basement spin

basement spin, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Jay plays some music while my sister ogles his record collection.

skinny shadow

skinny shadow, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

My sister is quite ummm slender. Sara in the sun at Pier Park for 18 holes of frisbee golf

herding

herding, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

we played herd golf (7 people) at Pier Park in North Portland. We let many, many smaller groups play through since we were so slow going.

a great round of frisbee golf

sofa as stage

sofa as stage, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

hanging out in the living room while Steve, Dave and Jimmy play music. They are each very talented musicians.

Santa's Private Reserve

Santa's Private Reserve, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Jeremy dealing a round of Shanghai Rummy while I enjoy the seasonal Rogue beer, Santa's Private Reserve. dark and delicious!

My sister had never played Shanghai before but she would go on to beat all of us. I came in last. It was better than the time when my score was simply the infinity symbol.

maynard is cute

maynard is cute, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Seth brought over his puppy, Maynard, for Camille to watch while he went to work for a few hours.

freaky cute

trivia times 11

trivia times 11, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

after dinner some of us played Trivial Pursuit. There were 11 people and I was put on a team of 2 (all the rest were 3) because apparently I know too much trivia.

Itzhak Rabin!

deep fried perfection

deep fried perfection, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Jay deep fried a turkey (19 lbs) in addition to the 22 lb one Elaine and Gina roasted so we had 2 turkeys for dinner. Good thing since there were 22 people at dinner and there must be leftovers!

the skin on this turkey would melt in your mouth...salty goodness! mmmmmm

turkey time

turkey time, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Elaine and Gina take out the roasted turkey. 22 lbs stuffed with my family stuffing recipe (from the 1880's). The recipe starts with a pound of bacon and a stick of butter. mmmm

22 people at dinner. good times!

thank you!

Hello everyone!I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Sara & Jeremy arrived in Portland very late Wednesday. We all slept in and started getting ready. I talked to my parents on the phone then headed over to Elaine and Gina’s house (which smelled WONDERFUL of course). They had some apple cider warmed up so I got myself a mug of that (with just a bit of spiced rum) and so the festivities began. People began filling the house and we ate snacks, played cards, listened to music and watched football. Jay and Melissa came over and Jay set up the deep fryer out front. Elaine and Gina roasted a 22 lb turkey while Jay deep fried a 19 lb bird. I’d never had a deep fried turkey before so I was really excited to try it. There ended up being a total of 22 people for dinner including Elaine & Gina’s parents who brought over 30 twice baked potatoes and two pumpkin pies. I jumped in to help with the cooking in those last crazy 30 minutes. I was assigned the sweet potatoes. I made them just like my mom does with butter and brown sugar. Everything was timed perfectly and everyone filled their plates. Lincoln said a few words about good friends and good food and being grateful for the good things in our lives. Then everybody ate. It was fantastically good! I was good though and didn’t stuff myself knowing that I had to save room for some of the many desserts.

I helped with cleaning for a bit then had some coffee and pie. I had brought French Silk Pie (a long time favorite) and a pumpkin spice cake (with cream cheese frosting yummm). It was delicious and then I finally felt overly full. After dinner Sara & Jeremy went back to my house to lounge around and watch movies while I stayed and played games and hung out with everyone. We played Trivial Pursuit which was fun and then cards. I rolled myself home and hung out with Sara and Jeremy for a while before going to bed.

Friday we hung out at my house and relaxed. In the afternoon we went over to Elaine and Gina’s to eat some leftovers. Mmmmm I love the Thanksgiving leftovers. Elaine and Andrea got back from frisbee golfing and they had leftovers too. We spent the rest of the evening there. Dave came over and we all played a round of Shanghai Rummy. Sara had never played before but somehow crushed all of us to win by a wide margin. Elaine cooked some calzones and pizzas with crusts she’d picked up from Papa Murphy’s. Steve came over and Dave and Jimmy played music in the living room for a long time which was really nice. We went home full and tired and wondering when the eating extravaganza would end.

