Hike #42 - Latourell Falls

Ok, so we didn't actually go on this hike, but we did walk down to the falls and I couldn't help but share some funny photos with you, because my husband is a dork and I love him much.
So here is a picture of the falls from the road. Not a long trip right? Then Jason in front of the falls right before he did this -
He ran down to the falls and climbed on the rock in front of it and gave me the thumbs up. What a nerd.
Guess who got soaked? Yes, that would be Jason. Sucks to be him.
All though this wasn't a full hike, it had its perks. What great fun.



Hike #43 Part 2- Multnomah Falls

Here comes part two of our 6 mile trip from Wahkeena Falls to Multnomah Falls. This was my favorite part, the coming down section of our hike. I didn't get many pictures because I was so exhausted and I had to use the rest room really bad, but I will share with you my favorite ones.

Here is is. My favorite picture of our trip. The half mile post. At this point I was so giddy that I wanted to run down the rest of the hill, but my legs wouldn't carry me very fast and I'm afraid that if I tried to run they would have given out on me. I might have just rolled down the hill instead. I thought about it several times, take the quick way down and all, but it probably would have hurt. A lot.


Last but not least the ever famous Multnomah Falls. It was still a little foggy and I had water on my lens so it made the picture a little foggy as well. I've visited this place many times since it's about an hour from my parents home, but I've never come from the top and just hiked down it. 
There were a lot of people there, even though it was a wet day. My husband kept encouraging the people making their way to the top. They mostly gave him weird looks. That's what you get when you talk to strangers.
Alas, once we got to the bottom, our hike wasn't over. We had to walk .5 miles back to the car that was parked at Wahkeena Falls. So we picked up some fudge from the concession stand and trekked back to our transportation home.




We had a great time. One that we will never forget. I would suggest you get up off your chair and take a hike as a couple or group. Its great exercise and its lots of fun.



Hike #43 Part 1- Wahkeena Falls

Here's another addition of lets go on a road trip. We had an amazing day driving up the Oregon Gorge and an even greater time on the longest and hardest hike of my life.I can't believe I survived.
I was all pumped this morning to go on this hike. The last hike I was on we went 2.5 miles on a slightly steep trail and I was fine, so I thought this would be a piece of cake just a little longer. I got myself in over my head, and since I have an issue with pulmonary hemorrhaging when I over exert myself in cold weather, I had a hard time keeping my breathing under control without stopping a dozen times to catch my breath.
My legs didn't get tired till we hit the top, which is a great thing since I wasn't able to lift my legs up to take another step. I was thankful for the down hill portion of the hike.
Near the top my husband Jason kept telling me "We're almost there, its just around the corner." He lied. Like four times. And just when I thought the trail was going back down, it went back up even steeper than before.
The scenery was beautiful though. On the way up we followed a river with so many little water falls and rapids. It was amazing.  
The top was foggy and we really couldn't see anything, although I did get some really cool fog shots. Check these out.

Even though I complained most the way up and my husband complained most the way down, we had a blast. The weather was odd, but nice and the scenery was amazing. I can't wait till next time we get to go on a hike. Maybe I'll pick something a little easier.



The Katniss braid

Despite all the hoopla around the book and movie "The Hunger Games" I have yet to read the book or see the movie. Its not that I'm not interested in it, because I am, Its the pure fact that I have 2 kids and a husband who works odd hours and isn't always home when a baby sitter is available. I have it on good authority though, that my friend Amy will take me to see the movie soon. So until that day, I am reduced to watching youtube clips and searching for ways to look like Katniss on pinterest.
During one of my searches I came across the Katniss braid which I didn't even know she had because i haven't seen the movie. Let me tell you, its awesome and fairly easy to do, if you know how to french braid.
So, sitting in front of my computer after watching a tutorial on how to do such braids (Which in my opinion is self explanatory) I braided my hair. Just like that. Usually when I do anything to my hair without watching what i'm doing in the mirror it looks like poo, but this time I was extremely surprised. I must have channeled my inner Katniss since it was actually a braid that was worth wearing out in public. To bad it was 7:30 at night and I was home alone with the kids. A waist of a good braid.
Makes me want to grow my hair longer so the braid can wrap around my shoulder more. Good thing that's what I was planing on doing before this happened. 
After I put the kids to bed, I felt ambitious, still channeling my inner Katniss I found an outfit that I could pull off.
I had a pair of green pants from my teen-hood that were a little wide legged but I could fix that and a pair of boots that wen't a little higher up the leg. Last but not least, I unfortunately couldn't find a black v neck t-shirt, so that will be my next thrift store hunt with maybe some shorter boots.

So, to sum it all up. I've got the Katniss hair and half the outfit, now all I need to do is learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. Maybe I'll stick with reading the book, it sounds a little less dangerous.



Blackies great adventure!

Some days seem to start of OK and then turn into a huge disaster by the end. That's how my day went last Sunday, and it was nothing I could have avoided, it was just one of those things that happen. My Vehicle, the one that I so fondly refer to as Black Steel got a little booboo. Ok, it was a big booboo, one that almost cost me my car. Lets just say this, I hate drivers who slam on their brakes to merge into fast moving traffic. What can you do?
I'm very grateful though that My two boys weren't hurt. They were in the back seat safely buckled into their car seats. After I pulled off onto the side of the highway, they were having a great time watching the cars fly by and throwing a ball back and forth to each other.
I'm also very grateful that the other driver was cool, and not a weirdo about the whole thing. You never know what you are going to get.
Check out these other photos of my big booboo.


