Musing on a Dry Hydrangea

My oldest hydrangea did really well this year....several large lime-white blooms. The dried flowers are about as interesting as the fresh ones--until the wind blows them off, as it's trying hard to do now.  I have used Nancy's newest texture, nc_weathered on the image for Tuesday Muse and Texture Twist. Isn't it a pretty texture??

nc_Weathered texture, and MJBlur frame (Steve Rich) 

Musing on a Neighborhood Cat

The squirrels and birds in our old Box Elder tree have attracted some feline neighbors.  Sunday morning, one young cat climbed into the tree, only to find an older cat already perched there.  They eyed each other warily, checked out the taunting squirrel above them, and then the older cat climbed down and sauntered across the road.  Before long, he climbed onto the hood of the neighbor's pickup truck and watched me---25 yards away in my family room with a telephoto lens.  

Joining with Nancy's Tuesday Muse. 

Nancy's new texture, "Alpaca" 

Musing on Colorful Autumn Leaves

Our New Yorker son is in his last few days at "home" so we've been taking him as many places as we can think of.  Today, he and I visited Joseph, Oregon near Wallowa Lake.  The street trees in that "touristy" town are beautiful with the high mountains in the background.  After last night's temperature in the 20's, the street trees are dropping their leaves.


Linking with Nancy's Tuesday Muse:

Musing on Frost

A hot summer...and suddenly, it was fall.  No Indian Summer....no more warm days and nights.  Frost...hard frost that wiped out the last of the fall flowers, turning the dahlias into dark zombie-like "things."  The maple trees haven't started turning color yet, but frosty individuals dot the lawn.  I'm joining with Nancy's Tuesday Muse, Kim's Texture Tuesday, and Kristy's Texture Twist.

                                                      Topaz Clarity and kk_jamal

Musing on the Persistent Rose

I love this rose!  It's my $10 Walmart rose, and it has bloomed so wonderfully all summer.  Right now, in the midst of sudden, wet, chilly fall, the rose is blooming for the third time.  These are the smallest blossoms of the summer, but they are still beautiful.   Linking up with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.  

Cross Process edit and Nancy's "Jennifer" texture

Musing on a Bronze Sculpture

Joseph, Oregon is the home of several bronze foundries and a public Artwalk that features larger-than-life-size bronze sculptures at almost every intersection.  This particular one is "Tracking the Intruders" by J. Shirly Bothum (that's a man's name).  I'm linking up with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.

More about Joseph:  http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2013/07/joseph_employs_bronze_statues.html

Follow the Fence to Somewhere

Linking with Nancy's Tuesday Muse and Kim's Texture Tuesday. 

Edited with Topaz B&W Effects and kkCherishScripted

Musing on the Fragility of Life

It's a somber post today for Nancy's  Tuesday Muse.  Last night I watched a Life Flight helicopter land to pick up someone I know well: the son of two former students,  a former student himself, a classmate of our oldest son, the father of two of our great-nieces.   He's a cowboy, too -- a team roper with his father and two brothers.  A freak accident last night led to his transport by Life Flight helicopter after his horse went over backwards and his rider hit his head on a post. The flight was over the mountains to Walla Walla, Washington, which is 65 miles by highway.  The helicopter landed on the parking lot of the rodeo grounds, just yards from where he had his mishap.  In a small town, it's a big deal when Life Flight has to land here---either on one of two football fields or the parking lot at the rodeo grounds.  Surgery to stop a brain bleed was successful, and this morning's CAT scan was good.   It reminds me that life is uncertain:  this young man has been on horses his whole life; the horse he was using is one his young daughters often ride.  If and when he fully recovers, he will be back on a horse.

Musing on a Barn at August's End

Linking up with Nancy's Tuesday Muse and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday.

kksavor

Musing on Simplicity

One look at my computer "nest," and it's easy to see that nothing is very simple in my life right now.  I'm doing the final report for a big grant my organization received for a 4-year restoration project....and I really don't know how to do the financial part of it!  Two days from now, my husband and I leave for the other side of the state where our youngest son will be married on Sunday.  That means I need to hire someone to water 18 or so pots and baskets of flowers, not to mention my husband's four beautiful tomato plants that are loaded with fruit.   I would welcome some simplicity. Henry David Thoreau completed his statement:

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.”

