Hood River and Portland

A.  Adventures in Hood River Oregon

When I was five years old, I met Monica.  That means we've been friends over 69 years.  We both look like we've been living a long life and having adventures.  Different ones, for sure.  Monica negotiates the Portland freeway while her 99 year old boyfriend shouts out directions.  It's the tiniest bit hair-raising.  

We arrive at the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States  Multinomah Falls is a popular attraction because of its beauty and restaurant, where I have my first delicious local salmon.

 

Monica and Sherman in front of the Falls

Hoping for Rain

 Hillsides on the road to Hood River remind me a bit of the Sierra Nevadas but there are evergreen trees as well as the brown grass.  The air is smokey from fires in the North West.  We all hope for rain.  The Columbia River Gorge is dramatic and beautiful.  Out the right window I see ferny forest with birch and dark evergreens.  On the left is the Columbia River, showing wavelets from the wind.  Beyond the river are the craggy hills.  

Monica is currently living in an assisted living facility called Hawks Ridge.  Having visited friends in Athens who have decided to live in an independent or assisted living place, I see many similarities.  I will have no problem making my home in such a setting if needed.  Many interesting men and women keep me good company while Monica and Sherman go on various errands.  We have only breakfasts there:  terrific coffee, juice, egg casseroles, toast and prunes.  

Downtown Hood River has the most upscale Goodwill I could begin to imagine.  Set up by someone like my friend, Eleanor, who knows about merchandising like nobody else, everything is enticing.  But, Jeez, I can't afford a single item of clothing!  I look at one of the five wet-suits (yep, you read that right!), hoping it would be a bargain for my next snorkeling episodes in cool water, I'm shocked to see a price tag of $79.  Well, maybe that's a bargain.

Hood River Downtown

If you don't count the nearby you're-definitely-in-the-West hills, Hood River is a lot like Athens.  Coffee and beer joints with clever names.  Shoppers.  Diners enjoying burgers and quiche outside or in crowded restaurants.  Feels like home.

 
A small, very small, hiking trail in Hood River Heights yields some pretty wildflowers.  It's too small for me to get lost.

Kite-Boarding on the Columbia River

The three of us have a marvelous time watching kite-boarders on the Columbia River.  The wind is huge: I had to brace my legs not to get blown over.  These young people, wearing wet-suits, became airborne several times.  So colorful and exciting!  A peak adventure just watching.

It's actually a water meter.

   My last solo walkabout.  I don't get lost but I obviously am somewhat off kilter because I think someone's head is in the hole of this turquoise box on the lawn of a Hood River park.

B.  Portland

A delightful Kurdish engineering student drives me from Monica's place to the hotel I picked out in Portland.  We have an enthusiastic and, I think, intelligent discussion about national politics, world affairs, "joys" of academe, and the best food to find in Portland.  I'm a lucky girl!

The Mark Spencer (name reminds me of stores in the U.K.) is quite wonderful, located in the artsy-fartsy Pearl District, near downtown.  View from the window does tell me about the weather.  The bathroom and bed are marvelous.

It's Not Raining

Enticing Bathroom

"Temptation"

Soon after arriving, I go for a walk.  Close by are food carts with delicious international options, even Transylvanian, Polish, and Hawaiian bar-b-q.  Tonight I pick Halal, bringing the lovely lamb gyro with all the fixings back to my room.  What luxury:  eating tasty food, looking at an old James Bond movie, and then a good night's sleep in a fluffy bed.

 

On the Way to Portland Oregon

All 79 alarm clocks rang at 1:00 AM Thursday morning September 3.  The Groome shuttle took three of us to the ATL airport.  Except for the driver we took naps.  Now it’s 5:00 AM and I’m sitting in Gate D3.  Alaska Airlines will start boarding us at 6:20 AM. 


LATER:  What a beautiful plane!  The inside design looks like someone’s comfy living room.  It couldn’t be leather on those ergonomic chairs but it looked and felt silky and warm.  Especially nice headrest so I unexpectedly napped -- again -- for half an hour or so.  I so dread being seen drooling from a gaping mouth, I was too vigilant to sleep long on this five hour trip.  Also, the crew is very attentive bringing all kinds of things to drink or eat.  We even got a gourmet bag of pretzels:  “apple cinnamon pretzels, caramel macchiato soy nuts and honey roasted sesame sticks”.  I charged a large $7.25 egg/ham/cheese/veg casserole in a bowl.  Much tastier than anything I could have gotten at the Atlanta Airport before boarding.  That is, if anything had been open.  Even the Plane Train doesn’t start until 5 AM.  If you ever need to know...




Quite a different mix of fellow passengers than those who fly to London or other points North.  College students, young families, folks going on to someplace Asian.  The three guys in front of me just came off a Georgia river.  Camouflage caps, plaid shirts, sunburnt necks.   They’re going on their annual salmon fishing trip on an Alaskan river.  The crew that will provide all their fishing equipment up there will also freeze the fish they catch and mail it to them back in Georgia.

Next to me are a mother and daughter who are going on a five day Alaskan cruise.  They’ve never been on a cruise and decided it would better than going to the Bahamas or Caribbean.  Good choice but I’ll be they wish it were longer!


It’s 10:30 AM western time.  I must be in Seattle.  The airport has folk music playing in our gate area.  Folks are wearing jackets.    I’m nibbling on the gourmet pretzels.  If the plane to Portland is on time, we’ll leave at 12:15 PM.  But so far most of the planes are arriving late because of air traffic control problems.  That might work out well cause Monica left voice mail saying she’d forgotten her 99 year old boyfriend, Sherman, has a medical appointment at the V.A. so she might be late to pick me up.  She said I could have a light lunch or snack while I’m waiting for her.  But not to eat much because they want to take me to lunch at a beautiful waterfall location.
  


Even though I’m sure I’ll have more adventures later today I may not be able to write so I’ll prepare this now. 

Future and Present

I'm preparing to leave for Oregon Thursday.  The biggest effort will be waking up in time to get the shuttle to the airport at 2:40 AM.  I've got three alarms to set for 1:00 AM.  

Meantime, I'm taking photos in our yard in Bishop GA.  Here are a few:  

These are birds' nest mushrooms which grow on wood chips.  They are tiny -- less than 1/2" in diameter -- so you have to get down on your knees just to find them.  These are in various stages of growth.

The orange one has very neat bites taken from it.  Wonder what did that?   The brown one reminds me somehow of an ocean wave.

Milkweed seeds are waiting all in a row to finish drying off for the wind to disperse them.  Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed so I plant a lot of these Georgia natives.

I had to sneak up on this dragonfly which lounged at the pond.  I tiptoe an inch at a time, holding my camera in front of me, hoping he'll stay put for awhile more.

Isn't this hairstreak butterfly gorgeous?  Using the $30 macro lens which fits on my point-and-shoot camera means I have to get within 3 inches of these flying objects.  Much harder than taking photos of mushrooms or even caterpillars.

I wonder what I'll see in Oregon...



When you've got 10 minutes to spare, take some walks in the North Georgia mountains to enjoy flowers, insects, ferns, the woods, mushrooms, and waterfalls:  https://youtu.be/R3vSg47pbQE.  Don and I just walked there about mid-August.