I just arrived back home in Vancouver, WA from my annual fishing trip at Odell Lake, with my older sister Diana, and brother-in-law Les. Although the fishing was not as good as usual, the setting in the Deschutes National Forest of Oregon, is magnificent. Our days started early – before sunup – as the fish weren’t biting much after 8:30 a.m.
Full Moon Setting
Diamond Peak (right), turned a lovely rose tone as the sun lifted above the mountains. The taller summit is 8,744′ (2665m) high.
We stay at a small campground on Crescent Creek. There are many trails to hike in the area, and my beagle companion, Daisy and I enjoyed one that started just beyond this bridge (above). If you are a fan of waterfalls, Salt Creek Falls in Willamette National Forest, is worth the short drive off Highway 58. It has a well constructed trail with rails that descend down near the bottom.
In addition to the joy of being out in a beautiful natural setting, I love this special time with Diana and Les, enjoying good food, campfires and life stories.
Wherever you find your Summer Vibes, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
For my opening shot I’ve selected a muted sundown at Long Beach, with the sun suspended in clouds and reflecting on the water in two areas – a triple sunset! Perusing my archives for this challenge, I found many of the photos that popped out at me are of two birds of the same species, either mirror images or echo’s of each other.
Below, a collage of a few of my favorite beautiful bird reflections, from upper left clockwise, Sanderling, Mallard Duck, Baird’s Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe and Canada Goose.
Since I spend much time in, on or around water, there are plenty of scenery reflections in my photo collection as well. Below are two taken while fishing with my family at Odell Lake, at the summit of Willamette Pass in central Oregon.
I have shown both of these photos in prior posts, and have no qualms about sharing them again. 🙂 Above, the clouds have a popcorn-like consistency and their reflection on the smooth water (this is a lake that often has whitecaps!) remains a favorite of mine. Below, the wavy reflection of the two dead-trees was what attracted me.
Serendipity is one of my best friends. As happy chance would have it, I was driving along the side of Lake Sacajawea in Longview, Washington on an autumn day, and was captured by the image below – too lovely to just cruise on by!
I’ll close with another sunset, this one reflecting on the winter-spring marshes at the Breakers in Long Beach, Washington, where I live part-time.
As you reflect upon life, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
Thanks to Jez for hosting this week. It is a distinction to be asked to host, and a big responsibility to create the challenge and even more to then acknowledge all of us who diligently post our responses. Being a water lover, this one was lots of fun for me!
All week I have been contemplating the subject of our photo challenge – treasure – asking myself, “what do I treasure and why?” As I thought about it while sitting under a bower of vine maple leaves, surrounded by old growth Douglas Fir trees with the sound of water falling into my pond, and mourning doves cooing nearby, I realized that what I treasure is the immeasurable whole.
My Pond
Then I decided to narrow it down a bit and settled on water – a life source that I love, that feeds the whole of what I treasure. From calm and tranquil like Salmon Creek and Crescent Lake below…
…to roaring and powerful, like the Spokane River and Salt Creek Falls above, water always captivates me.
And then there’s the Pacific, which I often feature in my posts. Here are two moods of this incredible ocean:
Bald Eagle – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Above, the quiet swish of waves advancing or receding along the beach, and below towering breakers as they crash into the shoreline at Long Beach, Washington!
“Just as we place a higher value on certain objects because they are scarce, we might value moments in time precisely because of their transience. We may not be able to commodify transience as we can rare objects, but there are other, more intimate ways to confer value.” – Sebastian Smee
Thanks go to Aletta of nowathome, for hosting this week’s challenge. It is quite a distinction to be asked, and a big responsibility to provide the challenge subject and then reply to all who offer their treasures!
Wherever you find your treasures, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
Tina leads this weeks challenge asking us to present photographs of eyes. Getting good eye shots of birds has been one of my personal missions, and I have many. Here are two favorites.
Killdeer – Charadrius vociferus
The Killdeer above was present in the marshes every day in spring engaging in maneuvers to lead potential predators away from its fledglings. The large black pupil and carnelian almost square iris are quite stunning. Below one of many Bald Eagle photos in my collection. This one, looking down made me glad I wasn’t a small critter shuffling beneath in the dunes!
Bald Eagle – Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Animal eyes have different shapes, appearance and functions. The Humbolt’s Flying Squirrel below is a nocturnal creature. Its eye is larger than its nose, almost the size of its ear, round and dark. An accidental capture, this species is native to my back yard.
Notice the flat horizontal pupil in the eyes of these goats. Their rectangular pupils provide a broad field of view to see threats from afar, even while bowing their head while grazing. Similarly, deer focus horizontally; but when they look straight ahead (vertically) they are out of focus. With the head stationary, deer can see at a 300°. A slight turn of the head can reveal the other 60 degrees. Rabbits have really big eyes that are located on the sides of their head giving them a panoramic, 360° field of vision.
Sister Diana with her favorite Carousel character Harriett the frog.
Though not a real live frog, their eyes are quite amazing. Frog eyes have horizontal or vertical pupils, can see in color, bulge out to sit above water, and provide frogs almost 360° day and night vision. Frogs eyes also have three eyelids and use their eyes to swallow their food. My sister’s eyes twinkle when she is having fun.
More of my favorite people, Creighton with Max (soon after he came to live with us), classmate Charla and her husband Rishan (at our 50th high school reunion) and my sister Lori, engaging her grandson Micah.
Whatever eyes you peer into, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
Doors are portals into and out of contained spaces – usually. Some of my favorite doorways are simply arches that frame a subject or view, as in the following two photos.
Balboa Park – San Diego, CAMermaid Sculpture – La Jolla, CA
I have featured the Albany, Oregon Carousel Museum in a previous post. The entry to the building is welcoming and the door handles are a hint of the joy one experiences upon entering!
Doors have not been a photo passion of mine, though I love to see all the interesting and often ancient doors other folks post on their sites. I’ll conclude this post with a bit of whimsy from a friends yard decor.
May you find doors to pleasure open to you. As you enter, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
Thank you to Sylvia of My Colorful Expressions for hosting this week’s challenge. It is a big responsibility and I truly appreciate the thought that goes into being a host!
Walking With Eagles is a collection of original poems and photographs by Lindy Low Le Coq. A lifelong naturalist, amateur photographer and bird enthusiast, Lindy’s verse, composition and photographs open a window into the essence of her subjects. Her poems and photography reflect the rich natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest.
Bald Eagles mature over the course of five years. Walking With Eagles invites the reader to take a poetic and visual tour of this odyssey.
view ~ Walking With Eagles ~ in top menu bar for a preview, though the folio is much nicer!
Lindy Low LeCoq 