Columbia Gorge Camping & Oregon Brewfest

Callie, Brandon and I camped at Eagle Creek about 40 miles into the Columbia Gorge this weekend! the only bummer is that we apparently missed out on this really great hike...guess i'll have to go back :) brats and chips-delicious camp food
brandon wiping soot off callie's face-that's what cute married couples do for each other :D
yep, umhmm-that's my beautiful and amazing friend-love her.
it never gets old-CAMPFIRES ROCK!!

making breakfast on the mini-stove
HAMMOCK!!
callie using superpower muscles to empty the tent
my favorite picture from the whole trip

not entirely sure what was going on here but callie amuses me often...so i'm not suprised that i am making this stupendously ridiculous face...
trying to figure out a good pose...
ah well, back to the standard...if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
i love the urban vintageness of train tracks (we were headed to brewfest downtown)

the tokens say "Continent's Best Microbreweries" come to this thing...
i need to make a disclaimer on this photo: i don't know why but sometimes my face contorts to look exuberantly excited in pictures when it belies my actual state of being. i am totally sober in this picture and remained that way throughout the whole time we were there-i know it doesn't look like that but it's true. you're just gonna have to trust me :\

...and the Mandarin Hef was my favorite. again, so glad she lives in the NW :)
good people.

headed to the Columbia Gorge in OR to go camping with Callie and Brandon :D.....back in a bit!

duck and tuna

today, i got schooled by a duck. i think it was albino, too. i hate ducks. i hate anything that flies frankly. they're nice to watch and gaze at from afar (bald eagles especially :D) but all that flapping unnerves me. big time.

every day on my lunch, i walk down to the south lake union park. it's nice to get some fresh air, there's hydro-planes, boats galore and kayakers on the lake most days. there's also a rather sizeable flock of geese as well as the resident ducks wandering about. a nice dock at the far end is usually where i sit, and it gives me an expansive view of gasworks park, boathouses lining both sides of the lake, and whatever boats may be harbored there at the time. typically, there are some pesky geese that 'casually float by' the dock while i'm eating but that 'casually floating by' turns into pacing (if you can do that in water) while they stare at me with their beady eyes, prepared to gobble any crumbs that might fall their direction.

if you can believe this, i've actually talked to them and told them to go away once. THEY'RE SO ANNOYING and they're ruining my peaceful lunch hour, thank you. despite the minor irritation, they are for the most part harmless.

today, i just had a few minutes to scarf down a tuna sandwich so i didn't walk all the way to the dock but just down to the inlet. there's some huge logs that are easy to sit on, so i perched myself, unwrapped half my tuna sandwich and bit in. not a minute later, this allegedly albino duck appears out of nowhere and starts waddling towards me. i kept my eye on him, leary of his presence, certain that he would maintain a safe distance.

uh-NO. he forges ahead with this arrogant air about him, staring me down with his beady eyes as if to say, "what are you gonna do, lady? i want your sandwich and i'm not afraid of you."

OK, I'M TOTALLY FREAKING OUT at this point. sick. i hate birds. so i jump up with the half the sandwich i'm in the middle of eating (leaving the other half in my lunch bag), hop to the other side of the log (as if that would add some sort of protection against a creature that can fly), and start frantically shoving everything i can into my bag before he gets any closer.

there was a man in a pickup truck, parked not far away, with this window rolled down eating his own lunch, i presume. as this scene unfolded, i'm sure he was chucking safely in his car. yeah mister, you're not the one on the battle lines fighting THE DUCK.

i take a few steps away from the increasingly bold duck who is only inches away from my perch now. he keeps sauntering my direction and hops up onto the log i was just sitting on!! his rotund body and feathered bum is now hovering inches from the top of my poor lunch bag. i take a step towards him, thinking it might scare him off and i could salvage the second half of my sandwich.

nope. he stares at me boredly and starts scratching between his feathers. i loop around behind him, hoping i could snatch my bag from below his rump but he whirled around with me, and i thought, 'forget it! i am not willing to have my eyes plucked out by your beak; to be walked on by your disgusting reptile-like webbed feet and during all of this to have FLAPPING wings surrounding me. happy eating of the tuna sandwich i really wanted to eat, you stupid duck."

moments later i was literally laughing out loud, as i walked away, because i couldn't believe what had just happened. i just got schooled by a duck...

