Janet Brien's photos

(+7 insets) Learning a Lesson About Popular Destinations During Covid Steve and I figured tourist spots had plenty of visitors but we weren't prepared for the zoo of crazy idiots out there at Heceta Head Lighthouse. However, in the end it turned out fine. I got a real eye-opener for what Steve went through every time he did our errands and shopping and we got the reward of seeing this cool lighthouse and awesome coastline. We even got to see colonies of cormorants and common murres hanging out on their huge rock! Today's Picture As we drove away from the "plague zone", we made sure to pull off at the lookout which showed the lighthouse and guesthouse seated in their beautiful settings nestled along the magnificent coastline. Looking north showed the view I shared a couple of days ago, and looking south is the view I'm showing today. What a jaw-dropping scene! There's even a peek at a little lake just inland from the coast, which has a loop hike for those who are interested. Us? We were ready to get back to our home on wheels, though we did stop at the grocery store on the way back. (I decided to go into the store to see what that was like …not recommended! Scary people being rude and stupid! :D However, I wanted to know what Steve went through and came out of the store with even more respect for what he does for us every time we need supplies.) Today's Insets The first picture is another view north that shows the lighthouse and guesthouse off in the distance but this shot shows a secluded beach without anyone on it. I thought that was interesting because the beach closer to the lighthouse is just around the next outcropping and there were people everywhere! Goes to show--no matter how crowded an area may be, if you add any challenge, only the most resolute will go. In this case it was zero! The next three insets show the guesthouse, which was originally one of a pair of lighthouse keeper's quarters. Built in 1900 to house the lightkeepers, the second house was razed in the '30's when only one keeper was needed. The last keeper moved away in 1963 when the lighthouse became automated, and from 1973-95, the house became a satellite campus for nearby Lane College. The U.S. Forestry Service then decided to turn the house into a bed-and-breakfast as a way to incorporate tourism and also generate funds for the ongoing upkeep of this historical landmark. I'm also including another picture of the beautiful forested road up to the lighthouse and its pretty fencing There's an image of the pair of giant rocks jutting from the sea, and isn't it interesting that one rock was packed with birds and the other was not? Finally, while snapping away with my Sony, zoomed in as close as I could, I managed to get a fun picture of a Common Murre flying in with a fish for its hungry family! I'd like to apologize that I've fallen behind in my commenting--projects abound as we get closer to leaving on our next trip! However, I really appreciated every one of your comments and favorites! I hope all is well with everyone. Spring is showing its face around here with greenery popping up everywhere and the season's first blossoms! Please stay safe, dry and warm! Explored on 3/8/21; highest placement #2.

(+8 insets!) From William Tugman State Park to Heceta Head RV Park We'd planned to stay at William Tugman State Park for a full 14 days if it was possible, but unfortunately, we had to leave and come back after four days. Steve's sister would be staying at Tugman the next week so we needed to find a place to stay for a couple of days. Though we looked high and low for reservations at nearby state parks, nothing was available so we gritted our teeth and booked two days at the Heceta RV Park. It was reasonable enough but private campgrounds are almost always glorified parking lots that make visitors feel like a sardine in a can. Windy, foggy and cold, the trees would whip back and forth each morning when I looked out, condensation on the branches dropping noisily onto the roof of our RV. My frigid walks were only around the packed grounds and though I did see some nice flowers in planters, I couldn't bring myself to take any pictures there. Happily, the sun came out by late morning and one day we decided to go for a drive and visit a famous lighthouse in the area. However, upon pulling into the packed parking lot we realized it may have been a mistake to visit a popular landmark… Heceta Head Lighthouse and Horrible People Even though it was July, I hadn't been around people since Covid hit--Steve had made all of the shopping trips since the virus changed everything. Climbing out of the truck and donning my mask, I was about to be in for a total shock. There was a lovely winding road that led up through coastal forest, past a historic guest house and out to the light house. This turned out to be a popular walk--too popular. Whenever we encountered people--which was often--we slipped on our masks, but to our amazement, most didn't wear them and stated their opinion by staring rudely as if we were space aliens. People often didn't observe distancing and dropped snarky comments in reply to Steve's remarks about reasonable precautions. I couldn't believe it! Steve had told me about the many situations he'd had in stores but to find the same thing out here…I was stunned! The lighthouse was really cool, and so was the guesthouse. I really enjoyed seeing flocks of cormorants and common murres covering one of the prominent rocks that rose out of the sea next to the lighthouse, and the views up and down the coast were breathtaking. Before leaving, we walked out to take a look at the beach below the lighthouse which was another pretty sight. However, by the time we got back to the truck I was totally fried by the experience of callous, unprotected people and fairly dove into the protective safety of the car. I was amazed that Steve had to deal with this every time he went out. I mean, it was one thing to imagine it. But being immersed was totally different and I sat there as we drove away, trying to get a grip on myself again. Part of me felt like such a baby because I was so freaked-out by this but on the other hand, it was the first time since Covid hit that I'd been around any strangers. I had a right to be jittery. But as I sat thinking, all of it made me feeling very reflective and uncomfortable about the average American and how they seemed to view the virus. Were most people truly that stupid? Before we left the area, we pulled over to take pictures of the lighthouse and guesthouse from afar, with the jutting coastline and beautiful beach. What a view!! Today's Pictures My main picture was the iconic view from the pullout--what a pretty sight that was! I'm also including a view of the forest on the walk up the road and another one showing the lighthouse. I have a picture that shows the beach below the lighthouse--both from the road and the beach itself. There's also an image of the bird-covered rock and a couple of close-ups to see the colonies of birds and finally, a funny-looking cormorant as it was landing. (I'm also including another trip map so you can see where we were on our trip.) I'll have one more set of pictures to share of this place, since there were just too many to share in one presentation! I hope everyone is having--or had--a very nice weekend! Stay safe and here's hoping you get your vaccine soon! Explored on 3/6/21; highest placement #2.

