OUT LIKE A LAMB??

So marks the end of March. In like a lion..........certainly a wet lion. And I did see a bit of weak sun today so we'll call that the lamb. I even saw the possibility of some sun next week according to the weatherman that I want to believe.

This first photo above is of some pear blossoms on our Bartlett. Rarely do we get pears that are worth saving. If the winds and/or hail doesn't get them, blight does. One year we had a good delicious crop along with it's neighbor, the Asian pear. We're always hopeful, though.

This second one looks better if viewed on large. I like experimenting with black and white. I saw a fabulous black and white photo the other day that was looking down on a very ruffled lettuce leaf. So many great photographs out there!!

"Common friend to you and me,

Nature's gifts to all are free." Robert Burns

AROUND WATER

It's a good thing I live around a lot of water since most of my shooting revolves around the wet stuff. I needed to run a few errands yesterday and found ourselves driving down Paradise Point Road to the beach. The ocean was beautiful that day......big, big waves and the ebb and flow of them was beautiful to watch.....each one seemingly more spectacular than the last. You can see all the way up the coast to Cape Blanco in the above picture. The photo below is from the marsh that's a part of Lake Garrison. The moods of so many of the picturesque places around here change rapidly from moment to moment depending on all kinds of natural changes that are going on. Clouds, wind, rain, sun, mist, heavy fog, tides and at times an animal or two. ............. Oh! I just saw that the marsh pic didn't make it. I'll include it as a PS so it will be above. Went to the dentist this morning and on the way back we drove around the Bandon Commons off of Beach Loop in Bandon. I sure like that little neighborhood. It's quiet, set back from the busy traffic along the Loop, and the landscaping is welcoming and fairly established in a manicured way. I'll have to go sometime and ask for a walk-through. Hope you're all having a good week and staying warm and dry. It's good weather to sit by the fire.........or like me, indoor chores like the on-going paint project. Make up some soup or stew, get a good book and keep warm. Dream of sunny days ahead. "People talk about nature. As the water moves, it makes its own sound. As the wind blows, it makes its own sound. When fire burns, it makes its own sound. In the same way, all of us have that music going on." Swami Chidvilasananda

ANOTHER NON-DROUGHT DAY

I won't mention today that the wet stuff is again leaving us moist...........maybe this summer we'll be happy for these non-drought days, you think?? In spite of our lack of sun and warmth, my Pieris Andromeda is blooming. A few sprigs for indoor cut flowers will be welcome.

Today I enjoyed the best quiche! I think Dianne at Siren's baked it up today because I asked if she would be having one today (Friday) since I love them and would be meeting a neat lady for lunch. So when I walked in the door, there it was.......a big, beautiful golden brown quiche! Yum!! It was great and I thank you Siren's.........great crust, too.

As I left there and swung out onto Hwy. 101, only in Port Orford, did traffic stop to allow 2 turkeys to cross the highway. One of the things I just love about this town......Quirks galore!! Even with the wildlife. Love it! 8-))

OK, as promised.......this is the painting bench that Norm built for the Rotary dinner dance and auction. It only stands about 15" wide and 3' wide. It's very sturdy and supposedly a painter designed it. This photo doesn't show the open oval in the center too well, but that's for easy carrying. Actually, it has many uses. Mine will be a palette for some surface painting rather than for standing on to paint. Or maybe both. I don't think I speak from prejudice when I say that anything Norm builds is always very well done. (well, maybe a 'wee' little bit of prejudice.....but not much......

It almost officially the start of the weekend and I hope you all have great plans and fun things to do............See you Monday!

THE ART OF BEING A GOOD SPORT

I don't know what the art of being a good sport is........I'll be honest and say that trying to be a good sport about all this spring rain but it's actually getting a bit old! But I'm giving it my all. Well, maybe not my complete ALL, but a stab at it, anyway. It's not only the rain but it's darn cold out too! Coming back from Coos Bay the other day and from way up on Seven Devil's Road, I could see the distant mountains with lots of snow at fairly low elevations. Great for the skiers but not so much for those that want to get in the garden.

In the meantime today, I had a delightful coffee break with a good friend, ran into other good friends, all while in one of my favorite places for a delicious Cafe' Mocha......Siren's. Then I got down to work when I came home fully charged up, to climb up the ladder again and do more of that painting that is waiting ever-so-patiently for me in the bathroom.

The first photo up at the top is of some lemons in one of my favorite dishes. The dish was inherited from a relative and is from Bavaria. I love the cheerfulness of it.

The second photo is a bowl filled with rocks and shells in water. A few times a week, I have to pick up all the shells that have been pulled out and checked out by our wandering raccoons. You'd think they would know by now that there's just nothing in those shells from them to eat, but I guess 'hope springs eternal' for Rocky Racoon and his band of marauding bandits!

Tomorrow I hope to post a photo of the cute little painting bench that Norm made for the Rotary Auction, to be held on April 9th. He made me one too and I'm looking at different ideas to paint on the surface. I'm getting an urge again to pick up a paint brush........NOT the kind I've been using lately on the bathroom walls! I thought I might try some under-the-sea "stuff". Great word, "stuff"........it covers so much ground, don'cha think??

Well, that's it for tonight..........Have a great Friday and stay dry.

SPRING BREAK WEDNESDAY

It's now official.........Spring season is here! And what better way to acknowledge that than taking time to photograph some flowers. I love the allysum that has been growing in a protected flower box on the deck. And most of my daffodils have disappeared but there was ONE! Count it! One! and here you see it. It even had a lovely fragrance. I need to remember next fall to buy more for planting.

Lastly, is the beautiful hyacinths..........I absolutely love them. The kind of fragrance that makes you want to inhale only. Exhaling is such a waste! They really have been beautful this year.

Along with celebrating spring flowers comes spring cleaning. I've tackled painting a couple of rooms in the house. Discovered some muscles that had rusted over the winter, but it feels good to see the difference some simple paint can make. Today I also bought some mold-killer that doesn't damage plants so that's another project coming up soon...........Lots to do this time of year. Course, I have no illusions that we won't see a bit more rain, but let's hope the heaviest is a thing of the past for this year, anyway. Right now, as I write, the sun is out and it just gives such a jump of optimism. And this poor old world can definitely use a good dose of that these days, huh? So, go out and smell a flower, paint a room or pull some weeds and enjoy and smile!!

YES, THE SUN REALLY DOES SHINE IN SOUTH OREGON!

Driving through Bandon on the way home from Coos Bay and the sun came out for a few minutes.....long enough to cast beautiful light over the very busy Pacific. The wave action was incredible and you can see more of it in the first photo than the second. You can also see the rain on the horizon in the above. The second was taken just a short time before and it's amazing that the light can change so rapidly so quickly. It was a very pretty ride home.........in our new car. The new RAV4 is very comfortable, smooth riding and lots of leg room for Norm. Not a problem that I share...........

It was a good day. Norm had a doctor's appointment and had such a good "bill of health" that his still-amazed doctor doesn't need to see him for another six months!! Such good news!

I'm hoping to have the opportunity to get more photos shot tomorrow. The weatherman says showers but around here you never know.............but fingers crossed!

Hope you all have great plans in the making for the weekend. It's coming up fast!!

"Life is sacred. Life is art. Life is sacred art." Gabrielle Roth

A TIME FOR DREAMING GARDEN

That's where I was mentally today........out in the garden in the sun....SUN!! Hear that Mother Nature?? Course with the way you've been acting out lately, I ask in the utmost courtesy.
I'm picturing blooming flowers, lush vegetables bearing plenty of food for eating and storing. A weed-free and beautiful garden like the kind I've been seeing in spring magazines. Hmmm......dream on, Donna!

I've dug around in some of my older files for some photos to post. The first one was obviously when the much-missed sun was out and the air was still so we had beautiful reflections.

And the second I liked in black and white and it's a view from up on Coast Guard Hill. I love that old snag hanging over the cliff.

Tomorrow we have places to go and people to see so we'll be driving the new RAV4 for the first time. Looking forward to it..........And to get away from the continuing trauma that goes on in Japan. So awful. Hopefully, there will be no more disasters for those poor people.

And so with thoughts of Japan and it's people.........

"You find true joy and happiness in life when you give and give and go on giving and never count the cost."

Eileen Caddy

The Dawn of Change

A QUIET DAY-THANKFULLY

Hasn't this been a wild weekend, huh? Starting off with early morning phone calls on Friday, sirens, alerts, helicopters flying over more frequently, more phone calls, sirens and alerts.......Ending the weekend with a pretty intense thunderous rainy day yesterday. One thunder boom seemed to rattle the ground and continue for what seemed like a veeerrrry long time. Right now it's blessedly quiet.