(this is the closest picture i could find to the duck today-i'm involuntarily gagging right now...)

"The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don't want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won't take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don't like to make waves-or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honor, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It's the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you'll keep it under control. If you don't make any moise, the bogeyman won't find you. But it's all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn."
-Sophie Scholl

Rock Climbing with the Coe's

thursday night kristen, laura and i got to spend one last night with janelle and andy before they left town. janelle was my neighbor freshman year-6 yrs ago-we lived together sophmore, junior and senior year...she's a dear, dear friend that i will miss immensely. we're losing her brilliant mind to med school in Kansas City. she's been waiting for this for a long time and we're so proud of her!
andy and janelle are big climbers so we bounced over to Stone Gardens to monkey around and scamper across the walls for a few hours :) (i've done a bit of climbing and after this, i presume that i will likely be doing more in the future-it's addicting!)

the route i was attempting in the above picture (pink/black), foiled me. after my 3rd attempt, i was so frustrated that i had to stop so my out-of-shape, quivering hands and forearms could rest for a few minutes.
back at it with Instructor Janelle alongside me :)

chalked hands and funny shoes
andy was trying a V6 boulding route that had a HUGE jump-his long monkey arms helped him to end the night completing this route-great job, andy!

we were asked if we're sisters...again (happens regularly-ha!)...love her and love that people think i'm related to this beautiful person!
we will miss you, so much!!

MULLET SPOTTING

tonight i saw a mullet.
probably one of the best ever.
picture this: wispy wavy hair hovering over the forehead, haloing his head, and wistfully laying on the nape of his neck.
DESPERATELY wanted to take a snapshot.
DEFINITELY couldn't-he was 2 ft away in the line at REI.
but i had to tell you about it.
doesn't happen everyday, you know...

tonight i took a kayak rescue class on lake washington to learn how to get back into your boat after flipping upside down and falling out. it was the perfect sunny summer evening for such an activity :)

i must admit that i was really nervous about being able to rip the 'skirt' off the opening to free myself and figuring out how to balance on the way back in. (the 'skirt' is the part that seals the 'cockpit' so that the splashes from paddling don't soak you.)

GOOD NEWS: i voluntarily and successfully rolled my kayak 4 times and was able to get back in! whoohooo...i feel much better about kayaking in a single (which are harder to stay balanced in and easier to roll) to blake island to camp this weekend.

i still plan to not fall out though, just so you know...

camping at Denny Creek

rainier was out in all her splendor as we blew out of town on friday... destination: denny creek

our site...set up by all girls, in the dark!
here we are. emily. tara. emily. we're applying to be Eagle Girl Scouts.
this is the raging fire we built. and we all slept in separate tents just because we could.
my new tent!! i think i'm in love :)
see?! i'm also laying in my new sleeping bag...oh and don't mind my double chin-she just wanted to have a weekend away from the city too...
reading richard's book in the quiet of the morning
Denny Creek-right across from our campsite
SO COLD. i hate being cold and it was SO COLD.
pancakes over an open flame. we forgot a spatula so we flipped them with two plastic knives...skillz, people, skillz!
saturday hike number 1

saturday hike number 2

snow?!
it's everywhere
these were natural 'water slides' about a mile up. there were TONS of adorable kids in bathing suits seemingly unaware of how glacierly cold the water was...
the view from lying flat on my back on the picnic table back at the campsite-tired.
jason built a good fire.

