Ok, I will stop talking about the snow!

It's suppose to be the worst storm since 1964. All the highways are closed and we are officially snowed in. Tonight there was a calm moment when the snow and wind stopped. Before I began to shovel (again)...I took a few shots for you to enjoy.
Eric's new car

Our patio

UPS is delivering all night!

Be careful what you wish for

My last post was wishing for snow and I think my wish was granted! It has been snowing here non-stop for 3 days. We have already had about 2 feet fall and it's still coming down. The power may go out, so we have the flashlights and candles standing by.

Bring on the snow!!

Even though I was enjoying the 60 degrees last night as I bbq'd up some dinner. I still can't help but want some snow! The amount of hard earned money that we spend on season passes to Mt. Hood....bring it on, Mother Nature! Our coats and boards are waiting in the trunk.

*sigh*...so we just sit and wait for some snow to fall on top of our local volcano.

2008 Reflected

It's hard to imagine that tomorrow begins our last month of 2008. So much has happened! We finally progressed enough to forget our racial differences to elect Barack Obama, we saw our economy go into high elert, gas prices fell over $3/gallon, and New Kids on the Block re-united. And that's not all!!!

This was also a record breaking year for me.

I helped remodel my new home...I moved in with my boyfriend and his son...I learned to dirtbike, mtn bike AND windsurf...I got out of debt...AND I got engaged. I saw the birth and passing of good friends and became the mother to a 14 year old boy. And let's not forget the travel! In 2008, I was in Dallas TX...Bozeman, Billings, and Missoula, MT 2 times...Anchorage and Sitka, AK...San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego, CA...Maine 3 times...Alberta and British Columbia, Canada several times...Maui, HI...Seattle, WA about 15 times...and of course, the Oregon coast. It's been a busy year for Izzy!!

Here is a slide show of some pics from this year. (Click on it for full view). I will try to make some predictions for 2009 towards the end of December. Enjoy!

A time for giving thanks

I find myself giving thanks to a lot more these days than I ever have. SO much has happened this year that I am grateful for. So here is a special mahalo, merci, muchos gracias, and thank you to the following people:

Eric, Jace, Mom and Dad, Sophie, Tabatha, Michele, Dawn, Grandpa, Rachel, Carol, Thad, Donna, Michele, my travel agent, and Obama.

More props to my musical family

Since I just gave my Dad some props on his new CD release...it's only fair that I give my brother some kudos, too, right?! Malcolms' band, LINELAND, just released its 2nd CD called "Logos for Love" under the Audio Dregs label. Click on his crazy website to hear a tast. Lineland

Also, check out his new record label, MUTABLE SOUND, coming out in 2009.

Way to go Dad and Bro!

Anybody like good jazz?

Check out the new CD released by the Novel Jazz Septet!

Anybody recognize the pianist standing in the back? That's right!! It's my very own Daddy-O. But really, it's a great CD...you should download it or at least give it a listen.




http://cdbaby.com/cd/noveljazz

I got engaged!!!

Yes, it's true. Eric asked me to marry him and I said OF COURSE!! It all happened last week while we were on vacation in Maui. I couldn't be happier. Here's a pretty cool slide show for you to check out.

Cause for Celebration!

I have a few things to celebrate this week. Celebrate with me!

1) Celebrating my 1 year anniversary with my love, Eric.

2) Celebrating my 8yrs of steady employment with an awesome company, Idexx.

3) Celebrating 1 year of being completely SMOKE-FREE!!

Photos from Alaska

Hi everybody,
Fall is underway. So it's back to working on our house, school, planning our next vacation, and of course..work. This week I was sent to Alaska to visit an animal hospital on the island of Baranof. Here are a few shots I took while I was exploring the town of Sitka.

Yes..it's us again

We had a heat wave this past weekend. To escape the heat, we decided to hike up Mt. Adams. To the top of the timberline and reach the snow levels. It was still too hot. Enjoy these shots! I was caught pee'ing behind a log. BUSTED!!

Dang..we are cute together.

The summit of Mt. Adams is 11,000 ft. We'll save that hike for next trip. We hit 6,000 feet.
Jace and I start heading back downhill!

Local Maine Jewelry

Some of the most beautiful bead jewelry I have seen. It's also custom made by my sister. Check it out...buy something!


http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5425152

More photos from Maine

Maine vacation

My guys finally went east. They met the rest of my family, touched the atlantic ocean for the first time, and ate some wicked tasty lobster. Click on the photo to enjoy the slide show!

