Christmas in Seattle

The Bainbridge Island Ferry returns to Elliot Bay, Seattle on Christmas Day

We spent the Christmas holiday in West Seattle this year. Circumstances diverted us from our plan to be at the Bogachiel cabin over the weekend. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay at a relative's bluff top home overlooking Elliot Bay with a view of Mt Baker to the northeast and the Olympics to the west. Unfortunately, rain storms blocked out the views most of the time. Christmas day itself was lovely. Seattle is located in a truly beautiful setting. Surrounded by water, fresh and salt, with views of mountains in all directions from wooded hills it is easy to find inspiration here. Of course, there are plenty of places in the greater Puget Sound metro area that are less than inspiring - the suburbs are as banal as anywhere in America, the traffic is terrible (I had to contend with 100 miles of stop and go traffic on I-5 heading south on Tuesday evening), and it is an expensive place to try to live. But when the skies clear and you find yourself on a high point looking out, it is hard not to want to be here forever.

Hunting Christmas Trees to Save the Oak Savanna

In the South Hills on a crisp December afternoon

In the southern Willamette Valley oak savanna is a fast disappearing landscape. Requiring frequent fire to keep the young conifers at bay, settlement of the Valley has removed fire and led to loss of the vast majority of this attractive ecosystem. This weekend we were invited to cut fir trees on a friend's property - and annual tradition - an outdoor afternoon, a tree for the season, and a small gesture to keep Eugene's South Hills from completely turing into 2nd growth fir thickets.

Central Oregon

Deschutes River, Lava Island

Spent the weekend outside of Bend, Oregon. In the past ten years Bend has exploded from a homely Highway 97 strip to a vibrant "in" place today. The sprawl is still there, but unlike many Pacific Northwest communities Bend actually looks and feels much better now than it did decades ago. Of course, it is now so expensive that few can afford it. Still, a great place to visit and a nice respite from the moribund feel of Eugene.

The east slopes of the Cascades offer beautiful Ponderosa Pine forests - open and parklike, especially where they have been allowed to burn occasionally. A visit to these forests is very therapeutic for me - like stored up sunshine and warmth, even on a late fall day.

go there: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=43.99237&lon=-121.39307&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=50

Wish I Was Here

Summer Lake Hot Springs with Slide Mountain in background, September, 2005

This past weekend we stayed at home. My mind, however, was wandering the sunny, dry east side of the state. As the short, dark days of December drag on I often dream of the sunny (albeit chilly) high desert. Oregon's portion of the Great Basin desert is a wonderful place to explore and provides a great contrast to the sometimes gloomy Willamette Valley. This region offers wide open spaces, vast vistas, little precipitation and views unmarred by the clear cuts and strip malls of the maritime Pacific Northwest. It is this easily accessible diversity of landscape that defines the region. These images are from a camping trip to Summer Lake Hot Springs near Paisley last fall.

Oregon High Desert Sagebrush

Go there: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=42.73087&lon=-120.67067&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG100&size=l&s=250