Saturday was a surprisingly nice day out meaning it was rainy, windy or freakishly cold. To take advantage we decided to go frisbee golfing. I had shunned frisbee golf all summer long, not playing once since the Masters in early June. I was ready to play again and happy to be playing in a big, fun mob. We played at Pier Park as a herd of 7. It was really fun but we were a slow moving group and let many smaller groups play through. After the game was done we went home where we stayed for the night. We napped then watched a documentary about the Pixies called LoudQUIETLoud then later we watched An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s documentary about global warming which was extremely good and quite disturbing. If you haven’t seen this movie yet RENT IT ASAP!

Sunday was cold and blustery outside so our plans for going into the Gorge were nixed. Instead we spent the day at home. I made a bunch of photo cards while Jeremy read, Camille did homework and Sara made us all melty ham and cheese sandwiches. Later that evening we went to the Bonfire where we met Melissa and Jay for drinks and dinner. Sara & Jeremy played some pool and then we decided to go back to Melissa & Jay’s house in Sellwood to hang out. They live in a beautiful old Victorian house that they’ve been fixing up. I love old houses since that what I grew up living in. I’m so envious of their home ownership. It’s hard but so rewarding!

Monday I went back to work while Sara & Jeremy made their return trip back north. A freak snowstorm had come through and Bellingham was buried under a foot of snow. This doesn’t happen very often so their drive took a long time once they got north of Everett. They made it home safely though and I was so happy that they came down for Thanksgiving.

That was my long weekend! Please let me know how you are and what you’ve been up to!

xoxo,
carolyn

summit meadow

summit meadow, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

on the loop around Trillium Lake with a view of Mt Hood from the Summit Meadow. The Oregon Trail crossed over the Cascades at this point. Must have been a crazy view from your covered wagon

hoodie with a white sky

hoodie with a white sky, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

white mountain against a white sky.

doing the loop around Trillium Lake. The lake was just barely frozen over.

I offer some trail mix to the mighty mountain

I offer some trail mix to the mighty mountain, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Mt Hood turned down my trail mix (almonds, cashews & dried cranberries). fine

hugs not drugs

hugs not drugs, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gina & I at Trillium Lake on Mt Hood.

we both got new snowpants. here's to getting to the mountain during winter.

timer shot by gina

snowshoe girls

snowshoe girls, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

photo by gina

snowshoeing down to Trillium Lake, followed by walking the loop around the lake.

Mt Hood

thin freeze

thin freeze, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

snowshoeing around Trillium Lake on Mt Hood

cards, beers and obscene hand gestures

cards, beers and obscene hand gestures, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

photo by Ricky, Sarah's dad.

playing cards and drinking beers (I'm drinking the Dead Guy on the right not the Hamm's on the left) at Sarah's family's cabin on Mt Hood.

me with Joe's middle finger

winning and losing

winning and losing, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Guess who's losing? Gina & Sarah playing cards at Sarah's family's cabin on Mt Hood.

the mountains of Oregon to the art of Egypt

Hello everyone!I had a lovely weekend. Friday evening Gina and I headed up to Mt Hood where we spent the night at Sarah’s family cabin, just past the town of Rhododendron at about 2,000 feet elevation. Gina and Sarah are old friends but this was my first time at the cabin so I was really excited about it. Sarah and her husband, Joe, were there along with Diana. Sarah’s sister, Rachel, and her boyfriend, Dave, showed up a little bit later with Sarah & Rachel’s dad, Ricky. We all gathered around the big woodburning stove in the kitchen and talked and drank some Jim Beam. We played cards and ate popcorn (mmmm with yeast) and then we all piled in the living room to watch King Kong. I watched about 45 minutes before falling asleep.

Saturday morning we woke up and Gina and I made ourselves coffee and packed up lunches for the day. Ricky cooked us up some eggs and then we hit the road. We continued driving up the mountain to Trillium Lake. We parked at the sno-park then snowshoed down to the lake, about a mile. The snow was pretty crunchy and there were tire tracks without snow from the park ranger so we decided to just walk the loop around the lake rather than snowshoeing. It’s been dumping snow up there this week so I’m sure it’s perfect for snowshoeing again. We stopped along the lakeshore and took pictures of the big mountain at the end of the lake. The surface of the lake was frozen over with just a thin layer of ice. On the other side of the loop we came to Summit Meadow. The Oregon Trail crossed through this meadow as it came over the Cascade mountains. There are even a couple gravestones for people that died here while making the journey. We finished up the loop and hiked back up to the car and drove back to Portland. We were home in less than an hour. I love having the mountain so close!

