Brother Jamin Visits


My younger brother Jamin (of pig and goat fame) came for a short visit this weekend, as he was interviewing for a position at Linfield College in the relatively nearby hamlet of McMinnville. We picked him up at PDX and he stayed with us for two crazy days and nights of non-stop fun and laughs and amazement--not to mention all of the records that he set on our copy of Wii Fit. He survived OMSI with the young monsters, grocery shopping with Meg, walking around the neighborhood to get Slurpee's at 7-11, and a bicycle adventure through Southeast Portland (mostly hipster-free). On this ride--which was in full sun and mild temperatures--I rode my Trek with Ian attached in a bike trailer, while Jamin rode the Black Sheep. Before winding up the nearly-nine mile ride, we stopped at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. After locking up the bikes, we took Ian on a walk through the gardens, which he absolutely loved. He walked right up to the ducks and geese--some even let him pet them (I am a terrible parent, I know)--and he just loved being able to run around a new and exciting place. When Ian realized that I was loading him back into the bike trailer, he started screaming and didn't stop until we were a good five minutes away (his favorite thing to do is to wander around aimlessly out-of-doors).

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