Janet Brien's photos

(+2 insets) This is the Life! We are nearly through our second full-week of camping now and life is great! Everything we'd hoped this trailer would be for us has been realized. It's spacious, well-made (ok, within reason…heh…trailers = shoddy builds), totally comfortable and has more storage that we need so we aren't having to repack everything when we are getting an item we're after. Happy Animal Family! Our animal family is doing great! Pumpkin, our darling parrot, is as happy as a clam with mom and dad usually close by whenever we're in the trailer. One way to tell that she's at ease is the amount of food she eats. Perhaps she needs a piggy tail as she's chowing like a 700-pound porker, yay! :) Meanwhile, our near-20-yr old frogs are content enough that they are hooting at one another and eating crickets with wild abandon. We are joyfully amused that they take turns soaking in the little pool we have for them, it's such a cute sight! And last but not least, Snakey McSnakerton started the trip in pre-shed condition with a gray sheen and opaqued eyes. We offered him a mouse a few days ago but as we expected, he didn't eat it--he rarely eats just before he sheds but we wanted to give him the opportunity. Yesterday Steve turned Snakey's light on and found a bunched-up shed up against the glass--for the next while he stood cooing beautiful, gleaming sentiments at our lovely boy. Snakey really is extra pretty just after he sheds! At lunchtime I got a mouse ready for him (they are frozen so I thaw and warm one for him before offering) and after dancing it around in front of him and placing it nearby, I was happy to find him swallowing the last of it when I checked in a bit later. So it's official--all of our animals think the RV lifestyle is fantastic, just like we do! :) Steve's Injured Leg is Nearly 100% Better! I didn't mention that just before we left on our trip, Steve seriously hurt himself. A ladder he was on shifted and fell in the gravel driveway and he sustained a terrible sprained ankle and badly-twisted knee. For the entire week at Humbug Mountain State Park, Steve was barely able to walk around without being in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, there were a lot of things he needed to do which kept him from resting his leg, all of which prolonged the injuries. However, as he was able to rest and elevate his leg, it very slowly began to get better. In the past few days the rate of recovery has really sped up. In fact, for the first time this trip, we went on a bike ride a couple of days ago! It was such a gentle trip around the three campground loops that Steve added another mile down one of the bike paths! And last night he was able to walk up and down the three stairs inside our coach without using the handrail or going down one step at a time. We lit up the coach with our beaming smiles of relief and happiness, isn't it just wonderful?! Time to Relax and Enjoy our Stay We learned last year that short stays at a campground are a bummer. Just when you've really relaxed and begun to feel at home, it's time to pack up and leave for the next spot. These 2-4-day stays made us feel hurried, unhappy and stressed-out. We decided that the perfect length of stay would be a full week if possible, with five days being a preferred minimum. So, for this trip, we've aimed at 7-day stays at our chosen campgrounds and the result has been fantastic! We have time to do what we want to without feeling like we must plan our days carefully to fit everything in. We just enjoy ourselves and whatever happens, happens! Time to be lazy and take naps, swing in the hammock or sit in our lounge chairs just watching folks walk or ride by. Time to read, do crosswords or cruise the 'net (if it's available). Time to go on my daily morning walk, or go out later with my macro lens and creep around for cool shots. Time to listen to the birds singing or maybe even watch them doing their thing. Time to cuddle Chicken (Pumpkin) and look at our frogs and snake. Time to go on bike rides or go on hikes. There's even time to play video games if we want! Finally, Steve and I can stay in these beautiful places and really relax and soak up all they have to offer. We are at peace. Today's Pictures I've got piles of processed pictures building up but today I've decided to share the blue jay pictures I captured last week. One day when we were at Humbug Mountain State Park, Steve saw a flash of blue and looked out to see that a Steller's Jay had landed next to the trailer. He called to me so I could see and then exclaimed, "Oh wow! It's sunning itself!" I looked out and we stood watching the beautiful bird warming its wings, a second bird landing nearby a moment later. I didn't think I'd be able to get pictures before the birds flew away but Steve reminded me that it's worth a try. I'm so glad I got my Sony because I was able to get a whole bunch of pictures before finally the pair flew away. I'm sharing two insets as well--one shows a nice side view and the other is a feather close-up! ENJOY! I hope everyone is doing well!! I'll be posting again in the next few days with some really neat finds! *BIG HUGS ALL AROUND* Explored on 7/12/20; highest placement #1.

