Landscape of Grand Prismatic: LAPC

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The water in some of the springs presents to the eye the colors of all the precious gems known to commerce. In one spring the hue is like that of an emerald, in another like that of the turquoise, another has the ultra-marine hue of the sapphire, another has the color of topaz; and the suggestions has been made that the names of these jewels may very properly be given to many of these springs.

Nathaniel Pitt Langford in Diary of the Washburn Expedition to the Yellowstone and Firehole Rivers in the Year 1870.

Grand Prismatic Spring is the crown jewel of hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. The landscape of Grand Prismatic has all the colors of the rainbow. The cracks and tracks add some interesting texture as well. This 370-foot wide spring is the largest in the United States and third largest in the world.

Landscape Grand Prismatic Yellowstone National Park 3June2018
Close-up Grand Prismatic Yellowstone National Park 3June2018
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Unusual Clouds Above Bend : LAPC

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The sky takes on shades of orange during sunrise and sunset, the colour that gives you hope that the sun will set only to rise again.

Ram Charan
Unusual Clouds in Bend, Oregon 18October2017
Clouds in Bend, Oregon 25January2016
Clouds in Bend, Oregon 30September2016
Clouds in Bend, Oregon 6October2017
Unusual Clouds in Bend, Oregon 9November2018

We have many beautiful sunrises and sunsets here in Bend, Oregon. Sometimes the unique colors and forms of the clouds are totally unexpected and they’ll take your breath away. Here are a few of those moments my camera allowed me to capture.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Unexpected

Blue Basin Trail – Island in Time

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Green scenes on Blue Basin trail

Blue Basin hike, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon 26October2018
An otherworldly landscape in Blue Basin

I did this easy hike on the Blue Basin trail in John Day Fossil Beds National Monument last October. I felt like a stranger in a strange land on this trail through blue-green badlands.  

Blue Basin hike, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon 26October2018
A bench along the trail
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Badgers & Magpies & Leopards, Oh my!

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Badgers Yellowstone NPk 13June2011
Badgers at Yellowstone National Park

In The Story Who Came to Visit, I mentioned I would be doing an Open Mic event here in Bend. Yes, it does take a bit of courage to do something like that. Yesterday I read a short piece from the children’s book I wrote during NaNoWriMo. The audience was eager to hear the work of local writers.

I read a story about a bullied girl who finds her courage after talking with a magpie and a badger. They both have hidden weaknesses but found their inner strength. Nuǎn, the main character in the story, finds her strength just when she needs it most. A snow leopard that had attacked her and left her scarred is about to attack another child.

Here’s an excerpt from that scene:

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Bald Eagle: Don’t Fence Me In

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Bald eagle out for breakfast

Bald Eagle & fence 18January2019

I saw this bald eagle standing in the middle of a field this morning and couldn’t figure out why it was there. Then I noticed a couple magpies flying close by. Hmmm. Upon closer inspection, I saw a deer carcass several feet away. I guess everyone was there for a breakfast buffet.

The Road To… Oregon: LAPC

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The curving road

Here are some curving roads to various scenic destinations in Oregon. When you’re driving down the road you never know what sights you’ll see just around the bend.

What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it’s curved like a road through mountains.

Tennessee Williams

The Road To...Fort Rock, Oregon 10June2017
The road to… Fort Rock
The Road To... Mt Hood, Oregon 15October2017
The road to… Mt Hood
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Prairie Smoke: Friday Flowers

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A Rose by Another Name

Prairie Smoke Wyoming 1June2018

Prairie smoke, Geum triflorum, is a native plant of the prairies and it’s a less showy member of the rose family. The sepals on their droopy flowers are fused shut so they can’t open fully. I was drawn to this plant with its plain flowers and deeply serrated leaves.

The plants grow 6-10″ tall and bloom in late spring through early summer. Once the flowers are fertilized, they are followed by feathery wispy “fruits” (achenes) that somewhat resemble smoke. Another common name for this plant is Old Man’s Whiskers. The semi-evergreen leaves turn varying shades of red, purple, and orange in the fall.

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National Park Travels: LAPC

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These photos are of our National Park travels within 1,000 miles of our home. We are lucky to live so close to so much beauty.

I tried to consider what was in the foreground as well as the background in these shots.

National Park Travels - Yellowstone, Wyoming 30May2018
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
National Park Travels - Arches, Utah 2May2017
Arches National Park, Utah
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Chives vignette: Friday Flowers

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The color has faded in these blossoms but they are still beautifully framed by the long spiky leaves on this chive plant.

Chives Vignette 10July2018

Friday Flowers

2018 Favorite Photos: LAPC

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It’s always hard to pick favorite photos at the end of the year. Here are several representing nature, history, and culture. Enjoy and have a great New Year!

Favorite Photos – Nature

  • Many moods of my muse - Juniper Sunset 29August2016
  • Quote on the Cosmos , close-up of cosmos flower 13September2018
  • Branches in a new light , Yellowstone National Park May2018
  • Wisdom Black & White Great Horned Owl 20January2018
  • Blue Basin Bridge, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon 26October2018
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Tin Pan Alley Art in Bend

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Seven artists featured in Tin Pan Alley

The Tin Pan Alley Art “gallery” is located in a short alleyway in downtown Bend, Oregon. The alley features large pieces of art created with a variety of media. Some are 2-dimensional while others are more sculptural. Do you have a favorite among these wonderful pieces of art?

This collection is part of a public art initiative that supports local arts and culture. It takes our outdoor lifestyle into consideration. Another example of outdoor art is featured in many of Bend’s roundabouts.

Mixed media

Tin Pan Alley Art in Bend, Oregon 22December2018

This is The Visitor by artist Carol Sternkopf. This is a mixed media piece that combines photography, vinyl, paint, twigs, wood, metal, and salvaged home decor. Nature and animals were important in Carol’s childhood. She incorporates them into her art. She hopes viewers think about the “larger story within the magnificent blue owl’s eyes” in this piece.

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Nature’s Icing on Christmas

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Just enough of Nature’s icing on our wreath to brighten up the holidays.

Nature's Icing on a wreath in Bend, Oregon 2018

“He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.”

John Burroughs

Blue Pool Reflections: LAPC

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The Artwork of Nature

I visited Blue Pool on a cool September day. Mother Nature was busy there producing colorful works of art. The colors in the pool are unbelievably beautiful and intense. On this day, the warm colors of fall leaves were reflected on the water.

As I mentioned in Blue Pool is a Jewel, the reflections look like Impressionist paintings. I could have stayed there for a long time taking pictures. Can you see why?

Blue Pool Reflections 14September2016
Blue Pool Reflections 14September2016
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Holiday Lights Winter Paddle Parade in Bend

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Last night we had a front row seat to watch the paddle parade go by on the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. This event has taken place for many years, rain or shine. It was kind of blustery weather last night but there were still a lot of people participating in the parade.

Paddle Parade, Bend, Oregon 14December2018
The watercraft headed toward the Flag Bridge

The event is hosted by Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe in the Old Mill district. Participants dress up their watercraft and themselves with colorful lights. The parade takes place from about 4:00 to 6:00 pm. After it’s over, everyone gets together for nice warm drinks.

Paddle Parade, Bend, Oregon 14December2018
Of course Santa has a raft pulled by flamingos!
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Colorful Border on Fall’s Eve: Friday Flowers

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Colorful border at Oregon Garden, Silverton, OR 20September2018

A colorful border full of flowers on the last day of summer at Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon. 

Friday Flowers

The Story Who Came to Visit: RDP

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Last month, The Darkness of Hills, The Lightness of Wings came to visit me for 25 days. Yes, that was a long visit. She spoke a little bit to me each day until she was 50,129 words long.

