This poor blog has been woefully neglected. As many of you know I have a flickr site where I post my photos with little captions. I've been feeling for awhile now that my flickr site had made this blog sort of redundant with the real story being told with my photos and captions anyway. If I'm doing something interesting I'm usually taking a picture of it.



So if you want to know what I'm doing with my weekends (and during the week sometimes even) please go to my flickr site.



I've posted a mass of photos here from the last several months (weekends and weekdays alike). I feel like I blinked and summer vanished, fall flew and winter is creeping in. I hope all is well and you will stay in touch. Hey...why don't YOU get a flickr page too so I can see all your photos?! That's a great idea!

urban alpenglow

urban alpenglow, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

from Portland I watch the mountain turn pink and say goodnight.

view of Mt Hood from Mt Tabor Park

pacific stormy

pacific stormy, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I woke up at 4 am thinking the windows were going to blow in at the beach house I was staying at in Newport. The storm had finally rolled ashore with some fierce winds (gusts of 92 mph at Cape Meares!). By the afternoon it was calming down enough for me to make the drive back to Portland.

I stopped in Depoe Bay where the waves were smacking into the sea wall and splashing up onto Hwy 101 and high high high in the air. I also stopped at Boiler Bay which has a nice a high viewpoint above the water. I was out of my car for only a minute with the rain stinging me as the wind whipped it onshore. I tried to take some pictures of the huge waves crashing onto the rocks but the weather was just too horrible. Lastly I stopped here, the calm waters of protected Siletz Bay. The seagulls here were hovering in place in the sky, amazing in the strong winds.

A stormy end to my wonderful long weekend on the Oregon coast.

This is a color photograph of a very gray day.

bayside cocktails

bayside cocktails, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Gina and the Yaquina Bay Bridge. Drinks at the upstairs lounge at the Port Dock Restaurant before going down the street for dinner and more beers at the Rogue Public House.

Newport, Oregon

bayside girls

bayside girls, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Melissa, Gina and Elaine on the beach between Yaquina Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

lovely lovely

15 seconds in the middle of the night

15 seconds in the middle of the night, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

long exposure at the rainy, windy beach. Melissa and I (shadow, heads together) going back to the house after running around on the rainy beach and yelling into the wind.

late late in Newport

good stuff at the goodfoot

good stuff at the goodfoot, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

My friends Lincoln & Jimmy (Robb/Crockett) played at the Goodfoot Saturday night. They opened up for Green Sky Bluegrass, winners of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The place was jammed and I had a great time with my friends.

my alpine lake tour continues

my alpine lake tour continues, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I left Mirror Lake and stopped next at Trillium Lake with view of the south side of Mt Hood and another perfect reflection. It was a perfect sunny Saturday, warm even up here on the mountain. I hope you were outside.

up the stairs (again and again and again)

up the stairs (again and again and again), originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

At Kevin's parents' house for the reception following his dad's funeral. This house has long been the gathering place for all my Waukesha friends. Heather grew up playing in this big sprawling house and now her daughter does the same. They don't have stairs in their house so Nessa was obsessed with going up and down the stairs, endlessly.

mom's grilled ham and cheese

mom's grilled ham and cheese, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

is the best! She makes me lunch before I leave to go to Kevin's dad's funeral. My unexpected journey home was sad and wonderful. I missed my parents terribly. Two years away has made me very nostalgic for all things Wisconsin. My mom's cooking is just one of many comforts I savored while in Waukesha for a few days. I'll be back for Christmas.

pops and his pond

pops and his pond, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Dad cleans out the muck from the pond hoping to avoid the poison gases that get trapped under the ice from the decomposing leaves and kill the fish. The pond gets ready to go to sleep for the winter. I missed my parents and their crazy backyard terribly.

Waukesha, Wisconsin

back in the sha

back in the sha, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I've spent many, many nights on this porch but it's been two years since I've been here. I came back for Kevin's dad's funeral. We wore his hats to ward off the chilly night air. I've been friends with these boys since I was 15. I'm sure I'll be friends with them always.

Kevin, Brendan & me in Waukesha

photo by Becky

swim, spawn and die

swim, spawn and die, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

The salmon are spawning in Multnomah Creek. They've swum from the Pacific Ocean, against the current in the mighty Columbia River to come back here, lay their eggs and die. There were already a few dead white fish, spent from their efforts and done with their life cycle.

I came here not to look at the largest waterfall in the state (behind me) but to see the annual spawn. Both chinook (king) salmon and coho salmon spawn in these waters. It's pretty amazing to see.

people in love

people in love, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Sarah & Jason in a pile of maple leaves. They are a great couple. truly

Trout Lake, Washington

I give up

I give up, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I had to call it about 13 miles up Forest Road 23. I was attempting to get to Big Springs Falls but was surprised by the snow. The road is deceptive, slowly gaining elevation until there was just one set of tire tracks in the narrow road and snow piling up higher and higher. I was without chains, a shovel and cell service and I'm forever mindful of NOT being that girl on the news ("A search team looked for the missing Portland woman blah blah blah"). I drove back down the road and returned to fall in Trout Lake. This is why everyone that lives here has a truck with four wheel drive.

fall flows through us

fall flows through us, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

leaving Starvation Creek, back in the car, up the Gorge, over the river and up to Mt Adams. Trout Lake goodness awaits

the water is impossibly colored

the water is impossibly colored, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Opal Pool in the Opal Creek Wilderness. This is a jewel in the forest. The colors are unreal!

but they're real

gina and the green green green

gina and the green green green, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Yes, the water is really that color. The Little North Santiam River is a wonder.

