Mount Hood from above in northern Oregon
Nature
Plants grow… : Sunday Stills
Plants grow in bunches in dry environments
And in dense carpets in moist places
Plants grow with sharp defenses in dry places
And rounded edges in wet environments
Plants disperse in rockbound dry environments
And collect along waterway edges in wet places
Sunday Stills – All shades of green
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East Lake paddle: WWE & FOWC
Last July, I went on a nice East Lake paddle in my kayak. I enjoyed the view of these colorful cliffs covered in cracks and crevices. I went a little crazy with the alliteration in describing them. 😉 East Lake is located in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Central Oregon. There’s a nice campground here and at Paulina Lake, right next door.
For more details about another East Lake paddle, see one of my previous posts.
Water Water Everywhere (WWE)
Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – Crevice
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Snowy sunrise: Sunday Trees & Weekend Sky
A snowy sunrise over western juniper trees in the High Desert.
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A road may… :LAPC
A road may take you straight ahead to distant mountains beneath moody skies
Or twist and turn uphill towards massive works of art
A road may drop you deep into the layers of earth
Or elevate you above wide winding waterways
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge – Pick a Word
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Garry oak near the Columbia: TTL
These Garry oak trees near the Columbia River caught my eye. The oaks were growing east of Mosier, Oregon along the Historic Columbia River Highway.
I’ve always liked how oak tree branches twist and turn. Garry oak, Quercus garryana, does not grow in a neat and tidy kind of way. This tree is also known as the Oregon white oak.
The deciduous leaves are darker green on the top side and finely haired underneath..
The distinctive lobed leaves turn brown in the fall.
These trees flowers in the spring and the acorns they produce ripen from August to November. The acorns are eaten by many wildlife species including, woodpeckers, doves, jays, chipmunks, squirrels, deer, and bear.
A cliff by the sea haiku: Whatsoever is Lovely
a cliff by the sea
smiles in shades of gold and gray
as spring tides roll in
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Center of the Universe: Wordless Wednesday
A chilly heron: Birds of the Week
When I went on my weekly walk along the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon a couple of weeks ago, I saw a chilly heron standing by the shore.
This Great Blue Heron seemed frozen in place in the icy waters. As dawn broke, the clouds over the river and snow on the ground nicely framed the scene. You can see the Hayden Homes Amphitheater in the background, waiting patiently to host concerts and other events.
The temperature recently dropped to -7.4 degrees Fahrenheit at our house. Brrr! Hope the heron and other wild creatures are finding ways to keep warm.
Red Canyon Scenic Overlook, WY: LAPC & WS
If I had to feature just one photograph, as this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge suggests, I would choose this one. On our way to Thermopolis, Wyoming, we paused to marvel at the Red Canyon Scenic Overlook, 24 miles south of Lander on Highway 28.
Why did I choose this photo?
- It has drama in the skies. Thunderclouds collect in the background and softer cumulus clouds hover in the foreground. The blue skies contrast nicely with the clouds.
- It has varying colors of soil and vegetation. Yellow wildflowers carpet the hillsides. The complementary color of the green grass borders the red rock formation. Oxidized iron between and on the rock gives the formation its stunning red color.
- It shows geology in action. The ridge on the right side is an area that was uplifted 60 million years ago. The more erodible soil washed away with the action of water, leaving the scene we see today.
- It contains straight and curving lines. The curving lines of the valley pull your vision to the horizon. Red Canyon Creek meanders through the middle of the picture. The straight lines of the fence help divide the scene into thirds.
- It has a tiny detail with a story behind it. If you look closely, you’ll spot a white cross next to one of the fenceposts. May the people who lost their lives here rest in peace and view this remarkable scene for eternity.
The Red Canyon Scenic Overlook is a beautiful roadside attraction that’s worth stopping for. For more information on the geology of this location, check the Bureau of Land Management site.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Only One Picture
Weekend Sky (WS)
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Walking with a sweetheart: RDP
Walking with a sweetheart along the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. The red, pink, and white flags are on display to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Hope you have a good one!
Sage in the snow: Wordless Wednesday
Sage in the snow near Bend, Oregon
Wordless Wednesday (WW)
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Structure of the elements: LAPC
When I’m trying to decide if I should use black and white processing on an image, I ask myself one important question: Does the structure of the elements justify its usage?
