So Many Lives to Live

Ghosts of Lives Past and Future

For those of you who use Facebook, you may be familiar with their memories feature where each day, you can see what you posted on Facebook on that day one, two, three, and so forth years ago.  I think it's great! I love to look back at those memories, to see what I was doing, to know how I was feeling, and now knowing everything that has happened since that point in time.  In a way, it's kind of like having the ability to see the future.  I look at a picture or a status update and I know what will happen in the next day, week, and year after that point in time.  It's a strange feeling to be able to look back at one particular moment in your life, knowing that in that moment, you had no idea of what was to come next.

When I look at these moments in time, sometimes it's as if they are a completely different life,m. I'm overcome with the realization that so much has happened since that moment.  So many people have come into my life. Each significant interaction like a chapter in a book. How many lives do we live in our lifetime? I'm not sure if I believe in reincarnation, but if it exists, how many have we lived before?  How many will we live after this one ends?

To this affect, I love buying new-to-me used books. The books sometimes have items left in them like a business card, old receipt or piece of scratch paper. My mind wanders when I think about who read the book before me, what was happening in their life at that moment, how did the book impact their life, if at all?  These items seem to get to live many lives of their own. Kind of like the old Redwood trees that have stood for 300 years.  Imagine what they've seen? How many lives, both human and animal, storms, sunrises and sunsets have they been quiet observers of?  So much life has crossed their path.

Often I feel insignificant in time and in the world when I think about these things, knowing that my life is a small moment in history compared to the history of time and all of the things that have happened before me and will happen after me.  It's easy to feel like I have no impact on this world and perhaps I don't really need to.  Perhaps just being present in these moments of each passing day is all I need?  The pictures I take and the words I write are a small way to immortalize my moments here in time.

To view more of my photography, please visit:

www.KristinRoosmalenPhotography.Zenfolio.com

My newest and ongoing project: The Spaces Between

An Oregon Family Vacation

When I moved away from Wisconsin in June of 2014, my dad started to secretly save a little money here and there in hopes of getting enough so he and my mom could one day come visit me in Oregon. Recently, my dad surprised my mom with the news of what he had been doing and that he finally had gathered enough money for them to take the trip. Thrilled with the exciting news, together they called to let me know.

Seeing as my parents hadn't been on a real vacation in forever and not knowing when, or even if, they would ever be able to visit again, I felt I needed to plan a trip of a lifetime. Having not seen them in a year and a half, I was eagerly looking forward to their visit. A few days after their call, I booked their flights online and started planning an epic itinerary for a proper Pacific Northwest adventure, keeping in mind their mobility limitations. There are so many wonderful places and things to do here that it was hard to fit everything I wanted to show them into a 10 day trip. 

A month or so later, I was picking them up from the airport and the very next day, our whirlwind of an adventure began. Since my company picnic fell on the first day of the trip, I decided to take them to my office and give them a tour before we went to the picnic and I introduced them to my coworkers. After the picnic, I took them for a drive over the St. Johns Bridge before stopping for a beer at Saraveza. I had made dinner reservations at Portland City Grill so they could take in an epic view of the city while the sun set. When we were done, we went home, watched a movie and then went to bed.

Jellyfish tank at LeChon

The next morning, my mom and I walked a couple of blocks down the street to the Portland Saturday Market where my mom purchased several items and I scored a couple new stickers for my car bumper. We then walked back to my apartment to join my dad and have lunch at the Dockside Saloon & Restaurant before visiting the International Rose Test Garden. Once we had our fill of roses, we drove to the South Waterfront to ride the aerial tram up to OHSU and then back down again. I'm a bit afraid of heights but surprisingly, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. After finishing the ride, we stopped at LeChon for a cocktail while we watched jellyfish float around a giant tank behind the bar. We had dinner reservations at Huber's Cafe but stopped in to check out Kell's Irish Pub beforehand. Once at Huber's, we enjoyed the table side preparation of Spanish coffee before ordering dinner and enjoying our meals.  Once we had our fill, we returned back to my apartment to call it a day.

Oregon Coast Scenic Railway

We awoke the next morning and began a four day road trip along the Oregon coast. Our first stop was at Ecola State Park for a quick stroll on Indian Beach followed immediately with a stop in Cannon Beach so my mom could pick up some warmer clothes, more appropriate for the cooler coastal temperatures. We then drove south to Garibaldi where we boarded the Oregon Coast Scenic Railway train and rode that to Rockaway Beach, where we had a quick layover and then headed back to Garibaldi. Cole was surprisingly not so happy with the train ride but did much better on the way back from Rockaway Beach than he did on the way there. Once we deboarded the train, we grabbed a late lunch at the Upstairs Bar & Grill in Netarts Bay before making our way to our hotel room at the Inn at Wecoma in Lincoln City.

Anemone at the Oregon Coast Aquarium

In the morning, we continued south along the coast, stopping quickly at Boiler Bay where we spotted some whales and then Devil's Punchbowl where we were greeted by super friendly squirrels. We dropped Cole off at Animal House doggy daycare before heading to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. There we saw all sorts of anemones, jellyfish, fish, otters, seals and birds. We grabbed lunch afterward at Georgie's Beachside Grill before picking Cole up from daycare and continuing south. We stopped to stretch our legs and check out the gift shop at the Fireside Motel in Yachats. Afterward, we took a short stroll to the beach to catch some of the infamous wave action in that area. We continued south, stopping for a couple cocktails at the Loft Restaurant in Bandon before going to Coquille Point to watch the sunset. After the sun went down, we continued south to our hotel room at Inn of the Beachcomber in Gold Beach.

Rock hunting in Gold Beach

Originally we had planned to stay at the motel for one night but decided since we got in so late and it was such a nice room with an ocean view, balcony and fireplace, we would stay another night. So in the morning, instead of packing up to hit the road again, we went into town, had lunch at the Port Hole Cafe and then stopped in the gift shop across the way. We then drove south to California to visit the Stout Grove Redwoods, part of the Jedediah Smith State Park. On the way back to the hotel, we picked up some food from the deli at Fred Meyer and had dinner on our balcony before heading down to the beach to do some rock hunting and watch the sunset while seals played in the surf.

Drive through Wildlife Safari

The next morning, we began our drive back to Portland. We stopped to pick up some gifts at Myrtlewood Gifts before going to Cape Blanco State Park to visit the lighthouse and enjoy the beautiful view. We decided to go to the drive through Wildlife Safari on the way home. There we saw all sorts of animals: emu's, giraffes, bears, zebras, deer and more. We purchased a feed cup to feed the deer who were more than happy to stick their heads right in my car windows for a snack. Afterward, we grabbed a quick dinner at Sonic and then finished our drive back to Portland.

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

Since the next day was predicting rain, and having just done a bunch of driving, we decided to stick around Portland and enjoy a Portland Spirit Lunch Cruise. Afterward, we stopped at Billy Ray's Neighborhood Bar for a drink, then went to the Made in Oregon store in the Lloyd Center Mall before exploring the exhibits at OMSI. When we were done there, we stopped at Fred Meyer to pick up some supplies to make a really nice dinner at home. We enjoyed steaks, sautéed mushrooms, twice baked potatoes and roasted asparagus while we watched a couple of movies in the living room, sipping on Old Fashions. It felt very much like being at home, in Wisconsin. 

A tad foggy but still beautiful in Paradise on Mt. Rainier

The next day, we packed up the car again and hit the road. Our first stop was at the Johnston Ridge Observatory on Mt. St. Helens where we watched a 20 minute film about life after the eruption in 1980 before continuing on the road, stopping for lunch at Harry's Place in Toledo. After we finished lunch, we got back on the road and headed to Mt. Rainier National Park. We drove up the curving road to Paradise, shrouded in fog which obscured the view. We did spend some serious cash in their gift store and walked away with many items, my favorite of which is the clothing we got -- all different but all branded with Mt. Rainier. Luckily, as we continued east in the park, the fog dissipated a bit and we were able to see some spectacular views. We stopped for dinner at 1885 Bar and Grill in Naches and then drove through the dark, star-filled sky night to our hotel room at the Three Rivers Inn in Wasco.

Painted Hills

The next morning, we piled in the car again and headed out for the Painted Hills. This drive, as desolate as it is, is always beautiful. We made a couple of stops for photos along the way including the giant windmill farm and also enjoyed a bathroom break at a rest stop next to the John Day River where we enjoyed the quiet, the sun and a watching a couple fishing on the river bank. We then drove some more and finally arrived at the Painted Hills for more pictures, exploring and just enjoying the beauty of the landscape. When we were done there, we started to head back to Portland, stopping for a late lunch/early dinner at the Horseshoe Saloon in Prineville before enjoying the scenic drive through the Willamette National Forest. Once home, we watched a two movies before calling it a night. 

View from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood

The next day was our last full day together. We woke up in the late morning and drove through the Columbia River Gorge, stopping to take in the view at Chanticleer Point before visiting Latourell Falls. After a long wait in a long line of cars, we finally were able to see Multnomah Falls before getting back on the road and heading up to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. Once at Timberline, we ordered Old Fashions and lunch at the Ram's Head Restaurant and enjoyed the view from our table right next to the window where we could see everything for miles and miles around. After we had finished lunch, we left the restaurant to check out the gift shop before heading back to Portland. On the way home, we stopped for gas and were pleasantly surprised by seeing a naked-neck chicken hanging out in the parking lot. Once home, we relaxed by watching our last movie, my favorite of all time, Forest Gump.

Very early the next morning, I dropped my parents off at the airport, wished them safe travels and then headed to work to begin the long process of trying to catch up after being out on vacation. All in all, we drove 1,859 miles over 10 days. Coincidentally, 1859 is the year in which Oregon became a state. It was a very long week and even though I felt like I could sleep for a year when all was said and done, it was great to see my parents and show them the Pacific Northwest, firsthand. I hope I did the area justice while creating some memories with my family I will always cherish.

To view more of my photography, please visit:

www.KristinRoosmalenPhotography.Zenfolio.com

Two Years an Oregonian!

The Spaces Between

Summer has been busy in many ways this year and I am happy to say I celebrated my second Oregonniversary in late June. I like to commemorate the anniversary of the day of my arrival in Oregon each year and the joy living in this magnificent state brings me. Mostly because I love Oregon and the Pacific Northwest but I also like to recognize the accomplishment of moving here. I tend to underplay the work it took to get here. The courage it took to leave everyone I loved behind in pursuit of the unknown. To explore the possibilities of a life that could be lived here. A life that I had faith would be more rewarding than one lived anywhere else. A move that I felt was a step in the right direction to finding lasting happiness. A step that, at times, has been lonelier than I could have ever imagined possible.

The second year of calling the Pacific Northwest home was filled with many adventures: road trips, hiking, camping, dating, school, work and more. I experienced great highs and a few dramatic lows and then of course everything in between. I explored new-to-me areas of Oregon, Washington and California. I kayaked for the very first time. I photographed new subjects, fell deeply in love with black and white photography and even explored portrait work. I dabbled in film and graphic design thanks to my schooling at PCC and began the long process of branding myself as a photographer with the generous help of a coworker. I sold two pieces of art at auction to support a friends non-profit organization. I received formal recognition in photography competitions.

I had my heart broken but kept my head high as I moved on. I found solitude on the roads in Eastern Oregon as Cole and I explored the desert and mountain landscape. I was pleasantly surprised with the connection I found while photographing strangers as they participated in a charity bike ride. I saw the stark reality of poverty in one Indian tribe on the coast. I had a close call on the treacherous side roads of Mt. Hood that easily could have been the end for my car and my dog, Cole, but I also saw the magnificent beauty of a fresh snowfall in the Coastal mountains on Christmas day and celebrated my 36th birthday at my favorite place on earth: the Oregon coast.

My second year has been full of adventure, rich in experiences and full of growth. It has been a year that has sparked great ideas, challenged me to grow both personally and professionally in ways that weren't always easy, that forced me to look inward. As I begin my third year as an Oregonian, I look forward to what this next year will bring. The people I will meet. The places I will go. Something tells me that it will be a year filled with change and growth and I cannot wait to see where life will take me. Thank you for following my journey along this far or, if you are new to my journey, I hope you'll stick around awhile and see what this incredible place has in store for me and Cole.

Two Years an Oregonian

To view more of my photography, please visit:

www.KristinRoosmalenPhotography.Zenfolio.com

Art Attacks, Pug-Cams and Reconnecting with Friends

Spring has indeed sprung here in Oregon, earlier than usual I'm told. It is always beautiful here, but especially this time of year. It seems as if every tree, bush and plant is blooming at every turn. Until just recently, I was too busy to even stop and take some pictures of it. My full time work load on top of my full time class load at school did not leave much time for anything else. That being said, I still managed to get out a bit and pursue some photographic endeavors.

