Ella Vining, the birthday, part I

So, yes, have fallen a little behind. Much going on, and it'll only grow more hectic. But last week we spent a few days celebrating the hallowed birth of this celebrated woman!

She had a dream to go to Astoria, and (as usual) helped us realize it… first stop, the magnificent Astoria column!

Many bystanders huffed and puffed; Ida and Miki scaled it not once, but twice.

We also hunted around and found a slew of balsa airplanes.  Ida threw the furthest one I saw, way over the road and the treetops…

Again, the column.  A testament to Ella's birthday.

Ella herself.  She rented us this really fancy "Pilot House" at the Cannery Pier Hotel; we had a suite atop the hotel, at the end of the pier, where we could watch everything happening on the mighty Columbia.

Ella does not like that she is often pictured in this blog, while I almost never am.  This is simply the way I think most people like it.

What was coming?

Magnificent!