PictorialSoul

Manito Park’s Gaiser Conservatory

2011-12-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

Every year our local Manito Park Conservatory adorns their plants, trees, shrubs, cacti, and hundreds of Poinsettias with over 30,000 Christmas lights.

My camera really didn't know how to act with all of the lights but I think it did a pretty good job.

It was hard to pick just a few because every corner was so beautiful.

The light show started in 1994 and only missed one year in '96 due to an ice storm.

It takes two workers 5 weeks to string the 30,000 lights. They're slowly converting to LED and are now at 20% this year .

Some of the oldest plants there are a 105 year old Christmas cactus and a 75 year old Jade tree. There were a couple of Jades, so I'm not sure if this is the one or not.

It's warm and steamy inside and you feel like you're in a totally different country. They also have a Bird of Paradise which seems to always be in bloom, no pic though.

I love all the cactus. They look so pretty with lights on them. One tall one with green lights came out blurry (I said my camera was confused), but the rest were impressive.

It's been about 5 years since we've been there and I don't think we should wait so long until the next time.

Mmmmm, could be my Christmas card next year

Down On The Farm

2011-10-28T01:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of the area around a B&B we visited recently. I love old farms, there are so many things to take pictures of and explore.

In between showers

Crazy city folk, I'm sure he's thinking

Don't get any closer, you'll regret it

Love old buildings

Rust is a color, right?

The following shots are my daughter's with a DSLR. I wish I could afford to get her one of these because the quality is so much better than a point-and-shoot.

I love those clouds

A less than 24-hours old Blue Bunny, which has since died :-(

Friendly little thing

Aren't we cute?

Last Day, More Beach Time

2011-08-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

I got out early this morning to walk on the beach by myself. Although it was cloudy and about 60, it was actually warmer than the last two days of 70 and wind. It was so peaceful to be out there with just the seagulls and myself.

One Lone Seagull

Before lunch my daughter and I went back to 'town' which is really only a block long. First we hit a thrift store and then a few stores for last minute t-shirts.

After lunch we went to a beach we haven't been to before, Manhattan. It was small and hardly anybody else was there. Well it was kind of crowded, with Seagulls and Pelicans. I've seen Pelicans flying by but never actually sitting on the beach, so that was really cool to see.

Waiting for lunch

We had heard that there was a large pile of drift logs so we headed there. My husband and daughter love to climb over them but I prefer not to get twisted ankles so I just stay put.

I'm more interested in how they got there, all bunched up in one area. I'm guessing a very large storm or maybe even a tsunami years ago. There's no way that could be man made.

Og needs more wood

log climber

Me and hubby

We ended the day by hubby and I going out for dinner. We left the kid behind with left over pizza so she could Skype with her boyfriend. We really had planned to build a fire on the beach and roast marshmallows but ran out of time. With two days being so windy it just wouldn't work. So we'll be hauling our wood and giant marshmallows home, you know, those large baseball sized ones. And since the diet continues when we get home I may have to wait a whole year to eat them.

So thanks for tagging along on our vacation, it's been fun.

Windy Beaches

2011-08-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Another day that didn't go exactly as planned. Three beaches to visit, but we only made it to two. It was so windy, that it was just a struggle to walk on them. The first one on our list was Arcadia. It's such a pretty beach and we happened to catch it at low tide so you could walk around rocks not normally available.

Arcadia at low tide

That made it possible to see all sorts of crustaceans clinging to the rocks, just waiting for the tide to come back in.

My husband is a driftwood fanatic so he headed up to the stack of logs. I'm not sure where he's going to put this in the car but I better make sure that he doesn't leave the kid behind to make room for it.

Caveman Og going to build big fire

Next on the beach list was Nehalem. We have been to this one before too but it was even windier there and practically deserted except for those that rented horses. Poor horses and poor me who had to actually sit at a picnic table and try to hold on to my lunch--literally. We didn't stay there long.

Entrance to beach

Blowing grasses

So that was it for today. Tomorrow we will try and hit the last one, which we haven't been to before. It's said to have lots of driftwood so Og will be happy.

On a sad note, when we got back to our room, we saw a police vehicle, search and rescue and the Coast Guard flying over the water. A hang glider had taken off from somewhere up on a hill and landed in the water. I don't know how long they searched but called it off about 1/2 hr. after we got back. It was really sad watching it sweep back and forth. I feel for his family and wonder if he lived in the area or was on vacation too.

Cape Meares

2011-08-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today didn't turn out as fun as I had planned. Like I could control detours, getting lost, cold wind and whatever else gets thrown at you on a trip. But first, a few sunset pics from last night.

Big Orange Ball

It ends, as a kite flies through

We had intended to drive the Three Capes Scenic route and end up at Cape Meares Lighthouse but because of a landslide earlier, there were detours which made us and many more get helplessly lost in the Oregon wilderness. Well, that's what it felt like anyway. What should have taken us 47 minutes, really took us 2 hours to get to the lighthouse. After all that, it was kind of disappointing. Plus I had woke up with a moderate case of Vertigo so that made the day that much more enjoyable.

Cape Meares Lighthouse is the shortest of all the lighthouses on the Oregon coast with only a 38 foot tower.

From the same vista point was this view of the Three Arches which provides protection for over 200K sea birds. In 1901 a biologist and a photographer started the preservation process to protect the birds after hunters would boat out to the islands and shoot the birds for target practice. Now it is illegal to be within 500 yards of the islands between May and September.

Three Arches

Also in the same area is the Octopus Tree, a large gnarly Sitka Spruce believed to be 250-300 years old.

Octopus Tree

After we left there, we headed to Tillamook and the famous cheese factory. We've been there several times so didn't waste our time on the tour. It isn't the same as it used to be anyway. But we got some smoked salmon and cheese for dinner. Oh and ice cream of course, got to have the ice cream.

One more rock picture, not sure if they have a name or not because after awhile everything just kind of blurs into one jumbled mess. But they were pretty and I wanted a picture.

After we got back to the room we watched a movie and then took a very brisk walk before dinner. And I do mean brisk, the sun is out but it's darn cold and windy. The beach was pretty deserted and it looked like a sand storm going on. Then back to the room and a dinner of smoked salmon, cheese, bread, and marinated olives. Holy Cow I'm full.....again.

Tomorrow we'll be hitting beaches, some new, some old.

