Finished crafts, 2023

 I have too many craft projects in progress, so this year I'm aiming to complete rather than start new!  Halfway through, I've worked on many of them, here are the finished ones.

A friend is having a baby!  This is the start of Piglet.

Not too big, went super fast.

So cute!

I'm also pleased with how good the back looks.

Something new, cross stitch on hard plastic, to go into a card.

Also super fast.

So much detailed back stitch!

No back stitching here, just and a different color to make the words pop-love it.

I changed up the suggested color of the flags a little.

So many faces-phew.

Finished!  Just need to wash and get it framed.

Now for a couple fun puzzles.

Wooden, with fancy animal shapes.

Super hard to get the outline to stay in place.

Wow!

Train travel to and from our biking trip May 2023

 Took the train!

All meals come with sleeper cars.   You get to meet fellow passengers, have a relaxing meal and drink, get out of the room.  It is a neat experience.

On the coast Starlight, going north, you wake up to see Mt. Shashta.  

Once in Oregon, there are big lakes.

Across from the train station

In Portland, we stayed at The Society hotel in their bunk rooms.

Stacked 3 high!  I was impressed with how clean and comfortable it all was.  Mostly quiet folks-even though it was fully booked I only saw/heard a couple people.

We walked right past Chinatown.  There is a small museum I'd like to visit next time.

Jump to the train ride home

Just outside of San Jose is the bottom of the bay

There used to be a town, Drawbridge.

These days you can't even access it, you can only see it from the train.

The San Jose station has some lovely roses.

Biking the waterfall trail, June 2023

 All waterfalls

The last biking day goes past so many waterfalls.  This is Multnomah, the most famous, most photographed, and most crowded.  By bike is better!

Glad that we were able to stop at so many other waterfalls on the way.

The manual bikeavator.  A ramp so you don't have to carry your bike up the stairs

The path was almost always free of traffic, well maintained, a real pleasure to ride.

Fishing is huge so they have figured out hatchery systems.  This one lets you check it out.

Full of baby salmon!

Bonneville dam

Great bike infrastructure-this is right along the highway for a mile before getting back into the forest