Our newest adventure!! Chuck putting the finishing touches on our new floor in the family room! 

This one has Mt Hood in the background. 

We didn't take this picture's of Mt St Helens but I thought they were too good not to share! This is an arial of the "new dome" 

This is how Frankie & I spend the cold wet days...in front of the wood burner!!10-22-04 

10-5-04 Mt St Helens exploding!!! And I finally got to see it!!!!!!!!! 

10-5-04 Mt St Helens is blowing some steam!! She spit out quite a bit of ash in this episode as todays show was the largest since she "woke" up last week. Chuck was fortunate to be flying home from B.C. last week and got to see Fridays explosion from the air!!! Way too cool!!!!!!!!!!! At least I got to see her blow!! 

10-5-04 Little bit of steam left!!  

10-5-04 This is me at the Coldwater Ridge Visitors Center.......sure can't tell Mt St Helens is rumbling as calm as it looks but she sure put on quite a show earlier that morning! 

10-5-04 Mt St Helens....isn't the sun cool!!!!!!! 

10-5-05 This is the Associate Director of the Coldwater Ridge visitors center giving an interview to an unknown member of the press. He was talking about the effects of the explosion in 1980 on plant and animal life on and around Mt St Helens. I learned that after the initial blast in 1980 toads made there way up in hundreds from spirit lake up to the center of the crater, they were followed by garter snakes seems as if they have been thriving up there. I find that amazing! He was also saying that just 3 days ago now when one of the crews went into drop more equipment in the crater to replace stuff that had been damaged on Friday during the first explosion they reported seeing a Mt Goat that lives up there hanging around the rim. Seems the animals that survived 1980 were ones that were diverse in there eating habits, coyotes were eating the dead bugs etc. I felt fortunate to have been sitting where I was to hear all this!! 

speaking of the media.....they were everywhere up there!! This is looking back at the road I had come up to get to the Coldwater Ridge...amazing!! 

Couldn't ask for a better spot to watch the show....didn't realize at the time that my picture was being taken! I kicked back as much as those uncomfortable chairs would allow...drank my Starbucks from the cafe (FREE REFILLS!! YES!!) and was interviewed by John Ritter from USA Today. 

10-5-04 By the time I made it up to Coldwater Ridge, the closest place to view the mountian that was still open, the steam show was about over. The drive itself was incredible as it seemed every turn brought me closer to the action...yep, my heart was pumpin!! 

Late afternoon calm on 10-5-04 at Mt St Helens. The predicted clouds and rain were starting to move in so I headed home. What an incredible day!!