8/30/10

Snow on Mt. Bachelor ????  Yep it's true. It's just another part of what has been a very wild and wacky weather year. Should be good for the bowhunters though. I will be taking a break in the action next week, going on vacation before Kath heads down to Southern California to visit her Folks and some friends. So, it's just me, the dogs and our fish pink till October....hmmmmm sounds like the return of PORKFEST 2010 !!! Pork sausage gravy over  home fries and  Pork ribs !!!! I will Survive.... Happy Labor Day Everyone  !!!

08/23/10

Another beautiful weekend on the High Desert. I took a flying trip over to where we are going to hunt deer this year in the Northside unit. It has been over 25 years since I have hunted in this area and how things have changed. Alot brushier than I remember, but still very pretty. Saw 8 or 9 deer and a couple of bucks so that was encouraging. There were 7 of us who got tags for this unit, so we are hoping for some success.

8/18/10

A sad day in Central Oregon as the former President and Chairman of Les Schwab has died. Phil Wick was 66 years young. an article that was written last year in Prineville Territory talks about his life the best. With thier permission, here is that article.

 Profile Phil Wick

story by Heather Neet

Prineville Territory | Winter 2009

 Sixty-five years addresses a lot of major historical landmarks in a  person’s life, both personally and professionally. Thinking about  our current community and family challenges and reflecting on similar challenges faced throughout the years, I see many parallels through the times and one common ideal reflected on through the
generations. That ideal is the “I am proud to be an American” attitude
that makes our country so great. My father lived that attitude starting
at a young age and taught my brother and me to relish that attitude
as we grew up. This story is about my father and how he made the
successful transition from a young Central Oregon farm boy to a
retired CEO of a one and a half billion dollar company. This is the story
about an American dream; the story of Phil Wick.
Determination, iron will and shrewd business sense made this local,
Phil Wick, a modern day success story. He is a man of strong moral
code and love for life, people and God. This local boy grew up in a
typical Central Oregon fashion but his love for business and people
shaped him into a local legend.
The Wick ancestry originated in Norway and the Scandinavian roots
are ever so present. Phil’s parents moved to Alfalfa in 1947, when he
was only 3 years old. They had family that lived in the area and had
always loved it region. His dad, a welder with the shipyards during
WWII, decided to try his hand at farming. On their farm in Alfalfa they
raised cattle, hay and potatoes; later they moved their operation to
Powell Butte. Phil and his two brothers, Lee and Donald, helped their
parents with the day to day operation of the farm. However with three
boys and lot of open space, the Wick Boys found themselves in trouble
from time to time like only farm boys can. They often reminisce about
the good old days with stories of riding dairy cows with only spurs on
or crashing model T’s. It was those experiences of problem-solving,
extremely hard work and faith in people that helped mold them into
successful and generous citizens. Their loving parents, Lester and
Elvina, instilled in them a strong commitment to family and community;
and that community and church is an extension of family.
There were many animals to attend to in order to maintain the Wick
Family livelihood on the farm. “Dad always said that the animals
come first. They eat before you eat. They have their stalls cleaned
before you get ready for school.” The name Phil means “love for
horses” and that love became evident on the farm. Phil’s favorite
horse was a quarter horse named, Blaze. His Aunt Francis painted a
portrait of Blaze, which  he treasures still today. “Dad always said to
walk your horse the first  mile out and the last mile in and you would
always have a good horse. I had many great horses throughout my
life. I shared Dad’s words of wisdom with my own kids and continue to practice
that wisdom each and every time I ride.” Phil went to elementary school in Alfalfa where he graduated from
eighth grade with two other students. Phil likes to remember the way
the community pulled together to make things happen. In Alfalfa, with
only 25 students in grades K-12, the school did not have a basketball
court. The surrounding families joined together one day to create one
for the kids. The dads dug holes to plant the posts for the basketball
hoops then the hoops were fashioned on two unpainted pieces
of plywood for the backboards. The court was still grass, but that
actually turned out to be an advantage. Today Phil says, “I still tell my
grandkids to practice dribbling on the grass. You get to be very good
at ball handling from practicing on such an uneven surface.”
From eighth grade in Alfalfa, Phil moved on to attend high school in
the big city of Redmond. During his high school years, he played on
numerous sports teams including football, basketball and track. He
was pretty fast and had a great jump shot, his determination and
work ethic made it possible for him to play football at the college level at Eastern Oregon University. 

