tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45231190699270077822024-02-18T18:23:08.733-08:00The Narrative Imagea photographer's take on ART, SCIENCE & THEOLOGY in the Pacific NorthwestScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-724793544128007802023-09-20T15:10:00.011-07:002023-09-21T16:03:16.595-07:00Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (The Final Chapter)<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIPiDXMUrZu_7lPvKbpcHrVcDNwHIlguCvO1jIICfe-_phzNG85zkofaZlKFeDBw_T8b-5jinGIE3QWlqOmI8S8Kfd5jFY0Wr61juULoj_-aSBDd4rhrDFR3n52Ld-_Ojrjn5Z8h85YiGkhaPDkEiwaIUe0FYiaHnQjXhez64gbeyJMp0DuGyH8knEvs/s1000/001%20B%20On19581a%2020210812_093632.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIPiDXMUrZu_7lPvKbpcHrVcDNwHIlguCvO1jIICfe-_phzNG85zkofaZlKFeDBw_T8b-5jinGIE3QWlqOmI8S8Kfd5jFY0Wr61juULoj_-aSBDd4rhrDFR3n52Ld-_Ojrjn5Z8h85YiGkhaPDkEiwaIUe0FYiaHnQjXhez64gbeyJMp0DuGyH8knEvs/w640-h428/001%20B%20On19581a%2020210812_093632.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo Credit: Kip</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The light from another morning begins gently assaulting my eyelids, so my comatose body instinctively begins to burrow like a worm, forcing my face into a loose amalgam of swaddled-up fleeces and t-shirts - the makeshift pillow I build every night (because I forgot my pillow). My liver has never really had to metabolize alcohol on a regular basis, so feeling ambushed, it grudgingly does its work to restore what passes as my typical chemical balance, asking only that I be still and unconscious.<br /><br /><br />A sort of peripheral consciousness jury-rigged by my ears informs me that Kip and Rico are rooting around in their vehicles for implements of destruction, lug nut wrenches, jack handles, hammers, and pry bars, anything that might steal a geode from the grasp of its mother.<br /><br /><br />My liver is not the only organ of mine that is being taxed. Evidently, a significant portion of my neurons were slaughtered near the end of yesterday and synaptic first responders are desperately trying to rewire decimated transmission lines and repurpose some of the few mental structures that are left standing in a bid to reestablish my baseline reality. It is becoming ever clearer to me that whales cannot float…well, they can’t float on air… especially not in a landlocked desert canyon.<br /><br /><br />The noise entities that are Kip and Rico begin to fade. Now the aural soundscape is mostly leaves whispering in the dawn breeze and an occasional rock tumbling down a scree slope. Now and then a distant shout of garbled vowels and consonants conveys directions or advice… or exclamations. Now and then heavy metal objects clang and vibrate as they smash into rocks.<br /><br /><br />The last time I partook in a harvest of geological booty, was with Kip and Rico back in 2018 when we visited Oregon’s sunstone capital (near Plush, OR).</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-OfIA0UMmqQqfNFf-zhhbBWiaMu4ZKcyL69EbrtPQKPIoIMxY50Hdyy2R8raWkB8aZ5C36yWXKt2bZO8yWV2mdd2JVwMWk_J4zdN71yIXLem0AL2j47hx-_FfCfafZ5UZ4oB1zX6UpsGgDoJaiN1PwcRBC9vwDdQCrVJNtJexDb6t0eNfR4SRm0pQjQ/s1296/002%20sunstone%20booty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-OfIA0UMmqQqfNFf-zhhbBWiaMu4ZKcyL69EbrtPQKPIoIMxY50Hdyy2R8raWkB8aZ5C36yWXKt2bZO8yWV2mdd2JVwMWk_J4zdN71yIXLem0AL2j47hx-_FfCfafZ5UZ4oB1zX6UpsGgDoJaiN1PwcRBC9vwDdQCrVJNtJexDb6t0eNfR4SRm0pQjQ/w494-h640/002%20sunstone%20booty.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">While the hunt for sunstones contains all the joys of hunting for Easter Eggs (minus the dying of, hiding of, and eating of), not having any conception of what to do with them once you obtain them makes them something of a conundrum for me. In desperation, I used my sunstones to bedazzle, Elton John style, a pair of old reading glasses. The resulting fashion accessory works better as an exaggerated narrative than an actual art piece.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20Bv9a25C1Cm2h6GHC18hKOYuCSV2qCowmcfqZKsXDe49jUDsYGcdqqvQGIZEuFCL3QYFzZ8Nk28Njdvc_8nLAFXh8GQ75oe9GkHjcJD1U2cVPClA3kDOf7WD167fvVtMGGyVVAZatl4vUibiWnDckb7aZ4uoEhLW049ReIVFyVITO77gni1Ejp4B2lI/s1000/003%20B%20On1IMG_9589.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20Bv9a25C1Cm2h6GHC18hKOYuCSV2qCowmcfqZKsXDe49jUDsYGcdqqvQGIZEuFCL3QYFzZ8Nk28Njdvc_8nLAFXh8GQ75oe9GkHjcJD1U2cVPClA3kDOf7WD167fvVtMGGyVVAZatl4vUibiWnDckb7aZ4uoEhLW049ReIVFyVITO77gni1Ejp4B2lI/w640-h426/003%20B%20On1IMG_9589.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">As the sounds of Kip and Rico began to recede and morph into the form of distant echos, the fear of ‘missing out’ finally motivates me to resurrect myself from the oblivion of sleep. I squirm out of my rain-fly and begin picking my way up the slope, relearning how to walk. As the angle of the slope becomes more severe, I alternate my route between slippery burnished dirt and teetering slabs of scree depending on which is most likely to give my steps more purchase.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS-F5zaAETWCGdIs-5fXiYTmA1mHnSK1b_qdW1mi2_qPRaC0LgJ3WErGhW5zVcsN6QlUYCqkPtSwWt8IDgVln1tEJpnstIu9scIZCQ0YUhD8zyKVGYiuXFmatnHMAE-Bo0i9wAwVY8E1ZnIoplqdKX2YEQOaZTmS3sKhQkr6cShMGKBYt4JZIhPFIclk/s1000/004%209581%201k%20aIMG_9581.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS-F5zaAETWCGdIs-5fXiYTmA1mHnSK1b_qdW1mi2_qPRaC0LgJ3WErGhW5zVcsN6QlUYCqkPtSwWt8IDgVln1tEJpnstIu9scIZCQ0YUhD8zyKVGYiuXFmatnHMAE-Bo0i9wAwVY8E1ZnIoplqdKX2YEQOaZTmS3sKhQkr6cShMGKBYt4JZIhPFIclk/w426-h640/004%209581%201k%20aIMG_9581.jpg" width="426" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I ran into Kip as he worked his way along the rocky columns that thrust out from the top of the scree skirts. He was already coming back from the high cave we had all seen last night, and his report did nothing to dissuade me from seeing it for myself.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_k-cY50XonJQ0Z7rF1Xd5LihzqBRvXFfJjZeRjJ_7gdwoerI4w1ldEJMyzcy34HL_ZCTERS-MNz1Iw_VwnAZePzQNYo5wy2hk_9jfe3plCYKWyPRPpnMa91nJNKC5jLCHUQjwwPwl0KccuTjhUXgfd1_cAhqUSm1nhwhXMW5d94D9TJu3QKV5_tNOPU/s1000/005%209593%201k%20aIMG_9593.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_k-cY50XonJQ0Z7rF1Xd5LihzqBRvXFfJjZeRjJ_7gdwoerI4w1ldEJMyzcy34HL_ZCTERS-MNz1Iw_VwnAZePzQNYo5wy2hk_9jfe3plCYKWyPRPpnMa91nJNKC5jLCHUQjwwPwl0KccuTjhUXgfd1_cAhqUSm1nhwhXMW5d94D9TJu3QKV5_tNOPU/w426-h640/005%209593%201k%20aIMG_9593.