Fort Rock in profile at Fort Rock State Park, Oregon
Travel
Lan Su Chinese Garden: One Word Sunday
Near the shores of the Willamette River in downtown Portland, you’ll find a small gem of a garden. Lan Su Chinese Garden is the result of a collaboration between Portland, Oregon, and Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province of China.
The Lan Su Chinese Garden mission is to “cultivate an oasis of tranquil beauty and harmony to inspire, and educate our global community in the appreciation of a richly authentic Chinese culture.”
Kuang Zhen designed the 1.03-acre garden with the help of 65 artisans. The garden opened to the public in September 2000.
Over 400 species of plants can be found here. More than 100 plants grow near Lake Zither, a feature created for the garden.
Abstracts adrift at an aquarium: Sunday Stills
When I looked at the pictures I’d taken at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, I thought several images were like abstracts adrift.
The northern sea otters rolled themselves up into buoyant balls.
Moon jellies fell like brilliant blue windblown blossoms.
A soggy seat: Pull Up a Seat
Seeing pairs in art and nature: LAPC
Seeing pairs of bronze bulls bash together in winter blizzards
and a couple of cascades crashing down craggy cliffs
Seeing two octopi slip and slide over seaside skyscrapers
Gulf Shrimp Po Boy: Foodie Friday
Last weekend, while attending the Bend Summer Festival, I had this Gulf shrimp po boy sandwich. This is a great event with booths featuring artists, musicians, businesses, and food.
My delicious sandwich was from the Southern Accents food cart, shown below. The cart was at the recent festival, but it’s usually at Silver Moon in downtown Bend.
This food cart features great options with a southern twist. Besides the Gulf shrimp po boy, you can also get things like fried chicken po boys, rice bowls, and fried pickles. Here’s their menu at Silver Moon.
Beaded moccasins: Wordless Wednesday
Lava Hot Springs: LAPC & FOWC
The hot pools of the Lava Hot Spring tourist attraction are in the city of Lava Hot Springs in southeastern Idaho. Four blocks from the hot pools, you’ll find a water park and indoor and outdoor swimming pools, also heated by hot spring waters.
Swooping red sunshades over the hot pools offer visitors shelter from the sun.
The five outdoor pools in the Hot Pool site have water temperatures ranging from 102 to 112 degrees Fahrenheit. Lava Hot Springs uses over 2.5 million gallons of hot spring water per day to heat their pools.
A flying lens: Three Things Challenge
I enjoy using cameras small enough to fit in a pocket. I recently got a new flying lens as a gift.
A pocket-sized flying lens
Here it is. What, can’t you see that it’s a camera?
How about if I unfold it? Yeah, it’s a drone. I still have the lens protector on the front in this photo.
Here’s the controller. I like my new flying lens because it stops itself from crashing into things in 360 degrees of direction. It will also land from where it took off with the touch of a button.
Mount Everts, Wyoming: Wordless Wednesday
Hot springs of the West: LAPC & WPWC
On our recent trip we stopped at several hot springs of the West. Each site was special in its own way.
Hot springs occur when geothermally heated groundwater emerges onto the earth’s surface. In areas like Yellowstone National Park, magma is present at shallow depths below the surface. Temperatures in Yellowstone’s hot springs may reach 198 degrees Fahrenheit. At the developed hot springs of the West we visited on this trip, pool temperatures are constantly monitored and modified with colder water.
Lava Hot Springs is located in the town of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. In this picture, the scenic Portneuf Range mountains tower in the background. This post gives more details about the site.
Bozeman Hot Springs is in Bozeman, Montana. Remodeled in May 2024, this facility includes 12 indoor and outdoor pools. It’s gorgeous! The stage behind the outdoor pools will host future entertainers. Pieces of columnar basalt serve as seating and landscaping. Here is my description of this facility.
Magical moment with wildlife: LAPC
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.
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?
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!
Sturgeon sculpture: Sculpture Saturday
I recently saw this white sturgeon sculpture at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon. They are the largest freshwater fish in North America.
