vero's favorite photos

(+5 insets!) Please view large, the details are worth it! :) We've been having such lovely, sunny days here that warm up to a nice, warm day…but BOY, do they start off COLD! WHOOO!!! By the time I get inside after my 30-minute tromp up and down the driveway, my hands and feet are frozen! When I get into the house I must worship the Monitor Heater God for the next 20 minutes while I thaw out again! Sheesh! I have been having such a nice time visiting all of you and catching up on your beautiful photography. It really is like going on a trip around the world, a gift to me from each of you. Sometimes you leave something to read, sometimes it's just the picture to explain itself, but always it's nice to see what you are drawn to post for me to see! :) Today's Pictures: "Caught" Oak Leaf and More! My main picture is a subject that's a total favorite of mine, the "caught" leaf. On the way down to the ground, sometimes the rare leaf will get stuck on the way. Could be a bush or branch, twigs or grass stems--you never know what might interrupt a leaf on its path. Now, you must stop and think for just a moment about the odds. How in the world can a leaf get stuck on anything? Looking more closely, it's just amazing how tenuous the hang-up spot can be. A breath of breeze might be all it needs to finish its trip to the ground. This particular White Oak leaf had me all a-gawk! As it dried up, the end of it curled up into a tube. Then it fell and somehow managed to be speared by a wild oat stem--right through that curl in the leaf! How in the WORLD could the odds have lined up to allow this miraculous capture to occur? Nearly a week ago I was walking on our road and of course this marvelous little flag caught my eye. Crouching down to take a closer look, I gasped in surprise when I noticed the leaf's curl and watched as it waved softly in the breeze. I couldn't miss out on this picture so when it warmed up I returned with my camera to capture this cool leaf. Unfortunately the breeze had kicked up in the afternoon and I was pretty annoyed to find that not a single picture turned out of the dozen I'd taken. BOO! I worried about the leaf falling but still, I waited until the next day to try again. This time, instead of a bunch of failed attempts, I got plenty of choices to pick from, yay! I'm also including a few other prizes from my wander around our property. First off, we still have flowers! It's amazing to believe anything can grow, even though it's hovering around freezing in the morning and the soil has no moisture in it. Only hardy species can survive in our extremely hot and dry summer, an autumn with very little rainfall, and then a frozen tundra until February. But here are two stunning flowers who have no problems with drought! The beautiful yellow flower with a dried flower in bokeh behind is called "Lemon Tarweed", named for the sticky resin droplets that cling to the stems and behind-leaf veins. You'll know you've touched this plant if you smell the lovely lemon scent the disturbed resin releases. The blossoms are smaller and much more scraggly than earlier blooms, but one cannot deny their delicate beauty! The lovely little white flowers are called "Rough Eyelash" and at this point the blossoms are about 2/3 the size they normally are when they bloom earlier. Next: behold a little upside-down apple! No, wait! That's a manzanita berry, and behind in bokeh you can see a leaf from this wonderful small tree/scrubby brush. I am shocked to say that I've never processed a single one of these berries in all the years we've been on this property! I can only imagine I've got loads of pictures sitting in my archives but I never got to any of them. FOR SHAME!! Such beautiful little berries! I'm including a cluster of berries too, so you can see how they usually grow together in clumps. Finally, a wad of dried-up White Oak leaves that I liked the look of, all curly with a cool texture! Thanks everyone, for your visits, comments and favorites. I'm delighted by the words that you leave and often find myself giggling or downright cackling at your remarks about spiders and such! I am equally humbled by your words of joy to see my pictures and your high regards--you are so kind and I am moved by all of your impressions. How I love you all! Please stay safe, warm, and away from nasty little buggies! Explored on 10/30/20; highest placement #5.

(+5 insets) Happy Fall Back Day! Oh my, we've gained an hour! As I type it's 8:15 on the clock but really it's 9:15…or at least that's what my body has to say about it! I just love gaining an hour, even though it's not truly real. Real or not, I feel like I have a whole extra hour and it's delightful! :) A Very Covid Halloween By the way, for those of you who enjoy Halloween, I hope you managed to find a safe way to celebrate! I have always loved this holiday and as a kid it was my very favorite day of the year. I cannot help but feel sad about Covid ruining this special day for so many. Personally, I haven't actually done anything festive for Halloween for a few years now--we often get pumpkins to carve, but not lately. Instead, I'll participate in Halloween events happening within online video games and that really satisfies me. This year it was Animal Crossing! A few weeks ago Steve surprised me with a birthday gift--a Nintendo Switch! This is something I'd never buy for myself--I cannot justify the price of these little time-wasters--so Steve likes to get things like this for me because he knows I will enjoy them. He's right. I have a soft spot for this particular game and it's only available on the Nintendo Switch. Instead of Animal Crossing, I made due by finding other games which are similar--the outstanding Garden Paws and equally excellent My Time at Portia --but there's nothing like the real thing! I've been having a great time with it and the Halloween event was charming, darling, and so cute. Something very nice as well is that players can gather and celebrate together, which means a lot to all those kids who didn’t get to celebrate properly this year. I hope that next year kids will have their trick-or-treating and holiday parties restored! Fall in Medford, Parking Lot Style! Who says you need to go to a park or grand location to photograph the lovely colors of Fall? Steve and I don't always get out for a photo day that features Fall's dramatic show. However, if I want to immortalize the pretty colors everywhere, all I need to do is tag along when Steve's going out for some shopping and errands, and my wish is granted! Parking lots around here are often lavishly planted with a large variety of trees, shrubs and other plants. When Fall rolls around, the colors are simply outrageous! Yet, if you took pictures from a distance, the effect would be a disaster--who wants to see an ugly parking lot, cars, power lines and endless cement? However, if you get in closer, shoot up towards the sky, and take time to carefully compose images to eliminate the manmade distractions, the results can be just as marvelous as if we'd driven for hours to get pretty Fall landscape images. Yes, I do miss out on those amazing landscape images but I get so many lovely photos that are up-close and personal, it's a satisfying, marvelous show! Today's Pictures: Gingko Leaves and More! I had a wonderful time taking pictures of all of the beautiful things that presented themselves to me at each stop we made around town. However, I was beside myself with joy when I spotted a number of Gingko trees with some colorful leaves left just for me! Don't you just love their unique and interesting leaves? These marvelous trees with their many medical benefits are native to China and are commonly used for landscaping around the world. Creeping around the trees I found, I looked for the best way to photograph those magnificent leave. Happily, I was rewarded with a number of very successful winners to share, which I'll spread out over the next few posts. (For more information about these trees, Wiki has a super page on them here: Wiki: Ginkgo Biloba ) I'm also including a glorious spray of fiery red maple leaves against a blue sky--how awesome to find such a perfect branch of leaves! There is also a backlit "stained glass" maple leaf with a variety of colorful splotches and shadows of stems which look like an X through the leaf! A group of glowing orange leaves with a background of leaves in shadow turned out nicely too! There's a close-up of a red-edged, dripping leaf found under a tree just beginning to turn color. And finally, a some red leaves on a short hedge that were covered with water…I couldn't help but try for a starry-droplet shot! Partly blown-out but still a win in my book and I hope you like it too! :) That's all from me! Thanks again for your visits, comments and favorites! Please stay safe out there in this new explosion of cases…combined with the flu, I don't think this will be a very nice winter for a lot of people. Explored on 11/1/20; highest placement #2.

