FIRST SHOWING OF SPRING BLOOMS

They're coming fast and from all directions!! Our pear trees have blossoms.....as you can see here so does the flowering quince and some blue bulb, whose name I don't know. The evergreen clematis is still blooming and when it's not raining and windy, the aroma is wonderful!! What I need to do now, until it's completed, is to turn in my camera for a trowel and my clippers until all of last years dead is cut away, making room for the new. Plenty of weeds to pull and all the grass to mow down. Ever wish you had a goat.....one that would know a weed from a keeper? I used to have one. I wanted her to eat down the poison oak. Nope....she left that alone and went after anything else she could find that was green. One day I decided I just had to get rid of it and with poloski (not sure about the spelling of that tool) I set out to chop out each and every one. After a little while I needed to take a short break. Looking behind me....there she was just gobbling down all the poison oak I had gotten up. I figured she liked to be served her meals.......like the little Queen she thought she was. I had a hard time liking that goat and we (excuse the pun here) locked horns more than once.

LANCE COX

A friend of mine reminded me that I forgot to post the photo of Lance Cox's newest drawing. His work is so fabulous. People have asked him why he draws only in black and white. They're told that he is color-blind so uses only charcoal or pencil. The detail in his work and the expressions of many of his other animal drawings create an endearing impression. This drawing now hangs in the Compass Rose Bed and Breakfast.

Thanks for the reminder, B.

COMPASS ROSE CONTINUED

Here are two other rooms that I shot the other day. Don't they look cozy??

I wish I'd taken one or two of the bathrooms. They're lovely also.

COMPASS ROSE CONTINUED

This is one of the beautiful bedrooms.
I really admire the way Karen has decorated these rooms.....the entire house, for that matter.
These are the two pet bunnies. The color didn't come out too well and they actually stand out better in black and white.
All in all, a very special place!

COMPASS ROSE

I should have reversed the way I put these photos in order. Now they're sort of backwards. But I promised you a visual treat and

enticement about a great B & B here in Port Orford. It's a large home with an expansive deck all the way around. Outside, no photos of this as we were dodging rain drops, is a rabbit hutch with 2 fat, happy and very friendly bunnies inside. On top of their home is a bunny weather-vane that is just one of the many personal touches that Doug and Karen, owners & operators, have built in to their warm and welcoming home. When I arrived, Doug had been cooking up some kind of mouth-watering stew....yummm.

Back outside again, there are tended hiking trails that I haven't been on yet, but will when the weather dries a bit. I know that at least one of these, and maybe more, lead down to Garrison Lake and beautiful grasses and reeds provide many hidie-holes for multitude of various birds. They plan on building a number of wood duck nests and hopefully their guests will be treated to watching some of nature at work. Inside the house, there is a large library of books, taking up an entire large wall, along with games as you can see in the above photo. The dining tables are works of art......covered with glass and containing different collections that guests can study while they await their coming breakfast. One table holds shells, another agates, another stones......and there are other arts scattered around throughout the house, from local artists, like the one drawing below done by our popular artist, Lance Cox. His work in phenomenal! All the bedrooms have their own private bath, all rooms are warmly and comfortably decorated, have plenty of room and bathrobes are supplied as well. So many little thoughtful details are provided that I can't think of anyone that wouldn't feel like royalty staying here. It's only a short distance to Lake Garrison, beaches on the Pacific, town with it's various art galleries, restaurants, and a few shops of this 'n that. Tomorrow I'll put in some snaps of the bedrooms........they make you want to curl up with a good book and a warm quilt after you've beaten a curious path throughout the Port Orford area all day. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

COMPASS ROSE

AFTERNOON IN PORT ORFORD

What a neat day! Had lunch with some friends and then went over to Garrison Lake. The home we visited was owned by a friend that I hadn't seen in too many years and it was just a joy to see him again....and look at the terrific view he has of the lake!! We watched a small group of birds that would flirt with coming in closer to get a good shot (camera) and then would either dive under or float off to a further distance. Everyone else could see another bird that was hiding in the reeds. I never saw it but I'll take their word for it that it was there. (hmmmmm?) The second view had such a different look to it.....much more stark looking but still very beautiful I think. You'd never tell by looking at the calmness of the water, that the wind was already starting to gust every now and then in preparation for the next little storm we have coming in. Tomorrow I'll be showing some photos of one of the most beautiful B & B's around........One that those of you that don't live around here, will want to check out yourself!! Just wait!!

