March 2024 at home

April 24, 2024 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

What we did in March besides our east coast trip:

In the neighborhood – We returned from the east coast in time to see cherry trees in bloom, and our neighborhood St Patrick’s Day parade:

Cherry trees at the St Patrick’s Day parade

Windflowers

Hyacinths

Tulip buds

By the end of the month, the cherry blooms had fallen, tulips were in full bloom, and the crabapple was just starting to bloom!

Crabapple

Tulips

Cherry blossom snow

Hikes – My one hike, on March 19, was to Lyle Cherry Orchard, Washington, on a beautiful, windless day. The balsamroot were just beginning to bloom:

View from the first tier up the cliffs – the Convict Road, back to the Columbia River. Columbia Desert Parsley in bloom.

Last of the grass widows under the cliff.

Looking up to our destination…

We saw the first blooming balsam root of the year on our way up.

Looking west on the way down – lots of balsam root starting to bloom on the lower slope.

Balsamroot

Quilting – I finally began to practice sewing with my new Juki machine. I made several sets of potholders out of fabric scraps. They make great gifts for people we were or will be visiting in our travels.

For east coast family,

Portland Airport Carpet fabric on the back…

For California people, fronts,

and backs.

This set for us.

Knitting – I didn’t complete anything this month, but I made time to block the Anthology Throw that I finished earlier this year, and it is very pretty in its final dimensions…

Blocked Anthology Throw, pattern by Curious Handmade.

I picked out some yarn for a scrappy cowl.

Leftover Malabrigo Rios, for a Herringbone Cowl (Purl Soho)

I purchased a new tote bag from the Rose City Yarn Crawl – I love the graphic of my favorite California poppies (more on that next month) as well as Portland roses, and the St John’s Bridge.

Rose City Yarn Crawl tote bag

Shadow of the month…

February, 2024…

March 4, 2024March 4, 2024 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

I’m trying something new here. My desktop computer is temporarily unavailable to me, along with most of my photo library. This month I will try to create my post using only my iPad, and the photos on my phone…

Around the neighborhood…

My monthly collection of shadows and cracks…

Wildlife in the neighborhood…

Street art, Northwest Portland

Hiking…

I only managed two hikes this month…have I mentioned it has been particularly cold and rainy this year? One urban hike, with friends, and one out in the Columbia River Gorge, at Catherine Creek.

February 4, West Hills Long Walk – It was almost seven miles, and 900 feet elevation, all on pavement, sometimes on busy roads, sometimes across one of several cemeteries that are on the tops of the West Hills. Our friends who live in the neighborhood guided us, as this is their regular walking area. Not my favorite kind of walking, because of the traffic and the pavement, and it turned out to aggravate my hip bursitis, which I am still feeling, darn it! But we did enjoy the time with our friends, and the views across the city.

February 12, Bitterroot Trail at Catherine Creek – We walked about 4 miles, on both the lower and upper trails, looking for grass widows, and we found them. We also saw a few salt and pepper parsleys, and lots of water everywhere. This is my one phone picture of the fairy pools. There are a few purple grass widows in the foreground – though the exposure, looking toward the midday sun, is not ideal.

Fairy pools at Catherine Creek, Washington

Quilting – I finished the top of my Modern Quilt Studio Transparency Quilt – Mystery Quilt. I also made the back, and it is now in my queue for quilting.

These mystery blocks were transformed into…

I am improv piecing the back for my Lodge Quilt, which I made from the Modern Quilt Studio summer mystery quiltalong, using the leftovers from that top. I enjoy the process of improv piecing so much more than the extremely precise sewing and point matching required for the Transparency quilt, but both techniques have their place.

Knitting – I finished a few items – hats for the Puddletown Knitters Guild Service Project, the Mystery Shawl for The Rose City Yarn Crawl Mystery Knitalong, and the most recent pair of socks, and I started a new pair of socks for some upcoming travel knitting…

Six “Warm One” hats for donation, made of Knit Picks Mighty Stitch, held double.

