sunrise 

returned mail 

porcelain morning 

seriously

This is the most hilarious anti-Bush ad I've ever seen. It encapsulates so many of my own thoughts. Download the wmv file and laughlaughlaugh. Everybody VOTE!!!! Seriously!

http://transientscribe.typepad.com/transient_scribe/2004/10/foul_mouthed_mo.html

xox,
carolyn

it's better than wet jeans...shopping on Sauvie Island. 

Gina and I get pumpkins!  

Here comes the rain....pumpkin patch on Sauvie Island Oct 23rd 

they feed me well

Hello everyone!

I had a really nice weekend. It started with a fabulous dinner at Elaine & Gina's house on Friday night. Those girls spoil me! It was a feast of chicken, mashed potatoes, beets, zucchini, bread & wine. It was another excellent meal. Afterwards we played some ping pong in the basement & watched The Triplets of Belleville.

Saturday Gina & I drove out to Sauvie Island to pick up pumpkins & veggies. Sauvie Island is just a few minutes from Portland but it's like another world. It's an island in the Columbia River with lots of farms & wide open spaces. As we walked into the pumpkin patch we could see the dark blue storm clouds coming straight for us. Soon enough the wind picked up & then the coldcoldcold rain started pelting us. We were prepared with galoshes & rain coats but we ended up with some soaking sopping drenched jeans. We found some good pumpkins & then lugged them back to pay for them & stash them in the car. We figured we were already wet, we might as well walk up to the barn to check out the veggies for sale. We walked down the muddy road & splashed in the puddles. The barn was a mob scene of families escaping the downpour so we walked back down the muddy road to our car.

Gina opted to remove her wet jeans & replace them with a minnie mouse beach towel wrapped around her waist. We stopped at two more markets on the island to pick up brussel sprouts & corn, caramel apples & hot cider along with a few more pumpkins. Most people didn't seem to notice or care about Gina's hilarious outfit. We took some great pictures on Gina's camera which I will post later this week.

That night Camille picked me up & we drove to Jess' house for dinner. Her brother & his girlfriend had recently moved to Oregon from Wisconsin so she wanted to introduce him to her friends. We ate Jess' yummy beef stew & drank red wine & played Trivial Pursuit. (antartica!!)
Afterwards Camille & I stopped by a friend's birthday party only to find that we didn't really know anyone there except the birthday boy so we snuck out & left.

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day here. I got the last items for my halloween costume at Goodwill. In the afternoon I walked up to Mt Tabor park. There's a certain sequoia tree that I love to sit underneath. It is a gigantic tree overlooking the first resevoir with downtown beyond. I listened to the new Elliott Smith CD on my headphones then I read my book (Even Cowgirls get the Blues) & basked in the warm sunshine. I climbed the long staircase to the upper resevoir & walked around it taking some photos. I then went back down to my sequoia tree & talked on the phone with my sister. That is a nice thing about cell phones plus the park is huge so no one is near me to be annoyed by my phone call. It was a really lovely afternoon in the park.

That evening Elaine & Gina invited me over to their house again for a fabulous dinner. Chicken, homemade mac n' cheese, brussel sprouts (from Sauvie Island) beets & bread & wine. mmmm! Afterwards we watched some Simpons Halloween specials. I realize I was treated to dinner at friends' houses every night this weekend. I am such a lucky girl!

good food+good friends=a perfect evening!

Let me know what you've been doing! I hope all is well!

xoxo,
carolyn

camille is a tree hugger. according to a church sign I once saw "Hugging a tree won't get you in to heaven." lovely sentiment. This tree is worthy of many hugs. I love the Redwoods!

I love sunbreaks! The Needles at Cannon Beach. 

I love fall!

the rain has returned

Hello...so the weekend has passed & I'm back at work & my office is freezing. It is rainy & cold here. Friday night I went over to Elaine & Gina's house. The plan was to eat at Ye Hala's, a lebanese restaurant down the street. We were thwarted by remodeling & had to go to Canton Grill for chinese food instead. There was a group of seven of us. It was lots of fun . After dinner we went back to their house & played a round of Shanghai Rummy. It's a card game that we have tons-o-fun playing. Erin beat her husband 7 or 8 rounds in a row. It was hilarious. I was home early & slept well.

Saturday I bought some items for my Halloween costume. At noon Camille picked me up & we went to Jess' house. The three of us drove down into the Willamette Valley to get pumpkins & cider & gourds. We could easily get these things at a grocery store in town but it's become a tradition for Jess & I to get out of town & find a pumpkin patch. From there we drove into wine country & stopped at 2 vineyards, Lange Estate & Rex Hill. We tasted some really incredible wines & saw some great views despite the clouds. It was a lovely way to spend the day.

Later that night I went with Gina down to O'Malley's & hung out with some friends. I saw some people that I haven't hung out with in months so it was really fun. I left a little after midnight in the pouring pouring rain.

Sunday I went to the musuem for my volunteer shift. I walked through some of galleries to look at their permanent collection more & also went through the Edward Weston exhibit again. Going there makes me very happy. Sunday evening I met up with Ryan at the Bonfire. We hadn't seen each other in almost 2 months so it was nice to connect with him again. It is strange & difficult to be "just friends" with someone I dated for so long but I definitely think it's worth the effort. I'm feeling very tired right now so I'll pass on further description. I hope you all had a great weekend & please write me back & let me know how you're doing.

much love,
carolyn

I took this one from my helicopter. Mt St Helens with Mt Adams in the distance. dreamy... 

a picture I didn't take...lava rises in the crater. The current temperature is 1,292 Fahrenheit... that's hot

Lainee's 28th birthday & steaming volcano

Hello!

It was another nice fall weekend here. Friday night I went to Elaine's house. It was her birthday!!! We got take out from a great Lebanese restaurant just up the street & we ate while watching the debate. We sang & Elaine blew out the candles on her cake before we headed out. We went down to Slow Bar where a group of her friends had gathered. We started off with fancy drinks & had lots of fun talking. From there we headed back to the old neighborhood & the old familiar dive bar, O'Malleys. Another group of friends were there. It was lots of fun & we stayed until they kicked us out! A group of us piled in a cab & crashed at Elaine & Gina's house.

Saturday I woke up way too early & we made breakfast. I spent the day watching movies with a brief trip to the grocery store. That night I went back over to Elaine & Gina's house. We watched Fahrenheit 9/11 & turned in early.

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day out. I drove over to jess' house & we went downtown together for some shopping. Later that night I went over to Camille's house & hung out there for a little while before coming back to my house to watch a movie. The best part of my day was when I got to see the steam coming out of Mt St Helens as I drove over to Camille's. Last week's rain has put a fresh layer of snow on the mountains & the setting sun made them pink & purple. Pretty incredible sight already without the steam coming out of the crater. It's active again this morning but just small steam bursts. Check out the volcano cam...

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

So that was my weekend. I hope you are all doing well. Let me know what you've been up to!

xox,
carolyn

Tamolitch Pool-central Oregon. Those aren't little sticks at the bottom...they're huge logs. Big blue pool of wonder! 

Clear Lake, the source of the McKenzie River, in Central Oregon. Camping with Jess July 2004 

sunday outing