(+5 insets!) We're Camping and Having a Blast! Life is just wonderful! Hello everyone! Steve and I are into our second week of our trip and having a great time! Our trailer is absolutely magnificent. My little bedroom is simply perfect and so my bed! Steve's is just as comfortable--we are so happy! Our coach is sumptuous and spacious and allows us to move around without bumping into each other whenever we do something. Especially nice is the fact that our kitchen has an island with access to the sink from either side! Our family is doing just as well as we are…Snakey McSnakerton has a smaller habitat that's large enough for him to cruise around but not too big either. Our two frogs are set up in a smaller terrarium too and enjoying their little pool along with daily cricket installments! :) Pumpkin is having a super time--she adores travelling and every day is full of happy adventures for her--whether that means going on a walk around the park in her little backpack cage or sitting in her cage with a carrot in a foot to nibble on while looking out of all the windows of our marvelous coach! Amidst the Pandemic, Camping with Others is Fine! It's been no problem staying at State Parks! Everyone has been super-respectful of social distancing and everyone is cheerful and happy. If I didn't know there was a world-wide virus to be careful about, you certainly wouldn't know by looking around. Families are acting normally and when I pass by people, we just keep our distance. How nice is that?! :) Humbug Mountain State Park and the Gorgeous Oregon Coast How very lucky we are! Last year when we did our coastal trip in our first RV (recreational vehicle), we passed by this state park and wondered if we'd ever be able to get a spot. To our amazement, when Steve looked into reservations, he was able to get us 7 nights there--the only spot that was available in fact! What are the odds, right?! Delighted doesn't express our joy! The campground has two loops to accommodate both RVs and traditional tent campers. The lower of the two loops has a sandy trail that leads along a the babbling Brush Creek to the ocean beach beyond. Situated in a canyon, there is an almost constant wind, though here and there are areas that are protected from the wind and are lovely and warm to walk through. There are hiking trails that make their way up and around the beautifully forested park and even a trail to the top of Humbug Mountain. It is a slice of paradise. Today's Pictures I have lots to chatter about but don't want to run out of time before posting my pictures so here we go! Today I'm featuring pictures of Humbug Mountain State Park beach and the creek that runs into the ocean at the beach. Included are several views of each and a panorama too! I hope everyone is doing well, I am so happy to be back to my bright-eyed and bushy-tailed self! Explored on 7/8/20; highest placement #1.

(+1 inset!) Just a quick hello today! I saw this picture in my finished images for Spring in Medford and couldn't resist posting it today! I remember seeing this pretty flower up against its backyard fence and wondered if I could turn it into something pretty. The result is much nicer than I imagined, hooray! :) I've also included an inset of pretty pink tree blossoms against a Formosa bush in full bloom! Steve and I are busy bees, getting ready for our trip! We were delighted to learn that our house-sitting friend, who stays at our place when we are away on trips, was totally bouncing up and down when we asked if he was available. Heh...stir-crazy doesn't cut it and I think he'd come over and help push us out the door if possible! LOL! It is nice to have someone here though--any of you folks have caretakers when you're out of town for a while? It's a nice trade we think! Anyway, I've got lots to do so off I go! Take care all and thanks so much for the visits and comments! You're the best! Explored on 6/26/20; highest placement #1.

(+1 inset!) (Please view large!) Less Than A Week Before our Next Trip! We can't believe that we'll be on the road in in mere days! Steve's tying up loose ends and we're figuring out what we need to get before we go...isn't it amazing?! We are jumping for joy! A Second Week of Camping is Reserved! There's a clever trick to getting campsites that we learned from seasoned campers. You go to the reservation site and click on RESERVE SPOT at exactly 12:01am. It's sneaky and it will give you a much higher chance of getting a location that you're after. We are happy to report that this has worked for us perfectly so far and now we are set up for two weeks!! Next Sunday night Steve will try again for a third spot…and we'll just keep it up until we're ready to come home! :D Snakey and the Geriatric Toads are Going Camping! Last summer we left our snake and toads at home when we were away. We were gone for 1-3 weeks at a time so it wasn't a problem. When we went to Canada we brought them to a caretaker. This time we really don't know how long we'll be out, but we don't want to worry about our buddies either. We talked about rehoming them but the fact is that we love them and don't want to rehome them. Our Firebelly Toads are an unbelievable 20 years old now--we are down to two of the original seven but the last pair keep on truckin' and we think they're super cool. Snakey McSnakerton has grown up over the years from a lovely baby to a vibrant, beautiful adult, nearly 4' long and truly impressive to behold. He's part of our family and we don't want to give him up. That being said, we've made a place for each of their habitats in our trailer and we can't be happier that our family will all be together on our adventures. Neither of us felt good about leaving them alone on our trips last year. Now they will be with us (along with our parrot, Pumpkin, of course). When we drive from one spot to the next, Snakey and the toads will be in smaller carriers and then we'll put them into their habitats once we arrive at each destination. Hooray!! It may seem really odd to some of you but we really do love them and we're so happy about this! Feeling So Excited I've been stuck here on the property for literally months and the idea of getting away has me bouncing around like a little kid! With all that's been going on, I haven't wanted to take pictures or really do anything. I've struggled with depression and anxiety. Now we are finally going to get out into the world and go on adventures again! I can't wait! :) The thought of being on the coast again, wandering around with my camera…playing with my metal detector…looking for rocks to tumble…I have to shut my brain down before it pops from the thrill of it all! Writing, processing pictures, taking in the new sights and sounds, reading and just relaxing in another place…won't it be wonderful!! :D But We Are Prepared: It STILL Might Not Happen With the "opening of the US" after the quarantines and such, people are behaving as if there's no reason to be cautious and the case numbers are exploding again. We are going forward with our plans, knowing that it might all evaporate before we go or in the middle of our trip. Who knows what will happen? We're going to cross our fingers and head out if we can. If we're shut down, so be it. Hopefully everything will be fine for us! Today's Pictures Last year Steve and I drove into Medford and I walked through a neighborhood I frequented on my work breaks when I had a job in town for a couple of years. I'd wanted to visit in the springtime with hopes to capture the lovely garden explosions I'd seen. I was not disappointed! I'm sharing a pair of pictures from that fun day, featuring a gorgeous panorama of pink tulips as my main image. The inset is a lovely group of red tulips which turned out really well…I have issues with my camera's processing of red, and with some image tweaking, I was able to get the rich lustrous tones that I saw! Explored on 6/23/20; highest placement #1.

(+1 inset!) I hope that everyone is doing great today! I woke up to sunny skies both outside and inside me, hooray! Truthfully, I still fight with waves of spirit-breaking anxiety on a regular basis but I don't think it's possible for me to avoid getting used to this "new normal". I do conduct my life differently and strictly in some regards. My exposure to news is a very quick scan of headlines, bypassing anything having to do with virus, political, or riot stories. Steve does his best to keep from relaying new stories that rile me up. I've found that I have a very bad temper about all of this so I work hard to stay away from any of it. My creativity ebbs and flows. I'm processing some of my pictures but I have no desire to take any. On thing I'm looking forward to is that once we're back to camping I know that I'll be back to my happy self--photography really is a wonderful way to disappear from reality--and for me, it's going to be very therapeutic. Visiting folks and commenting on pictures here on ipernity is still really hard for me…it's difficult to keep myself from descending into a fractured thought process of the world's horrors in regards to Covid and the rest. Then I feel broken and pathetic for not being able to deal with mere impressions of the world's state of affairs. *sigh* Today's Pictures These are a pair that I captured last July, just before we left for Vancouver Island. Steve wanted to try out some fishing on the popular Rogue River. Though the water level was low, we drove out to give it a try. Neither of us ended up catching anything but I did get these two pictures which turned out to be the best part of the experience! Explored on 6/20/20; highest placement #4.

(+3 insets!) Exciting News! But First, a Brief Summary of the Past 9 Months… Steve and I have been sequestered away on our property for what seems like forever... When we got back from Canada last September, we were both shell-shocked from the ordeal of our broken-down trailer. Then we bought a new trailer and got rid of the old one. Steve spent a long time working on upgrading and changing this and that to make it a real home on the road. However, before we could even begin planning our trip, an enormous wrench was tossed in the works…the corona virus descended upon China and eventually, the whole planet. At first I couldn't stop studying the statistics. When reality hit--this was really a pandemic--I dove into a hole, stopped reading the news, escaped into a series of video games to keep me distracted, and month by month, time passed. My sensitive and empathic nature, combined with the inability to block my mental chess games about what everything meant, kept me very distant from everything because the truth that rolled out was a totally overwhelming pill to swallow. Some of my worries didn't come to pass--most importantly, friends and family both online and off--have all survived without issue instead of dropping like flies. Others have--horrendous casualties due to countless stupid, selfish people, for instance. Recently we've watched as the United States has begun to open up again and wondered if we might ever get to take our trailer out. Steve's sister called a few weeks ago to say that she'd gone on a camping trip in her trailer, and that it worked out fine. We did a bit of nosing about. It looked like things might be easing up for RV camping…up to this point, Oregon State Parks were shut down for overnight stays, but as of June, parks were slowly starting up again. We Reserved a Campsite!!!! Yesterday Steve's sister called again…she'd just returned from a weekend at another campground and wondered how we were doing. She got Steve excited and he looked around at various nearby campgrounds. To our surprise, a place we'd found a year ago, which we'd hoped to some day stay at, had exactly one space available in two weeks…for a whole week! Over Fourth of July Weekend, no less! Excited does not express our feelings about this latest development! The very idea of camping…getting off this property…staying somewhere else for a while…WHAT AN AMAZING CONCEPT!!! We are going to try stringing on reservations as we can with hopes to stay out for a few weeks at the least. The way the reservations are set up right now makes it a bit interesting because you can't reserve a month out, only as far out as two weeks. We are curious to see how it all works out. Oregon Coast, Here We Come! We're going to stay at a lovely little campground along the Oregon coast, and from there, we'll see about reserving other campsites here and there. It will be a fantastic opportunity to revisit some of the places from last year's Coastal Trip but this time we're hoping to spend more time in each spot! If all goes well, we'll get to stay in campgrounds that were booked up last year, but we'll be delighted to repeat visits to places we stayed at before. It's interesting how our plans have changed. Last year we'd hoped to be heading to some national parks this season, or off to other states…but what with all that's gone down, we want to stay nearby in case we need to get back home in a reasonably short amount of time. Things are in such flux and *shakes head* there are upticks of virus outbreaks all over the place…who knows what that will mean? But we're going to head out and cross our fingers that we can camp and enjoy ourselves. Today's Pictures I'm posting a few more birdy pictures from last fall. Aren't they the cutest?! How wonderful it's been to have this marvelous super-zoom camera with its better capabilities! The bird in the main picture and first inset is a female Western Bluebird. At first I didn't think so because she isn't displaying any blue feathers whatsoever. But looking at various pictures online and reading more, I've learned that though they usually show a bit of blue, some females do not. I am also sharing a picture of a Lesser Goldfinch and a Pewee with a spider snack! I hope you enjoy the show! Explored on 6/15/20; highest placement #2.

