Category Archives: Other Side Of The Inside Of The Box

A Triumph Of Trilliums

14 Sunday Apr 2013

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When I was a young girl, what I knew about trilliums was that each one will only bloom once every seven years.

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I don’t know if that is true, or if it was something to tell a child who wanted to take the treasure of a perfect flower home for her own, or if, maybe, I am remembering something that never happened at all.
I don’t expect I’ll ever punch the buttons to find out.

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Because do you know what happens when you find out that this beautiful, this perfectly white, this immaculately formed, miracle first flower of spring in front of you last bloomed in the year you were born?

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It creates a miracle in every next time you see it for the rest of a whole life.  Something joyful that is only for you.

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The first trillium appeared on my trail to the Sandy River on March 26th.  Every day, the first was joined by the next and then more, until there were dozens.  Right there and just for me.  And for the past twenty days, I have hiked that two miles down, two miles up, with more delight than the everyday peace that place is for me.

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They are starting to fade.  White petals tingeing to lavender, today’s deluge of rain and hail bowing their heads.

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It’s okay.  The wild strawberries and the salmon berries are blooming and will soon be a different kind of delight.  The ferns are showing new furls, and will fan out to obscure their winter-killed fronds.  The cottonwoods are leafing and, once again, the understory will contain no clear paths through.

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I hope that when my season is done, I turn gently to lavender before I sink back to ground.

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Mama, thank you for teaching me this love of wet and green and mud.
Loree

Let A Smile Be…

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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… (if you can complete the last two words of that thought, you’re likely as old as me.)

Look what we did!  We turned the griping in the direction of a smile yesterday and look – just look! – what we got today! *

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I stepped outside this morning when the light caught my eye, and was greeted with a beautiful pink and blue-sky sunrise (you’ll have to take my word for it – the cell phone missed the bulk of the pink).

You know what I like about this place?

Even when you’re in the middle of a long work day, running errands, doing all the needful things…

You can look left…

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or right, east, west, make a small course correction and see something straight on…

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… and find something that delights.

We live in beauty we do.

Enjoy your day.

LLH

* Yeah, that whole thought was Pollyanna -esque, but I believed it for one brief shining moment. (**)

(**  if you can sing that one brief shining moment reference. you’re likely as old as me.)

Who Goes There

06 Wednesday Mar 2013

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We had a truly beautiful Monday.  Truly. 

Tuesday and Wednesday, however, have been a bit… wet.  Gray, even.  This too will pass.

Meanwhile, here, have a smile.

 

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That was the day Who decided to go There. He had woken up that morning feeling a bit discouraged with life in general and Home in particular, and was seriously in need of an immediate change of venue. Who fixed himself breakfast and splashed water on his pertinent parts, then opened the front door and contemplated Direction. Sure enough, it was clear that Here was out – muddy and cold. And When looked like a storm was coming in over the mountain. Which left Everywhere (Who always got lost when he headed in the direction of Everywhere) and There. Who packed a lunch, whistled Whatever in from the yard, and they started walking the trail to There, where, today, the grass was greener, the sun shone brightly, and the otters were playing in the river.

LLH; 2006

 

There.  That’s better now, isn’t it?

 
 

Loree Harrell; 2006

 

A Freshening Of Frogs

04 Monday Feb 2013

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I’m thinking we’re well on our way to spring.  On the way down the hill from the evening hike four days ago, I was sitting at the stoplight on the east side of Mt. Hood Community College, and thought my car was blowing up.  I turned down the story I was listening to and rolled down the window, because (in limited areas of life) I prefer to confront bad news head on.  The light turned green, and as I crossed the intersection and headed past the green space, I realized I was hearing

frogs.

A whole lot of frogs.

Every night since, I have turned down the story I was listening to and rolled down the window.  It makes me laugh every time.

The frogs we have around here are teeny tiny green tree-frog-ish types, but boy can they sing.

So if you have a few minutes, after dark, go drive Stark by the creek that runs through the greenspace, slow, or better yet park and walk the new path they put in last summer.  Bettin’ it makes you smile, too.

Where to go
Intersection of Stark Street and Troutdale Road
Just behind MHCC and across from Dairy Queen

Meanwhile, go take a look at the National Wildlife Federation photography contest pics I borrowed the featured image for the post from.  I won’t spoil the surprise by showing you the owl here.

Victor S. Lamoureux’s frogs are New York frogs, but still.  Charming, aren’t they?

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Well that’ll put a rose in those cheeks!

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in And Around, Day Trips, Other Side Of The Inside Of The Box

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It has been one wicked windy few days.  Utterly beautiful blue skies, frosts in the mornings, and an all around visual delight.

But bundle on up before you go out there, it has been one wicked windy few days.

You would think that those of us who have lived here our entire lives would be used to it.  However, I have come to the personal conclusion that there are things you never get used to and will push against to your last breath.  For me, the wind is one of those.  I’m good with cold, I’m okay with hot (yes, we do get hot.  Think back.), but when you add those 52 mph gusts to a 32 degree temp, I’m out.  Could I please have the 14.1 degrees straight in calm air?  [Want to know where I got that number?  Here’s a cool toy for those of us who live in the wind.  Wind chill / temp conversion tool.  You can thank me later.]

However, I would like to point out a couple bright spots in the midst…
1)  You look very healthy when you come indoors (once you get the hair back off of the wrong side of your head and other humans can see your face) with a flattering rosy glow.
2)  If you’re having trouble waking up in the morning and getting into your day, save the five bucks for the coffee and just step outside.
3)  When you take your dogs up to that stretch between Corbett and Aims for the run down to the river,  that calm clear cold under a clear-star-sky moon will absolutely redeem any lingering annoyance with the environment.

Larch Mountain blocks the east wind completely where the dogs and I take our nightly hike to the Sandy River.  Completely.  We pile into the van in the chaos and drive up the hill, and we step out into pure peace.

"Hey, what do you want from a cell phone in the dark?"

“Hey, what do you want from a cell phone in the dark?”

It is such a gift.  The waxing moon has lit the trail almost to no-flashlight level, the river is sparkling under the occasional mist, the rocks are beautifully frosted, it’s the perfect temperature for the long hike back up the hill, and everyone else is huddled at home around the woodstove, leaving the trail, and the forest, and the river,
to just us.

It is a good thing.

Well Done! [aka Better Late Than]

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by in Community, Events, Other Side Of The Inside Of The Box

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Shortly on the heels of the single picture posted a couple weeks ago, I got a slew more from Doug Trice, the coach we see most often with athletes at the hotel.

So in the spirit of better late than never… great job, athletes!  Coaches, thank you.  All, we love having you here.

– Loree and all the staff