Updates and Shoes and Pictures and Weekends (OH MY!)
I finished out Thursday with a great trail run with Sarah and then got to sleep in a bit (’til 7:30!) on Friday.
Friday started off fantastically. I had a great morning yoga class and then spent the rest of the day doing homework and packing for our camping trip.
The architect got home about 4:45 and we loaded up the truck and were off! We stayed at Elk Creek Campground in the Coast Range. It was really pretty, if a bit too close to the highway (6) for my taste. Next time we’ll leave a bit earlier and get one of the more tucked away campgrounds.
Friday night we started the fire, set up camp, roasted weenies and marshmallows, and relaxed.
Sometime in the middle of the night, some crazy person started yelling obscenities and being a general crazy, disturbing nuisance. I slept through it.
Saturday morning, we were up and at ’em wicked early (i.e. 8 am!). We had a lovely breakfast of instant coffee with hot cocoa stirred in and organic pop tarts. HEALTHY! 🙂
We were going to do a long hike that day, summitting two nearby peaks. We grabbed the day pack, the water filter and the camera & headed to the stream to fill up the water bottles for the hike.
As the architect filled up the bottles, I decided I needed a picture of that. And that’s when I realized that the camera batteries were dead.
Shortly thereafter, we also realized that the water filter was dead.
This was not an auspicious beginning!
We reevaluated our plans, and since it was now nearing 11 am, decided that the 8-10 hour extremely (according to the trail map) difficult hike with only 32 oz of water might not be the way to go.
So, we took the moderately difficult option instead. We did a 7 mile hike, which took 3 hours and all 32 oz of water. We did see an elk that crashed through the forest and crossed the trail ahead of us, so that was cool! It was a pretty, steep, and fun hike. The way back, I rolled my ankle, bruised my heel, and almost fell in a hole (not to mention the stinging nettle that I traipsed through), and was sure glad to get back to the tent!
We split a beer and napped before getting down to the business of more fires, more roasted weenies, and more toasted marshmallows!
I fell asleep hard that night, and about midnight was woken up by the sound of rapid gunfire not too far away. There were a LOT of shots, and it was really nerve-wracking. The architect tried to tell me that it sounded really far away, but I didn’t believe him (although I appreciated him trying to assuage my fears). After the shots finally died down for good, the campground became a swarm of activity. A couple groups packed up their cars and got out of Dodge. All the flashlights bobbing about & the hushed conversations did nothing for my nerves. It took me forever to fall asleep again, and then I had dreams about being shot the rest of the night.
Sunday morning, the whole campsite was pretty much packing up & leaving early. We loaded up the car and headed to Kookoolan farm to pick up Colin!
Doesn’t he look delicious? Plus, bonus Ikea bag for all my open water swim needs! 🙂
We started on our way home, stopping Forest Grove for lunch and then spending a lazy afternoon at home.
Yesterday was my first “work at home” day, and it was wonderful! I got so much done, had fewer distractions at home than work, and generally felt way more productive. I took off & picked up Jen so we could head out to Klineline for a swim. It was perfect weather – a little overcast to keep us cool. We did two long loops in the lake and it felt really great!
Last night, the rain woke me up and it’s still gray and drizzly today. I love a break from the heat & sun every couple of weeks in the summer, and my rain barrels and garden need the break, too!
Speaking of the garden, check it out! Baby ‘maters and peppers!
The other great thing that happened yesterday? My new Kate Spade shoes arrived! Huzzah!
Happy week!
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