Janet Brien's photos

(+8 insets!) Steve and I spent a long, full week at LaPine State Park and it was just awesome! The only thing that could have improved our stay was a few more days there! The forest, the river, the trails, the proximity to endless natural beauty…we had such a super time! One day we went to Paulina Lake, which nestles within the 54,000 acres of Newberry Volcanic National Monument. The lake itself, along with its close neighbor, East Lake, are in the caldera of Newberry Volcano, an active volcanic area that formed about 600,000 years ago. We spent a lovely day hiking the perimeter of the lake, accompanied by Pumpkin, who enjoyed the beautiful lake as much as wee did. The trail meandered near the shore most of the way but also ventured into the conifer forest, climbing up at times to afford high glimpses over the lake. The most remarkable sight was the obsidian that covered the ground in some areas, littering the trail with gleaming shards of volcanic glass. There were hillsides of obsidian boulders and rocks that created an incredible sight, and Steve and I marveled at the sight of so much obsidian in one place. The walk was almost perfect the whole way. The temperature was warm and sunny without being hot. The only part that wasn't great was a stretch about half a mile long where we encountered clouds of gnats. They were completely out of control! They were in swarms so thick that you could hear them buzzing in your ears and it was necessary to flap a hand in front of my face to see the way. Bugs drive Steve crazy, so he was a very unhappy camper, worried they would be an issue for the entire hike. I told him they would probably abate once we got away from the algae-covered lake edge where they were breeding. Thankfully my guess was right and the rest of the hike was bug-free and fabulous! Today's Pictures Yes, I know…my main picture probably ought to have been a view of the lake. However, I just couldn't resist the image I got of an upended duck as it was rummaging for vegetation below! Really, can you blame me?! :D (By the way, Dduring our hike, I managed to get enough nice pictures that I'll be posting two sets to share our adventure, so here's set 1!) Insets Include… …a lovely view of Paulina Lake complete with a beautiful mountain in the background …a pair of Lodgepole Pines leaning out over the water and the trail meandering past …a lichen-covered tree stump at the edge of the water …a fishing boat buzzing by after a hopefully successful morning …one of the gleaming obsidian boulders next to the trail, irresistible to touch and admire …gleaming chunks of obsidian on the ground to stare at …one of the hillsides covered with obsidian rocks which tumbled down to the trail and invited us to explore its amazing bounty …The Squidgy Gang (Bun, George and Stormy) at Deschute River, LaPine State Park, 2020! :D I hope everyone is having a safe and pleasant week! Thank you so much for your visits and comments, I appreciate all of you! Explored on 8/20/20; highest placement #12.

(+2 insets!) Covid Trip #2: We're Having a Great Time at LaPine State Park! Hello everyone! It's been six days since we arrived at our first state park stay and everything is just fabulous! :D Last year we stayed here for just three days because it was totally booked-up, but this year we were able to reserve eight days, hooray! We've really been enjoying ourselves! There are lots of lovely trails for walking and bike riding which go along the Deschutes River, opportunities for fishing, boating and even metal detecting! We've taking Pumpkin on walks around the three campground loops here and yesterday she joined us for a 7.5-mile hike, our longest of the year (Covid trail/park closures and injuries kept us immobile)! It's been awesome! My Foot's Healed Enough for Hiking!!! I will admit that I've been very worried about my sore foot. It stopped hurting after I'd rested it for a week after we got back from our last trip, but there is now a lump under the ball of my foot. It doesn't hurt and it's slowly getting smaller I think, but I was concerned that I would have issues if I tried to walk. Still, I needed to try it out, so when we arrived at LaPine, I tried walking around a single campground loop and to my delight, I had no issue. The next day I went around two loops and then later, Steve, Pumpkin and I went around both loops together. No problem! The next day we walked all three loops and went on a short hike. Again, no soreness! Since then I've been careful of my foot and though I feel a lump under my foot, it's not hurting me so I'm crossing my fingers that in time that lump will diminish and go away. Here's hoping!! Today's Pictures A couple of days ago we drove 30 minutes to Newberry Volcanic National Monument and walked up to the top of Lava Butte, where there is a fire-lookout tower to go along with the amazing view. (There have been four different fire look-outs built there since 1931.l What a sight to see so far in all directions. I also have an inset of the brick-colored road that spiraled up to the top of the cinder cone. Although it used to be open to vehicular traffic, it's been closed since Covid and that suited us just fine! We did marvel at the crazy cyclists who huffed and puffed up the hill and then whizzed past us at a million miles an hour as a reward! One guy actually went up and down twice! My Other Inset: Bun, George and Stormy Relaxing in my Hammock! My dear ipernity friend, Jenny McIntyre , made me a trio of plush animals some months ago and I simply adore them with all my heart. I cuddle with them every night and every day they keep an eye on my bedroom from their place on my bureau. When Steve and I went on our first Covid trip, I had the trio ready to go with us and still managed to forget to bring them! This trip I made sure to pack them and I'm so happy that they are here with us! The picture I'm sharing shows them hanging out in my hammock outside our trailer! They look pretty happy to be here, don't you think?! THANK YOU FOR MY SQUIDGY GANG, JENNY!!! I LOVE THEM!! :) Here's hoping that everyone is safe and sound--keep away from cootie monsters and have a fabulous weekend! :) Explored on 8/15/20; highest placement #1.