Plumbing!… In December we had a leaky pipe that created a small flood in our basement – we found it and had it fixed before too much damage was done, but it prompted us to replace the 92 year old pipes that run through most of our house. We are currently experiencing the dust and noise created by cutting through plaster and tile – very efficiently, but still not pleasant. Then there will be the patching and painting. Meanwhile, we get a peek inside the walls of our house, which has very good bones…

While preparing for the plumbing work, I took down this twenty year old dragon from the laundry room wall to keep it out of the dust zone.

Quilts in the News….

I did not attend the Quilt Con show in North Carolina. I enjoyed looking at the images on Instagram, and was moved to tears by their Best in Show quilt. The artist, a teacher, crowd sourced the items shown from other teachers, and created this piece. (Images from Instagram)

Split image of front and back of the quilt.

I think the IPad format worked, though a bit time consuming having to learn the new touch prompts. One of the many things I am upgrading this month.

January 2024 in Portland…

February 3, 2024 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Winter…Rain and cold and ice storms…not much outdoor time this month, a few views of the mountains, and a visit to the eagles of Balfour-Klickitat, a lot of knitting and a bit of quilting…but all is well at the end of January, as we welcome longer days.

First Day Hike – January 1 – We tried to go out to the Gorge, but the wind was cold and relentless. We returned to Portland, and hiked at Powell Butte, which was sheltered from the cold blasts of east wind (next post for details).

Ice Week – January 13 to 19 – It began on Saturday, the 13th, with below freezing temperatures and fine, powdery snow. High winds blew down many trees throughout the city. We were fortunate not to lose power though many did.

Powdery snow

January 16th

Jack frost on the windows – a rare sight.

On Monday, it stayed so cold that nothing melted. The sun came out and I went for a short walk, but the bitter wind made it rather unpleasant.

We wouldn’t see thawing temperatures for a week – and in a city without many snowplows, that means we all stayed home for the week, almost in pandemic lockdown mode, especially after Tuesday, when everything was coated with an inch or two of sparkly but treacherous ice.

An inch of ice on every surface!

January 16th

We counted 25 gold finches on and around our neighbor’s bird feeder.

Also, a hungry squirrel.

January 16th

On Wednesday we were teased with a bit of thawing, but then it all froze again.

Screenshot

Our personal skating rink.

Finally on Sunday we had serious thawing, but it took a few days to melt entirely, and some people were without power for many days. These conditions may be common elsewhere, but I personally am not a fan of the cold temperatures.

The snow and ice added much needed snow to the mountains, and also shut down the roads through the Columbia River Gorge, with icy conditions and fallen trees. Many of the trails still have trees down, landslides, and flooding. We could see some of this the next week when we drove through the Gorge for our annual trek to see the bald eagles near the town of Lyle, Washington (next post for details).

Meanwhile, I have had plenty of time for Knitting and Quilting:

I finished two long time projects – the Anthology Throw, by Helen Stewart, made from 24 different 20 gm leftover balls of sock yarn.

Anthology Throw

The Hitchhiker Shawl by Martina Behm, made from a discontinued silk marino yarn.

Hitchhiker Shawl

I’ve made the first three of many hats I plan to knit as part of the Puddletown Knitters Guild service project, destined for the local women’s shelter.

In progress: I started a pair of socks with the alpaca wool yarn my son bought for me from a Philadelphia yarn shop.

Philadelphia Socks

And I have finished two of the five clues on the Rose City Yarn Crawl Mystery Shawl KnitALong – the two yarn skeins I bought at the Sacred Sheep event in Portland last fall. it is lovely to work with the bright colors and beads on these gray days.

Rose City Yarn Crawl Mystery Shawl

I also started the Modern Quilt Studio Secret Agent Mystery Quilt Along – with the Transparency fabric. We are about half way through the clues, and I am enjoying the process.

