Shroud of Purrin: Part Two

 Here's where you get to find out what in the world the title of this post means. It doesn't really have anything to do with Texas whatsoever...other than it being the name of two of the items I snagged at the latest Backwoods sale while visiting Fort Worth.

 While in the store, I attempted to stay responsible with my money. I found a pair of Danskos for 1/2 off so, duh. I also found these softshell pants:

Nau: Shroud of Purrin Pants

 (not my butt)

Now, there was this amazing softshell jacket in the same line, also 1/2 off, but by the time I had decided on the pants and shoes, I was further in the hole than imagined...so I called it quits. That is, until a few days later, when BW offered an additional 14% off any item, including sale items, for Valentine's Day. Since the Omaha store doesn't carry this line, I immediately dialed up Fort Worth and ordered the jacket to match. I guess if you leave an item behind and are still thinking about it 3 days later, it's something you'd really like to have. So, here's the jacket I apparently couldn't live without:

Nau: Shroud of Purrin Jacket

I'm not typically a shopping nut but put me near technical gear and I have much less self control. I cannot bring myself to pay more than $10 for a cotton shirt, because it could never (should never) be worn for anything other than hanging out but, as most of you know, put some merino wool in front of me and that $45 shirt seems reasonable for all that it does (it will also last longer and probably has some sort of warranty on it).

Now that I'm back home in my winter wonderland, here's a list of what I love and don't love about these two items.

Pros 

* Almost 100% recycled and recyclable. how great is that?!
* Great look: Just as easily street wear as hiking
* Durable/ Heavyweight
* Wind/Water Resistant (it IS a softshell)
* Fleece Pockets for warming up hands
* Zippers on the ends of the sleeves make getting gloves on/off easy        
* High Collar to block out the wind
* Poly-fleece liner insulates and wicks away moisture
* Length- as us tall chicks know, getting sleeves and the back long enough is rare. What is it with midriff-bearing softshells?!    
* The pants come with built-in gaiters. Even better, they snap into your boots!
* VERY Flattering fit. The jacket could easily camouflage a muffin top while the pants could give anyone a shapely rear. I have never tried on a pair of technical pants that got a woman's figure right. Well done!            

Cons
* $$$- It ain't cheap to get nice-looking, form-fitting, recycled gear. Retail value on the jacket is $280. The pants $250. Ouch! Glad I didn't pay nearly that amount.
          (although I still might have for the pants. they're the most flattering pants I own right now. Period.)
* Heavy- The jacket is 24oz, the pants are 23 oz. This is a heavy set to consider packing for bigger excursions. I'd probably pack the pants and bring a lighter weight jacket.
* No ventilation- If I were doing a longer hike in this set, I might be concerned that there's no way to ventilate them. No leg, pit or pocket vents. Combine this with the heavy weight of the material and it could make for a very warm hike.

* This is nit-picky but I wish the zipper pulls were a little larger. It's a bit tricky zipping with gloves on.

As you can see, the pros drastically outweigh the cons so I think, all in all, they were worth the investment. What do you think?                       

Shroud of Purrin: Part One

 In mid February, I was asked to represent my employer at a trade show in San Antonio. This is the second time I've attended this particular show and while I'm not convinced we should be there, I enjoy the show for several reasons.
1. I get to leave the mountains and head for the Texas sunshine in February-right about when those winter blues begin to set in.
       a. I can wear my Chacos
       b. I can remember why I chose the dry mountain air over so much humidity
2. San Antonio is a very eclectic town that I thoroughly enjoy exploring (more on that later)
3. The co-worker who attends with me is a LOT of fun. She and I walk all over the place and love finding new attractions, especially if they're off the beaten tourist track.
4. For some reason, margaritas taste better in Texas.

This year, our trek added a few stops as we had clients to visit in other parts of Texas. Our itinerary called for us to visit Dallas, Fort Worth, McKinney and Austin in addition to San Antonio. The addition of our rental car freed us up to mosey as we pleased in our off time.

