I awaken on the shores of a High Desert playa
Dust devils on the distant shoreline dance across the flats
Dry soil at my feet cracks and crumbles
The funnel of a dust devil hovers over me and carries me a few miles away
I drift over a lake of summer and a ridge of winter
Water meanders its way through marshlands of green
I hear a rolling call, soft and bugling
A Sandhill Crane wades through the marsh, searching for sustenance
The dust devil pulls me into the skies again
I hover over alkali flats, stark and pale
I watch a bird perched on a fence post, waiting
The Turkey Vulture scans the landscape for lost souls
A sudden gust of wind pushes me to the west
I spin above a rustic barn, full of history
The leaves of a willow tree rustle in the wind
A golden-eyed Great Horned Owl imparts its wisdom to me
The dust devil pulls me skyward
It carries me back to the place where its companions await
Along the shores of a High Desert playa
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Habitat
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge (SSPC) – Landscapes
Bend Branches always appreciates your comments and likes. Comments may not appear right away since they’re screened for spam prior to posting. Thanks!
An apple in flight at Balloons Over Bend in 2025 Wordless Wednesday Bend Branches always…
Here’s the High Desert Voices July 2026 newsletter for your reading pleasure. Lots of nice photos…
A few weeks ago, we drove about an hour east of our home in Bend…
Dawn's early light over Winter Ridge, Oregon Skywatch Friday Bend Branches always appreciates your comments…
Beneath the waves at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon Wordless Wednesday Bend Branches always…
This beautiful "Let it Be" mural is at Worthy Brewing in Bend, Oregon. Native columbines…
View Comments
✧❖◈❋✤♡ 𝒃 𝒆 𝒂 𝒖 𝒕 𝒊 𝒇 𝒖 𝒍 ♡✤❋◈❖✧
Thank you so much, Graham! :D
💫🙇♂️😌🙏✨
Fantastic landscapes and habitats. The sandhill crane and the rustic barn are my favorites.
Thanks! I love Sandhill Cranes and I have many pictures of that barn.
Glorious images Siobhan, what a wonderful way to experience this amazing landscape! 💛
Thanks! It was great to see it from above with my new drone. :)
This is so beautiful. I feel exhilaration as you take me with you. Oh, to be a dust devil!
Thank you! I had a big one land on top of me there and it inspired this story.
Mesmerizing wonders
Thanks, Hammad!
An amazing post this week Siobhan, loved both the poetry and the photography. A perfect response for both challenges. Enjoy your new toy! I wondered how you got that image.
Thank you, Tina! I was waiting for appropriate prompts for those pictures. Yes, I'm having fun with my drone. :D
Lovely rhythm, spacious and calming
Thanks! It's a peaceful spot, even with all those dust devils.
Wow! What a fantastic post! I loved the habitat variety in your beautiful images, Soybhan.
Thanks, Egidio! Yes, there's are several types of habitat in that area. Lots of wildlife around there too!
Great photos this place looks amazing!
Thanks, Lisa! It's a special place.
Beautiful! And quite the journey!
Thank you, John! Yeah, it was a fun trip.