San Diego Bound!!

Sunrise over Mt Hood

(Zach's photo)

Wednesday, Oct. 30, I left cloudy Vancouver...

Flew over patchwork fields of PNW...

Over miles and miles of arid desert...

Past the Coronado Bridge...

To sunny skies...

For a 5 day visit with the Oceanside Schmidts!!

Jude, Gemma, Julianna, Debbie, Gerry

Took in a California Halloween...

And sunset!

Friday, Nov. 1, enjoyed Birthday lunch with my first born son!

Saturday, B-day party time!!

Cookie baking with Gemma's friend, Cole!

Park Falls, WI expats, plus one...

Bill, Joe and Kim Kronberger, Gram G, Gerry

and Berklee, a Cali born darling...

Kim is a faithful fan of Gram G! 

 We have tried to get together for the past 8 years.

Party participants...

Bill and Amanda on far left... 

Looking good at 56!

A chilly, windy campfire...

And celebratory cigar!!

Bigfoot...watch where you tread...

Bigfoot meatloaf!!

Fillet of Toe! YUM!!

Monday, last day of adventure!

To Julian to breathe crispy air of 50 degrees!!

Victory for Gram G, playing Connect Four!

Gotta have pie when in Julian!!

Tuesday, Nov. 5, time to return home...

Fluffy cap over Mt. Shasta

Lovely view of Crater Lake in Oregon...

Looks like a celestial pumpkin pie!

Back home to the muted, peaceful colors of autumn in the Couve!!

REFLECTIONS   

I had an enjoyable time in San Diego, visiting with family and friends!  My mother's heart was happy to be with Gerry on his Birthday and join in his party! Visiting with Bill, Amanda and Berklee for a few hours made my mother's heart even more happy. Having Kim and Joe come added to the celebration!   I am glad to have spent fun time with Julianna, Jude, Gemma, and Cole. Debbie gets the gold star for putting Bigfoot fun into our food!!

Thanks, all you SoCal folks!!

This has been a good 3 GeoGram weeks in the life of Gram G.

"Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13) 

October Family and Fun!

Saturday, Oct 19, I went for a 2 mile walk around our neighborhood, soaking in the fall colors!

And reflecting on the enjoyable past few weeks.

I went from brilliant autumn rust and orange, 

to summer pink rose,

to Christmas holly berry red and green...

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But, to back up a bit!

Mikaela and I enjoyed outside lunch at the 

Hidden Bay Cafe along the Columbia River

early October.  Love the sail boats, blue sky, water, and low flying planes in and out of PDX.  Food was good too. Best was chatting with Mikaela!!

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Tuesday night, Oct 8, my brother John and wife Susie arrived from Indianapolis for 8 days of Big Fun in the Pacific Northwest!  They had never been out this way !

After time to rest...a day trip to the Columbia River Gorge

Checking out Latourell Falls...

John likes to take pictures

Multnomah Falls...

Cascade Locks

And a monkey tail tree

also known as a monkey puzzle tree

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Friday evening lasagna to meet and visit with the Couve family!

Saturday brunch at Bleu Door Bakery and Cafe

Best servers and food in town!! Mikaela and Angie 

With Debbie!

3 hour search in Old Glory Antique store...

found treasure trove of dolls and clothes sets...

enough to need to buy a large suitcase from Good Will for trip home!

John and Susie collect antique dolls.

Vacation complete!! Almost

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Sunday through Tuesday, Jake drove us to the Oregon coast

Seaside...end of Lewis and Clark expedition!!

Now a bustling tourist town!

Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach on a rainy, foggy day.

John likes to take pictures

John and Jake climbed 164 steps to the top of

 the 125 foot Astoria Column!

Susie and I waited at ground level!

One of several merchant ships waiting to travel up the Columbia River from Astoria to Longview, Vancouver or Portland

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A Quest for Elk!

John, Jake and I got up early (8AM) on our last day at the coast to go elk hunting in Gearhart.  I was eager to shoot a few, or at least one.

  OH, NOOOO!!!  

With my camera...

We didn't see any grazing around,

BUT...

John did spot one that had succumbed to the drifting sands

I will haunt and hunt the Oregon coast until I get my shot!!

Whadda you mean....haunt and hunt?

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Astoria Bridge over the Columbia River connecting Oregon and Washington.  

Jake drove us across, 4.1 miles!

John likes to take pictures...even in forbidden areas

North End lighthouse at Cape Disappointment, Washington.

Travel out to PNW to find why it is disappointing.

Jetty at Cape Disappointment...

to the outer right side is the Pacific Ocean; the Columbia River is on the near left side. In the middle the two meet forming the most hazardous waters in the country.  Called the Grave Yard of the Pacific.  The Coast Guard train their rescuers there. 

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Thursday, Oct 19...time to fly home

Goodbye to Vancouver and Gram G's!!  

Thanks for crossing the Rockies to come visit!!

Another full October Hunter's Moon over Vancouver!

REFLECTIONS  

I had a fun time with John and Susie.  It made me happy to see how excited they were to see the trees and mountains, how impressed they were with the scenery!  That made me appreciate what I have surrounding me everyday.  I'm glad John fulfilled a dream of visiting here.  I feel privileged this fall to have gotten two Oregon coast trips within a few weeks!  And it's so enjoyable to relive the adventures while viewing pictures!!

This has been a good 4 GeoGram weeks in the life of Gram G.

"Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.  Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth." 

 (Psalm 98:7-9)