Our Life in Pictures

Haiti Arrival

2011-03-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Summer and I arrived at Haiti Adventist Hospital yesterday afternoon and put ourselves right to work. Along with Summer's dad Terry another prominent MD named Scott Nelson was working at the hospital this week. Dr. Nelson was one of the first MDs to Haiti after the quake and has been responsible for much of the work done here at HAH in the last year. He has experience in a large variety of orthopedic procedures so when he is at the hospital they try to fit in as many cases as possible. True to form we arrived at the hospital around 2 and they had been working all day. Normally cases stop around dinner, last night we didn't finish until 4 am. The hospital has had a few issues with recovering patients post from the OR so just this week they created a post-op recovery room where each patient goes for at least 3 hours, with our last case ending at 4am that means that I didn't finish until about 7am, after our red eye flight the night before I had been up for about 40 hours before I went to bed. I slept until lunch the next afternoon and according to Summer I was comatose the whole time. I guess there was a lot of loud noises that morning but I wouldn't have heard a semi truck crashing into the building.

Unfortunately the Haitian nurses stop working around 7pm, so one way Summer and I have contributed so far is to be the recovery nurses. Last night we recovered 6 patients from the OR ranging from a cute 7 month old to a 40 year old girl. Being that I work at the Veterans hospital with the average patient being a 75 year old male, taking care of 7 month old girls with bilateral leg surgeries immediate post op is a new twist to nursing. I am used to seeing heart rates in the 60's and blood pressures in the 175/100 range, (high for most of us but normal for non-compliant veterans). A baby, however generally has a rapid heart rate and a low BP, so seeing a heart rate of 130 and a blood pressure of 80/45 is not that uncommon post surgery. But we learn to adapt and enjoy the work. Summer and I fell in love with the 7 month old girl above, she had her legs casted from club foot, a condition that's pretty rare in the states but is common in Haiti.

Summer's mom has not been feeling well this week however today she was up and moving so Summer and her went into town and bought some groceries. Tomorrow we both plan to head into town and see what there is to see. Terry just got his own car last week and tomorrow will be its maiden voyage. The driving in Haiti consists of a two lane road usually about 4-5 cars wide traveling at speeds ranging from 10mph to 70, driving on both sides of the road, dodging holes, garbage, people and the occasional livestock. I'm thankful I wont be driving tomorrow.

I have been pretty busy so I haven't uploaded any pictures, however yesterday I took some great photos for the Haiti Book. One chapter in the book is on a particular type of surgery called the Taylor-Spatial Frame. This procedure is very advanced even by American Orthopedic standards however at HAH they do them weekly. It is a method to lengthen and rotate warped bones, Scott did a fellowship on the procedure after medical school and he started doing them post quake. We only had a few pictures for the book on this procedure but yesterday I was able to photograph an entire procedure start to finish.

The case was an amazing 7 year old boy, he really exemplifies what we hope to doing with the Indigent Haitian Fund here in Haiti. When he was 2 years old he had a large burn on his right leg around the knee. He developed a lot of scar tissue which inhibited his knee joint, he has not been able to extend his knee past 90 degrees since and has never been able to walk on that leg. Along with the burn some nerves were injured that inhibited normal growth of his leg so it was a little short and his foot was rotated about 75 degrees laterally. So he had three big issues, contracted (locked) knee, short leg and rotated foot. They did 3 procedures on him at once, releasing the contracture, then adding a Taylor Spatial frame to lengthen the leg a small amount and rotate the foot back into position. He will probably never walk normally but hopefully he can walk with a crutch. For the past 5 years he has hooped on 1 foot everywhere he goes.

A further interesting thing about this boy and the impact of the fund is heartwarming. For 5 years this boy hooped along the roads to get everywhere in life. He and his brother are orphans so they could not afford to get his leg fixed. Turns out he hooped right in front of the hospital everyday on his way to town. Trouble is, until the earthquake and subsequently Terry's creation of the Indigent Fund Haiti Adventist Hospital did not do surgery on the poor so they just passed by the place that would one day fix his injured body. However because the fund is now in place Terry welcomed the boy to the hospital and his surgery was done for free, he is just one of thousands of patients who have similar needs. His brother has been by his side every day. He checks on him about every 10 minutes then smiles at us and says "I'll be back to check on him later" (albeit in Creole but we get the picture with the included hand gestures). He usually is not gone from his brothers side for more than 5-10 minutes. It motivates Summer and I even more to keep doing all we can for the less fortunate.

