Thanksgiving feels like it was a million years ago. I guess, technically the thanksgiving weekend started over a week ago for me. I was able to leave work v early on Wednesday which was so, so great and head down to Hood River to meet friends for a long weekend of fun.
Not long after I pulled into town Art and Amy arrived. Art and Amy had never been to “the homeland” so it was fun showing them around. We went to dinner at Solstice where we had delicious drinks and pizza. Then, because Josh and Katie still weren’t in town and we were getting a little sleepy, we went to Brian’s Pourhouse for some of their amazing spanish coffees. By the time we our boozy coffees, Josh and Katie were getting into town, so we met them at the house they rented for the weekend in downtown Hood River. We unpacked and made a game plan for the night and then went out to get some drinks and some food for Josh and Katie. We went to the Trillium first where there was fried food and Jello shots and where we toke some Voke Tabs for energy. Then we went to the River City where there were friends from high school and more shots and general fun times.
^^Me, Katie and Amy at the River City Saloon in Hood River, OR^^
After we made it back to the rental house Josh declared that he was v hungry. So Katie being a good wife and me being a good best-friend-in-law and Amy being arguably the most sober called a cab and went to get Taco Bell despite the cab driver telling us that Taco Bell was closed. Sadly, after arriving at Taco Bell we concluded that he was correct, Taco Bell was closed and that there was nowhere in town that would serve us food, so we paid the cab driver and went home empty handed and passed out.
Thursday was Thanksgiving. Art, Amy and I went to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner and relaxation. My uncle Bert and his partner Joanne also joined us (which was a HUGE group compared to last year’s three (my dad, brother and myself)). We fed cows and ate food and snuggled with Fluffy and chatted and napped all day and it was amazing. We ended the day back at the rental house playing Apples to Apples.
Friday we got the best breakfast sandwiches from River Daze cafe, saw some sights, drank some local beer, visited with Katie’s grandma and ordered pizza in.
Saturday we said bye to Art and Amy (it was Art’s birthday, yay!) I had breakfast with Beth and I went over to see her new apartment and meet her new Boston Terrier puppy, Baxter, who really likes to hump everything.
^^Baxter and I^^
^^Beth, her sister Emily and Baxter^^
When it was time for Beth to get ready for work around 3pm I went home to see my parents and Fluffy and grab a few things and I had planned to head back to Seattle that night. However, not 5 minutes after being home, I was standing by the wood fire, talking to my mom, when out of the corner of my eye I see my dad walking up to our house covered in blood (no jokes), had a moment of panic, then he opened the door and announced that he got an elk while he was out hunting!! So I call my brother, get on some warm(ish) (read: not warm enough) clothes, and follow my dad and his BFF up winding, snowy, unpaved roads in my new(ish) car that handled it all reallyyyy well. We hiked 3 miles into the forest where my dad got the elk.
^^The point where we left our cars and started walking – Mt. Adams was gorgeous that night^^
By the time we got there it was already dark and so, so cold. I held flashlights while my dad and Lynn butchered the rest of the elk (they’d already packed out the head and a front quarter). My brother was making trips back and forth with his pack full of meat to the wheelbarrow we left about a half mile back on a dirt, logging road. I was honestly shocked when we walked up to the elk in the clear-cut where my dad got it. It’s hide was laid out, the front and hind quarters had been removed but the remaining body was enormous. There were also random piles of guts everywhere. It was insane. There was so. much. meat. (I will spare you the pictures, because yes, they exist). My dad is always really adamant about getting all of the meat off of the carcass because an animal gave its life and you must be respectful of that. Unfortunately it is impossible to take the entire carcass (rib cage, spine, guts and hide) back with us because of the sheer size of the animal. Some bears and coyotes and ravens will feast on those.
The hike in took about an hour, the rest of the butchering took about an hour and the hike out took about an hour. It was approximately 25 degrees out. My brother ended up hiking all the way out with a bag full of approximately 150lbs of elk meat pieces (from the torso of the elk – rib meat, tenderloin, back straps, etc.) on his back. He just went as quick as he could toward the cars. My dad, Lynn and I walked more slowly with the wheelbarrow full of probably 400lbs of meat (the other front quarter and two hind quarters). I carried gear and held flashlights for everyone while my dad and Lynn took turns pushing the wheelbarrow (note: both of them are in their mid 60s). One of them would push until they were about to collapse/pass out (Lynn) or until their wrists and shoulders hurt too badly (my dad) and then they would switch off. It was a really long walk. We were all really tired and cold on the way back. We eventually made it back to the cars we loaded the meat into the back of Lynn’s truck and my brother and I got into my car and turned my heat and seat warmers on high. We were still cold when we got home about 1/2 hour later. We followed my dad and Lynn back down the winding, snowy, dark roads and at one point their truck pulled over. Lynn hadn’t taken his heart medication, had already packed meat out that day, hadn’t eaten or drank any water and was feeling like he was going to pass out. My dad drove the rest of the way and we got him some water when he got back to our house to hang the meat. I was legit scared he was going to die. He didn’t. A lesson in not pushing yourself too hard. Stubborn man, you!
^^My dad, Lynn and my dad’s elk head^^
^^Proud dad and his elk head^^
After the meat was hung and Lynn was safely home I tried and tried to get warm by the fire and check my phone because I finally had cell reception again. I was pretty much dead. My mom saw the three of us being super pathetic and made us some delicious comfort food for dinner – this white turkey gravy stuff over toast and asparagus. I saw her put an entire stick of butter into that gravy stuff. My dad brother and I ate all of it. No fucks were given about health.
Because all of my things were in Hood River, I headed back to town, met Sarah and Laura for a quick drink, finally started to warm up, went and swooped up Josh and Katie to meet Beth at the Red Carpet for a “White Salmon Takeover.” We had a really fun time seeing people from high school and then went back to the rental house to pass the fuck out.
The next morning I met my mom, dad and brother at Nora’s Table for breakfast because it was my mom’s birthday. It’s not a place my family would usually go because it’s in Hood River and it’s kind of fancy/yuppy, but my parents loved it and I think they’ll go back which is a total win. After breakfast I headed back to Seattle and had one of the most stressful drives back ever I’ll tell you the short version because oh my this is a lot of words in one post: there was a hit and run/car chase that was occurring IN traffic, on I5-North during which I almost got hit by the runaway car and it was terrifying and I wanted to cry/had terrible anxiety after, and then two cars almost hit me while I was in their blind spot after that. Then Dustin and I ate Chinese food and I felt better. The end!
