April 2025, on the trail, in search of wildflowers

May 22, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We went on one hike on April 1st, before my husband’s neck surgery on April 4th. After a couple of weeks of rest, we found some shorter, easier hikes in the last half of April, following the wildflower bloom, but keeping activity level within medical guidelines.

April 1 – Catherine Creek: Lower Tracy Hill – Arch Loop, WA

One of our usual trails. It was lovely to see the next phase of bloom in the meadows here.

View from the trailhead: the meadows are full of white saxifrage, also purple shooting stars, and a few camas beginning to bloom.

Looking south toward Mt Hood, the orchards of Mosier are glowing as the leaves unfurl.

Along the trail – rosy plectritus and purple broomrape.

Ponderosas reflected in a vernal pool, and yellow desert parsley.

Our trail passed above the ent who guards the slope…

On our return trail, we passed below the Arch, with eagles soaring above.

Some early bloomers were hanging on in this cliff shadow – gold stars and grass widows.

A few larkspur were just starting to bloom among them.

April 21 – Mitchell Point Tunnel and Mosier Plateau, OR

Last month I mentioned seeing the nearly completed Mitchell Point Tunnel from the highway as we drove by. The tunnel is now open. We stopped on our way to Mosier Plateau to see the views from the tunnel.

The new pedestrian and bicycle tunnel replaces the original automobile tunnel on the Old Columbia River Highway that was destroyed when Interstate 84 was built. The tunnel passes around the north side and through Mitchell Point.

Western view from the western tunnel entrance on a windy day.

There are five or six viewing windows in the 600 foot long tunnel.

View from the eastern opening toward the highway and the eastern gorge.

The western entry patio was comfortably sheltered from the wind today.

We walked a short way up the Mitchell Point Trail, which has been closed during tunnel construction. There were lots of wildflowers blooming in the woods. The trail becomes quite steep and rocky, and not suited for a surgical recovery hiker, so we didn’t go very far.

We drove on to Mosier Plateau, where the lower part of the hike is protected from the wind. Eventually, the trail emerges onto the open bench above the river, where the blooms and views were beautiful, but the wind too strong to want to walk the full length of the plateau.

Passing Mosier Creek Falls on the lower trail.

Heading uphill within Mosier Creek drainage, well protected from the wind.

Northward, toward the river – clumps of bright yellow balsam root bloom becoming more abundant.

On the windy plateau, looking west down the Columbia River and toward Mosier.

Northern view, looking directly at Coyote Wall in Washington

A perfect view of the black basalt outcrops of the labyrinth, where I can pick out a couple of my favorite trees.

And farther east toward Rowland Wall, Catherine Creek, and her famous Arch.

April 23 – Camassia Nature Preserve, West Linn, OR

A one mile loop trail through a natural area near Highway 205 and the Willamette River – somehow preserved from surrounding housing and industrial development.

Walking boardwalks through the green forest, with fringe cup and ferns.

A few blue-eyed Marys that always remind me of my sister.

Open meadows of camas and rosy plectritis

Cell tower osprey – the bird can see the Willamette River near Oregon City from their perch.

Trillium and violets in the forest on the return trail.

April 25 – Round Lake Lily Fields, Camas, WA

Another short, easy walk in a suburban area where large slopes of camas lilies are not far from housing developments.

Several paths wind through open slopes of camas lilies.

A few glacier lilies still blooming at the very top of the trail.

April 29 – Weldon Wagon Road, WA

The wind continued strong and steady all week in the Gorge. We chose this hike, in part because it has fabulous displays of balsam root along a smooth trail, but also because it is a bit protected from the relentless blasting wind in the main Columbia River corridor.

Bastard toadflax – my first time seeing this small white cluster flower.

Purple lupine and white manroot along the upper forest trail, just before the opening to…

the wide view across the balsamroot filled slopes.

We took a side trail up the ridge with a view to Mt Adams to the north for our lunch stop.

Back on the main trail, balsam root all the way…

The upper trail is wooded, with blue flowers of Pacific hound’s tongue and yellow violets in the understory.

Returning down the way we came. Pale pink phlox among the yellow balsamroot.

Our descending trail back down through the flowering slopes.