(+1 inset) The memory card in my Sony camera had been sitting uncopied since Steve and I got back from our trip to Vancouver Island last September. When I got the pictures of the quail on the railing last week I was prompted to finally copy the card onto my computer. I hadn't taken a lot of pictures but the images I have taken are turning out to be pretty cool and I keep going back to process more of them. This morning I looked at some pictures I took of a large group of vultures circling overhead amidst a stormy, cloud-filled sky. Above are ominous, black clouds; below is the edge of the tree-lined hillside on the far side of the valley. I get the feeling of doom and anxiety when I look at it, and the interesting thing is that it's almost like a foreteller of what was on its way for all of us. I'm also sharing a second picture that shows the birds in front of the clouds. The good news is that these pictures don't reflect my current mood, which is looking up as the days pass. I am going to take some time away though so it may be another week or two before I post. Thank you so much for stopping by! Explored on 5/28/20; highest placement 11.

+1 inset! Hello everyone! :) My cage continues to be rattled for new pictures so I found this pair of images to share today! :) First--thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments and care. You guys are just wonderful and I am very touched by your attention. I am trying to stop being affected so much by my constant flurry of worried thoughts…slowly but surely I'm adjusting. It's tough, even after months of this. However, as time is going on and folks here aren't all dropping like flies, I'm feeling more and more encouraged and hopeful about things. I really appreciate the support. You have no idea how much its meant to me. I feel so broken about all of this and it's very nice to feel like I'm not as hopeless as I thought I was… Today's Pictures Last October when I was on my morning walk, I noticed some birds I hadn't seen before--cute little guys who were sitting on our power lines and twittering away on that lovely new day. I crossed my fingers that they'd still be there when I came back with my Sony camera and I was so happy when I returned and the birds were still there! I didn't want to get too close and scare them away so I got pictures from a distance--lucky me, they turned out really well! A bit small but still, look at the detail!! Such a cutie pie! This camera I have is the Sony DSCRXx10IV . I was pushed over the edge to add it to our pair of beloved Canon 5D Mk II and III's because of one of my ipernity friends, Roland (ROL/PHOTO) . The constant stream of incredible bird and wildlife pictures blew me out of the water and when I learned they came from a new style of hybrid, high-end point-and-shoot camera, I just had to get it. My first favorite camera was the Canon SX30 IS super-zoom and I used it like a fiend until I simply HAD to move up to a DSLR. However, I had always hoped that a camera would be developed that combined the high quality of a DSLR with a point and shoot. The Sony is a HUGE step up from my previous P&S and has allowed me to get fabulous bird pictures that make me so happy! Doing a search on the internet, I found out I'd captured a Black Phoebe, a kind of flycatcher that makes its home in the western US down though Central America. Of the six subspecies, this is the Northern Black Phoebe which lives in Oregon and California. Wiki: Black Phoebe Hello Pam! I hope things are going ok for you these days! The weather's heating up…it's going to be nearly 90 degrees today, yoiks! Our rainfall has been so dismal this year, we fear the fire season will be horrendous. What about you? Sending many hugs your way!! :) Explored on 5/25/20; highest placement #2.

(+1 inset!) Note: Please forgive the poor quality of these two pictures! They were taken through our double--paned kitchen window and I neglected to check my settings so alas, the ISO is horrendous! :P Also, I wanted to say THANK YOU to Michel Cremoux for encouraging me to take pictures today and post an update! :) I'm Doing Fine but the World Isn't! Hello everyone! I'm checking in again to let everyone know that I'm ok but still hiding under a rock. It seems very strange to me that after all this time, I'm still not adjusted to this Coronavirus and the impact it's had on the world. I cannot turn off the part of my brain which works out the "chess moves" of what's going on from ground up and it hits me in the face every time. For example, I see a person. They are older. They don't have a mask on. I think about the risk. I think about people violating the social distancing and gathering in all sorts of places. Then they cause another outbreak. Those people infect people at risk. They are brought to intensive care but some do not make it. And then…I cannot help but think of all of the temporary morgues, and the inconceivable notion of so many people dying alone, away from their families who love them so much but cannot get close to them…it's so horrible… That same person, at the same instant. I wonder if they are out of a job because they just got laid off. Their company, did it go belly-up or did they use the opportunity to "trim the fat" and remove any employee that wasn't an ideal fit, since now it could be done with the excuse of the virus' detrimental impact. Or, was it a great company that got killed by the virus' implications? All those people, the history, ruined. So many companies, big and small, destroyed forever--and so many had been doing fabulously until the virus hit. The unemployment…the fears, the debts…it is a horrible new reality for so many MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of people. Yet again, the same person. I wonder, are they not wearing a mask in defiance? I think about the politics of it all, from ground up, and around the world, the way every country is dealing with this pandemic. How the leaders of the countries are handling--or not handling--the virus and all that it entails. The callous reaction by many leaders sends me reeling in feelings of absolute rage and at the same time, complete helplessness and also total bewilderment that it's even possible that these people are in charge of entire countries… Those are just three wheeling torrents that hit me when I see a person. That's just a sample. I am usually really good at compartmentalizing stuff like this, mentally organizing issues so that I'm not overwhelmed by negative situations. But in this case it's just SO MUCH. I am still trying to figure out how to handle the whirling dervishes of horrible scenarios that hit me in the face whenever I peek out at the world. Playing Games Helps! I have a love-hate relationship with video games. They are really fun but can be a total waste of time. There are so many better ways to spend ones time, but on the other hand, how about all of countless hours people spend watching tv or YouTube? At least with video games you're actively doing something other than sitting there vegging out on the sofa. The arguments on this are endless and the merits fall on both sides. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic video games have been a welcome--and needed--distraction for me. I wanted to play something absorbing and harmless and my first choice was a game called Garden Paws . What a wonderful game! I played it until there was no new content for me and finally had to find something new. Played some fun puzzle games including a really neat one called The Tiny Bang Story . But I wanted another game like Garden Paws, and found My Time at Portia . What a winner of a game!! It's the same sort of village community-building game as Garden Paws but much deeper. I'm totally captivated and if you are interested in this sort of pastime I would totally recommend it. So, if you wonder where I am these days, it's in the beautiful little town of Portia! :) If I'm lucky I'll finally be able to tame a Colorful Llama as my new mount! :) The New Visitors--a Flock of QUAIL! Since Steve and I moved to our home in southern Oregon, I've happened upon quail just a few times. A shame because I adore these birds! But in my experience I've known them to be very reclusive, shy birds, so I didn't expect more than that. However, a couple of weeks ago, on my daily jaunt up and down the driveway, I disturbed a few birds as I walked down the road and was delighted when I heard the distinctive sound of QUAIL! Why, I hadn't encountered any of them on our property for a good ten years at least! I may not have seen but a flutter as they skedaddled into the brush but oh, such a smile I had on my face to hear their horrified clucking! :D I wondered if I should be so lucky as to encounter them again or if that was it. A couple of days ago I was in the kitchen and looked out our window to check out the movement I spotted under our bird feeders (not filled right now). *GASP* My eyes nearly popped out of my head! NO! COULD IT BE?! Why…IT WAS A QUAIL!!!! *SQUEEEEE!!!!* I was glued to the spot, looking at the darling male pecking around for tasty bits to eat until he--and his magnificently silly bobbed feathers on his head--disappeared out of view. I couldn't stop smiling. I would have loved to have gotten a picture but my camera wasn't near and even if it was, the view through the window and fencing wouldn't have worked out. But I certainly told Steve! We wondered if it would be back. Yesterday at brunch Steve looked out and exclaimed, "The quail is back! And there are at least two!" I ran over and peered out. OH!!!! Two boys…WAIT! THREE!! No…FOUR! FIVE…SIX QUAIL!!! We determined there were four males and two dainty females, all carefully picking around for goodies in the grass. What fun to see them! Steve and I went on and on about their beautiful feathers and the joy of seeing them, taking turns to look through our binoculars to get better views. Such pretty birds they are. Always there was one who kept a careful lookout for danger as the others pecked away. Our meal plans stopped as we enjoyed the show, and only returned to it after they'd disappeared from view. What a great treat it was to see them! We crossed our fingers that they'd be back. This morning when I stepped into the kitchen with Pumpkin, we were greeted by an attentive male quail sitting on the porch railing!! OH MY!! We all stared at one another and I couldn't resist scurrying to get my Sony to try for a picture or two. I thought, even if I can only get pictures through the kitchen window, it will still be so wonderful! Well, as it turns out, I WAS able to grab my camera and get a bunch of pictures! :) I'm so happy that I captured this beautiful bird!! :) Unfortunately I didn't check my settings first…so the ISO is an outrageous 5k and the images are all terribly grainy. Wahhhhhh! And the aperture was set to 11 and that didn't help either. I hope you'll all forgive the poor quality but…I did take pictures today of a wonderful little bird who was brave enough to hang around for me to get these images! :) (By the way, the second I slowly opened the door for better pictures he jumped off the railing to the flock below and they made their way out of view shortly thereafter!) Hello Pam! And what of YOU and quail? I expect you may have them where you live but I don't think you've gotten any pictures? *peeky…* NOPE, or not posted anyway! Sending big huts your way my dear!! :) Explored on 5/19/20; highest placement #1.

