Camping on Mt. Hood

We spent this past Sunday through Wednesday camping at Timothy Lake on Mt.Hood. How lucky are we to have a place like this just a little over an hour from home!
The weather was beautiful by day and by night. The first morning a mist slowly rolled in over the lake where it settled just until full daybreak and then lifted like a curtain rising to reveal the stunning mountain behind it. The stars at night filled the sky like glitter, un-obscured by competition from the city lights. Refreshing all the senses, the body and the soul! Ahh!

This is my son sailing his canoe - yes SAILING the canoe. He rigged it for sailing himself and gets quite a few questions about what in the world is it. It is quite sea-worthy and has even been out in Columbia River chop. He took me for my first ride on this trip and it was marvelous to glide along in total silence.

We were 9 campers in all, plus a 90 pound dog and a 4 pound dog. A fine circle of campers! There was mountain biking around the lake (not me!), canoeing, fishing, crawdadding, target practice with the bow and arrow, swimming (not me!) and sitting in the sun. I especially enjoyed the canoe and walks around the shore, observing the flora and fauna. We saw chipmunks (they might have been ground squirls), stellar jays, along with many other birds and even watched an osprey daily and once were lucky enough to see it swoop down and snatch up a fish from the lake. The bear grass, bunch berry, queen's cap and lupine were all in bloom. Something to do or see everywhere you turned!

I know myself well so I brought along a little pre-made paper bag journal in case I felt like making something. Like anybody thought I wouldn't! I put a very limited number of supplies in a shoebox and challenged myself to use only materials that an early settler might have on hand. I had three grease pencils (black, blue and red), a pencil, pen, a little coil of wire, a ball of artificial sinew, scissors, needles, pliers, a mystery novel from the '40s to clip words from and my one real nod to modern convenience - a glue stick. I just didn't think we would have time to butcher a mule and render some glue! The book is filled with pressed flowers, moss, bark, feathers and various bits and pieces I picked up on my walks. The picture is too small to read the found poetry but the cover says... I'm going down and look around on the ground for it, she said... Oh, well, that will keep her busy for awhile anyway...

The found poetry on the following pages:

...enjoy yourself this afternoon, just as though it was any other day of your life...

...I am getting to the age where I am capable of

doing some thinking

let imaginations run away

there could be no more welcome sight

I was just his minute thinking

rushing lickety-clickety

without rhyme or reason....

...sometimes I wonder...

...a moment to come back to earth...

...activities had been confined to a small area

pondering something

someone told me to tell you something

tell you what you do

I'm listening

let's take it where there's a good light

and see what we can see...