A cold, rainy day in mid-December. Seemed like a good time to do the 4.2-mile loop hike in the Tualatin Hills Nature Park a few miles west of home in the heart of the city of Beaverton. The 222-acre Park surrounds the confluence of Cedar Mill Creek and Beaverton Creek.
It is a remarkably diverse wildlife preserve with wetlands, forests, ponds and streams. The trails’ names tell the story – – – Oak, Creek, Old Wagon, Vine Maple, Big Fir, Cougar, Chickadee, Cedar Grove, Ash, Serviceberry, Big Pond, Trillium Loop and Ponderosa Loop.
To steal a line from Tom Cruise (can he really be cast as Jack Reacher?), it was not a target-rich environment for a photographer. The incessant rain kept most of the birds and animals under cover.
Outside of a few mallards and one shy squirrel, I had almost no company on my hike. Nevertheless, it’s always a pleasant place to visit.

Looking up at a Gray Squirrel in a tree

Bon Jovi was here?

Blackberry leaves with their bright autumn colors

Small pond dappled by rain drops

Mushrooms

Wooden bridge over one of the creeks
All of your photographs are very good. I didn’t want to “like” all of them that would just appear creepy. Great work.
Thanks for all the kind words. The Pacific Northwest is a grand place for taking wilderness photos.