Jaci Dawn

Today is our wedding anniversary. Yesterday, we celebrated by going out to dinner with some friends at The Highland Stillhouse pub. There was to be live music provided by Darby O’Gill rollickin’ Irish road show. We enjoy the band, the food is good & we were meeting a fun couple – and the rain stopped for a shot period of time.

The Stillhouse sits across the street from the Willamette Falls viewpoint. I had’t given much thought to the Falls until we parked the car and looked out across Hwy 99E. It was pretty impressive.

I’ve seen the Falls during flood stage, but they still amaze me. After we ate dinner, we crossed the highway at the light and watched the sun set over the Willamette – and watched large logs float down the river to navigate the falls.

I decided the photos I took would be best served with a comparison of the photos I took back in November on a clear day when the river was running full, but not high.

November.

Yes, there’s water pouring over the spillways and a log stuck on the falls (the upright near the lower left of the photo). The sunset isn’t nearly as placid as last autumn.

November.

All the spillways are overflowing.

November.

And on downstream.

What a difference a record amount of rainfall makes on the river (and the snow melt, too). (Update as of this evening: the Willamette River is at 18 feet and rising)

And a perfect photo opp for our wedding anniversary that did not include the requisite photos of the happily married couple. We know what we look like. Trust me, the river is much more interesting.

Sláinte!