Natural beauty

A brother-sister team were my guides on a trip up the Columbia river gorge.  

It has many breathtaking scenic moments.  Fr. Tim Murphy and his sister Maureen made the day most enjoyable.  They are related on my grandmother's side and are my cousins.  We had time to catch up on each other's lives and just be together.  Multnomah Falls was a great picture and a spot for a picnic lunch.  

But then Fr. Tim said, "We must go up!"  And so we did.  It was 1.2 mile hike with a steady climb.  

Our legs and lungs got a good work out.  To be there and to see the vantage points is hard to explain and even the pictures don't do it justice.  

Our final destination for the day was Mt. Hood.  It has its own dignity and sense of power.  We watched it grow in size as we approached.  

The skiing season is over but it was fun to be there and sense the life that is there throughout the winter.  It made me want to strap on a pair of skiis and tackle the slope at least for one run.  After a great day of beauty and excercise the bed came quickly and offered a time to collapse in rest.  God's creation had blessed me on this day.