lovely erin.
tara loves marshmallows.
CHACOS!!! (shout out to hannah :D)
another glimpse... i almost didn't buy it because of how pathetically uncolorful it is and then i decided that gear probably should be chosen for function over aesthetic :/
foil dinner: before

during
after: YUM
we look normal, right?!
we're not. true blue northwest girls who wear socks with our sandals. don't hate-we're not embarassed ;)
can you find the brown bear??

there are his beady glowing eyes! we had been warned that there was a brown bear in camp. we glance up from the campfire that nite to find him staring at us from about 50 ft away-yikes! we start yelling at him and clapping our hands to scare him away. after running through our campsite, he disappears into the woods. my heart was pounding a little bit...ok, a lot.

savvy campers: 1 brown bear: 0
steve and tara
emily
erin
sunday hike

I-90 bridge running through the middle of this beautiful area. very cool lookin' bridge, by the way.
erin, tara and steve cooling off.

there is a lone little boy on that bridge surveying the area...
AHA! look what i found :) shortly after i took this, he stood up and shook himself out all over me-bleh.
the clan!

for anyone who loves dogs, PLEASE read this book...i have not laughed out loud, cringed with embarassment, or cried with any book like this one. it's the most wonderful story of a 'bull in the china closet' sort of dog that steals the hearts of his owners, despite the never-ending mishaps.

this evening, i finished the last chapter. i was sitting by myself in a fremont restaurant, my eyeballs scanning back and forth like i was at a tennis match, eating up the words about this ball of fur they called marley. the author is describing his last moments with the elderly pup and tears start pooling in my eyes! out of nowhere, i'm on the verge of bawling, as i have flashbacks to my own dog's heart-wrenching last 4 days. i quickly shut the book and start blinking rapidly to prevent the pools of water from cascading down my cheeks. how embarassing to cry in public over a book about a dog...

after a short drive back to ballard, i pulled the book back out and finished: fighting tears, chuckling quietly and all the while wishing so desperately that i had a dog of my own. someday.

if i'm gonna be honest, i think i might be over the top when it comes to dog love. i seriously LOVE dogs. 3 things i love most about dogs are their unwavering loyalty, boundless love and selflessness. (see?! i told you i was weird about dogs but i really do have a point..) one thing is true: you never have to prove yourself to a dog. they're just there; showin' up and lovin' you for whatever is available in the moment. no judgement. no expectation (except food and a head scratch :D).

i wish people were more like that, myself included.

i do absolutely love dogs. it's true. but in case you're worried, rest assured that i will NEVER go so far as to put clothes on my dogs...

i can't believe i get to live in this place

PERFECT SUMMER NITE

panoramic view of lake union and downtown

it wouldn't be the same without the local bagpiping clan
no words...just breathtaking
fire makes everything better (for you, brother :D)
iconic rusty pipes at Gasworks Park (notice the moon peeking through in the top lefthand corner of the picture)
sometimes i forget to actually look towards the west because the city so brilliant reflects the warm sunsets

erin and tara
kim and jason
serenity

the clan-quickly becoming really dear friends!
see the big barge coming through the canal?

