Finding drama in branches haphazardly woven together
Or planted in concise rows bearing intoxicating fruit
Finding drama in Oregon: LAPC
Oregon
Wheelbarrow planter: Wordless Wednesday
Egg River Cafe mural: Monday Mural
This colorful mural is at the Egg River Cafe in Hood River, Oregon. The rooster crows proudly from a fence post in front of a happy little farm. Orchards cover rolling foothills and Mount Hood peeks out in the distance. Chicken-themed decorations can be found throughout the restaurant.
This is a great place to stop for breakfast or lunch while visiting Hood River.
3D owl & photo: First Friday Art
My son recently printed this 3D owl with his brand new Anycubic Kobra Max 3D printer. The owl stands about 3.5 inches tall.
I decided to try painting it since I’ve never painted a 3D sculpture before. First I sanded it and painted it with a white base coat.
Then I began painting the owl with acrylic paint. I usually draw and paint freeform so it was a little different to try to work within the raised lines of the sculpture.
I attempted to use some of the markings you’d see on a real Great Horned Owl. This 3D pattern included a little flower on top of the owl’s head and I painted it yellow.
Continue readingWestern Bluebird in the park: Bird of the Week
I saw this Western Bluebird at a park in Bend, Oregon. At our house, a ten-minute drive away, we only see Mountain Bluebirds. Both species have brilliant blue plumage, but the Western Bluebird males wear a “vest” of rust-orange.
It was nice to see this guy making sure he was following all the park rules and regulations. 😉
All are welcome here: Pull Up a Seat, OWS
I saw this bench with the words “All are welcome here” outside the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon church. In a time when we’re seeing divisions all around us, it’s nice there are places like this that exist to bring us together. The split-log bench offers everyone a peaceful place to rest and relax.
We were there for the Annual Locavore Holiday Gift Faire. Eighty-five local crafts people and food producers filled the building with amazing products. If you’re in Bend in early December, drop in to help support local small businesses.
A December surprise: WW & Whatsoever is lovely
Moments of Magic in Oregon: LAPC, WWP
Remembering moments of magic in Oregon
Rambling past remnants of history with curious children in tow
Watching bird broods on windswept islands stretch their wings to flutter and fly
Northern winds haiku: WHPPC
northern winds swirl, sting
snowflakes dance, drift, and alight
kisses of winter
Jewel of a truck: WPWC
A jewel of a truck is currently on display at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Artist Laurel Porcari covered this 1941 Ford panel truck with a colorful mosaic of tiles. This piece is titled Voyager.
On one side you can see the iconic volcanoes that border Oregon’s High Desert.
On the other side, you’ll see a lunar landscape, with views of a planet-filled sky.
The artistry of this piece looks beautiful from any angle.
Old mill in Hines: Monochrome Monday
South Falls Loop hike in Oregon: RDP
In July, I hiked the 2.6-mile South Falls Loop trail through the wilderness of Silver Falls State Park, Oregon. This route, past South Falls and Lower South Falls, is part of the Trail of Ten Falls. See the map of the trails at the end of this post.
I parked in the lot near South Falls, hiking north along the Canyon Trail and then heading south along Maple Ridge Trail. Though I’ve visited the park before, I had my dogs, and they are only allowed on a few trails. This time I was going solo.
I took the short trail to the South Falls overlook from the parking area. You get great views from above of the 177-foot-tall waterfall.
If you have limited time, take the ¼-mile trail to the South Falls overlook. If you have more time, walk the 1-mile loop trail behind the falls.
Loop trail – clockwise route
After a brief stop at the overlook, I walked to the lower trail that goes behind the falls. Cool (literally)!
If birds can glide… : Wordless Wednesday
If birds can glide for long periods of time, then… why can’t I?
Orville Wright
Wright Flyer replica, Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon
Almost Wordless Wednesday
A fall view: Pull Up a Seat
A fall view by the Bend Whitewater Park in Bend, Oregon. The path leads to two benches surrounded by fall leaves. You can also see a few realistic-looking Canada Geese sculptures in the foreground.
Green up close: LAPC & MM
Green up close
In triangular Vanilla Leaf leaves
And tiny Huckleberry leaves
Green
In splitting Gingko leaves
Green up close
In frond fans of Maidenhair Fern
2023 Bloopers #6: CFFC
Yes, I know you’ve all been waiting to see more of my blooper photos. This is where I share pictures that don’t quite fit into any category so I try to add a little humor to them. Here are a few 2023 bloopers to entertain you. 😀
“Am I still your good girl?”
I believe I finally found the true cause of global warming.
