Rauscher Journey: June 2009

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Rooster Rock State Park

We are getting settled into Rooster Rock.......completing the safety modules, learning the lock and unlock routines at Dabney St. Park, Lewis and Clark St. Park, as well as Rooster Rock. We found out that we have to open the gates at 5 AM for the local fisherpersons. Who in their right mind would want to get up at that hour just to catch a fish? Right now we are closing the park at 9PM but Rangers will take over closing duties within a couple of weeks so that will slow down our pace a bit. The staff here at Rooster are great to work with. It's going to be a good place to volunteer for a few months.

What we did discover this morning at 5 AM was how beautiful the sunrises are here at Rooster Rock. Here are a couple of the pictures we took this morning looking east up the Columbia River. This is the same view that Lewis and Clark would have seen standing on this same site back in the eighteen hundreds.

Rooster Rock State Park is on the Columbia River about 25 miles east of Portland, Oregon. The map below shows where our rig is currently parked.

About Us

Who are we? I think the best way to answer that question is to tell you a story about Bert and Ernie. One day Bert observed that Ernie was getting very frustrated attempting to play his saxophone. Burt determined that Ernie was practicing many hours a day, but Bert could see that Ernie's progress as a musician was progressing very slowly. So he asked Ernie if he could come over the next afternoon and observe one of Ernie's practice sessions. Ernie was very frustrated with his progress so he quickly agreed.

Bert arrived at Ernie's house at the agreed upon time. He took a seat and waited patiently while Ernie unpacked his Saxophone and got ready to begin his practice session. His music was indeed horrible. But Bert knew what Ernie's problem was; why he was progressing so slowly. He walked over and put his arm around Ernie's shoulder and said quietly "If you want to learn to play the saxophone Ernie, you're going to have to put your rubber ducky down".

The moral of the story of course is simple. If we want new adventures in our lives, we have to be willing to let go of the past.....to metaphorically put our rubber duckies down.... a process that is often very difficult for most of us. It certainly was for Melinda and me. But like most changes in life it didn't take us long for us to experience the joy and wonder that comes when one is willing to let go of the past, sit with the inevitable fear that often accompanies change, and open oneself to new adventures in life.

So who are we? Just two people willing to put our rubber duckies down and embrace the adventures of the open road......new friends, new challenges learning to become volunteer hosts in some of our countries great State and National Parks, learning to live full time in a small box on wheels, discovering what it feels like to sit around a campfire under a star filled sky listening to the sounds of the desert, knowing that our nearest neighbor is many miles away, learning the thrill of heading out on a hike into the wilderness....a wilderness in which there are no paths, no trails, no human signs or markers to tell you where you are, and learning to embrace what our souls really need....silence, solitude, the opportunity to get in touch with parts of ourselves neither of us had the time to explore when we were raising a family, working, and maintaining a home.

So who are we?? Good question! We'll let you know if and when we ever really figure that out. If you ever come across a well worn rubber ducky, treat it with love and care. It might be a part of our lives we had to put down so we could fill the last years of our lives with incredible memories.

See you down the road! Safe travels.

Rauscher Journey

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Rooster Rock State Park

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About Us

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Rauscher Journey

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Rooster Rock State Park

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About Us

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