the majestic sky

Solo Hike up Mt. Si

this morning i was awoken at 7:02am by someone setting of the last of their 4th of July fireworks. grrrr. i really wanted to sleep in after my 2am call time the night (or morning) before but after realizing i wouldn't get back to sleep, i decided to just go for the solo hike up Mt. Si that i had planned (clearly, a logical choice after 5 hours of sleep). a couple shots from starbucks got me kick started and i hit the open road. the weather was good/bad. it was in the 60's which is actually perfect hiking weather but unfortunately the long anticipated view from the top was entirely whited out with clouds-bummer. it didn't detract from the experience really, because i was just happy to make it to the top. that mountain kicked my butt! i was huffing and puffing and sweating like a banshee the whole way up-yikes. but i was able to pass several people and only got passed by one who was running, thank you.
every now and then i get this ridiculous competitive thing going on inside me which often leads to some irrational decisions. the first of a couple dumb decisions for the day was to practically run up the 1st mile of 4 that lead to the summit with a 3500 ft elevation gain. big mistake because i felt as though i was going to heave my lungs right out of my body with my heart pounding and blood pumping harder than i can ever remember. whoops. so i tried to slow down a little and be good about drinking water along the way. the problem with that mountain is that there aren't very many flat spots to stop and rest...so i kinda just kept hiking and hiking and hiking. i made it to the top and felt very accomplished. reviews i had read about the hike indicated it would be a 4 hour, 8 mile round trip excursion. i was able to summit in an hour and a half :) sans a few pounds of sweated-out water...we're off to a good start!
after enjoying the top for only a few minutes because it was cold and there was no view...i made another stupid decision...to 'trail run' the entire way down-ha! i think i was just ready to get down the mountain and that seemed like the fastest way. well, i only almost wiped out once, and it actually felt pretty awesome to be careening down the trail that others were huffing and puffing and sweating like a banshee to get up :) then about 1/2 way down i heard another set of running feet behind me. competitive crazy emily rears it's ugly head and i start practically sprinting DOWN the mountain this time refusing to get passed up by another weird person who decided to run too. ha. at one switch back, about a mile into that bad choice, i 'pull over' to get a glimpse of who was in pursuit and to admit defeat by letting them pass. as he comes up to me, he says "oh come on...you're setting a good pace"-that's all it took, folks, for me to make the 3rd bad decision of the trip. i said "oh, ok" and took off sprinting ahead of him again-HA. (what am i thinking???!!!) and now there is absolutely NO CHANCE I CAN QUIT. i have to set the pace for this guy the rest of the way down the mountain...so we jarringly jump, ricochet, rebound and stomp our way down the mountain. meanwhile, the backs of my heels are getting fast blisters, my toes are screaming "we weren't meant to be jammed like this; what did we ever do to you?!", and every ounce of cellulite was just hanging on for dear life on this jiggly sort of ride. honestly, stopping wasn't an option because my legs were so noodly that i would have probably collapsed if i tried to stand normally on the incline. so i kept flying. we finally reach the bottom, high five each other, and chat for a few minutes before he declares that i was running at a 'blistering' pace-SWEET. i smiled, content at having proven my manliness for the day, and wobbled off to my car where i gingerly sank onto my tailgate, guzzling water and asking myself again, "why did you just do that?"
oh well, all in a days work, huh?!....

this is what they call bear grass...i guess...learned that from a guy on the summit-i think it's beautiful. the picture doesn't capture it but in real life it's actually a soft buttery yellow.
"that was harder than i thought it would be" face with the whited out Snoqualmie Valley view behind.looking down into the fog/clouds from the rocky summit
yeah baby! i think the pink shorts helped...
it actually was a rather atmospheric experience being in the middle of a cloud :)

pretty bear grassit's everywhere up there!!
(i didn't get very many pictures because my camera batteries were low and i wanted to save it for the views from the top. honestly, Little Si had prettier foliage along the trail. we've had a couple thunderstorms which we never get around here, and there were trees split and fallen on the path at some points from lightening strikes-crazy)

*if i don't post for a few days it's probably because i won't be able to walk to my computer :D*

O2

my pastor has just gotten his first book published!! it looks to be wonderfully engaging and raw about the rhythm and balance of both inhaling and exhaling in our walk with Christ.

"I must say that the writing was great fun, and the message I'm sharing through the book is deeply important. It's about things I speak of often at my church in Seattle; spiritual disciplines, kindgom living, creation theology, all rolled into the vast subject of creating a "Rule of Life", a more a less consistent set of practices that one seeks to build into life for the purpose of living more fully, and making Christ more profoundly visible." (R. Dahlstrom)

i just got my copy in the mail today and i'm excited to dive in...if you're interested in purchasing it yourself to read, you can find it at Amazon.com

click HERE to watch a video of Richard explaining the premise of his book.

i'll let you know how the reading goes...