A Walk In the Rain

I walked from the house where I'm staying up to the top of Council Crest..uphill all the way, carrying my 14 pound backpack.  I was prepared for the rain with my rain jacket and hat to keep the hood off my face. 
Started out in intermittent rain and relatively warm.  Under the jacket, I was wearing a wicking T-shirt, my arms were kinda cold.  I had skipped putting on my rain pants...whoop
The walk up was good.  About a 1/4 of a mile was on a lovely trail, but the rest was pavement. 
On Council Crest the rain was steady.  By the time I got to the top, the wind was blowing,the rain was coming at me sideways and I was regretting not putting on my rainpants.  It reminded me on crossing the Pyrenees. Once I was down from the top, the rain stopped, the wind stopped, but the sun did not come out.
The walk down hill to Sunset was dry and by the time I was back at the house, my pants were completely dry.
I had walked just 5.5 miles.

A short, but sweet wooded trail

Yellow Arrows - a welcome sight

A magnolia blooming in the rain on Council Crest

Raining horizontally

Lovely Banana Slug

Aw..Spring

Oh..what a lovely day it is today!  I'm sitting in the sun in the beautiful garden of the house where I am just starting my last house/dog sitting gig before I leave for Spain.  I'm staying with Mila & Willis and they are sweethearts!
So, I'm sitting here knitting and getting very warm.  Imagine that!
I love Spring!

Photo Shoot

Corrin & I went to Catherine Creek, in the Gorge today to photograph Grass Widows,  only we were too late.  They were through blooming.  I saw just a few.  However, Catherin Creek is a beautiful place, the morning was chilly, the sky filled with wispy, windswept clouds while on the ground, the air was still.

We were told by some other wildflower lovers of a place we could find Glacier Lilies & Chocolate Lilies.  So, we headed over to Mosier on the Oregon side of the Columbia ( we were in Washinton)

We found the Glacier Lilies after bushwacking a little ways through an oak forest, but no Chocolate Lilies.  I had to get down on my stomach to get a shot of the flowers. 

I may not have had much luck with getting any decent shots,  but I sure had fun.  The photo I've posted was taken with my phone of one uploaded to my computer.  Didn't even think about taking one with my phone. Next time!

A Little Help From a Good Friend

Thank you Annie for all your help with this blog thingy!  You hve encouraged me all the way from my first Camino to my 2nd Camino and on into 2015.
Not only that..your a helluva a lot of fun to hang out with

Annie Carvalho with Martin Sheen in Santiago

What Was I Thinking!

I'm going back to Spain!  I'll be in country for 2 months!  Two Months!  What was I thinking!  I've asked myself that question repeatedly since I made my airline reservations months ago.  Once those reservations were made, there was no goi.g back..I was committed.

Now, I'm just 7 1/2 weeks from departure and the anxiety is mounting right along with the excitement.  Will I be homesick again? 
Will I be able to finish the entire 500+ miles?
Will I get sick? Lost? Will I be in pain?

Then I listen to the soundtrack from the documentary " Walking the Camino; Six Ways to Santiago" or log onto the Camino Forum where pilgrims from all over the world meet, or go to the APOC (American
Pilgrims on the Camino) and I feel better.

Or, I do a walk  Sharon, my friend and neighbor who will be with me on Camino.

I calm down, take a deep breath and kown everthing will be alright!

Never Give Up!

May have used this title before.  If I did it's still appropriate cause I'm still confused and frustrated.  However, I keep trying.   I'll try adding a photo...so far so good.