Outside Extravaganza Media Fest

North side of Mt. St. Helens more than 32 years after the Big Events.

School starts tomorrow, thank God. My office door has been flung open 12 times in the last two hours. Reasons for the interruptions include sharing teacher announcements, requests for office supplies, news of the ridiculous, and kids wanting hugs -- they do this knowing I can't possibly complain, and they're right. 

No joke, it just flew open again by a daughter wanting me to read her essay about self expression (some days I must sacrifice productivity for the greater good). More on this later.

All to say we were the true blue this weekend, sleeping in tents, hiking, and generally running amok in the Outdoors.

Experts can verify that this photo was not faked (too much).

Also, adding to the waft of morning napalm was the 45 minute meltdown from the seven-year-old bewailing the fact that his best friend isn't in his class.

The motley crew (not Mötley Crüe).

 I took one of the kids rock climbing as some friends discovered that they had all the gear and were highly experienced. How they just "discovered" this has to do with giving birth and raising a child which apparently blocked out much of the pre-kid era.

Kid going for it at Horse Thief Butte near The Dalles, WA.

This guy wasn't part of our group, but he looked more competent than any of us so I'm posting it.

 We finished strong and hiked Tamanawas Falls in the Mt. Hood National Forrest yesterday. The falls, and some of the other locales, are captured in a concise video commemorating Portdaddia's 2012 Labor Day: