STORMS COMING

The other day the warning flag at the dock was flapping away and the
waves getting larger and stronger as the day went on. Most all boats
were in dry dock and secure in case winds got too strong. These floats
on the back of one of the boats appealed to me........there I am in that
"orange" mode again!

GOD'S COUNTRY

Here are a couple of scenes that we have to feast our eyes on around the area.
The photo at the top is a sunset. We face the south so the real vibrant color is
not usually seen from this view.
The second is some of the waves hitting our poor ole' breaking-down jetty. When
we first moved here to Port Orford, it seemed to me that the jetty was higher and
I know, didn't have any holes in it. A few years ago there were some really wicked
storms that came through. It caused a lot of damage not only to the jetty but
around the area also.
Some of the folk lore around here says that whenever their is a "cap" on Humbug
Mt., (you can see it in the background) that there will be rain. I've never it known
it to be anything other.

LAKE GARRISON GLOW

I was playing around with light editing. I've taken
shots of this old dead tree in the shallows of the lake
before and it always looks too congested.....too messy.
I like the glow though. It softens all the rough edges
and I think creates more of sense of unity.

PROFILE IN CONCENTRATION

Since the weather was nasty today and I didn't take any photos, I
went to some older files. Gabriella is always a favorite of mine. Here
she is concentrating very hard in Kelly's class on tie-dying. I must
be really stuck in the color, soft orange, this week. Seems most of my recent
posts have been in this favorite color of mine. Well....ONE of my favorites.
I'd never limit my preferences to just one. How dull, dull, dull and boring that
would be!

GATHERING STORM OF PELICANS

Sometimes what we do don't always carry common sense. I'm trying very hard to
get over the flu. Norm, thinking it would do me good to get out a bit, took me out for a short trip to town to pick up some things
he's ordered. Instead of straight home, we drove down to Paradise Pt. and then
the dock. Out on the jetty were ALL these pelicans. I don't see that many of them where we live,
but read recently in the news that this year there were thousands of the big birds
stopping off on the south Oregon coast along their migration path. Since I never
go anywhere without my camera these days....of course I had to see what I could
shoot. I complained my bad luck of not having my telephoto lens on so instead used
my smaller one. These are the results. Everytime I went to return to the car, another
one or more would fly closer and overhead. "Uch!! Wait one more minute"...snap-snap!
Then I'd go to get back in the car.....here comes another one.....out I'd jump.....snap-snap. This must
have happened about 4 or 5 times at least. The wind was beginning to kick up and it was not
warm......Finally, common sense returned as my body began to feel hypothermic and
my cough drowned out the wind. So as you look at these, remember how a passion
for a new art, at times, carries action but little else. And maybe someday soon I'll

warm up again!

AND STILL THE BLOOMS COME!

This is probably my favorite rose and since winter cold doesn't seem to sticking
around, I'm continuing to get more rose buds. I was experimenting with different
effects and textures and these two are a couple I rather like. How 'bout you?
Pretty beautiful, huh?

SUNSET

Two views of last night's sunset looking towards the south-west. The lighter one,
(second photo) was taken first...then the darker one a few minutes later. We've had
clear skies lately. When the clouds come in the sunsets are spectacular!

COLORS OF THE SEASON

I just wanted to show off the pretty colored mums that are growing
on our deck. Actually, I think they are gaillardias and the yellow in the
back are the mums. We're having some beautiful weather and I'm hoping
to be over this darn flu tomorrow so I can go out shooting.

FEATHERS

I found some steller blue jay feathers last week while on a walk.
Definitely not a good sign for the fate of the jay. But today I though
I'd experiment a little. I like the complimentary colors in
both as well as the texture in the second. You can't tell very well
but the leaves and feathers are floating in a bowl of water.
OK...since I have the flu today, I'm going to go read a good
book.

MANY YEARS

I was recently asked to photograph a couple for photos that they
might send to their relatives for Christmas. I asked and received their
permission to post this particular one on my blog. I really love it
and what it represents. There was some chuckles from them about the
nicks and cuts of their hands....the less than manicured. I think we all see
the maturity of these hands clasped in a long time relationship, to be
much more meaningful. They represent the time and the laughs, tears and the closeness
of a dedicated time spent together. You just know that they hold a lovely love story.

They are truly very beautiful hands, don't you think?

BOO!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

IT WAS A DARK & STORMY NIGHT!!

Shot these on a trip to Coos Bay the other day. It looks like the rains have
finally, for REAL, arrived and winter is now our everyday experience. These
photos seem appropriate for Halloween. Ohhhh......scary stuff!!

EXPERIMENT ON A RAINY DAY

I've seen different macro shots of water and was impressed with
how different, almost magical, they looked when magnified. I've
always just thought of water as, well, water. In other words, not
much thought at all. So, yesterday I thought I'd experment a little
with water running slowly from a tap. I did edit out my drain. It
added nothing that I wanted to see! And I edited the second photo
with tint instead of just brightening up the photo. It made quite
a different appearance, don't you think? The following two were
taken (no big surprise here!) from the inside of the car. First one was
before the wiper swiped over the window, the second one was soon after.
They both look like an abstract to me and I don't know if I'd have
guessed that what the second one, in particular, was it I hadn't known.
I was sort of fun, and since I don't have time tonight to download
what I photographed today.....this is what you get to see for today.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

BONEYARD BOATS

Don't know why these boats are in the boneyard rather than down at the dock
but they all look like they might have interesting stories of time spent on the sea.

MARINERS MEMORIAL

The light and the wheel to help the lost sailors find their way home.
These are two meaningful pieces at the Port Orford Mariners Memorial
located near the dock in our town. The site looks out at the vast Pacific,
with it's spots of large rocks and small islands....Humbug Mountain surveys over it
all from it's own loft height.