More later,

Tim and Summer

Our Yard Before and After

2010-07-18T15:25:00.001-07:00

After 9 months of work and planning, 170 cubic yards

of dirt and rocks moved in and out, our

yard is now complete. Here are some before pictures.

One of our first projects was to dig a drainage trench.

This trench is 35 feet long, 2 feet wide and

4-5 feet deep. So far it has worked great.

Next we dug out the entire hillside to make room

for a rock wall. With our luck we managed to find

a tree stump about the size of a small car. Great.

So we did what any reasonable person would do,

hire somebody to take it out. This was the only

part of the project we did not do ourselves.

Now that the hillside was dug out we could start

making our rock retaining wall. We used 3.5 tons

of rustic basalt for the wall.

The wall area was leveled, compacted and

a layer of gravel then sand was laid.

My dad working on our wall. It ended up being

2-2.5 feet tall and 30 feet long.

Next we moved on to digging out the flower beds.

The soil in Gladstone is more rock and clay

than soil, so we dug out everywhere our flower beds

would go about 6-12 inches deep, then brought in 80

cubic yards of garden mulch to fill them in. We had

7 piles of dirt this size dropped off.

Planning for another flower bed.

Once the flower beds were in we dug out our

existing lawn then brought in 30 yards of

sandy loam soil to till into the clay soil.

We rented the largest tiller we could get our hands on

and spent the entire day tilling, raking and rolling the dirt.

Then, instant lawn.

Arwen even helped.

Here is the lawn all rolled out, not yet edged but green.

Breaking in the new yard, Sum, my folks and

Daniel, our friend and garden go-to encyclopedia.

Here are some photos of our flowers as they

bloomed over the spring, and more to bloom this summer.

And our resident ducks in the pond.

Here are some after photos, the end of the project.

We have edged the lawn and installed a

low pressure irrigation system and the

yard is ready to go for summer. 9 months of

work that was all worth it.

Nehalem Bay and Saddle Mountain hike

2010-04-17T22:50:00.001-07:00

Sum and I escaped to Nehalem Bay for the weekend.

We camped out and had a very quiet night. This is our

simple camp, our tent and a tent for the pups on the

right. The sun was out here but the rain came about

an hour after we went to bed. We were glad that we

decided to put the rain fly on before calling it a night.

Walking along the beach on a beautiful evening.

Arwen clearly having fun after playing with her stick.

Max basking in the sun, enjoying the beach

The next morning, rain and all, we met up with our

friends Sam and Chey who live in Tillamook. We hiked

Saddle Mountain which is about 15 miles east of

Seaside. It was raining and a mild 50 degrees at the

base of the mountain, that would change soon. More

on that later.

This is a very pretty hike, uphill the way out and

an easy trip down on the way back. The hike is 5 miles

round trip and gains about 1400 feet in elevation.

Arwen, atop a fallen tree. Queen of the mountain

This rock cliff was about half way up the hike.

This is also where Sum and Chey stopped for

the day and headed back to the car. They made

a wise decision. More to come about that.

We were soaked by this point, but enjoying the

view and the company.

About a mile later Sam and I were still making

our way up the hill. And yes, that is snow.

And yes, Sam is indeed wearing shorts. There

were some areas where we were knee deep in snow.

By this point, however, it is about mid thirties in

temp, wind blowing 30-50 mph, rain pelting us as it

came at us in sheets sideways. There are several

exposed areas that I am sure are pretty in the summer,

rather cold though mid-April. At one point I actually

had a headache from the cold rain and wind

hitting me in the side of the head. Sum and Chey

indeed made a wise decision.

They, however, missed this incredible vista.

Just look at the beautiful, well, grey wall of

clouds. First rate in our book. On a sunny day you will

have 360 degree views from the summit. In mid-April

you get a cold, wet, mean wall of gray. Still worth it though.

Sam and I on the summit

We did get about 45 seconds on clear sky on the way down

and I snapped this shot of what must be a

great view of the valley.