During Phil’s high school and college years, he met a young lady named Lesley. Her father was the John Deere dealer in Redmond. They started dating and years later the high school sweethearts married. When they started dating, Phil did not realize the positive impact Lesley would have on his life. She was and is today his best friend and the love of his life. After they were married, Phil and Lesley continued farming with Phil’s family. Phil also worked at the mill. A friend of his encouraged him to talk with Les Schwab. Les originally thought Phil would be great in the main office with his college education but during the interview he surprised

them both when he picked up the phone and called the Bend tire store to suggest they ‘put the young man to work’. Phil received a phone call about a week later asking him to start work that Saturday at the Bend Les Schwab store. Phil told Lesley he thought he should try this out. After one day in the store, Phil knew this was what he wanted to do. The next few years went very quickly. Phil was sent to The Dalles store for a year and a half, then to the Sweet Home store as an assistant manager. It was evident to Phil that a lot of hard work and decisive decision making could make him go far in the company. These two work ethics came naturally to Phil with his upbringing on the farm. After another year and a half, Phil went work at a new store in Walla Walla, WA; he was only 23 years of age. After eight short months, Phil

transitioned into manager. Most managers were 30 years old at that time and Phil was only 24. Six years after becoming a store manager, Phil became a zone manager for the company. Zone managers ran their stores and oversaw five to seven other stores. Phil’s zone ran from Toppenish to Baker City. He put a lot of miles on his truck then! In 1980, Les Schwab brought Phil to the main

office in Prineville to be the Executive Vice President of all the

Les Schwab Tire Stores. Three years later, in October 1983, Phil became President. “I had the opportunity to work alongside

Les for the next 23 years. He called me his son and treated me as such. He was a second father to me. He was a very neat guy to work with and he always knew what was going on in his company. We were side by side for many years and I look back on those years fondly.” recalls Phil.By the time Phil became President, Les had already built a successful corporation. Phil and Les found

common ground in their personalities as they worked with people and strove to create a business model that catered to customer

service. Les taught Phil about business and business relationship during those years. The company really took off with the two of

them working together; it went from an 80 million dollar company to a one and a half billion dollar company. They implemented

programs to help their fellow employees and made numerous

generous contributions to the communities they worked in all over

the Northwest. There were seven stores when Phil started with the

company. Today there are more than 400 stores in six states.

Phil anticipated job growth for the company and created a top

management team of local boys. Rich Priday, Dan Roberts, Phil

Powell and Tom Freedman made up this team and together

they helped make the company boom. Phil also knew Les liked

to know all his employees and wanted to maintain a family style

atmosphere among them. They both wanted the company to be

known for its customer service, from the corporate offices to the

local stores and from the stores to the customers. To them people

meant everything to any successful operation and having the

right people in the right positions, listening to every suggestion and comment and making sure that employees are treated fairly meant success. Phil would often say, “Happy employees make for a happy work environment and thus a happy customer. That is our lifeline.” Today Phil is retired but still lives in Central Oregon. He credits his wife Lesley, with the balance of their family. Lesley traveled with him to every store grand opening, supplier and manager meeting during the past 43 years of service to the Les Schwab Company. During those meetings they built a strong relationship with Les and Dorothy Schwab and Lesley and Margie Denton. Les and Dorothy’s daughter became close friends. Phil and Lesley always appreciated the family atmosphere. They continue to mourn the loss of the company’s two great leaders, Les Schwab and Margie Denton. Not only did they lose the company’s leaders, they lost their friends, their family. Now you can find Phil trying to relax. He enjoys hunting and fishing with his son Jeff and son-in-law Jeremy. Phil still rides for cattle on Les’s family ranch, being a cowboy another of his many hats. He loves Chukar and Pheasant hunting with his German Shorthairs. Trying to decide which lake to fish on is sometimes his most pressing decision since there are so many here. When the fish aren’t biting he loves to golf with his friends and family and reminisce about their careers together. He enjoys spending time with his five grandchildren; Josh,

Jordan, Justin, Wyatt and Allie. Phil is helping to teach the boys about fishing and hunting and occasionally he can be talked into taking his only granddaughter shopping. While he treasures his career, his family has always been most important. In his words, “I am living a blessed life and one I am truly grateful for;

my American dream. God Bless America.”

8/16/10

Sometimes, things just don't turn out like you think they will. I had planned on going and scouting out deer camp this past weekend. I had thought I would head out on Saturday and get back Sunday before I  had to go on the air. I got home on Friday to find out Kath had other plans, inviting Lacey, Tim and the grand kids over.it was a fun weekend though, just not quite what I figured it was going to be going into it. It will be deer camp this coming weekend.

8/09/10

Happee 8/9/10 to you !!!! Hopefuly today is your lucky day, and you win a few million dollars. Wouldn't that be nice. That could be a real game changer I'm thinkin'. Pretty interesting that 40 of the wealthiest people in the world have decided to give up half of all thier wealth for philanthropic pursuits. Maybe they would want to share some of that with us ?? I guess we can always dream. But until then, payday is Friday.

