This summer has been many things....I turned 50, my baby brother passed away, my niece started college in Arizona, my nephew flew to Italy to spend a term of college, spent lots more time with my David, learned I'm going to be a Gma again, and I saw some of the most beautiful parts of Oregon. Endings and beginnings. All things that cause me to reflect on my life, how I live it, what's the meaning of it all? Don't know the answers, for sure. Re-resolved to be kind to others, make a difference, speak my mind, take advantage of opportunities, take risks, and have fun!!
Rest in peace Don...Can't believe you're gone. I Feel lucky to have shared my birthday with him a couple of weeks before he died.
Turning 50 didn't make me sad. I was lucky to have great friends and great family around me to help celebrate. Looking back, all the "stuff" I've gone through has gotten me here to this place. Wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe some of the hairstyles and outfits in the 70's and 80's : ) Yikes! 8th grade I think...
Didn't want a big party for 50, but my buddies Kelly and Karen threw me a surprise birthday dinner at Stanford's with a pre-party pedicure. Treated me like a queen. Even got the crown!
Mark and I road-tripped to the Wallowas for a week to celebrate the half century mark. We spent one night in Pendleton on the way at the Pendleton House B & B. Found a few geo-caches on the way too. (That's another blog post). Here I'm trying to open a cache by a rest stop between Pendleton and LaGrande.
We set up camp at the Wallowa Lake Campground and used that as base camp for our hike up to Ice Lake. I have never seen such beauty as I did at Ice Lake. 8,000 feet up in a pristine wilderness surrounded by peaks.
We camped there for two nights and summitted a peak that had no name. Couldn't figure out how to get to Sacagawea or the Matterhorn. Sweeping views in every direction and mountain goat spottings made the tough hike worth it.
Back down at the lake, we rode the Mt. Howard tramway up to the top of Mt. Howard and took in the view from there. Another spectacular panoramic view. We visited the town of Joseph and then spent the night in Enterprise at the historic Enterprise B & B. This corner of the state is remote, but well worth the drive.
The last part of the birthday extravaganza was a dinner at the Departures restaurant at the top of the Nines hotel. Cool restaurant, and the night at the hotel was super luxurious. Love the decor, wish I had had more time to enjoy my room.
Other later summer adventures included a weekend Ocean Shores, WA with sister Kristy and her husband Lee (and Teal). Enjoyed a little geocaching, a moped adventure, and a night at the Casino. The perfect tri-fecta. Stayed at the Polynesian Resort.
Labor Day found us in Bend for a Bike and Brew weekend with Cog Wild Tours. Three days of mountain biking followed by beer tasting at a local brewery and dinner at the brewpub later. My favorite was the Deschutes Brewery. We got the super deluxe tour from Aaron the head tour guide and tasted a lot of good beers! The weather was beautiful. Even started our last day in snow and 40 degrees by Broken Top! Always ended in the sun of Bend. Also tried paddleboarding for the first time. A perfect weather day on the calm Deschutes River got me hooked. Want to try it on the Willamette now.
We spent many weekends in Bend rehabbing an old house in downtown Bend. Lots of work and miles on the car, but a great side benefit was getting to spend time with David. Most work is done and we have renters! David and Jenna : )
Also realized this summer that I love to travel and see new things, but I also love to be home around friends, family and Portland. We'll see how this plays out in the future as I try to balance that. It's not a bad problem to have : )
