Thanksgiving cold snap

Last week we kicked off our holiday season with the coldest temperatures of the year in western Oregon. It was also the coldest time we have spent in our house, which we first found a year ago this week.

In preparation for the cold, I sealed up the crawl space vents, covered the lettuces in the garden, and filled the feeders for the birds.

We took several bird watching trips to keep the blood flowing during the long weekend, beginning with the Sandy River Delta on Thanksgiving Day.

The dog loved the off-leash trails at the Delta. She investigated many interesting finds such as this beaver chew.

On Sunday, I went with some in-laws on a fishing trip to Columbia River Gorge. I was hoping to catch my first steelhead, which I have been trying to get since moving to Oregon five years ago.

Success! I hooked two and landed one. This was a catch-and-release area, so I turned her loose to continue her travels.

With a new house in a wonderful neighborhood and beautiful places to visit, we have plenty to celebrate this year!