Photos, videos and docs of Janet Brien, with the keywords: "flower"

283/366: Lovely Little Buttercup

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 03:02:47 +0000

This bright and happy little flower can be found all over our property from the start of spring until about mid-April. I took this picture back in 2012!

Coville's Ground-Smoke at LaPine State Park (+5 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 16:02:49 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+5 insets!)

Oregon is Brimming with Natural Wonders to Discover
Since we got our first RV in 2018, we finally had the opportunity to explore, enjoy, and appreciate the boundless beauty of Oregon. We've been along the rugged coast and beaches and nestled in deep woods. We've experienced Oregon's version of a rain forest, and we've frolicked amidst gorgeous meadows that hug riversides interspersed with small forest nuggets.

Another area we've gotten to know is Oregon's "high desert" where LaPine State Park sits. Imagine a very dry area with lots of sandy, loose soil, but instead of cactus there are pine trees and hardy scrub brush. It's not so dry that rivers don't run through and the Deschutes River begins its journey here, travelling from Little Lava Lake, about 25 miles northwest of LaPine, and eventually joining Oregon's largest river, the Colombia, after a trip of 250 miles.

LaPine State Park is One of Our Favorites…What About You?
You would think that such a dry place wouldn't be high on our list, but it sure is. True, the plant life isn't as varied as a moister locale, but it's lovely nonetheless, and what it lacks in variety of plants, it more than makes up with all of the hiking and biking trails found here. Steve and I have such a great time here that since discovering this park, it's a "Must Go" spot every year. What about you? Do you have a special place that you simply must go to anytime you're in the area? I'd love to hear about it! After all, if we're lucky, we'll someday make it to your neck of the woods, so why not entice me with your favorite park(s)? :D

Today's Main Picture
Every morning when I'm at LaPine, I walk around each campground loop and then head up one of the trails to the park entrance before travelling back along the Deschutes River and finally back to our "home on wheels." One morning I was walking past a campsite and noticed a bush with tiny white flowers. A closer look revealed beautiful tiny blossoms which begged for proper macros. Later that day I returned with my beloved Canon and macro lens and managed to get a bunch of very nice shots. Isn't it wonderful when you are successful despite the fact that a breeze is trying to ruin every picture? I was delighted that within my large group of hopefuls, I got an assortment of crisp images amongst a bunch of blurry ones. This picture of "Coville's Ground Smoke" was my favorite, but I have two more to share in my next uploads for LaPine.

Today's Insets
LaPine is a very popular home to many species of squirrels, including one that's often mistaken as a chipmunk, the Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel. I admit being very surprised when I realized the "chipmunk" I photographed on a lava rock was actually a ground squirrel! Another common resident is both the smallest chipmunk and also the most widely spread, otherwise known as the Least Chipmunk. I got a fun picture of one working on a little pine cone which I turned into a b/w to show off the fun shadows. If you look carefully around a pine tree, you'll often see droplets of sap oozing from woodpecker holes or broken tree limbs and if the sun is in the right spot, the droplets will glow beautifully! I'm also sharing a crusty droplet of resin that's dried up but interesting to look at with lots of granulated detail. Finally, the last picture is a collage of images that shows a group of ants attacking a caterpillar to bring back to its nest. I appreciate these glimpses of nature's cycle of life, and though it's too bad for the caterpillar, it will be an important source of food for the colony and I was fascinated by this show.

Thank You!
I always appreciate your visits, stars and comments--my smiles warm the room! I am so happy that I can spread a bit of joy, interest and hopefully some education to your day--it's what I hope for every time I post one of my presentations. Please take care of yourselves and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Explored on 3/26/21; highest placement #3.

A Beautiful Pink Star...and WE HAVE STARLINK!!! :D

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 17:30:26 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Starlink is Here!!

Plug your ears because I'm screaming in joy!!!

Steve and I used to live in San Francisco…that was about 17 years ago. When we left, download speeds were really starting to rev up and we enjoyed speeds of probably 2mbps--screaming fast for the time. Then we moved to southern Oregon and traded internet speed for jaw-dropping scenery, rural life and a slower pace which we adored. Our connection to the internet went down to .5mbps at best. For several years we dealt with that rate until finally the area was updated to 1.5mbps. Where it stayed until this day. It was so miserably slow that we actually had two lines coming in so we could each have our own dribble to the internet.

We've always kept an eye open for updates to the area's internet and for any tech out there which might help us. We could never do satellite in the past because it's not consistent, which means you can't play online games without dropping connection regularly. Since we both love online games when we're in the mood for them, satellite wasn't an option. Maybe fiber optic will get here someday but there seem to be no signs anytime soon.

Steve and I learned about Elon Musk's Starlink and he got our laser-focused attention instantly. We read excitedly about his plan to connect the world via a massive web of satellites that used a lower orbit. His hope to bring fast internet to rural locations had us hoping for a change to our miserable circumstances and we enjoyed seeing the amazing progress of this company. Promises of 30-150mbps download speeds had us hyperventilating in starry daydreams!

One day in October it was announced that a beta would be starting and anyone interested could sign up for the chance to participate. That very day we were on the list. The weeks and then months crawled by as we waited and hoped.

The Invitation Arrived!!!
About two weeks ago Steve found an email from Starlink waiting in his inbox with our invitation to join the beta!!! Minutes later we paid for the dish, signed up for their service and began the eons-long wait for our package to arrive. The estimate was about two weeks and it turns out they were totally accurate. We tracked our precious package as it made its way from Los Angeles to our home…it sat in LA for a week, there were stalls due to weather, and at one point last week it made it to a place in Oregon SE of us 1.5 hrs away called Klamath Falls--bouncing in excitement, we thought we might get it that day or the next! They were just teasing us. The next day it was in PORTLAND! NOOOOO!!! But finally we could see that it would be delivered the next day and we were beyond excited! Yesterday morning I heard the FedEx truck coming up the driveway. I alerted Steve, who nearly exploded out the front door to meet the driver who hadn't even come to a stop yet! The beaming smile on Steve's face when he carried the box into the house was totally priceless!

It took maybe an hour for Steve to set up our system and then I heard a maniacal snicker. Steve had just tested the speed. 74mbps download…74!!! OMG!!!!

Life with Starlink: Inconsistent Fabulousness!
The upgrade is nothing less than spectacular!! We get download speeds as high as 100mbps or more but it's usually fluctuating between 30-70. Also, things are not perfect…we were told to expect a number of outages every day lasting from just a few seconds to as long as 15 minutes. That's proven to be true. In fact, the disconnects made it impossible to use for online gaming. However, Steve is amazing! He figured out a way to hook up our dsl lines so that if Starlink goes down, we still have connection via the dsl. It's brilliant! Basically, we will always have our sloth-like 1.5mbps as a safety net, but when Starlink is up, our connection is screaming fast!

You should have seen us last night. Cuddling in bed with Pumpkin, Steve connected our tv to Netflix and attempted something that was laughably impossible before: we streamed a television show. Without even pausing (!!!!!), the show just PLAYED! At full size, at high definition…it just WORKED! PERFECTLY!!! Like a regular TV channel…only it was a streamed show from Netflix!!! We babbled in stunned shock, "I can't believe it!" "This is amazing!" "It's actually working!" "OMG, welcome to the modern world!" "It looks so GOOD!" LOL…

Needless to say, we're deliriously happy. Also, the issues we're having with disconnects will supposedly decrease as the days pass. Apparently there's performance data being uploaded constantly with minute changes are being made at certain points. New satellites will continue to be added which will also improve consistency. And incredibly, the plans are to increase the speed as time goes on! All we know is that everything is just so much better! Hooray for Starlink!!!

Today's Picture
Back in 2016, Steve and I went to see my dad in San Francisco, and one day we went to Golden Gate Park to take pictures. I found this gorgeous Pink Beauty blossom hiding low to the ground next to a walking path that just needed to be shared! :)

I'll be continuing my trip pictures in my next upload but today I had to jump up and down about Starlink!! HOORAY!! Please be safe out there everyone! :)

Explored on 2/4/29; highest placement #3.

