Six Pic Saturday: Over the river and through the woods

An article in the newspaper piqued my interest in exploring the Clackamas River Trail today. So, just before 8 am I set my sights on Estacada and hit the road with a goal in mind: hike to Pup Creek Falls.

A sign at the beginning of the trail warned about debris from winter storms, and there was plenty of it. Fortunately, most of it had been cleared by a diligent soul.



Still, there was a lot of rock hopping and log shimmying in some places in order to keep moving forward. I was just about to turn back when I saw the tiny turnoff sign almost 4 miles into the hike:



I was beyond ready for a snack at this point, and upon reaching the falls threw myself onto the log bench hewn into the mountainside for a much needed break.



I had the falls to myself, and tried to capture what I saw with my inadequate camera lens. At least the picture will spark the memory of the actual beauty.



On the (long) hike back to the car, I was accompanied by the occasional flotilla of rafters passing by:



7.7 miles later, I was parched, but happy. This is not an easy trail for the casual hiker. You definitely need plenty of water, sturdy shoes, and some protein-based snacks in your backpack. And don't forget to purchase a National Forest day pass ($5) at the ranger station on your way into town!

Six Pic Saturday: When Two Eras Collide

Last Saturday was the perfect day for a driving trip. I chose to go to the Columbia River Gorge and cross the river over into Washington. I felt like such a rebel. Crossing state lines isn't something I'm allowed to do on work time. So, I've always admired the gorge from the proper Oregon side of the river.



I explored the tiny, twin towns of Bingen and White Salmon.
They were s l o w l y filling the local pool for the season.



I then meandered along Highway 14, following the Columbia River back to Vancouver. When I saw a rather curious sight...



And wondered what would happen as the schooners drifted west, and the paddle boat pressed on to the east...



Phew! Crisis averted.



It was a beautiful day to be on the river no matter the form of transportation.

Six Pic Saturday: Denver

I needed to have a little fun before leaving Denver, so this morning I set out on foot to explore a bit of the downtown area. I didn't get very far before stumbling upon the Veteran's Day Parade route:



I think there is some unwritten rule, or perhaps just the curiosity of human nature, that makes one stop and watch a parade. For a while I was next to a group of energetic boy scouts. Den Leaders must be brave souls:



After a while, I continued on to the Denver Art Museum. I had received an enthusiastic recommendation from my friend, Gail, and decided that if I could only do one thing in my spare time while in the city, this would be it:



There were some fantastic exhibits, and the Hamilton Building was just about as exciting to see as the art:



Just a couple of blocks away from the museum I stopped for some yummy chicken shawerma for lunch:



And then it was time to return to the hotel and wait for the shuttle to the airport:

Six Pic Saturday: Bikes, bikes, bikes!

My Saturday was mapped out with errands, but then a curious sight caught my attention...



A couple of weeks ago a large red-covered billboard appeared across from the city library. And today, the old City Center Motel property was crawling with bikes, bikes, and more bikes. Of course, I stopped.



Rooms 101-104 had been converted into small art galleries:



This is Dave. He's an art student at Western Oregon University. He and his wife, Rachel, happily demonstrated their participatory bicycle art.



The second floor balcony was a showcase of bicycles from the past. One of my favorites was the 1977 Schwinn Lil' Chik.



I did get to my errands, eventually. Befitting the day's theme, they were also bicycle-related. Two weeks ago I was invited to participate in the Cycle Seen exhibit that will take place in Portland during Pedalpalooza. Here's a preview of the two photos that will be shown:



Toes not included.

Six Pic Saturday: A funny sort of tree

On the last Saturday of December, my parents and I headed off to Joshua Tree National Park. They had been before, but this was my first visit.



First, we stopped at the local farmers market near the park entrance for sustenance. We sampled chinese dates, a wrinkly nub of a fruit that I thought was tasty. I think my parents favored the peanut butter cookies and oro blanco grapefruit a bit more.



We were favored with blue skies and ample sunshine, a combination that many rock climbers decided were prime conditions for scaling some of the larger formations.



The park campgrounds were full with climbers, hikers, and bikers. Winter is a good time to be here. I can't imagine the full heat of summer!



Need to find your climbing crew? Check the back of the park sign!



Our last stop in the park took us through the Cholla Garden. These spiny little creatures create quite a surreal environment.

Six Pic Saturday: Cubicle Cleaning

work corridor
Originally uploaded by Katherine H.