Eternal

Trinity

Just a Dream

This spring term at Portland Community College, I enrolled in my first ever photography class. My instructor there provided me with some very positive and encouraging feedback which gave me just the extra boost of confidence I needed. Several months ago, I applied to join an artist's coop here in Portland that I learned about while walking around downtown. Unfortunately, at that time, they had too many photographers in the group but encouraged me to check back in six months. Then one day out of the blue, I received notice that a photography spot opened and was invited to jury my work the very next day at the store downtown. I only had about half a day to prepare five prints for matting and framing as well as put together a physical portfolio of my other work including my artist's statement and documenting my creative process. Thanks to the help of a couple of friends and working inter the early morning hours, I managed to pull everything together and presented my work the next day (pictured above). If was an amazing opportunity to meet other local artists, learn more about the coop and share the inspiration for my work with the jury panel. The whole process was an invaluable learning experience.

My two prints at the art auction

A few months ago, a friend of mine now living in Eugene asked if I would consider participating in an art auction for ShelterCare where all proceeds from the event support their homelessness prevention programs in Linn County. Of course I agreed and a couple of weeks ago, made the drive to Eugene to deliver the two framed prints while we caught up over dinner. This week, a friend and I drove back to Eugene for the auction at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art on the University of Oregon campus. It was a lovely and well-organized event complete with tasty wine, delicious food and live music. Both of my pieces sold and I briefly had the opportunity to meet the man who purchased both prints. I'm not sure who was more excited about the sale, him or me? It was a truly wonderful moment indeed.

Over the past few months, I've added a few new pieces of equipment to my photography/videography arsenal: a Sony 100mm f2.8 macro lens, a 4K Sony Action Cam and a Cheerson CX-33W droid for shooting aerial video and photos. I'm looking forward to exploring a magnified version of Oregon's plant life as well as strapping the video camera to a variety of items and making some videos of Oregon's beaches, roadways and bridges. Learning to fly my droid will be a bit of a challenge but I'm sure once I get the hang of it, I'll be capturing  and sharing some very beautiful birds-eye-view scenery from all over the Pacific Northwest.

I've been trying my hand at a few newer areas of photography and did my first engagement photo shoot for a couple of friends. We visited several locations one rainy Sunday about a month ago including Union Station, the Eastbank Esplanade, Cathedral Park, and the St. John's Bridge as well as a record store and restaurant. It was a great learning experience and a fun way to get to know my friends better. Thanks to one of my school projects, I also shot some portraits for a friend in and around my neighborhood. I definitely have respect for the work and talent it takes to do portrait photography well. I'm not sure I'll be adding it to my available services anytime soon but I will continue to work on developing the skill set and see where I want to go from there. Also in the realm of new-to-me endeavors, I'm considering a street photography project where I'd like to explore each neighborhood of Portland by foot. I'm not sure what I hope to convey with that project yet so more contemplation is needed before I get underway.

For some time now, I've wanted to make a short film to share the magic encapsulated along the roadways between Portland and the northern Oregon coast. The other weekend, Cole and a friend of mine took a trip to Ecola State Park and it was the perfect time to try out my new Sony Action Cam. I attached the camera to the sunroof opening of my car and recorded the drive along highway 26 through the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests. Once we all arrived at the park, I moved the camera to a special dog harness and Cole shot his first ever video along Indian Beach. The footage is a bit shakey but adorable nonetheless. Unfortunately, since my computer is not quite equipped to handle 4K video, editing either footage into a film will have to wait until I'm able to upgrade to a newer/faster/better computer later this year. I was able though to make a decent short clip from the beach below.

In early April I carved out some time from my busy schedule to attend the special acoustic Jackie Greene concert at Mississippi Studios with a friend. As some of you may be aware, Jackie Greene is one of my all-time favorite musicians and I see him every time he comes through the city I happen to be living in at that time. After grabbing a bite at the always-delicious LeBistro Montage, my friend and I managed to get to the show earlier than expected which helped secure us a front row seat in the balcony area that offered us an unobstructed view of the stage. As usual, Jackie gave a spectacular performance that made the lack of sleep that night well worth it. The opening musician, The Suitcase Junket, who I hadn't heard of before, was also very good. I recommend checking both of them out if you are unfamiliar.