On the drive home, we stopped at the overlook on Highway 84 just below Corbett, where the perfectly calm air allowed a river mirror to form – we don’t see that very often on our gorge excursions.

Eastward, up river, Crown Point/Vista House on the right skyline.

Thus, we enjoyed another month of wildflower hikes, with more to come in May.

April 2025 at home

May 12, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

The first part of April was slower paced and focused on healing. We had to cancel plans to visit family on the east coast, and instead my husband had a surgical procedure to his neck to relieve stenosis. All went well, he is nearly back to normal, and his neurological symptoms are receding. I took on most of his chores, all the lifting and even cooking (he has done most of the cooking and shopping since he retired five years ago). I am glad to have him back to most of his regular activities, although our son is still mowing the lawn, and the weeds have gone crazy. We went on several slower paced hikes to see the wildflowers (see next post). And I saw many beautiful flowers in neighborhood gardens on my near-daily walks.

Neighborhood Gardens

Apple, crabapple, and Chinese fringe flowers in the front yard.

Forget-me-nots and a fading tulip out front.

Dogwoods in bloom all through the neighborhood…

Dogwood trees in many colors: salmon pink,

White – these are newly planted, just across the street.

April 15th, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in southeast Portland –

It was early for the rhododendrons to be in full bloom, but we saw a few…

April 20th, Easter

A feral bunny stopped by, but didn’t leave any eggs.

I dyed a few brown eggs with muted results.

Arts and Crafts

We saw a lot of beautiful pottery at the Oregon Ceramics Showcase, and bought three small trinket dishes *(made by Truly Sarah)*.

I finished knitting a shawl *(“May I Borrow This Please” by Larraine Waitman, Juniper Moon Cumulus yarn)*, and a pair of socks *(Laines du Nord Summer Sock yarn)*.

Books and Reading in Portland

Signs of Literature in the neighborhood:

The selection of books in this little Free Library has a dark theme.

This telephone pole art has a more positive message,

And I always enjoy a visit with Ramona, Henry and Ribsy in Grant Park.

I read six books in April. I especially enjoyed the biography of Barbara Pym, an author I have been rereading since the eighties; and the memoir of Liese Greensfelder, a young woman from California who worked on a primitive sheep farm in Norway in the 1970’s.

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, our daughter, our son, and his fiancee met up anyway, even though we had to cancel our trip. Looks like they had a good time. I look forward to seeing them all during the summer!

Wildflower Hiking in March, 2025

April 18, 2025April 18, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We enjoyed three wildflower hikes in the eastern Columbia River Gorge in March, all trails we have been to many times in different seasons. I love tracking the phases of wildflower bloom each time we go.

March 3 – Catherine Creek and Lower Labyrinth, WA

Early March is grass widow season at the lower elevations of the Catherine Creek and Labyrinth trail systems. My camera doesn’t do them justice, but the swaths of purple grass widows are so very pretty!

Fields of purple grass widows carpeted the lower meadows along the ADA Trail at Catherine Creek.

More grass widows on the rocky outcrops.

There was nothing blooming at the slightly higher elevation fairy ponds, so we went to the nearby Labyrinth/Old Highway 8 Trail to see what was happening there.

The Lower Labyrinth Falls along Old Hwy 8 was full.

The Upper Labyrinth Falls was also full, but there were no flowers up here.

The flowers were concentrated in the lower elevation areas…

Grass widows, gold stars, pink woodland stars.

March 11 – Rowena Crest, OR

The next week, on the Oregon side of the river, we saw more swaths of purple grass widows along Rowena Crest – both in the lower part of the Tom McCall Trail, and the Rowena Crest Trail.

We started by walking toward Tom McCall Point, where grass widows filled the meadows.

Grass widows and tiny white spring whitlow grass blooms

We walked through the oak tree lined Parsley Alley, and saw purple Columbia Desert Parsley beginning to bloom.

Looking east toward Lyle Cherry Orchard and the Rowena curves

We went back down, and walked all the way to the end of the Rowena Plateau Trail.

Grass widow meadows along Rowena Plateau Trail

Gold Stars in the meadows at the west end of the trail

Reflections in the ponds along the way provided some abstraction distractions…

We walked back along a side trail near the cliff edges – so many flowers!