(+5 insets!) (the details in a larger view are worth it! :D) I hope this day has been a nice one for you! I am regaining warmth in my fingers on this crispy, cold but beautiful morning--a warm mug of tea does wonders!--and my feet are wrapped in a blanket. Though, let's be honest--they're really cold and won't be warming up any time soon. Happily, I decided to order a heated blanket so I don't have to spend so much time "praying to the Monitor Heater" downstairs with my sock-covered feet pressed up against the heating vent. Can't wait for that blanket to get here! :) Great Luck with my Photography! I have been having such fun working my way through my parking lot extravaganza! Don't you just love it when the majority of the pictures you took on an adventure turned out really well? That's how this lot has been and I took well-over 300 shots! Granted, I take aperture sets (e.g. 2.8, 4.0 5.6, 8.0, 11.0 etc.) of most subjects but still…I ended up with a huge variety of lovely subjects and interesting images to pursue. Leaf Junkie When I got my first Canon DSLR and beloved 100mm 2.8L lens, the first thing I took pictures of was an oak leaf! It's true: I cannot help being crazy about leaf shapes, colors and textures. I know that people get tired of the subject but me? NEVAH! Naturally, when the trees begin to turn colors and fall reveals its gorgeous rainbows of two-dimensional flowers, I lose myself when appreciating this yearly show. What about you? Do you tire of leaves or are they something you can't stop taking pictures of?! Today's Pictures Wandering around in careful steps on a wet lawn that had been watered earlier that morning, I zoomed in on the droplets I found all over the place. But I made sure to look up into the trees too, appreciating the myriad colors and pretty shapes there. I was attracted to the lovely peach and reddening tones in one tree and spotted a leaf that had enough contrast to stand out against the peach. When I processed the picture I realized it was the only forward-facing leaf of the group, which allowed it to show off so nicely. I find it a wonderful challenge to get a picture like this to work and happily, I got lucky with super framing of the peachy-colored leaf-backs all around! Also included: a much more subdued leafy composition mostly in shadow with interesting bokeh to look at; oh look, another lovely gingko leaf surrounded by bokeh! And it's growing directly out of the tree trunk!; a droplet-covered maple leaf found on the bark-covered ground; a single curled leaf, also growing directly out of a tree trunk that glowed beautifully in the afternoon light--almost a yin yang image!; and finally, a battered leaf in tones of splotched yellow, complete with cool shadows to appreciate…I think a well-placed puff of air would have brought this leaf down! Thank You! I'm loving the parade of images you've all been sharing for me to enjoy! And I really appreciate your visits, comments and favorites too. Sometimes I wonder if I should mention some of the pictures and presentations that so delight me as I wander around ipernity, but I think it's better to just leave my comments on your pictures and know that I've had a lovely visit and appreciate how you see the world! :) Be safe out there!! The flu is something we all need to worry about on top of covid, so please stay warm and monitor your sleep and stress!! *hugs to you all!* Explored on 11/3/20; highest placement #6.

(+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.

(+14 insets!) (Bigger is nice!) (This is another War and Peace doorstop so get a cup of coffee or prepare for a nap! :D) Highlights of Detroit Lake State Park What a wonderful visit we had here! Situated in the Cascade Mountains in central-western Oregon, this conifer and deciduous tree-filled park features over 300 campsites and an 11-mile long lake that caters to all types of water sports. We were there for seven nights and that meant total relaxation and settling into the park and all that it had to offer. Boating and Fishing Adventures Steve assembled our nifty fold-up Porta-Bote and I finally got to go for my first ride, what fun! The six horse-power motor was perfect for taking us out on the lake and around the sizeable Piety Island which sits in front of the campground. We buzzed up to the point where one river enters the lake--the North Santiam--and saw something that piqued our interest…a "scum line"! This is where the river water mixes with the lake water and creates a leafy, stick, detritus and log soup--and it's also a wonderful place for fishing! We were so excited! The next day we came back and tried our luck…Steve was able to anchor us right next to the scum line and away we went! Soon I caught one, but it got away after leaping out of the water! Steve caught one that escaped its hook as he was reeling it in, and we also got a number of promising nibbles and bites that didn't pan out. But then Steve hooked a keeper! A lovely Rainbow Trout that we cooked up for part of