Opal Creek Wilderness

the sky looks suspect

the sky looks suspect, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

It threatened to rain on us but thankfully did not. Elaine and I had lunch and beers on the outside patio of the Lompoc in NW Portland. Saturday afternoon beers are lovely

the moss fell in love with the trees

the moss fell in love with the trees, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Mist in the mossy trees along the trail to Falls Creek Falls. Sometimes it's all much too beautiful and my green mossy heart beats harder.

the green spills down the hill

the green spills down the hill, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

where the stream of mossy rocks flows downstream. hiking to Falls Creek Falls

the ball of fire breaks the horizon

the ball of fire breaks the horizon, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Sunrise as seen from Mt Tabor Park with Mt Hood and some morning clouds.

Portland, Oregon

lucky me and the lips!

lucky me and the lips!, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

A ticket for the Flaming Lips fell into my lap the day before the long sold out show. The last time I saw them was at the Gorge Ampitheatre (capacity of 20,000) so it was amazing to see them at the Roseland (capacity around 1000). They got plenty of showmanship!

sand fascination

sand fascination, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Chiron was totally diggin the sandy beach. This was his first beach trip with many more to come I'm sure.

Newport, Oregon

big jacks for the babe

big jacks for the babe, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Chiron playing with his huge jacks, on the giant wrap around sofa at the beach house in Newport. The beach house was like Shangri La after two days in the dirt with a baby.

beach babe

beach babe, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Chiron wakes up and sees the ocean for the first time.

Short Sands Beach at Oswald West State Park. Cape Falcon in the background

Oregon is a fantasy painting

Oregon is a fantasy painting, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

before I moved to Oregon 6 years ago a friend gave me a Oregon Coast guidebook. On the cover was a photograph taken from this exact spot off Hwy 101. My roommate at the time said it looked more like a fantasy painting than a photograph of any real place. Indeed this place is real (Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach) and it was the very first Oregon beach I visited. I'll never grow tired of this view.

monday night dive in

monday night dive in, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

at one of my local dive bars, Sassy Jacks, to see my friends play music. The bar has actually gotten a lot nicer in the years that I've lived in the neighborhood. Dave, Eric & Steve on stage while Old Blue Eyes looks on. The washtub bass will be played later in the evening.

the mossy gush

the mossy gush, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Buck Creek was far too pretty for me to stop taking pictures of it. A lovely little Monday hike in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest

sarah and her chicks

sarah and her chicks, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Sarah showed me her and Jason's chickens. Trout Lake life is good.

the pika by lake wapiki

the pika by lake wapiki, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

On one of these viewpoints overlooking Lake Wapiki I startled a little pika, scurrying around on the rocks. The pika was scurrying, not me.

packing on the pounds

packing on the pounds, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

photo by Alicia, Chiron's mama.

Chiron was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis a few weeks ago. After the initial shock wore off everyone is doing very well. He's gained lots of weight (after losing a frightening amount) and is healthy, happy and as inquisitive as ever. He gets enzymes prior to each meal that allow him to properly digest his food and get the nutrition he needs. With parents like Alicia and Lincoln I have no doubt that he will lead a full and joyful life. He is a wonder!

On this day we had fun sticking out our tongues and making funny noises with our mouths. Chiron has recently discovered his tongue and is enjoying every moment. We also danced and sang along while his dad, Lincoln, played his mandolin for us.

Happy Hour at Imbibe in SE Portland

the boomers bust through

the boomers bust through, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

It's definitely mushroom season in the forest. The night before I'd been to a potluck where I had deep fried, beer battered wild mushrooms. The chanterelles were especially delicious!

I should really carry my little mushroom identification book in my backpack at this time of year. Anyone know what kind of mushroom this big guy is?

my hand for scale of course...

deep lake swallows the clouds

deep lake swallows the clouds, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

the destination of my hike in the Indian Heaven Wilderness. Deep Lake was beautiful and waiting just for me. I ate my lunch on the shore, the only person around.

Mt Adams peeks his head above the trees.

exit from the earth

exit from the earth, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

I'm the last one out of the cave. It was a great one for exploring with good air flow and not too small to move around.

the big fish jump and hide

the big fish jump and hide, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

a lovely evening on Steamboat Lake canoeing and fishing with Damon and Amanda. Damon had a few bites but didn't catch any. The lake is stocked with Brook Trout and the occasional Cutthroat.

the color of the water makes my heart beat differently

the color of the water makes my heart beat differently, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

The White Salmon River is freaky beautiful. I walked along the trail from the BZ Corner launch completely amazed and happy.

one of the many ways to keep portland weird

one of the many ways to keep portland weird, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

The annual soap box derby at Mt Tabor Park is definitely a part of the Keep Portland Weird movement. I love my silly city.

This is either a semi final or a final race. It's a blur to me.

entering the worm flows

entering the worm flows, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Kelly had been in this area a few years before when she was working for Americorps on a trail crew. She described being lost in this lava field in the rain while they carried all their tools over the wet rocks. A sunny day and a marked route made for a much better experience.

Small bits of steam being released from the crater.

music for an august evening

music for an august evening, originally uploaded by carolyn_in_oregon.

Wilco put on an AMAZING show at the Edgefield. a fantastic night with lots of friends and music that would not quit