Multnomah Falls and such

I think anyone who comes to the Columbia Gorge will see these falls at some point. You can get a pretty good glimpse of them from one of the major highways out here. It's the tallest waterfall in OR and is said to be the third tallest year round waterfall in the US. There are all sorts of paths and trails all around it, most are highly accessible to the general public. We had a great time exploring the icy surroundings and taking in the massive beauty of these falls. The hike to the bridge was relatively mild and very rewarding as the view of the falls and the gorge was stunning. The falls were partially frozen and glittering, and the ice forming in the crystal clear mountain stream was glacier blue. If you come out to visit us, we will be taking you here.


 CLICK HERE to see pics of the falls

While we were in the gift shop at the falls we unexpectedly found a pair of silver and opal rings that were exactly what we were looking for to serve as our "promise" rings... basically to symbolize our 3+ years together and our interest in legally formalizing the relationship at some point...
(it's legal for us to get married in WA) They aren't our proper engagement/wedding rings but more like a pre-engagement ring.. lol.

Rowena Wildlife Clinic

As scheduled, we took ourselves a little road trip to somewhere we've yet to go.. The Dalles OR. It's a little less than an hour from our house but driving to that part of Oregon was truly like entering entering another world. The topography changed as we went away from the river into rolling hillsides with HUGE SKIES. It was extremely dramatic and breathtaking. Unfortunately alot of the day was overcast so some of the photos didn't turn out that great. Our reason for this little jaunt was to attend our first day orientation at the Rowena Wildlife Clinic. A wonderful volunteer showed us around and introduced us to their current charges, some of whom are life long residents, and others who are only there until they recover well enough to be released back to the wild. We saw owls, hawks, a vulture, parrots, doves, cockatiels, a cockatoo, a goat, an opossum, a duck, and a few other types of birds. We got to see where they do their surgeries and met the vet who performs them. They have a huge property with many large outdoor aviaries. Some of the long term resident birds are used in educational programs and are shown by the volunteers who work with them. We were told that many of the birds who were found, treated, and released locally often come back for free food handouts. It was really amazing to be able to be within inches of some powerful apex predators. We even got to touch one of the horned owl's feet (his name is One eyed Jack) as a way to introduce ourselves to him. We were given the lowdown on the volunteer's jobs of slicing and dicing mice, rats, chicks, and fish to feed to the animals and shown a little bit about how they keep the animal pens clean and tidy. We made sure to let them know all the ways we would be able to help. They put us down as emergency contacts so if a bird or animal is found injured on the WA side of the river we could be the first response to pick them up and transport them to the clinic. Good thing we have a van! Hopefully they will take us up on our other offers to volunteer our time in the clinic too :)

Check out their website to see some of the work they have done and see how you can help : http://rowenawildlifeclinic.org/

Click here to see the video of our time at the clinic: CLICK HERE

Click here to see the pics from the road trip: CLICK HERE

Domesticadia

In the space between exciting explorations we fill the gaps with stuff we find interesting. Here are some things we've been up to inside:

 I've found a use for some recycled plastic bottles; Terrariums! 

All the plants inside were collected from the yard. 

Throw in a couple of other doodads like shells or crystals and Voila!

We've also been cooking of course. Ash loves herself a good baking session, here's a result for some from scratch french twisty bread that was delish:

 

And I have my own culinary stylings, check out meh mushroom n' onion ramen:

mmmm good!

Now onto something else that makes for a great time sink.... Foster Bunnies!

These big fluffy bunnies were rescues, one from a petting zoo that stopped running and another from a girl who was moving but didn't want to take her bunny with her (she also hacked off all his beautiful silky fur.. its in the process of regrowth now). The white and pink one is a neutered male Anogra named Albert and the black one is a female named Onyxia, Did I mention they are really large? In one of the pics you can see our female cat Blythe for size comparison, and mind you, the rabbits weigh a bit more than she does at around 10-15 lbs each!

If all goes well the two above will get to stay with us long term. *crosses fingers*

This little girl below however is up for adoption through Rabbit Advocates. She came from a dire situation where a boy was trying to trade her on craigslist for cigarettes and the boy's father was telling us if we didn't take the rabbit he'd rather kill her than have her stay in his house. She just got spayed and will make a 

really sweet pet for someone.

This Friday Ash and I are going to the Rowena wild life sanctuary in The Dales OR to get briefing on their volunteer opportunities. They have an excellent bird of prey program that the volunteers get to participate in where you get hands on experience with owls, hawks, eagles and the like. I'm quite excited about that prospect and hopefully we can meet some new friends there as well!

Looking out the window

Working from home can get a little repetitive at times, but it has it's perks too. Especially with where we are living now now....I can't help but be in love with the view from my desk and look forward to watching it change from day to evening. I'm going to post some pics of the gorge taken on various days from the chair I'm sitting in now.

