5/14 Monday. Drove to Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, just outside of city, with cars zooming by. On the way, drove by some nice agriculture land. Didn't get up early enough for proper sunrise. But the lighting was nice, and it was quiet in the park boundary (if you ignore the road noise). Mine was the first car in the parking lot. By the time I left, 3-4 more. Quite pleasant, however, my untrained eyes didn't see anything interesting: some ducks, Canadian geese, and 2 deer.
Monday, May 14, 2018
2018.5.14. Tualatin NWR
5/14 Monday. Drove to Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, just outside of city, with cars zooming by. On the way, drove by some nice agriculture land. Didn't get up early enough for proper sunrise. But the lighting was nice, and it was quiet in the park boundary (if you ignore the road noise). Mine was the first car in the parking lot. By the time I left, 3-4 more. Quite pleasant, however, my untrained eyes didn't see anything interesting: some ducks, Canadian geese, and 2 deer.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
2018.5.13. Clackmas River with Bark-out + Ridgefield NWR
5/13, Sunday. ~30 people gathered at Grocery Outlet's parking lot in Hollywood. Maybe 5 are organizers. Zach from Portland Native Plant Society is the most knowledgable. Bark's website described the outing as "Spend Mother’s Day with native wildflowers in an area of Mt. Hood National Forest recently affected by wildfire." We actually went to Clackamas River Trail, close to some pending timber sale area (or officially named North Clackamas Integrated Resource Project).
Hike leaders Rachel Freifelder and Lo Goldberg are the main guides today, with Rachel studied fire ecology as a graduate student at Stanford University. However, she's too soft-speaking, and didn't offer any new info wrt forest fire or recovery. Lo speaks clearly and is a good organizer. She prefers to be referred to as they, which is quite a confusing pronoun to be used on one person. I found that Zak Weinstein of the Native Plant Society of Oregon is most knowledgable. Mia from Bark is also outspoken and enthusiastic. 30 is a large group on a narrow trail.
The highlight today is the endemic Clackamas Iris. Quite a number of them, right by the trail. Another highlight is the one and only White Shooting Star near the river. fern with 2 kinds of leaves is interesting. Most common is Frigecup and Tolmiea Menziesii. The rest of the outing is somewhat boring, because we had to wait around a lot.
End of the outing is writing letters to the local forest ranger, expressing our wish of not developing more roads and cuts in this area. Where we sat to write letter has a pool with 4 newt. Kids were having fun here. We had one mother with her two unwilling kids on this trip.
Went to Ridgefield NWR for sunset. Saw 4 deer, 1 heron, 2 bittern, 1 owl (a highlight), 6 coypu (nutra), 1 rabbit, a few red-winged black birds. The gate is supposed to close at 8:30pm, so can not wait till sunset. I didn't want to test the accuracy of the sign.
Hike leaders Rachel Freifelder and Lo Goldberg are the main guides today, with Rachel studied fire ecology as a graduate student at Stanford University. However, she's too soft-speaking, and didn't offer any new info wrt forest fire or recovery. Lo speaks clearly and is a good organizer. She prefers to be referred to as they, which is quite a confusing pronoun to be used on one person. I found that Zak Weinstein of the Native Plant Society of Oregon is most knowledgable. Mia from Bark is also outspoken and enthusiastic. 30 is a large group on a narrow trail.The highlight today is the endemic Clackamas Iris. Quite a number of them, right by the trail. Another highlight is the one and only White Shooting Star near the river. fern with 2 kinds of leaves is interesting. Most common is Frigecup and Tolmiea Menziesii. The rest of the outing is somewhat boring, because we had to wait around a lot.
End of the outing is writing letters to the local forest ranger, expressing our wish of not developing more roads and cuts in this area. Where we sat to write letter has a pool with 4 newt. Kids were having fun here. We had one mother with her two unwilling kids on this trip.
Went to Ridgefield NWR for sunset. Saw 4 deer, 1 heron, 2 bittern, 1 owl (a highlight), 6 coypu (nutra), 1 rabbit, a few red-winged black birds. The gate is supposed to close at 8:30pm, so can not wait till sunset. I didn't want to test the accuracy of the sign.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
2018.5.12 Memaloose + Eve Star Show at Maryhill Stonehenge.
5/12, Saturday. I've been thinking about coming to Maryhill's evening star program even since my last visit. Today is sunny and no moon in early evening. A good time for that.
But first, I have time to visit Memaloose Hill for a short hike. I'm a week too late for the peak flower show. Lupines are seeding and balsomroots are withering. Lots of grass (possibly Bulbous Bluegrass blocking the view of smaller flowers. Vetch is deep purple here. 
I follow the obvious trail from the Memaloose Rest Area (eastbound). You can cut a mile off by parking at the Memaloose Lookout. The trail is sparse forest with lots of poison oak at the moment. Once you get to the open, you'll see a hill with a lone tree and the obvious trail. Get there for a good view of Mt Hood and balsamroot. 
