A thick American accent.

We are a little more than half done with our time here in Mazatlan. I am happy to report that the nice weather hasn't gotten boring yet.

I'm just posting more pictures for now, but I've been thinking about all sorts of things under the sun. My mind is whirling with thoughts on Tolstoy and the human condition. This resort is a strange context for russian literature, but those universal themes are a fascinating lens.



Local flamingos.


Bethany on the beach.



Carolyn and I relaxing at one of the pools.

And all the stars show at night.

Oh Mexico.

We are two days into our time in sunny Mazatlan. My sister and I came down with our parents, and my roommate Carolyn is here with her family too. We´ve spent most of our time so far in the sun and in the pool. I read for two hours last evening, and I slept out on the balcony of our room. The sound of the tides wove into my dreams, and I woke up to chirping birds and a warm ocean breeze.


The view from our balcony.


Bethany and I in the lobby.


The resort has a 1920´s feel to it. There are many types of exotic birds around the grounds. This white peacock is accustomed to cameras.

Hasta luego.

I'm headed down to Mexico for a week in the sun with my family and friends. I'll try and post some pictures while I'm gone, but it will depend on my access to a USB port and the internet.

I feel like I've been traveling for a month! April has been full of new adventures. I'll be back in the U.S. next Monday, and I expect that my life will finally settle back into a somewhat normal pace.

Top level, turn left.

Yesterday was one of those pristinely beautiful days in Portland. The air was full of spring, and everyone was finding excuses to be outside. I had a meeting downtown, and I stopped to take a picture from the roof of the parking garage.



At the end of the day, Dan and I took a walk along the Columbia River. Birds and kayakers cut their way across the water. Dusk smoothed the landscape, and Washington’s shore flickered with little lights in the distance.

A quick breath between.

I didn’t end up with many pictures from this weekend, but that is because I was too busy enjoying the good company and the celebration.

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It seems like all my blog posts this month have been about being out of town. These first weeks of spring have been crazy for me, and it is not over yet! Next week I’m leaving for Mexico, and then things should settle down just in time for summer.

Yesterday I finally got around to mowing my long neglected lawn. Being out of town so much means that the little negotiable chores around my house get put off indefinitely. The grass was getting to be upper-ankle height, and it took me a couple solid hours to finish the job. I enjoyed being outdoors, smelling the cut grass, and feeling a hint of warmth in the air.

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I’ve heard about this project before. Did you ever play “Bigger or Better” with friends or a youth group in high school? It is close to the same idea, except this guy is getting things of real value. We always ended up hauling away neighborhood trash. When you are fourteen, a broken oven fan seems really cool until you take it home and your parents refuse store it in the garage.

The creeping dawn.

Candles and incense. Words tested by generations. That beautiful promise.

I’ve been back and forth between Salem and Portland this Easter weekend. Today I will have my family over for a big breakfast, and then I’ll head back down to Salem to walk through the Easter vigil with my friends at St. Tim’s. The service finishes at midnight, and we will have an agape feast and dancing until the wee hours of the morning. I’ll try to post pictures for you when I get back!

Wash the river off your feet.

I saw them cleaning the streets on my way to work. So ends the cat. It was already gone when I drove by.

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The rain should be rolling in tonight and staying for a while. There was a bit of sun this afternoon. I could see a peek of blue sky from my desk at work. As soon as I finished at the office, I went and stood in the warm rays. My eyes closed, my face toward the sun. I felt like I was plugged in to a wall socket. Lovely fifteen minutes, it was.

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Easter is coming. Do you all have plans for the weekend?

Finding ways home.

Thirty hours in a minivan took us to eastern Montana and back to beautiful Oregon.

Here are just a few of the things that I learned along the road:

• Good friends are good travel companions.
• Montana has poor cell phone reception.
• Bridesmaids dresses get very uncomfortable after six hours.
• I love seeing dear friends marry the right person. That is truly worth celebrating.

Wagons east.

Another one marries out of the Sisterhood Commune.

I’m off to Montana for the wedding of my dear friend Lauren and her fiancé Wes. A fifteen hour car trip will land our little bridal-party troupe in Billings by Thursday afternoon. I’m looking forward to the celebration, and I’m going to enjoy the life shaping conversations that long car rides always bring.


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Try not to get too bored while I’m gone. Here are some articles that I found interesting in one way or another:

You know that you love the links. Don't say that I never gave you anything.

Oh, and have you played Sudoku? Try this online version. There is no turning back.

Spring forward.

Oregon is yielding to the warmer season, and it is lovely to see.

The next few weeks are full of so many good things. I’ll be traveling to Montana for Wes and Lauren’s wedding. I’ll celebrate Easter in unrivaled Episcopal fashion. And I’ll head down to Mexico with my family for a week at the end of April.

Hopefully I will find time to work and rest in between my plans, but at least I’ll be with so many of the people that I love.

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On Saturday we took a hike up to Falls Creek Falls in southern Washington. We were fortunate enough to have sun for most of the day- only occasionally interrupted by a few April showers. But who can complain about a little rain when you are surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Northwest?