Spring Awakens Slowly



Spring has been slow to materialize here in Portland this year....But at least on a few days, when I took my Illustration class out to sketch, we were able to enjoy some of the forest gems that were emerging from a soggy forest floor. There's nothing prettier or more uplifting than the bright greens of new foliage sprinkled on the forest floor or scattered in the canopy above!

The exercise was to walk slowly down the path ( located behind the main buildings to the north of the main campus of Portland Community College at Rock Creek) ....stopping every 10 steps to do a quick sketch ( of only 30 seconds or so!) and then moving on to do another sketch....and another! With 20 students I had a hard time getting them to spread out a bit, or to not spend too long on each sketch. The idea was to look at the overall shapes and patterns of dark and light, and to quickly sketch your impression...then move on...

We found many clusters of Trillium, lovely fern and Vanilla Leaf, moss-covered logs, and lichen covered tree trunks.

A walk in the forest in Spring is magical!

Back in my own garden, the new leaves are emerging and new pots are brightening up the decks....Even Lucca seems to be waiting for warmer temps and the Summer to come!

The March Landscape

We took a short trip across the Santiam mountain pass to central Oregon earlier this week so that we could play in the snow, enjoy some sunshine, and also the high desert around Bend and the community of Sunriver. Again....another change of scenery! I especially love the early Spring colors that show up in the grasses and shrubs, and the shapes of the snow patches that dot the meadows.

We had a quick trip over the Cascade mountains which divide Oregon's lush Willamette Valley from the high desert of Eastern Oregon. Charred trees from a previous forest fire gave a ghostly look to one section of the pass....

Once settled in, activities over the next two days included: skiing under whiteout, blizzard conditions ( husband Fred), walking with my camera and sketchpad on the many trails around Sunriver (me), and cross-country skiing (our friends) Dining and wine-tasting were also on the agenda!

You can almost feel the icy wind whipping across this flooded meadow! Temperatures on this day were in the 20's and snow was on the way.

I love the texture of the wind and rainwhipped grass that will soon again be weighted down with snow.

After digging our car out the next day....!

Where's the road?

Going back over the pass on our way home took a bit longer than our earlier trip. We heard later that the pass had closed due to a landslide!

Back home again....we arrived just in time to welcome a few snowflakes that seemed to follow us over the pass!  By morning of the next day ( March 22nd)we were looking at a very pretty 'Winter scene'....but not what I wanted to see!  Daffodils had started to open and my garden was beckoning for me to come rejuvinate it for Springtime visitors. Now it all lay under a blanket of very wet, heavy snow! Lucca loved it though!!

Every twig and branch and even every wire in the vineyard was covered!

I guess we'll have to wait a few more days for 'Spring' to arrive in this fickle month of March!







A change of scenery

We just got back from a week's stay in Tucson....soaking up the sun along with enjoying the company of college friends. It was a wonderful change of scenery from Portland, especially since we left with snow on the ground and some nasty cold weather.

One of our adventures down there was a three hour hike in Sabino Canyon along the Esperero trail. With temperatures in the low 80's, it was the perfect time of year to go....although even then, I was feeling the heat! (and the extremely dry air) I managed to do a sketch while sitting on a very hard rock in a very small patch of shade. I added the watercolors later.

I love the beautiful natural arrangements of rocks, grasses, and old twisted trees that often line the dry washes where the trail seemed to cross again and again.

Do you think the Mt. Lions know where the boundry to the 'wilderness area' is?

The typical plants found in residential landscapes are also very different than what you would find up in Oregon, and I was glad to see that turf grasses were

not used except on the golf courses! This grouping was in the garden of our hosts.

Along with this lovely sculptural agave....

Walls are also a prime feature in many gardens and serve the practical purpose of keeping the snakes out! Often the side of an adjoining home is left windowless, creating a higher wall, a bit of shade,  and more privacy for the garden next door.

Beautiful Mesquite trees are often featured.

Fountains can often take the form of the native plantings, as with this ceramic cacti discovered in the art packed town of Tubac, near the Mexican border.

With strong sun, light surfaces, and adobe or stucco walls, shadows play a big part in the compostion of the landscape. This was taken from inside the mission church of San Xavier, looking out to a simple courtyard through a side door.

On our last evening in Tucson we were greeted with a full moon.....

The Oregon Coast, a dog....and forty seven years.....

A few days at the coast can be a wonderful thing, especially when it's shared with my husband of forty seven years and our dog of one and one half years! It was Lucca's first time stepping onto sand and seeing, hearing and smelling the ocean. Even though we live a little more than an hour's drive away, we had never taken him to the Oregon Coast. Having a wedding anniversary just shy of 50 years called for more of a celebration than just dinner out....so we opted to book a room on the beach and enjoy watching Lucca see it for the first time!

An extremely low tide and a gorgeous day in the 60's was an added bonus for early February! Our room at Cannon Beach faced the ocean and was also very pet friendly, providing Lucca with his own bed, treats, towel and feeding bowls. The town of Cannon Beach also appears to have more dogs than people...with all varieties and sizes represented. Since Lucca is over 110 lbs  and overly friendly we played it safe and put him on a leash while walking through town or on the beach. He loved every minute .....

and met quite a few new friends along the way. Haystack Rock, the town's signature rock, looms above the endless stretch of sandy beach, and is always a draw for visitors....Lucca, included.

Later in the day , when there were less people on the beach....and fewer dogs to distract, we let Lucca run free. He loved chasing his favorite ball, but didn't like the mouthful of sand that he got when he tried to pick it up!

He also didn't like it when a wave surprised him by taking his ball away and then chased him back onto the beach!

After such a big day, a short nap on the balcony is in order...

also the perfect place to watch the sunset....

The next morning ....a Monday, was quiet ....and the beach was empty of walkers, runners, kite flyers, castle builders, ankle waders, and horseback riders. ( you don't swim here, even in the Summer, due to very cold water and undertows!) It was the perfect time for a sketch, a walk into town for breakfast and another outing with Lucca!

 

And the perfect end to a great anniversary celebration. Forty seven years ago... we were married forty miles from NYC in the town where I grew up. Two sons, two grandchildren, five dogs, and numerous cats later, we find ourselves living in Oregon....growing grapes, riding bikes....and most of all, still loving each other, and life! 

Seeing...... a walk in the snow

This week it was snow instead of fog.....and another walk that made me see things differently! What a difference a mere three inches of snow can make.

When the snow first began the grasses and ferns under the trees were painted with white.

Steps leading down to our lower woodland.

The calligraphy of the branching patterns comes into focus.

The large row of black walnuts outlined at the end of a vineyard row.

What's left of our grape crop ( mostly stems after the birds came through) is now covered in snow!

My grandson, Brayden, leads the way

Back on the deck after a few more inches have fallen....

Our Christmas pots of holly, and herbs

ADDENDUM: it's still snowing....

Woke up to six or more inches of additional snow...every branch is covered, and the air is thick with snowflakes.

Time for another hike!