Lost Lake Love!

I love Lost Lake. I go at least once a year. I also dream about making it a family camping destination...with kiddos running around, with close friends and their kiddos running around. Evening campfires, roasting marshmallows, stargazing. Those are good dreams, eh?!

Anywho, my friend Linda had never been so I took a delightful day away from work and we went. Picnic in hand and ready to enjoy some sun, as Portland was socked in by clouds all day.

When we arrived this was our view of the mountain. It changed a lot in the time we were there.

 Us!

 Some fun growths on the trees...I loved the brilliant colors!

 These hanging limbs reminded me of something that I couldn't put my finger on...Linda got it---dreadlocks.

 Bigfoot!

 He's a nice Sasquatch!

 This was the view of the Mt Hood from our picnic table post hike and with a few more clouds swirling than when we had first arrived.

 On the other side of the lake we could see this unusual cloud moving down the hill almost like it was sliding into the lake. If you watched it you really could see it moving downward. As the light would change it changed from grey-ish white to a more bright white-almost blinding white actually. Below the first picture is the more bright white (as well as could be captured) and the second is the darker verison (again, as well as could be captured).

 More fun pictures. I love this mountain!

 Linda has become somewhat of a bird fan in the recent years so she was facinated by the birds. We tried capturing a few different birds in pictures, but they would move too fast. We did catch this one...it's a jay, but not just a plain old blue jay- I can't remember it's exact, correct name...she'd be disappointed. It is just flying away in this picture.

 And now it's got it's back to us, but at least is still.

We came back to a still cloudy Portland, but we were sunned, Vitamin D'ed, refreshed and ready for the rest of the week (or at least I was). Thanks for the lovely day and yummy food, Linda! We know how to do a picnic right!

"And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them." ~Mark 10:16

You probably saw in an earlier post that a special person has entered this world and my life. I'm truly blessed, beyond words to be a part of a special family. My college friend Stasia and her hubby Dave and their growing family. I'm Sponsor (aka Godmother) to their first daughter Josie and now I've been blessed by being asked to be the same to their newest daughter Ella. Today was her Baptism and it was a beautiful celebration.

Ella (who looks SO much like big sister, Josie) before the service.

 Stasia holding Josie and me holding Ella before her baptism. I look forward to the many experiences and love that I'll get to be a part of with these young ladies and their Momma, Dad and big brother!

Aren't they all precious?! Aren't I blessed?! Love them all and that they are such a great part of my life.

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them." ~Henri Matisse

I love Dahlia's. They are amazing flowers. Though I could do without the pom-pom versions. Every year I go to the Swan Island Dahlia Fields to see some amazing colors and to dream about my future yard/garden. This year my friend Jenny has become an avid lover or gardening-flowers and veggies. I invited her to join me and she was more than happy and excited to do so. We picked a day and away we went to the flowers. It was a hot day-like every day that I go to the Dahlia Fields is, but we had a mission: take as many pictures as possible. Jenny's got a plan. In the dull, dreary, winter months she'd like to comb through the pictures and pick her favorites to print, frame in simple black frames and hang. A way to bring some summer into the midst of winter and any day to come. So we went. We took pictures. And then we took some more pictures. And when we thought we'd taken enough, we took some more...just to be "safe." So...pardon this photo dump...there are more where these came from so be glad I didn't upload the 100+ pictures I took just on my camera. Weed through them for a couple people-involved pictures! (PS We did play with the altered version button on my camera-so some of these pictures have been color altered.)

A picture of us before we got too hot and sweaty!

 My favorites for this year...

After getting maybe enough pictures, but for sure getting to an over heated point we headed out. I'd been craving BBQ and once I mentioned it to Jenny so was she. So after dropping off flowers that we purchased at Jenny's we headed for Famous Dave's. First time either of us had been there. We will go back. It tasted amazing! So yummy.

Thanks for the fun day, Jenny! We'll see these pictures in the grey months to come!