Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
It’s a Melancholy Day and the Leaves are Crying
Still they are beautiful.
~ Susanne
Waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge
No trip to the Columbia Gorge is complete without stopping by the many waterfalls that line the Historic Scenic Highway. Last week we traveled to Oregon and did just that – safely and before new Covid travel restrictions were put into place. The weather was lousy as you can see from our first stop at Crown Point. Click the arrow right for a clear view of the Gorge from last year’s trip. (Yes I did just try out a new block editor feature!)
Fortunately the rain slowed to a drizzle after we left the Point and we had the waterfalls mostly to ourselves.
First up was Latourell Falls which you can easily see from the road.
But the best views are found at the end of the trail so we made the walk to see it close up.
I’m glad we did as the basalt columns behind the falls were marvelous!
Afterwards we headed down the road to our next stop at Bridal Veil Falls,
where we took another walk through soggy woods to get to the base of the falls.
It was worth it but by the time we made it back to the trailhead my feet were soaked.
So I was happy that no hike was needed to see our last waterfall of the day, beautiful Horsetail Falls.
Now in case you wondered, there are dozens more waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge so we didn’t see them all. But we did see the most accessible on this stretch of road and it was plenty for one rainy day.
Access to Multnomah Falls – the tallest and most famous in Oregon – was blocked from the old highway but we did stop under clear skies on our return trip home. I’ll save that for a later post.
~ Susanne
Now Where Did I File That Cat?
Oh that’s right! “B” for Benji! 🙂
~ Happy Saturday from Susanne and Benji
Ice Cream Coming and Going
We managed to escape to the Columbia River Gorge for a few days where we traveled the old scenic highway on the Oregon side, stopping every few minutes to take in the magnificent roadside waterfalls, which I will share with you in a coming post.
In the meantime I’ll tide you over with ice cream from East Wind Drive-In in Cascade Locks, a must stop for the foot-tall soft serve ice cream cones according to my sister.
She was right, though we opted for the smaller kid sized versions which were big enough for us. I chose vanilla with a burst of swirled orange going, and opted for apple coming home.
Aren’t they pretty? Kid sized cones are $1.50 and no tax! Quite the bargain.
And yes, they taste as good as they look. 🙂
Stay tuned for the waterfalls.
~ Susanne
Worn out and Hunkering Down
Let’s face it – last week was rough. The waiting, waiting and more waiting got our tail twitching.
And left us completely exhausted.
Time to hunker down.
~ Susanne and Benji
Wishing I was There
Honestly now.
Wouldn’t you rather be on Oahu?
I would.
~ Susanne
A Year of Purples and Violets
It turns out our country is nearly purple – an equal mix of red and blue. This is more and more evident as we anxiously await election results.
In the meantime I went looking for purples and violets and came up with these photos from my archives.
In January – a lifetime ago – we visited the Seattle Aquarium and I found a purply vibe in this fish tank.
Lavender comes in all colors, shapes and sizes, this one deeply purple with a violet tassel on top.
I’ll close with a couple of wildflowers I found while hiking this year. I don’t know the name of the first one but to me it looks both fragile and strong at the same time, determined to grow up out of dry ground.
The Pacific Bleeding Heart also appears fragile but thrives in the moist lowland forests of the Pacific Northwest.
And that will do for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, Purples and Violets.
~ Susanne
A Conversation with Benji
“I’m glad to see you finally settled down Benji.”
“What do you mean Sue?”
“You get so wild sometimes. I don’t know what to do with you.”
“Sorry Sue. I had a rough night.”
“I understand Benji. It happens. Still I’d appreciate a little restraint on your part. You don’t have to run around like a wild man and destroy everything in my office.”
“Sorry Sue. It’s just that I feel so much better after I get that energy out. You should try it.”
“I guess I do in my own way Benji. I’ll just finish up my latte and then I’m out for a walk.”
~ Susanne and Benji
Tis the Season for Change
No I’m not talking politics though that works too. I’m talking seasons which always arrive just in time, none with more fanfare than fall.
Still it’s a process as trees take their time to change color and shed their leaves.
The Gingko Biloba wore lime last week while transitioning from green to gold, overshadowed by its more colorful neighbors.
I returned to see it today despite the pouring rain and found it the star of the show, its transformation nearly complete.
Shared with Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, A Celebration of Leaves.
~ Susanne
From the Fall Garden
We’re back on standard time in the Great Northwest. Days are growing shorter and fall is winding down and it won’t be long till winter is upon us. But it’s not over yet and here in my backyard I’m still surrounded by green.
A few flowers are blooming – these from a groundcover with the unfortunate name of deadnettle.
Hydrangeas – though a bit ragged – also provide color and interest.
Benji and Tiger are out enjoying the sunny days while they can – as am I.
And that’s all for today from the fall garden.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 