A walk. Perfect weather. We waited until 1:30 p.m. to leave the house, hoping the light would start slanting by the time we got to the trailhead. The trailhead starts in a neighborhood. It's the walk we take every year now. It's our go-to walk and I love it.
I haven't been outside too much lately. Our weather here this week has been ridiculously, uncharacteristically (I think) gorgeous. I feel my body start to panic a bit: I'm not ready for the rain to start after all. I would like to stay in this dappled, golden sunlight for a while.
With the berry things, ready to be turned into a piece of William Morris wallpaper.
With the red leaves like a canopy of feathers.
With a little dog who stops and waits.
But I go slow. The slowest speed I've got, in fact.
The houses at the edge of the woods look out over the great river, toward the mountains.
What we notice is the incredible quiet. It is so quiet here in the neighborhoods at the top of the woods. And it smells like pine trees.
Here is a music school. I don't remember its name. If I lived up here, I'd send my kid for lessons here, just 'cause it's so cute.
It's so quiet.
I think so much about houses these days.
I have always thought about them a lot, but lately it's been a lot lot.
"My camera can't find the focus on this seed pod thing. I wish I had a new camera," I say for the thousandth time.
"Please get one!!!"
"Oh, you want me to get a new camera?"
"Yes!"
"Well, if it would make you happy. . . ."
These cones were like little grenades. We'd never seen ones like them before, but I think they are cedar cones. There were about forty or fifty of them all over the sidewalk, and the tree they were falling from from about three stories high. I do think that if one hit you on the head it would knock you down. They weren't quite as heavy as golf balls but they were relatively heavy. I'm going to clean the ones I picked up and put them in a bowl.
Besaw's, you are awesome. You are just so good to us after our walks.
A spinach salad with roasted vegetables. Seriously, seriously delicious.
This photo needs no explanation.
How lovely of a walk!
I have some of those cones,too and as they dry out, they fall into a million pieces of papery seeds. I love them.
I envy you. :)
Now I am quite hungry:-) Lovely walk, all the scenery just enchanting!
Lovely walk... I am rejuvenated. Thank you.
Your camera conversation is almost word for word the same one we have here. I want a new camera, but I can't seem to commit. If you have a moment, maybe you can share your thoughts about the Cannon you have on your wish list?
It has been unseasonably gorgeous, hasn't it? I love the idea of a wall that ends at a public house, so British of you :) xox
A feast for the eyes as well as the tongue.
Thank you, thank you for sharing your photos (and walks)with us. It
*almost* feels like being there. :)
This post makes me want to visit Portland just to go on a walk (Okay I want to go to Powell's too)!
Lovely! I'm a midwestern girl at heart and I don't really miss living in the Pacific Northwest, but wow! Those hills, those woods are beautiful!
What a beautiful afternoon walk. Love the read leaves (I almost said feathers).
Thank you for taking us along on another lovely walk! It just doesn't get any better than this. And hasn't the weather in our beautiful PNW been amazing? I have cherished each day.
What a lovely day out! :)
Sky rockets in flight.....
I am right there with you on so many levels cameras, houses on the brain, food - always food!
Lovely walk! That seed pod thing is from a poppy. I love them, because you can turn them upside down and shake the seeds out like a little salt shaker.
I just discovered Besaw's when I went on an architectural tour in August. Come to find out, it was a favorite lunch place of my grandfather's, back in the day. I think it opened in 1932...
Thank you for taking us on your walk. Lovely lovely photos!!
Beautiful photos. Lately there has been so much rain here that is hard to get happy about another dog walk even though when Victor is behaving well it is a wonderfully relaxing and rejuvenating experience.
Oh I love your pictures! I miss, miss, miss living in Oregon, especially this time of year. Heck I'm ready to sign my kids up for music lessons at that little red school...you don't think the commute from CA to Portland would be too much for a music lesson, do you?
I also think about houses much too much. I call my ideal house my Thanksgiving House because my favorite houses are the ones I'm tempted to knock on their doors to join them for turkey day whether I know them or not. They all seem to have big mature trees behind them, and one in the front yard too, off to the side to frame it all in. And most are painted off white and are two story, and have hydrangeas in front and a wreath on the door. See? I think too much about them too.
Thanks for sharing!
Oh, Alicia. You always remind me to try to live more fully inside my own life.
Dear Alicia, thanks for taking us along on your walk, it was enchanting! I have to tell you that I ordered 2 of your ornament kits and my younger sister and I have a "date" for next Friday to meet for lunch then go back to her house in Hillsdale and settle in and cut and sew our ornaments together. I am giving her the one with the red coat for her birthday as I remember photos of her as a toddler in the snow in a red coat. :-) ((hugs)) Teresa from Corbett, OR
I wish I could give that little dog who sits and waits a big hug and a kiss!! What a good doggie!!
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. And please could you show another photo of your cones once you have them in the bowl. I'm just not sure what they are. I hope you have a few more walks before the rains come.
Lovely! And whatever that baked pasta thing is, send it over please. Happy weekend!
A comfort walk with comfort food. I enjoy your go-to walk so much. You guys are surrounded by so much beauty out there. Have an awesome weekend!
Peace, Angela
So pretty. I think those are the cones we have in our neighborhood. I love them for their chubbiness. I will tell you though that in a few months they fall apart in sheets.. Layer by layer they just fall apart. It's sort of cool.