Oaks Bottom, a rainbow, and a knitting update

December 16, 2019 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

12/8/2019 Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

We went for a quick walk around the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in Portland. The last time here I was in the slow walk mode, recovering from my pituitary surgery. Today we walked briskly along – not too many birds out, but a nice dryish respite from the rainy days behind and ahead. (Hike #56, 3.1 miles, 100 feet)

Oaks Bottom

Bald eagle on a perch in the Willamette River.

Neighborhood

Lots of rain, and a rainbow…I am looking forward to the solstice.

Knitting

I finished a foxy bib for a baby shower present,

I put the thumbs on the mitts,

and have finished the body and icord hem on the Meris cardigan; on to the button bands….

Ridgefield birds, and darning success

December 9, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

11/30/2019 Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, WA

On a cold morning we walked the Oaks to Wetlands Trail in the northern unit – the best views are from the railroad bridge. (Hike #55, 2 miles)

Swans in the lake…

Frosty leaves

Bird, oak galls.

We then drove the Auto Tour Route in the southern River ‘S’ unit and saw many more birds than were here in early October.

View from the bird blind – swans and geese will be closer on the far side of the driving loop.

Beyond the lake, a large flock of tall birds…

Zooming in-

sand hill cranes, a heron,

and an egret.

A great blue heron landed right next to the road.

Meanwhile, in the lake:

Lots of geese and swans,

and a black swan.

Knitting and the darning pile:

Fingerless mitts – just need the thumbs. Malabrigo Arroyo in the Jupiter color way.

Darned and depilled – three pairs of socks and a sweater!

Reflections and birds at Steigerwald Lake, WA

December 4, 2019December 1, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

11/23/2019

This is the place we go to see upside down trees that don’t exist except as reflected imagery in water.

Mt Hood beyond the lake.

And birds. We enjoy spotting them in their home, though we are not true ‘birders’.

Northern Harrier

We saw this Great Blue Heron several times from different vantage points:

Hiding in plain sight. I didn’t notice the heron in the middle of the picture until I was looking at my photos later.

Green Heron

Egret

Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge is in the early stages of a major overhaul. Dikes to the Columbia River will be breached, the lake will be enlarged, and wild salmon will return to the streams in the surrounding hills. Trails will be rerouted. Today we see early work – large logs have been placed to provide underwater wildlife habitat throughout the area that will become the enlarged lake.

Hike #54, 3.8 miles

Knitting, etc

Cold front in Portland this week, Thanksgiving supplies are in – I am chopping and baking and decorating for a small gathering.

One pair of sock toes mended so far.

Chocolate silk pie!

Two wildlife refuges, Indian Heaven, and trying to keep up with fall colors, Sept-Oct 2019

October 13, 2019October 30, 2019 / margaretquilts

It has been a busy couple of weeks – a quilt show, a fiber festival, hikes at two wildlife refuges and Indian Heaven Wilderness. Meanwhile, the Mac hard drive is off at the Genius repair shop. I am learning blog work-arounds via iPad.

Friday, September 27 – I attended the Northwest Quilt Expo, admired all the quilts and photographed many. This vintage Tile Friendship Quilt (circa 1900, maker unknown) from the Latimer Quilt Museum, was very interesting. Seemingly random shapes are appliquéd to a plain background, each signed by a different maker in true Friendship Quilt style. It looks very modern, but it is old and entirely hand stitched!

I bought a few fat eighths to add to a batik quilt in my mental UFO list.

Sunday, September 29 -I visited the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in Canby, Oregon, just long enough to buy a lighter weight spindle and more fiber to practice drop spinning.

Then we went to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, our first visit there, and walked around the perimeter. Not many birds have arrived yet, but there are great overlooks and a nice winter trail for future visits. (Hike#44, 3.6 miles)

Great Blue Heron

Hawthorne berries

Looking across the refuge – soon this will be flooded with water and birds.

Great Blue Heron on the return trail.

Saturday, October 5 – We went to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington during their season closing bird fest. We walked the Kiwa Trail and part of the newly opened Carty Lake trail, and also went inside the Chinook Plankhouse to look around. (Hike#45, 3.2 miles)

Turtles

Sand Hill Cranes

Sand Hill Cranes in flight.

Great Horned Owl

Carty Lake

Chinook plank house

Inside the plankhouse.

Chinook Salmon trap

Sunday, October 6 – We joined friends for a hike in Indian Heaven Wilderness – from the East Crater trailhead to Junction and Lemei Lakes. Late fall colors, thawed mushrooms and blueberries, very pretty. (Hike#46, 8.8 miles, 1000 feet)

East Crater beyond one of many small lakes along the trail.

