Jeff and I celebrated the day after our wedding by taking Den and Laurie up the McKenzie to Jeff's apartment. The rural location by the river really helped Jeff (and me too) with healing from all the losses experienced in the last 3 years.
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| The river |
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| Dennis |
It was sad to say goodbye to Dennis and Laurie on Sunday, but we were so glad they were able to make it to the wedding. Hopefully we will be able to be together again soon.
The first part of the week was spent cleaning up and recovering from the celebration and trying to get business done. Easier said than done when each agency has different paperwork needs. The topper was at DMV when they needed my birth certificate, as well as the marriage license to get my name changed on my drivers license. I mean, I just used the birth certificate to get the marriage license only days before. Seems a little redundant.......duh!
On Thursday, the movers came to take away Max's stuff. Wed night and Thurs morning, we sorted and packed. We used tons of carboard, bubble wrap and tape. Whew! The movers put his stuff in the truck but refused to take his motorcycle. So he rode it up to Eugene, and we followed. We celebrated finally getting that chore done with dinner and drinks at the El Dorado. Anyway, the next event on our summer agenda loomed large......family camping trip at Flora. We planned to leave on Friday, stay in Pendleton or thereabouts and be at the cabin on Saturday.
Jeff and I packed up the camper in record time. We have it down to a science by now. It was great to be driving down the road again, listening to the wedding playlist that Jeff made. We turned toward the gorge and decided to take our time and stop to see the sights.
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| Multnomah Falls |
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| Happy at Hood River among the sails |
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| The kites look like giant butterfly wings |
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| Kiteboarders readying for takeoff |
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| The air is filled with sails....and the wind howls up the Columbia |
We took our time and by dinnertime, Pendleton just seemed too far away, so we stopped at Boardman and enjoyed a quiet evening at the Rodeway.
Friday we followed the familiar road up the Wallowa river to Enterprise, Safeway and Flora. Here are some pictures of our adventures in the Northeast corner of Oregon.
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| Sophie shows us what it really means to relax! |
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| Jon in his element |
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| Giant slabs of meat! |
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| The camper and the cabin |
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| Neil and Carol's rolling home |
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| A walk in the pines: Jon, K, Carol, Sharon and Neil |
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We went to the Grande Ronde river and swam under the bridge
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| K is happiest hot and wet! |
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| The crew on the beach |
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| J and K take a dip |
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| The river under the bridge |
We watched an Indian family's kids dare each other to jump off the rocks across the river. One of them hesitated for a looooonnnnnggg time before getting the courage to jump. We decided to try it. I was first, then Nick, then Jon (with a dive) and then Jeff (who as usual took his own path up the rock).
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| I hate to get water up my nose! |
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| Jon's Olympic caliber dive--great form! |
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| Jeff contemplates the distance |
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| A mighty leap for Nick |
S'mores with giant marshmallows, a hearts game, dinner of London Broil, tall tales around the fire and the sound of the coyotes singing rounded out the evening.
The next day, after mucho coffee, Jon and Sharon and Jeff and I went around to the Imnaha river for fishing, swimming and exploring.
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| Jeff tries his luck on the Imnaha |
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| What a lovely stream |
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| My 5 incher....proof I at least caught something |
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| A cool swim in swift current....ahhhhhh! |
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| Peacock farm |
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| J and K at the Snake River Canyon overlook |
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| Jeff at the Canyon |
After taking the scenic route home to the cabin, we were happy to see Dad and Lavona and Charley had arrived! They brought elk stew made from last year's victim and Dad had another tag for this year. We played Mexican train and enjoyed another evening around the fire.
The next morning, Jeff and Jon and I decided to take a day off and headed for the casino in Lewisberg ID. It was a geographically amazing journey into the confluence of the Snake and Powder rivers. The casino was small but nice and Jon was the big winner. Although Jeff survived an encounter with the county sheriff on the way home and that was pretty lucky too.
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| Wildflowers |
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| Jon and Kathy look down at the Grande Ronde on the way to Lewisberg |
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The next morning, the mighty hunters took off early to see if they could find the same herd they had spotted the night before. Dad had his elk on the ground before 5:30 am......guess they found 'em.
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| I seek no big game......only coffee! |
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| Carol and I vie for the bedhead award |
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| Dad and Lavona after the hunt |
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| Morning beauties |
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| The hunters and their prey. Dad took the elk to be buchered....he eats what he shoots. |
Jeff and I both hankered for a real shower and so we took off to find Wallowa lake and eventually a motel room in John Day or somewhere near there.
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| The camping crew: Nick, Carol, Neil, Jeff, Kathy, Charley, Lavona, Dad, Jon and Sharon |
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| Statue in downtown Joseph |
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| Jeff in Joseph |
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| Icy immersion in Wallowa Lake |
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| Jeff contemplates the refreshment vs. coldness factors |
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| Scenery on the way to John Day |
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| John Day Fossil Beds Natl. Monument |
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| Where does the road disappear to???? |
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| In Mitchell |
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| Lunch stop at Ochoco Reservior |
So we finally made it home to Lajoie Rd. on Thursday evening. What a wonderful vacation and beginning of our married life together. Now we are preparing for our next adventure.....Canada!
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