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

Bike Path at Joseph Stewart State Park (+many insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 17:24:34 +0000

(+many insets!)

Steve and I weren't looking forward to it but the morning finally came after ten glorious days at LaPine when we packed up and moved on. I soaked up every sight and sound on my walk that morning, oh, how I love that beautiful park!

We couldn't go directly to our final campground and instead drove less than two hours south to the privately owned Crater Lake Resort. What a pleasant surprise! It was very spacious for a owner-run park and the park was filled with trees--not at all like the usual parking lot that we usually see at these places. But it gets even better!

Right on the Rogue River Trail!
There is a connecting trail from the park that leads to the Rogue River Trail, which is a 37.5-mile trek which is very popular with backpackers and hikers alike. Steve and I have been on sections of this trail through the years and it's a total winner, so I was totally delighted to discover that our campground was virtually right on top of it! (By the way, I found a really neat pdf that shows the trail and all the highlights along the way. I also found a page that talks about the trail and has some nice pictures as well.) The afternoon we arrived, Steve and I enjoyed an hour's walk along the river and though we were sad that we were only able to stay here for a single night here, we were really happy we got to walk along the Rogue on a travel day!

Before we left the next morning, I spent a lovely hour speeding at a fast clip along the trail so I could see more than I did the afternoon before. I had time for a few pictures too and have included the ones I processed as insets.

Wonderful Joseph Stewart State Park
The distance from Crater Lake RV Resort and Joseph Stewart is literally twenty minutes so we were parked and set up in no time!

This park holds a warm place in our hearts. Located a mere 45 minutes from our home, it's the second place we went to when we first started our RV adventures back in 2019! We've been all over Oregon since, and to Canada's Vancouver Island too! When we got our current trailer (our second), we took it to Joseph Stewart for a 3-day stay to test out our new rig in a campground setting. In both cases we'd only gotten to stay for two or three days so having five nights/six days was a real treat. All of the campground loops are huge and spacious and there are enormous meadows everywhere, dotted with conifers and maple trees. We love the wonderful bike path which goes around a deep forest loop and--if you've got the energy for the return trip--down a long, lovely path to the boat launch and day-use picnic ground. There is a marvelous trail that overlooks Lost Creek Lake too, and strolling around the campground loops is fun as well. It's just a super place!

The bummer was that on the day we arrived, a heat wave descended on the west coast. The temperature soared to well over 100 degrees and we were stuck inside during the day where we could keep cool. I got my morning bike ride and walk in as early as possible and still, by 8:30am it was already heading to 80 degrees! UGH!

Today's Picture
My main picture today shows the gorgeous, huge meadow next to the bike path with a lovely group of oak and maple trees that tower above.

Today's Insets
I'm sharing a pair from my walk on the Rogue River Trail that include one from the trail and a pair of images of some of the pretty foliage I found.

From Joseph Stewart I'm sharing a very wide pano of the lake and some of the beautiful things I saw on my walks!

I hope everyone is doing ok! It's very smoky here from wildfires in the area and hot too. Ugh! But we're off on our trip very soon now, just buttoning up last things and getting our live-in buddy moved back in again while we're away!

Explored on 7/13/21; highest placement #8.

The Cove Palisades and Lake Billy Chinook Panorama (+4 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 16:08:38 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+4 insets) (please view large--the main image is really incredible!)

An Update, Finally! And It's a War & Peace Doorstop…Big Surprise! :D
My apologies for the long absence! The last couple of places we stayed had very little or zero internet so posting wasn't really an option. Steve and I got home from the first part of our trip last week and are working on some upgrades and so forth before we head out again.

Let's See Now…Where Were We When I Last Left Off?!
Oh yes…Silver Falls…what a place! So much to love and somethings not so nice but not enough that we wouldn't want to spent a lot more time there! After Silver Falls we headed out to a place we'd visited a couple of seasons before, The Cove Palisades State Park, on lovely Billy Chinook Lake. We weren't able to get a reservation for the first night after Silver Falls and stayed at a place called Deschutes Expo RV Campground for one night. It turned out to be really nice even though it was essentially a parking lot. Neat and tidy with plenty of room for our rig, Steve and really enjoyed walking around and checking out all of the RVs and motor homes docked there with us. Maybe it was the ease of parking and long spaces available, but that place attracted the largest concentration of fancy rigs and motorhomes that we'd ever encountered outside of an RV showroom. Walking around and gawking in exclamation, it was a surprise to see some truly high-falutin' rigs there, with dozens of gleaming motorhomes that easily cost $200 and even $300k+. There were some very opulent 5th wheel trailers there too, which had to cost $100k or more. WOW! We felt bad for the older camper vans and bumper-pull trailers we saw here and there…they must have wanted to disappear into the woodwork.

After a night there at Deschutes, we were quickly on our way since we barely set anything up for the overnight stay. Then it was just short drive before we were winding our way down into the amazing and picturesque canyon that led to our campground, oh boy!

Gorgeous Lake Billy Chinook, Where Desert Canyon and Water Collide!
This state park is located in a very hot and dry area of Oregon, hidden in a huge canyon nestled in lovely farmland that stretches for miles in every direction. We have been here once--almost exactly two years ago--and were stunned by the beauty of this canyon's deeply striated walls and marvelous rock formations. As well, the lake is vast and beautiful--and it's also where Steve caught his first fish!

Heat Waves are Hot!
Back when we put the first part of our trip together, we made reservations with crossed fingers for reasonable temperatures. When I did some research on historical data, I noticed that the range varies drastically from year to year and all it takes is a few days closer to the hottest part of the year to become totally miserable. Our visit in 2019 was two weeks later than this year and it was pretty bad, so we hoped it would be better two weeks earlier.

Nope.

We arrived on a comfortable day but we braced ourselves for what would be coming our way. Weather reports warned that Northern California and Oregon would be hit by an early heat wave which could deliver several days of 100 degrees or more. *moan* So, for the next week the thermometer ratcheted up and up and kept us inside once the heat took over by late morning. By the book, we saw highs of 95, 100, and 105…and then 100, 90, and back down to reasonable.

The Garbage Drop-Off Was Wafting Stink at its Finest!
Let me just say this: visiting the trash compactor one hot evening to donate our chicken and fish carcasses was simply incredible. I thought I'd prepared myself by not breathing through my nose--I knew what to expect. But every step closer was like passing through an invisible WALL of STENCH that curled my hair! In fact, it rivaled the 20-foot high mounds of oyster shells I took pictures of on Vancouver Island. Wait. No. Nothing comes remotely close to those oyster shells--how disrespectful of me to compare! It was really awful though, trust me. Not on the Recommended Experiences list.

The Cove Palisades is Best Enjoyed First Thing in the Morning
You may know that I go for walks every morning just as soon as I've showered and had my coffee and "Witch's Brew" spirulina-kelp-etc. drink and supplements. It's the perfect way to say hello to the day and appreciate the wonderful place we're visiting. Ideally, I aim for 3 miles and I try to get at least an hour's walk in but sometimes it's 45-minutes or less because of weather or limited interest. In my book, the longer the better!

The marvelous 4.5-mile hike that I worked out at The Cove Palisades was just fantastic and something I looked forward to each morning. It took me down to the lake and along its edge, past the day-use picnic areas and along its meandering trails that overlook the lake and park. What a fantastic way to take in the views and enjoy all of its finest details! On my way back I walked around another campground loop and enjoyed plenty of camping family vignettes too. What a joy. By the time I got back to the trailer the day was already warming up but I'd gotten out and had a super time before it got too hot!

Today's Pictures
The main picture today shows magnificent Billy Chinook Lake and the awesome Cove Palisades canyon. It was taken at the top of the area's well-known Tamalau Trail, infamously hot and dangerous for those who don't pack plenty of water. We went on a surprisingly comfortable day and enjoyed the incredible views along the 7-mile trek.

Today's Insets
Inset One: this is a dramatic view of one of the two bridges that crosses the lake from the outer to inner canyon.

Inset Two: This panorama shows a patch of irrigated farmland surrounded by harsh desert and scrub brush which sit at the edge of The Cove Palisades. Although you can't see the winding road down into the canyon, you can follow it along to where it crosses over the bridge on the far right side. (The road on the right foreground heads to--and past--the campground we stayed at. You can also see the boats enjoying the lovely day too--no wonder it's such a popular destination for water-loving fans!

Inset Three: Walking along the edge of the canyon overlooking the water, Steve and I heard the sound of motorcycles and were able to follow the travels of this group of touring riders as the headed into the canyon and along the road which hugs the lake. They got stuck behind a car which, typically, did not pull over to let them pass. It's amazing how rude, selfish, and/or oblivious so many drivers are!

Inset Four: When Steve and were here in 2019, I was tickled that my Sony's 600mm lens was able to capture our truck and trailer in camp. I found our truck and trailer this time too, and though it was trying to hide, I got a picture to share!

Thank You!
I appreciate all of your visits and comments and hope everyone is doing well these days. It's so nice to be fully vaccinated and I hope all of you are as well. What a relief not to worry about our safety--even though it's not 100%--now Steve and I can encounter people, go shopping, and enjoy life almost the same as before! Take care and enjoy your summer days! I'll be posting again in a couple of days, hopefully!

Explored on 7/06/21; highest placement #1.

Lava Lands Interpretive Path (+7 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 15:13:34 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+5 insets) (please view large!!)

Protecting our Wonderful Natural & Historical Places
I don't know about you, but I've always assumed that every park out there is a zillion years old. But it's not true! New park lands are being set aside and protected all the time. In the US as an example, there have been 13 newly designated national parks since the late 1990's--they had been listed as state-level or other types of parks before that. National park status in the US means more funds and protection--which is a great thing! However, the added wear and tear due to more visitors is the double-edged sword.

Land set aside as state parks, monuments and historical areas are added on a regular basis, often deeded for this purpose after a land-owner died or a dedicated group was able to purchase the property. I was surprised to learn that sometimes a park will get a downgrade in status, from national status to a state park, monument or another lesser designation. Maybe a state will want to assume control, or an area will be so sensitive to traffic of any sort that it's removed from a roster to protect it from harm---Shoshone Cavern National Monument was renamed Spirit Mountain Cave and is now only accessible with rarely-provided permits. Other times it makes better sense to join nearby areas into a larger park--General Grant National Park was added to the nearby Kings Canyon National Park, for instance. What about your country? It's fascinating to learn what's new and changed in regards to new parks and historical areas in your home country!

Newberry National Volcanic Monument was carefully divided from the Deschutes National Forest in 1990 and includes 54,000 acres of land dedicated to the protection and promotion of this special area. By setting aside special spaces and promoting the areas to the public, money can also be generated to develop trails and information to educate visitors.

Interpretive Lava Lands Trail
What an amazing path for everyone to enjoy! Wheelchair-accessible, this trail winds and zigzags up and around piles of eon's old lava flows, interspersed with detailed signs along the way. The area was very popular and we had to deal with non-stop groups of people who often didn't wear masks. Still, the mind-boggling experience of this place was worth it. We couldn't stop taking pictures!! (If you're interested, here's a video which shows how wonderful this path is: Accessible Adventures: Deschutes National Forest)

Today's Pictures
I'll have two post's worth of images to share and today's main image is a panorama which shows the path leading up into the field of lava. Mind-bending, no? We had to stop and stare or risk stumbling off the path in our delirium! :D

Today's Insets
I have a number of pictures that show the view as we made our way up and down the path, enjoying every spectacular moment. Could the sky be any prettier?! :D The last image shows part of the interpretive area shown through the conifer forest at the edge.

