Diane Putnam's photos

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

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

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

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

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

They're taking this very seriously.

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

For the first time in my life, I finally got to see northern lights! I am so excited! These are all taken at my son's house, where there is no light pollution. From my apartment, it was impossible. I live in town, so there are bright lights everywhere and only the faintest pale purple was visible. In these out-of-town photos, the light is brighter and pink more saturated than in reality.

Northern lights, Dorris, California, USA. It was exciting to see the vertical lines moving back and forth. I live in Oregon, north of this photo, but could not get good photos due to light pollution in the city.

Northern lights, Dorris, California. Headlights on Highway 97 and a big irrigation sprinkler in front. This is farmland. In the photos, the colors are more saturated. I would love to know reactions of people who didn't know this was going to happen! It was supposed to be visible in most of the USA - what a treat! I thought of my mother, who said she saw northern lights a few times as a child growing up in South Dakota. ;-)

What a scene. A tiny travel trailer and the northern lights. Dorris, California. Colors varied from purple to pink to green.

Moore Park