PAINT THE HOUSE

I finally started painting my house! My plan for hiking this weekend was thwarted by heavy rain so I decided to dive into the project of PAINT!

Getting started. Elmo is on standby.

Need me for anything?

All done! I really love it!

Off duty...

INDIAN HEAVEN BACKPACK

The Indian Heaven Wilderness is a great place for a fall hike. This year I wanted to do a backpack in there. I shared my idea with a few trusty backpacking friends and was pleased to have all of them along, wow!

WILL, MARY, LINDA, TOM, LIN, JUDE

The forecast was doubtful for part of the trip. It's hard to score a stellar forecast this time of year here but that's what I was hoping for. I wavered about whether to go. Instead, maybe just a day hike and dinner at a brew pub on the way home on the nicest day would be better. Yet, the forecast could go in a positive direction and I could miss out. Often the forecast is not correct this time of year. I decided to go despite all the work involved in getting my gear packed.

Hiking in on Saturday was indeed stellar. The fall colors against the blue sky was impressive. We found a suitable campsite and settled in for the evening. It was proving to be warmer than forecast as well. Happy hour and warm dinner...so far, so good. Oops, Will dropped he and Mary's dinner! Linda and Tom came to the rescue with their extra food.

I went to bed hoping the weather would turn positive for Sunday, meaning it would be opposite the forecast. At midnight an angry wind began blowing over the ridge and along the lake. The tent flapped constantly the rest of the night. I waited for rain, none yet. I waited for it to get really cold! It didn't. At 4am a small shower confirmed that rain was indeed part of the weather plan, dang! I slept restlessly most of the night with the wind and the flapping, rattling tent. At 7am another small shower. That's when I decided not to stay for the rain show and instead hike out and return to my warm and dry surroundings in Portland.

My friends were understanding. At 8am Lin and I were on the trail and thinking I should scurry back to the car in time to beat the rain coming. Instead I found myself immersed in a fog laden forest with golden, cranberry, and crimson hues, and so much quiet. The quiet was euphoric. I watched the low clouds swoop down into the valleys, roiling, roiling. I had hoped to spot a bear in the distance nibbling the many berries available. No luck. I did see lots of deer and possibly elk tracks on the trail. Coyote scat was abundant as well. I hiked slowly, very slowly.

The mental nourishment from the cold crisp air was dream like. There is a reason that "Heaven" is in the name of this wilderness. Though I felt bad about leaving my friends behind I also appreciated the opportunity to see the forest in two different weather situations and without the distractions of the many conversations I have with my friends. My brain was on retreat.

I got to the car and was chilled. The air was damp and heavy with moisture. I changed into warm and dry clothes and headed to Stevenson where a hot chocolate at a coffeehouse with character warmed my core. I thought of my friends all day and wondered how their day was going. I was warm and dry and I was also elevated to a place where only those who truly enjoy the wilderness can understand.

SCORE!

I learned about a custom setting for my camera that I can use when shooting action. I had a chance to practice with it this weekend at Ava's soccer game. I was pleased because I got many more shots in focus than ever before.

Here's a shot of Ava scoring the game winning goal! Sweet!

And another nice shot of Ava in the game. I have no idea why the font turned blue...???

Footwarmers ROCK!

It was the third year for the Green Lakes backpack trip. This year it was me, Jodi, Jane, Mary. Linda was in Yellowstone and not able to join us. We hiked to the same campsite, #11, but did a different day hike on day 2. The forecast called for cold nights, especially the first night. A friend suggested I take foot warmers. I grabbed two pair and tossed them in my pack.

Below is the view from campsite #11.

The forecast was accurate because it was COLD the first night, 38 degrees! The foot warmers made a huge difference and for awhile I was toasty all over. They had some heat left in the morning so I stuffed them inside my Crocs and my toes stayed comfy while I cooked my breakfast. The sun didn't ooze over the ridge at Broken Top to warm our campsite till 8 am. Without foot warmers I would have been miserable. Foot warmers ROCK!

We hiked to Park Meadow on day 2 and the views were grand. It was so nice to see Green Lakes from the other end. They are amazingly beautiful and it's no wonder the area is so popular. We hiked about 9 miles, had a great lunch spot with a view, and good conversation through the day. Jane took many photos with her new camera. Go Digital Jane!

The second night was cold but more tolerable at 46 degrees. I love those foot warmers. The stars packed the night sky and I took a moment to enjoy them when I got out of my tent for potty. Wow! A sliver of a moon completed the sky picture.

It was blue skies, grand views, few bugs, lots of laughter, and super cool friends! Below is a photo of me, Mary, Jane, Jodi.

WALLOWAS

The Wallowa National Forest is in eastern Oregon and nearly a six hour drive from Portland. Since it's not easy to get to I've not been there in several years. There's awesome backcountry there and good day hiking, too.

