Oregon has some places that simply defy description and lift the heart to new heights.  The Tom McCall preserve in the Columbia Gorge is one of them.  It is owned by The Nature Conservancy and is one reason I feel they are so deserving of support.  I took this photo in May 2000 on a field trip they sponsored.  The yellow flowers are Northwest balsamroot, Balsamhoriza deltoidea.  Also visible in the photo are lupine and desert parsley, but they are too small to see clearly above.  It was a beautiful spring day and we had climbed a trail high above the preserve looking for a place to catch the sunset.  This was the spot.  It is very windy in the gorge, making it a popular location for windsurfing.  This day was no exception.  As the sun set the flowers were moving and made the photo difficult to take.  There were a few short lulls in the breeze and during one of them I got this shot.  A few minutes later the light was gone.