A natural bouquet - Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge #PNWonderland

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A rock and the ruins of a forest - Neskowin #OregonExplored

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A stretch of trail - Forest Park #OregonExplored

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The water rushed in - Short Beachh #OregonExplored

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Light on the water - Upper North Falls #OregonExplored

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We supposed they were watching for food - Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge #PNWonderland

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Every other time I've been to Chicago, it's been cold, aggressively cold. It was good to see the city's other side - Chicago Botanic Gardens #Chicago

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We had family visiting from out of state, so we brought them here early on that Tuesday morning to get a feel for Oregon - Portland International Rose Test Garden #OregonExplored

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I almost never take my shoes off at the beach because I don't like dealing with sand, but the ground here and the presence of this ancient forest required it - Neskowin #OregonExplored

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There were fish, nearly invisible, behind the rocks - Ramon Falls Trail #OregonExplored

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All in a row - Short Beach #OregonExplored

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It was a warm day, comfortable - Chicago Botanic Gardens #Chicago

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The perfect place for a picnic - Short Sand Beach #OregonExplored

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There were signs that fall was coming - Old Vista Ridge Trail #OregonExplored

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They said this was once a library, and I thought stacks of books would have made it even more beautiful - Chicago Cultural Center #Chicago

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There were plenty of boats on the water, but nobody spoke. It reminded me of Quaker meeting, a sacred, shared silence - Mosquito Lake #PNWonderland

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We talked about how work had been that week, replayed and resolved all the little stresses. And the mountain kept interrupting us. - Old Vista Ridge Trail #OregonExplored

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Clouds in the trees - Ramona Falls Trail #OregonExplored

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Trees all the way down - Gold Creek Pond #PNWonderland

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I could have stood here and watched for a long time - Shedd Aquarium #Chicago

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Some of them were taller than me - Columbia River Gorge #OregonExplored

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Through the trees - St. Johns Bridge #OregonExplored

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A line of snags roughly marked the liminal space between water and woods - Mosquito Lake #PNWonderland

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We stood by the water - Gold Creek Pond #PNWonderland

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The light hadn't yet made it up and over the edge - Horsetail Falls #OregonExplored

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The trail here is busy, but the space around this waterfall still feels private, secluded, serene - Wiesendanger Falls #OregonExplored

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Fluffed up for warmth and curious about whether we might have snacks - Shedd Aquarium #Chicago

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On our way to Langfield Falls - Gifford Pinchot National Forest #PNWonderland

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The moment we knew we were nearly home - Mount Hood #OregonExplored

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A friend once told me at a place near here to never take my home state for granted - Multnomah Falls #OregonExplored

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Flowers in the grass - Catherine Creek #PNWonderland

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All morning, there had been low clouds, but they lifted just as we were nearly returned to our car - SkiBowl #OregonExplored

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It had been nearly four years since our last time along this trail - Columbia River Gorge #OregonExplored

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Some kind of erector set - Chicago Botanic Gardens #Chicago

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The tide was coming in, so we didn't make it all the way to the end of the beach before it was covered in ocean - Fogarty Creek Beach #OregonExplored

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In the distance, Oregon - Catherine Creek #PNWonderland

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Have you ever been surprised by morning? - Short Sand Beach #OregonExplored

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I was tempted to try my balance on one of these logs, but I made the safer choice (this time) - Veda Lake #OregonExplored

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As we rounded the bend just ahead, there were rows and rows of chairs set out to our right and preparations for an outdoor wedding - Mount Hood #OregonExplored

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They seemed fascinated by all the hikers passing by - Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge #PNWonderland

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Heart - Chicago Botanic Gardens #Chicago

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Each time I see a tree like this, I wonder how long it will be able to hold on, and I am reminded that I, too, can thrive where I am - Short Sand Beach #OregonExplored

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A bend in the trail - Ecola State Park #OregonExplored

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It was a crisp spring day - Rowena Plateau #OregonExplored - ericmuhr.photo

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As we found our way back down, the clouds obliged us a glimpse - Mount Hood #OregonExplored - ericmuhr.photo

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No matter where we hike in the Pacific Northwest, there are always crows - Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge #pnwonderland - ericmuhr.photo

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A place to touch the water - Ramona Falls Trail #OregonExplored - ericmuhr.photo

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There weren't quite as many mosquitoes as we'd been led to believe - Mosquito Lake #pnwonderland - ericmuhr.photo

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Each tree stands like a kind of sun-dial above the beach - Short Sand Beach #OregonExplored - ericmuhr.photo

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Two trees stood ready to greet all who approached the entrance - Mount Hood Skibowl #OregonExplored - ericmuhr.photo

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