We each went home and showered then I went back to Gina’s house and we drove down to Romo’s, a Mexican restaurant on Hawthorne. mmmm cheesy goodness! We went back to her house to watch a movie. Gina got The Breakup from On Demand and we agreed half way through that it was truly awful. AWFUL!

Sunday I woke up and worked on making photo cards. I left around 11:15 to head downtown for my volunteer shift at the Portland Art Museum. That is a sure sign that summer is OVER when I’m back at the museum on Sundays. The museum was extremely busy. They have an amazing Egyptian exhibit up now. When my volunteer shift was over I grabbed one of the audio guides and went through the exhibit myself. It’s quite large and full of incredible artifacts: jewelry, sculptures, mummy masks and sarcophaguses (sarcophagi? hahaa). There is an entire burial chamber that has been reconstructed. It was amazing to listen to the audio guide explain the different drawings around the room which coincided with the hours of the day and the sun. After I finished the exhibit I drove home where I worked on making a zillion more cards. The website will be up soon. I will definitely be sending out a big announcement when it’s live.

So that was my weekend. Please let me know how you are and what you’ve been up to!

xoxox,
carolyn

podcasting

podcasting
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

My friends (Jim the Bad Goat) played a little show at the Green Room in the Rose and Raindrop (SE Grand & Washington). It was recorded and will be released as a two part podcast through rosedropmedia.com.

Dave on guitar, Bill on bass, Wampler on accordion, Steve (out of frame) on mandolin and Eric (out of frame) on banjo

cross-eyed rosie release

cross-eyed rosie release
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Cross-Eyed Rosie had a packed CD release show at the Goodfoot. They played two sets and brought the house down. Dancing, beers, good friends, a great night out.

birthday brian

birthday brian
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Brian turned 31. He joined us late at the Cross-Eyed Rosie show at the Goodfoot. He was kinda drunk. Elaine has known him since high school. Good times.

the sweet golden light on cock rock

the sweet golden light on cock rock
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Lewis and Clark named it Cock Rock (the large basalt monolith in the center of the frame) as they paddled down the Columbia River. It was later renamed Rooster Rock. I think the original name is more descriptive.

The Columbia River is very muddy from the massive rains/floods/water water everywhere we've been experiencing.

first falling

first falling
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I was in Trout Lake, Washington for their first snowfall of the season. 2,000 feet elevation at the base of Mt Adams. A few inches fell and stuck throughout the day but began melting that evening and was all gone by the next day. View from my friend Wampler's porch.

lovely snow

beer to be

beer to be
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

mmmm making beer at Wampler's house in Trout Lake, Washington. The recipe makes a beer much like Rogue's Arrogant Bastard. It will be ready to drink around Christmas or New Years. I look forward to drinking it!

first snowfall

Hello everyone!


I had a wonderful, long weekend. I left for Trout Lake straight from work on Thursday afternoon. I had Friday off for Veteran’s Day. I arrived at Wampler’s house and we decided to go up to the Inn for taco night. The Inn was jammed! Hunting season has started so there were lots of hunters and lots of locals eating $1 tacos. We ate our dinner then headed back to Wamp’s house to brew some beer. Sara was waiting at the house when we arrived. I started a fire in the woodstove and Wamp & Sara began measuring out ingredients. The recipe he was using makes beer like Rogue’s Arrogant Bastard. Jason and Danny came over along with Joseph and Barb. The house got all stinky (wonderfully so) with hops (including some grown by Jason himself) and malt.

We talked about the recent washout of Hwy 35. This is the road that leads to Mt Hood Meadows ski area that was destroyed by the recent storms. They believe part of one the glaciers broke apart and melted with all the heavy rains causing massive flooding and debris flow in the White River. The north side of the highway is a sea of mud and boulders (some of them 10 feet high) while the south side of the road is completely gone, with the White River re-routing itself and digging out huge channels where once there was a road. Jason was particularly distraught over the news since he had spent over 50 days snowboarding at Meadows last winter. They’re about to begin repairing the road but snow has begun falling and there’s no estimates as to when the public will actually be able to drive to Meadows.