8/02/10

The Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo has come and gone and  what a fun time out at the rodeo. Chute 9 party is always a blast. The parade was a fun one, and a big thanks to the board of directors for the Fair Association for the plaque commemorating  my 30th year of announcing the parade. that was a wonderful suprise. Hope to be around to do it another 30 years. There are pictures of the parade and the award here on our website.

07/26/10

Had a great time at the Jefferson County Fair on Friday night. Alexis Ebert is a great up and coming talent. Now it's off to the Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo. Michael Colleen and myself will be announcing the parade once again this year, and KSJJ will host the Chute 9 parties on both Friday and Saturday. A busy busy summer. we'll see you at the rodeo !!!

07/19/10

Took a flyin' trip over to the valley to see my daughter Lacey and the grandkids over the weekend. They live about 2 miles as the crow flies from where I grew up. It's amazing how much things have changed since I went in the Air Force in 1971. The house that they live in used to be a 5 or 10 acre hobby farm and was in a fairly rural setting. Not anymore. Fair season is gearing up, as the Jefferson County Fair kicks off this week. I will be out there on Friday night to  bring on Alexis Ebert, a great country music singer out of Albany. Hope to see you out there.

7/12/10

Some sad news at the Garrigus home. One of Kath's best friends has died from cancer. Carmen Dragon died Sunday morning in Aptos California which is about 15 miles west of Watsonville. She was born into a musical family, her dad who was also Carmen Dragon being a conductor and composer who wrote for both television and the movies, her brother Daryl is the Captain of Captain and Tenile, her younger brother Dennis was with the Surf Punks and Carmen herself was an incredible harpist and conductor. She played with several symphonies as well. A very easy going free spirit that will be terribly missed. Here's to you Carm, We love you.

07/06/10

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July. The fireworks were wonderful as always and a big tip of the hat to the Bulletin for the Bend display. Got to spend some time both in Lapine and in Redmond this past weekend at the various 4th of July celebrations. Saw alot of friends at both. Yesterday was a work day taking the chain saw to a pile of limbs...What a workout...Kath wanted me to climb on the ladder with the chainsaw to get some limbs that were nearly out of reach... I opted for a handsaw. I realy didn't want to see that accidental death policy enforced....

6/28/10

Great weekend out at the Crooked River Round up. Good to see everyone in Prineville. The round up was awesome as always. Another busy weekend coming up with everything happening for the 4th of July. I will be in Lapine for Frontier days on Saturday the 3rd, then in Redmond driving the KSJJ rig through the parade. So, did everyone get thier tags ??? I have talked to alot of people who seemed to have some luck. I still don't think I'm going to get an antelope tag for another 10 years...Happy 4th of July to you all !!!!

6/21/10

Happy Summer !!! And it kind of feels that way too. Went up to Elk Camp over the weekend and it was raining pretty good. Camp is at 6000 feet and we were in the clouds. the wildflowers though were off the charts !!! if you get a chance and can get out the forests are just an emerald green right now from all the rain we have had. it doesn't get any prettier. Hope all the dads  had a great Fathers Day. It's now on to the 65th Annual Crooked River Round Up. Always a great show and alot of fun !!!  See you in Prineville this weekend !!!

06/14/10

What a Beautiful weekend !! Thats what Central Oregon is all about. Hope everyone had a chance to get out and enjoy it. The Sisters Rodeo was a great time with really good crowds and some awesome action on the bulls and broncs. A big THANK YOU to the Sisters Rodeo Board of Directors for the belt buckle. Totally unexpected, but very much appreciated. Next up a spring time trip to elk camp !!!!

06/07/10

 Coming up on the Sisters Rodeo, 70th annual. My 1st Sisters Rodeo was 30 years ago in 1980, and it's been a great relationship since then. I started announcing the parade that year with Ralph McNulty and what a good time we have had over the years. This years parade starts at 9;30 on Saturday, and then we'll be out at the rodeo grounds for a live remote broadcast  at 11am. Come on out and enjoy the Sisters Rodeo !!!! Let'er Buck !!!!

06/01/10

June 1st !!! Wrap your mind around that. Didn't we just see the New Year come in ??? Apparrently not. It's been alot of years since I have seen a spring this wet, probably the mid 80's. Went out to trim up the weeds and felt like I was in the jungle. Pretty thick. Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. Not that long until school is out, and alot of people are looking forward to that. Just another day closer to Elk Season !!!!

05/24/10

Had a great weekend up in Pendleton with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. It's a great banquet and a wonderful group of people. Always fun. As we were going up there, My cohort in crime Jeff Jensen pulled off of I-84 on the otherside of Rufus. I thought He was having car problems, but instead he grabbed his binoculars, and glassed some big horn sheep that were in that area. 2 or 3 full curl rams. We lamented the fact that we probably would never have a chance to get a tag to be able to hunt one, but we would continue to put in for that opportunity. Still, alot of fun to see. If you are headed that way for Memorial Day it's right between the Rufus Exit and the turn to La Page. Have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend !!

5/17/10

Great weekend for the U.S.Bank PPP !!! Just couldn't have been any better. Always good to see everyone down at the Les Schwab Amphitheater enjoying the quintessential Bend event. This weekend, it's up to Pendleton for the final Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet for the year. Should be another great time. If you are looking for tickets go on line to www.rmef.org . C-U there !!

5/10/10

Hope everyone had a great Mothers Day...Normally good things happen for dads as well on Mothers day...t-bone steaks and the like. Looking forward to the U.S.Bank PPP this coming weekend. Looks like a record number of  racers this year which will make for alot of fun. C-U at the beer garden !!! Good luck to everyone !

05/03/10

Nice to see some decent weather for the weekend. And to everyone taking thier yard debris out to Knott Landfill, my hats off to you. It really does make a difference in creating defensible space around your home. I got out did the yard work thing and broke out the weedeater to gnaw down some weeds that  are growing like weeds. I will be out this Friday at Knott landfill from 1-3 doing a remote for FireFree. Hope to see you out there.

4/26/10

Took the short trip to John day this past weekend for  the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet over there. It was thier 20th annual banquet, with 190 people having a ball and helping  wildlife and habitat. It was a great time. Always enjoy the trip over and at this time of year, it's a wonderful part of the world as everything greens up. the wildflowers aren't starting to pop yet, but it shouldn't be long now. Looking forward to  the banquet in Pendleton May 22nd. if you are looking for tickets go to www.rmef.org and you're  ready to go !! C-U-there !!

4/20/2010

Had a great time at the Central Oregon  Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet in Redmond over the weekend. Had just over 300 people there helping to raise money for elk habitat. This coming weekend, it's off to John Day for thier banquet which is always a lot of fun too. If you want to go, go online to www.rmef.org and get your tickets. We'll see you there !!

4/12/10

This weekend is the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet for the Central Oregon Chapter. This is always a great time, with you neighbors and friends who care about the conservation of habitat and what that brings to Oregon and Central Oregon. There are alot of great banquets locally that all support conservation efforts from the Mule Deer Foundation to the Oregon Hunters Foundation and many more, but the RMEF banquets are some of my favorites. Hope to see you there this Saturday at the Fairgrounds in Redmond. For tickets, you can go online to RMEF.org

04/05/10

 For those of you who may not know, today is Bob Shotwell's 86th Birthday. Bob and I  worked together  in the 80's and 90's as he did news for me and the KICE Radio Rangers. Besides being nominated for a Pulitzer for a series of articles he did when he wrote for the Oregonian, he Is a WW2 vet and taught at Central Oregon Community College. He's one of the good ones. There is a party for him tomorrow at the Red Rooster Cafe in Lapine from 6;30-8;30am. Hope you have a chance to wish him a happy birthday.

03/29/10

Wow !!! it must be nearly April, as we are going to see 3-4 feet of snow in the Cascades. Seems like that happens just about every year. No doubt we can use the precipitation but what a pain. Took the studded tires off yesterday, and now I'm wondering if I shouldn't have waited for a couple of more days. It seems to me there should be a differant set of laws for those who live east of the Cascades when it comes to studded tires. I know they do 11 million dollars in damage annually, but it just seems we always run into these types of snow vs. vehicle situations every year. Maybe people who need to leave thier studs on for an extra month pay an extra fee to DMV, they get an extended use sticker and they are good to go. that way they are paying for the privelage of having thier studs on while helping to pay for the repair of the roads. There has to be a solution.

3/22/10

Our hearts go out to Dave Young and his family. Dave who is the engineer for the radio station has been battling brain cancer for the last 9 months. he had  several tumors removed last year, but the last tumor they were going to take out has spread into 4 and is now in his spinal column. The doctors have said barring a miracle, Dave wont  live more than another month. It takes alot of work to keep 5 radio stations on the air and operating at optimum performance. Dave was one of the best at what he did.Through his whole ordeal, he always has had a positive outook, and a smile for you. He is truly a wonderful human being and didn't deserve this. But that's the ugliness of cancer. It's non-discriminatory and wields it's devastation on any and all. Say a prayer for Dave today. I know I will.

