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

A Pretty Bow to Start the Week From Tugman State Park (+5 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:15:19 +0000

(+5 insets!)

Keep Your Eyes Open: You Never Know What You'll Find!
Steve and I spent an absolutely wonderful week at William Tugman State Park and every morning I started it with a walk on the 1.1 mile trail around the edge of Eel Lake. What a gorgeous trail--it had everything! A lovely view of the lake, a meandering, well-maintained trail that meandered through a deep forest along its edge, four cool foot bridges to cross, and so much flora and fauna along the way!

I only took my camera with me a few times but it was a good thing I warned Steve that I'd left the trailer with one because without fail I took twice as long to get back because I kept finding fabulous subjects to capture!

Today's Pictures
When I was returning from the end of the path where it terminates at a bench overlooking Eel Lake, I saw a bright red flash on a branch. Taking a closer look, I discovered a pretty hair clip adorned with a red bow. Apparently a little girl had lost it while frolicking and somebody else came along and clipped it onto a branch when they found it laying on the trail. Then I arrived and recognized the opportunity for a cool picture! Huzzah! :)

Today's Insets
I'm sharing another trail shot, a lovely wild grass head festooned with pollen, and two ripening thimbleberries in the center of their perfect star-shaped sepals; I'm also including a very cool sight: what looks like a flower is actually the opened and ripening seed pod of a Trillium. Finally, you'll see the shadow-play that I saw in my bedroom one morning before I rolled up the blind. I am often mesmerized by this show if we happen to be positioned where the shadows of a bush or tree are cast on my window shade. The shadows will often move back and forth, sometimes changing shape and paralyzing me as I enjoy the show.

Thank You!
I really can't tell you exactly how nice it feels that you have all been enjoying my pictures so much. It makes me feel so giddy! It's my wish to make you smile, feel surprised, make you think, present you with something new or transport you away from troublesome thoughts. If I can do that, I feel that I've been successful, and when you let me know…I just can't help but beam from ear to ear! Thanks so much. And the visits to your streams take me on amazing trips around the world and into your hearts, expressed by your photography. It's a pretty cool relationship we have, isn't it?! You're all terrific. :) Have a great day and please stay safe and healthy!!

Explored on 2/22/21; highest placement #3.

Look! A Black Twinberry Butterfly! :D Hello from Bullard's Beach State Park! (+2 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 17:26:17 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets!) (Bigger is even better!) :)

I want to make sure I have time to post this so I'm just posting a quick note to go with my pictures today! We are about to leave our wonderful campground, Bullard's Beach State Park and we had a wonderful stay! We will be heading about an hour north for a three day-stay at our next campsite. Unfortunately, that was the longest we could get for the time slot, but after another four days at a different place, we'll be back for another four days. Heh, I know that's not the same thing as seven uninterrupted days but sometimes you don't have a choice in these things!

Today's Pictures
I had a very nice time creeping around with my macro lens and got bunches of really neat pictures. Along the way I found these marvelous bushes covered with red-cloaked, round black berries. I thought it was very interesting that the berries grew in pairs…and so when I discovered the name of this plant was Twinberry, I had to laugh! Perfect!

While I took photos, I couldn't help focusing on my favorite part--the beautifully shaped, red bracts surrounding the berries. Upon investigating online, I learned they are called involucre, and is part of the botany name of Black Twinberry, "Lonicera involucrata". (These plants also have a red version, naturally called Red Twinberry) I was also fascinated to learn that these berries are a kind of honeysuckle! The plant grows like a bush, which threw me off because I thought all honeysuckles are vines. However, when I learned it was in the honeysuckle family it all made sense do me. The honeysuckle that grows on our property has the very same berries, except that they are red. The leaves are the same too, and looking at pictures of the flowers, they are also quite similar. It's so fascinating to see the various species of a plant group, isn't it?

So, as I took pictures, I took turns concentrating on the berries and then the lovely red bracts. Then I saw a lovely red flash…and gasped in surprise! Would you just look at that? Bracts that appeared to be a lovely red butterfly with perfectly shaped berries to represent a thorax and head! Seriously, what are the odds?! :D This picture just HAD to be my main image today! I'm also including some other views of these pretty berries--a pair to admire and a folded-over bract that looks like a red bat! :) I hope you like them!

I wanted to give everyone hugs for all of the attention you've been giving my pictures, and for the lovely comments and stars. I appreciate you all so much. I was able to visit some of you finally and it was great to see what you've been sharing with us here on ipernity! Here's hoping everyone stays safe and healthy in these crazy days!

Here's more information about these berries that I found very interesting: Twinberry, also called bearberry honeysuckle, is in the honeysuckle family. Twinberries are very common in the Cape Lookout State Park at the base of Netarts Spit. Unlike their cousins, the climbing and pink honeysuckles which are twining vines and can occur in our area, the twinberry is an erect shrub that may grow to more than twelve feet high. Its paired yellow flowers each have a five-lobed, tubular corolla. The flowers are subtended by a pair of large, green bracts that turn red as the fruits mature into pairs of shiny black berries. These berries are bitter and considered inedible, but their juice has been used as a dye. Its leaves are opposite, they have petioles, and they are rather shiny on top. They drop off in the winter. There are two varieties of twinberries, the coastal Lonicera var. ledebourii, occurring in coastal Oregon and California, and the mountain Lonicera var. involucrata, found in all western and the lake states. From Netarts Bay Today

Explored on 7/14/20; highest placement #1.

Heart of a Magenta Dahlia & Checking In!

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

Janet Brien has posted:

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

Victoria's Butchart Gardens, Part 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

Janet Brien has posted:

(+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.

Victoria's Butchart Gardens, Part 7: Outrageous Echinacea, Luminous Blossoms and Much More! (+10 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 20:47:29 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

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

Trip Talk: Great Timing, Tub Transfers and Preparations!
The RV we chose for our home on the road is so popular that only a few are available across the country. In fact, the one that Steve got to walk through wasn't even at the RV show! The manufacturer, Keystone, had only just delivered the rig to the RV seller that morning. It was still at their receiving facility, waiting to be shuttled to the show for display. After Steve described the sort of trailer we were after, the lady he was talking to took him around to a few units that fit our needs but she couldn't find the one she really wanted to show him. Eventually she realized that it wasn't on the grounds yet, but told Steve it was only 15 minutes away if he'd like to check it out. It was the first day of the show so Steve made plans to go see it the following day, which he did. He was totally delighted and sent me lots of pictures--I was immediately smitten as well. When the best choices were compared, we decided this was the winner.

