JANUARY BLOOMS

You have to really feel for the people who live back east or in the mid-west. All the snow, ice and frigid temperatures they're having to endure. I enjoy a little bit of the white stuff occasionally. I've only been around snow storms that have made life a little difficult a couple of times......and I undoubtedly really don't have a clue as to how bad it can get. We've been having such warm winter weather here in south Oregon, that I've had the chance to take a few photos of blooms around the house. The first one on top is a little pansy that wintered over and is trying to regain it's hold for this year. Every spring, my friend Elaine, has brought me over on Mother's Day, a basket of cheerful and colorful pansies. And seeing as Elaine is a talented artist, the colors in the basket always mind me of her talent.

This second shot is of one of our rock roses out in front. It's a very hardy plant.....surviving is just about the worst soil on our property. It never even gets watered that much which you'd never guess from the fragil look of it's blossoms. I really like the focus and composition in this photo. I might just have a print made in a larger size. So....what are you doing with this false spring we're having? Norm has his various vegetable seeds spread out in planning for the years garden. I noticed that the acacia trees are starting to bloom which explains my sinus attack of the last couple of days. Achoo!!

If anyone in our area has put any sensitive plants out you might want to cover them with something tomorrow night. I saw where there is a freeze alert. It's always a balancing act between winter warm weather in forcing some blooms on fruit crops and hoping the freezes doesn't wipe out this year's crop. I'm hoping for a better crop on our pear trees since Norm pruned and sprayed them today. Reminds me of how I need to do the same for my roses.
So.........lots of outdoor activities planned. Take advantage of these days because winter is still not finished with us, I'm sure.
Have a great week!!

PLAYING WITH TOPAZ

I had fun this evening playing around with three photos of trees that seemed fairly uninspiring to me. The plug-in, Topaz, has many different options to play around with and the results are so varied and different. It's easy to get carried away. Hopefully, I didn't. This first one was another left over from my North Bend/Empire Lake trip. I love grasses anytime of year, but this just didn't 'cut it'. I also love the snags........which I call 'ghost trees'.........they're white and dead so that description makes sense to me! 8-))

This next photo is a group of dead firs, I think. They stood out with their white/gray wood against the blue sky. I wanted to experiment, though, and this is what I ended up with.

This third one below is of a couple of tall firs and I used the HDR option on it. I thought it was sort of a cool effect.

Well, didn't I say last night that after I washed my car it might rain. A friend who read my blog commented that she also washed her car and she "never washes her car". I don't either.....in fact I think it's been years since I've done that. Well, bad us, I guess. We're the ones who must be responsible for the end of our spring like weather. I think I need to put back on the flannel sheets, too! Time to cuddle up.........just in time for our 38th Anniversary tomorrow!! Yes!! I'm bowing right now to what must surely be applause, right?? Thank you very much!

Everyone have a great weekend!!!

DOGS at DOCKSIDE

No dock worth it's salt would not have it's share of dogs hanging around. A couple of these pets I've seen down there many times........They belong to Vickie, I think. This first one was following one of the fishmen around.......waiting faithfully outside an office until his guy came back for him.

And this second little cutie is just so precious that I think he's tied up so people won't just pick him up and carry him home! The kind of little guy that just wiggles with joy whenever he makes eye contact with yet another adoring fan. I assume this is a little male because of the colors in his stylish costume. So cute!! Now this third pooch, I just watched as he scratched away with vigor. You see that green tennis ball just beyond his mouth?? That means that he loves for you to throw and him to fetch. I've been trapped into this game too many times to want to play it anymore. I remember years ago visiting a very sweet friend and her loyal companion. "Loyal Companion" would not stop bringing me his soggy, smelly ball. I reeked of dog salvia! Ugh.........so now I see a dog, a ball and I don't stir up any interaction with said dog. But as one of the dockside dogs, this guy deserved his place on my blog, too.

Isn't this weather just great lately?? We let the fire burn down instead of adding any more wood to it this morning.........last night I thought I'd die of the heat. I had flannel sheets on the bed which made a fast switch with some percale this morning. It was so warm I even washed my car today. I figured the rain had taken it's turn and now it was mine. So........nice and shining clean. Oh, wait! Doesn't that mean it's going to rain soon??

