San Francisco Interlude

April 17, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

April 11-14, 2019

We flew from rainy Portland to sunny San Francisco, with no views until we emerged from the clouds just in time to see the cliffs of Marin County, the Golden Gate Bridge, and all of San Francisco beneath us.

Marin Headlands

Golden Gate Bridge!

The City

Financial District and Bay Bridge

The wide view as we circle to the south

South Bay wetlands

Foster City

We lived, studied and worked in San Francisco and surrounds from the mid-70’s to mid-80’s, but I have not been back for more than ten years. We were there for a 35th Reunion for my husband. Activities were set in the Embarcadero/Financial District, so we spent most of our time there. We walked a lot (16 miles!), talked a lot, and had some delicious food. A very pleasant, if exhausting weekend.

We rode BART from the airport, mostly underground, but above ground long enough to see the ‘Little Boxes’ near Daly City.

My first view of downtown, emerging into sunshine from the underground Embarcadero BART Station onto Market Street, was of the Ferry Building, while a street busker was singing Hallelujah.

That evening we took the Muni Metro to The Castro to meet a friend for dinner at Tara Indian.

Queen Anne Houses along Market Street

Intersection of Market and Castro

One of the old-style street cars

Looking down Castro Street

Friday we walked to the Ferry Building,

The Ferry Building

along the Embarcadero,

Treasure Island, Bay Bridge, arriving ferry

Coit Tower to the north

The new Salesforce Tower on the skyline

Cherry Blossoms across the way.

Pier 7

Crossing lattice

Transamerica Pyramid beyond the bookstore

then up Broadway to City Lights Books,

then back to the Ferry Building.

Walton Square

101 California Building

Cherry blossoms

Ferry Building, with moon and palm trees!

After dinner at Osha Thai on the Embarcadero, we walked down to see the lights on the Bay Bridge.

Bay Bridge, daytime

Bay Bridge, night

Ferry Building, night

Saturday we visited the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building, then walked up to Chinatown.

Cable Cars

Farmer’s Market

Chinatown Gate

Chinatown

The Ferry Building through the gap

Transamerica Pyramid

In the evening we attended the main reunion event in the Hyatt Regency. The Atrium is an amazing indoor space that brought to mind the Ministry of Magic. Lighted elevator capsules slide up and down, sharply angled walls are juxtaposed with an organic sculpture in the foreground.

elevators

reflected patterns

carpet

seating areas

tile pattern used throughout the Embarcadero District

shadows, light, curves, angles

Sunday, we attended a brunch in a friend’s home near the Presidio before heading to the airport. One last look at Mt Diablo and the North Bay, then we were above clouds until the Columbia River and Portland.

Mt Diablo

North Bay – Carquinez and Benecia Bridges

Columbia River

I have many fond memories of places that did not fit our schedule on this brief trip, especially Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, the beach areas. I am from California, and of California. Being in California feels like going home though it has not been my home for a very long time. I hope to visit again soon!

Knitting

I managed to turn the heel on the second sock while flying home.

Garden

And our crab apple tree is finally in bloom!

Spring Break 2019 – Knitting and Cherry Blossoms

April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Knitting – Frost Slippers

I crocheted the steeks,

and cut,

and cut again.

I have basted the edges, and blocked.

Frost Slippers – uppers and soles, blocked.

Next I will sew soles to uppers, then add cuffs. There is a lot of finishing work in these slippers, but so far I am intrigued enough by the process to keep going!

Lyle Cherry Orchard, WA 3/29/2019

A beautiful day to hike up the cliffs above the Columbia River with friends, and try the new trail switchbacks. There are a few old cherry trees along the uppermost cliff loop that were not in bloom today, but we saw many wildflowers, including some balsamroot. (Hike #14, 5.6 miles, 1500 feet)

We are headed to the top of the cliffs…

The second bench

River cruise below…

One of the vernal ponds along the upper trail

View to the east from the Cherry Orchard

And to the west

One of the new switchback legs – nowhere near as steep or cliffy as the former trail.

Plenty of new flowers along the way:

The first blooming balsamroot of spring!

