Mt Tabor is an extinct volcano in Portland, OR that is a park, surrounded by neighborhoods. It has historic reservoirs, hiking trails, a dog park, kids’ playground, all in the middle of the city. You never quite know what you might see there- dance parties or wildlife.
Read moreTryon Creek State Park
Here in Portland I am fortunate to have many options to get outside. Tryon Creek is one such place and is a state park close enough to where I live that I am able to go most any day after work, or work it in to a busy weekend. We go there in most all weathers, enjoy the seasonal changes of flora and fauna, and though the parking lot may get crowded, we often have the trail pretty well to ourselves.
Read moreFt Clatsop
Ft Clatsop is where Lewis and Clark overwintered on the Oregon coast near present day Astoria. There is a reproduction of the original fort there with hiking trails, a visitor center that has a museum inside, and it hosts speakers on different topics relevant to the area. Part of the National Parks system, it’s good to have a pass to go for a visit.
Read moreFruitcake!
When my mom was a teenager she took her grandmother’s boiled raisin cake recipe and reworked it into a fruitcake recipe that our family has enjoyed ever since. My parents are in town visiting and we are having fabulous fall weather so we decided to make a bunch! It freezes really well so we can save some for Christmas! It’s basically a cake made of candied fruit glued together by a little flour. Yum!
Read morePortland Audubon Hike
Whatever may come of the name, the Audubon Society is cool and the Portland branch is a favorite of ours. It’s situated against Portland’s Forest Park- the largest urban park in America! It has trails in back along a stream, rehabilitates birds, has a couple of birds out for the public to meet, a gift shop and education programs. The birds they have there now are a great horned owl and a peregrine falcon who we love to see when we visit. We took a little hike there the other day and saw a pileated woodpecker along the Woodpecker Trail! We see them once in a while and it always feels noteworthy, an event.
Read moreSeptember Camping Weekend
As of writing this Cory and I are at 56 and 61 hikes respectively, with our goal for the year being 100. We have been trying to catch up from a lot going on, and in so doing have spent some nice time outdoors. We camped recently at our favorite spot, this time bringing a friend. We brought along a black light and took some fun pictures using it at night, capturing lots of glowing lichen on trees.
Read moreHalloween Project
It’s no secret I love making my own decorations for holidays. I’ve made wreaths, paper flowers, potholders.. With my recent quilts I have made I saw a bunch of neat Halloween material at the fabric store ( I love Pioneer Quilts here in Portland. They’re in an old house that’s fun to visit and have a HUGE selection) and I thought quilting a Halloween throw would be a fun way to decorate my living room for fall.
Read moreA Hiking Artist?
If you have been following me for any length of time you know my husband and I hike, a lot. You may have wondered why a painter like me is putting so much about her hikes on her painting blog. Fair. I try to share who I am, the why behind my painting, and for me that means a lot of hiking related posts. It wasn’t always that way.
Read moreTunes for Working
When I work I like to have something to listen to. I either listen to Gilmore Girls (I have seen it so many times I don’t need to watch to follow what is going on), listen to music on Spotify, or once in a while Nat Geo’s podcast, Overheard. I thought I would share a playlist I made that I listen to while I paint, just some music that I find fun that keeps me focused on painting.
Mt Rainier, Summer
A couple of weeks ago we went to Rainier for what turned out to be a beautiful summer day after the clouds lifted.
Read more