At Memaloose

Wow, is Memaloose Hills in peak bloom right now! The light was so pretty this morning, slightly hazy which softens the sunny spots a bit, and hardly anyone on the trail in the early morning too. I came midday earlier in the week with my daughter and it was so crowded we could barely squeeze into a parking spot along the road. The only downside on this picture perfect morning was that my camera battery died just after I took this shot, and I was still heading out at this point. It really caught me off guard, as though I forgot that there was even such a thing as a camera battery! I contemplated driving around for a while and charging it in the car, but I had lots more to do and I didn't think that hazy light would last much longer anyway. 

Netarts Bay

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go crabbing at Netarts Bay near Tillamook. The thing about crabbing is its dependent on the tides, and given the tidal conditions on this day I had to get up at 3:30 in the morning! At least that got us to Netarts before sunrise, so that gave me an opportunity to do a little photography while the traps got set. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in the uninspiring sunrise light (for the 3:30am effort!) but at least the water was calm, and it was nice to have some sunny weather on the boat.

Winter Lace

Just before sunrise at Netarts Bay near Tillamook, Oregon.  This was my first time out with my camera since before New Year's, and it felt good to get out.  I'll post more about this trip to Netarts in coming days. Today, I want to write about my dog, Clover.  If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that Clover has been my trusty companion on photo shoots. Well, her health began to fail just after the new year, and sadly we lost her this week.  She passed away peacefully, after twelve really great years with our family, and I'm sure going to miss her! If you don't know Clover, you can see her photo in the right-hand side bar (scroll a bit), and also in my top 10 shots of 2017.

Bashful

One of the dahlia varieties at Swan Island Dahlia Farm in Canby, Oregon.

Patchwork

View down the rows at the dahlia farm in Canby, Oregon.
Walking down the long aisle between rows
was so much fun...a seemingly never-ending variety of dahlias!

Footprints

Change of pace for today, something more abstract. 

This was from our first evening at the beach, walking to Face Rock just before sunset. 

The sun was so low in the sky that the light sand ripples looked like zebra stripes. 

I think the tracks are probably from a playful pup, maybe even my own dog Clover. 

Doorway to Cathedral Rock

Cool passageway through this rock, with a glimpse of the much larger rock outcropping called Cathedral Rock. My son found a web of tunnels and passages through Cathedral Rock and had fun mapping it out during low tide. So much to explore at this beach in Bandon, Oregon.

Tide Pools

It was a half mile walk down the beach from our hotel to Face Rock, and because the labyrinth drawing always coincides with low tide (and we were heading to the labyrinth), we got to see lots of interesting tide pools along the way.  The biggest tide pools form around the rock formations, but these little pools had such an interesting pattern and texture that I wanted to include them in a beach scene. 

Back to Bandon

Just returning, relaxed and refreshed, from a family vacation in Bandon, Oregon. 

Warning: at a photo a day, this could be a long series!

For starters, Friday's beach labyrinth washing away with the tide.

Paper Pulse

Hybrid Cottonwoods leafing out at a tree farm in Clatskanie.  

It's a six year cycle from seedling to paper pulp.  

Trees as a renewable resource are big business in the Pacific Northwest.

Harbinger

 Grass Widows (Olsynium douglasii) blooming on the bluffs overlooking the Columbia Gorge. 

Skyview

Drove through downpours the entire way into the gorge today.  We were dressed for the weather; rain boots, rain coats, camera cover.  But as often the case around Hood River, the weather changed.  Ah, sunshine!  I almost forgot what it felt like! (At least the rain boots came in handy!)

Linking to Weekend Reflections.

Year in Review 2016

 Some of my favorite photos from the blog in 2016.

Leaf and Sky Reflection

Winter in the Columbia Gorge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Falls Creek Reflection, Gifford Pinchot National Forest

 

Walla Walla Countryside

Sunrise at Sunset Beach, Astoria, Oregon

Animated Shack, Trout Lake, Washington

Panther Creek Falls, Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Lewis River, Battle Ground, Washington

High Tide, Bandon, Oregon

Mt. Hood Sunrise

Marina

Linking to Weekend Reflections.

Winter

 Blueberry field at noon.

As the Tide Comes In

Bandon, Oregon on the southern Oregon coast is known for its otherworldly rock formations and also its wonderful sand. I blogged yesterday about an early morning photo just before low tide. Today's photo is from later in the morning when the clouds were clearing out. The tide started coming in by mid morning, creating the great reflection I love so much on the wet Pacific Northwest sand. I was just starting to hone in on the photo I was looking for when I lost this good light. It's hard to get a good reflection when the sun is too high in the sky. Still, a fabulous morning on the coast! This water felt so refreshing. Wish I were still there!

Linking to Weekend Reflections.

Low Tide

Early morning in Bandon, Oregon.  

This was the view to the south, clouds finally starting to part, low tide, 

a peaceful morning, and a lovely day to walk along the shoreline 

for some beach-combing and photo-taking. 

Circles in the Sand

Here's the overhead view of the sand labyrinth in Bandon, Oregon that I blogged about yesterday.  When I got to the beach in Bandon early Friday morning I had to make the classic beach choice, walk to the right or the left.  I picked left because it was still very overcast early in the morning, and the light was better to the left (photographer criterion) even though the rocks did look more interesting to the right.  I think the labyrinth was probably under construction when I started my walk, because it would have been just before low tide.  And the labyrinth was, of course, to the right.  So it goes.  I would have loved to see the construction.  Still, it was really such a fun surprise to happen upon later in the morning when I made my way to this side of the beach.  One update I want to make from yesterday's post though.  I said that they create a labyrinth everyday, but that's not correct.  Sand conditions have to be right, and there might be other factors that determine dates as well, perhaps low tide timing.  So today, I'm including a link to the same website, but this time to the schedule page.  The next labyrinth constructions are scheduled for August 5th and 6th. 

 Labyrinth schedule

Beach Circles

In Bandon, Oregon, which is a truly magical stretch of coastline in southern Oregon, there's this guy who comes out to the beach everyday at low tide and draws a huge walkable labyrinth, different everyday. On the day of my visit, I was walking along the beach, enjoying the rocks and the waves, when I came upon a crowd of people all gathered in one place.  What a surprise to find this amazing labyrinth!  It takes 45 minutes for the artist to carve out the labyrinth path, and then he has volunteer beach "groomers" who use rakes to fill in the patterns.  Everyday the tide washes away his labyrinth, and the next day he creates another. I'll post an overhead view tomorrow.  If you're curious to see more though, here's a link to his website, Circles in the Sand. It includes some videos of the labyrinth constructions. 

Grass Widow

A change of scenery on the blog today...I signed up for a class this month called Wildflowers in the Columbia Gorge, and today was our first field trip to see what is blooming.  We visited Tom McCall Nature Preserve in Oregon.  Lots of flowers in bloom already.  I didn't know this one was called Grass Widow until I got home and consulted my field guide, because our instructor always refers to the flower by its scientific name.  Sisyrinchium douglassii, in case you were wondering!  It's the more common variation, and probably the flower that we saw the most.  Purple, blue, pink, or white.