I set off on an adventure, and an adventure is what I got! It all started this past Saturday when I went out to take the dog for a walk. I closed the laptop to put it to sleep and took the dog across the road to the park. We had a nice time playing fetch the tennis ball and when I came back I opened the laptop to work on some more photos. But, nothing happened. I tried restarting, unplugging, taking the battery out and putting it back in, and still nothing. I got in touch with Dell warranty support (the laptop is only 3 months old) and they took me through some troubleshooting steps, which were mostly all the things I’d already tried. It was determined that I would need a new motherboard and DC input and they would send an on-site service technician to do the repair–at my RV. My warranty coverage is “next business day” service, but I’m still unclear as to what that actually means. I waited all day Monday, only to find out that the part had been shipped and service would be scheduled for Tuesday. When nothing happened on Tuesday, I sent a message to Dell. I received a message back that the parts had arrived late and service would be scheduled for Wednesday. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the weather took a turn for the worse and the wind began blowing–hard. So, I sat here wondering if the trees around me were firmly rooted and fearing one would come down on top of me. The trees around here are pretty big!

After spending the day worrying and fretting and checking the weather forecast, I decided I needed to relax a bit. So, I crawled in bed and read a few chapters of “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau. It helped to put things in perspective and I realized that this adventure wouldn’t be much of an adventure if everything was predictable and comfortable all the time. The next morning, I woke up feeling quite a bit more optimistic. Until I turned on the water and nothing came out. It had frozen overnight due to the cold temperatures and the “brisk” wind. Nothing to do but wait until the sun rose high enough to shine on the water connection and thaw it. That happened around 11 am, which was right about the same time the computer repair guy showed up. At least I had time to brush my teeth!

With the computer up and running, I could now finish working on the photos I took the week before along the Historic Columbia River Highway. By now I knew that most of those colorful leaves were likely on the ground thanks to the high winds, so I was glad I went out shooting when I did.

There were also some images from Monday’s trip to Beacon Rock and the Bonneville Dam that hadn’t even been uploaded from the camera yet. I had decided to set up my camera for wildlife that day because there were no clouds and the landscapes would be harshly lit. And even though I didn’t see a lot of wildlife on the trip, I did see this eagle near the Bonneville Dam just when the sun was beginning to set.

Today, it’s been snowing and blowing and the temperature never got above freezing. But, at least I have water for now because I’ve left a trickle running in the bathroom sink. Everything outside is cold and covered with white. It’s not one of those pleasant snows, with big feathery snowflakes like you see on Christmas cards. More like one of those stories on the Weather Channel about the epic storm that they’ve decided to name. But, I’m warm and toasty inside my home on wheels with a propane furnace and an electric heater. I have food and blankets and I’m on an adventure! Things can change quickly in the Pacific Northwest!

So, as I sit here looking out at the snow piling up and blowing around outside, I admit I will be a little sad to leave on Saturday (weather permitting, lol). The Columbia River Gorge is like no place else, and it’s been a part of my adventure I won’t soon forget.