ELK RIVER

This morning the sun actually came out for a while. It was a little on the weak side, but I definitely saw some blue! That was enough for me and I jumped in the car and headed to some places I've wanted to stop and do some shooting. (And I found plenty of places to pull off along the road, in case you wondered) First stop was the Elk River. This first one is looking east from the overpass. I have a couple more of the river that extend further up and show the mountains in the distance, but I've seen that particular view many, many times. So, this is a little different in that it's been cropped and honing in on just one section. The second photo is the Elk River looking west off the other side of Hwy 101. And I'm very pleased with this view. I like the contrast of the bare trees against the evergreens. Some nice reflections... And the little red-roofed barn just adds the right touch. I'll be showing more of my travels up 101 to Bandon in the next few days. Guess we're due for more rain again tomorrow but it sure had me appreciating the bit of blue that today brought. A little blessing. Hope you enjoyed it, for those that live on the south coast.

TODAY

I didn't get out much today....not only the weather, but a friend came over today to show me a much more efficient way of handling photos from camera-to folder-to Adobe-to where ever. One of the photos I already had in the camera was of Willie, the Queen Mum of our household. I don't know why her eyes turned so green. They look a little out-of-this-worldish, don't they? Norm would readily agree she might very well be the Devil Cat disguising herself as a pet.

The second pic is of me, in case you didn't know....HA! I was badly in need of a new profile photo. So......there ya' go.

BTW.......for any that might be interested, I'm working on getting together some of my photos as greeting cards. The photos will be 4" x 6" placed on 5" x 7" cards, with envelope. Price is $3 each or 6 for $16. You can check out my Flickr photostream to pick any photos you might like. Just go to Flickr.com and my 'handle' is Snap-Smith, same as this blog. And of course, you can always get a hold of me directly either by email or comment here.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!

Yep!! 37 years!! Pretty good, huh?
We went to lunch at a new restaurant in Bandon......it was really great!! I highly recommend The Phoenix Grill
and I know you won't be disappointed. A very good menu with good, fresh ingredients and a A-One view right on the Coquille River.
It was hard for me to get too enthused about photo taking today (I know!! Is that really me that said that?) but this ever gray weather doesn't help. No clouds or blue sky....just gray. I did fairly well, though. I put a few on Flickr if you want to check that out. As soon as the sun comes out though, I'm off to take shots of many of the places that I can only go to alone......at least not with Norm.....my wonderful husband of 37 years! He's good at stopping for me, even pointing out things that I might miss. He does have a limit though. Says he can't just park on the highway. I can. All you have to do is move over to the right a little and you'll be fine. In the meantime, the ducks in photo #1 are ones that are seen frequently out on the road to the jetty in Bandon. They were pretty happy poking around in the mud looking for 'duck food'.
The second photo is from a clematis out on our deck at home. Nancy and Ed Dowdy gave me a start and it found a happy home climbing up a trellis and weaving through the slats. I even saw a couple of trees starting to bloom today! That surprised me! I think we're going to have an early spring. But watch out for late winter frost.

INNER WORKINGS OF PRE-1906 BOARDING HOUSE

A few days back I posted a couple of photos of my great-great grandmother's home converted into a boarding house for gentlemen. (remember the young unmarried daughters). I told you the the roof, and then the top floor could be removed and that the jeweler who carved this art, replicated even the inner workings of the household. The top photo with the measuring tape is of the ground floor. At the far left is like a receiving room....Aunt Lily at the piano and my great great grandmother at the base of the stairs (I don't think you can see her from this angle) A few more bedrooms and then back to the kitchen and beyond that is a back porch with various necessities. The second photo is of the top floor which housed all the gentlemen. All the little details that were a part of daily living back then. Really an amazing piece of San Francisco history and folk art.

COQUILLE RIVER #2

These are a couple more shots I took yesterday on the Coquille River. I was facing a different direction....west rather than east. Quite a difference in appearance, don't you think? It's practicially a black and white because I was facing the sun. I only did a minimal amount of 'tweaking'. Here the low tide actually adds interest with the muddy bank showing off different variations in texture and light.

Tomorrow I'm going to take us both back to pre-1906 and take the roofs off my Great-great grandmother's little house. I think you'll find it pretty interesting.

