Janet Brien's photos

Trip Talk: History is the missing puzzle piece to "KNOWING" a place! I must admit that I haven't made much time in my life for history since I graduated high school. I enjoy the subject but it's so…yesterday! Present day and future events have always grabbed my attention and left me saying to myself, "I'll look into the history of this later." Except that I never get around to it…and now I'm 55 years old and most of the history I learned as a student has drifted away over the years. Lately I've come to realize how much I've neglected the past. More importantly though, I've been presented with compelling reasons to add history back into my life. Here's a question for you: how do you get to know a place you've visited? In other words, what do you do when you traveled somewhere, in order to walk away feeling totally satisfied that you got a true feeling of a place? This is something I've pondered since I began travelling as a 21-year-old and in the end, my answers never quite sit right. The first idea I came up with was, "Take pictures!" Well, that's certainly a really big step but it's not the whole answer, is it? "What about making videos?" Heck, I've never even tried that but I can tell that it's also just a facet and wouldn't be the whole answer. "Get to know the locals!" That's a good one! Still, you'd have to talk to a lot of people to get a true feeling of a place. "Write about your experiences there!" Definitely a strong choice and this really gives an immersive quality to the place you visited. One of my favorites is, "Hike, cycle, walk all over the area…see as much of the area as possible!" Now that's a really awesome thought! And yet…it's still not quite enough, is it? Maybe it could be, "Visit and experience all of the local attractions!" Well, we all know about the value of tourist traps and the need to carefully prise the promised quality of the experience from the money-grubbing garbage. The fact is, to truly "KNOW" a place, one must employ many of these ideas to get the whole picture. And yet…even though I did this, I couldn't stop the annoying voice in my head which kept telling me I was missing an important angle. When Steve and I began travelling in our first RV, we learned about state parks and I kept wondering about the names. Why weren't the names all about the location? Reading the origin suddenly added an element which hit home for me: HISTORY! Gaining a true understanding of the background of a place--or even the reason behind a name--adds a crucial depth that can't be skipped. However, it's not enough to scan the information--something I've always been guilty of. By reading about, understanding, and then reflecting on that information as I'm appreciating a place has given me that complete sense of "knowing" it. Joseph H. Stewart State Park's History in a few words: Named for the leader of the pear industry in southern Oregon, this 910-acre park opened in 1978 after the Lost Creek Dam and Lake was built on the Rogue River. The land is leased from the Army Corps of Engineers and the campground has four loops which contain 151 campsites and 50 tent sites. The park also has a boat marina, store and boat moorage facilities. Annual overnight attendance is 64,787 and annual day-use attendance is 301,816. Joseph H. Stewart moved to the Rogue Valley from Illinois in 1885 and began planting apples, prunes and almonds on his 160-acre farm. Within 5 years he was shipping his harvests all over the nation. In 1898 he and his son-in-law bought the land where the park sits and planted pear, apple and walnut trees there as well. Most of the trees are still alive--and now I want to visit the park again just so I can visit this man's heritage. (Here's their brochure with map if you're interested) Today's Pictures: My main picture today is another incredibly beautiful view of one of the park's stunning meadows. Really, all you can do is just stand there and sigh, it's so pretty! Insets today include a trio of white mushrooms, festively colored blackberry leaves, another pretty view of the park, a pair of "yin-yang"-leaves with clover leaves, a pair of maple "shoes", an elegant stem of dried grass, a fanciful leaf caught on a pine branch, leaves on a stump, a mushroom I found at the base of the tree with the huge burl, and finally, an ancient mushroom family growing out of a stump (that picture wasn't as crisp as I wanted so I turned it into a creative image!). Pam, wouldn't it be fun to wander around this park and visit some of the trees planted here by Mr. Stewart? I would love listening to your stories of some of your camping adventures and also…did you ever spend time on a farm? That would be fun to hear about too! Today it's very cold but sunny--how about you? I hope all is well in your world my dear! *BIG HUGS*!!!! Explored on 11/22/19; highest placement #10.

(+10 insets!) For photo info, please scroll down to "Today's Pictures". Trip Talk: State Parks RULE! Until Steve and I got our first trailer, neither of us had ever stayed at a state park before. Honestly, we didn't think they would be anything special. Knowing that state parks often don't get proper funding, I imagined that the campgrounds would be plain, simple and boring--just a place to stay which was close to park trails but otherwise forgettable. How much more wrong could I be? Joseph Stewart State Park was the second place we went camping at with our first rig (the first spot was a private campground at Upper Klamath Lake) and I'll never forget our reaction when we pulled in to the campground. The park is very wide-open and carpeted with literally miles of mowed meadows dotted with oaks and conifers. The view as we drove into the area literally took our breaths away--it seemed like a rich country club, not a state park! How could such a gorgeous place be a mere 45 minutes from our home? Where were the run-down campsites and over-capacity outhouses? Not here, that's for sure! We would come to learn that RV-friendly state park campgrounds are extremely well-designed with campsites which can often accommodate even the largest rigs. They arrange the sites around one or more very large, one-way loops with lots of space between spots and angles which are easy to back a rig into. In fact, some camping spots are known as "pull-throughs," which means you just drive into the space and park! When you're ready to leave, you just drive out and off you go! How's that for easy?! Our first visit with the Grey Wolf was so much fun that we knew we'd be back many times. What's not to love about the place? Right on Lost Creek Lake, one can go boating, fishing or swimming. Photography opportunities are everywhere! There are miles of biking and hiking trails which showcase the gorgeous local. Just riding our bikes around the three loops was great fun and a really super way to see all of the different RVs staying there. We wondered if all state parks were this spectacular. We would learn that more times than not they are just fantastic. Another fabulous thing about state park campgrounds is how INEXPENSIVE they are! Nightly fees range between $26 and $34, which is a lot less than the average private campground fee of about $45. Think about the price of staying at a motel or hotel--good luck finding a decent room for less than $75/night! (The maximum number of nights you can stay at a campground is 14 in any 17-day period. So you could leave for three days and then return for another 14 days!) State campground staff are also amazing! They are super friendly and helpful and whenever there's a question or problem, it's easy to find someone for assistance. We also learned that state campgrounds are run by hosts who are RV campers too. They aren't