Friday morning I woke up to gray skies and rain. The temperature was dropping though and the rain quickly turned over to snow. This didn’t surprise me so much as the fact that the snow was sticking. Wampler made some soup and cheesy bread for lunch and I read my book for a while. In the afternoon we began working out some ideas for my website. Wampler is helping me set up a website where I can sell my photo cards and prints of some of my photographs. It’s going to be set up through the Trout Lake website that he currently runs. I’m so excited to finally be taking some steps towards doing something more with my photography. We set up a naming scheme and I began a database listing all the photos I wanted to use along with short descriptions. After several hours of this we were both tired of staring at computer screens and called it a day.

We were going to a potluck at Damon & Amanda’s that evening so we began preparing our dish (stuffed acorn squash). We went over to their great cabin in the woods and ate a wonderful dinner. Jimmy and Andrea were there as they had closed the Inn for the night. The snow had driven all the hunters out of the area and they had no live music scheduled for the night. It was great to hang out and drink some wine in their cozy cabin. We spent a large portion of the evening perusing an erotic art book that Danny spied on Amanda’s bookshelf. Outside it was warming up and all the snow melted away in the drippy forest.

Saturday morning a group of us gathered at Danny & Greg’s place for a big breakfast. They live in a great A-frame house which I really, really love. Breakfast was delicious (egg bake, corn bread with blueberries and peaches, and potatoes). Afterwards I went back to Wampler’s house where I showered then packed up my stuff and hit the road back to Portland. It was clear in Trout Lake and all the snow was gone at the lower elevations. Somewhere around Cascade Locks I hit a torrential downpour that went on for some time. About 20 minutes from Portland it cleared up and I was happy to be home.

I went over to Elaine & Gina’s house and we drove to Tabla on NE 28th and Davis to have dinner with their parents to celebrate their mom’s birthday. We know one of the chefs at the restaurant. The food was spectacular as always. We all ordered from the prix fixed where you choose one appetizer, one pasta dish and one entrée. I had the razor clam (delicious!), the ravioli (one giant ravioli with a poached egg on top mmmm!) and the Oregon bison with polenta as an entrée (super tender and flavorful!). We all left full and so happy with the delicious meal.

The three of us then drove to their friend Nova’s house for a birthday party. We hung out for a while and played some card games on the floor before heading out. We went from there to The Goodfoot where Cross-Eyed Rosie was playing a cd release show. The show was absolutely packed and Cross-Eyed Rosie sounded fantastic. There were tons of Trout Lakers there and lots of dancing going on. The show was really great and they played until 2 AM. From there we stopped at Big Bertha’s on Hawthorne for some late night gyros then dropped off birthday boy Brian at his house before going back to Elaine and Gina’s. It was past 3 AM when I finally got home and into bed. Needless to say I slept in on Sunday.

I spent all of Sunday watching Netflix and making photo cards. Later in the evening I went to Elaine and Gina’s house and the girls made a wonderful dinner of pasta with alfredo sauce and broccoli and chicken. Eventually I met Elaine down at the Rose and Raindrop where Dave’s band (Jim the Bad Goat) was playing and recording a podcast. Wampler played accordion while Eric was on banjo, Bill was on stand up bass and Steve on mandolin and a variety of other instruments. It was great to hear Dave’s songs and hang out with everyone. The windstorm arrived at 10 pm just as predicted and I was happy to get home in my bed and out of the nasty weather.

So that was my weekend! Please let me know how you are and what you’ve been up to!

xoxo,
carolyn

blondes breeding

blondes breeding
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

more blondes to come. According to Lincoln their baby will be transparent due to their pale, pale coloring.

