CHARLESTON REVISITED

I didn't get any photos taken today. My morning was spent taking Willie, my cat, to her first vet visit. First, as in having been with us........can't say about her past since she was a stray. The ride up she let us know she was definitely unhappy, but really wasn't as bad as I'd expected. She has Siamese in her and she vocalizes a LOT.....and can be very LOUD at times. And once at the vet, well, it was all over before it could register with her that she should be acting badly.....given her usual character. Once home it took her most of the day to feel back to her normal, lazy and independent self. She still acting 'whinny'.

And we were off visiting friends in the afternoon and I hadn't brought my camera......All my excuses........... So, here we are raiding my files for some photos you haven't seen before. These were taken on the day of the endless sea gull shots.....or as Nancy so nicely calls them, Jonathan Livingstone Seagulls. The top photo is of the western marina with the cute little cottages in the background. The lower shot is of the waterway leading into the main marina from Coos Bay itself. Well, that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

THE NEW TRIPOD

For these shots I was trying out my new tripod......one that finally holds my camera steady and secure. I really like it a lot and am anxious to try out all kinds of new things.
This first photo was taken from out deck looking out towards Battlerock and beyond. Those big ole' thunder-bumpers were working their way inland, but seeing the patch of blue sky was such a treat. We had a lot of short down-pours and maybe more tomorrow. I can tell how much those trees have grown too. Pretty soon they'll be blocking our view, but that'll just have to happen, I guess. That's a pretty steep drop down to the canyon, and many of the distant trees are not on our property.

This second shot was of a lily that had broken off the main stem. I found it after it had lain on the counter for a number of hours. It was still closed and I thought I probably should just throw it away, but instead put it in a small vase of water. After placing the vase in my kitchen window, I was so surprised to see it fully open about 2 to 3 hours later! Amazing!! Aside from that, I'm pretty pleased with the tripod. Look how clear and crisp the inner workings on the lily are. (Can you tell that I'm lacking in botanical vocabulary?)

SPRING BOUQUET

I received a beautiful spring bouquet recently and thought I'd share some of it with you. This first one is such a vibrant and alive yellow!! And one of the many benefits of photography, I'm finding, is the many little close-up details I really see now.....like the inner workings of this lily. Or other times, the fine detail and intricacy of a birds feather.....just amazing.

This second photo is a sweet little pink pom-pom something daisy. What I really like about this particular shot is that rich blue off to the left! I can almost feel it!! I just realized that this is Easter week as well as the on-coming march of all the beautiful spring blooms. I would think that in another week or two....or three, we'll be seeing all the aromatic wild azaleas up in the Langlois area of Hwy. 101. Well.....maybe the rhoddys come first. Which ever comes first they all bring a joy and welcome to the senses.

LAST GULL, I PROMISE!!

OK....just one more, and the last gull photo for a while! I don't ordinarily do bird photos unless they stand or fly perfectly still for me (don't try to figure that one out). And there are so many other photographers that do that so well. But this one I thought looked fairly sharp.....maybe 'crisp' is the better word. That slice of white outlining it's wing and showing how thin it is, is something I like the look of.

This other shot is one I took recently of Griff's down at the dock. For those of you who don't know, in another week you can purchase some of my greeting cards at Griff's. So, if you're down there, check them out. Also, the Compass Rose, as well as Milton's will carry some. I've really enjoyed putting them together......from the photographys through the editing and then putting the cards together.......the whole process I find very rewarding. Thank you, B.

GULLS OF COOS BAY

A little blurry.....but oh well. This feathered guy thought I might have some food for him so he was flying particularly low and almost overhead. I was careful.....and stepped back after noticing that the wind was blowing my way.

The second photo here is the same one from yesterday but I had fooled around a little bit with the colored pencil filter on my editing software. I think it looks kind of cool.

And didn't the weather turn out to be nice today? Not too hot but I feel the wind picking up. Tomorrow there are wind warnings again. I might do a little gardening.....definitely a walk.....and I have a good book I want to spend the afternoon reading. I'm looking forward to Sunday.....and hope all of you have a good one, too.

