Portland to Astoria Memorial Ride 2007

Every year since my mom's passing in 1997, my dad, Javier, has ridden his bicycle from his house in Portland, all the way to the South Jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River, on (or on the weekend nearest) the day she died, September 10th. This year the ride was on Saturday, September 8th, and it turned out to be a lovely day.

It's a one-day ride, over 100 miles, and it's quite a feat -- I always follow in whatever vehicle I happen to have running, usually a Travelall, and we rendezvous at the beach and have a memorial to my mom at one of her favorite places. This year, my sister and my nephew joined in, driving separately, and Fletcher (age 15) rode his bicycle with my dad for the last twenty miles or so. And even twenty miles on a bike at the coast, in the wind, in the traffic, is a feat in itself.

It's always something of a melancholy experience, but not in a dreary or dismal way ... just makes me think of how good life really is, and how a little love goes a very long way in making it all worthwhile.

And there are some cool pictures of the day in our photo gallery, including some video of real-life sea lions at play!