All that cold really took it out of Arwen, she slept like this

the whole ride home, no kidding.

The Tempest

2010-04-17T22:41:00.001-07:00

We had the pleasure of heading down to Tillamook to

watch our friends Sam and Chey perform in a production

of The Tempest.

Sam and Chey after the performance. Sam played

Ferdinand while Chey played Miranda. They both

did a great job and it was a delightful evening.

Drift Creek Falls

2010-03-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sum and I took advantage of a sunny Spring day and headed

down to Lincoln City to hike Drift Creek Falls. This

is an easy 3 mile hike with a great waterfall at the end.

This is a 260 suspension bridge that crosses Drift Creek.

It overlooks the falls to the right side.

Drift Creek Falls, about 100 feet tall.

One of Summer's favorite Spring flowers,

the native Trillium.

We also headed to the beach for a short walk but

the rain rolled in and cut our hike short.

Mission trip to the DR

2010-03-14T20:35:00.001-07:00

I spent the last two weeks in the Dominican Republic

working with Summer's family with their mission project.

Summer's dad, Dr. Terry Dietrich and uncle, Dr. Dave Mehne

have created a mission hospital to perform orthopedic

procedures on the poor of the DR. I had the pleasure of

working in the operating room and helping those in need.

The hospital is called La Esperanze Hospital

and is in Santo Domingo.

This is the bunk house we stay in while at the hospital.

One of the four operating rooms at the hospital. This

room is set up for doing arthroscopic procedures.

Dr. Mehne suturing up after a total hip replacement.

This girl was born with 6 toes on each foot, here is the

before pic...

And after

Dr. Mehne working the saw to cut off the head of a

broken femur. After this the prosthesis is fitted and

placed in the joint.

After the week at the hospital we spent a few days at

the beach house in Cabarete. It rained most of this time, but

that didn't stop us from enjoying the beach.

I always enjoy getting dominated by Terry on the links,

but it is at least a little easier to swallow when we play on

an amazing course like Playa Grande. A world class

course, the nicest and toughest I have played. Terry again

came out on top but I put in one of my best days on the

course in years.

6 of the holes of this course are on the cliffs of the ocean.

The views were amazing and the golf was great.

Snowshoeing at the Silcox Hut

2010-02-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Sum and I went for a Snowshoeing trip up to

Timberline with the pups. The hike was to

the Silcox Hut and it was a beautiful day.

Arwen dominating the leash

The Silcox hut, buried there somewhere I think.

La Jolla, Family trip

2010-02-06T12:14:00.001-08:00

All the Dietrich side of our family met in La Jolla

California for a late Christmas party.

Being a Gerke, however, I couldn't let a trip

to Southern California pass without visiting

Dinseyland.

In case any of you missed the news, Disneyland

has a new ride, it's called the Deluge. It's an

inescapable wall of water that wets you

to the core. Not as fun as some of their other

rides however, and not as magical.

Summer's Uncle Bob and Aunt Carolyn live near

San Diego so we were able to meet up with them several

times, this evening was for Cam's Birthday dinner.

The view from our beach house.

A walk on the beach in La Jolla.

Spain

2009-10-27T10:44:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, here are some pictures of our

recent trip to Spain. The first week of our trip

we spent in Alicante, which is on the South-

East coast of the country. The first place we

visited was the Castle of Santa Barbara. It was built

between the 9th and 12th centuries up on the highest

hill on the coast.

Sum and I at the castle.

Sum taking pictures of the Alicante coast after climbing

up the outer wall of the castle. Right beyond her is a

500 foot drop off, no problem.

The outer wall of the castle with the Harbor of Alicante

below. Our hotel was just North of the harbor.

After a day of hiking up the castle we found this little

fountain and courtyard to relax in.

This beautiful arbor was next to the above fountain. It

was a very relaxing and pretty place to rest.

The next day we went up the coast and found this little

town sitting up on the hillside. It has this little,

famous church on the hillside with the purple roof.

Sum and I up in the courtyard of the church,

overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Later that

night we would come back to this courtyard

to have dinner and enjoy the church at night.

The church at sunset.