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was kind of like, I imagine, seeing the pyramids after the tombs had been ransacked - or a jawbone after all the teeth had been pulled out. But then, that isn’t quite fair. There were geode-shaped cavities, of course, but there was also still a wealth of geode matrix lying in wait for anyone with a geologist’s hammer or shaped C-4 charges.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIU6x0osd401UZr_1LYk2Eol0PNnUMT29Jmz-bbYziTcqV-iNV0IfhqldDCHUbzDKyVnvEXb38Uj3h5CeE0za-m3whLubz9mTqjuct65HtdhmumWZ-wHkW5XCwmhjoFiHySR0EABPOB8tC9d5jUNkkD2uTQhbun-KcRk2tNQJxPydhylQm6ynYWSJ3tk/s1000/006%209606%201k%20aIMG_9606.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIU6x0osd401UZr_1LYk2Eol0PNnUMT29Jmz-bbYziTcqV-iNV0IfhqldDCHUbzDKyVnvEXb38Uj3h5CeE0za-m3whLubz9mTqjuct65HtdhmumWZ-wHkW5XCwmhjoFiHySR0EABPOB8tC9d5jUNkkD2uTQhbun-KcRk2tNQJxPydhylQm6ynYWSJ3tk/w640-h426/006%209606%201k%20aIMG_9606.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwW0w0Kvu_MXrQ1nUSa5Eqnv10tlhuyc2PWNCZEmebeqC9fkQgci_Jpb5On0OBA_XhIhgHFVP3IkDtCqF6t6N4_ljjWhlw1xHkrS3Yf0ovD-5jyc7ZFUbSkZBzCbqJJTL-XRXLw-fKty2WZrumagkscVn2OZTMU9CJa1q-Yc_77-4UQbfN0wPg4V58GU/s1000/007%209599%201k%20aIMG_9599.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwW0w0Kvu_MXrQ1nUSa5Eqnv10tlhuyc2PWNCZEmebeqC9fkQgci_Jpb5On0OBA_XhIhgHFVP3IkDtCqF6t6N4_ljjWhlw1xHkrS3Yf0ovD-5jyc7ZFUbSkZBzCbqJJTL-XRXLw-fKty2WZrumagkscVn2OZTMU9CJa1q-Yc_77-4UQbfN0wPg4V58GU/w426-h640/007%209599%201k%20aIMG_9599.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I looked carefully at the pockmarked surfaces and while I wasn’t sure what the mechanism was for the formation of concentric spheres, at least I could see hints of how minerals leeched into the structures and consolidated over time.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwBJRbK32mW7rPF1TRol9QZQmTaJYQ3Gk0WgAHrJuh-I6UCQGb6uwVH-Rj98sn6dx-voSqzddin_bvaBdmf9YFte8CgOw1Xmlji-UwYW5Q_TRPaJ_hxWntMeeZvLFW8hOoT1Cj7ILo9itMoDiBCN_B7PIFTIl3JnXFhBkzJ5JuoCgvNZGoVhHUd-QlqY/s1000/008%20B%209600%20On1IMG_9600.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwBJRbK32mW7rPF1TRol9QZQmTaJYQ3Gk0WgAHrJuh-I6UCQGb6uwVH-Rj98sn6dx-voSqzddin_bvaBdmf9YFte8CgOw1Xmlji-UwYW5Q_TRPaJ_hxWntMeeZvLFW8hOoT1Cj7ILo9itMoDiBCN_B7PIFTIl3JnXFhBkzJ5JuoCgvNZGoVhHUd-QlqY/w640-h426/008%20B%209600%20On1IMG_9600.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">I absolutely would not return here without a rock pick.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGp3u5orvmItEBzU4ql6mzmyBABByfw8tN10d1F5q6gojqHyDx5Ybxz_A8PnX2SwVr2939udDdCu2ZUYjss0viElxqACpHdQoOhXd3GpsgYzX1Kj44H3eikp-zpCsXD1J9CCWn9dF-nRBy9OxjqKJhq9Y9r9OjwAo4TRhhgtypnBKcyVvjLnw1Dfdyv8/s1000/009%201k%20geodes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="1000" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGp3u5orvmItEBzU4ql6mzmyBABByfw8tN10d1F5q6gojqHyDx5Ybxz_A8PnX2SwVr2939udDdCu2ZUYjss0viElxqACpHdQoOhXd3GpsgYzX1Kj44H3eikp-zpCsXD1J9CCWn9dF-nRBy9OxjqKJhq9Y9r9OjwAo4TRhhgtypnBKcyVvjLnw1Dfdyv8/w640-h412/009%201k%20geodes.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Uncle Rico placed a modest collection of various geodes on the picnic table. He had found a distinctive black one and a distinctive white one and arranged it all to conjure an ad-hoc yin-yang symbol. I was beginning to feel pangs of envy regarding his metaphorical-capable artifacts but got distracted by the salsa and avocado leftovers that hinted that tacos, at one time, must have existed here. Synapses sputtered and fired, but clearly, there were holes in my memory.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">At this point, Rico began trying to sell the idea that we should go off-road to investigate an anomaly he had observed during the approach to Succor Creek the day before. But all I could think about was the horrifying possibility that I had missed a taco dinner. I mean, you wouldn’t just slice up a plate of avocados and fork the bits into your mouth. You’d obviously use the avocado to dress a taco. Right?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYZTNbGwDBW_MpKgRl4r7_YUs9BDBq7IPi7fogOJtlpcmPLiv9Pt7Z5EGI67PwtBcsGN1L2isB8lYl17wpxrc3N5mFCk2PElLQjNAhgfcDcD2alatsrN5SGUUIWLsYs7U9CkWvM6Gj0jCddyN0ThRnp0h0iCFCAwXphdYQqjDalocNItfUN1BUTksOKw/s1000/010%209616b%201k%20On1IMG_9524.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYZTNbGwDBW_MpKgRl4r7_YUs9BDBq7IPi7fogOJtlpcmPLiv9Pt7Z5EGI67PwtBcsGN1L2isB8lYl17wpxrc3N5mFCk2PElLQjNAhgfcDcD2alatsrN5SGUUIWLsYs7U9CkWvM6Gj0jCddyN0ThRnp0h0iCFCAwXphdYQqjDalocNItfUN1BUTksOKw/w640-h426/010%209616b%201k%20On1IMG_9524.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">But Rico, oblivious to my distress, kept describing an unnatural black line he’d seen in the hills across a broad valley. Rico felt certain that whatever the black line was, it was a man-made feature. “It’s probably a fence or wall.” He said, “But it’s definitely an ‘unknown’ that we should investigate as we explore these mysterious Böglands.”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here we go again, I thought.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Whatever!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was busy focusing on the half empty can of salsa while half listening to Rico. It seemed he somehow attributed this mystery-wall to local baguettes. That made about as much sense as calling the Owyhee Canyon Lands the Böglands (No bogs…and not all that many bugs).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">When Kip turned out to be enthusiastic about exploring Rico’s mysterious Bögland’s anomaly, I wasn’t a bit surprised. Besides, I have to admit that I was curious about the supposed connection between long, thin, French bread and unidentified landscape features. GPS data was quickly consulted and we soon set out in our two vehicle convoy, leaving Kip’s tent as a marker to reserve our spot at the campground.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4XJYBNgWf1GC6CczNQ_ySPFASAZ4rhl0mJwRc985DEiaWOaBAB_vqyc_KrlUKvyZlBV2Ib_d4bx3WrrFHodQnCuHDLpyeRX5g2POEVp8OUiKZOKQxbnnDmLSIOqekHAE_O0ZBbVjuP0m3WhHT1wPtUMODgbOOKWWIGjCKfgoREtpTDdlOGh-X8DEnp8/s1000/011%20B%209685%20aIMG_9685.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4XJYBNgWf1GC6CczNQ_ySPFASAZ4rhl0mJwRc985DEiaWOaBAB_vqyc_KrlUKvyZlBV2Ib_d4bx3WrrFHodQnCuHDLpyeRX5g2POEVp8OUiKZOKQxbnnDmLSIOqekHAE_O0ZBbVjuP0m3WhHT1wPtUMODgbOOKWWIGjCKfgoREtpTDdlOGh-X8DEnp8/w640-h426/011%20B%209685%20aIMG_9685.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">We resumed the familiar neck shimmying rhythm of high-suspension vehicles lurching left to right - consenting to swaths of time during which we resembled nothing so much as bobble-head toys.