3/28/10

Just recieved word that Dave passed away over the weekend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nancy and Jessie. He will be missed

3/15/2010

Hope everyone had a good time out at the Sportsmens Show. Lots of great exhibits and a chance to see whats new for those who enjoy the outdoors. Speaking of that today is the last day to  apply for your controlled hunt tags and possibly get  Sports Pac for 2011. 50 have already been given away, and this go around it will be 30 more. Then on April 15th another 20. It pays to apply early. I guess I need to get with it...

3/08/2010 

Just another beautiful weekend on the High Desert !! Hope everyone had a chance to get out and enjoy it. This week, it's the Central Oregon Sportsman's Show at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond. Always alot of fun as you get a chance to see everything thats new, along with the head and horns competition and all the stuff for the kids, it's just alot of fun. See you out there from 10am-1pm on Saturday !!!

3/1/2010

Great action with the Olympics yesterday.The Hockey match between the U.S. and Canada couldn't have been any better. Congrats to Team USA and the Canadians for  staging such a great event.. and Congratulations are in order for several local teams as well. the Culver Bulldogs, winner of thier 4th straight state Wrestling Championship and the Summit High Boys and Girls Nordic Teams who won thier 4th  straigh state titles. great job done by all !!

02/24/2010

So, what Olympic sports are tripping your trigger ?? Good to see the U.S. doing as well as it is especially in some of the events they have struggled in such as cross country skiing and bobsledding. Would have liked to have seen Torin Koos and Tommy Ford do better. Will be real interested in how Chris Klug does in his event. As he told me, this Olympics is very likely to end his competitive snowboarding career. for great Olympic coverage check out www.nbcolympics.com .

02/17/10

Back in the saddle after a few days visiting the family over in Aloha. A great time seeing the kids and grand kids, and both  Timea and Tallon are growing up too quickly. Went to Timea's Pre-school and saw her in action. It's kindergarten for her next year. Thats a hard one to wrap  my mind around. Kath ran out of batteries twice while she was taking pictures. What a great time. Got a chance to see alot of the Olympic coverage and see the Americans doing as great as they are. if your are looking for great Olympic coverage on the web this is the best with videos and great stories...

• www.nbcolympics.com

02/08/2010 

WHO DAT ???? Fantastic Superbowl game yesterday and a big tip of the hat to the Saints. they were aggressive in thier play calling and made it count when they had to. My good friends Gerry and Marie Duplechin who live about 100 miles away from New Orleans in Lafayette are big Saints fans and  true Cajuns. I know they have to be a happy bunch down on the Bayou. I'm going to take a few days off coming up to go over into the Hillsboro area and spend some time with family. Hope everyone has a great Valentines Day and Presidents Day weekend.

02/03/2010

So, took a snowmobile ride this past Monday up to the radio tower up above Tumalo Falls. From Dutchman Flats it's about an hours ride. What a great time !!! I haven't been back up there since I first got here in 1979. I can hardly wait till  summer to go hiking back in there. and if perhaps you are snowmobiliing back in that area, some where around the 3 creeks turn-off and happen to find a tan colored Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation hat with a brown brim...it's mine. I lost it on the way out. GO SAINTS !!!!

02/01/2010

Happeeee February !!! Yeh, Wrap you mind around that...February. Now, besides doing the on air things  on KSJJ that I do, I also am the back up engineer, and  as many of you know, the tower west of town above Tumalo Falls is the KSJJ tower. So today, we are going up the hill to do some tower maintenance. Becauses of the weird snow conditions, we aren't able to go up like we normally would up Skyliner road then hit the ridge road up to the tower. Nope, we have to go up to Dutchman Flats and ride in from the back side on Snowmobiles. as my friend Jimmy Torres  once told me, I want an adventure !!! I think it's going to happen today. GO SAINTS !!!

01/25/2010 

Are you ready for some football ???? a couple of pretty good  games for the NFC and AFC  Championships. I really had hoped the Jets would win, but that was not to be. It will make for a great Superbowl game though, between the Colts and the Saints. I have to root for the Saints on this one. hope they have a dynamite day. not too sure about the pro-bowl prior to the Superbowl, but, I guess we'll see what happens.

1/22/2010

It was 6 years ago today that R.L.Garrigus Day was celebrated in Central Oregon. A variety of family and friends helped to make the day a reality and alot of fun. People that I have known over my 30 years in radio in Central Oregon were a part of the day along with a roast later on that evening. It was a great day. Thinking back on the day it makes you appreciate the friends that you have made over the years and those that you love. Thanks again to those who made that day a reality, and  thanks to everyone in Central Oregon for thier patronage of the radio stations that I have worked for over the years. 

