In the Valley of the Sun

Palm Trees in Phoenix

Phoenix Arizona was a change . . . from the record winter weather of Portland into sun and 70-degrees. Good thing I was there only there just 32 hours or I could have been spoiled or sunburned! But I’m really not a desert person (miss the green forests too much) and 115-degrees in the summer would be an issue.

The trip was business: Recruiting and alumni. Our men’s basketball team was playing in a holiday tournament so I watched their second game, an 84-57 blowout of Old Westbury College (NY), before going to the L&C reception that night at the fabulous Mission Palms Hotel in downtown Tempe. Between the ten basketball teams and the Kansas vs. Minnesota crowd for the Insight Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium just a few blocks away, there were a lot of athletes and fans at the hotel and walking around Mill Street.

It was a great opportunity to meet with L&C recruits and their parents. Getting to know people face-to-face and having a great conversation about their future in college was really enjoyable. L&C had a good contingent in attendance as the head coaches of football, baseball, basketball and track were there along with our Athletic Director.

A great night, then I was back in Portland by 10:00 the next morning.

Coach Fix

Snowed In – Start Blog

I’m going to have to change my answer.  The answer to an often asked question from recruits, ” Do you get much snow?” I can still fall back on the weather stats and truthfully say, “Portland averages only 2 days per year of measurable snow.”

Snow is piling up on my deck.

Of course now I’ll have to add, “Except for 2008 when we got over a foot.” I’ll be more accurate if, and when, it EVER STOPS SNOWING! “And the snow lasted (fill-in the blank)” … 8 days and counting at this post. The weather man says this is the most snow since Christmas 1968 – which had 15-inches of snow.

My backyard down to the stream.

I remember that storm because I was a student at L&C and had a job taking pictures for college publications. I hiked the 2-miles to campus to take photos. Every so often since then I see one of those photos used by publications – now they will have a whole new set to use the next 40-years!

These photos are of my deck and back yard. We live on a lovely stream, but our house is at the bottom of a long, steep hill. The snow plows don’t come down here, or the mailman … nobody comes down our hill when it snows!

Our bird feeder has been very popular.

We have hiked out twice to go to the store (I keep running out of Diet Pepsi). The rest of the time is bonding with my wife Paula, daughter Adria and cat Luna.

Luna under the Christmas tree.

That and I’ve read a lot of books (thankfully I had a stack from my last visit to Powell’s City of Books in downtown Portland), but I need to read less depressing books – All The Pretty Horses was a real downer. So I’ve balanced the books by watching romantic comedy movies with a lot of popcorn!

Well that’s it … my blog is off and running,

Coach Fix