2024 in Photos

Time just keeps flying by.......how is it December 31st already?

And yes, this means it's time for another edition of the "Linda's Lens" year-end photo recap.  As my regular readers know, I've developed a tradition of highlighting my most memorable images from the year gone by in a final post.  As is my custom, I choose one photograph from each month of 2024 that I feel best represents that month's noteworthy event.  Because I'm always behind on posting events, some of these photos have never appeared on the blog until now.  Of course, some months had several great photos to choose from, and others had me searching for one worthy image.  So, as it is every year, the choices are never easy.  

But now it's time to throw back the curtain, and unveil the twelve photographs that made the cut.  Here are the images I felt best captured my life in the year 2024:

January

Steamboat, Colorado

This year, my buddy Kim and I purchased IKON passes, which enabled us to ski at several North American resorts.  Our first big trip occurred in mid-January, when we flew to Steamboat, Colorado, one of our all-time favorite places to ski.  I had three glorious days on the slopes, and I made as many runs as my legs would allow.  Not only is this resort known for stunning scenery, the charming town of Steamboat Springs was a wonderful place to explore.  (Check out my post about this ski trip.)

February 

Kayaker on the Wilson River

In between winter rainstorms and days on the slopes, I managed to get in a couple of hikes this month.  One of these was a fantastic ramble along a portion of the Wilson River Trail in the Oregon Coast Range.  I love the Coast Range forests in winter - the bare, mossy trees and huge ferns are spectacular.  But while enjoying a break along the river, my friend and I got to witness an unusual sight - two kayakers tumbling through the rapids.  Of course, I had my camera ready to capture all the action.  (For more photos, check out my post about this hike.)

March

Harbor Seals at Yaquina Head

March was one of the months where it was difficult to choose just one photo, because lots of memorable things happened.  But I finally whittled it down to an image I made from a trip to Newport, on the Oregon coast.  I hadn't spent much time here in quite awhile, but when my neighbor Cheri invited me to accompany her on a trip to photograph some of the local wildlife, I jumped at the opportunity.  We saw all kinds of birds - a peregrine falcon, loons, and a flock of Harlequin ducks.  But the harbor seals resting on the rocks at Yaquina Head produced my favorite images of the day.  I was so enamored with Newport that I returned a couple of months later for more exploration.

April

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

There's so many things to photograph in the spring months - migrating birds, wildflowers, spring skiing.  Adding to this list is the annual Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, where huge fields of tulips color the landscape.  This year I decided to wake up early for sunrise.  Not only did I capture some beautiful skies, I also caught the launch of four hot air balloons.  What a perfect photo op - I loved this image of the balloons photographed as they drifted over the tulip fields.

May

Aurora Borealis over Montana

While visiting my son in Montana, I was witness to an unusual event - the Aurora Borealis.  On May 10th, an extremely strong magnetic storm from the sun hit earth's atmosphere, producing colorful auroras all over the world, as far south as Florida.  My son and I parked on a hill above his town and watched in awe as ribbons of colors danced in the night sky.  It was an incredible thing to see, and something I won't soon forget.  (For more, check out this post.)

June

Peak rhododendron bloom near Ramona Falls

Commence summer hiking season!  One of my favorite treks is taking the Pacific Crest Trail to Ramona Falls during the rhododendron bloom.  This year, I actually got the timing right and hit peak flower season.  There's nothing better than traversing a trail lined with huge pink blossoms.  The weather wasn't great - I picked a rainy day for this excursion, but the cloudy skies provided an added bonus as they made the colors absolutely pop.  (Check out this post for more images.)

July

Green heron babies at a local park

I spent a large amount of summer days walking through local nature parks in search of wildlife to photograph.  One of the best places I found was surprisingly the urban park nearest my home (see my post about this place here.)  Not only was there always some type of bird to photograph, this year it appeared the local green herons chose the park to make their nests.  One nest was right next to a very busy paved path that circled the lake.  I had front-row views of four fuzzy green heron babies and enjoyed photographing their antics as they grew into adulthood.  (See my post about the green heron babies.)  As an added bonus, I met quite a few local wildlife photographers.  I joined a great community of photo enthusiasts, some of whom I now run into every time I visit. 

 

August

Wildflowers at Mt. Hood Meadows

Mt. Hood Meadows ski resort is my winter happy place.  But surprisingly during summer months, its slopes transform into a wildflower wonderland.  In the past few years, the resort management has established many hiking trails and now it's one of my favorite places to hike.  This year the wildflower bloom here was off-the-charts amazing - the best I've seen for a long while.  I made three separate fabulous treks here to enjoy the amazing landscapes (See my post here.)

  

September

Gimmelwald, Switzerland

The big event of 2024 was my September trip to Switzerland.  I've been slowly recapping my journey through multiple blog posts, and I hope to finish up in the next couple weeks.  There were so many images to sort through that choosing just one to represent this fantastic tour proved to be a monumental task.  But I finally narrowed down my top photograph to this lovely scene in the storybook village of Gimmelwald (which if you've been following my trip recaps, you'll see again shortly.)