I hope everyone is enjoying the emergence of spring! It's waking up around here and we're getting ready for our 2021 RV trip! So busy!! Please take care of yourselves!

Explored on 3/20/21; highest placement #39.

Happy Fence Friday from Lava Butte! (+5 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:49:05 +0000

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(+5 insets!) (Please view large for an awesome sight!)

Staggering 360 Views and an Important Job
The Lava Butte cinder cone, a prominent feature of in Newberry National Volcanic Monument, has been designated as a fire lookout since 1931. The trail that goes around the lip of Lava Butte is an unforgettable experience and it's easy to see why this lookout is able to call in over 100 fire sightings every year.

Volcano, Cinder Cone, Crater and Caldara: What's the Difference?
Volcanic terms can be so confusing to me and though I knew was a cinder cone was, I didn't quite understand the difference between a crater and a caldera. Turns out I needed a bit of clarification and I thought you might find this interesting too!

Volcano: there are four main types--composite, shield, cinder cone, and supervolcano.
Cinder cone: the smallest type of volcano and easy to recognize as a volcano because they are compact and easy to see completely.
Caldera: large cauldron-like depressions formed when a mountain collapsed after a volcanic eruption
Crater: a large, bowl-shaped cavity in the ground and an obvious feature or most cinder cones.

If you'd like more information about volcanic terms with pictures and videos, I highly suggest this page: Lumen Learning: Types of Volcanoes.

Today's Pictures
I have an early Happy Fence Friday panorama that shows the Lava Butte Lookout Tower and part of the magnificent 360-degree view from the lip of the butte. We could not get enough of the jaw-dropping vistas we made our way around the edge of Lava Butte's 160-foot deep crater. What a totally staggering and memorable experience!

Today's Insets
The first inset shows the ruler-straight I-5 highway which is seen in the main picture's panorama. This highway is the west coast's most important vehicular corridor and travels all the way from Mexico to Canada! It was really cool to stand and stare at this view and think about the importance of this transportation artery to our country's infrastructure. I enjoy seeing our world's "chess pieces", and the I-5 highway is one of them.

My second inset shows a "lava pebble" in a pretty setting with trees and sky behind. Next was a surprise! I thought this was a darling chipmunk at first glance until I realized that it had no stripes on its face--that's not a chipmunk at all! It's a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel! Can you say cute? :D Finally, the last two insets show two more lovely views from our trip around the top of the Lava Butte cinder cone.

Spring has sprung here with our remarkable showing of "all four seasons in one day"…rain, threatening snow flurries, warm sunny afternoons, armies of clouds, crazy wind and hail…we have it all! I really hope that everyone is doing well! Please stay safe, dry and warm!

Explored on 3/18/21; highest placement #9.

Amazing View on the Way Up to Lava Butte at Newberry National Volcanic Monument (+5 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 17:26:25 +0000

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(+5 insets!) (Please view large, it's worth it!) :)

Mind-Blowing Landscapes
Do you sometimes have a hard time dealing with your pictures because they show such incredible views? There are some days when the sky is so beautiful that any picture you take is incredible. There are some places that are so staggering that you could close your eyes and click the shutter release at anything and every picture would be amazing. When you have jaw-dropping skies combined with unbelievable scenery, the combination can cause a meltdown!

Our visit to Newberry National Volcanic Monument was just that sort of experience. It was hard to choose which pictures to process and which to leave out, but I tried for picks which weren't too similar. I am sure you know what I'm talking about! It's been a terrible struggle but here's today's batch.

Today's Main Picture
The main image today shows a panoramic view from the road that leads to the top of Lava Butte. It was absolutely amazing to see this eerie, incredible sight as we made our way up the hill to the lip of the caldera and lookout tower. Happily, the road was closed to vehicular traffic--it would have been miserable to deal with bunches of tourists driving up and leaving us to deal with choking car fumes in the heat.

Today's Insets
The first inset has a story to go with it. As Steve and I stopped, yet again, to take in the vista on our walk up, we noticed movement on the road. Eyes goggling, we saw that it was a cyclist…heading up this steep grade (about 10%) in the glowing heat of the late morning. We stared at each other…it was Insanity! As the rider eventually passed by, huffing and puffing like a properly-cared for engine, we congratulated him on the impressive effort. At the same time we couldn't help wondering what demon possessed him to climb this steep hill. Our amazement was eclipsed later when we headed back down an hour later and saw him climbing the hill…AGAIN! He was so fit that he spoke to us as he chuffed by, saying he does this three times in a row for training, three times a week! Incredible!! He wasn't the only one either. We saw several other cyclists making their way up to the top, and others who abandoned their bikes on the way, clearly misjudging the challenge of this monstrous hill. I will say that when it comes to a challenging bike ride, this is not what I'd want to do. Long-distance works for me but crazy climbs are not my thing, and especially not in the heat. UGH!! :D

Other insets show the brick-red road and hillside, a view of the lookout tower as we walked up the hill, and a crazy panorama that shows the lookout tower and the magnificent view from the lip of the caldera. Finally, a peek through the trees to see a view of the Cascade mountains in the distance.

I hope everyone is doing well! Stay safe, dry and warm! :)

Explored on 3/16/21; highest placement #8.

Beautiful Scotch Broom Seed Pods at Bullard's Beach State Park (+9 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 16:31:11 +0000

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(+9 insets!) (please view large, it's worth the time! :D)

Revisiting Bullard's Beach
Last year, Steve and I got to visit this state park for only a single night. We'd seen rave reviews and hoped to spend time appreciating the park but our timing couldn't have been worse. It was the Fourth of July weekend--the busiest vacation weekend of the summer--so we got what we could, which turned out to be the Eve of Fourth of July.

I still remember the festive mood that pervaded the whole campground. Once we arrived and set up, we popped onto our bikes and rode around the loops. People had put up flags and 4th of July decorations, and we loved seeing folks wearing red, white and blue clothing adorned with patriotic stars and stripes. So many smiles! What a great weekend to be camping at this pretty campsite. Even though Steve and I could only enjoy the park for a few hours, we had a great time! We rode our bikes down to the beach and I got pictures to share too (see insets, second row).

Fast forward to this trip…how's SEVEN NIGHTS for a perfect number?! What a wonderful, relaxing stay we had this time around! We got the time to kick back, explore and do whatever we wanted. And of course that meant that I was able to go out with my macro lens and creep around to see what I could see! My macros are the feature of today's presentation!

Today's Pictures
Do you know what Scotchbroom is? This bush features very lovely yellow flowers that bloom in massive clusters and can really take your breath away. However, this invasive species comes from Europe and considered to be a noxious weed because it takes over and displaces native species. Needless to say, the flowers are gorgeous and so are the seed pods, which I'm sharing as my main image today! (I'm also including a flower in an inset which I took at William Tugman State Park.) Also, if you'd like to see another nice picture of Scotchbroom, Ron Hanko has a really pretty image as well!

Insets include…
…a wonderful Plantain or Fleawort in bloom
…a pretty grouping of Cat's Ear flowers in a sea of ferns (non-macro)
…the buds and floral close-up of the stunning Douglas Spirea
...fuzzy, beautiful wild grass that's either Bottle Brush or Rabbit's Foot (I think)
…a group of colorful, dying Madrone leaves soon to fall
….the lovely blossoms from the invasive Scotchbroom
(I've also included couple of pictures from our first trip to Bullard's Beach)

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful day and coming week ahead! :) Thanks so much for your visits, comments and stars. You guys make me so happy!!! *big virtual hugs all around*

Explored on 8/9/20; highest placement #6.

Craggy Shore Scene at Humbug Mountain State Park Beach (+7 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 15:01:12 +0000

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(+7 inset!) (please view large!)

Injuries on the Road
I mentioned that just before our trip, Steve hurt his knee and ankle and was forced to rest his leg. It took a lot longer for his injuries to heal because he needed to be up and around to tend to various trailer/truck jobs, but once he finally became a "potato", his body responded rapidly and within a week he was much better, and by the end of the trip he was able to resume most of his mobility. Wisely, we took it very slowly and it paid off. He still has a bit of soreness and stiffness from time to time but for the most part he's completely healed.

As for me…about a week from the end of our trip I noticed that my right foot was a little sore on the top and also a bit on the bottom. It felt like one of those times your foot hurts oddly and then it goes away inexplicably. Only, this time it didn't go away. Since I thought it was just that routine soreness that happens once in a while, I ignored it. After a few days I couldn't deny that a) it wasn't going away and b) it was getting worse, to the point of actual pain.

I couldn't imagine what I'd done to hurt my foot--no hard impacts, trips, falls, or obvious accidents. Nothing landed on it and I didn't twist it. That's why I'd initially ignored the slowly-increased ache. But it became obvious when I couldn't walk without a limp that I'd certainly done something to my foot and I'd better start focusing on healing.

A Very Slow Recovery
Unlike Steve's injuries, however, my foot didn't respond as well. I admit that I did use it more than I should have *shame-face*…I limped my way on a slow 3-mile macro photo walk the day before we came home and it was very annoyed with me by the time I got back to the trailer. Thus, I barely felt any improvement by the time we'd gotten home. Then I spent umpteen hours back and forth from the trailer to the house unpacking, etc., and that certainly didn't help whatsoever.

It was only when I'd finished my necessary trailer-house activities that I finally began to feel some improvement. I've been a proper (couch) potato whenever possible, keeping my foot elevated and being very careful to stay off my foot unless necessary. Now, in the week before we leave, the soreness has mostly abated and I'd say I'm at about 80-85% healed.

So what the heck happened? I did some reading and it turns out I most likely have an "overuse injury," along with a minor fracture somewhere in my foot and with some pulled ligaments caused by compensation. This injury is not all that uncommon in high-impact sports or dancing such as ballet. The strange thing is that I haven't been all that active during our trip. I purposely haven't gone overboard but apparently my foot felt otherwise.

Anyway, I'll continue to take it easy and hopefully by the time we're off on our next trip I'll be back to normal, though I will certainly be very careful to baby my foot for a while. Just because it doesn't hurt does not mean it's 100%. So cross your fingers that I am successful at achieving completely healed foot!

Today's Pictures: Another Set From Humbug Mountain State Park Beach!
What a lovely, serene experience it was to visit this wonderful beach. Who doesn't love a secluded beach experience without hordes of people?! The wind was pretty fierce later in the day but when I visited earlier in the day it was just blissful! :)

The main picture is a view of the jagged rocks tumbling into the sea from the left side of the beach. I shared a similar picture in my last set of pictures but this one is a panorama and shows a flock of seagulls who were relaxing there. I stood and watched them for a bit as they cleaned their feathers, pecked at the seaweed and walked around. It was nice to share this scene with them on such a lovely morning.

Insets include…
1) With focused determination, a little girl marches with intent to the edge of the water…
2) A super-wide panorama shows the lovely coast from the other direction shows a darling little girl running to join her sister who is digging in the wet sand…
3) The pair of girls crouch together as a nestled pair with the magnificent coastline in the background. They would soon stand up and return to the sand castles and moat they were working on and I got to watch surreptitiously through my Sony's wonderful zoom lens.
4) A still life starring a lovely bull kelp with its characteristic gas-filled bulb (this is called a pneumatocyst) and large, flat blades; this is an edible seaweed which can grow as large as 120 feet long!! On the right is a different kind of seaweed in lustrous green.
5) Another natural still-life with a strongly-textured rock and an open mussel shell that looks like angel wings
6) Monkey Flowers grow lushly alongside the magnificent driftwood in Brush Creek, which empties into the ocean near the left side of Humbug Mountain State Park beach.
7) The driftwood and Monkey Flowers were so beautiful, adorning Brush Creek as it flowed out to the sea.

