with wild flowers, trees, lakes, rivers... Wonderful.
A mini reunion. A week or so ago, Susie got to visit with some cousins and family who were in from parts East. Nice to see you guys. Phyllis, I'll be looking forward to that horseback ride next summer.

Brasil and more Brasil

2008-09-20T08:12:00.005-05:00

Many people have asked about more Brasil photos, so here they are:

Incoming! Candy! (in the dark)

2008-09-20T08:03:00.002-05:00

It was like a parade, execpt we were stationary and the candy flew at the kids in the dark. Kind of a silly treat, but the kids LOVED it! Here we are from the balcony of the guest house (our quarters):The kids, waiting for treats! Notice how some already have their shirts filled:

The ins and outs of Iguacu Falls...

2008-09-20T07:52:00.002-05:00

Even McDonald's was a special treat because of the coconut water you can order, unique to Brasil: Imagine you're first trip to McDonald's, it's not quite the beans and rice you'd be used to either!
Us and the masses in Argentina with Cheryl (taking the photo).
Our guide, Val, and a mate friend (mate is a strong, very tasty tea consumed at large in Argentina and Brasil).

Iguacu Falls

2008-09-20T07:39:00.004-05:00

The Falls: From the Brasil side: From Argentina:
The walk to the cat walk (to get really close and wet to the falls) in Brasil:
Getting misted with friends, our medica, Natalie, and Cheryl, our leader:
Wow, it's so loud right here!

Bird Park

2008-09-20T07:29:00.002-05:00

Birds of all shapes, sizes and colors. Amazing! This bird is eating coconut, not Susie's arm: One of my favorites:
Our friend Sharon, her camera and her friend the Macaw:
Jon and Kuat, our favorite Brasilian soda:
Bird or a monkey or Tarzan, we're not quite sure?:

Welcome Dash!

2008-09-14T22:14:00.002-05:00

We are excited about our new nephew, "Dash" Norris. Check out Mick and Heidi's blog for all the details. (I mean all the details!) He's too sweet! Congratulations on the birth of a beautiful baby boy. Uncle Jon & Auntie Susie

2008-09-05T22:19:00.003-05:00

The end of summer around Iowa always means Fair Time! Susie showed her ways with even strange horses and Jon was christened into the Iowa State Fair life. We also got to celebrate with our friends Emily and Jonathan at their lovely wedding. (Lauren Hughes: let me know what I owe you for these pictures!)

More Brazil

2008-09-05T22:08:00.003-05:00

Some people have been wanting more pictures from Brazil and an update on life.
Here are a couple of not so flattering shots. We'll just say we loved the stroganof! Look at Jon, ready to wipe the mess from Susie's face. Lovely!

Back to School

2008-08-14T21:06:00.003-05:00

Susie's back to school but here are some shots from one of our last summer adventures with friends, Dan and Jen. Dan is trying to convince us that he and Maggio are brothers.
Susie and Jen pulling up the rear.

2008-08-06T09:26:00.002-05:00

Today looks much like it did three years ago.

We'll have a reminiscent day!

Horizontina

2008-08-05T08:35:00.003-05:00

"They live where, Argentina?"... No. "Belo Horizonte?"... No, Horizontina ... "oh, yes, where Gisele Bundchen is from." This was our conversation with locals when trying to explain to where we were headed to see family. Horizontina is a sweet little town and probably the nicest town we saw in Brasil. We were blessed to end our travels with family. The nieces are so fun and beautiful!
Vivi is Jon's personal trainer, getting him down to do push ups. She loves it!
Vivi, Josh and Jon getting down to dance. She loves that too!
Vivi, wondering why the boys won't play with her?
Uncle Jon and sweet baby Valentina.

Travels

2008-08-04T17:52:00.004-05:00

The craziness of our travels can be summed up in our many modes of transportation: we flew, walked a ton, bussed, taxied, hitchhiked with four Brasilians in a teeny car, boated, kayaked away from cayman, biked, rockclimbed, cat-jumped, rode horses, zip-lined, and even got to ride in the Nunez VW Polo. And we loved it all! Jon's cat jump. 50 feet up in the air. The hardest part was standing up on that teeny tiny platform on top of a telephone pole before jumping.
Brasilian saddles are so cool!
Hammock Time!
Above: Drinking mate (a rather strong tea) from a stranger in Argentina.

Below: Drinking KUAT (a soda made from the guarana fruit).

Our time in Brasil

2008-07-29T11:12:00.002-05:00

Here are some of our new Brasilian buddies:

Lar Batista Biblico

2008-07-16T19:10:00.004-05:00

We're here and enjoying being involved in the daily lives of the people at this home. For more pictures check the Brazil Field Journal at right. More photos and stories to come!

off to Brazil...

2008-07-12T15:35:00.005-05:00

We can hardly believe that it's already here! We're headed to Brazil tomorrow! We are so excited, but we also felt we needed to post some last few shots of the fruits of our labor coming from the garden that we'll miss while in South America. Please feel free to click on the first link at right (Brazil Field Journal) for postings from the first leg of our trip and our time at Lar Batista Biblico. Enjoy the sunflowers as we will as well from afar:

Fun on the Farm

2008-07-09T10:14:00.005-05:00

Got MilK?

Can you count all the kittens?

And can you believe there are more where these came from!?

Vivi and Val, Grandpa has kittens for each of you picked out! Laughing and Riding:
Jen and Dan Haidar came for an afternoon on the farm. Jen and Sus paired up with Rio, this was a rehab ride for Jen after a less than satisfying riding experience in Chile. She'll be ready for her own horse next time! Dan was a natural and wanted the longest ride possible. That a'boy!

