2025 Favorite Photos: LAPC

January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 / SoyBend / 30 Comments

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!

2025 Favorite Photos of Countryside

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.

Photos of Cuisine

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.

2025 Favorite Photos of Critters (and a Flower)

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.

Cultural Attractions

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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Deer drawing and video: First Friday Art

January 2, 2026January 2, 2026 / SoyBend / 2 Comments

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.

First Friday Art

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Two whoo whoos in a barn: Wordless Wednesday

December 31, 2025December 31, 2025 / SoyBend / 5 Comments

Two whoo whoos in a barn at Summer Lake, Oregon

Wordless Wednesday

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A wandering soul haiku

December 23, 2025December 23, 2025 / SoyBend / 9 Comments

a wandering soul
trudges between boulders and blooms
on a quest for spring

Haiku

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Milkweed seedpods: Monochrome & Macro Monday

December 22, 2025December 22, 2025 / SoyBend / 4 Comments

Milkweed seedpods are beautiful and unique. Milkweed, Asclepias spp., is well-known for attracting monarch butterflies. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are attracted to this plant’s flowers. They produce abundant nectar.

In the fall, milkweed seedpods mature and split open. The seeds inside are attached to white floss called coma. This floss allows them to be carried long distances by the wind.

Fun fact: During World War II, when the supply of kapok was cut off by Japan, milkweed floss was used as a substitute to fill life jackets.

Monochrome Monday

Macro Monday

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Cattleya orchid up close: Macro Monday & FOTD

December 15, 2025December 15, 2025 / SoyBend / 2 Comments

I saw this purple Cattleya orchid up close at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle recently.

This plant is part of a collection started by a donation from Anna Clise in 1921. Her donation inspired others to donate their plant collections as well.

Macro Monday

Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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Waiting for a prompt: LAPC

December 14, 2025December 14, 2025 / SoyBend / 20 Comments

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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Red blanket flowers haiku: FOTD & FF

December 12, 2025December 12, 2025 / SoyBend / 12 Comments

red blanket flowers
golden edges echo shades
of summer sunsets

Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Friday Flowers (FF)

Tiger mug & photo: First Friday Art

December 5, 2025December 5, 2025 / SoyBend / 9 Comments

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.

First Friday Art

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Birds on… :LAPC & BOTW

December 2, 2025December 2, 2025 / SoyBend / 22 Comments

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

Birds of the Week (BOTW)

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Rock textures: Sunday Stills

November 30, 2025November 30, 2025 / SoyBend / 12 Comments

Rock textures can be shaped

by water

River rocks

by fire

Obsidian

by wind

Pebbles in the sand

Rock textures may be created

by chipping away

Indigenous scraping tool

by piling together

Rock garden

by tumbling

Polished Labradorite

Sunday Stills – Texture

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A stunning sunset: Skywatch Friday & Weekend Sky

November 28, 2025November 28, 2025 / SoyBend / 20 Comments

A stunning sunset near Bend, Oregon. I took this photo with my drone from the backyard. You can see several volcanic peaks along the horizon.

Skywatch Friday & Weekend Sky

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Ammonites at Wyoming Dinosaur Center: WW

November 26, 2025November 26, 2025 / SoyBend / Leave a comment

Ammonites at Wyoming Dinosaur Center, Thermopolis, Wyoming

Wordless Wednesday (WW)

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Moments of mystery: LAPC

November 23, 2025November 23, 2025 / SoyBend / 24 Comments

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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Cliff Swallows in action: BOTW & RDP

November 18, 2025November 18, 2025 / SoyBend / 2 Comments

I’ve always liked watching Cliff Swallows in action. Cliff Swallows, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, live in colonies located in building eaves, bridges, dams, culverts, trees, cliffs, and caves. Their colonies often contain 200-1,000 nests.

Both sexes build nests by collecting mud pellets in their bills and then molding them in place. The gourd-shaped nests they create contain 900-1,200 of these pellets.

Mud is gathered along streambanks, lakesides, and puddles.

The Schoolhouse Lake Wildlife Viewing station, shown below, is located at Summer Lake Wildlife Area in Oregon. It doesn’t contain hundreds of nests, but it’s a great place to view Cliff Swallow nests up close.