paid but instead get to camp for free during their stay in exchange for a part-time work schedule. What an incredible way to save money while enjoying a park! Steve and I will definitely be signing up to be campsite hosts down the road and look forward to being part of the park system. Are there any downsides to state park campgrounds? Ok, yeah…that. As amazing as they are, almost every campground we've stayed at has no internet or phone coverage whatsoever. Our first stay was pretty annoying because it didn't occur to us but we got comfortable with the idea once we realized that state parks are black holes for data. Other than that, it seems that state parks are the absolute perfect place to stay! Our second stay at Joseph Stewart State Park was every bit as wonderful as our first visit. In some ways it was even better because we'd been there before and knew what to expect. It's such a pleasant place to be and I hope that we will be back many times in the future! Today's Pictures My main picture today shows one of the breathtaking, expansive meadows found everywhere at Joseph Stewart State Park. The autumn show was mostly over but I still managed to get plenty of seasonal images and you'll notice that many of my insets feature a favorite subject: LEAVES! :) You'll also see one of the many mushrooms I found, a pretty park bench scene, the husk of a cicada (I think), another scenic view, madrone bark, another maple "bat", and a "flower" on a pine tree where the cone had broken off, leaving wooden "petals" behind to enjoy! Pam, I wonder what your favorite season is? It's so hard for me to say…I'm crazy about whatever is current--well, maybe with the exception of the end of summer when everything is dry, grey-brown and listless. But then the leaves begin to turn and suddenly everything is glorious again! :) BTW, thanks for your lovely remarks on my latest series, it makes me so happy that you enjoy my pictures so much! :) *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon* Explored on 11/19/19; highest placement #2.

(+10 insets!) Please view large, you'll love it!! (for photo info, please scroll down to "Today's Pictures") Steve and I arrived home yesterday afternoon from our 4-night stay at Joseph Stewart State Park and it went PERFECTLY!! Everything went as we'd hoped! We got everything packed, the trailer attached to the truck hitch, and away we went! The roads were clear, the weather was perfect and we encountered no problems whatsoever on the 45-minute drive to the park. The exhaust brakes are AWESOME! There is a fairly long hill up and then down the other side on the way and we were delighted that our truck purred the whole time. Everyone knows that feeling safe is priceless and it was just wonderful to experience how smoothly and easily the truck slowed the trailer down. Also, the brakes are quiet! What a great system and a perfect decision to add them to the truck. By the time we got home, both of us felt completely confident that we would be able to take our new trailer wherever we wanted to go! Hooray! Getting into our campsite was a dream--backing up and maneuvering into position is so much easier! And when it came time to level the trailer…all he has to do is press a button! Our Avalanche has its own automatic system so we don't have to do anything but watch! No more ramps! No more leveling apps that never work! No more stress! YESSSS! Our stay was fabulous! Surrounded by lovely parkland on all sides, we enjoyed marvelous weather every day. The mornings started out cold and cloudy and became warm and sunny in the afternoons. And my…what posh accommodations we have now! The Avalanche is a huge step up from our comparatively junky Grey Wolf. Granted, the Grey Wolf wasn't horrible but it was well-used and left us increasingly unhappy with its multitude of problems and shortfalls. Highlights of our New Coach: Living Room and Kitchen: The living room, with its 10' ceiling, is very inviting and has a cozy (electric) fireplace, a large sofa and extremely comfortable lounge chairs (our last coach had a tiny couch but no living room at all!) The dining area has actual chairs at the table instead of needing to slide into a dinette booth. The kitchen has an ISLAND, lots of counterspace and a deep, 2-part sink with a very nice multi-function faucet. There's a super stove and oven and a huge microwave! The refrigerator and freezer are twice as large as the unit in the Grey Wolf--nearly as large as the one in our home! Windows: This coach is absolutely filled with windows! The Grey Wolf was like a cave with its few small windows. The Avalanche has windows everywhere, and most of them are very big! They're tinted so we can look out and nobody can see in until it gets dark, at which point we pull down the blinds! :) The height of our coach allows us to have wonderful views and we enjoy just looking outside with happy smiles on our faces! Bathroom: The bathroom is small but includes a very spacious shower with sliding glass doors instead of a flimsy shower curtain. The mirror is well-lit! This might seem like a small thing but a badly lit mirror will drive you crazy! The Grey Wolf's bathroom mirror had such horrible illumination that our additional lighting couldn't correct the situation…it was so annoying! Bedrooms: We both have proper bedrooms, each with doors!! (Steve snores so we sleep separately, thus getting a good night's sleep and Steve isn't pummeled all night! :D) For this trip, my bed was the couch which folds out into a bed, topped with a memory foam mattress. The situation isn't ideal because the bed fills the room entirely. Eventually we'll have a twin-size bed to replace the couch and it will be exactly right! Our Visit: We had a very relaxing stay and just enjoyed being there. We had bacon and eggs or steak omelets for breakfast and for dinner we ate steaks, roasted chicken, and even cooked hotdogs over our propane fire pit! And of course, we enjoyed our lovely espressos with cream! Pumpkin had a fabulous time too. She really loves the coach and RV life in general because she gets so much attention and one day we took her on a very nice walk that had her full of song! Joseph Stewart State Park really is a marvelous place! Steve and I would happily move there forever except for one thing: ZERO internet. Steve gets the tiniest blip of data so he can read the news but that's about it. However, we knew this from our first trip so we were prepared for being cut off while we were away. I spent my time relaxing, wandering around taking pictures, processing my images, writing, treasure hunting with my metal detector and doing crosswords. Steve relaxed, added mud flaps to the truck, fiddled around with a few things in the coach, and played video games. Both of us played with Pumpkin too, which is always fun. In other words, our trip was pure bliss! Today's Pictures: During our walk with Pumpkin, we ended up looking out over Lost Creek Lake and of course, I just had to take a panorama! I hope that you look at it full-size as it's quite a sight! :D You can see that the water level is quite low right now but will fill up again with the upcoming storms. My insets: I had a lovely time strolling around and just "being in the moment" with my camera. The set today includes bunches of wonderful things I found as I nosed around, including a picture of an oak tree I featured from our last trip (I've included an inset to show the original), a picture of our truck and trailer, mushrooms, leaves, a pretty little foot bridge in the forest, and an oak tree with the biggest burl I've ever seen! Pam, I hope you are doing well…I wish you could have looked out on the water at Lost Creek Lake and toddled around with me on my strolls. It was such a treat to be there. Neither of us felt hurried or obligated to fill our days with a million things. It was wonderful. I hope that you're feeling well! SENDING HUGS!!! Explored on 11/16/19; highest placement #1.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: A Much Heavier Trailer Means More Upgrades to the Truck When you buy an RV that's built better, it weighs a LOT more. The RV industry has many tiers of build qualities because they want to have models available for every vehicle out there, whether it's wise or not. They are so focused on making money that they sacrifice safety, quality, and common sense to get customers. A large number of the trailers out there are marketed as being very light so that lower-end, less powerful vehicles can pull them. We learned the hard way what that really means: flimsy construction using materials that cannot handle the stresses of being on the road and the countless issues that come up along the way. Our Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 26DBH only weighed about 6200 pounds when empty and had a maximum capacity of about 7800 pounds. That lightweight, shoddy construction translated into a trailer that crumpled with the stress of travel (isn't that what it's supposed to do--TRAVEL?). In comparison, our new Keystone Avalanche 365MB is about 13000 pounds empty--more than TWICE the weight of the Grey Wolf!!--and a cargo capacity of 2500 pounds, which would be 15500 pounds if fully-loaded! Everything about this trailer is much more substantial and better made (Not saying we haven't found tons of janky workmanship as we've gotten to know it. However, unlike the Grey Wolf, there haven't been any missing screws, bolts, framing or lowest-tier options). This being said, our new trailer is HEAVY! The good news is that our truck is easily powerful enough to pull it and got the trailer home just fine, and up our hill too. However, there are a couple of issues we weren't comfortable with. First of all, when the RV is hooked up to the hitch, the truck suspension is pushed down more than it should be--it's a weight-based stress that's called "squatting." Eventually this would ruin the suspension and makes for a rougher ride. The solution for this was a suspension addition called truck air bags, which Steve installed one afternoon. They can be inflated to the desired pressure so when we're not hauling the RV Steve will deflate the pressure, and when we are towing the RV he can pump them up. You should have seen the beaming expression on Steve's face when he tested them out and saw that the truck no longer "squats" when the RV is hooked up! We were so happy. Steve also took the time to show me the affect the RV had on the truck when the airbags weren't installed. I could clearly see the place where the suspension was bottoming out. Not a good thing at all. So now our truck will have the proper suspension to handle our big trailer! The other problem was much more serious: our brakes. Yes, the RV has its own brakes and they engage when the brakes in the truck are used. However, it's still not enough. We can't tell you how many stories we've read about people burning out their brakes on long hills, having accidents or near misses because their brakes couldn't handle the weight of the RV in an emergency. A normal combination of RV and truck brakes would be fine if you didn't factor in all of the hills and mountain passes. It's the long, continuous need for braking that causes the problems, but here too, there are solutions: compression release engine brakes or exhaust breaks. If you've ever noticed the loud "machine gun/jackhammer-like" sound of a semi when it's going down a hill, you're hearing what's called "engine breaking." Instead of the normal method of slowing down a vehicle with friction or magnetic brakes, the compression and release of pressure of a running engine is used to slow the vehicle down. Another version of this system is exhaust brakes. This type of engine braking is better for an engine and more effective. It works by closing off the exhaust path from the engine, creating backwards pressure which then slows the engine and thus, the speed of the vehicle. I don't know about you but I never understood the whole deal about big-rig trucks and the methods used to slow them down. I knew that with a manual-shift car, you can downshift to slow your car down instead of/in conjunction with normal breaking. However, I didn't realize how important and effective engine breaking was for extremely heavy vehicles. Steve's known that non-commercial trucks can have an engine brake installed but didn't need to consider it for our first trailer. However, the story changed once we got our new trailer. Thinking about the countless mountain passes we've gone over gave us the heebie-jeebies and it was obvious that if we hoped to travel around the country, we needed to make sure our truck was able to handle those hills without wearing out the brakes. So, a couple of days ago we brought the truck to a shop that installs these brake systems and now we have the security of Pacbrakes ready for our next adventure. As pricey as such a system may be, we will actually save a lot of money over the long run because the normal brakes on both truck and trailer will last much longer, and the wear and tear of our truck will be better as well. Today's Pictures On the third day at our first "hub" of our Vancouver Island, located at the southern end, we went to a place called East Sooke Regional Park. Wild and rugged, there are 31 miles (50km) of trails to enjoy there. We decided to go on part of their Coastal Trail and it turned out to be one of the most incredible hikes we'd ever been on. This main picture shows a beach at the start of the coastal trail and gave us a clue on the level of beauty we'd be seeing. One aspect of that particular spot was a huge surprise. My phone, which was supposed to have zero Canadian cell coverage, had extremely fast internet there because the beach pointed directly at the northern edge of Washington in the United States! Once we left the area though, I lost the connection. It was really fun to have awesome coverage for that brief moment though! :) Inset 1: The coastal views were spectacular and this panorama looked out on a breathtaking waterscape. Pay attention to that little islet. You'll see Secretary Island on display in seven pictures among my 3-part presentation of this remarkable place. Inset 2: This little bridge crossed a tiny creek that emptied out at one of the many little beaches along the Coastal Trail. The thick, healthy forest you see was typical of all the trails along the ocean's edge and we were so happy to be surrounded by so much lush foliage. Inset 3: The Coastal Trail couldn't follow the edge of the land at all times because of the rough and rocky terrain. Instead, it was more of a beautiful forest trail which popped out along the edge whenever possible. Here's another pretty scenic shot with Secretary Island accenting the view. Inset 4: You can just make out the trail in the lower left in this forest image. Densely packed with a huge variety of plants, this was the usual terrain and it never got old! Inset 5: There weren't a lot of boats in this area but this sporty fishing boat got my attention as it sped by. Inset 6: At the half-way point in our hike we had lunch at this rock-strewn hillside spot which looked out over the ocean. I remember a tasty highlight which Steve came up with…you take a barbecue pork rind, spread liverwurst on it and top with a slice of hard sausage. DELICIOUS!! (Stop wrinkling your nose, pork rinds are AWESOME and 100% keto!) The yellow-jacket wasps in the area were very keen on our