 So, what do two Colorado girls do in Texas in their free time??? We visit gear shops, of course! It was a given that one of these stops be to my old stomping grounds (sort of) with a trip to the Backwoods Fort Worth store. Having never visited the pimped-out version of the Omaha shop, it was a must see. Lots of square footage, new fixtures, new brands...sigh. Being a firm believer that I should support the place that spent so many years supporting me, it became quite advantageous that there were still some sale items around! And how THRILLING that many of them were winter items (which, of course, serve little purpose in TX). I knew right away that my wallet was in trouble.

The loot I walked away with will be shared in the next post. For now, let me share a few of the pictures I took from our week on foot in Texas.

                                                         Market Square: San Antonio

Riverwalk Area

sorry for the lack of actual riverwalk pics

 Fred's Texas Cafe: Fort Worth (stamped by Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives)

 Amazingly, they offered a Portobello Burger...and I was told "You know there's no meat on that, right?" about 5 times when I ordered it.

To be continued...

Relating

This blog has nothing to do with the outdoors.


It's been a month. Over a month. What a long month it's been.
 
I guess I should apologize for falling off the face of the Earth when it comes to the blog. Fact is that I needed the break. Not because I don't love doing it or that I don't love you all who read it but because I've been in somewhat of a tailspin since my dad died.

Have you ever noticed that our society is not built to nurture relationships? We work and work and work and volunteer and have a million errands. We have homes to redecorate (ok, not me, but some people) and random tasks pulling us in every direction.We squeeze in coffee dates and quality time with those we love....if there's time in the midst of all the busy-ness. That's just kind of wrong.

Without anyone speaking a word, I returned from travel and dad's memorial services, feeling as if I was expected to hit the ground running. As if it should be no big deal to jump right back into work and social situations. Only, that's not the case and, in truth, I don't want it to be. If I were able to quickly recover from the loss of my FATHER, there would have been something seriously wrong with my commitment to that relationship while he was living.

We all come from different faith backgrounds and belief systems but it is my strong opinion that when we all go, the only lasting thing we ever get to "leave behind" are our relationships. The people we made time for, laughed, cried and planned adventures with. That's it. It's important to care about my work (I'm there too many hours not to) but really, I'm only preparing that work for someone to come after me. My apartment will not be my apartment forever. Someone will live there after me. So, why waste copious amounts of time in choosing the perfect pillow for the couch? It doesn't matter.

People matter. People. All of them. Treat them well. Listen to them. Make lots of time for knowing them and letting them know you. This little blog has meant a lot to me. A way to know and be known. I still think of great topics all of the time. I've just been making the time to enjoy the face-to-face company of others...and some time alone reflecting as well.

If you stick with me, I'll come around again. I really do love this forum and all of you real chicks...who are the people...the relationships...I do this all for anyway.

Ecola State Park

  In my opinion, there are few places as spectacular and stunning as the Oregon coast. To me, it is pure magic. I don't mind that the beaches aren't warm. It doesn't bother me that it's always a little overcast and chilly. I will still take off my shoes and walk barefoot. The Oregon coast is like a cup of Earl Grey tea...it's soothing, calming and almost makes you want to curl up on the sand and take a nap.
  To catch you up after these weeks of absence, when my dad passed away, the family trekked out to Washington state (he was there when he died) for five days while dealing with affairs, seeing friends and family, mourning and preparing to bring him home to Nebraska. It was a special few days to remember dad in one of his favorite places, which has also become one of mine over the years.
  About the middle of the week, we loaded up in the rental cars (shout out to the Town and Country) and drove from Grandma's house in Longview to the coast of Oregon. We stopped in three of the most perfect places I know, one of which was Ecola State Park. Because it didn't occur to me to grab my camera when packing for such a tragic event, I was left without photos of my own...although my sis-in-law was better prepared and snapped a few. I don't know why I worry about it though. Every time I visit this area, I attempt to capture on film was is really just meant to be seen with the eyes.