Welcome Back Ipernity!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 16:41:39 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

A New Year and a New Ipernity, and Oh, What a Day…

I've really missed ipernity. Even though we could comment and move our pictures around in chronological order, It just wasn't the same without being able to upload pictures. So I mostly stayed away the entire time it's been unable to update its database.

I thought I had a handle on the effects of Covid on the world. In fact, getting out to go camping for an amazing three months did wonders for both of us! But then the virus went spiraling out of control, numbers skyrocketed, people became more horrible than ever and I'm right back in the depths of a very gloomy depression.

Add to that the simply incredible US election year. I loathe politics. I detest Trump even more. To have this spoiled, uncivilized brat rousted from his undeserved seat of power was a beam of golden light. But of course it tripped his switch of complete and utter insanity, followed by unfathomable chaos and then an attempt to kick off a civil war…this could not actually be happening, right? What seemed like it must be some stupid Lifetime movie was actual reality, where people were getting killed and outrages were unfolding everywhere.

Yesterday I discovered that ipernity was back online in regards to uploading pictures and I was overjoyed to see this! But with everything going on in the news, and wrestling with my doldrums, I just couldn't get it together to upload anything.

I am posting this outrageously colorful dahlia today (photographed at San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers) to express the fireworks of joy that I'm feeling to have our ipernity back! It symbolizes the happiness I feel about today's second impeachment of the Great Embarrassment of the US, and as a shining beacon for a better, happier year ahead. The vaccines are rolling out, a new day dawns before us and things are going to get better!

WELCOME BACK IPERNITY! Here's to healing for all of us!

Explored on 1/13/21; highest placement #2.

Western Azaleas on My Morning Walk at Humbug Mountain State Park (+8 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 17:40:00 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+8 insets!)

Preparations are Afoot For Covid Trip Part 2!
Steve and I are gearing up for our next trip and everything is falling into place!

We Got Our House Sitter Again!
We were worried about getting someone to watch our house while we were away because we didn't think the fellow who usually stays here could do it. This trip doesn't have a firm "end date" so we expected that to be a really big problem. However, it turns out that since Covid's turned the world upside-down, our friend's company has changed to allow the majority of its employees to work from home. So, instead of working in town, he can stay in our house and work full time! All of us are so happy!

Projects Are Nearly Complete!
When we got home, Steve had a list of important projects that he needed to get done…and one by one he's been finishing them and ticking them off the list!

Pictures of My Morning Walk Around Humbug Mountain State Park
I'd mentioned in an earlier post that I love to immerse myself in a state park's campground by strolling around its loops every morning. The show is a highlight of each day! However, I don't take my camera because I'm out for exercise and it gets in the way of my movement. So instead, I go on my walk again later with camera in hand and slowly cruise along, snapping away at everything that caught my eye earlier. So many pretty things to see!!

My main picture shows the very last flowers of the season for the Western Azalea. How lucky I felt to get pictures before they'd petered away! When I discovered this one remaining bush that had flowers, I crossed my fingers for at least one blossom that was still in good condition--imagine my joy when I found a number of them to take pictures of! I loved the pair of flowers hanging down like pendants to create a wonderful natural floral bouquet.

Insets Include…
…a trio of perfect Western Azalea blossoms
…three pictures which show the electric-pink blossoms of the Redclaws shrub (Escallonia rubra) and also called Red Escallonia,...I initially thought these were Red Currant flowers but Ron Hanko pointed out that they couldn't be because of the blooming time and looking closer, the blossoms are all wrong. After hours of searching between us, we began to wonder if the plant wasn't native. I came up with a plant I thought might be close but Ron was the one who figured out the answer to this vexing puzzle! YAYYYYYY!!! ALL HAIL HORTICULTURIST HANKO!! :D By the way, this plant is native to Chile and Argentina and has been naturalized in many other countries. It is now considered to be invasive.
…a Himalayan Blackberry blossom and leaf
…a pair of pictures showing Cow Parsley flowers and buds..they are so delicately beautiful up close, aren't they?
…an artistic study of leading lines and texture that stars a dried blackberry cane with a blade of grass falling into bokeh and another cane in the background which softly leads the eye back to the dried cane!

Thank You and Stay Safe!
All of your visits and comments are so deeply appreciated! I hope everyone is doing well in these virus-filled days and keep your guard up! Have a lovely rest of your week and enjoy your photography if you can! <3

Explored on 8/6/20; highest placement #22.

Bumble Bees, Hoverflies and a Mama Spider, Oh My! (+6 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 17:17:44 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!)

Serenity Amidst Virus Insanity…Aren't We Lucky!
The news continues to boggle our minds but we are keeping our fingers crossed that we're able to camp as we wish! This is our third week out now and we're enjoying every precious moment!

I've changed the way I do my posts…now I am just writing whatever and whenever I like, and when it's time to post a picture, I'll grab a topic I wrote and add it to my post! This makes my uploads less of a time-intensive task and more in keeping with relaxing and not being too serious about everything. It's nice! So, here you go!

My Morning Walk
When I'm at home, I like to start my morning (after my shower, coffee, cider drink + vitamins, of course) with a 30+ minute tromp up and down our driveway. The grade is steep enough to promise good exercise and it's wonderful to listen to the birds and perhaps get the chance to watch our resident turkeys and deer wandering by.

When we're out camping though, I get the marvelous opportunity to go on a walk around the entire campground! Every one is different in appearance, size and number of areas to visit. It's such a great way to begin the day! Walking around each loop, I get to see everyone's RV (recreational vehicle) and see how they set up their individual campsite. There are plenty of traditional tent campers too and every single arrangement is interesting and fun to look at as I stroll by.

Another nice thing about visiting the whole campground is the added sense of community I get. As I make my way around, I say good morning to everyone I pass by or to whomever notices me. The cheerful exchange is so bright and happy--what's better than exchanging big smiles with others in this natural place?!

Steve and I don't have kids so, it's very interesting to see the variety of families and how they experience a vacation away from home. Sitting at picnic tables and eating meals, parents chat and cook, clean and relax. Kids play with their dogs, ride bikes around the loops and play games together. The situations are endless and such fun to take a peek at. It is so enjoyable to have these small glimpses into family life out on the road!

A couple of days ago I saw such a sweet exchange. A man was couched down in front of his beautiful liver-and-white spotted Springer Spaniel. The dog, who appeared to be glowing with health and happiness, was laying on its chest with feet out in front. The man gently hand-fed kibble from a gleaming metal bowl with such a tender look on his face, his dog taking each mouthful with great satisfaction. Unnoticed, I stood and watched with a beaming smile on my face, my hands clasped behind my back. I didn't want to disturb their dear story so after about 30 seconds I walked on, sighing happily that I got to see this love shared between two best friends.

Today's Pictures
With time to relax, I'm doing macro photography like crazy and getting so many satisfying images. I've gotten some insect pictures too, including today's bumble bee and hoverfly pictures! I'm also including a pair of pictures that show a mama spider with her babies clinging to the hairs on her back!

What a marvelous surprise that was! I'd gone on a walk down to the beach at Humbug Mountain State Park when I noticed a spider racing across the sand. I couldn't resist taking pictures when it stopped nearby, but I had no idea how special these photos would be. When I transferred my pictures over and took a closer look, I almost fell over! Why, she had babies all over her back, all clinging to her hairs like little troopers! Aren't they cute?! I must admit my great luck with these rare sights…my last inset is a picture I took last year when we were camping at Diamond Lake. I found a mama spider carrying her egg sac with her as she ran along!

Thank You All!!
You've all been so wonderful with your lavish comments, stars, and warm messages…talk about making a person feel great! *hugs all around* Here's hoping everyone is doing well and having a nice time too!

Explored on 7/16/20; highest placement #2.