1/18/10

Did you get enough football this weekend ??? For all the top elite HOOPLA that has been laid upon us 3 blowouts and one close game... I hope that both the NFC and AFC championship games are good and close. Isn't that what you always want is just a good close game. The NFC game shoud be great,and I am not sure who to root for...Love the Saints, But I want to see Brett Farve go back to the Superbowl...For the AFC, I think it would be a kick to  see the Jets win....we'll see  how they play against the Colts, who basically allowed the Jets to control thier own destiny after  Baltimore pulled thier starters in the 2nd half of thier game earlier in the year. Should be a couple of good games...we hope...

01/11/10

Definately a football weekend at the Garrigus' house. Got to see most of all 4 of the games and no doubt the best was the Green Bay-Cardinal's game. I would like to see the Superbowl winner come from the NFC this year who ever it is, just for a change of pace.  But that could all change if San Diego gets there.

1/04/2010

HAPPEEEE NEW YEAR !!!!

Hard to believe isn't it ??? Hopefully this finds everyone in good spirits and doing well. Had alot of fun at the Buck n Ball. Good to see everyone and see everyone having such a good time. Thanks again to  the guys at Countryfied for putting on such a great show and to Randy Amis for the top notch rodeo... looking forward to the 3rd annual Buck n Ball... and it's only a year away, which means it's another day closer to elk season.

12/28/09

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Kath and I had a quiet Christmas morning but had a fun time with some of our freinds that night over at the home of Jimmy Torres and Linda Hasse. Jimmy besides being a wonderful musician has many other hidden talents, including being a gourmet chef. We had beef wellington, along with riced potatoes and mushrooms. I brought over a dish of brussel sprouts, cubed butter nut squash and pecans that was pretty tasty...it was a  good evening with some great friends.  Hope everyone is getting ready for the Buck N' Ball at the Fairgrounds New Years Eve !! should be a good one !!! C-U there !!!

12/24/09

And so, Merry Christmas to everyone. Kathie and I hope you all have a very safe and wonderful holiday season. So, some of my favorite things for the holidays;

Favorite Christmas Song; Merry Christmas from the family, Robert Earl Keen

Favorite Christmas  Movie; Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd

Favorite Christmas Meal; Elk or Venison Backstrap with pan fried potatoes and onions

Favorite Christmas beverage; a cold beer or a shot of Glenlivet

May all your Christmas wishes come true....Merry Christmas !!!!

12/21/09

The Winter Solstice and 4 days to Christmas. Hope everyone is about ready. I know I'm not. I know what I am going to get Kath, yes, I haven't got that far yet but  I'm getting close. For me, I need a new hunting pack. Have been pricing them and everyone that makes one is pretty proud of them. Found one though on the website www.cheaperthandirt.com . It's a military pack a MOLLE 722 and  at a decent price. Hopefully all of you get what you asked for. Merry Christmas to you all from the Garrigus family.

12/14/09

Nice to finally  get out of the freeze and back to  a little more normal winter weather. And to think we are just 11 days away from Christmas. I must admit, i do prograstinate when it comes to buying Christmas presents for the family. Don't know why ,I just am. We put up our Christmas tree yesterday and will probably do the outside lights tonight. but for the present thing, that will be at least another week off. Hope you all are getting in the Christmas mood.

12/07/09

They say it's your Birthday....why yes it is...thanks to everyone who called this morning to wish me a happy birthday. Should be a good one. Good to see everyone out at the Bend Christmas Parade and the Lapine Truckers Light Parade. Always a lot of fun doing  those. that was my 30th time announcing the Bend Christmas Parade, which is always alot of fun. too Ernie and the crew, you do a great job, and to Sandra down in Lapine you pulled it off again. Just 18 days until Christmas....hard to believe  it's almost 2010.

11/30/09

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Kath's and mine was very quiet and contemplative. We took a couple of hikes out by Tumalo Reservoir. Saw some awesome sunsets. As promised, here is the link to the report done by Dean Runyan of ODFW on the amount of money spent by those who enjoy the outdoors in Oregon. For the tri-county area that total is  nearly 109 million dollars !!! Good information to share with people to show how those who frequent the outdoors also support the conservation of the resource. the link is below;

http://www.deanrunyan.com/ODFW/ODFWsurvey.html

11/23/09

Got a nice suprise last Friday when a friend of mine who works for the Department of Veteran Affairs in Oregon told me he and another  person are compiling a book on those who have served in the military from Oregon and some of the interesting things they have done. Included in that book will be my brother Tom. Here is the excerpt that will be in the book:

11/18/09

Back in the saddle once again !! Had a great time up elk hunting even though I never "harvested". Saw plenty of elk, but no spikes. It's always good to get up into elk camp though, and spend some time communing with nature. Hopefully everyone had a good experience with thier hunt as well, successful or not. On anohter note, if you are headed out  and going by the Seneca Tavern, stop by and have one of the best burgers  between John Day and Burns. Great place to stop and refuel.

