Oregon Reflections

A look back...

Summer vacations in Oregon always include lots of time on the road.

Long stretches of highway,

Ponderosa Pines,

and, of course, Mt. Hood.

Joining James for

Weekend Reflections

Red Sox Reflection

Red Sox fans are everywhere.

This summer I ran into one on a lakeside trail in Oregon!

I spotted the cap,

and then noticed that the guy in the cap was trying to take a selfie.

{a boyfriend/girlfriend selfie}

So, of course, I offered to take a pic or two for them.

We got to chatting

{please don't tattle on me.

I'm not sure the rest of my family likes it that I chat with nature-trail strangers}

He's a sox fan cause he grew up with Jacoby Elsbury.

He's planning a trip to Boston.

Said there were three things he wants to see:

Fenway Park

The brick line on the sidewalk

{otherwise known as the Freedom Trail}

and

The Oldest Sports Bar in the Country.

Well, that last tourist destination made me laugh!

My son is one of the managers at that "historic" land mark.

A bar, otherwise known as McGreevy's,

that dates way way back.

As many things in Bean-town do.

So I pointed across the lake,

told that guy that the kid fishing on the other side was one of the bar managers

and gave him my son's name.

Who knows, maybe someday he'll really drop in!

I then, of course, asked him if he could stand really still.

Cause on top of his sox hat

there sat a great pair of camo-reflective sunglasses.

And I could see the sky and the great Oregon pines.

And I wanted a pic.

Don't tell anyone about that either.

My poor family would be so embarrassed!

Linking to

Mama Kat's, Little Things and Weekend Reflections

Anniversary Reflections

"There are far, far better things ahead 

than any we leave behind."

C.S. Lewis

Today we celebrate 32 years of

pretty-darn-good.

It's exhilarating to embrace the notion

that there are far, far better things ahead.

I love what we've had.

I love what we have - where we are right now.

And,

as this photo suggests,

the future always looks bright

through my husband's eyes!

So,

I'm sticking with him;

hoping for at least 32 more years ~

excited to journey on

and continue to discover

together

all this life has to offer!

Joining James

Now

"Life is all memory,

except for the one present moment

that goes by you so quickly

you hardly catch it going."

Tennessee Williams


The present moment.
Saying "yes" to the present moment
and surrendering to the now.
We hear it.
We think it makes such good sense.
I know I do.
Not dwelling on or in the past.
Not agonizing over the future.
Nope.
None of that.
Just living fully in the present.
I don't know about you,
but this concept,
like so many that we believe to be fundamental - 
reasonable, good for us, life affirming -
are so much easier to understand than to actually
put
into
practice!

If there's anything that a hummingbird can teach us -
and there are probably lots of things -
it is that notion that something is fleeting.
Something is flying by you so quickly
you hardly catch it going!
It seems very poignant to me when a hummer
settles on a branch in the midst of its busy buzzing about.
And, perhaps, even more so when it seems to pause -
to hover -
in mid flight.

This small,several second,
point of stillness seems to perfectly illustrate
that elusive notion of
'the present moment'

My little Oregon hummer seemed to be showing me,
as one day closed and the next was not yet known to us,
exactly what
NOW
looked like.
And felt like.

I'm oh so glad he paused like this,
just for me...
as if he had plenty of both wisdom and presence to share.




Joining Kat and Tamar

Mid-Air

Taking a photograph of a flying insect doesn't often work for me.

My camera and I have a very

trial-and-error

relationship.

The good thing is,

I enjoy trying.

It's possible that I enjoy the process of trying to get a certain photo
even more than seeing the actual outcome.
Until...

Until that magical moment when
the light catches the wing...
and the camera
catches the light
that catches the wing.

Then, for just a wee second, I believe I can fly.



Joining Tamar

Rocky Reflections

When mother and daughter take off together with their cameras,

there's no telling where they'll end up.

Or what photos they'll end up taking.

The rocky cliffs of the Prineville resevoir caught our attention

and showed off so clearly in this reflection.

Love this girl.

Love sharing adventures with her.

