INDEPENDENCE DAY!

The birthday's galore! First Cole reaching the heights of 22, he's growing up right before our eyes! Now Matt, almost as if he's insulted by the idea of sharing the same age as Cole jumps ahead to 23. He's our little man. And now AMERICA! This country is getting older and more beautiful just like our mothers. So what did we do celebrate? We shot guns! In Bend our time was spent relaxing, early to bed early to rise. The farmers life, just like our hosts, Gordon and Jeff. But on July 3rd, Matt's big day we woke up and set out to shoot guns to celebrate both Matt's birthday but also the impending freedom of INDEPENDENCE DAY. 12 Gauge Shotgun, .357 Magnum Hand-Gun, and 22... lots of clay pigeons and an intact abandoned TV Set. The only member of the car that had shot guns before was Kate, we all agreed that was wonderfully ironic.
On to Portland, hours after lighting up that TV and pumping clay pigeons full of lead we headed up to Portland to stay with our beautiful friend Sarah. We went out to nice little out door bar called Roadside Attraction and slept soundly on the comfortable futon or couches respectivley.
July 4 Tamale Cookout. Ping Pong, Margaritas and Kiddie Pool. 91 degrees here, bet you wish it was that nice on Lake Michigan. We hung out all day in Sarah's yard meeting many friends and waited til night fell. On to see the Dirty Projectors, front row, great view, bad sound, awesome nonetheless. After that finished around 12:30 we headed back to Sarah's just a three block walk and got back just in time for a screening of 16 candles projected onto the garage. Phew that was a good day!

Missed you all for this years 4th of July celebration.
On to Seattle via Mt. St. Helens.

I'm Back!

So let me jump back in time a bit. The last post included no photos and i know that's what the people want.... so that's what i am going to give you. Photos going from the time we left scottsdale on to los angeles via joshua tree (no photos!!! camera was in the trunk and it was soo early we never even thought of stopping to get that sucker out. I guess that drive is just going to have to be a memory.) from Los Angeles to San Francisco stopping twice to camp once on the beach near Lompac and another in the Santa Cruz Redwoods. San Francisco to Lake Sonoma to Northen Coastal Red Woods to Endert's Beach to Bend. Wow! I have once again neglected this too long and have too much to share. Photos are what the people want so here they are captions and batteries included.
Tilt your head squint hard and you will see Venetian Canals
(Southern Californian not Italian)

Best fire yet.
(Lake Sonoma)

I own this Beach!
(First feet in the Pacific)

Michael Kraus' senior potrait '09

Ha!

I'm not an angry person.
(Through a fallen redwood.)

WHAT A BABE!
(Venice Beach)

As I took this shot a grandmother told her grand-daughter that I should be kicked out of all National Parks for good for walking on the fallen tree. Self-righteous granny! I later found out you weren't supposed to walk on fallen trees.

Oh, young love.
(Endert's Beach)

Captain Mike's Beach Side Discotheque
(Endert's Beach)

Oh, young love.
(Redwood National Park)

View from our Venice Boardwalk Hotel

Oh, young love.

Just us inside a redwood.

Short entry on where we are now. Bend, Oregon. Gordy, Cole's cousin has graciously put us up. I am sitting just outside the kitchen smelling Matt, Gordy and Jeff...(wow if i ended the sentence there what would you think of me)... cooking up supper for us. Smells amazing. Fresh pita baking. I am also baking. It is like 100+ degrees in this house right now. This morning we had a bit of a hiccup, well quite a bit bigger than a hiccup but nonetheless a quick visit to the er diagnosis kidney stone. Kate's a trouper and she has handled herself and her pain with grace, something i am not sure i could do. No one worry. Seriously. Couple days here. Onto Portland at Casa Hudson, celebrating our nation's birthday with a potluck and concert (dirty projectors again!). Wishing you all a great 4th, GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Cole will be making a guest appearance soon. Stay on the edge of your seats.
RIP Michael Jackson you are and forever will be my hero. This is serious. Not a joke.