To top the day off, I went to my weekly 'weigh-in' and discovered I'd lost almost 4 pounds!! Yaaaaa! Glad to know that the 'trauma' of last Sunday and the spilt milk didn't stress me to the point that I GAINED 4 pounds! Although, I'm still working on trying to get that smell of sour milk out of the carpet. It's better than it was, but I have a very sensitive sense of smell (a real curse at times, let me tell you!!) and I'll still be trying a few more tricks I read about. Any additional ideas, anyone?

JUST 'SNAPPIN' IN THE RAIN

Remember that old movie with Gene Kelly? Oh, yeah. That was 'dancing' wasn't it? Well, I was dancing around mud puddles again, but still got some decent shots in. These were taken down in the Empire District of Coos Bay......Hollering Hole to be exact. It's pretty interesting down there if you like old piers and buildings and what ever 'what-not' might be around at any given time. The city is supposed to do something down in that area....like shops and restaurants....tourists attractions included. I really love this second photo. There was an old historic house....the peaked one on the left just almost under the tree....that was full of charm. There was a sign in front telling that the house was built in 18?? by... and I didn't get the name but it sounded like old Irish or Scottish. I'll get a shot of that too, next time I go down that way. When I'm not driving, my photo stops are somewhat limited by the patience of the driver. But isn't that sky in this second shot fabulous? One of the beauties of storms breaking up in our area. We live in such a wonderful area!! There's always something really terrific to discover.

EVER PERKY!!

EVER PERKY!!
Originally uploaded by Snap-Smith

I forgot to save my photos of the day and so am getting them off of Flickr......that's the reason for the small photo today. We're having more rain. I'm not surprised cause it is still winter, after all. Yesterday, anticipating the rain, I ran out to the garden and took a shot of these ever eager little grape hyacinths. They're always such cheerful little troopers, aren't they. They don't care what the weather is.......up they pop.
The next dry spell we have I really have to get out and tackle some of those weeds that have just thrived this winter. Maybe back east and down south it's been cold, but we've had a warm winter.
Hope to get some more good shots tomorrow on the way up or back from Coos Bay.

A BRAND NEW DAY!!

Today was a good day, if only because it wasn't yesterday. I didn't get to shoot any photos today so resorted to pulling a few recent shots from a week or so ago. This first one is one of gorse that has been the happy home to a multitude of spiders. For those that live up here....remember the grand experiment of how these imported spiders were supposed to feast to their hearts content and eliminate the gorse? Well, the gorse remains alive and well.....thriving most likely. There are a few spiders that undoubedly live in one of the little micro-climates that keep them from dying out completely. When they were introduced you'd sometimes see these gorse bushes just completely engulfed with webs. Looked like something out of a sci-fi film.
The second photo here, was taken at the Bandon jetty on the beach opposite the lighthouse. The ocean looked SO big and the fisherman looked so tiny that it made an intersting contrast. The rocks only add to the demension I think. And his body language tells me that he's hanging in there waiting for the big-one......or maybe even willing to accept a little one! "Something!! Please!!" 8-))

BLACK SUNDAY!

Yesterday was not one of my best. I started off trying to figure out layering (again) on Elements. Even after talking via phone to my instructor, I seem to be missing one vital step. Frustration led to more frustration. This went on all morning. And after lunch I thought I need to go for a walk for burn off some of the 'angst'....and I felt like I might be getting yet another cold. Well, the walk did help and the possible 'yet another cold' disappeared. I thought I'd try again Elements but as I went along in my messy files, I moved some things around....deleted some. And found that now I couldn't find some pretty good shots I'd taken a couple of days ago. They still needed to be edited, but I know I moved them. I looked ALL through my picture files.....nothing! I now have a recovery system on my computer....make that 2. I tried that. A little luck but not too much. I did find 4 of those photos, but many more remail gone. I restored my Recycle Bin for up to a couple of months....hoping that some photos that I'd lost some time ago might also pop up. Nope! So, now I have my computer just loaded down with all kinds of stuff I'd gotten rid of and have to go through and sort through.....and for only 4 recovered photos! And they weren't even the good ones. I have to get away from this, I thought. I'm feeling stressed and my new diet is badly in danger of being breached Big Time! I am still planning on having a low-calorie soup/stew tonight, but I'm going to have 2 (Yes, 2!) baking soda biscuits!! I went out to get some sour milk I'd been saving for cooking....and I drop the GALLON container on the hall tile. The lid didn't just come off......a big hole was punctured in the side. I see sour milk on the walls, in the heater vent, on the cabinets, on the bedroom carpet and up and down the hallway from one end to the other. I mean it splattered!!