August 2008 in Maine

fight or flight!

Incase you haven’t ever truly experience fight or flight. I got my first taste of it this weekend. My boyfriend and I were hiking along the Rogue River in Oregon this weekend. It was getting near sunset and after about 8 miles, we only had 3 more miles to go before we got back to our car. I looked to my right because I heard a noise. I instantly made eye contact with a black bear about 40 feet away. “BEAR!” That’s all I could get out. My heart started pounding. Now normally, you are suppose to make lots of noise and look big, because black bear are skittish and they scare easily. However, this bear had a cub in a tree next to her. She stood up on her hind legs to stand her ground. My boyfriend grabbed my hand and said quietly “After this tree…..run.”

Oh…we ran alright. I have never run so fast in my life. We finished those last 3 miles in record time

We are crazy to think we could out run a bear. But at the time, it seemed like the best idea.

Icey

While Tabatha was visiting, we had some wicked hot temps of over 100. So we took a little drive to colder places. Ice caves!!

Summer summer summertime

Is it really the middle of July already? Summer. It's in full swing. Let me fill you in with what's been happening. Eric took off for his yearly windsurfing trip to the coast, meet up with old friends, and sleep in the car. During that time, Tabatha took a last minute trip out here to see me. We had an adventurous time hiking into waterfalls, escaping the heat at " The Shining" lodge on top of Mt. Hood and biking along the Columbia river. I was trying to wave the carrot in front of her so she'd move out here. She ended up having to go home, unfortunately. We had a great time, I loved having her here! The 4th of July was spent watching the fireworks with my honey. Eric had an old friend staying with us from Laguna Beach and Jace is busy socializing on his summer break. I recently picked up mountain biking. I am amazed at the beauty here in Washington. Here are a couple pics from the other day biking near Mt. St. Helens (look closely, you'll see Jace in the backseat!). This was the end of the day and the sun was about to set. I was beat.

This coming weekend is the Gorgegames (http://www.gorgegames.net/). Jace and I are volunteers. Riverboarding and skateboarding. Should be fun. I convinced Eric to compete in the 10K trail run with me. err...trail walk. Then it's another houseguest. Seattle. Eric's mom is coming to see the new house! Just after that, I head to Maine for some work stuff, then the guys fly out for their first ever east coast vacation.

Summer. Too much fun and not enough time!

Gone west. Love, Isolde

Chinese anybody?

I think this blog is just going to turn out being a photo album. Took this shot one saturday afternoon. I get a kick out of seeing Jace almost as tall as Eric

My first garden

So I am testing my green thumb ability. I decided I should start in gardening elementary school with succulents. Take a peak at my steps!

Fathers Day

I recently came across this photo I took of my sweetie a few months ago. It's my favorite so far. I love you, Eric. Happy Fathers Day.

Learning to acclimate

Since I am living in the land of recreation, it's about time to learn some new tricks, right? Jace was nice enough to give me some lessons on his dirtbike. He's a pretty good teacher! I was actually able to start this thing and ride it around the dirt!

Rattlesnake!!!!!

Eric and I took our daily hike today on a popular hiking and mtn biking trail. We decided to turn back because we came to a dead stop when a rattlesnake crossed the trail a foot away from us. Yes, this was my first real live rattlesnake sighting. Holy crap...where am I?!!

April in Oregon

My father came to visit a couple weeks ago. His first time in Oregon, so I took him on a tour of the Columbia Gorge, the Cascade Mtns, the high desert, the coast and the rain forest. Enjoy the show! Gone West. Love, Isolde.

April in Oregon

Incase you can't view it here, click this link

DIY

A couple of photos from the do-it-yourself home improvement happenings at chez Eric.

Gone West. Love, Isolde.

Haven't written in awhile

Sorry I haven't written in awhile. It's certainly not due to the lack of activity. If anything, it's been nearly impossible to get some freetime lately. This month has been very hectic. March started with problem with the old subaru. She finally decided to act her age. She is 145,000 miles old this month. While she waiting patiently for repairs at the curb of my house, I was in Alberta Canada. If you haven's seen the Candian Rockies, I highly reccomend it. And if you haven't seen Ft. McMurray, Alberta....be thankful.

No sooner had I returned from Canada, did I have to pack a fresh set of clothes and hop a flight to Maine. My quick 36 hr work trip turned out to be an 8 day family affair avec Rachel, my support group. I did get to hang with my sister quite a bit. I also spent time with my other sister, Tabatha, as we got a few minutes to see some old friends with their brewing babies on-board (all the ladies in the pic sporting brown).

