Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: William Tugman State Park

(+3 insets) We Live for the Morning Light! There are few things as breathtaking as taking a nature walk on a lovely morning. It's something to look forward to, it's something that fills me with excitement the moment I open my eyes at the start of each day, and no matter how many glorious starts that I have enjoyed, I will always look forward to the next one! They are all different in some way and each is full of its special gifts. And aren't we lucky that we can take pictures to share? Every day at Tugman, I hop out of our trailer, walk around the edge of the nested campground loops and make my way past the entrance to the cement path that will take me to the Eel Lake trails. This footpath leads through a huge meadow which skirts the lake and leads to the boat launch for fishermen and kayakers. The glowing, green glade is dotted with picnic tables and has a gazebo for family gatherings and there's even a wonderful small playground too. I've shared a few pictures already, showing the robins who charge around the meadow, but there are so many other special sights to see! Art News: New Doodles! When I was exploring doodles online, I was intrigued by the premise behind a popular style called "Zentangles," which are drawn on 3.5" square pieces of heavy paper. Instead of just scribbling doodles, artists are encouraged to sink into a meditative state while doing so, using the drawing to keep thoughts from wandering away. It is a very pleasant feeling to "zen-out" this way and it's become a great therapy to many people. Of course, just creating the doodles is wonderful all by itself! However, one thing I can't stand is when someone takes something nice and turns it into a marketing ploy. In the case of Zentangles, the people behind it want everyone to purchase their "official" square tiles and special kits. Which, of course, are outrageously expensive. I really can't stand that crap! So, I looked around and found the perfect alternative--cardboard coasters at a quarter of the price! A couple of days ago I got my package of 100 3.5" x 3.5" cardboard coasters and immediately created a doodle! Now there are two, and soon there will be more! I've included a picture of my first two tiles, aren't they fun?! :D Today's Picture One morning the sun was shining at just the right angle to cast enormous shadows through the meadow's oak trees. I stood for a long moment, drooling at the lovely dappling on the grass, admiring the gorgeous silhouettes against the cloud-streaked sky. You will see in the background to the left, the fence on the small dock. There I have seen fathers fishing while their kids play, sometimes reaching into the water to catch salamanders which make their home there. You'll also see a few picnic tables with wonderful views of the lake too. Today's Insets I'm also sharing another picture of sun shining through oak trees on the meadow, an image of the straight path that heads to the boat launch, and a picture of my two doodles! Thank You For Stopping By--Keep SAFE! I sure hope everyone is doing ok with all of the crazy virus developments these days. I enjoyed reading that so many of you have your boosters and doing your best to be careful. No guarantees but it helps. I was in a store a couple of days ago and there were a couple of people who didn't have masks on, instead wearing defiant faces and just daring anyone to say a thing. I sure wouldn't want to be a store employee these days--it's no wonder there is such a shortage of people willing to take these jobs. What a strange world we're in these days. Anyway, I hope you folks have a fabulous weekend!! Explored on 12/10/21; highest placement #1.