Thanks to all of you for your visits, comments and stars! I hope that you all have a safe and wonderful week!

Explored on 8/4/20; highest placement #6.

A Slice of Heaven from Humbug Mountain State Park Beach (+8 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 16:57:05 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+8 insets!) (Please view large! It's a wonderful zen view! :D) (Please scroll down to Today's Pictures for image details!)

Fewer Locations with Longer Stays = Happy Campers!
Part one of our wonderful Covid Trip lasted 26 days and yet we only stayed in four locations: Humbug Mountain State Park (7 nights), Bullard's Beach State Park (7 nights), William Tugman State Park (two 4-night stays), and Hecata (pronounced Huh-see-tuh) Beach RV Park (4 nights). We learned our lesson last season that short stays = cranky campers! Truthfully, this trip DID have 3 shorter stays of four days each but they were close to each other and that made them reasonable enough. The juggling of short stays allowed us to meet up with Steve's sister and two sons for our first RV trip with them and it was wonderful!

Humbug Mountain State Park
Nestled at its base, this park is a lovely gem with several picturesque trails and a gorgeous beach just five minutes from the lower campground. The mountain was originally named Me-tus by the indigenous Tututni people, though first known by Sugarloaf Mountain by American settlers. It was renamed Tichenor's Humbug--eventually shortened to Humbug Mountain--by the founder of nearby Port Orford, Captain William V. Tichenor. The name served as a permanent reminder of the exploring blunder when the party sent by Techinor got lost and headed north of the port instead of south. (The mountain has also been called Mount Franklin.)

Our stay was a relaxing one in which we settled into the happy reality of our new fabulous trailer and discovered what it was like to stay put for more than a few days. What a joy! The only bummer was the fact that Steve had badly hurt his knee and sprained his ankle just before we left for our trip. This forced him to stay in the trailer and off his feet as much as possible, something that he really didn't want to do, of course. We both felt very depressed and worried about his leg and the future, and all of this weighed on our mood. However, once he got serious about resting his leg, it began to heal and we felt better in turn as the days passed.

I got out for walks every day and had many photo adventures. The trails, the beach, the trek around the lower and upper campground loops--even though melancholy often colored my creative energy, the time we got to spend at this park was enough that I was able to photograph my experience there really well! Ultimately, we hope to come back and stay for another week so that Steve and I can hike all of the trails together, go beach-combing, and allow him to experience the park's grandeur too!

A Lovely Morning on Humbug Mountain State Park Beach
I went out to the beach many times and got to wander around, soaking up the beauty of the place. The wind was pretty fierce and maybe that's why there weren't many people on the beach most of the time, though families could be seen here and there each day. The scenery was magnificent and I enjoyed taking pictures of the craggy coast as well as macros of the things I found washed up on the shore.

Today's Pictures
You have to count your lucky stars when you see such a perfect scene for a picture. Arriving at the beach one day, I immediately noticed the pair in my main picture, seated on a log and enjoying the incredible view. I got lots of shots from many angles but I liked this one the best, creating a panorama from the image to give a sense of what they were experiencing. A slice of heaven. :)

Insets include…
A pile of prayer stones with a soft-focus boulder off in the distance…
A magnificent craggy coast line where rocks of all sizes met the crashing waves next to the beach…
Layers of sand with a granite rock jutting up for a focal point…
A seagull flying overhead, just one of the many that often wheeled about overhead or gathered on the shore…
A colorful crab carapace on the sand, glistening from the water that washed over it…
A close-up of the shell to see the gorgeous texture…
Kelp that lay in a Rastafarian jumble with a shallow dof so the end faded to artistic softness…
And finally, a natural still life with a feather stuck to a bit of seaweed. That feather was very stubborn and though the wind tore at it, the feather merely waved around and would not be swept away! :)

Here's hoping all of you are safe and healthy and having a wonderful day! :) Thanks so much for your visits, comments, stars, and for your never-ending encouragement and interest in my photography and our adventures! :) You're the best. <3

Explored on 8/1/20; highest placement #2.

Our Developing Trip and Breathtaking Pink Tulips (+1 inset)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 16:31:51 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 inset!) (Please view large!)

Less Than A Week Before our Next Trip!
We can't believe that we'll be on the road in in mere days! Steve's tying up loose ends and we're figuring out what we need to get before we go...isn't it amazing?! We are jumping for joy!

A Second Week of Camping is Reserved!
There's a clever trick to getting campsites that we learned from seasoned campers. You go to the reservation site and click on RESERVE SPOT at exactly 12:01am. It's sneaky and it will give you a much higher chance of getting a location that you're after. We are happy to report that this has worked for us perfectly so far and now we are set up for two weeks!! Next Sunday night Steve will try again for a third spot…and we'll just keep it up until we're ready to come home! :D

Snakey and the Geriatric Toads are Going Camping!
Last summer we left our snake and toads at home when we were away. We were gone for 1-3 weeks at a time so it wasn't a problem. When we went to Canada we brought them to a caretaker. This time we really don't know how long we'll be out, but we don't want to worry about our buddies either. We talked about rehoming them but the fact is that we love them and don't want to rehome them. Our Firebelly Toads are an unbelievable 20 years old now--we are down to two of the original seven but the last pair keep on truckin' and we think they're super cool. Snakey McSnakerton has grown up over the years from a lovely baby to a vibrant, beautiful adult, nearly 4' long and truly impressive to behold. He's part of our family and we don't want to give him up.

That being said, we've made a place for each of their habitats in our trailer and we can't be happier that our family will all be together on our adventures. Neither of us felt good about leaving them alone on our trips last year. Now they will be with us (along with our parrot, Pumpkin, of course). When we drive from one spot to the next, Snakey and the toads will be in smaller carriers and then we'll put them into their habitats once we arrive at each destination. Hooray!! It may seem really odd to some of you but we really do love them and we're so happy about this!

Feeling So Excited
I've been stuck here on the property for literally months and the idea of getting away has me bouncing around like a little kid! With all that's been going on, I haven't wanted to take pictures or really do anything. I've struggled with depression and anxiety. Now we are finally going to get out into the world and go on adventures again! I can't wait! :) The thought of being on the coast again, wandering around with my camera…playing with my metal detector…looking for rocks to tumble…I have to shut my brain down before it pops from the thrill of it all! Writing, processing pictures, taking in the new sights and sounds, reading and just relaxing in another place…won't it be wonderful!! :D

But We Are Prepared: It STILL Might Not Happen
With the "opening of the US" after the quarantines and such, people are behaving as if there's no reason to be cautious and the case numbers are exploding again. We are going forward with our plans, knowing that it might all evaporate before we go or in the middle of our trip. Who knows what will happen? We're going to cross our fingers and head out if we can. If we're shut down, so be it. Hopefully everything will be fine for us!

Today's Pictures
Last year Steve and I drove into Medford and I walked through a neighborhood I frequented on my work breaks when I had a job in town for a couple of years. I'd wanted to visit in the springtime with hopes to capture the lovely garden explosions I'd seen. I was not disappointed! I'm sharing a pair of pictures from that fun day, featuring a gorgeous panorama of pink tulips as my main image. The inset is a lovely group of red tulips which turned out really well…I have issues with my camera's processing of red, and with some image tweaking, I was able to get the rich lustrous tones that I saw!

Explored on 6/23/20; highest placement #1.

Blackbird on Cattails and Update!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 16:14:26 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(Please view large for the best experience) :D

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well in the midst of this unprecedented outbreak. Steve and I are doing great and have all of our provisions in line. Our state of Oregon has not been hit hard by the coronavirus--though the numbers are increasing every day, only 70 have been reported as opposed to 1,000 in the state of Washington north of us and 700 in California, south of us. Steve went out for groceries a couple of days ago and was very happy to find that people weren't acting as crazy as they were a few days earlier. We both wanted to get everything in order in case the numbers start to go up and we're all asked to stay home as so many others have been.

I am still keeping my head down…this pandemic seems like a ridiculous Lifetime Channel 2-hr movie with all of the idiotic details that could never actually happen in real life--only, it's not a movie at all. We've got the crazy president spouting endless streams of jaw-dropping lies and denying everything going on (only to then do an about-face a day later), the people fighting over toilet paper and hand-sanitizer (captured on millions of YouTubes for incredulous viewing), and the reality of a virus which has infected people in 170 of the world's 195 countries, with total cases now over 200,000. Even prominent officials and movie stars have been infected, it seems so unreal. It's comforting to know that for the overwhelming majority who get this virus, it's like a mild cold. The flu, in comparison, is so much more dangerous! Still, this virus is still a rather unknown thing and that's what's worrisome. In any event, it's now a new cold virus we will have to deal with from now on. Let's hope that it becomes less dangerous to those with respiratory illness as time goes on.

The picture today was taken last April on our first RV trip to Upper Klamath Lake (about two hours from our home). Steve and I went on a "canoe trail" around the lake one day and had a lovely time taking pictures and taking in the peaceful beauty of this wonderful place. It was neat to hear all of the birds in the reeds and those flying by overhead. This lake is an important breeding ground for a plethora of species and a great destination for any bird watcher!

***
I hope all is going well for you these days, Pam. I was happy to know that you're looking at all of this with an educated eye and thinking about past sicknesses as a barometer for staying calm and not worrying about this virus. I appreciated your care-filled letter to give me understanding and knowledge too. Yes, this will all blow over, but I sure don't like seeing the numbers skyrocket! *MANY HUGS from southern Oregon*

Explored on 3/18/20; highest placement #9.

Qualicum Cheeseworks/Morningstar Farm (Set 2 of 2) (+7 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 19:08:57 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+7 insets!) (big is better for this pano! :) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" to learn about the insets! :)

Trip Talk: Cheese Snobs
Who doesn't love cheese? I'm sure there are plenty out there but I've been a fan since I first tried it as a kid. As an adult, I've had my trials with it though, because most cheese is high in fat--for many years I was a fiend about keeping the fat in my diet at the lowest possible amount, so usually I'd pass on cheese.

However, when Steve and I changed over to a ketogenic lifestyle, my whole outlook on fat changed. It took me a while to trust the concept that fat doesn't make you fat, but once I proved it to myself, suddenly foods like cheese and sausage were no longer evil and to be avoided at all costs! Hooray for CHEESE!!

Steve and I have become huge fans of cheese and love trying out new types. Visiting Provence, France a couple of years back was like stepping into Cheese Heaven…Europe really has the market cornered in regards to specialty cheeses and we were just blown away by the incredible variety. We have lots of choices here in the US but it's maybe 10% of what you can find in Europe. Well-stocked specialty cheese shops here are really nice but still, they don't come close.

Even though we've developed a pretty good understanding of what makes a good cheese, we are quite happy with non-gourmet cheese--honestly, the extremely minor difference isn't usually worth the high price in our book. Of course there are exceptions…just miles from our home is the Rogue Creamery, home to one of the best Blue Cheeses in the world! When we visit, we take home a wedge of their truly exceptional Rogue River Blue …it is in a class all by itself!

