Oregon photos, 10 favorites: LAPC

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When I looked through my Oregon photos, it was hard to narrow it down to only ten pictures for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge of Tell us why. These are the photos I chose, shown by category.

Oregon photos of history

Sometimes you take a picture and when you look at it later on a larger screen, you say, “Wow!”

I took this picture of an old homestead without fussing with the settings first. It almost looks like one of those old-time stereoscope images. I like this photo because it captured a glimpse of history.

Oregon photos old homestead

I took a lot of pictures of the Spruce Goose aircraft in McMinnville and described it in a recent post. When I saw the lines in this photo, I knew it would look great in black and white.

Spruce Goose

Majestic mountains

I noticed I had many portraits of majestic mountains when I browsed through my Oregon photos.

The first photo, is of Steens Mountain, in southeast Oregon. The lupine was in bloom so I focused on its purple flowers. This 50-mile long mountain is one of my favorite places in Oregon. I like taking pictures that show its powerful presence.

Purple mountain majesties Steens Mountain, Oregon
Steens Mountain, Oregon
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Edibles & more gardens High Desert Garden Tour: FF

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When I went on the High Desert Garden Tour in Bend, Oregon in July 2022, I was impressed by a couple edibles & more gardens. Their yards had edible plants in the front, sides, and back.

These are gooseberries growing on a shrub in full sun. I remember a gooseberry plant at one of my childhood homes.

gooseberries

These radishes were in a raised bed. We grow them as well and I love their spicy taste.

edibles & more garden Radishes

Raspberries! One of my favorite fruits. Over the years, our dogs have enjoyed eating them off the vines so we have to pick them fast.

Raspberries
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Valley Gorge HUB mural: MM

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The Valley Gorge HUB mural, in The Dalles, Oregon, is one of my most favorite murals. This mural was painted in 2018 by Blaine Fontana, with help from Toma Villa, Jeremy Nichols, and Jeff Sheridan. This long mural is on E 1st St.

Valley Gorge HUB mural

I took pictures of each section so you can see it more closely. This part features a Trout, Salmon, and Sturgeon.

Valley Gorge HUB mural

This section shows a Black Bear, Bighorn sheep, and Cougar. A Yellow Warbler photo bombed this one.

big mammals mural

This part shows a Yellow Warbler, Osprey, Blue Jay, and Raven.

Birds mural

The last section shows a Monarch Butterfly and a Chickadee. There’s a mural by another artist around the corner on this end of the building.

The HUB mural

I’ve visited The Dalles in the past and didn’t realize the Valley Gorge HUB mural wrapped around the building. Here’s the mural on other parts of the building. You can see a Mule Deer, Red-winged Blackbirds, and an Egret.

Magnificent mural in The Dalles, Oregon October 2019

I took pictures in The Dalles in 2022 of the Northwest Mural Fest. They now have 33 murals in the downtown area.

Here’s an updated map of their locations. I like how they added a red line to show which side of the building has murals. This map was updated in January of 2023.

The Dalles mural map

Monday Mural

National Neon Sign Museum: LAPC

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Where do you go when you’re looking for a quick recharge? To the National Neon Sign Museum in The Dalles, Oregon, of course!

On the main floor, you’ll see a rainbow of neon colors. The signs on display are from the late 1800s through the 1960s.

Do you recognize any of these iconic signs?

National Neon Sign Museum

How about this wall filled with Coca Cola signs?

Coca Cola signs
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Beaded Horse Regalia: The Daily Spur

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Beaded Horse Regalia

This Beaded Horse Regalia is part of the exhibition at The Indian Museum of North America®. The beaded horse is on display at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota. Douglas Fast Horse, Oglala Lakota, created this piece. He makes a point of creating work that replicates “historic Lakota regalia as a way to honor his heritage and help tell the story of Lakota Oyate.”

