clackamas river

7.31.2011

 

Those who read this know that Sunday is our family get-out-in-nature day.  I live for Sundays because it means time with my family and time in nature.  Husband and I used to go to the beach for a few hours or hiking trails in the Gorge in the middle of the week - before the boy was born.  When he was an infant we'd take him to Multnomah Falls, the Oregon Coast, and Eagle Creek.  But once he got bigger our favorite place to go was the Clackamas River.  He used to love to collect and throw rocks.  There were a couple of favorite spots we'd go and we decided last Sunday to return to one of them.  It was perfect.  We hoped to go to our favorite campground, Indian Henry, to walk the creek, but it was closed due to the heavy rains this spring and the possible danger of trees falling over.  

The Clackamas River was somewhere I'd never been before I met Husband.  If you've never been, definitely go - you will not be disappointed.  The river itself is an amazing color (also a big rafting/kayaking area), and the forest surrounding it is breathtaking.

on the blueberry farm

7.26.2011


 My husband's aunt lives on a Century Farm and grows blueberries.  We went Sunday to see her and how things are doing.  The blueberries look great, and she opened for picking this week.  There's still a few green ones, but most are juicy and dark.  I can't wait to go pick and bring some home.  As always, the farm was a wonderfully beautiful and very peaceful place to be.  Everything is in bloom and/or producing fruit.  Besides the blueberries, the massive grapevine was spilling over the arbor, the apple trees were loaded, and I spotted some figs on the fig tree.  My son swam in the pool that his father swam in as a kid with his siblings and cousins.  The sun shone on us bright and warm.  It's impossible not to feel the love for (and from) nature and history here. 

salem summer evening

7.20.2011




 Monday evening was beautiful.  These days of windows and doors open, our bare feet in the grass and hands in the dirt, are among the best of the year.  Soak it up - we'll need these memories in a few months to get us through winter.

walla walla to umatilla

7.19.2011



     I drove to Walla Walla last week, and driving home Sunday I got these few shots out the window of the rocky hills between Walla Walla and Umatilla. I never get tired of this drive.  The endlessly changing colors, light, and weather conditions are so beautiful. 

rhody lake in the santiam forest

7.11.2011


     We've been wanting to go back to the High Lakes area in the Santiam State Forest ever since we went last winter and couldn't get to the lakes because of snow.  So Sunday we set out for a day in the forest.  We drove for about 8 miles, I think, on this narrow gravel road that got narrower and rockier the further we went.  We did eventually come to Rhody Lake, but about a mile past that, only .5 miles from Butte Lakes, we met a big pile of snow on the road and couldn't get any further. 


     When we finally got out of the car, Thor drew his map in the dirt of the windy "eternal" road we took from our house to get to what he called "supernature." 


The beautiful Rhody Lake. 



      It's so annoying when your mom won't let you stand on the edge of a rock right next to a big drop off and waterfall. 


 The top of the waterfall. 


    One foot on a rock and one hand hanging onto a branch with camera in the other, I was able to get a few shots of the waterfall, but nothing that conveys how absolutely gorgeous or tall it was. 


 The boys and their salamander.



 Yup, snow. 




 Rhododendron like these were in bloom everywhere throughout the forest.


My favorite photo of the day.  My growing boy amidst the trees, discovering and enjoying nature.
by mlekoshi