Heart of a Magenta Dahlia & Checking In!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:30:29 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This stunner of a dahlia was one of the beauties that Steve and I photographed at the Dahlia exhibit in San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. We visited one day when we were staying at my dad's place and took some time for a photo break. I have another dozen pictures I've processed from that trip and I know there are probably 50-75 other pictures that I could process as well. It just blows my mind how incredibly beautiful these flowers are!

I wanted to let everyone know that Steve and I are doing just great! In fact, when Steve went to Costco a couple of weeks back, the store was almost perfectly stocked and we were able to get one huge pack of toilet paper and paper towels to top us off. We didn't need more than that but it was nice to get it. No sanitizer but we don't really need it anyway. All is well!

We're having a great time immersing ourselves in games but also, the weather is so lovely that Steve went for a bike ride yesterday and I'll follow suit today! :) I have my morning walks every day but it's nice to go out later for a change of scenery.

Oregon continues to show very low numbers compared to California to the south and Washington to the north...we are both convinced that the low number is because Oregon hasn't been testing very many people. In any event, Steve and I view the populous as infected just to be safe. Steve shops only once every two weeks or so, and is out as little as possible.

It does look like things may finally be slowing down in the rate of infections...it feels a lot more positive in the past few days to me, but maybe Spring Fever has infected me and filled me with positive vibes! In any event, I'm definitely feeling a lot better lately! Let's hope things continue improving in a upward spiral! :)

***

Pam, I picture you and your husband living in your little fortress, just like we are! I'm really glad that Corona hasn't swept over the world and taken everyone out like the media suggested it would. Bad enough that so many have died...the horror of everything that's happened is too hard to look at but let's cross our fingers that things may actually be getting better! * Thinking of you with many hugs! *

Explored on 4/15/20; highest placement #1.

Victoria's Butchart Gardens, Part 5: Begonias, Hummingbirds and More! (+10 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:46:17 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Trip Talk: We Will Need Another RV…
So Steve Went to the Largest RV Show on the West Coast!

Steve and I are serious about going on the road full-time, but what that also means is that we need a better RV (Recreational Vehicle). We've learned so much since we got our RV and a critical point is that we have a "weekender", not a "full-timer" RV. Industry companies have several tiers for each of their models and they vary DRASTICALLY in quality. The businesses themselves are also vastly different in policy, quality, and customer support. From the frame to every last detail, a trailer can be a "low price-point" build that is utter and complete garbage (not that first-time shoppers would have the slightest clue!), all the way up to substantial and extremely high quality across the board. However, RV companies are notorious about hiding bad workmanship behind the shiny exterior. It may be hard to believe but spending more money does not mean you are guaranteed a better RV. Steve and I learned that even the most luxurious RV can be a total lemon because every single RV is hand-made by an industry starved for a workforce which is ultimately a hodge-podge of labor which ranges from literally "never-held-a-hammer" to wizened professional. In other words, each trailer must be scrupulously inspected from top to bottom and anyone who plans to get an RV seriously needs to do their homework before buying. Bottom line: these companies are all about making money and most don't care if they're putting out actual road hazards as long as they make bank. Buyer beware.

This being said, we found out about a 10-day RV show here on the West Coast and thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Steve to get some serious first-hand research done. The hope was to narrow down the choices and figure out which trailer(s) would be right for us as a full-time rig. We decided it made better sense for me to stay home with Steve giving me the important details, so this past Sunday he drove down to the show and on Monday he started his research.

The California RV Show was totally overwhelming! Over 1,000 RVs of all sizes, shapes, price-points, 37 dealers selling them, and bunches of other companies selling all things RV-related. You'll want to click on the link above if you want a tiny idea of what that crazy place is like. Let's just say that Steve's eyeballs have been rolling around in his head from the enormity of it all!

Steve went with a job at hand so he didn't look at anything that didn't fit in our criteria, and even still, it took him two whole days of looking, scrutinizing, hours of talking, and figuring out what made sense for us.

However, after all those long and exhausting hours of focused energy, Steve has been successful in his research! There are a couple of different models from a pair of companies which meet our needs and now it's just going to be a matter of time. Much needs to happen before we get a different RV but finally we have a real understanding of what's out there, which companies are total crap, and which are more trustworthy than others. Even though we have plenty of RV dealers around here, it's been amazing to see, first-hand, the offerings from just about every last RV company out there.

Yesterday Steve spent his last day at the show with his sister, who just recently bought a new (used) trailer to replace her old one. They had a great time looking around and checking out all of the fun trailers and options out there. And this evening Steve will be home! Hooray! :)

Today's Pictures

The begonia in my main image was part in one of the hanging baskets that we found in the main courtyard inside Butchart Gardens. So outrageously colorful, don't you think?! I think this is called "Glowing Embers" and certainly comes by the name perfectly! Until we came to this park, I had absolutely no idea that begonias came in so many varieties! They are truly remarkable flowers. :)

Inset 1: here's another glorious banana leaf. Just can't get enough of these beauties!

Inset 2: such a lucky shot of this bee in a purple haze!

Inset 3: this is another one of the hummingbird pictures that turned out well!

Inset 4: did anyone say, "breathtaking begonias"? Sheesh…what a bunch of divas. :D

Inset 5: I'm such a sucker for pond lilies! I believe this is Nymphaea 'Andreana'

Inset 6: another jaw-dropping begonia, this time in variegated red and white!

Inset 7: this golden echinacea was just one of dozens that glowed brilliantly in the sunlight!

Inset 8: I noticed movement when I was leaning in to take a picture and look what I found! This is a Northern Alligator Lizard! :D This species is also found in Oregon but I think the only kind on our property is the Southern Alligator Lizard.

Inset 9: a single lavender blossom against the bokeh of a pair of cream-colored zinnias!

Inset 10: a small army of lemon-colored marigolds looks out on a vista of beautiful flowers as far as they can see!

Pam, have you ever been to an RV show or a really huge RV lot? They are so overwhelming! When I was a kid my grandparents would take us kids to the San Francisco Sports and Boat Show every year and I remember going into every single RV and boat, pretending that I was picking out the exact one I would have as my own. What about you? Did you do that as a kid? I have to say…it's pretty exciting when it's for real! :) It's our plan to eventually end up on your doorstep with our new on-the-road home so you can see it for yourself! :) *sending all my love*

Explored on 10/10/19; highest placement #4.

Victoria's Butchart Gardens, Part 4: Hummingbirds and More! (+10 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 17:41:57 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Where did I go? I've been busy with my metal detector!

You may have noticed that I'm not posting as often as I usually do. At one point I was posting every day when I was working on my Pictures for Pam project. Though I'm still dedicating my pictures to Pam I'm not posting every day. I'd like to but I'm just too busy with other things going on around me.

The biggest culprit is my new metal detector, a wonderful present which I got a few weeks before my birthday. With that, my attention has been pulled away while I go snooping around our property looking for treasures. I haven't found many special items but I have found a few things: my year-lost bracelet, a fancy chrome show collar for a dog, some old tools, a quarter one of us dropped in our meadow years ago, several corroded pennies and even an old rusty motorcycle chain! The majority of what I've found is metal junk: nails, screws, bolts, washers, wire, and…exploded bombs.

STOP THE BUS! WHAT-WHAT-WHAT?!! DID I SAY EXPLODED BOMBS?! YES!! I kept finding these chunks of totally corroded metal all over the place and couldn't figure out what they were. So I searched online for any information I could find. I posted a picture of the metal shards on a metal detecting forum and of all the odd luck, a fellow who lives less than two miles away replied and told me exactly what I was finding: artillery shrapnel circa 1942-5 from Camp White, which was a temporary WWII training camp. At one point there were over 50,000 soldiers there in training. The US government purchased the entire area around we live, including about 10 miles in total, which they used for training. The whole area is littered with the results of their artillery fire. A lot of what I've found is buried several inches down or deeper, and that's because when Camp White was disassembled, crews went around and turned the soil over the whole area to bury the majority of the shrapnel. Is that crazy or what?!

So anyway, my attention is severely split. I have, however, been working on my pictures and the bottomless pit of amazing images from Butchart Gardens is just unbelievable! Looks like I'll have a sixth set of images to share because I can't stop processing them!