In trying to mop it up, the mop head is in need of replacing so is dripping sour milk all the way into the kitchen........I start laughing......almost hysterical at this point. Better than crying over spilt milk, huh? I think I need to go the bed and protect the rest of the world from my Sunday-Jinked Self!

So.....what you have here are the only 2 photos out of the 4 recovered. I posted them and that's about all I can say. Except that I know tomorrow will be better!

CHIC BY RIO

YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ THE POSTING BELOW FIRST...............


OK......now notice the stance. This is one of her favored feet positions I've noticed. She looks so relaxed and I think feels very comfortable in her own skin.

Here you get the whole outfit. A fashion designer in the making. Very artistic with various pinks and patterns broken by the sea of blue in her skirt.

Nice job, Rio!!

BACK WITH THE KIDS

Today was the first day I was able to get back to the Kids Art Program at the Library. I'm just amazed at how fast these little kids are growing and changing. They're all just great and seem to be completely at ease with each other and their enjoyment of learning and having fun. Today it was making mobiles. Most have done this once before last year, but there was some new items brought in for them to work with.

The first photo up there is of Quinn. Now, all of the time he was there he was very busy and dedicated to building his mobile/s.......but the camera sees all, you know.......and here we catch him trying to lasso a dead spider. Such a typical boy!! I had a hard time not laughing. 8-)) !!

This second shot is of Rio who agrees with me wholeheartedly that she is just growing up so quickly. And she'll be having a new brother or sister sometime this year. I bet she'll be a great big-sister, too. Rio is her own person......and I'm going to show you by including a photo that's one of my favorites of the day.......Rio dressed herself and she is a unique and creative little girl.....as you can see. I think she looked so darn cute!! So.....I'm glad to be back shooting the kids that attend. (That always just sounds SO wrong, huh?) As I take care of any editing or whatever, I'm once again sitting the afternoon wearing a big happy grin as I look at these little special beings. Another......8-)))

AN ARM OF GARRISON LAKE

There is a place off Calfornia St., I think, that looks like it might be a future home development. I'm not sure. It's a short distance from Tseridum (really not sure of the spelling) park. I always thought it was pretty desolute looking, but discovered that it really had a beauty of it's own. I've enjoyed bare trees and branches this winter....like I'm seeing and appreciating them for the first time. The wonderful shapes might help to frame a subject, like here, of this rock off land a little ways. I'm sure that rock must have a name. Don't know that either!!

On the opposite side of the parking area I could look over at this boat house or dockhouse that is being built. Course the red color against that intense green just sparks. Again, I like the foreground with the interesting branches that help to frame the little house. And isn't that reflection pretty? It was a gray day but it had a nice appeal to me. Very quiet. Seemed like it might be a good place to just go meditate and wait for........what? The next perfect photo possibility maybe. Someone must have had the same idea, I think. There was a small little mound of rocks that we found. Inside were little candles where someone must have maybe sat in the fading light and just pondered. One of those things I say I'd like to do and probably never will actually get around to it. Do many of you do that?

THIS 'N THAT~~~~HERE 'N THERE

This last week or so has just been sort of goofy that have gotten in my way of shooting, posting and blogging. Now my computer sometimes disconnects from the Internet....I unplug it for a while and am able to get it back on, then it happens again. I wonder how much computer's are influenced by heart-felt prayer.......I'm doing whatever I can to avoid calling India.

