Dilettante's Web

When I shot this daisy macro, I had no idea the crab spider was eating a fly on the little daisy. The flower is about the size of my thumbnail or a dime.

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Just a Quick Note

I am home, got home late, very late last night and suffered for 13 hours of driving including a detour to see Mt. St. Helen's as the aftermath 28 years later. (Awesome, and more later.) Paid for the drive with a migraine today. Tomorrow, unload the car, clean it, do laundry and catch up the blog. More great pictures, including of the Mountain! This is the 24th of August.

Dawn Edwards-Tibbett: Forks, WA, United States; I've gleaned so many pictures of my Hambys going back several generations that I want to share them with all of you. However, first, I'll post the pictures I haven't been able to identify. Please email me at dilettante2004@yahoo.com with any identifications you might have. Oh, and if you need a copy of any of them, also email me and I'll send you a larger, higher resolution copy. I've just used Daddy for most of the pictures I could identify of him. Please, please let me know of any inconsistencies or mis-identifications. I'm really trying to know all these pictures, who they are and what relationship. OK, I've decided to number all the pictures to help in identification. Not necessarily the order they'll be in or the order uploaded, but each with a unique number.

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Lost Friends, etc.

When I left on this trip, I thought I was looking for my cousins. I found so much more! 11 more first cousins than I knew of ( which will require another trip to meet them all), and pictures of Mother's march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, and a couple of friends I haven't seen for 30 years. People of warmth and kindness. For instance, the two young men who pushed my car out of the ditch in Prattville when I managed to go off the road. Others who'd carry my suitcase to keep me from struggling. The camp host who brought me coffee and breakfast in Montana. New friends I'd made on line but met in person. The family and friends who went out of their way to help Chuck when he had the stroke and subsequent surgery. WOW! How can I thank everyone? How can I express the closure I've received in finding wonderful stories about my dad, my mom and other relatives.

I'm sometimes overwhelmed by the emotions I've dealt with. But this has been a fantastic summer, though Chuck had to face some trials without me. For me, the closure from knowing about my family has been outstanding. I've never had a summer like this and probably never will again. But this has been wonderful. And I can only say thank you to everyone who made this summer possible.

Storm Brewing

View Point over almost a desert valley in eastern Oregon. When the storm broke just a few minutes after this shot, it drenched everything in site and made the highway dangerous.

Columbia River

Soon to green the surrounding desert, right on down river.

Family

Revitalization

This is the view on the way to the parking lot down from the Johnson Ridge Observatory. You can see the trees left to become nurse logs and some of the new growth. This is 28 years after the first blow.

Sue Beck and Me

Sue and I taught together for 5 years in Joyce, WA. She was there from 1971 until 1976. She moved to The Dalles, OR, and this is the first time I've seen her since 1980. Way too long! Had a good visit with her, her husband andtheir dog.

Sue and John Beck with their dog

The dog is a very real member of their family.

The Chef

For those who wanted to know what Chuck looks like, here he is. (He loves cooking but really wishes I'd take a turn occasionally!)

The Delicacy

And here's what Chuck was cooking when the picture was taken. The can of beer goes inside the chicken and then the chickens are covered to cook. The beer makes the meat tender.

August 18, 2008

Now? See next pic.

Falling Snow?

This sign was on each column in front of the Rabbit Ears Motel in Steamboat Sprngs, CO. Hmmm!!

Three Point Landing

WOW! A three point landing in a plane is not as difficult as it sounds. But I'm sure this gull gave new meaning to the expression.

Pronghorn

One thing I really wanted to "shoot" on this trip was a pronghorn. Got an entire herd on the Colorado Western Slope. When I was little in SD, I'd chase these critters (never caught one, though), jump into prickly pear and run home crying for my daddy. Daddy took his pocket knife and took out all the thorns. But I always thought he was going to hurt me, which he never did.

Another Pinto

A whistle brought this Idaho pinto to attention.

Last Look

This pronghorn took a quick look back when the herd was running.

Colorado River

I didn't realize that this little creek becomes the huge Colorado River that carved out the Grand Canyon. This is on U.S. Hwy 40 going over the Continental Divide.

Further Downstream

Notice the railroad path there on the far side of the Colorado River.

Rocky Mtn. Daisy

When I asked the young man in the store what kind of daisy this is, he didn't know. It's about the size of a quarter, about twice as large as my logo daisy. But forms on bushes of the daisies in the wild whereas the one at the top here lies low to the ground in the grass out our way.

Continental Divide

On Hwy. 40 going over the Divide. Notice the snow. We had rain here in Steamboat Springs during the night and it's quite briskly cool out there.

Mare & Foal

Somewwhere in eastern Colorado or Western Utah

Pinto

I found this beauty near Fraser, CO. I'm now westering and just enjoying stopping for pictures on the way home. Had a great few days with my friend, Glenna, renewing our friendship going back to high school days.

Ham

This squirrel just posed on the fence as I whistled. When I started to put the camera down, he jumped down on the other side of the fence.

Raton Pass

View leaving Raton, NM and going into Trinidad, CO The main reason I decided to swing up into Colorado was to see if I could find my girlfriend, Glenna. And, I found her! will probably get to see her tomorrow, Thursday, August 14. Today, I'll swing down to the Garden of the Gods.

Entrance to Garden of the Gods

A nice lady shot this picture of me in front of the Entry sign.

Atlas has nothing on Ben

Ben held this rock up for his grandmother to get his picture!

Giant Sunflower

I've never noticed red towards the center of a sunflower before.

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Tammy Gilliland and Me

Chris Hopper just sent this picture taken in Oneonta. she and Tammy have an established link,whereas, the two of them and I are still looking for our link. Chris was as much like a sister as a cousin when I stayed with her in the early part of the month.

Bee on Tansy Ragwort

The bees, so necessary for pollenation, not only propogate the plants we want, but also the noxious weeds such as this tansy ragwort. This plant is an accidental import from Europe and has been classified as a noxious weed for more than 50 years, but continues to spread with the help of diligent little worker bees like this one. This specimen was growing just down from the observatory and is part of the regeneration of wildlife at Mt. St. Helens.

North side of Mt. St. Helens

This little girl's mother took the picture of her and me together in front of the Mountain at the Johnson Ridge Observatory. This is a trip well worth making. They do show a film of the explosion and aftermath and they have ranger talks and hikes about it. I'll be going back to see more.

Where's the Food?

This gull was looking for food, shared the news of the potato chips loudly and widely, then scrapped with everyone who got some! Looks pretty passive here.

Juvenile

This young gull was scrappy with the other gulls eating potato chips I'd thrown out the window. Perhaps I should find something healthy to feed an animal I want to shoot (with the camera only.)

Black and White Pinto

I thought it was touching how these two horses in Oregon were preening each other. they kept at it a long time while I waited for them to pay some attention to me.

Tres Amigos

This threesome really checked me out when I whistled.

Tee-en Hut!

All three of these horses responded to my whistle. I find most animals will look at least once. The black horse to the left is still chewing, but looking right at me.

Idaho Pinto

This Pinto tried to ignore my whistle, but had to turn slightly to look as I'd whistled at him.

Dust Devil

This dust devil looks suspiciously like a funnel cloud forming, but it's entirely dust. There was no thunderstorm like those preceding tornadoes. As I drove into Idaho yesterday, I saw many signs warning of dust storms, and for vehicles NOT to stop on highway. This shows some of the dust storm forming to the right of the dust devil.

Screaming Eagle RV Park

The office was in this tepee. Located in Eastern Utah

Involved!

This bumblebee was really working this hollyhock. Notice the pollen all over her that will be left on another stamen to pollenate another blossom.

Background

Goatsbeard

The seed pod is about 4 times that of a dandelion, and the stem is not hollow, but fibrous. Seeds blow just like dandelion seeds do.

Blackie

This horse in W. Colorado just looked at me but wouldn't come ner enough to get petted. Petting makes it hard to get them to pose, though.

Name That Tree

Seed gizmos look like maple, but not the leaves.

Rose of Sharon

For years, I've looked for a Rose of Sharon, and found many in the Southeast, but here's one growing and blooming in Denver

Chili's

Is this a real rock? It's in front of the Denver Chili's and I think it's real, and it was pure serendipity they got it.

Working Her Magic

This bee was working on a wild sunflower in Colorado City, CO.