A Sunny Day in January

This Saturday dawned sunny and clear. Though I normally like to sleep in on the weekend, I was out of bed like a shot as soon as I saw the sun. The day promised to be busy and varied. Mike was coming to my house for the weekend and I had plans to visit a Native American Pow Wow at the Sylvania Campus of PCC.
I did my usual house cleaning for Saturday, fed my kitties and even was able to open everything to do what I call an "air exchange" in the house. It feels so good to have fresh air circulate into the house in the winter and this day proved to be sunny and warm [read not freezing] enough to open both doors.

That done, I grabbed my camera and headed off to the Pow Wow. On the way down Hwy 30, I spied some "train art" that was really unusual. While I realize that what I term "train art" is really a form of vandalism, I am fascinated by some of what I see. I am always sorry that the folks who do this have no other venue for display of their talents. I would enjoy taking a period of time and just photographing what I see spray painted on the trains that I pass daily on my way too and from work. What I saw Saturday is included here. If you enlarge this picture [by double clicking on it] you can see the concentric rings in which it was created. It is an amazing picture. Someone is truly talented.

But speaking of amazing, the Pow Wow was amazing. I was unable to take photos of what I would have liked to record. It is forbidden to photograph the Grand Entrance of the Tribes. I have not been to an Indian event since I was about 12 years old. My family routinely attended the Indian Ceremonial Dances at Gallup, New Mexico when I was a child. I was never really allowed to run around with the other children, but I really enjoyed the event. Saturday, I was on my own and was able to talk with whom ever I encountered. Everyone was accepting, welcoming and friendly. I am nearly 1/2 Choctaw though I don't look particularly Native American. I found that many people, including the amazing dancers, also didn't look very "Indian." I had a great time, had a Fry Bread taco for lunch and made my way back to St. Helens.

Mike arrived soon after I did. He quickly repaired my front door latch that had been mostly non-functional for several months. When I asked if he would like to take a walk, the reply was a resounding "YES!". We like to walk down around the Marina and boat docks and that's where we went on this day. The sun was lovely, though the air was cold when we were in the shadows. We saw the requisite Cormorant on the pier pilings and the beautiful reflections in teh still water of the Marina. Out at the end of one of the private docks we encountered a gal sitting on the edge of the dock in the sun drinking what was quite surely her 3rd or 4th beer. She was affable and friendly and pointed out that, across the water, on Sand Island, there was an American Bald Eagle sitting in the trees. We could hear him/her calling. Sure enough, through my telephoto, was the eagle. It is still a thrill to see an eagle, even though they are far more common now than in years past.

Leaving docks, we saw the oddest little metal boat. It was old, tattered and well used, but obviously still in use. But what use is a mystery to us. It had, on the bow, an hydrolic lift of some sort. Perhaps it lifts float houses up for repair or maybe logs from the water. Cute little thing, but really different. Our final sight, before we hit the Plantation House for some libation, was what initially appeared to be live birds, but was a cast iron cut out. They were nicely silhouted against the evening light and I couldn't resist a final photo shot.

From Black Swan to Snow

OK PC, here is my attempt at an update. Too much has happened since June 20th to even begin to list it all. Suffice it to say that working forty plus hours a week, carrying 8 units at PSU and pretending that I also have a life has precluded any attempt at blogging. Last Saturday was the clinic Christmas party. Last year I skipped out to study for Statistics finals and have been given so much cr** about it all year that I decided I'd best attend this year. Thankfully, midday on Saturday my good friend Lana, with whom I work, invited me to come to her new abode in Vancouver and drive into Portland with her. We did that and actually had a great time. I stayed the night on her couch. The next morning, looking out at her Columbia River view and over a beautiful pond, we spied a huge black swan. I tried for a photo from her balcony and was unsuccessful. On the way to breakfast I suggested that we cross over the little foot bridge to visit the swan. He was indeed beautiful, very large and greatly pissed off that we were so close to him. If not for a small wire fence, I'm sure we would still be running from that swan. I now know exactly what "puffed up" and "ruffled tail feathers" mean. We later learned, and also saw, that Mr. Angry Swan has a mate and a cygnet. He was merely protecting his family. What a beautiful bird!