Today's Pictures
My main picture today was a wonderful surprise! Steve and I were wandering around and suddenly I saw a hummingbird zoom in for some nectar! I believe it's a Rufous but I'm not positive. I did my best to take a bunch of pictures but I really had no idea if any would come out. SURPRISE! I have four winners to share, two of which I'm posting today and the others in my next presentations. :)

Inset 1: another winner from my hummingbird attempts!

Inset 2: a very busy bee, delirious from the amazing flowers, is an example of the vast number of happy insects there at Butcharts!

Inset 3:a gorgeous banana leaf glowing in front of translucent greenery at the Mediterranean Garden where Steve and I had our picnic!

Inset 4: this lovely hydrangea looks like a mini pink tree! Check out the shadows!! :D

Inset 5: a leaf abstract showing the glowing, translucent details of some of the foliage at the Mediterranean Garden

Inset 6: an artistic view of the whole leaf and another in its mature form…these may be two different plants though!

Inset 7: this is not your ordinary begonia! I saw this and nearly fainted! Who ever SAW such an incredible begonia?! Soon after we began walking along the first path leading into the heart of Butchart Gardens, we saw a covered area that had about a billion flowering planters hanging from the structure. This was "Begonia Bower" and I was utterly blown away by the mind-blowing collection. I didn't get a picture of the area but I found one for you to see at Butchart's Facebook page. Seriously, I could spend days taking pictures in that lovely little spot!

Inset 8: mottled magenta Lobelia (I think) with a red petunia glowing warmly in the background…this is a picture of some flowers from one of the outrageous flower baskets found everywhere in the park.

Inset 9: although this isn't the best picture, it shows one of the hanging baskets I've been telling you about. If you want to have some fun, just try counting the different flowers and decorative plants that you can see. Mind you, the other side is equally stuffed with more species! Can you even believe it? Now, consider what I've been saying…the park has literally hundreds of these hanging baskets and planters totally overflowing with these explosions of color, shape and texture! Every single one could be studied and photographed for hours. Getting an understanding of how ridiculously amazing Butchart Gardens is? Trust me, you have NO idea! :D

Inset 10: this is a stunning pond that, like the Mediterranean Garden, resides outside the main park, bordering the parking lot! It gave a tiny clue of what we were about to see inside!

Pam, what species of hummingbirds live in your area? We have quite a few species, though I think I have pictures of Rufous adults and juveniles. They are so darn cute. And each is a flying jewel which is so very special!

You've been on my mind and I hope all is as well as can be! *BIG HUGS*

Explored on 10/07/19; highest placement #2.

Victoria's Butchart Gardens, Part 3: Macro and More! (+10 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 18:30:31 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Trip Talk: Eavesdropping and Fun Conversation at Butchart Gardens

While Steve and I were enjoying our day at Butchart, I noticed a young girl concentrating on aiming her phone camera at a flower. Next to her was an older man and I heard her say, "Oh, look at this one!" The older man, I guess her grandfather, was watching with a smile on his face. "That's a beauty!" The girl replied, "Do you think mom and dad are going to be worrying about us?" Leaning into a flower for his own picture, he answered, "No, they knew what would happen if both of us went off with our cameras, there's only one Butchart Gardens!" I had to laugh as I meandered on…they got that right!

While Steve and I were stumbling around in the Sunken Garden, Steve saw a couple taking pictures of each other. Whenever he sees this, he walks right up and offers to take the couple's portrait, and this pair was very happy that he offered. Steve gave them modeling cues and made a joke to get them to laugh for their photo. I was focusing on the imageI was taking but couldn't help overhearing their snickering and the happy chatter from the couple. We wandered down the path together and talked about the park and pictures until parting company at some point. Later on we ran into them again and it was fun to say hello. What an amazing place to be.

Today's Pictures

I had a really hard time choosing which picture should be my main one--they are all such a bunch of screaming divas! I finally just closed my eyes and picked at random. It turned out to be another Candy-Striped Gazania, this one in yellow and red with a very shallow dof. The enormous patch of gazanias we found threatened to shackle me to the spot…I just couldn't get enough of these ridiculously colorful flowers! (I've included an inset of the other gazania picture I shared)

Inset 1: a pair of purple-blue Lobelia against a sea of flowers transformed into colorful bokeh

Inset 2: a brilliant orange and red Marigold in front of many others

Inset 3: a perfectly pink Impatien

Inset 4: an ornate coral and white Impatien with a group of back-up beauties

Inset 5: a hot-pink Impatien in a pack of others

Inset 6: here's a punch-drunk honey bee crawling around on Lantana…there were so many insects enjoying the bounty offered by the Garden's millions of flowers!

Inset 7: another glowing abstract of a Canna leaf

Inset 8: more lovely curls from the succulent I saw when entering the park

Inset 9: a carpet of colorful Coleus

Inset 10: a human-sized chess set! I enjoyed watching this boy heft pieces around on the board. Apparently one of the pieces wasn't there judging by the sign, "We apologize for the missing chess piece. It is currently being repaired."

Pam, have you ever tried growing flowers like gazanias? I'd like to at some point but won't bother until we can have a garden in a cooler setting and without critters I have to fight with! I hope you're having a good day. It's rainy and cold here today, not lovely like Butcharts!

Explored on 10/04/19; highest placement #11.

Pictures for Pam, Day 203: Droplet-Covered Purple Bud

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 03:11:57 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 inset!) (I've produced another War & Peace tome but I wanted to make sure I had it all written down for myself! Hopefully you'll find it interesting!)

The title of this blog could be: "Janet and Steve learn more about RV reservations and reality checks!" Heh…

Last night we started making reservations for our next adventure! My-oh-my…how quickly itineraries change the moment you try to book a spot for a favored destination!

Our PLAN was to drive from our home near Medford, Oregon, up to Sun River, Oregon, and spend 4-5 nights. Then we'd drive over to John Day Fossil Beds area for a few days. Then over to Bend, Oregon for another few days and finally down to Diamond Lake for our last destination before heading home. *insert hysterical laughter* Yeah, right.

We noticed there might be a slight problem when we couldn't even get the first place booked as we hoped. Then we found out that our second destination, John Day, doesn't even HAVE campgrounds with electricity/water hookups! Third place: nothing available in Bend. Last place: there was so much winter and spring storm damage that Diamond lake is totally shut down until they get it cleaned up! *insert more insane laughter*

Steve wondered if we'd be forced to stay home all summer but I suggested we throw our plans out the window and start over with the attitude of a dandelion seed parachute...up into the air and where we drifted, we didn't know!

We approached our next trip in a different way...which RV-camper-friendly state parks were within three hours of us and had at least three nights available? After some hunting we found one! It was actually at the original place we looked at but instead of asking for five nights, we tried for three and found a spot, hooray!

Spot number two was found at a high-desert lake campground we'd never heard of before: Cove Palisades State Park We were delighted by its beauty and unique rock formations and look forward to spending time there!

We found another place to camp a few hours away in the northwest corner of Oregon at LL Stubb State Park Yet another park we'd never heard of, we realized how little we actually know about our state parks. What we ARE learning is that our favorite camping experiences have all involved state parks so we were confident this popular park would delight us as much as the others have.

The next place we found threw us a curve ball. There were lots of days available at Detroit Lake but we couldn't go directly from LL Stubb because there was a gap of two days.

Oh those two DAYS! ARGH!! They cost us hours of frustration and fruitless searching. Our nerves frayed but held as we worked together on this challenge. We wondered why that particular weekend was such a problem. I finally figured it out. The last day of school for K-12 would be the previous Friday. Logic shakes it out: that weekend and the following week would be when parents got ready for their summer get-aways with the kids, who would be out of school and available to help get ready too. The crazy weekend we couldn't find any lodging was likely booked up many months ago by wise and experienced parents who knew the drill, unlike us newbies! Oh well, live and learn.

