movement, movement

I’ve been spending a lot of time with some new friends in Hood River. The Frangers are a photography duo with mad ninja skills. (click the link, you’ll see) They just returned last month from a six month trip through New Zealand, Australia, and southeast Asia. I first met up with Blaine and Bethany through co-worker Julie who knows Blaine’s parents (who live in Hood River too) and I could probably continue on with additional “friend’s-brother’s-uncle’s-second-cousin-twice-removed-thrice-appended” type of small town dot-connection but I’ll save it for later, even though I pretty much just typed an entire paragraph in this one sentence because sometimes I like run-on sentences. 

Its been good times having found another photographer to ask my silly questions of all the time, as well as more friends my age just to hang out with. You should see Blaine’s “bag of tricks”, as he calls it, a bag packed full of every Canon L Lens ever made as well as a $1200 tripod. Don’t worry, I already gave him enough crap for that. Seriously though, they do amazing photography and you should book them for your wedding. You are getting married soon, right? Here’s their website.

Its been a fun last couple weeks including time spent hanging out on the lawn, bouts of Dr. Mario and Tetris 2, redneck taco night, and a so-called hike to the top of a rock overlooking the Columbia. (see photo) 

Thats Jillianne on the right, who makes the best coffee in Hood River and Parker, my other ninja friend in the blue headband. Blaine and Jillianne actually knew each other in elementary school, but hadn’t seen each other in ten years until I reunited them at the lawn last week. See? I told you I could keep going with the small town this-person-knows-this-person stories. Honestly though, its one of my most and least liked things about small towns all at the same time.

After the hike on Sunday we all had burgers and the like at Full Sail Brewery in Hood River. A definite must stop if you’re ever in the area. One guy did, a fella named Richard who’s been biking across the country for the last couple months. That is ninja. Blaine struck up a conversation with him outside of Full Sail and Richard has now been crashing at their house for the last couple nights. He’s moving on to Portland and eventually to the coast soon, but as he told me today when I ran into him at the coffee shop, he just doesn’t want to leave Hood River. High fives to that one, home town. Apparently I picked a good place to move to 6 months ago. 

You should definitely check out Blaine’s blog to see more pictures from hiking and check out Richard’s blog if you want to read more on his journey. Its definitely interesting!

Good times lately in Portlandia. Or should I say Hood River -ville? Same thing.