Lincoln and Alicia at their baby shower. She's due on December 5th. They will be fantastic parents.

president poopyhead

president poopyhead
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Alicia & Lincoln open some gifts at their baby shower. The "President Poopyhead" onesie was a big hit. Portland hates Bush. What's to like?

rain falls on a waterfall

rain falls on a waterfall
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Our last of the 10 waterfalls, Upper North Falls (these names leave something to be desired), at Silver Falls State Park. It was a great weekend of hiking. Time to drive back to Portland in the rain, rain, rain.

as the water thunders past

as the water thunders past
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

timer shot by Gina. Finishing up our hike and passing behind North Falls again in Silver Falls State Park. The falls were gushing with all the rain falling from the sky as of late.

pineapple express

pineapple express
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

it's been very warm (almost 70 today) and very wet (inches and inches and inches of rain) here the last several days as a couple Pacific storms have rolled in. The most recent is called a Pineapple Express because it is warm, wet air from Hawaii.
A good day to hike around some waterfalls.

Silver Falls State Park

rainy day hikers

rainy day hikers
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

What's a little rain? This is Oregon. If you stopped doing things because it was raining you wouldn't leave your house for several months. Gina and I had a great weekend at Silver Falls State Park. We hiked the Canyon Trail, saw all 10 waterfalls in the park and spent 2 nights in a great little rustic cabin. Yeah for state park cabins!

photo by gina

north falls gusher

north falls gusher
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

view from behind 136 foot North Falls in Silver Falls State Park. It's been raining A LOT lately and the falls were gushing and very very loud. amazing!

white wash (over the yellow and green)

white wash (over the yellow and green)
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

view from the cavern behind North Falls (136 feet high) on the Canyon Trail. It had rained heavily the day and night before this (and was still raining at this moment) so the falls were absolutely gushing and incredibly loud.

a fantastic weekend at Silver Falls State Park

my meager fire

my meager fire
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

After our day of hiking it was strangely warm and not raining so I started a little campfire in the firepit next to our cabin. The wood was wet so it wouldn't burn very well but I drank my beer (Rogue Dead Guy) and read my book (Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West). That witch could never live in Oregon...water, water everywhere

weekend cabin (warm and dry)

weekend cabin (warm and dry)
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gina & I are done with our 6 mile hike on the Canyon Trail in Silver Falls State Park. We returned to our "rustic cabin" $35 night ("Discovery Season" aka the cold & rainy season prices). It had heat, electricity, several beds, a little microwave and small fridge. There was no plumbing though there was a very nice bathroom/shower building for the cabin loop. A great place to stay during the rainy season.

windy, warm, wet

windy, warm, wet
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Saturday we hiked 6 miles of the Canyon Trail at Silver Falls State Park. It amazingly didn't rain that day (though it started again shortly after we returned to our cabin). I'm wet in this photo from the mist coming off of Middle North Falls. The trail goes behind the waterfall.


The weather was odd though with warm, humid breezes. I had to remove some layers as we hiked back to our cabin and immediately cracked open a nice cold Dead Guy (mmmm the Rogue beers are good). It's very warm out for November...the weatherman calls it the "pineapple express", warm, wet air from Hawaii.

the damp side of things

the damp side of things
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

everywhere is damp in Silver Falls State Park (except for the rustic cabins we stayed in). Looking through Middle North Falls where the trail passes behind the falls. Hiking the Canyon Trail at Silver Falls State Park.

what to do at silver falls

what to do at silver falls
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gina and I spent the weekend at Silver Falls State Park. The waterfalls were gushing (all this rain!!!), the leaves were colorful and everywhere and the moss was luscious and plump. The Canyon Trail is a fantastic hike. We're walking behind Middle North Falls.

State park cabins are a deal. Warm, dry, cheap.

wanna share my apple?

wanna share my apple?
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I offered to share my apple with Lower North Falls (30 feet high and who names these things? sheesh)

The waterfall did not want my apple so I ate it myself. I suppose sharing an apple is somewhat intimate and I don't know this waterfall all that well. This is only the second time we've met.

snuffalamuffagus

snuffalamuffagus
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

mossiness abounds in Silver Falls State Park.

Hiking the Canyon Trail

waterwall

waterwall
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

behind Lower South Falls on the Canyon Trail in Silver Falls State Park. 93 foot waterfall

yes!

we feel small

we feel small
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gina standing behind the plunge of Lower South Falls on the Canyon Trail in Silver Falls State Park.

a very loud place and misty misty.

lower south falls is lovely

lower south falls is lovely
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

a 93 foot waterfall on the Canyon Trail in Silver Falls State Park.