Transparency blocks, in progress

For the record, I have been practicing quilting on my new Juki machine, and hope to have something to show for it next month.

In The Wild….Two of my children were out and about in New York city in January; and the third, in North Carolina, has assured me that her custom knit convertible mittens are really great for biking on cold days.

December 2023 – all about the light..

January 2, 2024January 2, 2024 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

December is a month for hibernating, preparing for holidays and family visits, rooting for the solstice, and trying to get all the knitting done for holiday gifts. I only went on two hikes this month.

Early December...sun getting lower, shadows longer, I was counting down to the solstice with two advent-style knitting projects and a few walks on dry days.

Pro Palestine march passing our house

A little bit of knitting every day on the stocking and the mystery gnome…

Arne and Carlos Mystery Stocking

Imagined Landscapes Mystery Gnome

Hanukkah was early this year. We lit candles and had friends over for latkes on one of the nights.

December 12 – Hike – Lyle Cherry Orchard Discovery Trail, WA – We hiked the 4.5 mile loop on an overcast day – taking in the views and getting some good exercise.

Looking east as we ascend

View west from our lunch stop

Circling back below the Lyle town sign

And almost back to the Convict Road.

December 15th – We passed Joan of Arc on our way to lunch and bead shopping with the knitters…

December 20th – Hike – Dry Creek Falls, OR – Another dry weather window – we hiked a past Dry Creek on the Pacific Crest Trail to one of the pinnacles, but not all the way to the main pinnacles. It was a good seven mile hike.

Starting up the trail at Cascade Locks.

The pinnacle near our lunch stop. All the forest we have hiked through today has 2017 burn scars

Slight view across the Columbia River from our lunch stop.

Back to the PCT bridge over Dry Creek,

and upstream a short way to the falls —

Dry Creek Falls, pouring out of a notch in the columnar basalt.

They are quite beautiful!

Splash pool at the base.

And back at the trailhead, the park at the Bridge of the Gods is adorned with festive light displays.

On the Solstice, I took an enjoyable walk through the neighborhood – happy to know that longer days are ahead.

Christmas week – House guests, finishing the knitting, decorating the tree, wrapping and unwrapping presents, tamales on Christmas Eve and dinner with friends on Christmas day. A little bit of baking, but not too much. It was a relaxed and enjoyable week.

Tree decorated

New ornaments – from Italy and New Zealand

With gifts

Stockings

New books, bowls, and glasses

Trifle of Christmas

Dog of Christmas

Emily and Izzy at Multnomah Falls

Some of the Knitting:

Finished stocking

KC hat for Rachel

tiny cat for nancy

Hat for Izzy

Socks for Dan

Socks for Emily

Socks for Brian

Snow Matter What gnome and snowman

The month ended with more clouds and rain. I found a version of the Christmas story on instagram that resonates with me for its inclusiveness, and the reminder that although history repeats itself in terrible ways, there are always people who step up and help.

Weak sun through clouds

Rain wet streets and sparkling lights

Message of hope

November 2023, Feeling grateful at home

December 4, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Here at the end of the month of November, when we express gratitude with family and friends with a traditional meal, I am grateful for so many things!

Thanksgiving – I am grateful that we were eight around the table for Thanksgiving dinner– one of our sons, and our good friends all accounted for this year! No last minute Covid cancellations!

Knitting – I am grateful for my knitting friends, and for my ability to knit! I attended the Sacred Sheep event in Portland – a one day fiber festival, with a few of my knitting friends. I didn’t take many photos, but I did buy the yarn for the Rose City Yarn Crawl Mystery Knit-along that will begin in January. Two lovely skeins from two different indie dyers.

Sheep on parade

New yarn

I have been working away on my Anthology Blues Throw, and my purple Hitchhiker Shawl. I finished one pair of gift socks, and started a new pair. And I acquired yarn for some gift hats, for which the knitting has begun…

Gift socks ready

Yarn for gift hats

One hat finished.