(+6 insets!) My Last Presentation (for this trip) From William Tugman State Park I've gotten to share so many pictures from our visit--in fact, there were too many wonderful finds to process! This lush, beautiful area was just brimming with photo opportunities and I hope that you've gotten the general idea of this pretty park. It was such a nice place to stay, relax, and enjoy forest and lake views. Happily, we will be back this year so I'll be taking brand new pictures! My favorite parks all have wonderful morning walks that take me away from other campers and allow me to enjoy the solitude of nature and a pretty trail that follows the meandering contours through forest and alongside lakes, rivers, or out to an ocean beach. I dearly love getting the chance to explore different terrain and its flora and fauna. However, I enjoy strolling through campgrounds too, glimpsing the individual campsite stories and the temporary residents. It's a unique opportunity to see people out on vacation--from a single person to multiple families--including their pets and all of the stuff they bring with them. I'm quite the recluse but fascinated by people and their behavior so I love having the chance to see folks doing their thing as I walk by and soak up the details. My Main Picture I found this backlit dandelion peering out at Eel Lake one morning and knew it would be a fun picture to share--and I was right! :) I got lucky with that lens flare in the sea of bokeh, which shows the nine shutter blades of my 100mm 2.8L macro lens! Today's Insets The first pair of pictures show a side and front view of a lemon-colored Monkey Flower, and if you look closely at the front view you'll see a tiny insect crawling along the right-side edge! The second pair of pictures features a Yellowjacket Wasp feasting on the nectar of a Queen Anne's Lace. Next is a fossil-like image that shows a leaf that was once wet and stuck to the mud. The mud then dried and people walked over this leaf, slowly breaking off bits as it disintegrated and became one with the hard clay path. I couldn't stop looking at this whenever I passed by and finally got a picture to share. I'm so glad because I think it's so cool! Finally, a parting trail picture which shows a pair of red cedar trees shading the path. I hope everyone is doing well with vaccinations on the horizon. For us, it looks like JULY unfortunately but no worries--we're staying safe and being careful! Take care and stay warm and dry! Explored on 3/3/21; highest placement #3.

(+5 insets!) A Change of Scenery is Something We'll Never Take For Granted Again! Who knew that the whole world would be subject to quarantines and being locked up in our houses for weeks and months on end? I know that some of you have had it much worse in this regard and I feel terrible for those who have only rarely set foot outside their homes since Covid reared its ugly and ever-mutating head. It is the greatest fortune that we are able to travel without much fear, bringing our home on wheels with us as we explore the lovely state parks of Oregon. We don't feel comfortable leaving the state in case we needed to get home quickly but we are not left wanting! There is an endless wealth of stunning beauty in every direction, from craggy coasts to snowy peaks, deep forest to desert (alpine and arid), temperate rainforest to rolling meadows, and so much more. Oregon is touted for its amazing landscapes and jaw-dropping scenery and it is such a joy to explore this state! I'm down to the last two presentations from our trip to William Tugman State Park, though to be honest, I had to force myself to stop processing pictures--there are just so many more I could share! What a marvelous place for photography! Today's Pictures On the long hike around the east side of Eel Lake and through the forest, Steve pointed out a wild cucumber plant with it's wonderful vines and tendrils. What luck to find the sun shining on a particularly awesome display of the ever-reaching grasp of tendrils shown alongside corkscrew curls. I'm also sharing pictures of a russet-colored slug that I found near the lake's edge and got a nice portrait too! There's a picture of a hoverfly on a California Figwort, a white Hawkweed blossom showing one in seed behind, and another trail picture too. Enjoy! I hope that everyone is able to travel freely as the months trudge by and vaccinations become more widespread. I don't know if life will ever return to the way it used to be but we can hope and maybe all of us can find a way to get out there and enjoy our amazing planet. Stay safe!! Explored on 2/28/21; highest placement #1.

(+9 insets!) On the Hunt for Fungus! You probably know that one of my favorite finds are mushrooms, and it's always something I'm looking for whenever I go on a macro stroll. It took a while to find any while we were at Tugman but eventually I hit pay dirt! Slowing down to a creep, I discovered mushrooms peeping out from beds of moss, attached to logs and even peering down at me from lofty heights on tree trunks. I even found an American yellow fly agaric , the blond version of my bucket list mushroom, the Amanita muscaria . It was easy enough to find various species of shelf fungus, and at one point I discovered a huge one right next to the trail that was bristling with droplets. Eying the beads of moisture closely, I couldn't help but ponder…those aren't dew drops, so what are they? Those Droplets are called Guttation and They Occur in Plant Species Too! This moisture oozes out of many types of fungus at times of rapid growth with proper temperature and humidity. They can be clear or tinted with colors from yellow to blood red. Some mushrooms use this guttation to create a protective slime that makes them glossy in appearance (I iincluded a picture of a Cowboy Mushroom found on our property, and it's a clickable link with many insets) In plant species, guttation happens at night when the pressure of excess water in roots forces moisture out of the leaves. This will ring a bell to you when you think about leaves that have beads of water perfectly arranged around the edge of a leaf! I always wondered how dew could have formed so perfectly that way…and now I know that it wasn't dew at all! This article is brimming with awesome photography and a lot more information about guttation, which I encourage you to read and enjoy! Read it and Weep: Fungal Guttation Immortalized Before Being Mutilated The two pictures of this lovely bracket fungus turned out to be very fortunate timing. Located along the longer Eel Lake trail, Steve and I had admired this prominently positioned fungus each time we passed and when I came back with my macro lens I got the pictures I'm sharing today. A couple of days later we made our successful hike to the end of the trail and back, and admired the eye-level bracket fungus on the way in. On the way back we encountered a very noisy group of kids headed our way, led by an obnoxious young adult. Disturbing the peace of the forest, they yelled back and forth and none of which were observing safe distancing. We noticed that the leader had a knife and was looking around and cutting things off trees. A while after we passed by, I noticed a bracket fungus with a huge section sliced off its bottom. Wait. THAT WAS THE BEAUTIFUL SHELF BRACKET I'D PHOTOGRAPHED! Suddenly it hit me--that jerk was mutilating everything he found of interest along the trail! That explained the branches, bits of mushroom and fungus we kept finding littered along the path as we made our way back. What a shame. What a jerk. But I did get these pictures for all of us to enjoy! Fungus Insets Galore! I'm including images of the wonderful mushrooms I've processed from our trip to William Tugman State Park and I hope you enjoy the show (I also added the few I put on earlier trip posts too) I hope all of you are doing well, keeping safe, dry and warm! Explored on 2/26/21; highest placement #4.

(+5 insets) Eel Lake Hikes: The Short and the Long There were two trails walkable from the William Tugman State Park campground: the short 1.1 mile one I walked every morning went around part of the west edge of Eel Lake. The other one was a proper hike of 6.6 miles out and back along the eastern side. We only managed to walk to the very end once due to injuries and timing, but it was a fantastic trail that we look forward to enjoying again on our next visit. The experience was equally spectacular to the shorter daily walk but six times longer! :D (If you'd like to read about this awesome hike, I found a page that has pictures and lots of information: Oregon Hikers: Eel Lake Hike Our first trip on the longer trail took us only about half way before Steve's sore knee had us turning around but we did get far enough that I found these incredible Indian Pipe Fungus plants! We stared in amazement as I took a few pictures of this strange and beautiful fungus...or...plant? WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?! This is Not a Fungus...it's a Flower! Growing out of the ground very much like a fungus, I stared in confusion at these growths, wondering what they were. Honestly, their ghostly color made them look like some sort of strange mushroom, but…they didn't have gills or the spongy quality of a fungus. I couldn't help but scratch my head about this odd find. Hopping onto the internet, I soon learned discovered that these things are flowering plants, not fungus! They grow only in deep forest, erupting from the ground on a single spike, producing one bell-shaped flower which is pollinated by small bumblebee and fly species. They have no chlorophyll and thus, don't depend on photosynthesis for energy. Instead, Indian Pipe Fungus get their energy from fungus! Now there's a switch--they are parasites! Also known as Ghost Plants (Monotropa uniflora) , these extremely delicate plants take about three days to erupt from the ground, flower and die, succumbing quickly to the damaging effects of sunlight. In fact, it was difficult to find any that weren't dried up or in the process of turning black. These odd plants can be found in North, Central and northern South America, and also Asia. They have been used as an herbalist remedy with calming effects and are said to taste a bit like asparagus for those who can't resist eating one. If you'd like more information about these mycoheterotrophs , there's a page on Wiki but also this nice page on a gardening website. Gardening Know How: Indian Pipe Fungus Wikipedia: Indian Pipe Fungus I hope you are all having a very nice week! It's been amazingly beautiful for us and sunny outside--yay for getting exercise and vitamin D! Explored on 2/25/21; highest placement #1.

(+5 insets!) Keep Your Eyes Open: You Never Know What You'll Find! Steve and I spent an absolutely wonderful week at William Tugman State Park and every morning I started it with a walk on the 1.1 mile trail around the edge of Eel Lake. What a gorgeous trail--it had everything! A lovely view of the lake, a meandering, well-maintained trail that meandered through a deep forest along its edge, four cool foot bridges to cross, and so much flora and fauna along the way! I only took my camera with me a few times but it was a good thing I warned Steve that I'd left the trailer with one because without fail I took twice as long to get back because I kept finding fabulous subjects to capture! Today's Pictures When I was returning from the end of the path where it terminates at a bench overlooking Eel Lake, I saw a bright red flash on a branch. Taking a closer look, I discovered a pretty hair clip adorned with a red bow. Apparently a little girl had lost it while frolicking and somebody else came along and clipped it onto a branch when they found it laying on the trail. Then I arrived and recognized the opportunity for a cool picture! Huzzah! :) Today's Insets I'm sharing another trail shot, a lovely wild grass head festooned with pollen, and two ripening thimbleberries in the center of their perfect star-shaped sepals; I'm also including a very cool sight: what looks like a flower is actually the opened and ripening seed pod of a Trillium. Finally, you'll see the shadow-play that I saw in my bedroom one morning before I rolled up the blind. I am often mesmerized by this show if we happen to be positioned where the shadows of a bush or tree are cast on my window shade. The shadows will often move back and forth, sometimes changing shape and paralyzing me as I enjoy the show. Thank You! I really can't tell you exactly how nice it feels that you have all been enjoying my pictures so much. It makes me feel so giddy! It's my wish to make you smile, feel surprised, make you think, present you with something new or transport you away from troublesome thoughts. If I can do that, I feel that I've been successful, and when you let me know…I just can't help but beam from ear to ear! Thanks so much. And the visits to your streams take me on amazing trips around the world and into your hearts, expressed by your photography. It's a pretty cool relationship we have, isn't it?! You're all terrific. :) Have a great day and please stay safe and healthy!! Explored on 2/22/21; highest placement #3.