Continue readingA scary carriage: SSMCC
I saw a scary carriage at Beyond the Ranch, an antique store in Redmond, Oregon. The skeletal coachman guides his skeletal horse while the occupant waves a bony hand. A frightful sight for your Halloween!
Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge (SSMCC) – Black or Metallic
Beer bike rack in Bend: Sculpture Saturday
I saw this creative beer bike rack in Bend at On Tap. This is one of seven “pods” where food trucks can park. Customers can enjoy a wide variety of food from the trucks and beer and other beverages on tap inside the main building.
I LOVE the Rush’s Squares pizza food truck here! My favorite is the Pesto Margherita pizza.
Jailbird jay: Bird of the Week
I saw this jailbird jay while out walking in Bend. It perched on a rock behind the heavy bars of a fence around the Hayden Homes Amphitheatre.
This is a California Scrub-jay. Here’s a closer look.
In 2016, the American Ornithological Union (AOU) split the Western Scrub-jay into two species, the California Scrub-jay, Aphelocoma californica, and Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay, Aphelocoma woodhouseii. They appear very similar. This post by Andy Birch describes and shows the characteristics of each species.
Fine feather I found: Macro Monday
This a fine feather I found while walking in a park in Bend, Oregon. This large feather belonged to some kind of raptor.
Oregon Outback morning: 1-to-3 Challenge
Last Saturday, we had an Oregon Outback morning. We drove south of Silver Lake, Oregon to get a good view of the annular eclipse. Unfortunately, the clouds never cleared during the peak minutes of the eclipse. For today’s One-to-Three Photo Processing Challenge, I decided to make lemonade out of lemons.
Beautiful cloudscapes hung over the land, highlighting the Basin and Range topography. We stood in the middle of a basin surrounded by low mountains and buttes.
I used Corel PaintShopPro 2021 for different photo processing effects. In the original image I slightly increased the contrast and fill light and cropped the edges.
Oregon Outback morning photo effects
The first two show the original photograph and the same picture with a Black and White effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Black and White Film. I used the BW Heavy setting because it works well on clouds.
The next two show the original photograph and the same picture with a neon effect. For this image I went to Adjust>Hue & Saturation>Hue map>Neon glow. I liked how this effect enhances the mysticism associated with High Desert environments.
Continue readingDifferences in nature: LAPC
There are many differences in nature.
Skies…
May be foggy and humid near ocean beaches,
Or sprinkled with clouds over an arid land.
Water…
May pound down mountainsides in narrow waterfalls,
High Desert dahlia: FOTD
Here’s a pretty lavender-colored High Desert dahlia seen on a garden tour in Bend, Oregon last year. These popular plants prefer full sun and good drainage. Though this one was seen in July, they are treasured for blooming well into the fall months.
This was one of the many flowers in bloom we saw on the tour. I think the color of this one made it my favorite High Desert dahlia seen that day.
Another day, another sunrise: Wordless Wednesday
Fruitful trip to Parkdale: Wordless Wednesday
Sitka spruce at Fort Clatsop: TTL
We saw this large Sitka spruce, Picea sitchensis, tree at Fort Clatsop, Oregon. This is where the Lewis and Clark expedition spent a long, wet winter in 1806. Lewis noted how this tree was commonly 27 feet in girth, with some trees reaching 36 feet around. This tree’s height averages 125-180 feet, and may reach over 250 feet. Sitka spruce can live up to 800 years.
Indigenous people used parts of spruce trees in several ways. Roots and cedar bark were woven into baskets and hats. The pitch was used as a varnish, to waterproof canoes, and chewed like gum. Various parts were used to treat diarrhea, constipation, and back aches. Sitka spruce was thought to possess “mystical powers and provided protection against evil thoughts.”
The tree’s fine-grained wood is both strong and lightweight. It is used in turbine blades, aircraft, sailboats, racing sculls, and oars. its unique qualities also make it a favorite in making musical instruments, including guitars, harps, violins, pianos, and flutes created by Native Americans.
Driving into Hood River: SS & CWWC
Here’s the view as we were driving across the Columbia River into Hood River, Oregon on a recent trip. You can see Mount Hood peeking over the hills on the left side of the picture.
We happened to be there when the annual Association of Wind + Watersports Industries event was taking place. Here’s a picture of the Hood River Bridge from the Oregon side. Can you see all the windsurfers out there?
Ripples of summer haiku: WHC, SS, CWWC
lamplit paths tremble
a bridge arises from green
ripples of summer
Weekly Haiku Challenge (WHC) – Lamp & path
White Cosmos up close: MM & FOTD
Here’s a picture of a white cosmos up close, taken a couple of days ago in Bend, Oregon. Cooler weather is on the way so it may soon disappear. They are one of my favorite flowers!