Well, these two shots were taken in Bandon early yesterday morning. The sun was out for a while and there was no wind......beautiful reflections, huh? On the drive home there were patches of fog here and there, but I love the misty look and managed to get some nice captures of some of my other 'haunts' that I'll hopefully be posting within the next couple of days. Today is pretty foggy up here at Cedar Terrace and so ends the hope that were about to have that "false spring" that comes most February's. My grass out in back is in dire need of a haircut but it's still too wet out to haul out the weed-whacker. Gosh!!! Isn't THAT a shame!!

FOLK ART AROUND THE HOUSE

I'm sure behind in photo shooting! The days just seem to fill up faster than I can keep up, it seems. Yesterday my eyes were dialated from an exam and I couldn't seem to see much except REALLY bright lights. Today.....I had my first photography lesson. Actually, today it was centered more on editing. Learned a lot.....need to practice and apply it a lot more cause I don't really have it down 'pat' yet.
Anyway, this is just a piece of folk art I have in the house that I've always liked very much. I like most folk art anyway, but these colors really appeal to me a lot. The blues and golds seem to contrast enough to make the other stand out nicely.
I'll be in and out tomorrow and will hopefully grab a couple of shots to share tomorrow as well.
Hope you're all having great days! Looks like the rain has given us a little bit of a break so enjoy........

LAZY SUNDAY

Yesterday we had a couple of loads of firewood delivered to be dried and used next winter. In keeping with that, and being fairly uninspired about what to shoot today, the new axe was there waiting to be used. But not today, obviously. It rained this morning so against the gray, the bright yellow appealed to me. And Norm was also delivered a new chopping block....he's worn the old so much it was splitting and wobbley. Now someone just needs to find the willingness to put it to use.

This second photo is of Willie, of course. She had just spotted her arch enemy, Max, from next door. She's protected by a fence, but apparently she doesn't put much trust in those things. So, first she spies him......see the look in her eye? Danger!! She watches....waits....Max makes a whimpering noise, and away flies Willie. If you have and have had a cat, don't you notice that many times they're just drama-queens? Or kings, as the case may be. They live in some parellel universe where even a chip of wood becomes some fierce threat to be vanquished. Or some unknown and definitely unseen enemy is chasing her down the hallway like she's in danger of being devoured. Other times, she remains oblivious to a real threat when she insists on rubbing her face against Norm's bare feet.....he shoves her away and growls at her. Willie just thinks there's no human who could possibly resist her wonderfullness and so she continues to 'treat' Norm to her ticklie, short little hairs and whiskers against his super-sensitive toes. She's bound and determined to win him over. And if not, she can just go running down the hall again, perfectly happy.

LITTLE MUDDY WADI

I don't know as if today's post will mean all that much to anyone except Norm. We have a private little joke that we comment on every time we drive by a particular place up on Seven Devil's Road. There is a particular mud puddle that Norm dubbed "Little Muddy Wadi". Don't ask me why we thought it was funny, but we did......one of those silly moods probably. Anyway, he's mentioned a number of times that I should take a shot of it. I thought....."Hey! I'm looking for things of beauty....inspiration,,,,,at least something interesting and unique!"
The other day I relented, thinking that it's going to show exactly what it is.....a mud puddle. Maybe a serious mud-puddle, but still a mud puddle. It was raining lightly but that seems to be the standard lately for any photo snapping.....so out I go. The angle from the street didn't show off it's so-called-hidden beauty, so I stepped over and towards the end to get a better view. Course, I sunk into mud......mud that looked particularly nasty, really. I said to myself..."Don't even look...don't think about it....just get this bloody picture taken and get back into the car." I did just that....done and back in the car, headed for home. So, that night when I was editing, I fooled around with this and I thought it definitely could have looked worse (well, it did, actually!) Can you believe that I posted it on Flickr, more of a joke to share with Norm, and it got more favorable comments than the nicer ones, I thought, of Bradley Lake! Even invited to post on a few groups. There was one of my Flickr friends who is a seasoned and professional photographer whose comment was..."Somehow you've taken this mess and made it look good". That really got me laughing since she seemed to be the only one who recognized it for what it was......a mud puddle! So......thought I'd share with you. I'm not trying to pass it off as a beautiful lake or stream or exotic waterway......it's a mud puddle.....although it does have some reflections to it. The only thing missing, and I'm sorry now I didn't think ahead to do this.....is to float an old yellow rubber duck in the little muddy wadi. Next time.