our dinner the next night and what a delicious treat! The next day we took the boat down to the south-eastern end, where the Breitenbush River enters the lake and tried our luck in a deeper spot. Sadly we didn't catch anything that day but we thoroughly enjoyed our time on the water and the beauty surrounding us. What amazing peace and tranquility--and how nice it was to have a boat with us! Hiking and Biking Adventures When I first visit a park, my morning walk includes a stroll around every paved loop road to check out everyone's trailers and tent setups. On following days, if there is a perimeter trail, I will often switch to walking on that instead. Happily, the Detroit Lake campground had a marvelous trail extending 3.2 miles around its 300+ campsites! Though half of the trail paralleled the often-loud highway, it was a very beautiful path and worth braving the noisy trucks, motorcycles and semi's that zoomed past. The lower half of the trail skirted the rear of the lake's beach and was the definite highlight. I would watch boats of all sorts buzzing by, jet-skis, kayaks, paddle boarders and canoers, and smiled at the sight of dogs diving in for balls, kids playing on their inflatables and folks soaking up the rays. What a nice way to spend part of my morning walk! Biking was fun too, and we buzzed around the campground loops most days, cruising past everyone's campsites and looking in on all of the interesting family stories we'd see there. As I've said before, one of the best aspects of staying at campgrounds is the opportunity to see snippets of family life--something not possible where we have our rurally-located house. I tried riding my bike on the perimeter trail one day but determined that the turns were sometimes too difficult to ride on, the little hills too abrupt, and the width of the trail too narrow to navigate comfortably. Still, it was great fun to try and I no longer had to wonder if it was the type of trail I'd enjoy on my bike. (There were other bike trails to go on which weren't too far away, but they required us to drive to those trails and we didn't feel like it!) Let's Not Forget Pumpkin's Campground Tours! Steve and I also went on daily walks with Pumpkin, something she absolutely loves! Her joyful whistling songs, hilarious bouts of laughter and silly sound effects are such fun to experience. Looking over at her as she sits perched in her little front-pack cage is a wonderful sight--feathers puffed with smiling eyes and happy expression--we cannot help but join in her jubilation. And of course, she's a total, magnetic ham. Her sing-song attracts onlookers near and far, and they are always delighted and amazed that we have a bird--"she's so beautiful!"--with us! Pumpkin turns up her antics whenever anyone else is around and while she's putting on her show--with plenty of laughing too--we answer questions and gently tell those who are excited about birds, that they are a very big responsibility and not for everyone. We love to educate and entertain Pumpkin's fans and those visitors sure do make her extra happy! Piety Island and a Hike to Piety Knob (Here is a link to a pdf which shows Detroit Lake with Piety Island in the middle) The day before we left Detroit Lake, we decided to pack some snacks, take the boat down to the lake and buzz across to Piety Island. There was a campground there (closed for Covid) and also a hiking trail that led up to the peak of the island. Steve and I were so excited to go because we figured that so few people got the chance to do that hike and that made it extra special! Once we got to the island, Steve attached its handy clamp-on wheels to the boat and towed it to the top of the beach where we locked it to a tree. The chance of any nefarious activity was laughably low but you just never know. We believe in the adage, "keep honest people honest" and on the other side of the coin…what would we do if we were stuck on that island without a boat to get back? We didn't exactly know where the trail was but luckily we found it right away! The first foray into the forest took us the wrong way though, but soon we were on the right path and up we went! It was a lovely forest trek, gradually heading up and up, through acres of ferns and conifers that darkened the understory. Here and there we could see the water through the trees and even the harbors showed themselves at just the right angle. Getting to the very top of the island turned out to be a bit of a challenge! Apparently the majority of hikers stopped just short of Piety Knob but we were bound and determined to stand at the highest point. Following the mostly-non-existent trail, we depended on the plastic trail markers that hung from branches along the way. Pushing our way through ferns and under encroaching branches, around bushes and over wispy plants, we managed the last quarter-mile to the point where no ground was higher and Steve's navigation app showed that we were at Piety Knob! YAY!! What a fun challenge to succeed at! We were delighted! Still, there was no place to sit and we wanted our snacks, so we did an about-face and made our way back down to the main trail. A few moments later and we were sitting with our legs dangling over the edge of the steep hillside, looking into the forested valley below. Our tasty reward for "bagging Piety Knob"? Lovely chunks of blue cheese, slices of pepperoni, gourmet hard sausage and cheddar-garlic curds, draughts of ice-cold water and handfuls of delicious roasted cashews! NOM! :D And guess who came along for the adventure? Why, the Squidgy Gang, of course!* George, Bun and Stormy were safely tucked away in my backpack throughout our trip and Steve took a picture of us at our picnic spot. Alas, I wasn't happy with my expression and the harsh lighting from his phone's camera so my picture to document their visit to Detroit Lake State Park was one I took at a picnic table near the island's beach…and don't they look HAPPY! :D *These are three stuffed animals that were lovingly made for me by my dear ipernity friend, Jenny McIntyre. Today's Pictures My main image is a macro I took with my Canon and I just love the way these flowery stalks turned out. I couldn't place the species at first, even though I know I'd seen this flower many times before. After looking for a bit I remembered! It was in the sage family, and with that clue I figure it out: Creeping Sage! You'll see a close-up among the insets and I've gone crazy and uploaded tons of pictures because they are really piling up! I hope you enjoy the show! Insets Include… Detroit Lake Beach and Perimeter images… …an individual cluster of sage blossoms …a feather caught between rocks on the beach …a fun bokeh shot showing a float on the beach and a line of other floats leading down to the water with people at the shore …a picnic table sitting near the beach with trees overhead, the sun dappling the ground below …groundsel fluff that I thought looked artistic and cool …a square-format macro of Columbia Coreopsis …a darling chipmunk that stopped long enough for a picture …a cluster of snowberries and bokeh Piety Knob Hike images… …a natural bouquet of Groundsel blossoms …a close-up to show the little beetle larvae on one of the flowers …a view through the trees on the way up to Piety Knob which shows one of Detroit Lake's campground docks …a view of the trail to show the amazing fern and conifer forest …another trail picture because one isn't enough! :D …and last but not least, the Squidgy Gang hanging out on a Piety Campground picnic table! Here's hoping you're having a lovely and safe weekend!! Thanks so much for your visits, comments and favorites! You're all the best! :) Explored on 8/30/20; highest placement #7.

(+9 insets!) Quick Trip Notes from L.L. Stub Stewart State Park! We had a wonderful stay here this year! Our visit last year was planned for just 4 nights but ended up being an extra week because our truck's transmission died as we were pulling out to go to our next campsite. The result was a worrisome week without ever having a lot of fun because of the stress and anxiety. This trip was perfect in every way! 11 nights combined with great weather made it a lovely, relaxing stay that was so nice we would have happily stayed for 11 more nights! This gorgeous park has trails-galore for hiking, cycling, mountain biking and horseback riding too. Although most trails are "mixed-use" for everyone, there are two dedicated areas set-aside for just for specific activities! One area is just for mountain bike riders and has 8.5 miles of "single-track" trails built that are labeled by level of difficulty and includes important advice for anyone who wants to try them out. The other area is for disk golfers! There's a 9-hole beginner's course aimed at kids and also a very challenging 18-hole course, all of which are in a lovely forest setting! How's that for cool?! I had a marvelous time taking pictures too…how nice to cruise around exploring the macro beauty of this place. And of course I got many trail pictures as well, but today is all about macro! Today's Pictures Creeping along one of the many trails I saw this ordinary white clover and noticed how its long stem pushed it above the others around the area. Of course you never know how a picture will turn out until you see it on the computer so I was really delighted to find this image to share with you today! Insets include… …a beautiful Sierra Dome Spider in front of a sea of colorful bokah. I've never seen a spider like this before and at first I thought it was an orb weaver. A helpful spider forum suggested this species and then I realized it hadn't built an orb web at all After spotting this pretty spider I couldn't help noticing how common they were. Walking through the forest, I could spot dozens of these spiders almost everywhere. Such beautiful markings! …Scotch Broom seed pods against a beautiful wash of bokeh. This cluster was by itself just above a variety of different grasses and ended up creating