Driving home from Vancouver Sunday morning, the rain was torrential. The further up Highway 30 towards home I drove, the heavier the rain was. There is a waterfall on Hwy 30 just across from the weigh station at Rocky Point Marina. Even in the summertime there is a trickle mostly hidden by trees. But all winter the falls reflects the amount of rain, growing and shrinking accordingly. Last Sunday was about the largest I have seen this falls. I watch it every day going to and coming home from work. I stopped in the rain and snapped a photo. The light wasn't good and I was soaked. One day it would be fun to see where this falls emerges. Along the basalt cliffs for about a mile along the road there are 6 or 7 little falls. This is by far the largest.

After a stressful week at work, I was ready to "run away" to Cannon Beach. Of course, the moment I made that decision, the weather forecasters predicted snow. This time I actually was hoping to get snowed in. There is no snow here at the coast, but getting here was another matter. The moment I traveled 2 miles west of St. Helens I was into the snow. It made the trip slower and a little more adventurous than usual, but I did stop several times to take pictures. The two photos here were taken from the View Point on Hwy 26. I thoroughly enjoyed my drive. Somewhere between St. Helens and Vernonia I rummaged around in my CDs and found a Eugene Ormandy Philadelphia Philharmonic recording of Strauss Waltzes and waltzed my way to Mike's. I never realized waltzes could be such good driving music, but it was perfect for the snow.

School starts again on January 3rd. I don't know how much time I will have left over for blogging again. I have two Psych classes again, one in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and one in Native American Psychology & Healing Arts. I'm actually looking forward to both classes. The CBT class is a known as is the Proff. The other class is an unknown, but I am eager to see what it wll be.

Young's River Falls

Today was one those days when it drizzled and rained and was so gray that a person could easily have slept the day away, or whiled away the day on the couch. Having tried both of those things and being bored to death, about 2:30 we decided that we needed to leave the house and do SOMETHING, anything!

I wanted to go to Rain Tree Nursery (now 7 Dees) to look for lettuce starts and onion starts. Of course, they had neither. But we found a beautiful rose bush and some little fushias for my hanging pot at home. Not really wanting to go home yet, I suggested that we try another nursery up on Old Young's Bay Road. Mike mentioned that he'd seen Hood Strawberries for sale near Warrenton. We bought a 1/2 flat of strawberries and drove to the nursey to find it closed.......and, possibly, out of business. As I made a u-turn in the road, Mike said "Oh, I guess we could go to Young's River Falls one day." Young's River Falls?? Is it on this road? Let's go. Another u-turn and we were on the way.

What a lovely drive through forest, farms and cattle ranches; even some sheep thrown in for good measure. After many turns and a really, really old concrete road obviously made for Model-Ts, we came, literally, to the end of the road. I'm not sure what, exactly, I had expected of these falls, but what I saw was not it. Wow! A beautiful, remote setting and a large, roaring falls. I'm sure the magnitude of the falls has a lot to do with the fact that it hasn't stopped rained here since last October, but it is very beautiful. We managed to hike down to the bottom without sliding
too badly on the wet rocks. The falls were roaring and it was very misty. Mike says this is a favorite swimming hole for the locals in the summer and not a really cool place to be if you are not a "local" with a lot of beer. But today no one else was there. What a beautiful place.

We stayed a little while as I took pictures and nearly sat on a large banana slug to have my picture taken. Yuk! But I avoided the slug and we had a wonderful respite from the boredom of yet another gray Oregon day. On the way back around the loop we came to the little town of Olney. I suddenly realized that I was exactly where the Hood to Coast Relay runs. What a revelation! And I had no idea that there was something as beautiful and hidden as those falls so close by. Perhaps after the HTC this year I could show the falls to my son and daughter in law. We'll have to take some beer of course!