EMPIRE LAKE

I've been wanting to take some photos of this lake for years. I usually forget until I'll well past it and it seems too much trouble to turn around and go back. I see it from a busy Virginia Ave across from Staples. The trees and curve of the lake is something that is artistically appealing.....and so natural looking. Maybe because it IS, huh?Norm got a new chainsaw.......the third one in just a month. He bought one that was re-conditioned but obviously a lemon. Back it went. He paid more money and bought one that was brand new, and obviously a lemon since the starter wouldn't start. Today was a "right-on". He went over to friend Doug's since this is an area that Doug knows well. A few hours he came back and declared the new chainsaw a winner. Ahhhh........now he can get to some of the brushing work that had been started and left uncompleted last month.

Everything around our life is fairly quiet these days. We're having our 38th anniversary this weekend.......I think I mentioned that in another blog post but I enjoy repeating myself on this topic! 8-))

OK......over and out for today. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday and start making good plans for the weekend coming up. Start thinking of Super-Bowl Sunday in a few more weeks, too. I feel disappointed that the Jets didn't make it, but by game-time, I'll be behind maybe the Steelers.......or maybe the other guys; who knows.

IT'S CALLED HOME

Here are a couple more photos I took the other day down at the dock. This first one is of a sea lion. At one time, he went under and then a minute later spurted up to the surface right under one fast-moving seagull! Have you ever noticed and wondered why some seagulls only have one leg? Ouch!

I love this particular view of the dock and the cliff standing over it. The clouds were doing such interesting maneuvers that day and I tried to catch that rippled look just about the center.

Hope you all had a good weekend and are rested up to begin your new week. It's been a quiet Sunday for us. I came back from a walk mid-afternoon and not even the woods are making much noise other than one lone frog, ribbiting away all by it's lonesome.

Enjoy your Monday!

CHANCE OF SHOWERS

More bluff than any showers.....maybe a wee bit of mist. But the sky was beautiful and changing every time you looked away for a second.

Met with friends for a nice lunch down at Griff's on the dock. That restaurant sure has the atmosphere! It's sort of funky and being right down there on the dock so you're treated to watching the fishing industry of Port Orford come and go There are tourists, fishermen, various mutts of all sizes and breeds and of course, the weather which can be very thrilling at times, to say the least. Griff's dining room has big windows on two sides so everyone can usually get some kind of a view. And what dock-side menu would be complete without lots of various fish dishes offered. They have a gift shop as well as a little market where one can buy fresh fish.......whatever might be in season at that time. It's a pretty cool place and no stop-by in Port Orford would be complete without a stop here. And if you can stay a little longer, you might call over to the Compass Rose B & B to see if they have a vacancy.......... A stay over at this particular home away from home is really a treat. You just not want to ever leave!

I took a number of photos on the way down to the dock, at the dock, just before and after buying some live crab, and then again on the way past the Fishermen's Memorial. I think I hit them all!

And that crab was fantastic!! Couldn't get any fresher unless we wanted sushi.........which is not gonna' happen in MY kitchen! 8-((

And those appliances did arrive after I left for lunch..........and it was all done and delivered and ready to use by the time I got home. AND my new laptop computer arrived today! A full day.

Norm is now watching a movie which I purposely avoided on the Netflix list and with good reason. Unfortunately, HBO thought otherwise, so I'm enjoying my solitude as he watches "Drag Them Into Hell). Doesn't that sound like a real winning movie?? Hope it doesn't give him nightmares! Ha!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.......and to my grandsons.......Pay attention and DRIVE SAFE~!

LET THE SUN SHINE!

Today was a beautiful day, huh?? Bright sun, crisp air and a perfect winter day! There was even a hint of what spring might have in store for us in another few months. This Rotary Polio Rose hasn't stopped blooming since the day I bought it.......But come spring it won't be just a few blooms here and there.........the entire bush just explodes with flowers!! Pretty spectacular plant.

