Peace in Nature

The sun shown brightly overhead as I swayed in my hammock. Fish jumped for flies and the only sound was the whistle-like singing of the birds in the trees. Dappled sunlight reflected off the water as I soaked in the beauty of the lake. And I remembered why I love backpacking.

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Dear Life…..

A short time ago my friend Kim, from So-Many-Places, wrote a beautiful piece on what she was grateful for and invited others to share their thoughts. In this time of negative news, it is more important than ever to remember that the majority of us have many, many things to be grateful for every single day. This weekend, Jim was enjoying a night away on a guys camping trip and I found myself home alone for the first time in a long time and thought about all of the many things I’m grateful for.

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Brewer’s Memorial Brew Fest 2013

Once again this year, we headed southwest to Newport, Oregon and South Beach State Park for the Rogue Brewery’s Memorial Ale Fest. Brewer was the beloved Rogue black lab mascot who worked his way up to CEO. After his death the brewery began throwing an annual doggie brew fest in his memory.

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A Tale of Two Black Dogs

Our lives have become busier and more hilarious since we added Aspen to the pack and became a two dog family. Although Porter and Aspen immediately got along, we didn’t see the bonding we were hoping would come. Having never had two dogs at the same time before we weren’t sure how long this might take and if it was even a certainty. However, after our recent trip to Mexico, when they shared a kennel at Critter Nanny, it has become apparent that they are now two peas in a pod. Porter is still our too-smart thinker who often appears worried and Aspen the typical happy-go-lucky lab, but you can see from the pictures of our weekend of camping the kids have pretty much become inseparable!

Waiting outside the bathroom

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Beaches

“Knee deep in the water somewhere, got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair, only worry in the world is the tide going to reach my chair” – Zac Brown Band with Jimmy Buffet

It’s not news to anyone that we love the beach. Not only do we camp there regularly here in the Pacific Northwest, but we’ve made a point of visiting great beaches wherever we travel around the world. This week, in honor of our upcoming vacation to the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, we bring you some of our favorites from near and far.

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Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital

Dove Lewis is, as the staff purports “The place you hope you never need but are glad it’s there”. That was exactly our experience when it was time for Maddy to leave us; although everyone dreads the idea of having to take their beloved pet to their final vet visit, it was a huge blessing to us that they are available 24-hours/day and so she didn’t have to endure a long and painful night before our normal vet opened.Founded in 1973, Dove is the only 24-hr, non-profit emergency and ICU animal hospital in Oregon.

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