Multnomah Falls

I didn't plan the entire weekend out like I did last weekend because I thought it would be overkill, but I have realized that because we no longer have any house projects to work on or pools to upkeep we have ample time on the weekends to do other things. And in fact, I need to plan other things because my family went stir crazy yesterday with "nothing to do".

One thing I did plan for this weekend though was a visit to Multnomah Falls. A dear friend had suggested that we go once we got settled and having seen it from the highway on our move up here from New Mexico I knew it had to be one of the first stops we made once we got settled. I thought it was beautiful. Bob and the kids liked it, but were less impressed with the whole experience than I was. The way up is a pretty strenuous hike with narrow pathways and nothing to catch you should you fall or slip over one of the steep ledges. I was nervous a couple of times for Sarah because people are freaking rude and not thoughtful at all when it comes to being aware that there is a blind person walking up a steep trail with no guardrails and that maybe you should get your damn dog off the the path instead of saying, "Pookie, you need to get out of the way because you almost tripped that blind person." (Or something close to that.) Both Sarah, Bob, and myself were ready to use her cane as a machete at one point just to move people out of the way or just to trip them up for their stupidity and apathy. (THAT is a whole other blog post though.)

I realized once we got to the top of the falls and were sitting by a stream that was so comforting and beautiful that I will love Portland someday. It will take time and be a slow simmering kind of love, but it will be enduring. I felt at peace and at home among the tall trees and green moss, the rocks, and the crystal clear water, and I knew then that my love for Portland would not be fiery, instantaneous, and passionate like it is for Las Cruces, but not all loves are meant to be felt so intensely. At this point in my life, I need something that is slow and steady. Two moves each 1600-1700 miles away in less than two years have left me a bit tired. So, as I sat among the tall pines, my heart felt such humbled gratitude for the experiences I have had in my life. I am thankful that God thought it fit to move us here to this place. A place that would slowly unravel its beauty to me one weekend and one experience at a time. A place that will create memories and allow me to live the adventure I am looking for all the while providing a steady home base - for now at least.

Here is the beauty that I saw:

This is a smaller falls that leads into the larger one. 

All finished! She did it.