LUNCH AT THE MARINA

This boat was heading down Coos Bay to make it's way out to sea. Good luck with your fishin'!!

We did our weekly run to Coos Bay today. Since we're trying to watch what we eat we decided to get a couple of sandwiches at the market and eat out at the Coos Bay Marina. The sandwiches were sort of awful.....but filled our stomaches. I had a few minutes between rain showers to snap a couple. This sea gull turned out fairly well and I liked it even if it could be a little sharper. I like the composition and his pose.

It's a good subject too, to fool around with in Adobe Elements. I did one already....sort of a colored pencil, although it looks like no pencil drawing I've ever seen....still it's going to be fun to play around. Expect to see some of my creations from time to time.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

RE-ENTER, THE PANSY

The other day for some reason the photo of the pansy that Elaine gave me didn't show up on the emailed subscription blog. So, here I am re-introducing the pretty little red pansy that was my yearly gift.

I particularly love this first one because of the richness of that red....almost a burgundy color, huh? And the contrasting blue just helps it to stand out.

Today the rain returned. I was up in Bandon, and of course my camera was with me.....batteries charged and ready to snap. It poured buckets........some hail thrown in to show us that spring hasn't really quite arrived just yet. Although I did see new blossoms opening on my Asian pear and our Empress tree. I hope we get some pears this year. Sometimes our Bartlett, which always blooms first, is finished when the Asian begins........or a big wind comes up and blows the blossoms clean off! And I read that the bees are having another hard year.....at least in California. Anyone seen any of our little furry buddies around yet this year? Hope it's not yet another sign of weird weather patterns. I'm getting tired of them and want things back the way they were before........uncomplicated!! Predictable!! Does this sound like I'm going to launch into an insurance commercial? You never know......8-)

SKIPPIN' AROUND TOWN

I came across these two little scenes as we were driving around town one afternoon. The little house is so inviting, isn't it? The young trees in spring bloom and the classic little bicycle leaning against the white picket fence. It reminds me of something I might see back in New England.

Then, near by, was this sort of welcome sign, although I don't remember it saying anything...

There are times when all the fishing paraphernalia on fences or houses can get carried away and end up looking "a bit much'. This is tasteful, I think, with just enough to let you know that this is a fishing community and who ever lives here is happy about that. Reminds me a bit of the old Angela Lansbury series, "Murder She Wrote". I loved that show......I think mostly for the quaint little fishing village that it was supposed to be. And here we are.........

THE MONDAY BLUES---AS IN OCEAN

We made a quick turn around down at the dock yesterday. The sun had come out and it felt and looked just wonderful. I have to say, I really like the way this first shot came out. It shows a lot about the area we live in. The distant hills and fish rock really show the scale for that wee, little kayaker out there in the vastness of sea, all by his lonesome! And isn't the color of the ocean beautiful??

The second photo is of the cove right off the dock. Is that Nellie's Cove or is Nellie's around the next corner? Whatever.....the color of the cove's water was tropical looking in that wonderful blue/green. Who says that Rick is the only one who can enjoy that color water right now? The water in this photo of mine doesn't show the deep color like it did in person.....the light was hitting it and I didn't have my lens hood with me. Actually, what I really noticed when I took this was the fabulous formation of that big pyramid-like rock. Oh....I do think this is Nellie's Cove. I was up there recently taking distant photos of Canada geese lined up along that very rock but from the other side. (I think. Emily??) I posted this photo on Flickr and one of the comments was that our area looks like paradise. I may be prejudiced, but I agree.

HAPPY FACES ON THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING

I don't think I'm alone when I think of happy faces when looking at pansy's. Maybe it's the fact that they're one of the first of spring's flowers we see after a long winter, but they just look cheerful somehow.
My friend, Elaine, always treats me every spring with some pansy's.....and usually in a pretty little container of some kind. A couple of years it was baskets, and this year it's a hand made pottery vase from one of our local pottery artists. Elaine gifted me with the beautiful reddish pansy.
The blue ones were brought home to me by my husband, Norm. I see where I forgot to take away the white blemishes on this top photo. Ooops.

