Show Field

Some of the tulip varieties in the show field at the Holland America Bulb Farm 

in Woodland, Washington. 

Sunrise Oak

Beautiful oak tree along the edge of the marshy fields that run along the bend of the Columbia River. I came down to this area around sunrise looking for cranes. There were lots last week when Hazel and I were walking along the shoreline, but I couldn't find a one this morning. I guess they have probably moved on to their next stop to the north. Even though no cranes were sighted, it was a beautiful morning with a weak sunlight and low-slung fog hovering around in patches. The start of a pretty day.

In a Clearing

A little farm along the edge of the trail,

and a nice cheery red shed,

standing out in the fresh snow.

A Bright Snowy Day

On the trail in Brush Prairie. 

Calm, 31 degrees, and 2" of snow. 

Perfect for an early morning walk in the woods.

Enchanted Forest

Looking for Whales

Ostensibly we want to the coast for whale-watching.
I heard there was a huge whale migration passing by the coast this week, 20,000+
Yet somehow we ended up on the beach and not a high ground lookout spot.
So I did my usual thing. :)
I like to imagine there are a few whales breaching off in the distance behind the waves.

Happy New Year!

Swiss Cheese

Maybe it's because it's almost New Year's Eve, and we always make cheese fondue to celebrate, but these alder leaves reminded me a bit of Swiss cheese. It looks like they were tasty back in the day! And they have arranged themselves in such a nice grouping, probably to ride out the winter.

Winter Light

Coming back from our annual Christmas tree harvest outing in Gifford Pinchot last week. The light was so perfect all day. No time to photograph with the whole family along, but I got a quick pit stop along the Columbia on the way home, just before the sun set. 

Late November

Morning fog then sun, and lots of leaves still on the poplar or alder...not sure which. 

I'm really loving this month!

Lingering

Fall seems to be lasting extra long this year, mild and on the dry side, which is the forecast I heard. Something about a warm water "blob" in the Pacific Ocean. Of course oak trees are notorious for holding their leaves, but it's not just the oaks. Lots of leaves yet to drop! I think we will be raking in December. This pretty little grouping of Oregon oaks is in a park along the Washington side of the Columbia. 

On the Trail

 Hazel and I are finally venturing out a bit beyond our neighborhood.  She is still learning to walk on a leash, but she is much better about it when we are off the sidewalks and on a trail. Since trail-walking is my preference too, I'm alright with that for now. We have started doing my old walk with Clover, through a field and small woods not far from the house. As you walk through the edge of the wooded section, through some large fir trees, the lighting causes the leaves to glow like stained glass on the tree photographed here.  I photographed it once before with Clover, but didn't know what kind of tree it was. Since then we discovered hazelnuts growing on it. So this year I can report that these are Hazelnut leaves. Seems fitting. I can already see that sometimes Hazel is going to get that nickname, and I think it's a good one.

Fetch

Sorry to not have any fall photos to be posting, but this little pup is keeping me pretty busy these days! A milestone day today, she is three months old and weighing in at 12 lbs.  And she learned fetch, which was a lot of fun and wore her out quite well! I got to practice with continuous auto focus to try keeping her in focus while she was running...not a camera feature I normally bother with. I love her earnest expression, which is typical for her. Hoping to get out for a walk in the woods soon, so maybe I will have something else to post this week. 

Here She Is!

I've had several comments asking for a photo of Hazel.

She's grown a little bit since this was taken,

up from 4 lbs a few weeks ago to almost 8 lbs today.

I don't feel I've quite captured her personality yet...

she's a good bit more spunky than this photo suggests.

But I decided I had better post this one anyway because she will probably 

outgrow her puppy cuteness before I get that perfect portrait! 

Lazy Fall Day

I'm not hiking very far these days...

Sitting along the edge of the creek,

Watching the leaves fall,

While a tired little puppy naps at my feet. 

Hazel

Our puppy search is over! Our new family member, Hazel, is a German Australian Shepard mix. She's 10 weeks old and weighs 6 lbs right now. Yesterday she got her first taste of the beach with a short little walk along Cannon Beach.