Lake Oswego Lights

This evening we joined a volkswalk through Lake O neighborhoods to view the lights. It was so cold that we just went the 4K walk. They are expecting a low of 24 F tonight, but I would have said it was -24 with the wind chill. During the next couple of weeks, we will probably not have regular "weekly hikes" so we will fill in with whatever we can.

Another Exciting Day

Saturday was another exciting day in the family. My niece, Jessica, was married in South Carolina. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend. She was a beautiful bride!

Christmas Ships

Tonight’s volkswalk was along the Willamette River in Downtown Portland. Each December, boats decorated in lights travel on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. This walk corresponded with the boats, so we were able to see the lights of the city as well as the boats. It was a lot of fun, but definitely cold. Okay, not as cold as Minnesota, but there was ice on the walkway, so there!

The “Made in Oregon” sign is a Christmas landmark in Portland. Each year the deer becomes Rudolph with a red nose. The other photo is of the city’s Christmas (believe it or not , the land of the liberal still uses that term) tree in Pioneer Square.

Making a profile change...

I am honored to make a change in my profile. The 35 nieces and nephews is now 36. My great-niece, Hannah Marie, was born on Monday, December 5th. She weighed in at 7 pounds 7 ounces and is 20 inches long. Congratulations, Amanda & Nick!

Weekly Hike

This week was an 11K (6.8 miles) volkswalk in the Bethany area. It actually went right past Avamere at Bethany, where I worked for a while. There were 14 homes in the process of getting lights put up and many others with the lights ready to go at dusk. We wandered through neighborhoods, greenways and past a golf course. In the background of this photo is a putting course.

Okay, I'm ready...

I really have not been able to start thinking about Christmas. This may seem early, but I am usually ready the end of October. This year with 13 weeks of unemployment and some other stuff going on it has been really difficult to anticipate all the get togethers. Yesterday, my husband put up the Christmas lights on the house. I returned home from running errands and there they were. I had to smile. I love Christmas lights. They add life to an otherwise dark and dreary evening. To me, they are like the star that led the wise men to the newborn King of Kings. And last evening, the lights led me to the joy of the season. Now, I am ready to celebrate Jesus' birthday and the giving and receiving it brings.

A Walk in the Park

After a deluge yesterday, the weather was a bit better today. We went on a 10k volkswalk that led through a number of venues. It began on a wood chip path then passed by the skate park and into a quiet neighborhood. From there we walked through a greenway and on a boardwalk through a wet land. (The leaf covered boardwalk was slicker than snot on a slug slimed doorknob.) It ended by walking through a business park after walking through the 1986 Street of Dreams with mansions surrounding a private lake.

Happy Thanksgiving!

There is so much to be thankful for again this year. It becomes so easy to deal on the losses that we forget the simple things we do have.

I am thankful for:

• The certainty that I will see those I love who have gone to Heaven before I
• The colors of a sunny day and the rain that brings the colors to life
• Family~99% of the time
• The unconditional love of a dog
• The man who is the love of my life

Rose City Golf Course

We have had such an amazing fall. Saturday dawned bright and beautiful with barely a cloud in the sky. After a couple of false starts, we ended up at the Rose City Golf Course for our weekly hike. A path circling the course afforded views of the greens and fairways with colorful deciduous and evergreen trees. In the distance, Mt. Hood rose into the sky overseeing the valley. The path was deep with leaves fallen from the trees making a crunching sound with each step. The joy of kicking through them made me give an impish grin as I recalled the fun of jumping into piles of raked leaves as a child. And so, another moment of joy to share and to carry one through the rough patches.

Fanno Creek Trail

One cannot really call this a hike; after all, the trail is asphalt and several feet wide. However, it is called the Fanno Creek Trail, so we will go with it. There have been some comments from the Midwest on the green we still enjoy. The area will be green through most of the winter, unless we get a bit of snow. We haven’t had a hard frost yet and the wind has not picked up, so the leaves have stayed green longer this year as well as staying on the trees longer.