This stunner of a dahlia was one of the beauties that Steve and I photographed at the Dahlia exhibit in San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. We visited one day when we were staying at my dad's place and took some time for a photo break. I have another dozen pictures I've processed from that trip and I know there are probably 50-75 other pictures that I could process as well. It just blows my mind how incredibly beautiful these flowers are! I wanted to let everyone know that Steve and I are doing just great! In fact, when Steve went to Costco a couple of weeks back, the store was almost perfectly stocked and we were able to get one huge pack of toilet paper and paper towels to top us off. We didn't need more than that but it was nice to get it. No sanitizer but we don't really need it anyway. All is well! We're having a great time immersing ourselves in games but also, the weather is so lovely that Steve went for a bike ride yesterday and I'll follow suit today! :) I have my morning walks every day but it's nice to go out later for a change of scenery. Oregon continues to show very low numbers compared to California to the south and Washington to the north...we are both convinced that the low number is because Oregon hasn't been testing very many people. In any event, Steve and I view the populous as infected just to be safe. Steve shops only once every two weeks or so, and is out as little as possible. It does look like things may finally be slowing down in the rate of infections...it feels a lot more positive in the past few days to me, but maybe Spring Fever has infected me and filled me with positive vibes! In any event, I'm definitely feeling a lot better lately! Let's hope things continue improving in a upward spiral! :) *** Pam, I picture you and your husband living in your little fortress, just like we are! I'm really glad that Corona hasn't swept over the world and taken everyone out like the media suggested it would. Bad enough that so many have died...the horror of everything that's happened is too hard to look at but let's cross our fingers that things may actually be getting better! * Thinking of you with many hugs! * Explored on 4/15/20; highest placement #1.

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy and away from others! I've been getting a few notes from folks checking in on me so I wanted to let everyone know that both Steve and I are doing just great! Healthy, happy and doing just fine, our supervisor, Pumpkin (our parrot) is making sure we're doing everything right each day. :) All of this virus business is just really hard to deal with so we continue to keep our heads down. I also wanted to apologize for not coming around to visit. I feel very guilty. :( It's really hard for me because the moment I get to a person's stream I'm hit with a wall of concern and worry about each person and their family. I think maybe it's because I'm so empathic that this just totally immobilizes me and makes me hugely depressed and anxious. Please forgive my absence, I just can't handle the deep concern and worry that I feel about each and every one of you. I am sure that once the world turns the corner on this virus I will feel better but right now it's just too hard for me to be the social butterfly, even though I want to so badly. :( I continue to hide from the world's horrendous tragedies by playing the amazing and wonderfully innocent game, "Garden Paws."(link to review) It's hopelessly adorable, beautiful and really fun, full of animals so cute you just want to pop. You can raise baby farm animals to adults and then use their eggs, feathers, milk, etc. for crafting many things. Seeds you plant in your garden grow into flowers for bouquets, fruits and veggies for cooking and baking and you can pick them in the wild too. There are trees and minerals to harvest, a town to help develop, and about 10 zillion things to keep you running and happily distracted from the worries of the real world. I used to play another game like this called "Animal Crossing" but I am happy to say that this game is much better, in my opinion. If you are looking for a way to distract yourself in a world that is beautiful and full of fun things to keep you busy, it might be something for you to try! Today's picture was taken a year ago in the nearby town of Grant's Pass. They have a lovely riverside park which is the home to many semi-tame waterfowl and one day Steve and I stopped for a short visit. This darling Mallard hen is one of my favorites of the pictures I took and I hope that it makes you chuckle too. My, but isn't she WIDE?! Hilarious! I can't help but smile whenever I see this picture so I figured it would be perfect for my post! :) *** Pam, it's always so nice to hear from you and I'm glad to know that you guys are keeping healthy and have everything you need to keep away from the world for the most part. I know you're right--this will all blow over--but it's staggering to see this thing blowing up bigger and bigger... You are in my thoughts and I hope my virtual hugs make it to you! :) Explored on 4/5/20; highest placement #1.

Hi everyone! I just wanted to say hello and extend my virtual hugs to everyone who's facing this pandemic in your very neighborhood, perhaps in your own house. I apologize for not stopping by to visit...I am having a terrible time trying to be more sociable and I'm so sorry for neglecting everyone. :( I have read that in these strange times, people will act very oddly as they try to come to grips with these world-wide changes that have blanketed everything. For me, it means doing my best to distract myself with something that keeps me away from the news and makes me really happy--I play games on my computer. And right now I'm playing the adorable Garden Paws, an adorable title that has totally engulfed me. It's exactly what I was looking for! I'm raising darling farm animals, running around doing errands for town folk, picking flowers and petting and taming super cute wild animals on my travels. This is just what I was looking for. Today I'm posting a picture of a gleaming Barn Swallow that I saw when Steve and I went on our first RV trip. It was at Upper Klamath Lake and we had a fantastic time! We saw so many of these beautiful birds and my new Sony did a great job getting me the birdy closeups I'd been pining for! *** Pam, your words of wisdom have been wonderful to read and think about. You're right. This is nature's way of giving us a bit of a smack and making us see the real picture. It will pass...but what a lasting impression it will leave. I hope you guys are safe and well! *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon* Explored on 3/27/20; highest placement #1.

