UP THE LAZY RIVER

Such busy summe days!! While my sister and nephew were visiting us we went up on one of the jet boat rides on the Rogue. I've been a number of times and it's always different and always beautiful! This was the first time I've actually seen any bear but the view was so distant and camouflaged with trees and brush, I actually see the furry critters much better up here in Cedar Terrace. This first scene was of some Park Rangers who were pulling a large net so they could count each fish to see how the Fall Chinook were running. We stayed around a few minutes for the show. I'll probably be showing a few more from the counting. I think they were having a lot of fun......along with posing for the camera/s!

This second shot is of a peregrine nest waaaaay up at the top and the home-owner there off the the left keeping a sharp eye for anything eatable I suppose. We saw a number of them all along the river that day.

This happens to be one of my favorites of that day. We were just heading up the Rogue and the fog was hanging around making everything look soft and mysterious. I was afraid this photo wouldn't turn out because of the sun in the frame, but the fog softened it beautifully. Reminds me of a Currier and Ives. As to the rest of my recent days, there has been tons of food baking and canning and freezing since our garden is more prolific this year than the past number of summers. I'll be glad come this winter but as for now, I groan everytime I see another zucchini, beet or carrot come into the kitchen. And you can tell every day that summer is coming to an end. Leaves tuning and a new bit of chill to the air. This is my favorite season coming up. Love it and the cozy fire and comfort food.

That's it for now............Hope you're all having a great summer!!

BURRO times 2

Almost every week we drive to Coos Bay via Seven Devils Road and we always look for the two Mediterranean burros that are sometimes in sight in a small narrow pasture. It's been more than a year since I've seen them; in fact I thought they might have been sold. We came screeching to a stop when I saw one right up by the fence line. When I got out of the car and was getting my camera from the back, the burro wandered over to disappear in the brush and shadow. I talked in my best burro-enticing voice and pretty soon not just one, but two, burros came over to the fence. They were very skiddish about the camera but after I let them smell it, they sort of settled down. I snapped, rubbed their noses, snapped, chatted, snapped and discovered they weren't too happy with their ears being scratched..........snapped some more. So, here are a few that I've played around with and am sharing with you.

Busy weekend........my sister and nephew are coming up and we have fun things to do everyday. Saturday night we're going to try Edgewaters for dinner in Bandon. I reserved the table in the corner and facing the Coquille River. Sunday, Sherry Pelton will be playing her newest piano composition at Unity Church in Bandon. I'm reading the book, "Anam Cara: The Wisdom of the Celts", which was the inspiritation for her piece. On the way home we'll stop by the news shops in Langlois; Jeffrey's, Simply Delightful and Inga's. Then on Monday we have a jet boat ride planned on the Rogue River...........I've been on a few times before but not with camera. I have my fingers and toes crossed that I see lots of neat stuff. I can still picture the man standing knee deep wate and playing a fiddle or violin and wearing a floppy hat..........unfortunately no one else but me saw him, hence, the funny looks I get when I tell this. Would I love to see him again, this time with my camera! Who knows? Maybe..........

You all have a great weekend and travel and play safe!

ONE BY LAND, TWO BY SEA

One by land is an photoshoped squash blossom.........The true color, in the overhead sun, was so garishly yellow that it didn't look real. The garden is doing so well this year.....Norm's veggie's that is. My flower gardens are still cottage-jungle. The abundance of blooms right now, thankfully, outshines the unwanted and untamed look. I hope. Norm brought in our first 2 of the season-barely ripe cherry tomatoes. Yum! We've been so patiently waiting. Nothing like sun-ripened tomatoes! Lots of produce from the garden lately to be prepared and frozen for fall and winter. It's keeping me busy.

These two photos were taken up at Charleston. I never seem to get close enough to an ordinary egret. This one wasn't too close either but I was able to crop it enough and then give it a painterly look. Still not what I'm aiming for but, oh well.

The below sunken boat has only been sunken a few weeks. I had taken some photos of it a year or so ago and while it had clearly seen better days, at least it was afloat...........now it'll be in the running with the Mary Hume down in Gold Beach.

Sad, when you think of how it was at one time some fishmen's hope and dream.....and pride, I'm sure. It looks like it was a beautiful boat when at it's new glory. Be interesting to know the story behind it.

