Distant Shower

While riding my motorcycle to the jail last evening, I kept an eye on where the scattered showers were developing.  I have a couple of routes I can take in the country that help me avoid getting wet. Sometimes it's a game to try and stay on the outside edge of a passing shower. Looking west to the coastal range I thought this distant shower made a nice backdrop to what I refer to as the Four Trees.

Sunday Walk

Yesterday afternoon our 4 year old granddaughter and I went for a walk to hang out together and see what we could discover.  I told her we should look for birds and interesting plant life.

She found these and said I should take a picture.  I don't know what they are but we both like them.

At the beginning of our walk we spotted this Flicker on our neighbor's chimney.  We like their sound.  We also saw a Robin take a worm out of the ground.  I got some shots but none of them turn out well.  As I write this I realize I should have let her take some photos.  Next time we'll do that!

Saturday Spring Yard Ballet

It's Saturday. The grass is long and there's no rain in the forecast. Throughout the neighborhood the sound of mowers pierce the subconscious like a distant orchestra.  All of this is done with the grace and precision of a ballet.  Actually, I just took a quick stop to capture my neighbor mowing his lawn.

Campfire Memories

After having a mild winter, lately we've been experiencing a cooler than normal spring.  It doesn't matter what season it is though, the smell of a campfire in the woods is always good.  It can trigger good memories with family and friends.

Columbia Gorge Spectacle

Multnomah Falls is 30 miles east of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge.  

Here's the Benson Bridge near the bottom of the falls. Both images were taken on Tuesday.  Click on the link for other Monochrome Weekend submissions.

What is it?

Don't look in the "Labels" box below because the answer is there!  Here's a hint.  While taking pictures of the family on Easter this item was captured in motion.  It created an interesting blur effect.  I tried duplicating that blur and couldn't so I took this photo.  It looks a little bizarre.  Maybe a DNA sequencing chain.

Another hint:  our 7 month old granddaughter was playing with it.

Oooh, you looked didn't you?

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls is about 30 miles east of Portland in the Columbia Gorge. It's probably one of the most visited spots for tourists.  Here's how it looked yesterday afternoon with new spring growth on some of the trees.

I took plenty of photos so over the next couple of weeks I'll be sprinkling them into the blog.

I wish you could hear the sound and feel the spray!  What a spectacular display of creation!

McDonald's Sunrise

I left early for work last Thursday morning and stopped at McDonald's for coffee.  After going through the drive-thru I noticed this view of the sunrise.  I did some maneuvering with the car and snapped this shot.  I tried to frame it so it didn't look like it was taken from a grocery store parking lot.

Saturday morning I had breakfast with a couple of friends at a different McDonald's. This is how it looked from the window right next to me.

I really don't hang out at McDonald's but I found last week that sometimes they can offer some interesting photo opportunities.

New & Glorious!

Saturday afternoon I was out riding my motorcycle.  The sky opened up and we had a slight reprieve in the rain.  I stopped on a gravel road to snap some photos.  The road was lined with Flowering Plum trees.  It's fitting that the day before Easter everything is in full bloom; new and glorious!

He is Risen Indeed!

A blessed Resurrection Day to you and your family!

Porsche Nostalgia

When my wife and I were dating I had a Porsche convertible.  I wish I could have kept it but it's long gone.  Some years ago our son and I use to go each year to the historic car races in Portland.  I would always gravitate to the Porches.  Here are a couple of images I've posterized to give them an enhanced look.

Our Savior and Hope

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24)

Northwest Texture

Monday I happened to park right next to this tree along a Northwest Portland street.  It was right outside the passenger window of my car.  I thought the various colors of lichens with the moss and texture of lumpy bark might make an interesting image.  It rained all day so the moisture popped the colors and texture out a bit.

Childlike Reliance

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"  (Matthew 19:14)

Twin Rocks Sunset

The Twin Rocks area on the North coast of Oregon

Tillamook Bay Silhouette

Amazing Pear Blossom

Yesterday afternoon our 2 year old grandson and I took an exploration walk in the backyard. While identifying various things I held him up to this pear blossom. When you think about it, isn't it amazing that this will turn into a pear?  It's more evidence from the One who loves us very much!