March 18 – Rowland Wall/Stringbean Loop, WA

By mid-March in the Catherine Creek area, grass widows were joined by other flowers – saxifrage, gold stars, yellow bells, more of the parsleys, and the first balsam roots.

At the trailhead, white saxifrage were speckling the meadows along with grass widows.

Gold stars becoming abundant in the rocky areas overlooking the arch.

Plenty of grass widows, looking toward the orchards of Mosier.

The burn areas from last fall’s Top Of The World Fire are prominent around the trees, but the slopes have turned green.

There were many robins hopping along today. We watched these two playing in some puddles while we ate our lunch.

We continued uphill on the burned, but now green, slope of Sunflower Hill.

We dropped down over Rowland Wall, then decided to walk the inside-out switchbacks of the String Bean Trail. We didn’t find many flowers in the woodlands.

Looking back toward Rowland Wall, and the Needle.

We crossed the lava flows, then went back up over the wall at the lower trail.

We saw the first of the balsam roots blooming along the way

Plenty of yellow parsleys blooming along these west-facing slopes,

It was a beautiful day, and I am looking forward to the next phase of wildflower bloom in the eastern gorge!

Preview of Coming Attractions –

Driving home westward on Interstate 84, we passed under the base of Mitchell Point. The tunnel on the old highway was destroyed when I-84 was built, but has recently been reconstructed and reopened as part of the bike path through the gorge. I grabbed a photo as we passed – and we hope to walk there sometime soon. The views are supposed to be amazing!

Mitchell Point Tunnel, above the highway on the left.

March 2025, at home…

April 11, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We made our way to the spring equinox with a lunar eclipse, a St Patrick’s Day parade in the neighborhood; more knitting, quilting, home improvement, and reading; blooming plants in the neighborhood; three wildflower hikes in the Columbia River Gorge (next post), and a lot of rain…

Lunar Eclipse, March 13th

My photo, with camera set to fireworks…The sky is light because of the time delay, but the stars are out.

My husband’s photo, with fancy zoom lens on tripod.

March 16th – Neighborhood St Patricks Day annual parade…

Knitting:

Quilting –

I sewed together these quilt blocks. They may become pillows – I’m still trying to decide.

Home Improvement –

New dining room blinds and patched wallpaper

Reading –

Nancy Russell and John Yeon, Columbia River Gorge

I learned so much in the two books about Nancy Russell and John Yeon, two conservationists who worked indefatigably for many years to create the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and then to implement the plan. It was a huge political and fundraising challenge to cobble together all the different government and formerly private lands, preserving the ecosystems and creating many of the trail systems we hike regularly. I think grateful thoughts every time we drive through or hike in the gorge!

Neighborhood blooms –

A change of plans…

At the end of the month we cancelled our planned trip to the east coast to visit family in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, so that my husband could get surgery on his neck, where a bone spur on the C3 vertebra was causing neurological symptoms and weakness. The procedure will be during the first week of April. More on the outcome next month… ( Update – it went well, he is recovering as expected.)

Two final notes –

1) I still have not gotten the hang of blog editing in the block mode on this site, so it is taking me a long time to create posts.

2) We are trying our best to stay positive in a constantly chaotic, hateful regime, so I am posting a couple of positive internet memes here at the end, to remind me to stay hopeful…

February 2025…

March 13, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

The shortest month seemed very long. I went from skiing the neighborhood snow to admiring the early spring blooms. I knit, quilted, and read as productive activities to counter the political upheaval. We honored the boycots. I made progress on the recycle/repair/upcycle four-year home improvement project. And we went on two hikes.

Crafting/Home Improvement:

I started sewing these quilt blocks together

Back hall carpet installed, almost the last step in that project.

Reading – I read nine books last month, many by or about women: writers, artists, a river guide, a Supreme Court Justice. After watching the Bob Dylan movie last month (A Complete Unknown), I was very interested to read Suze Rotolo’s side of the story. She was a politically active artist. She made a lasting impression on Dylan and his music, but she wanted to pursue her own artistic and life goals, not be just another string on his guitar, his ‘chick’, who would wait for him while he did whatever, wherever in the world. I really admire her for that. There are many great, less celebrated women out there, and I plan to read more of their stories. Meanwhile, I have been listening to the early Bob Dylan music – it fits the mood of this time in the world.