offerings too but after we smacked a few into oblivion the others gave up and left us in peace. Inset 7: I was delighted to find fungus of various types along the trail. I think this is a type of bracket fungus and I just love the texture of the pores. Inset 8: This group of mushrooms looks like they have decorative edging! Inset 9: Imagine my excitement when I looked down and saw an ORCHID! I instantly thought of my good friend, Ron Hanko, who's dedicated a large chunk of his life to these beautiful flowers. This is the Elegant Piperia Orchid (Piperia elegans), a flower which can be found in Canada's British Columbia and south to central California and as far east as Montana. Inset 10: Elegant Piperia is also known as Coast Piperia, Hillside Rein Orchid, and Hillside Bogorchid. The tall spikes are composed of many dozen tiny, tightly-packed blossoms which deserve a close-up to really show lovely they are. Pam, were there pretty coastal hikes you used to frequent when you lived in England? I have certainly learned that England has a gamut of terrain types so I wouldn't be surprised if you used to walk on trails similar to this one. This hike was exactly what we'd been hoping to experience--and then some. The incredible beauty of this trail could not be properly captured In pictures but I did my best! Here's hoping all is well with you my dear! I have played around with the Circle demo you told me about and once I get one that really floats my boat, I'll post it for you! :) Explored on 11/09/19; highest placement #1.

(+11 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Gardens…one last set of pictures, and the latest on our new RV! Well, I've finally managed to get through all of the Butterfly Gardens pictures! I'm glad I took the time to process what I could from because there was such an interesting variety. It sure would be nice to live near a place like this, as, just like Butchart Gardens, one could never run out of fantastic subjects to photograph! The latest on our new RV: We've been tweaking it like crazy…adding this and that, purchasing some necessary items, and building a few things. There will be some new shelves but for the most part we've only needed to buy plastic bins in various sizes. The cabinets are lined with non-stick matting now, doors protected from banging with little felt dots and stoppers. We've had to figure out where everything goes, and one thing's for sure, there's a LOT of ROOM! What a difference from the Grey Wolf. If all goes well, we'll be able to go on a short trip in a few days! Today's Pictures I simply had to post this picture first, even though I have some wonderful butterflies to share as well. I am crazy about lily pads and lotus blossoms, and when I saw the gorgeous display in one area of their pond, I was beside myself with happiness. Looking through my images, I took a look at this one and was really surprised. It's not always obvious what dof you should choose for an image like this so I took a handful at different settings. As it turned out, a shallow dof created some wonderful bokeh but exacting, crisp detail just where I wanted it: the buds and the edge of the lily pad leaf. It wasn't something I planned and so I was really delighted to get this shot! Inset 1: I managed to get a very good picture of this unidentified butterfly as it sat on a nearby leaf. If you know what it's called, I'd love to find out! Inset 2: Here's a cropped-in close-up of the previous picture! Inset 3: This colorful Bird of Paradise was the most brightly-colored I've ever seen! These are such bizarre-looking flowers and I simply can't resist taking pictures of them whenever I find one. Inset 4: A nearly-neon-colored Blue Wave butterfly enjoys some banana at a feeding station. Inset 5: A delicate beauty in shades of brown with white markings, this is the Blue Moon Butterfly. Thanks to Jakob Bärfuss for the positive identification! :) Inset 6: Lovely Blue Porterweed flowers growing along a green stem...thanks to Ron Hanko for the positive ID on these lovely blossoms! He got a picture of his own when he and his wife went to Australia one year! And, a past ipernity member, Fizgig, identified the flower for him when Ron posted his picture! :D Inset 7: Another picture of the Greenwing Macaw, what a beauty! There was a time when I considered getting a macaw and in my studies, I learned that Greenwings are known for being gentle and tend to be much better companions than Scarlets, which can be extremely feisty, the females in particular. Inset 8: I couldn't resist another abstract picture of the canna lily leaf that I found. I just love the combination of lime green with rusty browns and all that cool texture! Inset 9: I spotted this pair of Zebra Finches gathering nesting supplied and managed to get one picture to share! Inset 10 and 11: This lily pad and Yellow Pond Lily blossom close-up were photographed on an earlier trip when Steve and I wandered up and down the Oregon coast. Considering the main pictures, I thought this pair would be a perfect addition to this presentation. While we were at Devil's Lake State Park campground a few months back, we went on their boardwalk trail. It led us through a marsh and ended at a pond. There I found a bunch of lily pads with flowers! Steve supported me on the soft mud so I could take pictures! Pam, are you a fan of water lilies too? They are so exotic and beautiful and whenever I find them I absolutely must take pictures! HAH! This reminded me of some pictures I took a while back and I have processed them for this presentation, yay! I would love to see some of those ridiculously huge lily pads that can hold up a person! :D I'd just HAVE to give it a try! :D "Lunatic woman is hauled away after she is found in a pond laying on the lily pads!" Heh…well, I hope you are having a good day! It's another warm Indian Summer day and absolutely beautiful! Explored on 11/05/19; highest placement #2.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Gardens...The Show Continues! Visiting a butterfly garden is something everyone should do if you have the chance. Have you ever done a Google Search to find out if there is a butterfly house nearby? You may find yourself surprised! In my case, by including "Near Me" along with "Butterfly House" I learned of a place just two hours away! It has butterflies during summer months, along with other attractions in the area for us to enjoy when visiting. What fun! It will be something to look forward to right in our own backyard! Steve and I spent about an hour or two at the Butterfly Gardens and every time we walked around the enclosure we'd see many things we hadn't noticed the last time around. It's just so profusely planted and filled with animals to discover, it was wonderful. Today's Pictures My main picture today features a Red Postman butterfly, which can be found in Mexico, Central and parts of South America. It's named for the way it follows a daily route, just like a mail carrier! :) There are between 20-40 subspecies which often interbreed because of overlapping territories. The resulting hybrids are an interesting blend but are often sterile. If you'd like more information, I found a fascinating web page which has many pictures of these butterflies and includes their locations. Inset 1: Check out this gorgeous Zebra Mosaic Butterfly! I am crazy about its pattern! Inset 2: I got some very nice details on this otherwise unremarkable and unidentified brown butterfly. I cannot help myself from trying to figure out what species each butterfly is but it's often a lost cause. Did you know there are over 17,500 species around the world? It's no wonder I rarely find the exact species when I look! Inset 3: There is a wonderful display at the Butterfly Gardens where their caterpillars are raised. This one was enormous and I enjoyed watching it move along the underside of a stem, munching leaves as it went. What a crazy shape and color…and if you can see, there's another small caterpillar at the top of the image too. Inset 4: A lovely pair of butterflies feeding on a slice of grapefruit. The more visible butterfly is a Malachite--thank you Anne Eliot for the positive id!