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq2yaOubUeyr5b1y95Tx1YYYinMyJHH__n63o3ENwH0gOQ4W5bCGY-GEub5zkEuu8pQr_cqQ7BIaHL9pIa2yXrYuVdIgRAEUhLn8-kKp5GWXw9V0gybx85rIb5P5zABbd2s9pkwao6Fwk2Xa7GUWc-3_NhSXK84IbiLLM9PRMdhP_vltLbruMwlKLqhc/s1000/012%20B%209638%20aIMG_9638.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq2yaOubUeyr5b1y95Tx1YYYinMyJHH__n63o3ENwH0gOQ4W5bCGY-GEub5zkEuu8pQr_cqQ7BIaHL9pIa2yXrYuVdIgRAEUhLn8-kKp5GWXw9V0gybx85rIb5P5zABbd2s9pkwao6Fwk2Xa7GUWc-3_NhSXK84IbiLLM9PRMdhP_vltLbruMwlKLqhc/w426-h640/012%20B%209638%20aIMG_9638.JPG" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">The convoy came to a stop at the base of a long stone fence made of the fractured native stones that lay scattered across the hillside. The rocks appeared to be stacked on each other in a haphazard fashion. There was no evidence of any dressing of the stones, or even really any fitting. Nor was there any distinguishable mortar.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rico popped out of his Jeep and walked around to the back. He raised the hatch, which, stuck wide open, served as a lone spot of shade for him as he rummaged through an ice-chest.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">“What does this have to do with baguettes?” I asked.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Not baguettes,” He replied as he handed out ice-cold beers, “Basques.”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDJZlDKQbuO8heMlzVAxqLlDeKHuRcwghBU-b6rKyVuSlvgzlQerILtPe9GFi1RJK7LCdIKovoBnnmlyR0eelQwjc-OM86xvyTZB74--IhIndN9UF-l5OgaAOCboWP80TGSagTIYL3f4_6KwCN_OAdcMT_UYMY59WI8WHMOXlTzPi1BDeRxYOChwyo60/s1000/013%20B%209640%20On1IMG_9640.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDJZlDKQbuO8heMlzVAxqLlDeKHuRcwghBU-b6rKyVuSlvgzlQerILtPe9GFi1RJK7LCdIKovoBnnmlyR0eelQwjc-OM86xvyTZB74--IhIndN9UF-l5OgaAOCboWP80TGSagTIYL3f4_6KwCN_OAdcMT_UYMY59WI8WHMOXlTzPi1BDeRxYOChwyo60/w640-h426/013%20B%209640%20On1IMG_9640.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the late eighteen hundreds Basques, immigrants from Southwest Europe, were so numerous in Jordan Valley that it was called “The Home of the Basques” (In fact, the handball court I thought I saw when we drove into town was really a Pelota Court built by local Basques in 1917). A significant portion of them, the immigrants who arrived after an initial rush of gold prospectors, made their living farming and raising sheep.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHp1osHIbXH5P_JR6vwp2ePmtYGeOFlt6YpF15ovNlk7hAu5JwvwghT2Wo4l9aT4q6U3hoCCRJPw11oKS5XCOiEamV7P9JymS2fkudDbbzek0_z1J2psPs0yqVJZ4obiVtFZ25IyhAZGYZ3-bMn4nzPSacARjRzys6Ud-beQRBW7XgBxocHjk5w7B1-yI/s1000/014%20B%209644%20aIMG_9644.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHp1osHIbXH5P_JR6vwp2ePmtYGeOFlt6YpF15ovNlk7hAu5JwvwghT2Wo4l9aT4q6U3hoCCRJPw11oKS5XCOiEamV7P9JymS2fkudDbbzek0_z1J2psPs0yqVJZ4obiVtFZ25IyhAZGYZ3-bMn4nzPSacARjRzys6Ud-beQRBW7XgBxocHjk5w7B1-yI/w640-h426/014%20B%209644%20aIMG_9644.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Presumably, then, the fence we walked was an artifact of early immigrant farmers, who combined the task of clearing their fields with marking boundaries and limiting the movement of sheep and other livestock. The stone fences stretched for miles, and I suppose the barbed-wire sections we surveyed were later additions that offered a less labor-intensive solution to stacking stones.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Occasionally I’ll bid a small job, something like painting a bathroom, and when all is said and done, I’ll find that my original estimate was very accurate. But as I stand along the stone fence and watch it curve up out of sight beyond the distant hilltop, I find I can’t even hazard a guess on hours required, or even the size of the crew. I get the keen sense that the people who built these fences could never have imagined a future in which it would have been possible to spend a day on a comfy sofa binging a season of a favorite television series.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWFKL1lHYoK_Nb6s_NHI--10-hH3xA7gFw8b6YuqSW8P6I-5owcqx3-2L6ocA6gGsv_xHwPgUKBa1naRh9xz772YPSyIghf7ceI5hoJCp4urAkVFR9hUjGrhMuPRs9IeW1hjJY-uv0XVuHjB0Zo2mPlZY4kOWT3uRM1e38CO04IXvjVz4OeghGIpqW30/s1000/015%20B%209654%20aIMG_9654.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWFKL1lHYoK_Nb6s_NHI--10-hH3xA7gFw8b6YuqSW8P6I-5owcqx3-2L6ocA6gGsv_xHwPgUKBa1naRh9xz772YPSyIghf7ceI5hoJCp4urAkVFR9hUjGrhMuPRs9IeW1hjJY-uv0XVuHjB0Zo2mPlZY4kOWT3uRM1e38CO04IXvjVz4OeghGIpqW30/w640-h426/015%20B%209654%20aIMG_9654.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Rico and Kip, clambering ahead on legs decades younger than mine, reach yet another false summit and determine they’ve explored as far as they need to and rest. I’m lagging behind, intentionally laying out a path of exaggerated switchbacks as I weave between stubbly clumps of grass. I’m doing all I can to avoid planes that are anything but level. The exercise is what I need. The sun squeezes the alcohol out of me through my sweat holes.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The stone fence reminds me of the vast treeless plains of Kansas, where early settlers in need of fences figured out how to substitute limestone posts for wooden fence-posts. I planned to tell Kip and Rico about it when I got to the resting place, but by the time I get there, they are ready to head back down.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMe0L0TxPXu73cJXoGl2twNW0blYM5YqJLXtGrU7KUhi6IGg0qqki4U5huXk3iGq7w4v4i5ctywwEif6Oc9_uUbotWdD8B1WSc_VJ5ChVzkoMVdMpQTd6y986poDztC80G420LLkRchYbx3eW_6p1yygOenpM5YSLUEAv3GHMxne5qhMcnXNnnDd6koE/s1000/016%209688%201kaIMG_9688.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMe0L0TxPXu73cJXoGl2twNW0blYM5YqJLXtGrU7KUhi6IGg0qqki4U5huXk3iGq7w4v4i5ctywwEif6Oc9_uUbotWdD8B1WSc_VJ5ChVzkoMVdMpQTd6y986poDztC80G420LLkRchYbx3eW_6p1yygOenpM5YSLUEAv3GHMxne5qhMcnXNnnDd6koE/w426-h640/016%209688%201kaIMG_9688.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Back at camp, Kip takes on the role of chef and begins heating up a frying pan. My assumption is that more fish filets from the coolers will soon be bubbling in hot oil, but when I chance to Iook, I see a horrifying pink composition suitable for a constructivist painting.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kip is smiling like a mystic in the throes of a beatific vision as he deftly sorts the pink cubes with tongs.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrVYA5SwPuBH8CqNrfYmWqpYfEeaGDJSL0v_WPsn5htCnhVd1XRqTspTx2r6gTnbsMZ-IDsTnNOcjNrN3r1SoYQcceewWALXDHX3aHVeUBIcsqmrBgkZ8sdzVMAokDUl0U6tsBnRsOQu9HnrJc0BonlPVN3SYw58-ssb6JQnE7SI4RZFlpZVs4UjCb-0/s1000/017%209697%201k%20ps%20On1IMG_9697.