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)