I don't hang around churches or graveyards much, but the St. Francis Xavier Church near Toledo is a lovely, peaceful spot I always enjoy. I've even seen a family of bald eagles in the trees there. A plaque says that the Cowlitz Mission, founded in 1838 was the first mission in the Pacific Northwest, and that the church was the first Catholic church in what later became the state of Washington. The present church building came much later, of course.

 

RIP Log Train

 We always enjoyed seeing the Weyerhaeuser log train, especially up in the hills.

The log trains were removed from service a few years back, but we caught the tail end of this one headed toward the steep grade down toward the mill.

But here's the exact same spot just a week ago.  The rails have been removed, and nature is reclaiming what belongs to her.  People seeing the right of way today have to use their imaginations.  RIP log train.

The coots are calm, and so is the pond in Toledo.

 

Castle Rock's wonderful Riverfront Trail, as the evening fog starts forming over the Cowlitz River...

 

A peaceful early evening moment along the Columbia River near Cathlamet.

 

Following the sun...

 

I love this fence!

 

A dark, wintry day at the wetlands...

 

The sun was gone-- This is just an outdoor light on the side of a house nearby. But it was the shapes and shadows that really surprised me when I first looked at the image with the computer!

 

This is one of two trunks from a large tree in a shady spot by the river. It's a great example of how things grow just about anyplace. There are two different kinds of moss growing out of the tree, and there are ferns galore growing out of the moss! All on the trunk of a tree!

 

The impossible sky! Thursday night's sky was lit up in a way we have never seen before in the 35 years we've lived in our little town. The whole sky was on fire!

 

The weather can add a lot of mystery to the mountains...

 

And the wheels go round and round... 130 year old farm equipment.

 

The tree knows. The tree knows we're there. I think it's glad we're there.

 

This road near Olequa was originally the first Northern Pacific right of way as the railroad built its route from Portland to Seattle. It, along with a bridge across the Cowlitz River, dates from 1871. A station was built in Olequa, but early travelers had to switch to stagecoaches there if they were headed north. There was a store and a hotel —and a surprising number of people living in the area —including a long-time Native American village near Olequa. The Northern Pacific moved its route later, including a new bridge. The old bridge was at the end of this road, where you can see a fallen branch. The flood of 1906 wiped out what was left of the original bridge, leaving only a single concrete pier. As for the town of Olequa, there's little to show that it ever existed.

 

Absolutely no AI, no additions or subtractions! This guy with the green hair was discovered peeking at us through the trees. It's completely natural, and downright scary!

 

The magical, hidden-away barn...

 

Winter means bare trees and shrubs? Not in this part of the world. A heavy batch of lichen and moss is a reminder of winter beauty!

 

"Hey, silly people! Go away, or we will sneer in your general direction!"

The light is different on a sunny day in the middle of Winter. It's not the same as Summer, but it can be beautiful! This is in the hills of Eastern Washington State.

 

Night is falling in the Columbia River Gorge as this train heads west.

 

Where did the time go...?

 

Barge traffic is surprisingly active on the Columbia River. Two of these four barges are for grain (wheat or barley). The one in the back on the far side is for petroleum products, and the other is loaded with containers. This array of four barges is being pushed by a tugboat with a high wheelhouse that allows the pilot to see over the barges. It's headed into the locks that will take the whole thing through The Dalles Dam.

 

The late-afternoon sunlight is perfect for just a few minutes at the wetlands-- peaceful beauty!

 

I think it's broken...

 

Late in the afternoon, a final beam of sunlight highlights a whisp of fog over Silver Lake, and highlights some Cormorants on a rock stretching their wings. I love to see them do that!

 

There's just something about trains at night, passing under lights...

 

The little house on the edge of the woods...

 

Sunshine up above, but cold temperatures and fog are keeping things a bit muted near the wetlands. But it's beautiful!

Here's a well-built, very sturdy little bridge on the dry side of the mountains, wide enough for one cow, and not more than five feet long. Nobody has used it for a decade or two, and nature has taken over. I think it's beautiful!

 

A gathering of the ladies... Elk ladies, that is.

 

Night train...

 

Amazing winter beauty right along the Westside Highway!

 

Even in the winter, there's still so much to love in the wetlands!

 

It's just a small farm in the Toledo Highlands.

 

Oh look! There's a bigger one coming in! Surfing the Northern Oregon coast in January? Year-round, it's the waves that matter.

 

Another ship-- this one headed to the Port of Longview, about 60 miles up the Columbia River. It will be loaded with logs for the Orient.

 

Out past the old wood pilings that are all that remain of Astoria's fish canneries, a ship is headed out to sea and faraway places with strange sounding names.

 

You keep going, and you hope that you will get to the other side.

 

When everything gets too crazy, too much to deal with, a walk on the beach usually makes things better.

 

Lots of rain for a couple of days has made the little roadside waterfalls sing!

 

It's like fire in the sky!

 

Marvin the Mallard found it easier to swim in the clouds rather than fly through them.

 

Wetlands magic!

 

I hope he finds his way home before it gets dark...