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrVYA5SwPuBH8CqNrfYmWqpYfEeaGDJSL0v_WPsn5htCnhVd1XRqTspTx2r6gTnbsMZ-IDsTnNOcjNrN3r1SoYQcceewWALXDHX3aHVeUBIcsqmrBgkZ8sdzVMAokDUl0U6tsBnRsOQu9HnrJc0BonlPVN3SYw58-ssb6JQnE7SI4RZFlpZVs4UjCb-0/w640-h426/017%209697%201k%20ps%20On1IMG_9697.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I choose a smiling expression for my face which I hope will temporarily act as a mask. Meanwhile I am in turmoil. Did I ruin my brain yesterday? Did I permanently alter my baseline reality? Everything seems normal, but instead of fish, for some reason, I think I see Spam!</span></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I turn to Rico, hoping to see how he is reacting, but he is wearing a smile like an evil Stephen King clown. He is somehow able to see through my fake smile and he whispers, “What’s the matter? You’ve never seen Spam before?”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I play along and we make our elaborate tacos as usual. They become the best Spam tacos I have ever eaten. Do these qualify as three species tacos, we wonder? But really, there is no telling how many species might be in Spam.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UysX12TjUfTJPN4LAKyK6J4yjAM_K5wTlhAJLuhHz_jRyR6_ZtAAloeozvLyVSaLj52iVW8_LV2b4T9xrJlSEyKEf8KrW_naTv0PaDdZLFAV4zs8-cAOYOWBwK7339tmKDE-QKd6o3zpBmnP5LusVgXSRImdgDWYorjM1iKwmhkrnNnEWDForuJ9lvI/s1000/018%20B%209718%20aIMG_9718.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UysX12TjUfTJPN4LAKyK6J4yjAM_K5wTlhAJLuhHz_jRyR6_ZtAAloeozvLyVSaLj52iVW8_LV2b4T9xrJlSEyKEf8KrW_naTv0PaDdZLFAV4zs8-cAOYOWBwK7339tmKDE-QKd6o3zpBmnP5LusVgXSRImdgDWYorjM1iKwmhkrnNnEWDForuJ9lvI/w640-h426/018%20B%209718%20aIMG_9718.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">The next morning, we pack up camp and leave the Succor Creek camp area behind us. I ride shotgun with Kip while an actual shotgun rides shotgun with Rico. It isn’t long before one rabbit or another, sitting frozen in perfect camouflage, loses its nerve and breaks into a panicked sprint as the convoy bounces by. This only serves to bring them to Rico’s attention. Rico, in these instances, slams on the brakes and springs out of the truck, shotgun blazing. He is like an Old West gunslinger, except his quick-draw routine has the added complexity of an off-road vehicle element.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZvS7Hz2SIfeMpOPsrfSsTMJp7MEQBxWRm840-oFpfHpAWquntLr19X2QowNqI0XXKhJqsM8jPX6-TtaKSOi4mFwFxVDTXuxyawoT9bxTa4e1GgB1Ok_8JkU9BJiSuzMNodB8YalfQIbd1kSdkiu39LpHZg2DgI5pTOWqS_dW4M5Ozdqueto_T4AAlGg/s1000/019%209720%201k%20aIMG_9720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZvS7Hz2SIfeMpOPsrfSsTMJp7MEQBxWRm840-oFpfHpAWquntLr19X2QowNqI0XXKhJqsM8jPX6-TtaKSOi4mFwFxVDTXuxyawoT9bxTa4e1GgB1Ok_8JkU9BJiSuzMNodB8YalfQIbd1kSdkiu39LpHZg2DgI5pTOWqS_dW4M5Ozdqueto_T4AAlGg/w426-h640/019%209720%201k%20aIMG_9720.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">I never see the rabbit until I see Rico’s barrel pointing the way. Then, as I focus, I briefly see a fluid streak airborne, with a rhythm diametrically opposed to the mechanical bumping of a Jeep. It’s all muscles and the lever principle honed by millennia of galloping predators and swooping raptors - a masterpiece drafted by generations of masters - giving it a one-step advantage in a race for life - a race it can’t win in a hail of steel pellets.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">There’s an explosion and my eyes flinch shut (they always flinch shut) and I smell the gunpowder. And when I open my eyes, there’s a breeze ruffling the soft belly fur of a still, quiet rabbit.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rico has claimed another treasure from the Earth, and to make full use of it, he immediately field dresses it. He scolds me for taking a picture of the rabbit in its awkward state and yet this is a mystery I seldom have ever seen and can’t look away from - life so immediately gone. The body yet warm and supple - as if it were sleeping.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqmNekDfhDaMPZQZOWx3VOyT4El3SsKZvyVgFxf0UH6NwpUT9iVIDutil33i4QqSRWQUB48ajcQn6lcuhSFpd4fqW09iKOEa55A8S_I8k2gtH_xZG4c-94otCdYJsQeoenMpxLsVidKIotzUbclBu2CD6e_kjGQTIgTAk-J27q3fuOJOP8cSo1mWIN64/s1000/020%20B%209733%20aIMG_9733.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqmNekDfhDaMPZQZOWx3VOyT4El3SsKZvyVgFxf0UH6NwpUT9iVIDutil33i4QqSRWQUB48ajcQn6lcuhSFpd4fqW09iKOEa55A8S_I8k2gtH_xZG4c-94otCdYJsQeoenMpxLsVidKIotzUbclBu2CD6e_kjGQTIgTAk-J27q3fuOJOP8cSo1mWIN64/w426-h640/020%20B%209733%20aIMG_9733.JPG" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Rico does his work on a stone altar, next to a nameless creek…</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4-H1dF_kiztSKZ3VR8AlYybZ7Y6SAJ97IGfcSFrNamreSPrkleN_0Efq1x3H70fVox_WxYWnYZGkaELnAlJ3mIDbGiLipUbF6F-beyB3rXmc_na60BWjCiPyjK7vuPV5ZWvl2aT4CKKHLLcwf-wdrwVZmFTkrJXlO7xr3FUzGTCaRmsLlFK24dndglQ/s1000/021%209726%201kaIMG_9726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4-H1dF_kiztSKZ3VR8AlYybZ7Y6SAJ97IGfcSFrNamreSPrkleN_0Efq1x3H70fVox_WxYWnYZGkaELnAlJ3mIDbGiLipUbF6F-beyB3rXmc_na60BWjCiPyjK7vuPV5ZWvl2aT4CKKHLLcwf-wdrwVZmFTkrJXlO7xr3FUzGTCaRmsLlFK24dndglQ/w426-h640/021%209726%201kaIMG_9726.jpg" width="426" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">…witnessed by anonymous trees.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaTDo6Uif1DeehXHnNx5ziLG5FQENEGlmvKMzHmjIvJYEKwfTcACjUNDTF5NB8se0GQ6nTQxS5R8xHSnFMPLvspUhxV5py4Jbl9m6CEfNQ1OplkcIIqV8ZMpSyBjL3GlOKNwWZEOIrDqfM-Z0eCijIkGSDsTp3zVeTEwvVftquj7RF11738NkoekhlbU/s1000/022%209745%201k%20aIMG_9745.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaTDo6Uif1DeehXHnNx5ziLG5FQENEGlmvKMzHmjIvJYEKwfTcACjUNDTF5NB8se0GQ6nTQxS5R8xHSnFMPLvspUhxV5py4Jbl9m6CEfNQ1OplkcIIqV8ZMpSyBjL3GlOKNwWZEOIrDqfM-Z0eCijIkGSDsTp3zVeTEwvVftquj7RF11738NkoekhlbU/w640-h426/022%209745%201k%20aIMG_9745.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">We climb another long gradient out of a valley, up toward the crowning plateau, stopping briefly to allow the cars to cool.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgTJOdKR2TekG1SBi_yPsiBa2Qh2aFc8VUPjYoqvoplLeo1Bc5qErHw36psr9qs23cljbcnrNWVRfCVC6bpMHzh8hNSWyEnOaYMyJhAhW6MLu3pS2NkYF2NNG95g5FqGQ5F2QYVmQAMJZ7zoRFaqR4cRI5BsQD-_Nhfl6xFux5yPQV0cEt01ZKKn7Sic/s1000/023%20B%209754%20aIMG_9754.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgTJOdKR2TekG1SBi_yPsiBa2Qh2aFc8VUPjYoqvoplLeo1Bc5qErHw36psr9qs23cljbcnrNWVRfCVC6bpMHzh8hNSWyEnOaYMyJhAhW6MLu3pS2NkYF2NNG95g5FqGQ5F2QYVmQAMJZ7zoRFaqR4cRI5BsQD-_Nhfl6xFux5yPQV0cEt01ZKKn7Sic/w640-h426/023%20B%209754%20aIMG_9754.