BRADLEY LAKE BOAT RAMP

Here are a couple of shots I took yesterday, dodging raindrops, of a boat ramp on Bradley Lake. It was a beautiful location and definitely calls for a return and a more in-depth exploration. I hope there are a couple of entrances without invading someone's property. There are a number of homes built around the lake and I understand some are very attractive~~meaning expensive. The road we took was from Hwy 101......a little dirt road that has been kept in good condition. I look forward to a return visit.

WET WEDNESDAY

I took these photos yesterday....Wednesday and it was wet enough out that I stayed in, looking around for something different to shoot. I had seen this idea done by a well known Canadian photographer that I follow....Darwin Wiggett. Gotta' love that name....Anyway, I remembered a light box that Norm had made me many years ago. I was so glad I hadn't thrown it away. I was even able to find it in a short period of time. So, I sliced a tomato and then an orange, placing them on top of the light, stood on a ladder and shot. Sort of interesting I think. Next time I do something with the light box, though, I think I'll put it on the floor and use a tripod. The clarity could have been better, but still these are passable.

I've always liked the rain that we live with here in Oregon, but I am getting a 'tad' bit tired of it, aren't you? Oh well, it's what makes Oregon green and we all love that.

OUT WITH THE OLD

Yesterday I went out to pick some sage and saw changes happening in the garden. "Out with the old, in with the new" seemed appropriate for the photos I'm posting today.
The first was a type of viburnum, I think, from last summer. The dried flowers are fairly well protected by the deck above so they haven't been beaten down by the winter's winds and rain. I thought it had a very artistic flow to it. The black background only enhances it, I think.
The bare wood from the deck emphasize the old.
Directly above the old flower is the new clematis breaking out into it's spring blooms along the railing of the deck. I particularly like the little patches of blue sky through the trees that seem to mimic the busy little white flowers. It was warm enough yesterday that I was able to smell it's wonderful fragrance. Course, while I was down there looking around, I couldn't help but notice all the weeds that were vigorously erupting
from the ground. That's going to take a ton of work! Someone tell me again why I ever planted such a large garden!!

MAXWELL

OK.....it's time to meet our neighbor, Max.....also know as Maxwell-Smart.
Max lives next door to us and always runs over to greet us and any other friendly faces.....or even unfriendly faces. Max doesn't really notice or care. And everybody loves Max! He's taken for at least a couple of walks a day and I'm sure that most people in Cedar Terrace know him and his big ole' tongue-lapping grin. Max is a perennial puppy and is as enthused about life as we all should be. Being a bird dog, he spots the fun in life as well as squirrels (that tease him), cats (as in my Willie who thought once to challenge him) deer (the bane of his owners garden or any new person left to persuade over as another Max-fan. He's also been known to join right in with any conversation people might be having....so I think public speaking could also be added to his list of attributes. He's quite a neat and unique dog. Much loved by his owners and all who meet him.

I was fooling around with my editing software today.....still coughing, thank you....
These photos were taken last year sometime.....spring, I think. I had seen a Flickr
photographer's work that I was really liked. That photographer has Photoshop and
a couple of other editing software in place, so mine didn't really look at all like his, but
I did get a couple of kind comments from him on my attempts to try something a little
different. He does a lot of 'texture work". Pretty effective. With Picasa it was pretty simple.....click 'sepia'. Done. With my present softward, I have a lot more control over what the results will look like. Double edged sword. But I sort of
like the results for a bit of a change. I think I should try it with some old building.....maybe a
barn. It will have to wait a while till I get over this dumb cold. I've had to cancel a few
dates I had set with friends and I am now ready to move on......enough, already!
Cough drop, anyone??

