A River to Skate Away On

When you wake up to 5 degrees that feels like -1, your thoughts naturally turn to being outdoors. OK, I love cold a lot more than your average bear. After  I considered skiing down the road in front of my house, as so many do, I opted instead for going to my happy place in the Cascade Lakes and hiking along the riverbanks. Walking in snow is one of my favorite things, and we've had a fair bit of  it this weekend, especially in the mountains. While Mt. Bachelor has had 218 inches worth since October, the city has seen very little on the ground until this weekend.

Pines look better in Oregon than anywhere else. And I'm always impressed that so much wildlife is always an arm's length away, no matter what the weather. As I meandered, I watched a falcon, ducks, geese, baby ducks, baby geese, several ravens, and a dog who was absolutely THRILLED to see a nice, probably 33-degree river to pounce into.

We've got snow in the forecast every day for the next week. Yay!

(I didn't have my camera with me, so forgive the iPhone shots.)

Deschutes, April Afternoon

These days, my health issues make walking any distance not my strong suit. So I've made a deal with myself that I'll be really present with 20 good minutes in nature, and try to find something beautiful. Yesterday it was the clouds and the water.