 (M and I acting out Titanic...cause that's how we roll)

(SIL Alissa, Mom, M and I)

  At this point, I'm going to let  Oregon.gov bring you up to speed on the history of this place:

 One of Ecola State Park's first attractions was a beached whale. In 1806, Capt. William Clark and twelve members of the Corps of Discovery climbed over rocky headlands and fought their way through thick shrubs and trees to get to the whale in what is now Ecola State Park. Today, a paved road from Cannon Beach makes your trek to the park much easier. Winding your way through towering Sitka spruce, you suddenly emerge upon a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. Be sure to have your camera ready.


Ecola State Park offers year-round recreation for all types of modern day explorers. Stop for a picnic to feed your hungry adventurers before taking to the many miles of trails. At Indian Beach you can begin your own expedition on The Clatsop Loop Trail, a new interpretive trail you that gives you the chance to walk in the footsteps of Capt. Clark and his men.

There's more to the park than this rich history. Surfers ride the waves at Indian Beach and tide pools await your discovery. Keep a watchful eye open for the many species of wildlife and birds that call Ecola home. Spot migrating gray whales during winter and spring. And after a long day of exploration, stop for an overnight rest on Tillamook Head in the park's primitive cabins, (cabins are small and very primitive) a 1.5 mile hike from the Indian Beach trailhead.

Thanks for that, guys. Really, the only way to experience a rainforest that drops into the ocean is to see it for yourself. Until you can get there, I suppose these will have to suffice:

(photo: royce bair)

 (photo travelpod.com)

 (photo: rolf hicker)

(photo: ann hornyak)

(photo: s.king)

 

As a side note, we ran into a few guys in Ecola that were prepping for filming. They're making a movie out of Blue Like Jazz....uuuhhhhhhhhhhh AWESOME!

The stars at night...

are big and bright....deep in the heart of Texas.

Please excuse my absence. I have so much more to tell you about the Pacific Northwest but I can hardly keep up with myself these days.

Denver-Portland-Longview-Astoria-Cannon Beach-Denver-Winter Park-Denver-Omaha-Denver-Dallas-Fort Worth-Austin-San Antonio-Denver-Winter Park
     -By the time I get HOME on Sunday, this will have been my schedule for the past three weeks. I have spent a grand total of TWO nights in my own bed. I haven't been able to snuggle with my pup but a week and a half.

Much of this travel has been to take care of family matters. My work trip to Texas immediately followed.

I love to travel but this is ridiculous. I'm ready to be home...in my bed...in my routine. I'm ready for a little peace and quiet.

Please excuse my silence these past few weeks. I've had hardly a moment to sit still, let alone write. I should be back on track by next week.

Longview

 This city of about 40,000 people was often our family road trip destination. Summers were our family's time to visit Grandma and, while embracing many adventures along the way, we would stop in Longview for up to two weeks. Over those two weeks we'd make multiple trips to the Library, watch dad, Grandma and Uncle Mark play bridge and explore the nearby area.
 In the middle of Longview sits Lake Sacajawea...my grandma lives right on it. It's a pretty good sized lake and the trail around it has often provided for our walks to the playground and, one older, a 3.7 mile running path for me to escape to.

 I've heard Grandma talk about how this lake used to have clean, clear water running through pipes under it, keeping the lake pristine. When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, the pipes became clogged with ash and were never cleaned out, rendering Lake Sacajawea no longer able to support activities like swimming and canoeing as there became issues with pollution and algae blooms. Once when I was in high school science class, we watched a video of the Helens eruption. It features my grandma's house as it began discussing the effect the eruption had on nearby communities. I loves hearing stories about the eruption from Grandma as Mount Saint Helens in a mere 30 minute drive from her house.

  Located on both the Lower Columbia and Cowlitz rivers, Longview has become an industrial town, mainly dealing in timber and wood products. Driving into town as kids, I can recall being saddened by the number of logs stacked up along the river for processing of shipment (insert shameless plug to recycle paper and use cloth napkins). In all seriousness, even then the huge patches of clear-cut forest we'd drive past in Washington and Oregon would break my heart.