October

Joshua Tree National Park

In late October, I journeyed to Southern California to help my aunt celebrate her 85th birthday.  While visiting, I rented a car and drove out to bag another nearby National Park, Joshua Tree.  Although I'm not much of a desert person, I did enjoy the wide-open views, and of course the fascinating, spiky Joshua Trees.  A blog post about this trip is upcoming, so stay tuned!

November

Eagle Creek Trail, Columbia River Gorge

Early November is when Portland and the nearby Columbia River Gorge reach peak fall leaf colors.  In my opinion, it's the very best time to hike the Gorge trails, and I did just that, hitting as many as I could before the leaves fell away.  My favorite autumn hike is none other than the majestic Eagle Creek Trail, and it won the prize for "memorable November moment."  Although my chosen image doesn't show much leaf color, I loved this capture of Eagle Creek, framed by mossy branches and dying leaves.

December

Early ski season!

Usually every autumn, I anxiously wait for snow to fall in the mountains so I can ski again.  For several seasons, the white stuff has been slow to accumulate, and for the past decade I haven't hit the slopes until well into December (last year my first ski day wasn't until January.)  But not in winter 24-25, my first ski day was the Monday before Thanksgiving.  I think it's been at least 25 years since I've skied in November!  And not only were the resorts open, they were boasting a whopping four foot base.  As you can imagine, I've been a very happy skier this month, logging 9 days on the slopes already, and it isn't even 2025 yet!  Maybe I'll go for a personal record of ski days in a season this year?

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Happily, I've managed to stay healthy in 2024, and enjoyed many skiing and hiking trips.  I traveled to three National Parks, one for the first time, and also visited five other ski areas besides my two in-state favorites.  I also journeyed overseas to the beautiful country of Switzerland.  I made many trips to see family and also enjoyed a few local excursions in the Pacific NW.  My yearly activity tally (so far) stands at 28 ski days and 60 hikes.  Not too shabby!

As always, I look forward to the coming year for more of the same of my favorite outdoor activities.  After my close call with a brain abscess emergency three years ago, I'm thankful for every day I get to spend on this earth, and wake each morning grateful to see another sunrise.  

Thanks to my readers who have stuck with me for all these years.  I mainly blog to keep a record for myself, so I'm always touched (and a little amazed) when others reach out with comments.  I'm glad others enjoy my photos and ramblings.

Here's to a continuation of my skiing, hiking, and photographic adventures in the coming year.  Onward to 2025!

2023 in Photos

2023 has drawn to a close.  And that means it's time for my most favorite blog post - Linda's year-end review in photos.  Can you believe its a tradition I've continued for 13 consecutive years?  Doesn't seem that long ago it was 2011 and I was penning my very first annual recap!  

This year I managed to stay healthy enough to enjoy lots of hiking and skiing.  Although I didn't write any posts about it, 2023 was a banner ski season here in Oregon.  (I logged a record 17 days at Mt. Bachelor alone.)  Even though this year I chose not to do a hiking challenge, I still completed 53 walks in the outdoors.  Not too shabby!  With the COVID threat finally lessened, I also traveled internationally to the beautiful country of Ireland (a definite highlight of 2023) and visited four U.S. National parks.

So now it's time to share with my readers the annual photographic recap you've come to expect.  As with previous years, I've chosen one image to represent each month from my experiences in 2023.  These aren't always my finest photographs, but the ones I've deemed best depict memorable moments of the year gone by.  Every image was captured on the month the event actually happened, not when I finally got around to writing about it.  And as a special surprise, you'll even see a couple pictures that haven't made it into the blog.  (Until now that is!)

So here we go again - presenting Linda's Lens 2023 in Photos:

January

Waterfall action at Silver Falls State Park

It's no secret I love photographing waterfalls.  In early January my hubby and I took a hike along the entire "Trail of Ten Falls" at nearby Silver Falls State Park.  Since hubby doesn't join me all that often on my treks, it was nice to show him one of my favorite places to see waterfalls.  I really liked the above image of Lower South Falls.  If you look carefully you'll see my hubby to the right of this cascade's watery curtain, dwarfed by its mighty flow.

February

Celebrating a milestone birthday on the slopes

I didn't blog about this, but in February I reached another milestone birthday.  And you know me, I always try to celebrate birthdays on the ski slopes!  My buddy Kim and I traveled to Central Oregon's Mt. Bachelor resort, where the skies were blue and the snow soft and plentiful.  As I did on my last milestone b-day, I borrowed Kim's princess hat helmet cover and made a spectacle of myself.  Here's my favorite selfie sporting this celebratory attire.  Could my smile be any bigger?