(+9 insets!) (please view large, it's worth the time! :D) Revisiting Bullard's Beach Last year, Steve and I got to visit this state park for only a single night. We'd seen rave reviews and hoped to spend time appreciating the park but our timing couldn't have been worse. It was the Fourth of July weekend--the busiest vacation weekend of the summer--so we got what we could, which turned out to be the Eve of Fourth of July. I still remember the festive mood that pervaded the whole campground. Once we arrived and set up, we popped onto our bikes and rode around the loops. People had put up flags and 4th of July decorations, and we loved seeing folks wearing red, white and blue clothing adorned with patriotic stars and stripes. So many smiles! What a great weekend to be camping at this pretty campsite. Even though Steve and I could only enjoy the park for a few hours, we had a great time! We rode our bikes down to the beach and I got pictures to share too (see insets, second row). Fast forward to this trip…how's SEVEN NIGHTS for a perfect number?! What a wonderful, relaxing stay we had this time around! We got the time to kick back, explore and do whatever we wanted. And of course that meant that I was able to go out with my macro lens and creep around to see what I could see! My macros are the feature of today's presentation! Today's Pictures Do you know what Scotchbroom is? This bush features very lovely yellow flowers that bloom in massive clusters and can really take your breath away. However, this invasive species comes from Europe and considered to be a noxious weed because it takes over and displaces native species. Needless to say, the flowers are gorgeous and so are the seed pods, which I'm sharing as my main image today! (I'm also including a flower in an inset which I took at William Tugman State Park.) Also, if you'd like to see another nice picture of Scotchbroom, Ron Hanko has a really pretty image as well! Insets include… …a wonderful Plantain or Fleawort in bloom …a pretty grouping of Cat's Ear flowers in a sea of ferns (non-macro) …the buds and floral close-up of the stunning Douglas Spirea ...fuzzy, beautiful wild grass that's either Bottle Brush or Rabbit's Foot (I think) …a group of colorful, dying Madrone leaves soon to fall ….the lovely blossoms from the invasive Scotchbroom (I've also included couple of pictures from our first trip to Bullard's Beach) I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful day and coming week ahead! :) Thanks so much for your visits, comments and stars. You guys make me so happy!!! *big virtual hugs all around* Explored on 8/9/20; highest placement #6.

