Forest Bathing!
Kazuko getting wet! © Chiyoko Meacham
2019/12/25: Some photos taken by Jane of the family festivities back in England. © Jane Meacham
Instagram 2019
2019/12/25: We did something different for our big Christmas day get together this year. All the food was Mexican themed with tamales, pozole, mole and all kinds of other dishes. Some things stayed the same of course, namely the Queens Speech & deep frying a turkey!
This is the Studebaker Commander that has been parked at the end of a driveway on Lolo Pass Rd. for years and years. It's now for sale on the side of Highway 26 if anyone is interested!
2019/12/31: We planned to spend New Years Eve day going for a cross country ski at Teacup but the weather was not kind raining and hard packed snow. After a couple of miles we bailed and stopped by Little Zigzag Falls on the way home.
2019/12/29 2019/12/29: We stopped by The Oregon Rail Heritage Center for an visit on Sunday, it's right next to the Tilikum crossing. Some cool old engines to look at, would have been better if one or more of them had been fired up but sadly they told me that doesn't happen very often. Too many rules, regs and costly insurance requirements.
2019/12/28: Finishing off the year with one of our old favorites the long slog from Multnomah Falls up to Larch Mt & back. A quiet day on the trail, in the first 13.5 miles we saw 6 people in the last mile we saw hundreds!
A photo taken with Mum's old REX Box camera, made in England circa 1950. This was the first time that the camera has been used since the early 1970s except for 1 roll I put though it in the 80's! I was expecting 12 exposures on the roll but only got 8! Also I somehow missed #1 & #8 didn't expose which left only 6! I'm going to give the camera another go though, I think in Sunshine & if I can hold it steady results will be better!
Boxing Day on Tom Dick & Harry!
2019/12/26: A lovely day for a Boxing day hike up and over Tom Dick & Harry Mt. Ironically the trail up was quite busy but coming back over the top and through the deserted Ski Bowl Ski resort we didn't see another soul!
2019/11/19: For my last full day in the land of OZ George & I headed out to Great Keppel Island for some snorkeling. Ten miles off the coast of Yeppoon and at the Southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. The island is a surprisingly quiet backwater with the main resort closing down and left abandoned in 2008. Leaving just a couple of cafes and some B&B lodging.
2019/11/18: A cruise around the Mangroves of Causeway Lake with Charlie.
2019/11/18:A visit to the local Koorana Croc farm during the day with George. Crocodile was on the menu for lunch!
2019/11/22: Our traditional pre Christmas jaunt up to Nesika Lodge, a loop around the Multnomah Basin and a visit to the Christmas Trail.
2019/12/22: Four Japanese Imports ☺☺
2019/11/13: Our day in sunshine coast was spent visiting Flemings Birdwood Nursery. Then it was off to the airport for my next flight north to Rockhampton. I did have time for and early morning walk on the Beach though and a chance to catch the sunrise!
2019/11/12: Tuesday was a travel day, first a 180 mile drive back to Melbourne with a quick stop at Ballarat Botanic Garden, then an appointment at the National Quarantine facility. After that the airport to catch a flight north to Sunshine Coast. Flying North over multiple forest fires along the way!
2019/11/17: After returning to camp for some breakfast we took a hike down to 5 rocks beach. When the tide is in these are 5 islands but when you you can hike from one to the next. So long as you get back in time!
Sunrise on the Capricorn Coast!
2019/11/17: Day 2 started early, out the tent at 4:15am for a walk back to Stockton Point to be there in time for the Sunrise at 5:00.
2019/11/16:Day 1 of a camping weekend with brother George, nephew Charlie & niece Milly on Stockyard Point in Byfield National Park. Accessible only by 4WD and someone with skill & know how to get up and over the giant sand dunes. Luckily we had Charlie Meacham for that!
2019/11/15: Rockhampton Botanic Garden - The giant Ficus bengalensis (Banyan Fig)
2019/12/15: We left a rainy and cold west side to find a sunny but even colder east side today! 27F when we arrived, 28F when we left! A great snowshoe up to the viewpoint juts below Bennet Pass.
2019/11/14: First day in Yeppoon with brother George we did a quick climb up Baga an ancient volcano plug rising about 500' above the surrounding plain. The weather was hot and the air was smokey from the many surrounding forest fires.