 

And, a video too:

Any given Wednsday in downtown Portland

This past Wednesday I had a really nice day. It started out early for me, Ash took the van and went to work around 5am, and my neighbor picked me and one of the foster rabbits up around 7am. She gave us a ride to Troutdale OR to drop of said bunny to get spayed. After leaving the bun in the caring hands of the vets I went and got some coffee and food to fuel me up for the day's adventures. This was going to be the first day I ever attempted to use public transportation by myself. Sounds lame that I met this prospect with trepidation right? I know, but I'm pretty notorious for getting lost easily. Lucky for me navigating around using the buses and MAX rail system is pretty easy out here. For 4 bucks I got myself from Troutdale to Gresham on the bus (which ran on bio-diesel) then to Portland on the MAX rail. My MAX ticket was good for continuous rides for the remainder of the day as well. I'd brought my mp3 player with me, it gave me a nice soundtrack with which to enjoy watching the passing scenery. I can easily see how people here go without having a vehicle at all, the public transit is fantastic, all sorts of people use it from corporate business folks to families to homeless people. It's a big mish-mash of humanity. It was cool watching random strangers strike up conversations on their brief rides together. Upon arriving in Portland I took Ash some flowers and lunch to the world trade center building where she works. After that I had around 3 hours to kill before she got out so I went for a walking tour of the downtown district. I tried to snap as many pictures as I could, and also took a couple of videos all of which I'll post below. The day started out cloudy but was clear blue skies as the afternoon progressed. I went down to the riverside and took a video showing a little park and two of the many bridges the city is known for:

On the way to the park I passed what I thought was a most unusual sight, but I found out later it's actually a daily occurrence- a group of businessmen in their suits playing hackey sack out front of one of the WTC buildings:  

I think stuff like this can give you a sense of the fact  that Portland is most certainly not your average city.

Everywhere you look in Portland you see contrasts and contradictions Old European style architecture juxtaposed by modern glass and steel. Staunch looking business folks waiting in line next to punks and street musicians to get some food from a Vietnamese food cart. Industrial factories next to hemp shops and green parklike spaces. Suvs and expensive sports cars next to rows and rows of bicycles. You would think its a city with an identity crisis, and perhaps it is, but the people here seem to like it that way, everywhere you go you see buildings and bumper stickers that say "Keep Portland Weird".

It's a pedestrian city, everyone seems to walk everywhere, like I remember NYC being. You could choose to drive but good luck, the streets are narrow and you will be fighting for space with bike lanes, cross walks, MAX lines and bus stops. The city was designed with people not vehicles in mind. Honestly walking is the best way to get around because you get to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the city. There is usually always music to be heard from guys drumming on buckets to girls strumming their guitars to trumpeters and harmonica players. And the smells are really something to behold. Portland is a foodie's dream locale, Every 20 feet or so and the smell of food changes.. think of walking around the fair grounds...your nose is just bombarded by yummy aromas. Unfortunately I cannot convey smells through this blog but I can show you the pics:

Portland in a Jiffy- CLICK HERE FOR PICS

After walking around and getting lost in Powell's books (check out the photos), I went and met Ash. We walked down to Voodoo Doughnuts and got two of their signature menu items. Its a place you must see at least once if you decide to come to Portland, and to give you a sneak peek check out their menu CLICK HERE (not for children or the easily offended).

When we finished eating our sugar coma sticks we went and picked up the bunny who did very well in her surgery, then went home.