(Please view large for the best experience) :D Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well in the midst of this unprecedented outbreak. Steve and I are doing great and have all of our provisions in line. Our state of Oregon has not been hit hard by the coronavirus--though the numbers are increasing every day, only 70 have been reported as opposed to 1,000 in the state of Washington north of us and 700 in California, south of us. Steve went out for groceries a couple of days ago and was very happy to find that people weren't acting as crazy as they were a few days earlier. We both wanted to get everything in order in case the numbers start to go up and we're all asked to stay home as so many others have been. I am still keeping my head down…this pandemic seems like a ridiculous Lifetime Channel 2-hr movie with all of the idiotic details that could never actually happen in real life--only, it's not a movie at all. We've got the crazy president spouting endless streams of jaw-dropping lies and denying everything going on (only to then do an about-face a day later), the people fighting over toilet paper and hand-sanitizer (captured on millions of YouTubes for incredulous viewing), and the reality of a virus which has infected people in 170 of the world's 195 countries, with total cases now over 200,000. Even prominent officials and movie stars have been infected, it seems so unreal. It's comforting to know that for the overwhelming majority who get this virus, it's like a mild cold. The flu, in comparison, is so much more dangerous! Still, this virus is still a rather unknown thing and that's what's worrisome. In any event, it's now a new cold virus we will have to deal with from now on. Let's hope that it becomes less dangerous to those with respiratory illness as time goes on. The picture today was taken last April on our first RV trip to Upper Klamath Lake (about two hours from our home). Steve and I went on a "canoe trail" around the lake one day and had a lovely time taking pictures and taking in the peaceful beauty of this wonderful place. It was neat to hear all of the birds in the reeds and those flying by overhead. This lake is an important breeding ground for a plethora of species and a great destination for any bird watcher! *** I hope all is going well for you these days, Pam. I was happy to know that you're looking at all of this with an educated eye and thinking about past sicknesses as a barometer for staying calm and not worrying about this virus. I appreciated your care-filled letter to give me understanding and knowledge too. Yes, this will all blow over, but I sure don't like seeing the numbers skyrocket! *MANY HUGS from southern Oregon* Explored on 3/18/20; highest placement #9.

(+5 insets!) For the first time in my 55 years, I am experiencing what it's like to deal with two world-wide catastrophes: a real pandemic and the worst world-market crash in history. On top of that, it's an election year. That's a lot--it translates to be a very disturbing brew of anxiety, stress and fear. We joke, "the world is going crazy" but right now it's actually the reality in many places. Stores are devoid of cleaning, disinfecting and many medical supplies. People are hoarding. The populace is warned not to gather--the entire country of Italy is on lockdown…it's almost unbelievable! It stands to reason that everything going on right now is very disturbing--and from what I can tell it's not going to get better for a long time. It feels very overwhelming because there is horrible news on so many levels, in so many directions. Even by limiting my exposure of news, it's still hard to see even the headlines as the world seems to figuratively crash and burn around us. Although this coronavirus is really more like a bad cold to the overwhelming majority of the population, I know a lot of older folk who I love dearly, and this virus has a field day with anyone who has respiratory problems and/or those who are over 60. It's very hard for me to deal with this fear for the people I know who are susceptible. My natural inclination in this circumstance is to run and hide, something I've always done. Maybe it's not the best way to deal with situations but it's how I tend to be. The way I choose to "check out" is to disappear into a game for a while until I feel like the coast is clear. So that's what I'm doing right now and it's helping a lot. I'm not worrying as much anymore about everything, all day long, and the waters are calming down. That being said, I'm not going to be around ipernity for a little while…could be a few days, could be a few weeks. I don't know. I did want everyone to know that Steve and I are fine and very happy to be on our rural oasis on 26 acres! Today's Pictures When I took pictures of my second batch of tumbled stones last week, there was one rock that I loved but which didn't fit into my 9x9 grid, so I'm sharing a triptych of it today! It's an agate which I found on our property and though it's not a really fabulous example of agate, it's totally spectacular in its own right, and so I've presented it to all of you to enjoy too! :) You'll find an enlarged inset for each of the views and I hope you love this pretty rock as much as I do! :) I am also sharing two insets which show the incredible bed and drawers that Steve built for me!! Our RV has two bedrooms--the master and another bedroom which is quite tiny but perfect! This little room came with a couch and fold-out bed but we never intended to keep it. Instead, we pulled out the couch, Steve built me a bed frame and we ordered a custom mattress to fit the space (the mattress was surprisingly affordable at $130 and is the most comfortable bed I've ever had!). Then Steve built me three deep drawers with soft-close slides and spent quite a while to get a blended stain which went with the trailer. He finished last week and I am absolutely over the moon with joy. The whole unit is so professional that it looks like it came that way to begin with! I'm so happy!! YAY STEVE!! :) (By the way, the reason Steve and I sleep apart is because he snores and this way we both get a good night's rest.) :) ***** Pam, I loved your comments about my rocks, thank you so much! And I have to admit…*blush*…I too, have licked rocks to see what they look like when wet! LOL…I'm actually going to bring a spray bottle with me when I go hunting so I can get an indication whether a rock is worth picking up or not. I'm glad you enjoyed my show, it has been very gratifying to know that so many people really liked seeing all of my rocks. :) Anyway, I hope you are doing ok! You've certainly been in my thoughts lately. Stay safe my dear! *BIG HUGS from my oasis in southern Oregon* Explored on 3/11/20; highest placement #14.