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Then we begin sifting our way down into the Owyhee River Canyon again, this time toward the lower end of the reservoir.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlW02A-JVLf9-N_ibnxH_DrUBUmVO2eJTuzP2QrP_t8TOESyFElIqAje5Pi3bmqtYKhicblOZhYcGYjCmKNwOLC5nKGljH8i8SApXiEqGvI5Uz0Y1JU_QmnVpzee5ohT6EixdqlSnjOlLpBAWFRth2iBM_41V8hYesPBGp66GkzA27lk7nQjSPO9xTsf8/s1000/024%20B%209771%20aIMG_9771.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlW02A-JVLf9-N_ibnxH_DrUBUmVO2eJTuzP2QrP_t8TOESyFElIqAje5Pi3bmqtYKhicblOZhYcGYjCmKNwOLC5nKGljH8i8SApXiEqGvI5Uz0Y1JU_QmnVpzee5ohT6EixdqlSnjOlLpBAWFRth2iBM_41V8hYesPBGp66GkzA27lk7nQjSPO9xTsf8/w640-h426/024%20B%209771%20aIMG_9771.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Here is the last stronghold for water in a parched landscape.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZAIQEV4JtoDyng1CiZjghpmZQDACz40lMlWPaiM9ELWEOWaP6830r4hduZdCgBycNpftWLbWLMa_tFQbnFih7Bt-Mkf7h383ygEIQNrL6dCCbi5HeuX9sLrEKs7CIDJ_FlF3JiDBO_ou9E1JNGLMRZujpfd5odvp31BHZFykrMUV0Fj_bDS-olIwfuI/s1000/025%20B%209793%20aIMG_9793.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZAIQEV4JtoDyng1CiZjghpmZQDACz40lMlWPaiM9ELWEOWaP6830r4hduZdCgBycNpftWLbWLMa_tFQbnFih7Bt-Mkf7h383ygEIQNrL6dCCbi5HeuX9sLrEKs7CIDJ_FlF3JiDBO_ou9E1JNGLMRZujpfd5odvp31BHZFykrMUV0Fj_bDS-olIwfuI/w640-h426/025%20B%209793%20aIMG_9793.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here, the boat ramp still tickles the edge of the water.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcMz56Ms7XXwS_1yXkU4fKL4fq-jsKYq_ogbBqKsvHAkwHYFtpCq9oHZTaXBXoOFkhBkbecd-cWQZy6LO8rscqpF6R37P7cQry3_wvHtlOhUcs3Z6g1L9Zd0ATjTf5v9MaZMAH_GTiW7VQHA-HoU5acSOwaVXs3EYqgOkU_NSBJmxqJdUqnSXNlVfbs4/s1000/026%20B%209796%20aIMG_9796.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcMz56Ms7XXwS_1yXkU4fKL4fq-jsKYq_ogbBqKsvHAkwHYFtpCq9oHZTaXBXoOFkhBkbecd-cWQZy6LO8rscqpF6R37P7cQry3_wvHtlOhUcs3Z6g1L9Zd0ATjTf5v9MaZMAH_GTiW7VQHA-HoU5acSOwaVXs3EYqgOkU_NSBJmxqJdUqnSXNlVfbs4/w640-h426/026%20B%209796%20aIMG_9796.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">And visitors have learned to bring their own shade with them.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jXWfeCu6050so4Ihkj3_7gi9aGkZQON6DZ_mjp6K0SV7ICtcn6cyeRbqzUW0ouPAYhOLpsuRrMPqSnfaXRzJdaviblx9JtMgrN-mACkw4bJitKEK5rmkVif5i2g-cqWfN6zAPgbqxIXa5YVDWjNp9M0IZUIOd-FNZxQaBTN3bnWSRRRPzXP2RdLxfKs/s1000/027%20B%209805%20aIMG_9805.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jXWfeCu6050so4Ihkj3_7gi9aGkZQON6DZ_mjp6K0SV7ICtcn6cyeRbqzUW0ouPAYhOLpsuRrMPqSnfaXRzJdaviblx9JtMgrN-mACkw4bJitKEK5rmkVif5i2g-cqWfN6zAPgbqxIXa5YVDWjNp9M0IZUIOd-FNZxQaBTN3bnWSRRRPzXP2RdLxfKs/w640-h426/027%20B%209805%20aIMG_9805.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">No store is open at this place, but we do find a vending machine that dispenses ice and take full advantage of it.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdTxwVkwuljpGsfhzD74SGd70HfDFZg_NKsxdKcUG8dUNOzOaKVW-1o8FtPQS05h7SyJtYdBEpo-U50WDexadohDX02WOdeknK7dXlJqcPlKgYB5JwehHx8rdGo1MznUDjgDt3YCixKtUND-7jG-yBvsHME5qgI9EP7HSKa5MWRCqlexmxi7oQ2h-JPw/s1000/028%20B%209811%20aIMG_9811.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdTxwVkwuljpGsfhzD74SGd70HfDFZg_NKsxdKcUG8dUNOzOaKVW-1o8FtPQS05h7SyJtYdBEpo-U50WDexadohDX02WOdeknK7dXlJqcPlKgYB5JwehHx8rdGo1MznUDjgDt3YCixKtUND-7jG-yBvsHME5qgI9EP7HSKa5MWRCqlexmxi7oQ2h-JPw/w640-h426/028%20B%209811%20aIMG_9811.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">That dam glory hole.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXnlYeO7UrDtQKz7xvXAu_7BO6CW5v-mihcopFGmRcMtY5AFkWwvXHmrWjEs52GSmYuZzz6pg-NjY08rrLC934BG0uBvRxDmnpVkMK4w2XzOoMgKIhSKQLCSfdWLsNOtjM4OerlNL5lG-w7FQUw_bAzsLv0vB8sCDJhmupaNdGqzYaeK9KvaAeNYH4fM/s1000/029%20B%209815%20aIMG_9815.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXnlYeO7UrDtQKz7xvXAu_7BO6CW5v-mihcopFGmRcMtY5AFkWwvXHmrWjEs52GSmYuZzz6pg-NjY08rrLC934BG0uBvRxDmnpVkMK4w2XzOoMgKIhSKQLCSfdWLsNOtjM4OerlNL5lG-w7FQUw_bAzsLv0vB8sCDJhmupaNdGqzYaeK9KvaAeNYH4fM/w640-h426/029%20B%209815%20aIMG_9815.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1000" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzy9xMSiGldrgzOfhVO81A6_0qlrEjboYOWKxo9RjY_ZrGsZsc2ohQSd74SOwHnTDJ4LL9kJ1Qf-xTwKqLJlk68qo7fWu4HMGPcNjqD9p4msQj8RWNHo6yAoBYH3L0MJuUwjp-g8WKeJcq6GE_IMIj141sMcrGvkQW4goMHNsiOZESd_slSja_yyjFqKs/w640-h338/030%20B%209826%20aOwyheeResDam.JPG" width="640" /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Down there out-of-frame off to the right is the dam bridge, and beyond that our next campsite along the river.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj180MgTTReiSLW983sQgqaYsP9pxpHgW9TrxH7lzW7O6zC2JtMWEwKorGOy-9_ytJEdek8FWE-a91Ca6eF2tj1TdWd9P7EWdT0DusrNcH5dkqDOriEjQPdcMLEEvQ_k5luFMI61S0q4XdvHOi-c9n7cQ2vgGTTgTERA6nHdBg4GYhcWgglPIsFfLJwkU/s1000/031%20B%209868%20aIMG_9868.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj180MgTTReiSLW983sQgqaYsP9pxpHgW9TrxH7lzW7O6zC2JtMWEwKorGOy-9_ytJEdek8FWE-a91Ca6eF2tj1TdWd9P7EWdT0DusrNcH5dkqDOriEjQPdcMLEEvQ_k5luFMI61S0q4XdvHOi-c9n7cQ2vgGTTgTERA6nHdBg4GYhcWgglPIsFfLJwkU/w640-h426/031%20B%209868%20aIMG_9868.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vME5lUf9O5udjQLke7_IZlIu4REkzzBINOGXIimDYI6wEwq7fubMEn51EbIzmXOvh1gCoXzq3b6_ClYXCAd_EfkNftRiset5-56mEi4weUnvgyqgFFPNcQHKMjBRD6MgspHA_qgIQwYf7sBNTPURmZhCdr8f-U7wAIgkNJ9HXd2G1LYhdxHOx6vfWqo/s1000/032%209841%201k%20aIMG_9841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vME5lUf9O5udjQLke7_IZlIu4REkzzBINOGXIimDYI6wEwq7fubMEn51EbIzmXOvh1gCoXzq3b6_ClYXCAd_EfkNftRiset5-56mEi4weUnvgyqgFFPNcQHKMjBRD6MgspHA_qgIQwYf7sBNTPURmZhCdr8f-U7wAIgkNJ9HXd2G1LYhdxHOx6vfWqo/w640-h426/032%209841%201k%20aIMG_9841.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Slowly, the natives come out to greet us.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBsNkjaKEXBNbdTg53qEsmDFetla1VjbojV0OSLJHYhWcTsFyDTJuQ_xP4h5zZXYU2dfcgNXfkg5KVXf2gsEHtPOUsEy_gcorwY7qWEwjgNRDtOQTwYyXgGpPdeCEGE1s5JhY9QlRl8GD_4xZBKATAxZSaqcYfepWMzB4o28F6T60AYGSFU6w_gPSyjY/s1000/033%209832%201k%20aIMG_9832.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBsNkjaKEXBNbdTg53qEsmDFetla1VjbojV0OSLJHYhWcTsFyDTJuQ_xP4h5zZXYU2dfcgNXfkg5KVXf2gsEHtPOUsEy_gcorwY7qWEwjgNRDtOQTwYyXgGpPdeCEGE1s5JhY9QlRl8GD_4xZBKATAxZSaqcYfepWMzB4o28F6T60AYGSFU6w_gPSyjY/w426-h640/033%209832%201k%20aIMG_9832.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">There are more than we first thought, hiding in plain sight. Later, when we break our food out, the lizards make a deal with us, offering to take care of the flies that pester us in exchange for seats around our stove.