After the planning, the waiting, the prepping, and the packing, driving out to the Oregon coast from Portland is a dreamy transition. Then, Pacific City's wide empty beaches are all ours.
fall
Smoke in My Eyes
I had a blog post all ready to go, but it was full of blue sky and soft sea breezes, crashing waves and soaring pelicans. I just can't bring myself to post it amidst this unsettling, almost apocalyptic scenario laid out before me, with so much suffering, loss, discomfort, and confusion all around.
The Equinox Blues Turns Yellow and Red
It's one of those sparkly days between rains as the sun came out again (note to self: AS IT DOES) .... The mid-October gift of sunshine makes me feel like the Grinch as his heart grows three sizes bigger.
Equinox Part I
Usually my feelings about Fall here in the Pacific Northwest are more mixed; excited about cooler mornings, rain in the garden, digging out warm clothes while mourning the end of languid days, sleeveless shirts, warm skin, and thriving gardens. Instead, I was fighting inevitable change, a losing battle.
Train Tracks to Nowhere
An old railroad is given new life, and a reminder to mix life's sweetness with the challenges.
Taking the Gorgeous Long View
Hiking the Columbia Gorge is always a thrill, and finding a big rock to climb lets me to take the long view.
Bottom’s Up
Here's the thing about retirement. I look at the weather forecast, I look at the calendar, conclude that nothing can't be postponed, and look for a new place to explore. If it's hot I look for a shady hike, and if it's cold I look for one in the open. If it's been pouring I … Continue reading Bottom’s Up
Champoeg State Park
No matter where you look, no matter how urban, how run down, or how ugly, when fall is in its prime the red, orange, and yellow is everywhere, making anything look 100% better. And if you are in a gorgeous state park, as I was recently, then the beauty on top of beauty is sublime. … Continue reading Champoeg State Park
De-Constructing
Time to de-construct the garden, pull out the old, make way for new. Divergent feelings, mixed blessings, another cycle done, never to be repeated, at least not quite like the last one. The crops moved through their cycles, some more exuberantly than others, providing a fantastically green backdrop for our yard, a rich view from … Continue reading De-Constructing
Seasonal Straddling
Mid-September It's a bittersweet transition putting on my fleecy clothes in the mornings. There's relief in the early cool breeze coming through the windows but I already miss the summer heat. It's a greedy feeling, holding onto summer, wanting heat, enjoying the cool, wanting fall colors. If only, if only. The garden begins it's slow … Continue reading Seasonal Straddling
