Hiking, September 2026

October 31, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We had five hiking days in September.

9-1 – Mt St Helens area, Lava Canyon and Goat Marsh, WA

These were both ‘new to us’ trails. They are short, and not difficult, so we bundled them into the same day.

Hike locations, Lava Canyon and Goat Marsh, circled in pink. Gaia map.

Lava Canyon (1.8 miles, 300 feet) This trail follows both sides of Lava Canyon, on the southeast side of Mt St Helens. Even though this side of the mountain was away from the 1980 blast zone, the canyon was gouged out by a glacier meltwater/mudflow during the eruption event. It is very pretty hike, but the bridge connecting the two trails is now washed out, so we hiked both sides of the canyon.

Trail and geology information sign for Lava Canyon.

Lava Canyon Falls. Any closer view would be unsafe below this steep cliff.

Closed bridge, north side. Our turnaround point.

We retraced our steps, then crossed the good bridge to the south side, and walked along the canyon there.

A small waterfall near the Lava Canyon Bridge.

Scoured rocks in the canyon along Muddy Creek.

Scoured rocks along the trail on the south side of Lava Canyon.

Closed bridge, from the south side, and our turnaround point. The view upstream from the bridge must be great! I hope they reopen it someday.

From here, we drove the bumpy Red Rock Pass Road to the west, to the Goat Marsh Trailhead.

Goat Marsh (2.5 miles, 120 feet) The marsh lakes reflect Mt St Helens on a clear day. We were hiking on an overcast day with no views. We walked through perfectly beautiful forest for a while before reaching the marshes.

We reached an opening in the woods and could see across the first of the two “lakes” or “marshes”, This time of year it looks like a big meadow.

Somewhere in this direction one should be able to see Mt St Helens on a clear day.

The far end of the marshes still had some water and lily pads.

We would like to come back on a sunny spring day when the marshes have more water, and the reflection of the mountain…

9-10 – Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, OR

River Overlook and Wetland Trails (3 miles, 50 feet) We were in the neighborhood for some errands, so stopped for a walk. The lakes are not extensive right now, and there were not many birds.

9-21 – Owl Point, Mt Hood, OR

Owl Point Trail (4.5 miles, 600 feet) It was too hot to go up Vista Ridge, where the burned trees offer no shade on a day like today. The Owl Point Trail follows the edge of Red Hill, is mostly shady, and ends at a spectacular view to Mt Hood, with some pretty fall colors in the foliage.

Along the “approach” trail through the forest.

The approach trail reaches this viewpoint – Mt Hood through the trees, with lots of fireweed seedheads in the foreground.

We take the left fork, toward Owl Point.

Fall colors – mountain ash and huckleberries along the way.

After about 2 miles, we reached the rocky outcrop known as Owl Point.

View to the east, toward the Hood River Valley.

Lower eastern slopes of Mt Hood. The Pinnacle in the right foreground. (Midday is a difficult sun angle.)

And a last view, with all the Dollar Lake Fire (2011) ghost forest spread out below.

9-23 – Lacamas Lake, WA

Heritage Trail (5 miles, 30 feet) – We joined friends who live nearby for a walk and talk visit. I hadn’t seen this much of Lacamas Lake before. Many people live nearby, and lots of them run, walk, bike, paddle, and fish in the recreation areas here.

Southern end of Lacamas Lake, near the trailhead.

The lake stretches about two and a half miles to the north.

9-28 – Rock Lakes – Old Cascade Crest Loop, Indian Heaven Wilderness, WA

Thomas Lake Trail – (6.3 miles, 700 feet) Indian Heaven Wilderness is full of small lakes and huckleberry meadows and is one of our favorite fall hike destinations.

It is less than a mile up the trail to the first set of lakes.

The trail ascends to a viewpoint of Mt St Helens, and more lakes and meadows.

Naja Lake is near the top of the next rise

And one more meadow to cross before our lunch stop.

We took a break at Rock Lakes.

When the lake level is higher, there is only one lake here. Today we can walk between two lakes.

After lunch we continued to the east, toward Junction Lake – there are a few unnamed lakes along the trail.

View of East Crater near the junction with the Old Cascade Crest Trail.