Jackie Greene at Mississippi Studios

A dear Wisconsin-friend was in town recently and we were lucky to have two back-to-back evenings together to catch up and explore Portland. On the first night, we met up at my apartment, and true to our midwestern roots, had a Bourbon Old Fashioned while we began the process of catching up on life-stuff before heading over to Papa Haydn on NW 23rd for a scrumptious dinner and decadent dessert. Afterward, we walked to the Pope House Bourbon Lounge and each enjoyed a flight of four bourbons among the low-key and quiet setting. On the second night, joined by a co-worker of hers, we met up at Portland City Grill to enjoy a happy hour cocktail while the sun set in the horizon, illuminating the majestic Cascade mountain range and Willamette River Valley below. Afterward, we walked over to Huber's Cafe where we enjoyed the always entertaining Spanish coffee prepared table-side and yet another delicious meal. After we had our fill of both there, we headed to A Roadside Attraction for a beer on the unique patio before arriving at the Alibi for a fun evening of tropical cocktails and talented karaoke singers.

The Pope House

The Alibi

Last weekend, Cole and I met up with another one of my friends I hadn't seen in awhile to catch up while we perused the art at the Portland Saturday Market. There I decided to finally purchase several pieces of art I had been contemplating ever since I moved to Portland in 2014.  My friend affectionately referred to this event as an "art-attack" which seems quite fitting since I walked away with three paintings by J.R. Slattum and two porcelain pieces by Shapiro Porcelain. And just like a good enabler, she helped me carry my stash home and even lent a hand with the hanging of it. Perhaps what I love most about the Saturday Market is having direct access to the talented artists who make all the lovely art. I was able to talk to J.R., the painter of my three new pieces, about his inspiration behind each one of the surrealistic paintings.

Paintings of J.R. Slattum

From Left to Right:

Root of Good Intentions
It's about acting from the heart, the center, not to be confused with emotion/ego.  Hatching from the center, flying above. To act of love and for others.

Erosion Revelation
You are not the rock. The tides of life, the ebb and flows, ups and downs... wearing away the stone- revealing between the layers- artifacts, fossils, gems of wisdom.  We are all on the same journey but at different places along the path.  View life from the heart.

Forest Thinking
The feeling of being in nature.  The nowness that it provides.  Losing your sense of self while becoming one with nature... the birds, the flora and fauna, the faces in the trees.  There is no yesterday or tomorrow... just the forest.



With summer just around the corner, there will be a lot of camping, hiking and road trips to write about so I hope you'll continue to follow along my journey.

To view more of my photography, please visit:

www.KristinRoosmalenPhotography.Zenfolio.com

Spring Break Birthday Vacation

Rewind to the week before spring break. I get sick on Sunday night with a fever, aches, and just plain miserableness which leads to me missing Monday and Tuesday of work. I push through a rough Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at work, and make it through Friday night of school. Saturday starts with me in urgent care for an eye infection on top of being sick, on top of allergies, on top of finals. I get to class Saturday morning with just moments to spare but make it through to the end, even using my lunch break to pick up my eye drops for my very irritated, scratchy eyes. After school, I run a multitude of errands including going to Fred Meyer, Pets on Broadway, Petco, home to get my camera, Pro Photo Supply (while my camera stayed put, forgotten at home), and then finally back home to clean up and get ready for my birthday party in just under an hour. Everyone showed up that I was expecting and we spent the night in my tightly packed apartment talking, laughing, telling stories, eating and drinking while Cole and Emma played and made friends with the group. After the last person left, the next hour or so was spent cleaning up and then soon thereafter I was in bed, ready to get an early start the next day.

A great group of friends turned out to help celebrate my birthday!

Sunday morning, with school and work officially on hold for a week, after loading up the car, Kris and I hit the road amidst the rain. I drive for awhile, then Kris drives for a while. We stop in Reedsport for lunch at Harbor Light Family Restaurant. I drive the rest of the way to Gold Beach but make a quick detour in Bandon at Face Rock which was quite windy so we didn't stay long. Once in Gold Beach, we checked into our hotel room at the Inn of the Beachcomber and at first the sketchy folks hanging around outside made me weary of what was to be expected of the hotel room on the inside but luckily they turned out to not be connected. The room was very nice; there was a clear view of the ocean, a hot tub on the balcony, and gas fireplace inside. All in all, it was what I expected. After lounging for a bit, the guests next door let their children loose and all sorts of loud noises permeated the peace and quiet I drove all the way to the coast to find. Using that as a cue, we decided it was a good time to head out for my birthday dinner at Spinners Seafood and Steak Chophouse. Once we had our fill of food and drink, we went back to the hotel room, put a bottle of wine on ice and got into the hot tub to enjoy the sound of the ocean and wind sans children screaming while our bodies relaxed from a long day of travel.

