Columbia River Cruise....Part 2....Post Views....13,811

      The river trip from Portland to Astoria took 8 hours....
Lots of time for sightseeing and eating.....
I asked one of the attendants if they stay overnight in Astoria and cruise back up river the next day.  He said most of the workers return to Portland on the same buses we do.  A small crew stays on board, turns the boat around and cruises back right away.....going in with the tide. The trip takes 10 hours.....

A hawk following the boat....

Ash banks from Mt. St. Helen's eruption in 1980

House on the Edge....

Boats, Barges, Ships......Oh, My....

 A pilot ship that guides the tankers through the mouth of the Columbia and into the Pacific.....
where the two meet is dubbed....
"The Graveyard of the Pacific" because of the turbulent waves and many ship wrecks....

Local fishermen

Fellow taking the picture grew up in Stevens Point,WI.....a city 100 miles south of Park Falls.....

 Loading Grain.....

    This has been a good "recalling the Columbia River cruise" day in the life of Grandma G.

    "Others went out on the sea in ships, they were merchants on the mighty waters.  They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep."  
(Psalms 107: 23 & 24) 

Columbia River Cruise....Part 1.....Post Views....13,796

 On Wednesday last week I got up early to head out to the senior center and a ride into southwest Portland.... 



For an 8 hour cruise on the Columbia River from Portland to Astoria.....




Walking the metal ramp down to the Portland Spirit at 8AM

           Rowing crews passing under newly constructed bridge

    This is my "day trip of the year" that I signed up for in late July.  The Portland Spirit makes this trip twice a year...once in the spring and once in the fall.  There were about 280 passengers. 

                     Enjoy Part One pictures....

Passing under the Railroad Bridge

                                  Tug boat pushing a barge....

 River views and misty mountains....

 Mirrored scenes...

Logging truck passing along riverside highway


   

The little tug that could.....

Grandma G cruising the Columbia River

 

Houses along the river.....

Salmon fishing with a net....











This has been a good 2 "recalling the Columbia River cruise" days in the life of Grandma G.

"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells." (Psalms 46:4)

Now Where Did She Go?.....Post Views....13,755

 Where, When and How Long?

Emissions test? 

Frozen half and half....

October roses.....

"Five Guys" hamburgers....
while getting Ted fixed....








     

 Piano practice.....walks.....exercise.....dishes....digital photo books....lost tweezers.....

Seems Grandma G has been too busy living to take time to blog...Oh, My.....

But....check back soon to find out all the details....well, some of them....

   This has been a good 6 "where did she go" days in the life of Grandma G. 

    "The path of life leads upwards for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave."  (Proverbs 15:24)

This is worth the Wait.....Post Views....13,631

      It all started the same day as my last blog post....on Tuesday.  As we ladies were sitting in the hot tub after water aerobics I mentioned to one that nobody had shown up for Nancy's "tea on the porch" the Wednesday before.  (Nancy was not in the hot tub at this time.) I also said I would not be there for the gathering the next week.  (Nancy has her TOTP every other Wednesday.)  A lady (I wouldn't necessarily call her an instigator) who normally goes said we should all show up the next day--Wednesday--and surprise her. Five of us would all meet at a neighbor's house and show up as a group. (Now, I was secretly concerned that perhaps such a surprise might not be a GOOD surprise for Nancy, but who am I to go against a rascally escapade.  I agreed.)
      Come Wednesday morning we all met at 10:30 and walked to Nancy's house, our tea cups and pumpkin cake in tow.   While we sat on her porch one gal knocked on her door several time, then finally went to a different one. (Nancy is a bit hard of hearing.)  Surprised AND confused, she greeted us, thinking she had her weeks mixed up.   Once she realized that it was a planned escapade she got her tea cup and joined us on her porch. 
    We talked of many things including that I write a blog and could I take our picture?  By then 2 ladies had already gone.  That left four of us who like to ruffle up the quiet and cozy senior citizen scenario.  One lady had been talking about something she had seen while driving with a friend about 10 years ago.  It was in the forest near a town about 30 miles north of Vancouver.  She was wondering if it was still there.  The rest of us were eager to see it as well.  She thought she could remember where it was.  Right then we all agreed to a top secret excursion the next morning after water aerobics. 
_______________________________________
 Senior citizens special forces heading north.....       

following the Kalama River 



 
     Into the forest....                                   

Down to the river bank.....
Grandma G did most of it on her tush...
so she wouldn't fall....
I did feel like I  needed to sing out...
"Hey bear,   Hey bear"....

 Exploring the riverbank....

                            time for a selfie........

Forest ladies....







Falling through the hobbit hole...

 Into lush, green moss and ferns....

Raindrops cupped
 in a spider web.....

Looking for walking sticks....

 Four frolicking fellow females...following further future forest forums.....
well?...use it as a tongue twister..







                                         
 Nancy, Jo, Julienne, Grandma G

Did we achieve our top secret mission?  
Hmmmm....that is still classified....

We did have a blast, a hoot, big fun, a dilly of a day,  great adventure in the Pacific Northwoods.....

This has been a good 5 "worth the wait" days in the life of Grandma G.

    "Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the people in his truth." 
(Psalms 96: 12 & 13)