--but the other one? Nope, can't tell you what species it is, though I looked and looked! It's so hard to resist searching, even though it's usually hopeless! :D Let me know if you come up with something! :) Inset 5: There was a pair of macaws to admire, a Blue-and-Gold and this one, the magnificent Green-Wing. Are you surprised I didn't say it was a Scarlet Macaw? I have a link here, which shows a picture of a Blue-and-Gold, a Scarlet and a Green-Wing Macaw so you can see the difference! Inset 6: These Guzmania Bromeliad flowers got my attention where they bloomed next to the main path in the Butterfly Gardens. I had some fun changing the path's color to something more attractive! Inset 7: A trio of Blue Sky Vine flowers that hung down from where they were growing on some tropical trees. These beauties are officially called Thunbergia grandiflora and part of a group of about 100 species. These plants are fast-growing and if the conditions are good, will establish themselves easily, often becoming invasive. Inset 8: Imagine my delight when I found an area of a pond that was covered with lily pads and flowers! They are one of my favorite water plants and I think this one is an Egyptian Lotus. Inset 9: This Blue Sky Vine tendril turned and began twining up itself, creating a natural green hangman's noose! In the background you can see a group of flowers in bokeh. :) Inset 10: The textures of this leaf were too much for me to resist! Sadly I didn't get any crisp pictures of the entire leaf but I believe it was from a Canna Lily plant. Pam, I'm not at all surprised to learn that you've gotten pictures of 53 species where you live, but WOW!!! That's just amazing to me!! I don't dare count the species I've captured but it's probably only about 20 or so I reckon. I'd hoped to find more butterflies this season while we traveled around but unfortunately there weren't many opportunities where I could just chill out and wait for butterflies to visit. We're hoping that our future travels will include much longer stays here and there so I can correct this extreme frustration. Truly, I was pretty unhappy that we couldn't just BE more often because we felt we needed to maximize on each location. I had visions of sitting by a moist place where butterflies gathered for minerals and water and spending an hour just taking pictures. Or finding an area full of flowers which had bunches of butterflies to capture images of. However, I did get a few pictures which made me really happy! We'll accommodate for Being In the Moment as we work out the kinks of our travels! :) Oh--and it sounds like we're both experiencing the same chilly mornings! *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon* :) Explored on 11/03/19; highest placement #4.

(+9 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Gardens...The Joy of Wandering Around an Artificial Jungle How often have you gotten the chance to walk around a real jungle? I'm going to guess that it's not been too often! Steve and I are pretty lucky in that regard. Together we've been to Costa Rica and Belize (with a short visit to Guatemala's Tikal Pyramid) and Hawaii's Maui too. The incredible diversity of flora and fauna is staggering, and I'd have to say that the Butterfly Gardens did a fantastic job filling every nook and cranny with plants. One of the things that I really liked was the mix of plants and animals that didn't normally live together. Whenever I've seen displays of various plant locals or animals, the installation has always been as true to life as possible. But at the Butterfly Gardens, their concern only seemed to be what grew well in the warm, humid conditions there. Hibiscus and pitcher plants rubbed leaves with cactus and ficus! Orchids and daisies mixed happily with bromeliads and philodendrons! I enjoyed it all I was delighted to learn that the larger animals that lived there were all rescues, which made it extra special. And it was obvious that everything was very happy and healthy there. The feeling in there was just wonderful. :) Today's Pictures The main image today shows a butterfly that I believe is called a Mimic Kite Swallowtail. Showing smokey black with pink and white accents on the outer wings, the inside featured gleaming black and red wings with white spots. Their juicy red and black bodies were so striking and I wished I'd been able to get more pictures of this beauty. However, this one turned out great and that's really all that I needed! :) Inset 1: This is a lovely pair of Red Postman butterflies…can you believe I managed to capture one in flight?! WOOT! The background was busy enough that I spent some time to fade the background a bit with some added texture. Inset 2: This beauty is a Red-Footed Tortoise, which is indigenous to South America. They can grow to be 16" long and can live 30 years or more. Inset 3: This tortoise shell just screamed to be a close-up texture, so here it is! Inset 4: A single blossom from the Thunbergia grandiflora, also commonly called Blue Sky Vine, Bengal Trumpet, Blue Trumpet Vine, Royal Clock Vine or Indian Sky Vine. Though I can't figure out what everything is, I've had fun trying to identify all the plants and animals I photographed. It's always so much more meaningful to know what it is you've got a picture of! This beauty is native to China, India, Nepal, Indochina and Burma and widely naturalized elsewhere. Inset 5: I was amazed to discover these huge peace lilies with their towering flowers. I had no idea that some species grew to six feet tall! Another surprise was learning there are 40 different species! Inset 6: A close-up of a peace lily's stalk and its white flower behind. In truth, the stalk is actually called a spadix, which is a type of blossom made up of many small flowers on a fleshy stem. The white "flower" behind isn't actually a flower at all! It's called a "spathe", a modified leaf known as a bract that forms a sheath around the spadix! Inset 7: Another image of a peace lily's spadix. These flowers were named for the similarity of their white flowers (spathes) to the white flags of peace. Another interesting fact is that they aren't lilies at all and are instead a tropical perennial. Inset 8: An Owl Butterfly resting on what I believe is a red pinecone ginger flower. And yes, they are edible--but it's the leaves you can eat--the red blossom can be gently squeezed and the liquid which comes out is used as a shampoo! Amazing! Inset 9: On the large maps found around the main garden, this was aptly named the "Turtle Log." What fun to see all of these happy guys enjoying their safe resting spot! Thanks to Pam for the positive identification of these Red-Eared Terrapins! *high five* Pam, have you ever counted the number of butterfly species you've photographed? I bet it's quite the total and I've always admired the number of different types you've gotten pictures of. I'm going to guess the number of wild species I've photographed is probably about a dozen or so. You have certainly been blessed with good luck and awesome patience to have captured so many varieties! :) Well, I'm hoping all is ok in your world…it's turned into an Indian summer here, though the mornings are frosty! *BIG HUGS FROM SOUTHERN OREGON*! Explored on 11/01/19; highest placement #7.

(+9 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Gardens...the Main Exhibit! Steve ended up pulling me out of the Insectarium by my ear because I was totally entranced by all of the unusual critters! Still dazed, I went through the next set of doors into the main exhibit and stopped in my tracks. Listed as being the size of three basketball courts, this indoor jungle was also at least two stories tall and filled with sky lights to add illumination. I didn't realize how tropical and lush this place would be! Everywhere I looked there were plants and vines, flowers and thick, leafy undergrowth. And there were butterflies…everywhere! Flying around, resting on plants and feeding at the various fruit and nectar stations, you couldn't miss them! Steve and I immediately lost ourselves behind our cameras as we focused in on one subject after another. We read there were up to 70 species of butterflies on display at all times and we were dazzled by all of the different colors and combinations, sizes and activity levels of the countless "flying flowers". Next to the entrance was a small building which housed rows of cocoons and picture of some of the species. However, apparently they gave up trying to keep track because there were images for only some of the butterflies that we saw. There was a cement path that meandered around the entire enclosure, crossing over bridges and tucking into nooks and crannies. A map showed the many highlights that you could visit—various butterfly feeding stations, the "emerging window" that I shared pictures of yesterday, a caterpillar viewing area, but there was so much more to see than just butterflies! A pair of flamingoes, tortoises and turtles, a dart frog exhibit (which I didn't notice, boo!), a pair of macaws and many free-flying birds of various sizes and types. The plants and accompanying flowers growing there could be their own attraction—I couldn't begin to count the vast number of tropical species from around the world which thrived everywhere I turned. In one area of the path they even had a host of carnivorous pitcher plants which hung down from many vines. I was totally enchanted! Today's Pictures My main picture today shows the closed wing formation of a Blue Morpho butterfly! It's hard to believe that the other side of these wings are a dazzling metallic blue! These incredible beauties are among the largest species in the world with wings that stretch from between five and eight inches wide. I was surprised to learn that there are actually 29 different species and 147 subspecies which are found in the Americas as far north as Mexico. When Steve and I visited Costa Rica many years ago, we visited the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens and saw Blue Morphos for the first time. There were many other butterflies there but the Blue Morphos stole the show with their amazing size and gleaming color. Inset 1: This is a cropped close-up portrait of the previous Blue Morpho image. Inset 2: Closer still, the wonderful scales of a butterfly's wings is remarkable to see! Inset 3: I tried to get some good pictures of open-winged Blue Morphos but they were too active and skittish, or else they were too far away. This bedraggled beauty was definitely in its twilight hours as it sat exhausted on the ground but I was happy to immortalize it in a picture and delighted to share it with all of you! :) Inset 4: A pair of very content flamingos make their home at the Gardens and reminded me of the trip we took to a bird sanctuary in Camargue, France when we went to Provence a couple of years ago. Someday I'll post some pictures but this pair of flamingoes do the job quite nicely for now! :) Inset 5: All around the Gardens were bushes bristling with beautiful "red boas" and I discovered they are aptly called Chenille Plants. Chenille is French for caterpillar and it's also a type of velvety yarn. A perfect name for this lovely tropical bush, and I couldn't get enough of them! If you're wondering, they are just as soft as they look and I probably looked like a weirdo because I kept petting the flowers! :D Inset 6: The lovely plants were everywhere, including this colorful Croton. What a beautiful leaf! Inset 7: This is a pitcher plant, which hung down from vines that streamed all over one part of the Garden's path. Did you know there are over 170 species of these fascinating carnivores? Most are found in the tropics but there are some that grow here in Oregon! (Here are pictures from my visit to Darlingtonia State Natural Site …clicking on a picture opens the gallery.) Inset 8: This is another picture of a pitcher plant with a lovely russet tone. (The "tail" I pointed out is actually the cap to the pitcher that's folded back...but all I can see is a tail! :D) Inset 9: Finally, here's a group of pitcher plants hanging down, aren't they cool?! :) Pam, have you gotten the chance to see a Blue Morpho butterfly when you've been to a butterfly garden? They really are completely breathtaking. When we saw them at an exhibit in Costa Rica, we just about fell over because there were so many of them! They landed on us and slowly opened and closed their wings, crawling around. Exhilarating! Here's hoping you are having a good day--it's starting to get frosty on some mornings, SO COLD! Then the sun warms everything up and by the afternoon it's hot if you're standing still in the sun! CRAZY! Explored on 10/29/19; highest placement #1.