I’ve always admired beadwork such as this. This Beaded Horse Regalia piece shows what can be accomplished with many tiny glass beads, and a lot of patience.

The Daily Spur – Exhibition

The Three Graces: Monochrome Monday

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These three sandstone formations are located in Tillamook Bay, north of Garibaldi, Oregon. Known locally as The Three Graces, they’re also called Crab Rocks. If the tides are low, they’re a great place to explore when out kayaking. Check tides before venturing there.

The Three Graces

The Oregon coast has several seastacks near the shore. These are smaller in stature, but still very photogenic.

Monochrome Monday

Legend Rock petroglyphs: LAPC

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In June, I visited Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site near Thermopolis, Wyoming. The quarter-mile-long sandstone cliff at an isolated site is adorned with hundreds of Legend Rock petroglyphs. When you walk the trail beside these images, it is truly a step back in time.

Seeing Legend Rock petroglyphs up close

Legend Rock petroglyphs

More than 300 petroglyphs have been identified on 92 rock panels. The oldest are at least 10,000 years old. The petroglyphs were carved by “ancestors of today’s Numic-speaking Eastern Shoshone tribe.” 

Due to the fantastical nature of the images carved here, this site is thought to have been used by individuals on vision quests. The images were carved so long ago, their exact meanings are unknown.

Legend Rock petroglyphs

In 1973, the state acquired the site and later that year, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites. The site included sections owned by the state and federal government, and private landowners. In 2015, local landowner Richard Wagner donated the last part needing protection.

Cliff face
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A Malheur view: Weekend Sky, Pull up a Seat

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A Malheur view at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Oregon.

A Malheur view

Weekend Sky

Pull up a Seat

Victor Alexander saddle: Wordless Wednesday

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Victor Alexander saddle

Victor Alexander saddle at Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming

Wordless Wednesday

Burns Times Herald window: MW, FOWC

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I saw this Burns Times Herald window in Burns, Oregon last April. Paintings of birds by schoolchildren decorated the Herald’s windows for the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival. Colorful paper streamers hung in the background.

I found paintings of ravens, jays, waxwings, eagles, hummingbirds, kestrels, warblers, and nuthatches. Can you find them?

Burns Times Herald

I also liked the newspaper’s motto on their window. “Covering Harney County Like the Sage Brush.” The Burns Times Herald has been serving this community since 1887.

Monday Window (MW)

Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – Paint

Pioneer Village in Monochrome: LAPC, WPCC

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While taking pictures of the Pioneer Village in Lander, Wyoming, I immediately thought of how they would look in sepia tones. I wanted to focus on their structure and emphasize their age.

The Pioneer Village buildings are part of the Museum of the American West. The main museum showcases a wide variety of artifacts from people who lived in this area in the mid-1800s to early-1900s.

The Guinard Cabin, circa 1902, has a rough plank and mortar construction. The overall brown color in the picture below hides the presence of a garden hose. A windmill and teepee blend into the background.

Pioneer Village

This storage shed and Saloon would fit right into an old time neighborhood.

Old cabins
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Eagle drawing & photo: FFA & BOTW

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This month, I’m sharing an eagle drawing I created. This is a pencil sketch of Rapaz Nube, the evil character in one of the books I’m working on. Rapaz Nube translates as “Cloud Raptor.” He shifts shape and is always harassing the main character, Melodía. She and her companions go on a quest to return water to a parched land.

Eagle sketch

I’m also sharing a photograph I took of a Golden Eagle on its nest near Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. This nest is in the same area where my fictional novel takes place.

Raptor on nest

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

First Friday Art (FFA)

Bird of the Week (BOTW)

Red flowers & meanings: LAPC, FOTD

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Florists and gardeners use red flowers to represent a wide variety of emotions and characteristics. You may associate them with love, but they have many other meanings.

Columbines are symbols of strength, wisdom, and peace. Red columbines symbolize love, intense emotions, and encouragement.

Red columbine
Western columbine, Aquilegia formosa

Hibiscus are symbols of youth, beauty, success, glory, and femininity. Red hibiscus symbolize romance and love.

Red flowers hibiscus
Red hibiscus, Hibiscus sp.

Black-eyed Susans are symbols of justice, inspiring motivation and positive changes. They are sometimes associated with the sense of wonder of childhood.

Red blossoms Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia sp.

Poppies are symbols of remembrance and hope. The flowers are used to recognize members of the Armed Forces around the world. In some cultures, red poppies represent love and success.

Red Iceland poppy
Iceland poppy, Papaver nudicaule

Indian paintbrush are symbols of creativity, passion, and the pursuit of dreams. Their red and orange flowers represent fiery energy and the drive needed to achieve your goals.

Indian paintbrush
Indian paintbrush, Castilleja sp.

Red flowers stand out in both wild and cultivated landscapes.

Meanings of flowers may vary, depending on the source. For this post, I relied on information on Petal Republic.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Primary Colors LAPC

Flower of the Day FOTD

Beneath a cloudy Wyoming sky Nonet poem: WS

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Beneath a cloudy Wyoming sky

Bunchgrass buffeted by the wind

Wave a welcome to pronghorn

Sage embraces the herd

Distant thunder booms

A doe trembles

Giving birth

Beloved

Fawn

Beneath a cloudy Wyoming sky
Pronghorn herd near Farson, Wyoming

Weekend Sky (WS)

Need to weed? Tools & tips: FF

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Do you need to weed? It’s not something we want to do, but it’s something we have to do.

Some weeds are pretty, but spread aggressively. I call this one the “Root of all Evil” because it can be hard to pull and develops seed heads almost as soon as it pops out of the ground.

Need to weed
“Root of all Evil” Stork’s-bill or Crane’s Bill


About an acre of our land is planted with landscaping, fruit, or vegetable plants. We need to weed often, especially in the spring. Today I’ll share some tips and tools that may help you when you need to weed.

Need to weed tools

Need to weed seat
Bosmere N468 Kneeling Seat for the Garden


I have tried several seats while weeding, and this is my favorite. You can sit on it as a seat or flip it over and kneel on it.

Need to wead kneeler seat
Bosmere N468 Kneeling Seat for the Garden

My dogs like when I sit on it because then I’m at their level. Shelby thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to play fetch with me.

Fetching dog
“It’s time to play, right?”
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Monkey tree can’t pinch me!: TTL

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“Monkey tree can’t pinch me!” I remember saying that as a kid every time we drove past one of these odd trees on the way to our grandparents’ house. We would try to be the first one to pinch our siblings before they could pinch us. Did anyone else play that game?

Monkey tree can't pinch me
Monkey puzzle tree in Silverton, Oregon

Monkey puzzle trees, Araucaria auracana, are native to Chile and Argentina but grow well in many parts of the world. In their native habitat, they grow to a height of 100-130 feet, but in gardens in North America mature at 30-40 feet.

Their common name originated in 1850 when Charles Austin, who was visiting a friend’s garden in England, remarked, “It would puzzle a monkey to climb that.” Those triangular leaves have sharp edges and tips!

Close up of tree
Close up of Monkey puzzle tree leaves, Silverton, Oregon

Thursday Tree Love

Foggy day at Boiler Bay: WWE

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I took this picture of a foggy day at Boiler Bay, Oregon a couple weeks ago.

foggy day at Boiler Bay

In 1910, the J. Marhoffer schooner ran aground here. Its engine caught on fire and the fuel tanks exploded, sending debris everywhere. During extremely low tides, you can still see its boiler, for which this site is named.

Water Water Everywhere (WWE)

Evergreen Aviation, McMinnville: Word of the Day

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Last September, we visited the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, located in McMinnville, Oregon. This large facility is a great place to visit, whether you’re an aviator or not.