COQUILLE RIVER

UP THE COQUILLE RIVER

Took a little jaunt up the Coquille River today, to the boat ramp just beyond Riverview Kennel. It's been a while since I've been up there and was surprised to see a nice over-look of the marsh. See photo #3. Of course as soon as I got out of the car the sun hid behind a cloud and the tide was out. I was lucky to find a place that had some attractive grasses instead of looking just mud puddles. It looks like a really good spot to go birding...... on any other day but today, that is.

Isn't the robin looking like he's just sooo ready for spring?? And he was fussing at me a little.....maybe telling me that this was his territory. (Didn't know I looked like a robin, did you? me neither.)

The river itself had the tide rushing out and not too many birds around. I did see a couple of cormarants floating down the river....then every once in a while I'd hear the flap of wings and there they'd be skimming along the top of the water only to land in another spot. I'm seeing more and more signs of spring though. I saw some rhoddies in bloom up in Coos Bay. And there is a particular grove of alder trees growing in the middle of a large expanse of firs up on Beaverhill Road. I enjoy seeing them in the winter because with all their leaves fallen and at a distance, they take on sort of pastel and slightly fuzzy look. I noticed today that the pastel color is changing; deepening a little.

And of course, I know everyone has noticed the acacia trees coming into full bloom......Achoo!!

'scuse me.

BEACH-COMBING COUNTRY

BEACH-COMBING COUNTRY
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

My files seem to be a little confused so we'll have to look at a smaller photo today, unless you double click it. Then you will be taken over to my Flickr page.
Anyway.....this was one of the pretty sights the other day on the way through Bandon. You really can't see them without enlarging the photo quite a bit, but way over towards the pointed rocks, at the base of the rounded cliff, there are two lonely little people beach-combing. I'd have missed them completely but I was checking my pixels and then saw their fuzzy little bodies, all bent over looking for some treasure. In taking this shot I was lucky to have a few minutes of weak sunlight.
And now......I'm thoroughly engrossed in the Vikings vs the Saints football game. Brete Favre just got hurt and things aren't looking good for my favorite team. Booooo! Well, hopefully things will turn around. Fingers crossed. (and toes).

THE MARINA

Todays photo was taken out at the Charleston Marina. I've taken photos there before but this is another part of the marina. You can see part of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in the background. I've always loved the look of the Institute....all the cute little shingled cottages lined up. They look like they'd fit right in back in Cape Cod or thereabouts. I heard a number of sea lions or seals barking loudly but they were greeting an returning fishing boat way over on the other side of the marina, so no shots today. We made a number of stops on the way home. The sky was constantly changing but always stunning. There were large thunder clouds moving around the horizon looking beautiful and puffy one minute and ominous and threatening the next. I took a lot of those pictures......as if I didn't have enough sky and cloud shots!! But they are always new aren't they?
**An added warning here.....If you haven't yet seen "Julie and Julia", just don't go grocery shopping too soon after......the Illusions of Grandeur might get'cha! Now what am I going to do with all this food?? And I'd rather be out shooting!!

HISTORY LESSON 101

This is a replica of my great-great grandmother's home in San Francisco before the big 1906 earthquake and fire. She was a widow alone with 6 daughters and decided to turn her home into a boarding house for gentlemen only.....hoping the girls would find husbands, I guess. One of her boarders was a jeweler by trade and in the evenings began carving this replica of the house with his pen knife. His eyesight must have been exceptional because of the fine detail he included in this little house. It only measures about 5" X 10". The artistic part really shows as you can take off the roof and see all of the top floor, complete with furniture and those little extra things of what was found there at that time....chests, beds with cover, candle, those little porcelin bowls used for during-the-night-necessities. After the tour of the top floor, you lift off that and find the entire first floor.....kitchen with table and all the individual chairs, the table is set of course. The stove, a dog and some people. In the front sitting room is my Aunt Lily playing the piano along side a table that sits in the center of the room with the Holy Bible on it. The back porch has the outhouse, shower room, clothes lines you can see on the very top in this first photo. I don't know how long it took the man to carve this, but it is amazing, isn't it? I'm sure one of the San Francisco museums would love to have it. The home had to be destroyed to help prevent the fire from spreading and devastating more of the city. My grandmother remember them having to go to a 'tent city' up on Twin Peaks and she could look down and see much of the city burning.
I still have the trunk that my great grandfather made that held many of the items that were taken from that home.....what items that they could carry were in that trunk as the house was being blown up. I treasure every nick and dent on it and what it meant.

THE WOODWORKER

Can you tell that Norm might have been a career Navy guy? Anchors away! He's still very much a Navy man....meant in the very nicest sense.

