We just returned from a trip to Oregon to visit family. It is always a joy to see the kids and grandkids and go watch some of their sporting events. Our grandson, Luke, even got to compete in a tricycle race during a time-out in the third quarter of a Portland Trailblazer game. He won and got as a prize weekly Value Meals at McDonalds for a year!  Not sure if that is a good or bad thing?!  As usual, we also got involved in a work project. We spent a day at our daughter’s place near Albany cutting out black berry vines. For those of you who know what they are, you know what a task that is. They are kind of like “ginormous” raspberries with long thorns. Some of the vines were a good twenty feet long, crawling up and over bushes and way up into trees. In many cases, both ends were rooted into the ground. When we finished, our bodies looked like we had the measles, from all the pokes through our clothing. When I was pulling on one of the vines, one of the thorns broke off and stuck in my thumb. Even after having it removed, my thumb was hot and puffy for a couple days. On a couple occasions we had to help each other get unstuck from vines that had wrapped around to where we couldn’t get loose. These things grow wild all over western Oregon and Washington and can easily take over if not controlled.