Quilting – Not much, but I have a plan, and a new machine, to help me quilt all my unfinished quilt tops.

Antique machine on display at Montavilla Sewing

New quilting machine

Leaf walks in the neighborhood – The fall colors were so beautiful in the neighborhood this year! I am grateful that the teachers were able to get a better contract and settle their strike after almost a month of uncertainty. I live near two schools that my children attended, and I am glad to see children walking the sidewalks again, instead of seeing teachers standing on the corners with strike signs.

Teacher’s Strike

Maple

Oak

Liquidamber

Gingko and maple

Sidewalk pebble conglomerate

Henry, Ramona and Ribsy in Grant Park

Christmas is coming…

Family adventures – My sons sent me pictures of their travels at the end of the month…

Bethlehem PA Christmas Market

Views from OHSU…

On a crisp fall day, I got to admire the view from the Portland tram as I rode both up and down for various consultations, exams, and treatment related to my Acromegaly. One brain MRI, seven vials of blood, a cortisone challenge test, and my monthly injection…and the results show that my monthly injections continue to keep the relict pituitary tumor from growing, and all other systems are stable. I am grateful for excellent treatment from my team of doctors at OHSU, and for the insurance that keeps my share of the monthly injection cost affordable (original bill is ~$23,000.00/month – (yes, per month!)). I never wanted to be a Zebra, as they call persons with rare diseases in Medical School, but I am grateful that I can live mostly unharmed with this rare condition.

Looking east across the Willamette River – Marquam, Tilikum, and Ross Island Bridges

Looking north toward downtown Portland

Passing the other tram car on its way down while we continue to rise.

Maple trees on the patio near the upper tram platform

And a view farther east to Mt Tabor and Rocky Butte – no Cascade peaks on view today.

When I started writing this, I was feeling grateful that there was a ceasefire and hostages were being released from Gaza, but now they are bombing again. The conflict is a painful gash in the hopes for some kind of peace, and I feel so sad for the people there. I am grateful to be living in a stable place with no fear of being bombed today.

October 2023 at home

November 12, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Autumn in Portland…knitting progress, colorful trees in the neighborhood, the last of the tomatoes, a few events around town, and Halloween…

Knitting – progress on three projects…

Anthology Blues Throw, in progress

One sock done

Purple Hitchhiker, in progress

Neighborhood- Colors of fall …

Changes in our garden…

The last of the tomatoes, with marigolds…

Roses

Katsura

Sumac and tupelo

A few events around Portland…

An eclipse – We were not quite in line with the full eclipse on October 14th. It was mostly overcast, though I did sense the change in intensity of the sunlight during the event. My nephew took this photo from the outskirts of town during a cloud break…

October 14, 2023

As I sit in my kitchen on sunny mornings, the change in angle of sunlight often compels me to photograph the shadows, the light…

October 30, 2023

Barbara Kingsolver – We went to see the author at the Keller Auditorium in downtown Portland. The event was sold out – over 3000 people attended to hear her speak. She talked mostly about her book Demon Copperhead, how it allowed her to bring her Appalachian story to light, highlighting the twin tragedies of foster care and the opioid crisis, while aligning the plot with Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. She left me with the compelling thought that ‘Hope is a Duty’, however challenging the times.

View from our seats, before the event…

Instagram post the next day

Art Day with a friend: First, the plein air show at the Oregon Society of Artists…

Brooke Borcherding

Then, a viewing of the Meet Me At The Center Installation by Maria T.D. Inocencio at the Armory Mezzanine…

Halloween in the neighborhood…

Hopeful owl jack-o-lantern

Floating witch hats

Ghosts

Witches

Blackbirds

Haunted entry

Neighborhood theater

A friend reanimated our curtain as a ghost…

Other thoughts…

The world is presenting some challenging events – this post by Patty Smith captures the mood…

But I try to counterbalance with positive thoughts…

September 2023 at home…

October 20, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

An ordinary month with lots of flowers. We had a fair amount of home time. The hikes are detailed in the next post.

