The Road Less Traveled

So how did YOU spend Valentine’s Day?

I spent it happily birding with a friend, and snapping a few photos of the stillness on Tillamook Bay.   In the morning, the clouds were very dramatic.  It made for some really striking photos.

The day was perfect.  Overcast, occasionally spitting rain, but for the most part, still and dry.   On the water, we saw Loons, Goldeneyes, and several other fun waterfowl (though I didn’t have my telephoto lens, so not photos to share of the birds…  I know, I’ll learn.)  A pair of Golden Eagles perched in the trees across the water in the above photo, before moving on in search of food.

It seemed that around every corner there was another striking view.

The water in the afternoon was really high, reaching all the way to the edge of the road, where in the past I’d seen wide mudflats (good for a different sort of bird.   This brought the birds in close.  At one point my friend and I were stumped by a duck we couldn’t identify – red bill, brownish back, a bit larger than other waterfowl, and remarkably still.  It was bouncing up and down with the water, but not diving, or preening or much of anything…  Finally we figured out it was a decoy.  (Can you tell I’m blushing?)

One other feature of the Bay that I found fascinating, was the relics of some dock pilings.  They were full of interesting forms and shadows.  The knots in the wood left interesting spikes sticking out, reminiscent of birds beaks.   I liked this shot, as the blue sky was such a cheerier look than the ominous gray of the same morning.

All in all, it was a really nice day, birding, shooting and hanging out with a friend.

I hope your Valentine’s Day was a good one too.

So it’s been a few months since I went to visit some friends up in Vancouver BC, but let me just say – WOW.  Olympics or not, what a wonderful place to vacation.   I’d been to Vancouver a few times in the past, but it must have been overcast, because I certainly don’t remember it being as amazingly beautiful as it was this time.   The views from town down practically every street corridor look out over water and mountains.   But it was getting out of town where I took some of my favorite shots.

One of my friends and I took a trip up the Sea to Sky highway as far as Squamish, a small town half way to the ski fields of Whistler.  They have clearly been investing in this highway, as it was spiffy new with great rest stops and photo ops all along the way in both directions.

First we followed the signs to their local skatepark.  While not a skater myself, I’m quite involved in Portland’s growing skatepark system at my day job for Portland Parks & Recreation.   So, I have gotten into the habit of going to see skateparks when I tour around places.

The little town of Squamish has a skatepark tucked away in the back of beyond (which from a siting perspective, is not a great idea for many reasons, but that’s a topic for another time on a different blog).  But the location is stunning.  Not many skateparks can boast such beautiful surrounds as this one.

Who wouldn't be inspired by this backdrop?

Squamish as a town simply sits in one of the most beautiful locations imaginable.  After some wonderful homemade coffee cake at one of the groovy coffee shops, I wandered across the railroad tracks to check out the evening light reflecting off the granite mountains that loom over town.

You get a feel for the industrial flavor of this rugged town from this riverfront view.

This was a town that invites one to stop and linger.   Who needs to get to Whistler anyhow.  Just wander down one of the side streets, or stop and enjoy a cuppa with a fresh pastry.  The slopes will be there when you’re done.

For those of you not living here in Portland, we’ve got a pretty mild climate.  We get rain in the winter, with the occasional cold snap.  Maybe snow or freezing rain every third winter or so.  (Last winter’s Snowpocalypse, as my friend Sarah called it, does not count.)  But right now, along with much of the country, we’re going through a pretty harsh cold snap.

However (this is not a weather report) one of the great things about this particular cold snap has been how clear and beautiful it’s been.

On a clear day in Portland, the mountain is out.  When we say that locally it means Mt. Hood is visible.  (In fact, there are three volcanic peaks that one can see on a good day from Portland – Mt. Hood to the west, Mt. Saint Helens to the north, and Mt. Adams farther to the east in Washington State.  But I digress.)

The other afternoon rushing from one meeting to the next, atop one of my favorite local parking garages I snapped this photo of the lovely Mt. Hood with the Hawthorne Bridge in the foreground.   Mt. Hood was radiant with its new blanket of snow.  Such a treat.

Can you just feel the crisp breeze blowing across the Willamette River here?

Harvest time along the Fruit Loop

I don’t like to say that any one season is my favorite, but I have to say that this particular fall has been especially beautiful.  I’ve been taking advantage of the fall colors to go out and practice my photography.   So recently I spent a wet weekend day driving the Fruit Loop with a new photography buddy, Brian. (Check out some of his stellar work here.)   For the uninitiated, the Fruit Loop is a 35 mile circuit through orchards, wineries, farms and fabulous fall colors starting in Hood River, Oregon.   (Read on after the break…) Read more