And love seeing the world through her eyes {and camera lens!}

Joining James, Kat and Kim

Wide Open Spaces

junipers & wind blown grass

rim rocks & puffy clouds

a sunset & a thunder storm

farm land & a mountain range

painted hills & high desert

painted hills & farm land

painted hills & sage brush

{of note: the "paint" on the hills matches the sage brush}

crystal clear mountain lake & a crystal blue sky

mountain lake & ponderosa pines

foot hills & a sunrise

the scenic route

{oh, and mount hood, of course!}

Folks, these are some of my vacation iPhone pics.

Haven't even begun to wade through what's on the big girl camera yet.

Most of these were taken out a car window.

It's pretty hard to take a bad photo 'round these parts.

Each and every Oregon visit reminds me

that our Creator is, indeed, extremely creative....

that truly my life consists of blessing heaped upon blessing...

and 

that most anything is possible.

Joining Tamar

Vacation Reflection {first of many!}

If you have to check in with work

or get something accomplished

even when on vacation,

it's very nice to be in an

"office"

with this view!!

From my vantage point,

the laptop just provided me with more scenery

to gawk at while admiring my kids
and sipping my coffee!

Joining James for

Weekend Reflections

Six {vacation} Favorites

Our trip to Central Oregon this year was, as always, delight-full.

Not only was there family

and fun and lots of R & R...

but there was plenty of time for me to play with my camera!

Here are my favorite "critter" pics from our vacation.

1. The House Cats.

OJ and Buddy have recently "earned" the privilege of being let outside during the day.

It was fun to get to photograph them as they ventured out...

off the deck and through the weeds.

2. The Doves

We were serenaded throughout the trip by the cooing doves.

It was the first sound I registered every morning.

In the side yard,

where they are treated to lots of food,

I enjoyed watching the light catch the white in their feathers as they flew from place to place.

3. The Deer.

These guys probably deserve a post all their own.

Every morning and evening four or five deer wander into the yard and find food 

that's been set out for them.

They are beautiful creatures!!

This year I loved that little OJ the cat wasn't spooked by them - 

not at all!

He often wandered right up to them during their visits!

4.  The Hummingbirds

Always an obsession of mine while I'm at my in-laws.

This little guy "posed" for me a ton.

In reality, he found a good "lookout post" atop a juniper tree.

He'd come and set a spell...until he saw other hummers head for the feeders,

then he'd go and chase them off.

He was kind of a little brat.

But pretty cute none-the-less!

5. This Dragonfly

This is an iPhone moment.

On our first trip to our favorite lake ~ home to most all of my favorite dragonfly pics ~

this guy greeted me. Welcomed me!

He just sat there as my macro iPhone lens moved in towards him.

I couldn't believe it!!

Such a poser!

6. Some "human" Critters

We were treated to many beautiful sunsets during our two week stay.

One night the sky was particularly dramatic ~

there was a storm out over the valley, but we could see the clearing coming through at the same time.

We sat for several hours...

chatting,

watching the sky and the lightening...

and doing what human critters do so well...

recording the sight on whatever device we had with us!

Stay tuned...

many more vacation pics to come!

Joining Kim and Kat and Eileen

Backyard Picnic

Every day,

in the early morning

and early evening,

my in-laws entertain some special guests in their side yard.

Here are a few shots of their favorite visitors!

"Time for dinner, boys"

"Nibble, Nibble"

"What you lookin' at?"

"The Lookout"

"All Ears"

"Clear the Table"

"Anything Else?"

"Lickin' my Chops"

"We'll Be Back Tomorrow"

Joining Eileen for

Saturday Critters

Raindrops on Sweaters?

There was a new patch of something growing by the deck at my in-laws this summer.

These curious stems popped up from amidst the leaves.

Sage colored leaves that stayed close to the ground.

When I got close up to the leaves to catch the water droplets

after the sprinklers had done their thing in the morning...

...well

all I could think of was that Sound of Music tune.

The one that starts out, "Raindrops on roses."

But the closer I got to these "leaves" the more they looked like they'd been hand knit.

So...

I started humming,

"Raindrops on Sweaters..."

Joining Kim for

Little Things Thursday

Black & White Wednesdays ~ Wide Open Spaces

Come.

Walk with me.

And take a look at my favorite valley.

{Prineville, OR, USA}

"Love recognizes no barriers.
It jumps hurdles,
leaps fences and
penetrates walls to arrive at its destination
full of hope."
Maya Angelou

Join me here and share your

Black & White photos!

I'm also linking up with

Wednesday Around the World

and

Good Fences