The neighborhood:

February 14th – I always love a chance to get out my 35 year old cross country skis, and kick-glide for a couple of miles down the quiet, flat streets of Irvington. The snow was perfect this day! And almost completely gone the next day.

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, our son and his fiancee were attending the Super Bowl Victory Parade! Wearing hats that I knit for them last year.

Around town – flowers and rainbows…

Rainbow seen while driving north on I-5 in Portland

Hiking –

We hiked out in the eastern Columbia River Gorge twice in February –

February 20th – Crawford Oaks, WA – We hiked about 5 miles on the Lower Vista Loop, past the full Eight Mile Creek Falls, and around the lower plateau. We saw very few early flowers and just a bit too much wind that day.

Salt and Pepper parsley, Dalles Mountain Ranch

February 27th – Memaloose Hills, OR – A beautiful, perfectly calm day. We could see the blue heron rookery on yonder cliff top and a few flowers. It was an easy, enjoyable 3.5 mile hike with dear friends.

Eastward view from the Memaloose Overlook

View to the north, with a peek at Mt Adams

Westward view, heron rookery circled in red

Trail up the south approach to Chatfield Hill

Lunch at the top, and a view to Mt Hood (photo credit to my husband).

Meanwhile, the news is worse every day – we are doing what we can, and trying to hold on to the glimmers and small victories. The daily reports of the shredding of the constitution by anti-empathic billionaires is trying every nerve, but I try to stay positive…

January 2025

February 18, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

I went on a few hikes, knit a little, read quite a few books, and embarked on what I have decided is my personal four year project.

New Years Day was the last day of Hannukkah. We had a small gathering, with latkes.

Neighborhood walks – the low sun position intensified shadows and sky…

Hikes

Early in the month, we spent five days on the sunny southern Oregon Coast (see previous post), where it was cold, but not windy! We took several long beach and headland walks. More locally, we hiked in the eastern Columbia RIver Gorge a few times:

January 13 – Klickitat River Bald Eagles and Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail, Washington – Our annual trek to the bald eagle nesting area on the Klickitat River began with disappointment this year. We saw no eagles along the river in the morning, other than one down on the delta just as we were moving along.

Seagulls and salmon in the Balfour-Klickitat Lake, no eagles in the trees.

One bald eagle on the Klickitat River Delta

We then took a short hike along the lower benches of basalt at the Lyle Cherry Orchard site. It was a beautiful day out there, calm and cold! We saw a pair of eagles flying along the cliff face. We also saw a hawk on sitting a rock, then devouring prey that it pounced upon as we watched. Circle of life…

Lunch view toward Lyle and the Klickitat River Delta

One of the eagles flying along the rim rock

On the return hike, my husband spotted a hawk perched on a rock.

Hawk in the grass, after finishing their meal

We stopped back at the Klickitat River later in the afternoon, and were rewarded with seeing about a dozen bald eagles – a few perched in the trees, and others flying up the canyon, past us and farther up river, beyond our view, seemingly heading home after their day’s outing.

The bright white of an eagle head, across the lake

Eagle, with the sunlit Oregon slopes beyond the river

And another angle, with Osage oranges still clinging to some of the trees.

January 22 – Wind Mountain, Washington – a short, sharp hike. I hadn’t been up this one in a while, and was looking for a test for my hip bursitis rehab, after about four months of steady focused exercises. This trail goes up about 1000 feet in a mile, leading to the top of this conical mountain at a bend in the Columbia River.

Reference photo – May 2013. View of Wind Mountain from Dog Mountain. Our trail zigs and zags up the back side of the peak.

It was quite windy up top on the river side, so we didn’t spend much time looking at the river and Oregon view.

We found a windbreak on the landward side, so ate our lunch looking at Mt Adams and Dog Mountain – also nice landscapes to admire. It was cold, but a good short hike, and a good work out for my legs. Progress!

Lunch view toward Mt Adams and Dog Mountain

Closer view of Dog Mountain (where the above reference photo is from), and the river, looking east.

January 30 – Catherine Creek – Rumors of a few blooming grass widows drew us out east in the gorge, on what will probably be the last dry hiking day for the next week or so. We did not find any blooms while wandering several of the lower elevation trails. We visited several vernal ponds that were frozen, and saw foliage of blooms to come…just not yet.

Catherine Creek Trailhead on a cold day in January

Knitting

Unfortunately, I overdid the knitting action on a pair of socks – right around the time I needed knitting the most to keep my hands busy while my brain was exploding with the national news. I reactivated an overuse/arthritis knitting injury in my right thumb joint. Blah! I wore a brace and knit not at all for two weeks. I am now allowing myself a few rows per day, and it really helps! I’m trying not to overdo it again. Here are the guilty socks, in progress. But I don’t blame them.

Less Knitting = More reading…

Four Year Project

Sometime after the disastrous election outcome last fall I decided I would need a four year project, something I can do in my own home, when the outside world is too much to take (more than sitting on the roof.) It is time to edit, sort, rehome, recycle, and organize the lifetime of belongings we have accumulated during the 33 years we have lived in this house. Three children have grown up and moved out and left behind many things they ‘might want someday’ but don’t have room for yet. I had a career as a geologist before I settled into family life, and I still have boxes of rocks, maps and books (that apparently nobody wants because it is all digital now). Photos and slides, both professional and personal; quilting fabrics and textile art materials for my creative life; personal writing and memorabilia. We have already made some progress during recent renovation work. We recycled all the old paint, thinned out our shelved books in the rooms where we got new carpet, and delivered usable items to new homes. We gave the unplayed banjo to a local music school, and have recycled many magazines that we were shelving for no good reason. A little action every day will make a big difference in four years, and be much more productive than doom scrolling. I plan to find a means of more outward action/resistance, in addition to donations we make to human rights and environmental organizations. And I will knit more hats (thumb permitting) for the guild service project.

Right now it is difficult to think this new year will be a good year, given the chaos at the national level. I call to mind a passage from the novel, Dune, by Frank Herbert, which I first read in the 70’s, as a teenager. Potential future leader Paul was given a test to prove he was human. There was a good chance he might not be, and would not be made leader. The fictional character passed the test. But I can’t believe the current ‘leadership’ ever would – there has been no sign of human empathy, only selfishness and cruelty. Yet we will resist in the ways we can, and hope that our actions in our own lives will contribute to persistence of human rights beyond the next four years…

Instagram memes I collected in January expressing gratitude, encouragement, and hope:

Bandon, Oregon January 5-9, 2025

February 13, 2025 / margaretquilts / 2 Comments

We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with a trip to the southern Oregon Coast. We stayed just south of Bandon, in a room with a view.

We had easy access to the wide sand beach south of Face Rock, and took several long walks north and south over the next few days. We also drove south to Cape Blanco, and north to Cape Arago. Other than a bit of rain the day we arrived, we had fabulous weather – sunny and calm.

Locations of hikes and beach walks on the southern Oregon Coast near Bandon.

1/6 – Bandon Beach and Cape Blanco

We walked north to Face Rock in the morning.

Looking south from the Face Rock overlook

Looking north from the Face Rock overlook

After lunch, we drove south to Cape Blanco. We walked down to the beach, then along the strand line to the north, at approximately low tide.

Looking west toward the Cape Blanco Lighthouse,

and northward from the bluff above the beach.

And another view of the beach on the north side of Cape Blanco.

Later that evening I watched the sun set from our room…

1/7 – Beaches to the north – Sunset Bay, Yoakam Point, Blastendorff Beach, Seven Devils Beach

We drove north to Cape Arago, but a recent washout closed the road, so we could only go as far as Sunset Bay. We started with a short walk there, then explored a few locations to the north.

We walked about a mile around Yoakam Point, looking at the view from various cliff overlooks:

We ate lunch and then took a walk at Blastendorff Beach.

Blastendorff Beach, and jetty to the Coos Bay inlet

Driving back south, we took a side trip to the Seven Devils Wayside, and walked on the beach there. We even saw someone panning for gold.