When you think of structure, you may think of architectural details. Yes, that’s one interpretation, but everything has a structure.
The first two images show a Hosta plant during a downpour of rain at Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon. Initially, I was disappointed to visit on a rainy day. However, while researching the garden later, I found visitors often seek out rainy days.
The color image shows off the green colors in the leaves. The monochrome image shows off the structure of the elements. The contrasting edge color, the curving veins of the leaves, and the glossiness created by the rain, shine in the black and white version.
The next two images show a Borealosuchus crocodile skeleton cast at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. As soon as I entered this museum, the photographer part of my brain started imagining everything in black and white.
The color version shows the skeleton in warm tones and a recreation of what they looked like in life focuses on a vibrant creature. The black and white version highlights the structure of the elements. Whenever a skeleton is displayed well, you’ll notice its exquisite details.
Sometimes when you create a monochromatic version, you’ll find hidden surprises. The reflections from other displays across from the crocodile made this into what appeared to be a double exposure.
The next two images show barrels at Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon. For certain brews, beer is aged in barrels once containing whiskey, tequila, and other liquor.
The color version shows the varying colors of the aged wood in the barrels. The black and white version also shows the age of the barrels, but emphasizes the orderliness of the storage and the structure of the stairs.
The last two images show the view from an overlook at the Paint Pots trail in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This picture shows dense forests, mountains in the distance, steaming thermal features, and a sky full of puffy clouds.
The color version highlights the cool tones of the sky and forest and the warm tones of the soil around the hot springs. The black and white version lets the cloudscape be the main feature. The thermal features blend into the foreground.
Is a color or monochrome version best? Sometimes there is no right answer. As photographers, we try to capture a moment in time for viewers. With a touch of magic, we help them “see” what they may not have noticed, in color or black and white.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Exploring Color vs Black & White
High Desert Voices February 2025 newsletter
Here’s the High Desert Voices February 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 Trumpeter Swans, one on the Neighbors: Wildlife Paintings by Hilary Baker exhibition, a short note about how the US Forest Service Ranger Station on the property was relocated, and a list of Museum volunteers receiving recognition at an annual event.
Please enjoy the High Desert Voices February 2025 issue!
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Our pets: LAPC
Our pets know when we need to laugh
Or when we need to have a good cry
Pets show us when to dig in
Or when it’s time to hit the road
Animals learn how to fit into our lives
Or share a space when it’s needed
Pets help us weather hard times
Or find a soft place to land
Our pets know when it’s time to take a break
Or go on an adventure with a friend
Pets learn how to expand the possibilities
Or make the best of a tight situation
Animals know how to find excitement in every new day
Or show us how old age is not an excuse to slow down
And when our pets are no longer a presence in front of our eyes,
they will always hold a place in our hearts
This post includes pictures of every cat and dog I’ve owned since leaving home at age 17.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Cats & Dogs
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Cascade sunsets from above: WS & RDP
I thought it would be fun to take pictures of Cascade sunsets from above to get more comfortable with using my drone. For eight consecutive days, I flew my DJI drone up to an altitude of 100 feet from my backyard. The mountains featured in these photos are approximately 26 miles away, as the crow flies.
These pictures show several volcanoes that are a part of Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range. I recently featured aerial pictures of them from a closer perspective in another post.
Hope you enjoy these images of our spectacular skies near Bend, Oregon!
Colorful Cascade sunsets
The first photo shows a fiery sky. These are more commonly seen in the winter months around here.
The second photo shows a pale yellow background with the clouds floating over the mountains edged in pink.
Blue sky sunsets
The third photo shows a mostly clear sky. There appears to be a haze of smoke that could be from one of our prescribed burns in local forests. These controlled fires help prevent bigger fires.
The fourth photo shows another clear sky.
The fifth photo shows yet another clear sky. This time I took the photo right as the sun was setting over the mountains.
The next photo shows… uh, maybe we should pause for musical interlude. This song, Blue Sky & The Painter by Bastille, is one of my current favorites and it’s about blue skies.
Why did I include an interlude? Because there were more days without a single cloud in the sky when the sun set!
The sixth photo shows a clear day as the sun sets.
The seventh day shows, you guessed it, another sunny clear day.
Based on these photos, is it really true that Bend, Oregon gets 300 days of sunshine a year? Nope. However, we do have 250-260+ days a year that are clear or mostly clear.