Macro Monday (MM)
Flower of the Day (FOTD)
Oregon photos, 10 favorites: LAPC
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.
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.
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.
Edibles & more gardens High Desert Garden Tour: FF
When I went on the High Desert Garden Tour in Bend, Oregon in July 2022, I was impressed by a couple edibles & more gardens. Their yards had edible plants in the front, sides, and back.
These are gooseberries growing on a shrub in full sun. I remember a gooseberry plant at one of my childhood homes.
These radishes were in a raised bed. We grow them as well and I love their spicy taste.
Raspberries! One of my favorite fruits. Over the years, our dogs have enjoyed eating them off the vines so we have to pick them fast.
Valley Gorge HUB mural: MM
The Valley Gorge HUB mural, in The Dalles, Oregon, is one of my most favorite murals. This mural was painted in 2018 by Blaine Fontana, with help from Toma Villa, Jeremy Nichols, and Jeff Sheridan. This long mural is on E 1st St.
I took pictures of each section so you can see it more closely. This part features a Trout, Salmon, and Sturgeon.
This section shows a Black Bear, Bighorn sheep, and Cougar. A Yellow Warbler photo bombed this one.
This part shows a Yellow Warbler, Osprey, Blue Jay, and Raven.
The last section shows a Monarch Butterfly and a Chickadee. There’s a mural by another artist around the corner on this end of the building.
I’ve visited The Dalles in the past and didn’t realize the Valley Gorge HUB mural wrapped around the building. Here’s the mural on other parts of the building. You can see a Mule Deer, Red-winged Blackbirds, and an Egret.
I took pictures in The Dalles in 2022 of the Northwest Mural Fest. They now have 33 murals in the downtown area.
Here’s an updated map of their locations. I like how they added a red line to show which side of the building has murals. This map was updated in January of 2023.
National Neon Sign Museum: LAPC
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?
How about this wall filled with Coca Cola signs?
A sedge of Sandhills: Wordless Wednesday
The Three Graces: Monochrome Monday
These three sandstone formations are located in Tillamook Bay, north of Garibaldi, Oregon. Known locally as The Three Graces, they’re also called Crab Rocks. If the tides are low, they’re a great place to explore when out kayaking. Check tides before venturing there.
The Oregon coast has several seastacks near the shore. These are smaller in stature, but still very photogenic.
A Malheur view: Weekend Sky, Pull up a Seat
A Malheur view at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Oregon.
Burns Times Herald window: MW, FOWC
I saw this Burns Times Herald window in Burns, Oregon last April. Paintings of birds by schoolchildren decorated the Herald’s windows for the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival. Colorful paper streamers hung in the background.
I found paintings of ravens, jays, waxwings, eagles, hummingbirds, kestrels, warblers, and nuthatches. Can you find them?
I also liked the newspaper’s motto on their window. “Covering Harney County Like the Sage Brush.” The Burns Times Herald has been serving this community since 1887.
Monday Window (MW)
Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – Paint
Need to weed? Tools & tips: FF
Do you need to weed? It’s not something we want to do, but it’s something we have to do.
Some weeds are pretty, but spread aggressively. I call this one the “Root of all Evil” because it can be hard to pull and develops seed heads almost as soon as it pops out of the ground.
About an acre of our land is planted with landscaping, fruit, or vegetable plants. We need to weed often, especially in the spring. Today I’ll share some tips and tools that may help you when you need to weed.
Need to weed tools
I have tried several seats while weeding, and this is my favorite. You can sit on it as a seat or flip it over and kneel on it.
My dogs like when I sit on it because then I’m at their level. Shelby thinks it’s the perfect opportunity to play fetch with me.
Monkey tree can’t pinch me!: TTL
“Monkey tree can’t pinch me!” I remember saying that as a kid every time we drove past one of these odd trees on the way to our grandparents’ house. We would try to be the first one to pinch our siblings before they could pinch us. Did anyone else play that game?
Monkey puzzle trees, Araucaria auracana, are native to Chile and Argentina but grow well in many parts of the world. In their native habitat, they grow to a height of 100-130 feet, but in gardens in North America mature at 30-40 feet.
Their common name originated in 1850 when Charles Austin, who was visiting a friend’s garden in England, remarked, “It would puzzle a monkey to climb that.” Those triangular leaves have sharp edges and tips!
Foggy day at Boiler Bay: WWE
I took this picture of a foggy day at Boiler Bay, Oregon a couple weeks ago.
In 1910, the J. Marhoffer schooner ran aground here. Its engine caught on fire and the fuel tanks exploded, sending debris everywhere. During extremely low tides, you can still see its boiler, for which this site is named.