Stubborn Old Bird

I dont normally post on the weekends, but I am waiting for my husband to wake up and thought, what the heck. I have a few weekend memes I never try, so I checked out my two Saturdays memes (PhotoHunt and Camera Critters) and opened up my archives. This old goose caught my eye. I remember when I took this photo a few years ago. He was just standing there, and didnt move as I inched in closer. His left leg was oddly stretched out. I was not concerned. When I was growing up my mom had geese and this pose is pretty common. I snapped the photo right before he turned around and glared at me for disturbing his meditation.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Muted Moon

With the thick cloud cover we had last week, it was lucky to get to see the moon at all. I missed the full moon, but did catch this one a few days later, peeking thru the thin part of the fog.



Happy Friday everyone!

Licorice Fern

When I was a kid growing up in Welches, in school they taught us a lot about the plants, trees and wildlife that were in the woods around us. I remember one particular lesson where they taught us about the many ferns that grow in the Mt Hood Forest ... Bracken, Sword, Maiden Hair, and this one, Licorice. The roots of this fern can be eaten and taste like black licorice, hence the name. Never something I really liked, since I detest black licorice. But interesting anyway!

Raging Salmon River

It is amazing to see the sheer power of water. This normally fairly calm river was flowing rapidly, and there was evidence behind where I am standing that it had flooded recently. The trail was washed out, a nearby bridge had been dislodged, and the plants and trees were heavily damaged. Looking at it from this view, its so beautiful tho!

Big Backyard Brings Me Back

I will be the first to admit I was very lucky when I was growing up. I was raised in the foothills of Mt Hood, in the Mt Hood National Forest. This tangle of forest was my backyard. I visit this area as often as possible to revitalize and find myself. The bold, natural colors, the sounds of the water, breeze and birds, and the damp, earthy smells bring me back instantly and remind me that I am proud of who I am and where I have come from.

A spot of red

My mom, my dog and I trekked up to the Mt Hood National Forest yesterday. It was not raining, but the forest was very wet and the air damp. It could not have been more green and refreshing. We hiked along the Old Salmon River Trail, just a few miles from where I grew up. As we were checking out the river, my mom spotted this cool red mushroom. Neither of us had seen one like it before. The water had flooded the trail area the past week, and the mushroom had the residual sand caught in it.