In a little while, I’m stay going for my afternoon shift at Vista House, overlooking da Columbia River Gorge.  I’ve been a volunteer there since 1989.  Interpretive volunteer.  Dat’s my official title. Dat means dat wen peeps from all ovah da world come up to da desk and ask wat kine things dey can do while in da area, oa how for get to da waterfall loop (get eight a dem), den I geev um da information and suggestions as to how dey can spend their time here.

I’ve met peeps from Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Korea, England, Scotland and almost every state in da union.  Their various accents prove that white bread wahine’s theory is totally humbug!  (See my previous post.)

I love wen I get to meet peeps from back home.  One time a wahine that I wen meet online came to Vista House for our first 3-D meeting… we spotted each other across da room, and ho, da hugs and smiles.  Alla odda peeps around were laughing and smiling at da way we wen carry on.

Da view from Vista House is amazing.  Seeing how da Columbia River wen carve out da Gorge between Washington and Oregon makes me realize how powerful are da forces of watah.  Read up on da Missoula Flood sometime… dat’s weah da flood started dat wen carve out da Gorge.

Da Columbia Rivah starts out as dis small kine creek up in Canada and flows alla way to Astoria, Oregon, at da Pacific Ocean.  I read a book one time about dis kane who wen canoe alla way from weah he could straddle da litto creek to Astoria.  Great book.

Once had no dams on dis mighty rivah.  Pioneers trying to get from da Cascade Mountains down to Portland had a terrible time trying for get chru alla rapids dat no even exist anymore.  Now sternwheelers carry tourists and locals up and down da rivah while da captain tell of da history of da area as well as Indian legends.

Da view is alla time changing up deah at Vista House, 750′ above da rivah.  Sometimes we all socked in wit clouds and fog.  Odda times, like today, da sun stay shining bright.  Turkey vultures and bi-planes fly by, and da rivah sparkles like diamonds. Barges and fishing boats can be seen far down below, slowly making deah way along da Columbia.  Just a bit next to it, cars and trucks whiz by on Interstate 84, a vast contrast to da quieter pace of da river traffic.

I love working up deah.  I love meeting da peeps, seeing da view, and seeing da amazing vista of dis nani place weah I live.

Aloha… I stay going!