Meeting Dino Rossi

Last night Gail and I went to see Dino Rossi, who is running for Governor (again) here in Washington State. We voted for him in the 2004 election (…we have to assume that our votes were counted correctly) and after the disappointing election proceedings (or I should say ballot mishandling...how do you find trays of ballots just sitting around?), we bought his book, Lessons in Leadership which gives a unique glimpse into his life. So it was an honor to meet him and his wife Terry last night.

Ashland Lakes Hike

Labor Day this year included a hike to the Ashland Lakes in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest accessible from the Mountain Loop highway. The trip included Gail's family: the Ostlings up the street; Beverly; as well as Ray (who is visiting from Pensacola); and Amy our neighbor who is friends with Kyna. The hike was a good, challenging, 3+ mile hike one way. The littlest hikers, Rilla & Cian, did pretty well. Good thing we had the baby carrier - both needed assistance - though it just added to the challenge for Mom & Dad! The wet summer we had didn't make this the family friendly trail that all the reviews insisted on. Overall it was a good hike and everyone had a good time even if in the picture below Jack doesn't look so happy while lunching at a pristine alpine lake ("Hey, we still have 3 miles to hike out ahead of us!").

Ashland Lakes Hike 9.1.08