First Snow Day of the Season

It's beginning to look like last winter...Freezing temperatures and now snow. Carmen and I headed to Watershed Park to have some fun in the snow...

Cold Temps and Cyclocross Natz

The temps have been cold all over the country. In Oly, parts of Budd Inlet are frozen. The last time I remember the Sound freezing was in the early 90's. Well the weather didn't keep the Miller's down. Eric went for an icy paddle today on East Bay and Brandee braved single digit temperatures to race at the Cyclocross Nationals in Bend, Oregon earlier in the week.

Eric is all smiles when he's on the water

Paddling around frozen waters

The frozen shore of East Bay

Do I look cold? This picture was downloaded from the USA cycling website. The caption read: "The B Women’s race started in the frigid morning temperatures causing riders to race with plenty of layers". Yep, it was single digits during my race. I lead the race on the first lap then dropped my chain twice, crashed twice, ending up 14th overall. Sometimes it just isn't your day. Anyways, it was a lot of fun to race at Nationals. Now I'm ready to take some time off the bike after a great cyclocross season.

Seattle Cyclocross Series Champ!

Brandee's done it again this season...this time winning the Seattle CX women's Cat 3 series title! Can anyone stop her?!? She'll be racing the next two weekends in Oregon - first in Portland, followed by the National Championships in Bend. Congratulations Brandee!

Brandee atop the podium, with two young local racers who are destined to become the future of cyclocross

Looking strong on another demanding course

The Coast Battered...Again

We have another fall storm with high wind warnings, this time a Pineapple Express from Hawaii. A weekend ago, we experienced similar conditions, only it was the result of an Artic front. Though it will likely be as intense, here are some photos last weekend at Westport, and know that the big waves and 30+ ft swells were actually breaking far out at sea and these waves were the smaller, reformed waves! Incredible!

Not only breaking over, but breaking up, the sea wall

Westport closed and inundated with sea water

Sadly this beach waste was deposited at high tide and stretched for miles. Definitely makes me rethink single-use containers

Birthdays and Champions

An exciting weekend...Eric's Friday the 13th birthday, followed by a big cyclocross win! After Eric went to his favorite morning yoga class, the three of us visited Seattle for the day, with trips to some of our favorite hangouts as well as the Seattle Aquarium. It was culminated (or has it begun?) with the purchase of a new longboard and the most incredible birthday cake ever! On Saturday, Brandee brought more honor to the family by winning the state cyclocross championships!

Enjoying some sunshine in Seattle

A delicious birthday lunch on the water at Agua Verde

The Seattle Aquarium and its resident octopus

The most amazing birthday cake anyone could ask for...triple chocolate mousse -

thanks Brandee and Merey!

New to the Quiver - a beautiful 9 ft Longboard

Gold Medal - Newly Crowned Cat 3 State Cyclocross Champion!

Cyclocross is here!!!

The cyclocross season is well underway. Our first race was on Labor Day weekend where Brandee won the intermediate category. Things were looking good then the H1N1 (swine) flu hit the Miller household. We had to take a couple weeks off training, but are now back in the swing of things. Last weekend's race just south of Seattle was a blast and Brandee was able to pull out a 3rd place finish even after the H1N1 flu.

Here is a great video from that race. It's a bit long, but really good (I apologize ahead of time for the curse words in the music).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjgEKrgwe-k

Wow! Brandee doing a flying remount onto her bike. This signature cyclocross move is rarely caught on film.

Brandee running the barriers...

The Valley Girls take on the Labor Day Race. There are a lot more women on the team racing cross this year. All that green is kind of intimidating.

Gold at the Labor Day Cyclocross Championships!

Oregon Coast

At the end of August the three of us were able to take a trip to the Oregon coast. We had a wonderful time and the weather cooperated the entire time. It was cool, but sunny. We started our trip in Pacific City and then drove north to Seaside and Cannon Beach.

The first half of our trip - Pacific City. This is a view of Kiawanda, the largest haystack rock on the Oregon coast

Self portrait at sunset

The sunsets were beautiful every night

Cape Kiwanda's giant sand dune and beautiful beach

Another view of the dune, the people climbing it provide some perspective to its size

Eric and Carmen bounding down the dune toward the ocean

This is what happens when you park on the beach and high tide approaches. They were able to get the van out but not without two tow trucks and a lot of effort

Eric talking with the lone stand-up paddleboarder in the surf

Heading north to Seaside we had to stop at the Tillamook factory...mmm espresso chocolate chip and Till-a-mint

On the lanai in Seaside at the Cove - thanks Aunt Barb and Uncle Jerry!

We were there less than ten minutes when we first spotted gray whales. They were feeding close to shore in the cove. Apparently they were spending quite a bit of time there to feed. By the evening we think we counted close to a dozen whales

"Show me your flukes!"

From Ecola State Park looking south to Cannon Beach and its haystack rocks

Self portrait

Playful on the beach; Carmen loved the sand and ocean

At the confluence where the Ecola Creek flowed to the sea; Carmen braved the surging tide to cool off with a little wading

Carmen's new friend, Duke, who is a corgi-German shepherd mix. His personality was amazingly similar to Carmen's

Breakfast on Seaside's Promenade and our last day on the Oregon coast