We turned south on the Old Cascade Crest Trail. There are many unnamed lakes and huckleberry meadows – it is my favorite part of this hike!

Blue jays were following us in one section.

Southern end of this section – and a look back at East Crater.

We rejoined the Thomas Lake Trail, then hiked north, passing by Rock Lakes again, before returning to the trailhead.

As we returned from this hike, I took a picture of the grey tree fringe in the gorge beyond the Bridge of the Gods – It has been almost 10 years since that fire.

In all, September was a good month for rebuilding my leg strength and stamina. We also took several long walks at the Oregon Coast, during a few days we spent at Rockaway Beach (next post).

September 2026, Portland, OR…

October 29, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We went to the new Australian Exhibit at the Portland Art Museum; we took our annual walk on Labor Day through the Art in the Pearl show, and we also went to Leach Botanical Garden to see the once a century blooming black bamboo.

9-4 Art Museum

I really enjoyed walking through The Stars We Do Not See, an exhibit of Australian Indigineous Art, that opened at the Portland Art Museum this month. The art is nothng like traditional Western European Art. Many of the large scale images represent maps, history, traditional ceremonies, and many are collaborative, made by people that passed their stories orally and visually, without written language. The impact of colonization and cultural destruction of aboriginal traditions is a major theme of these works.

A wall-sized “map”:

Spirit Dreaming Through Napperby Country, 1980

Another wall-sized map:

A slightly smaller, more colorful map:

In another room, a large display of free standing eucalyptus “posts”, and bark paintings:

A star map…

Another large colorful map:

A different type of map…

A set of colorful map-like images of the Kunawarritji area, by two different artists:

The next two images filled an entire room, and were displayed to reflect each other. The horizontal piece was displayed that way, because aboriginal artists traditionally painted on the ground.

Kalipinypa, and Anwerlarr Anganenty (Big Yam Dreaming)

By the time I walked into this next gallery, I was a bit overwhelmed, but still wanted to take it all in!

I was completely fascinated by the colors and the patterns in this exhibit, and this is only a sampling of the art on display. I plan to visit again!

9-6 Leach Botanical Garden

We saw a notice that Black Bamboo, which blooms all at the same time globally, in a 120 year cycle, was in bloom at the Leach Garden. We went to satisfied our curiosity – it is not spectacular to look at, but an interesting phenomenon.

The flowers are similar to other grass flowers – not colorful.

A few other images from this slightly rainy day:

9-7 Art in the Pearl

I always gain inspiration by walking through this outdoor art fair. A few of my favorite images from this year:

Reading

I finished reading eight books in September. My Jane Austen book for the month was The Jane Austen Remedy, by Ruth Wilson. The author is an Australian scholar who wrote this while rereading the Austen books in her later life, and evaluating her life goals through this lens. I have also reread Austen’s books throughout my life, and find myself interpreting them more deeply each time, so I could relate to many of the author’s thoughts. Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schyler is a novel that includes short explanations of art masterpieces. The Mary Cain book, This Is Not About Running, is an upsetting documentation of how difficult it is for young women entering the competitive world to avoid exploitation. I hope her account increases awareness.

Neighborhood walks…

The beginnings of fall in Portland this month, and full colors in my flower garden.

Health update…A major update for my acromegaly treatment…instead of getting an expensive and painful monthly injection, I have switched to a daily, equally expensive oral pill, that so far, I am tolerating well. I won’t know until December if the IGF-1 level is well controlled, but so far, so good. (Fortunately, my Medicare + Medigap Health Insurance covers most of the cost.)

Poetry Post of the month:

Several hikes, and a few days spent at the Oregon Coast, will be described in later posts.

August 2026 Hiking

October 19, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

August is usually a great month for hiking…but this year, wildfires at the higher elevations, and high temperatures at the lower elevations, interfered with our usual adventures. We tried! The Grasshopper Fire kept everyone away from Mt Hood, and our attempt to hike at Mt Rainier was interrupted by the regional smoke plume from Canada covering the entire Pacific Northwest for a while. We got in one good hike near Mt Jefferson; otherwise, these were shorter, easier jaunts.

August 2-3 – Mt Rainier interrupted

We drove to the town of Packwood, WA, just south of Mt Rainier, on a clear, beautiful day, knowing that higher temperatures and possible smoke were predicted for the latter part of the week. That evening, we drove to a couple of local lookouts on Highway 12, to watch the sunset, and to look at a waterfall.

By the next morning, the smoke had arrived, even earlier than expected. Blah! The hotel kindly let us postpone the remainder of our stay until October, so we packed up. We drove home through the National Park via Steven’s Canyon Road, and stopped to look at some of the views and the flowers. The smoke was not deterring the usual summer crowds at Mt Rainier. We could barely find a place to park, and certainly not anywhere near the Paradise Lodge or Visitor Center. Despite the smoky air, many people were in full hiking gear. We knew our lungs wouldn’t like that, so we wore our masks while taking brief walks to look at the views.

Mt Rainier through the smoke at Raflection Lake.

We found a place to park in Paradise Valley, below the Visitor Center, which was fine for our purposes. There were some lovely wildflower meadows and a mountain stream, plus views to the surrounding mountains. We didn’t have to walk very far through the smoke, but at least we got to see the scenery briefly.

Trail Sign, and our location at the 4th Crossing Trailhead.

View toward the Tatoosh Mountains from the parking area

Paradise Creek, near the 4th Crossing Trail

Paradise Creek as it continues down the valley.

The wildflowers were prolific! Mostly pearly everlasting, spirea, Indian paintbrush, and asters, and a few pasqueflowers.

And more smoky views to the mountains…

We also stopped for a brief look at Narada Falls before driving home, ending our trip after only two days.

Looking down on the Upper Tier of Narada Falls

August 10 – Pamelia Lake, OR

This trailhead, in the Mt Jefferson Wilderness east of Salem, is a bit of a long drive for a day hike, but it seemed our best bet for something not too hard, not too hot, and not smoky, on this particular day. We had only done this hike one other time, and as I remembered, the trail goes gently upward through old growth forest, to the shore of Pamelia Lake, with a view of Mt Jefferson. We got a permit from the Recreation.Gov website for this limited use area, and enjoyed our day, despite the long drive. (5 miles, 800 feet)

Mt Jefferson seen through the burned forest along Hwy 22.

Hiking up through the shady forest, fortunately, not burned in recent years.

We reached the lake, then walked a ways around the south shore to get a view of Mt Jefferson.

View of Pamelia Lake from the end of the trail.

Closer view of the south face of Mt Jefferson

A family of blue jays kept us entertained while we ate our lunch near the shore.

And we had a shady downhill trail back to the car.

Pamelia Lake Trail, Mt Jefferson Wilderness.

August 18 – Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland

My husband had a new camera lens for bird photography, so while he tried to get the sleepy geese and ducks to let him practice action shots, I walked a couple of easy laps around this beautiful garden, trying to stay in the shade on this hot day. (2 miles, 50 feet)

August 26 – Oaks Bottom, Portland

Another hot day, and a hope to see a few birds. They were mostly staying hidden, but we did at least get to stretch our legs in a green area, not too far from home. (3 miles, 100 feet)

View across Oaks Bottom from the Springwater Corridor Bike Path.

Graffiti images in the underpass tunnels:

Stone art along the river path…

Side trail to the tadpole ponds…

The tadpole ponds are dried up, but once it rains, the ponds fill with salamanders and frogs.

The shady trail under the Oaks Bluff provided views of a few birds…

Two white egrets, Oaks Amusement Park, and the West Hills.

We had better luck with “real” hikes in September…

August 2026 in Portland

October 17, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

Playing catch up again…August had memorable events, but now it is October…We were supposed to spend the first week of August hiking near Mt Rainier, but the wildfire smoke rolled in and we decided to come home early. We spent most of the week avoiding being outdoors due to the air quality,

but I still celebrated my birthday in a quiet way:

Flowers, shadows, sidewalks of the neighborhood during the month…

Eugene Weekend:

Later in the month, we had visits from our two children who live across the country, and a family reunion event in Eugene.