a wonderful background to contrast the interesting pods. …a Grey Cross Orbweaver glowing in backlit sunlight. I'd been taking pictures of yet another Sierra Dome Spider when I stopped to peer around at the other plants near by. A large spot got my attention and I exclaimed, "WOW!" when I saw this beautiful spider glowing warmly in the sun. I admired its perfect web while I took pictures from behind, at its side and this view which was the best of all. I have never gotten a picture of this species before so I was really happy at my discovery! …a St. John's Wort blossom that was on its way out, but still beautiful. These flowers are very common here in Oregon and I believe they are easy to find in most countries. Such a beneficial plant--I use this herb in capsule form to ward of anxiety and depression! Especially nice to use if I can't get to sleep because I'm worrying about something. It just fades away and I can go to sleep! …a "Bee-Like Robber Fly" (Laphria), which I found on a fern while walking along. What a scary looking fly! Very large and menacing, when it flew off it circled me a couple of times and made me wave it away…yikes…anything that big would surely have a nasty bite! (Ever been bitten by a horse fly? OWWW!!!) …a Queen Anne's Lace seed ball! This is a picture I've tried to take before but haven't been entirely successful until now. The dof has to be just right and the lighting too, so I was really pleased when I found this image in my set of attempts! …a Smooth Hawksbeard against yet another sea of bokeh! These flowers were everywhere and to the uninformed, can appear to be a dandelion, though they are not very closely related (both are in the 32k species Aster family but diverge from there). …a Pussy Toe "torch". These flowers get their name from the budding flowers which form clumps that look a lot like the toes of cats! I usually see them closed-up but here at Stub Stewart, they were all approaching the end of their blooming cycle and I found most of them opened up like this one. Magnificent! …a cluster of Spiny Rose Galls on a wild rose. These galls are made by wasps, each of which has an egg laid inside it. The galls grow and the larvae feed on the material inside until they finally hatch and fly away as fully-developed adults! I hope that everyone is staying safe and having a pleasant weekend--happy Labor Day to those of you who live in the U.S.! Explored on 9/7/20; highest placement #3.

(+9 insets!) (Yes, it's another long trip report including fires, smoke, and unbelievable parking situations and so much more!) Welcome to Hell If you've been keeping an eye on the news in the U.S., you'll know that it seems as if the entire West Coast is on fire and completely socked in with smoke. Well, Steve and I are on the West Coast and we have been experiencing the popular quote, "May you live in interesting times." Note that this is actually supposedly a Chinese curse. I haven't been writing or taking pictures lately because we've been on the move, though finally we've found an oasis from all of the terrible things going on. We have been watching the fire situation for weeks now. Back when we were at Detroit Lake State Park, a fire erupted some miles away and got us feeling edgy, even though there was no smoke or fire within sight. A few days later we left and went to L.L. Stub Stewart State Park. More fires were reported…and then more…and more. Still, our stay was idyllic and very far away from any reported fires. After our wonderful stay at Stub Stewart we drove an hour or so to our next campground at Champoeg State Heritage Area in the Willamette Valley. It was another lovely park and the location of the first government on the west coast! There are three huge fire complexes far to the east, now engulfing a staggering 450,000 acres. The complexes were large by the time we got to Champoeg, and a couple of days after we arrived the weather patterns caused historic winds in central Oregon, blowing from east to west. What this meant was that the smoke from those fires blew directly into the Willamette Valley and within the course of several hours the sky turned from cloudless blue to hazardous choking grey pea soup. At one point during the evening, Steve opened the door but quickly slammed it shut because the smoke was so thick. However, the next morning it was clear enough for me to go on my morning walk. I was shocked at the branches and leaves strewn everywhere from the hurricane-force winds. The trails were choked with pine cones, leaves, branches and sticks and the feeling of worry was thick in the air. Off in the distance loomed the smoke…it would only be a matter of time before the campground was socked in again. We had a plan though…GET OUTA DODGE! Running from the Smoke The evening before, Steve and I decided to abandon the final two nights at Champoeg and flee the toxic smoke filling the valley. Luckily we found space back at L.L. Stub Stewart where we could stay before heading on to our next campground at