Here’s a short video of Cliff Swallows in action flying around their nests on this building. Swallows in flight are mesmerizing and full of grace.

Cliff Swallows live in parts of North America, Central America, and South America. They are widespread with relatively stable populations.

Birds of the Week (BOTW)

Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – Grace

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Driving through… : LAPC & SS

November 16, 2025November 16, 2025 / SoyBend / 19 Comments

Driving through…

Big rock mountains, sculpted and fired by the sun

And ranges, arising from basins washed by summer storms

Approaching cliffs layered with basalt flows preserving stories of their past

And volcanic hills, pounded by thundering hooves and eroded by falling rain

Driving through…

The warm comforting embrace of oak trees

And pine forests, swaying in celebration of winter’s first snowfall

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – On the Move

Sunday Stills Color Challenge (SS) – Brown and/or Gray

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Which tree’s bark?: Thursday Tree Love

November 13, 2025November 13, 2025 / SoyBend / 16 Comments

Today I’m posting a few up close pictures of tree bark and more distant shots of trees. Can you tell which tree’s bark are shown in the first three photos? The answers are at the end of this post.

Bark A

Bark B

Bark C

Tree 1. Western Juniper, Juniperus occidentalis

Tree 2. Ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa

Tree 3. Black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa

The answers are:

Bark A = Black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa

Bark B = Ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa

Bark C = Western Juniper, Juniperus occidentalis

Did you guess which tree’s bark correctly?

There are so many kinds of bark in the world and they often make great subjects for close ups. Did you know there’s even a tag for bark? It includes tree bark, candy bark, dog barks, etc.

Thursday Tree Love

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The majesty of mountains: LAPC

November 11, 2025November 11, 2025 / SoyBend / 33 Comments

The majesty of mountains with distinct fringes of red

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Utah

and coming into focus over a blur of the Sagebrush Sea

Mt. Shasta, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California

The mood of mountains retreating in a blush of color

Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon

and rising above, snow-clad and strong

Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

The majesty of mountains layered in subtleties

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

and taking center stage above a curve of crops

Mt. Jefferson, Willamette National Forest, Oregon

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Looking back at LAPC #31 – Landscapes

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Elephant seal drawing & photo: First Friday Art

November 7, 2025November 7, 2025 / SoyBend / 4 Comments

I did this elephant seal drawing as part of the Inktober challenge. On October 9th, the prompt was “heavy.”

I drew this quick sketch with a black Pentel Brush Sign Pen Artist pen and I used a gray Tombow ABT pen for the shading. I especially liked the Pentel pen since you can easily vary the width of each stroke with the brush tip. The Tombow pen has a soft brush on one end and a hard tip on the other end.

Since I was going to be traveling during part of the Inktober challenge, I wanted a small pad I could tuck into my backpack. I found this cute little watercolor book. Yes, the paper has a rougher texture than I would prefer, but it worked out well.

I taped a copy of the 2025 Inktober prompt list onto the inside cover.

This is the photograph I worked from for the elephant seal drawing. I thought of this pair of seals I saw at Elephant Seal Vista Point north of San Simeon, California. They appeared to be smiling. I’m not sure they really were, but they certainly looked comfortable.

Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.

First Friday Art

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East of Steens: Weekend Sky

November 1, 2025November 1, 2025 / SoyBend / 10 Comments

A view from above east of Steens Mountain, Oregon. I took this photo with my drone on a cool October morning.

I liked the variety of components in this picture. Puffy white clouds, rough mountains, gray-green sagebrush flats, bright green hayfields, and red soil.

Weekend Sky

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Strawberry Mountain in the fall: Wordless Wednesday

October 29, 2025September 23, 2025 / SoyBend / 4 Comments

Strawberry Mountain in the fall, Oregon

Wordless Wednesday

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Red fox caching out: Mammal Monday

October 27, 2025September 23, 2025 / SoyBend / 4 Comments

I saw this red fox caching out at Yellowstone National Park last year. It returned to where it had cached its prey and dug it up.

If this animal appears a little different from what you think of as a red fox, that’s because this is a subspecies. This is a Rocky Mountain red fox, Vulpes vulpes macroura.

While this fox may appear large, it’s not that big. Females weigh 10 pounds and males weigh 11-12 pounds.

In the first two photos, you may have thought I took the pictures in the forest. Nope. The red fox caching out was at the Lake Lodge Cabins, at the north end of Yellowstone Lake. It was not afraid of people in the vicinity at all.

When we visited the park, we spoke with a man who worked at the small airport in the town of West Yellowstone. Part of his job is maintaining the runways. He said the foxes often cache items under mounds of dirt, making an uneven landing surface. Since the airport is near houses, he told us they cache things like children’s toys and dog toys. Though he liked to watch them, they made his job a little harder.

Mammal Monday

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Bonsai growing on a tree: Sunday Trees

October 26, 2025October 13, 2025 / SoyBend / 2 Comments

When I walked past this, I did a double take. It looked like a bonsai growing on this tree near Withers Lake, Oregon.

I imagined some woodland elf climbing up the ponderosa pine’s trunk to tend to this little tree. They must have trimmed and shaped it over many years. Is it dead or just dormant? Hmmm… there must be more to this story.

Sunday Trees

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Calcite Springs: Wordless Wednesday

October 22, 2025October 22, 2025 / SoyBend / 4 Comments

Calcite Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Wordless Wednesday

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In our dreams: LAPC & WS

October 12, 2025October 12, 2025 / SoyBend / 29 Comments

In our dreams,

we remember

the light and dark moments

of our lives

We remember soaring

over the highest peaks

and sinking to the lowest lowlands

In our dreams,

we remember the stormy times

and anticipate

the rainbows to come

We remember

turning around dark bends

towards the light of a new day

Lens-artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Dreamy

Weekend Sky (WS)

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Cactus close up: Macro Monday & FOTD

October 6, 2025October 6, 2025 / SoyBend / 2 Comments

This cactus close up picture was taken at Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle. The cactus was only a few inches tall. Its scientific name, Gymnocalycium fleischerianum, posted on a stake nearby, was bigger than the plant. 😉

Macro Monday

Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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Steens in the fall: LAPC, RDP, & WS

October 5, 2025October 5, 2025 / SoyBend / 20 Comments

The valleys on Steens in the fall
Are filled with green, yellow, and orange leaves,
Framed by mountain mahogany

Clouds skitter across the sky;
Parting to enlighten
Lone patches of gold

On Steens Mountain
Fall’s foliage gathers at the bottom of
Deep glacially carved gorges

Golden leaves of aspen and
Fuzzy flowers of rabbitbrush
Edge the ridgetops and roads

The last colorful moments shine brightly
On Steens in the fall
As winter’s darkness creeps in

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Looking Back to Lens-Artist Challenge #106: Autumn

Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – Valley

Weekend Sky (WS)

All pictures were taken on 1 October 2025 while driving to the top of Steens Mountain, Oregon. The mountain reaches an elevation 9,733 feet. The 52-mile long Steens Mountain Backcountry Byway loop road to the summit is open seasonally.

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A Steens Mountain Tour: LAPC

September 28, 2025September 28, 2025 / SoyBend / 28 Comments

Up with the birds for a Steens Mountain tour

On April 6, I was up bright and early for a birdwatching trip that would encircle Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon in a single day. Being a bit of an introvert, I wasn’t sure I wanted to partake in a tour like this one. The Steens Mountain tour was one of 22 tours available for nature enthusiasts at the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival. The festival, which started in 1981, takes advantage of the annual spring bird migration in the Harney Basin. More than 300 species of birds use this area annually.

A land full of drama

At 6:00 am, participants in the Circle the Steens Mountain & Alvord Desert tour met at Burns High School. The weather was not cooperating for the 200-mile trip. A big storm system was blowing in. Twelve hours and 76 bird species later, we returned to the high school. Though we didn’t see any rare birds, we did see a lot, considering the weather conditions. Our views were framed by the dramatic landscapes of Harney County. The pale colored sands of the Alvord Desert stood out in contrast to the dark stormy skies. Steens Mountain provided beautiful panoramas from many different angles. We also had great views of pronghorn and deer.