(+5 insets!) Today's Quick Post: Get Closer! My main picture today is one of those cool lessons you discover about macro photography. This dead fern frond is something most wouldn't notice. Why? It's dead. Furthermore, the color conditions us to ignore it because we've learned that brown plants = dead = boring. But if you get close to a dead plant, you'll often be greeted by a surprise like this one: new and interesting detail that you've never noticed before! Macro photography has taught me that even the most supposedly boring subjects can actually be extremely interesting and memorable! I now make sure to study all parts of a plant--both live and dead--because you never know what fantastic surprises lay in wait! :) Today's Pictures I'm featuring the other fern pictures I processed from my walk around the edge of Eel Lake at William Tugman State Park. I've also included a wonderful dead leaf with dramatic coloring and an interesting shape which I couldn't resist. :) I hope you are all doing great and have a lovely weekend in store! Explored on 2/20/21; highest placement #2.

(+5 insets!) Today's Quick Post There were so many beautiful plants to photograph on my daily walk around the edge of Eel Lake. Of course, it was impossible to resist taking more pictures of one of my favorite subjects--ferns! In fact, as I usually do, I got too many winner shots because ferns are such divas! Today I'm sharing some of the beautiful ferns and also some more pretty leaves I found too. Enjoy! Explored on 2/18/21; highest placement #1.

(+5 insets!) Photography is an Opportunity for Never-ending Education! I've always been a curious little monkey with a passion for nature. But the moment I I began taking pictures so many years ago, that fascination brought a new interest and opportunity for me. I wanted to know more about the things I took pictures of--what a great way to learn more about the world around me! That passion to learn is one of the countless reasons I love photography. Normally, we see something interesting that is soon forgotten. But with a picture, we can investigate freely. What a great way to educate myself! And, with online communities like ipernity, I have the opportunity to share what I learn with all of you too! :) Today's Pictures On my daily walk around the edge of Eel Lake at William Tugman State Park, I got to enjoy seeing the pretty water plants that floated just off-shore in one spot. I didn't know exactly what they were so today I spent some time educating myself. The main picture is the disintegrating leaf from a water plant called Western Water Shield (Brassia schreberi) . It does look like a shield, doesn't it?! This plant is well-established world-wide without a definitive origin and listed as an Oregon native. It can be invasive though and grows massive carpets of floating leaves over ponds and lakes. The flowers are small and purple but sadly weren't in bloom when I got my pictures (Here's a Google Search if you'd like to see what they look like! :) I adore water lilies and any other floating plants so I really enjoyed taking pictures of this plant. I loved how the leaves looked as they disintegrated, with fiery colors in the leaf holding on to the very end. I've got several others as insets to show a close-up of a pretty pair of leaves, and how they carpet the area where they grow. I'm also sharing an image of another water plant called a Spatterdock (Nuphar advena) that has several pairs of mating blue damselflies on it! A shame I couldn’t get closer but they are still quite visible! Last but not least, another picture of the lovely water at the shore. I never tire of the twinkling, abstract quality of the moving water…isn't it beautiful? :) Thank You!! Thank you so much for your visits, stars and comments…but also, thank you for providing me with such a wonderful experience when I see what you're sharing with everyone today! I love my virtual trips around the world, holding your hand and peering through your lens! What fun…you guys are awesome and so inspiring. :) Please take care of yourselves and stay safe, dry and warm! :) Explored on 2/16/29; highest placement #3.

(+6 insets!) "I Caught a Salamander!" On one of my morning walks I took a camera with me to capture some of the beautiful things I saw every day at Tugman State Park. I had a specific mission though. I made a bee-line for the Eel Lake dock because I hoped to get some pictures of a wonderful and unusual sight I'd discovered the other day. In the early morning, if you looked carefully, you could see salamanders swimming around! They were so darned cute! This is something I've never seen in my whole life! (I believe these are juvenile Coastal Giant Salamanders, Dicamptodon tenebrosus .) Moving slowly around the wooden dock, I got some neat images of barely-visible salamanders swimming along just under the surface. I guess they must live under the dock…perhaps on the wood? In the mud under water? I don't know for sure but I was full of joy as I saw each one, cooing happily at their cuteness. At the same time as I was there, a father and his young daughter and son were there. Dad was fishing while his kids were laying on the deck with hands positioned over the water. They were hoping to catch salamanders and had a water-filled bucket next to them if they got lucky. "I CAUGHT ONE!!!" I looked over to see the young boy with an ear-to-ear grin, standing up with a salamander held very gently in his hands. He saw me looking with my matching smile and asked if I would like to see his new little friend. "YES!" I exclaimed and asked if I could take a picture. He said sure and I got a nod from Dad before I captured the image you see as today's main image. I love this shot. It clearly shows how gently the salamander is being held and though the salamander doesn't look exactly thrilled, it's not freaked-out, which makes me happy! Before I turned to go, the children said they were going to catch all the salamanders they could until Dad was done fishing and then they would let them go. I couldn't help but look back on my own adventures of capturing little salamanders under bricks in San Francisco when I was their age! :) Other Insets I'm including a salamander under the water, a darling chipmunk that posed for me, and a close-up portrait. I'm also sharing images of a lovely garter snake I discovered on the trail. It was so relaxed that it took about five minutes to slowly make its way over the trail and off into the bushes. :) I hope you're all doing well today! Stay safe, warm and dry on this cold, wet day! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! Explored on 2/13/29; highest placement #3.