The reason this is cool is because our RV was not at the huge show, though it would have been. The show was so popular that instead of getting a few thousand visitors each day, they got over 10k every day! That translates to a lot more people tromping through units with potential damage and wear. When we made our decision to buy that model, we learned that we'd be getting the very unit that Steve walked through at their receiving facility! Totally pristine and unmolested by the hoards, hooray! It's extra cool that Steve has physically been inside our new trailer—how excited and happy we are!

Within two weeks, all of the financial and prep work will been completed. Then we'll be able to drive down to pick up our new RV and since it will be a trade-in (hooray! ), we'll be taking our Grey Wolf, dropping it off and switching over to our new RV. We are so excited!

It's also going to mean moving everything from the old trailer into the new, so we'll be getting a bunch of tubs to help in the transfer. We'll put everything into these containers before we leave and when we arrive, we'll just carry them into the new trailer, easy as pie! Happily, we don't have any excess junk with us so we won't have to spend any time going through our stuff and pulling out the excess clutter. The pieces will soon be coming together! :)

Today's Pictures
You may not know the love affair I have with echinacea, but let me tell you...this flower and its zillions of hybrids totally steal my heart. They are so photogenic and have such lovely details that I lose my mind when I find a garden brimming with blossoms. My first introduction to echinacea was years ago when Steve and I were on a bike and rode past a garden full of hybrids. I nearly flew off my bike for lack of attention to the task at hand! We did an about-face and returned, where I proceeded to spend the next 20 minutes going crazy with my camera. Since then I am always on the lookout for these beauties and of course Butcharts had bunches of species to swoon at.

What can I say about this crimson beauty?! ALL BOW BEFORE ITS RADIANT BEAUTY! It's even got a "sweep of hair" to add to its loveliness. I got many pictures of others around it but this one is the queen of all she surveys. The moment I saw this picture, there was no question about her presentation...and now she has stolen your heart too. :)

Inset 1: a magnificent golden echinacea with others in bokeh behind...oh my heart...

Inset 2: this purple petunia was glowing like neon with the afternoon sun shining through its petals. The background is added candy that makes this a favorite for me!

Inset 3: on the way in and out of Butchart Gardens is a pathway lined with decadent plantings including a parade of hydrangea that would knock your socks off. Here is a stunning trio of blossoms paving the way for the enormous ball of flowers to come. Incredible!

Inset 4: cascading down from their hanging planter, these begonias were lit by sunshine that warmed their petals and made them look like Mother Nature's most beautiful lamps!

Inset 5: I was lucky enough to get a nice picture of this pewter-colored damselfly as it sat on a golden echinacea!

Inset 6: the sun shining through this begonia's petals made the original image look so overly saturated that I decided to turn it into art instead, muting the colors and giving a richer and darker background. Winner-winner-chicken-dinner!!

Inset 7: a lovely lavender bud stretches up before a field of coral zinnias, what a sight!

Inset 8: what a lucky day I had with insects! Here is Pine White butterfly sipping eagerly on a stalk of yellow blossoms...I don't know what species they are though. (do you know??)

Inset 9: another plant that makes me fall over and float away are hostas! So many varieties, colors, textures and sizes, the only bummer about them is the required shade they need. As Steve and I headed up a path above the Sunken Garden I turned and looked into an inset area next to us and couldn't BELIEVE the vast carpet of hostas and other gorgeous plants growing pristinely below. Are they not breathtaking?! *swoon*

Inset 10: Butchart Garden has their own incredible computer-controlled fountain, which mesmerized all who gazed upon it. Cycling through many formation of elegant displays, Steve and I couldn't help but wish we could see it lit up at night in a rainbow of colors, accompanied and tracking some beautiful classical piece. If you have ever been to Las Vegas's Bellagio Hotel, you will know the incredible fountain show they have. The experience left me sobbing from the incredible beauty and emotional performance and every time I see this show (they have many), it threatens to reduce me to tears once again. Please, do yourself a favor and end your visit with me by clicking on this link to see Bellagio Fountains: Time to Say Goodbye show. Bring tissues.

Pam, have you tried growing echinacea in your garden? The native species is supposed to be quite hardy but I wouldn't know...the few I've had are merely deer and squirrel food! I hope this bright and sunny day is the same for you my dear! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon!

Explored on 10/15/19; highest placement #1.

Western Columbine at L.L. Stub Stewart

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 20:59:12 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+7 insets!) (this update is another doorstop...coffee will be necessary to make it through to the end! :D)

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well, I miss everyone a lot. I really miss my "normal" routine of cruising around everyone's streams and dropping off comments for all of your latest pictures. However, I have had to change my priorities from my usual photography/ipernity/chores/etc. to trip preparation in all regards. I'm the sort of person that can't have the distraction of a favorite pastime interfering with important tasks. If I try to spend a small amount of time with something like photography or ipernity, I end up becoming totally absorbed and procrastinating away hours of time. I just can't seem to balance that one so the best option is just to stay away from these activities until I have my priorities under control.

Trip Planning
So, I'm still working on our Vancouver Island trip itinerary and also doing zillions of prep tasks, etc…six weeks is a lot for planning and coordination, let me tell you! We were able to find a person in the area who's an expert with snakes and frogs and he will be caring for Snakey McSnakerton and our two ancient, 18-year old frogs while we are away. We've arranged for a house-sitter. Pumpkin is microchipped and paperwork is in order. Steve's got all of our trip reservations--including our ferry crossings--finalized. I now know that we can bring most of our food across the border both ways--but no eggs or fruit!