With that in mind we looked for lodging outside state parks and finally found two nights at a place near Tillamook, which is actually on the coast! Only an hour's drive from our last destination, we were happy to learn about all of the wonderful hiking and biking available there...and I discovered a CHEESERY there too! Oooooo...we'll definitely be picking up some specialty brie from Blue Heron during our stay! HUZZAH!

A bit more than two hour's drive will take us to Detroit Lake State Park for our last stay and it promises to be a very nice place to spend a few days. We might even try out fishing! :)

Finally we'll drive south and spend a night at the first campground of our trip so we don't have to drive five hours to get home. Driving a 52-foot truck and trailer is not the most relaxing pastime and even though Steve is more and more comfortable driving our rig, it's still a serious responsibility. It's stressful, no two ways about it, and that includes being a passenger. We're relaxed about it but driving days are exhausting. We don't like to drive more than three hours if we can help it. As expected, it's easier to go longer distances as time goes by, and we'll need to get used to that, especially if we want to travel beyond Oregon!

We ended up spending hours last night working on our travel plans and today we were finally finished at about 3pm after beginning at about 9:30! It's a LOT of work to plan a trip!! After we finished, Steve opted for a cup of coffee and I dove into bed for a nap! We're so happy our next trip is planned, but we also know that if we want to try to avoid the problems we ran into, we'll need to begin our trip after this one sooner rather than later! SHEESH!

With all my time taken up with our travel plans, house work and so forth, I haven't had time to process any new pictures but happily I have a bunch that are already done so I'll pick a few to share!

Today's main picture is a droplet-covered flower bud I found in the meadow outside our RV when we stayed at the campground near Jedediah Smith State Park. There were so many lovely flowers that I took pictures until the rain forced me inside. The shocking truth is that the very next day they mowed down the entire meadow. Every flower that I photographed there was destroyed, including this one. So I'm very happy to share this picture because at least this beauty will live forever in an image. :)

I'm also sharing a picture I took of a wild Azalea I saw at Stout Grove. It was amazing to see these flowers everywhere. In fact, there were wild Azaleas and Rhododendrons all up and down the coast that we couldn't help seeing as we drove. Plenty were planted in gardens but we saw many thousands of wild ones too. What a treat.

Pam, I hope that all is well where you live...I've been reading about the crazy tornadoes in your neck of the woods and I hope that you and folks you know around there are all escaping the damage. Oh, and thank you for the lovely comments...I'm not at all surprised to learn that your caravans needed work too. It's a common theme, but I'm glad you guys were able to get yours ship-shape too! *BIG HUGS*

Explored on 5/31/19; highest placement, #3.

Pictures for Pam, Day 190: SSC: Selective Color

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 19 May 2019 02:32:33 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 inset) (please view large for the pretty details/!)

(By the way, I'm away on my trip, posting a picture every day but I don't have much time to comment...thank you so much for your visits, comments and stars, and also for understanding that I don't have the time I usually do to give you the attention you deserve in return!)

Boy, it's been a busy couple of days! We've really been enjoying ourselves but it's kept me off the computer and away from working on my writing and photo processing. I will need to figure out how to balance that too, but for now I'm doing my best!

Yesterday after lunch, Steve and I grabbed our rain gear along with our cameras and headed over to Stout Grove in our truck, leaving the RV at the campsite This remarkable and famous redwood forest sits inside the protective borders of Jedediah Smith State Park. We couldn't wait to see it!

The rain was coming down but we hoped for the best. The short drive was accented by unbelievable masses of glowing ferns which were seemingly growing everywhere. As stunning as they were, have you ever seen wild azaleas and rhododendrons in full bloom? I haven't. It was incredible! We couldn't miss the flashes of magenta and purple of these leggy bushes and small trees which peeked out from behind the towering and majestic redwood trees which ruled this place. What a show.

Stout Grove sits at the end of a pothole-filled dirt road and we made our way carefully to the trail head and found plenty of parking. We were happy to learn that there weren't many other people brave enough to deal with the inclement weather. Those we met were warm and wonderful people with joyful smiles and glowing spirits. It was nice to share this place with other nature lovers like us.

As we took off down the trail we protected our cameras as best we could from the droplets coming down, but as we walked, the rain slacked off and within 15 minutes, it stopped altogether, almost as if it were planned that way! HUZZAH!

I went crazy with fern photography. Steve was using the Sony and having fun with that, and after a while we traded cameras and I got some nice pictures of the trees. Heh, a 100mm macro lens really can't take a picture of a towering redwood...unless it's just a tiny bit of it! :D I know I could have brought some other lenses but that's why I had the Sony. At a few points I was carrying BOTH cameras, *shakes head*...I think I may be certifiable! :D

Our visit was just fantastic and after we felt we'd seen enough, we headed back to the car. Once we were tucked in, it began to pour again! What are the odds?! :) (I apologize for not including pictures of the redwoods and the ferns but I just don't have time right now, *cry*...I'll be posting plenty of pictures once I'm home and have time to go through them!)

After we got back and had dinner, we pulled out a game that Steve's sister sent to us, "Qwirkle". What a fun game! Easy and yet full of strategy, we had a really good time and look forward to playing more games in the future.

---------------------

This morning we got everything tucked away and headed out by 10:30, heading out to the coast and then north for a couple of hours to our next campsite on Coos Bay! It rained the entire time we were driving but it was such a lovely drive! Views of the ocean and enormous boulders with waves crashing against them...it was very amazing to see. The lush green of the forests and farmland was a beautiful contrast as we rode along.

Once we pulled into our campsite both of us assumed our various roles. It wasn't long before we got everything in proper order, we're really getting used to how to most efficiently get our RV set up. Steve took Molly out to use the bathroom and soon came back to tell me that I just had to come out to see the beach! It was a mere TWO MINUTES WALK from our RV!!

The rain, once again, STOPPED when we left to go to the beach! Our luck is incredible...it keeps happening!!

The beach. Holy cow. It's just lovely here. Either direction is marvelous. Tide pools one way, miles of beach the other. Tomorrow we'll ride our bikes along the water's edge. I hope to creep around the tide pools and get some cool shots of anemones, crabs, barnacles and other wonderful subjects. Won't it be nice to just relax and enjoy this place that we don't have to drive out to?! We are so happy...this is our favorite campsite this trip, and exactly what we hoped for!

Ok, I really have to stop my blabbing! :D

It's SATURDAY SELF CHALLENGE! Today's theme is Selective Color, so I picked one of the gorgeous little flowers I found at Stout Grove, kept the flower in color and removed the color in the background. I've also included one view of the jaw-dropping beach that's just a short walk from our RV!

Pam, I loved your note about Cannon Beach. Unfortunately it's too far north for this trip but it's on our Bucket List so we'll definitely be visiting at some point down the road. No worries though, there is beauty-galore here that we will show you! :) Steve and I are sending hugs your way!

Explored on 5/18/19; highest placement #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 187: Droplets on Strawberry Blossom Next to Our RV!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 16 May 2019 03:38:33 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets)

Steve and I are officially on our next RV adventure! We left at about 11:30 this morning and drove from our home in southern Oregon west and south into the top of California. Our destination, which was about 2.75 hours away, took us to a campground about half a mile away from a gorgeous redwood park called Jedediah Smith State Park. The drive was lovely, meandering through forests and little towns, often with rushing creeks and rivers in view.

Our campsite is very nice but nothing like our last one, which was a slice of heaven. This place is very pretty but the sites are close together and though there are trees and lots of grass and flowers everywhere, it's not a postcard-pretty place. I'll get a picture of our truck and RV in place at some point but didn't bother today.

Unlike our last campground though, we have full hookups and super internet too! So, no fancy views but we can do stuff online if we want to which is very nice.

Did I mention that it's raining? And that the forecast is for rain nearly every single day for the next week?! Say it ain't so? NO, actually! I'm happy to say that neither of us cares but the funny thing is that it was warm and sunny everywhere until TODAY. I found out a few days ago that the warm, sunny spring we were having would be ending just as we were supposed to leave on our trip. I was a bit worried that Steve would be unhappy, but instead he said, "Would you rather be stuck inside at home in the rain or would you like to be inside our RV somewhere wonderful in the rain?" YAY!! That's the right attitude!