Rockaway Beach

2011-08-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived yesterday afternoon after a harrowing drive through Portland to get to Highway 26 to the beaches. We're from a moderately large town and the freeway seems so easy, but going through Portland is horrible. Things are not marked well enough for us hicks and although hubby is a good driver (most of the time) it's very difficult to navigate. I have to tell him where to go and keep him calm at the same time. We've decided that this will be the last time we go this way. I would rather go over the Astoria Bridge 5 times before I do this route again.

We just hung around in town yesterday, walked the beach, had some dinner and relaxed. We missed the sunset though and only caught the remains of the day. This was taken approximately 100 feet from our motel room.

Twin Rocks

This morning we walked more on the beach, it was warm and sunny and actually not windy, which is rare.

After lunch we headed to town, which is pretty small. The town has Highway 101 running right through it so they kind of split the town in half. One half on the beach side is mostly lodging and some rental homes. The other side has shops with the residential area running up into the hill to have a great view of the ocean I'm sure.

The first place we stopped was called Oregon Du Drops. It was one of the most interesting places I've ever been. A couple takes old lightbulbs and fills them with rain collected on the Oregon coast. The rain is dated and then the date of collection is engraved on the bulb. The bulbs are then topped with old brass bells.

Du Drops

They were pretty expensive but I bought a modestly priced one called an Elephant Chandelier because the bell tops were used on elephants during parades in India and that bell was put on a chandelier light bulb. So this is mine. You can see my daughter's reflection and the grasses in the glass. The rainwater collected for this one was in June of this year. I chose June for my birthday month.

My own Du Drop

After lunch we headed up to Cannon Beach for some shopping, surf, and dinner at Mo's, our favorite place to eat there. I ate too much though and feeling guilty about it.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

I honestly never get tired of this rock, on this beach, in this town, in this state. Never, never, never!

Back to the room feeling stuffed, hubby and I went for a walk. I saw this interesting tree which at one time had some kind of viney growth on it, which was probably cut away.

So now we're just hanging out just waiting to catch the sunset tonight. See you tomorrow!

Pioneer Park Revisited

2011-07-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

Last Fall we visited Pioneer Park but the Heritage Garden was closed for the season. Over the weekend we went back just to visit the garden. Our citie's Parks Department now owns the Garden which once was the most talked about garden in the early 1900's.

After it's declining state and then revival which finished about 2007, the park holds much history involving two prominent families. This was their own personal garden and although the residence is gone that belonged to the garden, it's a joy to walk around.

view from the top

view from below

view of the city at the top of the garden

Pergola

and the pond

This is not the prettiest building in the garden but I think it's the most interesting. The walkway to this building was called the Well Walk and the building itself was called the Well House. A pipe extended from the well and through the wall and supplied water for the entire garden. The stones were actually part of a house that grew mushrooms for the family, up to 6 pounds a day. They sure liked their 'shrooms. In the background you can see the top of the Tea House which Westerners called it, but we know them better as Gazebos.

On the way out and probably the highlight was spotting this little guy and his two kids. They were under some bushes and only about 3 feet away from us. We were quiet, just putting our cameras over the bushes to try and get a shot. The little babies are above and a little to the left of daddy.

As we were leaving, my husband said that he was kind of disappointed by the Gardens and I had to remind him that just because it was not all that large, we had to remember that it started out as a personal garden and therefore was quite impressive!

Walking.....

2011-05-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today we made our annual visit to the cemetery to put flowers on my Grandmother's and Step Father's grave. I didn't take any pictures of the cemetery itself although it's always beautiful, but if the weather is nice we take a walk right behind the fence. It's wooded and pretty and there is always something to take a picture of.

Baby Pine cones

Flowering Silver Dollar plant

Trying To Usher In Spring

2011-05-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Like the rest of you I'm sure, I've been patiently awating Spring. But my patience is wearing thin. Tulips have come and almost gone, only 1 Iris in the whole yard and the Honeysuckle still looks brown and twiggy.

But we do have a few Poppies and large Allium blooming so took their picture today.

There! Now that feels better doesn't it?

Then And Now

2011-04-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

My Grandfather left a great legacy in the form of a photo album in which he painstakingly numbered each photo and then in a separate book, described and (mostly) dated all of them. It's a large book, having close to 800 photos.

The one above is the house my Grandparents lived in from 1926-1936, so it is my Father's childhood home. My Grandmother on the porch is holding either my Dad or his older brother by a few years. Since this particular photo is not dated (remember I said mostly) I can't really be sure.

Yesterday it was nice so I got out to hunt down the house, it actually is not far from where I live. He originally had the wrong address so I pulled up to the one across the street. Thankfully I had the photo album with me so I looked at the book and back at the house. Boy they sure did a lot of remodeling I thought. Then I looked across the street and there it was, looking virtually untouched. Could be the same paint job for all I know. But it satisfied a long time curiosity and I'm glad I did it. From there they moved to a larger house a little further away. It's a house I remember the most though, so maybe someday we'll take a drive and I can get a few pics of it too.

Drumheller Springs

2011-04-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hubby, Daughter and I have been trying to find places in town where we can go hiking or walking, take the dog, and maybe get some pictures taken. It seems our daughter has some kind of photography assignment due at any given point in time. This past weekend we went to Drumheller Springs Historical Park, a 12 acre natural habitat a mere 10 blocks from our house. I never knew it was there. I've seen a sign as I drive by but didn't know the park extended as far as it did. It was a great place for a walk our dog thought, and so did we.

My daughter and I got some great reflection shots with this amazing spread out tree in a shallow pond. The light was just right and the water was still. Can you tell where the tree ends and the reflection begins?

Churchgoers

2011-01-31T07:40:00.000-08:00

Our church is kind of out in the sticks and this is what we see quite often when we go. It's the first thing we look for when we drive into the lot. Sometimes we'd rather stay outside than go in.

First Snow

2010-11-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

The last week has been filled with snow preceded by below normal temps. I guess winter is officially here in the Pacific Northwest. So far we have surpassed last year's snowfall but that doesn't mean we are having a particular bad winter so far, we just had an extremely mild winter last year. Just a few goofy pictures, nothing really pretty. Maybe those will come later.

My yard used to be here, just saw it a few weeks ago

I may not see my yard art until Spring

Making my daughter and husband work for me

Riverfront Park

2010-11-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we headed downtown to see Bill Cosby. We got there early and had some time to kill so I took a few shots of the park right behind the Performing Arts Center. It was a very dark and gloomy day but the park still looked pretty. I even caught some birds in mid flight.