Oh, and by the way, did you know that a sing freshwater fishing license is just $37 for a Canadian and a whopping $84 for a non-native? In other words, we'll be spending $168 just for the chance to fish! Sound the general alarm, that's CRAZY!! And yet, we'll pay the price because we're going to be on the island for five weeks. Did you notice the part where I mentioned "fresh water"? We WON'T be fishing in the ocean/shore/bay pier. That would be another $125 EACH to try that. (And, just for funzies I looked into boat charters of any sort…AHHHH!!! It's a minimum of $600-$700 to go out on a boat for two people…as much as I would dearly LOVE to have a guided trip for fishing, we just can't afford such extravagances.)

RV/Truck Maintenance…
When we were at our last RV destination, Diamond Lake, we noticed that one of the trailer wheels wasn't behaving quite right--it didn't turn freely when we backed the trailer up, pushing into the gravel instead of rolling over it (but seemed ok going forward). This was strange because we'd had the bearings repacked and the whole rig checked out by a local shop. But when we got home, Steve checked each of the wheels and discovered that three of the four wheel's hubs were cool to the touch as they should be, but the one we were concerned about was very hot--a bad sign that the bearings aren't moving easily. So, right away Steve got the trailer into the shop. Turned out to be such a strange situation that the shop admitted never seeing it before in the 20 years they've been servicing RVs! In fact, parts of the bearings assembly disintegrated into the wheel and it was a total mess--it was lucky we got home, actually. Because of Steve's diligence to check for problems, he discovered this blow-out accident waiting to happen. Happily, the repair didn't cost us a cent because it was the shop's error--although to be fair, it was a manufacturer's error--not theirs--because they'd done everything right except for putting in a bearing assembly that was defective.

Steve also took the truck in for an inspection by our local mechanic. We really should have done this before we began our RV adventures but the timing didn't work out until now. As it turned out, we learned that to get our truck up to snuff, we needed to sink nearly $5k into engine repairs. That's on top of the transmission we had rebuilt. Holy money pit Batman, at that point you really need to stop and think about cost vs. value. Steve and Huck, our mechanic, talked about the truck for a while and if these costs were worth it. But, just like our transmission mechanic, Huck didn't hesitate with the same opinion: these trucks will last forever with routine care, and this truck is unquestionably worth more than we paid for it, despite the transmission and maintenance costs. And, with these repairs out of the way, we won't need any work done on the truck for 100k miles or more. Ah well, it's just money and more importantly, we have peace of mind. The truck did make odd sounds sometimes which made us wonder. Now Steve knows what they meant. It's all good.

RV Upgrades, also known as, "STEVE IS AMAZING!!!"
Meanwhile, Steve has been working on making our RV better and better! His most important project when we got home was to fix the wonky, defective kitchen drawers and then to BUILD four new drawers--a pair that would go under the dinette seats and two under the master bed.

First he fixed the kitchen drawers. The idiot things didn't open/close properly and the slides were partially broken…what a nightmare! He replaced the cheap-crappy slide mechanisms with new ones that have a soft-close feature which pulls the drawer shut at the last inch. While he was fixing the drawer, he also added 6" to the length/depth of the drawer! MORE ROOM IS MORE!!! YAYYYYY!!!

What a difference!! When he was done we stood there like silly little kids taking turns opening and closing the drawers! HOORAY!!! *happy dance* The thing is--we use those drawers dozens of times every day and every time we had to fight with the drawers to some degree. By the time we got home from our last trip, we were both raving lunatics, and that's why he had those drawers fixed the day after we got back! HUZZAH!

After the kitchen drawers he attacked the dinette! The seats have cushions that can be removed, exposing a crappy piece of plywood that covers storage space below. Potentially useful? ABSOLUTELY! Realistically useful? NOT! So Steve set to work building a pair of drawers that should have been there to begin with. It was a challenge to figure out the drawer faces but his solution of using stained wood faces in a black frame works just super. We are beside ourselves with happiness at how amazing these drawers turned out. (Did I mention the fact that Steve's never built drawers like this before from scratch?) Now we'll have a proper place for our pots and pans and plenty of other stuff. All easily accessible by opening a drawer! Steve's AMAZING!!!

Finally, he's in the last stages of building drawers into the bed frame so we have proper places to put our clothes. We've been making due with the pair of closets at either side of the bed but the spaces are too small and require us to pile our clothes up and squish them into place. Trying to pull out an item of clothing at the bottom of a pile is a guaranteed disaster with clothes falling onto the floor, tipping over, and making a huge mess. Neither of us made a peep about it on our last trip because there was nothing we could do about the situation but we totally hit the wall. It would be a big project but the effort would really pay off. As he expected, the horrendous lack of building skill in the trailer's construction made it very challenging in regards to dealing with so many lopsided angles but he's been able to come up with clever solutions for every problem. He's almost done now and we are so excited to put these new spaces into use! YAY FOR MY CLEVER MAN!!! :)

Today's Pictures
Today's main picture and inset are a pair of the many lovely wild Columbine blossoms that Steve and I saw when we were staying at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park. Using a flash really make them explode in fiery color, especially against a dark background. I also have an inset which shows a Columbine in natural lighting. Incredible flowers, aren't they? I was so happy I got to see them in bloom, as I'd missed their bloom time here at home.

I'm also including insets that show the drawer work that Steve's done! What fun it is to show off Steve's handiwork! :)

Pam, I'm hoping that you've been doing as well as can be expected! Miss you mucho my dear! *MANY HUGS* and thank you so much for the comments on my picture! :)

Explored on 7/19/19; highest placement, #7.

Pictures for Pam, Day 204: SSC: Angel with Wings Dedicated to Marie-claire Gallet

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 03:50:56 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!) (view large for a more hypnotizing view!) :D

This picture is also dedicated to our dear friend on ipernity, Marie-claire Gallet. She is ill with a recurrence of cancer and I am hoping for a fast and successful recovery!

Today I looked outside and it was just SO BEAUTIFUL! The warm sun coming up over the hill made everything it touched erupt with light and I knew I just HAD to take my camera out with me on my morning walk.

Also, I just couldn't take the PRESSURE ANYMORE! Pressure you ask? What pressure? Stepping outside, my eyes were immediately drawn to a glorious patch of poppies which were positively glowing in the early sunshine. It's almost as if every one of those blossoms was singing a siren's song out into the heavens and I could hear every note! It didn't matter that I have countless unprocessed poppy pictures in my archives. I simply could not resist another day of their overwhelming gorgeousness and beaconing calls.

I was immediately swept away into a dream of photography, surrendering to the luscious beauties posing before me. Their flamenco-like petal-dresses swayed and danced in the breeze, offered in so many lovely colors and combinations.

I was not the only one hypnotized by their grandeur. Bees of all kinds buzzed and crawled drunkenly over the flowers in droves, stumbling over one another, completely out of their minds with desire. How familiar this scene was to me, I thought with a big smile on my face, and I watched them joyfully while I took pictures.

I learned how poppies affected bees back in 2014 when I planted a garden for my first time. I scattered countless poppy seeds in the beds to be sure that if nothing else sprouted, at least I'd have poppies. Sprout they did…hundreds of plants all over the beds with so many flowers that I simply couldn't believe my eyes! For months, every morning would be another show with new blooms. And, as I walked to the garden, the sound of bees preceded me, getting louder and louder as I finally entered the garden. The bees were EVERYWHERE! Even though I wasn't worried about them, I soon discovered that I might as well be invisible because they couldn't care less about me. And what a wonderful feeling, to know that the seeds I planted grew into flowers which were feeding all those bees. To this day, every time I see bees falling all over themselves at poppies that I had something to do with…it makes me feel overjoyed. :)

Oh yeah…did you know it's Saturday? Specifically SATURDAY SELF-CHALLENGE! And today's challenge is "Shadows". Ok, so when I first saw the theme I immediately thought about the cool shadows I see on our window blinds and walls when the sun shines through the trees. I do love shadows. In fact, they stop me in my tracks so I can appreciate them! But today my initial idea got tossed out the moment I was bewitched this morning by the poppies. Even as I was being magnetically drawn to those glowing blossoms I could see the shadows through their translucent petals. Shadows? I'll give you shadows!

My main picture is called "Angel with Wings," and when I saw this poppy I couldn't help but say out loud, "OOOOOH, LOOK AT THE ANGEL WINGS!! I got one picture that also showed the shadow of a bee crawling around between the "wings" but I thought this picture was better without the distraction. I have six insets to share as well, and you'll see a bee in flight in two of them! I really had to force myself to stop processing pictures…I got so many lovely images that I want to share but I think this is enough! :D

Pam, remember when we went in on poppy seeds together?! That was such fun! I still have poppies reseeding themselves from 2014! What about you? Did yours reseed too I hope? What wonderful flowers they are. Sending my love and *HUGGGGZZZZZ!!!*

Explored on 6/1/19; highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 149: Scarlet Fritillary Blossom

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

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!)

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

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

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

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

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

Wind the clock forward to yesterday...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pictures for Pam, Day 145: Heart of a White-Spotted Red Dahlia

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 23:42:47 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+4 insets!) (please enlarge!) (I hope you don't mind the excessive length of my posts, it's necessary to document the very beginnings of our unfolding RV trip!)

Once again, busy, busy, busy! So many things to do lately it’s got Steve and me running all day!

We had another RV dinner and sleepover last night and it was great! We cooked our dinner from start to finish there and the evening’s fare consisted of pan-fried steel-head trout topped with sautéed mushrooms and onions drizzled with a chili/soy sauce…YUM! The side was a repeat of yesterday's mushrooms, onions and asparagus stir-fried in butter...NOM! Needless to say, everything turned out perfectly! (By the way, Jenny wondered about our cold storage—we have a refrigerator topped with a freezer, roomy enough that hopefully we’ll be able to fend for ourselves for at least a week or so without needing to restock.)

I mentioned yesterday that I needed to add our memory foam topper to my bed and that was the perfect solution! The hip I sleep on most is still tender but I’m now comfortable and it will get better in the next few days. What a wonderful night’s sleep I had!

With all of the ferrying of items back and forth from our house to our RV I neglected to bring Pumpkin’s breakfast over last night. Since I wanted to wash my hair this morning and didn’t want to risk a cold-water catastrophe, I took Pumpkin over to the house with me and I showered there, returning to the RV with Pumpkin and her food.

All of us enjoyed a very nice morning relaxing in the RV. I had a little time to do just a bit of commenting yesterday afternoon and this morning which was very nice. I do look forward to catching up as I can!

We have been keeping an eye on the levels of our “grey” and “black” tanks and today we saw that our grey tank was registering full. A grey tank holds normal water flow from the kitchen and bathroom sink and fills up much faster than the black tank (toilet). In the next couple of days we’ll take the RV to one of the many places that provide grey and black tank dumping. In the time being, our overnight stays will be curtailed since we can no longer use our sinks. We will appreciate a break...we didn't actually plan on more than one night initially but realized it was a really smart thing to do. So we'll take a break but when the tanks are emptied we'll continue fine-tuning our RV camping! :)

On another subject, today we went out and got a new phone and data plan for me. One of the things that’s very important when RV’ing is having unlimited data if at all possible. This allows internet usage without any concerns about running out of a set data amount for that month. The warehouse store we love, Costco, had a special deal that costs only $25/mo for new customers, and it was just too good to pass up. The only drawback is that I won't be able to tether my phone to a computer, but we have a solution for that too. Steve found an excellent deal which does include tethering to computers so we are now set when it comes to getting internet coverage! (Tethering means connecting your computer to your phone's internet data.)

We’ve wondered how we would handle this important issue and it was wonderful to have the best deal we’ve seen drop right into our laps. The truth of the matter is that unlimited data plans used to be $100/mo at the very low end ($150-200/mo was common), and people actually sold their plans online or grandfathered them to family members because they were so rare and valuable.

After all of our errands, I’m home fairly late so again my time is short…I haven’t processed many pictures in the past week but happily we will have a break from our RV overnight testing for a few days and things should settle down for a while!