Budding balsamroot

prairie star

miner’s lettuce

filaree

ballhead waterleaf

fading grass widows

manroot

Yellow bells

Columbia desert parsley

Oaks toothwort

buttercup

salt and pepper

slender phlox

glacier lily

Yellow parsley and gold stars

Neighborhood flowers…

Lots in bloom these days,

euphorbia

rhodies

cherries

tulips

windflowers and violets

including poetry:

Portland Cherry Blossoms – Sunday, March 31

The waterfront on a sunny day with cherry trees in bloom. Today is a day for embracing the crowds.

We decided to walk up onto the Steel Bridge to look down on the waterfront.

Views from the Bridge:

I love the railing shadows.

Wandering around amongst the trees and crowds:

A maple tree budding out, with bugs!

White Stag and Old Town Water Tower behind the trees.

View of the eastside of the Willamette River.

And a little Portland weirdness, because it is always here.

Group-peddled brew cycle.

Spring Flowers, Coyote Wall and Portland

March 25, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Coyote Wall, WA, Thursday, March 21, 2019

Up the Little Maui trail, more up on the Old Ranch Road and Coyote Wall trails, then, down the Little Moab trail, with the early flower suite just opening…(Hike #13, 4 miles, 1100 feet)

Hiking up the waterfalls of the Little Maui trail:

Gold stars and Salt and Pepper (biscuit root) sprinkled across the landscape.

Long banked switchbacks to aid the cyclists

Lunch stop

Columbia Desert Parsley guiding the way

Looking up to our cliff-edge destination along Coyote Wall from Old Ranch Road:

Views from the cliff:

First look.

We go a little higher

Looking back toward Oregon; Mt Hood a faint wisp on the horizon.

Our highest viewpoint for the day.

Starting down – looking east toward the Columbia Hills and Tom McCall Point.

The flowers:

Grass widows

Gold and Prairie stars, Spring whitlow-grass

Spring whitlow-grass, my pinky for scale

Swales of gold stars and whitlow-grass

Yellow pungent desert parsley

Columbia desert parsley

Salt and pepper, and grass widows all the way down the slope.

Knitting

Learning the increases and decreases that make brioche knitting look so magical…with a lifeline!

Vintage Prim Hat, pattern by Andrea Mowry.

Garden – the first tulip! and Star Magnolias!

Better late….flowers are opening in the neighborhood:

Our first tulip

star magnolias

I don’t remember the name of these.

Late Early Flowers at Catherine Creek, WA, with Robins

March 21, 2019March 21, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

March 14, 2019 Bitterroot Trail to Rowland Wall

We hiked a Catherine Creek loop, up past the vernal ponds along the Bitterroot Trail, then down Rowland Wall. (Hike#12, 3 miles, 1000 feet)

Fairy ponds

View to the east from the Bitterroot Trail

The Arch

We saw the first wildflowers just beginning to bloom.

grass widow

saxifrage

salt and pepper

bitterroot foliage

gold star

yellow parsley

flowering outcrop

On the upper grassy slopes we noticed robins hopping in the grass all around us.

There are probably a dozen robins bobbing and hopping in this view, though they are hard to photograph as they don’t stay still for long.

Here is one…

And another one in the snow.

The snow level was about 1000 feet, and we could see extensive snow covered landscape in every direction, though it is melting out.

Still looks very snowy out in the high desert

The orchards of Mosier, and Mt Hood

Rowland Wall, Rowland Lake, Mt Hood beyond the Columbia River

Mere

Returning via the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks. Burnt trees on the Oregon Gorge skyline.

Knitting

I finished the soles for the Frost Slippers, but haven’t yet crocheted the steeks.

I have started the brioche patterning on a Vintage Prim hat.

Garden and Neighborhood

The hyacinths finally bloomed out front,

and there was our annual neighborhood St Patrick’s Day parade down the street.

Daffodils and Knitting

March 12, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

March 12, 2019

The wildflowers I like to hike to are still under a foot of snow out in the Columbia River Gorge, but the garden is finally starting to bloom. Daffodils in my front yard are opening and not freezing.

