Oregon – Page 29

Commuting Gear

Continuing on the yellow theme, I recently had to shift my beloved orange New Balance running shoes to dog park status as the fabric was starting to tear. I like having bright shoes to make me more visible as I walk to and from the train so I replaced them straightaway with a pair of bright yellow sneakers, as this seems to be their current bright color of choice. Sitting between my feet is my Tom Bihn ID messenger bag with its lovely aubergine front, keeping my MacBook and iPad safe and secure as I ride the MAX to work.

Yellow

One of the reasons I went to Latourell Falls was to see if I could get close-ups of the massive yellow lichen patch near the waterfall. I brought my 100-400 Canon zoom and hooked it up to the Sony A6500 and found the biggest difficulty while trying to manually focus was that, as I had the peaking indicator set to yellow, and since I was photographing a fairly flat scene, the whole screen would practically light up yellow when the scene was in focus. But since everything was already yellow …

You can change the focus peaking color but I couldn’t remember how and since I was in no hurry I was able to zoom in on the display and get the focus set. If I could have seen a bit better I would have shifted things slightly so the plants on the far left would have been a little further inside the picture, but I was pretty happy with this as a first attempt.

I’m amazed by the diverse forms that life takes, and how often life can take a foothold even in inhospitable areas.

Damp and Moldy Dreams. But Still, Hope Remains.

I took this picture in December to reflect my mood after a national election I still can’t wrap my head around. After a wet fall the wishes attached to the Wishing Tree were damp and moldy and fading, dreams dashed. But then I got home and read the messages and I could see the hope that couldn’t be repressed, the light that would not yield to the darkness.

Some people break my heart, others heal it.

I wish for poems like sparklers or even night constellation fireworks. Kisses. I wish for love kisses.

I wish my sister gets everything she truly deserves. She is my everything. Please!

I wish I could live here so I could see my daughter every day!

I wish to level up!

I wish I wood have a dog

Spelling is not important at the Wishing Tree. You need hope, and hope I will cling to.

First Hike

I spent this lovely spring morning on my first hike of the Latourell Falls loop in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge. I wasn’t familiar with this waterfall even though it isn’t far from the others I visit as the trailhead is past where I normally turn off to go back to Portland. They featured the waterfall during an episode of Oregon Field Guide on Oregon Public Broadcasting and I was hooked when they showed the lichens and basalt of the main falls, so I had some fun photographing them this morning with my 100-400 lens. I then took the loop up to Upper Latourell Falls (shown here) before heading back down to the main falls. The return loop takes you down to the base of the falls where a group of photographers was huddled with their tripods around a small bridge. I didn’t stop for pictures and just admired the view instead, I’ll head there first on my next visit.

An absolutely lovely morning, I don’t know how I missed out on this hike having been in Oregon for 20 years now but I’ll be back soon. I’m always a little nervous about new hikes in the Gorge as some of them I can’t do because of my fear of heights, but this one was easy (I’d give it a 2 out of 10 on the Boolie Utter Panic Index). There is an optional loop that takes you onto a little outcropping above the main falls, which I would rate a 10 out of 10, but you don’t have to go anywhere near it if you don’t want to (and I didn’t).

Stained Glass Driveway

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21

I Like Turtles

It’s been about 10 years since the viral “I Like Turtles” zombie kid video, a video I’ve thought about many times in the intervening years, so in tribute I’ll post this brick of turtles Ellie and I passed on our walk through the neighborhood.

Our cat Emma also liked turtles. For the record, so do I.

Me & the Pup

I was up earlier than normal for a Saturday so Ellie and I headed out for our walk in the beautiful light of a sunny spring morning. At Irving Park I took a self-portrait with her even if one of us is only represented in shadow. The dog park is on the other side of the tree, and when we leave it to head south into the neighborhood we head out to my left and her right, down one of four streets of her choosing. She gave me a nice long walk on this morning, a lovely start to the weekend.

Simple

A simple portrait of one of my favorite places, Upper Horsetail Falls (also known as Ponytail Falls) in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge. This is what I wish my backyard looked like, but it took a massive volcanic eruption and historic flood to create it, and I’m not sure that would go over well with the neighbors.

Boolie & the Beanstalk

Beautiful outdoor art on an old garage? Are they trying to seduce me?

A Sidewalk Conversation

“What would you like to know?” asked the Oracle.

“What year will I die?”

“The answer is at your feet,” she said.

I looked down as numbers suddenly appeared in the concrete. “2146? Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure!”

“It’s just that it’s 130 years from now, and I’m already 50.”

“Ah, well, you’ll be mostly robot by then.”

“I see. Will my death be peaceful?”

“For you or the dinosaur?”

“What?”

“I’ve said too much!”