(+5 insets!) (view large to see the pretty details!) We are busy getting ready for our trip so I will have to make this short and sweet! I'd planned on sharing some pictures which showed many of the things Steve's done to upgrade the trailer and truck but I am too busy running around so I'll post them at another point. Instead, let's get right to the show! Cliff Swallows Under the Bridge! One of the wonderful features of Humbug Mountain State Park is its proximity to the ocean--the park actually has their own beautiful beach! The way to get there is by walking down a short 5-minute trail which takes you under Oregon Coast Highway 101's bridge and out to the ocean and sprawling shoreline beyond. The first time I walked to the beach, there were three things I noticed. The first thing was the incredible wind tunnel! Humbug sits in a canyon and the wind is simply amazing at its narrowest point--and yet, out at the beach the wind dies down significantly depending where you are. The second thing I noticed was the bridge you must walk under to get to the beach. I couldn't help admiring the handsomely designed architecture and paused at many points to appreciate its lines from various angles. The third thing I noticed filled me with great delight! Underneath the bridge there were dozens of mud-based nests built by Cliff Swallows! At the time I had my Canon and 100mm macro lens, and though I couldn't resist taking pictures, I knew those fabulous nests would be best-captured with my marvelous Sony camera. Today's Pictures The main picture today shows the bridge from the beach with Brush Creek flowing by to the sea. Next is a picture of the bridge from the trail down to the beach--you can see that the bridge is not flat and is going down a hill! The following insets show the wonderful nests that lined the underside of the bridge. As I took pictures, I watched the birds as they swooped in and out to their nests. Some were feeding chicks, others were working on their nests. The last image shows these birds working industriously on the construction of their nests which I thought was really interesting. These birds (Barn Swallows too) are considered to be a nuisance in many places because of the mess they create and many people do not appreciate having mud nests built under their home's eaves. Of course, it that were me, I'd be happy to invite an entire colony to build homes! Perhaps that might be a bit much though, as large groups can number 2,000 or more! If you would like to know more about these wonderful, clever birds, Wiki has a very nice page on them here: American Cliff Swallow . (By the way, if you'd like to see another wonderful picture of Cliff Swallow nests built into cliffs, Ron Hanko took this marvelous image when he and his wife were exploring Big Bend National Park back in February: Cliff Swallow Nests by Ron Hanko ) Finally, I hope you all have a fantastic and safe weekend! **virtual* HUGS!* Explored on 8/7/20; highest placement #2.

(+8 insets!) Preparations are Afoot For Covid Trip Part 2! Steve and I are gearing up for our next trip and everything is falling into place! We Got Our House Sitter Again! We were worried about getting someone to watch our house while we were away because we didn't think the fellow who usually stays here could do it. This trip doesn't have a firm "end date" so we expected that to be a really big problem. However, it turns out that since Covid's turned the world upside-down, our friend's company has changed to allow the majority of its employees to work from home. So, instead of working in town, he can stay in our house and work full time! All of us are so happy! Projects Are Nearly Complete! When we got home, Steve had a list of important projects that he needed to get done…and one by one he's been finishing them and ticking them off the list! Pictures of My Morning Walk Around Humbug Mountain State Park I'd mentioned in an earlier post that I love to immerse myself in a state park's campground by strolling around its loops every morning. The show is a highlight of each day! However, I don't take my camera because I'm out for exercise and it gets in the way of my movement. So instead, I go on my walk again later with camera in hand and slowly cruise along, snapping away at everything that caught my eye earlier. So many pretty things to see!! My main picture shows the very last flowers of the season for the Western Azalea. How lucky I felt to get pictures before they'd petered away! When I discovered this one remaining bush that had flowers, I crossed my fingers for at least one blossom that was still in good condition--imagine my joy when I found a number of them to take pictures of! I loved the pair of flowers hanging down like pendants to create a wonderful natural floral bouquet. Insets Include… …a trio of perfect Western Azalea blossoms …three pictures which show the electric-pink blossoms of the Redclaws shrub (Escallonia rubra) and also called Red Escallonia,...I initially thought these were Red Currant flowers but Ron Hanko pointed out that they couldn't be because of the blooming time and looking closer, the blossoms are all wrong. After hours of searching between us, we began to wonder if the plant wasn't native. I came up with a plant I thought might be close but Ron was the one who figured out the answer to this vexing puzzle! YAYYYYYY!!! ALL HAIL HORTICULTURIST HANKO!! :D By the way, this plant is native to Chile and Argentina and has been naturalized in many other countries. It is now considered to be invasive. …a Himalayan Blackberry blossom and leaf …a pair of pictures showing Cow Parsley flowers and buds..they are so delicately beautiful up close, aren't they? …an artistic study of leading lines and texture that stars a dried blackberry cane with a blade of grass falling into bokeh and another cane in the background which softly leads the eye back to the dried cane! Thank You and Stay Safe! All of your visits and comments are so deeply appreciated! I hope everyone is doing well in these virus-filled days and keep your guard up! Have a lovely rest of your week and enjoy your photography if you can! <3 Explored on 8/6/20; highest placement #22.