“Some people are uncomfortable with the idea that humans belong to the same class of animals as cats and cows and raccoons. They’re like the people who become successful and then don’t want to be reminded of the old neighborhood.” – Phil Donahue
Welcome to my neighborhood! I live 14 miles southwest of a university town in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I rent a studio apartment above the garage of a big house among the trees. When I ventured out this morning, my housemates were already gone. It’s quiet in my neighborhood. Most of my neighbors are plants.
In addition to my three human housemates, two dogs and six chickens live on the property. So do countless others: rodents, reptiles, bats, insects, and birds, plus the occasional deer, bear, coyote, and cougar.
This morning the weather started out cool and foggy. We had a significant rain yesterday, a true sign that we are past the Autumnal Equinox and headed toward the rainy season of Oregon winter.
This part of Oregon was once a temperate rain forest. Moss and lichen hang from the trees all year round, but they dry out considerably during the summer. When the rains fall again, they expand like sponges and become green again. This is along my driveway – it’s .7 miles from the house to the mailbox.
Here’s where I stopped to drop my recycling in the bins by the mailbox. I’m looking across the gravel road past the tree farm lot toward where Duffy Creek runs along the base of the hills.
Timber is a big industry in Oregon. Logging operations are interspersed with small farms along our gravel road. Douglas Fir trees grow very rapidly in this climate. Six to ten years after planting, they can be harvested as Christmas trees. In 40 to 50 years, they can grow to be 70 feet tall and are used for lumber and telephone poles. The branches are often left in slash piles that are burned – which seems to be the most convenient way to get rid of the excess material. I find it worrisome that the carbon sequestered in that wood is released into the atmosphere instead of being used as mulch or paper pulp or something.
The rest of these shots were taken in the afternoon when I was returning home from town. The clouds had dispersed and the temperature climbed up to a delightful 72 degrees F.
The small family farms along my road are home to a variety of domesticated animals: horses, cows, goats, sheep. And there are wild turkeys everywhere! They are not native to this area; they were introduced from western Texas in 1961 by game hunters, and have proliferated tremendously. They have become rather a nuisance.
And here is the view of the valley where my mailbox and trash bins sit. You can see a few small white rectangles to the left of the telephone pole.
Thank you for travelling with me along Beaver Creek Road! Thank you, Tina, for inviting us to share our neighborhood sights. I have to admit that I didn’t walk this today. I moved here in August of 2020, during the pandemic, and I walked it often. Nowadays, though, I drive into town to volunteer and meet friends almost daily, so I don’t spend the time on foot as much. I am delighted to slow down and pay attention to the incredible beauty that is my little neighborhood!
I’m in complete agreement with our Challenge host, Egidio, when he says that being in the great outdoors is his favorite destination. And his photos of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park inspired me to re-visit my favorite adventures immersed in America’s Best Idea.
“National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.” – Wallace Stegner, 1983
In 2017, I took a trek through western U.S.A. and visited eight National Parks. You can read about my American Adventure in the blog posts under that heading above, or click HERE. This year, I am eligible to get a Senior Lifetime Pass, meaning that for the price of one annual pass, I can visit National Parks and Monuments and Forests for the rest of my life without paying any additional fee. What a fantastic birthday present!
On the trail to Angel’s Landing
My first visit to a National Park was to Acadia in Maine. I was only three years old. I made my trip up to Angel’s Landing in Zion 45 years later. Now I’m 62, and my next Park visit will be to Crater Lake here in Oregon. I’ve had many other Park experiences in between. Here are some highlights!
Left to right, by row: Olympic National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Bandelier National Monument, Badlands National Park (top and bottom), Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Dinosaur National Monument, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Mesa Verde National Park.
“The establishment of the National Park Service is justified by considerations of good administration, of the value of natural beauty as a National asset, and of the effectiveness of outdoor life and recreation in the production of good citizenship.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 1912
All very good, Mr. Former President, but the Parks are also a whole lot of FUN to be in!
Ocean – Lord Byron wrote, “There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.” I do love the perspective that comes from standing near the largest bodies of water, ones that cover most of the Earth’s surface. It’s not too difficult to find shoreline along the ocean that shows little human interference. Where humans do populate ocean shorelines, there is often a sweet joy in seeing them refreshed by Nature’s cooling and calming effect.
Lakes, Great and small – Henry David Thoreau wrote, “A lake is a landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” I’ve lived almost half my life in Great Lakes states. Many of the smaller lakes seem to have been domesticated by humans desiring “recreation”, but there are so many of them, it’s still possible to find the tranquil and undisturbed shorelines where birds gather and trees gaze at their own reflections, admiring fall colors.
River, stream, creek – “By the time it came to the edge of the Forest, the stream had grown up, so that it was almost a river, and being grown-up, it did not run and jump and sparkle along as it used to do when it was younger, but moved more slowly. For it knew now where it was going, and it said to itself, “There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” A. A. Milne wrote that, and created the Winnie the Pooh character that inspired all the games of Pooh Sticks I used to play with my sisters when we crossed a moving body of water on a bridge path. We would each choose sticks of similar size and drop them on the upstream side of the bridge. We would quickly turn around and look over the downstream side to see whose stick emerged from under the bridge first. Moving water is unpredictable, dynamic, fascinating, and absolutely the best thing for hot, swollen feet. I have loved seeking out running water and watching it flow and fall. And I love the silky look it gets when photographed in long exposure time!
Thanks to Anne for inviting our Shoreline illustrations!
“The half-circle of blinding turquoise ocean is the love’s primal scene. That this blue exists makes my life a remarkable one, just to have seen it. To have seen such beautiful things. To find oneself placed in their midst. Choiceless.” – Maggie Nelson
John’s challenge to us this week is to depict cool colors. He says, “Cool colors evoke calmness, serenity, and tranquility, feelings often associated with water, sky, and nature.” From green to violet, the short wave colors reflect a part of the spectrum found in abundance on our blue planet. As the northern hemisphere turns away from the sun, days are growing shorter, nights are growing colder, and the change in light brings a mellow calm to the excitement of summer. I wish you well, Friends, as this season comes to an end!
How much do I love you I’ll tell you no lie How deep is the ocean How high is the sky
How many times in a day Do I think of you How many roses are Sprinkled with dew
How far would I travel Just to be where you are How far is the journey From here to a star
And if I ever lost you How much would I cry How deep is the ocean How high is the sky
Irving Berlin penned the lines to this song, trying to express the meaning of an important love. As a human, I sometimes feel my experiences can fill up the whole world, when in truth, they simply fill my own body and mind and soul. Keeping a sense of scale in the Anthropocene Era is difficult. Human impact is literally changing the planet. It’s important to look around at the other branches on the Tree of Life and practice being mindful of their significance.
This oak tree in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge near Vancouver, WA is about 400 years old. When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, this tree was but a sprout. When I look at the size of the limb that fell to the ground compared to my friend walking around the tree, I am in awe. This living being has been through a LOT – while staying in one place.
Is there a place you go to put your human self in perspective with the rest of the Universe?
Thanks to Sofia for the technical instruction and inspiration for this Lens-Artists theme.
My last Challenge post on the subject of Garden was three years ago. You can see that post HERE. So how do I answer Ann-Christine’s question in a new way? What IS actually in a garden? Please see HER POST for some examples around the globe.
Wikipedia says: “A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, or enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature, as an ideal setting for social or solitary human life.”
I am taking care of a friend’s house, pets, and garden for a few days. Her garden is quite whimsical and full of unusual things. Here’s a gallery of shots I took today:
In the Wheel of the Year, we are just past Lammas or Lughnasadh, the first of the harvest festivals. This is the midway point between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Invasive Himalayan blackberries are ripening everywhere along the roadsides and creeks. Neighbors are harvesting zucchinis and other veggies in abundance. The blackberries take no planning at all, but the other crops require diligence and sweat equity to nurture them through the dry summer months when pests of all kinds threaten the possible returns. I send my gratitude to the growers who provide an abundance of beautiful produce to the markets here.
“Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for a change.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Our Challenge host for this week, Patti, writes, “It’s time to take a photographic detour off the straight and narrow path and veer into the territory of unexpected turns, switchbacks, detours, and zigzag lines, much like our journey through life itself!”
When I think of meandering rivers or of trails that switchback up and down a steep grade, I think of the dangers of a straight shot. Without zig-zagging a bit, you pick up too much speed. Too much sediment rushes downstream, you tumble head over heels, or you break down in exhaustion trying to go up against gravity. Slowing down and lengthening your path of travel allows you to see more sights, to savor life along the way.
It seems that in building structures, the zig-zag of diagonal beams builds strength and distributes stress. That sounds like something that could benefit us all.
I think seeking and celebrating all things Zigzag is a worthy Challenge!
My driveway, good for gathering blackberries or snowballs
Elizabeth of Albatz Travel Adventures hosts the Challenge this week with a tutorial on creating photographic diptychs. I’ve been playing around with the WordPress image gallery options, and this makes me think of pairing up mis-matched socks or table place settings. Do you wear imperfectly mated socks? Do you put differently colored dishes together? Do you match up contrasting fabrics and textures and patterns to create an ensemble (or a room) that is balanced and pleasing? I am in awe of people with that kind of design sense. This is a fun way to play along! I will close with one of my very favorite pairings…
“A habitat is a place where an organism makes its home. A habitat meets all the environmental conditions an organism needs to survive. For an animal, that means everything it needs to find and gather food, select a mate, and successfully reproduce. For a plant, a good habitat must provide the right combination of light, air, water, and soil.” – from the National Geographic website
Star Solomon’s Seal, Marys Peak in the Oregon Coastal Range
It is wildflower season in the mountains of Oregon. Hundreds of native pollinators are gathering food, spreading pollen, and laying eggs. It’s a “FEED AND BREED” fest that is breathtaking to behold, especially with a backdrop of snow-capped volcanic peaks.
Cone Mountain meadowIndian paintbrush, Menzie’s larkspur, cat’s ear, etc. on Cone Peak, looking at Iron Mountain in the Cascades.The Three Sisters, Cascade Range
I hiked the Cone Peak-Iron Mountain Loop trail on Tuesday. The high point was the observation deck at the top of Iron Mountain, 5440 feet above sea level. From there, several snow-topped volcanic peaks along the Pacific Rim range are visible: Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, the Three Sisters, and Diamond Peak. My friend and I had hiked under utterly cloudless skies for hours. From the summit, though, we sighted some clouds gathering southwest of the Sisters. One looked suspiciously vertical and grayer than the rest. Could it be smoke? When I got back home, I looked up the wildfire news. Sure enough, a wildfire near La Pine, Oregon, had started. The latest report says that the “Darlene 3” fire is 42% contained and has burned 3,889 acres as of Thursday.
Wildfires are a huge threat to habitat here in the Pacific Northwest – for plants, animals, and humans. In others parts of the world, flooding is the greatest threat. Both are linked to the warming of our planet’s atmosphere, which I believe is the most destructive and catastrophic phenomenon in human history. I grieve habitat loss and climate change deep in my soul. For my sanity, I witness the beauty of Nature and photograph what I can, when I can. May this testimony stand with others as an inspiration to make adjustments to the human habits that effect and dominate our global habitat.
My thanks to Tina for her stunning wildlife photos and her invitation to consider Habitat. Do visit her post HERE.
What supports and informs the action playing out in the foreground?
There is always so much more history to a scene than we can ever imagine. Eons of evolution, dependent and co-arising, have gone into this particular instance and presentation of matter.
Background is a LOT. It can be overwhelming and distracting. Sometimes we minimize it in order to pay attention to the immediate subject.
Perhaps there is great wisdom in the practice of selecting and managing the background to our focus and our living when possible, while being humbly aware that there is so much more involved. We are all part of an interdependent web of life.
There is always more than we can comprehend at play. Be kind. Be humble.
Thank you, Ritva, for inviting us into this challenge. Do visit HER POST to learn great tips on background composition.
scillagrace 