December 2023: Turn Up the Volume (& the Heat), Turn On the Lights

Spending time together this December 25th-30th meant daily walks around the flat loop at Tom Cully Park (Tiff came once), lunch at Chin's with Jim & Alison, five episodes of 'The Crown,' Otto's pizza, Peter's clam chowder, lemon/chicken/orzo/dill soup, popcorn & cheese fondue, a Yuka tutorial, walking along Sacramento St. in drizzly rain, one Burgerville stop, two puzzles (wooden one completed), two thrift store visits, heavy sweaters & fleece-lined sweatpants, bright hats, loads of conversation, cold, wet, windy weather (Minnesota-like), Cribbage + Farkle (CR won all 👑) & a sweet electric BMW i3. 

Mom: thanks for making the trip, being easy-going + bearing the cold & dark!


(Wooden Puzzle Borrowed From Windsor, Missing 1 Piece of 103)






(Tom Cully Park)



(Tom Cully Park)

(Neighborhood Walk)



(Reading SK's Baby Book)



(Burgerville)



($1.50 Flashlight From Hannex)

October 2023: Getaway

This October 17-21 was spent an hour & a half drive away from Portland in a small town called Birkenfeld at a friend's cabin on the (ahem) man-made Fishhawk Lake (read here about the 2019 blunder). Not one single person I mentioned either name to was familiar. We drove the hybrid rental car to the top of the steep driveway Tuesday afternoon, parked it & drove it back down late Saturday morning to return home. Our time was spent at the '2-3 season comfort' cabin building fires, completing an '80s puzzle, learning how to work the stove/oven, preparing & eating all the food we brought, enjoying happy hour on the lower level porch, watching 'Thirteen Lives' + simply absorbing the enormous, endless tree view. Long walks meant trying to see the lake from different vantage points, hiking though tree-packed forests on trails littered with leaves, pine needles, mushrooms & sword ferns while keeping alert for bears & cougars. The only real sounds were the (ahem) distant construction from the lake entrance & falling leaves. We only talked with one other person -- Eric, now responsible for the (ahem) lake engineering project. A couple birds & squirrels were spotted along with large slugs & fuzzy caterpillars + a single dead baby mole on the trail we laid in a soft moss bed covered lightly with small sticks. The highlight of the trip was finding chanterelle mushrooms up, up, up near an old fire road amongst the alder trees. We verified their authenticity at least 5 ways, cleaned, cut & ate 'em up with Friday dinner. 

 🙏 Arigato Kevin, for sharing your sensational mushroom house! 🏯



 
(Looking up to the cabin from Northshore Dr.)























(Major construction zone at lake entrance)



(Next-door houses)



(View of lake from a property below cabin)



(Lonely, lovely barn)



(View on other side of lake from above)



(Beginning of hike to water tower & chanterelle spot)















(The chanty spot)



(Back at the cabin with a small haul)






(Fabulous, fanciful, forest-fresh food)

August 2023: A GIFt

Here's a moving image of CR as he turned 44 (his GIFt to us). The birthday boy stated he is as happy as he's ever been & at peace. ✌



(White Pepper, NE Glisan St & 75th)

May 2023: Mother Nurture


We thrive outside (shade preferred), in warm water & surrounded by Mother Nature. Thanks for a spectacular spring trip Mom & JFK! 💧💧💧



(Platte River/Cherry Creek Confluence, Denver)



(Denver Botanic Gardens)



(Denver Botanic Gardens)



(Denver Botanic Gardens)



(Denver Botanic Gardens)



(Denver Botanic Gardens)



(Glenwood Hot Springs)



(Perfect 90º Pool, Glenwood Hot Springs)



(Water Aerobics, Glenwood Hot Springs)



(Viewing Mt. Sopris, Glenwood Springs)



(Viewing Mt. Sopris, Glenwood Springs)



(Grizzly Creek Trail, Glenwood Springs)

May 2023: Edges, Fields, Rivers, Pools

A two-night stay in Edgefield's 'The Pub Course Seamus McDuff' room at the start of May was a delightful way to kick off spring & celebrate an eleven-year relationship. ❤

Highlights included five trips to the tree-shrouded, saltwater, 102 degree soaking tub, one long golf course walk to all 18 holes, three distinct whiskey drinks, kale salad + bolognese pasta at The Black Rabbit, cheap yet filling burritos in downtown Troutdale, lush, green fields accompanied by sunshine, grey clouds & rabbits + easy-as-pie bus rides.


(Second Floor East Patio, Edgefield)




(Sandy River, Downtown Troutdale)






(Soaking Tub, Edgefield)









(The Pub Course, Distillery, Edgefield)




February 2023: Cold & Heavy


Almost 11 inches of snowfall after meteorologists said it wouldn't stick.  This was the second largest amount of snow ever recorded in Portland, OR since January 1943.  👀



(NE Fremont St & 65th)