Goldfinches and Other Birds

The Goldfinches do not seem to mind the rain. It's a good thing 'cause it just keeps raining. I keep trying out my new cameras to see what they will do. These photos are part of the results of that endeavor.

I find that if I put either of the cameras on manual focus I can shoot from many different places. That includes through a window screen and from the neighbor's yard. Both of my newer cameras have many programs that are new and wonderful, but I am still learning. But I can still focus manually when I need to.

Apparently my Niger Seed is sought after by more than just the Goldfinches. As I can see in these pictures, the Juncos also like those seeds. Both species are so small that it is hard to tell the juveniles apart. Even though to us, it is still cold and rainy, I believe there are some newly hatched little birds around. I think that's is what I am seeing in my bid feeders this weekend.

Anyway, enjoy the photos and we'll all hope for more sun in the days to come!

Strawberries, Roses and Rain

Mostly what we've had this Spring is rain; lots and lots of rain. Everyone is tired of it at this point, and I am no exception. I've tried all the homilies like "Oh, this is what makes Oregon so green and beautiful" and "Well, the sun will be here eventually, it's early yet." But, damn, it's NOT early now and I want the sun!

So, today, for at least one day, THERE WAS SUN. I badly needed to not only mow the tall grass (or rent-a-goat), but I needed to clear out the refuse, old plants and bindweed that had grown over my vegetable garden area. I'm sure you've all had the experience of facing something so seemingly overwhelming that you almost can't begin. In not beginning this morning, I found that my strawberries had bloomed and made berries even without the sun. Apparently they failed to notice. And my roses as well seem to have been oblivious to the drab, gray weather. I was able to pick no fewer than nine beautiful strawberries (breakfast tomorrow!) and nearly every rose bush I have is either in bloom or bursting with buds.

Treat that it was to have berries and roses, I eventually faced the bindweed. I realized early on that my garden recycle container was no match for the volume of plant material I would dislodge. I went to Ace and bought those large bags that look like grocery bags on steroids. They are compostable and the yard waste truck will take them. They're HUGE! I filled five! Lifting them at the end of my day was challenging, but the garden area is almost ready for veggies. If I have any sun tomorrow I will till in the garden soil amendment. The tomatoes that have been patiently growing in my shop will finally have a permanent home. I'm already planning what else I want to grow.

Let's see, I want cucumbers, hot chili peppers, lettuce, tomatillos if I can find them and maybe some peas. I love fresh raw peas. So, it's cloudy again already, but even one day of sunshine has raised my hopes, once again, the Spring/Summer will eventually come.

Oak Tree Re-Visited [Again]

Wednesday night my Psych class ended early. I am always surprised when I leave class and it is still light. Sitting in a lecture for 2-3 hours usually makes me feel it will be dark when I leave. Though it was raining this evening, it was still daylight.

As I exited Broadway onto 405 and the Marquam Bridge, Mt Hood was framed by pink tinged clouds and sunlight. It is impossible to stop on this bridge, but Oh what a photo that would have been! That immediately put me into a "photo" mood. Portland is a beautiful city, and especially so in certain light and at night with all the bridges and city lights reflecting on the river. So many times I have wished there were places on the freeways to pull out and take pictures. Unfortunately, there are not. My photo collection, as well as the city, is poorer [in my opinion] for that loss.

Approaching home and Scappoose Bay I noticed that the moon was full. The clouds had mostly cleared. My first thought was to wonder if the full moon would be anywhere near "my" oak tree. Of course it was. I couldn't resist. I had my new point-and-shoot Canon camera with me. It is an SX20-IS and has more features than I have been able to learn in the few weeks I've owned it. I parked in the usual spot (the drive into the Bayview Cemetary) and ran to the barbed wire fence around the pasture where the Oak Tree grows. As I snapped pictures, the gentle and curious cows approached me. They are accustomed to the farmer dropping hay bales over the fence for them. I, of course, had nothing but a camera. They mooed and chewed their cuds at me while I took pictures and felt guilty that I had no hay to feed them. I apologized, saying "Sorry ladies, I have nothing for you" and went on my way.