Independence Day Weekend

2008-07-08T14:09:00.005-05:00

What a crazy, fun-filled Fourth! I only wish we had more pictures of it all: Hot air balloon rides, Sully fun run, lamb burgers with our friends the Mitchell's, parades, and Iowa City fireworks, it was a great day and weekend! Robin and Jon getting hydrated and fueled for their 5k race. And they finish strong! 1st and 3rd in their age groups.
Long-time friend of Susie's who just had a baby 8 weeks ago or so, Erin Jansen ran.
Kalona/Iowa City/Lauren: Thanks, Lauren, for the pic and for the great fun! We spent Friday eve and Saturday touring IA city, the old capital building, the Jazz festival, Kalona goats, cheese and much much more!

If you want to know more about this picture or where to rent a comedy show, contact us. (Comedy is free! Horses are an additional fee.)

Canada

2008-06-25T19:25:00.005-05:00

Here are some shots from Canada:

2008-06-15T22:35:00.005-05:00

Most of these waters are receding by now. The forcast for this week looks great, no rain! Rain is no news compared to this:

Jen and Josh Nunez are proud parents of Valentina Marie, born June 12, and that just happens to be Brazil's Valentine's Day (which is a perfect coincidence).

Jon has headed to Canada to fish and to serve as his father-in-law's marathon caddie. We heard word from Winnipeg that Searsboro, Iowa has a new Boston qualifier. Robin Gray took 40 minutes off his last marathon time to run 3:34 (Boston qualifing time for his age group is 3:45).

There's good news amongst the high water.

Skooters

2008-06-11T14:32:00.002-05:00

After rehab (physical therapy for Sus) we met up with friends, Jen and Dan (blogged below - the infamous tandem bike shot) in Des Moines for lunch and test drove their scooters. What fun! A little leery at first Dan, said it was just like riding a horse. Sure enough! We're ready to trade in the Buick for a pair.

The Team

2008-06-04T21:39:00.003-05:00

Jeff, on Jon's right, is from Brazil now married to Theresa(taking picture), who sadly cannot come with us, Nathalie, on Susie's left, is a resident doctor in Des Moines, Cheryl in orange is our team leader, Sharron is a nurse and Dick is just a really nice guy. These are the people with whom we'll work at Lar Batista in July.

Dam to Dam

2008-06-04T19:48:00.003-05:00

The two runners! Andrea, a good friend up from KC, and Jon are sporting their Dam to Dam tatts and getting pumped to run 12 and a half miles from one dam to another in Des Moines. It was a perfect day for a run; they joined about 4500 others.
Susie is dealing with some tendonitis, so was unable to run, and other friends (Jen and Dan below) were just spectating. Below are some post race festivities including the Des Moines Farmer's Market - we bought some awesome mushrooms and I (susie) don't even like mushrooms, but these were something else!

Scout's Honor

2008-05-12T21:33:00.005-05:00

Never a girl scout but became an honorary member this weekend. I gave some riding lessons to four girls, one cousin and three friends. They probably could have earned more than just a horse badge as we dodged raindrops, attacked ticks and fought forest fires. An eventful and fun weekend. Below there's a little instruction going on with a lot of horsing around. To top it off Jon and Susie showed how to fight fires when a friendly bonfire goes berserk.

This one's for you, Rick

2008-05-07T20:51:00.005-05:00

Get 'em while they're hot! 10 boxes of cereal for 10 bucks. Where can you find cereal this good for a dollar a box? We learned of Quisp cereal from our friends Rick and Martha and their plight to reintroduce an endangered species, Malto-Meal's Blueberry Muffin Tops back into circulation in central Iowa. While they were at it, they researched the archaic Quisp cereal (it's like captain crunch that doesn't hurt the roof of your mouth when you eat it, quite tasty.) Coincidence? We think not! We are confident that their inquiries (and those of other aficionados) have caused an influx of classic cereals like these and the reappearance we're experiencing on the shelves central Iowa. Be on the watch for Muffin Tops and Quisp cereals near you!

Tip-Toe through the Tulips with us...

2008-05-04T20:14:00.003-05:00

Tulip Time, Pella, IA with friends and lots of tulips. Enjoy!

Jen and Dan Haidar, friends from Des Moines (Jen's a friend from Susie's ISU days.)

Drake Relays 1/2 Marathon

2008-04-26T18:03:00.005-05:00

Twas a day of exceeding expectations as Susie projected the finish time 1:40 for all three runners. Robin Gray: 4th in age group, time 1:40. Jon 12th in age group, time 1:35. Susie 5th overall (women) time 1:30, sporting her prize for 3rd place in age group, a Drake Relays On-the-Road T-shirt.

We even had a hunt in the grass for keys. Beware of lying down to stretch with loose keys in loose pockets.

Birding

2008-04-26T17:56:00.002-05:00

Jon's Animal Ecology class did a fun birding session at the prof's home. Here he's strangling a poor cardinal. They used a very fine mist net to catch birds and learned how to handle them. Neat! No birds were harmed, at least that's what he says.

Schooling...

2008-04-08T19:27:00.006-05:00

Susie, Rio, Sunny and Uncle Bob

Aunt Susan and Uncle Bob were here for a few days and Bob almost got on a horse. Rio was getting a little schooling on Sunday and Bob was tempted to ride. Maybe next time? The English saddle didn't worry him. The day wasn't optimal but, aside from the wind, it was nice.