(+5 insets) Creativity Exploration, Incoming! I have always been a creative soul and have really enjoyed exploring my artistic interests as I've grown up and matured. Photography and writing are my greatest passions--they allow me to express myself so clearly in the ways that I feel and what touches my heart. I've explored many outlets though...my career in graphic design gave me freedom to play with typography, composition, colors, layers, etc. As a younger person I loved using acrylic paints to customize model horse figurines. I've also used a lathe to turn pens from pieces of wood, something that's really amazing! Those are just a few examples of my creative journeys. Watercolor Lately I've been seeing watercolor paintings and suddenly it hit me: I've always wanted to try painting and watercolor really sings to me. I should give it a try! WHY NOT? What am I waiting for? So I placed an order the other day, I now have books and have also been watching YouTube videos. Soon I'll embark on this new adventure...I'm so excited! Stay tuned! Doodling At the same time as I was looking into watercolor, I discovered another pastime that people enjoy called doodling, That's something I've always enjoyed (especially during a mind-numbing meeting or being stuck on the phone with someone reciting War & Peace), but I didn't know there was a huge following. Do a search on Google and you'll be amazed! It's a scribble-filled-extravaganza out there! Reading more, I learned there are some important benefits to making doodles. Artistic pastimes of any type are recognized as a creative way to meditate, as most of us know. But doodles too? That got my attention. I've always dismissed my scribbling as a gigantic waste of time, but in fact, they are a good thing to do, especially if you feel out of sorts or want to chill out and relax. I noticed something called "Zentangles" or "Zendoodles," which are practiced on 3.5" square pieces of heavy paper or framed as 3.5 squares on larger pages. The small size is attractive because it's inviting instead of intimidating. Seeing the beautiful designs pushed me over the edge and I've decided to play in that arena too. I never realized that I felt like I needed permission to doodle and now that I'm getting a green light, I'm all over it! Today's Picture Robins are so much fun to watch! Our American species isn't related to the darling and smaller robin in Europe, so I bet it has different mannerisms too. Our birds charge around in the grass with purpose and then stop to look and listen for sounds of animals stirred up by their actions. Bugs and worms are their favored prey and they spend hours stomping across lawns and open ground with creepy meals on their minds. Often a meadow or lawn will have a dozen or more birds all running around this way and that, and it makes for a great show to enjoy. This bird was just one of the many I saw at the big meadow along Eel Lake at Tugman State Park. I've shared other pictures of them, and this one I thought would be a nice pick for a main image. Magnificent bird! :) Today's Insets I'm also including some other neat finds, discovered on my daily walks.... Inset 1: Wooden bird houses erected at the shore's edge were ready for families to move in and this barn swallow was hard at work! Inset 2: One morning I saw a Mallard hen swimming with her babies and managed to get this small picture before she led them away from me! Inset 3: The vibrant, lush forest that borders the trails at Tugman State Park are incredible! Inset 4: I couldn't help myself from capturing the cool texture from a saw on this log. Inset 5: Here's a picture of my first two (current) doodles! I wanted to color them in because I just couldn't resist but in the future I'm going to concentrate on black ink and pencil because I'd like to focus on the meditative aspect of creating new doodles until I have done a bunch of them. :) Thank You For Your Visits! It's great to hear that my babbling doesn't put all of you to sleep, so thanks for letting me know! :) Thanks too, for all of your nice comments too...I have been fighting depression again--it's hard to beat back the sad news hitting me from everywhere--but when I read your thoughts, it brings me right out of the doldrums! :) Here's hoping that the rest of you are doing great! Have a healthy, happy week!!

(+2 insets!) (please view large for the most adorable view!) Bucket List Shots Do you have an actual list of pictures you hope to take some day? I don't, because it would take a lifetime to list them all! However, when I find them out in the world, I am catapulted star-ward and over the moon! Steve and I left Harrison Beach a few days ago and arrived at Tugman State Park several hours later. This is one of our favorite spots with its beautiful Eel Lake, skirted by two outstanding trails that we adore. My first morning I went to the end of the wonderful 1-mile long trail that leads out to a bench on a point where one can sit and enjoy the lovely view. When I arrived, my motion disturbed a family of geese--with BABIES!!!--and I wasn't quick enough to get decent pictures before they were too far away. I stared, cooing and in love, at the fluffy babies and their attentive parents. Maybe I'd see them again, I hoped. The next day I was all-consumed by macro photography and as luck would have it, didn't see any geese, though I did hear them. Yesterday though, I took my Sony bridge camera with it's marvelous 600mm zoom lens and crossed my fingers. Soon I got to the park's wide-open meadow with its picnic tables, gazebo and playground. The dock sat peacefully at the edge of the lake and I wandered over to the water to look at the view. Jackpot! Just then I spotted motion in the water. OH!!! The goosey family was there!!! And LOOK at how ADORABLE they were! One parent in front, a stream of fluffy babies, and then another parent. They motored along and I had my camera out and clicking away like a fiend. Then I noticed more movement...ANOTHER FAMILY!! OHHHHHH!!!!! So many chickies! I counted...one, two, three...four, five, six...SEVEN! My lucky number! I moved along with them very quietly and slowly, hoping they wouldn't swim away. The first family I spotted did swim away, but the second family wasn't worried about me and they swam closer and closer! In fact, the goslings emerged from the water at the boat ramp and walked around, their parents right there to keep an eye out for danger. Conveniently, there was bench and I sat there taking pictures and resisting the urge to coo at them out-loud! :D They all began to move towards the bank where I was seated and to my delight, up onto the grass scrambled a baby! And then two...three, four! One parent in the water with the other goslings, one on the grass with the adventurous kids; I sat, completely enchanted, and watched the little ones plucking at the grass and running around. I got to experience this magical scene for about ten minutes before one by one the goslings plopped back into the water, popping up like fluffy yellow corks, and rejoined the other chicks and parent, and the other parent slipped into the water behind them. Off they went and my beaming smile followed them as they cruised away. "Bucket List: Goslings and family"...COMPLETE! :D Hooray!!! (I have a couple of insets of the babies too! :) I hope you guys are all doing great! Explored on 4/24/21; highest placement #1.

