The Search for Buck

Preface:

"Buck" is my friend Rea's ideal man. You'd have to ask her for all the details, but he's out there somewhere and she's looking for him :)

Last Saturday my friend Rea and I embarked on an adventure. We were at a retreat center out in the wilderness and decided to go on a hike to the Sandy River. It started out like any other ordinary hike.

Mossy trees along the path.

Great views.

Good company.

But then we started to wonder. Where is this river that's supposedly at the end of the path? We couldn't see it or hear it.




It was definitely a jaunt down to the River. Too bad this map doesn't show the elevation changes :)

Finally, after 45 minutes, the river. It was beautiful.

Here's the proof that I was really there :)

And it came complete with wildlife, such as this cute little bird taking a bath.

But, sadly, it didn't come with "Buck." So, we left the river and Rea was empty hearted.

As we left the rush of the river, the woods seemed eerily silent. While we were hiking through the quiet woods, we were startled to hear something rustling around on our right. As it turns out, it wasn't someone trying to murder us, as we first thought. Just this woodpecker trying to get some lunch.

Really, there's a woodpecker in that circle. Trust me.

At least that's what we told ourselves. But maybe it WAS sasquatch.

If you find yourself out and about in the wilderness anytime soon, keep your eye open for Buck. And if you happen upon him, let him know Rea's looking for him.

A Room with a View

A Room with a View is a 1908 novel by English writer E.M. Forster, about a young woman in the repressed culture of Edwardian England. Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century.

And, if you're looking for a review of this book or the 1985 movie . . . you've come to the wrong place.

The room and view I'm talking about is my bedroom and the beautiful view outside my window. We've had some crazy weather in the last couple of months and I've managed to capture it along with some of my favorite views of downtown Portland in the distance.

Right before Christmas we had some serious snow. It looked so beautiful and still in the dark.

The sun came out for a brief moment. The snow and ice were breathtaking.

Early one morning I woke up before the Sun and after experimenting with many settings on my camera, found the right one. This is my favorite view--the lights reflecting on the Columbia River and Downtown Portland bright in the distance. The picture doesn't really do it justice. I could stand at my window and look at this view for hours.