To infinity and beyond

I know I don't get a chance to update the blog from my perspective, but here it goes. A ton has happened since I last updated. Kris does really well at keeping up the blog. We went hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail recently and I had a life changing experience. The hike was beautiful and ardous , but worth it. Kris posted pictures of the hike below. Half way through the hike there was a clearing of de-forested area and this made me really sad. I talked it over with Kris and I think I am going to try and start a campaign to re-seed the area with native plants, as well as other de-forested areas around our home. Living in Washington has made me more aware of the environment and the effects of human destruction on it. Along side the re-foresting effort Kris and I have decided that trying to get a community garden going here would be a fun thing. That will probably be more of a spring time project.
        The weather here has taken some getting used to. I am glad we got to experience the tail end of fall when we came because 26 degrees is cold. It's easy to want to stay inside on my days off and bundle, but when you finally do go outside you realize it's not that bad. In fact, most of the time when we go hiking we end up taking some of our layers off. At work is another story. On the weekends the building managers cut the heat in the lobby of one of the buildings. It gets especially cold in that lobby because air comes in under the doors into the lobby. They have supplied us with personal heaters but I still end up wearing a jacket and scarf. The wet I can do without, but honestly you get used to that to. It doesn't rain all the time like I expected. . .about a couple days a week. Thanks to Debbie for the chapstick. I was never a chapstick person before we moved, but now it is my lifeline. I apply and re-apply like you do with sunscreen in Florida and my lips are still chapped. . .but I am getting used to that too.
         I have experienced so many things since we moved here. If I am really tired on my drive to work I usually stop and get a soda from somewhere. I take a few sips and then leave it in my cupholder in the car while I am working all day. I usually start around 7am and end around 3pm. When I get back in my car I pick up my soda and it is always as cold if not colder than when I left it at 7am. I pararllel park alot. . .especially working downtown. I take this transit system called the MAX on the weekdays to work from the mall so that I don't have to pay for parking downtown. It's interesting. The MAX carries all kinds of people from business people to the homeless. I have obviously seen snow. Actually I have seen almost all the stages of water now. I have driven through clouds. I mean that literally, not metaphorically. In Florida, the world stops at the cloud line, but in the Pacific Northwest the cloud line is just the beginning. Often in the mountains you drive through cloud clusters. It's like driving through a heavy, floating mist. It kind-of greys out the structures all around you and when you look out your window it's almost like you are in an airplane or flying car. The hospital has an Airtram that employees take from the parking garage to the hospital on the other side of the water and it looks like a ride at Disney. Random people come up to me in grocery stores and start conversations with me. . .not at Walmart, and not in Gresham. . .but in other places: like Safeway. I went into the Fred Meyer the other day. They are like a gigantic, more expensive version of Walmart. They sell all sorts of stuff from expensive diamond rings to Kayaks and everything in between. It's almost like a small mall. On the weekends I take the elevator up to the 19th floor of our building and then take another elevator up to the helipad and watch the sunrise while I eat my breakfast. I think it's really awesome that my bosses encourage me to do as such and that I get paid for it. The view is one of the best in Portland. Our building fronts the water and on a clear day you can see Mount St. Helens and Mt. hood from our building. When it isn't clear, you can't even make out an outline of where they are supposed to be. Even if you know right where they are you can't spot them. Then, when it's clear they magically appear out of seemingly nowhere and they are so huge and right in your face. I still think they are an illusion. I have had mexican food from a place owned by asians. That was weird, but the food was really good. We have experienced so many things that it's hard to recall them all.
          The new year is here already. . .I wasn't expecting it until next year. I know Kris said she didn't make a resolution, but I made the same resolution I make every year. Actually it's more of a non-resolution. I always resolve to be happy with who I am and that if I don't like something like my weight or my environment to use any of or all of the other 365 days a year to make the change rather than waiting for one day. Every minute is another chance to turn it all around. If you did make a resolution I wish you all good luck in pursuing it. Dream big and if your dreams fall through and make a hole in your heart where your ambition used to be. . .dream bigger.

-Ash

Happy New Calendar Numbers Everyone!

     Hopefully you spent your New Years doing something fun, watchin' fireworks, toasting some bubbly, something festive. Did you choose a resolution? One that you can keep? We didn't really do anything for the calendar change this year, Ash had to go to bed early to wake up for work the next day, and I just played computer games and relaxed... and watched the cops busting people on the road below passing through town drunk driving.... those idiots......the drunks i mean, not the cops lol.  As far as a resolution goes, I think we considered achieving our goal of moving cross country enough of a resolution met that we can afford to chill for at least a couple of years haha. In all seriousness though, the typical resolutions people have like loosing weight, getting healthy, taking a vacation, or getting motivated to do something great, all these things are fulfilling themselves just by virtue of us living out here. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to get good exercise just by having fun hiking and seeing the sights. I've done a little video to encapsulate our recent 8 mile jaunt on the PCT:

 (follow the instructions from the last blog on how to make the video quality better, this time it's in high definition, choose 1080p. it will take a while to load but once it does, maximize the video by clicking the button with the four arrows pointing in opposite directions at the far right of the loading bar. Then press play and enjoy!)

View The Video: CLICK HERE


If you want to see any of the photos as still pictures
( like mom does for desktop backgrounds): CLICK HERE



On a hiking unrelated note, I had one of the best craigslist scores recently, a $5 office chair.. yes.. only FIVE BUCKS!:

And in case you were wondering, it looks just as good in person as it does in this photo (with the exception of a tiny tear on the seat that was repaired and not noticeable). Check out all that great sun. I picked the best spot in the house to put the desk. You can just sit there and take in a panoramic  almost surround view of the gorge!


I can't believe we have been here what is it, going on three months already? In a way it feels like we've just arrived, but in another weird way it feels like this has always been home. Like I can't imagine living anywhere else... is that strange? I guess it's just that we love it so much. The weather, while cold, has not been unpleasant. It's still novel to some degree but I genuinely like it. It makes things beautiful in a way that no other climate can. Things sparkle and shimmer in the cold and snow and ice. Items that were previously ugly like the mud puddle in our driveway become beautiful little artifacts. I can't get over the frozen waterfalls. We pass several of them on the way to and from Portland and some of them get completely frozen and still, it's the strangest sight. Speaking of Portland, I've gone there on several occasions so far and that city is really something else. I'll be taking a camera with me next time so I can share all it's urban marvels. Another interesting thing we took note of recently is that neither me nor ash has been bitten by a mosquito the entire time we've been here. I know even now in the dead of winter in FL those little buggers will still get you if you aren't careful.