Leavenworth......again

2010-11-09T00:48:00.000-08:00

I feel like sometimes I get a little repetitive with my shots because we always seem to go to the same places. But when it's a place I love so much I just can't help myself.

A few weekends ago we took off to one of our favs, Leavenworth, Wa. The weather wasn't as good as last year but still pleasant. But with the cloudy day the fall colors didn't seem as bright. We took our dog this year and she always has a blast walking with us. She doesn't seem to show her age of 10 while she's walking but she sure did after we got back to our cabin. She was limping, tired, and didn't want to eat dinner. So I gave her a pain pill and got her up on one of the beds and she stayed there until morning with one quick trip outside before bed. I made my husband sleep with her so he didn't sleep well because she's a bed hog and he didn't have the heart to scoot her over. You can always click on these to get a bigger look.

Icicle River

Icicle

Nellie enjoying the day

A cute pair of ducks

Our cabin, second from last

Main street Leavenworth with the Cascades in the background

Historic Garden

2010-11-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

I love finding new parts of town that I never knew existed. Last month we drove to Pioneer Park with its accompanying gardens that were restored and finished in 2007 thanks to a generous benefactor.

The Moore-Turner Heritage Gardens were established in 1889 and maintained as a residential garden landscape for the prominent pioneer F. Rockwood Moore and U.S. Senator Turner families. After 1932 though, the property declined and deteriorated and for almost 70 years the garden lied buried by overgrowth.

We had a major ice storm in 1996 and after the area was cleared, all was found again. Terraced hillside design, basalt rock retaining walls, rock stairways. reflection pools, a hillside tea-house, a garden conservatory and little parts of original plantings became evident.

Rock work was repaired and the original plant materials were reintroduced. Today the grounds are maintained by the Parks and Rec staff. Below is a picture of the rock stairs with the home owner Bertha Turner, circa 1911. Below that is the shot that I took of the same stairway.

It's so cool to walk in an area where others did so long ago. Unfortunately the park area was gated off and closed for the season. So we will definitely have to make a trip back in the Spring or Summer to check it out.

THIEF!

2010-10-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my daughter the other day and didn't have a view of the Oak tree in the front yard. But she did and spotted this thief of a squirrel taking the seed ball that I had put out for the birds. He got to the first branch so I went out to get a shot. He kept turning his back on me, like I wasn't going to be able to see what he was up to. He sat there eating as fast as he could to help lighten the load and then took off farther up the tree and the birds followed hoping he would drop some morsels.

Back Yard Beauties

2010-10-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

I realized yesterday that I hadn't really used my new camera much so I went out in the backyard and took some macro shots. Our Cosmos are in bloom and very pretty. I love the color variety.

And we can't forget sunflowers. A great flower to practice your macro shots on. I like the second one but it is a bit blurry. I was having one of my Vertigo days and I was weaving back and forth while trying to hold the camera up over my head.

I amy have taken these on one of our last nice days. It was rainy today so I'm glad I got out when I did.

Lake Crescent and Neah Bay

2010-08-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a relaxing day of driving. We headed back toward Lake Crescent, then up and around the end of it to drive along the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Lake Crescent is the second deepest lake in Washington, measuring anywhere from 600 to 1000 feet deep. I can never do justice to lakes by taking pictures of them so I deleted what I had.

I was disappointed that we couldn't see much of the Strait because it was very foggy, but as we got closer to Neah Bay, I got these shots..

Entering Neah Bay

Neah Bay is the furthermost NW community of the United States and it lies in the Makah Indian Reservation. More smoked fish! We stopped by a building which had smokey goodness rolling out of it. This must be the place. We grabbed a sample and bought a small piece to throw in our ice chest. As I handed the package to my daughter she made a face. The shop owner said "She doesn't like fish, her lip curled about one and-a-half times." Boy does he know her, we laughed for a long time over that one.

You can see Canada in the background

Neah Bay is mostly a fishing village so there's not much to do there. We walked down to the marina and took pictures of old boats. Some don't even look like they are seaworthy anymore.

Older boats deserved an old treatment

We got back to the cabin about 4:30, got some stuff ready to go, had dinner and rented a movie to watch on the computer.

And now we're headed back home although we'll only drive halfway today. My husband has an uncle in the Tacoma area so we will stay there and try to meet up.

I caught a cold along the way so am glad to be going home. I'm sure our veggi garden is overgrown so that will be one of our first tasks. But more important is to go pick up our dog, I miss her bunches.

First, Second, and Third Beach

2010-08-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was another exhausting day. I was looking for some leisurely walks on the beach but the walks TO the beach just about killed me off.

We headed into La Push, which is in the Quileute Indian Reservation and bought some fresh smoked salmon. I mean, you can't go to a reservation and NOT buy any. We followed the signs and pulled into a driveway next to a dilapidated old house. My daughter was afraid to get out of the car. This guy comes out holding a pan of wonderful looking salmon. He points to smaller pieces and says that they're 5 bucks each, the larger ones are 10. My husband pulls out his money clip which had a few big bills in it. All of a sudden the smaller pieces are now 10 bucks and the bigger one 20. Oh well, we bought two small ones.

Too foggy to get a shot of anything else but the kid

Then we headed off to First Beach which was not all that impressive. It was a grey cool day which made everything very dreary looking so we didn't stay long. The only thing nice about this beach was the cute little girl on the log ;-)

We were talking to some people about Second Beach. They said it was very beautiful so off we went. We could tell by the way the parking lot was situated that we would have to walk a trail before we got to the beach. We just didn't know how long or hard it would be. None of the people coming out told us to run for our lives, so we continued.

Don't let the beauty fool you

The walk was so beautiful, cool, and green. I'd say it compared to the Rain Forest in beauty. First it was up, up, up, and then it flattened out for quite awhile. Then the decent started on hand made steps pounded into the dirt which was very muddy in places. We'd pass people and ask 'are we close?'. They'd reply 'you're almost there', in a sing-song voice which meant they were lying.

I don't mind hiking on all flat surfaces but can't handle the up and downhill parts. Even when I was thin, this was not my favorite activity. So if someone had told me how difficult this trail was I would not have gone. The steps were killing my knees and I had to stop several times. I had a jacket that I took off, as well as my husband's sweats over my shorts. Fifty degrees out and I was sweating.