Jon has landed an "internship," we'll call it, at the vet clinic in Grinnell for the first part of the summer. So his schooling will be more in practice than in test and quizzes once finals are finished, probably a good thing. As for me, I started now a couple of classes toward a Masters in Teaching; it's called a Professional Educator MA, and I'll aim toward an endorsement in teaching Middle School. That will open doors for me to teach all subjects in Middle School, plus give me a reason to study the minds of those fun 12-15 year-olds.

Big week...

2008-04-03T16:29:00.008-05:00

It's been a big week, Saturday: had a class on designing a webpage for school. I'll send the link when it's done mostly because the template is pretty cool. Sunday: after church and working at the Global Cafe, we did a 15mile run together, which Jon calculated that to be the longest he'd ever run outside of a race. (Maybe I can still turn him into an ultramarathoner?) Monday: wasn't there a basketball game or something? Tuesday: we were turned down to donate blood as we both kind of thought would be the case. Jon for being in Iraq and me for a bit too low red blood cell count (can't quite get that iron up, suggestions anyone?). Wednesday: I began my first graduate class, so two college kids in the house might be trouble. We're up to Thursday, We purchased our tickets to Brazil today! and Jon should be creating his school schedule for this summer and fall, so that will be exciting where his schooling will take him next. Finally with one Kansan in the house we've been following the basketball games, but also remembering the next big sporting event coming up:

The Iowa Prairie

2008-03-28T22:01:00.003-05:00

Enjoy the top two of Jon's latest, from Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge, and the bottom is from the Bottom on the Gray farm. The duck pond has been well fed with water from spring snow melt and run-off and the ducks/geese flocked to it. Jon was doing some raconaissance for his Ecology class, in which he has been studying heavily the bird population in Iowa.

Sugar Shack

2008-03-28T21:34:00.005-05:00

Above our friends Rick, Martha and their daughter Cecilia helped us boil and collect maple sap, while Mom and Dad were headed to Branson. It was a fun excuse to have a weiner roast and some s'mores. If you want to help you have to wear matching maple uniforms like Rick and Martha = red and Jon and me = maple brown!

It used to be that there was a Sugar Shack on the bottom, where relatives boiled down the maple sap to make syrup. Now Dad has rigged up an iron kettle near the garden for that job.

Once the sap has reached a certain temp. (200 deg.) it gets taken inside to be strained through wool and be boiled down until it reaches somewhere around 215 deg. Yumm!

Sugar Season

2008-03-16T13:59:00.003-05:00

Sugar : Maple Syrup

Over the next few days, we'll try to update our sugar documentary.

Andrew Peterson Concert

2008-03-16T13:45:00.006-05:00

Jon's sister, Heidi Norris, made the suggestion from Mississippi that we go see a concert in Cedar Rapids, IA this weekend. We hadn't decided for sure to go, but were on our way to the farm Sat am to aid in the sugar processing and received a text message from Jon's youngest Kansas sister, Johanna, that we MUST go. It just so happened that Andrew Peterson (linked above) was in concert in Newton, KS yesterday and then moved up here to IA.

We went. We loved it.

It ended up being an extra treat because not only was it a free Andrew Peterson concert, but they also included a guest band member, Jill Phillips (pictured below), who was one of my favorite singers during college. Thanks Heidi and Johanna for your encouragement to attend a spectacular concert and a great start to our Spring Break!

Friends at Foreside Acres

2008-02-25T21:50:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Anthony Mitchell, son of our friends Rick and Martha, Jon and I got a big time laugh out of this video. Anthony is big into media, and this was his project. The voice-overs, though believably animalistic, came from our friends who know their animals well! Enjoy!

Joke: What does happy a Chicken say before she lays her eggs?

"There's no antibiotics in MEEEEE!"

Snowed in?

2008-02-17T13:53:00.006-05:00

Starting to sound like a broken record: snow, snow and more snow. But I'm loving it. It's nice to be safe and sound in our home, that makes being thankful for the moisture easier. Also I'm feeling blessed for our little fitness center. After having logged 16-miles during this blizzard this morning while reading and then swtiching to watching The Legend of Bagger Vance, I'm feeling fatigued and inspired. I've jumped back on the training bandwagon after taking a bit of a winter respite. 15-miles yesterday and the workout this morning followed by 7-miles on a stationary bike, feels good to be challenged. What's challenging you these days? School? Work? Working out? Hope you're making the most of it!

Here are a couple of "old-school" pics. from where Jon and I have been. They're fun to look at on a reminiscent cold day. Jon belting it out with a couple of dear friends from Horn Creek in Colorado. Susie hanging on for dear life with Memphis, the horse who really taught her how to ride/survive.

Doing our part

2008-02-03T21:14:00.001-05:00

Out on runs I often see roadside rubbish usually in the form of an old tire, a styrofoam cooler, or ridiculously enough, and thankfully seldom, a large appliance like an old washing machine dumped in a drainage ditch or the like. Unfortunately it's not too surprising to us that ditches and roadways are frequently festooned with the previous nights' choice beverages. This morning's run seemed like payday (can redemption change) to Sunny and me as we set out to a quick eight mile run and returned with a scant motley twelve pack.