11/02/09

Nice to be back onto standard time. Daylight time is such a pain. Cows don't need a clock to know when they are going to get milked. Wednesday is the day, that we trek up to elk camp. Would like to see some snow, but it doesn't look real promising for the first few days of the season. We'll have to play that by ear. Hope everyone had thier chance at a bull for 1st season. If you did get a nice one, send me a picture to rlg@ksjj1029.com and we'll find a place to put it. C-U in 2 weeks !!!!

10/26/09

Get the feeling we are  moving towards that colder stormier part of fall ??? Just before I took the dogs out this morning, I opened up the  front door to the house, and a gust of wind took the door out of my hand, blowing aspen leaves into the house. With the first  Rocky Mountain elk season coming up this bodes well for all those heading out. Good luck to everyone and dont forget to send in  the pictures.

10/19/09

And, another day closer to elk season. Just finished up with my wifes birthday week ??? if it works for her it works for me. I am now turning my focus to getting everything heading the right direction for going elk hunting in November. Things to do; get the rebuilt carbuerator back on Lurch, break out theguns, the camp stuff and check all my cold weather clothes out. I have a pack that has most of my heavy duty  clothing in it, but always a good idea to check it all out. other than that and a couple of last minute supplies, 19 days and counting......

10/12/09

Got over to the coast this weekend. It was a gorgeous couple of days. the leaves are all turning and the trip over and back was spectacular.Saw some elk outside of Yachats which was an added bonus. It was the beginning of my wife Kathie's birthday week. Yeh, not just a day, but an entire week. it all works out, as elk hunting is not that far off.

10/05/09

Anyone have any luck out in the woods over the weekend ??? I did not. Went over on the west side to hunt with my friend Jeff.  We spent the first day near Waltersville, then yesterday we were over by Olallie Lake. We saw more deer in the field by his house than we did out in the woods. Had the feeling  they were headed for lower territory but Jeff didn't think so. if you had any luck, have any pics you would like to share, send me an e-mail at  rlg@ksjj1029.com .

09/28/09

You just never know what's going to happen. I didn't think I was going to go deer hunting this year. Didn't get any tags, so I was just going to go over and spend a weekend with my cousins in Desolation, but as it turns out, it looks like I am going to hunt over in the valley. First time I have hunted for deer in Western Oregon since I was in my early 20's. Should be alot of fun... will let you know how it went, next week.

09/22/09

Welcome to the first day of Fall !! You know you are in Central Oregon when the First day of Autumn can be 90 degrees. Thinking back to the first day of Summer wasn't it raining like there  was no tommorow?? Fall has to be my favorite time of year, Mainly because it's hunting season and we get out of that bloody hot weather...except for today...

09/14/09

It's been a busy week here at the radio ranch. lots of activity as we move into our new facilities at 345 Cyber Drive. In our radio group there are 5 stations and 2 production studios. in the last week ALL of those studios have been moved, and while the  rest of the folks are expected to move soon, we are still working out of two locations. it will be great when we do get moved, although we will miss the view from  our location over looking the river. it was a gorgeous place.

09/09/09 

I love numbers...this 999 thing trips my trigger...it is also happening as we are moving our studios to a new location 345 Cyber Drive . Pretty easy to get to just go up Colorado until you get to Emkay drive and  before you get to the DMV offices turn right on Cyber, we are the 1st building on the Left. Should be in the building by September 20th. 999-345 it all  works....

08/31/09

How crazy is this ?? The end of August. Luckily that means we are another day closer to elk season. The bowhunters are already out and about, and I know at least one person that  had some success. Saw a nice rack in the back of a pick up coming back from Lapine on Saturday. And thanks to all those who came out to the Lapine McDonalds remote broadcast this past weekend. had alot of fun, and it's always good to see all our friends in South County.

08/24/09

Had a great time Saturday night with our friends from the High Desert Museum at the 20th annual High Desert Rendevous. The event is the major fundraiser of the year for the museum, and I was asked to emcee the event. It's great to see, even in an economic slump, that people are as willing to give as always, and truly, to one of the great assets of Central Oregon. if you haven't been to the High Desert Museum in a while, put it on your list of things to do before summer is over. It's a wonderful way to spend a day.

08/17/09

Alas, all good things come to an end. "Porkfest: The Trilogy" is about to abate. Kath has been in Sun Valley visiting friends for the past two weeks, and then spent some time with Lacey and the grandkids. and she is back on Thursday. I have enjoyed my country boneless ribs, sausage gravy over hashbrowns and a good bratwurst or two. But I understand, I will  have the chance at another fest in October, as Kath heads to California to see her folks. As you may well suspect, my beloved wife is not a  big fan of  "the other white meat".