The knitting:

Hitchhiker scarf, in progress

Slip stitch blanket, finished and ready for winter. It goes well with the Jane Austen quilt.

Ankle socks, ready for someone’s birthday.

The quilting and sewing, and home improvement..

I squared up the top of the Modern Mystery Quilt – next steps are to make the backing, then quilting.

I made a new curtain for the vaulted front window.

We replaced our ailing stove…

The last pot of ratatouille on the “old” stove.

The new induction range, fully installed and ready to train us in a new skill – digital cooking.

Also around the house –

Some beautiful cards…

Among the last of the tomatoes

Hydrangeas beginning their fall journey

Neighborhood walks – colorful flowers…

Sidewalk shadows and cracks…

Early Halloween beginning to creep in…

Ghosts beyond the hummingbird…

In other news of the world – more evidence of climate change; and as I am writing this in October, devastating events in Gaza, in Ukraine, in congress. I try not to obsess, and stay hopeful, but I also feel the need to mention them in this personal chronology…

from Instagram

We went to Art in the Pearl in Downtown Portland over Labor Day weekend. The artists’ creativity and color inspire a sense of hope in me in a time of distress for the world.

Michael Gard

Mark Gates

Dan Cautrell

Pearl District

Rachel Harvey

Lindsey Fox

Scott Swezy

Tom Boatwright

Meia Leisz

Pamela Spika

And the one that came home with us…

The Mountain III, 2022, Claire Christy-Tirado

At home in Portland, August 2023

September 9, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

For me, August is the heart of summer; my birthday season and the season for fresh blueberries, fresh corn, chocolate cake, and a few gifts.

blueberries

birthday asters

Jane Austen themed card

fresh corn

long ago…

This year I planted tall zinnias out front, not knowing how tall they would be. We have the delight of seeing these giant blooms framed in our front window. I will have to remember this for next year!

Neighborhood – I am a person who loves the cracks in the sidewalk: the shadows, the textures, the shapes, randomness and spontaneity. Over the years, I have identified my favorite cracks. Some days new ones stand out as the shadows shift, as the angle of the sun changes, as the seasons turn. Some days my pace is slowed by all the distractions: the light, the shadows, the leaves, the bIooms. I just saw a yard filled with pearly everlasting and purple heather, and then down the street, ripening figs and apples, and bright yellow Rudbeckia; on I go. I stop to read all the poetry posts, and check the little free libraries, some days, finding gems from each that I take with me. My neighborhood is colorful and varied and changes every day; I never get tired of walking here.

pearly everlasting

heather

figs

apples

rudbeckia

Knitting – I finished knitting the Meadowlands Blanket for the Puddletown Knitters Guild service project – to be donated to an organization that helps foster children.

Meadowlands Blanket, made from Lion Brand Mandala Yarn

Quilting – I finished making the blocks, and started piecing the top for the Modern Quilt Studio Summer 2023 Mystery Quiltalong.

All the blocks

Partial quilt top assembly

Supermoon – I went out to photograph the supermoon rising, and instead caught the image of a ufo coming in for a landing on the elementary school roof (wink)…

We also went on a number of hikes in August – see next post…and it seems to be the season for this internet meme as well…

The rest of July 2023 in Portland

August 10, 2023 / margaretquilts / 2 Comments

We arrived back in Portland (from our Italian Dolomites hiking trip), on July 13th after about 23 hours of travel. The next few days were a mush of early bedtimes and wee hours wakefulness.

Our front garden bed was bursting with blooming zinnias and snap dragons when we returned.

