This is a more everyday sort of post due to issues with my computer–but my forays into the woods are frequent, so I am sharing two most recent ones. The mountains above, in the background, are part of the Cascade Range. We see them in breaks between trees around our place on clear days and nights.
With no appreciable rain for three days, I took a risk and ventured out over the week-end. I had fully rested a chronically problematic knee for five days, but still am being careful. It all went fairly well. Saturday we went to a state park close to our city. Today I completed an hour’s walk up and down my neighborhood’s hilly wooded paths, albeit slowly– for me. We’ll start backwards, from today, then move on to the state park.
On Saturday, we headed out to Mary S. Young State Park. It has more deciduous trees–oaks and big leaf maples, “junky” alder that seems everywhere and I still can appreciate–than is usual in our bigger forests. (I enjoy coniferous trees a bit more.) So there is an open feeling to it that can feel disconcerting at first though lovely despite bare branches making trees seem more scrappy and thinned out. Ivy, though pretty, runs amuck in the Pacific NW; there was evidence that foresters and volunteers had been at work thinning some areas. Ubiquitous moss, a favorite, is so transformative of trees and rocks. I stop often to admire what it is up to.
The brilliant sky took my eyes upward; the air was crispy clear, making cheeks cold and bright. It was good to be out there, at last. We passed smiling people on the trails. The sense of relief and pleasure was plapable, and cavorting dogs at the off-leash dog park seemed to feel it, too. (The following photos are only a few due to iCloud glitches.)
Happy dogs greeted each other and played as they do, their owners also socializing. We sometimes miss a dog in our lives! We’ll be back soon since there are a number of flatter trails on 128 acres to traverse until my knee is very strong again. Then it’s back to more hills, perhaps moutainous slopes.
Tales for Life 
What lovely photos. I hear a lot about Portland’s (indeed the whole northwest’s) depressing rainy season, it’s good to see another reality! So, let me ask this: is the rainy season really so bad?
Paul, nice to hear from you. Thanks for the appreciation.
I am not one who dislikes the rain during our winter and spring season. Fr one thing, it is a more temperate climate–only a couple months does it dip under 45-50 degrees, and secondly, it is an intermittent rainfall. Of course, there are days when it rains nonstop, but the majority of times, there are many breaks; the sun evenc omes out. I find it generally easy to get an hour’s walk in between heavier or an anoying wind-driven light rain. Most often it is drier when I daily walk.
Where I live in Oregon there are about 5-6 months of varying sorts of rainfall, and this keeps everything lush and green. The coudiness doesn’t bother me. The remaining months are dry and sunshiney bright, and summers can get quite hot in the 90s, even 100 degrees, occasionally. But generally it is cooler or “San Diego warm” from April to late June. Rainfall begins in Portland area near late Octorber, early Nov.
and then it is winter, with remps dropping as far as 32 degrees but not often. We do get some snopw and ice but infrequently where I live at 800 ft above sea level.
Remember, coastal weather is different; the high desert is different; and different moutain ranges and many valleys differ–as well as from one another– to various degrees!
Is that enough os a weather commentary? 🙂 Ha. Love the Pacific NW. Such variety. Not just rain falling!
Beautifully composed photos and lovely portrait of you. I trust you knee was up to the hike
It is still feeling much better, thanks. Glad you enjoyed these woodsy pictures.The iCloud has withheld many lately…must use my camera more again!
How lovely to be relaxed in such a beautiful place
It is a gift–love the Pacific Northwest and fortunate to live in this part..Nature is a balm, and restores me heart, soul and body. (as we all know…:))