We could hear the ocean approaching and as we finally reached the bottom we encountered a ......log jam. Are you kidding me? It took us 45 minutes to reach the beach and we're stopped by a log jam? Serious timber here, not just little logs you can step on or over. Giant trees that you must climb over to reach the beach. I almost cried.

I'm not climbing that!

I sat on the first log I encountered and took 2 pictures, that was it. I wasn't going any further. My husband climbed over them but my daughter and I sat and rested. Then the torturous climb back up those stairs began. I rested several more times but I could hear my husband huffing and puffing behind me so I wasn't the only one.

Another 45 minutes later we hear traffic. We were never so happy to hear noisy traffic in our lives. As people passed us now, we warned them. Nobody turned around, but I can tell they thought about it. As we got into our car I saw a family with a stroller head to the trail. Ah......let them figure it out for themselves I thought in a sing-song voice.

We drove to the Third Beach and had our lunch in the car. Yummy expensive smoked salmon, crackers and cheese. It was a unanimous decision to not do this trail. I read later it was flatter but longer, 1.5 miles while the mountain we just crossed was only .6. I don't believe that.

I've got plans for you my pretty

We came back to the cabin and rested a bit and then went back to Rialto to take some rocks home. The tide was high and crashing so we just walked a bit, then sat on a log and enjoyed the scenery.

We then headed back to the cabin to rest a bit more before going to dinner. As we went to dinner I noticed that every time we got back in the car yesterday our enthusiasm was waning.

Tomorrow we will do a leisurely drive in the morning, have dinner close by and then get packed to leave Friday.

I hear that it will be in the 90's when we arrive back home this weekend so we better soak up this cool air while we can.

Hoh Rain Forest and Ruby Beach

2010-08-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day that we did a bit of driving. The distance wasn't long but when the roads are twisty it takes longer and the person sitting in the back feels it more. And that would be me most of the time. Quite a few years ago we started letting our daughter sit up front when we were going through any kind of winding roads. I used to get car sick as a kid so I know what it feels like.

We arrived at the Hoh Rain Forest about eleven-ish in the morning. Already the parking lot was getting full so we grabbed one of the last spots. It was either that or start parking in the streets which are narrow enough as it is.

In the Hoh, there are three trails to choose from. A real short one made mostly for wheelchairs. The next one is the 'Hall of Mosses', a 3/4 mile trail and a longer Sitka Spruce trail. We chose the Hall of Mosses.

I must say, it was quite impressive. The temperature was around 63 and the sun was out. The Hoh is one of the few temperate rain forests in the world and also the largest. It receives 12 to 14 feet of rain a year. In the Spring, Fall, and Winter the Hoh river often floods its banks and changes course. Large trees topple into the river which makes it rich for new life to begin. I never saw so much stuff growing on top of stuff.

It was quiet and I was looking for that perfect shot but just couldn't find it. The place was already crowded, with people and mosquito's. I had on a fleece jacket which protected my arms but I was getting hot and finally had to take it off. Mosquito repellent? Yes, back in the cabin. In one area I tried to get a panoramic shot but people kept coming in to take pictures too. I tried to stand and be patient but when you're being swarmed by mosquito's it isn't easy. I finally said forget it and left. The trail took longer than we thought, due to so much stopping and admiring, that we decided to have some lunch first before tackling the other trail.

We met up with a couple of women who said they had repellent in the car and let us use some so we could at least have a picnic without being bothered.

We found a spot, dragged our ice chest to it and settled in for a nice lunch. We saw in the distance birds taking over a table just as a family had left. I couldn't figure out what they were, but they sure were in the right spot to get a meal. Just for fun I grabbed a cheez-it and held it high in the air. I'll be darned if one of those birds didn't spot it and come over to get it. Well then, it was game on. I put a cheez-it on my daughters head and sure enough, they came and grabbed it. One even swiped her sandwich from her plate. Although it was too heavy and he dropped it, only for a crow to pick it up. We stayed there for along time feeding the birds every way imaginable. They even ate cookie crumbs right out of our daughter's hand.

They prefer cookies to cut up apple. Junk food birds they are. I looked it up later and they were Grey Jays, or better known as Camp Robbers. I can see why. I saw some pics of them eating at a carcass which kind of ruined the moment for me, but Oh Well, it was fun.

By then we all realized that we were too tired to do the other trail. I guess the Sitka's will just have to wait for another time, I'm sure they're not going anywhere.

My brother suggested that we hit Ruby Beach which we had planned because it was fairly close. Another full parking lot and another trail down to the beach. Sure the trail down isn't bad, it's coming back up that kills me.

When you get to the bottom you have to climb over a bunch of logs to get to the beach. Same type of rocks though, round and smooth. But the logs were not as impressive as Railto, my favorite so far. We were just so tired though so we just walked a ways, took some pictures and headed back up to the car. Of course my husband had to grab a big piece of driftwood to take with him. We let him go first and I said if I see him in handcuffs I'm going to pretend that I don't know him. Some parks don't take kindly to you taking stuff.

It was a fun but long day. We went back to the cabin, made some microwave popcorn, borrowed a neighboring campsite's fire pit and enjoyed the evening. Oh and we have no TV, so the nights are spent with my daughter texting and reading at the same time, me on the computer, and my husband just sitting there. Just like home ;-)

Rialto Beach

2010-08-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday brought a cool day of 60 degrees, but the air was fresh and clean. We headed into Forks first to let our daughter do some Twilight shopping. It didn't take us as long as we thought so we decided to hit one of the many beaches and have a picnic lunch.

I loved Rialto Beach. It has a look of long ago and I couldn't resist thinking of our ancestors and what they thought when they came upon this beach. "Holy Shit!" comes to mind. Smooth weathered logs of all shapes and sizes laid as they did probably a hundred years ago. I have never seen so many large converged pieces in one place in my life. We were at a beach on Friday Harbor several years ago that came close but doesn't quite compare. Looking out over the pile of logs reminded me of an ancient dinosaur bone yard.

Another thing that was intriguing about this beach were the rocks. They were all flat, round, and smooth. Great skipping rocks but very hard to walk on. Nice rocks to twist your ankle on. We could see little stacks of them all over the beach so I decided to take a pile of them home for myself. There were no seashells of any kind though so I guess rocks are the next best thing.

