Down in the Valley

For the last few days there have been thunderstorms forming late in the afternoon over the Cascades and last night I noticed that some of the unusual cloud formations were playing out across the Valley.  I had received an email from Pamela Weber at Camille’s Black Dog Lavender Farm yesterday morning telling me that the lavender was blooming and in much better condition than when I last visited.  It turned into one of those special evenings full of color and dramatic sky.

I stopped time and again on my way up to Harrisburg because I would just see these wonderful opportunities for images – luckily for me the back roads that I use are lightly traveled so pulling off and wandering around in the road with a camera and tripod was not a big safety issue.  This was not Rambo Photography!!   The farmers are cutting some of the fields right now and dust was blowing high in the sky and I think added a bit of interest to the rays of sunset light.

I finally got to the lavender farm about 15 minutes before sunset but there was so much light in the sky and shooting well into the ‘Blue Hour’  was very rewarding.  This is such a lovely farm.  They are very busy right now with the lavender coming into bloom, hosting a roadside stand on Fridays and Saturdays for the last 3 weeks and other chores.   The lavender still has a bit to go and Pamela promised another call or email when things are fully ready.  She said that by July 20th all will be done.

I took the opportunity to purchase her CD – she is a talented pianist – and I must say it makes wonderful background music when working on images or when driving down the Willamette Valley at night.  The CD is called Longings for Home and is available on the farm’s website.            (http://www.camilleslavender.com)