Jon suggested I take the digital camera, which fits like a glove into my six-shooter water holster, "Just in case I see some wildlife". (Bald eagles have been out in force.) ... Into a brisk southeastern wind we set to the road. The usual white truck passed, and I waved to the smiley six fingered neighbor, Jack, the sixth being his cigarette, on his way to coffee in Grinnell. I snapped a couple of pics of wildlife tracks and an eagle fishing on the river bottom. Two miles out, the results of Saturday night festivities started popping up left and right. I started collecting, soon I'd downed my water supply to make room on my water belt, now a recycling receptacle. Like a marsupial, I stuffed my empty water bottles and digital camera down my oversized hoodie, my belongings secured by my six shooter as some kind of an 80's-style-bloused-sweatshirt-getup. I pressed on and the nickels kept me on my toes. Soon my holster was loaded down and I started adding bottles to my sweatshirt marsupial litter. The tunes in my ears started to sound less like Coldplay and more like an African-style drum mix coming from my pouch. Sunny even caught the clean up bug, snagging some garbage and doing his part to aid in the decomposition of more organic material; his treasure is pictured. So not the typical training run, but just doing our part and wondering, is this what people think of as Keith Urban puts it, "feeding our souls where the blacktop ends?"

Jon's latest...

2008-02-03T19:48:00.000-05:00

Jon's been at it again, capturing the greatest scenes on the farm. First: sunset view from the house.

Sun, shadows and snow on a resting corn field.

Then: While the cat's away, the deer will play?? Dad has been visiting and touring on his annual winter trip with friend and travel comrade, Denny, this year to Brazil to see Jen, Josh and Vivi; so these guys have had the run of the farm. Sneaky Jon ambushed and got some great shots.

Ready, Set... Fetch & Run!

2008-01-29T22:10:00.001-05:00

Beautiful weekends are great, especially when they're full of sunshine and snow (snow that's already on the ground, mostly harmless and melting), really good snowball snow that is!
Sus and Sunny put in 20 miles this past weekend. That's a mileage PR for Sunny, and since it appeared that his energy levels weren't even dented, he proved he could have done double that. Though around mile 10 it seemed the distance was getting to him when he settled in behind the human feet instead of racing ahead of them. Moments after settling for second, it was apparent that his strained breathing was not due to exhaustion but a result of a face full of an opossum (who seemed to not actually be playing possum, rather a recent victim to the cold). He decided to add her to this rural running entourage.
Here we're warming up for our Saturday run with a little snowball fetch.

back to school

2008-01-22T22:33:00.000-05:00

Jon has made it through nearly two weeks of school and is enjoying his classwork. It is work, it seems, because he puts in lots of hours studying, doing homework and preparing for class and labs. Even the birds are having to get used to his absence (being at class or working, not birding). When we let them out of their cage, they've taking to dive-bombing. Maybe they're just glad to see us, but they seem to do closer fly-bys to the head these days. I think it's funny, and I am sure they find it even funnier. And yes, this is Sus' latest sewing project, two patches, sewn onto Jon's "so-large-you-can-spot- him-from-google.Earth backpack" Do a GoogleEarth search for ISU, and see if you can find him.

Don't forget: Chuck "the-only-favorite-TV-show-Susie's-had-outside-of-RFDTV" returns Thursday 7 & 9pm central!! Woohoo!

sprouts

2008-01-10T23:01:00.000-05:00

Jon just started a new job working for the USDA plant introduction station. They provide researchers and the like with seeds of all varieties so it's quite controled. He says he does a lot of seed counting, and that just happens to be what he's doing at present. Atop our ceramic stove he's sorting and, well, maybe not counting, just eye-balling his next project. Earlier this week, he started sprouting sunflower seeds, he's sorting the broken seeds today so that the yield will improve next time. We bought a cheep-o Tuesday Morning seed sprouter and have decided that eating greens isn't good enough unless you're eating live greens, actually still living. We decided as well that his first round of little sprouts were ready for consumption, and they were the perfect topping to a deer burger with home-made thousand island, kind of a gamey ruben so to speak. Amazingly delicious! Sometime we'll have you over and win over any meat-eater who fears the gamey-ness of venison. Fear not, it can be great!

Destination Minnesota

2008-01-08T22:35:00.000-05:00

We spend the first weekend of the year in Minneapolis, visiting: family, friends and the slopes. We got to meet Diamond Propsom, this precious corn snake (she's beautiful) and very sweet; we took some fun videos on the black diamonds at Afton Alps (you'll have to see them offline), went indoor rock climbing at REI in Bloomington, and hung out with the Propsom Gang Fri/Sat evenings. We also met up with some friends from college and Susie's student teaching experience in the Twin Cities, which was almost five years ago...time flies! How great to reunite with family and friends.

Live Nativity

2008-01-08T22:25:00.001-05:00

This was from a few weeks ago, but nevertheless too good to pass up, a shot from the Live Nativity at the First Friends Church, Grinnell, IA. Joseph, Mary and two shepherds.

Jon's Choice Photos (so far)

2007-12-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hope you are looking forward to a wonderful 2008.

Sus is aiming at some more racing, more riding and writing (she's taking a calligraphy class) along with whatever other cool things she can come up with, she'll keep you posted on those things!

Jon is starting a part-time (making his days very full-time!) job Jan 7. Then classes start Jan 14. He'll be very busy, but he'll probably find time to keep his camera busy as well.

Christmas is here!!!

2007-12-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness for Christmas break.

We're blessed beyond belief and thankful that we have some time to recharge our batteries, while enjoying friends and family. The end of my first semester in Ankeny was great, and I'm excited for an even better next semester of teaching, learning, and loving the French language.

Christmas came a bit early for the two of us. Jon is behind this photo (as usual) with his new Digital SLR camera and I'm in my cozy coat, ready for the slopes, sledding or just a snow angel.

Merry Christmas!!

