A rare opportunity ...

We took the road less travelled and pulled ourselves up the icy ramp! It was so much fun sliding down the path on our butts...I'm pretty sure they closed the path later that day :)

In case you don't recognize this icy wonder, it's Multnomah Falls shrouded in ice. Our impromptu adventure was rare because the road there was ice-free while the falls - well you can see for yourself - were surrounded by photographers.

It took me a week!

It was great! Families would come to trick-or-treat. While the kids were occupied with their candy grab, the adults stood back oohing and awing at my jackolantern:)

Magic scarlet runner beans

Camping in summer past

Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

wilderness exercise includes climbing gorgeous mountains and doing yoga amidst the trees

Baby snakes!!!

Dinner for two please

It's kind of amazing that the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area is one of the most visited wilderness areas in Oregon because we crossed paths with virtually no other humans during our time there. Clearly, the non-human animals were unprepared to share their space. We deemed this adventure our "invisible animal trip." What does this mean? Well, let me tell you...

While I was leading the way down the narrow path on one of our hikes, my big, scary footsteps were enough to send a big old brown bear packing, or at least that's what I'm pretty sure it was from the blur of it's backside. A coyote peed about two inches away from the front door of our tent one night - denoted by the smell, puddle size, and sleuth nature I know coyotes to have. (Tanya, initially, thought it was me. But no, even in the middle of the night when I'm cold and half awake, I do not pee two inches away from the tent door thank you very much.) Last, but not least a crazy big elk came galloping at us from the dense trees while we were calmly watching the sunset all of twenty feet away.

The Invisible Elk.

I stopped talking to Tanya in mid-sentence as I picked up the distant sounds of heavy, solid feet coming at us and quickly started singing...loudly. The tension rose and as we both sang our tuneless hearts out waiting for the inevitable body to come crashing out from the greenery, it stopped...changed direction and galloped away. Hence, the invisible elk.

We never really saw any of them, but they were there. It was awesome (though I have to admit I had trouble sleeping after being charged by an invisible elk:)

It's snowing...again. I mean, "yea!"

Pooch? Not a big fan of snow.

the new puzzle

and my friend, Hannah, who likes doing puzzles as much as I do. yea!!!

The finished product:)

puzzle update

I remembered to get a picture of me!

With me is Jerry, a previous co-worker of mine from REI and currently, my neighbor.  He leads outdoor trips around the Northwest and on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I was his assistant up on Mt. Hood.  It was only my second time snowshoeing.  

Despite the angry winds sweeping Portland and the surrounding area, we followed our trusty guide to the southeastern side of the mountain where there was absolutely no wind nor a cloud in the sky.  It was cold, but gorgeous.

Some of the pictures below seem like crazy combinations of color, but I swear that it was it actually looked like.  We were driving back as the sun was setting and the colors were fantastic. Depending on the light a tree received, it could have been green and lush with life or completely encased in glassy ice.  The transitions between these two scenes were abrupt and awe-inspiring.

Snowshoeing on Mt. Hood

My current 2000 piece puzzle

Dar Es Salaam

Fairy portals, arbutus, and love...oh my!

Fall Fair!

By the way, below on the green slide is The great zucchini race!

Fall Fair!!!!