(+5 insets!) Safe Dental Visits During Covid?! YES!!! Steve and I have been wanting to go to the dentist now for ages! Both of us have needed work done--from normal cleaning to extreme procedures--but everything's transpired against us! The financial burden was the biggest problem but a while back we got a new medical plan which has made it feasible to schedule appointments. But at the same time…COVID became a thing. Just thinking about the issues of dentistry, germs, proximity, potential spreading…Steve and I threw our hands in the air and put it off. For a whole year! Did You Know a Pistachio Shell Can Become a Tiny Bear Trap? One day I was eating pistachio nuts, shelling them and munching happily. I used my teeth to crack open a shell as I often do, but this time the shell slipped and closed like a bear trap…right on my lower frenulum just in front of my front teeth (a frenulum or frenum is the little stretchy connection between your gum and lip, above and below. Also under your tongue…and there's another one too, look it up!) The odds of this accident happening were ridiculously low but there I stood, looking in the bathroom mirror, unable to get the mini bear trap off my frenulum. I finally succeeded but in so doing, caused a bad injury which really hurt! However, I also knew that mouth sores heal really fast and I figured this would heal quickly too. To be sure, I searched the internet and learned that injuries of this sort are common in little kids who often fall on their faces, etc. Poor little guys! Poor me! :D I kept an eye on it. Time passed. Days…weeks, nearly a month, and it still hadn't healed! I was worried about Covid but I was worried about my mouth too. Looking into dental safety procedures, I learned that they are really careful. I was surprised and encouraged by this, and when Steve called to ask about coming in, our dentist staff explained everything they do. We were convinced it would be fine and with that…we made an appointment to check out my injury. Our Dentist is Totally Safe! We went to my appointment and the safeguards were awesome. Only one person in the waiting area, required masks and hand washing, sanitizer, temperature check and checklist of where I'd been and so forth…and when I was called back to my room, everything was perfectly clean--even the places where the staff touched were replaceable tapes to keep everything sanitary. The dentist looked at my injury and as I suspected, told me that I just need to be patient. Sometimes those injuries take longer to heal but it wasn't infected. I just needed to wait. *sigh* Ok…but you know what? The very best thing happened: we learned that it would ok to go to the dentist!! Teeth Cleaning and Dental Work! Both Steve and I set up appointments for teeth cleaning, checkups, filling replacements and much more. It's been really super. Today I am sitting here with a very puffy face because I got a badly-needed gum graft for a terribly receded gum. Day two and I'm doing well, so delighted to have the procedure done! And Steve's had work done with more scheduled to come. We've been to two different offices--dentist and periodontist--and in each case, they've been fastidiously clean and careful. What a relief to finally get our teeth cared for, hooray!! Go To The Dentist…It's Safe! If you've been like us, you've been putting off your dental visits because of Covid worries. However, if our dentist is any indication of how the majority of dental offices are handling safety, there is nothing to worry about! Naturally, everyone is different. Call beforehand and grill your dental office on what their procedures are for sanitizing and caring for patients, and for staff safety too. Use normal care--touch nothing if you can help it, etc. You owe it to your mouth! Go to the dentist! :) Today's Picture It's Happy Fence Friday and I'm sharing a picture of one of the lovely little bridges I crossed each morning on my daily Tugman walk around the edge of Eel Lake. There are four bridges in all on this short hike--what a surprise that such a lot of effort was made for this minor trail, but I sure loved being able to walk along without hopping over streams or miring in muddy slop. The trail makers did a bang-up job and I appreciated the heck out of this gorgeous path every day! Insets I'm including five more pictures of a few sights on this trail--I have so many to add! Today I'm including another trail picture with a tree's branches sweeping over the trail; a pictures of one of the trees along the way which has a fascinating, toe-like trunk; a wonderful image of water at the shore with beautiful rippled and a water plant; a tiny trio of velvety-looking mushrooms I found; and finally, some colorful leaves that caught my eye. Thank You! I really appreciate all of your visits, comments and favorites! Also, I apologize for not stopping by recently, there's been so much going on! But you'll be seeing me today, yay! Please stay safe and once again…the dentist is SAFE to visit! Take care of your chompers, they will appreciate it, and you'll be so much happier! :) Explored on 2/13/29; highest placement #4.

