The secret little waterfall on Coal Creek...

 

Sharing today with Mersad's Through My Lens

Late June and a large part of July is when the wildflowers explode in the pastures and meadows -- and even next to the freeway.

 

This place seems quite mysterious to me--- I wonder what they do in there. That's Mt. Hood in the distance, by the way.

 

With buds peeking out, one wild rose is showing its beauty!

 

The old concrete block dairy barn looks quite modern in the evening light. The hay will be cut and baled soon. Turn, turn, turn.

 

A beautiful native succulent clings to the basalt cliff high above the Columbia River and the Ocean Beach Highway. Sedum Spathulifolium is its official name. I just call it Sedum. and I call it beautiful.

 

They can snap, but they don't bite!

 

I swear, he had a big pocket watch and kept saying, "I'm Late, I'm late!" And then he disappeared down the path.

 

Most of the water flowers in the Silver Lake Wetlands are Yellow Pond Lilies, but the White Water Lilies really light up the place when you can find them.

 

A perfect moment...

 

This Osprey is wondering who broke his tree... Ospreys are large birds of prey with a wingspan of 6 feet (1.8 meters).

 

Maples can be very impressive!

 

Oh, look! Flowers! I like flowers!

 

The little bandit is up in the tree again...

 

A few raindrops on Sunday--- But it was mostly cool and dry. This pasture is populated with about 15 cows these days.

 

Another bridge-- still no trolls.

 

Here we are under the bridge, and there's not a single troll around!

 

Hello!

 

Green and glorious wetlands!

 

She strikes a provocative pose...

 

Green perfection for a while longer--- Subtle summer shades coming soon!

 

Big clouds...

 

I see you! You meet the nicest people in the wetlands!

 

It really is good to live here...

 

A portrait of a lady!

 

Here's an odd group-- Mama Mallard Duck (Third from the right) and her 11 almost-as-big ducklings are accompanied by a domestic goose. A typical Mallard female only weighs about 2 pounds, while a domestic goose like this one can easily weigh 20 pounds! 10 times the Mallard! Maybe the goose is like a favorite aunt.

 

Hello! Welcome to my corner of the lake...

 

A wonderful old split-rail fence and dramatic trees with fresh green leaves make this a beautiful place to be...

 

For about two weeks each year, and if we're lucky, we get to see Grosbeaks! They're about the size of an American Robin, very colorful, and have large, finchlike beaks. There's one in the lower right corner of this picture. He seems to be looking at the old International Harvester tractor which someone has taken good care of over the decades.

 

A place where worries seem to fade away...