The plan was for five nights camping, three day hikes, and browsing the artsy town of Joseph. The day hike along Hurricane Creek was nice though the flowers were done. Without flowers there were no bugs either. Below is a shot of Slick Rock Gorge.

The day hike to Maxwell Lake was cancelled. The sprinkles that began as we headed out of the campground turned to a steady, cold rain at the trailhead. The sky was gray and the clouds were covering the tops of the trees, no chance for clearing anytime soon. We drove to Joseph and rented a room. We had found our camping experience at the state park campground to be less than comfortable and the cold rain sealed the deal to get a room and decide what to do the next day.

Dinner at a local pub and the best microbrew I've ever had (ESG for 'Extra Special Good' from a local brewery) and a few videos helped to ease the disappointment I had for not being able to do the hiking I had looked forward to for weeks. My severely leaky tent didn't help.

The next day the mountains were snow capped and the rain had stopped for awhile. The sky was partly cloudy and the air had a bit of a chill. I decided not to hike since there was snow up there and a bank of gray clouds in the distance led me to believe the weather wasn't done changing everyone's summer plans. I returned to Portland hoping to do some hiking on my additional days off. Yikes, rain in Portland, too. Where has summer gone??

WINDY RIDGE TO LOOWIT FALLS

I finally made it to the Windy Ridge area of Mt St Helens. I found a Forest Service campground that looked good, inquired with a reliable friend and he had no info, so I went for it to see if it's a good place to camp and explore that area of the mountain.

I arrived on Friday early afternoon and found that all but three of the 98 sites were already reserved. My internet research didn't indicate a reservation was needed, yikes. A nice site was chosen of the three and that was home for the weekend. The campground is heavily forested with a tall canopy that proved advantageous as we are having a short heat wave right now. The campsite stayed shaded the entire day, very nice!

On Saturday we hiked the Windy Ridge trail to Loowit Falls. There isn't a fragment of shade anywhere, not the parking area, not the trail, nowhere. It was warm and very sunny and yes, windy. In fact, it was quite windy. If not for the wind the total exposure all day to the hot sun may have made the day less enjoyable.

The views were expansive and vast. Mt St Helens was closer than ever. Everywhere I turned I saw earthtones and a harsh and barren landscape. But don't think that harsh and barren is bad, it's not. The landscape is gorgeous. The view of Spirit Lake is beyond description. Mt Rainier and Mt Adams follow you the entire route to Loowit Falls.

Neither Spirit Lake or Loowit Falls existed before the eruption 30 years ago. I'm intrigued by the beauty that nature creates so readily. This volcano is active and it's not far from my mind as I hike it's terrain and I smell the subtle sulfur in the wind. I know this mountain caused massive destruction when it erupted yet the changes in the landscape are remarkable. I feel privileged to be on this mountain and so close to all its mysteries.

After reaching Loowit Falls, having lunch, and more sunscreen we returned the way we came. There's something about out and back routes that allow you to see everything you saw from a completely different vantage point. The views are never tiring and the path is gradual though dusty with pumice the consistency of sand.

My cooler provided a cold drink and my feet were eager to hang out in my sandals. The drive back to camp was only 30 mins and dinner was soon after. A highlight was seeing the meteor shower at 3am from my beach chair in the road in the campground. Three swifts meteors delighted me before I returned to my slumber.

YAY, HEATHER!

Heather is officially graduated!

Here are a few shots from today. Graduation was smooth for everyone. I was impressed with how efficient the ceremony was. There were 360+ graduates and I was prepared to be there a long time. It was done in 1 hr 20 mins, wow! The low light in the arena was a challenge for me. I got a few good ones for Heather's book and I'm glad.

GRADUATION PARTY

The house is full of graduation day energy. Today is the big day for Heather. She's ready. She has lots of plans after today, all fun. She's enjoying her best friend from Chicago, Brianna, her grandparents, and me of course.

The party was Saturday. I couldn't help but notice the love all around. Heather has an enormous amount of support not only from her family but friends and neighbors, too. She will go into the next phase of her young life with a solid foundation. I believe this is the formula for her to succeed in whatever path she chooses.

I watched her interact with everyone at the party. She's mature, witty, and welcoming. She was having fun and enjoying HER day. That's the way it should be, don't ya think? Everyone had a good time, a good party indeed. I took 182 photos and had a blast trying to capture the day on video and memory card. Stay tuned for the full assortment on Shutterfly.

Heather arranges the webcam just right so Grandma Noanie and Grandpa can be part of the festivities from Ohio. How cool is Skype??

Here's Heather with Grandpa Ralph and Grammy Linda. Personally, I'm enjoying having time with Ralph and Linda, too.

Later today we trek to a large coliseum for the graduation ceremony. Before that I hope to get some pics of hair curling event. The girls were practicing with the special curling iron last night.

