anniversary #2 (almost)

I can't believe we've been married two years already! (Almost anyway.) It's been a lovely ride. We've grown so much together. Sometimes I think back to the giddy first times & miss it a wee bit...but then I remember how little I knew of him & marriage & think, "I'm glad we're here".

When we got married, it was berry harvest. It's proof of our state of giddiness that I was blissfully unaware what that meant, & that Dar actually went on a honeymoon. That will never happen again:). I don't mind though, as long as we do something to celebrate it, sometime.

So this year we went to Eastern Oregon. Eastern Oregon for real this time, not just central Oregon. Dar had been plotting & dreaming of heading over here for a long time. It's rugged, lonesome country.

(Don't be fooled: there was no one around to take this photo. I propped my camera on the hood of the car & set self-timer!)

We covered a lot of territory, driving through barren, wheat country, to deep canyons of rusty-striped rock, to verdant valleys ringed by snow-capped mountains where hundreds of cattle grazed.

The few towns were tiny, forgotten towns with weathered main streets & faded "for sale" signs everywhere. It was beautiful, but haunting. I'm glad we live in the Willamette Valley, where my eyes can rest on green & civilization!

AT&T has no presence in these parts! Good thing we brought along our old-fashioned map-we consulted it frequently. My husband has a thing for taking the road less traveled...

The people were very friendly though-I am sure everyone knew everyone within a 100 mile radius. Seriously. Every vehicle we passed gave us a wave & we got stared at in town. I kept catching myself talking to Dar with a twang...("wonder what folks do round these parts for fun?")

 We stopped at the Painted Hills & attempted to hike with Miss Fee, but she wasn't a fan. And it was blazing hot. So we just enjoyed the view as long as it took to guzzle a few water bottles then headed on our way.

 Other than being a less than huge fan of hiking, whining during our steak dinner, & waking up every few hours during the night, she was so good: just slept & was like a quiet little mouse in the back seat as we covered hundreds of miles. I'm so glad she was along!

This anniversary was lovely--different than last year, when we were footloose & babyfree, but it was just as good. No, actually it was better. We know eachother one year better & have our little Fee now. Who knows what year #3 will hold! All I know is, it will be good.