Winterwonderland

2007-12-11T12:48:00.000-05:00

The dear views from this week's deer hunt that Jon snapped as he traipsed through the woods.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2007-12-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

The flickering of a fire...
The soothing sound of an acoustic guitar and birdies tweeting along...

A warm mug of chai tea to sip with feet propped, knitting the day away...

The smell of stewed cinnamon apples ready to top a brunch of buckwheat waffles...

And all the while, the flurries are falling...

Is this heaven?... No, it's a snow day in Iowa!

A Fun Plug for the Florida Orange Growers

2007-12-03T20:17:00.000-05:00

Racing and Reuniting

2007-12-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

Well, California was brutally beautiful. It was full of lots of reuniting with family and of course, lots of running. Hopefully the pictures with captions will tell a bit of the story.

Tim Gray (Susie's cousin) and his girls Daniella & Maria Fernanda (along with Larissa) welcomed us and treated us to great Thai food Thursday night. He also kept us "found" with the use of his Garmin GPS. We now believe that the lady living in that thing reads minds!

" We didn't come here to sleep in!" That was the infamous motto for Team Susie's crew. Jon's uncles, Ken and Gordon, drove down from Oregon to participate in this experience. Here we were at one of the aid stations on Friday before the race. We spend the afternoon pouring over trail maps and strategizing to make dashing from aid station to aid station a breeze. Many of the station volunteers commented that Susie had the best crew!

The reunion of cousins continues. We met our dear cousins, Janet and Deac. Janet and Robin Gray are first cousins, she was the oldest of the bunch 93 and Robin the youngest of all the cousins, kind of a fun generational gap thing going on there. It was so nice to catch up a bit with them and visit.

For a perfect pre-race dinner of beans, rice and chicken with a special secret sauce over it all, Tim's family and the four of us all went to another cousin's house Emily Gray Barry (the blond in front). It was a huge treat to get to see her and meet her family: husband, Dan and three kids Kiara (taking the picture), Daniel and Isabelle.

Race Morning: Ready or not, here I go...

It takes lots of headlamps and reflective gear to take on an adventure like this. Here's what the start and finish line looked like.

Some ocean views:

Any guesses how long that car's been there?

Pacer Jon is pondering the idea of doing one of these races himself someday, when the voice in his right ear exclaims, "Don't do it!"
Jon paced Susie for 19 miles in three different sections of the race.

So how did she do, Susie was 3rd in her age group and 10th out of the women. The first place woman was the 100km world champion. These were true professionals, so it was neat to run with them. The first place man was on the German Olympic team. We talked to the second place guy (the record holder for the Pikes Peak marathon) and he said the winner ran like a ballerina.

Post-race there's nothing like Falafel. "No Spaisi" for mom.

And yes, our hotel was grand; it was the icing on the cake, the cherry on top.

Off to San Francisco

2007-11-28T21:46:00.001-05:00

We're off for a few days to run with the redwoods. Susie's race is Saturday. 50 miles, plus there is an estimated 10,000ft in elevation gain; so we're guaranteed to have some ups and downs. It's going to be a special trip because we'll be accompanied by Susie's parents and get to see more than a dozen cousins and two uncles of whom we don't get to see much. Susie has a new read to peruse on the flights, Ultra Man (thanks Jane P.), that should be inspiring.

Bob Ross would be proud

2007-11-26T18:16:00.000-05:00

Painting is always an ordeal. Our bathroom is supposed to be a blue with a neat layer of goldish glaze, ummm, I don't think so... The blue is okay, but the top layer, questionable?? Jon's demonstrating that it looks a bit gaggy not tasty. We'll fix it. It's so obnoxious, it put Jon into a trance Need a lift?

Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T18:02:00.000-05:00

We made it through winter's first treacherous storm and drove to Indianapolis and back. Dad and Jon did a little gutter cleaning for Grandma.

Home from Indy and the cats were anxious for a deer hunt. They usually profit a little from that. It was a short antler-less season and all we saw were big bucks. Let's just say, we now know where the Hartford Stag lives. I keep saying he looked more like a moose than a deer! Amazing!
We're not red necks, we're just ridiculous

November 19

2007-11-19T21:29:00.000-05:00

This is a good day for a number of reasons. Good enough to celebrate with a little duck marsala! Yumm! Jon can shoot 'em and he can cook 'em!

The Largest Cross Country Race in N. America... EVER, (check out this link)

2007-11-17T16:28:00.000-05:00

Before...

Another day...Another race...

Some photos of our latest race, The Living History Farms XC Race, are following. This year there were something like 6888 runners, making it the largest XC race ever and next year they'll cap it (because people were drowning each other in the creek crossings, creating not only congestion for faster runners, but also some potential casualties.) It was fun! Jon beat Susie, and Sus was 19th overall for the women. The lead runners for the women are both Olympic Marathon trials qualifiers. Pretty sweet!

Enjoy the muddy-ness! Five creek crossings (and we mean real creeks, deep and muddy!)
.... and After

The worst part was that the muddy water weighed down our shoes! Good ultra marathon training!

We just found out that a free hayride doesn't come with the race registration fee!

Sneaking off with the loot from the post-race festivities, woooo, water and yogurt!

Dog wrestlin'

2007-11-11T21:16:00.000-05:00

Sunny (the Gray-farm dog) is the dog with nine lives and obviously a bit of a daredevil; so far, in his seven months of life, he has been steam-rolled by a horse, run over by a tractor and fallen out of the back of a pickup on the move. He is a real brute, which is a good thing because otherwise it wouldn't be near as fun to wrestle with him. He's a real sweetie and proving to be a good hunter. We now have about four birds in our freezer and a fresh one from today is on the menu for tomorrow evening.