Family Gathering at Tugman State Park! After a thankfully brief stay at the Heceta RV Glorified Parking Lot , we returned to William Tugman State Park. Our plan to meet up with Steve's sister Deanne and her two grown kids, Reese and Kieran, was coming to fruition! We had Deanne to thank for rattling our cage back in June and alerting us that Oregon's state parks were open to camping again. In fact, as a long-time camper of over 20 years, she'd mentioned many times that we should try to do something together. It was really cool that we were finally able to make it happen. We enjoyed their company in the park with shared meals (masks and distancing as well), hikes, and Steve took Deanne's 2-person kayak out for individual rides on Eel Lake with Deanne, Reese and me. Sitting around the campfire in the evening was really nice too, though eventually it did get cold enough that we'd pack it in for the night. The End of Part One of our Covid Summer Trip The last day of our visit with Deanne and her family also meant the end of the first part of our RV trip too. We needed to get home to upgrade a number of things on the trailer and truck, with two weeks planned at home before our next reservation at LaPine State Park. Driving home that day, Steve and I chatted about the success of our trip. We loved relaxing and enjoying ourselves everywhere we went. Photography, reading, bike rides and hikes, strolling with Pumpkin--what a delight! Delicious meals, picnic lunches, and special deserts too, it was so nice. There were even boat rides and fishing! Health-wise, it started off a little bumpy--Steve hurt his knee just before we left and it took time to heal--and later I developed a very sore foot that was still bothering me as we returned home--but we managed to stay away from people and still had a fabulous time! Because of our RV, we could still travel amidst a pandemic! We were so happy!! Both of us were excited to get out on the road again, so pleased with our wonderful "home on wheels"! Today's Pictures Yet another set of pictures from William Tugman State Park, today's main image shows a tattered and munched pair of leaves from a Trillium plant. You can see the developing seeds in the golden pod which hovers over the left leaf, and if you look at the large size of this picture you'll see a tiny fly sitting on top of the pod! In fact, I didn't notice this little guy until I was processing the picture! Insets include a rainbow-hued fern leaf and a lovely, variegated clover leaf that lost one of its three parts. Then there's an amanita mushroom with its wonderful crumbly topping. Next you'll see a pair of Indian Pipe Fungus pictures that I captured with my macro lens and neglected to include in the post I made a couple of weeks back (I've added these to the display, which you can see by clicking here ). Last but not least, I have a picture of a hoverfly on a Cat's Ear flower! I hope everyone is doing well…I'm pretty nervous about another explosion of virus as people begin to drop any proper conduct with the vaccine's getting out, but let's cross our fingers! Stay safe, warm and dry! :) Explored on 3/11/21; highest placement #17.

(+6 insets!) My Last Presentation (for this trip) From William Tugman State Park I've gotten to share so many pictures from our visit--in fact, there were too many wonderful finds to process! This lush, beautiful area was just brimming with photo opportunities and I hope that you've gotten the general idea of this pretty park. It was such a nice place to stay, relax, and enjoy forest and lake views. Happily, we will be back this year so I'll be taking brand new pictures! My favorite parks all have wonderful morning walks that take me away from other campers and allow me to enjoy the solitude of nature and a pretty trail that follows the meandering contours through forest and alongside lakes, rivers, or out to an ocean beach. I dearly love getting the chance to explore different terrain and its flora and fauna. However, I enjoy strolling through campgrounds too, glimpsing the individual campsite stories and the temporary residents. It's a unique opportunity to see people out on vacation--from a single person to multiple families--including their pets and all of the stuff they bring with them. I'm quite the recluse but fascinated by people and their behavior so I love having the chance to see folks doing their thing as I walk by and soak up the details. My Main Picture I found this backlit dandelion peering out at Eel Lake one morning and knew it would be a fun picture to share--and I was right! :) I got lucky with that lens flare in the sea of bokeh, which shows the nine shutter blades of my 100mm 2.8L macro lens! Today's Insets The first pair of pictures show a side and front view of a lemon-colored Monkey Flower, and if you look closely at the front view you'll see a tiny insect crawling along the right-side edge! The second pair of pictures features a Yellowjacket Wasp feasting on the nectar of a Queen Anne's Lace. Next is a fossil-like image that shows a leaf that was once wet and stuck to the mud. The mud then dried and people walked over this leaf, slowly breaking off bits as it disintegrated and became one with the hard clay path. I couldn't stop looking at this whenever I passed by and finally got a picture to share. I'm so glad because I think it's so cool! Finally, a parting trail picture which shows a pair of red cedar trees shading the path. I hope everyone is doing well with vaccinations on the horizon. For us, it looks like JULY unfortunately but no worries--we're staying safe and being careful! Take care and stay warm and dry! Explored on 3/3/21; highest placement #3.