(Mount Saint Helens)

  The last thing I want to mention about Longview is the claim to fame it holds for any visiting child. Over by the library hangs the Nutty Narrows Bridge. Built in 1963, it is the only bridge in the world constructed specifically for squirrels, its purpose to avoid casualties in the road below. It was always an exciting to treat to go watch squirrels scamper across it.

 There are lots of fun, quirky things to love about Longview but more than anything else, what I loved about this place if the family that it held. It doesn't seem as if saying art projects or helping in the garden would be enough to make me love a place but really, that's exactly the situation. I love Longview for my family and anything we did together here just helped to enrich my appreciation for this little mill town.

Memory Lane

  Studies have shown that one of the the biggest similarities among advocates for the environment is that they spent time in the outdoors as children with an adult they respected. That's it. Who knew it would be that easy? Share your love of the outdoors with a child and there's a good chance they'll grow into an adult that cares about the natural world.

  Lucky me. I had a dad who loved to talk about and be in nature. He was a science teacher, both inside the classroom and out. We grew up road-tripping around North America, parading through National Parks along the way. Sure, camping was the cheapest way to travel, but it was also the most adventurous. We were nothing special. We had no high tech gear. Our tent was probably from K-mart, sleeping bags as well. Our sleeping pads were layers of cotton blankets. It was not unusual to wake up with soaked feet in the morning but MAN, was it fun!

  My mom was raised and raising us Catholic but dad was agnostic. I remember once he took my brother and I out to Standing Bear Lake in Omaha where we sat at a picnic table, listening to him explain his "religion." He explained that he had faith in facts, in science, in the human spirit and that anything beyond that, he couldn't commit to. He told us why, outside of any denomination of faith background, he felt it was important for us to take care of the earth and one another. Then, he went out and lived it. He picked up trash everywhere we went, often to my teenage embarrassment. We continued our cross-country treks, car camping and day hiking. I will never forget the first time I saw a mountain goat or running barefoot down a glacier with my brother in Montana (which, by the way, I highly recommend).

  And after all of this...I grew up to study science and love the environment. I grew up to take others, as well as myself, outside at any opportunity. To seek adventure not only in travel but in the everyday. I grew up believing that if we put our minds to it, humanity can achieve anything.

  Some may have heard me say it before but it's hard to identify just how much space a person occupies in your spirit, your mind, your heart and the world until they are no longer there. At 58, my dad passed away suddenly and painlessly last Saturday. It was 30 years too soon but if there is a good way to go, he found it while dancing and telling jokes in Washington state.

  My grandma is in Washington and he was out helping around the house and catching up with old high school buddies. Washington was almost always our destination while road-tripping and I spent a lot of time as a kid exploring the Pacific Northwest. There were a few specific places that held special meaning in our hearts and, as we made the journey to retrieve dad, we made a point to revisit some of these sites in his honor and memory. It was a really special time for my family.

  If you'll allow, I would like to take this week to tell you about some of these places. Show you pictures, share some memories and reflect on the power that an outdoor landscape can hold in a life and spirit. Those of us who spend time outside know that these places become part of our identity. They become part of our whole being, a spiritual center. And often they can become these things because once, as a child, someone bothered to show them to us.

  Thanks, dad. Thanks for instilling in me the importance of not only loving our natural world, but teaching me how to care for it. Thanks for being an example of doing what was right, even when it embarrassed your teenage children. Now, in sharing these places and spaces, I see you everywhere I look. You are standing on the mountains outside my window and seeing the stars in the sky close up (lucky!). You are the physics of a waterfall and the pH balance of the soil. You will be missed.

(Greatest road trip ever! Omaha- Badlands & Black Hills w/ Mt Rushmore- Devils Tower- Grand Tetons- Yellowstone- Helena, MT- Glacier Nat'l Park- Waterston Park, Canada- Calgary- Edmonton- Road to the Sun- Grandma's, Longview, WA- Oregon coast- Sacramento / San Francisco- Lake Tahoe- Salt Lake City- Omaha)

I would be remiss in not mentioning that my mom had massive impact on who I am today and that in combination, I have been able to believe a positive relationship between science and religion.