(+7 insets!) Stop #3 of our 2020 Escaping Covid trip: Tugman State Park Leaving Bullard's Beach after a wonderful week of fun, relaxation and adventure, we headed north for a new campground destination. Tugman State Park would turn out to be so wonderful that it now sits on our list of favorite Oregon State Parks! Family Planning Not Quite According to Plan! Before we found out that campgrounds were open again, Steve's sister called to let us know that things had changed. She lives in California (about 700 miles south in the Los Angeles metropolitan area) and since we had an RV, she thought it was high time we got together for part of our trips. So she and Steve coordinated a spot where we could hang out and that turned out to be Tugman State Park! However, our desire to reserve a nice long stay proved to be impossible. We ended up reserving four nights, followed by a two-night stay at a "glorified parking lot" private RV park, and then seven more nights at Tugman. Not ideal but at least the private RV park was only 45 minutes away. Tugman State Park Located just to the side of the lovely and large Eel Lake, this campground features closely-connected loops that are nested within each other--something that I haven't found in other parks. The result is a fairly compact park that can be a bit confusing when trying to remember where your camping spot is. This campground has three unique and wonderful aspects: two trails which are just a walk from the campground, and of course, the lake itself. The shorter of the two trails is just 1.1 miles but don't let the length disappoint you--that wonderful trail will have me returning forever! It leads in and out of the forest and around the western shore--it's absolutely perfect to start each day with. I looked forward to every walk I went on and just thinking about it now makes me wish I were there! The trail terminates in benches that are perched on a spot that juts just a bit into the lake. Sitting there or standing out and looking at the twinkling lake, there are few places to match this tranquil beauty. The 6.1-mile hike along the eastern shore is outstanding and gorgeous, leading through the mixed conifer and deciduous forest and peeking out on the lake here and there with benches for anyone needing breaks. Finally, the lake itself is stunning and fantastic for canoeing or kayaking, or for those who'd like to try catching a fish. Today's Pictures I discovered that I've only posted a couple of pictures from our stay here so I'll be sharing pictures from our stay in this area for a few days! :) Today I'm featuring the perfect picture for Happy Bench Monday! Would you just LOOK at that crazy bench?! It sits at the end of the short trail I started every day with. As you can see from one of the insets, the view is wonderful! My insets show some of the beautiful things I saw on my walk and I'll be posting other pictures in the coming days to add to this. I hope that you are all doing well. At our house it's very cold, snowy, rainy, mucky and pretty miserable outside, but in the afternoons it's sometimes gorgeous and sunny! Crazy weather! Stay safe and thank you so much for all of your marvelous comments and stars--your visits mean so much to me! Explored on 2/9/29; highest placement #1.

Starlink is Here!! Plug your ears because I'm screaming in joy!!! Steve and I used to live in San Francisco…that was about 17 years ago. When we left, download speeds were really starting to rev up and we enjoyed speeds of probably 2mbps--screaming fast for the time. Then we moved to southern Oregon and traded internet speed for jaw-dropping scenery, rural life and a slower pace which we adored. Our connection to the internet went down to .5mbps at best. For several years we dealt with that rate until finally the area was updated to 1.5mbps. Where it stayed until this day. It was so miserably slow that we actually had two lines coming in so we could each have our own dribble to the internet. We've always kept an eye open for updates to the area's internet and for any tech out there which might help us. We could never do satellite in the past because it's not consistent, which means you can't play online games without dropping connection regularly. Since we both love online games when we're in the mood for them, satellite wasn't an option. Maybe fiber optic will get here someday but there seem to be no signs anytime soon. Steve and I learned about Elon Musk's Starlink and he got our laser-focused attention instantly. We read excitedly about his plan to connect the world via a massive web of satellites that used a lower orbit. His hope to bring fast internet to rural locations had us hoping for a change to our miserable circumstances and we enjoyed seeing the amazing progress of this company. Promises of 30-150mbps download speeds had us hyperventilating in starry daydreams! One day in October it was announced that a beta would be starting and anyone interested could sign up for the chance to participate. That very day we were on the list. The weeks and then months crawled by as we waited and hoped. The Invitation Arrived!!! About two weeks ago Steve found an email from Starlink waiting in his inbox with our invitation to join the beta!!! Minutes later we paid for the dish, signed up for their service and began the eons-long wait for our package to arrive. The estimate was about two weeks and it turns out they were totally accurate. We tracked our precious package as it made its way from Los Angeles to our home…it sat in LA for a week, there were stalls due to weather, and at one point last week it made it to a place in Oregon SE of us 1.5 hrs away called Klamath Falls--bouncing in excitement, we thought we might get it that day or the next! They were just teasing us. The next day it was in PORTLAND! NOOOOO!!! But finally we could see that it would be delivered the next day and we were beyond excited! Yesterday morning I heard the FedEx truck coming up the driveway. I alerted Steve, who nearly exploded out the front door to meet the driver who hadn't even come to a stop yet! The beaming smile on Steve's face when he carried the box into the house was totally priceless! It took maybe an hour for Steve to set up our system and then I heard a maniacal snicker. Steve had just tested the speed. 74mbps download…74!!! OMG!!!! Life with Starlink: Inconsistent Fabulousness! The upgrade is nothing less than spectacular!! We get download speeds as high as 100mbps or more but it's usually fluctuating between 30-70. Also, things are not perfect…we were told to expect a number of outages every day lasting from just a few seconds to as long as 15 minutes. That's proven to be true. In fact, the disconnects made it impossible to use for online gaming. However, Steve is amazing! He figured out a way to hook up our dsl lines so that if Starlink goes down, we still have connection via the dsl. It's brilliant! Basically, we will always have our sloth-like 1.5mbps as a safety net, but when Starlink is up, our connection is screaming fast! You should have seen us last night. Cuddling in bed with Pumpkin, Steve connected our tv to Netflix and attempted something that was laughably impossible before: we streamed a television show. Without even pausing (!!!!!), the show just PLAYED! At full size, at high definition…it just WORKED! PERFECTLY!!! Like a regular TV channel…only it was a streamed show from Netflix!!! We babbled in stunned shock, "I can't believe it!" "This is amazing!" "It's actually working!" "OMG, welcome to the modern world!" "It looks so GOOD!" LOL… Needless to say, we're deliriously happy. Also, the issues we're having with disconnects will supposedly decrease as the days pass. Apparently there's performance data being uploaded constantly with minute changes are being made at certain points. New satellites will continue to be added which will also improve consistency. And incredibly, the plans are to increase the speed as time goes on! All we know is that everything is just so much better! Hooray for Starlink!!! Today's Picture Back in 2016, Steve and I went to see my dad in San Francisco, and one day we went to Golden Gate Park to take pictures. I found this gorgeous Pink Beauty blossom hiding low to the ground next to a walking path that just needed to be shared! :) I'll be continuing my trip pictures in my next upload but today I had to jump up and down about Starlink!! HOORAY!! Please be safe out there everyone! :) Explored on 2/4/29; highest placement #3.

