lens-artists

Magical moment with wildlife: LAPC

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I had a major magical moment with wildlife while visiting Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland a few weeks ago. I took a little used side trail and paused briefly in the pouring down rain.

This Great Blue Heron walked right up to me before turning to stand near a pond. I could have reached out and touched the bird. WOW! I stopped snapping pictures when it was really close to me because I didn’t want to scare it.

Magical moment with wildlife

I’m working on a book where the main character is a girl born with the powers of several animals. One animal is a Great Blue Heron. Was this heron showing its appreciation of my efforts so far on that book?

Great Blue Heron

I had another magical moment with wildlife at Yellowstone National Park this week. We were at the end of the road at Slough Creek and saw a small critter weaving its way through the sagebrush. A badger!

Magical moment with wildlife

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Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden: LAPC & FOTD

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In early May, I visited the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland, Oregon.

Rhododendron

The 9.5-acre garden contains more that 2,500 types of rhododendrons, azaleas, and companion plants. This site was donated by the Jackson family in 1950.

Close up rhododendron

After paying admission, you’ll enter the garden over this beautiful bridge.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

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Black-necked stilts parade tanka: LAPC & BOTW

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black-necked stilts parade

black-necked stilts parade
on pink legs, slender yet strong,
in search of magic
hidden beneath the marshlands
in iridescent ripples

stilts

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Delicate

Bird of the Week (BOTW) LXV

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Hope may be… : LAPC & WPWC

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Hope may be bright spots in the darkness

curving tunnel

Or at the end of a twisted and turning path

hope may be trail

Hope may be something we wish and pray for

otter praying

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Morning breaking over the High Desert: LAPC

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Morning breaking over the High Desert

morning breaking

Blackbird singing praises over a playa

Yellow-headed Blackbird

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Seeing the softness of nature: LAPC & WPWC

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Seeing the softness of nature

Walking behind a wall of water of a woodland waterfall

Seeing the softness of nature

Regarding a heron ruminating over rippling reflections

great blue heron

Spotting the strength of steel softened by a spring snow

snowy fence

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Skink among the stones: WW & LAPC

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skink among the stones

Skink among the stones near Bend, Oregon

Wordless Wednesday (WW)

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Rock Your World

Rocks I remember: LAPC & FOWC

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The rocks I remember may rest on the slopes of extinct volcanoes

Rocks on Pilot Butte 26Oct2016
Volcanic rocks on Pilot Butte, Bend, Oregon

And show cryptic carved messages created years ago

reveal petroglyphs
Picture Rock Pass Petroglyphs Site, Oregon

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Enhance the beauty of photos: LAPC

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When I process pictures, I think about how to enhance the beauty of the subject.

The natural features at the Red Canyon Overlook in Dutch John, Utah are beautiful, but so is the visitor center. The roof looks like wings swooping upwards. A fence with a modern design and a standing dead tree add to the beauty.

Red Canyon Overlook

To enhance the architecture of the building, I used a cold filter and a dark vignette. I framed it with a simple white slide mount effect.

enhance the beauty

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Near the ocean’s shore: LAPC & WS

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Near the ocean’s shore, wind and water create ephemeral works of art

near the ocean's shore
Arcs in the sand at Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area, Oregon

Ebbs and flows peel away the earth’s surface to reveal its hidden brilliance

coastal cliffs
Cliffs at Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area, Oregon

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Metropolis of Thermopolis: LAPC & RDP

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What’s so special about the metropolis of Thermopolis? It’s a great place to stay to see several amazing attractions nearby.

Thermopolis is a small city located in central Wyoming. In 2020, its population was 2,725. Its name means “hot city” in Greek. Here’s a view of it in the distance from Hot Springs State Park. Though I didn’t take pictures of the downtown, the sights within and near the city are very photogenic.

metropolis of Thermopolis

As you can see in the photo below, they proudly advertise their hot springs. “World’s Largest Mineral Hot Spring” is spelled out in big white lettering. Visitors can pay to soak in two commercial hot springs or soak for free in the state-owned State Bath House.

Hillside hotspring sign


We stayed in our campervan for much of our recent multi-state trip, but our driver needed a break, so we stayed in a Thermopolis hotel for a couple of nights.

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Garden of Surging Waves: LAPC

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The Garden of Surging Waves is located in Astoria, Oregon. The city was founded in 1811 and this garden was a gift to celebrate the city’s 200th anniversary. The Chinese were an important part of Astoria’s history. At one time, 22% of the city’s population was Chinese. In the Pacific Northwest, Chinese were instrumental in the cannery, logging, mining, and railroad construction industries.

I’m starting with a circular mosaic of three sturgeon. It was my favorite artwork there.

sturgeon mosaic

This is part of the Pavilion of Transition, pictured below. The fish theme is repeated in the circular lantern hanging above the mosaic. Nine salmon swim around its perimeter.

The pavilion has eight columns with dragons carved into each. The squares, circles, and even and odd numbers in this garden represent elements of Yin and Yang.

Garden of Surging Waves

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Garden art in Silverton, OR: LAPC

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Garden art may be realistic and small

garden art

Or tall and abstract, casting striking shadows

Abstract sculptures

You may hear garden art bark from the shadows cast by trees

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Sounds of wild creatures: LAPC

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Sounds of wild creatures, the large and the small,
Pulling our attention, leaving us enthralled

Small Black-throated Sparrows pause and perch high
Singing unforgettable melodies to deep azure skies

Black-throated Sparrow song

sounds of wild creatures
Black-throated Sparrow at Arches National Park, UT

Large Wild Turkeys graze and promenade
Chortling calls rise, then fall in cascades

Wild Turkey call

wild turkeys
Wild Turkeys at Capitol Reef National Park, UT
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Beneath the Clouds in B & W: LAPC & WS

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Paddling beneath the clouds
Floating lacelike
Over lakes of lifegiving water

Beneath the clouds

Puffs of pale exhalations
Follow meandering rivers

Flaming Gorge clouds
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The spirit of… :LAPC & WOTD

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The spirit of a sea creature living on, forever guarding its seaside home

The Spirit of

Fiery red maple leaves, trembling in autumn’s cool showers

Red vine maple

The edges of never-ending books, revealing themselves on rolling hillsides

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Snow in words and images: LAPC

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Today I’m featuring quotes related to snow next to snowy pictures taken in my yard. Winter has finally arrived here in Bend, Oregon.

A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder.

Susan Orlean
Snow on a juniper

Advice is like snow – the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Snowy tree
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Finding drama in Oregon: LAPC

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Finding drama in branches haphazardly woven together

Finding drama
Willow fence at headquarters, Malheur NWR, Oregon

Or planted in concise rows bearing intoxicating fruit

Vineyard and waterslide
Vineyard in front of airplane waterpark, Evergreen Air & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon

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2023 favorites: LAPC

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Here are some of my 2023 favorites. Enjoy!

2023 favorites of scenic roads & trails

Quiet places to sit and ponder the wonders of nature

2023 favorites Malheur view

Bridges swaying over stormy seas, with thundering waves below

Carrick-a-Rede Bridge

Landscapes uplifted over eons to reveal the colors of earth’s core

2023 favorites Driving into geology
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Noticing landscapes: LAPC

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Noticing…

unique landscapes

with rivers rolling on and on

Columbia River view

and hills full of stories,

repeated and remembered

Noticing Badlands

Noticing…

the brilliant colors

of a new day in the skies

Noticing sunrise
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Moments of Magic in Oregon: LAPC, WWP

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Remembering moments of magic in Oregon

Rambling past remnants of history with curious children in tow

Moments of magic
Wreck of the Peter Iredale, Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon

Watching bird broods on windswept islands stretch their wings to flutter and fly

Seabird colony
Seabird colony, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Oregon
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Hot Springs State Park: LAPC

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You’ll see unique sights if you visit Hot Springs State Park in central Wyoming. Unlike other state parks in Wyoming, entrance to this park, located in the city of Thermopolis, is free. I’ve included a map of this day-use park at the end of this post.

Springs in Thermopolis


History of the park

In 1897, Big Horn Hot Springs State Reserve became Wyoming’s first state park. The park, now called Hot Springs State Park, has always been famous for its therapeutic mineral hot springs.

On the iconic Monument Hill, you’ll see the words “World’s Largest Mineral Hot Springs” in large white letters.

Thermopolis sign
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Emptiness around memorable sights: LAPC

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On our road trip last June, we saw several memorable sights that were notable for the emptiness around them.

We drove past miles and miles of vast landscapes with few occupants. Near Carter, Wyoming, we spotted hundreds of sheep grazing by the road.

Sheep grazing

A little bit farther down the road, we were fortunate to see sheepherders and their five dogs at work guiding this herd.

emptiness on the range

On our way to South Dakota, we took a side trip to see a unique attraction near Sundance, Wyoming.