Story in Painted Hills, Oregon 14 26October2018

I started her as part of the NaNoWriMo challenge. That’s short for National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month. It’s a commitment I wasn’t sure I could make, but I did it.

I knew I wanted the story to take place in the late 1800s and I wanted to include a Chinese girl who moves to Oregon to work with her grandfather. He’s a doctor and she knows how to make herbal cures. That’s all I knew when I started writing.

I found my inspirations to build a story from several sources.

Story Kam Wah Chung in John Day, Oregon 26October2018
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Making a Splash: LAPC

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As you wade through the waters of your life you often end up making a splash. Sometimes you make a big loud splash and other times you need to make a quieter one. Maybe only a ripple. Here are photos of quieter splashes I have seen in Oregon.

Making a Splash, Common merganser pair on the Deschutes River 2April2017

Common merganser pair on the Deschutes River

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Quote on the Cosmos: Friday Flowers

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Quote on the Cosmos , close-up of cosmos flower 13September2018

Other times, you’re doing some piece of work and suddenly you get feedback that tells you that you have touched something that is very alive in the cosmos.

Leonard Nimoy

Friday Flowers

Viewpoints of Oregon: Photo Challenge

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The challenge on Travel with Intent today is Viewpoint.

Here a few viewpoints of Oregon from places I’ve visited. Some are from places labeled as a viewpoint; others are taken where people stop to see a special view.

Viewpoints of Oregon, the Painted Hills near John Day 26October2018

The Painted Hills in eastern Oregon

Viewpoints of Oregon, great horned owl nest south of Burns 6April2018

The view of a great horned owl nest south of Burns

Viewpoints of Oregon, the view of Mt. Hood from Highway 26 14October2017

The view of Mt. Hood from Highway 26

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Native American Women, Their Art, and the Photographs of Edward S. Curtis Exhibit

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Mother and child - Apsaroka by Edward S. Curtis

Mother and child – Apsaroka by Edward S. Curtis

The Photographs of Edward S. Curtis in the By Her Hand Exhibit

This exhibition features portraits of Native women by photographer Edward S. Curtis from the collection of Christopher G. Cardozo. Curtis took the featured photographs over a 30-year period as part of a project to document Native American’s lifestyle and culture in a time of change. Curtis traveled across North America from 1900 to 1930 photographing over 80 tribes.

By Her Hand Exhibit of Edward S. Curtis Photos , High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon October 2018

By Her Hand Exhibit of Edward S. Curtis Photos, High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon

Edward S. Curtis worked out of a studio in Seattle, Washington and received financial support from J. P. Morgan. Curtis collected information about the lives of each tribe through photographs, writings, and audio recordings. With the help of Native translators, he assembled a 20-volume set titled The North American Indian. Curtis intended to publish 500 copies but due to a series of financial and personal setbacks, only about 272 were printed. Ninety percent of the original sets are owned by institutions, including the High Desert Museum.

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Branches in a new light: LAPC

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These images show branches in a new light…

Branches in a new light , Yellowstone National Park May2018

Reclining and resting in a sea of green

Branches in a new light , Bend, Oregon 14January2017

Coated with a covering of snow

Branches in a new light Bend, Oregon December2017

Framing a fiery sunrise

Branches in a new light Oregon Gardens, Silverton, Oregon September2018

Burdened with a bounty of fruit

Branches in a new light Bend, Oregon 23May2018

Shrouded by the smoke of a prescribed burn

 

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Magical Light

Yellowstone Hidden & Revealed: LAPC

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In Yellowstone National Park, much of the wildlife is hidden from view. You have to look carefully to find the animals and sometimes they will reveal themselves to you.

Yellowstone Hidden & Revealed, Elk in the Lamar Valley 1June2018Elk in the Lamar Valley are hidden as they blend into the landscape traveling along a ridge top.

Yellowstone Hidden & Revealed Elk 1June2018However, when they cross a pond they are revealed. The splashing water draws your attention and their pale colored rumps make you take notice of them.

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