2019/12/08: A bit like a car accident Awful but you can't help but look! Pike Place Market the gum wall.
2019/12/08: Walking through Pike Place Market on a Sunday morning.
2019/12/07: Maneki is Seattles oldest Japanese Restaurant, first opening it's doors in 1904. Excellent food, very reasonably priced! Don't forget to book a table a few days in advance though, it's a popular place!
2019/12/07: A walk past Pike place market on the way to dinner!
2019/12/07: On the same day that we visited the Amazon Spheres we also visited the Volunteer Park Plant conservatory. While this Victorian style conservatory built in 1912 and modeled on Crystal palace certainly can't match the wow factor of the Spheres it more than made up for it in Charm and I could not help but think that the plants in this old conservatory were happier ☺
2019/12/07: Inside the Amazon Spheres, admission is free but they are only open 2 Saturdays a month and you need to book a spot in advance. We finally got organzied enough to do this! Over 40,000 tropical plants inside from all over the world!
2019/12/01: Hello December, Winter is here.
2019/11/29: While some fought crowds and traffic for cheap TVs and half price socks we spent our Black Friday at Pacific City hiking north along the beach and exploring Cape Kiwanda. The perfect winters day!
2019/11/28: A quick thanksgiving morning Multnomah - Wahkeena Loop before the eating begins!
2019/11/10: Sunday was a travel day, leaving my 4 day base in Belgrave for Dunkeld at the south end of Grampians National Park. We took the longer Ferry route crossing the "Rip" of Philip Bay, checking out the Port Lonsdale Lighthouse which was shipped over from England in kit form and Geelong Botanic garden first planted in 1851 along the way.
2019/11/09: Belgrave Victoria, home to the 100 year old Puffing Billy Railway & Sherbrooke forest in the Dandenong Ranges.
2019/11/24: Back on my home turf! We left home with no plan today but expecting to hike under clouds or rain. The Sunshine Gods smiled on us though as we headed east of Government Camp. We ended up hiking from the White River Snow Park up to Timberline Lodge for a hot drink & back on what is probably going to be the last day before the snow finally falls!
2019/11/07: All of day 3 was taken up with the tour of a private tree collection. On the way though we drove through some of the Yara ranges forest. Towering Eucalyptus regnans and Dicksonia antartica Tree Ferns!
2019/11/08: Much of Friday was taken up with tours and meetings at Flemings Nursery. In the morning though we had time to visit the Haelesville Sanctuary which was a great opportunity to see some Australia Animals I would not otherwise see!
2019/11/06: My first afternoon in Australia was spent at Cranbourne Botanic Gardens followed by a quick drive up Mt Dandenong for a view back at the city. On a clear day the view is much better but the weather was not cooperating on this day!
2019/11/05: The first look, the final minutes of my 16 hour flight from LA to Melbourne. Australia looks just like England, green fields and hedge rows!
2019/11/03: An underwater shot at Little Crater Lake taken with Chiyoko's Olympus TG5 camera. Water proofing still seems to be working ☺
An Autumn day on Timothy Lake.
2019/11/03: A lovely sunny day for a long walk around Timothy & Little Crater lakes. A silly wrong turn at the beginning turned a 13 mile hike into 15 miles. In this photo you can even see Timberline lodge!
2019/11/02: The last day of Pacific Summer time for 2019 & past the last warm sunny day too! A sit by the fire after a day of raking leaves.
2019/11/01: We drove past this house in Damascus this evening. Every year it seems to get a bit more outlandish!
2019/10/31: We had a go at making some Poncyrus trifoliata marmalade. It turned out not to badly!
2019/10/30: Lots of fruit on the bitter Orange this year. Maybe we should do something with it!
2019/10/31 The office Halloween lunchtime potluck!
Bluegrass Ridge - Elk Meadows Loop © Chiyoko Meacham
Looking down from Bluegrass Ridge.
2019/10/27: A wonderful sunny and cold late October day in the High Country. We hiked from Hood River Meadows up to Elk Mt & Bluegrass ridge then made our way down to the old Elk Meadows shelter for lunch before completing the loop. Hundreds of trees down on Bluegrass ridge from the 2006 fire. The cutoff trail between Elk Meadows and the Ridge is almost lost to blowdown now!
20019/10/25: Another Boring Oregon Sunrise! Photo taken on the corner of Revenue & Altman in Boring Oregon.