March

Cherry tree blossoms along Portland's waterfront

One of the sure signs of spring is when the cherry blossom trees along Portland's waterfront bust out their lovely pink blooms.  When I worked downtown, it was easy to walk over during my lunch break for photos.  But post-retirement, I never seemed to go there at the right time.  This year that all changed as I convinced my neighbor Cheri to join me on a borderline rainy day.  Our gamble paid off - not only did the skies stay dry, the threat of rain meant less people (the park becomes horribly crowded during peak bloom.)  Although most of my images were stereotypical pics of the pink trees in a row, my favorite shot turned out to be this zoomed-in photo of the blossoms.

April

The Rock of Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland

The highlight of 2023 was a trip with my buddy Kim to Ireland.  We spent 11 days in the Emerald Isle, taking in as much of the country, culture, and Guinness as we possibly could.  I'm in love with the scenery and people of this stunning, green republic - so much so that Kim and I have both agreed a return trip is definitely in order.  I took over 5,000 photos on my camera alone (not counting cell phone pics) so it was difficult to choose just one image that best represented this grand adventure.  But finally I selected the above selfie that Kim snapped at the Rock of Cashel.  Every day we'd take several selfies from the places we visited.  Kim was much more adept at this special skill, but by the end of our trip I got pretty good too.

May

Wildflower explosion in the Gorge

A wetter than average spring season produced the best Columbia River Gorge wildflower bloom in years.  Home from Ireland for mere days, I fought jet lag and a horrible cold to get out there and photograph it.  This image from Chatfield Hill had probably the highest concentration of wildflowers I've ever seen here.  A great welcome home gift!

June

Yellowstone National Park

More adventures of Kim and Linda!  In late May/early June we embarked on another trip, this time a drive to South Dakota, where I showed her around the Black Hills and Badlands.  On the way home I detoured to Yellowstone National Park, where we spent a fabulous two days seeing as much of the park as we possibly could.  Such an amazing place!  We had several wildlife sightings, saw Old Faithful erupt three times, and visited so many geysers.  It was Kim's first visit to Yellowstone and it had been many years since my last trip.  I enjoyed revisiting the place through a newcomer's eyes.

July

Cape Flattery, Washington

Over the July 4th weekend, hubby and I camped at Olympic National Park.  We've been here twice before, but it's a big park and there was more to explore.  One place we visited for the first time was stunning Cape Flattery, the most northwesterly point in the lower 48 U.S. states.  A long distance from anywhere in the park, its stunning seaside cliffs were totally worth the 4-hour roundtrip drive.

August

Paradise Park, Mt. Hood

Not only were wildflowers prolific this spring, the summer bloom high in the Cascade mountains was pretty amazing too.  I spent the month of August chasing the peak, hiking several popular trails in both Oregon and neighboring Washington.  It was hard to chose just one favorite, but I finally decided upon this year's visit to Mt. Hood's Paradise Park.  This trail is stunning every summer, but this year's wildflowers were some of the most vibrant and bountiful displays I've ever seen here.

September

Twin Lake, Crazy Mountains, Montana

So much happened this month that I just couldn't pick one photo - so instead you get two!  First, hubby and I traveled to Montana in early September to visit our son.  The highlight of this trip was a hike on the Big Timber Creek Trail in the nearby Crazy Mountains.  We journeyed to one of the Twin Lakes, where my son and hubby practiced their fly fishing skills.  The lake was nestled in a valley ringed by craggy peaks - a most picturesque setting.

Mt. Rainier view, Naches Peak Trail

My second September highlight came later that month when I made the trip to Mt. Rainier National Park to check out both the wildlife and fall colors.  (Yes, I realize I just blogged about it, but this visit was worthy of the yearly highlight reel)  I had some great wildlife encounters and was lucky enough to capture them on memory card.  And the autumn leaf hues were amazing, especially along the Naches Peak Loop.  Good thing I went when I did, as snow fell the following week and covered everything.

October

Golden Western larches on Mt. Hood

In early October Pacific NW hikers and photographers go ga-ga for the lovely golden larch trees.  These unique conifers have needles that turn a yellowish color in the fall, much like their deciduous cousins.  Although the highest larch concentrations are in neighboring Washington state, I discovered an ample supply on Mt. Hood's eastern slopes.  My exploratory hike here coincided with peak color.  A most memorable autumn day!

November

Columbia River view above Oneonta Gorge

After thinking there wouldn't be much of a fall color show in the Columbia River Gorge this year, come November the entire area suddenly erupted into the most vibrant of leaf hues.  During that glorious first week of the month, I hiked three different trails.  Each one was as stunning as the next - as a matter of fact, it was hard to chose just one representative image.  But the eventual winner was this shot of colorful bushes lining the steep slopes above Oneonta Gorge.

December

Sunset on Cannon Beach

This year, I didn't take many photos in December.  Due to family commitments and rainy weather, my camera sat in its bag a lot.  But mid-month I made a quick trip to Cannon Beach in hopes of capturing a nice sunset.  Although it wasn't the most spectacular I've ever seen, the setting sun did give the sky a lovely orange hue.  And it felt good to be outside enjoying nature once again.


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Thus ends another year of chronicling my photographic adventures.  Although I didn't recap every one of my outdoor excursions on the blog, I tried to hit the highlights.  Nowadays blogging to me sometimes seems like a chore - choosing and editing photographs and thinking of something interesting to say takes a lot of time.  So I don't post as much as I did in the "early years."  However, I do enjoy looking back on the entries I've written from memorable trips and favorite hikes, and find I'm always thankful for taking the time to document these endeavors.

So yes, I'll be hanging out in this space for awhile longer.  As always, thanks to all my followers for viewing my photos, reading my narrative, and especially for leaving comments.  Although I keep this blog mainly for my own entertainment, it does feel good to know others get enjoyment from my postings.

As with every year-end review, I have high hopes for the next 12 months.  I've planned some ski trips and another big international excursion.  And of course I'll return to my favorite hiking trails and wildflower patches here in the Pacific NW.  So I hope you'll stick around and see where 2024 takes me!

Happy New Year!

2022 in Photos

Well, we've all survived another trip around the sun.  For me it meant one more year of hikes, photography, and visits to cool places.  I'm nearly two years into retirement and still loving every minute of it.  Although COVID wasn't as much of an issue in '22 as the past two years, it was still out there - but unlike '20 and '21 it didn't stop me from doing stuff.  What did stop me - stupid plantar fasciitis on my left foot.  This persistent aliment shot a big hole into most of my hiking plans for the summer.  So I did what I normally do when faced with a roadblock - pivot!  Instead of hiking I turned my sights on photographing birds and had fun discovering new places to find my feathered friends as well as learning how best to capture those quick little buggers on my memory cards.

And now with 2022 drawing to a close, it's time for my annual "year in photos" blog post.  As my faithful readers know, this is my most favorite entry to write.  I compose this post mainly for myself, but also hope that anyone who views it will get as much enjoyment as I do creating it.

Once again, I've gathered together a collection of photos that I feel best represents the year gone by.  As per usual, these aren't necessarily always my best shots.  Some have been chosen because they represent memorable happenings of 2022.  Each image has been chosen from the month it was created.  And - surprise - you might see some new photos that didn't make it onto my blog.  That is, until now.

So let's get to it, and unveil the Linda's Lens top 12 photos from 2022:  

January

Mt. Hood at sunrise

For many days last winter I dreamed of capturing a snow-covered Mt. Hood at sunrise.  The only problem - I really like to sleep in.  For several evenings I would determine that tomorrow would be the day and set my alarm accordingly.  But when it buzzed the following morning, I'd just shut the alarm off and roll back over - later regretting my laziness.  Finally, one morning in January the planets aligned, and I was actually able to pry myself from my warm bed and drive along snowy roads to the Timberline Lodge parking lot.  Through frigidly cold and very windy conditions I witnessed an amazing sunrise that made all that effort worthwhile.  (Note to self - I really need to do this more often!)

February

Wooden bridge at Moulton Falls Park

I'm always on the hunt for new places to hike.  Although over the years I've covered most of the local trails, at the beginning of 2022 I was bound and determined to find some "new-to-me" hikes in the area.  An online image of a picturesque wooden bridge over the Lewis River at SW Washington's Moulton Falls Regional park inspired me to check this place out and get a photograph of my own.  After hiking a rough trail through second-growth woods, I emerged next to the mighty Lewis and was able to find the vantage I desired.  The green water and wintry foggy forest did a great job of capturing the mood of this beautiful place.

March

Grass widow blooms mean spring is here

One of the things I love about March - the wildflowers start blooming!  The farther east one hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, the greater their chances of spotting early blossoming beauties.  The first flowers to emerge from winter slumber are always the lovely purple grass widows.  In March, I took a wonderful hike with friends Debbie and Barry to the labyrinth, an interesting area of unique rock formations and sweeping gorge views.  Not only did we see hundreds, if not thousands, of grass widows sprouting everywhere, we were also lucky enough to spot an entire flock of colorful Lewis Woodpeckers.

April

Dueling goslings

This April, along with flowers, I focused on photographing the many birds around my home.  In the spring there's lots of "birdy" activity in NW Oregon.  One can find several different species in just about any park or preserve.  Not only were birds migrating, many were looking for mates, and once mates were found, raising their young.  At my local "duck pond" the resident Canada geese flock had just hatched several broods of tiny, yellow goslings.  Early one morning, I was lucky enough to capture two of these adorable fluffballs fighting over a worm.  Such cuteness!

