29 September 2012

Saturday Scripture: A Refuge in Troubled Times

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
 and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
Selah...
The LORD of Hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah...
 
Wishing you a blessed Sunday,
Aimee
 
Photo:
Rockaway Beach
 
Scripture:
Psalm 46:1-3, 7 KJV

28 September 2012

In the Heart of the Tillamook Burn: Pt 2

From Thursday~
This morning, as I sat in the family room waiting for a load of wash to finish,
I found myself again wishing to be in the heart of the Tillamook Forest ...
walking over this suspension bridge,
eating lunch on the deck near the Wilson river,
hiking through the magical world of light and shadow that is the forest,
and feasting on the beautiful color of the changing leaves!
Yes, at this time of the year,
the forest often calls me
and my heart answers...
soon, my beloved, soon.
 
Have a blessed day,
Aimee

Special thanks!
A very special thank you to Teresa for pointing out the monster in the river--love, love, love it!
So do YOU see it too?
 
Photos:
Near and at the Tillamook Forest Center
(see last post for their website).

26 September 2012

In the Heart of the Tillamook Burn: Pt 1

The Coast Range of the Pacific NW is gorgeous;
I have spent much of my life traveling in and through this area
and
I totally love the forests, rugged mountains and rivers one sees there!
One section of the Coast Range I am especially fond of is the Tillamook Forest--
a beautiful area located in NW Oregon between the valley/metro Portland area and the northern coast.
Today you drive through this region
and everything looks so green; so lush
but when I was younger it didn't look that way.
For when I was a child and teen this area was still recovering from the effects of the Tillamook Burn-
a series of devastating forest fires that destroyed many acres of old growth timber in the
years between 1933 and 1951;
both my hubby and I remember all too well what it looked like then.
Some 40 years later
the mountainsides are again green with Douglas fir and deciduous trees
and one can only hope that fire will never again burn this area
so loved by tourists and residents alike.
~
This past Sunday I talked my hubby into a drive on Highway 6--
right in the heart of the Tillamook Forest.
I had a definite goal in mind
(besides a trip to the Twin Rocks area that is).
It was something I had been wanting to do for the longest time
and it was the perfect autumn day to do it...
with weather this great I was also hoping to find the autumn color
 I have been craving for about a month now;
I was not disappointed:)
~
Before long we arrived at the Center and I checked in with the fantastic staff there.
Then my hubby and I got busy touring the exhibits which covered
the early history of the area,  the Tillamook Burn,
the watershed,
pioneer life in the forest 
and more.
They were well done!
As a grandma
(and being a child at heart myself)
I LOVED the fact that there were activities to keep the interest of children...
one activity being a scavenger hunt...
I think children
(as well as grownups)
would also enjoy checking out a sighting scope
(used for surveying),
reading the personal memories of the Tillamook Burn
(some schoolkids helped a bit with the reforestation effort)
watching a very good film about it,
learning more about the eco-sytem there
and
of course--
climbing to the top of the replica of a 40 ft fire tower!
FYI--
in addition to the great and FREE exhibits inside the center
and the fire tower outside,
there are many hiking trails in this area
(maps available at the center),
access to the river,
a nice deck area to grab some snacks or perhaps eat your own picnic lunch
(vending machine for snacks and beverages there),
the wonderful Wilson River suspension bridge.
(photos and more in part 2)
 
And now it is off to process our freshly picked heirloom apples
(I am thinking pie perhaps?)
and then I will be making salsa for the first time
(thanks to my chef son for his instructions);
but first--
the dreaded dishes...
(SO miss my dishwasher)
 
Have a great Wednesday!
Blessings,
Aimee
 
Notes:
all photos taken this Sunday at the Tillamook Forest Center.
Thank you to their GREAT staff for permission to take photos and post them here!
Here is the link to the center:
(if they are reading this, please feel free to let my know of any errors I've made
or any additional info you would like visitors to know).
 
If you can, take time to check out their upcoming events--
two that look interesting are on local, wild mushrooms
and wreaths.
 
AND remember--
it is Take a Child Outside Week
and this is an AWESOME place to do that!
The staff have set up a table in the foyer with activities for children
and the adults in their lives to do:)

25 September 2012

What Week is THIS?

Take a Child Outside - September 24-30
 
My surviving sibling and I grew up camping and traveling with our parents
throughout the western United States and also in western Canada.
 
They were good days...
and we were left with a deep appreciation of the beauty
and the wonder
of the natural world.
 
I am glad that my grandkids are also growing up with special memories too.
 
So are you planning anything special to do with your
 kids, grandkids, nieces,
nephews, younger siblings this week?
Click on the above logo or follow this link to get some ideas
 
I celebrated the start of this week by taking my child
(OK, my hubby who--with me--is still a child at heart)
to the Tillamook Forestry Center
and we LOVED it!
I will have photos of our time there as soon as blogger decides to cooperate with me:)
It is a great place to spend time learning about the forest
(autumn colors can be seen now-mostly reds)
and the devastation of forest fires
(the horrific Tillamook burn),
the wonder of reforestation
(in which school children played a part),
early and pioneer life in this gorgeous area,
to hike,
to climb a fire tower,
to cross a suspension bridge over the Wilson River
and to savor all the beauty of this amazing area!
(they also have some very nice interactive activities for kids there this week)
 
Hope you get your little ones
(and bigger ones)
out in nature this week!
 
Blessings,
Aimee

23 September 2012

Am I Plucking Blackberries?

 
 
 
 
Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
Aurora Leigh (1865),
Book VII
 
So am I plucking blackberries?
Are you?
 
Blessings,
Aimee
 
Note:
quote widely available on Internet and is, to my understanding, in the public domain.
Here is one place to read some quotes from this God-gifted poet:
 
(see the above link for terms of use of the quotes)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...