Emptiness on the road
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Dinosaur National Monument: LAPC

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Visitors can enjoy unique attractions at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah and Colorado. While visiting here, I found myself constantly shifting my field of view to things above and below me. Colorful tilting rocks in vast landscapes showed geology in action. Petroglyphs and pictographs told stories of Indigenous people from long ago. An amazing collection of dinosaur fossils took me even further back in time.

Fossil

The Monument also includes places to hike, fish, river raft, picnic, and camp. There’s a visitor center in Utah, and another in Colorado.

Stegosaurus sculpture


The small Visitor Center in Utah features informational exhibits and a store.

Visitor Center
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Similarities and differences on display: LAPC

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Last week, I showed symmetrical displays of history at the Museum of the American West in Lander, Wyoming. However, history is not always balanced. A good museum shows our similarities and differences. Here are more items on display at the Museum.

At times, our differences stand out.

similarities and differences

Though what we wear differs, from practical and utilitarian…

Cowboy clothing

To ornamental and symbolic, our clothing reflects who we are.

Native American beadwork
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Treasures of the Old West: LAPC & MM

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Here are some treasures of the Old West at the Museum of the American West, in Lander, Wyoming, shown in both color and black and white. Click on the arrows to see monochrome versions highlighting their symmetry.

Wheels may carry you forward, towards new horizons

  • Carriage wheels
  • Carriage wheels

Or back, to a final resting place

  • treasures of the Old West
  • 1880 hearse

You may choose to wander in another’s shoes

  • treasures of the Old West
  • moccasins
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Unique Roadside Signs: LAPC

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After recently covering indoor signs on my post about the National Neon Sign Museum, I thought I’d feature some unique roadside signs today.

A giant jackalope?

The first picture is of a unique animal of the Wild West. It’s a jackalope, part jackrabbit, part antelope. Maybe you’ve heard of them. Are they real or another legend of the West? Chainsaw carver Jarrett Dahl paid tribute to these animals in an impressive 40-foot sculpture near the iconic Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota.

Giant jackalope

Completed in 2022, the jackalope is holding a sign that says, “Believe.” Though it looks like it’s just a big carving, it’s hollow inside with a stairway leading to a balcony. Inside, you’ll find carved jackalopes, murals, and 71 wood spirits, hidden within its cracks and crevices.

Devil’s Tower stories

The next sign is at the cafe and gift store by Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. You can see a bear next to the tower on the sign and the real tower in the background. In the oral stories of Native Americans, the tower formed in different ways. In several versions, a bear tries to claw its way to the peak, thereby creating its distinctive appearance.

unique roadside signs
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Differences in nature: LAPC

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There are many differences in nature.

Skies…

May be foggy and humid near ocean beaches,

differences in nature
Indian Beach, Ecola State Park, Oregon

Or sprinkled with clouds over an arid land.

Steens Mountain
Steens Mountain summit, Oregon

Water…

May pound down mountainsides in narrow waterfalls,

Tumalo Falls
Tumalo Falls, Oregon
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Wyoming Dinosaur Center: LAPC

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If you’re travelling to Wyoming and like dinosaurs, consider stopping at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center (WDC) in Thermopolis. In 1993, dinosaur fossils were discovered near here at the Warm Springs Ranch. Fossils discovered here and elsewhere are on display at WDC. Visitors will see fifty-eight articulated dinosaur skeletons and a wide variety of fossils.

Wyoming Dinosaur Center


You’ll see dinosaur skeletons large and small in the display hall. Some are real, others are recreated from casts of fossils.

Remember the Velociraptors in “Jurassic Park?” Here’s one, blending into the background.

Velociraptor

I especially liked this one because it shows a Tyrannosaurus dinosaur attacking a Stegosaurus.

Tyrannosaurus vs Stegosaurus
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Scenes near the sea, Northern Ireland: LAPC, WWE

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Scenes near the sea on a stormy winter day

A bridge of rope, swinging and swaying

Carrick-a-Rede Bridge
Carrick-a-Rede Bridge

An ancient castle, deteriorating yet persisting

scenes near the sea
Dunluce Castle

A seaside cafe, satiating and breathtaking

Roark's Kitchen
Roark’s Kitchen, Ballintoy Car Park

A shoreline sculpted by waves, ebbing and flowing

scenes near the sea
Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland February 2020

Scenes near the sea on a stormy winter day

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – On the edge

Water, Water Everywhere (WWE)

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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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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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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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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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

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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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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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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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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