Purple flowers of spring: LAPC & SC

March 19, 2023March 19, 2023 / SoyBend / 12 Comments

I think of spring as being a season in flux, constantly shifting between the coolness of winter and the warmth of summer. Purple flowers, part warm red and part cool blue, reflect this indecision.

Cheery little phlox flowers blossom in profusion when spring arrives.

Tall, graceful penstemon pull in passing pollinators.

Gentian’s purple flowers trumpet their presence in bold notes.

Iris flags flutter in the wind, signaling in White-faced Ibises.

A brush against a purple sage shrub sends its minty scent into the wind, forever reminding you of spring.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Spring

Mindlovesmisery’s Menagerie: Sunday Confessional – Spring

Ochoco Highway drive in Oregon: LAPC

March 12, 2023March 12, 2023 / SoyBend / 20 Comments

Last October, we took a scenic drive along the Ochoco Highway in eastern Oregon. The landscapes in this area are punctuated by scenic rugged buttes, painted hills, rimrock mountains, and snow covered peaks.

Rustic buildings persevere, despite the harshness of the environment near Strawberry Mountain. Puffy overcast clouds filled the sky.

Black Butte stands out when you round a corner near Mitchell. The clouds in this picture were breathtakingly beautiful.

Driving westbound, the road winds between steep mountains near Picture Gorge. I always expect to see a Prairie Falcon in flight here.

The eastbound road through the rimrock is also impressive. This photo was taken near the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, an impressive attraction a short distance north of the Ochoco Highway.

The Painted Hills, another short drive north of the Ochoco Highway, showcases colorful mountains but also highlights layered hills in more subtle tones.

You’ll drive by several impressive buttes, including this one near Mitchell. I previously featured a dramatic picture of this peak in black and white.

When I thought about things I like to photograph for the prompt this week, landscapes immediately came to mind. I really enjoyed photographing the interesting geology along the Ochoco Highway last October. The photogenic clouds overhead added an additional “character” to the scenes.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – The road most often taken

High Desert Oases in Oregon: LAPC

March 5, 2023March 5, 2023 / SoyBend / 22 Comments

High Desert oases offer peaceful retreats for wildlife and human visitors.

Lake County Oases

Summer Lake lies at the base of Winter Ridge in Lake County, Oregon. When water levels are high, this alkaline lake measures 15 miles long and 5 miles wide. Explorer, Captain John C. Fremont, named the lake and ridge. Here is how he described them:

At our feet…more than a thousand feet below…we looked into a green prairie country, in which a beautiful lake, some twenty miles in length, was spread along the foot of the mountain…Shivering on snow three feet deep, and stiffening in a cold north wind, we exclaimed at once that the names of summer lake and winter ridge should be applied to these proximate places of such sudden and violent contrast.
John C. Fremont, 16 December 1843, Report, Second Expedition

Lake Abert, in Lake County, is Oregon’s only saline lake. The lake can host over 50,000 birds a day. Wilson’s Phalaropes and Snowy Plover feed on the brine shrimp and alkali flies that only live in saline lakes. Like the Great Salt Lake, water levels have dropped dramatically in recent years.

Warner Pond is a secluded natural lake at Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Lake County. They stock this small, hidden gem with rainbow trout. You can fish from the dock or in a non-motorized boat. Camping is available at nearby Camp Hart Mountain or about a half hour away at Hart Mountain Hot Springs Campground, another oasis.

A Crook County Oases

Prineville Reservoir, in Crook County, was created by damming the Crooked River in 1961. The 12-mile long lake provides water for irrigation, flood control, and wildlife management. It’s a great place to fish and camp–when there’s enough water. Though we’ve had good snowpack so far this year, the reservoir in March 2023 is only 13% full.

A Deschutes County Oases

High Desert oases come in many forms. The Hatfield Ponds, near Bend, hosts the highest diversity of bird species in Deschutes County. The city uses the ponds for secondary sewage treatment. Like the other spots featured in this post, birds are drawn to the water in the desert landscape. In fact, eBird birders have seen 256 species at the Hatfield Ponds. Visitors can walk the trails around the ponds while taking in spectacular views of the nearby Cascade volcanoes.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) #239 – Finding Peace

Solitary Moments in Nature: LAPC

February 26, 2023February 26, 2023 / SoyBend / 17 Comments

Solitary moments

Collecting pollen for little larvae

Browsing branches in High Desert landscapes

Eyeing potential prey, gliding overhead

Solitary moments

Standing still along a winding river

Balancing among blossoms, calling in spring

Wading and waiting for a distant flock

Grazing grass in an alpine meadow

Alone, yet part of a greater herd

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Alone Time

A dusting of snow: LAPC & SC

February 19, 2023February 19, 2023 / SoyBend / 26 Comments

A dusting of snow accentuates
sculptures created by the wind

And softens rough edges
of twisting structures

A dusting of snow
muffles the calls of nature

And softens footfalls
while drawing our eyes to the skies

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Bringing softness

Sunday Confessionals (SC) – Notice of Nature

Early morning light: LAPC & MM

February 6, 2023February 5, 2023 / SoyBend / 15 Comments

In the early morning light, shadows shift with the rising sun

Playgrounds wait patiently, quiet and still

Graceful waterfowl paddle along deserted waterways

Sunlit bucks guard their herds, scattered in darkness

In the early morning light, volcanoes contemplate the reflections of rushes

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Shadows and Reflections in Monochrome

Monochrome Monday

Amazing airplanes in Hood River: LAPC

September 3, 2022September 25, 2022 / SoyBend / 20 Comments

If you’d like to see a large collection of amazing airplanes, be sure to visit the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon. The indoor hangar space is more than 3.5 acres in size.

All of the aircraft have been restored to working condition. This process takes a long time and the Museum restores an average of two per year. Our family donated a Fly Baby homebuilt plane, but it’s not yet on display.

The planes are generally arranged by type within the buildings.

Biplanes

Biplanes have interesting designs and they’re a great subject for photographs. I featured one of them in a black and white photograph in a previous post.

Mike and Linda Strong, friends of the family, donated the two 1929 WACOs pictured below. Mike worked as an airline pilot for many years and liked to fly smaller planes in his spare time. He gave me a ride in one of the WACOs years ago and it was a memorable experience.

The first WACO is a taper wing. At high speeds, tapered wings decrease drag and increase lift. They also make the plane lighter and more maneuverable.

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Lake County Oases

A Crook County Oases

A Deschutes County Oases

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Biplanes

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Weird architecture

Wonderful tastes

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