Even the grasses held great appeal to me today. I love the whimsical, flowing way that most grasses bend........a good example of what we might do at times when life insists on having it's own way, against our good advice!! 8-))

Tomorrow the possibility of more showers returns but I think we're in for fairly good weather for a while. I'll be meeting some friends tomorrow down on the dock for lunch and will have camera ready to point at whatever I can find of interest.....which is lots! Maybe there might be a few crabs for sale, too. I've been more than ready. When the crab season first opened I bought some at a market and was pretty disappointed. I think I can tell which ones are caught out in deeper and colder waters......the meat is firmer and tastier. The ones caught closer

to shore have a little bit of a muddy taste to me. But maybe those were over-cooked and I don't know what I'm talking about. (Oh, say THAT isn't so!!)

New washer and dryer arriving tomorrow.......and hopefully I'll be at the dock enjoying my friends company, shooting wonderful and inspiring photography and eating a good lunch and that the arrival, hookup and all the confusion will be over by the time I return home. I really do hate to see large items arrive for delivery. I'm always worried someone is going to get hurt, with appliances falling, ladders collapsing.....whatever. Course, nothing of the sort ever happens but that doesn't stop my stomach from doing somersaults in watching the action. I prefer to just stay away.

Hope everyone has a great weekend lined up. We'll be busy and maybe even get some gardening done along with the good fresh air. Could be I'll have some crab shells to bury!!!

Yum!

CABIN FEVER

Well, I have to 'fess up! I have cabin fever and am bored, bored, bored. Writer's block on top of that. These gray and rainy days are getting a wee bit old and we're due for some sun and a bit of cheer, don't you think?

This above photo was another taken from my files and re-worked. I like the muted colors that developed here. The softer look of the woods and grasses has a soothing effect for me. This was taken at one of the ponds at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. I haven't been there in a while and Norm and I might go up for a meal in another week or so in celebrating our wedding anniversay. Number 38!!! I can hardly believe that number of years we've been together! Second marriages for both of us and all 38 years have been good to us, even through a few hiccups along the way. We consider ourselves very blessed people. Life has been better than good.

This weekend 3 of our grandson's will be landing in Port Orford. As many as can, try to return to Port Orford in a sort of memorial gathering for our first grandson, Jorma. Jorma passed over 2 years ago. That's another passing of the years that seems impossible. So, his brothers and friends gather and meet on one of the beaches and remember Jorma. Aside from the reason, it'll be great to see all three boys again together. Life has drawn them into different directions but this weekend the three become unified......... in missing and remembering the brother that had once been a vital part of their family. Jorma is still so missed. So......life continues in births, deaths, celebrations........all the ups and downs and in-betweens. And still, life has been better than good.

SOFTNESS OF WINTER DAYS

The weather and my schedule hasn't really allowed me free time to enjoy taking new photos so I found myself looking through some old ones and reworking a few. I still need to practice a bit more with my new plug-in software. Working with color just seemed 'off' for me today and I was more drawn to the black and white. Then I found I very much liked the ultra softness I could play around with and how this reflected some of my feelings of late. I've thought a lot lately about my various friendships in this area and those of far away and still dear friends.......The last few weeks has brought me in contact with both along with a realization of how very fortunate and blessed I am with these wonderful people in my life. They all reflect different parts of me....both by their personalities, qualities and talents as well as the very (right) time of interaction. All have so much that they contribute to my life and just by their very nature as fellow human beings, so enrich me. I really treasure each and every one. So........that explains the softness of the photos. (And here I thought you'd never ask!!) All three of these photos were taken on another special day spent with dear friends out at the Bandon Dunes.

Saw the movie "Eat, Pray, Love" last night. It wasn't what I was expecting but still very good. A "Chick-Flix" as Norm called it. But sort of in keeping with the Paulo Coehlo books I've been reading lately.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend inspite of the gray skies and increasing rain. Good day to curl up with a good book........or watch football.

COMPUTERS----LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP

My computer has been down and out ............. all day yesterday and a lot of today. Thankfully, we know a computer wizard who knows all and fixes all with the stroke of his magic wand.......in this case it was many, many strokes.........but fix it he did. I find it a funny coincidence that I just ordered a new laptop the other day........and I hope it gets here quickly since no one really knows how long the present one is going to keep going. One of the great mysteries of life! But, right now...........this instant..........it's running and our fingers and toes are all crossed that it keeps up the 'good fight'.