Back in Brandon, we took a walk along the pier. It was mostly deserted, with most shops closed. I was fascinated by the mosaic installation on the boardwalk.

So many great little details – I looked at it for a long time!

Later, we walked out onto Coquille Point again, to watch the sunset. We met a large puffin sculpture there.

1/8 – Low tide near Bandon – Face Rock and Coquille Point

With low tide in the afternoon, this was a perfect day to walk north toward Face Rock and then beyond Coquille Point and look at tide pools, water, sky, and all the reflected permutations.

Looking south – reflections – water – sky

Later, we enjoyed another sunset from the Coquille Point Overlook…

The flotsam Puffin glowing in the sunset.

We enjoyed our few days of calm weather and beach walks, a break from the ‘real’ world, and what was to come next in January.

Looking back:

2024 in review

January 4, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

I can’t say I completed all my goals for last year, I mostly never do – but I always make progress. New shiny things, or sometimes difficult or challenging things, divert my course – well, that’s life…and luckily I have the freedom to respond in the moment, change my mind in the moment, and be hopeful that good things will happen. I am only a small cog in the wheel of the world, so what I do doesn’t matter much outside of my home, but I try to live a meaningful life to me – always curious and learning.

Knitting – I finished 18 projects last year, including a few gift socks and hats; more hats and a cowl for donation to a women’s shelter; and a couple of scarves, a cowl, a blanket, and vest for me. I love knitting because it keeps my hands busy when I am feeling anxiety or boredom, and I create clothing. There are so many ways to intertwine yarn into infinite shapes, pattern, colors, and textures – I am always learning new techniques. The uninitiated who write off knitting as an ‘old lady’ occupation are completely ignorant of the science and creativity of the art. And I am getting to know a lot of ‘old ladies’. Knitters or not, we are some of the smartest people I know!

Ravelry projects page

Quilting – I added another quilt top to my collection of unfinished quilts. I have the means, but travels and home improvement prevented me from setting up the space and time as required to finish them – so that will be a goal for next year. I did piece some potholders, and have a simmering list of new projects that I have been working on mentally. We shall see.

For California people, fronts,

For east coast family,

This set for us.

Transparency Quilt top

Reading – Lots of listening, and reading physical books and ebooks – more than 100 last year! a new record for me.

103 books in 2024

The library Libby App keeps me in words wherever I am in the world. I find myself less motivated to pack a few extra books when traveling, ‘just in case’, as I do with knitting yarn. I love my physical books, though – and am loathe to part with the ones I love. I will even seek out a used copy of a recently read library book at Powells so I can own a copy to reread. I did weed out a lot of books from our shelves this year during some home renovation work. But I do treasure my ‘physical copies’…

Jane Austen shelf

Hiking – Given my wonky bursitis hip, I am pleased to have completed 84 hikes/adventures this year, walking over 600 miles, and 32000 feet elevation gained. Hopefully, the PT I have been doing will keep me going into the future. My goals are less lofty now – I know my limitations, and push them sometimes. I really can’t keep up with my husband anymore, but he has friends who will accompany him on the longer endeavors and goals, or he will go with a group, as he did on the Mont Blanc tour last summer. Meanwhile, he will drive any day of the week that we have decent weather to do a shorter hike with me. In 2024, we spent three glorious days hiking at Mt. Rainier in the fall, and took many day hikes in the Cascade Mountains, Columbia River Gorge, and ocean beaches that are easily reached from our home.

Turning the “corner”, Mt Rainier in all her glory – the perfect lunch stop.

Going down past the ridgeline oak tree

Closer view, lady slipper

Dalles Mountain Ranch

One tree to rule them all

Travels – Our travel highlight for the year was a three week drive around the Ring Road in Iceland, in June and July, where we hiked and walked in volcanic and glacial landscapes, seeing every sort of waterfall one can imagine, and plenty of puffins, wildflowers and rainbows.

Vestdalfossar, Seydisfjordur

Ice Cave, Mýrdalsjökull⁩, Vik

Atlantic puffins, Borgarfjordur

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Vatnajokull National Park

We also went to the east coast in March, to North Carolina, Baltimore, and Pennsylvania.

The fort sits in a recessed area.