So we're fully prepared to deal with inclement weather and that's just fine. It will mean droplets and fog and mist and all kinds of wonderful conditions that I adore photographing! We have games to play if we want and of course I will be working on my pictures, writing, reading, and if possible, visiting folks on ipernity too. It will be just fine!

Once we got ourselves set up it was time for dinner, which meant lovely steaks, sauteed-carmelized veggies and potato salad made with cauliflower instead of potatoes...SO DELICOUS!! Desert was mini key lime cheesecakes that we made last night for the trip...soooooo goooooood!!

After dinner I popped out with my camera and got lots of pictures of flowers and droplets on everything! What fun. I spent about fifteen minutes wandering around until the rain finally forced me back into the RV but I was pretty confident I had some winners to post...and I did!

The main picture today is a strawberry blossom bristling with droplets. There is a large meadow next to our RV that was filled with so many pretty flowers including lots of wild strawberries!

I have two insets as well: one of them is a wonderfully disheveled daisy that I nearly made my main picture because it's such fun. I really have been having some great luck with daisies on our trips. They are really wonderful subjects, aren't they? My other inset features droplets on a redwood sapling. I love the shape of the droplets, they remind me of crystal balls!

Pam, Steve and I had a nice time talking about you at one point along our drive. We hope that you are doing well and Steve sends his love and warm wishes! *BIG HUGS* from our new campsite! Stay tuned for new fun pictures in the coming days! :)

Explored on 5/16/19; highest placement #3.

Pictures for Pam, Day 162: SSC: Backlit Mariposa Lily

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 00:29:41 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+4 insets)

ACK! Double ACK! I was finishing up a special post for today when I remembered that it was SATURDAY! ACK-ACK!! It's Saturday Self-Challenge and I totally forgot!! *shakes head* I read about the topic a few days ago, "backlit", and because that's a common type of picture I take, I promptly forgot all about it until now. (I'll post my intended picture tomorrow!) :)

The only pictures that might have worked that I'd taken this week were from last Saturday and well, that's kind of too old. So I needed to rush out and take some pictures now…and it was 3:30 when I stepped outside…and now it's 4:30! (I finished this post and made it public at 5:40!)

Did I mention that there is an actual wind-storm going on outside? It's whistling through the roof and shaking the windows. In other words, it's not a good time to be outside.

By the way, have you ever tried to take pictures of flowers when there's a breeze, let alone strong wind? I began cackling like a mad woman and pulling my hair out.

But I had to try. Fact is, if I was unsuccessful, I'd be able to get something inside but well…a challenge…gotta do my best, right?!

I only looked at my pictures after I typed the text above, so I'm adding this after I've processed the pictures I'm posting today. Can you say AMAZED? I simply do not know how I was able to get a single passable picture…but somehow I managed! I did try to go to spots where the wind wasn't blowing so much but there was nowhere to escape the gusts! I was literally laughing at the ludicrous impossibility of it all. I thought I'd have to cheat and use an older picture.

I guess not. :)

The main picture today has turned out to be one of the best images I've ever taken of a Mariposa Lily. These treasures grow all over our property and I adore their alien-like hairy petals and soft pink colors. What I love about this picture is that you can see the hairs shadowed on the petal! It's really neat. (you'll also find an archive inset which shows this lovely flower from above so you can see how amazing it looks from that angle!)

The first of the two insets is a picture of a lovely little flower called a Goldfield. Well named, they grow in massive carpets and are found where it's very soggy. They are in full bloom now, but what a challenge to find one tall enough that I could get a picture from down low! Can't believe this picture turned out!!

The second inset is a Common Brodiaea, and it also grows in profusion around our property. They are just starting to bloom now and I figured they would be a super choice for a backlit subject. Except. They grow on tall, flexible stems and you would have cackled right along with me to see them whipping back and forth in the wind. "YEAH, RIGHT!" was my mumbled comment as I tried to get a picture when the wind wasn't blowing. How I got this picture…I do not know!!

My last inset is just to show you the sort of result that I was getting with that crazy wind! :D It's howling now…and I'm giggling back at it! I WIN, you confounded windstorm! :D

Pam, I searched for "wind" and discovered the perfect picture! I landed on your Windflower collage and what do you know? They are incredibly beautiful in stunning back lighting!! HOORAY!! Really stunning flowers, Pam, it's obvious that you revere these gorgeous blossoms…as you should. They are amazing. Thank you for sharing them with us so perfectly. What an awesome display. :) I hope that you are doing well today my dear! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon!

Explored on 4/21/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 158: Pink-Tipped Daisy

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 02:27:54 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 inset) (looks extra special enlarged)

Once again I'm very late with my picture and post! Steve and I were out on many errands today and didn't get home until after 6 so I'm going to have to make this short…

While we drove around, we got to enjoy a typical spring day in southern Oregon. The weather that ranged from overcast to rainy to a bright sunny day with blue skies filled with fluffy clouds. It's so green and lovely now with flowers popping up everywhere. Such a delight.

I got a couple of pictures processed from our adventure to Jacksonville and thought they would be perfect for tonight's post.

Jacksonville has a large public garden that I visited, and though it was pretty sparse in terms of flowers, they had an enormous lawn that was dotted with the prettiest daisies I'd ever seen! I had a wonderful time taking pictures and the main image turned out just as I'd hoped! I rarely see daisies adorned with pink-tipped petals but there were lots of them everywhere in the grass so I went crazy with pictures! As I wandered around I found a little wasp on one of them and I managed to get a good picture of it too! (I'm also sharing a panorama showing the sort of lovely day it was today!)

(I also got lots of flowering tree blossoms while I was there, and a bunch of others too, I hope I'll get to post them at some point!)

Pam, I looked for a picture of a daisy...noop! I looked for another wasp picture other than the one I'd already featured...only hive pictures and they are too scary and creepy! So I did a search for "bee" and pounced on this lovely image of a bee on a moonflower at dusk. Perfect! Your main image is fantastic, as were the insets you also included. It's so nice when we provide a wonderful source of nectar for them...when I had my poppy garden it was the most popular place for a mile around I think...I could hear the buzz of bees from a long distance and they were all over the flowers and yet, so docile that I could move among them in complete harmony. Wonderful memories, thank you for that! Well, here's another wish that your day went well! More *hugs* for you!

Explored on 4/17/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 156: Henbit Deadnettle Drizzled with Droplets

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 01:36:13 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+ 3 insets!) (please view large for more droplety goodness!)

Steve drove his sister to the airport this afternoon and what happened to me? I found myself making a beeline for my bed! I couldn't believe how tired I was! Isn't that interesting how exhausting company can be? We all had a very nice time though, and Steve got to spend lots of quality time with his sister and that was really great.

I was so befuddled this morning that I thought it was Monday! I hadn't taken my photos for Macro Monday yet so I grabbed some knives--the subject this week--and took a bunch of pictures. I really didn't think I'd have anything worthy because I was pretty low-energy but it looks like I'll have a few nice images to post tomorrow! Hooray!

I was hoping to process a few pictures from yesterday's adventure to the Pear Blossom parade, street fair, and especially of Jacksonville but I clearly need some recovery time. Instead I'm going to post something else from my bloated folder of finished pictures. Let me see what looks good! *peeks into my archived pictures* Oh, perfect!!

The other morning I went out to take some pictures after a long night of rain. I'd seen some mushrooms on my walk that I couldn't resist and grabbed my camera when I got back. However, as I turned to head down the drive, a tiny flash of purple caught my eye and I remembered what I had noticed. The afternoon before I saw a Henbit Deadnettle plant with buds just about to open and made a mental note to come back with my camera the next day. And there we were!