The two below I particularly like because they show the light and shadows from behind. It shows the fragility of the petals and I think makes the photograph more interesting when I'm not looking at it head-on. So, to my two friends, Elaine and my best friend, Norm......I say thank you for marking the first day of spring and for making me feel special.

KIDS SATURDAY

These are a few of the finished pieces of work from some of the children of Saturday's Art Class. All three are so telling of the children's talents and experiences.....The first one here was painted by Harry. Harry, I believe, had just come from the beach, so it makes sense that the sun, boats in the water, and the dark cloud (blue) on the left side would be on his mind. I think he did a very good job.

The second, lower left, was done by Quinn. He has so much artistic talent! The main red object here is a dragon's eye! Pretty imaginative, huh? Look closely at what lies under the green and you'll see the dragon's scales. He finished other pieces that day also, and he is quite an artist!

And now, we come to Gabe's painting.....Hope for the future is what I thought when I saw it. I see a lot of symbols here in colors and various objects. She has a beautiful heart.

I think there might be a future planning going on to make many of the children's paintings out there for the public later on down the year. Just thought I'd get your interest tickled a little.

BACK TO EMILY'S GARDEN

Here are the last two photos I have from Emily's garden.....the first one is a beautiful reddish camilla. Nice, huh? There weren't too many at the time but I don't remember whether the flowers were coming or going.

They have bamboo running along all or most all of a back fence. A wind break, maybe, but I just love the look. I like grasses a lot anyway, big or small and don't think we give enough notice to them.......I just finished weed whacking the "back 40".....or it feels like it was that much. My arms are aching and I really wasn't enjoying the grass myself a little while ago. Course now, it looks so neat........makes the entire yard look differently. I'm ready to get out there and do more spring clean-up in the back. Uh-oh.....rain tomorrow. Guess it'll have to wait for another day. What a shame! (show smile....now)

POT OF GOLD??

If the 'pot of gold' might be described as 'great treasure' then those of us who live on the south coast know that we have many pots of gold......just about where ever we look, as a matter of fact. Yes, sometimes we have to stretch our imagination a wee bit, but it is there if we really set our sights to SEE. This was taken a couple of weeks ago but I thought I'd better post it before summer comes and it really looks out of sync!
This afternoon at our place the temperature reached up to 70 degrees! Out in the back doing some gardening and it felt more like 90! The ground was still damp, though, which made most weeding fairly easy. But those blackberry vines!!! They've had a very healthy winter!!..Tomorrow afternoon I'll get out there and do the weed whacking! Everything always looks so cleaned up after I do that chore. Then instead of complaining, I feel pretty smug. 8-))

BANDON LIGHTHOUSE BACKSIDE STYLE

We were coming home from our weekly up in Coos Bay this afternoon and I was trying to think of an easy to get to place that I haven't photographed yet......Ah Ha!! Said she!! Bullard's Beach! Driving in, I remembered what a neatly kept, nice State Park it was. It looked liked they had yurts for rental visits, too. We drove on out to the lighthouse and I took a couple of shots of the backside of it. It was pretty windy.....looks like our north wind is getting in practice for the summer. So.....I didn't really feel like crawling around to the west side. I will next time. This other photo might not appeal to too many others, but I like rocks and I like grasses. They both have interesting textures, especially in contrasts to one another.

Today it was so wonderful to see and feel the sun! I think it might last for another couple of days so my garden will be getting so well needed attention. Lots of sore muscles coming up!!

MORE MARCH MADNESS

I like how these two photos shine off each other.....complimentary colors.

The first one is a type of euphorbia. It's pretty hardy and like most plants that have gray leaves, is fairly drought resistant. The second photo is I believe the Siberian Wallflower. One of my Flickr Friends just asked me about it and the more I thought about it the more unsure I became. I looked it up on the Internet and saw photos of orange and yellowed flowered.....one was purplish though. If anyone knows better, please let me know. I don't want to be spreading any untrue rumors around! LOL.

OUT WITH THE OLD

Part of spring cleaning has to be applied to the garden. This is last year's lamb's ear stalks. Lamb's ear, AKA Stachys Byzantina is one of my favorites. It's drought resistant, unusual texture and I find it attractive to fill in some of the bare spots in the garden.