The tragedy in Japan reminded me of the occasional nightmares I get. They ALWAYS involve me standing and waiting for an enormous tsunami (thank you, Hollywood!) that will be engulfing me....nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. After we moved here, me thinking I'd escaped the "Big One" in California, only to find out that we live on a land plate similar to Japan's and supposedly due 'any second now, to rupture into the worst disaster ever. Hopefully, our own coast line will stay in place for another few hundred years or more. And my thoughts and prayers do go out to the many who have suffered because of this terrible event, as I know everyone else does.



So, it was a good day to re-visit the Hwy 101 animals from Morgan McKenzie's pasture. This second photo I like so well and it's a shame I can't remove all of the residule of the wire fence line right across her face. I love her expression. She is definitely NOT in a mood to be amused!

Norm has been thinking of turning in his truck and getting something different although he hasn't had his Tacoma for very long. He's too big for the truck, though, and says he's "too old to be bending in two to get into it." We should have our new Toyota RAV4 delivered tomorrow morning. Followed shortly, I'm sure, by maybe a Prius in exchange for my Honda. I like the idea of a hybrid considering all the gas ups and downs that don't sound as if they're going to disappear to me.

So, that's my world over the weekend with a fairly quiet week coming up. Hope you are having a great Monday along with the rest of your week.

TONI & LAMBS A-LEAPIN'

I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be charmed by the sight of baby lambs running, leaping and jumping with the joy of being alive and free. As Norm says......"they're just full of prunes~"
Especially when the sun is out, shining and warming the spirit and heart.

A woman I went to high school with died very unexpectedly yesterday and many who knew her and were close all these many years, are greatly affected by the shock of this news. When death comes to the door of someone who is your own age, then it becomes more personal and our own mortality may feel threatened. Our memories of shared history becomes both a blessing and a sad re-living. There is as well, the heart felt pain of those who loved more intimately and are in deeper mourning......So in that spirit, the free and jubliant little lambs that run in the pastures with such joy might represent the faith that some will, hopefully, find comfort in.

May you rest in peace, Toni. God-Speed.

"No soul that aspires can ever fail to rise; no heart that loves can ever be abandoned."

Annie Besant

COWS & SMILES

I read somewhere that a cow almost always makes people smile. I know it does me. Course, there could be that unfortunate non-smile if one of these very large animals stepped on you. And I'm always really amazed when I see a cow up close as to how enormous they are. Anyway, the best of my trip up to Coos Bay today was that both the cows and their calves were close enough to Hwy 101 that I could stop and get out to take some photos. I've been wanting to for a couple of years and not only the cows, but about a mile up the road........the baby lambs. Now they definitely bring a grin to anyone's face! In today's shots there was that annoying wire fence to try and eliminate, and the results weren't as clean as I would have liked but I'm not going to allow that to spoil my fun. I just have a very good reason to go back and try to get some more shots. They were very curious about me and the funny clicking noise they kept hearing from my direction. There is one belted Galloway that I'd really like to get a shot of but I think she's being kept in a far pasture this year.

The first photo up on the top is not a calf, as you can see, but a mama that kept looking from me back to over her shoulder at her calf to make sure nothing of danger was lurking around. After a few minutes she gave me the OK by ignoring me completely. But not before I caught a full facial shot of her. A good Mama.....

The second were 2 calves that kept imitating each other in their movements and poses. They were so cute. Undoubtedly I'll be showing you more in the next week or so since I just love cows. Almost as much as I love photographing grasses.

Tomorrow we visit the sheep and those darling, frolicking lambs. What little characters!

Have a terrific Thursday and start making your plans for a great weekend!!

Ooops!

I didn't realize until I'd already posted tonight's blog that the photo off the dock was a recent repeat.............Ooops!!

RE-VISITING THE DOCK

I was going through some of my older photos and since today wasn't exactly without rain, I'm using these. Getting tired of the rain about now........ready to get back out into the garden since there's still an awful lot more to be done. Yesterday I was down at the dock, but having a delicious lunch with a good friend at Griff's. Shrimp and cheese.....Yum! It was raining then, too.

