A perfect day

It’s April in Oregon. It was warm enough to wear a sundress and sandals, eat dinner outside, play with the dogs, go for a bike ride with the kids, stop for ice cream, and finally come home. I’m sitting under my favorite tree while the kids play with the neighbors until either twilight or bedtime … Continue reading →

My Rescue Pup

I just sat down to relax after cleaning the whole house in preparation for a fun evening with our neighbors. I’m sitting here checking email and social media and out of the corner of my eye, I see my dog Lucky watching me from the couch. Her eyes are heavy and she is in what … Continue reading →

Lazy Day

I’ve decided to start writing again. I have missed this and need to get in the habit of writing regularly. I could say things have been busy, but everyone is busy these days. I’m just not making writing a priority. Plus, I’ve been consumed with trying to really understand how our government works and how … Continue reading →

Hiking in the icy gorge

Free weekend days are rare for us lately, so when I realized that today was one of those rare days and the forecast was for sun, I knew we had to go hiking. Sam chose Angels Rest as our destination. Perfect hiking weather, although a bit on the windy side. We hiked about halfway up … Continue reading →

The Moon and Mars

Last night we were blessed with very clear skies and were able to see the super blood full lunar eclipse (put those in whatever order you’d like). Our house is fairly surrounded by trees, so we went up to the local school and had a great view of the initial phase. It’s the smudge just … Continue reading →

September

It’s finally Fall… My favorite time of year. We’re back to regular weather – a perfect mix of sun, a little rain, warm days, cool nights and a tiny bit of snow in the mountains. We haven’t been on too many hiking adventures lately, but that’s OK (I guess). I know this is just one … Continue reading →

Mid-summer update

Here’s my update for this mid-summer day. We’re currently in the middle of yet another heat wave. I created this blog a few Januarys ago in the middle of a wet and cool winter. I named it “Rain Or Shine” as a commitment to get outside and hike, well, rain or shine. We’ve had way … Continue reading →

Tamanawas Falls

Trail length: 3 1/2 miles (round-trip on an out-and-back trail) Elevation gain: 500 feet On a sunny weekend, the Columbia River Gorge is guaranteed to be crowded and most trailhead parking lots are filled well over capacity. This is why we prefer hiking in the gorge in the Fall and Winter.  The kids and I … Continue reading →

Best quinoa salad yet

I love coming up with new ways to serve quinoa, especially since half my immediate family frequently considers becoming vegetarians (and then we miss meat and change our minds). I cook up quinoa and then throw together whatever looks good in the fridge and spice cabinet. This is fun, but I can never replicate it … Continue reading →