Feet in the Sand – Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

“Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.” – Anonymous

Atlantic Beach seemed like a fitting place to not only put my feet in North Carolina sand for the first time, but also dip my toes in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.

Can you see my footprints in the sand?

It was a little chilly, but when one is accustomed to the frigid Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic almost felt  tropical. It didn’t take me long to peel my shoes off and get my feet sandy and wet.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Salter.

The camera was out before long and I was capturing images of a beautiful sunset. My friend Sarah and I, like to call my “poses” with the camera to capture just the right angle “photography yoga.”

Photo courtesy of Sarah Salter.

The results are always worth it, if I don’t say so myself.

 My first sunset on the Atlantic was a beauty!!!

There were several other people, walking along the shoreline, and enjoy the remains of the day.

Eventually I took my feet out of the sand, and enjoyed the remaining moments of the sunset from a perch along the boardwalk.

Categories: Beyond the Northwest, North Carolina | Leave a comment

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day, from our neck of the woods to yours!

This tulip image was captured at the Gorge White House, near Hood River, Oregon. A beautiful place to visit. Take a stroll through the gardens, taste wine and cider, or have a picnic out back. Someplace your mom would love to visit!

Categories: Columbia River Gorge, Hood River, Oregon, Random Photos | Leave a comment

Wildflower Report – Old Salmon River Trail

I headed out Saturday afternoon on my favorite trail, to see what was now blooming since I last visited a few weeks ago.

I had my first trillium sighting on the year on this trail. Now, those same trilliums are turning a deep purple. It’s peak bloom for these along this trail. Hurry out if you want to catch them.

Indian Plum is blooming in abudance above the trail. According to one of my plant books, these smell something like, and I quote “a cross between watermelon rind and cat urine.” I didn’t give these a sniff to either confirm or deny that.

There were a few fairyslippers near the trailhead, but they were not nearly as abundant here as at Zig Zag Mountain last weekend.

As for something a little new, we found a nice patch of Avalance Lily in several spots along the trail.

While not a wildflower, you can still spot a fiddlehead or two.

Also spotted, a wealth of sorrel, forget-me-nots and salmonberry blooms.

What is blooming in your neck of the woods?

Categories: Hiking, Oregon, Spring, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Balsamroot Blooms at Mosier Twin Tunnels

Image captured Sunday, April 21, 2012 near the entrance to Mosier Twin Tunnels, on the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Categories: Columbia River Gorge, Hiking, Random Photos, Wildflowers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wildflower Report – Zig Zag Mountain

“The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.” – Tennessee Williams

Saturday, once the clouds parted and a few rays of sun appeared, my best hiking buddy Sarah and I headed out to explore a trail new to us. We headed towards Zig Zag Mountain, just off Lolo Pass Road. While we only got a couple of miles in during the late afternoon, we were greeted with a variety of wildflowers that look no worse for wear after last weekend’s surprise dusting of snow. Here are just a few of the blooms we saw:

Trilliums are continuing to bloom. Some are starting to show the first tinges of purple as they age.

Salmonberries are just starting to open.

To be honest, seeing my first Salmonberry bloom of the season is almost as exciting as seeing my first trillium, because it means Oregon berry season is not too far away.

When we passed the Palmate Coltsfoot, Sarah asked if it was a weed. I told her that weeds were all about perspective. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what it was and had to look it up when I got home. I still have a lot to learn about wildflowers. One of my favorite things to do is take the picture, and then go on a hunt through books and the internet to figure out exactly which one it is.

One that I am very familiar with is smooth yellow violet. The leaves are edible, and make quite a nice salad. Think of something along the flavor profile of arugula.

The most beautiful flower sighting of the day goes to he fairyslipper. These tiny little orchids were quite prolific as well, though a little hard to photograph because of the way they face the ground. While it took getting my knees a little muddy, I did manage to pull off a shot.

Did you get out and hike over the weekend? What wildflowers did you see?

Categories: Hiking, Mount Hood, Mountains, Spring, Wildflowers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment