Everyone's photos, videos and docs, with the keywords: "square format"

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nobody@ipernity.com (James) — Sat, 09 May 2026 12:05:44 +0000

James has posted:

Which key?

nobody@ipernity.com (James) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:15:05 +0000

James has posted:

Lotus flower seed head

nobody@ipernity.com (James) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:08:17 +0000

James has posted:

Just for fun I thought I would paint this :-)

Dice in ice, a.k.a dice cubes

nobody@ipernity.com (James) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:13:32 +0000

James has posted:

Core blimey

nobody@ipernity.com (James) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:51:36 +0000

James has posted:

This week I will post a series of shots as found on the ground. No4.

Three Stunning Mushrooms at Beverly Beach State Park (+7 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 13 Feb 2022 17:58:20 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+7 insets)

Too Many Pictures, Not Enough Time
I was looking through my folders brimming with pictures from our visit to Beverly Beach and nearby attractions and had to sigh deeply in resignation. There are just too many pictures that deserve attention and showcasing and not enough time to share them.

In fact, I am quickly running out of days to show pictures from our whole trip last year. There will be a total of 15 stops out of the 20 that I won't be able to share--what a bummer! When I first realized this a couple of months ago I tried to come up with a solution to include all of the places we visited but in the end I realized that it just doesn't matter. At some point maybe I can share them but at any event, they are all loaded up in my computer slide shows and we do see them this way. The worst thing would be if I didn't have a chance to process any pictures at all. I also have trip notes from most places we went to, so that's good too. Anyway, my takeaway is that whatever pictures I have time to share will be a treat for me and hopefully you folks will enjoy them too! :) How incredibly lucky to have so many adventures that I don't have time to share pictures from all of them!

Today's Picture
I was walking along the Spencer Creek trail one morning when I noticed a rotting log covered with a carpet of glowing moss. Nestled within it I saw this lovely trio of mushrooms that posed elegantly for this picture!

Today's Insets
Inset #1: Bristle flowers are so small and their dark maroon color so close to brown that I mistook them for dried up blossoms. One day it occurred to me that I should look closer. I literally gasped in surprise as I crouched down for a better look. These gorgeous, orchid-like flowers are just stunning with their sparkling maroon and pink stripes and bright orange-yellow pistils.

Inset #2: The jaw-dropping expanse of Beverly Beach at low tide with morning mist drifting up the hillside. All I could do was stand there and gawk. How lucky that the weather eased that day so I could experience that incredible sight. :)

Inset #3: Gorgeous dappling of algae and water plants floating on the shallow water of Beverly Creek's prehistoric-like bog. The light was just perfect to show this wondrous sight, along with the moss-covered logs and glowing plant life that grew there. This place made me glad to be alive! :)

Inset #4&5: A close-up of a horsehair fern with an even closer view to see more detail. Such fascinating plants. I wasn't surprised to learn that these living fossils are so resilient that getting rid of them is next to impossible once established.

Inset #6: One day when the weather allowed me to walk out to the beach without freezing to death or being blown away by fierce gales, I saw a man tossing sticks for his happy dog. What fun it was to watch these two enjoying a beautiful morning together!

Inset #7: The trail up and down Spencer Creek were interrupted by plenty of roots to step over. Pity the person who wasn't paying attention because they would certainly trip and go flying over these roots! I love to look at them though, and find them to be a favorite trail feature wherever I walk!

Thank You For Stopping By!
Reading your comments and seeing your stars makes me so happy, and I appreciate every one of you. I feel so fortunate to be in such a generous and warm community--let us hope that our ipernity finds the needed leadership they are looking so desperately for at this closing deadline! Hoping that everyone is doing well and finishing out your weekend on a happy, healthy note!

Explored on 2/13/22; highest placement #3.

Forget-Me-Not Bouquet at Honeyman State Park! (+5 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 18:07:53 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+5 insets)

Starting to Feel Better!
The sun is breathtaking this morning, blinding me with radiance as it lights up the sparkling frost carpeting our meadow. The frozen twinkles will be gone soon though, now that the sun has found them, but I am overjoyed to see this dazzling show.

I am delighted to report that I'm beginning to feel better, with just a little bit of help from medicine to ease my terrible anxiety and clawing depression. These feelings are like rolling tides that go in and out. Right now they are at a low ebb and I can gaze around me with welling joy and happiness, looking forward to our upcoming trip. I know these tides will slowly rise again and I will struggle once more, but finally they aren't getting as bad as they were. Knowing that things are getting better, for even a little while, is priceless to me.

Thank You
I also think about all of you who have come to visit me, even when I've not been able to return the favor. Although I have said thank you many times, perhaps you don't know that I've found your support to be a kind of lifeline sometimes. When I've felt so desperate, and worthless, I've come to read your comments and they've reminded me that I'm none of the terrible things I'm feeling. Coaxing me to smile and laugh, enjoying the words you leave for me, it really has meant so much. I am forever grateful.

Today's Picture
Honeyman State Park is the second largest Oregon state park campground, offering more than 350 campsites spread across eight loops which are nested in the forest just next to the sand dunes which march up and down the coast for 30 miles. Every site is unique, with trees and bushes, moss, ferns and logs to set them apart. One campsite had a gorgeous Forget-Me-Not plant that had burst into bloom and one morning after a night of rain, I brought my macro flash over to capture these stunning beauties, with hopes I would get some pretty pictures to share. Success! :)

Today's Insets
Inset #1: I was delighted to see the beautiful groups of California Groundcone along the Woahink Lake portion of my daily walk. They were in such perfect condition and perfectly placed for easy photography!

Inset #2: Light shining through this pair of glowing fern fronds took my breath away, showing off the spores that dotted each pinnae. I didn't see that I'd also captured the gossamer threads of a spiderweb until I looked at the images on my computer!

Inset #3: I looked up the trunks of trees with hopes to find mushrooms and here I found a beautiful shelf fungus. It was adorned with its nightly exudence of moisture, gleaming droplets forming as the change in temperature from night to day and liquid was forced out with the increase of pressure.

Inset #4: Falling trees are a big headache to anyone maintaining a trail system and often the easiest solution is to saw a chunk out of the trunk and leaving the rest. I love the way this looks and loved walking through this timber doorway! :)

Inset #5: I really couldn't get enough of this beautiful sight, the sand dunes meeting the edge of Cleawox Lake. I cannot help but think about all of the sand dunes and deserts in the world which march slowly across the world.

Again, Thank You So Much!
Your visits, comments and stars really make my day and I appreciate more than I can say. I've not been able to return the favor but finally I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for stopping by! Please take care of yourselves and have a wonderful rest of your week!

Explored on 1/26/22; highest placement #3.

A Brilliant African Daisy from Harris Beach State Park (+7 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 17:11:19 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+7 insets) (Please scroll down to "Today's Image" for photo info)

Notes Written During our Trip: What a Difference a Year Makes!
When 2020 began, we'd just started to seriously plan our upcoming RV trip when Covid hit. We would eventually leave three months later and had a fabulous season of adventures.

This year we didn't have to wait! And to make things easier the state park reservation system changed to allow bookings six months ahead and we jumped on the opportunity. It took hours that day but we locked in nearly 3.5 months of our season! From then on, we slowly prepared and began packing a few things. Steve worked on upgrade projects as weather permitted--it gets very cold here in the winter and our shop isn't heated so he worked on days that were warmer.

Steve kept last year's preparations in mind and this year he didn't hurt himself just as we were about to leave. (He'd slipped off our ladder, landing on a knee and hurting it badly--it would be more than a month before he could really use it.) Both of us were very careful because we learned what a total bummer it was to be trailer-ridden and unable to hike, cycle or enjoy the beautiful setting we were in.

We Could Hardly Wait to Leave on our Adventure!
As April rounded the corner, we got increasingly excited because our first reservation would be on April 6 at a hugely popular campground we never thought we'd get into--Harris Beach State Park. Amazingly, we got a full two weeks at a perfect site for our large rig! Steve and I worked very hard all the way until the very moment we left and then it was showtime!

Off and Away!
On the morning we left, I walked down to the gate, opened it and waited for Steve to make his way through. As our rig passed by, I couldn't help but watch and think of the past fun we'd had in the last couple of years. This season we were set up for almost six months of camping! NO MORE WAITING! It was time to GO!!! I pulled the gate shut, locked it and trotted across the road to hop into our fabulous new truck. Steve and I shared a face-to-face grin and high-fived. LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!

What a Wonderful Drive!
Driving out to the Oregon coast, we took a route that many RV and trailer owners have openly worried about online. The two-way road gets very narrow in places with some very tight curves combined with rocky walls encroaching on the road. Trees are reported to lean over the road with low-hanging branches that cause a real concern. However, we were happy to learn that the trees were gone and we had no problems with the curves or the rock walls, though we did go cautiously through those spots.

We enjoyed a beautiful three-hour drive through redwoods, past verdant meadows and farmland, and finally we reached the gorgeous coast! All the while Steve and I chatted about our trip and Pumpkin supervised from her Lucite travel cage braced between my knees. Munching on her food and whistling joyfully, she couldn't be happier either----she adores travelling and camping too!

Once we arrived at the campground, Steve had no problems backing into our site. We'd learned to check reserved sites online to make sure they would be easy to get into--we've had our share of stressful parking memories! Upon parking, we hopped out of our truck to congratulate each other with a big hug. Our happy Cheshire Cat smiles couldn't be bigger! Our very first site was HARRIS BEACH!!! YAHOO!!! What a way to start our 2021 camping trip!

Today's Picture
There seems to be no end to the gorgeous macro opportunities at Harris Beach State Park, and I found some lovely African Daisies planted in a landscaped area which were exploding in blooms of white and magenta. This flower was a perfect choice for a square-format close-up!

Today's Insets
I'm also including a macro that shows the heart of that flower with all of its beautiful details. Other insets include a Candy Flower with cool bokeh, a wide-format shot showing a wild cucumber tendril clinging to a thorny blackberry stem, a fuzzy wild cucumber blossom (they are perfectly smooth when viewed normally!), a pair of willow catkins, a crinkly thimbleberry blossom, and finally, an unfurling fern (Lady Fern?)

Thank You For Stopping By!
I'm so glad you guys enjoyed my classic car pictures posted a couple of days ago, that was such a treat! Have a great start to your weekend!

Explored on 11/11/21; highest placement #1.

Bursting with Joy!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 16:31:24 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Hooray for the United States!!
We are finally out from under four insufferable years and finally have an ACTUAL PRESIDENT!! It's amazing!!

Steve and I were so happy all day we hardly knew what to do with ourselves! We celebrated with pancakes for breakfast and steak for dinner and even the weather celebrated by being brilliantly sunny and wonderful! Both of us went on walks and Steve took Pumpkin in her travel front-pack cage and she sang her little heart out with joy!

Starlink Sends a Green Light!
Just to make everything even better, we got an email yesterday inviting us to join Starlink's beta program!! Steve signed up to the waiting list on the first day the beta was announced back in October and we crossed our fingers. As time passed and coverage expanded, we whimpered and hoped that maybe we'd get into their program.

What is YOUR download speed?
Apparently the "normal" speed for people is 100mbs. We get 1.5mbs. But hey, it's better than when we moved here, 15 year ago, when it was .5mbs. Living in rural southern Oregon has its upside--it's gorgeous and next to wilderness but we pay the price in an utterly miserable connection to the internet.

Wearing a Hole in the Carpet While We Wait!
It will take anywhere between two and four weeks before we get our kit. Until then, I'm just going to forget about it. Well, I'm going to try, anyway. Immediately I'm having a hard time with the glaringly slow page-loads. It's hard to continue ignoring all the things we miss out on because our internet speed is too slow. Can't watch YouTube videos without a long wait. Can't enjoy animated gifs. Can't play silly online games that require a good connection. Streaming tv shows and movies? HAHAHAHAHAHAH…um, no. Well, let's hope it's closer to 14 days and not 30!!

Today's Picture
It's another outrageous dahlia blossom to show my feelings about turning the page to a bright new future for the US and for us too! :D (This dahlia was photographed at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco back in 2016) Please stay safe and enjoy your day!

Explored on 1/21/21; highest placement #8.

Glowing Heart of a California Poppy (+3 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 17 Jan 2021 16:07:35 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+3 insets!)

The Vaccines are Rolling Out!
Here in Oregon, the approved Covid-19 vaccine is being distributed to more and more at-risk people with each passing day. We learned that at some point there will be a mass-distribution for the general public to be given from our county fairground. As far as I can tell, it will be April/early spring before we get our shots, but who can say? Right now the vaccine is ear-marked for anyone at risk and that's fine by us. How lucky we are to be healthy and remote without the risks so many others are exposed to every day.

I wonder what it's like around the world. Have you been vaccinated yet? Any idea when you'll get your first dose?

In any event, we're very encouraged that, despite the problems with organizing the rollout, the approved vaccine is slowly finding its way into millions of desperately risky people! I sure do hope you're not in that group but if you are, here's hoping you are now vaccinated or will be very soon!

Today's Picture
This is the heart of a pastel-colored California Poppy (along with insets that show the whole stunning blossom!). These flowers are normally orange but there are hybrid colors too, including this gorgeous pale variety known as "Linen". We've tried growing the hybrid colors but with exception of the orange varieties and this kind, none have bloomed for us. Too bad, the different colors are so pretty! But in the end, who can complain about ANY California Poppy?! This one is a stunner! :)

Explored on 1/17/21; highest placement #1.

OMG ipernity is BACK! YAY!!! Oh, and...Frosty Wood and Nails! (+2 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 15:47:38 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets) (view large for super details!)

So Happy ipernity is Back!
Wow, that was a LONG TIME to be away from ipernity...it will be interesting to learn all of the details behind the massive shutdown. I hope all of you have been ok! Since I need to run out for a while, I'm going to post the text I had prepared for this picture and insets! YAY!!! WE'RE BACK!!!

Freezing is a Big NOPE For Morning Walks!
Holy cow, it's most definitely not warm outside! 26F/-3.3C is just WAY TOO COLD for me! I've drawn the line--any temperature below 30F/-1.1C and I'm not going outside. Seriously, it just takes a few minutes of exposure, even bundled up, and I'm a total popsicle! Then it takes ages to warm up again. Yes, I could dress in snow gear but then I feel like a bloated tick and instead of being able to march happily up and down the driveway, I'm shuffling along without freedom of movement. It's not so much my legs as my arms and hands which get bound up, and I cannot exercise properly when so bundled up. I guess on days like this, I'll need to hop on our orbital trainer for exercise unless I go out later if it warms up to a comfortable temperature. LOL, you may think I'm a big baby about the cold, but if you are thin and/or predisposed to getting cold extremities--which includes a huge portion of the female population--you'll know exactly how I feel!

My Electric Blanket is Wonderful!
By the way, you might remember that I ordered a heated blanket a few weeks back. What an absolute slice of heaven! I've never had one before and it's such a treat! My parents had a couple when I was growing up but the blankets were musty, worn out fleece and the wires inside were stiff. I remember them either not working or getting too hot and my parents threw them out at some point because they were a fire hazard. Mine is velvety soft, silvery grey and has wires inside which aren't very noticeable at all. Reviews mentioned it getting too hot for some--the control box too--so I unplug it after use, but I haven't had any problems with it. It's so cuddly and perfect that I've only allowed Steve to pet it but I can't bear to share it with him! I'm mean! :D

Today's Pictures
I took these frosty pictures a while back and it's wonderful to have a perfect time to post them! The main picture shows frost on some nails and charred wood from a fire a few years back. My insets include two pictures: one shows frost on the edge of a piece of metal and the other is a frost-covered stem protruding from our ice-covered seasonal pond.

Take care of yourselves, everyone! It's cold, miserable, and it's a perfect opportunity to catch the flu or worse! Thank you all for the lovely comments, visits and favorites you've left for my pictures. My globe-trotting visits to your photo streams has been great fun and full of inspiration, beauty and amazing sights. Keep up the AWESOME! :)

Explored on 12/03/20; highest placement #8.

Blazing Maple Leaf and Fall Beauty in Medford Parking Lots, Set 4 (+5 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 17:16:24 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+5 insets!)

Hello everyone! I hope that this autumn season has been colorful and full of beautiful pictures for you. Last year at this time I was deep inside a hole of gloom, the reaction to a summer RV trip with a series of hellacious problems. Autumn photography was the last thing on my mind…I wouldn't even go on my morning walks up and down the driveway! But this year I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of creativity and feeling wonderful! It's been great to experience this beautiful season through my lens again. Although I could ask to go on a fall photo drive, I haven't yet and I don't know if I'll get around to it.

Why ever not??! Well, my experiment of showing the season by photographing fall colors in our city's parking lots has been so successful that one day's photography has yielded dozens of "winner" images to present. The fact is, pictures taken must be viewed, evaluated and processed, and there are only so many hours in one day. I have bloated folders to go through from our incredible and happy 3-month RV trip around Oregon on this Covid summer and it may be a better choice to work on those pictures instead of taking more. That seems wise to me!

Today's Pictures
Here, then, is set #4 of 6, of fall beauty in Medford parking lots! My main picture is a gorgeous burnt-orange maple leaf I found lying on the cement. It has such lovely details that I decided to make it my literal star of the day. Set in a square format, a darkened background with some texture and a vignette heightened the outrageous color of the leaf.

The insets turned out successfully too…the first shows the edge of a curling leaf festooned with a refracted droplet. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I'd captured a detailed little gnat next to a pair of bokeh spotlights, woo hoo! Next is yet another pair of gingko leaves that look like golden ballerinas dancing against the blue sky. After that picture is an image that evokes the feeling of autumn's warmth with a pair of orange maple leaves against a branch and leaves all around. Following that is a refracted droplet on colorful, droplet-covered leaves and plenty of bokeh to enjoy. And finally, I spied this decorous leaf amidst a tree still green and merely considering the implication of fall. I couldn't help taking a picture and hope you love the colors and texture as much as I do! :)

I hope all of you have a warm, dry and comfortable day! Let us all do what we can to dial down the tension of the current wave of covid cases that are sweeping the world right now. Take care of yourselves, please!! And finally, thanks for your visits and comments, favorites and of course, your delightful sense of community. Great photography and info on your pages, people! Keep up the AWESOME!! :)

Explored on 11/12/20; highest placement #3.

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

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

Janet Brien has posted:

(+8 insets!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heart of a Magenta Dahlia & Checking In!

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

Janet Brien has posted:

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

Micro Mushroom Trio! (+7 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 17:38:28 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+7 insets!)

I'm not quite ready to get back to posting my travel pictures so today I wanted to share another picture--along with insets--of the adorable micro-mushrooms which are found on some of the younger oak trees on our property during the fall and winter.

The funny thing about these little dolls is that I totally missed them for years and years as I wandered around out property taking pictures. As keen an eye as folks may think I have, it's obviously very easy to miss an endless array of tiny treasures--including these adorable little guys.

Last year I posted a trio of pictures to show just how eensy-weensy these mushrooms are. I took a picture to show the tree. Then another a lot closer so you could see there are little somethings on the tree, and of course the main picture which shows the amazing little stars of the show. (I've included that set as insets too)

One observation I find interesting is that only very rarely do I find these micro mushrooms on older trees with thick bark. Not sure why. I thought I might find them when the bark had moss and lichen on it for more cracks and crevices but no, except for the rare exception I only find these tiny mushrooms on younger saplings. Isn't that fascinating? I would love to know why this is!

In any event, I've got another trio of pictures to show you a distant, closer, and in-your-face picture of a fabulous threesome who are hanging out under a cluster of moss. I often go to this sapling when searching for these little mushrooms and they are there again this year! So cute!

You'll also see a couple of snowy shots! Today a very cold storm is rolling in and as I was marching up and down my driveway this morning in the rain, it slowly turned into snow! We haven't had much of that this season but I'm including a couple of snowy pictures I captured early last year which turned out nicely.

Pam, I loved reading about your rockhounding past! *high five* It is such fun! I am not sure what I'll do with all of the polished stones which I'll be gathering as time goes on but they sure will be nice to have! I have gone ahead and bought a book on basic rockhounding so I can learn the geology and so forth, and also a couple of identification books for this region. What an enjoyable thing to do! I'm surprised that you haven't shared any pictures of your rocks with us! I, for one, would love to see some of your prizes! :) Here's hoping it's warm and cozy for you today! *BIG HUGS*

Explored on 1/13/20; highest placement #1.

Look at All of the Perty Rocks! Yep...Another Fun Hobby! (+15 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 10 Jan 2020 22:06:05 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+15 insets!) (Please view large to see the pretty rocks closer! :D) (sorry for the book...go get some coffee!) :D

I want to start this post with a huge thank you and endless virtual hugs to all of you for your support, care and understanding in regards to my low mood. I am very happy to report that things have been improving on a daily basis and this upward spiral has meant that I've been able to crawl out of the hole I've been in for the past few weeks. The community here at ipernity is wonderful and I am so thankful to call so many of you my friends and internet family. *MORE HUGS*

I Got a Rock Tumbler for My Metal Detecting Hobby...
and Now I Have ANOTHER Hobby!
If you've been following my photography and writing, you'll know that a few months ago I got a metal detector, something that's been great fun to play with and a really interesting hobby too. It's opened my eyes to local history in addition to being an exciting treasure hunt!

One of the things metal detectorists love to find are coins. Though I haven't found very many myself—since I haven't been to many parks yet--it's apparently very easy to find quite a trove when detecting at playgrounds and such. Since the majority of found coins are current, the best thing to do is save them up and then dump them into a "Coin Star"-type machine in exchange for paper money or store credit.

These coins need to be cleaned up to remove the grime and oxidation so the machines can recognize them and the best way to do this is with...you guessed it...a rock tumbler! A couple of 20-minute runs with soap and water and grubby coins are shiny and easily returned. Here's a picture showing dirty and cleaned pennies so you can see the difference!

Anyway, with the fact that I'll eventually be treasure hunting in parks and playgrounds, I decided to get a rock tumbler. Part of my reasoning was that I also have an interest in rocks, though it's never been anything more than appreciating the odd cool stone that catches my eye.

So, a couple of months back I did some research and decided on a "two-barrel" rock tumbler which would allow me to do two sets of coins or rocks or one and one. Since I don't have enough coins to bother cleaning right now, the tumbler just sat there. I didn't have a pile of rocks to tumble and the rain at the time kept me from looking for any.

Did I mention that our driveway is covered with a layer of gravel from a local quarry? Apparently the rocks they graveled our driveway came from an area which includes a percentage of mixed river and other mineral rock. This translates to mostly dark grey gravel with a blend of many interesting rocks. I've always noticed these rocks and, in fact, gathered the white ones and the ones that are flecked with black and white. Some of those I used as "counting" rocks, which I use to keep track of my laps as I walk up and down the driveway for my exercise. The rest I had in a pile next to my "counting stones".

Naturally I began to think about using the rock tumbler for...oh, I don't know...TUMBLING ROCKS! After all, I figured that there were probably enough interesting rocks on our driveway to fill one of the 3-pound capacity drums. I decided that I would begin collecting any interesting rocks I found on the driveway as I marched up and down each day.

Do you know how long it took me to gather a batch of rocks to fill the tumbler? About one lap. LOL, I couldn't believe it! Once I started looking at the driveway as a source of interesting rocks to try polishing, suddenly I realized what a treasure trove we had! Stones of all colors...white, mottled and marbled grey, some with stripes and striations, brown speckled ones, red ones with layer lines and interesting patterns, and lots of quartz that had patches of clear parts or tinges of pink, red, yellow or green. I found rocks with teal green tones and some that looked a bit blue. The more I looked, the more I found, and every time I'd do another lap I found more!

The Interesting, Long Process of Tumbling Rocks
I brought my treasure inside and washed the dirt off, dumped them into the tumbler and followed the directions included. My tumbler came with a beginner's tumbling kit, part of which were the various grits that are added to the rocks you're tumbling.

Turns out there are 4 stages of tumbling, each of which takes 7 to 10 days. Yes, do the math. That's 28 to 40 DAYS before your rocks are polished! This is why I was never all that interested in tumbling rocks. It's true...I have the patience of a gnat. Heck, I can't even deal with setting up a tripod for my photography, so the idea of being forced to wait for a whole MONTH to arrive at finished stones was a big ol' NOPE in my book.

But hey, if the tumbler is just SITTING there, not doing a thing, what's the harm in loading it up and turning it on, right? And that's just what I did. I measured the Step One grit and poured it on top of the rocks in the tumbler, added water to just above the stones, closed the chamber up tight and put it on the roller. All the rock tumbling machine does is turn the chamber of rocks round and round, day in and day out. Heck, if you could figure out how to get some hamsters or other rodents to take shifts running in their little wheels 24/7, you'd have the same deal! Cuter, of course, but the identical motion!

I will say, I was very curious about the results of one week in the tumbler, and so was Steve. He's the one who got me to get off my duff and use the tumbler in the first place, so hats-off to him! We had the tumbler set up in the garage and every time we went out there for something we'd hear the tumbler going and wonder what the rocks looked like.

By the way, these things are LOUD! The one I have is praised for being much more quiet than other rock tumblers but every time I went into the garage I thought to myself, "If this tumbler is less noisy than others, what do THEY sound like?!" WOW, what a racket! But it sits in the garage and it can make all the noise it wants out there! :)

What Did the Rocks Look Like After Week 1?!
Eventually the first week came to an end and it was time to see what happened to those rocks! Opening the top, I saw a thick film of mouse-gray mud covering everything. How interesting! I'd read that the grinding of the rocks produces a thick sludge of grey mud and that was totally accurate!

Using a salad strainer over a large bowl, I dumped the rocks in and rinsed them off. There are stern warnings to never ever wash this mud down the drain because it will clog your pipes. Thinking about it, the logic is obvious so the water went into a bowl which I dumped in the back yard. It was like thick, very dense silt which packed into a clay-like consistency and took time to get completely washed out of the bowl, wow! Clogged pipes indeed!

Finally the rocks were cleaned off and Steve and I eagerly picked up handfuls of the stones and looked at them with wonder. "LOOK AT HOW COOL THEY ARE!!" Both of us exclaimed our amazement at the worn-down edges and much rounder, smoother appearance of these once very rough stones. It was totally cool and with that realization, we were sold! "NEATO!!" I squeaked in delight. "AWESOME!" added Steve in pleasure. The two of us showed each other the wonderful rocks that caught our eye and soon we realized that every rock was wonderful and we laughed. What fun.

We were also fascinated at the reduction in size of the rocks. They were all smaller than when they were first put into the tumbler, something that made sense but usually takes eons in nature. How interesting that we could reproduce this natural erosion over the course of a week instead of thousands of years. Groovy.

Eventually we'd seen enough of our rocks that it was time to send them on to Step Two. Back into the barrel they went, only now the cylinder was barely half-full instead of two-thirds. The directions say that the rocks do best when the barrel is at the proper fullness. So what now? Why, add media to make up the difference, of course!* Because I'd forgotten to order the proper media to fill up the barrel, Steve went out and brought back some river stones from a hobby store which were smooth and hopefully wouldn't mess up our project. (In hindsight, river stones wasn't the best choice because they are very hard to tell apart from the rocks I found, but some of them I can see are more matt in tone which points them out.) With the rocks filled to the proper amount, I added Step Two grit, poured water up to just above the stones and off they went for another week!
*Usual media used to increase lost volume in a tumbler is either plastic beads or ceramic media. (link to picture)

The Next Steps
Week Two results were even smoother and a bit smaller too. We appreciated the beautiful rocks and then sent them on their way to Step Three, after removing some broken rock chips and a few rocks that were broken and would ruin the finish of the other rocks. I let this batch of rocks go for 10 days because I hoped to counter the effects of the river rocks I'd introduced, which I thought might impact on their smoothing.

Week Three results definitely showed a soft shine, how exciting! They were a bit smaller but not by much. The grit used was finer and much less abrasive, called a "Pre-Polish", and it all made sense judging by the matte glow of the rocks. I was really excited as I put them into the barrel for Step 4, the Polishing Stage.

I wanted to give these guys the best chance for a nice shine, so I let them go for 10 days. I knew that my results wouldn't be perfect—glossy shine on blemish-free rocks—but I was hoping for some nice shine to enjoy for our first batch.

Our First Batch of Tumbled Rocks
The day finally came to unveil our finished stones! I opened up the barrel and carefully washed them off. I refused to look at them until they were clean, but when they'd been thoroughly rinsed I poured them slowly onto a towel, grabbed some paper towels and dried one off. The lovely mottled stone gleamed back at me with its round edges and shiny surface.

IT WORKED!!! IT WORKED!!! I was so excited that it was all I could do to keep myself from blasting upstairs with my rock to alert Steve! But I kept myself in place. I wanted to dry the rocks off first so he could see the whole show and we could enjoy our first batch together. After a few minutes they were ready and I fairly boinged upstairs to gather Steve. I got his attention and waved a rock in front of him.

"LOOK!!! Our first batch is FINISHED!! And they are AMAZING!!!" Steve nearly exploded out of his chair and basically left a vapor trail behind him as he raced down to the kitchen. Following him with a joyful chuckle, I entered the kitchen to find him bent over the rocks, rolling one over in front of his eyes and oohing and ahhhing over it.

"WOWWWWWW!!!! They're so SHINY!!!!" Steve found his favorite rock, the one he picked out weeks before. It was a near-black, oblong stone that had a lovely band of white running through it at the half-way mark. "LOOK AT MY ROCK! IT'S PERFECT!!" Beaming happily, I gently took the offered stone and turned it over and over in my fingers, appreciating its beauty and shine. It really was a gorgeous rock.

But then again...they all were! We would burst out with joy over an especially pretty rock, put it down, pick up the next one and...burst out with joy over the especially pretty rock! LOL, just about every single rock was a stunner. Some weren't quite as shiny, the river rocks we suspect, and a few were chipped. Most had "imperfections" of cracks but to us, they were all perfect!

I eventually put them into a clear glass bowl and there they sit on our kitchen counter to admire. We pour them all out onto a dish towel every couple of days to look at and enjoy. Both of us are absolutely delighted and blown away that these were found on our gravel-covered driveway. AMAZING!!

Our Property is Bulging with Awesome Rocks!
One thing I didn't mention was that our property lies at the edge of the "agate desert" of this area, and this means that we have our very own treasure trove of stones that are at least as beautiful as the rocks on the driveway, but to be honest, I've been finding LOADS of rocks which are even NICER. In fact, I've collected piles of stones from around our pond that are so pretty, I can hardly wait to see what they look like when they are polished!

Today's Pictures
Today's main picture is our bowl of polished rocks, which I thought looked really neat in a top-down view. I have a mass of insets too, 15 in total, GAH! There are pictures of the finished rocks laid out on a towel for you to stare at...it will be a chore for you to come up with a favorite if you're like we are! I also picked out a bunch of stones that I showed individually so you can appreciate them on a one-by-one basis. Finally, I also included a couple of pictures that show unfinished "roughs" as they're called by "rock-hounds", and they're sitting in water to show why I was attracted to them. It's amazing how dull and boring these rocks appear when dry or unpolished! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the show! I've got two sets of rocks tumbling right now and the next finished batch will be ready next week, oh boy!!!

Pam, are you a fan of rocks too? I've always been interested in them but never put them on my radar for a hobby because there was always something else I was doing. I never realized how rewarding it could be to find rocks and put them through this very long process, and at the end, to hold that same rock which is now gleaming and so lustrous and gem-like. Turning a rock into a jewel is an awesome experience and something you might like to try yourself? Anyway, thank you so much for your support, love, and attention...I'm thinking of you all the time and hope you are doing well!

Explored on 1/11/20; highest placement #11.

A Day Walking in Victoria, Part 2--HFF and much more! (+9 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 17:59:43 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+ 9 insets)

Trip Talk: No candid people photography this trip! We chose to just enjoy wandering around...

When I thought about visiting Victoria, I hoped to work on my skills of candid people pictures. However, I have to be in the right mood for this sort of sneaky photography and as it turned out, I just didn't feel like it. Any time a camera is aimed in the direction of a person (even if the camera is down low and obscured), there's potential to be glared at or even aggressively approached. Steve and I just wanted to walk around without thinking about anything but enjoying the sights. It would turn out that during the entire trip, I never did feel like working on people-oriented street photography. Funny how it works out like that sometimes. A shame because I really do enjoy how these turn out but I'll have plenty of opportunities in the future.

We love the modern, clean streets of Victoria and we also appreciated that most of the city's "must-see" destinations are all within a reasonable walking distance—it worked out to be about 5-7 miles to get from downtown to the harbor and then to the far side and back again. You also couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a lovely, sunny and warm day with the perfect breeze. Steve and I were so happy!

Today's Pictures

My main picture today celebrates Happy Fence Friday! This substantial metal post and rusty chain are doing their job to hold back the throngs of visitors to Victoria's beautiful harbor district. The boat you see is the MS Coho, an enormous passenger and vehicle-carrying ferry which travels back and forth between Victoria and Port Angeles, Washington (the boat we took from Anacortes to Sidney, north Victoria was the 1981 MS Chelan.) Steve and I were surprised to see that when this ferry left dock, it backed up a very long way so that it could tuck its back end into another wide channel and then turn around. We were both totally fascinated at the speed it went backwards and also how quickly it was able to turn around and head out.

The rest of my second Victoria presentation includes more harbor images and some of the fun things I saw as we enjoyed this lovely day!

Inset 1: The MS Coho, built and put into service in 1959, is shown here backing up in preparation to turn around and head back to Port Angeles, Washington. This ship typically makes the two-hour trip twice each way every day!

Inset 2: As Steve and headed out to the water's edge at the Victoria harbor, I found this wonderful mural that shows a very similar scene to my main image the other day!

Inset 3: I saw this mural on the side of a building near the harbor and did my best to get a good picture. I only noticed later that Robert Wyland himself had painted it in 1987, one of dozens of his "Whaling Walls" found around the world. (You can see Wyland's signature on the lower left of the mural)

Inset 4: I just loved the awesome design of this artistic, creative bench!

Inset 5: At one point we walked through a park where we found a shady bench to have a seat (not the one shown in Inset 5!). There we looked out on the bay and saw this pretty view.

Inset 6: Seated at the park bench, we saw a group of Canada Geese floating through colorful reflections on the water.

Inset 7: We also saw this huge orange tour boat, complete with tourists adorned in matching life jackets!

Inset 8: On our walk we visited Victoria's wharf and I couldn't help taking a picture of the wonderful sign that welcomed everyone passing by.

Inset 9: This gentleman was very busy selling his day's catch of crabs. We were surprised at the fair price (going rate: $25 per crab)--we figured they'd be offered at a ripoff for tourists.

Pam, have you ever been on a big ferry like the one here? I am in total awe of these monster ships and it was just incredible to have our truck and RV on one, with so much room for dozens of other vehicles. Another thing that's fascinating is that even underway, there is very little motion detectable. Of course this would change if there was a storm but for the most part you hardly knew the boat was moving along at quite a fast clip! Well, I hope you are having a good day...my thoughts are with you! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon...oh, and I apologize for not including a note to you in my last post! I was in such a hurry to get the presentation together that it slipped my mind! UGH! :P

Explored on 9/21/19; highest placement #8.

307/366: Bi-Colored Flaxflower

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 04:27:17 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This exquisite little flower measures about 1/3" in diameter, and is a perfect example of why I love macro photography. Unless I told you the size of this flower, you might have thought it was much larger. The joy of being able to share the details of something so small is hard to put into words, but anyone who's into macro photography will know what I mean! Isn't this tiny flower just beautiful?! :)

283/366: Lovely Little Buttercup

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

Janet Brien has posted:

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