France Remembered

Sometimes it is so good to remember past adventures.

Of walking through marketplaces in France.

The gorgeous red rocks.

Strolls through narrow streets.

Visits to ruins.

And churches!

Remembering is part of the adventure.

I so wanted to picnic along the road here.

Beautiful windows and flowers.

Remembering the sounds of music and dancing here.

Climbing the hill here and dreaming of life in another era.

Sleeping just below this amazing sight.

Floating down this river and dreaming.

Walking through this villa.

Oh the vistas of it all!!!

Walking through this garden.

Dreaming and remembering this special time in France.

Trees, a Love Affair

What is it about trees that pull at our heart strings?

Even as a young child they draw us into their arms.

They shade us on a hot day.
They act as an air conditioner.

They provide oxygen for our air.

They provide limbs to climb and swing by.

They calm us with their gentle movement

and surround us with their peace.
They hold life in their hands.
They provide beauty and shield a bad view.

From Canopy.com:
Air Cleaning: Trees produce oxygen, intercept airborne particulates, and reduce smog, enhancing a community’s respiratory health. 

 As a young child I swung from the branches of any tree I could climb.
I could hide among the branches when the leaves were full.
I could dream of flying like a bird as a sat there in their surroundings.
The peacefulness of walking through the forest touched
my soul.
I knew they were my friends.
I knew they were there for each of us.

Now my grandson climbs trees and swings from the branches.
Trees are part of life going on and embracing each generation.

Is this a love affair with trees.
In a way, YES!
Thanking God today for the creation of trees
to provide delight and fresh air in each of our days.

Walk with Me - Columbia River

Just a few miles down the road from where I live

is the Columbia River.

It only takes about 10 minutes to arrive at the beach.

For some reason I just don't get there as often as I like,

but this weekend was the perfect day, the perfect weather

to walk on the top of the berm dividing the river from the road.

Being greeted by flowers is always a delight.

Just on the other side of the river is the State of Washington;

so close and an extension of life in Portland by bridge over this river.

If the clouds had been clear you would have amazing views of 

Mt. Hood in the distance.

The walk is paved, as you can see on the left. 

No puddles to skip over.

Bicyclists also love this paved walk, so avoiding bicycles is the only

hazard of the walk.

One of the bridges connecting the two states is seen in the distance.

There were others just out enjoying a day along the river

with a friend or their dog.

It is right by the airport, so sometimes planes fly overhead.

It is fun watching the planes come and go and imagine

what adventures the passengers are taking.

Sailboats and tugboats drift by.

And always there are wild and growing things to discover.

I love "noticing what I notice" along each walk I take.

Where did you walk this week?

Tea from the Garden

 There are 5 tea plants in my garden;

but only 2 of the plants are old enough to pick.

They should be at least 5 years old.

 Three new plants were added last year and placed in with the flowers.

This year I will add two or three more and that will be about all the room

left for tea growing in the garden.

Yesterday I plucked some of the new growth on the two plants.

Then I let the leaves sit overnight and this morning stir fried the leaves

for 20 minutes.  Stir and toss as it toasts.
 Ahhh!  The sweet smell of fresh tea.

 Here is the final results.

I know, not much; but enough for a couple gaiwans or small teapots.

Now I am off to savor the flavor.

All along the way I could smell sweetness.

PS, Now I have tasted.  It taste like a toasty green tea,
actually quite nice.  I am enjoying it now.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Hope you are smelling and savoring sweetness in your day.

McKenzie River, Oregon

This past weekend a night was spent on the McKenzie River.

This is the view from the cabins window.

We were surrounded by beautiful trees and then there was the river.

With so much rain this year, the river was fuller than I had ever seen.

It rushed by.

If wasn't the meandering river where you wanted to wile away

the day sitting in these chairs.

But it was a time to explore and savor the moments among the trees.

Enjoy with me!

Nearby sat the Goodpasture Bridge.

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters.”
~ Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories

This quote was found on Goodreads.

There were raindrops settling on the trees

The rocks glistened in the light of the day

The spring flowers bravely stepped into the light

And yes, the waters haunted me with their rushing by

I rejoiced in the beauty of my world

~m.miller