Big Driftwood

Flowering Cherry

We have three of these trees in our front courtyard. Every year at this time we get to watch as these crimson blossoms open up and change first to pink and then white.  The whole event takes a about a week or so.  The temperature Wednesday was in the low 70's so these little beauties really popped out. It was rainy and overcast when I took these images yesterday afternoon. They're not as bright as I'd like. Stay tuned for more of their progression.

"Sail-gull"

When we were at the coast this last weekend we took a walk on the beach with our son and his family. The wind was blowing hard against our backs as we walked north along the shore. This seagull was flying against the wind and basically "floating".  He was gently flapping his wings but kind of in neutral. Soon after the shot above he crossed over in front of us and floated closer on the right. I managed to get a shot but it has a slight blur. In the G10's LCD it looked great but Photoshop revealed the truth. The longer I look at it though the more it seems like a painting.

Apple Tree Crook

I was mowing the lawn yesterday and the afternoon sunlight hitting the crook in this apple tree caught my attention. This tree is well over 20 years old and still producing fruit.

When you think about it, it's amazing that food grows on trees! I'm not talking about the moss naturally, but rather the juicy apples we'll have.

I was going to title this post, "Apple Tree Junction".  I thought the one I chose would catch your attention! Maybe it did.

Tillamook Forest Backroad

These are the kind of roads that are fun to explore... with a camera naturally.

Snail on a Raft

We spent the weekend at the coast. Saturday our son and daughter-in-law and the kids came over for the afternoon. We took a walk on the beach and made some interesting discoveries including this marine snail who came complete with his own raft.

The Serenity of an Orchard

Atrium Angles & Reflections

This atrium is at one of the medical centers in Portland.  I thought the reflections and angles in this corner were interesting. Many years ago two buildings were attached with windows on each end to form the atrium. I sometimes eat lunch here and enjoy how the light enters into the area.

Important Sticks

Without these we wouldn't have the railroad system. This image was taken yesterday outside of a paper mill. Their first life involved transportation. Their second life will be related to communication.

Heading North Soon

Web Creation

Something created this. It has design and purpose. Every part of it has a function. It all holds together.  It generally goes unnoticed yet contains such beauty. Despite its weak appearance and the fact that it's made of silk, its tensile strength is greater than that of high-grade steel. It's more amazing evidence from the One who loves us.

A Refreshing Pause

A while back our oldest grandson played youth football.  Here's a refreshing pause during halftime.  Orange slices provided the needed energy for the second half.

Have you had a refreshing pause lately? 

Morning Fog

Special Life Events

This is our son on his wedding day almost 4 years ago. Weddings are such a special life event. I'm grateful that we have photography to capture moments from these events. And these images will be a record for future generations.

The Bond of Friendship

 

I saw these ropes in the lobby of a building yesterday afternoon. They were a reminder of the bond we have with our families and friends.  We are meant to be relational beings and not loners.  Like a rope we gain strength when we're closely woven together with others.  I hope you're surrounded with family and friends.

Prehistoric?

I was on the Vancouver campus of Washington State University Wednesday when I spotted this bronze statue of their mascot, a cougar. I took several photos of it from different angles and used the B&W camera feature on a few. This silhouette against the stormy clouds gives sort of a dangerous prehistoric look to the scene.

Weathered Fence

Last week while riding my motorcycle I spotted this weathered fence. The colors around the main focus of the fence caught my attention.  It reminds me that I need to do some painting around our place. I guess the onset of Spring gives the awareness of upcoming outside projects.

I decided to try it in B&W and found that it makes the fence pop out. And it still needs painting.

Unscheduled Meeting with Security

I took this image yesterday afternoon in a Portland-Vancouver area hospital parking lot.  With my job I'm usually in at least one hospital each day.  As I walked out of the hospital I noticed what might be a good B&W photo. The problem started when a security guy pulled up in his van and wanted to know why I was taking pictures. After a few minutes of questions and answers he went on his way after saying they have to be cautious these days. I agreed with him but still felt somewhat guilty for just trying to take a photo. It's too bad that we've reached this point of mistrust in our country but I fully understand the reasons behind it. I guess the other reality is as photo enthusiasts we need to be cautious about when to use our camera and where we point our lens.