(+10 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Victoria Butterfly Garden's Mind-Blowing Insectarium If you can believe it, the next five sets of pictures I'll be showcasing from our Vancouver Island trip are also from Victoria! You may be wondering if we ever left the city after the zillions of pictures I've been sharing from this lovely city and its amenities. Trust me, we did. But I cannot leave this place until I've shown just a bit more! As you know, Steve and I spent the day staggering drunkenly around Butchart Gardens as we did our best to capture the beauty that overwhelmed us everywhere we looked. What you may not know is that we weren't actually there all day. We took a break! Mid-day we left the park and had a picnic lunch at the Mediterranean Garden, situated next to Butchart's vast parking lot. Then we hopped into the truck and drove about 10 minutes to the other attraction of the day…the Victoria Butterfly Gardens! I've been to a captive butterfly exhibit once before when Steve and I visited one at the local county fair. The experience surprised me and left me feeling totally delighted because it was so much better than I ever expected. (Here is a link if you'd like to see pictures from my visit to Butterfly Adventures ) Knowing that a temporary butterfly exhibit could be such fun, I was sure that Steve and I were going to have an incredible time at a year-round establishment…and I couldn't wait!! Entering the building, the warm, humid air threatened to fog up my glasses and I began to wiggle with excitement. We were greeted warmly as we paid our entry fee and soon pulled open a glass door to slip into their new exhibit, the Insectarium. Do you know what a leaf-cutter ant is? Steve and I were lucky enough to see them when we went to Costa Rica many years ago and I remember how transfixed we were while we watched them carrying bits of leaves along a trail that went on and on, disappearing into the forest and out of sight. The second I stepped inside the Insectarium I was faced with what reminded me of the world's biggest ant farm! Measuring about six-feet tall and long, it was about two feet wide and made of clear glass. Inside was a colony of leafcutter ants and they were busy! A steady stream was carrying large pieces of leaves along a branch and eventually into their nest which we had a view of as well. I was totally transfixed by the show and did my best to take pictures but the lighting was dim and I was using my older Canon 5D Mark II so the results were mostly garbage (This otherwise incredible camera isn't fantastic in low-light situations if you want to do macro...too much grain!). I did manage to get one picture to share so you get an idea of what we saw. I could have watched for an hour but there were other exhibits to see and Steve was finally successful at peeling me away from the ants. Only to find the next display full of the largest stick bugs I'd ever seen! They were so cool as they stood motionless and nearly invisible with their exceptional camouflage. What fun to see them up close. Steve pointed out a baby one so small it was climbing on the leg of one that was more than 10x its size! Sadly my pictures didn't turn out but maybe Steve's pictures did, in which case I'll post one at some point down the road. Suffice to say, it was really cute! The insectarium had metallic-colored insects too, which seemed made of plastic they were so bright and shiny! There were all sorts of other insects, arachnids and other creepy-crawlies to see as well. I took lots of pictures with the hopes that at least a few would come out and that was a good idea. Most were garbage but I did get a few to share today! Today's Pictures Today's main picture was taken shortly after Steve and I entered the enormous butterfly exhibit. I'll tell you more about that wondrous place in my next post but for now just trust me when I say that it was incredible! :) The butterfly I captured was sitting on a leaf near the entrance and I was so happy to discover the picture turned out so well. I don't know what species it is though…if you've got a name for me I would love it! Inset 1: This is a Malaysian Wood Nymph stick insect! (Thank you, Maeluk, for positive identification of this insect!) Looking through all of my Insectarium pictures, I was delighted to find this one with its shallow dof and cool bokeh. Just enough focus to work, hooray! Inset 2: This was the only leafcutter ant picture that came out well enough to share…the depth of field is just a bit too shallow, what a shame! You can see its impressive spines though, how cool is that? These ants are found in Central and South America and to my utter surprise, as far north as Texas, Arizona, western Louisiana and southern California! Interestingly, the high altitude of New Mexico does not support this normally tropics-based ant. Inset 3: A pair of amorous metallic-green beetles of unknown species. I spent some time trying to identify these two but I had no luck. If I'd been clever, I'd have taken a picture of the signs on the insect displays but it didn't even cross my mind! Boo! Inset 4: This is a praying mantis that looks a lot like a stick bug! I'm not sure what species It is, maybe a Ghost Mantis but I don't know…the head's not right for that one. Inset 5: When Steve and I entered the butterfly exhibit, we saw a building that was brimming with dozens of developing cocoons in all stages. Butterflies were in the process of hatching, drying their wings and crawling around the enclosure. The facility has as many as 70 species on display and unfortunately they didn't have identification of many butterflies I got pictures of. Inset 6: This is a close-up of some of the cocoons that were developing…aren't they cool?! Inset 7: This is a view of one of the butterfly feeding stations. They placed sliced fruit of many kinds on a table and the butterflies were ravenous for the offerings! Inset 8: I wish I'd thought to have Steve stand next to these leaves so you could see how ginormous they are. The larger of the two was probably as tall as I am (5'4" or 64")!! I knew they grew very large in the wild but I don't remember ever seeing plants like this grown in an exhibit! Inset 9: These are Golden Trumpet Vine blossoms which grew on a huge vining bush! Inset 10: A dainty purple blossom of the bromeliad, "Neoregelia carolinae ‘Tricolor’" Pam, I don't know what your feelings are about insects other than those that land on flowers but I am going to bet that you'd go hoggggggggg-wild over the Insectarium exhibit that Steve and I saw at the Butterfly Gardens. It was hilarious to listen to other folks coming through. They simply could not keep their voices down because they were all so blown away at everything they saw. It made me giggle, but at the same time, I was busy oohing and ahhing myself! Talk about being transformed into a little kid, that place was incredible! Here's hoping that you're feeling a little better today…*BIG WARM HUGS* Explored on 10/28/19; highest placement #6.