He is also a wonderful woodworker, although he'd try to tell you differently. He made all these different anchors, all his own designs. He had been making beautiful trunks...think of the kind that was used when people traveled by ship using wooden chests....the kind with slatted and rounded lids. As an extra little bonus, he made these anchors and attached them with a leather cord and a couple of red, white & blue wooden beads, to the handle. Very unique and individual for each person who's lucky enough to have one of these heirlooms.

As a photographer, I particularly love the way the colors of the anchors are rich and the reflection shows so well against the wood of the hutch. Tomorrow I have a wooden heirloom of another type to show you. I think many of you will find it very interesting. See you then!

REMAINS OF SUMMER

This was once a bright yellow flowered plant that everyone sees around during the summer. Can't drag the name up, though. It doesn't look so pretty right now but in black and white it makes sort of a nice contrast, don't you think?
Today we had more rain and wind, off and on. I was hoping for a little more of a break between storms but that didn't happen. So, it was a good day to make some muffins, chicken and dumplings for dinner and get some reading done. Just a quiet day. We all need those sometimes.

A BREAK BETWEEN STORMS

The wild and wooley weather of the last two days finally subsided today...at least for a while. We thought we might take a short walk and get in some exercise before another one rolls in later today. It was drizzling lightly and I had my camera inside my jacket for most of the walk. And always!!!! I could kick myself for not remembering to change over to my telephoto lens! The deer seen above would have been just great to do a close up of. They stayed where they were, carefully watching my every move, while I shot one photo after another. Well....maybe next time.

This second one is a piece of dead branch that we found with some kind of conk or lichen.....not a mushroom I don't think.....but whatever it is I looks pretty, doesn't it? If it is a conk, it's hard to believe that these little guys would grow so large and become so hard that certain talented artists carve, woodburn or paint on them.

So.....that was about it for today. The forecasts say we'll be getting a series of storm coming in with lots of wind again. And rain. again! So find a good book, a cozy fire, and a hearty bowl of soup

and you'll be all set!

SEASONS

Such a nasty day out!! The wind part of our weather gauge has conked out but some of those gusts are pretty strong. So...I'm cleaning out some of my old photos and trying to make some order in my Adobe E. files. I came across these two photos that remind me of the movement from one season to the next. Sort of like our lives, huh? The lichen is a little gem that really caught my attention this winter. At times it's alone like in this shot; other times it almost smothers a tree, looking like pale green blossoms filling the graceful limbs. The way the light sometimes catches the lichen can actually look like it's glowing. And it's at it's best when there is rain about.....Winter. (Well, maybe not all the time, since this IS Oregon!).

But ready to move onto the scene when winter gives up it's hold is Spring. This bud on our rhododendron is just waiting to burst out in full bloom and glory. I've noticed in the spring when all the rhoddy's are in bloom, that the shabbiest hovel can take on the look of an enchanting cottage when some ignored rhododendron refuses to be ignored any longer! Hugh boisterous

colorful shrubs just shout that it's a new season.....Spring! Warmer temperatures, more limber limbs and feelings of renewal and an "I CAN!" attitude.

I'm ready!!

In taking a quick drive down to the dock today we saw that the gale wind flags were in place again. It was so wet out and instead of getting me and possibly my camera wet, I decided to cheat a little and use a couple of shots from last week when we had the same two weather flags up.....although I know that last weeks was far stronger in force than today's. For those who don't live here I'll explain that I purposely left a bit of the cement wall on the bottom of each photo to show how high the waves were lifting once they hit the large rocks below. The second photo just shows how churned up the water was that day. Norm always reminds me that from where we are on land, it might not look like much but when you happen to be in a small (or medium) boat out there on that water, you're really going for a wild ride. So....I'll take my dose of excitement in the watching, thank you very much!

NO PHOTO SHOW

Well, my "Add image" doesn't seem to be working today. I didn't have much to show today anyway, but I hope this is the Blogger's problem and not mine. I'll keep trying periodically throughout the day. If you don't see any photos, though, you'll know why.
Drat!!

Ahh-Haaa!

OK.....I turned off my pop-up blocker....I've never had this particular problem before, but who knows what kind of a mood my computer will be in from one day to the next!
The day isn't too inviting to go out and shoot. So a few days ago I took a quick pic of this fish a friend brought me back from a river cruise up the Amazon that she took. I love the colors! And the design appeals to me a lot also. The wall color looks terrible however, and is reminding me that I still have a new, unopened and unused, can of paint just waiting to be brushed on in that kitchen. But I'd rather be out shooting.