Duke Garden, NC

Love Plaza, horse brigade was having a photo session that morning

We had two California road trips – to my husband’s 40th Medical School reunion in San Francisco in April, with a visit to Carmel/Point Lobos before, and then north through the Redwoods on the way home. We drove back to the Bay Area in November for Thanksgiving.

Flowers at the beach

Looking down Market Street

The Golden Gate

Founders tree

In 2025, we plan to visit family on the east coast again in the spring, and then visit the Alps and Paris in the fall.

Etc…Welcome 2025?

Wearing rose colored glasses didn’t help at all last year. Despite my inherent belief in the kindness and goodness and fairness in people’s souls, the bad thing happened anyway. I in my blue bubble neighborhood have been allowed to continue on without much confrontation.

I stay informed, but am not obsessive about following all the daily dramas – thus I have read a lot of books this year, knitted a lot of yarn, and hiked a lot of trails.

The underlying tension is palpable – will the players consume each other, as did the Calico Cat and the Gingham Dog? and what wreckage will they leave in their wake?…

From the poem ‘The Duel” by Eugene Field, 1892.

My last book of the year was the BBC Radio 4 audio dramatization of a children’s adventure fantasy novel called The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. It is the story of a boy who finds he has an inborn destiny to help other magical beings in driving the Dark back as it rises to consume the world. He gains success for the moment; the concluding line:

“And now when the Dark is rising, who will turn it back?”

is a good question as we look toward 2025 …

With optimism, we will be able to resist some of the chaos, and stitch the rest back together in the future. I hope.

December 2024

January 3, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We returned from our California/Thanksgiving road trip on the first of December, with the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah and home repair to look forward to. In the neighborhood, some folks went all in on their decor – a few of my favorites:

Rudolph and friends

Giant ornaments

All the snow people

We had a stretch of cold, clear days, one of which was an appointment at OHSU for me – all well, for the moment, and I got a great 7th floor view of Portland.

Tram, Downtown Portland

Willamette River, Mt St Helens

And, during that clear weather stretch, the roofing crew we hired put a new roof on our very steep roof.

New plywood

Tar paper

Shingles

Hiking

I went on two hikes – one out to Catherine Creek, WA, on a foggy day, and one to Powell Butte, in Portland.

December 10th – Catherine Creek, WA –

We stopped at the Starvation Creek Rest Area on our drive. The sun was out, and we could see the frosted trees at the top of Wind Mountain.

Wind Mountain from Starvation Creek

Clouds were sitting on the hills at Catherine Creek. We walked up Sunflower Hill through the recent controlled burn zone, then back down along Rowland Wall. The sun never came out here…

Walking up Sunflower Hill toward the burn zone.

Green coming up through the blackened soil.

Springtime view of that same slope – 2023

Walking down Rowland wall

The leaning tree and Rowland Lake

Fields of Mosier beyond

Golden grass of winter

December 19th – Powell Butte – We could see Mt Hood, Mt St Helens, and a few deer.

We watched the lenticular cloud forming over Mt Hood

Mt Hood

Mt St Helens had already donned her own cloud cloak

A few deer in the forest

And a sentiment from the Bard…

Knitting

I finished my Christmas gift knitting, and then made a new cowl after Christmas.

Socks, mitts, hat

More socks

Lancelot Cowl

Winter Solstice

The sun was out. I walked through the neighborhood looking at shadows and puddle mirrors in the low bright light.

Christmas

Christmas arrived, a little quieter this year, with no out of town company. We celebrated with local family and our usual trappings – tree, gifts, cookies, tamales…

Cookie baking

Cookies and grapefruits

Tamales

Gifts from the Paris Olympics and Dollywood

Gifts from Dollywood

Iceland ornament, with puffins!

Cozy fireplace

2024 Christmas Tree

Hanukkah

The first night was Christmas evening this year. The next day, we went with friends to the old Hollywood Theatre, not too far from us in Portland, to see the new Bob Dylan biopic – which we thoroughly enjoyed. I grew up listening to that music as a child, because my older sister played it non stop on the record player in our shared room.

