Welcome to the virtual home of Dan and Lin Dzurisin. You can see more of our favorite photos like the ones below by clicking on Photography in the Navigation Bar to the right. Read about our latest adventures in the Blog below or in the Trips/Adventures section. The Genealogy Project section (password required) has lots of information about family members, including biographies and photos. Check back often to see what we're up to, and please sign our Guestbook!

Our son Jason currantly works as Lab manager doing research on captive rearing of endangered species Fender's Blue butterflies in Dr. Jessica Hellmann's lab at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. He's held that position for 5yrs. Jase graduated from Evergreen High School in 1998 in Vancouver, Washington. Jase attended Notre Dame, Indiana fom 1998-2002. He received his BS in Environmental Science from Notre Dame in 2002. Jase attended Washington State University in Vancouver, Washington from 2003-2005 and received his Masters Degree in Environmental Science from Washington State University in Vancouver, Washington in 2005. Jase played in the drumline at Evergreen High School and the University of Notre Dame. Jase is an avid photographer and posts his photos at this site http://picasaweb.google.com/jdzuris2. Jase & Zoey (the grand-puppy)like hiking together and accompaned Dad and I around the lake at Notre Dame Jase is a private pilot and a member of the Flying Club in Indiana. Dad and I flew with him recently in a Cessna 172 to have lunch in Muskegon, Michigan.

On June 16, 2010, Lin was involved in a serious car accident in Bend, Oregon. Dan and Jamie, a USGS intern, were in the area to deploy GPS monitoring equipment at Three Sisters volcanic center. Lin came along in our Honda CR-V to make separate day trips and take photographs. She was on her way to Newberry volcano when she was involved in a three-vehicle collision on the Bend Parkway (Highway 97S). There had been some distractions at a gas station that morning, where both the USGS vehicle and CR-V stopped for fuel, and Lin neglected to refasten her seatbelt afterward. The accident occurred less than 30 minutes later. Lin was thrown from the driver seat to the front passenger seat in the collision, and her head impacted the passenger side window hard enough to break the glass. She fractured the C2 vertebra in her neck and her right femur just above the knee, received a deep laceration on her forehead that required 36 stitches to close, and suffered a concussion that caused her to have severe headaches for several days. Her left ankle was badly bruised but thankfully not broken. X-rays, a CAT scan, and MRI revealed no displacement along either fracture and no surgery was required.

Lin spent 3 days at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend and about 10 days at Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital in Clackamas, Oregon, near Portland. She moved to Fort Vancouver Convalescent Center on July 2, where she is recovering from her injuries. Our son, Jason, plans to visit frrom the University of Notre Dame, where he is lab manager at the Jessica Hellman Laboratory for Environmental Science, in late August. Lin's prognosis is full recovery and she is well on her way, although she will be wearing a cervical collar and leg brace for another 6 weeks. We are looking forward to the possibility of an early September trip to Notre Dame for the opening game of the football season and the start of the Coach Brian Kelly era.

Lin got SPRUNG from FVCC on August 17th. She passed all progress tests with flying colors: including Wheelchair propelling, Climbing up & down a stairwell of 8 steps, (twice), using the walker for several hundred feet. After passing transfering in and out of a car safely, Dan and Lin went out to Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. We took pictures with several staff members we worked closely with at Fort Vanc. We're settting up OT, PT and bath sessions at home. Lin went to Kaiser Dental to have a sensititive tooth looked at this afternoon.

SWEET!!! HOME AT LAST!! FEELS AWESOME!!!

We aren't going to make the ND games in Sept.

Thursday, August Brad came out to assess PT needs and Lin will receive 2 days a week service from Kaiser at home and 2 times a week for baths and OT once a week, also.

Friday. Aug, 20, OT came this morning. Lin ate lunch in her wheelchair at Leonardo's Pizza with Mike P, Jacky V, Barb R, Dz & Zhong L.. Lin went to visit at CVO via wheelchair while Dan met with Mike P. & Maurizio.

Saturday, Aug. 21st, Jase came home to lend a hand for twelve days. We picked him up earlier in the day at PDX, Lin via wheelchair. Later that day, Lin, Jase and Dan attended CVO's Pig- NiK, Lin via wheelchair. Another goal completed.

Sunday, August 22 We ate amazing oatmeal today topped with cashoews, crasins, dark chocolate chips. We spent the day in the gorge photographing Bighorn sheep. Jase, Dan & Lin drove there in the Civic. We ate Pizzacato Pizza Fresca for dinner.

https://picasaweb.google.com/jason.dzurisin/August222010#5508492850114592034

Monday, August 23 We started the day with oatmeal topped with cashoews, crasins, dark chocolate chips. Jase & Mom drove Highway 14 in the Gorge in the Mercedes this morning. Lin's doctor appointment at Sunnyside. New x-rays were taken of her neck and leg. We met with Dr. and he said the turtle shell brace will stay on for one more month. Lin was hoping to change to a smaller cervical collar. Jase visited with Dave Myer today.

Tuesday. August 24. We had amazing oatmeal again this morning for breakfast. We went out to Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. We ate dinner at Mark & Molly's Wieprict's resturant to celebrate Dave Wieprict's birthday. This is a tradition we began 3 yrs. ago after Dave died. We ate amazing German food there including chicken schnitzel wirh hazelnut breading, twice baked potato, mushroom soup. We also had incredible German Chocolate Cake complements of Mark & Molly. The clock played a tune at 9 pm. All the figures on the clock represent local people from the community.

Wednesday, August 25, We had incredible oatmeal again this morning. Dan left for 3 Sisters this evenng to collect instruments for Tim Melbourn while there. Jase & Mom ate at Youskimi's Teriaki for dinner.

Thursday, August 26, Dan went out of town to collect instruments from 3 Sisters area. Jase & Mom drove down river road in Vancouver and took pictures of Osprey's perched on their nests on the telephone pole tops. We ate lunch at the Chinese resturant. Later in the day we went to Ridgefield and photographed baby rabbits & bittern. We traveled in the Mercedes today.

https://picasaweb.google.com/jason.dzurisin/August262010#

Friday, August 27, Jase drove Mom and her wheelchair to Newport Beach today. They took pictures of sea lions resting on the docks and piled in a huge cage, too. Later we drove along the amazing coast line. We arrived at Tillamouk Cheese Factory just in time to eat dinner and ice cream and pick up cheeese curds to enjoy.

https://picasaweb.google.com/jason.dzurisin/August272010#

Saturday, August 28, We drove up to Johnson Ridge at Mount St. Helen's today. We picked up Subway sandwiches to eat at a picnic area at St. Helens. We drove up to Mount Saint Helen's toured the new exhibits, took pictures of us in front of the volcano, chipmunks, too.

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Sunday, August 29, We ate at Burgerville for lunch today. We test drove Ford Escapes, Subaru Foresters, and Toyota Rav 4's. The Escape Hybrids cost too much money and weren't finished very well inside. Dan didn't like the RAV 4 styling. We all liked the Forester's extra large moonroof, steptronik shift system, heated seats and leather option. We need to decide on exterior color and see if Mom can see over the hood OK. We ate at Billygans for dinner.

Monday, August 30 We went to visit Suzie, Jim, Dewey & Hunter this afternoon at their house.

Tuesday, August 31, After he packed his things, Jase & Mom went to Nicholas Resturant in Portlamd for lunch to enjoy Greek food. We finally scored a dozen Voodoo dounuts from Portland. We shared some with Dewey & Hunter when Jase saw them this afteernoon.

Wednesday, Sept. 1st We ate VooDoo doughnuts for breakfast. Jase finished packing his gear. We ate at lunch Goldie's BBQ in Vancouver. We took Jase to PDX airport. He changed his flight on Southwest to a non-stop one into Midway. Ken gave him a ride from the airport. Jase got home safely about midnight his time,

Sept. 23 - Sept 30 ~ Lin's return to Yellowstone Park after her accident is a goal she's been working to complete since her recovery began. Lin went to the doctor the day before the trip wearing her turtle shell neck brace and thigh to ankle leg brace. They took x-rays of her neck break and femur in her leg to see how they are healing. Lin got a smalller leg brace and soft cervical collar to use now.

While at Yellowstone we stayed in the Utah Dorm. Dan uploaded data from 8 instruments and brought the instrument pack down from Mount Washburn. We ate at the Pub at Lake. We saw elk and their calves and bison and their calves, too.

In the Grand Tetons, we saw Moose bulls, cows & calves. We also were fortunate to see a black bear climb an aspen to reach Hawthorn berries munching them to fatten up for winter hibernation. The bear climbed up and reached way out in the tree. The leaves were amazing colors when we were there.

Oct. 28, 2010- Nov 15, 2010 ~ Trip to South Bend Indiana for Tulsa Game and Streator, Illinois~

We accomplished another goal and went on Lin's first flight since her accident to visit family and attend The Notre Dame-Tulsa Game in South Bend, Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. Oct. 28, 2010, Dan and Lin flew on Alaska Airlines to O’Hare. Drove a rental car to South Bend, Indiana. We met Jase Thursday evening to eat at Steak n Shake in Mishawaka, Indiana.

On Friday Oct. 29th, Dan's Birthday, we met Jase for breakfast at restaurant in Mishawaka, Indiana and he had baked Oatmeal, one of his favorites. Jase went to work in the morning and went to fly a plane his flying club might buy during the afternoon. Dan and Lin walked on campus today and went to the bookstore, the reflecting pond, the golden dome and Huddle for a Subway lunch. We went to Jase's apartment and all took Zoey for a walk by their pond. We went to an Irish Restaurant in South Bend and celebrated Dan's birthday with Jase, Sean, Grace, Dan and Lin.  

On Saturday, Oct 30th, we met Jase at Bond Hall for Concert on the Steps to hear the Notre Dame band play their halftime songs. We also saw the Notre Dame Drumline play at Drummer's Circle in front of Bond Hall. Lin attended concert, Drummer's Circle and the game in a wheelchair we rented for the weekend. Parked in a handicap lot near campus and Lin got pushed to campus by Dan. Jase and Dan gave Lin a ride to the game after concert ended.  Dan and Lin sat in Handicap section 104 during the game today. We met Jase at Hellmann Lab after the game and went to the car together. Jase met us at his apartment and we ate pulled pork & brisket at a local restaurant. We took some pictures today. (Click here to see them)

On Sunday, October 31 we picked Jase up from his apartment in Mishawaka and drove to the Elkhart airport and went flying with him. We took off from the airport in a 4 passenger Cessna 172. We took pictures of Notre Dame’s campus and us in the plane while flying.too. Flew to South Bend Regional airport to do a touch and go there. We had an incredible flight along the shore of Lake Michigan. We flew to Muskegon, Michigan airport and used their pilot loaner car to drive into town and eat lunch. We had salads, a croissant sandwich and some incredible desserts. We drove back to the Muskegon airport, loaded the plane again and returned to Elkhart, Indiana with Jase as pilot in command. We were up for about 3 hours total. After we landed, we helped wipe down the Cessna 172 and helped put the plane away in the hanger. We took pictures with Jase standing by the plane, too! (Click here to see them). 

On Sunday afternoon, we drove back to Jase’s apartment in Mishawaka, Indiana and picked up Zoey. our Grand puppy. We went to campus and went for a hike around Notre Dame Lake with Jase, Dan, Lin and Zoey. It’s about a mile and a half around it. Zoey loves leading the way while we are hiking. We saw lots of squirrels darting around the oak trees while we were walking along. We took Zoey back to Jase’s apartment. We took some pictures while on our hike, too. 

(Click here to see them)

On Sunday night we ate incredible Japanese food with Jase in South Bend. We had salad rolls, Tempura, California Rolls and steamed rice. We visited with Jase at our hotel, too.

On Monday morning, November 1, we met Jase at a coffee shop in South Bend before he went to work at Hellmann Lab at Notre Dame. After breakfast, Dan and Lin drove to Streator.

While there visiting we celebrated Dan & Dolores birthdays, Dan helped set up Gr. Rose’s new laptop computer. Dan came back to Vancouver on Friday, November 5.

(Check out Streator pictures here.) While visiting, Lin went to visit at Aunt Theresa’s in Oglesby’s, went to Trivia nights at K of C’s and won a door prize, ate at the Cupboard and Chipper’s with Mom & Grace Stills.

While Lin was home visiting, we celebrated Sue’s birthday on November 14, 2010 at Mom's house on Groveland Ave in Streator, Ill. Mom, Lin, Sue, Bill, & Cheri, Nancy, John, Margie, Deirdre, joined to celebrate with pizza, Alfrado pasta and cake. Some of her presents were Lined Crocks from the clinic, real bug spray can with a pump handle made in to metal garden art, money. Please check out birthday pictures we took.  (Click here to see them)

Lin flew back to Vancouver on November 15, 2010, rode the Pontiac bus to O’Hare airport. She got a wheelchair ride to the gate.

We spent Thanksgiving at Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge.  We stayed at the Summer Lake Lodge while there. It snowed while we were there.  The sagebrush was covered, too! 

This section will be updated as Lin's recovery progreses.