This rock sits on the coast of the city of Calpe. It is 1,500

feet high and thanks to a new tunnel dug through it, we

were able to climb to the summit with Summer's parents.

The tunnel is way up the hill at the end of the

tree line.

Sum and I just outside the tunnel.

Me at the summit, 1,500 feet up.

The view from the top, the rock sits on an outcropping

of the city so there is the Mediterranean on both sides.

Jose Antonio, family of the bride Rebecca, is an avid

sailor. We went out on his boat and sailed

around the harbor and coast.

A few days later we drove South down to the city of

Torrevieja. We spent the after noon playing on the beach.

In Spain, the locals love to play paddle ball on the beach,

so Terry and I decided to give it a try.

We took a trip to Sella, which is famous for it's rock

climbing. This view through the flowers is of the

castle the royalty used to live in.

Terry and Jeannie climbing in Sella.

A view from the upper city of Sella looking

back on the valley.

I sadly do not have many pictures yet of the wedding itself,

but this is the Palace the wedding was in. It was built by

the man who brought the silk industry to Spain.

The alter carved into the chapel of the palace

where the wedding was.

Sum in her bridesmaid dress and myself

before the ceremony.

The bride Rebecca and groom Markus heading

to the reception. We threw rose peddles at them.

Summer doing a traditional Spanish dance with Jesus, the

Uncle of the bride.

After the wedding, Summer and I took the train

to Barcelona and spent a few days looking around the

city. Barcelona is home to my favorite architect

Antonio Gaudi. Below are some pictures from his

masterpiece The Sagrada Familia Cathedral. He spent

the last 36 years of his life working on it, and it's

still in progress. They hope to finish in 2026,

100 years after the year Gaudi died.

A closer look at the Passion facade on the

West side of the cathedral. After Gaudi died

there was a fire and his plans for the rest of

the cathedral were ruined. This, and the

rest of the project were designed by

another architect.

The inside is being made to the plans of Gaudi as he began

it before he died. He loved nature so all his work

is designed after it without straight lines. The pillars

that hold up the room are transformed into trees,

it's an amazing building.

This is the East facade of the cathedral, all designed

by Gaudi. It is called the Nativity Facade and it is

filled with intricate carvings from this famous story.

A close up of the Nativity, look at all the amazing detail.

The entire facade has the smallest detail which was all

Sum and I were able to go up one of the towers and cross

the upper bridge that leads over the Nativity Facade.

This is the view of Barcelona from the top.

A close up of birds on one of the towers. Here you can

see the amazing, precise detail carved into the stone, and

this is over 100 feet off the ground. No matter how

high or far, Gaudi still was a perfectionist in his work.

Sum is standing on the lower right corner above one of the

carvings on the facade.

We are looking at the huge rose window that is above

main alter of the church on the inside.

Gaudi also worked on many private homes. This home

is called the Pedrera and is one of his most famous homes.

The courtyard of the home.

This is the roof, and while it is hard to tell what you are

looking at it is actually chimneys. This

is a 270 degree panorama of the roof. Instead of just

making single smoke stacks, Gaudi used them as a piece of

art, carving what are now dubbed the "witch scarers".

Each Chimney is covered with a mosaic of tiles, Gaudi's

favorite means of adding color.

Sum and I also went into one of the floors which

is now a museum of Gaudi. It is furnished with

items designed and carved by the artist,

including this mirror.

This is the second famous house he designed, called

Casa Batllo, the second house on the right.

Not only was the outside transformed,

even the inside has the touches of Gaudi.

The knuckling pillars here were designed after bones

and while it is hard to see, the entire face is covered

with a rainbow of small tiles all the way up.

As you can see the entire house is a covered with unusual

carvings and designs.

Again the roof is full of chimneys shaped

and covered with tiles.

Gaudi's park, Park de Guell, is a two level open area.

The lower area is a maze of columns designed to be an

open air market and the upper level is lined with benches

cover with a tile mosaic.

Barcelona is also home to many other cathedrals,

this one below was built in the 13th century

using a Gothic style.

Sum and I were lucky enough to go on the roof of this

cathedral as well. It is such a different way to

appreciate these great masterpieces.

Looking up at the roof at stained glass windows.

The columns and rear view of the

alter. You can see the cross in the lower

middle of the picture.

This is the oldest church in spain,

Sant Pau del Camp. It has sections from the 9th

century and was expanded in the 12th century.

Sum and I found this wild Vegan restaurant hidden in the old

town. The inside had this crazy artwork which was a

mural of vegetables. Sum and I felt compelled to

pay them a visit and support the cause.

Sum and I found some great open markets and while they

mostly have meat and fish in them, each had some areas

of nice veggies. This is the most impressive

display and selection we found.

The cathedral Santa Maria del Mar.

One of the most beautiful old churches in Spain

built in 1329. It is famous for being consistent in

its style because it was completed during the

"short" time span of 50 years and all overseen by its

original architect. Most large cathedrals in Europe

take centuries to complete.

Sum and I walking by the coast. Behind us is the Arc de

Triomf, built as the entrance for the 1888

World Exposition.

The La Cascada, a monumental fountain that

tops all I have seen in Spain. It's size is

grand and design very neat. We learned also that

Gaudi worked on this project as a student

in Barcelona's Architecture School in 1875.

Sum and I found some great

Gelato stops along the boardwalks.

Mt St. Helens Hike

2009-09-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

This was the pinnacle hike of the year for Summer and I. It was
the hardest, highest, most challenging and most beautiful hike
of the year, and we have gone on some great hikes. The
Mt St Helens trail head starts at an elevation of
3,600 feet and the top rim of the summit is 8,365
feet, nearly a mile up. The hike was 9.6 miles long and took
most of the day. Along with your run of the mill hiking, we had to
climb and scramble over rocks and boulders and walk almost
of mile in dust and sand at the summit.

The trail starts with a beautiful hike in the forest along the base
of Mt St Helens.

This is where the tree line stops and just ahead is where the
bouldering section begins. It was here that the group
of Summer's coworkers really broke up. Of the 11 hikers only
5 of us made the entire trip to the summit.

Some great views from the edge of the tree line

The beginning of the rocks. It was over a mile of climbing
up and around these rocks. And if it looks steep it's because it was.
Some areas were like climbing up a ladder of rocks.

It was amazing to see the massive size of the boulders
the eruption moved.

Taking a break above the first section of rocks.

This picture gives some perspective of all the rocks that had to be
climbed, and this is only about 1/2 the way up the rocky section.

Summer at the transition to the summit. The last mile is steep
ash and sand over for a mile. It was like walking in place because
with each step up we would slide back almost to where we started
due to the loose sand and steep slope. We also had to zig-zag
up some areas as they were too steep to walk straight up.

The area between the rocks and boulders and the ash summit.

As we went up it seemed like we were on the last hill several times
because we couldn't see over the ridge due to the steep slope.
But we would reach the top of one hill to find another steeper
section above. The higher up the steeper and
harder the hike became.

At last the summit. 8,365 feet up looking down at the crater and
Mt. Rainer in the distance.

The left side of the crater from our position.

And the right side. The colors of the cliffs were amazing.

And here is a panorama of the entire crater.

Here we are, we made it to the top!

This is the new mound that started forming a few years ago in
the center of the crater. They say it grows in size each day
about the same size as and 18-wheeler truck. It now reaches
almost both sides of the crater.

I like this picture because it shows how small the ledge at the
top is. We climbed up from the right and had a ledge of about
10 feet before the cliff drops off into the crater.

Some hikers making the way up the hill. You can see how steep
and long this section of the hike is.

On the way back down looking up at the
rocks we just walked through.

Beach trip

2009-09-22T12:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend Sum and ventured to Tillamook
to spend some time with Sam And Chey.

These pictures are from a waterfall just a few minutes from
the beach.

After our hike we went to eat at the Blue Heron
Restaurant and outside they have a petting zoo.
Arwen is trying to play with a goat, which didn't work so well.
Out at the beach playing with the dogs and
watching the sun set.

Shell's Birthday

2009-09-05T22:58:00.001-07:00

Shell in town for her birthday. The girls spent
most of the week in Walla Walla having a great time.

Hidden Falls

2009-08-28T21:51:00.001-07:00

When we hiked up Silver Star Mountain there was a sign for

a side hike to Hidden falls which sounded fun. We found

a different trailhead that offered a longer, 10.5 mile hike into

the falls, which made this our longest hike of the year.

