Thirty-five! - An American Summer, 2023 - CycleBlaze

July 7, 2023 to July 8, 2023

Thirty-five!

Friday

We’re fast running down our four week stay in Portland.  With the stressful passport renewal ordeal behind us (hopefully!), we’re entering a shutdown mode.  Today it’s a last coffee date with Bruce, dinner with Elizabeth, and a bit of exercise.  For Rachael, ‘a bit of exercise’ translates as a 48 mile ride out to Oregon City, which will leave her wondering afterwards why she’s feeling tired and achy.  48 seems to be Rocky’s new magic number, and today is the third time in the last week she’s ridden that far.

For myself, a bit of exercise begins with the ride over to Clinton Street to meet Bruce.  It’s overcast and cooler this morning, and feels refreshing as I bike south along the waterfront to Tilikum Crossing.  Along the way I’m surprised to find another new bike path I haven’t seen before, connecting Tom McCall Park with Tilikum Crossing, following right along the water on grounds recently opened by the former Zidell Yards.  It’s still pretty bare and drab, but I’m sure will blossom into a fine addition to the riverfront scene within a few years.

A new bike path on the south waterfront, between the Marquam Bridge and Tilikum Crossing. It’s a nice alternative to the usual route up Moody we’ve taken for the last few years.
Heart 2 Comment 0
#33! We’re out early today.
Heart 2 Comment 0
No need to limit yourself to just one lot in life. Many paths are possible.
Heart 4 Comment 0

Afterwards, I hop on the Rodriguez and head north to the Columbia Slough, thinking I’ll take one last chance at seeing the cliff swallows that nest under the footbridge there.  No cliff swallows and no new species today, so that’s a disappointment.  The bald eagle makes it worth the trip out though, and conditions are excellent - it must be almost 15 degrees cooler than yesterday.

Along the Columbia Slough. It’s really more attractive with a bit of cloud cover like this.
Heart 3 Comment 0
I thought I saw this guy the last time I was out here, but he was too far away then to be sure.
Heart 7 Comment 0
What? Another heron shot? Haven’t we already seen this bird?
Heart 9 Comment 2
Keith AdamsThe Hunchback of Columbia Slough...
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Kirsten KaarsooI love the colours. A very pretty fellow!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

Anniversary date

Thirty-five years ago Rachael and I shared our vows in a simple ceremony before a JP while our friends the Farriers stood up for us, with Shawn standing beside.  Afterwards we all retired to Geppetto’s on Lancaster Drive for a Chicago style deep-dish pizza and then Shawn, my new bride and I drove up Santiam Pass for a backpacking overnight at Duffy Lake at the foot of Mount Jefferson. 

Thinking back now, I get mixed up on what our ‘real’ honeymoon was.  I think it was a four night bike tour in the San Juan Islands we took a few weeks later, the newlyweds memorably spending one of their honeymoon nights in a tugboat in the bay at the foot of Mount Constitution, which we climbed the next day.  The tugboat was a poor choice under the circumstances, since our cramped cabin included a narrow, single-person bunk bed.  We did our best, hauling the two mattresses down to the floor and cramming them together so we could sleep next to each other.

Or it could have been our excursion to Stehekin up in the North Cascades, which happened at about the same time.  If you’re familiar with Stehekin, it’s up at the north end of long, finger-like Lake Chelan.  We got there by riding the ferry, the Lady of the Lake, which we caught at the ferry landing in Chelan at the south end of the lake, reaching it after a very long after-work drive up from Salem.  We arrived well after dark, and crammed ourselves into the back of Rachael’s Ford Escort hatchback to sleep until the morning departure.  Sometime in the middle of the night we were awakened by the flashlight of a security officer checking in on us, but fortunately he let us stay and get a few more hours of fitful rest.  Again though, not an ideal way for newlyweds to pass one of their first nights.

And Rachael reminds me of a highlight of our stay in Stehekin - I forgot my glasses about two miles up the mountain on an afternoon hike.  We didn’t realize this until we were back at our cabin, and immediately rushed back up the slope to find them.  We did, but it was nearly dark by the time we made it back.

So this has been going on a long time.  I should have been keeping a log of lost glasses episodes, but it’s surely in the double figures by now.

On the one hand, it’s so hard to believe it’s really been 35 years.  On the other hand though of course it’s been so long, as we look back on at all the adventures and travels we’ve shared together.  I’m such a lucky man.

