2017 Year in Review

My 'Top 10' personal favorites for 2017,

plus my usual New Year's blog resolution:

Get out more and take more photos in 2018!

1. Lucky Shot

My favorite of the year because it has so many interesting elements to it, and especially because the heron took flight just as I clicked the shutter release.  I'm not a patient photographer; this was shear luck, and made me very happy!

2. Origami

I obsessed over this old Witch Hazel tree once I stumbled upon it in bloom at a park near my house.  So much so that I bought one of my own (a much newer cultivar) and planted it in my front yard last spring.  I still plan to try to root a branch off this lovely old Japanese variety (Hamamelis japonica). So beautiful that it can bloom in the snow, and I'm currently on watch for when it will start blooming this winter.  

3. Some Snow

One of the beautiful Oregon Oak trees behind my house during our big snow storm last winter. 

I love the fractal patterns in all these branches. Why didn't I use this photo in my 2018 calendar? Maybe I thought it was too abstract? Today I'm really loving it, and I think I'll add it to the short list for 2019.

 

 4. Creekside

For a babbling brook in Gifford Pinchot, which is a pretty rugged place, this one was especially idyllic. And I love the butterscotchy shade of orange on the trees. 

 

5. Bandon Sunset 

I like how the light is filtering through the rocks.

Plus this one reminds me of my favorite vacation spot from 2017.

I think Bandon will be an annual trip for us!

 

6. The Bright Side 

The best shade of moss green I've found.  Electric, almost.

7. On the Horizon

I don't have a lot of opportunity to photograph Mt. Adams, so I was happy to find it in such a pretty vista (and happened to be in search of yellow flowers that day anyway). This was taken close to noon, which is not an ideal time to photograph, and there was a lot of glare, so I used a polarizer. I'm happy overall with how it came out given the harsh lighting I had to work with.

 

8. Good Girl

My favorite photo of Clover, taken during an early morning hike at Columbia Hills. She paused on a hilltop, just after sunrise, and made that great profile pose. She's so happy to keep me company on photo shoots, and proud to wait patiently as I photograph.  

 9.San Juan Island

 Our other vacation in 2017. I guess I like the composition of this one. And just that it captures the feel of the San Juans so well, from the extra blue light to the lighthouse, to the sailboat and kayaks in the distance. 

10. Field of Dreams

 This slightly windy abstract from Catherine Creek has such a dream like quality to it. And I absolutely love the shade of blue/purple on the Bachelor's Buttons!

Christmas Snow

What a great surprise! We actually got some snow over Christmas!

It started snowing Christmas Eve, and turned a bit icy overnight.  

Luckily we were all home safe and sound, and didn't need to be out driving.

Christmas morning Clover and I went for a walk along our usual route.

Here's my favorite view, frosted with an inch of snow.

Winter Palette

Nature never hurries, yet everything is accomplished. ~Lao Tzu

This quote showed up on my herbal tea tag this week and it seemed like a good reminder for me,

as I was rushing around finishing up Christmas gifts.

Today (even though I was hurrying), I finally got all the gifts in the mail!

And one frosty morning earlier this week, we almost had a beautiful sunrise.  

The sky had a little band of pink, nothing fabulous, 

but it reflected nicely in Salmon Creek.

Waterfall Season

It's that time of year when waterfalls start springing up everywhere.

This unnamed waterfall at the edge of Gifford Pinchot drains into Canyon Creek,

and originates south of Merwin, but we were so close to Merwin at this point

 that it doesn't seem possible for all this water to keep pouring over the edge.  

Where is it all coming from? 

Never ceases to amaze me.