Oregon Barn

On Highway 26 between Prineville and John Day Oregon

A different shot zooming in the lens a bit

This is linked to Tricia's Barn Charm

Luther Burbank on Monday Mural

Luther Burbank was an American botantist, horticulturalist and pioneer in agricultural science. He lived most of his life in my town of Santa Rosa, CA. This mural is on the side of local bank named Luther Burbank Savings. You can read more about Luther here.

Check out the new blog meme on the block dedicated to murals and post a photo a mural from your town on Oakland Daily Photo Monday Mural

Mushrooms and Fungi

The recent rains brought forth a few mushrooms in the forest but I think I need to give them more time as what I found was difficult to come by and most not fully developed.

This species always looks like this. I never find any unscarred. I don't know if this is how they grow or they are a delicacy to some little forest creature who loves nibbling on them.

This one looked soft and spongy like a marshmallow. I never touch them not knowing if they are poisonous nor do I want to contaminate them either with my fingers. I could poke them with a stick but choose to leave them unmolested.

This is a species of bracket or shelf fungi. Most shelf fungi are slow growing and last throughout the year getting larger by each year.

This guy here for example has been around a long time. I found another that was as large as the platter you serve your Thanksgiving turkey on. I couldn't get a decent photo of it for it had grown around and firmly encased within it branches that had fallen down upon it years ago. These are very hard and woody.

This is linked to Lisa's Macro Monday

Shadow Shot Sunday

If you are a regular viewer of my blog you may remember this from a previous post a couple of weeks ago, but I thought it worthy of a Shadow Shot Sunday contribution.
Myself on a hiking trail just as the sun crested the mounatins behind me.

And for my regular followers here is one more shot from my night series. Yeah I know, yesterday I said I was done but I overlooked this one. Not that it is remarkable in any way but the fact that when I first viewed it on the computer I was surprised to see that someone was working in the tuxedo store at 4:30 in the morning. Actually I had to enlarge it to be sure I was seeing what I thought I was. Only then I figured out it was an image on a display ad.

Click here to see other Shadow Shot Sunday photos.

The Last Night

This is it for the night shots for awhile that is unless I can't get back to sleep again at some early morning hour and decide to hit the streets.

I am not sure what this place is. I've been by it enough times during the day and it doesn't stand out.

At night though it does so very much.

No question as to what this store deals with.

Two seperate shots. Think the color wins out.

Friday at the Movies

We had our first real good rain of the winter season, enough to get the creeks flowing. This little video works it's way up the canyon of one of my favorite hiking routes stopping at various points to view the waters. Near the upper end of the canyon the water flow decreases soon topping out in False Lake Meadow.  Here it is quiet except for the happy frogs chirping away. This bit is a little longish at 45 seconds but I liked listening to the frogs. You won't get to see any as they quieted down as I approached. I did this at a different setting on the camera from previous videos and not as pleased with the results. Lesson - don't mess with what works.

Under 101

This is a parking area beneath Highway 101 that runs through the center of the city. This is straight out of the camera and I only sharpened the images. The last two are seperate shots, the latter one slightly shifted to the left. I changed it to black & white just because.

Waste Management

Across the street from...

...the music store.

While taking some shots of the above scene (I was messing around with the histogram which gave it this colored effect) a trash truck came up from behind and I let the camera do it's thing, the result of which is...

Not long after my post yesterday ending about the problems with leaving comments on certain blogs I follow, the problem resolved itself magically. This is after two weeks of frustration. My only guess is that someone at Google follows my blog, saw what I wrote and fixed it for me. (yeah, right) Thank you Google guy.

I still haven't switched over the Google Chrome.

Mountain Bluebird

Devil's Tower National Monument, Wyoming

 Just wish the Western Bluebirds we have at home were this cooperative in having their photo taken.

To see more birds from around the world go to The Pine River Review

Flamingo Cupcake

I'll try this one again in the future when no cars are parked in front.

I've resigned myself to the fact that storefronts at night just look their best left in color, colors that are somewhat blah during daytime hours.

On another matter...

Curious if anyone has had trouble leaving comments on some of the blogs they follow. Two of the blogs I follow I have been unable to leave comments in the past couple weeks yet others have left comments. If you have had this problem and corrected it somehow, I'd like to know. I worked on it yesterday with no success. One blogger says she thinks she may have solved her same problem by switching to Google Chrome. Anyone?

Jo Jo Sushi and the Man

As I set up across the street for this photo I could see this man slowly working his way along searching for whatever he could find along the sidewalk and gutter. Photo #4 he just found something and #5 he puts it in his coat pocket. I let him walk through the pictures wondering what I would get. People of the night I call them. Most all have a backpack on. First instinct is to think they are the homeless but that may not always be the case. Maybe they just can't sleep...like me.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

This week's prompts are sunset, black and white, a day in my life, four, and colorful

sunset

Taken last year at the Lava Beds N.M. northern California
Except for sharpening, this is straight out of the camera.

black and white
I was tempted to insert a black and white picture here since that is what I have been working on to master.
Since I featured my motorcycle last week I should give my mountain bike equal time. When I was shopping for a mounatin bike a few years back I have to admit, I was smitten by the black on white paint scheme on this bike. Fortunately glitz aside, this is one very nicely designed bicycle. Sorry for the dirt but I was having too much fun, just another day in my life which leads into the next prompt

a day in my life

is usually enjoying the wonders of Nature around me

as you can tell by the twinkle in my eye

four (here it was suggested four pictures that go together)

Well I just did these grasses last week or so but I think they are appropriate for another showing

here on Scavenger Hunt Sunday

colorful
A storefront window display all the more colorful at 4:30 in the morning when no one is around

This is linked to Ashley's

The Train Depot

I saw this at last week's flea market. It was purely an art piece as far as I could tell. Something to set on a table or hang on the wall. It was nicely done, made out of metal and welded together to give a sense of perspective. It stood about a foot high and maybe a couple feet long.

It is suppose to rain all day Sunday and probably will cancel the flea market for this week.

Saturday Bath on SOOC Sunday

Huh?

Hey buddy, can't you see I am taking a bath?

Maybe if I ignore him he'll go away.

This is linked to Jan's Straight Out of the Camera Sunday