Anyway, whenever we go to a creamery, we love to try the samples and load up all the cheeses that were wonderful. Of course this means we almost always get more cheese than we can possibly eat in the next six months but we can't resist!

Alas, it was a huge disappointment when we entered Qualicum Cheesework's little shop and tried their few offerings. Bland, plain, boring, flavorless, unexceptional in all regards, there wasn't a single cheese that was even remotely special. Talk about feeling disappointed! After the fantastic farm tour and learning about their operation from A to Z, we couldn't wait to dump our coins on the counter and bring home piles of cheeses to remember this place by. They didn't even carry other company's cheeses--but perhaps it would embarrass them when all of the other cheeses sold out and none of theirs was touched?

Steve and I were reminded of the must-miss, overpriced joke of a cheese "festival" we went to last year--organized by Rogue Creamery…they should be ashamed!!--that featured a paltry handful of creameries selling overpriced cheeses stuffed into a tiny tent with far too many people shoving and pushing for air space. Two of the perhaps ten cheeseries were just like Qualicum Cheeseworks and we couldn't understand why they were wasting their time on their horrible attempts at making cheese, especially when compared to the excellent--albeit overpriced--cheeseries right next to them. Truthfully, who am I to talk?--I've never made cheese!--but I have a developed palette and it's not hard to judge the quality of a cheese!

We were also disappointed that Qualicum Cheeseworks didn't offer fresh cream for sale--we'd hoped to buy some for our lovely creamy espressos we have every day. However, their reasoning was fair--they don't pasteurize their cream and it would go bad too quickly to make it worthwhile to keep at their shop. *tears of sadness*

They did, however, have a really cool offering! Fresh milk on tap where you can buy a bottle or bring your own and fill up at a reasonable price! Alas, we don't drink milk (not enough fat, lol!) so we could only watch people filling their bottles, but what a fun idea!

If you take out their shop, Morningstar Farms was a total hit with us. It's the only time we've ever gotten the chance to tour a farm before and learn about the whole process. This was so much fun and one of the countless highlights of our trip!

Today's Pictures
My main picture today would have been perfect for Happy Fence Friday! Morningstar Farms had Holsteins as their majority in dairy cattle, though they had a few Jersey's too. It was wonderful to see them all, and what fine condition their stock was in. Happy, healthy, well-fed and with plenty of room to graze and relax. A total spa for moo-moos! :)

The insets are quite the variety! The first one features a pair of cows, the left of which was mooing non-stop! Unfortunately the graininess of this image was really horrible and I nearly tossed the shot but I couldn't stop looking at this funny expressions on their faces! I decided it was worth the time so I played with filters until I was able to use the image…hopefully you guys find it to be fun and amusing too! :) (If only it was higher quality, I'd have made it my main image!)

Insets 2 and 3 show a brand-new calf! We obviously arrived at the height of their calving season--THREE were born that day, two while we were there! What fun to see them all wet and wobbly, mom licking and nuzzling them towards the milk station! :) What a wonderful experience for us. We didn't actually see them being born but it was such a joy to see them minutes old and standing for the first time, shaking their heads and wagging their tails. Such dear babies. :)

Inset 4--HOLY PSYCHEDELIC MADNESS, BATMAN!! :D LOL, ok, so they had a pair of pot-belly piggies in the petting area and of the two, only this one was illuminated well and standing. Unfortunately it was also a pale greyish-pink and covered in spiky, yellowy-anemic hair. There was absolutely no way to make that ugly pig look nice--and coming from a person who adores piggies, that's saying something. That being said, I couldn't leave this guy out of my lineup--it was time to break out the artistic filters! WHAT FUN! After going to town with layers and filtering, I must admit that I absolutely love this shot--from blah and ugly to fun and fantastic--just to be sure I wasn't crazy, I showed it to Steve, and I was glad to see that he loved it too! :) What do you think? Horrible or neato? :D

The final three pictures show the darling Welsh ponies with a close-up of the chestnut's sleepy face. The final picture shows the interesting massive group of aqua/teal and white-wrapped, round hay bales that are stored next to the big cow barn. All of the ones up-front were just for the ponies and everything behind was for the cattle…and what you see wasn't the whole lot, which was pretty staggering in totality. Given that this area gets about 45 inches of snow during the winter months, it's understandable they have so much hay set aside!

* * *
Pam, it was fun to read about your experiences with farms as a youngster. There are few things as iconic or important in our history. I love that as we're getting older, more and more people are working to preserve aspects of our past farming history. Online resources abound to share past methods. Reenactment farms are located in many places for visiting and festivals revolving around how things once were are grand celebrations I'd love to visit if we're lucky enough some day! I have been rereading the Little House on the Prairie books and now, as a 55-yr old, it's been a great delight to be able to cross-reference on the internet to see and understand all of the aspects of farming and homesteading life back at the 1900's turn of the century. I hope life is treating you well these days, Pammy! :) Stay warm and cozy--it's a cold day here and I bet it is in OK too! *BIG HUGS*

Explored on 3/2/20; highest placement #9.

Qualicum Cheeseworks and HFF! (Set 1 of 2) (+8 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 18:27:40 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+8 insets!) (please view large!)

Trip Talk: Visiting Morningstar Farm
If you can believe it, on the same day that we went to Englishman River Falls and Little Qualicum Falls, we also visited the Qualicum Cheeseworks! It was actually our first stop because it was a mere 10 minutes' drive from our campsite so we began our day there (I have included a map inset that shows the three locations we visited that day so you can see how close all three destinations were).

I was really excited about visiting this cheesery because it wasn't just a store to buy dairy products from. Instead, the shop was located on their busy farm which was also a totally accessible tour destination. Visitors are offered a self-guided tour map that included clear signage along the way and explanations of what happens on a dairy farm. Other than the complete cow-to-dairy process, there was also petting area to meet farm animals, antique equipment to look at and even a video area with seating to watch their farm presentation! How cool is that?!

Steve and I were extremely impressed by the Qualicum Cheesework's operation. We are fascinated by how things work so getting a chance to look behind the scenes of a dairy farm was so much fun!

Today's Pictures
My main picture isn't really beautiful but it does show the main stars of Morningstar Farm! Every day the cows are fed in the main barn and nearby is a robotic milking system which cows line up to go into! They are treated to the most delicious food inside, individually blended for each cow and based on the data gathered by the special collars they wear!

The process goes like this: a gate opens, a cow enters the milking machine area and the gates close behind her. A milking machine washes and disinfects her udder, attaches onto her teats, checks to make sure the milk is free of issues and then proceeds to milk her. When no more milk is detected from any teat, the machine then detaches and pulls away, the gate in front of the cow opens and out she walks! Meanwhile, the next cow is waiting for the gate to open so she can have her turn! This entire process takes less than 10 minutes per cow and results in content and happy cows which aren't over-milked and have current information on their health and well-being. I invite you to watch this video which shows what a robotic milking operation looks like--it's totally fascinating! Video: how automatic milking works (By the way, you'll also see an automatic rotary brush as an enticement for the cows and Morningstar Farm has one too! It's so funny to watch the cows turn this way and that to get the brush scrubbing exactly the right spot!)

Insets include pictures of a day-old Holstein calf licking Steve's hand and another one which shows it relaxing in its softly bedded stall (there were three other babies for company!); there's a picture of workers using farm equipment with a grain silo in the background, an image of a darling goat and finally three pictures of lovely pair of Welsh ponies relaxing in the warm sunshine.

Pam, I can't remember if you mentioned living on a dairy farm before. I think you grew up on a farm though, yes? You lucky stinker. I know it's a lot of hard work but it was always a dream of mine to live in such a place. It's no wonder the James Herriot books continue to be favorites to this day! I would love to stay at a farm for a week sometime to get the opportunity to experience this life. :) Hey, thanks for your lovely comments on my last presentation--you left me all a-glow! :D *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon* :D

Explored on 2/29/20; highest placement #7.

Baynes Sound and the Reeking Wall of Stench! (+6 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 17:05:49 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!) (please enlarge for an immersive feeling! :D)

NOTE! PLEASE BE ADVISED--War & Peace Door Stop Ahead!
Today post is really, really long, and what's more, most of what I’m talking about doesn't even have pictures to illustrate! I wanted to write about the wonderful experience of this day, even though there are only a few images to share. Please scroll down to Today's PIctures to learn more about the main image and insets.

Trip Talk: A Day of Adventures, Starting with an Art Fair!
For nearly a month before Steve and I left on our Vancouver Island trip, I spent time poring over every area that we'd be staying; as I looked, I built an itinerary of activities and highlights. The point was to have a nice selection of choices so each day we had a number of options.

Both of us enjoy going to festivals, markets, craft fairs and any type of parade or other event that looks like fun. The 100-mile (160km) radius around Nanaimo and Parksville was overflowing with endless possibilities to be had and it was really hard to pare it down to a reasonable group, but I did my best! The fact of the matter is that this area would be a perfect place to stay for a solid six months—there really are that many wonderful things to do and experience!

While looking around the 'net, I learned about a fantastic art show called the Filberg Festival. This show is held every year in a town that turned out to be just an hour's drive north of Parksville. The event attracts some of the best artisans on Vancouver Island--and abroad as well--and is a Must Not Miss for anyone who loves this sort of thing. In other words, we couldn't wait!

We got up early that day and enjoyed the scenic drive to Comox, finally arriving to park conveniently nearby. It wasn't hard to know which way to go—just follow the stream of people flowing down the upscale shop-filled streets towards the festival! The gradually increasing sound of upbeat world-style music also told us we were getting close and made us even more giddy. Held on the grounds of a historic park and ringed by high, ivy-covered fencing, we entered the vast estate grounds with wide eyes and huge smiles. Steve led the way with jovial conversation as we got our tickets and hand stamps. Minutes later we were moving towards the tantalizing artwork just visible at booths at the edge of the festival.

The Amazing Filberg Festival
SO MANY BOOTHS! Stretching out in long rows in a fairly haphazard fashion, the seemingly countless kiosks were filled with every kind of artwork and high-end crafts that you could imagine. Paintings, woodworking items, jewelry and murals. Big and small clockworks, tiny electric art-doo-hickies, gorgeous ceramics and even food-as-decadent artwork to eat! Glass-blowing marvels, metal artwork, intricately sown quilts and one-of-a-kind clothing. Racks brimming with beautiful hats of all kinds, incredible gameboards made from exotic woods, dazzling windchimes that filled our ears with nature's music...it went on and on. The variety and exquisite quality of nearly everything presented was simply boggling! A key reason of this show's exceptional quality was the fact that every vendor was juried and only the best artisans were given the nod to be there. It was, without question, the very best art and craft-type show we'd ever visited. WOW!

Many happy, awe-struck hours were spent there as we soaked up this delicious and amazing show. The reverberating sound of music and deep drum beats immersed us even more as we walked around and we had an absolutely fabulous time. In fact, we couldn't help repeating how totally blown away by all that was offered.

You may think it's odd but we didn't buy a single thing! The fact is, we aren't souvenir collectors like we once were. And in any event, we expected the prices would be inflated and beyond our means. However, though the asking prices were often jaw-dropping and laughably ludicrous, we were also surprised by the number of reasonable prices too. We did keep our eyes open in case something screamed at us to bring it home, but in the end we were happy to just look, and that was fine with us.

