Wolfe Ranch root cellar: Monochrome Monday

Wolfe Ranch root cellar, Arches National Park, Utah 2May2017

Wolfe Ranch root cellar at Arches National Park, Utah. This ranch was settled in 1888 by John Wolfe and his oldest son.

Monochrome Monday

Ordinary to extraordinary: Monochrome Monday

Even a little bit of snow turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here are some patterns in the snow I noticed on my morning walks.

Ordinary to extraordinary snow patterns in Bend, Oregon 20 January 2020
Cattails in winter snow, Bend, Oregon 13 January 2020
Ordinary to extraordinary a dusting of snow over pinecones and pine needles, Bend, Oregon January 2020
Snowfall over a brook, Bend Oregon 19 January 2019

Monochrome Monday

Dolphins in Flight: Monochrome Monday

This sculpture by Robert Dow Reid is called Rhapsody. It’s located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The artist captured their playful spirit perfectly.

Dolphins in flight, Kelowna, B.C., Canada July 1998

Monochrome Monday

Covered in coldness poem: LAPC

Covered in coldness
Obscured from view
Layered in lightness
Dazzling and new

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Cold

Teepee made from tules: Monchrome Monday

This teepee made from tules is a re-creation of what Native Americans of Central Oregon once used as a home.

Teepee made from tules, Bend, Oregon October 2019

Tule bulrushes (pictured below at Hosmer Lake) grow along the shores of lakes, ponds, and waterways.

This plant was used to make teepees, baskets, mats, bedding, footwear, and clothing. Tules were also used medicinally, as a source of food, and in making boats.

A black & white world – 4 haiku: LAPC

In a black & white world, everything is laid bare for all to see.

A lack of color
Highlights drama in the skies
In brilliant detail

A black & white world, A storm brewing near Sisters, Oregon August 2019
A storm brewing near Sisters, Oregon

A lack of color
Gives expression to patterns
Often unobserved

California quail near prickly poppy, Bend, Oregon May 2017
California quail near prickly poppy
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Scene from a museum: Monochrome Monday

A scene from a museum, Baker City, Oregon

This is a scene from a museum in Baker City, Oregon. I thought the rustic details came out much more clearly in black and white.

Monochrome Monday

Camp Hart Mountain: Monochrome Monday

Camp Hart Mountain, Oregon 27 September 2019

Camp Hart Mountain was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and operated from 1937 to 1941. Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge , established in December of 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, helped protect pronghorn antelope.

The CCC crew stationed at Camp Hart Mountain helped with many projects such as building roads, stringing telephone lines, and building new structures. After their work was completed, most of the buildings at the camp were taken down. The building in the distance was the infirmary and it’s the only historical building remaining at this site. There is currently an RV campground located here.

By the way, I worked at Hart Mountain years ago and saw pronghorn regularly. Here’s a story of one such encounter.

Flying Saucer Cloud: Monochrome Monday

Flying saucer cloud, Steens Mountain, Oregon 28 August 2019

I saw this flying saucer cloud hovering near Steens Mountain a few days ago. I see why lenticular clouds, like this one for example, are often called UFO clouds.

Monochrome Monday

Cat in the shadows: Monochrome Monday

This cat in the shadows is my cat, Motor. He turned 17 this month and he keeps healthy by getting plenty of beauty sleep.

Cat in the shadows 25July2019

Monochrome Monday

One Ringy Dingy…: Monochrome Monday

One Ringy Dingy switchboard, Burns, Oregon 12April2019

I saw this old switchboard at the Harney County Historical Museum in Burns, Oregon. I could imagine Ernestine sitting in front of it saying, “One ringy dingy…two ringy dingy. Is this the party to whom I am speaking?” Making calls is a little easier today.

Drum painting: Monochrome Monday

Desert Glyph: Drum Painting

Drum Painting, High Desert Museum  2May2019
Front view

This drum painting is part of the new Desert Reflections: Water Shapes the West exhibit at the High Desert Museum. The artist, Ka’ila Farrell-Smith, blends traditional indigenous art forms and contemporary installation art. The traditional concept of a drum is extended into a large rectangular form. Two “hitchhiker” rocks anchor it to the ground.

The sounds and views of this instrument change as it reacts to sunlight. The shadows of the sinew on the back move across the front as the sun moves across the sky. The sinew expands and contracts as temperatures change.

Drum Painting, High Desert Museum  2May2019
Back view

The painting on the front references the Long Lake abstract petroglyphs. It is an example of Great Basin Curvilinear, Rectilinear, and Representational rock art styles.

I liked the back of this work just as much as the front. Loved the lines!

Monochrome Monday

Where the pronghorn roam: Monochrome Monday

Where the pronghorn roam 1November2017
A large herd of pronghorn near Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Oregon

Monochrome Monday

White-crowned sparrows: Monochrome Monday

These bold little white-crowned sparrows can raise or lower their “crown”, depending upon their mood. They occur throughout North America, but their bill color varies. It can be orange, yellow, or pink depending upon where they live.

They have a cheery and distinctive song that you may recognize. Listen to it here.