Delicious food:

Time spent in my favorite garden:

Some interesting neighborhood sites:

And a stop at Mt Pisgah Orchards on the drive home:

Reading

I finished twelve books in August, two in my Jane Austen category. I really enjoyed Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen, by Kate Evans. She highlights all of the key events of Jane Austen’s life, and her novel plots, and she intersperses it with images of the quilt made by Jane Austen, her mother and her sister Cassandra. The Will Gompertz book about looking at Art was illuminating, and The Personal Librarian, by Benedict and Murray added another interesting layer to that topic.

Eclipse

On August 27th, we watched the partial lunar eclipse from our nearby schoolyard.

We hiked four days, later in the month – to be described in a later post.

Tributes to Dolly:

Toward the end of the month, we were all very sad when Dolly Parton died – she was a powerful person who used her fame and wealth for good, it can be done!

Our local library had a tribute shelf to Dolly Parton.

July 2026 Hiking

September 24, 2026 / margaretquilts / 2 Comments

We had six hiking days in July…

7/1 – Powell Butte, Portland

We went for a short hike on this nearby volcanic butte on a warm day (4.3 miles/400 feet).

We started in grasslands on top of the butte.

We descended to the cooler forest on slopes that surround the butte.

Cedar, fir, and ferns along the well-groomed trail.

Eventually we ascended back up to the top, startling a few deer in the meadow.

Late season flowers – clarkia and daisies.

The mountain finder viewpoint – no mountains out today.

And then back across these colorful grasslands to the trailhead.

A couple of birds hopping ahead of me on the path.

7/6 – Lookout Mountain

A favorite hike to an old Fire Lookout site on a ridge crest east of Mt Hood. There are views to the High Cascade peaks north and south, and high desert to the east. Wildflowers galore are in bloom this time of year! As I write this in September, it is bittersweet, knowing that the Grasshopper Fire swept through this whole area about a month later (3 miles/525 feet).

Meadow near the High Prairie Trailhead, elevation about 6000 feet.

Jacob’s ladder, blooming in the shade along the trail.

Meadow midway up the trail, with view of Mt Adams.

Closer view of the east face of Mt Hood, and its dwindling glaciers.

We continued upward along the rocky crest of the ridge that leads to Lookout Mountain.

The slope just below the peak is rocky and scattered with clumps of flowers.

Views from the top:

Cascade peaks to the south float in the haze. The Badger Creek Wilderness lies to the east, and most of what I can see from here is within the footprint of the Grasshopper Fire.

The lower meadows again… I’m sure they will recover…we shall see…

In early August, as the Grasshopper Fire spread, I took screenshots of the perimeter from the Watch Duty App as the fire spread. The fire became huge, and is still being monitored, listed as 98% contained in September.

Our hiking track, from the Gaia App. I added a bright blue dot to the High Prairie Trailhead, and a purple star to the top of Lookout Mountain.

August 5, 2026 – The top of Lookout Mountain and most of the meadows have not yet burned.

August 7, 2026 – Lookout Mountain is burned, but the trailhead area is not.

August 8, 2026 – The fire has completely overrun this area.

September 2, 2026 – Grasshopper Fire Perimeter, The bright blue dot is the Lookout Mountain area.

7/13 – Chinidere Mountain

Last year I didn’t have the stamina to make it to the top of this peak on the north side of Mt Hood, where we have been many times. I was very happy to have made it to the summit today. Again, with wildflowers and mountain views (5.6 miles/950 feet).

We started up the Anthill Trail again, instead of going down to Wahtum Lake. The trail was shaded, with white forest flowers blooming along the way.

Eventually, we attained the ridge with views to Mt Hood, and to Wahtum Lake.

Arrow points to Chinidere Mountain, our goal for the day

We could also see Mt Jefferson through the haze.

We continued around the ridge, and up the switchbacks to the top of Chinidere Mountain…

The top of Chinidere Mountain, with view to Mt Hood. Hoorah!

To the north, the Cascade peaks in Washington

And another look at Mt Hood, before descending.

Some of the wildflowers of the day:

7/18 – Umbrella Falls to Picnic Rock

My sister Helen joined us for this hike. We started at the Mt Hood Meadows Trailhead (5200′) to minimize elevation gain. It is a great choice for a relatively easy hike high on Mt Hood that has a waterfall, wildflowers and a view (3.2 miles 300 feet).

View to Mt Hood across the ski run, with lupine.

And a few more wildflowers:

7/25 – Wildwood Trail, Forest Park, Portland

Another hike with Helen, who wanted more forest time. We walked a shady loop on the Wildwood and Yellow Pine Trails on a warm afternoon (2.2 miles/275 feet).

7/27 – Bald Mountain

This hike starts at the Top Spur Trailhead on the west side of Mt Hood. In the past, we have gone all the way to McNeil Point, but that is beyond me just now. Instead, we went to the top of Bald Mountain for the views, than walked the circuit around the Bald Mountain, for more views and wildflowers. The south side is exposed to the sun, and gets lots of colorful wildflowers. The return loop is through shady woods. It was very satisfying, the perfect level of difficulty for me at this point (3.2 miles/730 feet).

Gaia track of our hike around Bald Mountain, showing other key locations on Mt Hood.

The first half mile ascends steeply upward, with lots of roots and rocks on the trail.

Lunch view: looking toward Mt Hood from the east summit of Bald Mountain.

Yocum Falls and Muddy Fork of the Sandy River

Mt St Helens, seen looking to the north through the trees.

Mt Adams, also looking through trees from the narrow summit of Bald Mountain.

We returned down to the main trail that circles Bald Mountain, first hiking through shady forest again.

In the forest, approaching the bald side of Bald Mountain.

Bog orchids were plentiful along the trail here.

Once out in the open, the rocky slopes provided continuous views to Mt Hood and the Muddy Fork of the Sandy River.

This view is looking up from the trail toward the summit of Bald Mountain, with rocky slopes and sun-loving wildflowers.

Eventually, the trail returns to a forested section, and we returned to the trailhead.

Last view of Mt Hood before heading back into the forest, with frothy blooms of ocean spray along the trail.

Paintbrush and columbine were also blooming here.

I enjoyed this day on Mt Hood. The approach trail from Top Spur was not as steep as I remembered. I hope to make it all the way to MacNeil Point again someday…

July 2026 in Portland

September 19, 2026 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

My sister Helen visited for a mini-quilt retreat. There were lots of neighborhood walks and a few other other Portland adventures.

Quilting with Helen:

She finished her Lighthouse Quilt, and I prepared one of my tops for quilting.

*Modern Quilt Studio Summer Camp Mystery Quilt, 2024* – pin-basted, and ready to quilt.

Portland Excursions with Helen:

7/16 – Leach Botanical Garden

We walked many of the trails to see the seasonal blooms.

The hydrangeas were particularly colorful today.

The bridge has reopened, so we walked in the natural area by the old stone cabin.

The pollinator garden was in full bloom.

Wine cup clarkia and pearly everlasting – a couple of my favorite wildflowers.

7/21 – Portland Art Museum

Helen wanted to see the David Hockney Exhibit, so I got to walk through it for the third time. So much still to see! I was thinking about how people paint water – I will save those thoughts for another time. She also wanted to see the Monet Waterlilies, and the Chihuly Glass.

7/22 – Lloyd Center Farewell Walk

We made a farewell circuit of the Lloyd Center Mall one hot day. The mall was slated to close for good in early August. It has been an anchor in this neighborhood since the 60’s, and a good resource on days that are too hot or too rainy to be outside. I have spent many hours at this mall, especially with my children, taking them ice skating, to movies, to visit Santa, to the ear piercing studio. We used to watch the professional skaters while eating lunch, and they are the people who will miss this space the most, since there is no other skating rink in Portland. The parking garages used to be full during the holidays. Helen sometimes visited the mall when she was in town, so she also felt a bit of sadness for the end of this space. Internet shopping, and then the pandemic, led to anchor stores leaving. The future supposedly holds a lot of new affordable inner city housing with easy access to transit – we shall see…

Ice skaters using the rink until the last minute!

The ice dancing couple has been skating here since the rink opened. Where will they go now? The developer first promised to keep a rink in the complex, but has since changed their mind.

7/24 – Tilikum Crossing Bridge Walk

One evening we were near the Willamette River after dinner, so strolled across this bike/pedestrian/bus/streetcar bridge, to enjoy the view.

Looking toward the Tillikum Crossing from the East Bank Esplanade.

Tribute to our Congressperson/neighbor who helped make it happen.

Walking west on the north side of the bridge. There are pedestrian, bicycle, and transit lanes on both sides of the bridge.

Looking north toward downtown on the west bank; the Marquam Bridge; and OMSI on the east bank.

Walking back east on the southside of the bridge.

Bonus photo of the Tilikum Crossing – taken on 4th of July while driving east over the Marquam Bridge.

The Tilikum Crossing over the Willamette River, **Mt Hood** beyond.

We also went on two ‘real’ hikes with Helen, included in my July hiking post.

Also this month:

Knitting:

I finished a pair of socks, and acquired some new yarn:

Crazy Zauberball scrap socks – using remains of 3 skeins.

Reading:

I finished reading 13 books in July. Only one was in my Jane Austen theme for the year. My husband and I finished a re-listen of To Kill A Mockingbird as our road trip listening. It is still relevant, and it still makes me cry. I also appreciated relistening to the classic A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf, also unfortunately, still relevant. Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks is a thoughtful grief-processing memoir, also unfortunately relevant and meaningful to me at this season of my life.

Neighborhood blooms, flowers, shadows:

Meanwhile…

Family members were enjoying life in Chicago and Philadelphia:

Cygnus X-1 and Barney joined the extended family.

Signs of the month…

As seen in the neighborhood…

June 9, 2026 – Portland Art Museum

July 28, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

I walked myself through a few of the exhibits at the Portland Art Museum on a partly sunny, partly rainy day.

Mary Henry Exhibit

The quilt maker in me was drawn to the geometric patterns and bright colors of the paintings in this gallery. I admired her precise application of paint that glows with hue and shape.

The centerpiece of the exhibit, *Vivo*, and a photograph of the artist, beyond.

A few more of the bright paintings…

Early career info about Mary Henry, and an earlier painting:

Mixed Media…

The hallways that connect the galleries are open to the sky on both sides with slightly veiled windows. I saw clouds in the sky, and buildings reflected in the wet pavement. I spent some time appreciating how the newly remodeled space frames the surrounding city as yet another form of art.

There are openings in walls and balconies that allow viewing of artwork below on lower levels.

Looking down into the Whitsell Gallery – there were glass, metal, stone, wood and porcelain pieces…

Another angle – Chihuly glass, Calder mobile, bronze, and wood sculptures.

Marble, neon tubes, and an outdoor backdrop.

Inspiration wall card for the Whitsell Gallery.

Closer view of bamboo slices and linen thread,

The Sun, 2018, Gilded bronze, Ugo Rondinone, can be seen from both inside and outside the museum.

Later, I sat for a while in the Whitsell Gallery, looking through the TALL windows at the golden spiked hoop outside, at blue sky and puffy white clouds, all the rain dried up now. A breeze moving the leaves. People walking on sidewalks and cars driving by on the street; mail boxes, cross walks, and street lights. Behind me is a red, twisted, tentacled, free standing Chihuly glass piece; hanging above is a Calder mobile; behind those, an indigenous carved totem; and neon words on the wall. In other galleries are art pieces from all the epochs of human existence.

More pieces I noticed as I wandered through various galleries today…

*Untitled*…As I walked into this gallery I saw a large glowing sphere, casting beautifully symmetrical shadows on the wall behind.

Side view – it is an illusion! Fascinating, how does he do it? There is science as well as art going on here…

Walking into another gallery, I was inspired by the encouraging neon words in the background.

And after reading the wall card for this piece, “line drawing 1”, I was pleased at the idea of the “frozen in time” motion it represents, manifested in bronze…

This one is made from reflectors, and I love the bright colors and symmetry.

In another gallery, pieces made from burlap, wood, glass, and found objects.

And a fiber arts piece, that begged to be touched, but I did not.

