On a Recent Outing

On a recent sunny day, (it was Mother's Day, to be exact) we went on a little adventure together, just the four of us. It was the perfect weather for a drive in the Columbia River Gorge, so we headed out to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, on the Oregon side of the Bonneville Dam.

This time of year, there isn't a whole lot going on there, since their Spring fish babies have already been released to the wild, but that is okay, because our favorite feature is the sturgeon pond, which is open all year round.

This bottom portion of a Douglas Fir tree has been placed in the pond for habitat purposes, and the old roots have sprouted a new little tree.
The sturgeon pond has a built-in viewing house, where visitors can see what life looks like under the surface.
It was perhaps the best fish-viewing day that I have ever experienced there, with sunlight streaming down through the water, casting light-shadows that played on the floor of the pond and on the backs of the swimming fish (the big one is a White Sturgeon).
I could have stood there for hours, just watching.Oh, and snapping a ridiculous amount of photos, too.But then I was almost eaten by a giant Rainbow Trout.I think Little Miss was more excited about the directional "FIS-IES!" painted on the walkways, than she was about the real ones in the pond.See how much has changed since our last visit.

After getting our fill at the hatchery, we drove a little further East along the Columbia River...to Cascade Locks and a little ice cream joint with a big reputation.This is their "medium" soft-serve cone. My stomach just about blew up after eating the "small".Big Brother thought that the "baby" size was just right. And I thought that our half-day adventure in celebration of Mother's Day was just right.

It was a gorgeous day, my sweet babies had a fun adventure, and I enjoyed watching them run ahead on the walking paths while I blissfully walked along behind, holding my sweetheart's hand.