Grace and Beau’s Family page

Supernatural Sightings in Vancouver, Canada

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 11:48:48 -0500

We had the best time searching Vancouver Canada for “Supernatural” shooting sights. Beverly was the researcher. Beau and I were drivers and fellow LARPers (Live Action Role Play).
This specific photo was taken at Neptune’s record shop in Vancouver. We actually found and bought the record that was featured in the show.

Rio Grande River at the Gorge Bridge in Taos

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:12:59 -0600

The Chimene family rented a SUV and traveled to Taos, NM. Beau was dropped off at Kanick for a true winter survival experience. He built a snow cave to sleep in and dragged his equipment up a mountain for this rugged and chilly experience.
Meanwhile, Grace and the kids were staying in the historic adobe Sagebrush Inn. The boys would wake up, catch the bus, and ski the mountain. Grace and Beverly met up with Cassandra Neve and shopped, explored and relaxed. We found an off the grid house called Mother ship and learned about environmentally neurtral living. We walked across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and shopped in the cute little stores and book shops.
At night, we would all meet bake up for some great music and nachos at the old bar at the Sagebrush inn. FYI the breakfast was awe inspiring and would keep you safisfied all day long.

The North San Gabriel in winter.

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 10:22:16 -0600

The North San Gabriel runs through our Ranch near Bertram, Texas. It is running clear and beautiful this winter. If you look closely there are long bits of ice forming from the cliffs down to the water. This normally drips a lovely tune fromt he springs.

We will start out with some Blood Lillys. Maybe this will be a blog about plants and medicine.

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 09:31:48 -0600

When I worked on the Skippy Mobile Health van, the social worker and I would take our trowels out during lunch and dig up bulbs in abandoned lots. Theses flowers would be growing in front of an empty old house or even in the grass were a house used to be. They were mostly in east Austin near Springdale road. It was amazing that they would grow in these areas. Years of neglect and they still bloomed. Some one, sometime had planted these in front of their house just for the beautiful two week bloom they provided. Perhaps they were shared by neighbors. That is why so many of the abandoned lots have them. These lillys now bloom for two weeks in the fall in my front yard. I will share them with my nieghbors too.
I don’t deal with bood much at my work. I try to let others do that.
On the Skippy Mobile Health van I saw children who didn’t have health insurance or a medical home. Most of the children were from working families and were referred to me by the school nurse.

Christmas Letter 2009

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:03:45 -0600

Chimene Christmas Letter 2009

January: We celebrate the New Year at the 4th annual Big Bang Party at Windy River Ranch with a big bonfire. We go camping and caving at Enchanted Rock with the Venture Crew. It is cold.
February: Hawaiian style Valentine Dance with the Crew.
March We take the family on a Germany/Belgium trip over spring break. We stay in a castle in Bacharach on the Rhein. We explore the tunnels under the castle at St. Goar, ride the trains on the Rhein, learn about WWI at a museum in Ypres, pray for the soldiers at the American cemetery in Liege, ride a boat in the canals in Brugge.
April:
May Mom and Daniel drive to California for his summer internship at Apple. He is working on the “Kernal” of the Apple. It is his ideal summer job, perfect weather, good friends and top research in computer technology. David decided to have live it up and takes organic chemistry and anthropology during summer school at UT.
June: Beau and other passengers are all safe after a truck rollover on the way to Arkansas. Camping gear is strewn all over the highway. The driver only has a stubbed toe. The Venturing Crew teens bravely travel on and canoe for a week with the Venture Crew at the Buffalo River National Park. The river goes on forever and the paddling never ends.
July : Mom, Beau and Beverly fly to Montana start driving. Wheat fields in Montana, Conversations with customers at a cafe at Judith Gap, Montana, Dancing with drunks in Valvier, Montana’s 100th celebration, Driving dangerously and almost dying on Into the Sun Highway, chatting with cherrished friends in Calgary, hiking in high snow at the top of Glacier National Park, finding fresh seafood at the warf at. We join Daniel in San Francisco on the 4th and dance with the band at Pier 29.
August Lucie, a MBA student from France, stays with us to learn English. We teach her to say “y’all” with a French/Texas accent. The Venture Crew rides the waves on a trip to the beach at Port Aransas. Cowabunga. Beau’s Birthday present is a sweet calf named “Amos” born at the ranch to Special Sparkle. MOOOO!
Beverly travels to Chennai India for a Venkat family wedding. She performs a Bollywood type dance with her friends at a wedding party. She looks lovely with Henna on her hands and a sari. Beverly is a confident world travelor.
September Daniel studies computer science and David studies Biology at the University of Texas. Go Longhorns!
October Beverly marches with the Pride Dancers in the Westwood Home Coming Parade. Cousin Zach is one of the Court and rides majestically in a Bently.
November Thanksgiving at the ranch. We listen to UT beat A&M.
December Grandpa Danielson celebrates his 80th birthday. Uncle Paul flew in for a surprise visit.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Grace, Beau, Daniel, David and Beverly