Joining with Nancy's Tuesday Muse and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday. 

Edited with kkGrungedUp texture

Musing on Extended Summer Color

The coneflowers and black-eyed Susans continue to bloom in vibrant colors in the long strip next to the fence on the east side of our house.  I'm thinking I should plant them in other places, too, just to have this amazingly long-lasting color.  Joining in with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.

Musing on a Locked Gate -- Without a Fence

It's interesting how mundane items can become very interesting when viewed up close.   I love gates, posts, chains, and wire. Out in the country, on Cricket Flat, this combination of post, chain, and Master Lock holds up a gate that has no fence. I'm linking up with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.  

A Promise

I had poppies in my flower bed this year for the first time ever.  I took one seed pod from a pink poppy plant last fall, planted the seeds, and was rewarded with several beautiful flowering plants this summer.  I was shocked and dismayed when tree squirrels ate every pod on the plants.  I'll collect more pods, this time darker pink ones from my mother's and bright red ones growing next to the highway about 3 miles from my house (I've assigned my husband to pick the pods for me!).  The poppy pod is a fascinating capsule, truly full of promise.  I'm linking up with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.

nc-navajo  (two layers at soft light), pinline frame - Perfect Effects 4, Text - Picasa

In Opposite Directions

Last weekend, our oldest son, who has lived in New York for nearly 8 years, came "home" for a few days. One night at the local rodeo, he connected with an elementary and high school classmate; they graduated in 1998. The two are definitely "city" and "country."  Our son has lived in large cities since completing culinary school at age 20; Brian stayed here in rural Oregon, where he works in the construction trade and rides horses and ropes for fun and competition.  Very different lives, but they made that  friend re-connection.

Linking up with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.

Musing Upon Long Ago

In our rural area, there are several little--and very old --cemeteries.  One of them has only a few headstones scattered among some pine trees, including this marker for a young man.   I'm linking up with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.

nc-0416-1

Musing in a Different Location

When I visited my youngest sister today, I wandered around her flowerbeds to look at blossoms that aren't growing in my garden.   I used Nancy's "Pat" texture and a Pixlr-o-matic frame.  Joining Nancy's Tuesday Muse.

Musing on a Bleeding Heart

A two-hour power outage really messed up my regular Monday night schedule of editing photos for three blog memes; I couldn't go to bed because I didn't know which lights were still turned on, so I read a book by the light of a little LED flashlight.  It was such a relief when the power came back on!  My choice for Nancy's Tuesday Muse is an image of my white Bleeding Heart.  I only wish the plants produced more flowers; as it is, I have to get down on my stomach to photograph the few that do appear.

Textures: Nancy's Spring Fever and nc-Navajo; Pixlr border

Finding a Surprise in a Familiar Town

Although I grew up on a farm, I identify with the small town 2 miles away.  On a drive around the town's streets today, decades after I considered it my hometown, I discovered two very old wooden buildings, just one block off  the main street. I don't remember ever being aware of them before.  Of course, I would love to see what's behind those locked doors.   I don't know their history, but I'm going to try to find out.    Linking up with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.

Musing on the Past

It's been a very long time since I was on a carnival ride.....they were never terribly appealing even when I was young!  Every summer I was  participating in 4-H livestock competitions at various stock shows, almost all of which had carnivals, and carnival food.   When  I visited a stock show this past week to watch my great-niece, I couldn't miss the flags!  Joining with Nancy's Tuesday Muse.

Nancy's "Melodie" and "Beth" textures

Musing with a Pincushion Flower

For Nancy's Tuesday Muse, I've chosen an image of a Pincushion flower (actual name is Scabiosa, which isn't terribly attractive-sounding), and added Nancy's own "Nancy" texture.