FEBRUARY SUNSET

These are the only two photos I shot yesterday. A annoying cold and throat has me feeling like I don't really want to go out and make it worse. I was just finishing up something in the dining room last evening and turned around and was happily amazed to see Mother Nature back to playing her old tricks again while my back was turned. Ran to get my camera, changed the filter, and started snapping. The top one is looking more or less south. The second is to the north-west.
Today is Super Bowl Sunday for those of you who care about that sort of thing. I'm still mad that the Minnesota Vikings aren't there instead of the Saints so my heart isn't much into it.
Well, there's always next year. But Norm is happy sitting in front of the TV now, eating his rarely given but always welcome snack, "Addiction". He wants to bar-b-que some hamburgers for dinner.....I guess that qualifies as a tail-gate party, maybe, huh?
And, Hey!! Wasn't it wonderful to see the sun out again today?? Such a nice day! My evergreen clematis is just popping more and more blooms! I received and planted a new rose plant today (bareroot) that I have high-hopes will be a gorgeous color and hardy bloomer.
I hope the weather stays nice for a while. I think we all could use a good dose of a beaming, happy-faced sun.

THE BIG ONE

I can't resist taking yet another shot of a wave making a big splash against the rocks down on the dock. This one went soaring and sending lots of sea foam flying all over. There's just a sense of excitement, for me anyway, at watching the powerful Pacific show off. Never-ending, always unique show.

ALWAYS SOMETHING DOWN ON THE DOCK

I never get tired of visiting the dock area. Either from above at one of the bluffs or down next to the rocks and waves. I took these yesterday when the skies were beginning to look threatening and the wind was gaining in strength. The first shot, with the gorse in full bloom, makes a nice contrast against the ominous sky and background of Humbug Mt. I'm glad to see it didn't turn out blurred because the wind was making it impossible for me to stand still.

The second shot is, of course, the 'gate' taken from down on the dock. There was another man down there with a camera and a tripod. I didn't want to stare but was curious about how he was going to keep that tripod from blowing over. Hopefully, he would keep an extra hand on it. In this photo, that little strip of blue sky was the last we saw of it for awhile. Today, the sun is weak but it's actually making an appearance. I'd almost forgotten what that funny yellow stuff in the air was.

GRIFF'S

For those of us who live in Port Orford, there are few, if any, who have not eaten at Griff's down on the dock. For visitor's to our little 'burg', it offers a real dockside atmosphere and menu. A gift shop inside has a wide assortment of various coastal paraphernalia for sale, as well as a well-stocked fresh fish market. Open for lunch and dinner, it's casual dress and atmosphere. There is a large window surrounding the dining room where diners can watch some of the winter storms come in, splashing water up high when it hits some of the rocks beneath the dock. Many days, like today, you'll see large and small 'fluffs' of sea-foam flying through the air in strong winds. And the wind can blow!! There have been a few times when I had a hard time pushing the car door open to get out!! But that wind keeps our air clean and the fog out. A good trade off, I think.

HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE SUN

Today was a nice day.....because of the company we were with.....NOT because the sun was again playing 'hard to get'. We had lunch with some friends up at the new Phoenix Grill I mentioned a couple of days ago. I tried something new and it was very good. Now I'll try my hand at trying to fix it at home. The photos here are from the other day. One last shot of the China Creek Marsh. The second one is one of my favorite places. Don't ask why cause I have no idea. When we drive back from Coos Bay, we generally take the back way via River Road into Bandon. One of the first places of water I really get a good view of is of these old pilings. The water is shallow and frequently filled with gulls and crows. Maybe it's the straight line up of pilings....sometimes in reflection, that attract me. Just a little further down are more pilings that one can really get an interesting perspective of if you look straight into them and see how they seem to widen as the move further out into the water. I got a new polarizing filter the other day that is supposed to help saturate the colors more and if you want to see beneath the glare of any water, maybe to see some rocks, it will help with that also. And maybe it's my wishful imagination, but in the lower photo I think I can see some small rocks in the foreground. Can you?

SEVEN DEVILS STATE PARK

Found a new 'haunt' today. Seven Devil's State Park. We always wanted to see what was down the road from our usual route home via "the back way" from Charleston and Coos Bay. We didn't have anything that couldn't survive without the freezer, so off we drove to see what we could see. As you can tell from the photos, it led us to the ocean......a fairly deserted beach; flat and large waves flowing onto the beach. It looks like it will be a nice place to explore when the weather turns nice again (EVER?)

Even with the gray day, I like the way the colors show up.....I like the contrast. I love wondering what I might find tomorrow to shoot.....some days, nothing inspires me. But today's little side-jaunt has me anxious to explore even more.