Springfield, OR

Since it is the end of a long weekend, I thought I might end it with a photo essay and a few fun things to celebrate thankfulness.

For those that don't know, Three Dog Night was a term used for how cold it was. On a particular cold night, three dogs would be invited into bed with your, therefore, a cold night was a three dog one. I can only go for a two dog night, since I only have two dogs:

Now, the band make several sucessful recordings over the years, but my ATF (all time favorite) was Joy to the World, better knows as Jeremiah was a Bullfrog.

So, this afternoon, I went looking to see if I could find Jeremiah and guess what? I did. Not just one, but two of them.

There are other frogs in my garden. Maybe next time, I will introduce you to some others. Be sure and click on the frog above to hear Three Dog Night!

I thought a long time (for me anyway) about whether to write this blog or not. I didn't want to come across as if I were tooting my own horn just to hear it toot. I changed my mind about that when I was talking with a Realtor® that I really trust on the Springfield Board of Realtors® and she convinced me that it was the right thing to do, so here it is.

On Tuesday, the Springfield Board of Realtors® (SBOR) announced their 2008 Affiliate of the Year and it was me. To say that I was surprised was an understatement. For one of the very few times in my life, I was speechless. All I could say was, Thank You! For those that know me, I am as wordy in person as in my blog.

Why is this important? I joined the SBOR, not as an affiliate member as part of my company, but as me. At the time, I was working for a national bank but I wanted to be part of the vibrant city that I live in. I am a proud resident of Springfield and support the growth plan for the city that is being helped through SBOR.

The definition of affiliate (noun) is: to associate oneself; be intimately united in action or interest. There are a lot more listed, but this sums up my position. I really like the "intimately united" part, because we are. We are all pulling for the growth of our city, county and state.

I like the people I associate with on SBOR, they are honest, hard working, caring and capable people. So, again, Thank You, Springfield Board of Realtors. This is an honor I will long remember.

Fred Chamberlin, senior mortgage consultant, Springfield/Eugene Oregon, 541-342-7576