The Tillamook Forest Center, Tillamook, OR, Saturday May 21, 2016

Our original plan was to drive to Tillamook, have lunch, check in at our hotel and then head to Cape Lookout State Park.  As we were driving on Oregon Route 6, we entered the Tillamook State Forest and by chance, we stopped at a scenic overlook.  There was much educational info about the multiple huge forest fires in the 1930s and the work of thousands to replant some 70 million seedlings.  But there were also signs advertising a fish release at the Tillamook Forest Center.  So we drove a few more miles and made an unplanned stop at the Tillamook Forest Center - it was a very good decision.

Among the many exhibits was this steam powered machine used for logging.  This one had been abandoned in the forest, found and cleaned up by volunteers, and now a permanent display.

At 11:30, the Oregon Department of Forestry put on a presentation suitable for kids, but educating us all about how the ODF manages the forest balancing the competing interests of businesses, environmentalists and those who want recreation.  We learned about anadromous fish - those that live in both fresh and salt water - five types of salmon (chum, sockeye, king, silver and pink) and two types of trout (steelhead and cutthroat trout).  And then we went out to release some steelhead trout into Jones Creek just before it enters Wilson River - one of the five rivers that feed into Tillamook Bay.  As we went out the back of the forest center, we crossed the Wilson River and headed into the woods.

The kids were allowed to go first, but they had enough for adults to also release steelhead trout.  Patty was given two in a cup and walked down to Jones Creek and carefully released the fish.

Then it was back across the river and to the Forest Center, the exhibits and the gift shop. 

Megan's boyfriend Jon had recently posted a memory in Facebook - a photo of him and a Forest Service colleague just after they had used a two man saw to cut down a large tree.  So when I saw this display in the Forest Center, I knew I had to take a photo of it and share it with Jon.

Finding and exploring the Forest Center was one of those fascinating places that we found by chance - how nice we had the time and interest to stop and learn.

A quick trip to Tacoma and Mt. St. Helens, May 19 - 20, 2016

My step-brother Steve planned a couple of dinners to honor his wife Linda.  Linda died of cancer in January at age 62.  Steve's idea was to host these dinners to share memories of Linda and to have a good time thinking about her.  We went to the first dinner Thursday in Tacoma.  It was melancholy at times, uplifting at other points.  We got to meet Carl, Linda's brother, for the first time, as well as Carl's daughter April and April's two sons.  We had briefly met April before in Tucson when visiting Steve and Linda.

On Friday morning, I went out for my usual early morning walk.  Among other places, I walked through Wapato Park - a city of Tacoma park.

Many people were out walking and enjoying the morning, including this family.

After breakfast, we drove south and stopped at McChord Field, which is now an Air Force Reserve base that is part of Joint Base Lewis McChord - the combination of the former McChord AFB and Fort Lewis.  It is home to the 446th Air Wing, the unit which flies the C-17 cargo planes for Operation Deep Freeze - these are the planes and people that fly Megan and Jon from Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo Station in Antarctica.  Patty was able to replace her expired DOD Dependent ID card and we went to the BX - it is one of the largest in the world and has a much bigger inventory and variety than others I have visited.

Friday was also my sister Helen's 70th birthday, so I had to send her a photo of this sign.

We then drove south for a little over an hour, then had lunch in Castle Rock before heading to the Mt. St. Helens National Visitors Center.  This was very nice and educational, with a 15 minute movie and much documentation of the eruption of 1980 as well as the history of prior eruptions.

After exploring the visitors center, we walked the trail through the marshy part of Silver Lake - much flora and avian life in the shallow waters where the trail took us.

This visitors center is run by the state of Washington Parks Service - next time we return, we will have to visit the federal Mt. St. Helens National Monument and their visitor centers, viewpoints and trails.  That will be an easy day trip, as it is only a little over an hour from Portland.

More unnatural beauty (man made) in Portland, May 2016

As I continue to stroll Portland's neighborhoods on foot, I continue to find interesting things which many consider works of art.  Here are the latest.  This house and yard were decorated on all sides.

This is what you do with old shoes.

This is what you do with old wine bottles.

These are some examples of what you can do with old tools and other pieces of metal.

This home had an interesting collection of pots.

Here is more art on walls.

And last, but not least, people put up all kinds of signs, posters and decals.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

An interesting sight on our visit to Hoyt Arboretum on Mothers Day May 8, 2016

Patty and I went for a hike at Hoyt Arboretum.  It is part of Washington Park.  We walked through the Arboretum and went in the direction of the Japanese Garden and Rose Garden.  It was a nice walk, but it was Mothers Day and the weather was nice.  That meant we were there with several thousand visitors.  So we had a nice walk down the hill to the Japanese Garden, then back up through a couple of different trails in the arboretum.  We came across a tree I had not seen before.  It looked like some one had littered the ground with pieces of white toilet paper.  Instead, it was the white blossoms of the Dove tree - and the blossoms are just white leaves.  I know there is a name for this, but just cannot think of it.

Unnatural beauty in Portland, May 5 - 14, 2016

The last post, I focused on some of the natural beauty of plants here in bloom in spring time in Portland.  Today, I focus on some of the man made (or unnatural) beauty - artwork in many places in the neighborhood.  Remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

People put the artwork on many things - and it all adds to the aura of the neighborhood.

They paint on fences.

They paint on garages.

They paint on walls.

They paint to advertise.

They hang artwork in the trees; it is electric, so daytime it is white, but at night it is colored.

 They even decorate along sidewalks and street intersectons.

It all means many interesting things to see when walking around Portland.  Oh, I almost forgot - they also have chickens in their yards.

All part of the charm of Portland.