08/11/09

You have to be wondering if we are done with the heat or if it will make a late summer comeback. It REALLY felt like fall this past weekend, and that works for me. Central Oregon is at it's best when fall is here, and of course that means we are just that much closer to elk season.

08/04/09

Had a great time at the Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo this past weekend.  A tip of the hat to all those in the parade on Saturday, and especially to Crook County Judge Gary Williams, a member of the Oregon Mounted Governor's Guard, whose horse took a spill during the parade. both the horse and Gary are okay, but there is an issue for those who are on horseback riding during parades in Redmond. At the intersections where the roads are sealed, they are very slick for the horse shoes, making  for a very dangerous situation. Not quite sure what the solution is, but possibly walking the horses through those areas, putting something down  over those surfaces for the parades, or not allowing mounted entries. I would hate to see someone seriously hurt or have a horse break a leg because of how slick those areas are.

07/31/09

And here we are at the end of July. Now that's hard to believe. the heat can stop any time now.Just wanted to Thank Bryan Iverson for getting me a copy of Prineville Territory. What a great magazine. As I told him , it reminds me of Elk Hunting, and what more could you ever ask for. See you at the Deschutes County Fair !!!

07/24/09

Had a great time up at the Jefferson County Fair on Thursday. I Had the chance to emcee the talent show with Megan Brown winning the adult category and the Brewster Brothers taking the gold for the juniors. it's on to State for both. Next week it's the Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo and  a ton of fun in Redmond. I will , along with Cook and Colleen be announcing the fair parade on Saturday at 10am, then it's on to the Chute 9 party after the Rodeo Saturdaynight . Come on out and enjoy the Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo with us !!

7/17/09

Just wanted to thank our friends at Project Wildfire this past week for being honored by the group. My wife Kath and I attended a dinner along with 120 others who have done amazing things in working on a variety of fire plans, fuels mitigation and on the fire free program he in Central Oregon. Thanks to Katie Lghthall, Joe Stutler and everyone else involved in the Project Wildfire program, and a tip of the hat to Matt Cyrus for the great views and  wonderful dinner at Aspen Lakes. 

07/08/09

Fire season is here. We will do everything we can to keep you updated on the fire situation through out Central Oregon. But, it's always great to have your eyes and ears helping. if you see a fire call the station at 541-330-0103, and if that doesn't work call the newsline at 541-617-5286. We will do our best to  get you the latest information. And thanks in advance for the call.

07/01/09

It was 30 years ago today that I moved to Central Oregon. I guess I knew I always wanted to live here. Growing up in Hillsboro, our family annually came over here to hunt and fish. we would spend a couple of weeks up at Paulina or East Lake and I loved hiking around on the lava flow between the two lakes. I got here on the 1st of July from a radio station in Olympia Washington, interviewed for a job with the old KICE, and went to work on the 3rd of July 1979. The Cityof Bend at that time had about 16 thousand residents and was a blue collar millworking town. How times have changed. The first major news story I  remember covering was the Bridge Creek Fire, in July that year. The radio station at that time was located on Oregon Avenue on the second story above what used to be Mahoney's office supplies on Bond. It was an eerie sight to look to the west and see the fire burn the area around Tumalo Falls and the Bend watershed. It's been interesting to watch the transformation of the  area over the last 3 decades, with all the growth, but the one thing that hasn't changed ; the people who live here and those who move here are truly community minded. They care about other people and are very giving. It's been a great 30 years.

06/24/08

Here we are at the end of June and time for the Crooked River Roundup in Prineville. Always a great time, wonderful people and tremendous rodeo and paramutual racing action. See you at the parade 10am on the 27th !!

06/18/09

So, who got thier tags for  thier controlled hunt applications ? we applied for 4 tags including deer and elk and got skunked !!! I figured that the next time I get an antelope tag I will be 62 !!! Oh well, so  it looks like second season for elk in Desolation will be the deal this year. still good to get out in the woods, eh ??

06/10/09

Sisters Rodeo Weekend !!! always alot of fun to be had in the wonderful City of Sisters. It would have been 1980 the first time I went to the Sisters Rodeo. I went out to get some interviews with a variety of folks and one of the first people I met was Mert Hunking of Sombrero Stock. I went up to talk to him and he said "Grab a hold of that  plank." He was  building the roughstock chutes that go into the arena. After we finished up, he sat down and gave me an interview, and we became good friends. Mert and Martha Hunking are just a part of the Sisters Rodeo tradition that we all treasure. See you at the Parade on Saturday in Downtown Sisters !!!