The evenings are still cold, don’t get me wrong. But the days are lovely – warm, some sun breaking through the Pacific Northwest rain, and quite a full fully sunny days.
And we all know what that means, right???
Gardening!
The plan for this year is pretty similar to last year, but I’m aiming to streamline the process a little bit.
Instead of trying for tomatoes and veggies and a variety of things, I’m focusing in on peas and flowers – Pea Plants in the long planters, maybe with some hops planted nearby for shade, and then lots of flowers in small pots along the balcony. Lupin, marigolds, and sunflowers!
Just a quick post here – I came into town to have brunch with an old friend from school, who’d moved to Portland recently. Was planning on going to Evolution Fitness afterward, to use their altitude chamber… but when I found out it was closed I headed out for a nice old-fashioned city wander.
By this time last year, I think I’d hiked up the White River Glacier at least twice… backpacking both times, if I’m recalling correctly.
Kind of strange… this year I’ve been on just as many adventures, but for some reason backpacking hasn’t really been on my goals list. I’m not sure why, but I just haven’t been feeling is quite as much. Work stress, world stress, or just a general desire to relax by the fire on my couch, I can’t say.
What I can say, is that I’ve been reaching out a bit more, and that I’ve been getting the chance to do things with friends in town more. Like today, when I met up with another Ben to hike up the White River Glacier!
Looking through my notes, it’s been just about 11 months since my boots have touched this glacier. 11 months of adventure and fun, but 11 months is definitely a long time to not see one of my favorite hikes! When we were debating where to go, the answer came pretty quickly – it’s time to re-visit some great views of Hood on a lovely relaxing slope!
I… Uhh… I don’t have much else to say about this one, honestly.
We met up in Portland, grabbed some sandwiches (heck yeah baguettes!) and had a great time escaping the office and getting into nature. Since we met through work, we definitely talked a bit more shop that was strictly optimal… but it’s important to get the chance to vent about frustrations, and no one can quite understand the challenges of work than someone else FROM work, you know?
We talked, we hiked, and we appreciated the cold snowy air.
It was a very good day.
As a bonus, after finished the hike we hung out for a bit at his place in Portland – ordering some burgers, giving me some puppy-cuddle time, and even watching the first few episodes of Peacemaker.
