Please Participate by Jeppe Hein 2015 at Portland Art Museum, Oregon
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When I visited the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon last week, I saw several Lunar New Year decorations. They were prepping the garden for celebrations on February 17, the day the 2026 lunar new year begins.
This impressive dragon was inside one of the buildings hovering over a table and desk.
I zoomed in to get a better view. The colors and textures were gorgeous.
Outside, a jumping fish floated over the pond.
Here is a closer view of it surfacing near an arch, lotus blossom, and smaller fish.
In another part of the pond, a dragon curls around mountains in the clouds. All of these Lunar New Year decorations showed a lot of expression.
Speaking of expression, I’m also sharing a sculpture of a horse at the nearby Portland Art Museum. I thought it was appropriate since it’s the year of the horse. Recent “Horse” years include 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, and 2026.
The chinesenewyear.net website describes those born in the year of the horse as follows:
Horses are lively, charming, and adventurous. In the zodiac, they thrive in lively settings and are often seen as natural leaders and motivators.
This Prancing Horse sculpture, by an unidentified artist, is made of gray earthenware with traces of calcified green lead glaze. The sculpture is from China, Sichuan province. It is likely from Chengdu, Tianhuishan and created in the 2nd century CE.
I really liked the face on this sculpture. Is it grimacing or grinning? Hmm…
For more info and photos about Lan Su Chinese Garden, see my previous post.
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – Celebrations!
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I draw in a breath in a moment of astonishment
when viewing artwork, delicate yet strong
And when seeing string sculptures scattered around a winter garden
I gasp with excitement
when two fine drakes line up perfectly for my lens
And when viewing a peaceful place in the center of a bustling city
I draw in a breath in a moment of astonishment
when tasting a marvelous blend of spicey and smooth, cilantro and coconut
And when seeing architectural wonders paying homage to trees
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – What Astonishes You?
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On a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, I saw this abstract in an elevator. The patterns were created by reflections of lights on the stainless steel walls. At first, I was going to show this picture in black and white, but the different colored lights made it more interesting. This week, I decided to use photography effects that show the designs in even more abstract ways.
I used Corel PaintShopPro 2021 for different photo processing effects on this picture of the elevator. In the original image I increased the contrast and cropped the edges. Use the slider to view each effect compared to the original.
In the first photo, I used a distortion effect. I went to Effects>Distortion Effects>Polar Coordinates and chose the Rectangular to Polar effect with a black background. With this effect, the program “maps pixels from Cartesian to polar coordinates.” Some describe this technique as creating ‘little planets’ from the original photo. With the black background, I thought this image looked like a distant galaxy, with a twist.
In the next photo, I also used a distortion effect. I went to Effects>Distortion Effects>Twirl and used the Right 180 setting. This effect distorts the image by twirling it around its center. I like the swooping action created by this effect. All the straight lines disappeared.
In the last abstract in an elevator photo, I used a reflection effect. I went to Effects>Reflection Effects>Kaleidoscope and used the Default setting with a reflected edge. This effect turns a pie-shaped area of the image into a circular pattern. I like how this effect turns pictures of ordinary objects into something extraordinary.
This freight elevator was in the Portland Art Museum in Oregon. Even a functional item like an elevator was beautiful.
One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge February 2026
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Today, I’m sharing images I created of 3 fish 3 ways. When I took an ichthyology class at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, we visited the aquarium in Vancouver, B.C. Our assignment was to sketch some of the fish we saw and write down notes related to their life history. What a fun assignment! 😀
My first picture shows a pencil sketch of three fish. I drew a Longnose Butterflyfish, Forcipiger longirostris, a Swallow-tailed Angelfish, Genicanthus melanospilos, and a Smoothed Unicorn Tang, Naso lituratus. These three have great common names.
I traced a copy of the pencil drawing and outlined each fish with an ink brush pen.
In the last of my 3 fish 3 ways pictures, I quickly filled in the ink outlines with watercolor pens. The coloring of these fish varies widely.
Note to self… use a good quality watercolor paper next time. Since I used cheap printer paper, the paint dried fast and I couldn’t blend it.