May

Sunset at Bandon Beach

The year just wouldn't be complete without at least one visit to my favorite place on the Oregon coast - scenic Bandon Beach.  In May, I introduced my good friend Kim to this magical place.  So many things to photograph - unique sea stacks, tidepool creatures, birds (of course!), a cool lighthouse, and a sweet mama harbor seal with her pup.  But the main reason I return here every year is for the amazing sunsets over the ocean.  And once again the Bandon skyline didn't disappoint.

June

Cedar waxwing

This year June wasn't a great month for me.  Plantar fasciitis plagued my left foot, forcing a near-standstill to all hiking activity.  Luckily my neighbor Cheri got me out photographing birds, a definite sanity saver.  I added a bunch of "new to me" birds to my photographic catalog, including this beautiful Cedar waxwing, spotted at the local park.

July

Rhodie time!

In July I began attempting shorter hikes, but most of my camera's exploration came from driving tours, such as the one I made up to Mt. Hood to check out the rhododendron bloom.  Having missed it last year, I was determined to make up for lost time.  There's nothing I love more than seeing these gorgeous pink blooms brightening the forest.

August

Humpback whales feeding in Glacier Bay

August was awesome.  Hubby and I took a trip to Glacier Bay, Alaska.  Boy, oh boy was there a lot of photo subjects to be had!  We fished for halibut, toured Glacier Bay National Park by boat and foot, and kayaked Icy Strait.  But by far the highlight for me was a most excellent whale watching trip into Glacier Bay.  Our ship's captain had many years of experience and knew right where to go.  Not only did I witness a pod of humpback whales bubble net feeding several times, one whale breached right in front of the boat!  An amazing experience I won't soon forget.

September

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

After a trip to South Dakota to visit family, I detoured north to check another US National Park off my list.  Although I didn't hold high expectations for Theodore Roosevelt National Park (it was in North Dakota, after all) the place ended up blowing me away.  Not only was it drop-dead beautiful (pro tip - go in late September to catch the stunning fall colors), the place was full of all kinds of wildlife, from buffalo to wild horses.  I'm glad I took the side trip and explored this little corner of the west.

October

The Mighty Metolius in autumn

October was a grand month.  I spent many days outside in search of autumn leaf color.  A doggy sitting gig with my grandpuppies had me spending 10 days in sunny Central Oregon.  It was fun to explore a different part of my state during the annual fall seasonal change.  Lots of hiking trails were covered, with my most favorite being two separate trips to the mighty Metolius River, my vote for the prettiest water body in Central Oregon.

November

Hoyt Arboretum

November offered a continuance in my pursuit of changing leaves.  Due to a very hot and dry October, many leaves were slow to turn.  In a way it was nice, as fall color lingered nearly into December.  One chilly day, friends Debbie and Barry invited me to hike the trails in nearby Hoyt Arboretum.  Such a gorgeous place, I resolved to visit more often in the coming year.  It just goes to show, one doesn't have to travel far to find beauty - sometimes it's right in your own backyard.

December

Tumalo Mountain view from Mt Bachelor

Of course, December always means skiing, and this year the Cascades were blessed with enough snow that I was making turns early in the month for a change.  During the annual December trip to Mt. Bachelor I paused to take in the glorious snowy scene from it's slopes.  Tumalo Mountain was front and center in this view, a place I summitted during my October visit.  Standing in such a beautiful winter wonderland, I reflected on how lucky I am to live near such stunning places.  I also felt gratitude to have the good health this year (despite my foot issue) to continue exploring and photographing it all.

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And so, dear readers, that's a wrap on another year of blogging!  As the number of people keeping blogs continued to dwindle in 2022, I often felt as though I was one of the last bloggers standing.  I really miss some of the blogs I used to follow, and the wonderful people who used to engage by commenting.  When I get discouraged by the small number hits or comments, I have to remind myself that the main reason I continue to keep a blog is for myself - as an online dairy to record hikes, trips, and other discoveries.  If others view my photos or read what I've written, I consider it a bonus.  It's very flattering (and a little humbling) to know there are still people who enjoy what I put out there in blogland.

So, once again, thanks to those of you who still faithfully follow, read, and comment.  You are much appreciated!  I'm not ready to quit anytime soon so I hope you'll join me for another year of photographic adventures.

Happy 2023!

2021 in Photos

Let's kick 2021 to the curb!!

It's time once again for my favorite post - the annual "year in review."  The 2021 version is extra special, since it's my 10th YIR recap.  Can't believe I've stuck in there for so long - still plugging away, when many of my favorite blogs have faded into oblivion.  

After a craptastic 2020, I thought the year 2021 would be better.  It started off great - with me learning how to be retired.  (I was a model student!)   Then along came vaccinations for all, providing freedom to travel again.  But on my first big trip - finally visiting my parents since the start of COVID, I ended up having a health issue that required emergency brain surgery.  Once I recovered from that ordeal the Delta variant reared it's ugly head, again confining my activities closer to home.  And now we have Omicron.....

With retirement, my photo-taking has ramped up but my sharing of images not so much.  I've been so busy out there with my camera getting captures, it consumes much of the time I would ordinarily use for editing and processing of photos, not to mention creating blog stories.  Sooo.....postings to this blog have not been as frequent as I anticipated.  Oh well, maybe I'll do better in 2022.  (We'll see!)  

Nonetheless, as per my end-of-year ritual, I went back to the archives and pulled out a dozen images that I think best capture my experiences in 2021.  As always, these aren't necessarily my finest photographs, but ones that I feel best represent the year now past.  So sit back and enjoy this latest installment of Linda's Lens year in review!

January

Sunrise over the Columbia River Gorge

January - I was newly retired and already loving the freedom.  I got my first taste of how wonderful retired life could be on the first week of January when Cheri and I did an early morning Gorge trip to catch sunrise.  It was great to wake up early for something I wanted to do.  As the sun crested over the horizon, I thought to myself "I've been waiting my entire career for this!"  A good precursor of things to come.

February

Shore Acres State Park

I made a solo midweek trip to the south-central Oregon coast to capture waves and sunsets.  Staying in a freezing cold yurt at Sunset Bay State Park (the heater didn't work very well) I warmed up by getting out and photographing the unique coastline at nearby Shore Acres State Park.  I also spent a night in the nearby town of Bandon.  One of my favorite coastal towns, it's always a pleasure to capture sunset on Bandon's lovely beach.  

March

Cottonwood Canyon State Park

I reserved a cabin at Cottonwood Canyon State Park, someplace I'd wanted to visit for a couple of years.  Located in north Central Oregon, the dry climate here was a welcome relief from the rainy weather west of the Cascades.  The terrain here was also quite different from the green, mossy forests around Portland.  I enjoyed the wide-open spaces, partially sunny skies, (a rarity in March where I live!) and rolling hills along the John Day River.  I had a great time hiking most of the trails, and finally spotted some of the resident Bighorn sheep on my last day.

April

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm

One of the advantages to being retired was the opportunity to visit places during the week, when crowds were far smaller.  One such place was the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, which after remaining shuttered during 2020, opened it's gates to visitors again in 2021.  Cheri and I bought season photographers passes so we could go anytime we wished.  I made good use of my pass with several visits over the course of their season.  The most memorable trip came in late April, when we journeyed to the farm at dusk.  We lucked out with a nice sunset, and had a great time photographing images of a colorful sky over equally colorful flower fields.

May

Spring flowers in the Gorge

Due to last spring's COVID quarantine, I missed the entire wildflower season in the Columbia River Gorge.  Now that trails were reopened, I wasn't about to miss it a second time!  During April and May I logged plenty of hiking miles on both sides of the river capturing acres of beautiful yellow balsamroot blooms, along with many other colorful spring wildflowers.

June

Happy to be out of the hospital

June.....the month where everything changed.  I'd been happily marching through retired life enjoying the copious free time and good health to do everything.  Then what started as a headache turned into emergency brain surgery for an abscess.  After a successful surgery and 6 days in the hospital, I emerged with an iv pump that would be my constant companion for the next 5 weeks, flooding my system with strong antibiotics to rid my body of the infection.  Thankfully this emergency occurred when I was visiting my parents in South Dakota.  I had a great team of great doctors and nurses and my family to take care of me.  This ordeal made me realize that life is precious and things can change in the blink of an eye.  I'll never again take my health for granted.

July

Fawns in my parent's backyard

Due to my medical emergency, what was originally planned to be a one-week visit turned into a 2-month stay with my parents.  However, my 2-month treatment duration in South Dakota turned out to be a blessing in disguise - I got to spend lots of quality time with my parents.  After not seeing them at all in 2020, it was great to have the bonus weeks to fully catch up.  While recovering I whiled away many hours sitting in their huge backyard, watching the wildlife pass through (lots of turkeys and deer).  Of particular interest were four fawns who made frequent visits, often getting a drink from the birdbath on hot summer days.  Photographing the local wildlife kept me busy while I slowly recovered.

August

One of my first hikes, post-surgery

In mid-August my treatment finally complete, I returned home to Oregon.  It was wonderful to be back in the beautiful Pacific NW once again!  I'd missed the hiking trails most, so I didn't waste any time in getting back outside.  One of my first hikes post-surgery was a trek on some new trails at Mt Hood Meadows.  A local ski resort in the winter, Meadows reinvented itself as a summer destination with the addition of several new treks around it's ski runs.  I can't tell you how happy I was to be walking around my favorite mountain once again, even if it was just a short saunter.

