Fall Treasures

It's easy to want to crawl indoors when the rain starts, but that would definitely be a shame.  The fall in Portland is glorious.  Moss and ferns are lush and greener than they've been in months. The dazzling gold of big leaf maples startles the eye.  Orb weaver spiders have grown big and fat, females often bulging with eggs, and their webs are ever more conspicuous with raindrops.  Mushrooms in every color and shape sprout like magic. We visited friends who have lovely wooded property and set out to find treasures in the rain.

Redback salamander.

A great blue heron visited their creek for several days.  After it left, the crawdads were scarce.

Turkey tail fungus.

Ensatina.

Giant Pacific salamander.