We traveled east of Steens Mountain, south to Fields, then north along the west side of the 50-mile long mountain. Our tour guides, Joan Suther and Rick Hall, worked for the Bureau of Land Management locally for many years. The first brief stop was to look at burrowing owls. The small owls were seen braving the wind on this tour and the one I was on the next day. Flocks of snow geese and Ross’ geese were in fields nearby. Our next stop, at Crystal Crane Hot Springs, was much longer.

Continue reading →

Forest at Night exhibit videos: Wordless Wednesday

September 24, 2025September 24, 2025 / SoyBend / 2 Comments

Forest at Night exhibit at High Desert Museum, Oregon

Wordless Wednesday

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Water falls: SS, WWE, LAPC

September 22, 2025September 22, 2025 / SoyBend / 25 Comments

Water falls in cascades over moss-covered cliffs

Burney Falls, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, California

and between dolphins, dancing and spinning

Rhapsody, Kelowna, British Columbia

Water flows down rocky crags, plummeting and thundering

Bridalveil Waterfall, Yosemite National Park, California

and emerges quietly from lagoons bordered by blossoms

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland, Oregon

Water falls twice through basalt canyons, producing essential power

Shoshone Falls, Twin Falls, Idaho

and continuously over rustic artistry created from stone

Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, The Dalles, Oregon

Sunday Stills (SS) – Fountains and Falls

Water Water Everywhere (WWE)

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – City Mouse/ Country Mouse

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Above the playa: Skywatch & Friday Flowers

September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 / SoyBend / 12 Comments

Above the playa, lupines bloom amongst the boulders.

Skywatch Friday

Friday Flowers

Artichokes two ways: Wordless Wednesday

September 17, 2025September 17, 2025 / SoyBend / 2 Comments

Artichokes two ways – as a sculpture and in the garden

Wordless Wednesday

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She stands by his side tanka: TTPC

September 16, 2025September 16, 2025 / SoyBend / Leave a comment

she stands by his side
in the dappled morning light
white dewdrops on grass
reflect the last days of youth
as antlers of spring emerge

Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge (TTPC) – White dew on grass

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Yearning to… : LAPC

September 14, 2025September 14, 2025 / SoyBend / 20 Comments

Yearning to visit places that warmed the body and soul

hot springs of the west — Crane Hot Springs, Burns, Oregon

Wishing to smell the scent of purple, blown by the breeze

purple flower border — Volunteer Park Conservatory, Seattle, Washington

Pining for the sound of bugling calls, heralding the arrival of spring

yearning to see sandhills — Sandhill Cranes, Summer Lake, Oregon

Craving the taste of a special summer treat

tasty treat at East Lake — Mixed Berry Cobbler, East Lake, Oregon

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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High Desert Voices September 2025 newsletter

September 12, 2025September 12, 2025 / SoyBend / 3 Comments

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!

HDV September 2025 Download

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Marble Mountain View: Wordless Wednesday

September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 / SoyBend / Leave a comment

Marble Mountain View in Sequoia National Forest, California

Wordless Wednesday

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Pronghorn sketches & photo: First Friday Art

September 5, 2025September 5, 2025 / SoyBend / 5 Comments

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.

First Friday Art

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Cooperative foraging: Birds of the Week

September 2, 2025September 2, 2025 / SoyBend / 12 Comments

Last spring, I saw this group of White Pelicans involved in cooperative foraging near Island Park, Idaho. All About Birds describes their feeding behavior as follows:

They forage by swimming on the surface, dipping their bills to scoop up fish, then raising their bills to drain water and swallow their prey. They also forage cooperatively: groups of birds dip their bills and flap their wings to drive fish toward shore, corraling prey for highly efficient, synchronized, bill-dipping feasts.

Do you know what a group of pelicans are called? They are called a squadron, pod, pouch, or scoop of pelicans.

Birds of the Week

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Some things in nature… : LAPC

August 31, 2025August 31, 2025 / SoyBend / 22 Comments

Some things in nature have patterns in whirls,

Other things are smooth and plain

Some things in nature are velvety soft,

Other things have rough, bumpy surfaces

And in underwater worlds, things may be patterned or smooth

soft or rough and bumpy

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Virtual Scavenger Hunt

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2025 Favorite Photos of Countryside

Photos of Cuisine

2025 Favorite Photos of Critters (and a Flower)

Cultural Attractions

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Up with the birds for a Steens Mountain tour

A land full of drama

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