The photos are so-so but the mood is good. I love this setting and the tree. The cows aren't bad either. I think this is just about my favorite spot to photograph.

The Oak Tree in Spring

Our Psych instructor lectured for two hours tonight and then let us go. It is Cinco de Mayo and I think she thought we all wanted to party..................or perhaps she did. At any rate, at 7:25pm we were free. Class is normally until 9:10pm so it was a surprise to see the daylight and also the sun!

As I drove home on Hwy 30, the clouds had parted leaving the sun to shine on freshly rain-washed trees and river. The light was beautiful and, as I drew closer to Scappoose Bay, I wondered what "my" oak tree would look like in this light. I dared not speed since there are many (and I do mean MANY) State Troupers out lately, but I was still rewarded with the oak tree set on a background of pink, light-drenched clouds. I wish I could climb over the barbed wire fence into the pasture. That would give a better view for photography. As it is, I must choose my spot carefully in order to avoid the telephone poles and wires that could spoil the picture. Still, I love this spot and the view it provides. All the cattle were at the other end of the pasture this evening. I was hoping for at least one grazing cow in the photo, but no such luck.

Early Spring in St. Helens

It's Spring! Whoopee, but it's still in the high 30s and low 40s at night and [maybe] in the 50s during the day. But, I know where I live and I'll take whatever sunshine I can get. I spoke with my son, Eric, today. [He lives in So Cal] He chose to rub it in that it was 70 degrees and he was in shorts, but then he had a cough and terrible cold; gosh, not accustomed some unexpected rain! Imagine that?

I worked outside today, after the requisite 4 hours of studying for Psych class, planting Spring flowers and pulling an appalling and amazing number of thistles from my back yard flower (?) gardens. I felt as if aliens had invaded my yard. I am accustoned to bindweed, but thistles!! Ugh! Tomorrow's weather report promises at least partly sunshine and 68 degrees. That would be wonderful and welcome. Mike is coming to help me with a [short] list of "honey-dos" that include a dripping kitchen faucet and measuring for some molding in my bedroom. I am hoping that we can just sit in the sun for a while and enjoy the day.

After working outside today I came back into the house and was happy to have banked my woodstove fire. By the evidence in the photo included here, so was Mellow, my orange cat. His mother, Cuddles, was fast asleep in my rocking chair when I snapped this picture. But the geraniums on the porch are unaware of the colder nights with the warm days. They are thriving and promise to bring color and cheer to the coming summer.

The seasons in Oregon are one of the greatest pleasure of living here. I really enjoy the changes in
colors and flowers. I look forward to every season for the uniqueness it brings to life.

The First Trilliums of The Year

We went for a walk this evening because the sun had come out for a few minutes. Mike wanted to look for Triliums. It's still a bit early, but we thought we might see the small, curled up stalks poking through the soil. As we had driven down the road several hours earlier, I had slowed to look for them in the usual places and had not seen any. So, beer and wine in hand, Riley and the two of us strolled down the lawn. The Star Magnolia is recovering from the bashing of fallen trees and is blooming beautifuly. There are some daffodils that the elk have not eaten. There are 5 and six foot baby hemlock trees growing from the top of the horizontal root of a large fallen hemlock tree. The root ball and stump have become a "nurse" log and will likely grow several new trees from what is left. As we walked a few feet further, we spied our first fully formed and blooming Trilium! It is pictured here. What a beauty. Further on, across the road, we saw four more Triliums in full bloom. This was the area that we had looked at four hours earlier and seen none. It is just amazing what just a few hours of sunshine will do.

