I kinda sorta left the world of scrapbooking behind when I got hooked on the cocaine that is hiking. The spare bedroom we call our office is overgrown with old scrap crap and has become a sort of dumping ground for all sorts of stuff we can’t be bothered to find storage space for elsewhere.

I thought my crafty days were over, but once in a while I’ll get hit with the urge to make something. It’s good to have a rainy day hobby when you live in Washington, right?

This morning, inspired by some old videos I found of Bobby, I dug a tunnel into the Room o’ Paper (and Assorted Homeless Items) and put together this simple page about our farewell hike to Noble Knob last summer. It’s pretty much just a paper version of the blog post I wrote back then, but it’s nice to have a real, tactile version of our favorite memories.

I also found (among the Hoarders-style stacks of junk) this old dog-themed album and decided it’s time to make the pups their very own album. This is exactly the kind of mental thing that only the very bored and childless would do.

I’m sure Wellie will love having his very own scrapbook he can cherish forever and, as Tom said, “show his grandkids photos of the fat white and black dog he used to hike with.”

I was sidelined for the first three weeks of April by a painful sinus infection and absolutely horrid weather, and since I don’t like to whine (hah! hahahaha!), I decided to keep my blog-mouth shut…but then this happened and this happened and this happened and suddenly I couldn’t find anything to complain about anymore.

You see, the weather here in the Pacific Northwest tends to be a little bit wet. You’d think that we would be used to it by now, but two months straight of rain can drive even the most hardened Washingtonian mental.

So why do we still live here? Well, once in a blue moon the raindrops stop dripping, the sun starts shining, and Washington becomes the most beautiful place the world has ever seen. Everyone promptly forgets about the preceding weeks of hell and flock outside to revive their vitamin D deficient bodies.

JK and I spent our day in Paradise smiling, relaxing, laughing, snoozing in the sun and taking in the views. JK was on skis while I trudged along on my slowshoes, but I think the luge run off Panorama Point is just as fun on ass as on skis.

Washington sure knows how to put on a show when she puts her mind to it.

*sorry, I couldn’t resist.