Today we stopped by one of the newer business' in town, "Twice Upon A Time". A consignment and second-used store. Already, Lloyd the owner, is enlarging for more furniture. They have a little of everything; books, clothing, knick-knacks and such. There were a few items that I would have liked to have had the time and talent to pursue........a couple of nice looms, a piano,
raw wool, although I didn't see a spinning wheel. It's located in the garage part of the Port Orford RV Park on Hwy 101 across from True Value Hardware. And Lloyd is a very friendly and interesting man and enjoys conversing without over-whelming. Stop in and I bet you'll find something you can't live without..............I did.

Up to Coos Bay tomorrow and guess what?? We're supposed to have rain!! One upside of all this wet is that we enjoy hearing "the frogs of winter", as I call them. Upside down from when I lived in the Sierra foothills of California. Then it was summer when we'd hear the little guys. But never as loud as the chorus we listen to up here. Guess there's always an upside to everything when we look for it.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing" Helen Keller

ABSTRACTS AGAIN

I was just playing around some more on a couple of images. I've seen some photos that have been done up beautifully using textures. Maybe some day............

Hope you all have a great Tuesday..........

A SHORT SPOT OF SUN ON A SUNDAY

It started out as a beautiful morning. Another sign of spring coming on is this pussywillow in the top image. I took the photo last week at Lake Garrison. And another sure sign is that I've been seeing the ever-graceful-in-flight turkey vultures again. I always mean to look up in which direction they migrate to, but they're coming back from where ever. Too bad their faces and nasty cuisine aren't as beautiful as their soaring in the skies. Well, there is that distasteful job of clean-up for Mother Nature, I guess. Someone has to do it.

This morning I was going to do some painting.......not the fun kind.....a couple of rooms that need some "spiffing-up". Instead I found myself doing some gardening out back. One weed led to another; one pruned rose bush led to a couple more; more dead-heading led to more sore muscles and stiff back than I'd wished but oh, well. That's also part of the spring ritual, isn't it?

This second photo was also taken at the lake.......my love affair with grasses continues...I love the look of these against the beautiful blue of the sky. We do have wonderful, clear air here on the coast.

Hope you're all rested up after the weekend and look forward to a great week ahead! And if you find yourself bored with nothing to do, I have some weeds you can help pull. 8-))

What?? No takers??

BREAKING FOR BLUE SKIES

I hadn't been down to this part of Lake Garrison in a while and I managed to click off 375 photos! Course, a lot are duplicates and some to experiment with, but there were a lot of beautiful opportunities down there. This first one is looking across the lake at a bit of the sand dunes, which separate the lake from the Pacific. The dunes just stood out so beautifully with the light hitting them just right. I'll probably show a longer view of them in the next couple of days.

And a few weeks ago did I actually say that the only birds I seemed to be able to photograph were our seagulls?........Ha! Here, we have some ducks!! Something different, although the gulls are much braver and you can see this little trio paddling like mad away from the me. I did play around a little with this photo so it has a little of a paintery effect.

I spent longer at the lake than I'd planned but still got home in time to make up a ham and leek pie. It was good. In some circles it might be known as a quiche...........but never let it be said that I'd feed any man in my home a "girlie" quiche.......Real men eat hearty PIES!! Or so I've been told.........over and over and over again. 8-))

Are you making fun plans for the weekend?? It's coming up fast and here in Port Orford we'll be having rain............but we're ducks, aren't we? Ducks are happy in the rain. Right??

Have a great weekend, whatever you decide to do.

"The world of reality has it's limits; The world of imagination is boundless"

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

RIDING THE WAVES

And that's exactly where I think yet another of my camera's lens cap is! Seems everytime I go down to the dock during windy and blustery weather, I lose a lens cap. I return to look for them but, of course, never find anything. I think they must slip through the planks of the dock. So, I ordered another one and thought I'd gotten such a bargain in price! Only $3.24 compared to many higher prices I saw. Then I saw that the shipping and handling was $4.99!! More than the 'bargain' price for the lens cap. Oh, well. It's a done deal now. One of the minor inconveniences of living in small communities, I guess. There's more than enough to off-set these times, thankfully. Beautiful country, beautiful people...........and more.

The seas were really whipping up today with the newest storm making it's way onto the coast. Very rough seas and high winds. The kind of wind where I need to lean against something to hold the camera steady. Hmmm........maybe that's what happen to the lens cap.

"You must remember that man is noble, man is sublime, man is devine, and can accomplish whatever he desires." Swami Muktananda