Gorgeous Subject

Christmas morning I had to stop making breakfast and step out on our front porch to capture this.

 My approach to photography has not yet moved far past the point-and-shoot stage (despite years of interest and avidly taking photographs). I LOVE taking photographs but have never taken the time to learn the tools to improve their quality. Fortunately, camera technology has improved as I have wanted to take better photos - and I lean heavily on auto-functions. Also fortunately, I live in the Pacific Northwest, which is like rooming with a runway model. You just turn around and there is something stunning.

I keep my eyes open and sometimes have to pull the car over and take five minutes to take photographs before continuing on errands. I take my cell phone on walks, just in case. The past few weeks have been abnormally gorgeous and I just had to share.

Exhibit 1: Christmas Eve
Toe and I were delivering gifts in south county when we noticed how high the water was in the river. We happened to be experiencing some "king tides." We parked near the river and took a few photos, and then decided to go to the local playground (also on the river) so Toe could play and I could take more photographs.

Station 1 - Toe's comment, "Mom! Look! That's grass under the water!" We talked about high tide and how it floods past its normal channels during extra high tides.

Station 2 - The grass in the foreground is not usually under water.

In the background, the dock is higher than the ramp...

I love the pop of blue in the middle.

 On our way home, we had to stop on the bay to catch the sunset.

Christmas Eve

Exhibit 2: Christmas Morning
The light was so amazing, I couldn't begin to capture it. It changed in seconds from moody to absolutely inspiring. If you turned 180 degrees, the light had turned everything a warm golden color.

Exhibit 3: Christmas Day
Once the fog burned off, Christmas day was bright and spectacular. We hiked through the woods to catch a view of the bay from above.

Exhibit 4: Boxing Day
The next day as we drove to my mom's, we got caught in a crazy rainstorm on the bridge. It was raining so hard, you could barely see the road. On our right, there were blue skies. On our left, the clouds were so black, it looked like a winter storm.

Ten miles down the road, the sky was clear, as if there had never been a chance of rain.

Exhibit 5: The woods
The advantage of gray days is that you can capture some great forest scenery. This is one of our favorite short hikes.

Exhibit 6: New Year's Eve
We chased this sunset across the mighty Columbia and were rewarded with amazing hues. What a way to close 2018!

Facing west (on Young's Bay)

Facing South (on the Columbia)

I plan to take more landscape photos this year and am looking at the best way to share them...  How could I not, with this subject?

Missing Those Summer Days

Today, December 29, is downright gloomy. We are having a typical Pacific Northwest storm. The skies are dark. The wind is blasting against our house and whistling down the street. We have had enough rain that J and Sasha came back from their morning walk completely drenched, despite J's raincoat and boots.

We have been very fortunate this winter to have a number of days/ parts of days where we could spend time outside. Two days ago, J and Toe had a great game of catch in the park. Today is not one of those. It's the kind of day that, if you grew up on the coast here, you remember from your childhood.

So, I'm choosing to share some photos from adventures we had this summer, when we wore single layers and felt the sun on our faces.

Grandparent Visit

This is a photo I received from J while on their trip! J assures me Toe didn't really drive...

J and Toe took a trip to the Gulf Coast to visit Jason's folks this summer. Because of Sasha's age and health issues, I had to stay behind this year. While Sasha and I walked the neighborhoods and spent time in the back yard relaxing, the boys had a series of adventures.

First and foremost, the family spent time on the beach in the water. J's folks live very close to the beach and spend much of their time there. They have an amazing set up and are able to load up the truck for a picnic or barbecue at a moment's notice. In July and August, the water is bathtub temperature and there is usually a strong breeze that alleviates the heat.

With Grandpa Boat

With Grandma Gus

 Toe even ate meals in the water this visit!

Toe practiced swimming in the ocean and in the canal behind Grandma Gus and Grandpa Boat's house. J says that they also played on paddle boards in the canals.

It wouldn't be a trip to Gus and Boat's without science as well. Gus has an amazing garden at her house and volunteers at the local botanical gardens. Currently Grandma Gus is working on a research project with monarch butterflies and the family spent time examining specimens and looking at the life cycles of monarchs.