On July 16th, we visited with family in Eugene, and had an al fresco lunch in one of my favorite gardens:

One of my sisters returned with us for a long delayed visit. We enjoyed walks in my neighborhood and other neighborhoods in Portland, as well as a visit to Powells City of Books.

dahlias

roses

lavender

lilies

nicotiana

Wishes

Cosmos

painted garage

rudbeckia

sidewalk quilt pattern

handmade flowers

sunflower

hydrangea

floral bouquet

Hikes

We hiked to two areas east of Mt Hood with blooming wildflower meadows:

Location of trails hiked in July east of Mt Hood

Cook Meadows, July 18th – We wanted to take my sister for an easy, beautiful wildflower/forest hike, so we tried to go to Lookout Mountain, just east of Mt Hood. Unfortunately, it was closed due to recent fire activity, but some Forest Service workers pointed us to the nearby Cook Meadows Trail. While we didn’t reach a high point, we walked along the shoulder of the ridge, through both shady forest and sunny wildflower meadows, with views to Mt Hood. The meadows were red, with more scarlet gilia in bloom than I have ever seen before. I also saw catchfly and horkelia, two new-to-me flowers, though I have known they were out there for the spotting.

Scarlet gilia and Mount Hood

Red meadows of scarlet gilia

Scarlet gilia

Dusky horkelia

Oregon catchfly

The trail passed through patches of meadow and forest, with so many wildflowers!

Heading into the forest

Buckwheat and butterfly

Arrowleaf groundsel, butterfly

Emerging sugar stick

Columbine and mountain bluebells

penstemon

asters and Sitka valerian

Scarlet gilia and horkelia

Scarlet gilia, penstemon, buckwheat

Zoomed in views of Mt Hood:

Close up of the giant boulder on Cooper Spur, and the Eliot Glacier beyond

Elk Meadows, July 25th – Later in the month we returned to Elk Meadows on the east side of Mt Hood, a few weeks earlier than last summer, so saw an earlier suite of wildflowers.

Approaching the trailhead – though cloudy from the Portland side, the mountain was out to the east!

The switchback hanging gardens were mostly past bloom, with sparse sections of flowers, including these lovely Cascade lilies.

Columbine, groundsel and bugbane on the switchbacks

The famous crosshatch tree

Once in the meadows, there were plenty of flowers, especially compared to last year.

7/25/2023 Bog orchids and Gray’s lovage, Elk Meadows

8/30/2022 Purple gentians in the mostly dry meadows

Some of the flowers we saw this year:

Bog orchid

Swales of bog orchids, also some yellow orchids

Lovage and lupine

Rosy spiraea

Comparison photos from last year, looking toward Mt Hood from near the Elk Meadows Shelter

7/25/2023 Lots of lovage

8/30/2022 Goldenrod

Looking back toward the shelter and burned Bluegrass Ridge:

7/25/23

8/30/2022

Today’s close up of Mt Hood, and the Cooper Spur boulder, also seen on our Cook Meadow hike:

The cloud stayed near the top of the mountain most of the day,

but we could see Cooper Spur and the boulder…

Returning down the trail…the Newton Creek crossing can be difficult, but this year, two logs over the deepest part made the crossing easy.

Looking back upstream at Mt Hood after crossing Newton Creek

Downsteam view of Newton Creek

Crafting – I did not get much knitting done on our travels, but continued working on my ongoing knitting and quilting projects at home.

The Meadowlands blanket

The first set of blocks for the Modern Quilt Studio Summer Camp Mystery Quilt

On to August, and to more posts about our hiking trip to the Dolomite Mountains of Italy.

June 2023 – so far…

July 14, 2023June 19, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Hikes

June 1st- Tom Dick and Harry Mountain on Mt Hood – I hadn’t been up here in a while – there was still a bit of snow, mostly on the lower trail through the forest, and around the far side of the lake.