Here’s the watercolor pen set I used. I found it at one of the gift stores in downtown Bend. I like having them organized in a handy case.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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Designs in… nature
may be spikey and sharp
curve around contours
or fracture along fault lines
Designs in… the human-made world
may symbolize city skylines
carved details of the cosmos
or footpaths leading us forward
Lens-Artist Photography Challenge – Looking back to 174 – Shapes and design
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Joe Feddersen baskets at the High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon
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A new year has begun, so it’s time to post my 2025 photo bloopers. This is where I share pictures from the past year that didn’t quite fit into any category, were blurry, or had poor composition. I try to add a little humor to them with captions and comments. Hope they entertain you!
What happens when the photographer hasn’t had her morning coffee yet.
“Hamburger? What hamburger?”
The eyes have it!
Mole two ways
“Don’t let them get you down, Herb. You just gotta stick with it.”
The picture I shared and the rest of the story showing what was in the foreground. Use the slider to view each image.
My dog took a selfie. Pretty good, right?
“It was a dark and gloomy night… “
Hope you enjoyed my 2025 photo bloopers. See more of my funny photos on my photo bloopers tag.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Rejected
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without color
contrasting strands of baskets play a major role
and lesser-known vessels of silver shine
in black and white
a bowl of miso soup reveals a cryptic message
and two tacos grin with a knowing smile
without color
chairs stoically bear the burden of a spring snow
and rejoice under a refreshing downpour of rain
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Minimalism in black and white photography
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These two well-loved camels are at Volunteer Park in Seattle. Numerous children have climbed onto these large sculptures. Though they may not remember what was inside the museum, they likely have fond memories of their time spent sitting atop these large sculptures. The two camel sculptures flank the doors of the Seattle Asian Art Museum, formerly the Seattle Art Museum (SAM).
Of the nearly 24,000 objects in SAM’s collection, two sculptures have probably had the broadest impact on visitors’ experience of the museum since it opened in 1933.
The original marble camels were created in the late 14th-mid 17th century in China. Due to conservation concerns, in 1991 the originals were moved inside SAM. Today, the well-loved camels outside the Seattle Asian Art Museum are replicas.
Here is a 1933 picture of the Art Deco-style building that shows two camel and two ram sculptures in front of the museum.
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Today, I’m sharing some of my 2025 favorite photos I posted on my blog. I’ve divided them into four categories: Countryside, Cuisine, Critters, and Cultural Attractions. Enjoy!
I’ll begin with a picture of a sunset I took with my drone from my backyard in Bend, Oregon. Stunning, right?
The next picture, also taken with my drone, is on the east side of Steens Mountain, Oregon.
This picture shows Burney Falls in action in California.
The next is of the Red Canyon Overlook in Wyoming. I loved the layers of earth and sky.
This picture shows the aptly named Reflection Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California.
Though I have featured food photos from many locations in past favorite posts, this year all of them happen to be in Bend, Oregon.
This picture shows one the many dishes served during the Foodie Crawl in Bend. It was a Crispy Chicken Bite & Biscuit paired with a mojito at The Drake.
I love salads. This is the house salad served at Oblivion Pour House.
This photo shows the Original Bowl at Café Yumm! There is rice hiding underneath all the veggies. Delicious!
One of the main dishes I sampled during a recent visit to Yokocho Izakaya. This is the don teriyaki.
A yummy brownie with ice cream beautifully presented at The Blacksmith.
Here’s a pronghorn from behind in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
This is a photo of my very comfortable cat resting on my lap.
This photo shows a tiger in a blur of motion at Fota Wildlife Park near Carrigtwohill, County Cork, Ireland.
The side-blotched lizard was soaking up the sun in Arches National Park, Utah.
I got a nice close up of this Cattleya orchid in Volunteer Park Conservatory, Washington.
One of my favorite cultural attractions I saw this year was the Exquisite Creatures Revealed exhibition at OMSI in Portland, Oregon. Be sure to check out the other pictures I took of this unique exhibit.
This polo player sculpture is at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Washington. I liked the horse’s expression in this small sculpture.
This photo shows a variety of sea anemones at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington.
This whimsical VW van firepit was featured at Winterfest in Bend, Oregon.
I decided to show this portable cattle squeeze in black and white. This dramatic photo was taken in Crane, Oregon, near the hot springs.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Favorite Images of 2025
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Today I’m sharing a deer drawing and video. I used black and gray pens to create this drawing of a mule deer buck.