Return as I came, I took a side track (less obvious) west and scaled a higher hill, with views to both Hood and Adams (in opposite directions), and a better view of the river. Flower is past the prime. More paintbrushes here. I met some guy coming up from a different direction. Not sure where that leads to. As the sun is setting, I didn't explore his option.
I arrived at the Stonehenge just after sun set. People were driving leaving after taking their sunset photos. A crowd was gathered around the same guy, Goldendale Observatory director, Troy Carpenter, a bigger crowd than my last visit. We took turns to look through the two telescopes, one pointed to Venus, and one to Jupiter (I saw 4 moons! 3 on one side, and 1 on the other). Carpenter is very entertaining. I didn't feel bored waiting for my turn, as he was talking all along. We went into the visitor center for a short lecture, and then returned to the outside, where he adjust the telescopes to 2 deep sky objects: a nubula, and a cluster (in Hercules?), which I promptly forgot the name. We also saw a satellite flare - timed to the second. Amazing how the prediction is. I left after 11pm, getting chilly and sleepy (already after 11pm).
I have to return to see the moons of Saturn, as it only would rise around midnight now, and this temp site would be closed then. Maybe in the fall.
But first, I have time to visit Memaloose Hill for a short hike. I'm a week too late for the peak flower show. Lupines are seeding and balsomroots are withering. Lots of grass (possibly Bulbous Bluegrass blocking the view of smaller flowers. Vetch is deep purple here. 
I follow the obvious trail from the Memaloose Rest Area (eastbound). You can cut a mile off by parking at the Memaloose Lookout. The trail is sparse forest with lots of poison oak at the moment. Once you get to the open, you'll see a hill with a lone tree and the obvious trail. Get there for a good view of Mt Hood and balsamroot. 
Return as I came, I took a side track (less obvious) west and scaled a higher hill, with views to both Hood and Adams (in opposite directions), and a better view of the river. Flower is past the prime. More paintbrushes here. I met some guy coming up from a different direction. Not sure where that leads to. As the sun is setting, I didn't explore his option.
I arrived at the Stonehenge just after sun set. People were driving leaving after taking their sunset photos. A crowd was gathered around the same guy, Goldendale Observatory director, Troy Carpenter, a bigger crowd than my last visit. We took turns to look through the two telescopes, one pointed to Venus, and one to Jupiter (I saw 4 moons! 3 on one side, and 1 on the other). Carpenter is very entertaining. I didn't feel bored waiting for my turn, as he was talking all along. We went into the visitor center for a short lecture, and then returned to the outside, where he adjust the telescopes to 2 deep sky objects: a nubula, and a cluster (in Hercules?), which I promptly forgot the name. We also saw a satellite flare - timed to the second. Amazing how the prediction is. I left after 11pm, getting chilly and sleepy (already after 11pm).I have to return to see the moons of Saturn, as it only would rise around midnight now, and this temp site would be closed then. Maybe in the fall.
2018.5.12. Fort Cascade
5/12 Saturday. By volunteering to drive, I was allowed to join last minute this outing of Friends of the Gorge. ~15 of us met at the Fort Cascade historical site's information booth, with big displays and self guided tour brochures. There isn't much left to see, due to the 1894 mud slide which wiped out the town (built 1855). There are signs of where the old tavern was, or the board school or ... The only real relic is this tram rail, used to get from the town to the waterfront. Roland, our guide, is the same Roland who guided the ethnobotanical tour at Hoyt a month ago. His photographer friend and ex-coworker at IBM, Mike, is also very knowledgeable about plants. Both fun to hang out with. It's good to refresh my weak memory. Now I can more reliably identify the useful plantain and dock, both invasive weed.
We had a leisurely lunch at the picnic table by the parking lot overlooking the Columbia River, where a couple of sea lions were gorging on the smolt. You can also see the water spray from the Bonneville Dam facility (downstream of the dam itself), which is supposed to deter the predictor birds, when smolt was released in the narrow channel. A large display also shows that they tag and monitor the fish.I and most if the participants today wasn't aware of the existence of this place. A shame.
After lunch, 5 of us stopped by the Pioneer Cemetery with Roland and Mike. Very tranquil, despite of being next to the train track. Saw some fresh flower and new tombs, so must still be used by the tribe. At the tombstone of Indian Mary and some of her relatives, Roland read from his notes about Kalliah Tumulth's fight to preserve her land.A relaxing and enjoyable outing.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
2018.5.10. Blithe Spirit at Bag'n'Baggage
5/10, Thursday. Noel Cowward's Blithe Spirit at Vault Theatre. A small theatre. Well attended tonight. Funny, a comedy of 2 acts. One single efficient stage set. Excellent costumes (Melissa Heller) and acting. I enjoyed this light hearted entertainment. It doesn't invite thinking or discussion.
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