Fort Stevens. Stub Stewart turned out to be a wise choice. The first night and next day were very nice and mostly smoke-free. The next afternoon the smoke slowly accumulated and by the second morning it was so thick and heavy that my wake-up walk was a laughable idea. We packed and left before the hour struck 11. Driving out to the coast and up the highway towards Astoria, we wondered if we'd ever escape the horrible smoke. It felt like the apocalypse as we drove along and I looked out on a land tinted with orange light from the sun trying to break through the pea soup. Our Oasis at Fort Stevens…at a Very Steep Price Pulling into the park, we noticed a wondrous change. The light was still tinted orange but the grey that we saw wasn't smoke. It was fog. The cool mist in the park helped to calm our nerves until we got to our campsite. The parking space was plenty big for our rig, but to get into the spot turned out to the most stressful experience we've ever encountered. Despite the seemingly impossible challenge, Steve was eventually successful! It took 35 minutes of hair-raising maneuvering and both of us were at our very wit's end with shaking hands and jangling nerves. We'd learned another lesson about picking out appropriate sites, and this was something we would not repeat. Both of us were total wrecks afterwards but we managed to keep it together despite the tension. WHEW. As it turned out, the next day we found a ticket on our truck saying it needed to move. When Steve went to the ranger's station to ask about a solution, he was offered a site that would be much more appropriate for us and easy to get into. Both of us were understandably freaked-out at the thought of dealing with another harrowing parking situation again but Steve checked out the offered site and was very confident that both leaving our current spot and parking at the bigger one would be a snap. He was right. We literally pulled out of our site without any fuss (it's backing up a trailer that can be the horrendous nightmare) and at the new campsite, Steve didn't even need me to help direct him. It was a simple driver's-side parking situation with a gentle turn and simple as can be. Our victory hug upon final parking was such an outpouring of relief and happiness! Devastation Behind Us As we've been travelling, the fire situation in Oregon (and California and Washington too) has blossomed beyond conceivable understanding. Remember Detroit Lake State Park that we stayed at? The campground is still there but the town of Detroit (Oregon) is just GONE. And at this point, Champoeg is just outside the area where people need to be packed up and ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. In our town of Medford, Oregon, parts have been burned to the ground. Phoenix and Talent, two suburbs just south of it, have been devastated, and the motorcycle shop that Steve brings our bike to for servicing is gone. Did I Mention? Our Home is just a Few Miles from the 30k Acre Obenchain Fire Just in cast there isn't enough to worry about, there is a raging fire near our house again. This monster is 30,000 acres and only 20% contained. We really thought our house would be burned down because the winds were pushing the flames our way but in the past few days things have improved and it looks like everything is going to be ok. We hope. Keep your fingers crossed. Today's Pictures I have another set from Stub Stewart I wanted to post, leading with a spectacurly colorful trio of Wild Sweet Peas. I was surprised to find them so late in the year. Most flowers are over and done but I did find some. Aren't these marvelous?! Insets Include… …a lovely Dome Spider under its cobweb. I thought it was really cool that this previously unphotographed spider was so easy to find here! …a Smooth Hawkbeard blossom standing like a golden torch, its stem blurring into bokeh …a crab spider on a pussy toe , munching on a meal it had just caught. I often don't see these spiders until I look at my pictures in post, so I was happy that I spotted this one and could make it the star! …a rose hip that looked like a Christmas light! …a marvelous leaf hopper that looked like a little bump on the leaf…I knew better and focused carefully to see what it was. I am delighted by the details of this tiny guy, look at its "grill"!! …a Sierra Dome Spider in a sea of soft bokeh . The focus wasn't perfect but I couldn't toss this picture because I loved the magical appearance and the spider's interesting position. …a sprig of perfect leaves , so colorful at the end of their lives. Now they are immortal! …wild oat flower s peeking out from the stem. I love this sort of thing--so easy to overlook but beautiful if the time is taken to appreciate it! …a pair of Pussy Toes flowers , showing exactly why their genus is "Antennaria"--look at those antennae-like stamens seen on the flowers. So cool! I hope that everyone is doing well and that you have a nice rest of your weekend! Explored on 9/13/20; highest placement #6.

