HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, ALL!

Our seventh Independence Day on the road, and the first time we are WORKING!  Let’s not use that word… and in fact, it is volunteerism, not work.  :)

We’ve been here almost 5 weeks and have settled into an easy routine.  We do our volunteer work Wednesday through Sunday – staffing the visitor center, riding our bikes or walking the trail, trail maintenance – then head off to explore on Monday and Tuesday, our days off.  With each “weekend” exploration, as our knowledge of the area increases, we become more capable volunteers, able to answer more of our visitors’ questions.

As summer progresses, we are meeting more visitors from outside the Hood River area, folks visiting the gorge on vacation.  “Where can I pick cherries?”  “Where can we ride our mountain bikes?”  “Where can I buy a Forest Pass?”  “Where can we take a longer ride?”  “How can I get to Panorama Point?”  It’s fun to share information and every time I can help someone, I wish I knew more!

Twenty-seven days out of the 30 in June were windy, from breezy to a gale.  Our high temperatures occasionally reached the low 80’s.

Our first 4 days of July have been dead calm.  No chance of wind sports on the river – which is a huge disappointment to many of the visitors to the gorge over this holiday.  No wind means HOT weather - or is it the other way around?  Our highs have been in the low to mid 90’s – hurray for our 50 amp electric hookup, and for our new electric awning.  We’ve been able to do a lot of grilling and relaxing in the shade of the awning, both activities usually curtailed by the winds. 

On the trail, the calm winds mean more people, the folks who would usually be out on the water, tearing back and forth through the choppy waves.  Now they are on the trail, bright in tight lycra, pushing themselves at top speed.  Whew – those kids!

Our plans for the holiday?  Marlene and Richard Dopp are coming to visit from Canby, bringing their bikes for a ride on the trail.  We’ll get to visit after we close the visitor center, and hope to find a Hood River restaurant open for dinner later. 

Happy Independence Day, all!