Thursday, December 26, 2013
More Photos...
Seasoned With Community
We arrived in the Columbia River Gorge in late summer. The climate was beneficent, granting a long streak of sunny days and glorious fall color. Gradually the days shortened and a regular frost descended on the orchards of the Hood River valley. Now all that remains in the cold and shadowed forests are the hardy juncos and
boisterous chickadees, pecking for fallen grass seed and raiding
branch-tip cones. When the snows came it was a fresh experience, having spent last winter near the equator.
We didn't know that we'd be here long enough to see a progression of seasons, but Danielle's contracts and extensions are unpredictable. As it turns out, our residence here was a blessing. Having drifted around Asia on our long adventure, and then followed the beacon of our friends' hospitality for some months, it was good to have a little apartment to call home. Adding to our relief was the acknowledgement that this is our kind of community. Yes, we availed ourselves daily of the mountain biking and hiking and other outdoor pursuits, but the relationships we kindled are what will remain in our memories.
In frequently volunteering with the local food bank and animal shelters, I rediscovered the satisfaction of service and enjoyed the camaraderie of the selfless workers around me. Volunteering with a desert conservation organization renewed my passion for working to protect and restore natural resources. Teaching yoga downtown was intellectually stimulating and served as a free pass into new friendships. Working at the Oregon Vets Home was a revelation for Danielle, in that she discovered how much she enjoyed hearing lifetimes of stories from the elderly. She found the work less technical and frenetic than other medical environments, explaining they just need "love, support, and a little laughter".
Our faithful pup Koa has had a bit of a rough time. She had a surgery to remove a malignant mass in her chest, followed very closely by a surgery to patch up a face torn open by an encounter with barbed wire. Right now she's nursing an eye left swollen by a hungry tick. But, to credit her good nature and fortitude, she hardly new anything was wrong and has been pounding down the trails at full speed.
And finally, our time in Oregon was key to spending some quality time with our families and old friends. Danielle's Dad, J.D., came north for a long visit and we got to see more of her sister, Lynette. I had a lot of fun visiting my sister April at Washington State University, and Devon came up from University of Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with us. My high school buddies -- "the boys" -- brought their charm and goofiness to town for a brewery tour. And we rallied everyone for Christmas, including god-daughter Jocelyn and family.
Our very sincere gratitude goes out to our friends Victoria and Matt, as well as Steve and Pamela, whose friendship and encouragement drew us here and may very well bring us back soon. We are not entirely certain where we are headed next... perhaps Colorado, Idaho, North Carolina, or wherever a new contract leads ... but Danielle and I are excited to shoulder our backpacks again and hit the road. Of course, two vehicles, a sea kayak, four bikes and a dog are taking the place of our slim little backpacks, but you get the picture. The New Year will see us visiting Astoria and Truckee en route to somewhere.
What follows are some photo highlights of our time here. Happy New Year everyone! ~Micah
Smoke column rising from a field burn (Tygh Valley, OR).
Pond reflection (The Dalles, OR).
Sunrise on the Columbia River (The Dalles, OR).
Dusk and a moon rise on the Columbia River (Rowena Crest, OR).
Mt. Hood towering above an inversion (Mt. Defiance, OR).
Abandoned farmhouse & raven's nest (The Palouse, WA).
Ice crystals on grass (Conboy Lake N.W.R., WA).
Mt. Adams at dusk (Conboy N.W.R., WA).
We didn't know that we'd be here long enough to see a progression of seasons, but Danielle's contracts and extensions are unpredictable. As it turns out, our residence here was a blessing. Having drifted around Asia on our long adventure, and then followed the beacon of our friends' hospitality for some months, it was good to have a little apartment to call home. Adding to our relief was the acknowledgement that this is our kind of community. Yes, we availed ourselves daily of the mountain biking and hiking and other outdoor pursuits, but the relationships we kindled are what will remain in our memories.
In frequently volunteering with the local food bank and animal shelters, I rediscovered the satisfaction of service and enjoyed the camaraderie of the selfless workers around me. Volunteering with a desert conservation organization renewed my passion for working to protect and restore natural resources. Teaching yoga downtown was intellectually stimulating and served as a free pass into new friendships. Working at the Oregon Vets Home was a revelation for Danielle, in that she discovered how much she enjoyed hearing lifetimes of stories from the elderly. She found the work less technical and frenetic than other medical environments, explaining they just need "love, support, and a little laughter".
Our faithful pup Koa has had a bit of a rough time. She had a surgery to remove a malignant mass in her chest, followed very closely by a surgery to patch up a face torn open by an encounter with barbed wire. Right now she's nursing an eye left swollen by a hungry tick. But, to credit her good nature and fortitude, she hardly new anything was wrong and has been pounding down the trails at full speed.
And finally, our time in Oregon was key to spending some quality time with our families and old friends. Danielle's Dad, J.D., came north for a long visit and we got to see more of her sister, Lynette. I had a lot of fun visiting my sister April at Washington State University, and Devon came up from University of Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with us. My high school buddies -- "the boys" -- brought their charm and goofiness to town for a brewery tour. And we rallied everyone for Christmas, including god-daughter Jocelyn and family.
Our very sincere gratitude goes out to our friends Victoria and Matt, as well as Steve and Pamela, whose friendship and encouragement drew us here and may very well bring us back soon. We are not entirely certain where we are headed next... perhaps Colorado, Idaho, North Carolina, or wherever a new contract leads ... but Danielle and I are excited to shoulder our backpacks again and hit the road. Of course, two vehicles, a sea kayak, four bikes and a dog are taking the place of our slim little backpacks, but you get the picture. The New Year will see us visiting Astoria and Truckee en route to somewhere.
What follows are some photo highlights of our time here. Happy New Year everyone! ~Micah
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)