September

The neighborhood owl

One of the things I've done much more of this year has been wildlife photography.  My neighbor Cheri, who captures amazing wildlife images, took me under her wing, introducing me to several places where birds and other animals congregated and instructing me in the art of capturing animals in motion.  I've had a great time these past several months, photographing eagles, sandhill cranes, osprey, blue herons, wood ducks, pelicans, woodpeckers, and many more creatures.  But the best bird sighting of the year occurred right in our own neighborhood.  Cheri spotted a barred owl on one of her morning walks, and good friend that she is, alerted me to the owl's location so I could snap a few photos of my own.

October

Fall colors at Clear Lake

October is my favorite month of the year.  It's the time when fall colors erupt here in the Pacific NW.  Not being confined to weekends, it was a busy month traveling from various locations, chasing the peak autumn hues.  One of my highlights was spending a couple of days at Central Oregon's Clear Lake and surrounding areas.  With showy vine maple bushes lining it's shores, this lake is one of the best places to see fall color in Oregon.  And the lake, with it's crystal-clear waters, is a worthy attraction in itself.

November

The Eagle Creek Trail, post-fire

After being closed for nearly four years, the Eagle Creek Trail in the Columbia River Gorge finally reopened this summer.  Torched from a horrific wildfire that consumed much of the Oregon side of the gorge, I was afraid this favorite hiking trail had been irreparably damaged.  Immediately after it's opening, the Eagle Creek trail was mobbed by hikers.  Not keen on fighting the masses, I waited for a rainy November day to make my first visit post-fire.  Although many areas were full of charred trees, I discovered the canyon green and bursting with lovely fall colors.  Much better than anticipated!  Walking this trail once again was like seeing an old friend.

December

Happy to be back skiing!

When I was lying in the hospital last June recovering from a brain abscess and several neurological issues, one of my thoughts was "Will I be able to ski again?"  In December, almost six months to the date of my surgery, I happily returned to the slopes of Mt Bachelor (with a brand new helmet of course).  I picked right up from where I left off the previous season, with no apparent effects from the summer's infection and treatment.  I was elated!  After several long months of recovery, things finally felt normal again. 

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Earlier this fall I was cleaning out a closet when I discovered a bunch of my old diaries.  I'd faithfully documented my life during high school, but the entries tapered off quickly once I went off to college.  The last time I'd written was in the early 90s, after that life got too busy to continue.  Inspired to resurrect this tradition I considered the monumental task of penning a 3-decade catchup.  But then I came to the realization - I'd been keeping a diary right here since 2008.  This blog has been a visual account of my life, documenting events much better than any written diary could.  There's a lot of memories archived here on Blogger.  I find much enjoyment re-reading posts from the past and perusing photographs of previous hikes and outings.  This is what keeps me going year after year, even when comments to my blog dwindle and my enthusiasm for creating another blog post wanes.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'll keep on sharing photos and stories here for another year.  As 2021 draws to a close, I'm already hatching plans for new adventures to make up for the time I lost this summer.  I'm hoping for a healthy 2022 so I can do all the things I'd hoped to accomplish in 2021 and more.  

As always, thanks to you readers who are still hanging in there for commenting, viewing the photos, and reading the posts on this blog.  May the coming year bring you peace and health (and hopefully an end to COVID).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2020 in Photos

Ugh.....2020 is a year we'd all soon like to forget.  It started out with so much promise - a new decade, a blank calendar full of possibilities.  I made so many plans; hikes, outings, trips, family reunions - only to have everything come crashing apart in mid-March.

I think back to January 2020 and remember how carefree and optimistic I was then.  I had no idea how much life was about to change.  From being kicked out of my office and working at home for 9 months, not seeing friends and family, to wearing a mask everywhere I went, using more hand sanitizer in 6 months than I ever have in my life, and being super paranoid of getting too close to anyone.  But at least outdoor activities were not off-limits, and hiking was one of the things that kept me sane throughout these difficult months.

I've been creating my "Year in Review" post now for the past 9 years.  It started with one photo from the blog for each month.  As the years passed and my blog got terribly behind current times, I instead started choosing favorite photos for these year-end recaps, or like in 2019, favorite hikes from the past 12 months.  

But this year I'm going back to the original theme - 2020's "Year in Review" will again feature photographs from the actual month that they occurred.  And instead of choosing favorite photos, some of these images will depict important, memorable, or timely events from this most unusual of years.

January

2020 started out with a bang, or at least a splash, with a field trip to watch huge waves crashing ashore at Washington's Cape Disappointment.  My neighbor Cheri invited me to join her to capture this unusual convergence of high tides and ocean wave activity.  We spent a memorable first day filling our camera's memory cards with amazing images.  Such a fun way to start a new decade, at the time I foolishly believed it was a precursor of great things for the coming year.

February

 

Over President's Day weekend, I convinced my hubby to join me on a snowshoeing outing.  We chose the June Lake Trail near Mt St Helens.  Having snowshoed this same trail exactly one year ago, I was surprised by how low the snow levels were when compared with the previous year's trip.  But there was a fresh dusting of the white stuff and when it sparkled in the sun the forest looked positively magical.

March

 

One week before life came to an abrupt standstill I decided to hike the Multnomah-Wahkeena trail in the Gorge.  It was an awful rainy, cold, borderline-snow day and I almost turned the car around and headed back home.  But needing a break from the impending pandemic hysteria, I donned my raingear and persevered.  As I climbed higher raindrops transitioned into snowflakes until the entire forest was transformed with a white coating.  I had the best time walking through this unexpected winter wonderland - it became one of my best hikes of 2020.

April

From mid-March through April everything shut down and I was confined close to home.  No hiking trails were open and the ski areas shuttered.  What to do?  Hone my bird photography skills!  I filled my now-abundant free time with pilgrimages to the local wetlands and nearby parks to capture the spring birds and baby ducks.  This month features two photos because I just couldn't choose between the splashy robin bathing in a puddle and the cute, fluffy gosling who posed so nicely for my camera.

May

 

In May, hiking trails began slowly opening up.  May 18th was also the 40th anniversary of the Mt. St. Helens eruption.  Since one of the places with open trails happened to be on the mountain's north side, I made a Memorial Day visit to pay my respects and hike a "new to me" section of the Boundary trail from the Hummocks up to Johnston Ridge.  Note that the photo also shows an addition to my hiking attire - a face covering, which became standard equipment for trekking any trail in 2020.

June

Despite COVID cases increasing, most of the local trails reopened by June.  To make up for lost time, I ramped up my hiking trips this month, averaging two a week.  Since I missed out on the April-May Gorge wildflower show, I hiked several places with blooming rhododendrons to get my spring flower fix.

July

 

In July the Comet Neowise made a special appearance in the night skies over Oregon.  Thanks to my neighbor Cheri I met up with a group of women photographers on a remote road in the far eastern Gorge for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to photograph this unusual comet. (It only comes around every 6,800 years!)  Having never attempted night photography not only was it a huge learning curve, but seeing and capturing the comet with my own eyes (and camera!) was one of the coolest photographic experiences I've ever had.

August

 

During an August camping trip in Southern Oregon with my hubby and brother we decided to visit nearby Crater Lake.  None of us had ever hiked the short path from the rim to water's edge, so one warm morning we traipsed down the steep Cleetwood Cove trail to check things out.  I was surprised to see so many people swimming in the lake's pure blue waters (and also to learn swimming and fishing were allowed!)  Although only a short jaunt, it was one of the most fascinating destinations I hiked to in 2020.

September

 

September was a month of heartbreak, as 2020 reared it's ugly head once again.  A Labor Day windstorm downed powerlines and sparked several huge wildfires in parched forests across the state of Oregon.  Five small towns burned to the ground, and scores of favorite hiking trails and unique forest environments were torched.  For 10 long days acrid smoke filled the skies overhead causing air quality to spike off the charts.  With absolutely no place to go (air quality was considered "hazardous to health") my hubby and I hunkered indoors staring at angry orange skies and sadly watching online fire perimeter maps gobble up more and more forest land.

October

Ah October!  My most favorite hiking month!  Skies cleared and leaves began their seasonal color changes.  And this year I finally made it to Mt Rainer National Park to witness the spectacular autumn colors at Paradise.  I used to think the summer wildflower season was the best time to visit Rainier but after this trip autumn may have won me over.

November

Although high mountain autumn colors peak in October, in the Gorge and Portland area they don't reach full force until November.  Fall color was weird this year, as some places the leaves turned early, others turned late, and some leaves simply wilted and fell off the trees without any color (I blamed the September wildfire smoke).  But one of my favorite November hikes, Hamilton Mountain always provides a spectacular autumn leaf show.

December

I really haven't blogged yet about skiing in the time of COVID - but in December Oregon's ski resorts opened their doors once again.  I made four trips to two different ski resorts and had some interesting experiences.  A future blog post on this subject is forthcoming, but in the meantime I think this photo of me at Mt Hood Meadows with my face fully covered kind of summarizes resort skiing for the 20-21 season.  No need for sunscreen anymore!

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And now for my biggest, best news of 2020 - on December 31st I'm retiring from the job I've held for almost 32 years!  Yeah!  Midweek skiing and hiking here I come!  I'm so looking forward to more free time to pursue my photography to it's fullest and hone my photo editing skills.  I'm planning to revamp this blog (so many things are horribly outdated...) and set up a website so I can sell prints of my images.  And hopefully travel again, if this pandemic is ever put to rest.

As always, thank you to my readers for the comments, likes, and for continuing to read my ramblings.  I know retirement will bring new and interesting adventures - so please keep visiting and come along with me on this exciting next phase of life.

Good riddance to 2020!  I'm hopeful for better times in 2021.  Wishing you all peace and health in the coming new year.