If you can believe it, there were countless blossoms like this everywhere I turned on my visit to the Harry & David garden. This was also my first opportunity to visit a garden with such a vast array of roses to appreciate. Every single plant seemed special and covered with extra beautiful flowers. My question is: do you think anyone could take a bad picture of a blossom that looks like this?! :) It is such a treat to be able to share some of these images! Explored on January 26, 2015. Highest placement, #4.

(Invitation to my next project info at the bottom AND I have a new group for our projects: Janet's Photography Projects [temporary name]) I've got folders brimming with finished pictures that I'd like to post at some point, and while I was looking for images which contained numbers of objects from 1-10, I discovered this one, which is among my favorites since it also has a story to go with it. One morning Steve and I got up and he went down to the kitchen to get breakfast, when I heard him exclaim in surprise. Pulling my clothes on, I dashed down to see what the excitement was alll about. Pointing to our aluminum recycling can, he said, "Janet, there is a garter snake in that corner behind the can!" He continued his story as we both moved to each side of the can, explaining, " I came into the kitchen and turned on the light, and I found it in the middle of the room! The second it saw me, it raced to find a place to hide...how in the world did it get into the kitchen???!" I shook my head in wonder. "I have no idea...maybe there is a small hole under the cabinets?" Steve moved the can while I guarded one side, and quickly and gently, Steve reached in and grabbed the harmless snake behind the head to keep it from possibly biting and lifted it up, supporting its sinuous body in his other hand. It tried to escape, but like me, Steve's owned snakes and we've caught many wild garter snakes as kids and know how to hold them safely and securely. It calmed down quickly when it found it could not get away, the rest of its body intertwined around Steve's fingers. We appreciated its lovely markings for a moment and then I traded with him so I could hold it too. Snakes feel wonderful to hold. They have lovely textures and it's amazing to feel them moving along with thier muscular, ungulating bodies. Steve got my camera and took some pictures of me holding it, and then we walked outside and released it about 100 feet from the house. From the time we discovered it to the time we released it was only about 10 minutes, because we wanted to cause it as little stress as possible. I am delighted by this image and am so happy that I can use it for my final picture in my 1-10 Project! A big thanks to my Project Buddies: Chrissy , Valfal (Valerie), Jenny McIntyre , Rachel , and Lynne , it was really wonderful having you along on this adventure! Great creativity and lots of fun!! This 1-10 Project was Chrissy's idea, and she also thought about doing a series of colors. The other day, Lynne approached me with a color theme too, with the addition of a rainbow scheme with enough colors that a weekly project will carry us through nearly to Christmas! I would like to extend an inviatation to anyone who would like to join us on this project! Let me know if you're interested and I'll add you to the list so that folks can see what you've come up with for each week too! Next project: Color Wheel! Next Week will be a pictures that features any shade of Red. The following weeks will be any shade of Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, and then the non-colors of Black and White. You can restrict yourself to a single subject or you might like to have a theme, like flowers, things that are a certain shape, or whatever. It just needs to be the color of the week! :) I hope you'll consider joining us! Photography projects are a great way to be inspired and keep the creative juices going! Explored on September 30, 2014. Highest placement, #2.