Wildflower peak bloom lasts just a few short weeks, but it packs a punch. It's a celebratory rising from the deep, a makeover for the mind, a shimmying of the heart, a sloughing and shaking off winter's mantle, no longer needed. Was it this beautiful in past years? Probably, but it's as if I'm seeing it for the first time.
Hike
Spring Healing
With the promise of one nice day in the whole week, our quandary is whether to work in the garden or get out and about. The garden is waking up, but the soil is still pretty cold for planting much. Still, there's plenty to be done, and much is of the backbreaking variety. But the wild woods call, and the garden will wait. Awe lies in store.
First Spring – Powell Butte
Out to Powell's Butte in "the numbers" to celebrate almost spring, first spring, fool's spring. Whichever it is, I'll take it!
Walking on Clouds
A change in the weather, a wetlands, birds and beasts and walking on clouds, as well as writing and writers, songwriting, and death. I think I covered it all...
Manzanita Beach
Alan's birthday is as good an excuse as any to gather family at the beach. We've been together forty odd years (both meanings, yes). It all worked out somehow, and here we are, with a family we love, in a new state we've learned to love, and a coastline we've loved since childhood. Now I've discovered my new favorite Oregon beach town. Manzanita is the perfect ratio of beach to town - seven broad miles of soft pale sand, flat and firm, and a short few blocks of town.
Cascade Head
I've been trying to write about our anniversary hike up Cascade Head for a week, trying to strike a balance between the joy of ascent, hard work, and achievement with pain, suffering, and aging. It was a beautiful hike and all's well that ends well, I just didn't like how hard the hike was on my body, and I waver between "suck it up" and "badassery" and "when did I get so oooold? It's made me rather grumpy I must say.
Getting Out the Door
As self-appointed nature guides and outdoor fun seekers with the grandkids, we recently drove out to a new nature park... Rosa was not thrilled." Good luck!" her mama called gaily, closing the front door firmly.
Jubilation
On the right day, which was this one, Cooper Mountain Nature Park is a jubilation of greens and blossoms, prairies, wetlands and woodlands. Layers of texture roll out before us; trees are still bare, or still flowering, or in nascent leafiness, or are evergreen. What a difference a few days makes, when we were just dodging hailstones and driving through hail and slush!
It’s A Brothel Out There
Spring colors have been vamping it up all over town. The gaudy celebratory technicolor blossoms bring unfettered joy. You can't not notice, no matter how grumpy or anxious you're feeling. Then I began noticing the backdrop of the quieter plants, the greenery, the natives. They're doing a happy dance of their own, their desire on parade, just not as flashy as the flowers...
Balancing Act at Tryon Creek
Tryon Creek State Natural Area is a place I go back to for the re-balancing of life's delight and anguish, the glory and the suffering. I find all that amongst the second-growth trees, native plants, birds, and a babbling creek, and most especially, among the spring trilliums.
Rivers and Roads PDX 