 Gus and Boat also volunteer at the local national park working with sea turtles. They tour the beach watching for turtles laying eggs and are trained to remove the eggs to an incubating facility; they also participate in releases. July and August are prime times for turtle releases and J and Toe were able to attend one where Gus and Boat volunteered, holding a net above the tiny sea turtles to prevent predators from attacking on the slow journey to the ocean. The turtles must make the trek across part of the beach, though, to be able to return to the same spot when it is time for them to lay eggs.

That's Grandma Gus on the left!

It's a long journey down the beach for these little guys!

The guys visited a local arcade/go-kart track where Toe took a lone lap on the kiddie ride before riding in the sidecar as J and Grandpa raced on the faster track.

Golf carts are pretty typical on the island where Gus and Boat live and Grandma Gus rented one just for Toe as a special treat. The thing had seat belts and was mostly for puttering around the neighborhood and to the beach, but Toe and Gus had a great time driving together.

J and Toe returned to the Pacific Northwest tanned and happy. I was sad to miss the trip, but look forward to next year!

Quick vacation

Toe at Namanu

This summer seems a blur. We were very busy with family in June/July and then spent most of August recovering (at least a week inside due to the smoke from forest fires across the west coast).  Sasha (our 14 year old shepherd mix) is ancient and has had a number of health issues that kept us relatively close to home or taking vacations in turns. The one exception was a family trip we took with my mother to Mt. Hood. We were only gone overnight, but we had an amazing time.

Mom wanted us to visit her childhood summer camp, her favorite place in the world. I did family camp there as a teenager (we lived out of district, so I did not qualify to be a regular camper) and we have taken Toe to family camp, but he was very young when we went (only three!) and barely remembers it. J had never been to the famed Camp Namanu. So, on Open House day (for campers to see camp and meet the counselors beforehand) we drove three hours to Mt. Hood. Toe played games with the counselors in the meadow and we had a tour of the camp. It was a lovely afternoon and we have decided to sign up for family camp next year (with J joining us!).

Camp Namanu is on the banks of the Sandy River on Mount Hood, so Mom reserved us a bunk room at Timberline Lodge and we proceeded up the mountain to experience another mainstay of my childhood. Yes, this is the hotel from The Shining (only the outside). No, it is not remotely creepy.

Timberline Lodge

Mount Hood, J, and Toe

Above the clouds!

The Lodge was built during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal and has served as a ski lodge/hotel ever since. There is now a lodge below for skiers but the hotel draws many visitors to see the incredible architecture and artistry. We went to dinner in the main dining room and then Toe took a dip in the pool. I dipped my toe in and decided I'd rather lifeguard fully clothed. It was chilly! Because of Toe's CF, he is not allowed in hot tubs (they can harbor bad bacteria that can get into his lungs) and J and I don't partake when Toe is around. Mom, however, had a soak and enjoyed herself.

In the bunk room

CF Life does not stop on vacation.

The next day, we took a guided tour of the Lodge and were completely overwhelmed by the information about the building's construction. Some highlights:

• The building has no metal holding it up. Only wood and stone.
• It was created using Ponderosa Pine, Doug Fir, and volcanic rock from further up the mountain, leftover glass, wood, any scraps they could get. All of the wrought iron decorations were made from scrap metal.
• The wood was hand-hewn and the building was constructed without the use of machinery (mechanical cranes, electric saws, bulldozers, etc.).
• Stonemason immigrants from Italy built the chimney and mixed ground volcanic rock with cement for mortar, which is why the chimney is still in such good condition.
• All of the curtains, chairs, tables, benches, beds, upholstery were all created and are maintained specifically for the lodge.Those were also created using old army jackets, wool sweaters, leftover fabric.
• The Lodge was built in 15 months!

Wooden pegs and gravity hold this building in place!

Chimney - second floor. The chimney runs from the ground floor through the ceiling.

Entrance to the Blue Ox cafe where there are amazing stained glass murals.

 The craftsmanship of the building was incredibly inspiring.They built a thing of beauty with the intention that it would last a very long time.

