Washougal

Onward from my trip to Minnesota I flew out to Portland for my dear friend Kate's wedding. She and her now husband Alex bought a place about a half hour outside of Portland along the Columbia River in Washougal, Washington. Their new old house is a converted school with a little old gym and barn. They have settled in nicely with chickens and roosters, a dog and cats, a large and fruitful garden, and beautiful renovations. Their views all around are gorgeous, looking down to the river or out to Mount Baker and surrounding mountains.

Blackberry bushes surround their property

Pepper the dog on the upper deck

Kate reeling Pepper in

Hops (Alex is a beer brewer)

Bee hives (Kate is a beekeeper)

Back view of the barn

The old gym

Looking down to the dining room and kitchen

Our friend Jacquie and I stayed at Kate and Alex's place and helped with wedding preparations. The day before the wedding we visited a dahlia farm and picked 30 dozen dahlias.

Later that evening we rode to a beautiful lodge on the river for dinner. I will be working on part two, "The Wedding" to post in the coming days...