I was also fascinated by the skeleton trees and loved how they looked against the sky. Strong soldiers still standing tall to protect their beach.

After a lot of walking I sat down against a large boulder to rest. My husband and daughter continued to climb over the logs until they could see the La Push marina and village. We will visit there too, but I prefer by car.

This is a beach worth visiting again, hopefully when the sun is out. We've got a lot to do yet and three more beaches to visit. They're actually called First Beach, Second Beach and Third Beach. Quite original, don't you think? Today we're off to the Hoh Rain Forest so be prepared for some great shots. I don't know who's going to take them, but be prepared!

La Push

2010-08-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'd sure hate to run into this guy in the dark

We arrived in La Push, Washington after a long 10 1/2 hour drive. We wanted to get a little walk in before dinner so just walked around the camp sight. I love how the moss hangs and grows on everything here, even rocks. Looking forward to see more of the beauty here in the Olympic National Forest.

This is bigger than it looks

All kinds of life on one dead tree stump

Montana

2010-07-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my husband and daughter headed into Montana to spend the night. First we headed to the National Bison Range in Dixon. The drive was longer than we thought and we were tired, hot, and crabby upon arrival. We took the short drive in the range which only netted us 2 Bison to look at, which was hardly worth taking a picture of. So I took a picture of this strategically stacked pile of assorted antlers taken off of the range over the years. It was quite impressive really.

Even though we didn't see much for Bison, the Mission Mountain Range gave us a beautiful view of sno-caps. They're part of the Rockies and the highest point is 9,900 feet. I've never seen such a huge mountain range in my life. My daughter has such a better camera than I do, I wish I was using her shots.

With a long drive back to our room in St. Regis we were impressed by the very long Clark Fork River. It just seemed to go on forever and was always in our sight. It has an unusual greenish color to it which my daughter thought was gross; typical teenager.

The next morning we headed over Thompson Pass which joins Montana and Idaho. I've never been over the whole thing; just drove from Murray to the summit many years ago. At that time there was still some snow on the top so we romped around in it for awhile. This is the summit, truly a beautiful view. I wish I had been thinking enough to do a panoramic shot. Don't you just love afterthoughts?

At the end of the pass lies Murray, Idaho, a once booming gold mining town. At one time it had a population bigger than Boise. Now Murray may have a population of 60. This was my dad's favorite camping spot and they spent many summers here. The Memorial Day (1984) after he died, we brought his ashes up to the campground and put them in the little creek. That's me way back then.

My husband and I have been back a few times since that day but the creek had run dry. We made this trip because our daughter had never seen the place where her Grandpa had been to so many times. The only place to eat is the Sprag Pole Inn which is a bar but their food is wonderful. It brought back a lot of memories being in there and I'm glad our daughter was able to see it for herself. Finally the reason for the whole trip was to check out the campsite. We headed up the little road, over the bridge, ready to take a left into...... Wait, where's the creek? Where's the campground? It was all gone. A home stood in its place with a no trespassing sign in the road. Another road to the right led to another home and a dead end. So our trip ended with a dead end and a disappointed child. But all-in-all it was a great weekend full of fantastic scenery. I'm not sure I'll ever go back to Murray but it was worth one more trip to say hi to my Dad.

Our Own Stonehenge

2010-06-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago on the news our local station covered a story about a place in history that many don't know about. It used to be a beautiful 18 acre park designed by the famous Olmstead Brothers after the turn of the century. It included a wading pool, picnic area, playgrounds and gardens. The prominent features were a covered walkway with pergolas at each end.

But unfortunately it wasn't kept up and went by the wayside in the 1920's. The park was bought by the State in the 60's and they put the freeway right through it.

My husband, daughter and I found this hidden treasure yesterday. To see what's left of the rock pillars that are still standing after more than 100 years was quite amazing.

"How many ancestors of mine walked this same path?" I wondered. We spent around an hour walking the trails, up and down the rock stairs and taking lots of pictures. Our dog was bored, wondering why we weren't just walking.

About four years ago the State gave the property back to the city and there has been renewed interest to save the area. What's cool is that the city still has the original plans to the park.

I hope someday the restoration of this area takes place and that I will be able to see it. There is just too much history here to let it continue to fade away.

Front Porch View

2010-05-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Last night there was a pink glow in the house so I just stepped out on the front porch to get a better look. Nice huh?

My First Panoramic

2010-02-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break from meme's for awhile but will still be posting pictures now and then so you know that I'm still alive and well. A few weeks ago my daughter had an assignment in her photography class to take some shots that could be made into one panoramic shot using PhotoShop. I remembered that my camera has its own panoramic setting so I took my own shots along side of her. This is one in a series of four. I just used my camera's editing program to make the panoramic shot. Who needs PhotoShop anyway?

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out and wish I had been using it a lot earlier. I could have gotten some great shots on vacation. Oh well, there's always this year.

Click on the panoramic to get the full size. It's beeeuuutttiiifffuuullllll.

SkyWatch Friday #15

2010-01-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know how Mother Nature pulled this sunset off after a dark, gloomy, rainy day, but she did and my daughter raced outside to take a shot. Go see more fantastic skies across the world here.

Monochrome Weekly # 20

2009-12-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

A shot of my daughter lost in thought at the beach this past summer. Go get lost in other mono's here.

Monochrome Weekly #18

2009-12-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

A series of shots of The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York. My 14 y/o daughter took these this summer while visiting. I'd love to see it in person myself some day. Go see mono's from around the world here.

Monochrome Weekly # 18

2009-11-22T10:31:00.001-08:00

This was taken in '04 in Friday Harbor, Washington on the San Juan Island. I loved this whole stretch of driftwood. Check out Alieni for more mono shots.

SkyWatch Friday #14

2009-11-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

I can see sunrises from my kitchen window but on most days I wish my view was not obstructed by houses, trees, and power poles. I am tempted some morning to get in my car at 5:30 or so and drive somewhere to catch one as pretty as this. To see more skies around the world, check out Skywatch Friday.

Watery Wednesday #13

2009-11-16T11:17:00.000-08:00

A beautiful fall day on the Icicle River in Leavenworth, Wa. Find more watery beauty here.

Monochrome Weekly #17

2009-11-15T14:18:00.000-08:00

Another beach shot on the Oregon coast. I love to see water and skies in B&W. Go see more mono beauties here.

Watery Wednesday #12

2009-11-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

Another shot from Arcadia Beach on the Oregon Coast. Peek through to see Haystack Rock in the far distance.

Please go see more wonderful watery wetness here.

Monochrome Weekly #16

2009-11-01T06:23:00.000-08:00

A picture of my husbands Italian mother Mary. Born in 1916, she couldn't have been over a few years old in this shot. I love the details of her attire, such as necklaces, earrings, and tiny ring on her finger. She looks like a little doll to me. Sadly, she died when he was 12 so I didn't have the pleasure of meeting her.

Go see Alieni for more lights and darks.

SkyWatch Friday #14

2009-10-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

A beautiful sunset to end a great vacation. Taken in Manzanita, Oregon right across the street from our motel. See more skies of all kinds here.

SkyWatch Friday #13

2009-10-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

A twilight evening view from the side of my house. Check out more skies from around the world.

Color Carnival # 1

2009-10-02T08:43:00.001-07:00

I've been waiting a long time to join this meme. I just needed to find a shot of something colorful enough. I think this fits the bill. Driving by this fence I saw some 'good graffiti' painted on it, so my daughter and I stopped and got some shots.

Want to see more color? Stop by Marthas and have a look.

Watery Wednesday #11 Sepia Scenes Wednesday #16

2009-09-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Shots from a high spring runoff on the Spokane River a couple of years ago. Reverting them to sepia makes me feel the way the river may have looked many years ago.

Check out more Watery Wildness and Sepia Super Shots here.

SkyWatch Friday #13

2009-09-23T19:34:00.001-07:00

Big winds, a little rain, and the reward of a double rainbow in my backyard. I haven't seen one in a long time. When they show up you can't always run to an open field, so excuse my city wires. You can see more skies from around the world here.

Watery Wednesday #10

2009-09-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Oregon Coast. This was at low tide so it was fun to get in between the big rocks where you would not normally be able to go. That little speck in the background is someone frolicking in the water with their dog. To see more cool wetness, visit the Water Mistress.

Monochrome Weekly #15

2009-09-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

V-DUB Cemetery. A neighbor across the street has two VW's, both non-running. It's sad to see them just sitting there being consumed by weeds and Trumpet Vine.

To see more Mono Theme shots, go see Aileni.

Remember Whensday #1

2009-09-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

My first for this meme! A fun new meme hosted by a fellow Washingtonian.

I grew up in a small town and it was tradition for the graduating class to drive up to the town's water tower and paint over the previous class year. I really don't even remember if I was there for the painting part but my cousin and I had to go up to take a picture. That's her car in the shot, we called it the Blue Bomb.

Monochrome Weekly #14

2009-09-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

A shot from the inside of a cave at Hug Point on the Oregon coast. It was a fun beach to be on since we had never seen caves so close to a beach. To see more Mono Theme shots, go see Aileni.

SkyWatch Friday #12

2009-09-10T06:36:00.001-07:00

I caught these moon shots recently and I loved how the clouds looked passing by in front of it as well as the faint rings of color surrounding the second one. Check out skies from around the world here.

SkyWatch Friday #11

2009-09-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

I was looking out my front window and saw the makings of a wonderful sunset. I got one shot and then decided I needed to get to the other side of the school so I took off with my camera and watched the whole thing unfold from the football field. A woman driving by actually stopped her car and got out with her camera. The colors really did change that rapidly. I could not possibly just pick one in this series so here is the whole thing ;-) You can see more memorable skies here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #15

2009-09-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Another shot from Uniontown, Washington. In the back of the barn you can see a lone grove of trees with the wheel fence in the foreground. I used Flickr for the first one and Photobucket for the second. Find more delightful sepia scenes at Mary's house.

Monochrome Weekly #13

2009-08-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Coming back to our car after a walk on the beach at Nehalem Bay we spotted this lone picnic table way back in the trees. See more Mono treasures here.

Looking at the Sky on Friday #4

2009-08-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

A pink swirly sky on a summer's eve. Go check out more fantastic skies at Crazy Working Mom's place.

Motion Thursday #1

2009-08-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

I saw a couple of guys tossing a baseball on Manzanita Beach on the Oregon coast. I thought I would try and get an action shot and later saw the ball was in mid air right between them. To see more action shots, go here.

Watery Wednesday #10

2009-08-25T16:02:00.001-07:00

Peeking at the Pacific Ocean through the sand dunes at Nehalem Bay State Park on the Oregon coast. What could be better than that?

To see more Watery Wonders, visit here.

Monochrome Weekly #12

2009-08-23T15:53:00.001-07:00

After a long break, it's time to get back to work (fun). This was taken in Uniontown, Washington. The wheel fence was started in the 1950's by the Dahmen family and runs around the entire property. To help with the upkeep, you can even 'adopt a wheel'. The barn in the background has been restored and now houses several Artisans. Personally, I came for the fence. Go see more fantastic Mono's here:

I Guess I'm Taking A Break

2009-07-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

I really didn't intend to, it just happened, and it's been a whole month since I posted. Tomorrow I say, I'll get out and take a shot. I have ideas so it's not like I'm fresh out. My neighbors VW bus is just asking me to take its picture in B&W.

So what's the problem? I'm not sure really. I guess I could blame it on the hot weather. I don't like to get out much when it's hot. And I've used up pretty much everything in my archives.

But I'm going on vacation in a few weeks so hopefully I'll get my PictorialSoul back by then. Don't give up on me yet ;-)

Monochrome Monday #11

2009-06-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Anna, 12 years old in 1937. With her are her pets, Shep the dog and Maggie the monkey. What? Not everyone had a pet monkey? They acquired her when she got loose from a traveling circus. Someone found her and gave her to my grandparents. I just don't remember what happened to her after that but she seems to fit in. See more interesting monos here.

Looking at the Sky on Friday #3

2009-06-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

Stairway to Heaven. And you thought it was only a song! I was looking out my front door during a rainstorm and saw this ladder sticking up into the sky from the high school across the street. So I did what any sane person would do; grabbed my camera and went outside in the rain. See more skies here.

Macro Monday #6

2009-06-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what this bush is called, but it's pretty and has thorns. I had just finished watering and I had to take a shot. It's the first time I've been able to capture water drops successfully. It's a little blurry on the lower end but if you enlarge it, it looks like tiny glass beads were placed randomly. To see more closeups, head over to Lisa's Chaos.