(+21 insets) (Sorry so many, I wanted to get all of my scattered images together!) Revisiting a Lovely Park! The second stop on our "Escaping Covid" trip was Bullard's Beach State Park, a beautiful, sprawling campground that we visited for only a single day the year before because of Memorial Day…every campground was full! One of the insets has a picture with a link that tells of the fun we had in that day. However, needless to say, we were delighted to get a chance to spend a full week there this time around! It was so nice to relax and enjoy this pretty park in a much more relaxed manner. Bullard's Beach This coastal campground is nestled just inside the scrub and forest which begins where the sand and dunes end. The natural wind-break means the park isn't windy, which is very nice. The park has many campsites with a good distance between them too, and I really like the way this place feels. Laid out on mostly flat ground, all of the three campground loops are wonderful for strolling and bike riding too. There's also a path which leads a mile down to the beach which goes for miles in each direction. Unique features of this park include the wide Coquille River which empties out into the ocean nearby and the view of Bullard's Bridge, which is has two vertical-lift spans and is an impressive sight. Another difference: sandy hiking trails… *wince* Sandy "Trails of Tears" The day I decided to go on one of the Bullard's Beach "hiking trails" was when I discovered its least positive unique aspect. Unless one stays on cement paths, the deep, sandy paths are often a painfully slow and arduous "three steps forward and two steps back." I learned this the hard way. I decided one day to go on a trail which led for a few miles on a supposed loop path up and around an area just inland of Bullard's Beach. Stepping off the campground's cement path onto the sandy trail, I really should have just turned around right then and there. But I was determined! Plus, I'd never gone on a walk like this before. The terrain was interesting and different so I was optimistic. It couldn't be all sand…could it? Um…yes. Deep, loose, slippery sand the entire way. It didn't help that these trails were frequented by horseback riders, and that meant the trails weren't packed down at all. So, instead of my usual brisk pace, I was forced to plug along at a snail's crawl. Normally I would have been around that trail in perhaps a couple of hours. In the end, it took about three hours to the point that I gave up and turned around to retrace my steps. (see inset) What misery! It was pretty to see and I enjoyed the environment and views but the time it took for progress was ridiculous. I was so happy and relieved when I finally stepped back onto the cement path again! Today's Pictures The road down to the beach has a lovely paved path that parallels it with the Coquille River just across the way. Today's main image features a bench and tree which look out over the wide Coquille River. I finally have a nice image to include for Happy Bench Monday! :) Insets for Today's Presentation Walking down the path to the beach from the Bullard's Beach campground, I got a nice pano with not-so-great picture of the cool dual-span Bullard's Bridge and the fun shot of the path that includes a picnic table tucked away in a meadow past protective bushes. Picnic gazebo: I thought it was interesting to see one of the park's group party areas that was blocked off with yellow tape because of the corona virus. It made me stop and think about the way the world has changed--and continues to do so, because of the pandemic. One day Steve and I drove down to the road that goes along the beach and went to the light house for pictures. It was miserably windy and cold though so we didn't end up going on a beach stroll as we'd hoped. I got the light house, which is probably one of the least interesting I've ever seen, but I also noticed a fellow nearby who was "crabbing", or putting in crab traps. The Coquille River is deep enough that big ships use it to transport goods and I got a couple of nice pictures of a ship entering the river. The beach itself had some fun driftwood forts and interesting lean-tos that I took pictures of. As well, the morning that we left, I rode my bike down to the beach and got some pretty beach pictures, along with a few of the golden carpet of flowers that grew in the scrubby area between the beach and the campground. Next to last, I've included pictures of the "sandy trail of tears" walk that I went on, including a map that shows the trail and how far I got. Finally, I am also including links to the other Bullard's Beach posts I made in the past so this is a complete collection. Sorry for the vastness of this presentation, enjoy what you can! :) Thanks so much for all of your visits, comments and favorites! Be safe and have a fantastic week! Explored on 2/1/29; highest placement #5.

(+ 1 inset!) This is just a quick post so I can participate in this weekly event! About this Picture This image was taken at the third stop of our trip last season. There is a wonderful hike I went on every morning and I walked past a utility building surrounded by a cyclone fence. There were bunches of flowers in the grass and I got some really lucky shots including this dandelion fluff! (I have also included another inset with a lovely clover in full bloom at the same location!) Have a lovely day and stay safe! Explored on 1/25/29; highest placement #1.