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjik5HXVxpK4nYEmgXXLGmK9mr5T0NQR37HHBh0YdQs-yInl4c1VrZCwmPLmY_2JSIrsFr1k6FjpgqZt_Tw-uP_xe5EqfrcobZNq4DC10GX--tp396vtI4cxoIrzPbrnsTf4vQ8c7M7I9jHDxtixrrLn6o9W4SdJqz0UfcL59AqBnwmFwMAp4jexNCmW7c/s1000/034%20B%209888%20On1IMG_9888.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjik5HXVxpK4nYEmgXXLGmK9mr5T0NQR37HHBh0YdQs-yInl4c1VrZCwmPLmY_2JSIrsFr1k6FjpgqZt_Tw-uP_xe5EqfrcobZNq4DC10GX--tp396vtI4cxoIrzPbrnsTf4vQ8c7M7I9jHDxtixrrLn6o9W4SdJqz0UfcL59AqBnwmFwMAp4jexNCmW7c/w640-h426/034%20B%209888%20On1IMG_9888.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3daGAjUIYeGiyc9qte0gwgb7N4uBpR5TSvyI1Rb12ycMcwFHg40XdXj0A-itsy7BMtJ_MJ89i-YXhgTurPTinOZZEaui8bkZUzgesLe6AzzIiPXBI7nW5OoEzPTUyTSPLRck9GfKtn4GRcQ6HooTmcM7JSijXdOAYv8mTYDvYJ0W6me-6shZxkRcZNos/s1000/035%20B%209901%20aIMG_9901.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3daGAjUIYeGiyc9qte0gwgb7N4uBpR5TSvyI1Rb12ycMcwFHg40XdXj0A-itsy7BMtJ_MJ89i-YXhgTurPTinOZZEaui8bkZUzgesLe6AzzIiPXBI7nW5OoEzPTUyTSPLRck9GfKtn4GRcQ6HooTmcM7JSijXdOAYv8mTYDvYJ0W6me-6shZxkRcZNos/w640-h426/035%20B%209901%20aIMG_9901.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyr6LaVa23_evapzp4E4_9c-iOdPB89ndOHP4HG_KKR6JxaHY-i3fVzBnune93phpzl7Ri1DGeTr75IcQ2x5Skv0ZlR82sCnG109lCe_33ZErT2IvuOyArnuiVT7apMZxZv8Q6GraDVXTga42rEA6BbC-gSbwTiiM-srZlAsj4NQpeaI_fmrCijup8sGk/s1000/036%20B%209926%20aIMG_9926.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyr6LaVa23_evapzp4E4_9c-iOdPB89ndOHP4HG_KKR6JxaHY-i3fVzBnune93phpzl7Ri1DGeTr75IcQ2x5Skv0ZlR82sCnG109lCe_33ZErT2IvuOyArnuiVT7apMZxZv8Q6GraDVXTga42rEA6BbC-gSbwTiiM-srZlAsj4NQpeaI_fmrCijup8sGk/w640-h426/036%20B%209926%20aIMG_9926.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">We don’t make any friends with the fly-fishermen in these parts when it becomes evident we will be keeping our fish.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi452izP825k3XS4JjRY8mTCL6el1YUjO6D34DIX7eHJRs51v1lXVBN_btZxB3CLb5f5AEiv3JykBNCHPvOVn7y4BrXb--LYNXVAL7ULi_4DSwMB1lgSjBXyx8yoh3RrmqtX__PL0blbmMVlKe16u3hERWv_d03i68tdwEoTPsQLJcS_1Y_kJ1XRd_W6Lo/s1000/037%20B%209937%20aIMG_9937.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi452izP825k3XS4JjRY8mTCL6el1YUjO6D34DIX7eHJRs51v1lXVBN_btZxB3CLb5f5AEiv3JykBNCHPvOVn7y4BrXb--LYNXVAL7ULi_4DSwMB1lgSjBXyx8yoh3RrmqtX__PL0blbmMVlKe16u3hERWv_d03i68tdwEoTPsQLJcS_1Y_kJ1XRd_W6Lo/w640-h426/037%20B%209937%20aIMG_9937.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMFL0yWCjPV6gGM7WA3SBRlD954of5sj4gSn8EMXigJJ10mgw4ovOUru9lWShMBLlGdn2PfPbPGhZ8zOx3m9zY2xYZVmr7S_4M7xshQ6PNTUPbWQkOQA-PXyRH33FtS0ukIfiy4-P0xnGyuufXaieAtiuUvS9Bq_e5TdymzJChjaSeN1Lz36hUQKJGSk/s1000/038%20B%209936%20aIMG_9936.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMFL0yWCjPV6gGM7WA3SBRlD954of5sj4gSn8EMXigJJ10mgw4ovOUru9lWShMBLlGdn2PfPbPGhZ8zOx3m9zY2xYZVmr7S_4M7xshQ6PNTUPbWQkOQA-PXyRH33FtS0ukIfiy4-P0xnGyuufXaieAtiuUvS9Bq_e5TdymzJChjaSeN1Lz36hUQKJGSk/w640-h426/038%20B%209936%20aIMG_9936.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Rabbit adds a novel flavor to the evening’s two species tacos.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIEFXYJGB5oi2S9q3DcOgjo0jUc8yqSr-PVi5GYRHihsOW2cxXDl-vqQFN0lBTvTcE5s56-hQ5OWxPVzmjRsK2IlqIgHbc_daPjWmv185CKr7VTF518j4kNOz2p_HWh273iabhssiUj4Lq0y7ac5zc23PDZKnPAbWTYiojLNk_pfHevgllbMRvWjqoK4/s1000/039%20B%209981%20aIMG_9981.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIEFXYJGB5oi2S9q3DcOgjo0jUc8yqSr-PVi5GYRHihsOW2cxXDl-vqQFN0lBTvTcE5s56-hQ5OWxPVzmjRsK2IlqIgHbc_daPjWmv185CKr7VTF518j4kNOz2p_HWh273iabhssiUj4Lq0y7ac5zc23PDZKnPAbWTYiojLNk_pfHevgllbMRvWjqoK4/w640-h426/039%20B%209981%20aIMG_9981.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Tomorrow’s journey will last the better part of the day, and during that time we will be forced to ease our way back into the apocalyptic milieu we left behind. We will see snapshots in time of Oregon East to West, all in one day.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmX7eOi3f4An7NHTmbh2p4-32-FMr76aOU95Y8tnT8P416EItp8s-4qq8qA0KQCQH2PRnl0cmQn6YTprwa8nNETQy8daLVEqKeH_f6zECFYu-4Mexc06v69DfVkMLXdBoXOYUw_qvI44zI_6uEsUgevwxUBOQVRb3s8WG-usKF6Waa141woPflxEPZGM/s1000/040%20B%209983%20On1IMG_9983.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmX7eOi3f4An7NHTmbh2p4-32-FMr76aOU95Y8tnT8P416EItp8s-4qq8qA0KQCQH2PRnl0cmQn6YTprwa8nNETQy8daLVEqKeH_f6zECFYu-4Mexc06v69DfVkMLXdBoXOYUw_qvI44zI_6uEsUgevwxUBOQVRb3s8WG-usKF6Waa141woPflxEPZGM/w640-h426/040%20B%209983%20On1IMG_9983.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">We will once again rejoin daily commutes - retrace the same path day after day - exchange our freedoms for paychecks which we will use to wrest back bits of freedom.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37rfCe6fS2yeX-57hND2Yi3AxdAIYF_RhjhxUaLyK_TNAGBID42AsLJwAvdnCM0TrKI3qu1-ikUtk2vFippfVmkI2QpbzhSxz-69Cx5QU1F3h7cCGkotTWjaf77FrGrICXN1ZEAEBcfjqEi6JxwMeowMFUL-AO6zeadOe3IDJ3ed8MY87X6_RlsITdL8/s1000/041%20B%209990%20On1IMG_9990.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37rfCe6fS2yeX-57hND2Yi3AxdAIYF_RhjhxUaLyK_TNAGBID42AsLJwAvdnCM0TrKI3qu1-ikUtk2vFippfVmkI2QpbzhSxz-69Cx5QU1F3h7cCGkotTWjaf77FrGrICXN1ZEAEBcfjqEi6JxwMeowMFUL-AO6zeadOe3IDJ3ed8MY87X6_RlsITdL8/w640-h426/041%20B%209990%20On1IMG_9990.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Multi-lane roads happen because of the demands of traffic. Lots of traffic requires a bigger infrastructure. And if a lot of people are on that road…well, there’s wisdom in crowds. Right?</span><br /></span></p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-28446486709223384152023-09-04T01:48:00.000-07:002023-09-04T01:48:48.407-07:00Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Seven)<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cYoQ65ldYDls0sDb5uzYvu8FDRmR7aLc-neaSY4mPZrIVPPJVAEw6MhRm2aqnf4F3joz6JRyyjmqa8iCSt_sfMxc4ffBZ1DM1eSeXx_y_OihTjHbEtyfD5XPfGxIhp3bbI8O6Chjt_64nSW6OkQkmPp6ozeqfkGREEe5cqadQ96XPxUkhVwHyY22S54/s1000/001%201k%20On1P1020523.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cYoQ65ldYDls0sDb5uzYvu8FDRmR7aLc-neaSY4mPZrIVPPJVAEw6MhRm2aqnf4F3joz6JRyyjmqa8iCSt_sfMxc4ffBZ1DM1eSeXx_y_OihTjHbEtyfD5XPfGxIhp3bbI8O6Chjt_64nSW6OkQkmPp6ozeqfkGREEe5cqadQ96XPxUkhVwHyY22S54/w480-h640/001%201k%20On1P1020523.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Our eight-wheeled convoy skitters from the gulch and confidently negotiates a gossamer web of roads that evolved over time - shaped by topography, territory, and tepid human encroachment.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UNkUSVz6pSLCz8iz8W1dmyuoT5c9BhD1QoiMuAVWszHnyOzEykFls45vaffAj7ENH7Qj3BFFY8pkSA1OiHm-FEeSAwo93Xx8eS0YUJvaxoJUmDPhO_hWe5mNzmBh0CiZcIFKJ3ZVppuUj5c549r3eQYxyB4KbVZ3NUJkP5TcSYKufx5ByMiZ94KpZUw/s1000/002%201k%20On1IMG_9632.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UNkUSVz6pSLCz8iz8W1dmyuoT5c9BhD1QoiMuAVWszHnyOzEykFls45vaffAj7ENH7Qj3BFFY8pkSA1OiHm-FEeSAwo93Xx8eS0YUJvaxoJUmDPhO_hWe5mNzmBh0CiZcIFKJ3ZVppuUj5c549r3eQYxyB4KbVZ3NUJkP5TcSYKufx5ByMiZ94KpZUw/w640-h426/002%201k%20On1IMG_9632.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This instant in time - this fragile iteration of topsoil and flora tied to the sky and the distant oceans is even now responding to disparate fingers -</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cj6ri8REUZeRkcqMbpcQt__cbydKccaHNzsYk-8uPZmmwecL7SMmxD5p9vGoS1euGMFIT9qIOIH_62tKWdtIfO1istSmAjBg1BK4OUX8dBvdY-NJ6sYco94m-doE7QEoQkVq85zumlv8SdQk2ccziTjvJx1wjm2BxhB1KLs6358ZQI9Vk6piOojqjss/s1000/003%201k%20On1aIMG_3567.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cj6ri8REUZeRkcqMbpcQt__cbydKccaHNzsYk-8uPZmmwecL7SMmxD5p9vGoS1euGMFIT9qIOIH_62tKWdtIfO1istSmAjBg1BK4OUX8dBvdY-NJ6sYco94m-doE7QEoQkVq85zumlv8SdQk2ccziTjvJx1wjm2BxhB1KLs6358ZQI9Vk6piOojqjss/w640-h426/003%201k%20On1aIMG_3567.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Water vapor flows - an atmospheric river streams in the sky</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpDkLQho3XvfhX5xrZ2iJGz5mmthTxABNvwehCDLU3JKpjeRX5THCLeJES4YYJ7A12gfXMKx21aJvTNxEcwBG1I86AV21IOEUgDKzYx6wXaTvLhjnXDysz70gG1tVrRebPhibP8mVSN22J_C266W2yrIcwuWg8GNQETB8_r7FwozUyUPwkKdxf0c3wMc/s1000/004%20AhdrFalls-Resize.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpDkLQho3XvfhX5xrZ2iJGz5mmthTxABNvwehCDLU3JKpjeRX5THCLeJES4YYJ7A12gfXMKx21aJvTNxEcwBG1I86AV21IOEUgDKzYx6wXaTvLhjnXDysz70gG1tVrRebPhibP8mVSN22J_C266W2yrIcwuWg8GNQETB8_r7FwozUyUPwkKdxf0c3wMc/w640-h426/004%20AhdrFalls-Resize.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">This image was chosen for its analogous visual relationship to the next picture. Ramona Falls (pictured) is not actually in the Owyhee Canyonlands.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Water falls - water flows - gravity is</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24bP8kxgPg7Q8q2vM3kjuh0wBHjzvL-g8vHWwlzTKQnlRZgeSVXTZdOO2KOG87nOS4p4OyP1KXb4ykfOs0_1TJv42sSCQCl-MWKd1Za2exTziEuYp5zrHBeg_NshGuIXiWW1dW8ymdb6qtVGIknFysTJS76CIGPRg1xvHRgYz7qwi89YywrmDuznQnQU/s1000/005%201k%20On1IMG_8921.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24bP8kxgPg7Q8q2vM3kjuh0wBHjzvL-g8vHWwlzTKQnlRZgeSVXTZdOO2KOG87nOS4p4OyP1KXb4ykfOs0_1TJv42sSCQCl-MWKd1Za2exTziEuYp5zrHBeg_NshGuIXiWW1dW8ymdb6qtVGIknFysTJS76CIGPRg1xvHRgYz7qwi89YywrmDuznQnQU/w640-h426/005%201k%20On1IMG_8921.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Earth is a fitful sleeper. She tosses and turns. Her skin cracks and buckles. She bleeds magma and farts ashes that settle in layers through the epochs.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxJqAMxtxS10qHyNnpdb6454XIOqmVZYl91wHc7XX_4a3PmIEEaQdpU7_8AV-lbfxpElAJNl_eFRDEovJ7MckfgzahOp8jp-2eHQcq-DgAjGMZqsRw9_zKiKtrDXNGk3NGa8OPaXsF0ZcIqz26zrCLCJeS-U9uqgkjad1VVGu7HcHYWMZT32UfEQsDDM/s1000/006%201k%20On1pages.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxJqAMxtxS10qHyNnpdb6454XIOqmVZYl91wHc7XX_4a3PmIEEaQdpU7_8AV-lbfxpElAJNl_eFRDEovJ7MckfgzahOp8jp-2eHQcq-DgAjGMZqsRw9_zKiKtrDXNGk3NGa8OPaXsF0ZcIqz26zrCLCJeS-U9uqgkjad1VVGu7HcHYWMZT32UfEQsDDM/w640-h480/006%201k%20On1pages.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rain turns the pages - shows us chapters of the past - reveals secrets of creation - and nightmares of extinction.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB48TwSrvFNunaCUtF0owGwUQnMHccISm1zaFWyGq-x8gD0_2UH6eMGEk04ybA9xf6b93r8eIQiwfYQTgZ3d0acDK9yfmt3I0b9wiP8oYmUc3XaK5Ezvd_GhKDxKdjPevWwhB-_92Dy0wTu4TnIHpaL2E09jbPqab6c9uaLgWzOIMDb1XdC3CB32bKNKk/s1000/007%201k%20shampoo%20label.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB48TwSrvFNunaCUtF0owGwUQnMHccISm1zaFWyGq-x8gD0_2UH6eMGEk04ybA9xf6b93r8eIQiwfYQTgZ3d0acDK9yfmt3I0b9wiP8oYmUc3XaK5Ezvd_GhKDxKdjPevWwhB-_92Dy0wTu4TnIHpaL2E09jbPqab6c9uaLgWzOIMDb1XdC3CB32bKNKk/w640-h480/007%201k%20shampoo%20label.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfSMymjxTzXSEXtfn1xxhy8oqWjiB0YKYrGXd30iUUUa9h16bkPoLC2OdiISzaRm2dNY4J8gs0xkIrKvAir2DoUowPQej0E3oA6JPXvJFKtrkeewAR2qTV1d_fzBUYzLrJKIf-8aCivVqg9dYeFlugzwz688LE7xjhVwCGiCgJWNxMdtsjMhMqw3IPOU/s1000/008%209504%201k%20On1IMG_9504%20Pano.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="1000" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfSMymjxTzXSEXtfn1xxhy8oqWjiB0YKYrGXd30iUUUa9h16bkPoLC2OdiISzaRm2dNY4J8gs0xkIrKvAir2DoUowPQej0E3oA6JPXvJFKtrkeewAR2qTV1d_fzBUYzLrJKIf-8aCivVqg9dYeFlugzwz688LE7xjhVwCGiCgJWNxMdtsjMhMqw3IPOU/w640-h312/008%209504%201k%20On1IMG_9504%20Pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The earth murders whole worlds, and tries to bury the evidence. And we stumble onto fresh stages to strut and fret, as if the world was new...and signified everything.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HhyBixasccrZIHpS2ve6BRbyGpowqohxZkjm3A-fh4MSqThMneMT-k2-vnRJ0CZjWTdbxfyIQChETZAUTzPGrWMsWJgI0Pnv6gmcVFzG2PZKRdbfIChYg9pP5hGXldCnJOsz0n2cUiMj1cVwDe9vcr-PTeSXo1XV5q-MxbOqhxM1mPn8LXTMZFGRcL8/s1000/009%209506%201k%20On1IMG_9506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HhyBixasccrZIHpS2ve6BRbyGpowqohxZkjm3A-fh4MSqThMneMT-k2-vnRJ0CZjWTdbxfyIQChETZAUTzPGrWMsWJgI0Pnv6gmcVFzG2PZKRdbfIChYg9pP5hGXldCnJOsz0n2cUiMj1cVwDe9vcr-PTeSXo1XV5q-MxbOqhxM1mPn8LXTMZFGRcL8/w640-h426/009%209506%201k%20On1IMG_9506.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Wind-driven, sandy, nutrient-poor soil accumulates on the latest mantle of basalt. Migrating seeds find purchase and sprout, then, with prickly fingers, comb more dust and silt out of the sky - compounding their interest.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo8qxfTT30ROmViY-Mc2AUFHVcYH93b2ICMUqSs1e8_NA7UH3mbJNrNJkM98r2lVG4c6J41dEbzEo8S_9UlL_oxSOfSY_GYSfYD8-IbmdLtW-Mq6sEkrIBDcOT9XNuUFs3RlEejIjrV0_063WILY6ON08T5gC0rWhDVw5Ll8AfXosDue_6OkpJep6sp0/s1000/010%209531b%209631%201k%20On1IMG_9631.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo8qxfTT30ROmViY-Mc2AUFHVcYH93b2ICMUqSs1e8_NA7UH3mbJNrNJkM98r2lVG4c6J41dEbzEo8S_9UlL_oxSOfSY_GYSfYD8-IbmdLtW-Mq6sEkrIBDcOT9XNuUFs3RlEejIjrV0_063WILY6ON08T5gC0rWhDVw5Ll8AfXosDue_6OkpJep6sp0/w640-h426/010%209531b%209631%201k%20On1IMG_9631.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yet even as an ecosystem evolves in this interlude of benign geologic activity, decay, erosion, and entropy are poking and prodding and disassembling.