Oh! New birdies at the feeder today! I looked out and was delighted to find a pair of House Finches happily gobbling up millet! I giggled as I watched them through our binoculars--it’s pretty hilarious to see them with open beakies as they work on breaking the husks of the seeds! They were pretty happy about the treasure trove in front of them though and they stayed for a good ten minutes chowing down! :) It sure is nice to see those lovely birds back here. I’ve included an inset for you to see! :)

Today I’m sharing another knockout from the dahlia exhibit that Steve and I visited a couple of years ago when visiting my dad in San Francisco. I have so many pictures to show but they all must take their turn! :D I've added three insets of other red dahlias I photographed there on my first visit there in 2011. Aren't they just a bunch of divas?! :)

Pam, I wanted to find another travel picture of yours and found a beautiful image of Glastonbury Abbey Fish Pond with an absolutely gorgeous reflection of the cloud-filled sky and lined with lovely silhouetted trees. MAGICAL! Hoping all is well for you my dear, you are in my thoughts! *BIG HUGS*

Explored on 4/4/19, highest placement, #2.

Pictures for Pam, Day 97: Valentine's Day Rose

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 01:41:53 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+3 insets!)

Another cold, wet, and dreary day greeted me today and I simply didn't have the heart to go outside in the mud and icky weather. However, I did have a lot of fun looking through some of my archive photography and found the perfect picture to post for Valentine's Day. It's officially tomorrow for all of us in the United States, but since so many people on ipernity live in Europe, it's a better idea to post this picture today!

Steve and I live near the town of Medford, Oregon, and a large company called Harry & David is located there. They have a huge public garden and specialize in endless species of roses. We've gone there for photo shoots a couple of times and my mind is always spinning by the time we leave because I've photographed so many incredible blossoms. This one in deep, rich red, is the classic Valentine's rose, and so it's my pick of the day. I hope you like it Pam! :D I'm also including some past Valentine cards I've posted. (If you'd like to see more pictures from the Harry & David garden, click on the album to the right and you'll see what I've posted so far.)

I hope that everyone has a wonderful and romantic day!

Pam, I looked on your photo stream for Valentine's Day pictures and found a lovely golden crocus that bloomed that day in 2014. What a wonderful gift! I wonder if it bloomed for you this year or did it get eaten like all of ours did? Anyway, I hope that you can find something pretty to enjoy on your Valentine's Day this year! *BIG HUGGGGGS* from southern Oregon!

Explored on 2/14/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 66: Nature's Miniature Christmas Lights

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 00:27:00 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets!)

It's been such a lovely day! It began with a hint of frost followed by a brilliantly sunny, gorgeous morning and afternoon! Steve has been working on our deck and we've both had such a lovely time. I took pictures this morning and enjoyed hours of happily visiting contacts, and looking through and processing images for my post tomorrow!

I was so engrossed in my processing that I nearly forgot…I need to write about and post my picture today! I have a handful ready to go from our trip down south and I thought that some festive red berries would do the trick!

On our second hike up into the hills above San Anselmo, Nathalie took Steve and I through another beautiful natural area and then down into the pretty residential streets so we could appreciate the lovely homes and gardens as we strolled along.

Strolled along? STROLLED? More like dragged by the ear kicking and screaming! Every inch of the way there were endless things for me to take pictures of! Steve had his camera but he and Nathalie were enjoying their conversation too much for him to think about photography. So, every few moments they'd had to stop and wait for me to catch up with an increasingly guilty look on my face. "But there are so many cool things to take pictures of!" Steve coaxed with a pointed statement, "I am beginning to starve to death!" Heh…well…I ended up getting piles of pictures even if I had to skip 90% of the amazing possibilities! :D

Along the way were many different beautiful berries growing on bushes and trees but so far I've only processed two types. The Japanese Barberries is my main image and I was so delighted to find these on our walk. I love them because they look like tiny red Christmas lights to me, blazing red and beautiful! The inset features Nandina berries, and there a were so many of these growing on people's properties. So pretty!

I am also including the sunset from a couple of nights ago! :)

Pam, I hope all is going ok for you! I was thinking about how much you've changed my life in the past couple of months. In fact, you've changed SO MANY people's lives in the past couple of months. I am a totally different person than I was when I began. Today I am a waggy-tailed, exuberant and overjoyed person with ambition and dreams and big plans for the future. It's totally amazing to me, and it's my wish that some of my boisterous passion for everything positive and happy will transfer to you and make your life better too. Sending my biggest virtual *HUGGGGGGSSSSS*!!!!!! :)

Explored on 1/14/19, highest placement, #5.

Pictures for Pam, Day 61: Strawberry Tree Berries

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 00:40:03 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+3 insets!)

I'm back to posting pictures from my trip down to San Anselmo, and today I ran into a problem. Let me explain…

On our first day at Brian and Nathalie's house, I looked out the kitchen window and could hardly believe what I saw! A six-point Mule deer buck was calmly nibbling the grass on their hillside, a mere thirty feet away! Naturally I didn't have my camera with me, and by the time I got back with it, he'd wandered away. Shucks.

Fast forward a couple of hours. I'm wandering around their patio taking pictures and I look up…there at the same spot was a younger buck with four points! AHHHHHH!!!! I went over to the path up the hillside and slowly moved closer. The deer here are extremely used to people so I wasn't surprised when I was able to get much closer. He stared at me as I creeped towards him and only turned to walk off when I was about ten feet away.

I'd been focusing on him so intently that I didn't realize he wasn't alone. I noticed movement and was surprised to find yet another four-point buck AND the six-point beauty from earlier! All three of them were eyeing me but weren't especially afraid. I stood and took pictures as they moved around the grassy knoll, watching for any aggression on their part. All of us were calm and quiet so they ate grass and food from the trees and I got lots of pictures. Finally they walked away and I returned to the house, overjoyed at the encounter I had.

I ended up getting lots and lots of useable pictures but none of them were very spectacular. Also, they were close enough to trees and bushes so it was going to be some work to get reasonable separation in post-production. I really wanted to use a picture of the six-point buck but the only one that would work was going to be a tough image to fix up. I spent a long time working on the photo but my first attempt was just bad. I ended up working on a picture of one of the four-point bucks and it came out ok but he's walking up the hill and I don't know…it's just nothing special in my opinion.