These are all some older photos that I grabbed up. The first two are from a walk I took and some of the reminders of the warmer days of summer and autumn. The one below was taken from a friend's house.......beautiful view they have, huh? A couple of those trees will need pruning back soon though. Nature does fill in quickly around our area. But it's still a great view of the dock and beyond "the gate" to Paradise Point State Park off-shore.

Our days have been nice a chilly lately, haven't they. Yesterday on our way up to Coos Bay, in driving over Beaver Hill, I saw left over snow along the side of the road. And I think they're supposed to get some over in Eugene and up in Beaverton tonight. More rain for us. I think I prefer that to the icy roads we've had lately. Nothing like suddenly sliding sideways in your car with no control to make you very alert........... just as suddenly. Yikes! That's more eye-opening that a cup of extra espresso. 8-0

Hope you all have a great Wednesday............half-way home to the weekend!

WINTER AT THE BANDON JETTY

These are some of the photo I took in Bandon last week when I found my camera case empty and was stuck using my little pocket Kodak. They tide was coming in, the seas were high and it was a pretty exciting scene to watch. Even looking at the progression of photos I took, rapid viewing, made me feel a little motion of a couple of the larger waves rolling in. I got some pretty good splashes anyway. And an HDR is the last one, but rather poor quality because the resolution with the Kodak is not very high. Hope everyone had a good weekend. I did. Had two great lunches at Redfish as well as spending time with some great women friends. Visited Jeffrey's Salon in Langlois (also known as Tim's). He does have some pretty neat things for sale, as well as him being a magician with hair styling.
And hasn't the weather been great? Very crisp and cold just like winter is supposed to be. As I drove up to Langlois yesterday I noticed the elk herd is still hanging out in the Sixes pasture (west side of 101). I wonder if they're going to take up permenent residence. They sure are magnificant looking animals. If you have a chance try to go take a look. It's attracting a number of people who looked like they were just passing through, to stop and take photos or just watch.
I can picture a new coffee shop there with viewing the elk as an added enticement. Course elk are gonna go where elk want'a go, so a coffee shop might not be a sure business after all. The elk would be a little unreliable............8-))
Have a good start to your new week and I hope to share more new photos from around the area. Happy Monday!!

A FEW LEFT-OVERS

I've had these photos that haven't fit in any where so I think I'll just post and let them be.
The little red berries looked so seasonal......I'm not sure now what they are.
And this brightly colored photo below is from the gum-ball machine at Farr's Hardware in Coos Bay. Always attracts the kid in you, don't they??

I was up in Bandon this morning visiting the dentist and receiving not very good news.......a replacement for a cap later on this month. And fingers crossed that the one still in my mouth doesn't crumble before then! Obviously, I need to stay away from the above gumballs!

We had a little time to kill and drove down Beach Loop. The tide was high and still coming in and the waves were tall and splashy.........and guess who left their camera home still attached to the tripod and only carry an empty camera case with her?? I took some out the Coquille jetty with my little Kodak but haven't unloaded them yet to see how they turned out. I have a hard time getting unblurred photos with that camera........too small to usually balance on anything except myself. And I sway and rock to and fro fairly easily which is a possible reason why the photos are blurred........( do ya' think??)
Tomorrow we have our guests coming so I doubt I'll be posting anything for another day or so......you know you're gonna miss me, right?

So, remember to have great days and be safe.

DAVIS SLOUGH

These are a couple of photos I took yesterday on the way home from Coos Bay. The Davis Slough was so calm and placid........beautiful and demanding of a photo. I ask Norm to stop but too late to have him stop on the over-pass and turn-off to Coquille. There was another little pull out a short ways up and it gave me the opportunity to snap a few in an area I had missed on earlier stops. I would have liked to not have had the clear-cut in the background, but that's our little bit of reality living where we do. And it supplies needs of many a people, so I can't really complain........I do hate to see trees cut down, though. Even one. When we lived in the California foothills many years ago, Norm and his brother Ed, would wait for me to travel into town for my weekly shopping and then rip out their chainsaws and go at some poor unsuspecting tree that they thought might be shading the garden too much. I could complain and fuss all I wanted to, but the dirty-deed was a done-deal, for all the good it did me!

