Supposedly they wiggle a little if they're alive

One of my poems, The Fly Fishers, was recently published in the sports edition of The Poeming Pigeon, which is a Portland, Oregon literary journal.  When I was invited to attend the reception and reading for the issue I was published in, I told Robert, "we're going to Oregon!"

While it isn't feasible to go to every poetry reception/reading, I knew I needed to go to this one, and I'm ever so glad I did.  Robert and I have made a few attempts to travel to Oregon, but each attempt has been foiled in some way or another.  I've never been to Oregon and have always felt a pull to go.  I usually trust my gut, and thankfully, it's usually right about things.  

This was one of the best trips I've ever taken.  It was incredibly short but we made every minute count, and I am thrilled Rachel and I got to experience our first Oregon trip together.

I have so many things to share!  I don't even know where to begin!

As we got closer to the end of our flight we saw some beautiful views.

When a coworker asked what we planned to do in Oregon, I realized I hadn't planned anything and we were leaving the next day.  It must have sounded crazy to talk about how much I've always wanted to go somewhere but not have a specific destination planned, especially as a person who plans every minute of every day.  I told my coworker I knew we were going to the beach but wasn't sure where.  I am blessed with wonderful coworkers.  She didn't give me any crap or funny looks.  She just launched straight into librarian mode and jotted down two must-see places in Oregon - Powell's Books and Cannon Beach - and told me the beach was going to be cold.

We got in late Friday afternoon and had just enough time to go to Powell's Books, which was overwhelming and expensive, but truly a wonder to behold.  I found several books to check out at the library later, the most extraordinary licorice I've ever had (a weird but somehow appropriate thing to find at a bookstore), and a couple magazines (one a northwest poetry journal!) to read on the plane ride home.  

The next morning we woke up a little before four local time and drove to Cannon Beach.  We were simply too excited to sleep much knowing we were just hours away from going to the beach.  Cannon Beach was otherworldly and gorgeous.  I thought the ocean would be the highlight of visiting Cannon Beach but I was wrong.  I didn't realize how many critters and birds call Haystack Rock a home - sea slugs, anemone, starfish, even puffins.  Scattered around the beach were knowledgeable people ready to help us spot the creatures that were trickier to find (ocean rangers?).  Exploring Cannon Beach with two of my favorite people was an extraordinary moment in my life that I'll never forget.

There were sand dollars everywhere! We left them alone because we weren't sure how to tell if they were still living. Even after looking it up, I'm still not sure.  Supposedly they wiggle a little if they're alive.

This may be my new favorite selfie. We got completely distracted and were cracking up about something and it captured the best of us. Look at Rachel!  Doesn't she have the best smile?  And I look so much like my brothers, Rusty and Scott and also my grandpa too.  Robert's light is shining through like it does sometimes, that magical light that only unicorns and lovely, selfless, nerdy heartthrobs have.  

After Cannon Beach, we still had plenty of time for exploring before the poetry reading so we moseyed along the coast for awhile and got out to walk a few times.

We stopped in Tillamook, Oregon for smiley face pancakes at a cozy diner called Dutch Mill.

Next up was the poetry reading in Milwaukie, OR.  It was one of the best readings I've been to.  Several poems were dotted with humor, and a couple poems really stuck with me. I'll post a few from the journal on Poem Bouquet in the near-future.

I can only hope this is how I look during storytimes and well, everyday life in general, because it's how I feel most of the time - a little anxious and uncertain, but mostly gobsmacked by how awesome life is and all the amazing people it's filled with.

I'm holding the journal in the next picture.  It's a journal that comes out twice a year and is always themed.  The pigeon on the cover never changes, but its hat and the things it holds changes with each theme. It's a true piece of art.  If you look closely behind me, there's a flock of baby geese.  Definitely not pigeons, but a still a nice nod to The Poeming Pigeon.

It seems as if Portland likes licorice and wall murals about as much as I do, because every time I turned around I was met with both. It was my first licorice ice cream experience.

My tongue was still black the next day though, so it may just be a one-time experience.

On Sunday we went on a quiet early-morning hike at the Marquam Nature Park.  I wasn't expecting much because it was in the middle of the city, but it was pretty secluded and packed with beauty.  If you look closely there's a spider on the back of the snail.

After our hike we had enough time to squeeze in a visit to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry before flying home.  We toured the USS Blueback Submarine, learned how to properly touch a python's belly, and played with all the interactive exhibits.  I highly recommend a visit to this museum if you have children and/or act like children.

What a trip!  I can't wait to go back.