Disaster following disaster

The past couple of posts have been made from my soapbox about Katrina, I have one more and I promise I'll shut up. I have to say this because I don't hear anyone talking about this.

FEMA director Michael Brown is being set up to take the fall for really messing up the relief efforts here. Yes, it's a mess, and someone will have to be called to account for it. But before we go piling the blame on his shoulders, let us consider a few other factors.

Ever since 911, the government has been bracing itself for a massive terrorist act. We have plans for what to do about terrorists. We have speeches about terrorists. We have a Homeland Security Agency. Under the USA Patriot Act, we put FEMA under Homeland Security, because we could only conceive of Federal emergencies that threatened our security.

Think about it. These guys are scrambling, trying to figure out how to respond to this thing because Katrina *isn't* a terrorist! Plus, we are as slow to accept international help as the Russians!

Just think about it.

Gorge-ous Day

Yesterday we went on as picnic with my BIL and family to Oneonta Gorge. It's a nice little excursion from PDX -- just go to Multnomah Falls and take the old hwy a couple of miles east until you get to a bridge that goes into a hillside -- but I'm getting ahead of myself.

We actually picnicked at Waukeenah Falls, a nice series of falls on the old hwy west of Multnomah Falls. The picnic grounds are north of the road, falls are south. Go a little more west and you hit Bridal Veil Falls and La Tourelle Falls, both pretty spots, too. But our picnic spot was nice with trees and Stellars Jays and even a raven.

As I said, past Multnomah Falls on the old hwy for a couple of miles, now they have a big sign there. You used yo be able to park on the bridge, and the bridge went into a tunnel. But the tunnel was declared unsafe decades ago and dynamited. There are steep steps to the right of the bridge.

Do this on a hot day unless you're a polar bear. You'll be walking up a creek fed by runoff. you can avoid the creek for a good portion of the journey, but not all of it. There are parts of it where you have to give up and get wet. Even in the driest parts of the summer, you'll be wet up to your hips.

There's a log jam halfway up that you have to clambour over -- it's a bit hard on those of us with bad knees. Hang in there -- it's worth it. At the end of the hike is a stunning waterfall. Hop in to the pool below-- should be 7 or 8 C. Bracing!