Hotel room at Inn of the Beachcomber, Gold Beach, Oregon

The weather didn't seem to care that I was on vacation and decided to rain off and on quite frequently the first day on the coast. That did not stop me from taking Cole for a walk on the beach in the morning with hotel coffee in hand. Sure, I got a little wet but time spent on the beach is always good. With the outdoor plans I had made on hold, we decided to drive into Brookings and check out what treasures we could find at the Goodwill store there. I ended up walking away with a Brookings t-shirt, a pair of comfy lounge pants and another pair of stretchy work out pants, perfect for hiking! I also took some time to sit down and look through all of the records in the corner of the store and decided to add Elvis Presley, Carole King, JJ Cale, Jackson Browne, The O'Jays, Chi Coltrane, and Tommy James and the Shondells records to my collection. Once we were done thoroughly scouring the store, we headed out for some ice cream at Dairy Queen and then drove around a bit to explore the town. When the time came, we decided to have dinner at Pacific Sushi & Grill which unfortunately did not sit well in my stomach.  After we were done eating, we drove back to the hotel to call it a day while my stomach made strange noises.

We slept in a bit on Tuesday but headed over to the Port Hole Cafe in Gold Beach for a delicious lunch followed up with some shopping at Jerry's Rogue River Museum and Gift Shop next door where I found a couple of t-shirts, a sweatshirt, and a sticker and magnet decal for my on-going collection on my car bumper.  I even managed to find a couple pair of earrings I liked as well which is rare for me. Lucky for me, they were having a sale so everything was 17% off plus they were adding on the bonus of being able to use store receipts to claim glass floats at the Visitor Center. After picking up my new glass floats (which look lovely now on my bathroom wall), we decided to head toward the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor and check out some of the beaches since the weather had cleared for a bit and the sun was shining. First, we stopped at Myers Creek, then a viewpoint on Highway 101 followed by a stop at Whaleshead Beach where after some time of exploring, it began to rain again. At that point we decided to head back to Gold's Beach for dinner riverside at the Silver Hook Restaurant & Lounge.

Myers Creek Beach, Gold Beach, Oregon

I used Wednesday to catch up on sleep and spent most of the day in bed with the patio door open and the sound of the ocean in the background while the warmth of the fire kept the room a comfortable temperature. Eventually though, hunger caught up with us and we headed out to Black Trumpet Bistro in Brookings for dinner. Afterward, we stopped at Harris Beach State Park to enjoy the deep purples and blues in the sky while the sun went down. There I ran into a couple from Colorado on a bucket list RV coastal vacation who asked me to take their picture after making fast friends with Cole. I also enjoyed photographing the large, rainbow colored rocks that darted up from the beach sand and was even surprised to come across a couple of Canadian geese floating among the seagulls in the ocean tide, something I have never seen before in all of my visits to the Oregon coast.

Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, Oregon

Thursday morning came quick and it was time to load up the car, say goodbye to our cozy hotel room and head out.  We stopped in Coos Bay for a German lunch at the Blue Heron Bistro which was delicious but word of wise to fellow travelers: do not attempt to pay with a credit card, you will not be well-received and possibly quite overcharged for your meal.  After a filling lunch, we continued on our way back to Portland but first stopped in Reedsport to check out a thrift store where I picked up a few more records for my collection: Bob Dylan, Connie Francis, Dinah Washington, Ray Charles and Leonard Cohen. We stopped across the street at Mindpower Gallery where I fell in love with the trade sculptures of George Johnson. Having exhausted my allocated funds for shopping, I had to forego adding one to my collection but I hope to stop in another time.  Several hours later, we found ourselves stuck in Portland rush hour traffic and soon thereafter, parted ways.

Once home, I quickly got unpacked, started a load of laundry, watered my plants and relaxed on the couch with Cole and some reheated leftover food from the day before.  Home, sweet home!  Despite the overabundance of rowdy kids at the hotel (and most restaurants) and the unexpected rain and sickness, my spring break vacation had some pleasant moments. I'm using what remains of the weekend to rest and gear up to head back to work and start the spring term on Monday. It will be another 2 1/2 months before I can come up for air again, I suspect I will be in need of another break at that point as well.