Monochrome Monday #10

2009-05-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

My Grandfather was an avid photographer. He had put together this amazing album with detailed descriptions of each photo in an accompanied booklet (777 in all). The earliest shot I have found in the book is 1908. These particular two are from 1915 at Natatorium Park in Spokane, Washington. I found a website with the history of the park and emailed these two shots to the webmaster. Interesting history about the park can be found here. To see more interesting Monos, visit Aileni.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #14

2009-05-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

Another shot from the antique store. I applied sepia (with flickr) to the entire shot but couldn't bear to hide her pink so I colored it back in. Go see Mary for more Sepia shots.

Today's Flowers #2 Macro Monday #6

2009-05-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

A bloom from my Peony Tree. The blooms are quite large; about 6 inches in diameter. When they are in the sun they get very limp and droopy but perk up when the sun has faded so that's when I shot this. The only drawback to them is that they STINK very badly. I've tried to bring them in the house but can't stand it. They will have to be an outside flower forever ;-)

You can see some more beauty in flowers here and Macro shots here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #13

2009-05-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

My daughter went with her dad one Saturday on one of his delivery runs. They passed by this old truck and since her dad's name is Tony, she thought it was funny; especially the "old" part. Go see Mary for more splendid sepias.

Shadow Shot Sunday #3

2009-05-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

The Dog Wants In. It was a nice morning and I had the big door open when I was in the kitchen. I looked down on the carpet and saw this funny looking figure and realized it was our dog Nellie at the door. I couldn't see her but saw her shadow so grabbed the camera. She looks like Mickey Mouse with misshapen ears.

Jump on over to see Harriet for more Shadow Shots.

Looking at the Sky on Friday #2

2009-05-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I were on the way to the hospital to see my mom and couldn't resist pulling over for a few shots of an impending sunset (It was only for a minute mom, I swear). You can find other skies all over the world here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #12

2009-05-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

An original photo made sepia the old fashioned way. This is a family photo from the paternal side of the family. My grandfather is in the upper right corner, born in 1888. I should say that all I did was scan this photo. I didn't use and editing program so basically it's a SOOC shot, even if it is from a camera about 100 years old.To see more old fashioned or handmade sepia's, visit Mary.

Looking at the Sky on Friday #1

2009-05-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Calm at the end of the day. My first for this meme. After a blustery, rainy, and general not-so-nice day I saw the clouds from my back yard turn pink after the sunset. Then I noticed the moon and had to get a shot. And then last night the clouds were moving swiftly so I wanted to get a shot of them passing over the moon. I took this shot just as this cloud was getting ready to eat the moon whole. Enlarge to see teeth and all. To see all types of skies, turn to Crazy Working Mom.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #11

2009-05-06T07:21:00.001-07:00

A local Greek Orthodox Church. I love this building and had to stop one day just as the sun was setting behind it. I used Photobucket to edit; the first one being 50% 'old photo' effect. The second one I experimented a bit more by using bronze on the focal point of the three crosses and then sepia throughout. Photobucket's sepia is a bit pink so I only used it at 50%. The sky was so blue though, that it came out a bit purple, but I still like it.

Monochrome Monday #9

2009-05-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Another shot from the Antique store; I took SO many. Thought this little lady would look good in mono. To see other Mono Shots, visit here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #10

2009-04-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

A pile of old window shutters leaned up against a building in an Antique store. I first applied Sepia and then about 50% Fresco effect. To see more Sepia Shots, go visit Mary.

Monochrome Monday #8

2009-04-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

A few more shots from the Antique store. They had these neat wrought iron gazebos that had such great patterns to them. So I stood inside and shot upwards. To see more cool Monos, go here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #9

2009-04-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

This is another shot taken at the Antique store. This is a large fountain and these guys were just begging me to take their picture. Thanks to Jennie at Cyber Bottle for reminding me to use Photobucket to add effects to my shots. I applied sepia throughout and then lightly bronzed the Pelicans. For my first time I think they turned out pretty good. Check out more Sepia shots at Mary's place.

Monochrome Monday #7

2009-04-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

A view from the Humane Society where my daughter volunteers. Way up on the hill is a Roman Catholic Parish. It was once used as a training grounds for candidates for the Catholic priesthood. It remains a center of religious education today. This is an aerial view (not my shot, from their website) to show you the full spectrum of the size of the building.

To see more mono shots, visit here.

SOOC Sunday #3

2009-04-18T16:00:00.001-07:00

I took this shot at a local antique store which will be closing soon. This guy was looming so large over me so I just had to take a shot. Originally I intended to either use a B&W or Sepia effect on him but I just really liked it better SOOC. The rust stains and flaking of his face show up so much more, especially when enlarged. Take a look at more SOOC shots here.

SkyWatch Friday #10

2009-04-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

My husband begged me to let him take my camera to work with him. He said sometimes he sees some awesome sunsets without all the wires and trees we put up with in the city. In the background you can see the tower from one of the small airports that he picks up deliveries from. I may have to buy him his own camera ;-) To see some more awesome skies from around the world, check out SkyWatch Friday.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #8

2009-04-14T07:29:00.001-07:00

This is a wrought iron bench that has been kicking around in our family. It was my paternal grandparents' and I can remember it from their house. I would love to get it appraised to see the value and possibly sell it, but my husband doesn't want to. I used a very old program on another computer to sepia this. There are no setting to fiddle with and all photos turn out the same, but it really worked with this one I think. To see some more fabulous Sepias, visit Mary here.

Macro Monday #5 Mono Monday #7

2009-04-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

A few more shots of my collections, peacock feathers. Sometimes you just forget about some of beautiful things you have around the house until you take pictures of them. Check out more MONO'S and MACRO'S here.

SkyWatch Friday #10

2009-04-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

My 10th SkyWatch participation! A Storm's A Brewin'. This was taken moments before a huge hail/wind storm blew in. We even had a little thunder with it. To see some more awesome skies, visit here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #7

2009-04-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Another older picture of my daughter in the snow. I cannot find the original so this is a scanned copy that I had printed. I made it sepia, applied the crackle finish and then printed it on canvas paper to frame. To see more sophisticated sepia's, go here.

