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.
I just can’t get enough of the magic of a sundown. Here, one of my favorites from the Oregon coast.
My breath fogs the air, mixing with the morning mist, as I climb out of the camper. The morning sun is peeking through the trees, causing flashes of light to reflect off the lake. Jim and the dogs are still asleep and I stand in wonder at the absolute silence surrounding me.
At moments like this I’m always struck by the beauty of the simple things in life, and astonished by our continuing ability to ignore it’s power. We spend our lives fighting a simple life of happiness as we strive for more, bigger, better. As I sit alone in the still of the morning, my mind wanders away from this scenic lake in Oregon to reminisce about some of my favorite memories, all of which had nothing to do with grand monuments or fancy lodging, and everything to do with meeting the locals, good food, and unexpected magic.
Mist swirled above the lake, alternately framing and shrouding the fisherman’s boat. It was early morning at Timothy Lake, and the sun was trying to break through, highlighting Mt. Hood in the distance.
As much as we love an unexpected adventure, we learned long ago that if we want to do anything other than pirate camping over a major holiday weekend here in the Pacific Northwest we need to plan ahead. Months ahead. And yet, we didn’t.
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.
2013 brought another year of the Delameter’s dashing for charity at the Oregon Humane Society’s Doggie dash. Over the years we’ve dashed with Sophie, Maddy, and this year our new dogkids Porter & Aspen.
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
Pink Flamingos are coming to the Portland zoo this weekend! We saw these at the Puerto Vallarta zoo.
“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.