I featured their star attraction, the Spruce Goose, in a previous post. It dwarfs the other aircraft there. In several of my images, you’ll see parts of the Spruce Goose towering overhead.

I’ve divided this post by sections shown on the Museum map at the end of this post.

Early Flight

Several of the aircraft in this and other sections are replicas of the original. The first is a flying machine as envisioned by Leonardo Da Vinci, 400 years before the Wright brothers.

Evergreen Aviation

The next plane is a replica of a Curtiss Pusher.

Curtiss Pusher

This de Havilland DH-4 aircraft was used to deliver mail in the 1920s, as weather permitted.

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Waterfall washing away worries: Wordless Wednesday

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South Falls waterfall washing away worries at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

waterfall washing away worries

South Falls from behind

Wordless Wednesday

Natural frame scenes: LAPC

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A glistening serpent slithers through a natural frame of duckweed and sedges

White calla lilies, surrounded by leathery green leaves, enlighten

Crimson canna lily leaves punctuate a layered landscape of greenness

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Birch bark canoe: Wordless Wednesday

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Birch bark canoe

Birch bark canoe at The Indian Museum of North America® at Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota

Wordless Wednesday

Cedar Bear: Monday Mural

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I saw this Cedar Bear Herbal Supplements mural while visiting Vernal, Utah. I especially liked the blue and green colors in this mural. The artist did a great job of painting liquid, not an easy thing to do. The light outlines of cresting waves filled out the space and gave a good sense of movement.

Cedar Bear mural

Monday Mural

Hummingbird painting: First Friday Art

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Today I’m sharing a hummingbird painting I painted. I did a quick drawing with pen and ink and later filled in the lines with acrylic paint. The colors of the fuschia flower and leaves are reflected in the plumage of the bird.

Hummingbird painting

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

First Friday Art (FFA)

Bison & Bikes YIKES!

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In early June, while driving the roads in Custer State Park, South Dakota, we saw these bison & bikes in front of us. YIKES!

It ends up we were driving through the Ride Across South Dakota (RASDak) annual event. The route for this six-day event changes every year. The part we saw had participants riding 37 miles from Hot Springs to Custer, South Dakota. Mileage of each leg of the 330-mile route varies by day.

Though a RASDak support vehicle parked nearby, I would be nervous being this close to bison with calves. In fact, visitors to Custer State Park are advised to “remain in your vehicle or stay at least 100 yards from bison, elk, and other animals.” I admired the bravery of these bike riders.

Bison & bikes

I’m sure the participants saw amazing sights along the entire route, but they were probably glad to get past this bison & bikes roadblock. What a great way to see the state!

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Roads

Fluttering into a wild iris meadow: WWP

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Fluttering into a wild iris meadow
White-faced Ibis alight
Curved bills preen and probe
Iridescent feathers catch fading light
Casting rainbows over dusty hills
Awakening dormant wildflowers
Yearning for an opportunity
To shine

fluttering into a wild iris meadow

Weekend Writing Prompt (WWP) #322- Flutter (34 words)

Missed it by a hare: LAPC & TDS

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I like to walk the trails in Norris Geyser Basin when visiting Yellowstone National Park. One day, while I walked along a forested trail, I nodded at two people passing me going the opposite direction. Another person walked some distance ahead of me. All of them overlooked something alongside the trail. In fact, they missed it by a hare.

Norris Geyser Basin

Can you spot what I saw near the trail?

Missed it by a hare

Maybe everyone passing by was looking at this geyser on the other side of the trail and missed it.

Geyser

I spotted a movement from a distance and stepped towards it for a closer look.

What is that? A new kind of rabbit? Maybe a pinto bunny?

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Swallowtail on Penstemon: Friday Flowers

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I saw this beautiful Western Tiger Swallowtail on a penstemon flower in my front yard recently. We try to plant flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. We’ve seen LOTS of butterflies this year.