I see mule deer regularly near my High Desert home. They often trigger our security cameras. I’m sharing a couple of videos of a healthy buck checking out our cameras in the middle of the night.
A week ago, while out walking in the Old Mill District of Bend, I had a close encounter with a deer. A doe charged at me, stopping within three feet of me. There were two fawns and a young buck nearby. The trails were icy so no one else was out there walking. There weren’t any trees nearby to hide behind, so I stood my ground, waved my arms, and yelled at her to go away. She listened to me eventually and left.
Protective doe and her fawn
Earlier this year, we had a fawn “trapped” on our fenced property. Though he was big enough to jump our 4-foot tall wire fence, he didn’t have the confidence to try it. His mother was very protective of him and charged at us and our dogs several times. After ten days of putting up with that behavior, I chased the reluctant fawn out of our yard by running towards him with a walking stick. He jumped the fence easily.
Deer may look tame, but they are wild creatures who will not hesitate to protect their young. My advice is to admire them from a safe distance. 🙂
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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This outdoor art by OMSI is on Southeast Water Avenue in Portland, Oregon. The mural is right across the street from the main entrance of OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
I believe the mural artist is Mario De Leon. The mural appears to include elements of Egyptian art, Aztec symbolism, and Black history.
The bird sculpture, Migrations, was created in a collaborative process by several people. These include: artist Olivia Guethling, Engineer Trevor Blackann, GuildWorks Founder & Principal Mar Ricketts, and many others. To read more about the creation of this piece, see Migrations: A Long Way From Home.
There are lots of amazing things to see inside the museum, but this outdoor art by OMSI was an unexpected treasure.
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Yokocho Izakaya restaurant serves what it calls “Japanese & Asian comfort food.” It opened earlier this year in northeast Bend, Oregon. The restaurant was created by Kwanchanok Singhakahm (Chef Kwan) and Phanpat Namsr (Chef Nong), both originally from Thailand. A recent article notes that they enjoy serving Tokyo street food-style dishes here because it’s their “passion”, not to make money.
The interior is a work of art. Colorful posters, lanterns, and flags fill the space. Repurposed milk crates serve as seats at some of the tables.
In fact, I thought the interior was so interesting, I used a picture of it in the One to Three Photo Processing Challenge. In that challenge, participants show a single picture processed three ways.
Lines of customers waiting to get in can get long here. Near the entrance, there’s a yellow wall-mounted Pac-Man arcade game to pass the time.
There’s a small outdoor seating area by the front door.
Their menu includes skewers, salads, small plates, noodle dishes, rice dishes, and several sides. There are a few dessert choices as well. Yokocho Izakaya restaurant has a large selection of sake, served hot or cold. Drinks include cocktails and mocktails with interesting names as well as beer, wine, tea, soft drinks, and Thai tea.
On my first visit, I had a bento box and the house sake. As you can see, it doesn’t look like a traditional bento box. This one included miso soup, seaweed salad, gyoza dumplings, karaage fried chicken with lemon aioli, and a yaki onigri (grilled Japanese rice ball glazed with sweet sauce). I especially liked the gyoza and chicken. Though I’m no expert on sake, I really liked the flavor of the sake I ordered.
On my next visit, I ordered several dishes. My first picture shows sides of Edamame and Agedashi Tofu. The steamed edamame beans were nice and salty on the outside and moist inside. The deep-fried tofu had a crunchy thin layer on the outside and silky and soft inside. The tofu is served with a dashi sauce and a topping of scallions and bonito flakes. Both were very good.
My next picture shows a serving of Okonomiyaki. This seafood pancake is covered with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. The garnish includes bonito flakes and seaweed. I thought it was good, but craved a stronger seafood taste.
The next photo is of the Teriyaki Don main dish. The grilled chicken is served with teriyaki sauce , and veggies, garnished with scallions and sesame seeds. The chicken was moist and tender and I really liked the flavor of the sauce. I preferred this chicken in this dish over the karaage chicken I had on my previous visit.
My dining companion ordered the Karaage Curry main dish. The chicken is deep-fried and served with a Japanese curry sauce. The sauce was tasty and the dish was beautifully presented.
I’m including two photos of the menu.
Yokocho Izakaya is open six days a week from 12:00 to 3:00 pm and 5:00 to 9:00 pm. It is closed on Wednesdays. This restaurant is located off the beaten path at 1900 NE Division St., Suite 110 in Bend, Oregon.
I’ve liked Yokocho Izakaya so far. However, several people noted how uncomfortable the milk crate seats at some of the tables are in their comments. Perhaps they can address this issue in a creative way.
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Here’s the High Desert Voices December 2025 newsletter for your reading pleasure. Lots of nice photos as well! This newsletter is published by and for volunteers at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. I’ve been working there as a volunteer since 2013.
Articles this month include one about the Soil Alive! exhibition, one on the Joe Fedderson: Earth, Water, Sky exhibition, one on the Winter Nights! event, and one on wildfire smoke. A calendar of upcoming events and exhibitions is on the last page.
Please enjoy the High Desert Voices December 2025 issue!
To view previous issues, visit my HDV newsletter tag.
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Early 1900s Woman’s Leggings at the High Desert Museum, Oregon
Wordless Wednesday (WW)
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On my blog site, I have organized my pictures that are waiting for a prompt. These include regular prompts I use, like Wordless Wednesday and Monochrome Monday. There are also folders where I store things like plant, animal, waterfall, and old building photos. Today I’m sharing some of these pictures.
Landscapes can be full of color,
or dark and brooding.
A wild creature close by can shine in a neutral background,
while one farther away can still show a powerful presence.
Artwork can be lighter than air,
or anchored to a concrete wall.
Some photos waiting for a prompt don’t seem to fit into any category. Though I can control the vertical and horizontal, what is the best way to present them?
When you look at them from one angle, they may hold beautiful flower arrangements.
When you look at them from another, they may be the perfect serving dish for chips and dip.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Last chance
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The Charmed (Bestiary) sculpture is part of an exhibition featuring works by Joe Feddersen (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation). The Joe Feddersen: Earth, Water, Sky exhibit at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, features nearly 100 multimedia pieces of his art. It runs through January 18, 2025.
This fused glass and filament piece is part petroglyph wall, part wind chime, and part charm bracelet. The glass charms shift with the slightest breeze, reflecting the constant changes in nature.
The delicate clear glass pieces of Charmed (Bestiary) are beautiful on their own, but the shadows they cast take this piece to another level. Can you find the person walking, birds flying, coyotes, and bicycle charms?
Monochrome Madness – The space between
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Today I’m featuring a tiger mug. I originally drew this piece with pen and ink. Later, I added color with acrylic paints. It was printed onto ceramic mugs by a professional printing business.
I drew this when I was running for a School Board Director position many years ago. Our mascot at the high school was a tiger and I put this image on my campaign literature. It must have worked because I won over a longtime incumbent. 😀
Since I like to print artwork on things people can actually use, I had a big batch of tiger mugs printed. I also printed some onto canvas grocery bags.
I’m including a photograph I took of a Sumatran tiger. Though tigers are known to sleep 16 to 20 hours a day, I caught this one at a wildlife park in a blur of motion.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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When I visited a newer restaurant in Bend recently, it was a feast for the eyes. In this post, I experimented with photo effects at Yokocho Izakaya. This restaurant serves Japanese and Asian comfort foods. I’ll be posting a review after I visit it again in the near future.
I used Corel PaintShopPro 2021 for different photo processing effects on this picture of the restaurant. In the original image I increased the contrast and fill light and cropped the edges. Use the slider to view each effect compared to the original.
The first picture of the restaurant shows a Hue effect. For this image processing I went to Adjust>Hue and saturation>Hue map>Neon glow setting. My Yokocho Izakaya photo already had a lot of color. This effect intensifies all the colors.
The second picture of the restaurant shows an Artistic effect. For this image processing I went to Effects>Artistic Effects>Contours>Default setting. The colors are muted with this effect and contour lines are incorporated into many of the shapes. Note the customer at the bar nearly disappears with this effect.
The last picture of the restaurant shows a Time Machine effect. For this image processing I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Time Machine>Albumen setting. I tried several monotone processing effects, but I liked this one best. This effect highlights the many shapes and textures in the restaurant.
With so much to see at this restaurant, it was a challenge to decide which photo effects at Yokocho Izakaya to feature. The food is artfully presented as well.
One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge
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Birds on the move, flapping wings of bronze
Or paddling alone in cool, calm waters
Flocks in the city, fluttering and chattering together
Or pairs peacefully standing beside secluded shorelines
Raptors on the ground, squatting in subdued shades of gray
Or songbirds resting, clad in brilliant shades of the sky
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC)- Wings
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This Salmon mural is at the Seattle Aquarium in Washington State. This piece is called Ocean Travelers.
The salmon mural was created by artists Ray Troll and Owen Oliver. Ray was friends with Coast Salish artist, Marvin E. Oliver. They had discussed creating a collaborative piece for many years. Though Marvin passed away in 2019, his son, Owen, helped fulfill that dream.
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Moments of mystery may loom large in front of you
Sasquatch sculpture at Sensing Sasquatch exhibition, High Desert Museum (2024)
Or hide within the shadows
Reflections in fish tank in By Hand Through Memory, High Desert Museum
Mysterious sights may make you question reality
Small stick supporting large boulder, Lassen Volcanic National Park
Or wonder which path to choose
Subway Cave, Lassen National Forest
Moments of mystery may reveal followers you didn’t know you had
Northern River Otters in Deschutes River in Bend
And secret conversations between similar species
Trumpeter Swan and Mallard, Sunriver Nature Center
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Finding the Mysterious
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Café Yumm! is one of those restaurants where I always order the same thing. I LOVE their Original Yumm! Bowl. The one word I would use to describe it is “fresh.”
The Original Bowl includes Organic brown rice (or Thai jasmine rice), Organic black beans, Original Yumm! Sauce, and a spoonful of mild red salsa. The bowls are topped with shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, sliced black olives, a spoonful of sour cream, and a pinch of fresh cilantro leaves. I don’t usually add anything else to mine, but you can add chicken, tofu, nori, pepitas, slivered almonds, and Café Yumm! Crispy Noodles. You may choose to create a custom bowl.
Café Yumm’s! menu includes bowls, bentos, quesadillas, salads, soups, skewers, cookies, and drinks. If you like their sauces, dressings, and salsas, you can also purchase those in their restaurants.
There are two Café Yumms! in Bend, one in the Old Mill district on the westside, and one near the hospital on the eastside. They are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Café Yumm! has restaurants in parts of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington State.
Foodie Friday
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Polo player sculpture, 7th-8th century. Earthenware with traces of white slip and paint. China, Tang dynasty (618-907). Seattle Asian Art Museum.
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Fall seating near the Flag Bridge in the Old Mill District of Bend, Oregon
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These quirky sculptures are at Lassen RV Park Campground in McArthur, California. Their website describes the artwork as follows:
More than just a hub for relaxation and recreation, we’ve transformed our campground into a living canvas that celebrates the intertwining of art and the natural world.
The first collection shows painted wood creatures.
The second collection shows various mushroom sculptures.
There were also sculptures featuring recycled items.
To see photos of even more of their quirky sculptures and outdoor art, see this gallery.
Lassen RV Park Campground
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I am calling this post “Before Edmonds Part 2.” I previously posted about another mural located in this same alleyway in downtown Edmonds, Washington.
These murals include amazing details, and they took 18 months to paint. The murals feature depictions of Indigenous people who lived here long before the city of Edmonds was created. For more details on these murals, read this article.
Monday Mural
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The Juniper Cookhouse, in Burns, Oregon, is well-known for its barbecued food. The first picture shows a Large Plate with chicken. It includes 8 ounces of meat, two sides, a dinner roll, and a side salad. The chicken has a subtle smoky taste and the baked beans and coleslaw were both delicious. The dinner roll had a light texture and a great taste. Sugared walnuts in the salad added a nice touch of sweetness.
I took the picture above while participating in the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival in 2023. This dish is still on their menu. There was enough food to last for a couple dinners.
I’ve had barbecue there several times, but had never had the breakfast. On our most recent trip, we ordered a couple breakfast meals. The first meal included your choice of ham, sausage, or bacon and hashbrowns with two eggs. The scrambled eggs had great flavor, enhanced with a grating of cheese. Shoestring hashbrowns were perfectly cooked. The thin-sliced ham had a great smoky flavor. The biscuit was light and fluffy and delicious.
The next picture shows biscuits, hashbrowns, and gravy topped with sausage and two eggs. Once again, everything was well-prepared and delicious.
We ordered a cinnamon roll to go. Do you ever order cinnamon rolls that are so sweet you can barely eat them? You may even resort to scraping off thick layers of frosting. Sometimes, the inside dough is not cooked all the way through. That was not the case with the Juniper Cookhouse cinnamon roll we ordered. It was cooked throughout and had just the right amount of frosting. The texture of the roll was light and not too dry. Yum!
We also ordered meat by the pound to go. I had read several reviews that mentioned their tri-tip beef and ordered a pound. The thin-sliced smoked meat had great flavor! We also ordered a pound of the chicken. It came in large pieces, like in my first picture. When I got home, I shredded the meat and made a sandwich with some of their homemade barbecue sauce. It was pretty good.
Juniper Cookhouse is at 540 Highway 20 in Burns, Oregon. For many years, it was in a small building next to a large tent with seating. Now their brick and mortar location is right next to the Best Western. They serve breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, wraps, salads, baked goods, and several sides. This family run business processes their own meats and creates wonderful baked goods. Juniper Cookhouse also offers catering services.
If you are considering stopping at Juniper Cookhouse, check their limited hours of operation. They are open on Tuesdays through Fridays from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. On the day we were there, we learned they were closed the day before because the women had traveled to California to fight wildfires.
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Last week, we visited Oblivion Pour House in Bend, Oregon. I ordered the Smoked Baby Back Ribs. It included a half-rack of in-house smoked ribs, smashed potatoes with a cheesy sauce, and grilled broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and squash. I ate part of the large portion of food and took the rest home for two more meals. The ribs were tasty but weren’t the fall-off-the-bone type. The veggies were all good, especially the potatoes.
This entree includes a Caesar or house salad. I chose the house salad with a honey mustard dressing and it was delicious!
My dining companion ordered the Jambalaya Mac. Oblivion Pour House serves 11 kinds of mac and cheese. This dish includes sauteed chicken, Gulf shrimp, andouille, bacon, garlic, and tomato. The house-made 6-cheese cream reduction poblano-infused sauce covers the elbow macaroni. Green onions garnish this delicious dish. A heel of bread is served on the side.
We shared a piece of Key Lime pie for dessert. It was also good.
Their extensive menu includes salads, mac and cheese, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, tacos, and several entrees. Their drinks include Oblivion Brewing beer on tap, as well as several nonalcoholic drink options.
Previously known as the Pour House Grill, this restaurant underwent renovations and added ‘Oblivion’ to its name. Oblivion Brewing is one of many microbrews in Bend and they moved their tasting room to this location. The comfortable interior has several big-screen TVs playing various sports.
Oblivion Pour House is in the outlet mall at the south end of Bend. The address is 61276 S Hwy 97, Bend, OR 97702. They are open from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Friday, from 9:30 am to 10:00 pm on Saturdays, and from 9:30 am to 9:00 pm on Sundays.
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Yearning to visit places that warmed the body and soul
Wishing to smell the scent of purple, blown by the breeze
Pining for the sound of bugling calls, heralding the arrival of spring
Craving the taste of a special summer treat
Longing to catch glimpses of beloved companions from the past
A picture helps us remember when we are yearning to feel, smell, hear, taste, and see our memories.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Longing
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Here’s the High Desert Voices September 2025 newsletter for your reading pleasure. Lots of nice photos as well! This newsletter is published by and for volunteers at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. I’ve been working there as a volunteer since 2013.
Articles this month include one about the Welcome the Night evening event, one on the Forest at Night exhibition, and one on hiking the Soda Creek Trail, west of Bend. A calendar of upcoming events and exhibitions is on the last page.
Please enjoy the High Desert Voices September 2025 issue!
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in a quiet space
dark shadows dance and light sings
on a summer morn
Anila Quayyum Agha: Geometry of Light exhibition at Seattle Asian Art Museum.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Quiet moment
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Here are a few pronghorn sketches I did while working on one of my books. I was going to include a pronghorn doe as a character, but decided to remove her from the manuscript. I already had a lot of animal characters. Don’t worry, she’ll show up in a future book or story.
I’m also including a photo of two pronghorn does in Yellowstone National Park. They are such graceful creatures.
If you want to learn more about pronghorns, check out one of my previous posts.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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I recently had this delicious tuna fish sandwich from the Bread and Bunny food truck in Bend, Oregon. This food truck is located in the Midtown Yacht Club pod in northeast Bend. No, you won’t see any yachts here since it’s in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The taphouse has a maritime theme and a good variety of beer and other beverages.
Why am I only showing half of the sandwich? Because it was a gigantic sandwich that I could barely get my mouth around. I saved half for another meal.
A large portion of tuna salad is wedged between slices of multigrain bread from the Sisters Bakery. Leaf lettuce from Boundless Farmstead is included seasonally. Slices of Tillamook Jack and Colby Jack cheese are also included. The thing that make the Farmhouse Tuna sandwich a little different from a traditional tuna sandwich, is that it includes coarsely grated carrots and sliced Granny Smith apples.
On the day I ordered, I also got a couple slices of fresh pineapple. I think chips are usually included.
If you’re in the mood for a delicious tuna fish sandwich, visit the Bread and Bunny at the Midtown Yacht Club. I admit, I always order the same sandwich at the Bread and Bunny. Their menu also includes Reubens, BLTAs, melts, steak, chicken, and a variety of gourmet meat sandwiches.
The Midtown Yacht Club food truck pod is located at 1661 NE 4th Street in Bend. It’s open from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on Sunday from Thursday and from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. There are currently seven food trucks there.
Three Things Challenge (TTC) – Large, gigantic
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Here are two photos of a Seattle waterfront mural that I took last May. The mural Three Animals was painted in 2024 by Victor Ash. It adorns a wall right next to light rail line.
The murals were painted in celebration of World Environment Day in a partnership with UNEP, United Nations.
In the first image, you can see iconic landmarks in the background. Close to the mural, you can spot the Seattle Great Wheel Ferris wheel. In the background, you’ll see Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park sports stadiums.
In the second photo, you get a great view of the Norwegian Bliss, a cruise ship that is part of Norwegian Cruise Lines.
I like the close up perspective of the animal’s heads in this Seattle waterfront mural. They must look amazing from the light rail!
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I took these two pictures of Bar Rio in B & W during a recent visit. This restaurant is in downtown Bend, Oregon.
When I saw all the lines in the interior decorating, I immediately thought pictures of it would look good in black and white.
While the decor was interesting, the food was a little disappointing. I may have to give it a second try.
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You can find comfortable seating inside the water and out at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. You also get some great views of the Portneuf Range mountains behind the pools.
See one of my previous posts about Lava Hot Springs for more details on this attraction. It was one of my favorite hot springs of several we visited last summer.
Pull up a Seat (PUAS)
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This sculpture of four lounging lions is at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. The ‘Lunch Break’ brown bronze sculptures were created by Jim Gion and put on display at the zoo in 2009.
On the day I was there, there weren’t many visitors because it was pouring down rain. On a more typical day, children would be having fun climbing all over the sculptures. See the video below.
I decided to post this today because I included posts with one, two, and three main subjects earlier this week. My photo shows four lions, but, as you can see in the video, there are two additional cubs.
Sculpture Saturday (SS)
Weekly Prompts Colour’s Challenge (WPCC) – Brown
Today I’m sharing Mount Rainier images in 3 ways. Mount Rainier is an iconic mountain, southeast of Seattle, Washington.
This active volcano reaches a height of 14, 410 feet at its peak. Native American tribes surrounding the mountain had 20 different names for it. One of them, *nə(xʷ)xʷak’ʷ, translates to “(sky) scraper.”
Here’s a quick pen and ink drawing I did of Mount Rainier. This is a very simple line drawing.
Next, I show a picture I took of the mountain while on a flight to Seattle from Bend. There were some great clouds and low-lying fog that day.
The last picture shows an embroidery I did of Mount Rainier while I was in college. Since I hadn’t done much embroidery when I created this, I used a running stitch for the whole piece. The stitch is simple, but this was a time-consuming, complex piece of work.
These Mount Rainier images portray the mountain in simple to more complex ways.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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