I know what you're thinking: where are the pictures?!! Well, guess what? We didn't take any! Over the years we've learned that vendors don't often like their wares photographed. Some are fine with it—they even encourage photography—but a great many are less than enthusiastic and some will bounce up and down with fury that you would dare to photograph their goods. That adds up to a great big NOPE! in our books. Much better to just enjoy the day and remember the fun we had. And that's exactly what we did!

(If you're interested in seeing pictures of some of the superior craftsmanship offered at the Filberg Festival, here are some images of the festival crowds, the grounds and musicians (click) . I also found a page which shows some artwork exhibited by one artist...it's amazing!! Wanda Designs: Painted Teapots Finally, there is a very interesting video about the history of the festival and also shows the quality of the art found at this event (click).)

Royston Ship Wrecks
After we were completely satisfied, we left the show and headed back towards Parksville. On the other side of the large bay where the festival was held, there was a place we didn't want to miss. Often missed by travelers, Royston is the home of 14 scuttled ships that were intentionally sunk to make a breakwater for calmer waters in the area.

Unfortunately we arrived at high-tide and that meant that most of the wrecks were below water. BUMMER! We weren't able to see much but we still had a great time taking pictures and enjoying the incredible beauty of the area. To make matters worse, I found out after we got back that I'd forgotten to replace the memory card in my Sony camera—so all of the pictures I took that day were merely vaporware. BUMMER SQUARED! However, I did have a few shots from my phone so at least I can share a couple.

Researching the Royston Wrecks turned up some very interesting history. Royston was once the home to many busy lumber mills (closed now) which floated logs down the coast from Comox Harbor to the mills in Royston. The area's rough waters and unpredictable seas could be very dangerous, so a host of decommissioned ships were strategically positioned and then sunk to create calm waters in the bay. (In case you're interested,... I found a video which shows some of these ships when they were in their hey-day. I was unexpectedly moved nearly to the point of tears to see what they used to look like and now, just rusted skeletons. The video is fascinating and somewhat heartbreaking to see!

Our First Eagle Sighting!
After our visit to Royston, we continued our drive down the lovely coast—when suddenly Steve gasped and pulled over, yelling, "IT'S A BALD EAGLE!!!" He rolled down his window so we could get a good look. Sitting at the very edge of some rocks leading into the bay was indeed, a real, live Bald Eagle! It was so far away that our hasty phone pictures merely show a dark blob with a white head but we were beside ourselves with joy! We've only seen one in the United States—and we weren't even positive the white-headed raptor flying away from us was a Bald Eagle. However, the bird we were goggling at right then was absolutely and without a doubt, a Bald Eagle! HOORAY!!!

We hopped out of the truck with the hopes of slowly approaching just a bit closer, but as we were crossing the highway, the regal bird leaped into the air, flapped his wings and took off over the water and out of our lives forever. Oh the sad, mournful tears of defeat! :D (Of course, I wouldn't have been so bummed had I known that just a few days later I'd get a Bucket List picture that makes me beam every time I see it!)

We Found a Local Seafood Shop!
Once again heading south, Steve and I jabbered happily about our first Bald Eagle sighting while we enjoyed the lovely coastal route along the many named bays from Comox to Parksville.

Then Steve saw a run-down seafood shop and said the name, "Baynes Sound Oyster Co." With a grin, he pulled into the parking area and added, "Let's get some!"

You must understand something about Steve. He loves seafood. Fish, octopus, shrimp, crabs…you name it, he loves it! In fact, his enthusiasm and stellar ability to coax me with the right fish was so good that he was even successful at turning me into a sushi fiend, when I wouldn't even consider it in the past! I didn't have a problem with cooked fish. But raw fish? Who was he kidding?! But I have to laugh because it's true--sushi is my favorite food, and it's all because of Steve!

We'd been trying to find a seafood store that wasn't priced for tourists and this place was exactly what we were looking for! The place was basically a wreck. Baynes Sound Oyster Company operated its retail business out of a run down, dingy white building in dire need of a paint job. The cringe-worthy sight was complete with a sign that was nearly impossible to read. We could tell it was obviously a place where locals bought their seafood. Where's the fish?! We're all in!

Opening the classic, creaky, old-time door with a jangling bell on a string to alert the keeper, we stepped in and I wrinkled my nose at the smell. Quickly recovering my manners, I repaired my expression to a pleasantly smiling one and looked around at the meager attempt to create a shop. A long, low, glass-lined freezer stared back at us. Next to it was a worn counter and an old cash register. Cobwebs hung in the corners of the dingy walls, flickering fluorescent tubes offering the only light in the otherwise dim cave.

A crusty old man, roused from whatever he'd been doing beyond our view, stood and shuffled over with a rather crabby look on his face. I don't think he was very happy to be interrupted but resigned himself to waiting on us. Steve struck up a lively conversation to break the silence and soon they were jabbering away. We picked out some lovely-looking red snapper for our dinner and Steve picked out a large tub of shucked oysters.

The oysters, I might add, would be ALLLLLL for him. The only way I'll eat oysters or clams is in a chip dip. Otherwise, no way, Jose! I've tried them over and over again, and they're either nasty chewing gum or a glob of the most horrendous er, sorry, phlegm I've had to choke down. No can do honey, they're all for you! "MORE FOR ME!!" is always Steve's delighted answer, though to be honest, he really wishes that I enjoyed them so we could share the goodies when he buys them.

Braving Hell's Wall of Stench!
I spotted something on the side of the building as we approached the shop so I told Steve I was stepping outside for some pictures before we left. Thanking the owner, I left and headed towards the side of the building.

That's when it hit me.

A wall of stench so foul that I felt all of my hair begin to curl. And fall out. I couldn't help myself from exclaiming, "OMG…THE SMELL!!!" It was so horrible and strong that the air felt thick and difficult to walk through.

I rounded the corner. There was the source of this unbelievable, putrid cloud of doom. Multiple enormous piles of oyster shells glowered down at me from a staggering height of six feet or more. Next to the piles was an entire MOUNTAIN of fuming shells which blocked the view of the bay beyond. The hill of stink breathed its wafting, foul breath at me and I imagined this is what Jabba the Hut must smell like. Seriously gross.

With watering eyes and a rigid determination, I took pictures of the fetid mounds. I wondered mockingly…could I possibly be losing years of my life as I stood here trying not to vomit?! Chuckling to myself, I couldn't deny how cool those piles of shells looked. Smelly or not, I loved the shapes of these cast-off piles!

Then I noticed the bay beyond the shop and boats moored there. SO PRETTY! What a contrast, eh?!

With all the pictures I wanted to take, I did an about-face and got out of there as fast as I could. Still, I had to literally fan my body before I got into the truck and even after I did that, Steve wrinkled his nose and stared at me. "WHAT is that SMELL!!!" LOL! What a wonderful last stop on our adventurous day!

Today's Pictures
My main picture today is the boat-filled bay out behind the Baynes Sound Oyster Company. I am surprised how peaceful it turned out looking. Especially with such horrendous smells so close by! In fact, I believe every one of those vessels used for gathering oysters, so the stink is everywhere! RUN AWAY!! :D

Insets include my itty bitty eagle pictures, two from the Royston Wrecks site and two images of the mounds of reeking oyster shells!

Pam, what you think about seafood? I know you love it but what's your favorite? And what do you hate? Along with oysters and clams, I won't eat octopus or squid (rubbery and awful--and even cooked well I hate it), any sea urchin-type stuff, nor will I eat strong "fishy" tasting fish like mackerel or anchovies…EWWWW!!! I love trout, salmon, steelhead, bass, and all sorts of other fish like sole, flatfish, snapper, tuna, and plenty of others…as long as it's not strong-flavored, I'm all over it! And of course, sushi is my favorite! #1: Hamachi sashimi! What about you? I know you love fish--I don't remember if you told me your favorites or least favorites though! :) *HUGS FROM SOUTHERN OREGON* :)

Explored on 2/17/20; highest placement #4.

Three Slices of Sunset Heaven at Surfside! (+2 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 18:34:59 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets!) (you won't be disappointed at the full-size version!) (please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for information about the insets)

Updates from the Home Front
I am still trying to thaw out from my morning tromp up and down the driveway--it was a mere 26.5°F / -3°C when I stepped out this morning…YIKES! But I couldn't ask for a more beautiful start to the day. A bright and sunny day with cloudless sky, sparkles greeted me everywhere I turned and as I walked, it was like a spangled parade of twinkling brilliance accenting every step. My feet crunched solidly on the frozen ground and I was amused that the pile of rocks I used to keep track of my laps was frozen solid to the larger rock slab they sat on. Carefully stepping on the stones loosened some of them but alas, a couple refused to budge from their bond and I was forced to use a couple of substitutes to take their place. Heh…

Trailer Updates
It's been too cold for Steve to do a lot of work on the trailer but he's done what he can if ever the temperature cooperates. Our shop is not heated or insulated very well, and is intolerable to work in if it's too cold. I don't blame him! Even though the trailer is comfortable, much of Steve's work involves use of the shop's many essential tools so there's just no getting around this roadblock. However, he was able to finish an important step a couple of days ago and both of us are ecstatic!

The Problematic Entertainment Center
One of the things we wanted to address was the "entertainment center" that came with the trailer when we purchased it. This standard feature, found in most trailers, included a nook with a stereo and flat-screen television attached to the wall. Below all of this was a faux fireplace behind glass that actually uses a heater to simulate warmth coming from the artificial wood and graphical fire.

Our Artificial Fireplace…is Actually AWESOME!
We first thought the fireplace was the ultimate in cheesy, artificial stupidity. But slowly we came to realize that it was not only ok--it was actually wonderful! True, the fireplace is the pinnacle of fakery--you can even change the color of the "fire" and "glowing embers" to a variety of choices--OH BROTHER! But then something wonderful happened: we gave the dumb thing a chance and of all things, had to admit that it was pretty awesome. Changing the color of the flames from gold to purple or blue or green…that was so much fun! (I found this video in on YouTube which shows something vaguely similar to ours (click) We also recognized that the heat that came from the "fire" was wonderful and surprisingly accurate--intensely hot like a real fire if you were too close, cozy and warm if you sat back on the lovely entertainment lounge chairs that sat opposite to the entertainment center. We love our cheesy fireplace now and it reminds us of fun things we had years ago like lava lamps and plasma nebula globes.

That TV Has To Go…We Need the Space for Something USEFUL!
However, the television aspect of this center was a big, huge NOPE! At first Steve tried to convince himself that it was nice and that we'd use it a lot, but I wouldn't leave him alone about it. I kept reminding him, "DUDE...we'll NEVER EVER use it. We don't WATCH tv except for an hour at night to camp Chicken* before bed, and that's in the bedroom!" Finally he admitted that it was a horrible waste of space. What's more, there was no place to put our espresso machine and grinder, nor did we have enough room for our electronic charging area. The obvious choice would be to pull out the tv and turn it into a coffee bar with a cabinet above for the charging stuff and electronic gadget storage.

*"Camping Chicken" is a nightly ritual where I climb into bed and put the sheets over my legs to make a cave. Our parrot, Pumpkin, goes into this cozy space to clean her feathers and settle down while we watch a tv show or part of a movie. After the show we coax her out from where she's snuggled down next to her "pet foot" and after kisses, we put her into her night cage's sleeping tent.

Creating the Coffee Bar
After a bunch of issues along the way--we tried putting in tiles, only to discover that they lifted and the grout cracked horribly. It then occurred to us, er…duh?...we never considered the fact that an RV in motion is like a nonstop earthquake...tiles would have NEVER worked. We would need a one-piece solution..but what?

As a lucky find, Steve was wandering around a home-improvement store one day and discovered a one-piece, 4ft counter kit that would PERFECTLY slide into that spot! The color scheme also went exactly right with the coach! And so with all ducks in a row, Steve installed and siliconed the counter into place and finally, with peacock tail at full and glorious display, ushered me over to take a peekie at his workmanship.

It was absolutely marvelous! The counter is better than the tile could have ever been and actually looks as if it were an original installation--how cool is that?! And without the tv in place, there's a wealth of extra room. In fact, during our first plan to put tiles in place, we ended up gaining 1.5 feet of extra space! The removal of the tv and the mechanism that held the tv was nearly a foot of valuable depth that we recovered. Then, upon further investigation, we discovered that the wall behind the tv, when removed, revealed another half-foot of unused space! Every inch of room in a trailer is at a premium and having this newfound, spacious area was a total windfall for us!

We now have a gorgeous, spacious area for our beloved espresso machine, the coffee grinder, and all of the implements that go with it. The surface is perfect and just right for the daily mess which happens when making coffee.

And, now that the counter is finished, Steve will be able to get started on the electronics cabinet above the coffee bar…hooray! :)

Today's Pictures
Our sunset walk out along the water at Parksville's Surfside RV Park was almost too wonderful for words. I ended up with so many great pictures that I couldn't bear the thought of lumping them all together in one gaudy presentation without giving at least a couple of them a "main shot" position. So today's star is a panorama which shows some of the amazing driftwood found along the shores here, accented by the setting sun and beautiful fading light. The insets show two other sunset pictures, each of which I thought merited a look. I hope you like them too! What an evening for memories it was!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAM!!! I hope you have a super day!!
Pam, I know that you are moved by sunsets/rises just as much as I am, so I went to remind myself of some of your lovely pictures. Wow, wow, wow. Yeah, no two are ever the same and all of them are so special in their own colorful way! What a joy to behold your fine imagery and also, the graphical creativity that you let loose on some of your pictures. Outstanding and breathtaking. Thank you for the show! *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon*

Explored on 2/10/20; highest placement #2.

Exploring Newcastle Island (Saysutchun) (+10 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 17:28:18 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+10 insets!) (This image looks best at full size! :D) (Please scroll down to Today's Pictures for more information about the insets)

A Proper Exploration of the Island
Steve and I finally felt satisfied with our visit to the amazing tidal flats and made our way back over to the trailhead to begin our hike along the coast. On one side, deep, thick, healthy forest headed up and away towards the center of the island while the trail hugged the edge of the coast on the other side, with wonderful views of the ocean all the way.

Seafaring vessels could be seen in a constant stream and we would often stop and look out between the trees to watch as they went by. Smaller ones were common--sailboats, yachts, jet boats, fishing boats and others we couldn't identify. Large watercraft made their presence known as well--container ships and oil tankers cruised silently by far out on the water and ferries too--huge ones unlike the cute little guy we rode on to get to the island. Of course we couldn't resist taking lots of pictures and you'll see plenty included today as insets.

The weather couldn’t have been better on this wonderful day--it was overcast and cloudy but perfectly comfortable! I wondered if it would be terribly windy but it was just right—a bit of breeze but nothing strong or blustery. How lucky we were. There have been plenty of times when it's been raining on a day that we'd hoped to go on a hike; other times it might be sunny but the wind was just furious and miserable! You always throw the dice when it comes to the weather and we always appreciated good fortune!

Into the Forest We Go!
Eventually the coastal trail headed inland and we disappeared into the shadowy forest with its tall trees of mixed species. Most were conifers that filled the air with their rich, pungent pine aroma and muffled the sounds of our footsteps as we walked on the needle-covered path. Making our way through the forest, I could not help feeling a warmth of gentle presences around me—more than just the trees that I normally felt. I sensed there were others around us and it was a bit peculiar to me as I have only felt this on a rare occasion. Who knows if it was just me wanting to feel that there was more going on here than just a cool island with a lovely hiking trail. All I can tell you is that it was very different and I felt very good there.

Through the trees we saw the forest opening up with flashes of water beyond. It was a beautiful small lake covered with lily pads and water plants, dead conifers spiking up to the sky in the center. Logs littered the edges, some of which were covered by moss and dense thickets of plants. We were enchanted by the beauty of this lovely, emerald gem, and enjoyed the view for many long moments, taking in all the details we could before we took pictures to remember this special place by.

Walking on towards our bikes, it wasn't long before we arrived--along with our massive appetites! We pulled out our spread of cheese and sausage, bbq pork rinds and fauxtato salad, along with lots of water, and sat on a driftwood log for our feast. How nice that we were back at the tidal flats to sit and look out at that wonderful place again.

What a Ride!! AKA: WHEEEEEE!!!! :D
Once we were satisfied and ready for a bike ride, we got everything stowed away, put on our backpacks and helmets and off we went! Both of us have recently replaced our old mountain bikes and cannot believe how easy it is to make it up steep hills now. The new gearing on current bikes is really impressive, so instead of pushing our bikes up these fairly substantial hills, we rode all the way up without stopping! AMAZING! Both of us were gasping for breath when we finally reached the crest but felt extremely pleased with our successful climb.

As it turned out, we'd gotten the hardest climb out of the way and the rest of our ride was full of fabulous screaming downhills, zipping through the forest on nice, wide trails and plenty of lovely views accented with glimpses of the ocean through the trees. It was a fantastic ride and we were totally exhilarated as we finally emerged from the cover of trees and arrived back at the visitor's kiosk.

Island Stewardship and a Wave Goodbye
There was just a few minutes before the ferry arrived so we looked around at some of the interesting informational displays they'd set up to describe the island's history and explain the plans they had for the future. The island had gone through many changes through the years. It had been used as a fish salting plant, a shipyard, a sandstone quarry and even a luxury resort. However, today it is a protected marine park and set up for its traditional purpose—a medicinal healing destination and a place for First Nation people to come together for special events. We were very impressed that these gentle folk had returned this island to a better place and felt extremely glad for the opportunity to explore its beauty.

When we saw the little ferry approaching in the distance, we waved to the friendly fellow there who was now talking to another couple and walked our bikes down the ramp to the dock. What a fantastic day it was--what a great adventure! We were so happy that we'd gotten the chance to visit.

Today's Pictures
The main image today shows the beautiful lake that we found on our hike—Mallard Lake—and I think you'll agree that it's pretty cool. I could have easily spent an entire day taking pictures here, and it's probably a good thing that I didn't have my macro lens with me or I'd still be there!

Insets include lots of boats that we saw, a panorama of the forest, a view of the ocean through the trees, another picture of the pond, and a pretty feather that I noticed on the trail. I hope you like the show! :)

Pam, this place really was so very magical. Everything about Saysutchun was special. The experience of visiting this place would have been so nice to share with you but I hope that my writing and pictures have captured the experience well enough that you can picture it for yourself! I hope all is well with you, it's been cold and wet here but otherwise very nice! *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon* :)

Explored on 2/02/20; highest placement #10.

Arriving at Newcastle Island (Saysutchun)! (+4 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 19:01:08 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+4 insets) (this picture is super at full-size!)

Our visit to Newcastle Island--Saysutshun--was really wonderful and I got lots of pictures which I've finally finished processing. I wanted to present them in a logical order so I'll be rolling them out in four more presentations including this one. :) I hope you enjoy the show!

Setting Foot on Saysutshun
The short ferry ride to Saysutshun was lovely and we enjoyed taking pictures as we approached the island's harbor. Many boats were moored outside the main cove and it was neat to see the variety of sizes and types.

Steve helped get the bikes off the ferry and we made our way up to the visitor's booth, where we were greeted by a very gentle and knowledgeable man and his big smile. Speaking in his soft voice, we were given a map of the island and suggestions on where we should go to make the most of our visit.

He told us about the spiritual power of this place and I did not doubt a word of what he was saying. I felt it vividly the moment we arrived. There was a very strong sense of spiritual energy that emanated from the island, something that was very surprising and wonderful to me. Although I'm not religious in the traditional sense, I consider myself to be very spiritual and in touch with the planet and its life forms. I could feel this energy strongly from the island itself but also from the man who was speaking to us. It was totally fascinating to me. Steve could feel that there was something a bit different going on but for me it was very strong. Cool. (If you'd like more information, this is a link to the island's culture and history page (click).

Today's Pictures
My main picture shows the boats we saw moored outside and at the mouth of the island's harbor. Saysutshun offers moorage to visitors and residents and I can see why it's such a popular place for boaters to come and stay!

Insets include more pictures of the boats as well as an extremely wide, 360 degree panorama of the view from the visitor's kiosk. You can see my bike on one side near the kiosk and on the left, one of their wonderful totems which is set up at a meeting area complete with a host of benches. Finally, there is a picture of the lovely tribal artwork adorning the visitor's kiosk.

Rock Tumbling Update
After reevaluating the rocks over a week ago, I pushed most back to the first step but allowed others to go on to the second step, and yesterday I washed them all off and put them in a pan of water to appreciate how they were coming along.

WOWZERS!!! It was really wise to be more critical of every rock and its realistic progress because the difference in quality of tumbling was blatantly obvious! About 95% of the rocks in Step 2 looked AMAZING. Silky smooth and with very few divots or rough spots, I gave the green light to almost every one to head to Step 3--the Pre-polish stage! I'm so excited…they'll be heading to the final stage in another week, and just WAIT until you guys see these beauties, they are just GORGEOUS!!

The Step 1 rocks were also in great shape and though I had to hold back a large handful, I've placed all of the ones that are ready go to go Step 2 into a jar where they will sit until I get enough rocks that will fill a tumbler. In the meantime, I filled the second tumbler with all of the rocks that I decided to re-run as Step 1's and added a few new rocks to fill the tumbler. There are some seriously gorgeous rocks in that batch…heh…every batch…:D…and it will be such fun to share pictures of the polished beauties!

Pam, I hope all is well in your world! Feeling a bit better each day I hope! You've been on my mind as I gather rocks, I am sure you would love them all as much as I do! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon!

Explored on 1/27/20; highest placement #1.

Nanaimo Ferry to Newcastle Island (Saysutshun) + HFF! (+4 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 18:41:13 +0000

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(+4 insets!) (Please view large for more details!)

Vancouver Island's bustling city of Nanaimo is perfectly located between the rugged, sparsely populated northern town of Port Hardy and the metropolitan city of Victoria in the south. I mentioned in my last report how unfortunate it was that we weren't able to book a 5-day stay at our campground. We had to make due with three days and because we wanted to be in the area for a total of at least five days, we found another campsite just a bit north which we booked for four days. However, as I've mentioned on other posts, any "travel" day, no matter how short, is a complete disruption and we hate it. Usually we cannot do anything at all on those days other than get from Point A to Point B, set up, eat dinner, and then wind down before bed.

In this case, we had exactly ONE full day to be in this area and throwing out all the other excursions around, we decided to go to Newcastle Island for the day. Located just off the coast of Nanaimo, it's just a short 10-minute ferry ride over to this sizable and culturally significant island.

Owned and managed by the Snuneymuxw First Nation people, the proper name for Newcastle Island is Saysutshun, which means 'training for running.' This island has always been hugely important to the Snuneymuxw as a place of physical and spiritual healing and to prepare mentally for races or battles. There are no cars or motor vehicles allowed (except for First People's maintenance-related) and there is something really wonderful about being required to walk or ride a bike to get anywhere.

This being said, we decided to take our bikes with us on our adventure, as it is a fantastic way to see the island and travel on its 22 km of well-maintained trails.

Saysutshun's little ferry runs to and fro every 30 minutes with a modest fee of $9 for a roundtrip ticket which includes a bike and we were so excited as we parked and made our way over to the pier.

Today's Pictures
My main picture today also works for Happy Fence Friday! It shows the walkway down to the docking area for the ferry and temporary docking. Our ferry, the Grey Selkie, is docked in place on the left side with another boat docked on the right. This picture was taken after we returned from Saysutshun but I wanted to use it so you could see the ferry. I was so excited when it arrived that I totally forgot to take one! :D

We only waited for about five minutes before the boat pulled up and while we waited I got a picture of the cute little blue boat docked there. We initially thought it was the ferry but realized that it probably wasn't, especially when the actual one pulled up! Once it was tied to the pier, Steve helped the captain and assistant to lift our bikes up to the cargo area on top of the boat. After we were seated I took a picture of the inside which I thought was really interesting. I'd never been in such a small ferry before and was overwhelmed by the "cute" factor of this little work boat!

I have also included a panorama that I took as we motored from Nanaimo to Saysutshun. You can see just how close the island is to the mainland on the left side of the picture. You can see the Nanaimo harbor and also, near the right side of the panorama, Saysutshun's harbor! Pretty cool! :) (The land mass on the right side is Protection Island, a First People's private land, not normally visited by non-indigenous people and a home to many of these folk.)

Pam, I hope that you are comfortable and resting a lot. You've been in my thoughts so often and I am very relieved that all went well. This hurdle out of the way, now you can focus on being as well as possible. I hope that you get a little better quality of life with this stress out of the way. Maybe there is a possibility that your Left Side Neglect will fade some as time passes from your procedure. You mentioned that what's done is done but I can't help hoping for some improvements for you. *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon.

Explored on 1/24/20; highest placement #4.

Joseph Stewart State Park, Set 1: Lost Creek Lake Pano and...Our First Outing with our New RV was a SMASHING SUCCESS!! (+10 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 00:29:52 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+10 insets!) Please view large, you'll love it!! (for photo info, please scroll down to "Today's Pictures")

Steve and I arrived home yesterday afternoon from our 4-night stay at Joseph Stewart State Park and it went PERFECTLY!!

Everything went as we'd hoped! We got everything packed, the trailer attached to the truck hitch, and away we went! The roads were clear, the weather was perfect and we encountered no problems whatsoever on the 45-minute drive to the park.

The exhaust brakes are AWESOME! There is a fairly long hill up and then down the other side on the way and we were delighted that our truck purred the whole time. Everyone knows that feeling safe is priceless and it was just wonderful to experience how smoothly and easily the truck slowed the trailer down. Also, the brakes are quiet! What a great system and a perfect decision to add them to the truck. By the time we got home, both of us felt completely confident that we would be able to take our new trailer wherever we wanted to go! Hooray!

Getting into our campsite was a dream--backing up and maneuvering into position is so much easier! And when it came time to level the trailer…all he has to do is press a button! Our Avalanche has its own automatic system so we don't have to do anything but watch! No more ramps! No more leveling apps that never work! No more stress! YESSSS!

Our stay was fabulous! Surrounded by lovely parkland on all sides, we enjoyed marvelous weather every day. The mornings started out cold and cloudy and became warm and sunny in the afternoons.

And my…what posh accommodations we have now! The Avalanche is a huge step up from our comparatively junky Grey Wolf. Granted, the Grey Wolf wasn't horrible but it was well-used and left us increasingly unhappy with its multitude of problems and shortfalls.

Highlights of our New Coach:

Living Room and Kitchen: The living room, with its 10' ceiling, is very inviting and has a cozy (electric) fireplace, a large sofa and extremely comfortable lounge chairs (our last coach had a tiny couch but no living room at all!) The dining area has actual chairs at the table instead of needing to slide into a dinette booth. The kitchen has an ISLAND, lots of counterspace and a deep, 2-part sink with a very nice multi-function faucet. There's a super stove and oven and a huge microwave! The refrigerator and freezer are twice as large as the unit in the Grey Wolf--nearly as large as the one in our home!

Windows: This coach is absolutely filled with windows! The Grey Wolf was like a cave with its few small windows. The Avalanche has windows everywhere, and most of them are very big! They're tinted so we can look out and nobody can see in until it gets dark, at which point we pull down the blinds! :) The height of our coach allows us to have wonderful views and we enjoy just looking outside with happy smiles on our faces!

Bathroom: The bathroom is small but includes a very spacious shower with sliding glass doors instead of a flimsy shower curtain. The mirror is well-lit! This might seem like a small thing but a badly lit mirror will drive you crazy! The Grey Wolf's bathroom mirror had such horrible illumination that our additional lighting couldn't correct the situation…it was so annoying!

Bedrooms: We both have proper bedrooms, each with doors!! (Steve snores so we sleep separately, thus getting a good night's sleep and Steve isn't pummeled all night! :D) For this trip, my bed was the couch which folds out into a bed, topped with a memory foam mattress. The situation isn't ideal because the bed fills the room entirely. Eventually we'll have a twin-size bed to replace the couch and it will be exactly right!

Our Visit:
We had a very relaxing stay and just enjoyed being there. We had bacon and eggs or steak omelets for breakfast and for dinner we ate steaks, roasted chicken, and even cooked hotdogs over our propane fire pit! And of course, we enjoyed our lovely espressos with cream!

Pumpkin had a fabulous time too. She really loves the coach and RV life in general because she gets so much attention and one day we took her on a very nice walk that had her full of song! Joseph Stewart State Park really is a marvelous place!

Steve and I would happily move there forever except for one thing: ZERO internet. Steve gets the tiniest blip of data so he can read the news but that's about it. However, we knew this from our first trip so we were prepared for being cut off while we were away.

I spent my time relaxing, wandering around taking pictures, processing my images, writing, treasure hunting with my metal detector and doing crosswords. Steve relaxed, added mud flaps to the truck, fiddled around with a few things in the coach, and played video games. Both of us played with Pumpkin too, which is always fun. In other words, our trip was pure bliss!

Today's Pictures:
During our walk with Pumpkin, we ended up looking out over Lost Creek Lake and of course, I just had to take a panorama! I hope that you look at it full-size as it's quite a sight! :D You can see that the water level is quite low right now but will fill up again with the upcoming storms.

My insets: I had a lovely time strolling around and just "being in the moment" with my camera. The set today includes bunches of wonderful things I found as I nosed around, including a picture of an oak tree I featured from our last trip (I've included an inset to show the original), a picture of our truck and trailer, mushrooms, leaves, a pretty little foot bridge in the forest, and an oak tree with the biggest burl I've ever seen!

Pam, I hope you are doing well…I wish you could have looked out on the water at Lost Creek Lake and toddled around with me on my strolls. It was such a treat to be there. Neither of us felt hurried or obligated to fill our days with a million things. It was wonderful. I hope that you're feeling well! SENDING HUGS!!!

Explored on 11/16/19; highest placement #1.

Victoria's Butchart Gardens, Part 9: Ravishing Roses--HFF!--and the Last of My Butchart Show! :D (+10 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 20:12:35 +0000

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(+10 insets!) (View Large!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information)

Trip Talk: The Installation of our Pullrite Continues!
I am married to the handiest man I've ever known--other than my father of course! It's said that men marry women that most resemble their mothers and women find those who have traits of their fathers. Think about it…is that true for you? I always considered my father to be a superhero…he could do anything, fix anything, create anything, and he was my personal hero, protecting me and teaching me as I grew up…he was the most amazing person to me, so it's no wonder that I found Steve. He shares so many of my father's most admirable traits!

With the same caliber of brilliant mind as my father, Steve is totally amazing with creative solutions and problem-solving. In regards to our truck's hitch, Steve seized the opportunity to research and zero-in on exactly the right hauling solution for us. He learned that it would cost $500+ to have the Pullrite installed--on top of the expense of the hitch itself. Wondering if it was possible to do the installation himself, he watched a number of videos which showed exactly how a handy person could do this job and save the money. Though tricky and requiring some exacting work, Steve was totally confident that he could do this himself.

As he expected, the job has been more difficult than what he learned in the videos and installation how-tos. Nobody ever talks about the physical weight of the various parts, nor does anyone mention the awkwardness of working around a truck's underpinnings. We were both overjoyed that the most critical--and unforgiving--step of the job went perfectly! He had to use a hole-saw drill to cut a round hole through the bed of the truck, which needed to line up perfectly with the installed underparts of the hitch. There could be no error. The strength of the truck's bed depended on this cut being exact, and he nailed it!

What he didn't count on was the poorly added suspension bar that he encountered when he came to another critical point in the installation. An important part that needed to slide into place…couldn't. There was something in the way and upon scrutiny and comparison to videos and pictures, Steve learned that the previous owner put in a bar as part of their own hitch setup--it needed to go! This removal project added hours to the installation but he was successful and very pleased when he was able to complete the important step he'd been working on initially.

The Pullrite is nearly 75% installed now and Steve's delighted at how things are going. Yes, it would have been a much faster job for a professional mechanic to do, but being able to do this himself is incredibly gratifying and satisfying for Steve. Don't we all feel best when we can achieve a very challenging and important goal?! Down the road, as we pull our trailer around the country, we'll have that extra glow of knowing that part of our hitch solution came because Steve is such a handy guy! Hooray! :)

Today's Pictures
Among flowers, few are as popular as the rose. With over 300 species and well-over 1000 cultivars, the variety of these flowers is completely mind-boggling. You may be surprised to learn that roses are native to most areas of the world, though the largest number of native species are found in Asia. Here are a few other things you may not know: not all roses have a scent! The act of hybridizing new cultivars will often kill the scent in a rose, which must then be carefully re-hybridized to get the fragrance back! Also, did you know that a rose's fragrance is strongest in the early hours of the day and fades as the hours pass? (I found a really neat page with a list of interesting rose facts if you'd like to know more about these wonderful flowers. )

Naturally, Butchart Gardens had an enormous area devoted to roses of all kinds. Specifically, they have 7 types of roses, 280 varieties, 2,500 rose plants and 30 rose arches! Upon arriving, you sort of have to just stand there and gawk with glazed eyes, while drool gently trickles down your face. Preposterous!

The rose in this main image is one that I particularly liked because of the wide panorama view as it looks out over the splendiferous (Thanks, Keith! *high five*) view beyond--which includes a lattice fence covered with more roses!

By the way, my many presentations of Butchart Gardens has finally drawn to a close. Truthfully, I could process another 25-50 winners but honestly, 100 pictures is enough already! Believe it or not, we actually visited more than just this incredible place on our 5-week adventure around Vancouver Island! :D So for now, I hope that you enjoyed the show. If you ever had a question about the high price to visit (US for Summer was $27 for the day; www.butchartgardens.com/rates prices are less at different times of the year), I hope my pictures and commentary have convinced you to build a trip with Butchart Gardens in mind as a delicious destination for you. Without question, we will be back. It was an incredible experience and I'm so happy that I could share a small taste of what it was like to be there.

Inset 1: this shaded-cotton-candy-pink rose is totally perfect in my opinion with its elegant petals and marvelous details! I'm so happy I found it so I could share it with the world!

