Good bye Portland

It’s been a busy few weeks!

My friend Mike is a volunteer Deputy Sheriff for the Hood River County Marine Patrol.  He invited me to assist with the Roy Webster Cross Channel Swim.  It’s a 1.1 mile swim across the Columbia River.  There were over 400 swimmers, 12 people couldn’t make it and had to be pulled out of the water.  We got two of them.  It was interesting being a rescue boat, I’ve done some open water swims and it’s much harder than it looks.  I was really impressed when I heard that over half the swimmers were novice swimmers and only 12 quit.  I had to take a nap after, he made me get up at 330 in the morning to meet him by 530.  Who in  their right mind gets up at that hour?  That’s one big reason I don’t work anymore…

The state park I’m staying in has a trail head that leads to a network of hiking trails.  I headed out one day aiming for Multnomah Falls, a very busy tourist attraction.  I planned on hiking the trails above the waterfall, but got sidetracked by another trail leading to a triple waterfall.  Once there, I noticed a dog at the bottom of a ravine.  I asked around and it seems the dog had fallen about 150 feet and a rescue crew was on the way.  I decided to hang out and watch. Here is the news story.    COLUMBIA GORGE, Ore. Oregon Humane Society volunteers on Thursday helped rescue a 45-pound dog that had fallen off a Columbia Gorge trail. The owner and dog reportedly had been hiking when the dog fell into a ravine near the Triple Falls Bridge, a hiking bridge that spans Oneonta Creek. The owner reported the fall to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Wednesday night. However, crews waited until Thursday to attempt a rescue in daylight. "To conduct the rescue, the Sheriff's Office contacted the Oregon Humane Society's Technical Animal Rescue team (OHSTAR)," the Oregon Humane Society reported Thursday. "[This is] a group of volunteers, skilled in rescuing animals from cliff sides and other areas that require the use of technical climbing and rescue gear." The OHSTAR team usually brings ropes, climbing gear, rescue baskets, canine first-aid material and other equipment that may be needed to save an animal.  The dog did not appear to be seriously hurt. 

 

Here is the link if you want to see the video http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/local/story/Dog-rescued-from-Columbia-Gorge-ravine/zsOyGa_TX0uzLGKbn7gJFg.cspx .  They actually got a shot of me, I’m the one sitting on the ground talking to someone behind me.  The whole rescue took several hours, the OHSTAR team had to set up their ropes and everything else.  Once down in the ravine, the dog wouldn’t come to the rescuer.  It took about 45 minutes to catch her.  I was talking to the deputy sheriff who said they did a body recovery a few years ago. The only reason they knew someone was there is because his dog wouldn’t leave the trail.  The sheriff came to get the dog and found the body by accident. 

My friend Angela and I went on a little adventure in Portland.  We were doing the 4T trail, it’s a loop around the city using a train, trolley, trail and tram.  The trail portion was supposed to be 4 miles, but we had to make a side trip to the Oregon Parks Department.  Of course we decided to walk, which we figured out later added several miles to our day.   When it was all over, we were exhausted!  We had to ride the train home, during rush hour.  I feel the need to apologize to all the riders.  I was really hot and sweaty and must have smelled pretty bad because every time a seat came open, the person sitting next to me moved.  That’s why I stick to hiking in the woods!

There were several friends who couldn’t make my guard unit reunion I  Portland, so we had a second mini reunion in Salem.  It was great seeing Gil, Stan, and James and equally nice meeting wives Cee and Kellie.  While there, I drove by my old house.  13 years ago I bought a little manufactured home and set out to re-landscape the yard.  It took me forever, but I took out about 10 azalea’s and a whole row of juniper bushes.  I then leveled the yard and put in grass seed and finally a tiny little tree.  That tree is now humongous!  It has taken over the entire yard and is probably 10 feet above the house.  Well, I did ask for a fast growing tree.  I think it was an oak.  I planned  on going back to find Sylvia’s house, but I just ran out of time.

I have had the most awesome time being back in Oregon.  I have reconnected with old friends and make some great new ones!  I will most certainly be back, hopefully next year and will plan on staying longer next time. 

I’m headed back to Florida to spend some quality time with the world’s best Grandmother.  I feel beyond blessed to be as close to her as I am. I know so many people who either lost grandparents when they were young or only visited during holidays.  I was fortunate enough to live with my grandparents through grade school and live just a few miles away until I graduated high school and moved away.