Tryon Creek

Although I complain about the Oregon weather (I'm wearing a sweatshirt right now in my house and it is pouring down rain and today is JUNE 12th), there is also much to enjoy.  Only about 10 minutes from our house is Tryon Creek State Park.  While hiking there it is quite difficult to believe that you are surrounded by the city.

Scott was actually having a good time even though his face doesn't show it!

Jackson loved it, including taking a little swim.

He clearly didn't read the sign but I can safely report that no steelhead or salmon were injured.

I love that the boys are still mostly willing to pose for their Mom, even in a tree!

Zebras

After our trip to Africa we decided that the British and South African way of saying zebra sounded much better.  It isn't a zeebra with a long e but a zebra with a short e.  Sounds much nicer!

We stayed in one lodge in a game park run by a very nice husband and wife.  Their two darling little boys acted as bell men and helped us with our luggage.  As we arrived at our cabin the little boy said, "We have a surprise for you.  Do you want to know what it is?" When I told him that I did, he shared the secret with me.  They have a pet zebra!  Well it isn't actually a pet.  For some reason the little guy was kicked out of his herd.  The human mom became his surrogate mom and bottle fed him.  They hope someday he'll go back to his herd.  He isn't kept in a pen but has free range of the whole area.  I was amazed that I got to not only see zebras but pet them!  They are super soft!

Then at our last hotel in Zambia there were zebras grazing on the lawn!  I have never stayed in a hotel with zebra just outside the room before.  Definitely not in Oregon anymore!

The Gorge on a Rainy Day

The plan was hiking in the Columbia River Gorge but unfortunately it was a typical spring in Oregon kind of day.  Translated that means that it rained all day long.  So instead we did a tour of Bonneville Dam, had a delicious lunch at Skamania Lodge and then made a quick stop at Multnomah Falls.

The falls are beautiful even in the rain.

 It was when we got back on the freeway after the falls that things got interesting!  There had been a wreck involving 15 cars a few miles ahead of us and the traffic was stopped for miles and miles.  People were out of their cars visiting and trying to figure out what to do.

Lucky for us we were close to the exit and a policeman came along and suggested that if we wanted to, we could turn around, drive on the shoulder, and go back to the exit.  Kind of exciting to be going the wrong way on the freeway!!!  We heard on the news that the freeway didn't clear for about 3 more hours so we were home before some cars even got through.  Lucky us! 

Speaking of elephants....

Here are a few of my favorite elephant photos from the trip

 I had no idea that elephants had eye lashes like this....

 Or that they enjoyed snorkeling!

 This little baby must be about the same age as our Oregon Zoo's little Lilly!  The guides said that for the first year they are small enough to walk under their mammas.  What a different life this little one will have from our Lilly!  Interesting idea from The Life of Pi concerning animals in zoos.  People often think that animals in captivity are unhappy.  Pi's question is, "Would you prefer living safely in the Ritz with unlimited room service, entertainment provided for you, and excellent medical care?  Or would you prefer to be homeless on the street fending for yourself?"  In good zoos the animals are definitely living at the Ritz.

You can see how close they got to the jeeps!  According to our guide this big bull is out looking for a female.  His musky scent might be appealing to female elephants but it was overpowering to me!

After Africa, a Zoo????

The zoo didn't sound like a great idea after our African safaris.

 First we saw three very 'un-African' animals.  This polar bear was having a little snooze while his partner paced around and around the enclosure in the exact same pattern.  It was almost as if his steps were choreographed....five steps backwards, turn, five steps forward, turn....polar bears in captivity frequently engage in this 'pacing' behavior. He must have kept it up for at least 15 minutes while we were there and there were no signs he was tiring.  Our Oregon bears are in a study right now to try and figure out why they do this and if it is harmful.  Interesting! Look at the size of his paws!

 

The night before the zoo we watched "The Life of Pi" so it was interesting to see Richard Parker.  

                      

And Orange Juice!  If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, then I recommend them both.  The movie is visually stunning and the book made me think.  

I have to admit that I was tempted to add this photo to my post about lions and say that he was the next one we were able to pet.  But that would have been untrue.  I am pretty sure this fellow was looking at me in a 'naughty manner' and I'm quite sure the little stick they gave us at the lion encounter would make him hysterical with laughter!

The claim to fame at the Oregon Zoo right now is Lily.  She was born on November 30th at 2:17 a.m.; weighing-in at a hefty 300 pounds - a sweet little (or not so little, depending on how you look at it) Asian elephant.   All reports have been that mom RoseTu and baby Lily are doing great.  Lilly is, according to her keepers, a real spit fire! Don't know exactly what that means when used to describe a baby elephant! But she really is a cutie!

 Another fun day with the boys!

Jackson

Jackson our 4th son or our 'grand-dog' also came to visit.  I think he thoroughly enjoyed his time with us.  Even though the car was crowded with 3 big guys and one large dog, they managed to pack his comfy bed.  I think I could be happy sleeping in it!

After 8 years of being totally ball obsessed something switched in his brain and now it is all about frisbees!  He loves Lake Oswego's parks, especially when accompanied by willing frisbee tossers!!

Always happy to have 4 legged visitors!

Visit

I remember during one of the presidential debates when Mitt Romney referred to his adult sons as his 'boys' and the liberal media went crazy.  Supposedly his comment was meant as a slur to Obama because it harkened back to the days when black men were commonly referred to by this condescending term. The media confidently proclaimed that no one referred to their adult sons as 'boys'. Trust me that I mean no disrespect to anyone when I say that our 'boys' came for a visit.

One of the reasons they came was to visit the Nike Employee Store.  Scott coaches a team affiliated with Nike so he got a pass.  We didn't know how the pass worked exactly so all five of us trooped in.  The very nice receptionist told Scott that he could take his wife, his dependent children or a 'life partner'.  Since Matt was standing by Scott and they had the same address she said she wouldn't ask any questions....I decided that they have known each other all their lives so I guess that does make them life partners.  These two were in Nike Heaven!