Such a lovely waterfall deserves a better name than Lower South Falls non? This is another waterfall where the trail goes behind the falls.

treetops and misties

treetops and misties
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

hiking on the Canyon Trail in Silver Falls State Park

little girl, big water

little girl, big water
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gina (on the left) walking on the trail that leads *behind* South Falls. 177 feet high total. mmmmmisty

Silver Falls State Park

south falls goes over

south falls goes over
Originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

177 feet of water falling.

South Falls in Silver Falls State Park.

oh Oregon, how I love thee

Silver Falls (waterfall insanity)

Hello everyone!

I had a really great weekend with Gina at Silver Falls State Park. We left Friday right after work and found ourselves in a slow mob of traffic on a rainy night. We stopped in the town of Silverton where we ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant and stopped in a shop in the cute downtown area. From there it’s just 15 miles or so to the park. We had a rustic cabin reserved for the weekend as you’d be crazy to sleep in a tent in the rain we’ve been experiencing lately. We brought our stuff in to the cabin and turned on the baseboard heaters. It was a small two-room cabin with heat, electricity, several beds, a futon, a microwave & a small fridge. We played cards and drank hot chocolate (with a little peppermint schnapps). Gina was really excited about the brochures warning us about mountain lions and black bears in the park. She locked the door.We went to bed excited for our next day of hiking.

We woke up Saturday to some lazy drizzle. I set up my campstove on the porch and boiled some water for coffee. We got our packs together and made lunch while eating our breakfast and drinking our coffee. We walked through the park to the trail that leads to the loop around all the waterfalls. Silver Falls is a monster state park, the biggest in Oregon at over 9,000 acres. We crossed a bridge and could hear the first waterfall coming up. South Falls is a 177 foot plunge straight off the basalt cliffs. The trail goes behind the falls which is such an incredible experience. We hiked for about 6 miles total seeing 7 waterfalls, several of which had trails behind the falls. We ate lunch on the trail and took tons of photos. It was sprinkling when we began the hike but it quickly stopped and remained surprisingly dry for the rest of our hike.

We arrived back at our cabin and were happy to sit down and relax. It was strangely warm out so I decided to start a little campfire and sit outside with my book. Later I took a shower in the separate bathroom/shower building for the cabin loop. As it became dark out it began raining and it wouldn’t end for days to come. Gina and I spent the night playing cards and talking. We heated up some homemade chili that I had brought and listened to music. Outside it continued pouring rain and we were most grateful for having a warm and dry place to sleep.

Sunday we woke up and packed our lunches while eating breakfast and drinking coffee. We packed up the car and swept the cabin before leaving. We dropped off the key then drove to the trailhead on the other side of the Canyon Trail. We started off down the trail with the rain falling and the colors vibrant. This place is absolutely gorgeous and I think fall is the best time to visit. The fall leaves against the green moss and ferns is stunning. We arrived at North Falls, a 136 plunge with a huge cavern behind the waterfall. We took tons of photos and marveled at how loud it was. The falls were just gushing with all the recent rain. We hiked on to Twin Falls and decided to double back rather than doing the loop since the lower Canyon Trail is more interesting than the upper Rim Trail. We crossed under North Falls again and then continued back to Upper North Falls. It was raining more heavily and the mist coming off the falls was thick. We were happy for our rain hats and to be almost done with our hike. Soon after we were in the car and headed back to Portland. It took us just over an hour to get home (in stark contrast to our Friday night traffic jam).

After unpacking and showering I headed over to Elaine & Gina’s house. Wampler arrived from Trout Lake and we all piled into Elaine’s car to drive to NE Portland. We spent the evening at Lincoln and Alicia’s baby shower. She is due on December 5th and is looking beautiful. The shower was lots of fun with not a one dumb baby game. It was a coed gathering with great food and drinks. It was nice to talk to some people I hadn’t seen in a while and to meet some new people. It was a crazy rainy drive home with leaves clogging the street drains and huge lakes forming in the streets. So much rain!

Please let me know how you are and what you’ve been up to!

xoxo,
carolyn