I forgot my bandana. A bandana, you ask? Yes, a bandana. I believe that's what I'll need as I watch her walk the aisle in her purple and silver with that beautiful smile on her face knowing she has accomplished much more than a paper diploma. It's a proud day for me, too. I'm grateful beyond words that I'm here to celebrate with her. Congratulations, Heather!

CHASING THE BEE

I went over to Bishop's Close to see if the poppies were in bloom. Yep, they were. I played around for awhile and was enjoying a long awaited warm and sunny day here in Portland. As I was walking to my car I stopped at an iris garden and was watching the bees slide in between the petals, scoop up their nectar, and back themselves out before moving to another flower. I chased one and took a few shots. Though it's not a money shot it's fun to capture the activity. It's good to see bees, they've had a bad time with colony collapse the last few years.

AVA'S TRACK MEET

I've mentioned how much I like my new lens. It's fun, it really is. I took it to Ava's track meet last weekend. I've never shot at a track meet before and was undaunted till I got there a saw a flurry of kids and where the heck was Ava?? I made a call to Jodi thinking she was in the stands and knew where she was. Jodi wasn't there yet, ugh. Lanelle wasn't there yet either. I scanned and scanned and finally spotted her in a LONG line at the long jump. I hung out for several minutes as the line slowly moved. Ava noticed me and peeked around the girls in front of her and gave me a wave. Here's my favorite shot from the long jump.

So, then she disappeared amongst all the runners. Once again I scanned the field of kids for several minutes till I found her. Her next event was the 200 meters. Ava told me where she'd be starting and I got into position. Well, I wasn't in a good position and I found it really hard to shoot her as she ran. There were parents and students wandering all over. There were coaches in strategic places along the track. Ava's fast and before I knew it I had rattled off a few shots and hoped for the best.

I didn't get very much that I was happy with and it's clear I need some coaching on how to shoot at a track meet. It's definitely not like soccer, basketball, or lacrosse.

ELMO AT OCEANSIDE

I'm jazzed about my new lens! I had fun last weekend getting some shots of Elmo at Oceanside at the coast. He looks happy, don't ya think?? He's not off leash, no way! I took his leash out of the photo with my editing program. That was labor intensive, for sure, but I like how he looks without it.

Here are two of my favorite images from our beach play!

BISHOP'S CLOSE

There's a private garden here that's close enough for me to visit periodically and follow the spring bloom. I went there last weekend with a friend. The bloom is beginning and there's more to come in the next few weeks. I'm pretty excited about it.

I played around for awhile and then to my dismay I slipped on stone steps that were covered in pea gravel and went down. Ouch, my foot was hurt. I tried to walk it off but couldn't. I had to call it a day at that point and head home. Below is my boo boo foot...

SUNNY SUNRIVER, OREGON

The sun shines in central Oregon most of the time. I scored great weather a few weekends back when I spent a long weekend in Sunriver with a good friend. Though I hadn't been up for snowshoeing all season at Mt Hood I was eager to get to the snow in central Oregon. The trails are so much nicer there and I can't seem to get enough. I was inspired to do more but hiking is just on the horizon so my snowshoes will have to wait till next year.

Elmo had his own lookout into the woods outside the living room window. He was very patiently waiting for his chipmunk friends, all of whom are sleeping for the winter...

SEB'S GAME

I was only able to get to one of Seb's basketball games this season. He's improved as a player. How fun to see him play with more confidence and skill. I rented a fancy lens to take action photos of him. I shot 450 images, just shooting like crazy hoping I wouldn't miss a single good moment. I am now the proud owner of that fancy lens and look forward to many more games. Here are three of my favorite images from that day.

Seb's right handed but dribbles with his left alot...and does it well!!

LEFTY

One day I walked past an office in our clinic and was intrigued by the interesting shapes and colors coming from Lefty's fishbowl. I had a few minutes to squander so I got my point and shoot and began playing with the macro setting.

COMMUTE

On many mornings on my drive to work the sun has given quite a show as it emerges above the horizon. I've taken numerous photos while driving and hope to make a photo book. Here's a sampling of the morning show. These shows have made it worth dragging myself out of bed before early light to go to work.

I LOVE MY NEW FIREPLACE

Sooo, Elmo has discovered how nice it is to lounge in front of the fireplace!

GOOD SPORT

Well, the Ducks couldn't pull it off to beat the Buckeyes so Seb has to wear a Buckeye shirt to school on Monday. He's a good sport. He let me get this picture of us for my blog even though he has officially sworn off wearing any red...till Monday, that is. I let him wear his Ducks cap and if you look closely you'll see he's wearing his favorite Ducks jersey under that 'red'. It was a fun bet and we both agreed that next year will be grand for the Ducks. Meanwhile, it's roses for the Buckeyes and a fun win for a born and bred Ohioan.