With July 4th coming around the corner I cannot help but be excited! Thought I would share an idea for fun this weekend to enjoy the day with the family. I am not sure many know it, but there is a great 4th of July spot right around here at Blue Lake Regional Park in Fairview. They have music, fun for the family and of course an amazing fireworks display for all. You can spend the whole day there enjoying the activities and the parks everyday fun as the gates open at 8 a.m. If you have never been to Blue Lake or have not had the opportunity to see the great Fireworks show, you should click here to check out their site and see how beautiful the park really is. It’s a great way to spend the day with the family, maybe bring a picnic and leave the mess in their garbage cans and not your kitchen!

President Obama signed into law a program NHTSA is calling the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS). This is a government program that helps you purchase a new, more fuel efficient vehicle when you trade in a less fuel efficient vehicle. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

Under the CARS program, NHTSA is charged with rules for program implementation in 30 days. You may want to contact your local dealer in mid-July. See the Program Rollout.

5 Important Things to Know

• Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date
• Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify
• Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)
• Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in
• You don’t need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase

For more information or to get your questions about Cash For Clunkers answered, Click Here to contact your local Cash For Clunkers Dealer.

This weekend we took a trip just past Sandy,OR to the Rainbow Trout Farm. My parents wanted to take the little ones and teach them to cast and reel in their own fish. It ended up being a blast! I had never been to the Trout Farm and was suprised how great it was and how much fun everyone had. The kids had never fished before, they were so excited and the scenery was beautiful.  They have different areas to choose from depending on how big of fish you are trying to catch. We chose a larger pond with a mixture of sizes. Breyden (4 years old) was up first, he brought his pole and my dad hooked the worms. His face when he cought that first fish was unforgetable, he was so happy. We helped him hold the pole and he reeled it in as fast as he could. After that enjoyment Savanah (2 1/2 years old) was not about to just sit and watch, so we grabbed a free pole to use at the Farm and she tried it out. You wouldnt believe it, she caught the biggest fish of the bucket! I wasnt sure how they would react to the fish infront of them, but little princess Savanah was touching those fish long before Daddy even got near one!

We eneded the few hours with 5 fish from Breyden, 4 from Savanah, and each of us adults had to join in the fun and each cought 1 (mine was the smallest!). They cleaned them all for us and put them on ice for our drive home. It was definatly a trip to remember and repeat.

Today from 11am - 11pm you can celebrate Memorial Day during the new community tradition at Waterfront Village. Parade, Songs, Guest Speakers, Marching Band Music, Special Memorial Services and more! All on this beautiful sunny day! This is something the whole family will enjoy and remember.

It is Dick Hannah Dealerships 60th Birthday! We are celebrating with a BIRTHDAY BASH all weekend!

With BBQ, Cake, HUGE SALES on vehicles and great interest rates, us LiveLoveandDrive ladies couldn’t help but put our hats on and join in the fun!

We have lots of specials going on RIGHT NOW, so if you want to come over for the fun too, stop by, give us call or you can email us right from this site.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DICK HANNAH DEALERSHIPS!

Okay I am guilty! I do enjoy to indulge in a tasty coffee and a bagel…or muffin…or any of those treats that go hand in hand with a nice warm latte or cool iced mocha. I do like to treat myself every once in a while…sometimes more often than not! I have been making some stops by this great local coffee stand and I have to say I am very impressed. I have never had a bad drink and the Bagels are delicious. Most of the time the owner is helping me and her and her staff are always so friendly and kind. I have been so impressed I had to ask her if I could share my thoughts here with everyone, it is just that kind of place. It is The Daily Grind and they have been around for 9 years now. It is a drive up stand with tons of choices to pick from. They even give you the option to call in if you are running behind, and they will have your drink ready!  You should give them a try and see if you like it just as much. It is sometimes rare to get amazing service with the same amount of quality in the product.

They are located right over by Fourth Plain and Andresen by the 76 station and across from that Arby’s.

Open 7 days a week 365 days a year! This one definatly falls under my Love category.

Today April 22nd, this Earth Day is the OFFICIAL ARRIVAL day for the 2010 Honda Insight!! If you have not had a chance to take a look or even drive this cost effective hybrid, you really should! You will not be disappointed with its key features, great accessories, technology and the overall feel and drive. A few articles down is a great one written by Natalie of our own Service Department with all the great key facts of this amazing Insight. Take a Look!

If you missed any of the festivities last weekend, here are some great things still to come around here you may want to check out!

Teufel Nursery helps OMSI visitors celebrate!

11am - 4pm April 22nd, be sure to be at the OMSI main lobby at 11 and let your children experience planting on their own. They will learn about planting and about giving back to the Earth! They can even take home a shrub of their own.

Special Earth Day Seminar With Tim Morton

Enjoy this seminar held at Portland State University in Neuberger Hall rm. 407 @ 10am April 22nd. Given by UC Davis Professor of Literature and theEnvironment and author of Ecology without Nature: Rethinking EnvironmentalAesthetics.

The Habitats Project Kritter Parade - Earth Day 2009!

April 25th enjoy the celebration from 10am - 7pm. You and the family can even join in at 1pm by dressing up like a kritter of your choice!

Wallace Park /Chapman School, NW 25th & Quimby Portland, OR

Portland Community College Honors Earth Day

April 25th 9am - 3pm at the Rock Creek Campus. Plant removal workshop, wildflower walks, tour of the vermi-composting system and a food preservation workshop! Activities, music and a farmers market you and your family are sure to have a good time as well as a learning adventure. (note: some activities at certain times)

If you can’t make it out this year to join in, you can always log on at natgeomusic.net and watch the National Geographic’s Earth Day Concert at 11am, on the Earth Day April, 22nd.

Earth Day is right around the corner and it brings many people the question of what they can do to help protect the enviroment right from home. Check out these great tips I found! Many seem simple, but it is so easy to forget the simple things sometimes when we are in a routine or living a busy life. If you want to do more, check out the Earth Day events going on right in your town.

• Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Sweep outside rather than using a hose.
• Only run full loads of laundry/dishes.
• Make the switch to Fluorescent light bulbs.
• Reuse what you may normally just throw away, such as saving empy jars/containers and using them for leftovers.
• Don’t overstock on groceries, just buy what you need to eliminate waste.
• Recycle!
• Try natural methods to keep your garden chemical-free, such as a dose of Cayenne Pepper to keep the little animals from eating your tasty garden and grasses or createing your own insecnt repelant.
• Wash your cloths in cold water, not hot…..believe it or not 90% of the energy used when washing is just to heat the water.
• Air dry some clothes when you are able.

 Did you know many communities have collection programs to help us all keep hazardous products (cleaners, paint etc.) out of landfills?

Have you heard of Crystal Fusion yet? If not, you may want to learn more! It is a great change for your vehicle!.

It is a 3 step process that changes the molecular structure of glass. It actually strengthens glass (up to 10x), makes glass 20% brighter reducing night time glare. It also increases lubricity of glass making it easier to remove bugs, ice, snow and road tar and finally it makes glass hydrophobic (water repellent) which enhances the driving experience and increases the entire family’s safety. Additional safety is also a great bonus!

It truely is amazing, the changes you receive with Crystal Fusion. If you would like to learn more or are interested in making the change, feel free to call or email our service department today!