Wetlands Fireworks

Sunset Surfing

Magic Castles

Seaside's hotels in the late afternoon light

Watching

Shining

Surfing Above The Waves

At The Ballet Redux

This young woman kept running, dancing like a ballerina, out to the incoming waves.  She was wearing a dress, and was amazing to watch.  The dog, not so much.

Ship Watching

 

Epic Architecture

The Last Flower

This was the last survivor on this high desert plant.  Earlier it would have been covered with these yellow flowers, each about the size of a thumbtack.

Just a Few High Desert Pines

 Open land, open sky, and a closed gate...

The Little Schoolhouse On Tygh Ridge

A Bend In The River

 Roads, rails--- the earliest was more than a hundred years ago!

Falling...

 ...in very slow motion

All That's Left

I don't know if this had been a vault, a root cellar, or some other place to keep things safe---but it's all that's left of a structure that used to be in what was once called Friend, Oregon. 

Clown School

Happy Halloween

 

Happy Halloween

All Alone

High Desert Color

Looking At The Past

An active farm community--100 years ago.

Notice the giant wind turbines on the far hills.

A Bit Scary...

...but still beautiful in its way.

Sentinels

Hello?

Stormy Sky In The High Desert

     We encountered many different and beautiful skies on last week's trip to the Dry Side.

LONG!

Look very closely along the river

for a mile-long BNSF coal train.

Just Tall... That's All!



Train...

A mile-long BNSF oil train, passing by Horsethief Lake on the Washington side of the Columbia River.  

...(sigh)

He still wants to be out on the road...

Let's Go!

Suddenly, The Sunshine!

Long Unused

...but still standing, a haven for owls and magpies

What's Around The Bend...

Celebrating our 33rd anniversary yesterday with another day of discovery!

Big Buzz

This bumblebee is the largest I've ever seen!  At least the size of an American Half Dollar--tip to tip.  We found him on Tygh Ridge Just south of the Columbia River.  He was so non-threatening, I almost wanted to pet him.  Almost.

On The Way

Horsetail Falls

Intense

At The Ballet

Secret

Take A Walk

Surprise!

This little lake was a total surprise.  A peaceful spot with only some Golden Eye Ducks causing any movement at all.

Fast Freight and Fall Color

100 Years Ago

100 years ago this road was the Great Northern Railroad right of way.  Straight ahead, where the road ends, a bridge crossed the Cowlitz River.  Only the abutments remain.   A small town, Olequa, grew up around this spot, but gradually vanished after the railroad changed its route.  Today, Old Olequa Crossing is just a short road with farms and cattle--and beautiful trees.

Warm And Dry

...but not for long.  

The snow will be back on Mt. St. Helens by the end of the month.

Bold

From the end of the Coldwater Lake Walkway, looking up to the beautiful Coldwater Ridge Observatory--A wonderful way to spend a fall morning near Mt. St. Helens!

Even If You Don't Like His Face...

...you have to love his wings!

This dragonfly, about half the size of the ones we usually see, posed for me for quite a while.  Occasionally he'd fly away--only to return to the same spot in a few moments.

Astoria, In The Late Afternoon

A Sun-Dappled Path

There's not a lot of Autumn color in this part of the Seaquest Park forest yet.