(+5 insets!) A Change of Scenery is Something We'll Never Take For Granted Again! Who knew that the whole world would be subject to quarantines and being locked up in our houses for weeks and months on end? I know that some of you have had it much worse in this regard and I feel terrible for those who have only rarely set foot outside their homes since Covid reared its ugly and ever-mutating head. It is the greatest fortune that we are able to travel without much fear, bringing our home on wheels with us as we explore the lovely state parks of Oregon. We don't feel comfortable leaving the state in case we needed to get home quickly but we are not left wanting! There is an endless wealth of stunning beauty in every direction, from craggy coasts to snowy peaks, deep forest to desert (alpine and arid), temperate rainforest to rolling meadows, and so much more. Oregon is touted for its amazing landscapes and jaw-dropping scenery and it is such a joy to explore this state! I'm down to the last two presentations from our trip to William Tugman State Park, though to be honest, I had to force myself to stop processing pictures--there are just so many more I could share! What a marvelous place for photography! Today's Pictures On the long hike around the east side of Eel Lake and through the forest, Steve pointed out a wild cucumber plant with it's wonderful vines and tendrils. What luck to find the sun shining on a particularly awesome display of the ever-reaching grasp of tendrils shown alongside corkscrew curls. I'm also sharing pictures of a russet-colored slug that I found near the lake's edge and got a nice portrait too! There's a picture of a hoverfly on a California Figwort, a white Hawkweed blossom showing one in seed behind, and another trail picture too. Enjoy! I hope that everyone is able to travel freely as the months trudge by and vaccinations become more widespread. I don't know if life will ever return to the way it used to be but we can hope and maybe all of us can find a way to get out there and enjoy our amazing planet. Stay safe!! Explored on 2/28/21; highest placement #1.

(+9 insets!) On the Hunt for Fungus! You probably know that one of my favorite finds are mushrooms, and it's always something I'm looking for whenever I go on a macro stroll. It took a while to find any while we were at Tugman but eventually I hit pay dirt! Slowing down to a creep, I discovered mushrooms peeping out from beds of moss, attached to logs and even peering down at me from lofty heights on tree trunks. I even found an American yellow fly agaric , the blond version of my bucket list mushroom, the Amanita muscaria . It was easy enough to find various species of shelf fungus, and at one point I discovered a huge one right next to the trail that was bristling with droplets. Eying the beads of moisture closely, I couldn't help but ponder…those aren't dew drops, so what are they? Those Droplets are called Guttation and They Occur in Plant Species Too! This moisture oozes out of many types of fungus at times of rapid growth with proper temperature and humidity. They can be clear or tinted with colors from yellow to blood red. Some mushrooms use this guttation to create a protective slime that makes them glossy in appearance (I iincluded a picture of a Cowboy Mushroom found on our property, and it's a clickable link with many insets) In plant species, guttation happens at night when the pressure of excess water in roots forces moisture out of the leaves. This will ring a bell to you when you think about leaves that have beads of water perfectly arranged around the edge of a leaf! I always wondered how dew could have formed so perfectly that way…and now I know that it wasn't dew at all! This article is brimming with awesome photography and a lot more information about guttation, which I encourage you to read and enjoy! Read it and Weep: Fungal Guttation Immortalized Before Being Mutilated The two pictures of this lovely bracket fungus turned out to be very fortunate timing. Located along the longer Eel Lake trail, Steve and I had admired this prominently positioned fungus each time we passed and when I came back with my macro lens I got the pictures I'm sharing today. A couple of days later we made our successful hike to the end of the trail and back, and admired the eye-level bracket fungus on the way in. On the way back we encountered a very noisy group of kids headed our way, led by an obnoxious young adult. Disturbing the peace of the forest, they yelled back and forth and none of which were observing safe distancing. We noticed that the leader had a knife and was looking around and cutting things off trees. A while after we passed by, I noticed a bracket fungus with a huge section sliced off its bottom. Wait. THAT WAS THE BEAUTIFUL SHELF BRACKET I'D PHOTOGRAPHED! Suddenly it hit me--that jerk was mutilating everything he found of interest along the trail! That explained the branches, bits of mushroom and fungus we kept finding littered along the path as we made our way back. What a shame. What a jerk. But I did get these pictures for all of us to enjoy! Fungus Insets Galore! I'm including images of the wonderful mushrooms I've processed from our trip to William Tugman State Park and I hope you enjoy the show (I also added the few I put on earlier trip posts too) I hope all of you are doing well, keeping safe, dry and warm! Explored on 2/26/21; highest placement #4.

(+5 insets!) Keep Your Eyes Open: You Never Know What You'll Find! Steve and I spent an absolutely wonderful week at William Tugman State Park and every morning I started it with a walk on the 1.1 mile trail around the edge of Eel Lake. What a gorgeous trail--it had everything! A lovely view of the lake, a meandering, well-maintained trail that meandered through a deep forest along its edge, four cool foot bridges to cross, and so much flora and fauna along the way! I only took my camera with me a few times but it was a good thing I warned Steve that I'd left the trailer with one because without fail I took twice as long to get back because I kept finding fabulous subjects to capture! Today's Pictures When I was returning from the end of the path where it terminates at a bench overlooking Eel Lake, I saw a bright red flash on a branch. Taking a closer look, I discovered a pretty hair clip adorned with a red bow. Apparently a little girl had lost it while frolicking and somebody else came along and clipped it onto a branch when they found it laying on the trail. Then I arrived and recognized the opportunity for a cool picture! Huzzah! :) Today's Insets I'm sharing another trail shot, a lovely wild grass head festooned with pollen, and two ripening thimbleberries in the center of their perfect star-shaped sepals; I'm also including a very cool sight: what looks like a flower is actually the opened and ripening seed pod of a Trillium. Finally, you'll see the shadow-play that I saw in my bedroom one morning before I rolled up the blind. I am often mesmerized by this show if we happen to be positioned where the shadows of a bush or tree are cast on my window shade. The shadows will often move back and forth, sometimes changing shape and paralyzing me as I enjoy the show. Thank You! I really can't tell you exactly how nice it feels that you have all been enjoying my pictures so much. It makes me feel so giddy! It's my wish to make you smile, feel surprised, make you think, present you with something new or transport you away from troublesome thoughts. If I can do that, I feel that I've been successful, and when you let me know…I just can't help but beam from ear to ear! Thanks so much. And the visits to your streams take me on amazing trips around the world and into your hearts, expressed by your photography. It's a pretty cool relationship we have, isn't it?! You're all terrific. :) Have a great day and please stay safe and healthy!! Explored on 2/22/21; highest placement #3.

(+5 insets!) Today's Quick Post There were so many beautiful plants to photograph on my daily walk around the edge of Eel Lake. Of course, it was impossible to resist taking more pictures of one of my favorite subjects--ferns! In fact, as I usually do, I got too many winner shots because ferns are such divas! Today I'm sharing some of the beautiful ferns and also some more pretty leaves I found too. Enjoy! Explored on 2/18/21; highest placement #1.

(+5 insets!) Photography is an Opportunity for Never-ending Education! I've always been a curious little monkey with a passion for nature. But the moment I I began taking pictures so many years ago, that fascination brought a new interest and opportunity for me. I wanted to know more about the things I took pictures of--what a great way to learn more about the world around me! That passion to learn is one of the countless reasons I love photography. Normally, we see something interesting that is soon forgotten. But with a picture, we can investigate freely. What a great way to educate myself! And, with online communities like ipernity, I have the opportunity to share what I learn with all of you too! :) Today's Pictures On my daily walk around the edge of Eel Lake at William Tugman State Park, I got to enjoy seeing the pretty water plants that floated just off-shore in one spot. I didn't know exactly what they were so today I spent some time educating myself. The main picture is the disintegrating leaf from a water plant called Western Water Shield (Brassia schreberi) . It does look like a shield, doesn't it?! This plant is well-established world-wide without a definitive origin and listed as an Oregon native. It can be invasive though and grows massive carpets of floating leaves over ponds and lakes. The flowers are small and purple but sadly weren't in bloom when I got my pictures (Here's a Google Search if you'd like to see what they look like! :) I adore water lilies and any other floating plants so I really enjoyed taking pictures of this plant. I loved how the leaves looked as they disintegrated, with fiery colors in the leaf holding on to the very end. I've got several others as insets to show a close-up of a pretty pair of leaves, and how they carpet the area where they grow. I'm also sharing an image of another water plant called a Spatterdock (Nuphar advena) that has several pairs of mating blue damselflies on it! A shame I couldn’t get closer but they are still quite visible! Last but not least, another picture of the lovely water at the shore. I never tire of the twinkling, abstract quality of the moving water…isn't it beautiful? :) Thank You!! Thank you so much for your visits, stars and comments…but also, thank you for providing me with such a wonderful experience when I see what you're sharing with everyone today! I love my virtual trips around the world, holding your hand and peering through your lens! What fun…you guys are awesome and so inspiring. :) Please take care of yourselves and stay safe, dry and warm! :) Explored on 2/16/29; highest placement #3.