An Oregon summer...

Friends, expanded upon, exponentially transformed by the thousands in the form of... plants















Spending the summer in Williams Oregon is like taking a walk into a lull in time, a place connected to the land but nearly removed from the world. Buzzing on its own pollen, healthy when left to thrive, like so many things.

It's official. I am in love with plants. Dreams are coming true.


The Calypso orchid (Calypso bulbosa), also known as the fairy slipper or Venus's slipper, is a perennial member of the orchid family found in undisturbed northern and montane forests. The roots of this plant are used in traditional Native medicine.










This summer I am one of 15 interns living, learning, playing and working at the Herb Pharm in Williams, Oregon. This is a 10 week adventure which includes working on the Herb Pharm farm crew during the week harvesting herbs as well as many classes throughout the week on the subject of natural healing with medicinal plants, good nutrition, and conscious living. We are in week two and already I have learned a great deal about making medicine, harvesting and plant identification, nutrition and the body, good herbal first aid techniques and other fun things from fellow interns from all over the country. We work in the sun harvesting herbs and gardening, have classes, make medicine and enjoy this valley and it's surroundings. There Lots of good local markets with good organic foods and local music and folks. I love camping outside all summer, it feels so simple and easy to be able to just set up shop in the woods! I am learning lots and very excited to delve deeper in this realm of earth healing.


Check the farms website out if you are interested! http://herb-pharm.com/


                                                           My summer home :)

Some days you wake up in the desert with hot air ballons taking off in front of you

A week with Dad in Durango

I spent the past week and a half down in the southwest corner of Colorado, a place where water, mountain peaks, canyons and magic abounds... a town called Durango. Durango is Spanish for "place of abundant water" and it is also the place my Dad calls home. The Animus River runs through Durango and from town you can see the snowy peaks of the San Juans, the snowy peaks of the La Platas as well as the cliffs canyons that surround downtown. My darling girlfriend Holly and I drove down from Summit County to visit my poppa. The drive to Durango from Summit County is gorgeous. You are surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides and on a clear sunny Colorado day you can see the peaks in every mirror.

Holly and I take a pit stop!


Spending the week with Dad was great. We took it easy while he recovered from surgery and had nice mornings with coffee and conversations of adventures with the heat of the wood stove keeping it cozy. It was a rare occasion to spend time together and catch up on life without distractions like work or hiking mountains! My boyfriend came down later in the week and we took day trips to nearby canyons visiting new friends, sharing inspirations and coming across old friends in the most random places! We went to Chaco Canyon and ventured through Pueblo Bonita and the Petroglyph trail. We drove over Molas Pass to Silverton, Dane and Dad drooling over the mountains the whole way. "Pull over here!" was about all they said to me as they picked out ski routes and climbs on the snowy peaks. It was a great trip and so good to spend time with my father who is truly a special man. I am always amazed by his knowledge of the natural world and his child like awe and enthusiasm for it. It is so inspiring and fun to spend time with such a knowledgeable mountaineer. I am so proud of him for his accomplishments and for following his dream of living in the mountains that he loves.



Easter in Durango



The night before Easter Dad and I revisited the joys of playing with markers, eggs and food coloring!
Art in any form makes me happy and we had fun dying eggs; the themes of petroglyphs, mandalas,
mountains and spirals made for some very pretty eggs.








CHACO CANYON








































Road trip to Silverton

"The Naked Lady Couloir" was topic for great discussion and much excitement between Dane and my Dad. As Dane picked out ways to skin up it and ski down, Dad looked at climbing routes.








A winter view of Mt. Engineer, a peak Dad and I climbed a few years ago.


Dad and I coming down the pass into Silverton, an old mining town in a valley surrounded by peaks.