As I wandered through galleries, looking at these and many other pieces, I contemplated the time it takes an artist to master their creative skills. I have a scientific brain and training, and yet I also express myself in various fiber crafts that I am still learning. So the science side of my brain was asking “How do they do it?”, while the artist side of my brain was asking, “How does it make me feel?” I marveled at the collective skill level required to create these pieces I connected to today.

And finally, a bit more David Hockney…

I visited the Hockney exhibit again, which we had seen in February, shortly after it opened. There are more than 200 pieces here, and it was impossible to take them all in, so I was glad to have another chance to look.

Last time we missed a large gallery that displayed two very large, wall-sized paintings. The room also had a table of iPads so the viewer could create their own art.

Placard – I spent a lot of time looking at the images of other paintings within this painting but did not see them all. This piece was created with modern technology that the artist embraced as a way to work faster, and larger.

Arrival of Spring 2011 – painted with oils, the old fashioned way, on several panels that are mounted together, again, taking up an entire wall. I can feel the breeze blowing the leaves.

I decided to try my hand at drawing on the (comparatively) very small iPad window. I was like a baby, patting and tapping the screen, and rereading the instructions, until I was finally able to draw a simple chair in a few different colors, with a few different line widths. It was fun, and I might like to try it again. There is an erase tool that helps. I drew a chair, inspired by the many chair images in this exhibit – many drawn to represent people David Hockney lost to AIDS or other causes. I am feeling my personal losses deeply in this season, and it was the first idea that came to mind.

Coda: David Hockney died a few days after this visit to his exhibit. My internet feed was full of tributes and interviews with him, and after reading them, I am even more appreciative of his goal to follow his inspiration to make art; to keep working, to keep trying new things. This image came up, and seems suitable to share here.

May 2026

June 4, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

What happened in May…

In the Garden –

More roses blooming early in the month.

Last year we had so much exterior work on the house (roof, painting, window repair, tuck pointing) that we never put in any kind of garden. But by the end of May, I had planted seven tomato plants, some basil, and some colorful marigolds, zinnias, scabiosa, and sea thrift. There are still many weeds to pull, but there will always be many weeds to pull…

Knitting –

I sewed the buttons on my Zephyr Cardigan.

Zephyr Cardigan, pattern by Celia McAdam Cahill, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes yarn

I started the knitting of Frog and Toad, but then had to take a break, as the tiny needles hurt my thumb joint.

Frog and Toad, in progress, Knit Picks Swish DK yarn

I made progress on socks and a market bag.

Ilene Bag by Hannah Mason, Lang Linello yarn

New yarn – I indulged in a colorful rainbow of mini skeins on a day I needed some cheering up. I also won a skein of sock yarn in the guild raffle. Not sure what either of these will be, but right now, I enjoy just looking at my yarn rainbow.

Reading –

I finished ten books in May. Three were in the Jane Austen adjacent category. In particular, Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney, is a look at other women authors Jane Austen would have been reading in her lifetime, writers who inspired her, and who she refers to in her own writings and letters. These authors have mostly ‘disappeared’ from the literature canon, mainly because they were women. My ‘to be read’ list is now much longer, and I look forward to reading many of the authors described in this book! That may be my project for next year. I love having very long list of books waiting for me!

A Visit to Eugene, May 3rd –

A day with family while our son Brian was on the west coast, visiting from Philadelphia.

Art, but on Ice, May 24th –

Once again, no art museum visit this month. But we attended the Stars on Ice show in Portland, a showcase of Olympic figure skaters. It’s been a while since I have attended a live event, though I do like to watch competitions. This year, I was enchanted by the skill and performances at the Olympics, especially seeing the mutual support of the athletes for each other. With just the right amount of sequins, music, spins, and backflips. What must it be like to have their gravity- and friction-defying motion in their muscle memory! (I took just a few photos – which are blurry because they move so fast!)

In the Neighborhood –

Walking along… I saw

Etc

And more neighborhood signs of resistance…

April 2026

May 15, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

April was a roller coaster, with another great loss. Nevertheless, I made progress on some usual activities.

Neighborhood walks…

Sidewalk of the month:

Knitting…

I finally finished knitting my Zephyr Cardigan. It fits well, and now just needs buttons.