AROUND TOWN

These were a couple of shots I took the last few days. This first one was above Battlerock....up the street from the Mitchell's B & B. I really like this view and will undoubtedly go back in weather that's a little more mild. This was where I was holding on to the side of a house in keep my balance in the wind. Invigorating??

And the second one is the beautiful little creek that crosses under Hwy 101 into Lake Garrison. It's one of my favorite sights....all year long as it is constantly changing as different grasses bloom, change colors, show more water or less.....and the curve of the creek itself is appealing to me. Since I've taking up photography I've seen much more of not only Port Orford but different places in the south coast area. And there's still so much more for me to see.....and you will too as I take you along with me!!

A LITTLE CHANGE OF PACE

The winds are still blowing today, but not quite as wild. There was one crazy moment when I went up to the top of the hill on the north side of Battlerock and overlooking that little beach. I had to hold onto the building to stay upright. But yesterday there were a couple of places around our area that were deceivingly mild looking for some photo shooting. These grasses were in a shallow lagoon on one of the boat ramps on Garrison Lake. I like grasses and these were quite tall and had just the right amount of wispiness to suit me.

This second photo is that same boat ramp. As some of you might have noticed, I've been experimenting with my new Adobe softward editing. How do you like it?

ANOTHER VIEW OF STORMY COAST

Beautiful, isn't it??

THE RAGING PACIFIC

Wow!! Was it wild down at the dock today!! First we went to the overlook...actually to a couple of places overlooking the dock. I couldn't get out of the car because the wind was too strong! A little ways down the street, I managed to get out but the wind started blowing me over and my glasses off. After almost landing on my rear a couple of times, and worrying Norm, not to mention what it might be doing to my camera, I got back in the car. We drove down to the dock and it was even wilder down there. I didn't even think about leaving the safety of the car. There were gale force wind flags out, pelicans and sea gulls either riding the undulating waves or floating the air currents suspended high above the water. The sea foam was flying all over as were some of the waves that were crashing onto the rocks. There were some pretty good splashes! On Battlerock beach you could see the sand blowing up the hills along with more sea foam. This is the first time I've been down there when it was quite so stormy. Exciting to see! I can't even imagine if it was as bad as I know it sometimes can get. Anyway, I got many good shots around town today.....which I will be sharing over the next few days. Hope you're having a dry day......a good day. Perfect night for a good movie from Netflick!

THE DAY BEGINS

What a gorgeous sunset this morning, huh? For those of you who do not live on the south coast.....well, I'm sure your morning was just a lovely, too............. Really

COFFEE & CREAM

This is the way to start a perfect Sunday........a beautiful sunset, followed by a good cup of coffee with just the right amount of cream! Ahhhh! Life is good!

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

BRIDGE ACROSS THE RIVER

This is a photo I took last week along Hwy. 101 on the south end of Coos Bay. I liked the way the mist is rising from the Coos River. It seems the bridge is just sort of suspended and floating above the water. I've seen such beautiful sights with fog making over an ordinary landscape into something sort of mysterious and maybe mystical. (That's the Irish in me talking........the wee folk, don't you know.)

THE DRAGONFLY

This is definitely not 'dragonfly' weather! Another gray day with bits of drizzle here and there. So...I found a bit of color to bring us inspite of the lack. A little piece of stained glass is all, but it was surprising how in the looking for color, I felt uplifted....and the more I looked the more I noticed different attractive colors in various items around the house and garden. You might see them in the next few days if I'm not able to get off somewhere and find more interesting haunts. So, what are YOU seeing lately that's full of color and inspiration?

HI THERE!!

I couldn't find anything to shoot today! Well, I did take some but they were as dull as dust......or they weren't worth keeping. So....this is what you get today! Me, saying Good Morning to ya! if you're one of the subscribers, that is. I think you then get my posting the morning after I actually post. I've been spending a lot of time learning about Elements so haven't been shooting all that much. And the weather isn't cooperating. No excuse, I know. I took one photo of a loaf of bread I'd just baked and that looked plain boring to me. I think I need to read some of my inspired photo books. The ones that talk about 'feelings' rather than the technical stuff. Somewhere along the way, I'm hoping that all this balances out. After all, I am a Libra. Well, tomorrow let's hope I can find some kind of "Wow!"