We celebrate in the best way possible: with a 44 mile ride out to the Troutdale Airport and back followed by a light Italian dinner sitting outdoors at Via Delizia, and closed out with a live music concert in an intimate outdoor setting.

At Blue Lake Park.
Heart 4 Comment 2
Kirsten KaarsooOne of my favourite flowers. The wax like texture, so different from many others.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Kirsten KaarsooI also. I was really surprised by the huge raft of these, which somehow I’ve never seen out here.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
At Blue Lake Park.
Heart 5 Comment 0
In the sink of the rest room in Blue Lake Park. Good thing someone came along to rescue the little guy before he got flushed down the drain!
Heart 2 Comment 2
Bill ShaneyfeltPacific tree frog. I always enjoy finding tree frogs... so photogenic!

https://gonefroggin.com/2020/01/30/pacific-tree-frog-pseudacris-regilla/
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Bill ShaneyfeltI do too, but I don’t really like seeing them stuck in the sink. I wonder how it got there.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Celebrating the day at Chinook Landing.
Heart 8 Comment 5
Susan CarpenterHappy Anniversary - soul mates and intrepid travelers. Congratulations on 35 years of exploring the world and inspiring us all.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Bruce LellmanWell done! Thirty-five great, adventurous years together! You are each lucky but then both lucky some more to be together.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Rich FrasierHappy anniversary and congratulations!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Susan CarpenterThanks, Susan. Intrepid - I like that!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Rachael AndersonTo Susan CarpenterThanks!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Almost home, Rachael dashes ahead to pick up another 0.1 miles so she can round up.
Heart 1 Comment 0
Sound check. Local artist Tony Furtado is an exceptional singer-songwriter-instrumentalist. Two time winner of the national bluegrass banjo championships, he’s toured with folks like Alison Krauss, Derek Trucks and Gregg Allman.
Heart 3 Comment 3
Keith AdamsAs you might guess, Tony Furtado comes up quite regularly on my finger style guitar Pandora channel. I don't recall having heard any of his banjo tracks, though.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Rich FrasierSomething weird about that banjo. The body is much bigger than normal!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierYup. It’s a cello-banjo, pitched an octave lower. Tony is the only person I’ve ever seen playing one. He also plays the standard banjo, slide guitar and I think ukulele.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Tony is married to Stephanie Schneiderman, a local artist we’ve followed off and on ever since moving to Portland when we first saw her performing at Jimmy Mak’s.
Heart 2 Comment 0
Heart 0 Comment 0

Today's ride: 74 miles (119 km)
Total: 581 miles (935 km)

Rate this entry's writing Heart 13
Comment on this entry Comment 14
Keith AdamsCongratulations on the 35 year milestone. That's more than half of Rocky's life if I've correctly done the math.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Suzanne GibsonCongratulations on 35 years!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Gregory GarceauHappy Anniversary and may your 36th year be the best ever!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Bob DistelbergHappy Anniversary! Seems like you’ve had a great 35 years. Here’s to many more!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Keith AdamsIt’s true. Getting close to that point myself.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Kirsten KaarsooHappy Anniversary. We can have a celebratory drink together when you visit us in Canmore.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
marilyn swettHappy Anniversary! Your honeymoon sounds like ours - we backpacked to the top of Mt. Elbert in Colorado - the highest peak in CO. at a bit over 14,000 ft.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo marilyn swettBut did you take your kid along with you?
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Gregory GarceauHope so! It’s a promising sign that we’re hoping to meet up with you later this summer. Any year that includes a reunion with Tough Guy Garceau is bound to rank high.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Rachael AndersonTo Bob DistelbergDefinitely!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Rachael AndersonTo marilyn swettYour honeymoon is much more impressive!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Janice BranhamA worthy celebration of 35 years. It figures that you'd struggle to pinpoint which adventure among so many was the 'official' honeymoon. Happy anniversary!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Janice BranhamThanks! And Rachael knew the answer to the mystery when I brought it up to her later. The San Juan Islands were the honeymoon escape. The trip to Stehekin was a pre-wedding tryst we slipped away for before the wedding. So Rachael had her chance but missed it - she could have reconsidered before it was too late after enduring a night in the trunk of the Escort and a hike to retrieve my lost glasses.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Sandy EarleHappy Anniversary to the two of you! What wonderful memories!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago