Alice & Jason - getting married...

Toasting at Zenger Farms

This weekend, my wife Kelley and I are headed up to Portland for a block-style wedding celebration for our 'still new' and not well-known, but kindred spirit friends... Alice Lasher and Jason Busch.  These two people are so fortunate to have each other and have such a deep interest in making the world a better place to live, let alone Portland.  Hopefully, I'll have more to report back, but what I'd say here is that I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing the additional right-of-way gardens that they've introduced to their neighborhood.  When we met them the first time at their 'getting updated, weatherized and beautified home', we were enamored with the types of work they'd done in their walkable neighborhood.  It felt more beautiful, safe and friendly.  Isn't that what we all wish for ?

Bella Lilu Boo'ster Pirate Dog

Following the wedding, it's SE beyond Estacada for a weekend of mountain biking, trout fishing in a reservoir, possibly some fly fishing in the river beyond, general debauchery, hair-hanging, campfires, smores (howell-style), dutch over dinners and sizzling bacon breakfasts... camping at the end of summer in Oregon, can't be beat ! 

And I almost forgot, our little buddy - Bella Lilu Boo'ster Pirate Dog is coming along for the wedding, trail rides, fishing and bacon... can't forget her !

Trail, Tent & Garden...

Spent the past couple weekends fervently amending soil, transplanting seedlings we'd germinated, adding a vertical train for the peas and beans, putting together one more cloche.  It's now past our last frost date, the corn is rising, carrots, beets, beans, peas, spinach, kale, chard, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, all seem to be hanging in there.  Lettuces are over-producing as we speak.  Kelley's been successfully harvesting russian kale and bok choy for her smoothies for quite some time.  Now, it's time to germinate again...

Spent a nice 3-day weekend at Belknap Springs, celebrating Kelley's 42nd birthday.  Happy 42 honey, you earned every minute of time off used.  Belknap was a better destination for us this time.  In times past we have only been in their main lodge and walked briefly across the bridge above the McKenzie River.  This time we explored their whole site, spent a good amount of time in both of their hot spring pools, and got to take advantage of their facilities while we cooked, camped, hiked and mountain biked, alongside the McKenzie River Trail (MRT).  Plus, Bella Lilu Booster Pirate Dog was there in full-force, hitting the gas, using her outriggers and otherwise, tearing up the trail - with us...

Gotta say, if it hadn't been for the cold, rainy conditions, I might not have enjoyed the hot springs quite so much... nor the coffee we made with our Aerobie Press.  That's turned out to be a serious advantage over our previous camping-sized french press.  The taste was pretty amazing for coffee that had been ground days ahead.  And while sipping it in the pool, its flavor was enhanced that much more by the contrast of cold, drizzly rain and hot, soaking body.  Great time, wish you could have been there with us...