Look down-- Leaves, wood chips, and some little friends popping up to say hello!

 

Coldwater Lake and Minnie Peak in the late afternoon...

 

Look up! (The Science and Learning Center on Coldwater Ridge)

 

A brooding Mt. St. Helens-- named in 1792 after Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st. Baron St. Helens of England, who never saw it.

 

Mt. Adams, bathed in sunlight! Coldwater peak on the left, Johnston Ridge on the lower right...

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Fall fishing...

 

There's no need to hurry. Take some time to see what's around you...

 

The sun lights the way and warms the journey...

 

Softly, like Debussy...

 

Turning maple leaves in and among the mossy fir trees.

 

Let's see what's around the bend...

 

Forest wonderland...

 

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There's a chill in the air down by the Toutle River...

 

Nature paints with light...

 

Just a little afternoon sun on the fallen leaves...

 

Celebrating Fall!

 

Cooler...

 

The beautiful path home...

 

Just a leaf getting an early start on Autumn...

 

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"Cheer up! Cheer up!" She says...

 

Surprise! There are still some little flowers in the forest near the wetlands!

 

I'm a tiger in the forest! Hear me roar!

 

Looking north at Minnie Peak.

 

Morning is breaking...

 

Speaking of dramatic light...

 

Dramatic light shines on Minnie Peak, and a hillside covered in fir trees near Mt. St. Helens...

 

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Sometimes it's good to just be quiet and think about things...

 

Forest light...

 

There are wonderful old barns on the wet side, too...

 

The foxgloves were in full bloom about 5 weeks ago, but I saved this for now-- We could all use a bit of beauty.

 

There may not be so many gigantic landscapes on the wet side of the mountains, but what we DO have is forests!

 

Practically everyone has seen a variation of this view--- looking east from a point close to the west end of the Columbia River Gorge. Vista House sits high atop Crown Point. It was completed in 1918 as a memorial to Oregon pioneers and as a rest stop for travelers on the on the winding historic Columbia River Highway. So many of my favorite subjects are on the east side (the dry side) of the mountains, but there are almost as many back home on the wet side.

 

East meets West--- This is where the dry side of the mountains meets the wet side as the Columbia River Gorge cuts through the Cascade Mountain Range. There are more trees, waterfalls, and clouds. And the change is quite noticeable, very quickly. Near the town of Hood River the wind is almost always blowing and windsurfers come from all over to take advantage. We are looking west in this shot. One last shot of the Gorge tomorrow...

 

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And one last look at the ranch in Tygh Valley... I spent a couple of great summers here in the late '50s, so I always try to get a picture or two if we're in the area.

 

One last look at the old yellow house near Dufur, Oregon...

 

Bye! We hope you'll come back to see us one day...

 

Rust, lichen. and moss at the center of things...

 

The thirsty grass huddles next to the stream...

 

One of my favorite subjects: Deer! The ones on the dry side have long ears!

 

One of my favorite subjects: More Autumn colors on the dry side. Note the Pine Trees. Native Pines are very rare on the wet side of the cascades, where we live. Evergreen conifers on the wet side are mostly Firs, Cedars, Hemlocks, and Spruce trees. Pines and Junipers prefer the drier climate.

 

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One of my favorite subjects: Fall colors on the dry side of the mountains. Fall tapestry!

 

One of my favorite subjects: The watergate! This valve controlled the flow of water from the White River into the very first hydroelectric powerplant in Oregon--over 110 years ago.

 

One of my favorite subjects: surprising inanimate objects! Gee mom, it followed me home! Can I keep it?

 

One of my favorite subjects: This structure is all that's left of a larger building in the ghost town of Friend, Oregon, and I have taken many pictures of it. I don't know what it was-- perhaps a vault. But it's all that's left. Mt. Hood towers to the west.

 

One of my favorite subjects--- what's inside old, abandoned buildings. More stories to tell...