Knitting Slippers

I found a free pattern from Knit Picks for Frost Slippers. I already have the same wool yarn, leftover from my son’s Dr Who Scarf, which I knit for him in 2011. The yarn, Wool of the Andes, is a bit toothsome, but perfect for stranded color work, and I got the itch to make these slippers. The trick of the project is that the uppers and soles are knit two at a time, magic loop method, then steeked and sewn together. So the knitting looks like a crazy balaclava, but is very fun to do. I have finished the uppers, and am making good progress on the soles. We’ll see how much I do or don’t like the steeking and sewing, but I am enjoying the interesting construction so far.

And just for fun, I’m adding a photo of the Dr Who scarf – 120″ long!

Winter Travel in the Portland Art Museum

March 7, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Portland Art Museum 3/3/2019

I visited the Portland Art Museum instead of going for a hike last weekend, as it is still snowy and too cold out for me. There were three exhibits I wanted to see.

The Map Is Not The Territory

This exhibit focuses on relationship to geography by artists who are Indigenous people. The floating rocks piece has been advertised all around town, and certainly appealed to me, with my past as a geologist, and my love of hiking in the natural world. The artist Annette Bellamy had three striking pieces that I contemplated for a while:

The circle of chairs, blankets and shoes by Charlene Vickers created a sense of community.

Modern American Realism

This collection had some beautiful images that reminded me of places I have been.

We visited the Dalles Dam about a month ago, so when I saw this picture glowing across the gallery I immediately recognized the place.

The vivid colors attracted me to this painting of a forest in autumn.

A family member’s kitchen could have been the inspiration for this painting.

Picturing Oregon

The vivid colors in this painting immediately reminded me of the forest painting in the previous exhibit.

We have enjoyed hiking in the John Day country.

A stroll through the art gallery provided lots of inspiration, and mental traveling, out of the cold. The photos never quite do the artworks justice but at least remind me of my journey. There were many more pieces in the museum. These were the images that caught my attention that day.

I also visited a portrait of George Washington, who was scrupulous about even the perception of conflict of interest while in office. Here it is, compared to his portrait in the British National Portrait Gallery, which we saw last April.

Portland Art Museum

British National Portrait Gallery

Knitting

I cast on another brioche hat and some stranded knit slippers, both out of leftover stash yarn, and still have an ongoing sock.

Garden

We planted a Black Tupelo street tree where our flaming ash had been on the parkway, with help from Friends of the Trees.

Our spring flowers are trying to bloom, but it is snowing again!!!

hyacinths

crocuses

Winter Gardens, Portland

February 19, 2019February 19, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Hoyt Arboretum 2/15/2019

Two hours with no rain – we took a walk to the Winter Garden in Hoyt Arboretum, Washington Park. (Hike #9, 2 miles, 200 feet)

hellebore

wich hazel and daphne

bleeding dogwood

camellia

Erica arborea

heather

rose hips

birch trees

We saw more blooming witch hazel near the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial:

Crystal Springs 2/17/2019

A dry day – we met friends at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, and walked all around the lakes and garden paths. We then crossed the road and walked along Crystal Springs Creek through Reed Canyon on the Reed College campus. (Hike#10, 3 miles, 150 feet).

Bridge at the north end of the gardens near the entrance.

Winter plants were blooming, though nothing like the riot of color during rhododendron and azalea season.

Early blooming azalea

hellebore

heather

manzanita

heather

snow drops

an early rhododendron

paper bush

Water birds and reflections:

Crystal Springs Creek trail in Reed Canyon:

The bicycle/pedestrian bridge across the canyon.

Walking east along Reed Canyon.

A great blue heron near the marsh.

The spring inlet on the east end of campus.

The lake on the west end of campus.

Cross Stitch

I mounted the Jane Austen House Cross Stitch on foam board using sequin pins and a few stitches at the corners. The piece is now hanging on my wall!

Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, May 2018. I realize now the cross stitch kit view is the side facing the garden, not the street front.

Knitting

I found buttons for my Brioche Headscarf, and have worn it!