It was a warm day and we had to stop and give the dogs water

about twice an hour. Halfway to the falls Arwen just started

to lay on the ground next to the water dish and drink

while laying to save energy.

Over the years there have been a series of fires that have come

across this area of wilderness. The trail varies from old growth

to new growth forest with some burned

trees and clear-cutting mixed in.

Sum and the pups hiking along an old logging road.

After Arwen took to laying next to the water dish, we came to

this little creek. Arwen bent down to drink some water to cool her

off then found it easier just to lay down right in the middle of the

creek and lick the water around her. Next thing she will learn

to drink underwater.

At the base of Hidden Falls. We had lunch on the log bench

just behind sum.

Hidden falls is 92 feet high and is more of a mist and lacy falls.

There was some great forest around the falls

to shade our lunch spot.

At the base of the falls.

We saw five deer on the drive down the mountain, but this

was the closest we got to them before they ran away.

Opal Creek and Triple Pool

2009-08-28T21:38:00.001-07:00

While on the way to Opal creek we stopped by

Triple Pool, which is just a lower arm of the creek.

There are several nice areas to relax and we did just that,

enjoying lunch and getting a tan on a nice rocky beach.

This is a cool rock formation just beyond where we

ate lunch.

Max probably went after his stick three dozen times today.

The water was pretty cold and when he was done he shivered

for a good twenty minutes until the sunny rocks warmed him up.

An underwater picture of Max swimming with our

underwater camera.

Arwen getting some help from Mom.

Elk Meadow

2009-08-23T17:52:00.001-07:00

Summer and I were hiking at Opal Creek and some

nice ladies told of this hike at Elk Meadows. A really

nice hike with a great view of Mt. Hood.

There are a couple of snow runoff-fed creeks

along the hike. Most only had a log to cross them.

This was the first we saw of the Meadow and the

dogs took right to smelling all the new things.

The Gerke family sitting down for lunch.

This is the view from the logs we sat on above.

Could do worse for a view from a lunch spot.

If you want to get to this hike take highway 26 just beyond

Govt. Camp. Turn left on highway 35 toward Hood River for 8

miles then turn left into the Clark Creek Sno-Park sign.

The trail starts a few hundred feet up this road.

Silver Star Mountain

2009-08-15T12:53:00.001-07:00

Silver Star Mountain is a great hike near Washougal. The

hike is steep at times, but the views from the top are

hard to beat. Even in the dozens of hikes we have gone

on in the Gorge, Silver Star takes the cake. Even though it was

overcast and we could only see the valley it was still wonderful,

but on a clear day you can see over 100 miles in every direction.

There were several rocks outcroppings

along the hike that would be fun to try and climb.

This little creek was a great break a few miles

into the hike.

The creek flows under this bridge.

Arwen was prancing through the woods

and came out with this fern attached to her.

But that wasn't going to stop her, she walked with it

for the next several minutes until it finally fell off.

Many of the trees scattered the path. They all have

a unique curve like they came from a Dr. Seuss book.

Finally, the summit. It sits just under 4500 feet. Again, the views

are better than any we have ever seen.

Sum on the summit.

Sum and I at the summit. Just behind us is Sturgeon Rock.

Getting ready to make camp and have some

hot soup for lunch. It was in the mid 60's at the base of

the mountain. At the summit however it was about 20

degrees colder and we shivered the whole time.

Looking to the North from the summit.

One of the many wildflowers along the hike.

If you would like to do this hike yourself here are the directions. After taking Hwy. 14 to the town of Washougal, we turned left at Milepost 16 and followed the Washougal River Road, which paralleled the river for 6.9 scenic miles. We turned left once more onto Bear Prairie Road and continued for 3.2 miles, then turned left again onto Skamania Mines Road, continuing on for 2.7 miles. The road then split (follow the left one- Road 1200) which turns into a gravel bumpy road for another 5.7 miles to Grouse Creek Vista. Keep an extra eye out for oncoming traffic as this is a pretty narrow 1.5 lane road!