(+17 insets!) Our 2020 "Escaping Covid" RV Trip I'm going to go through our trip, stop by stop and hopefully I'll be able to get through all the pictures before we leave for our next trip! (Hint...so many pictures!!!) I'm including links to other posts which show images from this stop as well. First Stop: Humbug State Park We were so lucky to book a week here because the dates included Fourth of July, our Independence Day. Trying to find reservations a week before and following this day is usually next to impossible but to our total amazement we got incredibly lucky! Furthermore, this park is small and we really didn’t think we'd ever get to stay here! We counted our lucky stars every day! :D Humbug Mtn State Park--What Sets it Apart This park's unique features are its small size and its own, almost private, ocean beach, complete with a creek that runs into the water. The walk along the ocean is fabulous! Another unforgettable aspect that wasn't so nice was the wind in some areas. This intimate park sits in a narrow canyon which funnels coastal wind under the highway 101 bridge and up through the campground in a ferocious gale that affects some areas. Yet, in protected spots, the negligeable breeze makes you question whether or not you were exaggerating intensity of the wind rushing into the canyon. What a lovely campground it is! With an upper and lower loop, surrounded by lush forest with trails that meander up and out of the canyon and along the original Highway 101, this makes for a wonderful, wide walkway overlooking the ocean in some places. Of interest to bike riders, another notable point is that there is no cycling allowed in or around this park. Today's Main Picture My main image features the underside of a fern with its octopus-sucker-like rows of spores. These plants, which number over 12,000 species, are among the world's oldest and have been around for over 300 MILLION years! Isn't that incredible? I love their unusual appearance and never tire of photographing them! Humbug State Park sits in a lush forest which included plenty of ferns for my enjoyment. . Insets You'll find three other fern images to appreciate; I also included pictures captured on one of my trail hikes: a spike of beautiful purple foxglove blossoms that towered above me and a tiny wild purple and lavender geranium that peeked out shyly from the ground; a view of a dappled trail that lead up to old Highway 101 and another showing the highway-path so you can see how pretty it was! A wide panorama format was perfect for fuzzy red leaves stretching out from the main plant (Geranium?), and finally, a tall, narrow picture showing resin droplets that I found dribbling down the side of a fir tree. I'm also including inset-links to the other Humbug State Park posts I shared some time ago if you'd like to see the beach and other wonderful sights of this gorgeous place! Thank you for your visits! It's been so nice having ipernity back up and running again! I've really enjoyed visiting you guys, and getting your comments, favorites and views has totally made my day! Please stay safe, warm and dry!!

(+6 insets!) Our 2020 RV Adventures in the Midst of Covid-- It's time to get back to my travel pictures! How incredibly lucky we were to have the freedom to travel during this pandemic. When the virus started taking over the world, we sat and worried for months about what it would all mean, what would happen, the whole state of the world. Then we found out that the Oregon State Park system had opened up its campgrounds again and everything changed for us. We could take our RV and actually enjoy ourselves! In our private, protective camper, we'd be able to visit state parks and partake in our favorite activities--hiking, cycling, photography, reading, writing, etc.--and stay completely safe while doing it! Our RV Adventures We had two trips: the first part began on June 29 and we got home on July 6. The second part began a couple of weeks later after Steve did some upgrades on both the truck and trailer. I included maps that show where we went on each trip so you have a better understanding. 2020 Covid Trip, Part 1: 6.29-7.06 Humbug Mtn State Park 7.06-13 Bullard's Beach State Park 7.13-17 Tugman State Park 7.17-19 Heceta RV Park (just a glorified parking lot; we couldn't get into Tugman until the 19th) 7.19-26 Tugman State Park 7.26 Home 2020 Covid Trip, Part 2: 8.09-17 LaPine State Park 8.17-24 Detroit Lake State Park 8.24--9.04 LL Stub Stewart 9.04-08 Champoeg State Heritage Area 9.08-10 LL Stub Stewart State Park 9.10-24 Fort Stevens State Park 9.24-27 Tugman State Park 9.27-10-11 LaPine State Park 10.11 Home Posting pictures and trip reports has been really hit and miss. I finally just stopped after a while, not sure where to pick up and continue. I got behind on my image processing but since we've been home, I've finished countless photos. I'm still at a loss about where I should pick up again but I guess it doesn't really matter. Nobody is keeping score, right? Today's Pictures The main picture shows an impossibly cute Least Chipmunk at LaPine State Park. We were constantly entertained by these darling little guys, who scampered everywhere looking for snacks. We would sit at our campsite and watch them running around, finding things to stop and nibble on. Sometimes they skittered right up to us--climbing on a shoe, even racing up to a knee and then off again in a flash! Onto the tables, into our Easy-up shelter, zooming under the RV and truck…it was non-stop entertainment to watch them, and we laughed and laughed at their adorable antics. I would also see them on my walks, and my best pictures were taken on a trail that skirted the beautiful Deschutes River. I'm including a couple of extras to coo at--aren't they just the cutest?! I also have an image of a Douglas Squirrel which stood belligerently on the side of a fir tree yelling outrages at me one day while I stood snickering! Additionally I have the pair of chipmunks I posted when we got back from our second trip and the maps that show where we went. I hope you are all doing well and staying safe! Explored on 1/25/21; highest placement #1.