I had no idea how fabulous these little 1/3" flowers would look drizzled with raindrops! What a sight! I'm sharing another picture I took as an inset and also a pair of other pictures I took from a few years back. To me they look like miniature orchids with their juicy color and spots. :)

Pam, I looked to see if you had any Henbit or Purple Deadnettle flowers but I didn't find any. However, I did find a gorgeous little flower that will do just fine, your lovely Prairie Violet. Such a beautiful little blossom! We don't have anything like that here but I've seen similar flowers growing elsewhere in southern Oregon's wilds. Makes me wonder if I have any good pictures to process so I can show you. Happily I remember exactly where I found them. Hmmm...I'll have to look and see. Sending much love and hugs your way, ma'am! *big hugs*

Explored on 4/15/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 152: Mule Ears

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 01:51:49 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+7 insets!)

This morning when I got up I was amazed to find that it wasn’t raining! For the past couple of weeks we’ve had so much rain that the nearby Rogue River has flooded in some places. Thankfully we are on high ground but that gives you an idea of how much water we’ve been getting in this area. We’ll have a respite until this evening and then the faucet will turn on again for another week. I have to say that it’s really nice to have a normal spring. It’s supposed to be like this instead of the years of drought that plagued us.

The poison oak rash that I got from my trek up the hill the other day is finally starting to calm down. However, I was exasperated to discover a patch on one of my knees! Is there no escape from this wretched stuff?! I forgot to bring my knee pads when I went up on the hill and I must have knelt on some poison oak, crushing it enough that the oil soaked through my pants and onto my knee. Ridiculous!

Poison oak is bad but there is something here which is much more dangerous: ticks that carry Lyme disease. In fact, the previous owner was bitten by a tick here and he contracted this awful malady. It's no laughing matter.

That's why, when I got back from my sojourn up the hillside, I entered the kitchen where Steve was starting our lunch and proceeded to fling my clothes everywhere! Once I was in the altogether, I turned slowly so Steve could check for ticks. After all, I knew better than to chance it. I'd been basically rolling around in the bushes, laying on the ground and brushing against all types of vegetation. The odds of having a tick on me were about as 100% as possible. And yep…GIVE THAT GIRL A KEWPIE DOLL. A disgusting, nasty, creepy tick was spotted on my calf and already trying to take hold, the confounded stinker! Steve yanked it off me and washed it down the sink while I ran upstairs to toss all my clothes in the hamper. They would be certainly covered with poison oak oils from the rampant budding growth all over the hillside.

Later that day I went to wash something in the kitchen sink and what did I find waving it's graspy-grippy legs at me with the hopes to continue its attempt to suck my blood? That icky thing had crawled all the way up out of the drain and up the side of the sink as if drowning in scalding water was nothing! Glaring at the nasty creature, I grabbed it and seethed, "Oh, so you want to play the Flat Game then? Ok, let's go!" Squishing it between thumbnail and the counter, the tick was soon two-dimensional and moved no more. "I win." This time when I washed it down the drain it STAYED. Foul creature.

And now, something beautiful! Today I'm featuring the gorgeous Mule Ear flower! This stunning perennial fills large areas of our hillside with thick clumps of 4-7" blossoms which rise out of large, fuzzy green leaves that are reminiscent of its namesake, a mule's ears. I was overjoyed to see that after the wildfire razed our hillside, these flowers have come back more plentiful than ever. They love direct sunlight so without the trees and bushes obscuring the sun, they have really taken off, hooray! I couldn't be happier with Mother Nature's excellent choice in landscaping. :) Along with the main image, I'm sharing three others as insets plus a bunch of archive images from the past. Aren't they just glorious?! I hope you enjoy the show.

My dear Pam, don't these flowers look a lot like your False Sunnies? What better, then, to look for than our favorite happy-go-lucky golden blossom?! I decided on one that is adorned with a Monarch feasting on its nectar! Such a perfect pair. Both so lovely. I envy you so much for getting pictures of these butterflies. I've only seen them laughing at me as they fly around me blowing raspberries before flying away. Rude. Well, some day I hope to add one to my collection of wild-caught butterfly images! (Yes, I do have some really nice pictures of them, but taking pictures of butterflies in a captive exhibit is not the same as being outside and getting a hot shot like you've gotten!) ALL MY BEST!! MANY HUGS!!!

Explored on 4/11/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 151: Henderson's Fawn Lilly

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 02:19:00 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+9 insets!)

I've been having a lot of fun working on the pictures I took up on our hillside the other day. When I went up there, the one reason that got me to make the trek was the hope to find Henderson's Fawn Lilies. As I had mentioned, these outrageous beauties are fairly small and feature blossoms that are about three inches at their widest point. Their petals range in color from nearly white with just a hint of lavender to a rich, shaded purple. Every one has its own unique appearance because the flowers open with the petals sweeping up and back. They are one of the most elegant wildflowers I've ever photographed and it will always amaze me that they grow in profusion on our property!

The challenging aspect of this flower is that they like to grow very low to the ground with their gorgeous faces positioned downwards. If you hope to do this flower justice, you must take your pictures from ground level so you can aim up and capture their breathtaking countenance.

This is when an avid fan must flop on the ground, contort in strange shapes and occasionally appear to be balancing on one's head to get a good shot. I'm used to these shenanigans of course, but this flower really makes me work for nice angles!

My hillside photography had me rolling around in the plants and twisting in strange shapes to get my pictures. And, when I'm focused on my photography I'm not paying attention to things that I ought to. Like poison oak, for instance. Did you know that our hillside is infested with this stuff? Right now it's exploding into growth and every one of the vine-like canes is covered with urushiol oil—that's the stuff that causes us to break out in a rash if we come into contact with it. At one point something brushed my eyelid and drew along the crease before I could pull away. I looked to see what it was. How nice...a poison oak cane. I rubbed my eyelid with a wet finger and promptly got back to my photography.

When I got back to the house I wisely changed my clothes, treating them as if they were radioactive. I was sure they were covered in poison oak oil but didn't think any of it had touched my skin. Well, other than my eyelid...and anyway, I rubbed it off, right? Yeah. That's right. NOT. At about 2am the next night I was awakened to itching. My eyelid was so ITCHY! In a sleepy stupor I wondered what that was all about. And lots of spots on my left hand were itchy too. As a professional recipient of poison oak over the years it didn't take long to sink in. Oh no. Poison oak.

Looking in the mirror, I could see that my eyelid was swollen and my hand was covered in welts. *whimper* I got a wet paper towel, heated it in the microwave and gently pressed it on my itchy spots. The heat releases the antihistamines that cause the itching and instantly stop the maddening urge to scratch off your skin all the way to the bone. Ahhhh...the moist heat gave me immediate relief and I went back to bed.

So, I did pay a price to get my pictures but I am fine with it. The rash will go away in a week or so and all will be well!

Today's main image appears to be a windswept model, her tresses blowing in the gale! Isn't she magnificent? The first two insets were also taken on the hillside the other day and give you other views of the colors and petal arrangements. The nearly white one I call my Cinderella...she looks ready for a ball, dressed in her finest!

I have also included lots of others that I captured in years past. I hope you enjoy them and can see why I am so very enchanted by this stunning flower!

Pam, I did a search for "lily" on your photo stream and found many pictures of the incredible orange day lilies that grow so nicely for you. I picked your Orange Day Lily as my choice today...what rich, gorgeous orange tones they have. Your picture is just perfect and does that flower proud! Thank you for sharing it with us, I adore lilies of all kinds and these are really lovely. Sending big hugs from southern Oregon!!

Explored on 4/10/19, highest placement, #3.

Pictures for Pam, Day 149: Scarlet Fritillary Blossom

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 01:13:21 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!)

My goodness but the trees were brimming with singing birdies this morning! Twitter, tweet, beep, cheep, peep, trill, call! And in the distance, HONK-HONKs from Canada Geese and CAW-CAW from crows and ravens, and the cry of Red-Tailed Hawks were heard over the hills. My my. All was covered with raindrops from last night and dew coated everything else. The air wasn't too cold and overhead the storm clouds were drifting in diaphanous wisps towards us. It will rain soon but I got my walk in before the drops began to fall.