It started as a gray day, and I hoped it wouldn't remain that way.

With the wind and the low temperatures, I decided it would be the perfect day to implement Project Cubicle Scrub and Clean. I've been struggling with the loss of daylight and the stifling office atmosphere. It's squelching my creativity and making me yearn for the bike rides of summer.

Earlier in the week I came across a cubicle makeover featured on another blog, and was inspired to try my hand at infusing a little dose of light and organization into my workspace.

Doesn't the office always look different when it is deserted?



It's not pretty, folks. Although a quick tour around the office floor will reveal worse! As you can see, I'm a chronic piler. Need to remember where this is? Create a new stack. Can't forget to attend to this? Start a new pile. Can't be bothered with filing this now? Shove it in the corner.



After a while, I needed a break for a dose of daylight. I walked over to the building atrium and lobby, where there is currently a display about domestic abuse. A side effect of the cube maze and our unfortunate location is the lack of any natural daylight...



For lunch, I wandered over to the Saturday Farmers' Market which takes up residence in a state parking lot each weekend from April through October.



I had never noticed the Taste and See booth before. Lindsey Shockey has been producing gluten-free cookies and mixes for the past two years since her diagnosis with celiac disease. I'm not gluten intolerant, but I've been reading blogs about it for the past couple of years, and like many gluten-free products. And if you have celiac, it can be a challenge to find food products that are safe for your consumption.



Clean space, clear mind! I still may add a couple of touches to my cube, but already I think it has been worth the investment. My 4' x 8' x 6' x 5' space feels much more spacious now that the clutter has been cut out. (I've added notes to my cubicle pics, so click through to Flickr to read more details.)

Six Pic Saturday: A Crafty Renegade Affair

Renegade owl
Originally uploaded by Katherine H

15 September 2007

Feeling assured that I could find my way back to the hotel, I set out to explore the Renegade Craft Fair in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago.

I must admit a bit of a fascination with an online website for all things handmade. Twice a year, the crafty folks at etsy, host two Renegade Craft Fairs. I missed the one in Brooklyn, but the one in Chicago? Uh, sure, I could make that one.



The CTA Blue Line Buddha greeted me each time I emerged from the underground station to catch the #8 bus on Halstead Street.



A quick stop at the Milk & Honey Cafe on Division Street yielded a tasty ricotta tart for breakfast before I hit the pavement to explore the booths.



One could find all manner of handcrafted items to expend their hard-earned cash on. Myself, I'm a little partial to letterpressed cards and stationery. This booth had lovely linen pillow slips, canvases, and bags.



This trio of college students was gleefully searching the bins for old Hardy Boys books deconstructed into spiral-bound journals.



It was almost as much fun to examine the unique business cards I collected from the vendors once I returned to the hotel!

Six Pic Saturday: Salt Lake City

18 August 2007



Alycia and I set out this morning on foot along 900 East, the first street I lived on when I moved to Salt Lake City as a new college graduate.

I lived in an attic apartment, one of four spaces created out of the house. I had a Pullman kitchen in the corner of the living room, recessed into the wall and hidden behind two metal doors. The ceiling of my bedroom followed the conical shape of the front roofline, and the only place to stand up in the shower was directly underneath the showerhead -- the rest of the tub was tucked beneath the eaves. After a year and a half, I was ready to move on to more space. But for my first solo adventure, it was a great place to start.

I was happy to see that the owners have stripped off the ugly siding to reveal the original brick, and are applying a fresh coat of paint. New windows, too!



Our second stop of the day was the Farmers' and Artisans' market at Pioneer Park. I've written about this before, but I never tire of visiting. Today's purchases followed a theme in green: zucchini, green apples, wasabi peas, and dill cottage cheese bread.



A popular attraction at the market: the greyhound adoption booth.



Alycia and I had to get our burrito fix from Rico Market. Frozen and packed for the trip home: Chicken mole (yum!), Potatoes con crema, and Black beans/rice/cheese. I also highly recommend any of their banana leaf tamales.



The afternoon found us in West Valley City to watch Heather perform along with her troupe at the 27th Annual Belly Dance Festival.



True to tradition, we completed the evening with some gelato and a quick stroll through the booths at Ferragosto. A perfect Saturday in the company of good friends.

Six Pic Saturday: A Ride Along the Rail Trail

sunflowers
Originally uploaded by Katherine H.