I had lunch with a couple of my friends at Siren's today. A later lunch than usual due to a work schedule. Since I had already had 1/2 an apple and some juice, I wasn't 'that' hungry but needed to have something. So......I did happen to remember that I've been waiting since the day Siren's Cafe got their ice cream (over a year ago, at least) that I've been wanting my coconut cream ice cream cone. I was excited when I got there and saw that they had it in and ordered a double scoop in a waffle cone. Ohhhhh..............it was sooooo good! Then one by one, my friends joined me and we all had a little of what is so good for the soul (once in a while). I'm still enjoying the memory of it~

NORM AND SISTER LUCY

The Smith's have all loved their gardens. Lucy, Norm's sister, had gorgeous gardens and her daughter Ann had it looking like a page out of great English garden magazine. Roses blooming and clematis getting ready.....ferns, shrubs and a lawn that looked like a thick green carpet. This top photo is Norm watering his own veggie garden and surrounded by blooming hollyhocks, daisy and red cornus. I fooled around with my new Topaz and it looks like a painting now. Softer, which seems to match the mood I feel in this scene.

Lucy's memorial lunch was a beautiful tribute to her.......her daughters and other family and close friends, supplied everything they could think of that Lucy loved. Everything from Goldfish crackers to fried chicken and delicious blackberry pies. There were many photos of beautiful Lucy and two from her earlier life are the photos I took, above and below. Well, the one above was of Lucy.......beautiful, no??

and the lower was a poster from the Aquacade back in 1940. There were funny and heartwarming stories of Lucy to share as well as plenty of catching up with family. Many family members continued on down to the Klamath River for a family reunion.

A good weekend having a friend for dinner last night and today, just lazy and enjoying the summer day............Hope yours was good and your coming week even better!

TRAVELS ON TUESDAY

Well........who do we have here?? Mr. Blue-eyes exactly as I like 'em. I love this particular smile of Norm's. He was telling me a joke or something and it was taking forever to finish it.........so I pointed my camera at him and started clicking. I now know that if you start taking someone's picture, they stop talking.......
Discovered a handy little tool!

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but have you noticed how there are a few maples that are getting a blush to their leaves?? And our vine maple rapidly turning color. That's always been the case with that one though...........it marches to it's own drummer.

The two flowers here are the same as one I posted a few days ago. I still don't know what they are but do know they're bulbs. Different colors might make a nice photo set for future printings.

I tried a new place for lunch today. Pat S. told me about it and we decided to give it a try. Very good sandwiches. They also have a variety of pizza's as well. The name is something-Kat's or Kat's something........I should have paid more attention. It's located in the old Wild Rose Bistro in Bandon in old town. I recommend you give it a try.

Norm had yet another birthday lunch at Redfish, compliments of Steve Roemen.
One of these days Norm's birthday celebrations will finish up!

Thursday we head on over to Eugene for a memorial lunch for Norm's sister, Lucy. She was a wonderful lady and a strong, beautiful woman. I wrote about her sometime last year when she passed. Lucy was in the Aquacades at the World's Fair in San Francisco, along with her long time friend, Esther Williams and Johnny Weismuller of Tarzan fame. She's missed and is leaving a wonderful legacy in her wake........the value of a life is when you leave the world a better place than when you entered. Lucy's life had so very much value!

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week and a fun-filled weekend!

A LITTLE DIFFERENT

I'm enjoying some new creative explorations. Let me know what you think of them if you have a minute.............

I've had the good fortune to have 3 different meals at Redfish this past week. One day with some of my women friends.......that was the carmelized scallops. Friday was Norm's birthday and he had an enormous and delicious burger while I tried out the crab cakes........ohhhhhh...........SO good!! Then on Sunday night I had the lamb dinner. Yum!! some finger potatoes that were really wonderful! And the view from Battle Rock when we left was fantastic. There was a low sun glow reflecting on the wet sands of the beach. I was kicking myself for not bringing my camera. And I naturally thought of Randy Sholten..........HE'd never find himself at that time of the day without HIS camera!! Well, hopefully there will be a next time and I'll do better.

The other night I heard racoons out on the deck........I hadn't known before that their sound is sort of soft chatter. Almost like a purr. I turned on the deck light which had them trying to look cool and calm and they turned around and headed towards the woods. A racoon walking away doesn't have a very graceful gait, have you noticed? They hunch over........very poor posture.........but they're neat to watch in climbing something where they appear almost liquid in their movements. Interesting little guys.

Hopefully this week will lack the animal trauma of last week. One of our little chipmunks got caught up in netting and had been twisting all around trying to get loose. All he did was wind the netting around and around his tail. We cut him down and clipped away most of the netting but he got away with some remaining around that tail. I was so nervous that Norm was going to cut off his tail instead of the netting! I was holding the little animal who was trying with all effort to escape and he did. Just slipped away........ Some friends told me that he should have been able to gnaw away the remaining net. Hope so or else I think he's going to be in bad trouble. I keep looking for the chipmunk but they all look the same.

I'm thinking of trying out how some of these above photos might look printed on canvas. Might be an interesting effect.

Hope you all have a great week. Couldn't ask for better weather lately, huh??

Enjoy.......enjoy!