Junction Lake

Lemei Rock

Lemei Lake

Neighborhood walks – Meanwhile, in Northeast Portland, the days grow shorter, the light angles lower, the leaves more colorful.

Katsura trees

Sumac

Neighborhood witches hunting…

More witches…

Ash trees reflected in nearby windows.

Rain chain shadows

Knitting – I am making progress on my Meris cardigan….

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.

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!

White herons at Ridgefield

February 14, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, Washington, 2/7/2019

Cold and snowy in the Pacific Northwest. We went to the wildlife refuge to stretch our legs and look for birds. We walked the Oaks to Wetlands trail in the Carty Unit. Hike #8, 3.2 miles.

Bridge into the refuge.

Old oak tree.

Great blue heron on the path.

Wild geese in the distance.

We saw several great blue herons, and two of them seemed to have a white egret companion, but after a little googling, we found that there is a white morph of the great blue heron.

Two herons across one of the lakes.

We saw another pair in the distance across the northernmost lake.

Icy shoreline, two herons in the far distance.

Zoomed in – the two herons.

Crafting

I knit a Brioche Headscarf, pattern by Margaret K. L. Thompson, out of the leftover Berroco Millifiori hat yarn. Two evenings of knitting, I just need to add a button.

I am working on framing my Jane Austen’s House cross stitch.

Silver Falls and Steigerwald

February 2, 2019February 2, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

1/27/2019 Steigerwald Wildlife Refuge, WA

A short walk on a foggy day with one of our sons.

Ducks

Swans

Great Blue Heron near the bridge

Ephemeral reflections

Bald eagle pair watching over all.

2.3 miles, hike #5 for 2019.

1/28/2019 Silver Falls, OR

Windy and cold in Portland, but warmer to the south. We drove to Silver Falls State Park in the Cascade foothills east of Salem, Oregon, where the North and South Forks of Silver Creek fall in steep drops or shorter cascades over ledges of volcanic rock. We hiked the Trail of Ten Falls, though we skipped one – so the Trail of Nine Falls. One or more waterfalls every mile of the seven mile loop keeps the trail interesting. Lots of water in the falls, compared to my last visit in August of 2017!

South Falls 177 ft

We started at South Falls, but skipped the path behind the falls as I didn’t want to start out the hike wet.

South Falls from the upper viewpoint

South Falls from the bridge.

Lower South Falls 93 ft

Stairs down the cliff.

Walking behind the falls.

Dan on the left, emerging from behind the falls.

The trail follows the river, with occasional bridge crossings.

Lower North Falls 30 ft

Double Falls 178 ft

Drake Falls 27 ft

Named for the man who created the park.

Middle North Falls 106 ft

Twin Falls 31 ft

North Falls 136 ft

The trail leads behind North Falls.

Behind the falls.

Looking back.

And now we have to climb up out of the canyon.

Looking back down at North Falls.

We did not walk the extra distance to Upper North Falls (65 ft), but followed the Rim Trail toward –

Winter Falls 134 ft

We only saw the upper lip of this one, though there is a trail down to the base.

Winter Falls rim.

This was the last waterfall of the hike (7.0 miles, 1200 feet, hike #6 for 2019).

Wildlife

There was a ladybug picnic on one of the fence posts:

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge birds, a lunar eclipse, and new knitting projects

January 23, 2019 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

1/19/2019 Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, WA, in the fog

We drove the auto tour in the southern, River S Unit, to see if anyone was out today.

We saw several bald eagles through the fog all along the route.

It was a great day for Great Blue Herons near the road.

Great blue heron standing in the field beyond a flock of Canada geese.

We also saw swans and more geese,

lots of nutria swimming, and this one crossing the road:

lots of ducks,

We watched a hawk take a bath on a sign near the exit.

1/20/2019 Lunar Eclipse

The clouds cleared for about 10 minutes. We saw the moon just as it was entering totality. My camera could not see it once it went dark, but we briefly saw the orange glow of the blood red moon before the clouds closed in again.

My best image, hand held and zoomed in.

New knitting

I cast on another pair of socks from Berocco Sox yarn – plain vanilla with a 3×3 cable down the sides.

And a Brioche Watch Cap from Berroco Millifiori yarn – this makes a cushy and shiny fabric, and works up fast!

Good deeds for the week – I cleaned out my sewing cabinet and organized my threads and notions, so now I should be able to find things and get back to sewing. And I enabled a new sock knitter!

Neighborhood Poetry Posting

Rest In Peace, Mary Oliver. Your poems will live forever.