Alcea Falls

No hike involved here, just a short walk down a poorly maintained but well used path to the falls. A pleasant destination.

Wheaten and Wiry

Wheaten and wiry, is his windblown hair.
Proudly he patrols this plot of a yard.
Seeking, he scavenges the remains of our supper.
Running and leaping, he lands on his feet.
No bird is allowed; he barks and bounds after.
Vermin are forbidden; he evicts them abruptly.
He is pet, he is friend, he guards us intently,
and at the day's end he curls on us meekly.

Inside and outside he is decidedly different.
In his yard, he yaps and yields to no one.
In the house he is humble where humans watch over.
Cats there contrive to conceitedly stalk him.
Sneakily he searches and scraps are his plunder.
Shame enshrouds him, shrinking when caught.
His foes are feline, a feud hard-fought.
He defers to us supine, this he accepts, his lot.

Rags (AKA Strummer)

Hell Hole

Northeast of Oakridge, Oregon, the Forest Service has tried to keep Hell Hole a secret, but we found it. It was Fathers Day, Summer Solstice, 2009. It was raining. We had kids and a little dog with us, but we braved the mud and the cliffs and climbed down into it. The climb back out again was treacherous and exhausting, but we survived the ordeal.

Deer Butte

Pics from our hike on Deer Butte Trail on Saturday, June 20. Mt. Washington wilderness area.

Oregon June weather, the last day of Spring.

I don't know what did this, maybe a bear?

A close-up of the claw (or tooth?) marks. It was a little creepy up there, very high up in the Cascades--there was no sound at all, no cars, very few birds.

Sweet Creek Falls

Sweet Creek Falls are near Mapleton, Oregon. We went there a few weeks ago with our trusty Cairn Terrier. It is a nice pleasant walk. There are more little waterfalls along this trail than anywhere else I've been. It is an easy walk with many rewards for a little effort. Great for kids.

Sadly there was someone on the trail with an Akita off leash and uncontrolled. It went after our little Cairn, but he defended himself bravely and in the end, Sarah had to save him by picking him up, but the Akita wouldn't relent until it's lackadaisical owner finally saw fit to take her Akita by the collar and move on.

Our weekend trip to the Oregon Dunes south of Florence.

Mindanao

Here are just a few photos from Sarah's journey through Mindanao. She was there on a Rotary International sponsored Global Study Exchange (GSE) for young professionals. They were there for four weeks from mid April through mid May, 2009. They visited many parts of the island, including the ethnically diverse and politically troubled inland province of Cotabato.

In all, they visited 40 Rotary clubs. They had many vocational tours of hospitals, courts, jails, social service projects, plantations and others. Sarah said she met many wonderful and friendly Filipinos.

Maria Christina Falls outside Iligan City

A typical house in Mindanao

A rice field with a bamboo tower. Not sure what the tower is for.

Some kind of tropical flower

These kids were from a fishing village. Sarah said when they drove up to the village, all the children emerged from the houses and followed them everywhere they went, getting excited every time someone took a picture. The older teens in the background are looking on, amused by it all.

More friendly Filipino children. This was taken at a housing project that is modeled after Habitat for Humanity.

This is a woman in a weaving cooperative for muslim war widows. They receive some support or patronage from a local Rotary club. You can see the Rotary banner in the upper right.

Sarah didn't actually take this one, I think it was Brigid, another member of the GSE team. It's probably the best picture I've seen from the tour.

Jenny and Sarah modeling typical muslim head-wear.