Lewis River Waterfalls, a hat finish, and snow in Pdx

February 8, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

January 31, 2019 Moulton Falls, Bells Mountain trail, and Lucia Falls, Washington

Our first time hiking here. We have passed through on our way to Silver Star Mountain in the summer, and noted the crowds enjoying the swimming holes along the Lewis River near Battleground, Washington. Today we stopped to see the waterfalls in the off season, and to hike up the nearby Bells Mountain trail for a view of Mt St Helens.

The rails to trails path along the Lewis River goes over this beautiful bridge, the East Fork High Bridge, which is apparently a popular jumping spot in summer.

Downstream from the bridge.

Upstream from the bridge.

Looking down…

My shadow self portrait.

Up the Bells Mountain trail – about 1000 feet up in 1.5 miles, so a good work out.

Uphill through ferns and second growth forest…

Until we cross a clear cut area, and the view to Mt St Helens opens up.

Ice on the trail

Lunch time view – across the Lewis River area to Mt St Helens.

Passing Moulton Falls on the return hike

Nearby Yacolt Falls

And Lucia Falls:

Total for the day: 6.7 miles, 1100 feet, hike #7.

Knitting

I finished my Brioche Watch Cap, after having to buy an extra skein of Berocco Millifiore yarn, just in time for snow in Portland.

Neighborhood, 2/5/2019

Snow…

And a view of Mt St Helens and the Ross Island and Tilikum Crossing Bridges from the OHSU eighth floor waiting room. Latest follow up results are all good!

1/29/2019

White River, first crocus

January 28, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

1/24/2019 White River Snowshoe, Mt Hood, OR

We started in mist with promise of sun breaking through. As we walked up the snow covered braid plain of the White River, the glowing peak of Mt Hood showed in silhouette, then in clarity against clear blue sky.

Looking back to the start point, fog lifting.

Clear blue skies over Mt Hood.

We hiked up onto the ridge and continued toward the mountain.

Approaching Boy Scout Ridge, near our lunch stop.

Lunch stop view point. A large group was already there, and the mountain peak was glowing ethereally as the sun came in through the clouds.

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Lunch view.

Return down the White River, high clouds forming.

Tree shadows on the snowy moraine surface.

Last look back at Mt Hood.

(Hike # 5, 3.3 miles, 750 feet)

Winter Bulbs Blooming

The first snowdrop and crocus bulbs have opened in the garden this week.

Pink and blue striped sky, half moon hanging above. From January 12, 2019.

Memaloose Hills Hike, and Christmas (18-59)

December 31, 2018 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Memaloose Hills Hike, Oregon 12/27/2018

We went east through the gorge again to the sunny Memaloose Hills, and walked 3.2 miles, 600 feet, through the dormant winter landscape. (Hike #65 for 2018). This area is known for abundant wildflowers in spring.

View north, with a peak at Mt Adams, from the upper trailhead on old highway 30.

Ponderosa bark

Trail up to the lower viewpoint.

Chatfield Hill – our upper destination

Dan heading up Chatfield Hill in the dormant winter.

Same view in springtime….

View to the east and lower viewpoint.

View to the west from the top

Northern view toward Mt Adams

Mt Adams

Mt Hood

An apple tree and Mt Adams, on the return hike.

Apple tree

Dalles Dam

Another hiker reported seeing bald eagles at the Dalles Dam, so we drove to the Visitor Center to see them. We walked some of the paths in that area and saw interesting views of the infrastructure, but no bald eagles.

Under the freeway bridge

Looking toward the dam

A dusting of snow in the hills

Mt Hood in the distance

Zooming in – Mt Hood and The Dalles.

Bald eagles should be here

Fishing platforms

Another westward view in the low winter light.

Driving Landscape Views

I snapped photos from the freeway as we drove back through the gorge. There are great views of our hiking spots on the Washington side of the Columbia River, and I thought I did fairly well at freeway-speed photography!

Lyle Cherry Orchard

Lyle, Washington

Catherine Creek

Rowland Wall

The slope above Coyote Wall

Coyote Wall

Snow dusting the black-fringed cliffs above Cascade Locks

Corbett Point

Closer view of Vista House

Knitting

I knit a star ornament for my friend who has made the costumes for a local production of Mary Poppins, I finally finished seaming the Ivy Cardigan, and I finished another round washcloth.