About Hood River County, OR

The men (and women?) shown here are all up in the air.

They may not know where I spent my Fourth. So they are not up in the air on that.

But they all know where they spent the Fourth: Pulled along the surface of a wind-swept river at high speed and sometimes...if they work it right...up in the air on a kiteboard.

It looks hard. And marvelous.

Better than skate boarding. Better than snow boarding. Better than sand boarding.

Better than a man flying a kite:

A kite flying a man!

If only I hadn't been born 40 years too soon!

A little closer view:

One up and one down:

One up and one down:

Here is a great big HINT as to the location of these kiteboarders --

the mountain in the background of these photos:

For more hints to help you solve this mystery, go to

my three earlier blog posts

asking the same critically important question:

So, where did I spend my Fourth of July?

Here are 17 little hints and two big ones:

And 20 more little hints:

One little and one very big hint:

One hint up front and lots more behind:

Coloring up the hints:

What's behind the hospital flag on the near horizon? A big HINT:

Only a few years ago this would have been the dominant presence here on July 4:

Now he has lots of competition in this famous place:

Now these guys dominate the water and the airspace:

An old HINT in the distance, a new hint in the foreground:

Kindly watch my lines as well as your own:

Skiing, not walking, on water:

Cutting across the river under full sail...er...kite:

My kite is prettier than your kite:

Think they will collide? Do we have a turf ...er..surf...battle here?

So where did I spend my Fourth?

The 83rd annual Hood River County Fair runs July 22-25, 2009

Bring your kids to the fair for plenty of fun! carnival rides, food, entertainment, displays, music, exhibits-both 4-H and open class, horse shows, animals and livestock. The Hood River County Fair is located at the fairgrounds in Odell, Oregon about 6 miles south of Hood River.