(+19 insets and 10 notes!) THANK YOU!!! (Note about your visits): I can't tell you how happy I am that you guys are all really enjoying my "museum presentations"! It took me a long time to put these interactive collages together but I hoped at least a few people would like the show. Instead of just a few, so many of you have spent the extra time to look at each of my presentations...I'm delighted and very thankful that you gave me your time to look. I'm over the moon...*BIG HUGS TO ALL OF YOU*!!!! :) -------------------- At long last, I'm finally able to share a proper presentation of my second group of tumbled rocks! You may or may not know that a few months ago I bought a rock tumbler with the initial thought to use it for cleaning coins I find with my metal detector. As it turns out, I haven't found all that many coins because just after I got the tumbler the weather got cold and wet and I didn't go out with my metal detector. However, I couldn't stop thinking about using the rock tumbler AS a rock tumbler…go figure. :D I walk up and down our graveled driveway every morning for exercise and it's littered with countless pretty rocks. Who can resist picking them up? Not I! Soon I had enough rocks to fill a barrel (in a couple of laps of walking up and down the driveway, actually…heh) and thus began my rock tumbling initiation! Week after week, I advanced my rocks through all four step until the day I had a pile of gleaming beauties piled before me. This first batch came out very nice and Steve and I were totally delighted at how pretty the shiny rocks were. I was hooked! Since it takes 30-40 days per complete tumbling cycle, one must learn the skill of PATIENCE. I've never been much good with that but there's no way around the slow process of recreating a millennia of natural rock tumbling. You just have to sort of forget about them and time passes. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, the second batch completed its 4-step cycle…holy cow, what a bunch of BEAUTIES!!! We were totally dazzled by this set--they turned out even nicer than the first batch because I did a better job. I was more careful about checking the quality of a rock and not allowing rough ones to go to the next step if they weren't ready. Fun with Rock Photography! I decided that I needed a better way to share pictures than what I'd been doing. I was terribly bored with my usual solution of "main subject with spill of subjects in bokeh behind…*stifles a yawn*…" Those pictures are fine but I do the very same thing whenever I have a subject like that and I wanted to do something better for this group. The solution of creating a 9-picture collage of 3x3 means that visitors will get a nice look without doing anything. But for anyone who wants more, that's where the fun is…these pictures are INSET-CENTRAL! Every collage image has its own rollover with a larger version to look at. To make it even better, I took additional pictures whenever a rock looked nice on another side. So many rocks have two views! Additionally, I've made comments about each rock. There are FOUR total collage presentations to visit if visitors are interested. I narrowed down my favorites of my second batch to four groups of nine rocks. You will see the three clickable insets under the first rock's rollovers. Each will take you to its own presentation complete with rollovers and notes. Even though most people won't be that interested, I do know there are a bunch of you who really love rocks and may enjoy these extra presentations! Mostly though, I wanted to do this because these rocks are so very cool and deserve the attention! :) I would like to say thank you to my husband for building me a little light studio for my rock pictures. Steve's a retired professional product photographer and his specialty was taking pictures of zillions of gems and beads at a place called Fire Mountain Gems & Beads (if you make jewelry you'll know all about this huge company! :D). He set up the tripod, lights, reflectors, mirrors and all that jazz, including the speckly grey cardstock the rocks are sitting on! :) This way I can easily take consistent pictures of my beautiful little stones…hip-hip-hooray! (Granted, I haven't bothered with perfecting the lighting on every stone…lol…I just don't care! You may also notice that a couple of rocks didn't have focus set on the right spot so there's a bit of softness…again…I don't care! Most people don't have the sophisticated eye to see when an angle could have been better and yeah, I'm one of them! It does make me different than Steve…he has to make his lighting and angles pitch-perfect…I just want to take the picture! LOL! Thanks to Steve, I have a studio that is nearly bomb-proof so I can get quality pictures very fast and easy!! *** Pam, I got your letter/ipernity article about your latest appointments about your medical situation. I am sad that things aren't more encouraging. I wish there was something I could do to fix everything but at least I can send you my positive energy, my virtual hugs and my warmest understanding and support. I wish this all wasn't so totally sucky… :( You are in my thoughts, dear Pammy… Explored on 3/6/20; highest placement #18.

(+16 insets and 9 notes!)

(+15 insets and 10 notes!)