Monochrome Monday #6

2009-04-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is a shot of my weeping pussy willow tree. I love weeping trees, we have a white pine and purple birch in our front yard. To see more cool monochrome shots go here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #6

2009-03-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

This is a corner of my backyard with my weeping pussywillow tree, an iron bed frame, and a large piece of driftwood we carted home from one of our vacations. See, I told you my husband was nutty about driftwood. Actually I wanted this one because I knew exactly where I would put it. To see more Sepias, go here.

Macro Monday #4

2009-03-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

My Grandma was artsy and crafty before it was cool. She used to take these large jars and glue items all over them, just stuff from around the house I guess. Then she would spray paint them either gold or bronze. I'm not even sure when she made this one but I'm guessing the 60's just from what's on it. They are so much fun to look at because they are so detailed. I have one and my mom has a smaller one. At one time she also took a large ladies high-heel shoe and glued sparkly costume jewelry all over it, it's so pretty. My mom has it but I may have to smuggle it out of the house to get some shots of it. If you're up to seeing more Macros, go here.

Scenic Sunday #2

2009-03-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my daughter and I went to an Antique place that we have always wanted to go to. They are now going out of business and we knew we had to go, not so much to buy, but to take pictures. This place was amazing, it covers probably two lots and every square inch is covered with stuff, large and small. These two shots just cover a small portion of the place. Enlarge to get a better idea of what I'm talking about. Check out the cute little pig (when pigs fly). I may go back to get one of those ;-) We had such a fun time, I hope we can get back before they close for good. But...someone said they have another location in town, so I better get new batteries for my camera! Check out what other people did this weekend at Scenic Sunday.

Nature Notes #1

2009-03-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

I was going to save this for a macro meme but thought it was more fitting here. There's a new meme in town from Michelle at Rambling Woods. She's challenging us to be observant to what's going on around us in nature. Maybe something you see everyday but you finally pay attention to it; such as my shots. I was walking up my front steps last week when I saw this ground cover I see everyday. I don't even know it's name but its red color just popped out at me since everything else seems to be so brown.

Thursday Challenge:Building #4

2009-03-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's only a birdhouse but I would like to have it made to scale so I could live in it. That's my kind of building. To see more Thursday Challenges, go here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #5

2009-03-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

I know I'm cheating a bit here but I really love this shot and it didn't look that good in Sepia alone. So I played with it and and graduated down to a darker color. I use Phixr as my photo editor. To see other creative Sepia shots, go here.

Monochrome Monday #5

2009-03-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Another shot of my collections. My husband collects driftwood from every vacation. Some are small and some are so large that we have to arrange our luggage to get everything to fit. These are just a few pieces that are in the house, but by no means all of them. To see other Mono shots, go here.

SkyWatch Friday #9

2009-03-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

It had been a very windy and dusty day. This was the end of the day and I caught the sun just as it peeked out from the dust/clouds. For more SkyWatch shots from around the world, go here.

Thursday Challenge:Time #3

2009-03-18T15:00:00.001-07:00

Timeless Time. This isn't a great picture because this clock is in my dark basement. It was a wedding gift to my parents about 58 years ago. As you can see it is shaped like an old pocket watch with chain and all. It's pretty good sized too, about 13x16. It gets a little noisy in cold weather but it has never had any work done on it. You can check out more Thursday Challenges here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #4

2009-03-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Pet Cemetery. I've always wanted to go in here and saw a chance today when the gate was open. It's an old cemetery and no longer in use. Some of the headstones date back to the 20's and 30's with the most recent in the 70's. I saw a lot of duplicate names and some with pictures. This one seemed to be the only one with its picture not damaged. See other sepia shots here.

Macro Monday #3

2009-03-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

Another shot of my collections, seashells. You can never have too many seashells around the house. See more Macros here.

Camera Critters #2

2009-03-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

Our dog Nellie hates the popping and crackling of our fireplace so she goes off to pout in our room. That night though she found solace in my husband's freshly laundered warm underwear. ***WARNING*** Do not enlarge, it's not pretty! To see other cute Camera Critters, go here.

SkyWatch Friday #8

2009-03-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's Friday already. These were taken a few weeks ago after a very windy day. It was over a span of just a few minutes but each was so different because the big heavy clouds were really moving and the colors were changing fast. See more fantabulous skies here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #3

2009-03-11T14:26:00.001-07:00

I am running low on outdoor scenes so I started looking around my house for treasures. For awhile you will see shots of my collections, this one happening to be metal buttons, and thought it would look awesome in Sepia. To see other Sepia Scenes, go here.

Watery Wednesday #9

2009-03-10T17:26:00.001-07:00

Another old shot from a 35 mm. This was taken in Leavenworth, WA, one of our favorite places. This particular path is along the river. But you can see what really makes the shot so cute is my husband and daughter throwing rocks into the river. I couldn't have gotten this shot so perfect if I had tried. See other Watery Wonders here.

SkyWatch Friday #7

2009-03-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

One of those rare days when the sun was out. This is the same light pole from my earlier post this week. Can't wait for spring to figure out what it is, even though I have passed by it hundreds of times before. See other fabulous skies here.

Watery Wednesday #8

2009-03-03T14:22:00.001-08:00

Another shot along the Spokane River with some little quackers in the background. To see some more watery pics and maybe some more quackers go here.

Macro Monday #2 Mono Monday #4

2009-03-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

I don't usually combine meme's but I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. On one of my walking routes there is a light pole with some type of vine covering it. Since it's winter I don't know what it is but it's very well established and looks pretty awesome. So I took a couple of shots and thought they would look good in B&W, especially the macro one.

Please go see other Mono's here and Macro's here.

Thematic Photograph #1

2009-02-28T15:29:00.001-08:00

I hope I'm not too late to join in here. I just found Carmi's Thematic Photo blog, Written Inc. His theme for the week (beginning last Wed.) was winter. I have more winter pictures than I would like to admit this year but will share one more and then that's it! I promise.

SkyWatch Friday #6

2009-02-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

We had just received about an inch of wet snow. It was still cloudy but some blue was trying to peek through. Go check out other skies here.

Sepia Scenes Wednesday #2

2009-02-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

This is another favorite older picture of my daughter in a pile of leaves. It looks great in color but wanted to try it in Sepia. See other Sepia Scenes Here.

Watery Wednesday #7

2009-02-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

Took a walk on the Centennial Trail along the Spokane River last Saturday. There was still some snow on the ground and the river seemed up a bit. But I just had to find my way down a muddy hill to take some pictures. Check out more Watery Wonders here.