Skunk cabbage and snow on the lower trail

Camp Creek

Mirror Lake

Trillium just blooming

Mt Jefferson from the upper trail

Mt Hood and Mt Adams from the summit

Mirror Lake and Mt Hood on view during lunch, which I did not share with this persistent ground squirrel

Last view of Mt Hood as we descend.

June 6th – Hardy Ridge, WA – We started this 2000 foot hike in the cool of the morning, and there is a lot of shade along the way, but it got up to 90 degrees by the time we finished. Too hot to go all the way to Phlox Point. We had lunch in the one shady spot near the first viewpoint above the ridge crest.

Anemones were among the many flowers blooming in the shady forest.

Mariposa lilies and paintbrush on the sunny ridgecrest

Mt Adams on view just beyond our lunch stop/turnaround point

Splendid view from the ridge crest: Mt Adams, Table Mountain, Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, Hamilton Mountain (which we climbed last week) on the near right, and Mt Hood on the far right between the two trees.

June 12th – Wahkeena – Multnomah Loop, Oregon – Another trail I hadn’t been on for a while. Plenty of water in the falls, abundant greenery and wildflowers blooming, and lots of people near Multnomah Falls .

Entering the Multnomah Falls viewing zone. We turned right, and started walking the loop counterclockwise.

First stop – Wahkeena Falls.

Up to Lemmons Viewpoint, with a panoramic view across the Columbia River to Washington.

Continuing up Wahkeena Creek – lots of monkey flowers.

Fairy Falls in the bright sun.

Foot of Fairy Falls.

Salmon berries near the trail junction/lunch stop.

Cool waters near Wahkeena Spring

The next section of trail follows a nearly level contour through the forest high above the river. I have always experienced a great sense of peace walking through here.

Eastward between the two creeks

Columbine

Tiger lilies and peas

Iris

Even with burned trees I find this trail section so peaceful.

Next, the trail leads down Multnomah Creek, passing three other waterfalls before Multnomah Falls…

Top of Ecola Falls

Wiesendanger Falls, with a few people enjoying the beach

Dutchman Falls

Almost to Multnomah Falls – mock orange and a view to to the Columbia River

Lower Multnomah Falls and Benson Bridge – the top destination for many visitors.

Upper Multnomah Falls, in bright sun, from Benson Bridge.

Bottom of the Upper Falls

Multnomah Falls from the viewing plaza.

I always enjoy this hike – not too hard, and lots of peaceful forest above the waterfalls.

In town…

Summery things – roses blooming, farmer’s market salads, shadows and quirky neighborhood adornments…

Our roses all bloomed at once!

First summer tomato salad

Summer sky

Summer shadows

Whimsical garden post

June 4th – Peninsula Park Rose Garden, NE Portland – I have wanted to see this garden in full bloom, and since our roses had burst out, it seemed a good time…

Plenty of people enjoying the sunshine and roses!

Knitting

Starting things – A new pair of traveling socks, a new donation blanket, and a new shawl…

Socks

Meadowland blanket

Shawl

Quilting

Not starting things…I was planning to start the next Modern Quilt Studio Mystery Quilt, but life got busy. I have fabric, and hope to start in July.

Batik fat quarters for my next quilt…

June 7th – Portland Modern Quilt Guild Rainbow Quilt Show at Powell’s Books – I just happened to come across this colorful and inspirational show on my first visit to Powell’s in a very long time.

A few of the quilts on show…

And since it is Pride month, I will end with this heartbreakingly aspirational meme.

The rest of my June adventures will be in the next post.

Margaret Quilts

Quilting, Knitting, Hiking

Knitting

March 2024 at home

February, 2024…

Hiking…

January 2024 in Portland…

December 2023 – all about the light..

November 2023, Feeling grateful at home

October 2023 at home

A few events around Portland…

September 2023 at home…

At home in Portland, August 2023

The rest of July 2023 in Portland

Hikes

June 2023 – so far…

Hikes

In town…

Knitting

Quilting