Diane Putnam's photos

I would like to point out the location on the right. Yes, it is really called that, but the entire name is Dead Indian Memorial Rd.. I was horrified when I first moved here and saw the name, but none of the locals seem fazed by it. Here is its history: www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/dead_indian_memorial_road

Klamath Lake, Oregon. There are only a few access points for this huge lake. I believe that's mostly because it is not a priority area for State money to be spent. Klamath County is one of the top seven poorest counties in Oregon and with few tourists, there is little incentive for the State or the County to provide new amenities. So, the expansion of this small access area is a big deal (toilets!). It will be used year-round to launch small boats, photograph landscape and birds, catch fish or stop for a little "relief" on the way to Medford. Klamath lake is "dead" - full of algae. It is usually harmless. However: there are periodic cyanobacteria blooms and Oregon Health Authority publishes warnings and instructions on the thorough cleaning of fish caught there. I don't personally know anyone who uses the lake at all during blooms, which can make people and pets very ill if they swim in the lake at that time. Dogs are especially hard to keep out of the water, so they must be leashed to posts at your campsite. Warnings are posted everywhere during that time, so everyone knows when to take precautions. Several species of fish can be caught and eaten, including rainbow trout and largemouth bass, but only with very thorough cleaning (see second link below). It is against the law to harvest or consume clams or mussels from the lake. If by any chance you are visiting Klamath Lake during the summer, refer to this site for warnings and instructions: www.healthoregon.org/hab This is the most recent warning, June 2024: www.oregon.gov/oha/erd/pages/recreationalusehealthadvisoryreissuedupperklamathlake.aspx

There are three hung together here. Maasai (and the related Fulani) women wear them in multiples, sometimes piled up to their chins. When they dance they lift their shoulders up to make the stiff beaded necklaces bounce up and down. The strings of beads in the middle are about three feet (.91m) long. Bought in Kenya from Maasai ladies sitting on a sidewalik near City Market. Nairobi, 1989. I had assumed they would be open to price negotiation like the other market ladies. I was mistaken. Thoroughly humbled, I bought several ornaments from the ladies. The prices were more than fair, considering they made everything themselves and traveled from the Maasai Mara into the city. I went to Kenya twice. Once in 1987, again in 1989. During the first trip, I also went to Senegal - which felt oddly familiar to me. The people were entirely unlike the very quiet and modest Kenyans. When I got home, I thought about it a lot and I think I solved the puzzle: the people were amazingly like Black Americans that I've known. Extraverted personalities, flamboyant and imaculate dress, the confident way they carried themselves, their humor, loud voices, even their perfume. This made sense, considering Black Americans were originally West Africans. It was my goal to return to Senegal again, but life (and finances) got in the way and I was never able to. Now, I visit both countries often on Google Street View. ;-)

In 1970, the famed "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles Shulz wrote a letter in response to one from a young boy. This was in a time of great societal upheaval in the USA, with student strikes, constant protests regarding the Viet Nam war, racial injustice, poverty and many other societal problems. His message is exactly what we need to remember - and not only here in the USA. Political wisdom comes from many places - and so does political folly. Source: tinyurl.com/5n93b4ut Sorry about the blurriness. It couldn't be helped.

No thank you! Cascades East Medical Clinic, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Can you hear the "JAWS" theme?

Both are very kindly horses. In fact, my granddaughter and her horse, Josie, gave riding lessons to some children last summer. One boy was autistic, and Josie immediately sensed something different, approached very carefully, and became even more gentle than usual. Her gait was smooth and slow. The little boy was delighted.

This made me think of my grandfather's cattle in their pond, way back in the '50s and '60s.

They're taking this very seriously.

My pal, the very sweet and funny Clyde. Being a mutt, he has a very well-rounded and balanced personality. Also, the comedian of the pack. In the background is Mt. Shasta, a dormant volcano in far northern California. Because much of the terrain surrounmding it is flat, it is visible over a wide area or northern California and southern Oregon. I am lucky to see it just about everywhere I go..