The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week is Seeing Double. Sometimes two heads are better than one.
With two you can share your wisdom.
With two you can have differences of opinion…
With two you can… : LAPC
Oregon
A covered wagon at rest: Monochrome Monday
Monochrome Monday
Pintos & Appaloosas on the Plains: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Arrowhead Art at Fort Rock: Monochrome Monday
This interesting collection of framed arrowhead art is on display at the Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum. The obsidian used to make much of this art exists throughout parts of Central Oregon. It is abundant at Glass Buttes . Big Obsidian Flow, (shown here) at Newberry National Volcanic Monument, contains 380 million cubic yards of obsidian. Native peoples had a lot of material to work with close by.
Monochrome Monday
Stories within the layers of stone: LAPC
Sometimes I look at layered rock formations and imagine stories within the layers.
This formation at Fort Rock looks like the giant prow of a ship bursting through the cliffs.
A closer look shows where the water levels were before the ship drained the basin.
Magnificent Mural: A Photo a Week Challenge – Signs
We recently saw this magnificent mural in the downtown area of The Dalles, Oregon. Isn’t it fantastic! This is The Valley Gorge Hub by Blaine Fontana. Blaine and Jeremy Nichols used hundreds of cans of spray paint to create this mural in 2018. Toma Villa consulted on this project. He is a colleague of Fontana’s and an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation.
This building has murals painted on the north, south, and east sides. You can see a small sign for Kung Fu classes on the left side of the building.
This Valley Gorge project is one of many planned to bring together the communities near the Columbia River Gorge. They plan to “build a more inclusive mecca for creativity, culture, outdoor recreation, and opportunities for new and existing businesses.”
Blaine created another magnificent mural in The Dalles as a part of the Oregon Mural Trail. This project is funding seven large murals in seven small Oregon towns located throughout the state.
The Dalles has an amazing collection of murals. The Dalles Mural Society has more information on them.
Nancy Merrill’s A Photo a Week Challenge – Signs
A brilliant desert morning: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Scene from a museum: Monochrome Monday
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
Candids of Critters: LAPC
Sometimes you get lucky when you’re taking candids of critters. This little burrowing owl gave me a knowing wink right when I took its picture.
We visited the Caswell Sculpture Garden in Troutdale, Oregon a couple days ago. This sculpture of two great blue herons is right by the entrance.
I noticed a movement near the willows right behind this sculpture. I spied a real great blue heron!
A rosy outlook: Friday Flowers
Friday Flowers
Clouds over my commute: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Purple coneflower up close: SMM
These coneflowers’ colors are fading as summer turns to fall. Their form is still beautiful and I look forward to seeing them bloom next spring.
Sagebrush Pirouette Haiku: Friday Flowers
Tiny pale flowers
Curving fragrant slender stems
Sagebrush pirouette
Friday Flowers
Rearing Horse Crane Creek Ranch: Wordless Wednesday
One smart squirrel: Fan of… & AOTD
I watched one smart squirrel figure out how to get around the “squirrel-proof” cover on this bird feeder. It knocked seeds to the ground and feasted on them. Clever little creature.
I watched squirrels at other feeders here on another day and they gave me quite the scolding. Here’s a short poem I wrote about them.
Revisiting Steens Mountain: LAPC
On a recent trip revisiting Steens Mountain, I thought back on what this place looked like decades before. When I got home, I browsed my photos and realized several pictures I took on this trip were taken in nearly the exact same spot.
Places seem to me to have some kind of memory, in that they activate memory in those who look at them.
W. G. Sebald
Some places call you back to them. While revisiting Steens Mountain this summer, I realized it is one of those places for me.
Here are a few “then” and “now” pictures I took of the Steens.
Friday Flowers with a Friend
I’m treasuring Friday flowers with a friend before the weather changes. It was warm and sunny here yesterday but snow is predicted this weekend. The weather in the high desert is always interesting. 😁
Friday Flowers
Camp Hart Mountain: Monochrome Monday
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.
