
A little brightness on a cold, snowy, mostly cloudy day!


A little brightness on a cold, snowy, mostly cloudy day!

Looking northeast, toward a Bonneville Power Administration wind farm on the crest of the Columbia River Gorge.

July, 2016.
On this fascinating and beautiful drive, the terrain changes from dry grassy slopes in the photo above, to steppes hosting evergreen trees and shrubs.

Looking across the Columbia River to Washington, from Memaloose State Park, Oregon.
The Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Oregon. The delta is spanned by this 4.0670 mi (6.545 km) bridge to the Long Beach Peninsula.

Looking out toward the Pacific Ocean at Cape Disappointment, Ilwaco, WA.
The view from the banks of North Head Lighthouse.
Sometimes the weather this time of year in Vancouver, WA (USA) can be clear and pleasant in the daytime, while still getting below freezing at night. That’s been the pattern over the past week.
Though I wanted to get out in the yard to do some trimming, my schedule had been packed, so I considered it an unexpected pleasure that the weather remained nice on a day I could dedicate to my gardens!

As I tended my primroses, the sun lowered through the fir trees having warmed the air to 50 f (10 c).
Only one more day to enjoy this – rain starts again on Saturday, and snow is in the forecast for Monday!

Often on my trecks through forests and trails I see flora that is fascinating and I just have to take a picture to commemorate the life forms I’m seeing.


Like these colonies of toadstools nestled among ferns, moss and Bearberry.

And, the bright red foliage of Beach strawberries (Fragaria chiloensis) that grow along the upper edges of beaches in Washington and Oregon.

I love coming across a patch of blooming yellow sand verbena (Abronia latifolia), a perennial herb. Native to California, it is only found along the coasts of western North America.

“There are no straight lines in nature….” Antoni Gaudi

In my life I have faced curve-balls and crossroads, some have taken me to desired destinations, like higher education and my career. At times however, the path forward has proven confusing.

There have been twists and turns in these 70 years that have left me reeling – all knotted up – with no clear sense of what to do next. I have learned it is up to me to search within my tangles and listen to my inner guides and teachers for answers.

Through it all, I have sought the light and found myself upright and unfurling…

…able to bow with the pain inherent in being sentient, and strong enough to spiral out of depression.

Along the way, others have provided space and place for me to explore and unwind,

to find safe harbor…

to be me…

…here and now.

As Jello and I set out for our walk to the beach this morning, we startled a Black-tail deer that was grazing in the dune meadow in front of The Breakers.

While I snapped shots with my Panasonic and iPhone, Jello leaped into action!


The deer made an escape easily, and Jello had a grand time sniffing around in the meadow following its trail!