First night

Hollywood Theater, Sandy Boulevard

New Years’ Eve

Another sunny day. I walked through the neighborhood, thinking about choices for next year as I passed some of my favorite shadows and cracks, and found some new shadows and reflections…

We lit the seventh night candles at sunset, than enjoyed a phone call with our son, who had just gotten engaged to his partner – a splendid, cheerful moment to end the year!

Seventh night

New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia

Thanksgiving roadtrip to California, 2024

December 26, 2024 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

November 23 to Dec 1 – For the first time in many years we did not host Thanksgiving at our home. Instead, we drove to California to share the holiday with our daughter, graciously hosted by her partner’s family. We stayed in a nearby hotel, and hiked outside four of the days of our visit.

Southbound – We drove as far as Red Bluff, CA on Saturday, Nov. 23. There had been road-closing snowfall earlier in the week, but we made it over the Siskiyous with no problems, and had beautiful views of Mt Shasta.

Mount Shasta

The cone just visible,

and the glaciers and moraines.

The next day, we continued south in the Sacramento Valley, through the Tule fog. We turned west near Williams, and as soon as we left the valley, the blue skies shone through.

Tule fog along I-5.

Williams, CA

Blue sky, oak woodlands along Cache Creek and Hwy 20.

Watching ourselves reflected in the slow milk tanker truck.

We drove to Forestville, Ca, to meet some friends for lunch and a rainy walk through Armstrong Grove, then continued south to Corte Madera by dinnertime.

Armstrong Grove in the drizzle

Colonel Armstrong tree

Oxalis on the forest floor

Overflowing stream

Monday, November 25th – The next day, my good husband tested positive for rebound Covid….drat! We quickly arranged separate hotel rooms, and he had to stay quarantined most of the visit. Fortunately, it was a mild case, but we did not want to spread it around! He was able to join the family in their outdoor spaces – they had a good array of Covid-era heat lamps. And he could join in outdoor hikes and walks, so all was not lost, and no one else there became ill, so in that respect it was a successful visit. I tested negative every day, so was able to join the family for a lovely Thanksgiving dinner, and several walks and hikes.

Thanksgiving table

Walks and hikes near Corte Madera

Dawn Falls – This was a completely rainy walk up to the falls, through redwoods and forest – quite beautiful and authentic!

Dawn Falls, Baltimore Canyon

The Corte Madera Bike Path was close to our hotel, and a good place to walk to see birds.

Canal reflections

Wetlands with egrets

Egret

Skunks

Bird of Paradise

The Shore Marsh Wildlife Area was also nearby – flat, and with scenic views across the North Bay wetlands.

Egret, San Quentin

We hiked around Phoenix Lake on Black Friday – just one of the many trails around Mt Tamalpais on the Marin Peninsula.

Mt Tamalpais above as we walk down toward Phoenix Lake

Stream channel

Phoenix Lake

Reflections

Hiking back up

Oak tree with galls

Mistletoe that has fallen by the path

Northbound – November 30

We drove across the north end of the San Francisco Bay on a clear day. I took photos from the car as we drove – so the framing may be a bit blurry. We transitioned from flat watery views, through the foothills and into the central valley, from which we could see the Sutter Buttes and the snow-covered peaks around Mt Lassen.

San Pablo Bay

Looking south

and northward

Sutter Buttes

Mount Lassen

We stopped for lunch in Redding at the Sundial Bridge across the Sacramento River, a good place to stretch out our legs.

Sundial Bridge from our picnic table

Crossing to the north

Eastward view to Mt Lassen

Shadows and lines

Side view from the north viewing area

Underside, looking south

West view toward the Trinity Alps

After lunch, we continued north to Medford, Oregon, over frosty passes.

Frosty landscape over the passes

Blue sky and frosted trees

Mt Shasta

Crossing into Oregon

Hotel room art in Medford

Home to Portland, December 1st – We drove north from Medford, once again over frosty passes, reaching our familiar Mt Hood scenery by midday.

Frosty pass near Medford

Mt Hood from the Marquam Bridge, Portland

We had a lovely visit with our daughter, and with her partner and family. I enjoyed revisiting some of our old stomping grounds in northern California. I didn’t realize there were so many great trails around Mt Tam – I hope to visit again and hike more of them.