Yesterday I mentioned that I made some wonderful discoveries up on the hillside…and indeed I did! But first, a short story…

All the way back in March of 2012, I was exploring our ridgeline for flowers and plants that don't grow in our meadows or lower forest. I found it fascinating to discover that our 26 acres had a microcosm of its own. Our hill rises steeply to the ridge and the difference in elevation between the land down by the front gate and at the top of the ridge is quite a lot, and it's enough that some plants are found in only some places.

As I walked along, I noticed an unusual stalk of flower buds growing at the side of the trail. I kept an eye on them over the next couple of weeks and took pictures when it appeared they would be opening soon. Late one afternoon I saw that finally it was about ready and one petal had curled back. Enough to confirm that it was a Scarlet Fritillary! I was so excited but I'd have to wait until the next day before it was completely open.

The next morning I fairly raced up the hill and arrived at...the place the flower USED to be. *sagging shoulders* Something had come by and eaten the whole plant, leaves and all. I was so disappointed. Every year after that I checked to see if another flower had popped up but no, I didn't find any more. Sad Janet is sad.

Wind the clock forward to yesterday...

I went up the hill on my search for trees that might work for the Saturday Self-Challenge. I won't lie. I really wasn't in the mood to climb up there. However, I knew it would be a good idea to see how the hillside was recovering from the wildfire that swept up our hill a couple of years ago. Were there flowers everywhere? I convinced myself to go and up I went.

Immediately I was rewarded by flowers everywhere! The hillside was dotted with purple from Henderson's Shooting Stars. Then I saw a flash of yellow. "OH!!" I exclaimed. "MULE EARS!!" The outrageous golden blossoms which look like miniature sunflowers were growing in thick clumps all over the place...WHAT A SHOW! They are so stunning and I lost myself taking pictures of these showy flowers. (Sorry, no pictures to show today! They want their own spotlight!)

Then I began hunting for Henderson's Fawn Lillies, our most elegant blossoms and a most treasured flower to me. Small and growing low to the ground, these pastel lavender flowers will stop your heart with their incredible beauty. Scanning as I climbed, I suddenly burst out with, "THERE!" I spotted one nestled in some grass...and then another! Here and there, as I rose to the top of the hill, I found lots of the little Cinderellas and did my best contortions to get images from down low so their lovely faces could be seen. How lucky we are to have such a breathtaking flower growing wild here! (Sorry, no pictures of them today either! They refuse to leave the dressing room unless they get first billing!)

At the top of the hill I stared up at the dead trunk and branches of my majestic Madrone friend and then back down at the incredible vibrant growth—much taller than me now—circling its base. This tree had burned in our wildfire and broke my heart because I thought it had died. It had not. Seeing it recovering and growing larger each season eases my pain of its loss and instead fills me with joy to see it doing so well.

Skirting the Madrone, a flash of red just a few feet away stopped me in my tracks.

I screamed in excitement, "A SCARLET FRITILLARY!!!" I could hardly believe my eyes. Two buds, just about to open! I looked past them and...AN OPEN ONE WITH A BUD! And...ANOTHER FLOWER AND BUD!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I was so excited I hardly knew what to do with myself. Oh yeah...TAKE PICTURES!!!! I forgot about trees. I forgot about the Madrone. I forgot about the recovering hillside and I forgot about the fire. All I saw were those amazing flowers. They are so incredible!!

At some point I was satisfied and decided to walk over to one of the fence lines and then take some pictures of trees on the way back. I kept my eyes open for more Fritillaries and I found three more! In fact, my main picture is one of them and the insets feature the others! (I would discover later that all of the flowers near the Madrone had been damaged by insects. The flowers I'm sharing today were all perfect!

I hope you enjoy my triumphant finds—I'm so delighted that I found them! In fact, I feel like these special flowers were a reward for going up on the hill when I wasn't in the mood. And for that matter, the entire floral show was such a great experience for me...I'm happy that I made the effort and listened to the voice in my head that told me I really did need to go up there. :)

Pamy, since these flowers are so red and lovely, I did a search on your stream for "Red" and found your gorgeous Amaryllis Collage! Oh my, aren't they just incredible!! Your pictures are fantastic and perfect, how wonderful that you had a plant for the holidays! I am hoping that you are doing well on this very rainy day! I'm thinking of you and wish that we could have been there together to discover those lovely flowers together! *BIG HUGS*

Explored on 4/8/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 142: Silky Pink Impatiens

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 01:09:13 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(Please forgive my lack of commenting, I'm so very sorry...getting our RV ready is eating my day! I'm missing you guys and your pictures and hope to get back to saying hello as soon as I can!)

We did it! We spent the night in our RV trailer last night!

If you may have remembered from yesterday's report, we were pretending that we drove our truck and trailer during the day and would arrive before dinner time. In actuality, Steve and I were bringing things over to the RV that we'd need for our overnight stay but also thinking about items that should stay permanently. It was an interesting process. Lots to do!

Our first test was dinner. Starting out in Easy Mode, we brought left-overs to heat up. We wanted to test the microwave to compare its power and speed. Result: it's much less powerful and thus, takes longer to heat up our food but in the end did a fine job. Steve and I beamed at one another over our melt-in-your-mouth tri-tip steak drizzled with buttery steak gravy along with sautéed mushrooms and broccoli. Delicious! Romantic! Fabulous!

We were so happy with our trailer and talked about how homey and comfortable it is. With so much space inside, we could really see ourselves being anywhere for a long while without feeling cramped. Both of us wondered why we ever thought we'd need something larger. Perhaps if living on the road fulltime it might be an issue but we feel very confident that this trailer is plenty large for our upcoming adventures.

A pretend evening stroll was actually spent in our house but we returned after it got dark. Steve had forgotten about turning on the hot water and the manual didn't explain where the switches were. The online manual didn't help either. Instead of banging his head over something that should be simple, we decided to forego our planned showers in the morning and try again on our next sleepover…which is probably going to be tonight.

In the meantime, we gathered up Pumpkin and brought her over in her travel cage. The decision was made to leave Molly at the house because it was just one too many things to deal with and we were exhausted, being a couple of hours later than we'd planned. Pumpkin was curious and anxious about the trailer but eventually relaxed in the new environment. She really is an amazing bird...it's not terribly common that parrots adjust so well to new places. How lucky we are! :)

Cuddling up in bed, we watched some travel YouTubes to feed our wanderlust until Pumpkin had finished cleaning her feathers and settled down for the night. Then we carried her over to her sleeping tent, and in she went like a happy little trooper, peeping goodnight to each of us as we covered her cage with towels both for warmth and to keep bright morning light out.

Our sleeping arrangements are different than some folks. Since Steve snores and I'm a very light sleeper I am known to unknowingly elbow him to the point of bruises (*gasp*). So to get a good night's sleep we prefer to sleep in separate bedrooms. This RV has a master bedroom and bunk beds (a "bunkhouse") in the rear. To be perfectly honest I am totally in love with my "squirrel nest" in the back! It's perfectly cozy and wonderful--and roomy enough that we'll be able to put a shelf on one side for a clock and books, etc. I have to admit that my inner child is bouncing around in ecstatic joy because it's exactly like a little clubhouse just for me! :) SCORE!! :D

Both of us slept great! We were really happy and loved our beds. HUZZAH!
We're planning to sleep in the RV tonight and will continue working
out issues as they come up. We are hoping to go on our first real trip in about 3 weeks, hooray! :)

Today I'm posting a picture I took when Steve and I went down to San Francisco to visit my dad and walked through Golden Gate Park on our way over to the Conservatory of Flowers where we were utterly consumed by the incredible dahlia exhibit. Just one picture today but I hope you like it!

Pam, I decided to just look for whatever I liked first in your photo stream and descended on your White Lined Sphinx Moth presentation. Wow. How lucky you were to get pictures of one of these amazing moths! They are so HUGE and beautiful! Hopefully your day went well my dear! I am thinking of you all the time! *MANY HUGS*!!!

Explored on 4/1/19, highest placement, #5.