There are many times when I crop my photos and get these incredibly interesting closeups that contain more detail than I'd ever been aware of. Makes you marvel at times.
That brings to mind a photo I just saw from one of my Flickr Friends......an extreme closeup of a fly in a flower. The detail on the fly was amazing.....all those little hairs and all. Course, all I could think of was a squeeky little voice crying "help.....help me, help me!"
Thankfully, the fly had one of the standard fly's head and not one from some B-actor from Hollywood. Anyone who has seen the movie will know exactly what I'm talking about.
Yuck!

MARCH OF THE BLOOMS

Isn't it amazing to see so many blooms in the middle of March? This first bloom is from Emily's clivia plant. She said that it was hard-hit by the frost in December but seems to have survived well except for a few 'bumps and bruises' to it's leaves. My own is in far worse condition and a big bloom is coming too, I'm happy to say! And surprised. Maybe it was the fear of dying that has them getting their act together and showing how they can really behave.

This photo is of one of my azalea plants that's not exactly covered in blossoms, but this one will do nicely for a camera pose. I love the frilly, pink feminine look to it........but it is a tough survivor in spite of the fragile look. It's had to put up with all kinds of neglect but it hangs in there faithfully giving off blossoms here and there. I'll probably be showing more flowers and garden photos the next few days. Tis the season for getting out in the sun and feeling good!!

THE LABYRINTH

Another one of the fabulous places we discovered on our hike on the Dunes trails. This was one of my favorite. Speaking for myself only, I felt like the woods surrounding the labyrinth to have a feeling of 'hushed'.....a reverent feel......a wonderful place to pray or mediate or just 'veg' out on the surrounding nature of the woods.

The below photo was taken of the path leading in (or out depending whether you're coming or going..8-))
was marked with some standing stones....giving a feel of antiquity, or certainly, of history. The woods have been tastefully 'tamed' with a light touch. A very special place.........if able you might like to take it in yourself.

NANCI'S TUPLIP TREE

I saw this first blossom on my neighbor's young tulip tree the other day just before it started seriously raining. (no asking what non-serious rain looks like). She is such a great neighbor in many ways but the location of this tree shows her consideration for others. She planted it close to our property line where we could enjoy it equally every spring. I might be mistaken, but I do think this is the first year it has bloomed. And the stark white against the otherwise green growth all around, stands out pretty vividly. I'm wondering if all the lititle buds we see here on the other branches are going to be leaves or more blossoms. I'll be satisfied either way as this one has been an unexpected treat. We all throught we were ready to jump into beautiful spring weather.......and then Ma Nature did a switch on us here in southern Oregon and bounced us back into winter-like weather. So....this tulip blossom will remind us that winter can't hold us too much longer and we can soon get outside and do all that garden catch-up. 8-))

SUNDAY CONTINUED

Part of a little marsh we came across on our Sunday prowl through the Dunes. Last year's cattails look a little worse for wear, but are probably used by birds for nesting material. Maybe more. I like the little reflection of blue sky which was getting harder and harder to find that afternoon.

This second shot was early on in our little hike. A combination of sand dunes and woods. I guess I liked the line of the hills, cause actually it's looking a little lack-luster to me right now. I'm wondering "Now, WHAT did I think was attractive about this?"

Well, win some lose some.

LIGHT IN THE WOODS

This lovely little scene I found in the woods trail up at the Bandon Dunes. The way the light hit up and down the moss covered downed tree and along with the branch remanents on the standing tree was just too beautiful for me to pass up.

Oh.....I wanted to remember to tell you all about a comment I received on my posting of yesterday. That was on the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, and the comment came from the Victorian Inn B & B in Luray, Virginia. I looked up their website and it looks like it would be a wonderful place to spend a night or two. Beautiful furnishings in a French country style and they emphasis how you will be pampered. Hey! I love the sound of that!! So if any of you are going to be out Virginia way any time soon, you might take a look. The website is www.woodruffinns.com.

AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE

There was a surprise package left on my camera the other day.........A lovely trillium in bloom. I didn't take this photo......I KNOW I didn't. But I do remember seeing one very similar in Emily's garden..............Hmmmmmmm??

NEVER ON A SUNDAY........travel without a camera

So, Sunday I went with a couple of friends up to the Bandon Dunes Golf course for brunch. It was very good.....more than I could eat, really. After our meal we found out that they had hiking trails around the woods and lakes...It was a great walk after a bit too much to eat. The trails are beautifully maintained and easy to walk. There were so many wonderful scenes to shoot that we were all busy looking for the right angle, the right image or clicking n' snapping. This first scene was actually the last photo I took there that day. The one below was taken from top a hill overlooking the sea to one side and the mountains to the other. I'll be sharing more of the snaps I took on Sunday in future days. For any 'Coasties', I highly recommend taking a day trip to explore some of these naturally but maintained (maybe 'tamed' is a better word) areas of the Dunes. We all plan on definitely returning.

THIEBAUD ART

This last Saturday was the Kid's Art Program down at the library again. The study this class was on Thiebaud and the art of painting beautiful desserts. (Always close to MY heart!)

And I think the kids painted these so well because they love the subject material too! This first photo was one boy's cupcake. I think it is wonderful! Nice and big, all the layers properly lined up, and the colors are great. Can you see his own personal touch? He put a cherry on top, which the subject on the table was lacking. I think most all the kids first question upon arriving was not about what to paint, how to paint, or when to paint.....it was whether they got to eat what they painted. Smart kids!!

This second was one of the plates of paint they used which was so colorful with primary colors.

It was a well-attended class and the students all did a very good job, I thought. I do think they loved their work!!

MORE VIEWS FROM COAST GUARD HILL

These two photos downloaded in a new way and I can't say that I care much for it. Since I don't know how to correct it we'll just all have to live with it on this Monday morning. The photo overlooking Nellie's Cove is pretty interesting when you know what to look at. I didn't until it was pointed out to me that there are five Canada geese lining the crest of the rock island. See if you can find them. I think you can click on the photo and see an enlarged version if that might help.

This mask is one hanging in Emily's garden on a fence. I just think he's the cutest little guy! Once I noticed that I could make his eyes look like they were doing strange and wierd things by using the light and leaves in the background, I forgot to stop taking more and more shots. This one has one eye half closed and the other looking at his own nose. Or he could just be missing part of his left eyelid. Your choice .......... or you can fill in your own.

A SUNNY SATURDAY

These were taken the other day over at Emily's. I have a number of good photos of various flowers that I'll be running in future posts, but today I wanted to show Pasha the kitty......half of their family's darlin's. Nicki is the other half but she was out exploring in another part of the garden. I caught him here just as he was rubbing up against the side of the house. Doesn't he really look like that feels sooooo good?? Right after this he meandered over my way to smell my kitty on my leg and accepted a few pets and scratches.

This white camelia was so pretty. I think the flowers are treated with the same loving care as the kitty's because everything looked happy and well care-for. Thriving, really. It's a beautiful garden, with many little 'garden rooms' as you follow the various paths. It's very serene and calming. Being right on the ocean like it is, you'd think it would be fairly beat-up by the winds and salt air but natural wind barriers have been either erected or planted with much forethought. Come to think of it, this would make a good article for Sunset Magazine or one of the others. I'm looking forward to seeing the garden change as the seasons deepen and change.

CONTINUING THE HEADS OUTING

I really like this view of the Coast Guard station. I'm sure it's not a first but I haven't seen this particular view before. The trees seems to frame it. Course, now that I really look at it I can see it's only half the building! 8-)) Maybe that's why I haven't seen this view before. Ha!

This second shot was taken, obviously, from the path overlooking Nellie's Cove. There were a number of Canada geese nesting down around there. A number of seals or sea lions basking in that wonderful morning sun that we had. Hard to believe that we're going to have another blast of winter according to the Yahoo weather. Cold as in like last December. I just knew those pear blossoms shouldn't have popped out so soon. Let's hope it ends up not being as cold as predicted.