Aren't we getting our share of great weather?? I read there's a freeze watch for tonight so the roads could be slick tomorrow morning. But this sun sure warms up our house in the afternoon. It's a different story when the sun drops........instant cold. But that's how winter is supposed to behave, huh? We're having some overnight guests in a couple of days so my day was baking bread, scones and cooking up some babyback ribs........a good day for it.

Well, everyone that plans of being on the road tomorrow morning........drive carefully and have a great day!

LANGLOIS TO OUR NORTH

Langlois is only about 15 minutes or so to the north of Port Orford but it feels like a different 'country' to me. They have sights along Hwy 101 like this wide-open pasture land. There are sheep and cattle scattered here and there........maybe a few horses, too. In this first photo, aren't those clouds something to behold?? Breath-taking!

And the Langlois hills to the east of the highway, remind me so much of the highlands of Scotland. A much, much "wee-er" version, to be sure, but that's what I think of. Especially when there are times when the sun hitting the clouds can cause such dramatic shadows on the ground. And, thankfully, minus the 'once-in-every-100-year' heat wave that I was NOT dressed for while on that trip. I brought most clothes as if I were traveling to Alaska so was pretty uncomfortable in all my woolies. We were told, though, that there were many times when we wouldn't have seen the edge of the road (VERY narrow roads!) and I did get to see lots of highland cattle wandering around loose while they grazed. So, if you haven't had a trip to Scotland and wonder what it might look like, just travel up/down to Langlois on the Oregon coast, for those of you who don't live in this area.

In the town of Langlois itself, you'll find some cute little shops that sell art, Jeffrey's salon which is always changing it's very fun merchandise, a unique food market that sells the best ice cream cones, has wonderful hot dogs with their own mustand (World-famous, I'm sure). There's LaLabelles with the best tasting scones and speciality coffee, of course a feed and grange and real estate in case you'd like to have your own little piece of heaven.

Hope your Monday is a good one and full of optimism towards the new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope everyone's New Year started off a good as mine. Phone calls with a couple of old, tried and true friends had me feeling happy, touched with a bit of nostalgia. My friend, Millie, lives in Colorado and we had lost contact for a few years. It was sooo wonderful to just pick up like we've always been able to do.....just as if we'd talked only yesterday. It was heart-warming to realize that our souls are still so well matched that we know....really 'know' how the other thinks and feels.
Millie is a breast cancer survivor and one of the true Blessings in my life at so many levels. She first introduced me to Therapeutic Touch many years ago and that healing modality continues to offer me many opportunities to offer TT (as I call it). I used TT with Norm during his recovery and another friend this morning who recently had surgery. And who knows if it does all it's said too........I enjoy it and I feel that the others enjoy receiving it. It seems to help those that ask for it. And for that I'm grateful. I know Norm benefited from it, for sure.
Another old friend called and that was a trip down memory lane also, although a bit sad. His wife, Nona passed over this past year. This was his first Christmas, without his beloved wife cooking up the holiday dinner together. That's a hard one. But there were sweet memories to remember and laugh over as well.......
And I still have a couple of calls to make..........thought I'd better post my blog before this over-hyped motor-mouth starts a-turnin'!!

So......on a walk the other day I had the most delightful treat that waddled out of the bushes.......this porcupine, looking half asleep. We both stopped and studied each other as I tried to remember all that I DIDN'T know about porcupines. "Could they move fast?" No, I decided. "Was it a myth that they can 'throw' their quills?" Yes. But I still kept a leary eye on the critter.....just in case. She (my sighting and I decided it was a girl) was more cautious of me because she climbed back into the bush. I passed and when I was a ways up the hill I looked back and she again came out and ambled across the street. I don't often see porcupines in my walks and I was so glad I had my camera, although not my zoom lens.
These last two photos were of some fungi I saw growing along an old tree trunk........long dead. I think they call those kind of trees a "nursery tree"?? The two here that were growing were only a couple of the various other assorted mushrooms and lichens and fungi.......I don't really know the difference..........just like to take photos of them, especially when they look this colorful and on a fairly dreary day, at that.

OK.......now that pretty much of all the Hoopla of the holidays are behind us, it's time to start making 2011 really count for improving the world, starting with ourselves. At least that's how I try to start EVERY new year........Hey!! It's a start!!

Happy 2011!!