Beauty in the bark of an old tree in the Hoh Rain Forest.
Blog
Wahkeena in the Fall
Even in the late fall, with a minimum of moss as the rainy season is just getting under way, Wahkeena Falls is a beautiful place to be. The trail winds right in front of the falls so the spray of the water blows right over you, particularly refreshing after a day of hiking. Also a nice mental image at the moment, as even though it is only early July, Portland is in the midst of an unusual, and extended, heat wave.
The Cold Stretch
A shoveler stretches early in the morning as a cold snap finally breaks and the ice covering the frozen ponds slowly begins to melt.
Ripples
Rain ripples the water as a common muskrat feeds in Rest Lake.
Round Two
This Columbian white-tailed deer fawn, nibbling on foliage at head height, is the second generation I’ve seen its mother (out of frame to the right) raise at Ridgefield since she was moved to the refuge a couple of years ago, continuing the recovery of the Lower Columbia River population.
Door of Hope
The Door of Hope is a neighborhood church at the edge of Irving Park that Ellie and I sometimes pass on our walks (we used to go by it every time but our aging pup isn’t usually up for that long of a walk these days, especially in the heat of summer). I had taken my mirrorless camera with me that morning just to grab some snapshots on our walk, but with no image stabilization and an eager dog on the end of the leash, some of the pictures came out rather blurred. I could train Ellie to sit still while I’m taking pictures, but I don’t think I’ll ever try for serious pictures while we’re on our walks as I very much enjoy being in the moment with her.
This church wasn’t being used when we moved to the neighborhood over a decade ago and was slowly decaying until another church purchased it and renovated it and brought it back to life. When I took the picture I realized the original cornerstone was in between the two welcoming doors, reading something like Deutsche Congregationale Zion Kirche, which in English is Zion German Congregational Church (there’s a great picture of the original church there, with the congregation gathered outside for the photo, with a few people looking out from the windows and unfortunately a few people who were spread too far out and got cut out at the edges of the photo).
The church was founded in 1914 by the Volga Germans and has had a long history as the congregation, and the neighborhood around it, has changed. Prior to the church being built our little section of the neighborhood was a horse race track, a fact pointed out to me by a co-worker when I mentioned that when digging in the yard I kept finding these really old square nails, which he recognized as the nails used in horseshoes.
Topographic Map
Part of an old tree trunk, bleached by the sun, one of many that have washed ashore onto Rialto Beach.
The Hills Are Alive With the Sounds of Pikas
Music to my ears.
Dining on Wildflowers
A hoary marmot eats wildflowers on a rainy fall afternoon in Mount Rainier National Park. The pouring rain reduced the crowds on the trails compared to the previous sunny day, but the marmot has to eat rain or shine, for a cool wet afternoon is nothing compared to the brutality of the coming winter that will drive it into hibernation.
Strike While the Iron Is Hot
My first full day in Mount Rainier last year started off with a bit of rain but was sunny and warm most of the day, before it started raining buckets for the rest of my trip. This chipmunk was taking full advantage of the sunshine, and the hikers it brought in numbers, to fatten up for the coming winter by eating the many grasshoppers that people had crushed underfoot on the nearby trails.
Boolie 