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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Mushroom Fungus Of Oregon

I have nto made it any secrete that I have many photographs of mushroom or fungus of Oregon.

From wikipedia,

"A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. Mushrooms are not plants: they are a fungus. They eat organic matter, they do not photosynthesize like plants do."

Mushrooms are unique. They grow most everywhere, if one just looks.

Some can be eaten, though really I do not have this kind of experience to put such things in my mouth.

Though many do!!

This is some of my photographs of mushrooms I just happen to come across.

I do not go looking for them, they just happen to be where I am. Be it on trees, growing on the ground, or like one species it was hanging within the trees! Like that species just fell from the sky!

Now some have been eaten by wildlife, some have wildlife in the photo!

Click here to download:
Pacific_Northwest_Mushrooms_0001.wmv (20491 KB)

Some mushrooms are very big. Bigger then Guy's hand!

Some species are very little. Some species do not even look like it should be a living thing!

Nature is pretty neat!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

http://twitcam.livestream.com/2hg5y wanna come watch me ?

Hello Sammy, I sure would if it was during my week day, weekends are a little crazy around here. I sure hope I get to connect during the week, it was fun listening to your music and hearing you sing!!

Ask me anything

Friday, October 22, 2010

Do you like cheese ?

OMG yes! I was just telling someone about liking cheese! My ears were ringing haha ;0)

Ask me anything

Do you think Twitter is better than Facebook and Bebo?

Oh I do not know about better, I am on twitter more than the others though.....

Ask me anything

Thursday, October 21, 2010

if you only had 1 more day to live what would you do on that day?

I would like to do as I always do. I mean who really wants to worry about tomorrow anyways??

Ask me anything

How would you describe your style?

Style haha! I am told I have the cowboy, western style. I think it is a comfortable style haha!

Ask me anything

Do you consider yourself a good dancer?

No, I watch real good though haha

Ask me anything

What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

I do not put anything in my mouth I consider weird.

Ask me anything

Would you rather be a famous musician or a famous actor?

I do not want to be famous. To much responsibility.

Ask me anything

What was your favorite toy to play with as a child?

My Pets

Ask me anything

If you only had one wish that would last your whole life what would you wish for ?

One wish would be that my boys find peace within themselves. Ying yang, without conflict there can not be peace.....

Ask me anything

what is your Dream Job ?

Oh , Sammy I had done what I wanted to do.

Ask me anything

1 thing you would love to achieve in life?

Well, you know Sammy it is one day at a time for me. Achievement means many different things to each person. I just do not want to take anything for granite, this is my achievement.

Ask me anything

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Western Tanager Bird

This evening at dinner time we had a couple guests show up. If it was not for the red head on the one bird I would have had a harder time identifying the other bird.

They came to eat our sunflowers. I noticed them and reached for the camera that I have ready just for such occasions.

The birds can get a little flighty, specially the ones who are not used to the camera. I am no bird expert, however I spent some time researching these two birds.

They flew off after some time of eating on our sunflowers.

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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Friday, October 8, 2010

Many Faces Of The Dahlia

It is no secrete that we are avid gardeners. 99.9% of the cultivated flower photographs I take is of our own flowers. The small 1% of the cultivated flower photographs I take that are not ours, I will say they are not grown organically by us.

Now the outside is Guys. This means, the outside is primarily Guy's domain. While I have the inside of the house. We are both rather protective of our areas, and frankly, Guy waters WAY to much!! For inside plants anyways, we live in the high desert and things grow here that do not grow over the cascade mountains, but things grow over there that do not grow here. 

Guys chores are endless during most of the year the snow is not on the ground and it is not freezing. When the first frost hits, this is when the outside is pretty much done. The Dahlia seeds from our flower beds  should have been collected and the bulbs/tubes should be dug up and brought inside soon.

The Dahlia is a interesting flower to gardeners like us. They come in so many different colors, sizes (blooms from several inches to a foot or so. They can be as short as a foot, or I read up to 6-8 feet. The tallest ours have gotten has been 5' or so),and many textures.  These are native to Central America, Columbia and Mexico. They had been reported as far back as 1650 a author of a book while he was in Mexico mentioned it in his book when it was finally published.Though really, know one knows exactly. I have read this, and I have read that so.....