Summer lake city park

Went on a little adventure by myself last weekend to good o'l Tigard Oregon and found myself a nice little park with a lake and some ducks.

I didn't drive there for no reason though, got to meat a nice family with 6 children. It felt like the good old days with my family. I knew kinda how this woman felt in all the pandemonium that goes along with 6 little ones. But we got some fun pictures for them to treasure.


To pee or not to pee

That really is the question, isn't it. Anyone who's ever gone on a long road trip has had to pee or been in the car with some one who has to pee while in the middle of no where. If you're a guy, that's all fine and dandy, but for us women, we need a seat.
The first restroom we stopped at in the middle of the mountains was a single room with no light and no toilet seat. It was just a hole in the ground. I quickly passed on it, and I guess the look on my face scared the little old lady in the Prius that pulled up next to our car. Sorry Lady, but it wasn't happening.
 The second bathroom we found a few miles up the road was a little more promising, but sadly still had no lights and it was a hole in the ground. But it had a seat.
two stalls, hurray!

The first look.

That's my "are you kidding me" look

Favorite part!

I guess it all comes down to if you really have to go or not. By this point I really had to go. Ah, car trips. Aren't they fun?

Odd adventures in Tillamook

Anyone who has ever spent a significant amount of time with me, knows how much I love cheese. I even own a t-shirt that says I love mac and cheese. It doesn't fit, but I own it. So when ever I get a chance to go to my happy place (Tillamook cheese factory) I jump in the car and go.
And even though the weather was a little rough coming in to town, that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves. This is the stuff us Oregonians are made of, rain.

 Found a new ride while we were down there. The baby loaf mobile. LOVE IT!
 Learned a lot while were were there, like there is actually paper made out of real cow poo. It was a tempting buy, but I had to pass. I know what you're thinking, you're a writer Sara, paper is paper. I don't think so. I will write on just about anything, but paper made out of poo I think would distract me. I wouldn't be grossed out or anything, but I would have this sudden urge to write stories and poems about poo and the many uses for it. Nothing would ever get done.
There was also this lady there with a cone head. I'm really sad I didn't think to take a picture of her. She was weighing the cheese to make sure I got a full lbs of Colby Jack the next time i'm at the store. She's so nice. I did happen to get a picture of this lady's awesome shirt. I loaf you to cheese sorter lady.
So, i'm going to raise my squeaky cheese to all you readers out there, and remember, life is an adventure if you chose to live it. I loaf you!



Hike #26 Cape Lookout

So, the real hike we intended on doing while on vacation last weekend was actually really scary and we ended up turning back almost 2 miles in due to hurricane force winds and a sheer cliff that I didn't want to fall off of. This is hike number 26 from oregonhiking.com.
At the time we didn't think we had made it very far before turning back, but after we saw a map of the trail we were sadly disappointed to know that  we had almost made it to the end and should have kept going.
It was a nice hike though and I surprised myself at how easy it was for me. 
When my husband announced last week that he was taking me on a 5 mile hike I was a little skeptical that I was going to sweet a bunch and  make a fool out of myself by being winded half way back. I made myself proud. I was soar the next day though, but it was a great feeling.
We managed to find the marker for a 1943 WW2 airplane crash that happened on the cape. We were actually looking for it on the way down, but didn't notice it till we were headed back up. I guess its because we were on a cliff that was maybe four feet wide with no railings. I think I was a little distracted. 
The ten feet of railing in this one spot should have given it away. To bad the railing was falling off the cliff!
Heard a lot of creaking trees in this part. Made me nervous.
Netarts Bay
Jason decided to go out on the log just as a huge gust of wind came along. He almost fell, and if he had, I would have captured it on film.
 Another crazy adventure in the life of a Henderson. I can't wait to see what the road brings me to next. Maybe some of you out there would like to join me next time. Its always a blast!


Hike #21 Cape Meares

The road to Cape Meares
My husband and I have decided to do more hiking this summer as something we can do together as a couple and for more exercise. Little did we know that on our beach trip last weekend we would go on two hikes and not even know it.
Our first adventure, which happens to be the unknown hike was Cape Meares light house which is hike number 21 on oregonhiking.com. We took the easy hike that was 0.6 miles round trip so not a very long one, but nice just the same.
A little history on the light house that I borrowed from the above mentioned web page.

"An 1890 lighthouse and an ancient spruce forest top this dramatic bluff. The headland’s name honors British Captain John Meares, who built a fur-trading fort in Nootka, Alaska and sailed south in 1788 questing for the great river of the Northwest. He overlooked the Columbia and turned back here. "


From the trail head we found an amazing view of the cape on both sides. I can't believe how beautiful the ocean can be. I think that's why I love it so much, it takes my breath away every time I see it.


We stopped to take a few pictures to prove that we were there.  
Me and my husband Jason at the top of Cape Meares
Me being a nerd like usual
At the end of the "hike" 

Us at the light house as it began to hail out of no where.
Maybe next time we'll take the more difficult 3.6 mile hike in that area. If we only knew, right? The greatest thing about this trip was the time I got to spend with my husband and the amazing things that I got to experience. Like dime size hail coming out of no where.