Christmas Letter 2008

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Chimene Christmas Letter 2008

January: We celebrate the New Year at the 4th annual Big Bang Party at Windy River Ranch with a big bonfire, fun firecrackers, guns, and watchful, worried parents.
February: Beverly turns 15 and begins driver’s training. Mom’s foot cramps up trying to put on the brake. David places at Regionals for Skills USA with chemistry knowledge.
March: Grace and Beau run the local Democratic precinct caucus. Obama wins! We go to the county convention along with Daniel and 2000 other delegates. David makes many university visits…UT, A&M, Texas Tech…..which one will he choose?
April: Beverly plays a cheerleader in the local presentation of “High School Musical”. Go Wildcats! The Venturing Crew climbs a high ropes course at COPE. The group bonds together amidst certain death. David wins 1st place at the Skills USA Texas State Tournament. He also gets his braces off! What a handsome smile. Our first Longhorn baby is born. Beverly names him “Oso”, since he looks like a bear.
May: David graduates from Westwood High School. He chooses to go to school at the University of Texas at Austin. Go Longhorns! He is studying Biomedical Engineering. Daniel interns at Google in Seattle. He explores the great northwest.
June: The Venturing Crew SCUBA dives at Sea Base in Florida. The Chimene family and Crew enjoy an underwater adventure with sharks, stingrays, and eels. No Chimene becomes sea sick even in the rough waters. David takes a break from UT summer school to represent Texas at the National Skills USA tournament in Kansas.
July: Mom and Beverly take AMTRAK with some friends to Dallas/Fort Worth. The Venturing Crew rides the waves at the Port Aransas Beach.
August: Beverly and Dad fly to Los Angeles to drive up the Pacific Coast in a hybrid Prius. Mom tours Seattle with Daniel and then joins them in San Francisco. Beverly drives most of the 1200 miles. We explore the Redwoods, the Oregon mountains, and Forks, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. Beverly and Mom squeal with excitement exploring the setting for the Twilight books; vampires, ‘Bella’berry pie, LaPush beach, the Cullen’s house, Forks High School. Beau is very tolerant. We keep a look out for Edward or maybe a werewolf.
September: Daniel and David head out to The University of Texas. Daniel is a junior in Computer Science. Beverly is a sophomore at Westwood High School. She is on the Warrior Pride Dance team and in the Theater department.
October: David and Daniel run the largest Texas flag in the world with Alpha Phi Omega at UT football games. The Horns are having a great year, but not first. Boo.
November: The family gathers together at the cabin for Thanksgiving. Special Sparkle, our longhorn cow, returns from her liaison with an infamous longhorn stud bull. She is content and pregnant again
December: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year: The Chimene’s
Daniel, David, Beverly, Beau and Grace visit our web site at www.chimene.com
2008 Favorites: book: Twilight. show: Buffy and Firefly, Movie: The Secret Life of Bees.

