A winter aspen silhouette with a dramatic sunrise in the background photographed in Bend, Oregon. Spring is making an early appearance here in the High Desert and trees may be starting to leaf out soon. Yesterday it was 73 degrees F here! Our high temperatures are usually in the mid-30s to 40s at this time … Continue reading Winter aspen silhouette at sunrise: TTL & SF
Skywatch Friday
A sliver of hopeglimmers on the horizonA dark bud opensdelicate petals unfurlHope blossoms, filling the sky Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Inspiration
Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Silent Sunday
Winter Sunrise Cool snowy blanketsBoldly contrasting branchesFrame an immense skyBlinking awake in deep blueBlushing in flashes of fire
Do you need to weed? It’s not something we want to do, but it’s something we have to do. Some weeds are pretty, but spread aggressively. I call this one the “Root of all Evil” because it can be hard to pull and develops seed heads almost as soon as it pops out of the … Continue reading Need to weed? Tools & tips: FF
The path in front of you may be dark and foreboding At times, it will zig and zag, causing you to lose hope Keep your eyes and mind open, looking for an ephemeral glimmer of light
Peering through my pocket lensVivid reflections shinewhere the river bends The colors soar high into the bluepausing in raincloudsfalling as dew Droplets of pigment splatter parched plantscling to pale petalsinterweave and dance Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) # 233 – A one lens walk Weekly Prompts Writing Challenge (WPWC) – Bend
Find treasures on walks When out and about taking pictures, you never know when you might find special surprises. This delightful dragon sculpture was at The Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon. It brought a little cheer into a cloudy day. Though not as much is in bloom at this time of year, I was happy … Continue reading Find special surprises: LAPC & TTC
Morning clouds over Bend, Oregon last Fall in a dramatic High Desert sunrise. Skywatch Friday
I’ve noticed odd plants, animals, and natural features recently and wondered if they were real or surreal. I had an odd feeling when my flight flew over Mt Rainier a few weeks ago. Just as we passed over its peak, this strange creature emerged from its depths. Yikes! I was glad I was able to … Continue reading Real or surreal? Strange sights seen LAPC & RDP
I saunter along distant trails, not knowing what wonders nature will share with me. Will falling water sing between rocky cliffs? Will earth show its origins in the soil? Will wind turn wheels of history over parched plains? And when I return home from distant trails, will fireworks light the skies? Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) … Continue reading On distant trails: LAPC, WWP, & SS
It’s time to share special photos from the past year. Please enjoy this selection of nature, history, and art photos from Bend Branches. Best Nature Pictures The first photo shows a scene at the Portland Japanese Garden. We visited in October, when fall colors were at their peak. This picture shows a pronghorn buck at … Continue reading Some of my best photos from 2021: LAPC, SS
Dusk and dawn desert sky,Clouds move on, catch my eye Weekend Sky (WS) #50 Saturday Mix (SM) – Lucky Dip – Essence Poem
Sometimes you experience memorable moments by following fall close to home. I’ve made a special effort to capture glimpses of the season in photographs this year near my home in Bend. Fall is my favorite season! Autumn weather brings cloudy skies and spectacular sunrises that take your breath away. Trees don their finest fashions and … Continue reading Following fall close to home: LAPC
Wordless Wednesday
Photo editing is all about seeing things differently. I had fun with my Corel PaintShop Pro editing program in this post. Making colors shine I was impressed by the rainbow of colors at our local Farmer’s Market. This photo looked like it would be a good candidate for the kaleidoscope special effect and I was … Continue reading Seeing things differently with photo edits: LAPC
This morning I was out taking pictures of the sunrise and noticed this baby bird among the berries. It was lucky to have landed in a place covered with a cushioning layer of western juniper leaves. I looked up in the tree overhead and spotted the nest. An adult American robin perched nearby, completely motionless. … Continue reading Baby bird among the berries: Macro Monday
Here’s a colorful corner filled with blooming summer flowers. This planting includes: hollyhocks, foxglove, blanket flowers, ‘orange blaze’ red hot poker, black-eyed Susan, pansies, and more. I’m looking forward to seeing them again in a few months. See more photos of flowers in bloom at Flower Border at Old Mill and A peninsula of flowers. … Continue reading A colorful corner in Bend: Friday Flowers
Wordless Wednesday
The sun was rising and it was snowing lightly when I walked by this Canada goose sculpture in Bend, Oregon. Here’s what it looks like with a bit more snow. This life-size bronze sculpture is by artist Peter Helzer. “River Geese” is part of the Art in Public Places initiative in Bend. There are plenty … Continue reading Canada goose sculpture at dawn: Sculpture Saturday
In the morning lightFireworks light up the fall skyAmazement above When the day breaks brightWe find our comfortable placeBasking in its warmth
In my sanctuarySpring arrives with a symphonyBirdsongs and blooms Summer arrives with a sizzleGlowing and grand
Day breaksAnd cloudsWait to reflectNature’s glow Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Morning Sunday Stills – Mother Nature
Someday in the future I’ll live on a street full of possibilities Someday I’ll live where birds are the color of the sky And flowers are the color of the sun
Watching & waiting for clouds Turning the sky into a color collecting kaleidoscope Expressing their thoughts with fiery punctuation
Wordless Wednesday
I can be jubilant one moment and pensive the next, and a cloud could go by and make that happen. Bob Dylan Here are few clouds in my sky from the last year’s worth of Lens-Artists Photo Challenges. These pictures were taken in Eastern and Central Oregon, my favorite country. Enjoy their many moods.
The sky takes on shades of orange during sunrise and sunset, the colour that gives you hope that the sun will set only to rise again. Ram Charan We have many beautiful sunrises and sunsets here in Bend, Oregon. Sometimes the unique colors and forms of the clouds are totally unexpected and they’ll take your … Continue reading Unusual Clouds Above Bend : LAPC
These images show branches in a new light… Reclining and resting in a sea of green Coated with a covering of snow Framing a fiery sunrise Burdened with a bounty of fruit Shrouded by the smoke of a prescribed burn Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Magical Light
In my backyard, an old western juniper tree serves as my muse. Hope you enjoy these pictures that show the many moods of my muse through the seasons. The moods in the sunsets range from a quiet blush to a loud show of anger. My cover image shows a rainbow of emotions surrounding the tree. … Continue reading Many moods of my muse: WPC
The Weekly Photo Challenge this week is Tour Guide. This will be easy! Enjoy some pictures of beautiful sights in and around Bend, Oregon. Can you see why I love living here?
Silent Sleeper You may have heard this bird flying overhead making a “peent” call. The common nighthawk is most active in the hours around sunrise and sunset. Due to their cryptic coloration and silent behavior during the day when they roost, they can be difficult to spot. Weekly Photo Challenge – Silence
The Weekly Photo Challenge this week is Favorite. I could not select just one picture so here are a few of my favorites from the past year. Enjoy! This one is from my most liked post of the year – Utah National Parks: Trees & Rocks. There are lots of photogenic landscapes in Utah and … Continue reading Favorite Pictures 2017
This morning I saw a colorful and glowing sunrise over the High Desert of Central Oregon. What a wonderful way to start an October day! Weekly Photo Challenge – Glow
We traveled half an hour from our house to see the eclipse in the Path of Totality. Success! Here’s some pictures I took right before the moon covers the sun. My partial pictures are not quite as good because I was trying to figure out the best place for the filter. We viewed the eclipse … Continue reading Solar Eclipse Success!