Hill Training

2007-11-11T21:11:00.000-05:00

With Sunny the dog leading the way, Trainer Jon and Susie did a Sunday afternoon hill workout over a series of Iowa hills. The countdown is on, Susie has less than three weeks until the big race in San Francisco and is trying to prepare for over 8000 feet in elevation gain (not to forget the little matter of the whole 50 miles anyway). She's as ready as she'll ever be probably.

3:22 and some change

2007-10-21T20:45:00.000-05:00

The pictures tell it all...
Even Katie ran the kid's race. She is in the blue jeans and sweatshirt, and the first girl behind the boys in her age group!! What a stud-ette!
She ended up fifth overall in the marathon for the women and won her age group, beating her old PR by 16 minutes. And for the record, the woman who finished in front of her but was disqualified from the 50miler, also ran and haunted Sus for a few miles, but Susie beat her by five or more minutes. That was satisfying, I'd say!

Awards ceremony and other such fun stuff...

Thanks Lauren and Mom for the pictures

This is Jon in 20 years.

Surprise visit...

2007-10-20T16:42:00.000-05:00

Jon's parents came up for a visit and they brought our niece, Katie, along. Thus far they've seen the lovely ISU campus, the Des Moines Farmer's Market and the Bridges of Madison County and John Wayne's birthplace. Tomorrow we'll experience the Des Moines Marathon. It's been a fun weekend!

Susie's grown!!!

A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by. ~John Wayne (Jon Dyck's new favorite quotable quote)

Burdock Root

2007-10-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

Here's a new recipe for y'all. Familiar with Burdock root? Well, you should be. It's high in soluble fiber. And tasty too! Burdock is a noxious weed, and it is extremely annoying for horse-people about this time of year. Manes and tails become as dreaded as Bob Marley's locks because of the large burrs which become entangled while grazing near the plants. So I discovered this summer that it's edible. I asked myself, how better a way to rid oneself of the problem than to eat it. My well-respected 90+ year old aunt Maxine advised me to check with a Dr., but it was too late, Jon and I had already tried a few recipes. This recipe is sauteed vidalia onions (The true Georgia peach, which are by themselves a hit; we could eat them like an apple) shredded cabbage and sliced burdock root, baked into a French inspired quiche-like dish with a secret Susie mixture of coconut milk, yogurt, eggs and other herbs/spices. Seconds anyone?

Iowa

2007-10-12T20:53:00.000-05:00

Jon is settling into life Iowa-style. One t-shirt at a time. Big Creek State park is just a hop skip and a jump away. It's good for meandering six mile walks. Susie's into the thick of school. The going is good at Ankeny; it's almost time for parent-teacher conferences. Jon just visited ISU, he fits in and is excited about learning with all the 17-yr-olds.

Edisto

2007-09-21T17:08:00.000-05:00

We love Edisto Island!! Jon and I stayed in the wonderful blue-gray beach house over Jon's shoulder, (Many thanks, Doug and Julie!). It made for a marvelous weekend. The weather was perfect (even the sharks and sting-rays agreed; we saw quite a few of each a little way out in the water "just playing" around (or waiting to eat one of us, one or the other??)). The island is just south of Charleston, SC and truly is a wonderful place. We have camped there before, and they keep up a great state park for camping right off the beach just north of these residential homes.
Beautiful sunrises!!

Jon's back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-09-13T11:47:00.000-05:00

Jon is back, safe and sound in Georgia. Woohooo! Our backyard crepe myrtle tree welcomed both of us. Jon has lots of stories but is just looking forward to the next stage in life as a college student! Go State! This is kind of an addition to an earlier post also. You know that little 50-miler I did? Well, there was a "dispute," and the woman who finished a bit ahead of me actually didn't complete all the race. She neglected to check in at the final turnaround, likely cutting off more than a mile of the race. SO she was disqualifed. I received a call from the North Face (the same day that I received a call from Jon, telling me that he was back in GA; yes, it was a great day!) saying that they were sending me the prize money and will be sending me to San Francisco to race in the national championships on December 1, 2007.

I linked the North Face Endurance Challenge on the blog, so check it out if you want to read more. Jon and I (and Mom and Dad, as my "crew") are very excited. I'll give it a run for the money and we'll see what happens.

Below, I'm trying to keep up my mileage so I squeezed in an 11-mile Fort Gordon run while Jon had to meet with some Army dudes. He caught up with me toward the end to bring me water and capture the moment.

The GREATEST state fair in the world

2007-09-08T20:39:00.001-05:00

What's that? Birthday cake? No, it's a Monkey Tail! Actually, monkey tail in one hand and cookie dough milkshake from the dairy barn in the other. They really do go hand in hand, you must dip the tail into the shake. And, believe me this is much better than birthday cake !!

Jon couldn't make it to the Iowa State Fair this year but Susie still had some great company. Lauren (and company) and Emily (and company)shared in the fair fun. It was just like old times.

50 Miles = 8hrs 10min

2007-09-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

The North Face put on an "Endurance" challenge in Des Moines and Susie was one of the 51 to take on the 50miler. Here are some photos from the event : The first is from about mile 28. Susie happened to be the lead woman, but that only lasted about another 9 miles. She couldn't keep her lead for the final 13 miles.