Stormy Cascade sunsets
The eighth day shows, HURRAY!, clouds as a storm was moving in. A thick, dark cloud floated ominously over the snow-covered peaks.
The Oregon Cascade Range gets quite a bit of snow each winter. Mount Bachelor (shown on the left in these photos), as I stated in another post, gets over 400 inches of snow a year.
I may try taking sunrise pictures for a future post. I just hope that if I do, the clouds will cooperate. 😉
Weekend Sky (WS)
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – Float
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Oregon Garden bench: Pull up a seat
This Oregon Garden bench looked like a nice place to rest while roaming the 80-acres of gardens. I have featured photos of this attraction in Silverton, Oregon in several previous posts.
X in the sky: Skywatch Friday
This X in the sky was over the Mill A Loop Trail in Bend, Oregon. This scenic trail runs along the Deschutes River.
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Cascades of blossoms haiku: FOTD & WIL
cascades of blossoms
delicate and resilient
varnished with spring rain
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Oregon Cascades from above: LAPC
This week I’m sharing photos of the Oregon Cascades from above. Most of these pictures were taken with my DJI drone.
The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge prompt this week is “Shot from above.” That sounded like a perfect excuse to take a Sunday drive. We drove north from Bend and turned west near Terrebonne. After driving through Cove Palisades State Park, we headed south towards Sisters, Oregon.
Near Black Butte, Oregon
When you’re in dense forests, it’s hard to know what features are in the landscape nearby. I flew up a few hundred feet and got this picture of several of our mountains. The Cascade Range stretches from northern California to central British Columbia. Oregon’s Cascades are 260 miles long and as wide as 90 miles.
I like how trees look from above so I took this picture near Black Butte. I don’t usually include pictures of myself on this blog, but I do appear in this photo. Can you see me? 🙂
After navigating several roads like this, we decided to head to a lower elevation location.
Between Bend and Sisters, Oregon
We stopped at the Cascade Flyers field, located halfway between Bend and Sisters. This is where a local remote control aircraft club meets. Even an ordinary scene like this one can look interesting from the sky. I’m in this photo, too. Great self-portrait, right?
This picture shows several iconic peaks of the Oregon Cascades from above. South Sister, Middle Sister, and North Sister fill the frame. South Sister is the most active local volcano. This mountain range is almost entirely volcanic in origin.
This picture shows Black Crater and Mount Washington. From certain angles, Mount Washington has a distinctive teepee-shaped formation on its peak. This volcanic plug formed when hot magma hardened within a vent.
Here’s a closer view of Mount Washington.
The last picture shows Three Fingered Jack, Black Butte, and Mount Jefferson. Bend’s Deschutes Brewery makes a delicious Black Butte porter beer named after this peak.
I’m still learning how to adjust the camera settings on my drone. If you don’t make adjustments, the pictures tend to be overexposed in the Auto setting. That means I will have to actually read instructions or watch videos instead of just “winging” it.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Shoot from above
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Sunrise – Moonset: Wordless Wednesday
2024 favorite photos: LAPC & SS
Today I’m sharing some of my 2024 favorite photos. I divided them into four categories: Critters, Cuisine, Cultural attractions, and Countryside.
2024 Favorite Photos of Critters
I’m beginning with the critters category. In case you didn’t know, I love animals and often feature pictures of them.
The first photo shows a curious Long-tailed Weasel emerging from roadside vegetation at Summer Lake in Oregon. It was so cute!
This Pronghorn pranced across a grassy field at Yellowstone National Park. These graceful creatures are one of my absolute favorites.
A Great Blue Heron in a Portland garden walked right up to me in the middle of a rainstorm. What a magical moment!
In this picture, an American Avocet crosses a pond at Summer Lake Wildlife Area. I liked the simplicity of this photo
Cuisine photos
The next category is cuisine. Did you know blog posts featuring food are some of the most popular?
I begin with an appetizer, of course. This Spicy King Salmon Hwe is from Yoli, a Korean restaurant in Bend, Oregon. We ate a tasty 5-course meal there.
The next photo is of a pizza from Rush’s Squares in Bend. Their Pesto Margherita pizza is delicious!
The next picture is of a fish taco from 10 Barrel Brewing in Bend. There are a lot of places that serve fish tacos, but this particular one’s ingredients make it stand out from the rest.