Inset 2: a classic open rose in tints of pink and white with a warm glow of gold in the center, you have to wonder how in the world it was developed this way!

Inset 3: an unusually-shaped peach rose with pink outer petals leaned down from its bush so I could freeze its beauty for immortality.

Inset 4: glowing like a beacon, a bright red and yellow rose beams radiantly in the fading afternoon light.

Inset 5: Steve posed for me in one of the many arbors around the rose garden.

Inset 6: Wait! This isn't a rose! No, it's a gorgeous yellow and gold rudbeckia! (I would have filled this last presentation with roses but I had extra pictures from the rest of the Garden so here they are!)

Inset 7: what a wonderful surprise to find a Bucket List Bug! :D This little beauty is a Candy-Striped Leafhopper sitting on a golden rudbeckia…what a beauty! Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the best pictures but this one turned out pretty well.

Inset 8: this is the other picture I got of a Candy-Striped Leafhopper after it hid on a shaded petal. The image is dark and grainy but I wanted to share it anyway because I'm so happy I found one of these marvelous insects!

Inset 9: you may remember the coleus leaves I shared on the first day of my presentation. That one was highly filtered, but this is the original; I'll include the filtered version below this picture for comparison.

Inset 10: last but not least, this is the entry sign for The Butchart Gardens. It, like everything else about this park, is lavish and beautiful!

Pam, do you have any roses on your property? We have a number of them out front and one in back, but I'll admit that I don't care for them at all. They're rather a mess but the flowers are wonderful! I love to step out in the morning when their fragrance is strongest and bury my nose in their petals. Thanks for all of the great comments you've been leaving for me, I'm so glad you've enjoyed the Butchart Garden show and I'm with you--I'd LIVE THERE if I could, lol! Here's hoping you're having a good day! *BIG HUGS!!!*

Explored on 10/19/19; highest placement #6.

Gorgeous Sunset at Fidalgo Bay and Wonderful Things to See! (+12 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 22:30:25 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+12 insets!) (this pano shows its magic at full size!) :) (Oh, and yeah...think War and Peace...a cup of coffee is in order! :D)

Trip Talk: Are We There Yet? Vancouver Island Isn’t Down the Street! And What’s with All the Truck Problems?!!

The ferry from Washington to Vancouver Island is not that far away—just 8.5 hours. But that’s if you’re driving a car—not a truck with a 30-foot trailer behind it. Our speed is close to that of a car, but pulling a trailer is stressful, something which builds up over time even if there haven’t been any problems. Therefore, we try not to drive more than 4 hours at a time if we can help it. We’ve actually increased our driving time a lot since we began our RV travels. The first couple of trips were just an hour away from home. On our third trip, we drove up and down the Oregon Coast and doubled the driving time between camp grounds to a couple of hours. During that trip we gradually increased the drive times to a maximum of three hours. Each trip we’ve been able to deal with longer drives but there’s definitely a limit. As badly as we wanted to get to Vancouver Island to get our trip officially started, we both knew we’d need to stay overnight on the way up (and back again).

That being said, we didn’t care about the accommodations and that meant we’d be staying in RV “parking lots”. Many places we’ve seen really are nothing more than gravel parking spots with hookups for sewer, water and electricity. No grass, no plants, no picnic table…NADA! (See Inset 12 for an example!) Oddly enough, many of these places aren’t even cheap because they are located in a city or other important thoroughfare, but we think it’s outrageous to be so overcharged for a crappy site.

More amazing is that there are a lot of people who choose to live full-time at these places. Noisy, ugly, bleak, crowded…it seems to me that if I were going to live full-time at an RV park, it would need to be really nice for me to bother. However, perhaps the price is the issue—RV parks have attractive offers to live there full-time, in turn giving the park owners a steady income.

On our first night heading towards Canada we stayed at a place called Riverside RV Resort in the forgettable town of Canby. It was nothing special but served its purpose just fine.

Truck Problems
While we were at Riverside our first vehicle issue happened. When Steve was disconnecting the truck from the trailer, the plug that connects the truck’s electricity to the trailer was ripped out and needed to be replaced. And then, the repair which should have taken only a couple of hours turned out to be six hours of frustration and anxiety. However, in the end Steve was successful and the replacement plug was much better than the original junky one. It’s only too bad it happened in the first place.

The next day we left for Fidalgo Bay Resort, located minutes away from the Washington Ferry which would take us to Vancouver Island.

It was a very warm summer day and there was a lot of stop and go traffic on the busy freeway that took us north past both Portland and then Seattle. By the time we hit the rush-hour traffic of Seattle, we began getting concerned comments from people driving by. “Pull over! Your tire is smoking!”

!!! WHAT WHAT WHAT?!!!!! Horrified, Steve and I used our mirrors to frantically check the tires on each side but we couldn’t see what people were so freaked out about. Which tires?!!! The truck?! The trailer?! Both?! And, as badly as we wanted to pull over and jump out to see what was going on, there was no shoulder to pull off onto. Steve and I were beside ourselves with worry.

The stop and go traffic in the heat was so infuriating because we were stuck without any way to fix or even assess the situation. The next offramp was many miles down the road so all we could do is creep forward until we found a wide-enough shoulder to pull off onto. Cars continued to beep at us, roll their windows down and inform us that we had a problem. That didn’t help, and nobody answered our query, “WHICH TIRE???!!” The most we got were fingers pointed at our rig…could have been either the truck or the trailer, we just didn’t know.

After what seemed like eternity, a wide shoulder presented itself and Steve pulled off as far over as possible. We both know how deadly it can be when drivers get out of their cars on a shoulder so Steve was very cautious as he left the truck and took a look at the tires.

The trailer’s wheels were fine, and so were the wheels on the truck’s driver side. But looking at the wheels on the passenger side, Steve saw some smoke coming out from the rear one. What was going on????!!!

Oh, And About the Truck…
What I haven’t mentioned was that we got our truck totally serviced after we got back from our Central Oregon trip. That was the trip where we lost our truck’s transmission and had it rebuilt while we stayed at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park for ten days. Both Steve and I felt the same way though: when we got back home, the truck was going into the shop for a full service overhaul because we did NOT want to be on Vancouver Island with a disabled truck!

Happily, we were able to get the servicing done but the only problem was that we got the truck back a mere couple of days before we were set to leave on our trip to Canada. That meant that Steve didn’t get to take the truck out to make sure all was well.

Back to our Freakout Truck Session
So Steve calls our mechanic and Huck answered immediately. He listened carefully as Steve described the problem we were having and then Huck explained what he figured was going on. After the two of them talked for a while, with Steve examining the wheel and relaying information to Huck, I could tell that Steve was much more relaxed and understood what was going on.

Apparently the replaced bearings were faulty and some of the oil used to pack them was seeping out onto the center disk, which was so hot from the traffic that the oil began to smoke. Huck told Steve that the wheel would actually be ok and all Steve needed to do was monitor the situation and wipe off any oil that appeared. The problem would fix itself most likely and once we returned, Huck would replace the bearings just to make sure all was well.

And that’s exactly what happened. We checked the wheel regularly throughout the trip and wiped off any oil that we found. Within a day or two no more oil appeared and we were able to relax, knowing the truck was ok. Whew. We sure do hate problems with our rig but the happy ending to this story was that we arrived at Fidalgo Bay Resort (*NOT* a parking lot!!) as the sun was dropping below the horizon, just in time for us to park our rig and take pictures of the breathtaking view.

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Today’s Pictures
The main picture today is a view of the magnificent sunset that totally took our breaths away. Other pictures in this presentation include more sunset images and a walk on the beach the next morning before we left for the ferry.

Inset 1: When Steve and I were on our trip, I posted another picture of the sunset and I thought it should be reposted in this presentation.

Inset 2: This is a very wide panorama of the whole bay! It was a jaw-dropping sight and we felt very fortunate to stand in such a spot and think about how beautiful the world is.

Inset 3: Look at this lovely trio!! Waking up in Fidalgo Bay, I popped outside and took a walk along the shore. It gave me the chance to watch a flock of Canada Geese having seaweed for breakfast! I got so many nice pictures of them that I can't resist sharing a few!

Inset 4: Another beautiful Canada goose. I know we've all seen plenty of these common birds but you know, I just don't get tired of how pretty they are.

Inset 5: I love this group picture because they are all busy doing their thing, including wolfing down seaweed! :) After Steve and I had our breakfast, we came out to the beach together but by that time the geese had finished their munching and made their way out into the bay to another favored location.

Inset 6: The night before, Steve and I couldn't help noticing the huge refinery across the bay, complete with billowing steam. We thought it was very cool-looking but wow, what an opposite to the natural beauty that we were experiencing on the other side! I learned that there are actually two refineries in the area which are part of the Puget Sound Refinery--one is the Texaco Refinery and the other is the Shell Refinery. Those of you who enjoy historical details will love this link to the building of these refineries in the 1960's.

Inset 7: This monstrous oil tanker sat on the other side of the bay as well and I couldn't resist looking it up, since I could read its name, "Polar Discovery." Did you know that huge ships are tracked and logged, with updates about locations, cargo, weight and the like? This Google link will bring you to a list of pages mentioning the Polar Discovery; clicking on one will give you more detailed information and sometimes a picture of the vessel. The reason this is cool is that these massive ships are among our world's "movers and shakers." They are one of the countless chess pieces behind the scenes which are individually significant to country economies.

Inset 8: The calm waters of Fidalgo Bay were perfect for morning kayaking or even paddle-boating! This man and his wife enjoyed some brisk exercise, though they seemed a bit on the stern side to me! :D

Inset 9: These gorgeous gladiolus were growing in a planter next to the park's boat launch and I just had to immortalize them…what colors!!

Inset 10: This row of RVs is right along the Fidalgo Bay's edge. How lucky to get a reservation which afforded such a view. (Even though the space between each rig is almost nothing!) We learned a bit of etiquette the night we arrived: You Must Not Walk Between RV's To Get To The Bay. You Must Use The Designated Path. Or Else. LOL, we didn't realize that people can be so territorial about their temporary RV site! At one point we walked between two RVs to get to the road where our RV was and suddenly a woman magically appeared to stand, extremely agitated, right in front of us. Steve and I were quite surprised as we watched her pull her shirt down with pomp and stand at full height, seemingly in a protective stance. "HELLO!" said Steve. *GLARE* from the woman. "Well, have a nice day!" added Steve. *HUFF-PUFF-GLARE* from the woman. YOIKS. Well...as we pushed around her rigid form, we learned something about stepping on people's toes and where not to walk!

Inset 11: Here's a picture of our rig at Fidalgo Bay. Even though we weren't at the water's edge, we didn't care, it was mere seconds from our RV to walk out to the water's edge, how cool is that?! :)

Inset 12: I added the picture of our rig at Riverside RV "Resort" (which is a strange way to spell "PARKING LOT") so you can see how close the sites are to each other.:D At least this place had gravel instead of uneven dirt!

Pam, I wonder if you've ever used a paddle boat? I've never tried one myself but they do look like a lot of fun, don't they? We visited so many places along our journey which would have been perfect for these boats but still, they wouldn't really make sense because it would be very hard to take something like that with us, let alone two of them. We are going to try to get a boat of some kind at some point. For now, it's all fun to think about! Hope you have a nice day my dear! *big hugs from southern Oregon*

Explored on 9/16/19; highest placement #5.