To view more of my photography visit Kristin Roosmalen Photography

Hiking, Photography and Multimedia: A New Year Begins

Three months into the New Year and, as usual, life is busy. I started the Multimedia program at Portland Community College in January and am about to finish my first term next week with a 4.0 GPA. I've been loving everything about the program so far and have already found multiple ways to use what I've learned for my photography website and even at work.  A video editing project in one of my classes sparked an interest in aerial photography and videography so I consulted with someone at work who is knowledgable about video drones and am happy to report I've purchased one for myself. I'm looking forward to exploring that in more depth and sharing some videos of magnificent Oregon soon.

At the beginning of this year I signed up to do a 52 Hike Challenge but so far the weather has been less than cooperative and with my busy work and school schedule, I'm officially 8 hikes behind schedule. I feel fairly certain that I'll be able to catch up this summer and fall though when the weather is more predictable. So far though I have managed to do a hike at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, at Beacon Rock State Park and at Eagle Creek.

Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

It was a windy day and parking was a bit hard to come by but Cole and I managed to meet up with a friend at the trailhead only a few minutes behind schedule. At first there was not much wildlife to be seen but about halfway through the hike, we came across a body of water that attracted lots of ducks, geese and other types of birds.  We saw a beautiful Red Tail hawk perched high above on the top of a tree and even a brave SUP-er in the Willamette River.


Beacon Rock State Park

This hike almost didn't happen. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, a friend and I drove along highway 14 on the Washington side of the Gorge toward Beacon Rock State Park. The first parking area we stopped at showed us that we actually wanted to be at a different spot to access the trailhead. We drove to what we thought was the correct parking lot only to find out it was not the one we wanted either. We then drove to the correct trailhead and found that it was closed due to storm damage. We gave the park one last try by driving to yet another parking area and accessing a different trail. Alas, that one was a success, albeit a bit muddy. We slowly worked our way up the elevation gain and took in some beautiful views of the gorge far below.  Soon we came across several waterfalls that took some treacherous navigation through extremely slick, muddy paths.  Once we had our fill of that trail, we headed back to the parking area and then over the Bridge of the Gods to the Oregon side of the Gorge to make a quick stop at Crown Point to capture some sunset photos.


Eagle Creek

With another friend, Cole and I hiked the Eagle Creek trail. This is a popular trail so we had to share it with many other people. It soon become clear why it was so popular though. It runs along the side of a cliff, parallel to the creek below. Although somewhat dangerous at points due to the steep drop off on one side of the trail, it was well worth it for the views. Small waterfalls dot the hike, larger ones across the creek. After several miles, we came to the popular Punchbowl Falls before turning back toward the trailhead to make sure we made it back before sunset. I'm happy we did that hike when we did for I recently saw that the trail is now closed for a year for repairs due to a bridge that was damaged by a falling tree.


My pet photography page is finally up and running on my website and I am using what I've learned in my classes this winter to build a virtual room application for the site as well. In other photography news, one of my photos made the top 25 in the Coast Weekend Annual Photo Contest and another one won an honorable mention for the adult division, Judges Choice category in the Wallowa County Chieftan photo contest. Even more good news, I was recently approached to submit a couple of prints to ShelterCare's annual art auction, which of course I am more than happy to do.

Spring has arrived in Portland and among many other trees, the cherry blossom trees along the waterfront as well as the tulip magnolia that I love so much by Union Station are in full bloom. I ventured out last weekend to capture some shots before checking out the eagerly anticipated reopening of the Saturday Market.

To view more of my photography visit Kristin Roosmalen Photography

A Look Back at 2015

"The greatest adventure is what lies ahead" - J.R.R. Tolkien

This has been quite the year filled with many adventures, lots of photography and so much more. I've taken several road trips throughout Washington, Oregon and California. I've camped on mountains and next to rivers. I've hiked everywhere from the lakes and rivers of the Cascade Mountain range to the waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge to Portland's parks and gardens to Oregon's coastal beaches and sand dunes. With my visits to the Painted Hills, Smith Rock, and the Wallowas, this year marked the completion of visiting all of Oregon's Seven Wonders. Mt. Hood, the Coast, the Columbia River Gorge and Crater Lake were all visited, often several times over, between 2011 and 2014.