The last one is of a Mixed Berry Cobbler from the Blue Duck Restaurant at East Lake Resort in Oregon. This generously portioned dessert is great to share with tablemates.
2024 Favorite Photos of Cultural Attractions
The next category is Cultural Attractions. I did a lot of traveling in the West in 2024.
The first picture is one of several I took at Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon. This type of garden is designed to look beautiful from any angle.
The next picture is of old machinery at The Museum of the American West in Lander, Wyoming. I used black and white processing to highlight the lines and shapes of the machinery and the clouds.
This photo is of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. It is one of many photos I took at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana.
The next photo is of a rock-covered bridge and building beside a pond. This picture was taken at Petersen Rock Garden and Museum, a unique roadside attraction in Redmond, Oregon.
Countryside Photos
The last category is Countryside. I include photos of landscapes from the sea to the mountains.
The first picture was taken at Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area in Oregon. The curving shapes formed by the tide were beautiful.
This photo of river reflections was taken along the Columbia River in Oregon. I used cross processing to oversaturate the colors.
I used my new drone to take pictures at Summer Lake in Oregon. This photo shows an art piece created with rocks in the foreground and dust devils spinning over the playa in the background. I wrote a short story about my visit there, featuring other drone photos.
The last photo shows the mountains surrounding the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Bison herds frequently graze peacefully in these grasslands.
Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my 2024 favorite photos. Be sure to check out my recent 2024 Bloopers post to see photos from the last year interpreted with my unique sense of humor. 🙂
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Favorite images of 2024
Sunday Stills (SS) – Memorable Moments of 2024
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A rockcress blooming: Friday Flowers
The soft flowers and leaves of a rockcress blooming amongst sharp pieces of obsidian at Glass Buttes, Oregon.
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Peaceful pastel sunrise: Wordless Wednesday
Memories of… 2024: LAPC
Memories of…
Relentless rain falling on a wise heron in a serene scene
Pronghorn pausing beside boulders layered with lichen
Crabs pacing and pirouetting in sun dappled darkness
Dust devils twisting over distant desert playas
Storms soaring past mountain peaks and lingering over large lakes
Waves, drifting and defiant, pummeling sandy shorelines
Wagon wheels carrying settlers to the promised land on treacherous treks
Trash turned into whimsical creatures making nests in restful retreats
Memories of…
Relentless rain falling on graceful dancers in a serene scene
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Last chance
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Some howliday cheer: TTT
Are you in need of some howliday cheer? The holidays can be full of joy, but they can also be stressful. My talented dog, Tesla, would like to bring a smile to your face with some of her beautiful singing.
Here she is standing right in front me singing a short song. Note the wagging tail.
I have never owned a dog who has been quite so vocal before. Here’s Tesla accompanying random notes on a harmonica in a more complex song. She especially loves music with harmonica in it–any type of music. My other dog, Shelby, is her backup dancer in this clip.
Here she is singing in a more relaxed position. If you feel the urge to sing, you have to go for it no matter where you are, right?
Winter officially begins in one week. Try to stay warm and comfortable. Tesla is a pro at that. 😉
Hope this dose of some howliday cheer brightened your day!
Three Things Challenge (TTT) – Vocal
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Museum of the Rockies (MOR): FOWC
Museum of the Rockies (MOR) in Bozeman, Montana, is a place I’ve always wanted to visit. I had known about their impressive dinosaur fossil collection for years. In June 2024, we visited this museum on the Montana State University campus.
A huge Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton sculpture greets you near the entrance. The Big Mike bronze sculpture, created by research Casting International of Ontario, Canada, is based on T. rex bones found in Montana.
MOR features several primary exhibits inside the main building.
The Living History Farm, outside of the entrance, gives glimpses of what farm life was like from 1890 to 1910. Programs on a variety of topics are shown in the Hager Auditorium.
Seibel Dinosaur Complex
No visit to MOR is complete without viewing the Seibel Dinosaur Complex. It is this museum’s star attraction. The collection is one of the largest in the world and features examples of Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Allosaurus.
These and other dinosaurs are on display in the Dinosaurs Under the Big Sky exhibit area.
A generous donation by Thomas and Stacey Siebel tripled the exhibit space.
Jack Horner, paleontologist, and former director of paleontology at the museum, played a pivotal role in the design of this space.