Today I decided to give the six-point buck picture another try. The result was much better but I finally had to admit that it's just "OK". Not a picture I really want to feature as my Picture of the Day.

Ugh. So now what? I considered trying another deer picture but abandoned the idea because all of the images were either too similar to what I had or just not interesting enough. MEH!! I gave up on my deer idea. However, I am posting both pictures as insets so you can see! The six-point is a knock-out! But meh on the post-production.

I took a look at the pictures I've processed and decided on my Strawberry Tree Berries! These trees are popularly grown in urban areas and feature countless colorful berries that are prickly in appearance. The berries require a whole year to mature and finally ripen in about November in most places. The berries are edible and used in jam and liquor, though rarely eaten off the tree because of their fairly granular texture. The tree on Nathalie's hillside was positively bursting with berries in all colors from yellow to bright red. Such awesome photo subjects. I have included one more as an inset for you to see, and it has pretty white blossoms that are in bokeh.

Pam, I hope that you are doing well today after all the excitement of yesterday's scheduled appointment. Crossing my fingers for you…I hope that there will be some treatment which will resolve your issues! Worried but optimistic too…and wishing I could give you a hug!

Explored on 1/8/19, highest placement, #2.

Pictures for Pam, Day 60: Macro Monday: New Year's Resolutions

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 00:58:12 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!)

Today isn't just Monday…It's MACRO MONDAY! This ipernity group took the past two weeks off for the holidays but they are now back on schedule with a new project: "New Year's Resolutions / Good Intentions for the New Year". I thought about our plans this year and how I might incorporate them into macro images. I came up with three ideas!

First is our resolution to continue our healthy lifestyle--namely to continue our Ketogenic way of eating along with daily exercise. My macro could be my pile of rocks which I use to mark each lap of walking up and down my driveway for my daily exercise.

Second is our resolution to get our back deck finished, which has been a fairly sizable project because there is a deck outside our master bedroom as well as the main deck. I thought the perfect macro could be showing the wood planks with droplets on them for added interest.

Third is our resolution to get our RV travel underway so we can begin having adventures out and about! Our truck purchase was integral to our plans so I thought that some macros of the truck would be perfect. As it happened, it's been raining so droplets on the truck are a no-brainer!

I planned to take pictures yesterday but ran out of daylight so I got out there before it began raining today…and well, I went crazy. Hundreds of pictures later I forced myself back inside and copied them onto my computer. Holy moly, what a lot of cool pictures…as you may know, I'm coo-coo about abstracts so these close-ups were really fun to look at. One of my favorite aspects to photography is meandering through my pictures, cropping them and discovering the gems. I got really lucky today...too lucky I think! :D It was really hard to choose so in the end, I processed a handful of them to share! Let me know what you think!

Pam, today has been all about droplets for me, so I checked out your droplet shots--so many pretty flowers covered with drops! I especially loved your Orange Day Lily pictures…such stunning flowers and even prettier with droplets!! I hope you are doing ok today, my dear. I hope all goes well with your tests... I'm thinking warm thoughts about you as I always do! *BIG HUGSSSSSSSSS*!!!!!

Explored on 1/8/19, highest placement, #2.

Pictures for Pam, Day 47: Joy & Peace

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 23:09:37 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 inset)

Just like any child the world over, Pumpkin woke up at 5am this Christmas morning and entered my fluffy, comfortable dream.

"Peep!"

I kept on sleeping, but wondered what that odd sound played in my narrative. Who knows was I was dreaming about but I could surely say that the next announcement woke me up.

"Burble-burble-burble-burble…PEEP!"

I cringed when I saw the time. "Peep-PEEP!" Nope. I wasn’t going to answer. Without shame, I pretended I didn't hear her. However, she knew it was Christmas and there was no stopping that little beaky of hers from chiming in another "Peep!" every 5 or 10 minutes. *whimper* I felt as one with all parents on the West Coast right now…all of us trying in vain to get our children to allow us another few moments to sleep. At least my child wasn't running all over the house and sneaking peeks at the presents Santa brought! Memories of joyful Christmas mornings as a child brought a smile to my face.

However, I wasn't going to get up at 5am. Nor would I arise at 6am or even 6:30am, thank you very much! Pumpkin finally lapsed her "snooze" feature to 15 minute intervals and eventually I dragged my bedraggled corpse out of bed at 6:45am. I stumbled, zombie-like, into the bathroom to start the day. Once I was up, of course, all was well but I certainly wore a pair of very heavy-lidded eyes to begin with!

As predicted yesterday, this morning wasn't rainy and it wasn't terribly cold either. As I started my walk, I watched the sun lighten the sky and colors appeared. My present from Mother Nature was a spectacular sunrise full of lemon, orange, purple, blue and magenta. All against lovely cloud and fog formations that whispered around and over the Upper Table Rock in the distance. (See my inset!) The lovely show continued well past the end of my walk, and Steve would go on to mention the beauty of this day. Colors bounced off the clouds. Fog crawled up and down the valley, socking in our property and then falling back again to reveal the valley beyond. Wisps and tendrils of mist created delicate lines into the sky like a diaphanous curtain. It was wondrous.

The birds gave me their present too. Early off on my walk I heard the resident turkeys down in the woods making themselves heard and I enjoyed every note. I heard a pair of acorn woodpeckers calling back and forth to each other. Many little song birds--finches, sparrows and juncos--twittered in nearby trees and flew together from tree to tree.

As I started my last lap I looked up and was overjoyed to see the flock of turkeys near our shop. I stopped for a moment to listen to their lovely contact trills and purrs, smiling happily. They pecked at the dirt, relaxed and comfortable as they wandered towards the hillside. I resumed my walk, hoping I'd see them when I returned back up the hill. I didn't see them at first but I did hear them and watched as they appeared from the rear of our shop.

Quietly I padded up the hill, knowing they hadn't seen me. They wandered up the side of the hill just on the other side of some thick brush next to me. I stood, totally captivated. For the first time I was very close to them as they were vocalizing their beautiful, intimate purrs and trills. Such soft notes was like sweet conversation among a loving family. It was so wonderful to hear them cooing so sweetly, and blissful moments passed as I drank it all in.

The flock climbed up the steep hill and disturbed a trio of mule deer does. They trotted away and stopped to turn and stare at me. They could see me, but the turkeys hadn't, or if they could, were far enough away now that they weren't bothered.

I heard some deep flapping and tried to spot the birds through the trees. One of the turkeys was putting on some sort of wing-flapping display, and with that, all of the turkeys began making a lot more noise. In fact, they were making such a ruckus I tried to record the racket on my phone--to no avail, unfortunately. The flock was obscured by trees but it sounded like they were having a turkey convention up there! No alarm "gobble-gobbles" but all kinds of noisy calls…it was completely crazy! After a while I crept back down the hill to the house, thoroughly delighted by the amazing Christmas present I'd been given by Mother Nature. I am so happy!!

Today's picture is another holiday card! I thought it would be perfect because today is Christmas here in the United States. It also gives me the opportunity to share another picture from my "Birds in the Snow" folder! I spent some time looking through the hundreds of pictures and found lots of really neat shots. I'd set up our 100-300mm lens so I could take multiple pictures in succession, a technique which I have a love-hate relationship with. I love the many choices you get this way but it also means an absolute GLUT of pictures and you must look through them. UGH! The most horrible thing of all was that I discovered that I hadn't processed a single picture from that photo shoot. What a shame, but now I am sharing the second picture. YAY! :)

Pam, I hope you had a very merry Christmas! I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you enjoying ipernity more these days. I know you'd like to be 100% better but gosh, you're doing so well! Let's hope you keep seeing more and more improvement…you sure do deserve it. Many, many great big *HUGGGGGGSSSSSS*!!!

Explored on 12/26/18, highest placement, #5.

Pictures for Pam, Day 46: Happy Holidays!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 17:58:27 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(originally posted in 2018 on Christmas Eve)

It's Christmas Eve here in southern Oregon! If it was cold like it was a couple of days ago, snow would be falling heavily right now. Instead it's raining hard and has been since I got up at my usual crack of dawn. It's a bummer because I was hoping for a white Christmas but it's not going to happen. And, even though tomorrow will be cold enough for snow, the day will be clear so we are out of luck...phooey! Oh well!

The rain clouds held back the lightening sky so it was almost dark enough for a flashlight when I stepped out for my daily walk. Splashing down the driveway I peered around for possible stray cats and dogs falling from the clouds—boy was it coming down! The noise on my umbrella was so loud that I couldn't have my usual internal conversation about thoughts for the day. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to just walk along and look through the pouring rain and into the forest and meadow. Actually, it was quite Zen. No distractions, just Being. Very peaceful.

After about an hour the rain finally let up and I put my umbrella on the porch. It was light out now and the world seemed like it was happy to take a break from the relentless deluge. I listened to my podcasts and enjoyed myself.

On my last lap, I was walking up our hill when I noticed an odd filament on the road. Something about it was really strange and I kneeled down to take a closer look. It looked like a 1.5-foot/45.72cm piece of really thin wire coated in a creamy brown color. "Well, that's weird..." I thought to myself. "What is that?" I wondered if Steve dropped an odd piece of wire on the road, or maybe it was a stripped root of some kind.

It moved.

In a combination of horror and excitement I yelled, "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!! IT'S ALIVE!" I stared in absolute disbelief at the strange filament that was ever so slowly coiling and waving around on the road. As I stared, the weeks spent studying invertebrates in my Zoology class a zillion years ago came hurtling into my head. "WOAH!! DUDES!! IT'S A WORM!!!"

I could hardly believe I was doing this, but I reached down and ever-so-gently picked it up. It was like holding the thinnest snake I'd ever handled, but I managed to sort of drape it over my fingers as I would a snake. At which point it slid off and landed on the road again. I tried again. This time it didn't slip off and I held it up to my face to get a really close look. Which was its front end? Hmm...one end was a bit squared off, and I guessed it might have actually been longer at some point because it appeared to be cut off there. The other end looked like an extremely miniature version of an earthworm's head. I exclaimed in delight, "SO COOL!" Suddenly, I had a mission.

Carrying my umbrella in one hand and my bizarre wormy buddy in the other, I made my way hastily up our hill. Steve needed to see this! It will blow him away! As luck would have it, Steve was walking out to greet me as I neared the house.

"STEVE! I FOUND THE WIERDEST THING EVER!! LOOK!!!" He came over and I held out my hand so he could see the strange creature. Suitably impressed and fascinated, Steve pointed out its shortened back end. We both wondered how long it might have been originally. 1.5-foot/45.72cm seemed awfully long already. Kinda creepy.

I walked over to the meadow and gently placed it on the dirt. Part of me was totally grossed-out, but I was really happy to find such a strange animal on our property. I wondered what kind of worm it was. However, one thing I knew about worms is that there are a LOT of them. We're talking over a MILLION. The odds of me identifying exactly which one seemed unlikely but with that Earthworm head, I thought I might have a chance. To my great surprise, it only took about five minutes to discover what it was--a Horsehair Worm! (And they are in the same family as Earthworms!) And, though they are normally as long as 14"/35.56cm, some be 6.5 feet/2 meters!! UGH! The good news is that adults don't eat. Only the larvae are parasitic and go after insects.

Oh dear, I hope I haven't disgusted everyone! Please forgive me...wildlife of all kinds fascinates me so I hope you haven't lost your lunch on account of my unusual animal discovery!

Today's picture is a minimalist snowy holiday card! A few years ago it was snowing and I set up our 100-300mm lens in our doorway and took pictures of the birds that visited our feeders. This darling is an Oregon Junco and is among my favorite birds. Did you notice how huge and fluffy it is?! AHHHHH!!! SO CUTE!!! :D

Pam, I hope that this Christmas Eve finds you doing as well as can be and better than you have been doing. Every little step forward is progress, no matter how small. I hope that my healing energy finds its way to you and gives you a burst of energy! Thinking of you always!