On our walk we came upon a wheelbarrow that Mike had thrown some "sticks" into while cleaning up the area earlier in the week. Those "sticks" were growing! That is what is in the wheelbarrow pictured here. I swear, you could root a toothpick here and it would grow. Even the Salmon-berry bush was beginning to bloom. It has a lovely pink blossom and the plant is not anywhere near as obnoxious as a blackberry.

There are many areas that I hope to be able to work on and restore this summer. I wish I had more time to give this beautiful piece of property the attention it deserves. I love working in my tiny yard in St. Helens and in this large one as well. They are so different but both are very rewarding when they look good. One could make a career of this........which often seems very inviting.

A Great Invention

As a result of the many storms and high winds for the last three years, many, many trees
have fallen at the coast. There are huge fallen trees everywhere we look. It seems that
we barely get the debris from one storm collected when another episode of wind blows
through and fells another tree or two or three. It's very discouraging. Mike totally
dreads the wind these days and I can't blame him. I've helping drag branches and roll logs many weekends.

The [only] upside to these fallen trees is firewood. As we both heat our homes with a woodstove, we try to cut and split wood whenever we can. Using a chainsaw on a fallen tree is kind of like playing dice with rocks. One "nick" of the chain on a hidden rock under a log pretty much destroys the sharpness of the chainsaw. Mike has come up with an invention to raise even the largest of these fallen trees, even when working by himself. This tool is a large tripod of 6' 2x4s with a come-along suspended from a bolt thru the top. A steel cable attached to the come-along is wrapped around the girth of the tree. As the tree is raised, he simply places a short log or 6 x 6 under one end and then the other end. By placing this tripod in the center of the tree and sawing from first one end, then the other, he can use the chainsaw without risk of hitting the ground and a rock.

By the time I arrived to see this wonderful tool, Mike had sawn up over 6 large trees, including one that had fallen in a place where we had already removed two others last year. Of course, the trick is now to haul these rounds to the splitter, split them and stack them in the woodpile.

If wood is left stacked too long, some really beautiful things grow on them. The last photo here is a picture of the ends of some wood that was cut two winters ago and not yet split. These growths are quite hard and I've actually seen some "artwork" done on them that looks a lot like scrimshaw. I just like to look at them and take pictures. But they don't smell very good when they burn!

What a Difference A Day (or 48 hours) Makes

As I drive to work each morning I can't help but notice my surroundings. I used to think it was just because I was new(ish) to Oregon and was still dazzled by the beauty. But now I realize that I will probably always be dazzled by the beauty of this incredible state. I hope I never become jaded and "used to" seeing what I see. I will admit, however, that I no longer need to remind myself that I am not just on vacation, that I really do live here!

On the morning of Monday December 28th, as I started down Old Portland Road, I realized the sun was just rising. My next thought was of "my" oak tree on Scappoose Bay and that the sun would rise directly behind it of I were to be in just exactly the right place. I raced down the raod and pulled off near the Elk's Lodge on the old road into the cemetary and waited. At the right moment I went across to the edge of the pasture (where a few old Guernsey cows came to see what I had to offer) and snapped away with my small Canon camera. Looking at my photos later at the office I liked what I had done. I knew I would take a closer look soon.

On Tuesday December 29th, as the city left work for home, Portland was blindsided by a snow storm. We all spent hours (and hours and hours) on the clogged roads trying to get home. I was fortunate: I actually GOT home! The following morning (the 30th), driving to work and still thinking about the sunrise photos I had taken, I made the choice to again take Old Portland Road even though it hadn't been plowed. I wanted to see the Oak Tree in the snow. I again stopped and took just one photo-it was very, very cold-the difference is striking! These two photos were taken exactly 48 hours apart and yet they look like different seasons. This oak tree is most likely 200-300 years old and so beautifully formed! I just love to see it each day as I go to from work.