Category Nature
Willamette Valley Lavender Festival
The Willamette Valley Lavender Festival was a treat for the senses with fields of purples and a range of fragrances. The two-day event (the second weekend in July each year) included more than a dozen lavender farms near Portland that were open to the public. At Mountainside Lavender Farm, the fields of lavender stretched for […]
National Park hiking tips
A recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was a wonderful time of hiking and enjoying nature. I first started hiking in the Smokies with my parents and had my first camping experiences and backpacking trip with my Girl Scout troop. My time on the trails and in the Sugarlands Visitor Center on […]
Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park always is special for me. The wonderful views. The challenging hikes. The chance viewing of wildlife, from ravens to black bears. I experienced all of that during a recent hiking trip to the Smokies. I also enjoyed seeing so many people appreciating their time in the Smokies. […]
Wishing you healthy holidays
I’m wishing you a holiday season of good health and good cheer. Let me offer a few encouragements for your good health. I realize these suggestions can be difficult to follow because of travel, family eating traditions, and all the demands of the holidays. More activity, less sitting One of the challenges of the holidays […]
#OptOutside on Nov. 23 (and other days, too)
Explore the outdoors as part of #OptOutside, a national movement started by REI in 2015. Rather than open its stores on Black Friday (Nov. 23), REI gives its employees a paid vacation day and encourages them — and the rest of us — to get outdoors.
My photography on display at Satchel’s Pizza
What a treat to have some of my photography on display at Satchel’s Pizza, along with two friends’ pen, ink and watercolor art. Deciding which photographs to display provided me the opportunity to revisit photographs I’ve taken of many great trips. I included two photographs from a hike on the Bright Angel Trail at the […]
Red tide at Sanibel Island
On a typical morning at Sanibel Island, the beach would be filled with shell collectors, walkers and joggers. All would be enjoying the beauty of the sandy beach, the waves and the sea breeze. But this week, Sanibel Island is a victim of red tide, which has made the beach experience very different. Red tide, […]