"Everyone head for the hills!" Susie's pacer must have heard someone say that? Yes, Robin ran with her as a pacer and good company. He expected to do about 5 miles but ended up doing about 18.
Finish finally! The last 15 miles were about as painful as it sounds, having already run 35 miles. Yet, smiles were all you could see from this runner.
Sus took a painfully-wonderful ice bath (and, yes, did eventually go all the way - waist deep). She ended up second in the 50miler for the women and won an MP3 player.

Dean Karnazes is a know as the ultra-marathon-man. He's done all sorts of ultra marathons (anything longer than a marathon (26.2mi) is an "ultra marathon") and is kind of a machine in that way. He is working with The North Face to promote these types of races. He presented awards and was extremely encouraging.

Projects on the farm

2007-08-06T17:10:00.001-05:00

Those of you who remember the "little house" may appreciate knowing it is no longer for the most part. Dad mostly, but Mom, Sunny and I have all been helping to tear down the 'coon shack' as it had become. It has been a big project for the last few weeks. So I've been doing a bit of running, helping with this project and also, of course, riding. Sunny, Dad's new puppy is learning the farm ropes.

The new place

2007-08-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

So it's not 100% ours yet, but soon...very soon. We will hopefully close on our condo next week or sooner. I'll begin teaching at Northview Middle School in Ankeny on August 8th. Jon should be in Iowa, if all goes as planned, before the end of September. Yes, we're all counting down the days for sure.

Busy on the farm

2007-07-04T14:16:00.000-05:00

Most of you have probably lost hope that I'd ever return to this blog; so thanks if you're reading. To get a good picture of what's been going on for the last month link to Jen, Josh & Vivi's page and get a load of my niece Vivi. She's a riot! They're visiting from Brazil and so much fun! Also Dad and I ran the Duluth marathon a couple weeks ago, no heart failures or lost limbs, it was fun. (As fun as 26.2 miles can be). From Duluth I went to Canada with Dad, Josh, his brother Ross, Denny and Jim Arthur fishing. Jon will have such trips to look forward to maybe later? My grandma was here visiting, as well as my aunt and two cousins. So it's been a busy few weeks. Probably only to get busier, but that makes time pass more quickly. Jon is to return the first week of September, to GA that is, and hopefully be out-processed by October. I will begin my new post as 8th and 9th grade French teacher at Ankeny beginning August 8th. All is well and exciting. I'll try to post some pictures soon. Jon and I would love to hear from you all anytime!

Sergeant Dyck

2007-05-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

Jon's a full-fledged sergeant. He was "pinned" earlier this week. His commander over there flew up from another base for the roof-top promotion ceremony.

He says that it's been up to 114 deg. so far, just a balmy spring day in the desert.

He sends his thanks to the Propsom gang for all the treats!

Big day in the French department

2007-05-15T15:39:00.000-05:00

Pretty fancy for a twelve year old, this student got an A+ for the day. Today was my fourth and final time to host the infamous crêpe day for all my students, we produced about 115 crêpes today. I've done this at the end of each quarter. The students (with my strict guidance) cook and yes, flip crêpes. To preface the event, I show some pictures of some crêpes all done up some fancier than others. The above student took those ideas and tried to emulate. I think he had some strawberries and whipped cream inside. Don't you especially appreciate the chocolate drizzled on top, kinda makes your mouth water?

Parlez vous français ?

2007-05-13T17:07:00.000-05:00

Meet Marysia. She is one of my dearest friends in Augusta. We met last year when I took a trip with some internationals to DC/NYC, she joined the group. She is from Poland and a post-doc researcher at the Medical College of Georgia, MCG, doing research on Multiple-sclerosis. It is a pleasure to know her. She has one of the funniest laughs (more of a scream!) and is always up for something. This weekend she surprised me with a party. She invited a Frenchman, two Japanese and one girl from Thailand, all of which she met through MCG.

On my right is Eric, not just from France but happens to be from Lyon, the city in which I lived six years ago, and he does a lot of horseback riding-jumping and Dressage (the fancy English riding, actually the word Dressage is French for training, i.e. horse and rider work to exhibit the highest levels of communication and training, your equine lesson for the day). So we had a lot talk about. Then Marysia is on my left. Yoichi is next to her and the girl in pink, Akiko are Japanese; Amm in between them is Thai, she made the best Tuna salad I've ever had-Thai tuna salad.

I thought this was a clever idea, Marysia took cork and cut little squares, marked a square frame and then had her friends sign whatever they wanted with their names at the bottom. Obviously works well with Asian friends because it just looks cool. We admired them and had a lot of linguistic discussions. One thing, not linguistically related, that the Asians asked was why people don't turn on their ceiling lights but use lamps. There seemed to be a consensus among the Asians that they like rooms very bright. All I could do was liken the ceiling light to a trip to the dentist's office! They agreed with laughter : )

Running in place

2007-05-07T20:05:00.000-05:00

Many of you know that Dad, Jen and I are training for a marathon, Duluth - June 16. Dad and Jen will probably be running circles around me. I was hit with shin splints last week and basically crippled for the week. Feels like I've been running in place, I'll have to see how far these pilates will stretch me. I walked six tonight and ran about 2.5 of those miles, no pain thankfully. Now, just multiply that mileage by ten and add a little bit and I'll be good. Jon is well... BUSY, in a word.

2007-04-22T18:08:00.000-05:00

There have been few photo ops. lately, and I've been consumed with end of the school year business. But the birds are well and lively, as am I. Jon as well is as positive as ever. We are excited because he will be promoted to Sergeant at the beginning of May. He's now been overseas for one month. We're counting down the days 'til his return. (Hey, somebody make sure Denny sees the backdrop in this pic.)

Horses, horses and more horses...

2007-04-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

My spring break has been full of... work, but the fun kind of work. I think I rode every day this week. Friday, my friend Melissa (she and I ride polo ponies together), her mom, and I went on a trail ride. Trail rides in Georgia are very different than Colorado. Both fun in their own ways!

The Master's

2007-04-05T14:29:00.000-05:00

This is as close as you can get, I guess. I was granted the gift of attending the Master's again this year. For a non-golfer I feel kind of bad that I've been able to go both years of our stay in Augusta. It is an amazing place, the Augusta National Golf course. Today I went and it was the first day of the actual tournament. Last year Jon and I went during the practice rounds. We took some pictures last year, but during the tournament, they allow no electronic devices of any kind. So as a memento, I took a picture of my badge.

Polo

2007-04-05T14:10:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple pictures of what has been keeping Susie busy lately. The top pic. is at a polo game at a place called Whitney Field, and this game day was the 125 anniversary of the field and of the Aiken Polo club; so I learned some trivia about the area at the game. It's a beautiful field with a race track around it and the long horse barn in the background. The second pic. is of the player who I ride for at a practice game. He's riding Lavinia, a really sweet horse I ride a lot. At games my job is to get the horses ready, tacked up, and warmed up.

Email excerpt from Jon in Iraq

2007-03-30T18:25:00.000-05:00

Jon's doing well and is getting settled into is new quarters. He emails as frequently as he is able. Here's a snippet of his experiences thus far,
"Our interpreter who I will call "J" has another interpreter friend named "S" who is originally from Russia. Every night the two of them, along with everyone else who wants, sits on our front porch and shoots the breeze while the two 'terps' smoke like chimneys. Last night "S" brought homemade feta cheese and homemade yoghurt that he made from milk he took from the DFAC (the dining hall). It was so good! The yoghurt was pretty well fermented and tasted like wine. "S" said that was how his mother made cheese in Russia. He also says that his father lived to be 98 years old and he attributed that to eating tomatoes and cucumbers every day. They have fresh tomatoes and cucumbers in the DFAC so I might try it out.
One of the people that I work under here is from Grinnell, Iowa ..."

Aiken Steeplechase

2007-03-24T18:56:00.000-05:00

Right place at the right time. Today I was able to attend the Aiken Steeplechase races. I'd looked into purchasing tickets but you cannot buy them. So I'd given up hopes of attending. However, this morning I was riding with my friend Melissa and she mentioned that Doug (the owner of the horses we ride) had extra tickets. Yee Haw! So Melissa and I went. It was a unexpected surprise. Above, the horses are parading around a couple of officials, this is the custom I determined just prior to the commencement of a race. The officials have to count heads and riders. Then they approach the start "area" (no starting gates or anything, basically an imaginary line) and some guy just says GO. We found that rather odd in a simple sort of way.

The fences are only 3 or so feet. They are topped with a fake hedge but are otherwise solid. It was amazing how the horses just plow through them. They hardly loose any stride.

We were rather close to the action, we saw: worked up horses, worn out horses and everything in between. The jockey on the gray, #3 unfortunately fell during the race, but the horse kept on racing; we saw him jumping fences with out a rider, like the headless horseman! The rider was fine.

Jon to deploy March 22

2007-03-21T20:13:00.000-05:00

Testing out the gas mask on the Vidalias. Jon's ready to go so that he can return to his new snowboard and test it out instead next winter. Jon deploys March 22. Pray that he learns a lot and returns with God's speed.

Hot Springs, North Carolina

2007-03-21T19:52:00.000-05:00

J & S took a road trip up into the mountains, along the Applachain Trail and to Hot Springs, NC. After a little hike, the hot springs were delightful. Jon's hanging out over the French Broad River. We though that was a funny name for a river, nevertheless it was very nice.

Who's that? And where'd she get the wig?

2007-03-14T20:45:00.000-05:00

2007-03-14T20:25:00.000-05:00

Hello Lauren! Lauren caught us just after I had had my hair cut and styled. The first time I paid for a hair cut in over four years! My friend works at a ritzy salon, and I had her cut my hair. She cut a ton off, even though you can't tell. She also straightened it, which I've never had done with this long of hair. It was very fun. Jon thought it was swell too. One last crazy hoo-rah before he departs! If you've not been updated on Jon's near future endeavors, do email one of us; we need to fill you in on his whereabouts.

Caught red-handed

2007-02-13T21:34:00.000-05:00

Shame on Susie, sneaking a bite of the maple candy behind Jon's back.

Valentine's Candy Anyone?

2007-02-13T21:26:00.000-05:00

Some of our good Gray river bottom maple syrup had hardened into candy at the bottom of a glass jar and Jon reconstituted it so it could be poured out into reach.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2007-02-03T21:06:00.000-05:00

Who ever said reds were hard colors to match?

Winter congregation at the Farm

2007-02-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

Mom liked having a full house, so did Vivi. She's not too shy.

2007-02-03T18:26:00.000-05:00

The cold didn't stop some real riders. Dad and Susie took a jaunt over toward the Hughes' house. The cold wasn't a problem... until we turned around into the wind! Makes the Georgia winter of 35-50 deg. feel balmy.

2007-02-03T18:23:00.000-05:00

Like Father, Like Daughter

2007-02-03T18:13:00.000-05:00

Vivi even got to know her Great, Great Aunt Maxine Gray. Vivi was fond of Aunt Maxine's turquoise.

2007-02-03T18:08:00.000-05:00

Susie took a quick trip to visit Vivi and the gang at the farm. It was a wonderful weekend!