Swallowtail on penstemon

Friday Flowers

Structure of wings: Monochrome Monday

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This Curtiss JN-4A Jenny, shown without fabric covering, shows the structure of wings. This is one of the many aircraft on display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.

Structure of wings

Here’s an informational poster next to the plane. Note the photo of a couple playing tennis on its wings!

Monochrome Monday

Summer Festival in Bend: LAPC & WOTD

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Earlier this month, we went to the local Summer Festival here in Bend, Oregon.

If it’s a summer festival, you might see fairies walking down the street, right? Are those blurry spots behind them spots on my windshield? Nope, I’m pretty sure that’s a cloud of fairy dust. 😉

Fairies in Bend

As the sign says, this festival features music, food, and art. It takes place downtown on three city blocks, plus a couple side streets. It’s estimated that 70,000 people attend this two and a half day festival.

Summer Festival

The art booths have everything from jewelry and landscape art, to pillows featuring an image of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Various businesses feature their products and services in the Bend Business Showcase section.

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Perfection on the water: FOTD & NPC

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When I think about waterlilies, I think about perfection on the water. Delicate blossoms radiate over thick floating leaves. No more words needed.

perfection on the water

Flower of the Day (FOTD) – Waterlily

Nature Photo Challenge (NPC) #21 – Waterplants

Antelope of the West, the pronghorn: WPWC

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We recently returned from a long road trip through several western states and spotted hundreds of pronghorn along the way. I’m a big fan of this antelope of the west and love taking pictures of them.

Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, also known as antelope or pronghorn antelope, are quirky animals in many ways. Their scientific name means “American goat-antelope.”

In September of 1804, upon first seeing pronghorn, Lewis and Clark expedition members assumed they were goats. Captain Lewis noted the “superior fleetness of this anamal which was to me really astonishing.” Upon examining them more closely, Lewis referred to them as antelope, based on their resemblance to African antelopes.

In reality, pronghorn are the only surviving members of the North American Antilocapridae family. Goats and true antelopes are in the Bovidae family.

Pronghorn antelope
Pronghorn at Custer State Park, South Dakota

In this post, I’ll share more about their natural history.

Range

Pronghorn range from the southern prairie provinces of Canada, southward into the western states of America and into northern Mexico.  

Pregnant pronghorn in Baker, Nevada 8May2017
Pregnant doe pronghorn near Great Basin National Park, Nevada
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Canna lily leaves up close: MM & FOTD

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These Canna Lily leaves are beautiful up close. Lovely shapes, lines, and colors.

Canna lily leaves
Canna lily, Oregon Garden, Silverton, Oregon

Macro Monday (MM)

Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Fencing near & far: LAPC

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Fencing of rock is heavy and enduring,

Guiding the way

Rock fencing
Coumeenoole Beach, County Kerry, Ireland

And dividing the land to conserve it

Steens Mountain
Steens Mountain, Oregon

A fence of rope is lightweight,

Preserving the past

Poulnabrone Dolmen
Poulnabrone Dolmen, County Clare, Ireland
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Frank Lloyd Wright house: LAPC

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On July 9th, I returned to Silverton, Oregon, to go on a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright house. When I think of simplicity in architecture, I think of Frank Lloyd Wright. I recently featured a view from the road of the Gordon House. Limited tours of the inside are available by reservation only.

Frank Lloyd Wright house


Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright House

Our 45-minute tour began in the great room. Walls of floor-to-ceiling glass doors flanked towering ceilings. They opened to allow a welcome cross breeze on this warm summer day. As in all Wright houses, a fireplace served as a focal point. Red concrete slabs with radiant heat covered the floors, and they made the walls from concrete blocks. Built-in cabinets, desks, and tables are in nearly every room.

Great room

The design featured the fretwork seen here on the interior and exterior of the house. One of the workers joked how he’d gone through all the router bits in the state cutting the house’s fretwork. That was long before laser cutters!

Shelving
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