On our way home, we took a detour to observe the damage done by the Elk Creek fire last summer. The old highway still goes past Crown Point, but was closed after Multnomah Falls.We drove along the Interstate and saw the damage for miles. It's hard to convey in photos. Many of the trees on the hillside looked like toothpicks or like defoliated deciduous trees but they were once evergreens. Many trees had scorch marks on their trunks. It was important for us that Toe saw this to understand a what a single act can do. We were all pretty quiet on our way back to Portland.

Crown Point - Temps in the 90's. Toe was not impressed by the view.

Those trees on the crest were once evergreens

Note the scorch marks on the trunks.

Even though it was just an overnight, we all had an amazing time. I'm SO glad Mom suggested we do this and that Ron and Jamie gave her the time away (and Miss R watched Sasha for us!)

Great Strides 2018

The weather was perfect, we had a small but mighty team, and we raised about $3,000 for cystic fibrosis research. We want to send a HUGE thank you to everyone who donated, who walked, and who sent Toe encouraging messages!

This was the seventh year Toby's Green Team participated in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides walk, a gentle 5k through the neighborhoods of southeast Portland. Our team size was reduced this year - a spate of illnesses, previous engagements, and family issues prevailed on some of our regular striders. Our small team included long-time friends and Toe's best friend from school. Having reduced numbers meant that we stayed closer together during the actual walk and then we were all able to go to pizza afterward (this was also a first because Toe is usually fried after the walk and I have to take him someplace to rest).

2018 Toby's Green Team - Small, but MIGHTY!

Toe loves the event every year. He is surrounded by loved ones and has a chance to see how much support there is in the community for his rare disease.

I think J and I have more mixed feelings about this walk. Because people with CF can cross-contaminate nasty lung bacteria, the CF Foundation recommends that people with cystic fibrosis never be in the same room together and when outdoors, they should remain 6 feet apart at all times. This means that Toe rarely gets to meet or spend time with other CF patients. Great Strides is one of the only times per year that people with cystic fibrosis congregate. It is a chance for Toe to see that he is not alone in this struggle. There is also a slim possibility that he could contract some new bad bacteria from the walk. Walkers with CF are given special colored shirts to wear that say "I am a fighter" on the back. We spend much of our time steering Toe clear of other CF patients, especially adults (who often culture worse/more dangerous bacteria). There are many protocols in place, but there are also things we have to let slide - knowing that others with CF will be using the public restrooms, likely hugging the mascots our son wants to hug, etc. We are torn between having Toe participate in a group event that is so important to him and keeping him safe.

The thing that makes it worth it every year is the support from our friends. Each of our seven years, we have had great friends come to walk with us and entertain Toe (and help provide a physical barrier when necessary).

Some highlights from the walk:
Brian and Leslie went all out with new hats  this year. I was drooling over Leslie's fascinator - complete with feathers!

Best Green Team Hats

Toe was joined by two friends this year. The one on the left is his best friend from school who rode up with us for the day. The one on the right is the son of one of our friends from high school. In a strange act of synchronicity, D was born the day before Toe. I remember J coming home that night ten years ago saying, "Sweetheart, Paul and Liz just had their baby," and my reply, "Um... we're having ours right now! (six weeks early)" D and Toe have known each other forever and this is D's second year walking with us (along with his mom - thanks Liz!).

Seriously Awesome!

On the walk, we strategically straggle - so that we are near fewer people with CF and not being passed all of the time. Our group is notoriously slow. This year, walking conversation focused on bad jokes and D&D.

As this was the 30th Anniversary of Great Strides, this year, they had signs with historic milestones posted along the route. This one was particularly special to Toe.

We are an easily distracted group, so there is usually a stop at the park along the route - to play frisbee, to rest... this year we found teeter-totters.

After a bathroom break and Icees we all decided to go out to pizza..

And after pizza, some of us made it to Free Comic Book Day. J continued the afternoon with friends in Portland and I drove the two coastal boys back home. I was surprised how much more energy Toe had at the end of the walk this year. It was a long day, but another great Great Strides experience!