A couple months later, I watched these white sturgeon swimming around at the Oregon Zoo. These fish were three or four feet long, but this species can reach lengths of over 14 feet and weigh more than 1,500 pounds. Sturgeon can live more than 100 years.
Here in Oregon, white sturgeon live mainly in large freshwater streams and estuaries along the coast. They occasionally travel into the ocean.
Here is a picture of a much younger white sturgeon taken at the High Desert Museum several years ago. I wouldn’t mind having a sturgeon sculpture of this size fish. The other fish pictured are trout.
Bend Branches always appreciates your comments and likes. Comments may not appear right away since they’re screened for spam prior to posting. Thanks!
Old Farm Machinery: Wordless Wednesday
Montpelier ranch under cloud-filled sky: Wordless Wednesday
Montpelier ranch under a cloud-filled sky in Idaho
Bend Branches always appreciates your comments and likes. Comments may not appear right away since they’re screened for spam prior to posting. Thanks!
Family Mural of Flowers & Birds: Monday Mural
This cheerful mural, Family Mural of Flowers & Birds, was created by artist Denae’ Manion of Manion Studios. Manion is a talented mural artist and honorary member of the Wall Dogs, an international mural painters group. Besides murals, her work also includes logos and designs, face painting, hand painted gifts, custom shoes, and she hosts PaintNite events. She also creates “entertainment paintings” live at various events.
Her Family Mural of Flowers & Birds mural is one of 33 murals in The Dalles, Oregon. We visited The Dalles in August of 2022 during their Northwest Mural Fest. It’s a great place to see the work of many mural artists.
Monday Mural
Brasada Ranch view: Pull Up a Seat
Last weekend, we drove to Brasada Ranch resort in Powell Butte, Oregon for a BBQ and art show event. They have spectacular views of the Cascade volcanoes from their restaurant. These red chairs around a firepit were a nice accent in this scene.
Here’s a closer view of some of the marvellous mountains.
This beautiful resort has received recognition from Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Golfweek, USA Today, and other sources. Since we live close by, we did a staycation in one of their cabins a couple of years ago and it was great!
Fish taco extraordinaire: Wordless Wednesday
Seastacks before the storm: WWE
Seastacks before the storm in Tillamook Bay, Oregon.
This landmark is known locally as The Three Graces.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden: LAPC & FOTD
In early May, I visited the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland, Oregon.
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.
After paying admission, you’ll enter the garden over this beautiful bridge.
Kayaking East Lake, Oregon: FOWC
I decided to try kayaking East Lake, at Newberry National Volcanic Monument, on a spring day a couple of years ago.
“It’s spring,” I thought to myself. “The weather will be fine.” See how beautiful it looks in the photo below near the East Lake Campground?
However, the shoreline is at 6,400 feet in elevation and the weather can change fast. Be prepared!
I was captivated by the cliff-lined north shore and set my sights on reaching it. “It’s not that far away,” I thought. Later, I determined it was a 1.25 mile trip across the lake.
Continue readingLion at Portland Japanese Garden: Sculpture Saturday
This lion at Portland Japanese Garden was guarding the entrance to the gardens. This statue shows a female with a lion cub under her paw. These statues represent protection and compassion.
They are known as komainu in Japan. In other parts of the world they may be called Fu Dogs or Foo Dogs.
Buena Vista ponds: WWE
The Buena Vista ponds are a great place to spot birds at Malheur NWR in Oregon. In the middle of this picture, you can glimpse three Trumpeter Swans foraging for food.
In the distance, you can see Steens Mountain. This 50-mile long mountain rises majestically over the Sagebrush Sea in southeastern Oregon.
Lan Su Chinese Garden seating: Pull up a Seat
Lan Su Chinese Garden seating in Portland, Oregon on a rainy spring day.
Bend Branches always appreciates your comments and likes. Comments may not appear right away since they’re screened for spam prior to posting. Thanks!
Magnificent mountain goat: Wordless Wednesday
Giant jaws of Megalodon shark: Monochrome Monday
Soda Springs Scene: Monochrome Monday
The dramatic cloud formations caught my attention in this Soda Springs scene.
Soda Springs is a small city in Idaho known for its geyser and mineral springs. The Soda Springs Geyser is on a timed release valve and it goes off once an hour. Yes, really!
Twin Falls ranch: Wordless Wednesday
Mt View Orchards mural: Monday Mural
This Mt View Orchards mural is located in Parkdale, Oregon. The plants growing around the mural make it blend into the background.
This is one of our favorite businesses to visit to buy fresh local fruit in the fall. You can pick your own fruit and flowers or buy what they’ve harvested. They also produce beer, wine, and cider. This beautiful 50+ acre site was featured on a Top Chef episode in 2021.
This business is part of the Hood River Fruit Loop. There are 28 farms open to visitors along the 35-mile route .
Here’s some of the fruit we bought last year. Yum!
Continue readingWinterish Spring on Santiam Pass: WW
Hook & Plow in Bend: Monochrome Monday
Hook & Plow is a farm-to-table restaurant that recently opened in Bend, Oregon. The seafood, meats, and produce served here are sourced locally. Wines and craft beers on the menu are also from the local area. Take a peek at their full menu here.
I’m highlighting the interesting architecture with sepia tone processing. Straight lines, curved lines, and various textures stand out in this monochrome picture.
Monochrome Monday
Enhance the beauty of photos: LAPC
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.
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.
Columbia Gorge reflections: Wordless Wednesday
Photo op Robert’s Bookshop: Monday Mural
While visiting Lincoln City, Oregon last week, I saw this photo op Robert’s Bookshop sight. A small mural of a comfortable room full of bookshelves adorned the wall next to something odd–an airplane nose! Apparently, this 1967 Boeing 727-100 found a nice spot for its final landing place.
In 2015, the owner of the bookstore, Bob Portwood, bought the nose section at a state surplus auction. He attached it to the building and opened the interior wall to make a small office space in the cockpit.
The store has 1.64 miles of shelves full of books. They sell used and antiquarian books, including books related to aviation.
If you’re on the Oregon coast looking for roadside attractions, consider stopping to view the photo op Robert’s Bookshop in Lincoln City.
Near the ocean’s shore: LAPC & WS
Near the ocean’s shore, wind and water create ephemeral works of art
Ebbs and flows peel away the earth’s surface to reveal its hidden brilliance
Arising from the mist: Wordless Wednesday
Painted Hills trail Rispetto poem: JMW
A rough Painted Hills trail meanders ahead
Curving towards colorful hills of mystery
Cutting through foliage, shriveled and dead
Through an ancient landscape filled with history
Covered with ash spewed by Cascade volcanoes
Compacted, sculpted into hillside rainbows
Layered with varied stripes of red, green, and gold
Reminders of climates, hot, humid, and cold
Jo’s Monday Walk (JMW)
Brews & views, Ferment Brewing Company: OLWG, FOWC, WOTD
Ferment Brewing Company, in Hood River, Oregon, is a nice warm place for brews & views. I made it appear even warmer by using a warming filter in the photo below. The big tanks below are actually silver but I thought they looked great in gold! 😀
Ferment opened here in 2018. They fuse traditional farmhouse brewing techniques with a modern touch. The brewmaster, Dan Peterson, has a degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and uses his scientific knowledge to create unique brews.
The fermenting theme is also featured in some of their food offerings. If you browse the menu, you’ll find fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, but fermentation is also in more unexpected offerings, like kombucha ketchup.
Their tasting room is decorated in a modern, industrial style, with lots of symmetry. It’s a comfortable spot to share a meal and a drink.
Metropolis of Thermopolis: LAPC & RDP
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.
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.
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.
Guinness advertisements: Word of the Day
In celebration of St Patrick’s Day, I’m sharing Guinness beer advertisements I saw at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. We were there in March of 2020.
The first one is a giant tortoise carrying a beer. It looks pretty happy!
The second one shows a display cabinet full of toucans and other items. The toucan was a favorite, used in many of their ads.
