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All of the banner background photos on this site were taken by Whitey.
Above is a close-up of the bark of incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) in winter.
It's more than two decades since I last went cross-country skiing in Oregon's High Cascades, but I finally strapped on a pair of skis again and headed into the Diamond Peak Wilderness south of Willamette Pass. The skies were deep blue and six inches of fresh dry powder snow lay atop a solid base. Perfect! But I still don't like the idea of driving a car such a long way, skiing a few hours, and driving back home--which is the primary reason I stopped skiing so many years ago. Still, no regrets about doing it just this once. There's nothing quite like the silence and beauty of a snowy winter scene to recharge one's batteries. (Photo taken at an elevation of about 5,500 feet on 20 February 2026.)
The days are noticeably longer now—and the nights accordingly shorter—as we zip toward the spring equinox here in the northern hemisphere.
On sunny days, crocuses are still putting on a good show here in Eugene and many daffodils are out, yet the peak daffodil show is still a week or so away. The earliest camellias are in bloom, and the first flowers of the flowering plum trees (Prunus cerasifera) have opened.
It’s been another dry winter, with very little snow in the High Country and very little rain here in the Willamette Valley. But finally, this week, over a period of three days, my rain gauge showed nearly four inches of precipitation. That’s great! Nothing quite like raindrops from heaven kissing my cheeks to put a smile on my face as I bike around town.
Otherwise, my four hens are fine and enjoying their daily “walk” in the garden to find especially delicious treats such as overwintering slugs and snails hidden under the leaves. And there’s still plenty of food in my freezer to tide me over until the first good things can be harvested in my early-spring garden in a month or six weeks.
And Life goes on!
Ahhh...a frosty morning in the West Cascades! This is hoarfrost that settled atop the snow during the preceding clear and cold night. (Photo taken at an elevation of about 2,000 feet on 15 January 2026.)
"Tommies" (Crocus tommasinianus) in full bloom in mid-February in Eugene.
An unwanted visitor--that was soon escorted out--I discovered one day in the little "cottage" at the rear of my property. I'd inadvertently left the door ajar the night before, and the opossum had taken advantage of that outstanding opportunity. The following morning--before I actually knew the opossum was there--I opened the cottage door and found an absolute mess inside with things scattered all over the floor. And a large turd (!) front and center. WHAT?! After standing still a few moments, I heard scritch-scritch-scritch coming from beneath a stack of boards and tarps. Hmm. When I moved things aside, there it was, looking up at me and wondering why I was disturbing its daytime sleep.
(This page updated 25 February 2026.)
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