Where's Abby (+ Dylan and dogs)

We survived the winter! It was not nearly as bad as I expected this year. Apparently this is not the norm though, so we'll see what we get in future winters. We did our best to prepare ourselves, mostly by convincing ourselves that just because the sun set early didn’t mean the day was over. The biggest game-changer- Not immediately swapping into cozy clothes after work so we'd be ready to head back out with ease..  We kept biking, even when rain seemed inevitable. Some of our usual long cross-town grocery hauls turned into quicker trips to closer stores, but we still got out there. One particularly memorable ride was up to Council Crest, Portland’s highest spot. The trek up? Warm, sunny and lovely. The way down? A full-on downpour. We made it to get my tire fixed, though, and rewarded ourselves with some delicious  No Name Pho —a perfectly warm treat after an unexpected soaking. Dylan reports No Name Pho is closest authenticity to Vietnam and I'll attest that it was delici...

We packed up our bikes in the car for our first ride out of the city. From Hood River, we rode along the Historic Columbia River Highway-- no cars allowed! The trail was fantastic with fall colors and the always striking views of the Gorge. After about 8 miles, Dylan was ready to give up. But we pulled over, ate our PB&Js next to some vineyard and I convinced him to "go at least 2 more miles." The old highway turned into road, but there were only a few cars. Through Mosier we rode and then up around a little loop to make our way back. As we came down one hill with beautiful open views ahead, we saw a winery overlooking these hills, so we had to stop there. A glass of wine in their lawn was such a nice treat. Back at Hood River, we filled our bellies with some tasty tacos. A much enjoyed birthday indeed. Birthday vids I had way more pictures than this but had to get them off my phone for more space and now I just can't be bothered with searching on the actual computer ...