Graphic Intensive! Because I go overboard with photos at the refuge.

Because Julie’s mom has Alzheimer’s and lives with Julie and Orvill, and because it is a wearying life for Julie, last month, when Donna was with Julie’s brother for the weekend, I kidnapped Julie for some R & R. I knew she’d like to see the wildlife refuge, so one Saturday morning, February 23rd, off we went.

We met at Hawaiian Beanz for lattés first, of course. That’s a given. Then we hopped gently climbed into my car so as not to spill our coffees and off we went.

Our first stop was Parkrose Hardware in Northeast Portland; we both love hardware stores, and we had a good time wandering through the huge store.

Next, we drove up the freeway to our exit; I deliberately didn’t take Highway 510, the direct route, in order to wander a couple of backroads on our way to Ridgefield. We were glad we did; at this place, we saw these:

Wat? Cows? Horses? Nope!

Try look!

Yep! Mule deer!

We left the deer and drove down a side road to see this:

It was kinda at the entrance to some high maka maka, fancy kine place.

We headed back along the way we’d come, and got some better deer photos.

They really were beautiful.

We saw a neat barn.

We drove down into a really wooded area, and saw these trees with ferns growing out of them!

The way the sunlight came in through the trees highlighted the ferns.

Here’s a close-up.

So nani this road.

We drove into the refuge, paid the minimal fee, and began our slow meandering.The first bird we saw was this lovely egret.

He was munching on something right at the creek’s edge.

He moved slowly, and with such grace. I love watching his feeties lift up and touch down.

This bird was so lovely. I bet it was really a wahine egret.

We saw Canada Geese on the grass, searching for stuffs to munch on.

And others lining up on the lake to get to where their friends were.

They were very orderly about it. No one left the line till they got to the grass.

There’s a small passageway between the first lake, the second tiny lake, and the grass which was their goal.

The geese moved gracefully in line through the passageway.

Stay tuned for Part Two, in which we get some wonderful Blue Heron photos!