In this land…Oregon countryside : LAPC
In this land, Nature weaves colorful tapestries into the earth and sky
And creates havens for its creatures to pause and rest
In this land, pale sandy deserts settle in some basins
Continue readingCalifornia Quail near Winter Ridge: BOTD
This lone California Quail perched on a fence post near Winter Ridge and called loudly. Listen to the distinctive Chi-ca-go call of the California quail.
All About Birds describes this bird as “a handsome, round soccer ball of a bird with a rich gray breast, intricately scaled underparts, and a curious, forward-drooping head plume.” A great description of this bird!
I’m lucky that they are common where I live and sometimes even show up in my garden.
Granny Shot It – BOTD
Kiger Gorge Panorama: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Magic in the Wind Haiku: LAPC
Magic in the wind
Pushes whirling windmill blades
Creating power
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Magical
When the flower blossoms: Sunshine’s Macro Monday
Oregon Trail – Baker City: Visiting History
On the Oregon Trail
Saddle Row, Burns, Oregon: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
A dawn bouquet: Friday Flowers
Friday Flowers
From a different perspective: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Flying Saucer Cloud: Monochrome Monday
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
Tiny Tin Pan Theater
You can find the Tin Pan Theater tucked away in an alley in downtown Bend, Oregon. If you didn’t know it was there, you could walk right past it.
This tiny theater only has 28 seats. You might not see the next Avengers movie there, but you will see some great movies. Indie films like The Nightingale, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of my Voice, and Maiden. They also feature foreign films.
Get there early because seats fill up fast. You can enjoy some popcorn and drinks while you’re waiting–including some local brews.
This theater received good news recently. BendFilm purchased the property in May 2019. The BendFilm Festival takes place in October and films can be viewed at this theater and several other locations. This festival was recently recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as being one of the 25 coolest film festivals in the world.
Continue readingCatlow Cave Artifacts: Monochrome Monday
Catlow Cave artifacts, including sagebrush bark sandals, grass & bark baskets, and arrowheads & spearpoints, are displayed at the Harney County Historical Society Museum in Burns, Oregon. There are a couple pointed sticks that may be “knitting needles”, used to knit the sagebrush bark together.
These cave artifacts are between 9,000 to 10,000 years old. The Northern Paiute people lived in this region. There are several caves in the Catlow Valley cliffs. Petroglyphs adorn some of the rock faces.
Do you want to learn more about the native peoples who lived in this area thousands of years ago? Consider taking a guided tour to the Fort Rock Cave hosted by Oregon Parks and Recreation. Be sure to visit the nearby Fort Rock Valley Historical Society Homestead Museum. This small museum has more examples of cave artifacts from this region. The woven items were practical but also works of art with distinctive patterns.
Surrounded by color & texture
Color & texture surround you as you sit on this comfortable bench in Bend, Oregon.
Pull up a seat challenge
A Painted Hills Landscape: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
A vibrant zinnia: SMM
Finding Different Angles: LAPC
Angles are often used in art and architecture and are also found in nature. Here are several photos that show art and nature from different angles.
This sculpture of a flock of birds zigzags down a foyer and flutters around the corner of a building in downtown Bend, Oregon.
Swallows collect beakfuls of mud to create these nests along the roof angles at Summer Lake Wildlife Area, Oregon.
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum
We stumbled upon the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in northern Oregon one autumn day . The Center opened in 1997 but we had never been there.
Wouldn’t you like to have a river winding across your floor like this one in the entry hall?
How about a cedar dugout canoe? Some were up to 50 feet in length.
Continue readingPollen painting in a puddle: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Bits & Spurs Collage: Monochrome Monday
Old bits & spurs from days gone by live on in this collage at Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum.
Monochrome Monday
Old, new, borrowed, blue gardens: LAPC
The challenge for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this weekend is Something old, new, borrowed, and blue. I am highlighting the recent High Desert Garden Tour in Central Oregon.
Something old
I saw many plants I’m familiar with on this tour. Some I knew the names of, others I was like, “Uh… what was your name again?” Fortunately, the plants were labeled or the person whose garden it was could tell you.
Here are some old friends.
A swirling clematis: Friday Flowers
Friday Flowers
Horse Herd Sculpture: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday