my nature park … my walking meditation … always done without hesitation … sometimes fast … sometimes slow … since there’s no other place to go … watching squirrels … watching birds … I’ve become a nature nerd … 😉 Sure, I won’t win a […]
All posts filed under: Out and About
Up Close & Personal … White-Throated Sparrow
Last summer I encountered this white-throated sparrow sitting high up in a tree. This was my first time seeing one in person. These large sparrows are easily identified by their white or tan head stripes, white throat and and yellow spots above their eyes. Their […]
Up Close & Personal … The Brown Creeper
“Can you see me now?” The brown creeper’s coloring helps them blend into their surroundings, which is why they can be challenging to spot. They creep upwards around tree trunks searching for insects in moss and bark crevices. Look at the beautiful plumage! Last week […]
The Silence of Covid
 The eerie silence of Covid compliance no sliding no riding no hiding and seeking no swinging and singing no climbing no bouncing no racing no boisterous dashing no playful splashing. Just Mousekin afloat without a boat. Just the eerie Covid silence. Every time I walk […]
Up Close & Personal … Cedar Waxwings
During my 15 years in Oregon I had never seen any cedar waxwings here until … … this autumn while I was walking along a patch of trees and shrubs at the park. It was mid day when I heard really loud bird chatter, followed by […]
My First Muddy Boots Adventure of 2021!
Warning! If you are squeamish you might want to precede with caution! Raptors are eating lunch! It’s been nothing but raining here in our neck of the woods lately. This continuous rain has kept me from going to my favorite park for the last several says. However, […]
Hummingbird Magic on New Years Day!
Happy New Year from Portland, Oregon! Stay safe, healthy and happy! 🙂
Up Close & Personal … Red-breasted Sapsucker
While stopping at my favorite lookout spot at the park Sunday I heard a noise. Suddenly this gorgeous red-breasted sapsucker landed on the tree right in front of me. Red-breasted sapsuckers live in forests along our entire west-coast. They are robin-sized woodpeckers who nest in […]
Up Close & Personal … The Bewick’s Wren
Wrens are small, active songbirds that rarely sit still for very long. Bewick’s wrens are about 5 1/2 inches long and live in the underbrush along forest edges. Wrens are easily identified by their distinctive white eyebrows, beige and brown plumage and long white-tipped […]
Charles “Chuck” Clemans Sculpture Garden
Just southeast of Portland, Oregon you’ll find the smallish town of Oregon City. The “upper” part of the city, is perched on an ancient basalt cliff and prone to landslides. This became obvious when I went on this delightful hike  where the path had […]
Oregon’s Nature Nooks … North Clackamas Park
Here are a few more photographs of these adorable, hungry young swallows. Amazing how quickly the parents would race back and forth to feed their babies! When I finally got home I told the Zendog “Every time I visit the park there’s a surprise waiting […]
Oregon’s Nature Nooks … NorthClackamas Park
After I had noticed the swallows around the bird house I began stopping by the nesting box every time I visited the park, once upon arriving and then again after my walk before leaving. Somehow, I never saw the swallows and never heard any sounds […]
Oregon’s Nature Nooks … North Clackamas Park
Earlier this spring, on one of my many walks at North Clackamas Park I spotted a pair of brilliantly colored violet-green swallows. They were busy flying in and out of this small nesting box right by the community garden. There are four bird houses hanging […]
Meditation in Moments … Gazing into the Swirly Whirl
One of my favorite stops at the park is the bridge that spans across Mount Scott Creek. It’s especially fun after it rained and the current is swifter than usually. I love how the light creates these abstract patterns and reflections in the water. 🙂
Oregon’s Nature Nooks: Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
View from the garden entrance The Zendog and I finally ventured out to explore the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden here in Portland. It’s located on SE 28th Avenue in the Westmoreland neighborhood. This garden got its start in the 1950 as a test garden and […]
Autumn Magic at the Oregon Garden
Can you hear the leaves crunching underfoot?  water striders and sunlit autumn afternoons always float my boat. Late October was the perfect time to visit the Oregon Garden for fall colors. Four large brick reflecting pools and and forty brick planters occupy this garden plaza. Each […]
Autumn Magic at the Oregon Garden, Part 3
Every time I’m at the Oregon Garden I stop at this sign and then … … head down this narrow path towards the Secret Garden … … only to remember, when I come around the bend, that this is a dead end … The view […]
Autumn Magic at the Oregon Garden, Part 1
Stepping out from the Visitor Center into the Oregon Garden After endless rain all week I awoke to a bright blue sky and sunshine on Monday morning. I decided to enjoy this beautiful day at the Oregon Garden. This Amazing Water Garden was created by […]
in cahoots with muddy boots 