It's HOT!

We spent the hottest day of the year, so far, at Beacon Rock State Park, on the Washington side of the Columbia.  Portland temperatures today reached 97 degrees, missing the record of 98.

It was laundry day on Viking Star.  We had refilled the water tank and began motoring up river yesterday.  Three weeks of water and power restrictions had filled the laundry basket to overflowing.  Four loads down (or up, I guess, since they are hanging to dry) and one to go.

We had our hot meal at lunch today, then took books, blanket, chairs, snacks and sodas to the shade on the shore.  Traipsing back and forth to check the laundry convinced me that I did not want to spend significant time on the boat today until the shade reached it this evening.  There was lots of day use of the park today.  There was a bunch of young boys jumping from the dock and floating to a lower dock .  There were jet skis running.  There were three girls sunning themselves--they had to move to the dock as the shade encroached.

Once the shade reached the boat, we returned.  We had sandwiches and cold pasta salad, and now are enjoying iced drinks on the back deck.  Unfortunately, the mosquitoes are looking for dessert.

Tomorrow we head further upriver, passing through the locks at Bonneville Dam and stopping to pick up friends Rick and Christy in Cascade Locks.  We will be participating in a Power Squadron cruise for the weekend.

Here is Viking Star at Beacon Rock.  We are at the end of the dock, so I had to tilt the camera to fit it all in without stepping off into the water!   Beacon Rock is the second largest rock in the world, second to the Rock of Gibralter.