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Patterson Mountain Wildflowers

Despite a windy morning, Suzanne and I had a nice hike to the top of Patterson Mountain. The calendar says it is summer and yet the wildflowers still look like spring. I was surprised to see so many alliums in bloom. Some areas were carpeted with them. And still there are lots of bitterroot. In addition to wildflowers we saw a pair of Golden Eagles, a Lazuli Bunting and other birds. We are SO lucky to live here!

Bitterroot

 

Allium and a yellow buckwheat

 

A tiny daisy, maybe an aster?

 

Allium and its shadow

 

A hummingbird visits scarlet gillia to collect nectar with Mount Gardner in the background

One last post from the road (trip)

It’s time to move on. Not that the honeymoon is over, that’s for sure. But the road trip is. There is a lot to be said about enjoying life on the road and getting away from day to day tasks and worries. And there is a lot to be said about being home and enjoying one’s own bed and shower and waking up to familiar birds and devoted dogs. So here are a few more images from our trip to Oregon. All of these are from my phone.

Malheur’s vast water

One of the craters

On the road from Burns to Bend – 130 miles of Sagebrush and Juniper

Oh gosh, there’s the ocean!

The bridge at Newport

And another thing…………..

We liked the Rogue Brewery.

The trail to the beach through the rain forest.

Ken was like a kid at the aquarium.

I wonder if it’s still there?

At the beach. We considered doing all of our wedding photos in this style……..

We always ate well.

Watch out for tripping bikes.

That’s a good one.

Astoria

Over the bridge and into Washington again.

Klickitat oaks

Painted Turtle

This turtle was sunning itself at Patterson Lake last week. The weather has finally begun to be pleasant enough that the turtles are able to get some sun most days.

 

There is still one more post from the road trip waiting to go online. I hope to finish that today and go on with current work!

 

 

Post cards from the Oregon Coast

I’ve always loved going to the ocean but now I find that tempered a bit with the recurring images of the tsunami that rolled over the Japanese coast this spring. As I stood on the rocks and watched waves rushing in, I imagined what it would be like if they just kept coming and did not retreat. Most of the time I managed to subdue that image in my brain and enjoyed the waves and the sand and the rocks and the birds and tide pools.

 

 

 

Gooseneck Barnacles

 

Sea Anemones

 

Sea stars and mussels

Dungeness Crab shell

 

Strange colors in that deep dark spruce forest on the way to the beach

 

Waldport Green Bikes

 

Wreck of the Iredale

 

Fort Stevens near the mouth of the Columbia. That’s Washington across the way.

 

Ken got to ‘go fly a kite’

Another kind of kite flying that we did not try

 

Brown Pelicans

Caspian Terns – maybe some of those from the colony that collapsed due to pressure from eagles and gulls on Sand Island.

 

 

 

 

The Newport Aquarium

Once we left the interior of Oregon, we headed straight out to the coast and set up camp at Carl G. Washburn State Park between Newport and Florence. The weather wasn’t always nice and we spent one day at the Newport Aquarium. It was a great way to while away a rainy day full of fascinating animals displayed in large spaces with great viewing opportunties. Being near the end of the school year, there were many student groups out on field trips. They were having lots of fun and maybe learning something too.

 

Some of the displays surround the viewer with water all around. This is looking straight up.

 

 

 

These jellyfish – Sea Nettles – were my favorite.

 

 

Moon Jellies

 

Not all the species were water based.

 

Tufted Puffin

 

Common Murre

 

The seals and sea lions looked like they were having so much fun gliding through the water.