Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: bench

(+7 insets) The Beverly Beach Trail…the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly When I read about this park, there were remarks that the trail which makes a loop around the park is hugely popular--too popular in fact--for people hoping for peace and serenity. I wondered about that and discovered that the proclamation was both true and false. An early morning walk met with no others and I shared the forest with twittering birds and lovely light. As the day went on, however, the number of people I encountered went up dramatically. Weekends were a high point for sure. Unleashed in this safe haven, children ran amok without supervision, screaming and yelling, breaking off branches--and even toppling a young tree in fact!--destroying and trampling plants, and leaving destruction visible everywhere. The park rangers and hosts would come through and clean up the mess on Monday and I did my part too. However, even though there was damage on occasion and far too many people (and their dogs) in the middle of the day, I was able to avoid the majority of the inundation. I was happy that people could enjoy such beauty and hoped that parents would guide their kids towards respecting nature instead of destroying it. I was happy that very little lasting damage occurred and that this amazing place could bring such joy to so many people! Today's Picture The trail leading down the edge of Spencer Creek breaks away here and there to meander through the forest. I discovered this moss and lichen-encrusted bench next to a magnificent tree and enjoyed appreciating this pair every day when I walked by. I imagined couples and kids sitting there through the years and it brought a smile to my face picturing the many stories that could be told from this lovely spot. Today's Insets Inset #1: This is a view of Spencer Creek where it meets the ocean on a very dramatic, cloud-filled morning on Beverly Beach. Inset #2: There was ivy crawling up trees in many places, a subject I have a hard time resisting! This perfect grouping of fresh new leaves made a nice basis for a fun, filtered image. Inset #3: Breathtaking Spencer Creek, adorned with greenery and lovely reflections. The park's main trail led up one side of the creek, over a foot bridge and down the other side and took walkers to the beach trail and was the emerald jewel of the park! Inset #4: A remarkable feature of Beverly Beach was its marvelous trees with cage-like roots that rose up and made wonderful caves that kids loved to play in. Here is my silly husband looking like a crazy person, peeking out from one of the tree's roots. (These trees begin by establishing themselves on a stump. Over the years the stump disintegrates and leaves the roots seemingly growing out of the ground in a cage-like appearance.) Inset #5: Fascinating detail of the unusual horsehair fern, a favorite plant of mine. It always makes me pause in wonder to think about the age of this living fossil. It is the remaining species of its genus and has survived for over 100 million years! It, along with many additional species at that time once dominated the understory of late Paleozoic forests. Remarkable! Inset #6: A vertical panorama which shows the lush forest encroaching on the footpath along Spencer Creek Inset #7: The other day I posted a picture showing a close-up of these beautiful leaves. Here they are again in their entirety, along with forest bokeh to set them off. Thanks for Your Visit! I hope all of you have a wonderful new week! Please stay safe! Explored on 2/7/22; highest placement #2.

(+6 insets) (Please scroll down to "Today's Image" for photo info) Notes From the Road: Exciting Times are Afoot! We Got Our First Vaccine Shot! The other morning Steve rushed into my room exclaiming, "I have some very important news!!" Holding his phone in front of me I read the headline: "Vaccine Now Available to All Oregon Residents Beginning April First." OMG! OMG OMG!! Steve and I immediately went to the registration site and were excited to learn that there was a vaccination event happening in three days, just an 8-minute's drive from Harris Beach State Park to Brookings! Furthermore, we were able to get appointments one after the other and in the late morning too. Huzzah! For the next couple of days we couldn't stop talking about our upcoming shots. Since vaccine research was first announced, I've kept tabs on developments but didn't fixate on them. Why work myself I into a lather every day? I watched the expanding distribution that began in December last year, and looked forward to the day we would finally qualify to get our first shots. In the end though, it was Steve who discovered we were eligible for our first shot! We arrived at the hospital early that day, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It was a good thing because the paperwork took a while but soon we were sent back to a clinic room. We pulled our sleeves up and before we knew it, Steve and I were the very happy recipients of the Moderna version of the vaccine--as luck would have it, that was our preferred type! As I sit typing, it's the day after and I'm happy to report that neither of us have had any side effects whatsoever. I don't consider tenderness at the shot site a side-effect since that's a given whenever I get shots. I didn't sleep on my left side because the muscle is sore but that's normal. Steve only feels tenderness if he touches the spot where the needle went in. We don't expect any ill effects and feel great. We wonder if being on a keto lifestyle might have anything to do with lack of issues, though we do know that we've been extraordinarily healthy since we began this low-carb lifestyle years ago. We have appointments to return in a month, which will mean a four-hour drive each way to get from the campground we'll be at. We'd like to find somewhere closer but if we can't manage, we'll happily make the drive. The drive down and back up the rugged Oregon coast would be lovely so it's not something we'll worry about either way. :) I hope that folks are getting their vaccines too. In the end, even vaccinated there is a possibility of infection so we'll always need to be careful but what a relief it will be to have such great protection. (This post was originally written about April 10, 2021) Today's Picture Steve and I had such a great time on our hike to Loeb State Park! The trail was just the type we like, with plenty of elevation gain and loss, interesting curves in the trail, lots of variation in areas we walked through, including a lovely canopy of deciduous forest and traveling next to a river and various streams. I also loved the plants and flowers along the way. It really was such a pretty walk! At one point we found this old bench, made from logs, overtaken by moss and rotting away into nothing. I couldn't resist capturing this old relic and though it's not the greatest picture, I love the uniqueness of this hand-hewn place to sit, where one can look out at the pretty forest beyond and think about the good fortune of being there. Today's Insets The first picture would be perfect for Happy Fence Friday and shows an awe-struck view up a mossy-covered, boulder-strewn stream with a footbridge at the top and trees above. Steve and I couldn't get enough of this amazing spot and this is also my favorite picture of today's group! Other insets include the following: Logs beset by moss and shelf fungus, accented by dappled sunshine Another little stream waterfall A stream bed filled with boulders and accented by interesting branches to enjoy A lovely Wood Sorrel blossom sitting in its sea of leaves--any wonder why this is also called "False Clover"?! :) A vertical panorama featuring a dappled trail and the wonderful habitat we walked through Thank You For Stopping By! I've always have a great time romping about to see what each of you is up to. Such a wonderful way to get a fabulous world tour that includes photography of every sort, and many interesting things to read and think about. Hope you all have a lovely week ahead! :) Explored on 11/15/21; highest placement #1.

This fellow was happily reading his book at the edge of a meadow, which was full of foraging geese and a little pond with a fountain. What a lovely place to have lunch! This image was taken during my trip to San Francisco during September 12-15, 2011.

This image was taken during my trip to San Francisco during September 12-15, 2011.