Cherry Orchard Wild Flowers It's definitely spring in the Columbia Gorge, at least the far eastern part near The Dalles. On Sunday, I hiked the Cherry Orchard trail near Lyle on the Washington side of the river. It's a little early yet, but the bright sunflower-yellow balsamroots were already in full bloom.
Magnolia More flowers are breaking out in Washington park. This singular magnolia is one of my favorites, with its vivd magenta blooms. There's a whole section of magnolias a short distance away in Hoyt Arboretum, but I don't think it includes this spectacular specimen.
Trillium Like many in the Pacific Northwest, I keep a lookout along the trails for trillium. The little plants that sprout from the forest floor are widely viewed as a harbinger of spring. This dense patch of small plants was spotted in the Cloud Forest section of Washington Park.
Foggy Forest Back in Portland, it's definitely fall. If we're lucky, foggy mornings are followed by a few hours of sun. This photo is from 2019, I think it's Marquam Hill. Foggy Forest
Birch Trail One of my favorite close-in hikes in up Holman lane and down Birch Trail. You can extend it if you want with several different options to get back to your starting point. In late summer, the light in the afternoon is always very beautiful.
Flower & Bee It's been a rather emphatic end of summer this Labor Day with drizzle a good part of the day. I did take a short walk thorugh Washington Park and found these pretty trumpet shapped blossoms near the Rose Garden, along with one bee still working hard.
Roots This was one of my favorite tree photos, with the dense tangle of roots holding the stump in place on a steep bank. This tree is along a trail in Washington Park near the Redwood grove which has since been closed.
Portland Web Window Portland is full of interesting architecture. There are beautiful structures from the last century, charming homes, and even asome quirky structures. On the quirky side is a brick house in the West Hills area with a roof meant to resemble thatch and leaded glass windows with spider web patters.
Blackberries Hiking along certain trails around Portland in late July through August has its perks. Blackberries ripening on the vine.
Tiger Lilies Among all the flowers one encounters along the trails this time of year, Tiger Lilies are my favorite. A stem full of tiger lilies.