Books…

I finished twelve books in April. In the Jane Austen category, I listened to the BBC radio adaptations of all six novels – a completely satisfying refresher. I also listened to two Nancy Mitford novels, and read two by D.E. Stevenson. All escapism. I suppose my re-listen of The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion was the most pertinent, and sadly, very relatable, and I appreciate having her writing to listen to in a sad time such as this.

Art…

Once again, I did not make it to the Art Museum this month, but I did see a huge new wall mural at one of the remodeled arrival concourses at the Portland Airport. Colorful ceramic tiles suggest a volcanic landscape, or the view from 30,000 feet… with details that look like topography, plants, lakes, lava…it is beautiful!

We also went to the Oregon Potters Association Showcase, and bought some new bowls and trinket dishes.

Patagonia by proxy…

My husband went to Patagonia for a Photography Workshop, and shared photos while visiting the National Park and Fitzroy areas.

Sisters quilting retreat…

While he was gone, two of my sisters came to visit and to work on some quilting projects. We finished four potholders to give to family members in Eugene. I practiced using my Juki machine, and we had more quilting planned after the Eugene weekend.

Eugene weekend…

We were enjoying visiting with siblings and sorting some of our parents photos and other archival material.

We watched the splashdown of Artemis II together. Our father was a rocket engineer, heavily involved in the Saturn V engine development in the early 60’s, so we all have great appreciation for successful space missions.

An afternoon in a family garden…

Only one younger sister wasn’t there, not feeling well – and then we received the sudden news that she had an unexpected fatal cardiac arrest and our world turned upside down. What started as a fun reunion turned to grief. At least we were all together and could console each other; at least we are good people to go through tragedy with; ‘at least‘ is one of the worst phrases in the language…All plans were upended and now I am writing this in May trying to remember what else happened in April.

Toward the end of the month…

My husband returned safely from South America. Our younger son visited from Philadelphia. Our daughter passed all her preliminary PhD exams at Duke, and now “just” has to complete her dissertation over the next few years. Our older son traveled to Trail Blazer post season games, thus the many airport trips. There will be two hikes to report on in a later post.

Etc…

Life continues under the toxic umbrella of war and global disarray that I do not look away from.

March 2026

April 22, 2026 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

I’m way behind again, here, with life challenges getting in the way. This is my March at home update. A post about March hiking, and one about our week at Yachats on the Oregon Coast, will follow.

Knitting

I went to one local yarn shop, Close Knit, during the Rose City Yarn Crawl, and bought one skein of a new to me sock yarn. I started knitting the socks later in the month. I am ready to add the button bands to the Zephyr cardigan. I finished a small The Answer Scarf, by Laura Nelkin, with rainbow beads.

Neighborhood

Spring blooms all month long, our neighborhood St Patrick’s Day parade, and our neighborhood No Kings gathering.

3/15 – Our neighborhood St Patrick’s Day Parade…

This homegrown parade generally includes everything from firetrucks and Irish wolfhounds, marching bands and classic cars, to a Mardi Gras Krew, and children’s bicycle floats. The rain held off until after the parade.

Waiting to start – all fun and nonsense.

3/28 Neighborhood No Kings Gathering

We stood with about a thousand people at a busy intersection, many folks on their way to the much bigger gathering and march downtown, including a few Portland Frogs.

Books

I finished 10 books in March. Three were Jane Austen adjacent. I found The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, about the working relationship and friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune, to be very moving. It makes me mad that we are still struggling against the racism and misogyny they were fighting. My husband and I finally finished our ongoing road trip listen to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, a tale I have reread or listened to many times since my teen years. For a palate cleansing, I heartily recommend any book by Alexander McCall Smith, whose books usually describe ridiculous human conflicts that are ultimately solved by kindness.

Art

I didn’t make it to an actual Art Museum in March, but we spent most of a rainy day at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, described in a later post. We were given one of the paintings made by my recently deceased nephew, Nathaniel, and found a place for it in our entryway. It reminds me of the rainbow we saw at his life celebration last month.

Etc.

Well, besides the No Kings day expressions of resistance, I found this quote that reminds me to keep thinking about what I can do in my own sphere, if not able to reach out further at the moment.