My official adventure tally this year comes to:

23 beaches
18 parks
 9 hikes
 6 overlooks
 5 mountains
 4 camping trips
 3 waterfalls
 3 rivers
 2 scenic loops
 2 reservoirs
 1 slough
 1 garden
 1 observatory

In addition to all of my nature adventures, I've seen several concerts this year including my first Dave Matthews Band experience at the mecca of venues, the Gorge Amphitheater. I also saw one my favorite musicians again, Jackie Greene, at the Wonder Ballroom, and went to my first Modest Mouse show at the Crystal Ballroom.

A couple of visitors from back home in Wisconsin came to visit me this year and I thoroughly enjoyed playing tour guide extraordinaire while simultaneously managing to exhaust them with Oregon's amazing restaurants and food carts, attractions and natural beauty.

I earned a promotion just recently at work and have also been on several trips to our Seattle office throughout the year. For some extra cash and an opportunity to further explore Portland, I signed up to be a driver for both Lyft and Uber this past fall although I still haven't given any rides, as of yet. I'm sure that will change very soon though.

I celebrated my first "Oregonniversary" in June. I feel my first year as a resident of the beautiful state of Oregon is definitely worthy of creating a tradition to celebrate each year going forward. Speaking of celebrations, Cole enjoyed his seventh birthday in September, this year on the coast with his new pug-friend Emma. Cole and I together spent my 35th birthday in March on the coast with a friend.

My photography has grown considerably this past year. I created a website in March which may sound like a simple task but it meant many hours sifting through nearly 60,000 photos that I have taken over the past few years, and then deciding which ones were the best. I entered my work in a couple more photo contests this year and even sold some of my prints. I'm continually gaining more followers on a variety of social media platforms and some of my work is even getting picked up by local travel publications. This year also marks the first of what will now become an annual tradition of creating photo calendars for my family in Wisconsin. Not much in this world makes me happier than to share the beauty of the Pacific Northwest through photography with those that I care about.

As always in life, it isn't all good, all the time.  This is a blog about my misadventures after all, isn't it? I had an unfortunate car incident on Mt. Hood Thanksgiving weekend which cost me a whopping $1,000 insurance deductible to make my car good as new again. The silver lining of that experience though is that I made a new friend, the tow truck driver, so it wasn't all bad. A simple procedure to remove a benign growth on my leg late this summer caused quite the issue during my recovery which ended up with me in urgent care. This year I've also joined the ranks of many other Oregonians who suffer from seasonal allergies so my "nature junkie" brand has a little bit more truth to it now that nature literally makes me sick and yet I continue to expose myself to it; nothing can keep me from spending time in nature.

After a breakup earlier this year, I ventured back into the wonderful, and sometimes downright strange, world of online dating which yielded some very interesting experiences, a new relationship and yet another breakup. What I found most fascinating about the heartache that came with that failed endeavor though is knowing that I'm still capable of truly caring for someone. At times, I feel like I'm somewhat broken when it comes to this part of my life but my resilience, or possibly just my stubbornness, will continue to keep me open to the possibilities that come with daring to risk being vulnerable with someone.  The journey continues into 2016!

There have been some weather oddities this year starting with a mild winter, then a very hot and long summer which sparked widespread wildfires throughout the Pacific Northwest. Then, this fall we got slammed with torrential downpours that created landslides, sinkholes and considerable flooding. To top it off, we even got some snow in Portland right after Christmas. Despite all of this, the Pacific Northwest is still a stunningly beautiful place to live and explore. I'm truly blessed to call this place home.

So, what have I taken away from my experiences this year? First, that our time here is too short to spend it being unhappy. If you don't like something about your life, change it. It may not be easy and it probably won't come without sacrifices and hard work but if it's important to you and it's something that makes your soul sing, I can assure you, it will be worth it. Second, be sure to spend lots of time in the places and with the people that make you feel happy to be alive. Third, and possibly most important, do not underestimate how important spending time alone is. That time by yourself is essential for reflecting upon your life. It allows you the space in an all too busy world to check-in with yourself, to ask important questions such as: Am I happy? Am I doing what I want to do? Is there anything that doesn't feel right in the grand scheme of my life? These questions and others can help make sure you are headed in the right direction and living a life of purpose.

I'm looking forward to many more adventures in 2016 and to opportunities to explore, learn, grow and create.  I hope you'll continue to follow along with my journey and I wish you all the best in the New Year!

To view more of the photography from my nature-adventures, visit:

Kristin Roosmalen Photography on Zenfolio
or

Kristin Roosmalen Photography on Flickr