June, so far…Three hikes, watching the tomatoes grow, pulling weeds, checking off the medical and dental appointments, some home maintenance, and getting ready for travel. Then off we went to Iceland for three weeks… (See next post)
Some views from the tram plaza at OHSU:
Knitting – I’m making slow but pleasant progress on my Garter Mesh scarf, using the Linello yarn I bought in Innsbruck last summer. I enjoy watching the rainbow unfurl as I go. And I’ve got the second sock of a pair ready for airplane knitting.
Knitting in progress…
I started knitting an Emotional Support Chicken, using leftover sock yarn. So fun! This one really calls to me, even though I have other things to work on.
Garden – The tomatoes, basil, and flowers are growing – I have foiled the snails and squirrels so far. I’m hoping for an overgrown profusion of flowers and tomatoes when we return.
Tomatoes, basil and marigolds
Snapdragons, zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, and pentstemon.
Delphinium in the neighborhood
Hikes –
June 6 – Saddle Mountain, OR – We love this hike, though it seems steeper each year. The yellow monkey flowers were particularly bright this year, and I found the first of the Lewisia columbiana, just starting to bloom. All the Cascade Mountain peaks were out today.
Saddle Mountain from the trailhead, and a meadow of candy flowers
Monkey flowers along the trail
Topknot Rock
Meadows, approaching the penultimate high point.
But we still have to go down the saddle and then up to the summit; fortunately, the wildflowers pull me up.
Mts Rainier, St Helens and Adams from the top
Panorama – west to north – Pacific Ocean, Astoria
Panorama – north to east – The High Cascades: Mts Rainier, St Helens, Adams, Hood and even Jefferson in the haze south of the lower summit.
Some of the flowers:
June 11 – Salmon Creek Greenway Trail and Klineline Pond, WA – One day our appointments were near Salmon Creek in southwest Washington, and we had some extra time for a walk here. It was okay – a bit too hot to walk very far on this unshaded trail, and far enough into the summer that things were getting a little weedy and dry – not a wilderness experience, but a valuable resource for locals – a swimming and fishing pond, a bike path along the creek, and nearby sports fields. We could hear lots of birds in the trees.
Bridge over Salmon Creek
Salmon Creek from the bridge
Klineline Pond
Another pond along the greenway
June 19 – Lookout Mountain, Oregon – Somehow we got the idea that this hike was accessible, and the trailhead (6000 feet) is, but half a mile and 400 more elevation feet up the trail, and it was all snow. We weren’t really equipped for that, so we spent a little time looking at the abundant shooting stars, marsh marigolds and buttercups in the High Prairie Trailhead meadow.
High Prairie Trailhead
400 feet higher – the trail disappeared under snow.
High Prairie Meadow, Mt St Helens beyond
Shooting stars and buttercups
Marsh Marigolds
On our return drive, we took a short walk on the Cook Meadows side trail that we explored last summer in July when it was bursting full of wildflowers. We saw just the beginnings of the bloom there.
Cook Meadows view of Mt Hood, June 2024
Same view, July 2023, with scarlet gillia
Some of the flowers we saw today:
The first of the season King/Coho salmon was available from a native fish market in Hood River, making our trip worthwhile, even if our hike was abbreviated.
And of course, Happy Solstice and Happy Pride Month!
Next stop, Iceland!
Margaret Quilts 