April...from my camera

Easter brunch with Katie & Adam (courtesy of Kate's camera)

My office when I was finished moving in...

Kim's New Work

The mural inside Kim's new work

Kim's office when she started moving in...

Finished Shelving!!!

and a "pantry" :)

Woooohoooooo

Ohmigosh!!! I start my job on Monday!!!

Portland Pics

Haystack Rock

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Haystack Rock with "The Needles"

Haystack Rock can be seen from Ecola State Park when looking south

Haystack Rock is a 235-foot (72-meter) tall monolith (or sea stack) on the Oregon coast in the northwestern United States, the third-tallest such structure in the world. A popular tourist destination, the rock is adjacent to the beach and accessible by foot during low tide. Haystack Rock tide pools are home to many intertidal animals, including starfish, anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets, and sea slugs. The rock is also a refuge for many sea birds, including terns and puffins.

Location and management

According to Oregon State Parks and Recreation, Haystack Rock is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.2 km) south of downtown Cannon Beach in Clatsop County, approximately 80 miles west of Portland. The nearest major road is U.S. Route 101. Haystack Rock is part of the Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site and is managed by Oregon Parks and Recreation below the mean high water (MHW) level, and above the MHW level by the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Other Haystack Rocks

There are several other geographic features in Oregon named Haystack Rock, including two off the Oregon Coast. One is in Tillamook County off Pacific City, next to Cape Kiwanda,^[1] and the other is in Coos County near Bandon.^[2]

Haystack Rock seen from Cannon Beach

Geology

Composed of basalt, Haystack Rock was formed by lava flows emanating from the Grand Ronde Mountains 10 to 17 million years ago. The lava flows created many of the Oregon coast's natural features, including Tillamook Head, Arch Cape, and Saddle Mountain. Haystack Rock was once joined to the coastline but years of erosion have since separated the monolith from the coast. Three smaller, adjacent rock formations to the south of Haystack Rock are collectively called "The Needles".

Ecology

Haystack Rock was granted Marine Garden status by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1990. Collecting plants or animals is strictly prohibited. Climbing above the mean high tide level (barnacle line) disturbs nesting birds and is not allowed. The Haystack Rock Awareness Program is a volunteer association which conducts educational seminars at the rock during low tide between May and September.

Recreation

Haystack Rock from Hwy 101 pullout south of Cannon Beach

Visitors to Haystack Rock can view many species of marine wildlife in their natural habitat during low tide. The thin strip of rock and sand that connects it to the beach at these times features many tide pools. The area surrounding the rock is popular for picnicking, kite-flying, and bird-watching. Artists and photographers can be found capturing the beauty of Haystack Rock on canvas or on film. Haystack Rock is one of the most identifiable geological formations of Oregon. Many people each year become temporarily trapped on Haystack Rock when high tide engulfs the rock in water, necessitating rescue by the United States Coast Guard or local authorities. Oregon's beaches are publicly owned, and there are several hotels along the beachfront within walking distance of Haystack Rock, making the area congested with tourists during the high season (May through September). Visitors during the winter months will find a desolate, wet, windswept terrain, which many also appreciate.

Popular culture

• Haystack Rock can be seen in the opening scene of The Goonies, when the Fratellis are fleeing from the police and then enter a race on the beach. Haystack Rock can be seen in the background. Later in the film you can see the Haystack Rock again when Mikey is pointing out some rocks in the distance.
• Haystack Rock can also be seen in the 1979 movie 1941, directed by Steven Spielberg. The rock is particularly out of place, as the setting is supposed to be the California coast.
• Haystack Rock can be seen in the movie Kindergarten Cop, during the carnival scene later in the movie.

Update, in moderation :)

Ok, Keith made E7!! Which means he's getting promoted. Enlisted only goes up to E9 so he's made it 7/9 ranks in 8 years!! Yay Keith. He's going to be a Sergeant First Class, as soon as his number comes up. It's a list that is chosen once a year by a board that goes over all the Staff Sergeants and chooses a certain amount to promote. His batch number is 65 and we know that at the very latest he'd get promoted by the end of 2009. I'm really proud of him!
More Keith news, he's not going anywhere in 2009. :) That means no deployment this year!!!
Kim news: still waiting on my job. and waiting. and waiting.
My cousin Jimmy is here visiting which is fun. Poor kid came up for his spring break and it snowed the day after he got here!!! Too funny.
Got a new buffet hutch, which rocks!!! It fits all my china & special nick-nacks with room to spare!!! It's IKEA and would have cost around 250.00 but I got it on craigslist for 150!! Woohoo.

We are going to another Marriage Retreat this month. This one is a civilian retreat that's free for military and is in Cannon Beach, OR...right on the coast. Here's some pics from the website of what we get to enjoy. :) I can't wait to hug one of these huge trees!! And those massive rocks are called Haystack Rocks, home to tons of wildlife, from starfish & urchins to puffins!! I'll wiki it and post more about it.

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Then from April 26-May 3 we will be in Fayetteville NC at Fort Bragg for the Army Family Action Plan Conference. The kickass part is that it's all paid for by the army, airfare, lodging, food, rental car, all of it, for both of us! I'm hoping my BFF in GA will drive up to see me since we're staying a couple extra days after the conference to explore. :)

Ok, here are some March pictures. The ones I promised of our garage shelving and probably a few spares thrown in.

Here's our new shelving:

Kate & I at Point Defiance

Some of our wonderful weather

Me on Kate's birthday