This is Halloween...

He NAILED it. All that cheap, thrift store hunting for a few perfect accessories really paid off at last night's Halloween party (who said Halloween has to be expensive?). Vil really pulled off the Mad Hatter well. If you haven't seen Johnny Depp as the M.H. in the recent Disney release of the Alice in Wonderland- search it and see if you think V was pretty close. Was it the fact that he has deep set eyes or just looks great as a creepy red head? I went as the Queen of Hearts, but wasn't nearly as convincing. Five minutes in to the party the hair piece fell off, so then it was kind of a blond queen with a pony tail, a crown and really bad make up. Regardless, the party was the perfect way to celebrate Halloween.What would you do if you saw this guy at a stop light, say in April?
Love this. He was visiting at the party and I couldn't resist the back.

Fun lighting

Last night V and I scooted up to the top of the ledge to grab the sunset. On the way back down we stopped and enjoyed that beautiful warm yellow lighting that only happens in the spring and fall when the sun is low in the sky. Here are a couple of shots from the trail of us two knuckleheads..

Vil's out of town...sooooo....

When boredom strikes and the weather doesn't cooperate, I turn to my kitchen for creativity. Thankfully we have lots of friends and neighbors who appreciate kitchen delights.

Shooting around...

Hot sun in chilly October...
Nature's artwork
Junco Yoga

This beautiful little Douglas Squirrel is looking very fashionable for the fall season...

Hikers enjoying Rattlesnake ledge..

Just doing what he otter...

What a fantastic treat it was to spend some time with this North American River Otter. He was spending his partly sunny Friday hunting down minnows at the lake. He was kind enough to pose on a stump for me. Like with most animals vs. human development- habitat is shrinking/they are getting more rare to see. In fact, I've never seen one at the lake and have only been lucky enough to see one previously in my hiking adventures (in Mt. Rainier Nat. Park). They range from 11-30 lbs. and eat mostly aquatic life- fish, turtles, crawfish, etc.

I received some mock-ups for a potential front page of our city web site- and here I am sitting like a marmot on the rock! The picture of Vil on his mountain bike would rotate with others relating to NB- the town and the recreation (many of mine). The picture of me would be stationery as the other pictures rotated- my legs kind of making a border. They haven't officially made the final decision, but two out of three mock-ups had this design. If this becomes the new NB web site, we'll really have to watch our backs for paprazzi...LOL...

The view from around here

Yesterday was magnificent from the lake shores. It was dead calm and the orange tree was in full glow.

A juvenile western toad makes his way up an embankment. You have to admit he's cute...

Song sparrow watching from an alder...

I spent some time with this creature..

Sushi was on the menu last night for this beautiful Great Blue Heron. I spent some time watching him eat down at the lake and was amazed at his balance and grace- those rocks are slick! The keen hunter would eye his prey, crouch down, stand perfectly still, then dive in and retrieve the minnow. Time after time, he caught fish- never missed a one. He was kind enough to let me observe him from a distance and grab a few shots.

Those feet!!! I can't get enough. The mohawk completes the ensemble.

Birds of a feather....

I recently spent some time bird watching at the lake. I found a couple friends including this gorgeous eagle who were kind enough to let me photograph them. The first feathered friend here is called an American Dipper. They are amazing little birds and can walk underwater. I witnessed it when I was sitting there watching.

Track Day!

Boys with toys must ride them fast. And so it was that I begrudgingly put my fears aside to travel to eastern Oregon this past weekend to watch Vil ride his motorcycle on a race track. They weren't racing, but learning skills to make them better riders and better motorcycle handlers. Still....they were going pretty fast and it was amazing to watch.

As a thank-you for supporting him, and an early Christmas gift, V surprised me with a new Canon and a gorgeous 24-105mm lens. The reason, primarily was because the shutter speed is 8/frames per second, which allows me to practically stop time. Loosely translated....get great track day pictures.

I was in my element as the contracted track day photographer allowed me to accompany him out onto the field/track to get professional photos in restricted areas. As it turned out the photographer was also an instructor of photography and gave me lots of great tips and suggestions for shooting the bikes. They are really tricky shots to get because the riders are moving at eye-blink speed and you don't get many opportunities as the track is long and the laps are few. But the best part, was watching V on the corners and turns and seeing the care and caution that was used to ensure a safe day for the riders. I felt better knowing that I was in the beating heart of the action and had a front row seat. We both had a fun day.

Windmills, windmills...everywhere!

This pilot did a buzz over the track. I think I saw duck tape flying in the breeze....

They start the riders off pretty slowly as the track is technical and has lots of elevation changes.
V with Mount Hood (Cascade Volcano).







Mt. Adams (Cascade Volcano)

Mount Hood again with corner "O".