[insert your life here]

We stayed at the Double Tree in the Lloyd District of Portland, OR. Nine floors up the Willie Wonka elevators, all the rooms have their own balcony; ours looked over the pool. In 270 degrees you could see the Lloyd Shopping Center, Mt. Saint Helens, more hotels, and Mt. Hood.

The sun rose to christen the new day. A woman left her room and started doing laps in the pool below. The city was still sleeping as the temperature rose. The light, the warmth, the blue glow of the pool, and the sweet sounds of mornings combined to make the most wonderful quiet time I have had all summer. I fell in love with three things:

1) 1 Peter 5 and the beginning of 2 Peter
2) balconies overlooking pools
3) Portland, OR.

I have never seen so many bikes chained EVERYWHERE! 10% of the 167 pictures I took.

Next time I go to Portland it will be on the train with my bike. I forsee biking all over Portland then biking highway 26 to the coast and Astoria or somewhere thereabouts.

I could have invested many more hours and dollars at Powell's but that will have to be another time. Tillamook was rad as usual. They were producing a special white vintage cheese today. Cheese curd is so much squeaky fun! recommended.

Three more days before I get to spend four in my lovely second homeland of British Columbia, Canada! I miss it... sometimes when I am just sitting around my mind wanders the paths and walkways of Trinity. I am ready to go back for another semester. It will be so great.