Thursday, July 6, 2023

Biking along the Sandy River and down Mt. Hood to Hood River, May 2023

 Great biking!


The start of our week long biking trip with Bicycle Adventures!  The whole tour was great-well thought out rides, food, lodging, bikes, and especially tour guides.  

Our first lunch stop at the park had super tall trees

and this adorable tablecloth!

Alpaca farm on the road!  We spent the night at Timberline lodge.

Started day 2 by hiking at Lost Lake.  Tons of people hanging out on and near the lake for Memorial Day.

The bridge name in the lower left is spelled out in nails.

We didn't walk the whole loop as there was still too much snow on the trail and we wanted to get on our bikes!

But Spring is here!


Day 2 biking started off super easy with all downhill.

Near the end we got to see the pear orchards.

Mt. Hood is always nearby.

We ended the day at the lavender farm

Conveniently near a winery where we relaxed on the porch with a bottle of bubbly.


Bee homes for solitary bees!




Thursday, June 29, 2023

Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood, Oregon Classic Arts and Crafts beauty

 

First night of our Columbia Gorge biking trip we stayed at Timberline lodge.  Gorgeous old school hotel built in 1937 as part of the WPA.

Mt. Hood.  Hikers start at 2 am so that they get back down before the snow gets slushy.

View from the front door.  

They cover part of the front stairs with this funky wind break.




Always good to know where you are.

I didn't hear who picked this particular shape, but they sprinkled it throughout.



Mosaic representation of nature here at Mt. Hood.  Derpy bear is my favorite.

Placed right at the entrance.





The original ram's head carving

And the modern ironwork it inspired.

I love all the details put into the iron work.

Recreation of the original room decor.





Entrance to the Blue Ox bar







Thursday, June 22, 2023

Books and animal sculptures April - June 2023

 
Love this owl!
Pictures are the staircase posts at Timberline lodge, Mt. Hood, Oregon

-by Terry Pratchett
I Shall Wear Midnight: Tiffany is really becoming a fantastic witch.
The Shepard's Crown:  The last book he wrote and the last in the Tiffany Aching series.  Not as punny or original as the others, but it wraps it up nicely.  Not sure which Discworld parts to read next :)

-by Louise Penny
Glass Houses
Kingdom of the Blind
A Better Man:  not as twisty as it thinks it is


-by Kyla Zhao
The Fraud Squad:  Rom Com mash up with Crazy Rich Asians, but a better protagonist.  Beach read

-by Karen M McManus
One of Us is Lying:  Picked this to see what is new in YA thriller.  A good intro, love the round robin narrator style.  The twist is not really a surprise, but it doesn't drag out.


-by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling
A Libertarian Walks Into A Bar: A journalist wanted to find out more about a local bear attack.  Turned into a whole book about New Hampshire libertarians and bear policy.  Highly recommend. 


-by T. Kingfisher
Nettle & Bone: Fantasy in the running for a Hugo this year.  Refreshing 


-by Vivian Shaw
Strange Practice:  I have been putting off this audio book for about a year.  Glad I finally picked it up!  Dr. Helsing only treats monsters-vampires AND vampyres, and has become friends with many of them.  But someone in London wants them dead.  Group of misfits take on the case and all eventually ends well.  Not surprising story wise, but so nicely written, and read, that I happily finished.


-by Natalie Hodges
Uncommon Measure: A journey through music, performance and the science of time.  I had hoped for more science, but it is mostly a personal story.


-by Blair Braverman
Small Game:  A close view of 4 people in a reality show like Survivor that goes wrong.  Not quite a thriller, no big twist.  Great depiction of the people, I could imagine this actually happening.

-by Meg Abbott
Beware the Woman:  Thriller, but not especially twisty.  Scary enough that I didn't want to read it at night.   The scariness is because you aren't sure who to believe and what level of terrible people they are.  Coincidentally, set in the same place as Small Game.  Fast read, but I didn't love it so much that I'll be running out to read more.

To prevent the extreme splitting 


DNF

-by Elizabeth McKenzie
The Portable Veblen:  Only got through one chapter.  Has many elements up my alley, but I just didn't care about the people.

-by Tom Holt
The Management Style of Supreme Beings:  I should have been more into this, maybe another time!

Sorry I got the pelican in bad light!