It's the light! It's always the light...

 

A different part of the dairy barn up the road from us-- The roof is gone, and some of the concrete blocks are splitting away. But the moss, mold, and blackberries call it home. This part doesn't get much sun.

 

The old and unused dairy barn up the road-- weathered wood, concrete blocks separating, and unused stuff lying around. But the ivy loves it, and whatever that is in front of the windows almost makes it look like there's a balcony.

 

Beautiful blossoms, happy bee!

Are you talking to me?

 

This is our favorite old snag--- near the wetlands. He looked like he was inspiring people for decades, but--- being dead and hollow, he fell over recently. So long, snag...

 

And of course, Mrs. Robin was there too!

 

The first Robin of Spring? Well, at least it's the first one I happened to see. I love Robins!

 

Back on the wet side of the mountains, the blossoms are popping out, and so are the bees! This one is very determined!

 

Still on the dry side of the mountains, next to the Columbia River. I love the way it looks in B&W, but the color scheme of the BNSF locomotives is so beautiful! Back to the wet side of the mountains for Springtime beauty next time.

 

The roof leaks---But once it was a fine home for good people.

 

This one was a nice surprise-- and it's still being used.

 

Hidden away by the hills around it, this sturdy old barn will probably last another 100 years.

 

And... This is the 8 Mile Schoolhouse near Dufur, in North-Central Oregon. It was built in 1904. The 8 Mile Cemetery is a short distance away and dates to 1887.

 

Unused, windows gone, but still standing proud, the Locust Grove Church is about 4 miles from Wasco in North-Central Oregon. It was built around 1900.

 

Another amazing old tree on the dry side of the mountains!

 

Nature's sculptures-- Dead trees next to the abandoned homestead. One is resting, the other still stands tall.

 

Looking in through one window in the abandoned homestead-- and out through another one to see a squirrel watching us from a fallen tree...

 

High in the Goodnoe Hills of Washington State, not far from the Columbia River, this old house is one of the few reminders that there used to be a small town here--with a school, and even a store/hotel.

 

No school today...

 

The White River Falls, near Tygh Valley, Oregon.

 

Eastern Oregon is a geologist's delight-- This is near the ghost town of Boyd. I don't know what the wooden structure is, but I like the look of it.

 

The old Nelson house, near Dufur, Oregon-- I'm so glad we got to see it before a wildfire burned it to the ground.

 

Young tree, old window...

 

Till the cows come home... More from the "dry side".

 

Rust, paint, and lots of history!

My Favorite Barn on Tygh Ridge in North Central Oregon...

 

Many people from around the world don't realize that the Pacific Northwest gets quite dry east of the Cascade Mountain Range. The eastern half of Oregon is largely high desert, and eastern Washington State is full of farms that require irrigation. We occasionally go to the "dry side," traveling along the Columbia River Gorge. Here is the first of a few October pictures from there. Tucked under some trees, here's an abandoned house that's seen better days...

 

Here's a sweet pair seen canoodling near the pond. She's a hybrid, a Mallard/domestic mix, and is adorable. He looks to be fully Mallard. Vive l'amour!

From another spot in the wetlands, in the late afternoon sky, a Great Blue Heron is showing his amazing 7 to 8-foot wingspan...

 

The water plants are beginning to show as March arrives in the wetlands.

Lucky dogs! Their owner takes them along much of the time, and he built this box so they can safely ride in the back of his truck, stay dry, and look out through the windows on the sides and the back. I've seen too many dogs fall out of the back of pickup trucks, and this is a great idea.

 

Winter, Summer, Spring, or Fall... In the deep evergreen forest, it's mostly just the light that changes.

 

Late February, and the camellias outside our living room window are beginning to pop! It's wonderful to see them!

 

Another window...

 

The light was just right, and the reflection in the old abandoned train station window seemed as if we were looking into another world...

 

A portrait through the barn doors of me taking a picture at the St. Francis Xavier Mission. (Thanks Laura!)

 

Shadows and ripples-- and a very colorful duck!

 

Snow---this is near the Elk Rock Viewpoint on the Spirit Lake Highway-- altitude about 4700 feet.

 

A mystical path...

 

We've had quite a bit of snow in the mountains in the past few days-- way overdue. Here's a shot, looking across the wetlands, and Silver Lake. Mt. St. Helens is peeking out of the clouds here and there...

 

I love the fact that we live as close as we do to the wetlands and the forest. This is the tree-lined part of the wetlands walk. It never gets old.

 

Old wood and old hardware, the old barn has moss growing on the windowsill.

 

Marvin and Millicent Mallard, enjoying the occasional sunbreak...

 

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.