I finally made it back to Oregon in time to help Eric finish the remodeling on the kitchen, plan and celebrate his birthday weekend in Bend, pay a few bills, do some laundry, fix the car, hit the slopes, plant a tree and create world peace.

Gone West. Love, Isolde.

It was 6 months ago today, Oct 1st 2007.

On this date 6 months ago, I quit the cancer stick. Here's my story: My first attempt was in 2005. I tried cold turkey. I was smoke-free for 4 months. Then I went on vacation to Scotland and spent too much time in smoky pubs. I was weak. My 2nd attempt was in 2006. That time I used an Rx called Wellbutrin. Again, I lasted about 4 months again. I think turning 31 and moving across the country stressed me back into smoking again. THIS time I did it with a ton of patches stuck to my body, nic-gum shoved in my cheeks and a LOT more determination. So it's been 6 months. I haven't poisoned myself in 6 months. It feels really great to say that. This picture is no longer me. I have made it this far, and I won't go back. I definately wouldn't be caught in purple shorts, either!

Couldn't you just kick yourself sometimes?

It was a perfect day for some spring snow conditions at the gorgeous Sugarbowl resort, 8000 ft up in the Sierra Nevadas. Eric and I had flown with our boards from Oregon to Northern California. It was a really amazing day. At the end of the day, we snapped this photo and zipped off in our cute little rental car...so full of happiness and exhilaration! We celebrated the drive back to the foothills with our traditional cups of coffee. Discussing the day and what we should make for dinner.

Perhaps the photo should have clued us in. Or perhaps it was the distraction of the cellphone calls that came in just moments before we packed the gear. What's my point, you ask? Well, this photo is the last time you or we will see our snowboards ever again. Just seconds after this picture was taken; I closed my car door, Eric closed the trunk, and he slid into the drivers' seat. We clicked our seatbelts, backed up the car and drove off.......without the snowboards. Yes, that's right people. We left the boards exactly as they are in this photo. Laying on the pavement, next to the car.

It wasn't until the next day, when it was time to catch our flight home, did we realize that we were missing something.

"Honey?...Where are our snowboards?"

"Oh.......crap."

Eric and I spent Valentine's Day in San Francisco

Gone West. Love, Isolde.

More evidence that shows Oregon is a great destination.

Looks like even turtles are willing to travel great lengths to see this place.

"A leatherback turtle has been tracked swimming from the coast of the Papua province in Indonesia to Oregon, researchers said, in what may be the longest trip for marine vertebrae between breeding and feeding sites.

The longest distance of nine turtles tagged was the leatherback that reached Oregon and then headed to Hawaii before the battery on the satellite transmitter gave out. The 12,774-mile journey took 647 days."
Gone west. Love, Isolde.

Roads closed

I have been stuck in Hood River for the past 2 days. They got hit with a major snow storm. The highway to get in or out of the Gorge had been shut down due to "impossible travel". Now there's a "chains required" ordinance for any crazy fool who wants to attempt the journey. There's a train running through here in about an hour. This should get me back into the city (I hope). I do have to get to work in the morning, don't I?

(Why do my posts all have to do with the weather?)

Gone West. Love, Isolde.

Gardiner, Maine

Looks like the house in Gardiner is buried. Thanks for the photo Mom & Dad!

Enjoy the show!

My first winter in Oregon

I was warned about the rain here. I was told that Oregon is absolutely amazing and beautiful, "A wonderful way of life!" However, there was always this disclaimer..."get ready for the rain, though", I was often told. So here it is. I think it hasn't stopped raining since October. Every couple of weeks, Mother Nature will brighten ths skies with that ball of fire for about 2 hours. Just enough to keep our faith. My pant legs are constantly soggy, my car smells like a wet dog, and my bath towels don't ever seem to completely dry out.

So now that I am amidst the disclaimer, and my question is "so when does this rain stop?". "Oh, just around the corner come February! Then it's spring and you forget that it ever rained at all".

What keeps me hanging on is that the winter grass is the most brilliant green I have ever seen and that when it's raining here in the Willamette and Columbia Valley of Oregon...it's snowing on top of Mt. Hood.

Gone West.
Love, Isolde.

Welcome to my new home base.

Hi everybody,

This is my new space. Welcome. Please stay tuned for photos and news from my journey in the Pacific Northwest. I know you are sitting on the edge of your seat. More to come!



Gone West.



Love,

Isolde