THE RED BENCH

I love this scene from one of the overlooks in Bandon! Even with the gray skies, the colors, with a little help, seem to perk up because of this bright red bench. Off to the right and out of sight here, is the Bandon lighthouse. This scene is looking north up the coast and it wasn't that long ago that this entire area was filled with pelicans. They've all but disappeared now......guess they went on to where ever they were migrating to.

DAVIS SLOUGH

DAVIS SLOUGH
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

Today seemed like the classic gray winter, dreary day. Not really raining but a constant drizzle that was, well, sort of lack-luster compared to some of our more exciting weather....or beautiful days. But the lack of wind had many of the waters in the area looking as smooth as glass....again. We've been lucky to have a number of those this fall and winter. This photo is of the Davis Slough, and it's always a 'photo waiting to happen'. This time, Norm knew I wanted to try and photograph it, and he slowed down. I was expecting him to stop the car......which he had to do as I unbuckled, had camera ready and my hand on the door. STOP!!! (cuss! cuss! cuss!) I really didn't know it was illegal to pull off the road and stop....he might have just made that up. Anyway, I liked this shot.....maybe a little busy but I love the subtle colors and like many of the various waters we viewed today, there was mist rising to add even more interest. Pretty, huh?

IN PLACE OF FLOWERS

IN PLACE OF FLOWERS
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

A LITTLE COLOR ON A GRAY DAY

A LITTLE COLOR ON A GRAY DAY
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

Thought I'd bring in a little color for this gray Monday. There are no flowers around so I've had to improvise. In editing this photo though, I noticed tht the pencils aren't all as sharp as I'd like. Never mind, just enjoy the color!

THE DOCK

THE DOCK
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

I'm still fooling around with editing. I can't seem to get my posted photos to be seen as 'Large'. And I lost my Desktop photo this morning and will have to figure that one out too. In this older photo of the dock, I tried to warm up the color. The day I took it was a dismal and overcast day. Everything blended into one long gray soup. Now, it's warmed up but not too natural looking. I like the forefront though.
Everything new I try seems to bring it's own new challenge with it......baby steps....baby steps!

LETTING GO

LETTING GO
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

I pulled this photo out of an old file from the early part of 2009. It is one of the photos that is symbolic, to me, of my grandson's death a year ago yesterday. A year of remembering with sadness and tears, regrets and what-if's.....and then realizing that it was really out of my hands all along. And so now, after posting this photo, I'm going to delete it....from my files and also the harddrive....I think Elements can do that. There will undoubtedly be some bittersweet emotions when I remember Jorma, but it just feels right for me to now honor his memory with sweet memories and gentle chuckles. Threre is never a time limit to one's own feelings of grief. They take on a life of their own and must just be acknowledged and experienced as they are. I like to think, now, of the light seen in this sunrise as Jorma's continuing essence.....not physically seen right now, but there none the less....just behind the clouds, or over the horizon, but always there....always.

CAPE BLANCO

CAPE BLANCO
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

OK!! Number 2! And I think the coloring in this photo is a little bit better, don't you? One of the changes will be that if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you'll end up on my Flickr page. Once there, you can either look at my other posted photos and/or click on the same photo and it will enlarge and list the settings and all that.
Well, that's it for today......I have plenty more to read about in the book on Elements. And my sister sent me a book today, "Nikon D90 for Dummies." No smarty comments, please.

GARRISON LAKE

DSC_0367_edited-1.jpg
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

What an ordeal!! I honestly don't have much of an idea how I managed to get this photo not only on my Flickr account but over to be blogged also. I tried my hand at the new editing and I still have a long ways to go to get what I want......but as my friend, Peggy, said....baby steps, baby steps. Yeah!! Like I have a choice there??
LOL!
Anyway, Doesn't Lake Garrison look tranquil. I like this shot but am not at all happy with the coloring. Just ignore that and look at the beautiful setting.
So, am I back in business?? I can't say for sure at this point.....
excuse me while I get myself an aspirin and glass of water!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Here are some photos that size up the spirit of the day. We see that not only
is it New Year's Day, the first day of another new decade, but also (drum roll
please...) the Rose Bowl!! Yaaa! Ducks! Norm is always laughing about how
really fierce can a duck be?? So tough it might peck you with it's little beak....
LOL. But, being from Oregon, we go with what we have and hope they win!
They're behind right now, but we have fingers and toes crossed.
And the top photo shows a spirit of celebration, no matter what!!
There might not be a blog for the next few days while I sort out some things
on my computer. So, hang in there.....I'll be back!