Explored on 12/25/18, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 45: Diva Dahlia

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 22:03:04 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(Please view at full size!) :) (+1 inset)

I was very pleased as I stepped outside this morning because I got to start my walk a little earlier than usual. I try to get out by 7:30am if I can but if I wake up before 7am I'm usually walking by about 7:20am. That's really nice. As much as I've been moaning about the darkness of the mornings, it does give me more of an opportunity to immerse myself in the world waking up around me. This really is a gift and I appreciate every moment. Especially because getting up voluntarily at this time was something I never did in the past. I've missed out on decades of these special times and I don't take a single moment for granted.

It was still quite dim outside but ten degrees warmer than yesterday. At 36 degrees, it was positively comfortable in comparison and I began my walk in extra happy spirits.

"Hoo-hoo.." I heard, followed by "Hoo. Hoo-hoo-hoo." I stopped in my tracks and stared across our valley across the main road to the neighbor's property beyond. "OWLS!!!" I shouted in my head and cocked my head to the side, listening intently.

Again the two called back and forth, their hooting echoing back at me. "Hoo-hoo.." and "Hoo. Hoo-hoo-hoo." A beaming smile radiated from me in response.

I simply love owls. Unfortunately, the only wild owl I've ever seen was a Tawny Frogmouth in Costa Rica many years ago. And the only reason I saw it was because our guide knew where this one slept and pointed it out to us. So perfectly camouflaged, it looked like it was part of the tree! What an odd but incredible looking bird that was. Steve and I still talk about that morning!

Regarding owl photography, I have such admiration for anyone who gets pictures of these beautiful birds. I hope that someday I'll be so lucky. But for now I stood silently on our road. I listened blissfully to the sounds of these two birds calling back and forth to their hidden spots in the trees across the road. I felt so fortunate and overjoyed to get this awesome experience.

After a while I started walking again and was happy to learn that my footsteps didn't disturb their conversation. In fact, they kept hooting until the sun lightened the sky and finally put an official end to the night. I whispered to myself, "That is so cool..."

Today is perfect timing to share another dahlia picture! I hope that you are enjoying the show and aren't getting bored. I simply must post these images! The dahlias yell and scream for attention and if they had it their way, they'd highjack my photo stream and fill every day with piles of their lovely blossoms! But I won't have it! They don't understand that so much beauty must be doled out one at a time for the best appreciation!

So, in honor of the colors of this holiday season, I bring to you a most dramatic red dahlia. It laughs at the poinsettias and amaryllis that dare to compare themselves to it. Holly berries? Pshaw! No, this dahlia takes the stage like a runway model. I am only here to share it with all of you. If she were a person, you'd surely find her sipping wine in Paris. :)

Pam, I wish I could present this diva to you because then she would see what a true beauty is in this world. Thinking of you all the time...

Explored on 12/24/18, highest placement, #6.

Pictures for Pam, Day 8: Honeysuckle Berries

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 21:47:00 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Please see our new group, Pictures for Pam, we would love to have you!
You may read the latest news of Pam`s recoverery here (11/9/18): www.ipernity.com/home/christine.bentley
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Yesterday's blog was full of what I'd done the day before and so I didn't mention what I actually did yesterday! I hiked to the top of the LOWER Table Rock trail! I originally planned to hike both the Upper and Lower Table Rock trails in one day but I realized on the way up the Upper that it was too much to expect that I do both trails AND take pictures too. So I axed the Lower and figured I'd do it the next day if I was up to it. As it turned out, I was! :D I also didn't bring my camera since I'd taken so many pictures the day before. Better to come back another time for that. However, as we all know, the time that you don't bring your camera is the time you see something incredible but you don't have a camera! As I was about one quarter of the way up I encountered the most adorable and fluffy grey squirrel, which was very close to me and spent a lot of time low in a nearby tree. I just stood and enjoyed the moments before I finally walked on. Yeah, I could have pulled out my phone but I didn't feel like it. What a great experience that was!!

This morning I was greeted with frost on the ground which twinkled up at me as I walked up and down our drive, listening to my Niven audio story, "Dream Park.". The sun soon melted what little frost there was, as it was just at freezing, but I loved seeing the tiny crystals on the leaves, grass, and our cars.

While I trooped along, I also thought about the past few days. With the help of Peggy C, I started up a new ipernity group, Pictures for Pam. Heidiho suggested the idea, and thus our new group is a reality! It has become quite an instant success and the crowning prize is that Pam is having a wonderful time looking at all of the pictures that we've been submitting. I hope our combined virtual hug will give her an extra push towards recovery!

Today's picture features a group of lovely little wild honeysuckle berries at the end of their show. In truth I was a bit surprised that the picture turned out at all because the two attempts I made were really just quick clicks without much care. I'd been heading back down the Upper Table Rock trail when I saw a flash of something red as I went by. I stopped and returned to the spot…oh! Berries! Neato! At that point I was ready to be done so snapped a couple of pictures and called it a day. Well, what a nice treat when I went through the images and found that one of them was actually nice enough that I am posting it today!

Pam, I know that you love and appreciate pictures of things that may not be in perfect condition, but still deserve an appreciative stare. These berries are on their way out but that very quality adds to their interest with some cool texture and notable areas to look at! Here's hoping for a nice day and plenty of rest! All my best!!

361/366: Juicy Rose

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 03:38:47 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

The center of this lovely red rose is still drizzled with the last night's rain drops and made for a very juicy image!

288/366: Purple Classic

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 03:26:14 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This is another picture I took at one of the Medford Cruise week's "Show 'n' Shine" exhibitions. So many awesome cars, at some point my eyes start spinning around in my head from so many amazing vehicles!

247/366: Lucky Timing!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 03:40:29 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I admit it. I'm a poppy stalker. Once I discovered there was a fun game to play with them, I became a junkie! I'd pop out the house just as the sun was cresting our hill. Out into the garden I would creep and peer at all of the poppies that were opening. The game: see if you can find a poppy that hadn't yet dropped its bud case! This is actually more challenging than you might think. The buds break out of those cases in the matter of moments sometimes and the case splits open and falls to the ground.

This is one of the coolest shots I've captured! Within a minute the case fell off, so I really had some lucky timing!! :D

Explored on September 6, 2016. Highest placement, #9.