Seattle Mariner's Trip

2009-08-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sum and I went to Seattle to catch a ball game. It

turned out to be a slow game, the score was 0-0 in the

14th inning. Ya, that was a record to Mariner's scoreless

innings. Then in the 14th inning, they put in Ken Griffey

who laced a double to put it away for us.

We stopped by to visit Tiffany in Tacoma. Sum is

playing with her puppy Emma

Walking down on Puget Sound.

Windsurfing

2009-08-13T21:14:00.001-07:00

Tim windsurfing in the Gorge. The wind was

low, but not to low to practice some turns

Dad's Birthday

2009-08-10T21:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Dad.

Mom and Linda.

Oma and her second favorite grandson.

Erin and his girlfriend....ummm

The birthday boy gets put to work.

Mmmmm. Blueberries.

Dad sporting his new jacket.

Isn't it dad's birthday?

Golf the day after the birthday to try out the new golf bag.

Gillette Lake

2009-08-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Summer and the pups at the start of the trail.

Arwen found a mountain of her own to tackle and dominate.

A view from above of Gillette lake. The lake is clear and is

fed by a small creek. It was very peaceful at the lake

as there were very few people around.

A small frog we walked by crossing a creek.

There are several trees that have fallen sideways and have

new growth shooting skyward from the trunks.

The Gerke's at Gillette Lake

Once in the car Arwen crashed at her favorite spot,

on the center console of the car.

Why did you have to wake me up Mom?

Can't you see how tired I am? Really, look at my poor face.

Elowah Falls

2009-08-06T16:50:00.001-07:00

This water reservoir sits at the bottom of the hike.

Elowah Falls from the base. It's one of the highest

waterfalls in the Gorge at 290 feet.

The Gerke family at the base of Elowah Falls.

A view from the bridge which crosses the creek

at the base of the falls.

This last section of the hike is to the top of

Elowah falls and up to Upper McCord Creek Falls.

Down to the left is a drop off of about 400 feet nearly

straight down!

These are two panoramas from two angles around a large

outcropping of rocks.

Upper McCord Creek Falls is only about 100 feet tall and it

feeds down to Elowah Falls about 200 feet down stream.

Max and Arwen relaxing.

Damian and Jen's Wedding Party

2009-08-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Cameron tending the bar at the party. Seems like this

may not be his first go at the keg.

Amanda and the bride to be, Jen

The groom, Damian, Dad and myself.

The family awaiting the party to really

get started.

Damian and Jen making the rounds.

Nicole and Erin having a good time.

MMMMM...some of the best food we have

ever had. And it didn't last long.

Dad's plate before....

.....And after.

Pat, ready for the toast.

The best man and Damian's brother Cameron

with a great toast to the bride and groom.

A happy Damian thanking and toasting his grandparents.

Jean and Jerry making a toast of their own

to the bride, groom and the family.

Damian and Jen enjoying the attention.

Mom and nicole.

Pat and Amanda

Mom, Jean and her sister Susan

The family having a laugh with Ken

The best cobbler made by Jerry's brother Rob, a

chef by trade.

MMMM. what's better, the meal or dessert?

Jerry and his mom having a dance.

Jerry dancing with the mother of the bride and Damian

dancing with his grandmother.

Pat and Damian

Cameron

And, finally, the Gerke women hit the dance floor

Pat, unleashing some moves himself.

Amanda's Birthday Party

2009-07-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Amanda!All of the family together to celebrate Amanda.

Erin feeding Nicole, how sweet, I think.

Tim and Sum relaxing as we await our food.

The main course for this meal.

Opal Creek Hike

2009-07-25T20:49:00.001-07:00

Our first hike with our new camera!
Opal Creek

This is a panorama of one of the lower water pools on
the hike. The water is the clearest we both had ever seen.
Max even went for a swim and played fetch with a stick.

This shot is of a creek that actually flows through
a tree.

The hike was longer than these signs lead one to believe.

This was on old mining car. The mine closed in the 1980's
but there are still tons of relics along the hike. Some still
work, a little. In fact when Summer stood up from this
car it started to tip to the left as if dumping a load of coal.
Just beyond the car is a 100 foot cliff, lucky Summer
has cat like reflexes, Arwen too.

There are several bridges along the trail with
great views of the clear water below.