Kate, Maria, and I did a 6.25 mile round trip hike today to Opal Creek Wilderness. This trail follows the original road into Jawbone Flats along the Little North Fork of the Santiam River. We passed some of the oldest trees in the Opal Creek Wilderness, 700 year-old trees, peered into abandoned mines, and saw some of the prettiest water ever.

At 2 miles into the hike you reach the historic Merten Mill, built in 1943, a steam-powered sawmill that logged five of the surrounding acres. The operation ended after two of the company’s logging trucks fell off a steep area of the road, proving the logging risky and unprofitable. A steam engine repurposed from the U.S.S. Battleship Oregon still lies in the clearing.

When the road forked 0.2 miles past the mill, we opted to get off the 'main' road and actually crossed Opal Creek and hiked on the other side of the river. It was a gorgeous hike, so much scenery to take in. We hiked into Opal Pool, a scenic gorge.

Eventually, we made our way to the historic mining town of Jawbone Flats, a collection of buildings built between 1929 and 1932. Jawbone Flats was started some time around 1930 as a mining town. The miners arrived in the area near Mill City in 1859 and discovered gold. Other minerals were in greater supply and also found nearby, such as copper, zinc, and lead. Mining continued in the area until 1992, when the Shiny Rock Mining company donated land, valued then at $12.6 million, in the area to the fledgling Friends of Opal Creek. In 1996, the area surrounding the town became part of the Opal Creek Wilderness and Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area. Today the town is run by the same group, now renamed the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center. The town is being restored as a historic center and outdoor museum of the mining era, and there are cabins there that can be rented. Jawbone Flats gets is electricity from water sent down the pipes from higher elevation into a water turbine.

For more information on Opal Creek Wilderness, check out: www.opalcreek.org/history

June is my birthday month. 

I should be excited. I should be rejoicing for I have been given another year to spend with my family and friends, to achieve my goals, and to make up for all my losses. I have never been a fan of birthday celebrations (just mine not others), but that has changed ... For those of you who do not know, every year for the last few years, I have celebrated my birthday month...

Not the day...

Not the week...

The whole entire month!

Yep, you read that right. I celebrate my birthday the whole month of June. Some may find that egotistical but if you know me, you know I truly dislike being the center of attention. I prefer spending my birthday with close friends and family just hanging out, catching up, having a good meal. The fact is, I am lucky to be alive and healthy enough to enjoy the last 54 years. I am surrounded by people who will celebrate with me. Who care about me. Who see me and who love me. I celebrate my birthday for the whole month of June because I am a lucky woman. God is good and has blessed me with many, many people in my life. I have family and friends who want to celebrate me and my birthday.

As adults I think we get really wrapped up in work, life, and getting by. We have families, kids, illness, and financial pressures among a million other things on our plates. So celebrating our birthday seems, well, a bit much. We are either too tired, not in the mood, do not feel like it, do not want to make it a “big deal”, hate surprises, or we hate getting older so why celebrate at all? Sound familiar?

This year marks my 55th birthday. There is nothing new, just another year added to my resume, but this time I plan to make the most out of it. I am going to blog the entire month's birthday activities. 
 

I started my birthday celebration by treating myself to a pedicure, and if your birthday falls on National Donut Day, you must celebrate with a donut. After that, my friend Kriss took me out for a birthday dinner at a restaurant of my choice. I have to tell you a story about my friend Kriss.  It is scary how much we think alike. I saw this wonderful necklace on Living Social, and I loved it SO much and knew that Kriss would as well so I bought one for her and one for me. Imagine my surprise (as well as Kriss') when I showed up with the necklace on. Come to find out Kriss bought two necklaces as well, one for me and one for her. Now I have three and Kriss has one, soon to have two when her birthday comes.

The very next day, my kids had a birthday brunch for me. What a great way to spend a Saturday morning, celebrating me, with Jimmy, Josh, Sara, Ruby, and Aiden eating breakfast and red velvet cake; spending time with my favorite people. I love my family.

The following week Melissa and Vassa took me to Trapala, a Mexican Restaurant here in town. Spending time with friends is a great way to commerate your birthday. What a great way to celebrate with friends...good food, good friends, good fellowship; let the birthday celebration continue.

The following weekend Karen and Jan took me on a hike to one of the most recognized symbols of the Columbia River Gorge, Beacon Rock. It is an amazing, if short, hiking experience. Beacon Rock ascends nearly 600 feet in less than a mile. It was a tough hike, but the views were oh so worth it. The trail is something of an engineering wonder, beginning with the fact that the builders couldn't scout the route; they had to just built a section, then figure out where to take it next. The finished product is 4500 feet long and 4 feet wide, and includes 52 switchbacks, 100 concrete slabs, and originally, 22 wooden bridges. Some of the original work remains, such as wrought-iron handrails at some switchbacks and steel eyebolts in the rock wall. To get to the top, just persevere and, if heights bother you, don't look down.

After we got done with the hike, they took me to a great restaurant, Island Cafe. It is a fabulous place right on the Columbia River. They offer both inside and outside seating. We were fortunate enough to get an outside side, right on the edge of the dock. We had an up close and personal view of the river and all the comings and goings.

The very next day Melissa took me out for a special time to catch up. Life can be so busy, so crazy, and we must make time to cultivate our friendships. She had a lovely surprise for me. We went for a lovely brunch, a little wine tasting, and some picture taking at Orchard Heights Winery that is located in the picturesque foothills of the Coast Range. They recently were named the #1 Brunch and Family Restaurant in the Mid-Willamette Valley 3 years in a row. The Sunday Brunch has a make to order omelet and pasta bar along with Eggs Benedict, a waffle bar and many more goodies.

And that, my friends, is how I celebrated my birthday for a month. Thanks to all my well-wishers, to those who remembered, and to those, who did not, no hard feelings. People come and go, people will forget, some will remember, some will not.

My birthday is a celebration of my LIFE! I was placed on this earth to do something AMAZING. Somewhere along the line, I realized one day was not enough, I say CELEBRATE your BIRTHDAY for the WHOLE MONTH! I say bake a cake, light a candle, sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and CELEBRATE YOU!

I hope this post inspires you to celebrate your own birthday month.

I am now 55, but I still feel young. I found this quote that could not say it better - “Old is old at any age. Old is when you quit asking questions about this, that, and everything. Old is when you forget how to love -or worse, don't care. Old is when you don't want to dance anymore. Old is when you don't want to learn anything new except how to be old. Old is when people tell you that you are old -and you believe them.” ― Carew Papritz