(+8 insets!) (Please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for image information) Trip Talk: Monumental Road Trip What a crazy couple of weeks we've had! First Steve drove 750 miles from our home in southern Oregon down to Fontana, California, to go to the West Coast RV Show. He then spent several exhausting days researching nearly 100 different RV coaches (out of over 1,000 spread out over 1 million square feet of sprawling show area). He narrowed down the RV choices to about three that fit our needs and finally we decided on the one that fit us best. He then drove all the way back home with a whole lot of education regarding RVs and a game plan for the future. Originally we planned to wait for at least three-six months before making a purchase on a new rig. However, our Grey Wolf sustained structural damage on a past trip (because it was basically a horribly-built, flimsy aluminum can) and we were uncomfortable using it anymore. Amazingly, we were offered the chance to trade in our Grey Wolf towards the price of a new RV! The deal was so sweet that we couldn't pass it up. So suddenly we were thrown into another whirlwind of commotion! We needed to empty the Grey Wolf, remove all of the things we'd added, and do any cosmetic repairs we could. At the same time, Steve needed to research and order a new hitch for the truck because we were moving from a bumper-pull to a 5th-wheel trailer (Did I mention that Steve's never pulled a 5th-wheel before?!)! Instead of having a shop install the hitch, Steve decided to take on the project himself (because he's that amazing!)! There were a few bumps along the way but Steve was successful and our truck was adorned with a fantastic hybrid hitch that was ready to pull our new trailer! This past Sunday, Steve, Pumpkin and I hopped in the truck and left with our empty Grey Wolf. We drove down to the dealership in Downy, California, over the course of two grueling days. The first day's distance was eight hours but we were on the road for about twelve when all was said and done. We dragged our exhausted bodies into a KOA campground to fall face-first into bed that night. The next day we drove another four hours' distance, plus a few more for various stops along the way. Let's not forget the numbing southern California traffic...the last eight miles took us two HOURS! Have I mentioned how much I hate Los Angles? It's unbelievable! We pulled into the dealership late Tuesday and dropped off the Grey Wolf and Steve showed me our new coach!! It was AMAZING!! It was SO BIG and BEAUTIFUL!! I could hardly believe that it would be our new home on the road...it really was a dream coach and the type that Steve and I had walked through before just wishing we could have something like that someday. Looks like that day had arrived...wow! That night we stayed at a fun Air BnB residence and enjoyed leftovers from home for our dinner. The next morning we presented ourselves at the RV dealership at 9am and spent the next five hours going over everything and being shown all the details. Steve crawled all over the coach checking off an exhaustive list to make sure everything was as it should be. Finally we went into finance and spent an hour getting the reams of documents signed. It was actually more intensive than when we bought our house and that's because we were basically purchasing a house on wheels. By the time we got out of there our heads were spinning. Just crazy. Because of California State Tax laws, we couldn't actually drive away with our new trailer and instead, our trailer would be driven to Ashland, which is the first big town in Oregon after you cross the border. We coordinated with the driver and made plans to meet there in a couple of days. We pulled out in our truck and watched as the driver pulled away with our new baby...Steve and I could hardly believe it. We had a brand new RV!! To be honest, we were very happy that we weren't driving the RV all the way home. Dealing with insane traffic and crazy drivers in southern California is really not a good way to start pulling a 5th wheel trailer for the first time! Along our drive back to Oregon, we passed our driver twice which was such fun! Once on the first day as we headed up the "Grapevine" out of the Los Angles area, and then again as we entered Oregon on the second day! Actually, when we caught up to them in Oregon, we merely pulled in behind and followed them to Ashland where we parked in a large parking lot to make the switch from their truck pulling the Avalanche to ours. Once the drivers left us with our trailer, Steve spent about an hour doing final preparations of the hitch. At last we were ready to take on our new behemoth! Confident as Steve was, he couldn't deny being nervous. He didn't even get to practice. However, everything went as smoothly as can be! The hitch worked perfectly. We did our customary "brake check" and all was well. There was a very nervous moment when the truck gave a brake error regarding the trailer, but everything was working properly and Steve felt it would be ok to drive. We pulled out with our colossal rig behind us and what do you know? Our truck pulled it just fine! Steve wasn't sure if we should try to avoid the freeway for now but I pointed out that there would be some traffic so it wouldn't be too hectic of a drive and might actually be a lot more stressful to drive on surface streets. Back onto I-5 we went...and it was no problem at all!! Just as we'd read, hauling a 5th-wheel was indeed much easier than a bumper pull! To Steve's great relief, the break error resolved itself and as the miles passed, we both started to relax. We were doing it!! We got to our exit and with every turn we made, our smiles grew and our comfort increased. The trailer pulled like a dream! Soon we were pulling up to our gate, I opened it wide, and in came Steve and our new RV!! We stopped there and walked up to our house to make sure everything looked ok. Our hill is fairly steep and both of us were pretty nervous about this last part. But we needn't have been worried. Steve walked back down and minutes later, our truck was easily hauling our ginormous trailer right up the hill as if it was nothing special!! Not long after that, the trailer was backed into position and the two of us were beside ourselves with joy! WE DID IT!!! STEVE DID IT!! And Steve couldn't stop exclaiming how easy it was to maneuver the trailer! HOORAY!!!! *HIGH FIVE TO US* Today's Pictures This is going to be quick because I need to get this posted!! The main picture was a lovely view on our way down through northern California, at a place called Shasta City. Other pictures include views of Mt. Shasta and the devastating wildfire damage from the horrible Redding Fire a couple of years ago. Also a picture of a part of the endless, vast almond orchards of Merced County in central California...did you know that 80% of the world's almonds are grown in Merced County? You would be totally blown away by the miles and miles and miles of almond trees that grow there. I cannot even wrap my mind around all those 100's of miles of trees!! Explored on 10/26/19; highest placement #11.

Steve and I are busy getting ready to go down to southern California to pick up our new RV! It's all very exciting and we are in the last stages before we go. That being said, I'm going to step away for a few days but I'll be back soon! I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for stopping by and taking the time to look at all of my insets and leave comments. It means the world to me. Have a lovely week and I'll check in once things settle down around here! Explored on 10/21/19; highest placement #8.