We had a very blustery night here as most people on the west side of Oregon and Washington probably did but it was just a bit windy and not raining this morning and I headed out very early – 6:15 AM.   It was still dark when I got to the local ponds and while I have about given up my Wood Duck search I was still hoping but alas – No Luck.   However there are certainly large flocks of geese and ducks out there and they are very noisy early in the morning.

One of my favorite things to shoot is the reflection of the land and vegetation on the water and that is what I concentrated on this morning.  Long exposures with a long lens and certainly mounted on a tripod.  I forgot to change the ISO setting so the exposures were probably longer than they needed to be.  I managed to get a couple of nice reflection images and as the light came up the colors seemed to deepen.  It was a fun morning but it was not long before I made a bee-line for Starbucks and my daily drug of caffeine.

There is a really nice set of ponds and associated wetlands just a few miles from my front door and I have been going down there on a weekly basis to see if I can find and photograph some Wood Ducks.  So far they are mythical in nature – at least for me.  This is one of those things where you run into folks while wandering around and they look like serious birders so for me the question always comes up about Wood Ducks and where to find them.  Invariably I get the “Oh you should have been here yesterday!! I had 25 lined up to lick my shoe laces!!” Right!!  No luck for me so far with the Wood Ducks but I did manage to get relatively close to some Canada geese this morning and that was sure fun.

This next big one was certainly on the lookout for any untoward actions on my part but I managed to behave myself and get one nice shot.  I have a feeling there is a Wood Duck in my future – perhaps just wishful thinking.

As I was driving and walking around yesterday it became very clear that the glorious reds, yellows, and golds that have highlighted the forest for the last month or so are just about gone and I would think with the storm that came in over last few days that the end is in sight.  However, I did notice this set of hardwoods against a stand of dark green conifers and they just seemed to stand out and say “We are still here and still lovely”.  Won’t be long and the branches will be bare.

Finally I got one shot yesterday that seems like it should be filled with hobbits or elves and I just wanted to share it with you.  There may be one or two  in there so if you find  them let me know.

It was a fun day.

The morning weather forecast was for snow above 2,500 feet and more on the way for tomorrow.  I headed out early.  Up the McKenzie River with the idea of spending some time in the Delta Campground area.  There is a very nice ‘nature walk’ trail that loupes around the delta area and includes three bridge crossings of the river.  Today it was like being in a rainforest but the colors became more vibrant with all the moisture.  It was pretty dark underneath the canopy and the exposure times were long but the forest was just lovely.

As I walked along the path - I had the place pretty much to myself - I came to an old rotten log with an abundance of mushrooms growing from it.  I have no idea what these mushrooms are called and I certainly did not take any home to eat but I loved the row of them that I was able to capture in a 4 shot landscape oriented panorama.   The real image is 66 x 12 inches.  I must admit to being a bit taken back when I looked at my watch and realized that I had been out for over 2 hours – no wonder I was cold and wet – have to remember those dry socks the next time.

We had a real ripper of a storm last evening and as I was doing my morning run I noticed that the trees were pretty well stripped of their leaves.  Following my morning coffee and bagel I headed for a local park that I knew had many hardwoods.  I was not disappointed – piles of multi-colored leaves everywhere.  I know that I am a bit of a sucker for the colors this time of year but finding patterns amid all the color is the trick I think.

I could not pick one single image that displayed all the glorious color in the leaf piles so decided to just make a little poster of some of the better ones.

I am back to shooting after a week and more spent fighting a very nasty cold.  On Monday I finally got some serious drugs and it took them a while to have full impact but this afternoon I grabbed my camera and headed out to the wetlands.   Perhaps it was mostly my imagination what with Halloween coming along tomorrow night but the sky seemed to have a ghostly and ominous aspect and the wind was blowing hard.  There is magic afoot and fun is in the air. I do hope you all get lots of treats and get tricked only a little bit.

I have heard images like this first one described as god-speak – perhaps  or maybe it is the ghosts shining a light down to check out what it ripe for a haunting visit!!

Either way it sure did appear that a storm was on the way and that we are in for more wet weather in the next few days.  The sun broke through the clouds and just lit up fall colors in the field I was hiking through and it made for what I think is a pleasing image.  It sure was fun to get out and walk in the wilds a bit.  I have been way too house bound.

Today I took advantage of the drizzly and rainy weather to work up some of the remaining images from my trip to Eastern OR.  My friend John has been encouraging me spend time examining and learning from the work of a local photographer and teacher at the U of O – Craig Hickman – whose website – Dry Reading - {http://www.pixelpoppin.com/} is very interesting and prompted me to look in different ways.  John took a class from Craig years ago at Evergreen College in Washington and he still remembers it and talked with me about what he carried with him.

The following images are a bit odd/arty – almost found objects – but I like the simplicity in them and the colors that jump out of them. The first is the front of an old safe – weathered and I think looking better than it did when new – perhaps.

This one is from the train depot yard – wonder what the signal meant or directed the trains to do?

Finally I took this last image hand held on the way back to the car after an hour of shooting on the frozen river bed.  John made the comment that our eyes were so open after being on the river that we just seemed more aware of other things after being in the moment and concentrating for so long – I think he was right as I probably walked right by this grass on the way down to river and never noticed it.   I think I have about mined all I can from the images I gathered last week so I will stop pestering you to look.  Hope you enjoyed them.

The storms cleared and the mountains were calling this morning as was the autumn color.  The closest place seemed to be the Oregon Scenic Drive just east of Blue River.  The colors along the South Fork of the Mckenzie River are spectacular right now and provided we don’t get a huge storm for a bit I would think they will hold for a few more weeks.  The first image below was taken near Frissell Crossing and is at the upper end of the campground.  I think it may be the only good image I got today but will include a few others just to let you know how beautiful it is up there right now.  I had major camera issues all day long and I think was luck y to get even one good shot.  Settings, settings, settings!!!  I think the digital gnomes came in last night while I was sleeping and reset everything – it was awful!!

And finally a close up example  of the color and pattern that just seem to be everywhere as you drive along.  I may get a few more images from this trip but so far am not real happy with them.  Perhaps there will be another clear day before the snow fills up the roads and I can get out again.  My friend Peggy went with me today and I am so grateful for the company.

Just wanted to share a few images with you from a morning that John and I spent shooting in the Sumpter Valley Railroad yard.  I think this was about as much fun as we had on the trip and it was just a great eastside morning – a bit nippy and windy with clear blue sky and clouds on the peaks.  The first of these shots is looking west and the second looking east.  When I first put together the east looking shot I was reminded of a saying by Yogi Berra “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!”

Just a couple more from the trip to the Eastside.  I do not know the name of this plant but given that it is growing on what is essentially a rock pile and that it is beautiful in its simplicity I spent some time on my hands and knees getting this shot.  I think it was time well spent.

The first evening in Sumpter John and I spent about an hour in an old mining equipment bone-yard and just got fascinated with this rusted series of bolts that at one time anchored a screen or a sorting rack of some sort.  Having a rather simple mind and thus being easily amused it was fun to concentrate on the bolts and eventually make a little poster displaying their frozen in time beauty.