Christmas Letter 2007

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Chimene Christmas Letter 2007
January: We bring in the New Year at Windy River Ranch. Twenty teens with a bonfire and firecrackers. A M-80 gets launched into the inside of the car. OOPS! BANG! No one is hurt, and only one deer killed by the driving teenagers.
February: The Venturing Crew puts on The Roaring Twenties Valentines dance. Beverly turns 14 and has an all-night Grey’s Anatomy party. All the girls wore scrubs.
Will McDreamy ever kiss Merideth? They stay up all night to find out.
March: Beau builds log furniture at the ranch big enough for Papa bear. David wins district in Computer Applications and will go to Regionals. We make our 1st batch of beer at home. The whole family chips in to brew and bottle the stuff. Glug, Glug!
April: Daniel takes Beverly and some friends to the Killers Concert. They sing, “Will you be my Boyfriend” at the top of their lungs all the way home. David is looking sharp for the Prom. The kids pull an all nighter at the Scout’s Barbeque. David earns 2nd in State, and gets to go to Nationals.
May: We take the Venturing Crew canoeing for a week on the Buffalo River National Park. The river goes on forever and the paddling never ends. Daniel moves to Berkley Calif. for a summer internship at a start up Engineering company.
June: David turns 17 and flies to the National competition in Kansas in Computer Applications. He learns how very important a loud alarm is. David and Beau drive all night to Calif, to bring out a car for Daniel to use. They explore I-10, visit Andre, and get to see the seedy side of Berkley. Makes you wanna take a shower.
July: Beverly flies on her own to San Fran to visit Daniel. They explore the Golden Gate, the city, feed the seals, shop, and ride the trolleys. Bev loves the big cities.
August: Beverly and Mom tour Los Angeles with some friends. Uncle Andre gives us VIP passes for a filming of “The Second Best” and Universal Studios. “Its not what you know, its WHO you know!” Then we drive up to see Daniel in San Francisco along Highway 1. We stop in Santa Barbara and Seattle. Wow, we have a bunch of friends and relatives on the West Coast and it’s a long, long trip. Daniel finishes his Internship, and Mom and Dan drive all night to get back. Good to have him back in Texas.
September: David is a Senior and Beverly is a Freshman in High School. Mom and Dad hike the mountains of New Mexico at Philmont for a week with a group of adult Scout friends. Our itinerary gets changed when someone gets altitude sickness. Those mountains get higher every year.
October: Daniel turns 20 at UT, and Beverly has a Halloween party of 2 dozen dressed up, giggling, gossiping, and goofing girls. They weren’t very scary, but they were a wonderful sight. David leads the building of a cement foundation for his Eagle Scout project at the local SPCA. He shows great leadership.
November: We buy Longhorns for the ranch. “Lugnut” the Steer, and “Special Sparkle” the pregnant cow are delivered to the ranch on Thanksgiving. We are hoping for a girl.
December: Cedar Fever blows in with a vengeance Achoo!!, but we still hope to have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We hope the same for you and yours.

Christmas Letter 2006

Mon, 25 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Christmas letter 2006

January: We celebrate the New Year at Windy River Ranch with a bunch of rowdy teenagers who have too many firecrackers. Mom is nervous. No one blows off their hand. Our river is flowing and beautiful. The cedar log cabin is warm and cozy.

February: Dad keeps up the engineering work at LifeSize Communications, having fun and trying to make money.

March: We find out what a catalytic converter, dry grass, and 30 miles per hour winds can do. Thank goodness for the Bertram volunteer fire department. We decide to get a tractor and Longhorns keep the grass short. This is the second fire at the land. Smokey the bear says be careful with fire.

April: Daniel and David have a LAN (Local Area Network) party for teens. Our electric bill soars due to overwhelming number of computers hooked together for gaming in the house. The future is here.

May: Daniel Graduates from Westwood High School with a National Merit Honors Scholarship to the University of Texas. He celebrates with his friends at the house.

June: We fly the friendly skies to Great Britain. Highlights include: finding Harry Potter movie sights hidden in the Scottish Highlands, sitting in the front row at the Blue Man Group, drinking beer and listening to music in a pub in Ireland, riding horses over the mountaintops of Wales, hiking Hadrian's wall, trekking up mountains with ancient ruins and traveling through the tubes and trains of London.

July: David hikes Philmont Scout Ranch in wild mountains of New Mexico with the Boy Scout Venturing Crew. He takes the grunge look to a new level. Beverly takes guitar lessons. She want to "Rock on".

August: The Venturing Crew takes a beach break at Port Aransas. Twenty teens boogie boarding. Cowabunga! Then the Danielson clan gets together for Ben and Brandy's wedding also in Port A. Daniel moves in at U.T. and begins in the Turing Scholars Honors Computer Science program. David is in 11th and Beverly is in 8th grade.

September: Calvin Chimene's 4th book is published, go to amazon.com for more details. Dad and Beverly get their Scuba License, and dive down to 50 feet. Beverly hand feeds the large catfish in Lake Travis.

October: Beverly gets accolades as the Principal in the School's UIL theater production. She celebrates by, what else..."going to the mall". "Like, DUH!"

November: David gets his Drivers License. Watch out world.

December: Beverly is a Munchkin in the Wizard of Oz. We are off the see the Wizard. As usual, we head off for a week at the cabin to live the country life during the holidays. Drop by anytime, kick off your boots and stay awhile!

Happy Holidays, Beau, Grace, Daniel, David, and Beverly.
See more family fun at Chimene.com

New Year Party 2006

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0600

We celebrate the new year with a party at the Ranch. There is a bonfire, firecrackers, teenagers, parents and lots of fun.

In Texas, it is the custom to have firecrackers on December 31 to celebrate the new year. We celebrate at our ranch.