So many surprises....

....even after all these years.

We're back in Oregon.

My husband's home state...my adopted home.

I love it here.

Even after thirty years, and more than thirty visits...

There are still so many things about this place that surprise me!

Yesterday, after landing in Portland,

we took the "scenic route" back to Prineville.

Now, by scenic route, I just mean longer route...

because every route you take here is scenic!

Instead of heading over Mt. Hood (150 miles)

we drove along the Columbia River gorge, heading straight east out of Portland

and then south through...well...miles and miles of farm land.
The vistas were just breathtaking.
The expanse of sky never fails to shock me.
And I saw scenes I've never seen before!

Only about 50 miles out of our way and so worth it!

{view of the Gorge from Vista House}

{Cheesin' in front of Latourell Falls}

{at the base of Bridal Veil Falls}

{Half way up Bridal Veil falls}

{Playing tourist at Multnomah Falls}

{Working Rail Road along the gorge}

{Rim rocks and wispy clouds}

{Wind mills in Washington State...and a very old bridge}

{amber waves of grain}

I'm skipping lunch at Linda's truck stop and the visit to Uncle Bobby's house and antique shop.

This sunflower was in their yard - you know I had to share this!

And, finally home.
With the sweet smell of sage and the juniper trees.
And our first sunset over the valley.
No surprises here...which is just how I like it!


Linking up with
Little Things Thursday
and
Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Black & White Wednesday ~ Rain Drops

We have sure had some wild weather here in Massachusetts.

I love the rain.

Watching it and listening to it.

I love thunder.

And lightening.

Breezes and strong winds.

Love it all.

Today was the day after the storm blew out to sea.

The air was fresh.

Humidity free, breezy and cool.

It was the perfect day to run around,

finish all my errands,

cross everything off of the to-do list

and get ready for vacation!

Stay tuned for Oregon photo overload!!

a few favorite moments...

In the golden light of early evening,

the town square is so pretty.

It's good to love where you live.

I love New England.

And golden moments like this remind me just how much.

Just this morning this little guy

was "chick-a-dee-ing" 

{loudly}

right on our back deck chair.

It was a lovely "good morning" moment.

I haven't paid much attention

to my macro lens lately.

Shame on me!

Had some fun with some bright yellow flowers this week.

Macro moments are some of my most peaceful moments.

Joining Tamar for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

yesterday's sunset

"The sky broke like an egg

into full sunset

and the water caught fire."

Pamela Hansford Johnson

Linking up with 

Simple Things Sunday

Six Word Fridays ~ Bump

Oh, the joys of an evening
stroll; the stepping out of  my
head to follow the light of
the setting sun...just never know
which miracles I might bump into.

Please join in the Friday fun!
Caption a photo, share a poem
or tell a story! Just remember,
only six words in each line!

on kindness

Kindness.

An old truth.

A virtue in all lands, for all times, across all religions and philosophies.

When a friend comes to visit and

arrives with a bunch of beautiful new sunflowers,

I feel known.

And loved.

And I'm reminded that

"no act of kindness,

no matter how small,

is ever wasted."

{Aesop}

Joining

Little Things Thursday

and

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Black & White Wednesdays ~ Honey Bee

"You'll be my soft and sweet,

I'll be your strong and steady.

You'll be my glass of wine,

I'll be your shot of whiskey.

You'll be my sunny day,

I'll be your shade tree.

You'll be my honeysuckle,

I'll be your Honey Bee."

Blake Shelton

Please join me and share your black and white beauties!

I'm also linking with

Communal Global

a weekend of.....

....nothing special and everything that matters.

Life is good when home fires, close friends and simple pleasures
add up to a feeling of completeness.
We'll be heading to Oregon in a week for a nice, long vacation.
And, it's funny,
 as much as I am looking forward to it,
I'm pleased to say that 
home
and
that which is my day to day
is good.
It fits.

I have all that I need and more.

Good hikes.

Fun friends.

Random wildflowers waiting to be photographed.

{and}

The rich blessing of a happy marriage.

As we approach our 30th anniversary,

I become more and more aware of how full our lives truly are.

Sharing some Monday musings with Tamar and friends for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Six Word Fridays ~ Chase

In the clean air of the 

early evening I stretch my legs

and clear my mind. Trying to

think of nothing but the greens

and blues, the magical hues of 

my familiar pond, I fill my

heart as I chase the light.

Join us here and share your stories ~
Six Words at a time!

Self, Meet Self

I've been working hard lately to become friends with someone I've known for a long time.
Myself.
Not really my self-self....my emotional self and I are ancient friends. Old friends of the 'finish each others' sentences' variety. We've ridden life's roller coaster together, hold nothing back, keep no secrets. My spiritual self and I have grown very close these last years. There's been much wrestling and struggling, doubting and believing. We're in sync.
The self I'm working hard to befriend of late is my physical self.
The most elusive.
The least understood.
The most feared.
The least cared for....
the least cared for of all of my selves.

So, I ask myself. When I want to nurture a friendship, what do I do?

I take steps towards the other. I move out of my comfort zone. Initiate.
I open my eyes. Watch closely. Learn.
I extend my hand. Reach out. Give of myself. Offer good gifts.
And, more than anything else...I listen.
Nothing pulls me closer to another than listening closely to all that they have to share.

So that's what I'm trying. Especially the listening. The learning and the listening. It's a very strange reality to recognize that I've spent most of my life living as a stranger in my own body. Acting like it really didn't belong to me. Afraid it was ultimately stronger than I was. And certainly not caring for it like I could have.

I've been told I'm a very good, very loyal friend.  I sure do try to be. I believe the day will come when self - physical self - will wake up, look at me in the mirror, and thank me for being that good, loyal friend. I'm looking forward to the day when this new and promising friend will have turned into one of the known and precious variety.

Today I gave myself the gift of green. Lots of smmmoooooth green.
And physical self was quite pleased with me!
I think we'll hang out again soon.

{Smoothie Recipe Here}

Joining friends for

Little Things Thursday

and 

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Black & White Wednesdays ~ Friends

"Friendship is born at that moment when

one person says to another,

'What? You too?

I thought I was the only one.'"

C. S. Lewis

I love connections.
The new and promising...the known and precious.
I love this space for the connections it brings.
Can't wait to see what's caught your eye this week!

Please join us here and share your

black & white photos!

I'm also linking to 

Communal Global

the joys of the weekend ~

Sweets!!

I made this yummy cobbler on Saturday with fresh peaches and blueberries.

It was so good!

Recipe HERE

Learning to cook with real, non-processed ingredients doesn't have to be boring, right?!!

In the completely random category,

I've decided to try and capture some dragonflies this summer.

Aren't they beautiful!?!

I walked for three hours on Sunday.

My version of fun!

Needed the air.

Needed the space.

And was so happy to find my little swan family.

One of the "tweens" is quite the little show off, don't you think?!

Happy Monday everybody!

Joining Tamar for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.