This is another compilation, various photos I’ve taken in my explorations of the world.
Forests are magical places. Imagine describing a tree to someone who has never seen one – would they believe a living thing could grow into such sizes and shapes? No, the only answer must be magic. The forest in this image is not the most noteworthy or wild – it’s a park within walking distance of my home. But it is magical all the same.
Eons ago, when the Ochoco Mountains were young and craggy, Steins Pillar was just another cliff face. Now that the mountains have settled into gentle rolls, this anomalous finger of rock has hung on as a relic from another time.
Oregon’s Ochoco Mountains cover an area of about 100 miles by 100 miles in the center of Oregon. These mountains are characterized by gentle forested slopes, with the highest summits just under 7,000ft in elevation. You won’t find any icy crags in the Ochocos, but you can find peace.
The Painted Hills of central Oregon are an anomalous beauty. As I’m sitting here trying to find words, my eyes are drawn the the photo. Just look at it. Imagine a world like this.
The morning fog hangs on above the cool meadows of Penstemon Prairie in the Tualatin River Valley. This natural area is rare bit of grassland habitat in a valley of farmland.
As summer turns to autumn, the grasses of Penstemon Prairie become brittle stalks of seed.
I see Lincoln’s Sparrows on occasion, but they’re not exactly common. However, for whatever reasons of season, habitat and luck, I saw a dozen of them in one morning at Penstemon Prairie.
As the grasses get long and dry, grasshoppers seem to reach peak size and population as well. This one was still trying to warm up from the overnight dew.
This is just an ordinary creek on the edge of Penstemon Prairie, but the early morning sun and touch of fall color added a splash of dreaminess.
The California Scrub-jay is a common neighborhood denizen. I see them regularly, but not regularly looking this clean and neat.
When it was growing, this sunflower reached 11ft above the ground. The flower is about a foot across.
This famous pictograph, called Tsagiglalal… or “She who watches” is located in the eastern part of the Columbia River gorge, overlooking a stretch of river that was once a cultural hub. It’s not far from Celilo Falls, which for many generations was a big center for salmon fishing and trading of all sorts. One native legend is that it was once a woman chief, who was tricked by Coyote and turned into stone – forever watching over her land and people.
The young Black-tailed deer buck to the left has a bit of growing-up to do before rivaling the majesty of its older companion.
I hiked to the top of Chehelem Ridge in the mist and fog. There wasn’t much to see on this particular day, except the shape of this stately tree atop the grassy dome.
One of the many trails through the forests of Chehelem Ridge Nature Park, just south of Hillsboro, Oregon.
This Common Poorwill roosted for a few days on a gravel garden bed in eastern Portland. While these birds spend their days on the ground, they blend-in so well, it’s not easy to see or find them.
