Officer on Deck

Over Rose Festival Week we went to visit the naval ships that dock in Portland.
And I was as excited as Anjali to visit the USS Lake Champlain, a HUGE aircraft carrier. What's not exciting about Naval officers in crisp white uniforms talking about missile destroyers, nautical miles, torpedos, and deployments?! We certainly learned a lot, and I got addressed to as ma'am... now that was a bit much.

Gorge Camping and Hiking

Last weekend we went hiking and camping near Hood River. It was Anjali's first true camping experience. Although she enjoyed it, the wind at Memaloose State Park was so strong that we thought our tent might end up in Kansas. I realized why the gorge is so popular for wind surfing! We hiked at Temanewas falls on Saturday and at the Tom McCall Preserve on Sunday with a stop in lazy Mosier, where there is one coffee shop and one restaurants, but a whole bunch of condos for $300K! So we popped in to take a look, but decided we love Hood River a lot more. We continue to dream of owning a Pear orchard and telecommuting to our jobs untill we can retire (in case we lose our crop in a bad year, like this one)!

Being a parent

This is what happens when you are the parent... your kid comes and kicks you out of bed at 5:30 am and proceeds to sleep like that! And this happens on the weekend too!

35 and counting...

I turned 35 on Friday. Can't believe I am trudging up that hill!
The three of us had a gourmet picnic at the Portland Rose Garden.
Ranjeewa surprised me with some beautiful flowers.
Better yet, my birthday present was a new cycle: a Gary Fisher Wingra. We all went for a ride yesterday and it is great to be back on a bike again. I bought my last bike in college from Toys'r'us (it was pink, too). I think that says a lot!

May Roadtrip - California Redwoods and Southen Oregon Coast

We did a four night road trip over memorial day and it was a relaxing and fun family trip.
Realized that Anjali has inherited the traveling bug from Ranjeewa and I. She happily sat in the car singing, chatting to her self, and napping.

Day 1 - we drove from Portland to Grants Pass and stayed at a quaint motel by the Rogue river.
Day 2 - we hung out in Grants Pass and stumbled upon a small town memorial day parade and discovered their local farmers market (always a treat). Later we drove to the Jedadiah Smith State Park and toured the mighty big redwoods and picnicked by the beautiful Smith River, spending the night in Crescent City, California.Day 3 - We drove up the southern Oregon coast to Florence. I realized the southern coast rivals the familiar beauty of the northern coast. We stopped at Whales Head Beach for some digging in the sand.








Day 4 - We spent the day in Florence hiking and exploring the Oregon Sand Dunes. These are amazing windswept dunes almost 500 feet tall. Lots of fun to climb up and slide down. I really wanted to dune board... but saving that for another trip. We returned to Portland on Tuesday and I have now visited the entire Oregon coast and it's incredibly beautiful!

Why we love Portland - 18: The Portland Garden in May

This is my favorite month in the garden. All the rain we get in the winter makes the garden sparkle like an emerald in the spring. On a sunny day with blue skies Portland is just magical. Clockwise from top left: Clematis, Iris, Allium, Day lily, Clematis, Weigela, Lilac, Lavender, Cone flower. LOVE my garden.

Obama Mama Part IV

Sen. Obama is in Oregon today and finished a rally at the waterfront park. LARGEST EVER (75,000 people) for his campaign. Hopefully Obama will ROCK on Tuesday's primary. (No we didn't go - it was nap time...! yeah.. yeah... I know, they say nap time is the new happy hour for moms right?)