You can observe preparators working on excavating encased fossils in one section.
Prehistoric mammals that once lived in parts of Montana are on display in the Cenozoic Corridor. These include mammoths, rhinos, and bone-crushing dogs.
Enduring Peoples
This section focuses on the lives of American Indians of the Northern Plains and the Rocky Mountain region. Native peoples have lived in this region for thousands of years. When Euro-Americans moved into this part of America, conflicts followed. Despite being forced onto reservations and having much of their culture stripped away, Natives worked hard to maintain many traditions.
Members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-1806) were among the first non-native people to explore this area. After their expedition, waves of outsiders flooded the area in search of gold and furs for trade. The Homestead Act brought thousands of settlers there. Limited resources affected the Natives’ way of life.
As more settlers and trappers established themselves in this part of the country, Native culture changed. However, they preserved elements of their culture that have existed for generations.
Since I have a deep appreciation of beadwork, I aimed my camera at several beaded artifacts in this exhibit.
Examples of quillwork were also displayed in this exhibit.
Paugh History Hall
In this hall, the journey from early exploration to the mid-20th century is illustrated. The displays in this hall show elements of cultural and social change.
Murals, photographs, and numerous artifacts pull visitors into this area’s rich history.
I was drawn towards the line of carts and carriages in this section. The shock absorbing parts of these vehicles have always fascinated me.
Living History Farm
An original homestead, built in 1889, is at the heart of this exhibit. Visitors are taken back in time to 1890-1910 by a series of buildings, recreated to look authentic. These buildings include a milking barn, blacksmith, root cellar, granary, shed, chicken coop, and outhouse. Gardens of flowers, vegetables, and grains contain examples of heirloom plants. Activities such as barn-raising, sewing circles, and quilting bees were an essential part of the communities.
Other MOR exhibits
Another section at the museum is the Welcome to Yellowstone Country exhibit. This exhibit shows parts of the past history of Yellowstone National Park. The work of entrepreneurs Charles A Hamilton and F. Jay Haynes in the park’s tourism industry in the 19th and 20th centuries is described.
The Martin Children’s Discovery Area is an interactive exhibition for kids. Children can visit the Explore Yellowstone and pump a geyser, climb a fire tower, fish from a bridge, set up a campsite, or experience the Old Faithful Inn.
For an additional fee, visitors can go to the Taylor Planetarium. There, you can enjoy regularly scheduled shows on the 40-foot-wide dome screen throughout the day.
Changing MOR Exhibits
During our visit, the MOR changing exhibit was Dragons, Unicorns, and Mermaids: Mythic Creatures. Since I like to include mythical creatures in novels I’m working on for kids, this exhibit was right up my alley.
This exhibition runs from May 24, 2024, to January 5, 2025. For more info on this exhibit, see one of my previous posts. It includes LOTS of pictures.
Other MOR information
See operating times and days and admission prices here.
MOR has a large store near the entrance. It includes clothing, games, books, etc.
Here’s the Museum Map, near where you pay admission.
Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – Complete
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Sandhill Crane family: Birds of the Week & RDP
Last June, while visiting the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park, I watched this Sandhill Crane family stroll across a meadow in rapt silence. I took these pictures through my spotting scope with my phone.
We saw another Sandhill Crane family at this exact same spot three years ago. It’s right next to a pond. According to All About Birds, “Breeders gravitate toward the edges between wetland and upland habitats.” Yup, a perfect description of this site.
Sandhills perform elaborate courting dances and mate for life. Dances include bowing, jumping, and spreading the wings.
They nest in or near wetlands and construct their nests from nearby vegetation such as cattails. Sandhill Cranes lay 1-3 eggs in their nests. Their young are called “colts” and they stay with their parents until they are 9-10 months old.
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – Rapt
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Winter’s ice and snow acrostic poem: LAPC
Winter’s
Ice and snow accumulates
Neutralizing colors
Transforming the ordinary into
Enchanted scenes
Reverberating silence
All photographs in this post were taken at my High Desert home in Bend, Oregon.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Winter
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Magpie silkscreen & photos: First Friday Art
Today I’m sharing a magpie silkscreen image I created with blue ink. One of the things I like about Black-billed Magpies is their contrasting black and white plumage. There are a lot of birds that are showier than magpies, but their simple markings make them a good subject for art.
