Around each turn road signs point into the dense forest, beckoning toward hidden pleasures lying in wait: a thousand trails, over a hundred lakes, and a variety of landscapes and viewpoints beyond.
Hike
Natural Miracles
To walk with children is to slow down and see differently instead of the movie that plays in my head - you know, the thinking, projecting, dreaming, remembering, planning, spinning. Children are awake to the present moment, curious about things I no longer attend to or things I think I already know about....
Big Obsidian Flow
Mounds of lava pile up near Oregon's eastside rivers and roads, a bleak, barren sideshow alongside all the greenery. Standing in the midst of it is to be in another world, mind swept clean.
Flowery Friday
An afternoon hike led to a sweet estate garden out in the 'burbs.
Happy BirdDay
Some birthdays are passed in celebration, some with dread, and some like this last one, with just a nod and a shrug, acknowledging the passage of time. And another hike around Ridgefield Nature Preserve.
Drama
I thought the biggest drama of a trip would be the fact that I haven't taken an overnight trip in 19 months. But that part was easy. The drama came from all directions.
Effortlessly Into the Gorge
A gorgeous spring weekday, a visitor who's never seen Multnomah Falls or the Columbia Gorge, and his fancy Tesla to test drive. All ingredients for a fun afternoon on the road.
Wordless Wednesday
A second trip to Sauvie Island
Island Adventures
Bridges, birds, boats, beach, bouldering, blueberries, big open spaces, and beauty - Sauvie Island has something for everyone.
Sitka Sedge, A Cleansing
Sitka Sedge State Natural Area is described as "rarely visited" - just the ticket for a tired and anxious soul needing a clean breath of air.
