go take a hike.

I've had at least one complaint about my recent lack of blogging. My apologies. There's been a lack of bloggable material. I just can't find it in me to bore you with things like: I mopped the kitchen floor today and I used Mr. Clean Febreeze instead of my usual Lysol orange, or I got my third, yes third, Oriental Trading catalog for the week, or I smelled forest fire smoke the other night when I went out to water the garden, or did you know that Office Depot had folders for 5 cents last week and I went three times and got the 30 per teacher/each time deal?

See what I mean. BORING.

So when Phil asked me last night what I'd like to do today on his day off, and we knew it needed to revolve around water of some sort because we've been having this eleventy billion degree heat wave and you can only stay home in the central air for so long without going out of your ever loving mind, I suggested a trip to the Gorge. Down the pretty scenic highway to the waterfalls. Wahkeena Falls specifically. And let's take a picnic lunch, shall we? Ahhhh. . .

That's my fun new polka dotted Trendy Wendy lunch bag. It's actually a 9-can insulated cooler, but I wanted something big enough to hold my salad container and water bottle. Got it at Tar-jhay. I love it.

I wanted to hike up to the bridge. (If you squint real hard you'll see the bridge in the center of the picture - right below where all the white water is falling.) I'd never been up there before. The sign said ".2 miles." Two measly tenths of a mile. Well, what they didn't bother to mention on the sign, but I already knew, is that it's .2 miles straight up. OK, .2 miles straight up on switchbacks to make it seem not so elevated.

On the way up there were some really lovely views of the Columbia River.

I'll not lie. It was hard. It was hot and it was hard. Not hard as in climbing to the top of Multnomah Falls hard, but we made it. And it was totally worth it. Sweet victory, I made it!

The mist was so cool and refreshing. I could've stood there all day. Please do not laugh too hard at this next picture, but that's what I did for about five minutes as I caught my breath.

In fact, we did stay there quite a good long while. And we continued on up the trail a little farther, but it just kept going uphill and I was dying and my lungs were burning and my calves were throbbing, so we turned around and went back for more mist.

I would like to thank the world's cutest hiking partner for our little adventure today. He made sure I stayed on the inside of the path, away from all the cliffs. He's such a gentleman.