Though I’ve only created one magpie silkscreen, I’ve done several paintings and drawings of this bird in the past. Here’s a magpie I painted as part of a mural on my studio/guesthouse.
Here’s a photo of a magpie perched on a fence in Bozeman, Montana. They are year-round residents in much of western and central North America.
Black-billed Magpies are omnivores that feed on a wide variety of plants, insects, birds, and small mammals. They are also opportunistic feeders. Here’s a picture of a couple magpies trying to get a bite of a rabbit a Red-tailed Hawk was feeding on.
The scientific name of Black-billed Magpies is Pica hudsonia. When people have compulsive cravings to eat things with little to no nutritional value, it’s referred to as a ‘pica disorder.’ This temporary disorder is most common among children and pregnant women.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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High Desert alkali flats: Wordless Wednesday
Water and other elements: LAPC & WWE
Water pounds down mossy hillsides into heart-shaped ponds
and flows past creations full of fire
It meanders past herons, crafted of bronze,
and ponds bordered by colorful fragments of earth
Traveling through dense forests, it thunders over sheer cliffs,
and settles in creeks, calm and cool
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – 5 Elements
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Colorful cliffs: Wordless Wednesday
Colorful cliffs near Red Fleet State Park, Utah
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Backyard buck: Monochrome Monday
This backyard buck visited our yard on a cool winter day. Mule deer are frequent visitors on our property. Most of the year, we see does and fawns. The bucks are more common in the fall and winter months.
High Desert wonders: LAPC
High Desert wonders
Roam and rest in grassy meadows
Emerge from burrows, full of curiosity
Fossil Butte National Monument: RDP
The visitor center at Fossil Butte National Monument may be small, but it’s jam packed with AMAZING fossils, many excavated here or nearby. Fossil Lake once covered this area and the conditions existing at that time preserved fossil remains especially well. Fossil Butte National Monument is in Kemmerer in southwestern Wyoming.
The fossils were discovered in this area in the mid 1800s. One well-known collector, Lee Craig, quarried and prepared fossils for museums and private collectors from 1897 to 1937. When collectors illegally used bulldozers in fossil beds nearby, preservation became a higher priority. The conservation of this site’s unique treasures was ensured in 1972, when it was established as a national monument.
Fossil Butte fossils
This fossil was huge! It’s from the genus Borelosuchus, neither a true crocodile nor a true alligator. They could grow to a length of 16 feet.
Fish fossils
Here are some of the fish fossils on display. Twenty seven species have been found in this area.
As I mentioned in my Fishing for Fossils post, this is one of the best places in the world to find fossils of fish. Since you cannot collect fossils at the monument, we dug fossils at a commercial business just east of Fossil Butte National Monument.
Grateful to visit: LAPC & FOWC
Grateful to visit vast landscapes
where lone bison contemplate the day ahead
And places where Cliff Swallows
flutter around High Desert nests
Grateful to visit coastal aquariums,
where Pacific sea nettles drift together in jubilant dances
And places where dinosaurs,
trilobites, and other creatures’ last moments are forever preserved
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Gratitude
Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – Jubilant
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Long shelf life: Wordless Wednesday
Turkey Vulture up close & far away: LAPC & BOTW
When you see a Turkey Vulture up close and far away, you’ll have much different opinions of them.
Up close, you may not think of them as exactly beautiful. However, their bald face is more likely to stay clean after eating dead animals. Their scientific name, Cathartes aura, means ‘golden purifier’ or ‘purifying breeze.’
You will also see their dark brown feather’s iridescent color if you observe them up close.
From a little farther away, their distinctive profile stands out. The lack of feathers on their head makes it look smaller. When they’re flying, this is even more obvious.
You often see more than one Turkey Vulture at a time since they’re attracted to prey by smell. Compared to other birds, the part of their brain responsible for detecting smells, is much larger.
This bird that’s considered to be ugly up close, is incredibly graceful in flight. They glide on their six-foot wingspan in a distinctive teeter totter flight pattern. I often have the pleasure of seeing Turkey Vultures drifting by in the skies right outside my window.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – In the details
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High Desert Voices November 2024
Here’s the High Desert Voices November 2024 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 on historical residents of Central Oregon, one on dragonflies, one on Petersen Rock Garden & Museum, and one on a guided bat walk at the Museum.
Please enjoy the High Desert Voices November 2024 issue!
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