It has been reported the Dahlia was not commercially available until 1813. It took many years to stabilize the species. Mexico made it the national flower in 1963. What I think is really cool is that the Dahlia is a octoploid. It has eight times the haploid chromosome number. Now I am no expert, but this is pretty unique. Most plants have two, just two. Going back way back when I used to read such books for the heck of it , a chromosome is what makes whatever, what it is. The more chromosomes something has, the more diverse a species can be. Hence so many colors, heights, textures,peddle count etc.. I am sure someone out there can explain this way more in detail than I can haha!! I am just a curious person and find such things interesting.

The Dahlia does have a medical as well as a nutritional use, however I really would rather not get into such things as that. The beauty of the Dahlia is the only thing we keep them for. The Dahlia gives me so many photography opportunities. I like to photograph all flowers when they first open. The color is more bright, it has yet to be attacked by any insect. Some Dahlia flowers the peddles start to open but the center has yet to open. Others when they first open, wow do they open! Every day I am out there with my camera to see what has changed from the previous day.

You know, even in some parts of the world the Dahlia is known as the Georgina. So, if you are talking about your Dahlia and someone says it is a Georgina, it is because of a communication problem. There are so many different Dahlias I can see this happening!

We have several species of flowers that take on different looks out there in our gardens. The Dahlia we are really interested in what we are going to have from year to year! We let nature take it's course. We are more of the relaxed gardeners. We really just do it for relaxation and fun. I have ran into the more serious botanist, I am born and raised Oregonian so of course I am going to. Nothing wrong with that we just are not interested and I know how I can be if I did get into something like that. I forget to eat as it is haha!!

Well, I hope you liked my little write up and my photographs I put together of a dozen of our Dahlias. 

 

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Sneak Peak At My Next Project

Sneak Peak At My Next Project. Well, my next project I found inspiration for, I am in the middle of several projects. I procrastinate. There I said it!!

I am going to wing this like I usually do when I write something, this gives all my readers a roller coaster ride for I can think rather choppy. Like the water can be in the canyon. Ok on to my next project.

I am into calendars these days. This is my process for a calendar. First get the photographs to make up a 12 month calendar. No crap it has to be good photographs. This can take some time. Time I just happen to have and I just happen to have a pretty large extensive collection of my own photograph to choose from. More being taken all the time.

I go through and pick out what photographs I have usually put out into the public to get reactions. Good, bad, crappy and delete. Some for some unknown reason I have not put out into the public. These photographs are my ones I am winging, hoping people like them. I pick out 24 photographs, double of what I need. Nothing ever is done simple, so it seams. So 24 photographs of whatever topic I find myself having inspiration for. If I do not do this quick while the inspiration is upon me..... the whole project might be scratched all together!! Spent time on it or not who cares, it was just time.

I do not do computerized manipulation. Mean I do not use any fancy programs. I do the very basics on my photographs. Sure some like the computerized photography, I personally do not like it. I figure if I can not take a photograph of what I see, right off the camera, I should not be taking photographs at all. I am not a computer genius. I am all self taught on this computer.....

Ok so I have 24 photographs picked out, vertical and horizontal. Horizontal is easier for calendars. Now for the size of the photographs. I have to resize them to get them the size for printing. Now when they come off my camera they are pretty big, but I like them 3500 for the width. I remember 3500, don't ask why?? But it works for the horizontal photographs. The vertical photographs always need tweaking. Or so it seams.

I use LULU self publishing. I picked this site for they pretty much do everything as far as publishing, then the shopping cart, shipping etc.. for me. Now most people who use someone else to take your raw photographs and do with them as they wish know fully well that you loose a part of your art when this happens. This is a huge fear of mine, loosing control of my own material. Frankly if my artwork sales it does, I mean cool and all. If it does not, oh well. It gave me something to do that did not mean dwelling on my health issues. I am federally disabled and this keeps my mind busy.The way I see it, my photographs will be left for my children so they can look at them when I am gone and say this was my mother. The lover of nature and everything, good and bad that nature is. I hope I instilled in my children the need to preserve history as well. I get processed much of my digital photography. Since I have my health problems and the dark room I really did not do well in when digital came out, I was right there!!

Now, taking the photographs, resizing the photographs, doing the basic needs to the photographs,picking out the photographs,uploading the photographs to a calendar program takes a little time. Now taking the photographs is the funnest thing in the world. The rest.... well the rest is just a task.

This is what I have for my next calendar. I tagged them with my web site name and made them small to upload faster etc.. for different connection speeds. Now remember not all these photographs are going to make it, I have to weed them down to 12 photographs.

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Lake Billy Chinook Oregon A Experience For Wildlife Photography

Lake Billy Chinook Oregon. These photographs were taken back in February of this year. I call this "the canyon". It is actually a lake.

Billy Chinook was from the Wasco Indian tribe and a scout of the area in the late 1800's. Portland General Electric build the Round Butte Dam in 1964, thus Lake Billy Chinook was born, to my understanding on the Warm Springs Reservation. When I go for photographs I am thinking I am standing on reservation land, though if this is just my thinking or if it is true I am not sure?

The area around the lake is public land. 72 acres of shoreline, some of it you really need to hike down too if you do not go by water. The surface area is supposedly 4000 acres. I am sure it is, just we see it so much that sure seams like a lot, 4000 acres haha! We hike out into this public land and really, see no other hikers but we do see where people have been . Hiking out into this public land we have been followed by coyote,the turkey vulture and seen other wildlife such as the rattlesnake.

Lake Billy Chinook is known for the fishing. Metolius river flows into Lake Billy Chinook. Where the river joins the lake the Osprey nest there. It has been my experience as a wildlife photographer one can see osprey there quite a bit of the year. They do shut the road off due to wildlife habitation. It has been said that the bald eagle nests that way, though we have came across no nesting bald eagles. Though the area is a hot spot to see bald eagles pretty much year round. One can hike into the area. It is a nice hike with the barren road, though there are a few houses, only one can really be seen. Bear have been known to visit the area, so be careful! We have yet to see, or even read warnings of cougar.

For a wildlife photographer who knows where to go the place is just beaming with wildlife!! Though in the summer months the tourists really do take over and the secluded camping grounds do become little cities for those to get away and "camp". For us who want to see wildlife find the "off" visiting times is the best. Which is really any time but the summer months. Though I have photographed the bald eagle, coyotes, osprey and other wildlife when the tourists were around. We have never had a problem with hunters! The canyon is really a rough walk for someone wanting to hunt, or that is my opinion.

If you do plan on coming for photography or site seeing for wildlife not only are the camping areas closed down (seeing mule deer comfortably eating and laying around on the camping sites used during the tourist season is not uncommon. We even seen a rather large herd of elk passing through!), but as I mentioned some of the roads are closed down. Though finding lodging in one of the nearest towns is always possible at the "off season". Madras is the closest of the bigger towns. Oh I think Madras is under 7000 people now. No real logging in the smaller towns, one which we live in. There is the places for travel trailers etc.. Remember in dead of winter we may just have snow on the ground too!!

Madras being the biggest closest town nearest Lake Billy Chinook is a good place to lodge at. There is the new "look" of Madras. New faces on old buildings, updated motels, even a brand new place was built right across the street from the safeways!! It is huge and fancy! If you have been to Madras before, you wont know it now. New restaurants, new this and new that. Though there is always Redmond and Bend.

So if you are coming to Lake Billy Chinook and / or the area for photography, bring extra everything. Bi Mart does have a limited supply of things as cards, however I have not found anything really else in Madras for camera supplies, but than again things are always changing there! Make sure you know what the weather is going to be like!!

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The Moon and The Hawk

The Moon and The Hawk . This photograph speaks for itself. I do wish the hawk would have gotten a tad bit closer to the moon, but wildlife does not always do what we wish it to.

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Life In The High Desert

Life In The High Desert . This is what is found on the desert floor.

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Monday, October 4, 2010

Sagebrush Lizard Wild Oregon Lizard

Sagebrush Lizard . We were personally talking amongst ourselves about the lizards here in Oregon that once were seen all over, to not seeing very many at all!!
I ran across this lizard as he/she was sitting on top of a fence post sunning itself. At first this lizard ran!! But ironically enough stopped, and just looked at me for the longest time!
I do not bother to catch this stuff that I find, instead I started taking this lizards photograph. I thought the blue on this lizard was quite pretty!!
At first I read up on the Western Fence Lizard, but the photographs I found were more of a blue then this one was, but it really could be a western fence lizard.....

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