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We have passed from one drainage system into another. We can speculate that maybe, beneath our feet, the materials for some future Leslie Gulch lie assembled and ready to be carved. Yet, as we gain impressions of the canyon opening before us - as we look across broad valleys to the encompassing layer cake upon which the high plateaus lie, it is hard to attribute this sculpted landscape to the puny creek that trickles down its throat.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbbD_uFXf0-03HhSTQIWNox8fcp74EMpZyU9UPHmDBj9Skhs8pH97N0VVJZ9KqnpeZ2HDjByfntRdx4gLib_J26ISU6mWSSD9USfyIKJ8jcub_1-BEIicFkt5ZImeHUGjkhOkRBigNpRox6NAX7gxC8isftEpzR7_KtI0XmndRqpua6jb7ZxnFgUV10Y/s1000/011%209531%201k%20On1IMG_9531.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbbD_uFXf0-03HhSTQIWNox8fcp74EMpZyU9UPHmDBj9Skhs8pH97N0VVJZ9KqnpeZ2HDjByfntRdx4gLib_J26ISU6mWSSD9USfyIKJ8jcub_1-BEIicFkt5ZImeHUGjkhOkRBigNpRox6NAX7gxC8isftEpzR7_KtI0XmndRqpua6jb7ZxnFgUV10Y/w640-h426/011%209531%201k%20On1IMG_9531.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mud and gravel fall.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tTak5FdOBMpphlTKZYg7zFB_mfiCixvlRLc6gAEnxKGrX0GF1c-UDzb1xoKBrfRoF-ZqdUki2XTXO9iJYei_XG03m0iG0FCLwHthclxnIgcTTrtcRi0SGz4PwLZt2H19NCbPDfC3W5byrvVTNIZCb-dWlMX7jqh1cZBsKBlsasHPCp3ECpM_W5uR1I8/s1000/012%209523%201k%20On1IMG_9523.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tTak5FdOBMpphlTKZYg7zFB_mfiCixvlRLc6gAEnxKGrX0GF1c-UDzb1xoKBrfRoF-ZqdUki2XTXO9iJYei_XG03m0iG0FCLwHthclxnIgcTTrtcRi0SGz4PwLZt2H19NCbPDfC3W5byrvVTNIZCb-dWlMX7jqh1cZBsKBlsasHPCp3ECpM_W5uR1I8/w640-h426/012%209523%201k%20On1IMG_9523.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mud and gravel flow. Gravity is…(gravity is by far, the weakest of the four fundamental forces, so they say.)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vm7gQnSUMLnPI-iqvmXVjb_ThHZEpRPtztBOEtqk6eDgs-O3zau7LIkGcF8CyF7hEgzXQ9d-j-_y1mMVcC95mv0UZJer-_PClbXJee-8ip5a9L6wUUIcQMAaOJ74_AdhGzm_HFTSadxQbjO1QJXnI27iQW6r291MIr71kqO6Z6NpSRcy4c9HEXoqAP0/s1000/013%209531c%201kaIMG_9636%20not%20cropped.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vm7gQnSUMLnPI-iqvmXVjb_ThHZEpRPtztBOEtqk6eDgs-O3zau7LIkGcF8CyF7hEgzXQ9d-j-_y1mMVcC95mv0UZJer-_PClbXJee-8ip5a9L6wUUIcQMAaOJ74_AdhGzm_HFTSadxQbjO1QJXnI27iQW6r291MIr71kqO6Z6NpSRcy4c9HEXoqAP0/w426-h640/013%209531c%201kaIMG_9636%20not%20cropped.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A creek of succor pokes along the desert cliff<br />And octopus roots, like so many straws<br />Suck life into the trunks, the branches, the whispering leaves<br />To build a sheltering green lean-to against the sheer stone<br />A cool oasis that profits even those who are not trees<br />Nature’s beauty is undeniable<br />And I am among the first to celebrate<br />But I have been smashing fish unconscious with rocks<br />And inexpertly tearing fillets from their skeletons – that is<br />I have been a lucky tight-rope walker – luckier than some fish –<br />Reclining in today’s benevolence, yet feeling measured by<br />The gaze of trees</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOlhyEwS-eFiIo8XIjAp8dgwFb6LGX3occWKJ2BeYu6strXo8n7ySwh2UZb71fMrpMUC0lUK92gxBgxOo4uAIxbdLJOscqHruhxZD6OHihIdn2Sqd1prapFqUfy0RGMQ8Qz2kNKGvQ0Az-X9VRmfosFcL6dGwrALlNF7gdwq1NnbUXeoNVm9IJR02lBo/s1000/014%201k%20On1IMG_9629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOlhyEwS-eFiIo8XIjAp8dgwFb6LGX3occWKJ2BeYu6strXo8n7ySwh2UZb71fMrpMUC0lUK92gxBgxOo4uAIxbdLJOscqHruhxZD6OHihIdn2Sqd1prapFqUfy0RGMQ8Qz2kNKGvQ0Az-X9VRmfosFcL6dGwrALlNF7gdwq1NnbUXeoNVm9IJR02lBo/w640-h426/014%201k%20On1IMG_9629.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We set up a new base camp at Succor Creek State Natural Area. There are maybe 18 places to camp that are dispersed on each side of the creek. There is a vault toilet on the way in. You have to bring your own beverages unless you can filter water out of the creek…and I’m betting you can’t - well, I mean you probably can. But time is money and so are filters (If only there was a sponsor who could provide a refreshing beverage in situations like this and wanted flattering photos of their product in ‘lifestyle’ type images.)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JPObVhBc4lCZYZt36HeqHr2p8OQGYE8P4rKVZ0FCCmNFWhHXB_4Aoeur2yom12eaY4sO7oayIP5LECld-gvDcmaPOP-qavcCNzdDxALqxgStdscoA6te-02lOVcKL_mKwxSTSAoFF_I4BsqNDVnUzQWzkwpMIFt_stiOfqVyoeeUOHqZ06eRJMAJ7Es/s1000/015%209550a%20V2%201k20210811_183407.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JPObVhBc4lCZYZt36HeqHr2p8OQGYE8P4rKVZ0FCCmNFWhHXB_4Aoeur2yom12eaY4sO7oayIP5LECld-gvDcmaPOP-qavcCNzdDxALqxgStdscoA6te-02lOVcKL_mKwxSTSAoFF_I4BsqNDVnUzQWzkwpMIFt_stiOfqVyoeeUOHqZ06eRJMAJ7Es/w640-h480/015%209550a%20V2%201k20210811_183407.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Photo Credit: Kip</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> In this picture, Kip accomplishes something rare. It appears that all of us are smiling mostly natural smiles. Part of the reason I’m smiling is because I’m sitting on a bench. This is the only furniture I’ve sat on so far besides the car seats because not only did I forget my sleeping bag, I also forgot my camp chair.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AQBhE1qkW-aHbmbhsM1GFfopR2aUgYep_OqLNsbyrj3jYM_Fe9UPRezw-cn1jFokFI0GA-Ml4-d7g1ZjURlPgNTHNcm5xSvA_E3kqt4_uiyIqPxCNzjPXogwQVl9qSabAzfDd65trAYuZ-nCJx0fNBAeMyz03ydYeMUsWAVChiYFVj53WzKoCfX4eTc/s1000/016%209550%201k%20aIMG_9550.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AQBhE1qkW-aHbmbhsM1GFfopR2aUgYep_OqLNsbyrj3jYM_Fe9UPRezw-cn1jFokFI0GA-Ml4-d7g1ZjURlPgNTHNcm5xSvA_E3kqt4_uiyIqPxCNzjPXogwQVl9qSabAzfDd65trAYuZ-nCJx0fNBAeMyz03ydYeMUsWAVChiYFVj53WzKoCfX4eTc/w640-h426/016%209550%201k%20aIMG_9550.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I set about preparing my bacon-wrapped, cheese-stuffed jalapenos. I was inspired to make these as a homage to the stuffed jalapenos I first tasted at Wanker’s Corner Saloon. Normally I grill these, but I lost my grill and my favorite hat when I flipped my kayak over by not negotiating a simple riffle on the Umpqua River. Pan frying turns out to be an acceptable alternative and, as a bonus, it doesn’t burn the toothpick tips off which results in fewer surprises and medical trauma down the road.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOicGg4sNcYrHJj3v455V1XYzE4UrkibjhlDVdBvivhMimpznp_7aOy6DYzEspr-5xXH8NHgwyz24DYaFU6jO-Iu7jDU1zokjWr7stOzq-SAviu2KZW_fIRyOQCakIdJmh0iBN62Gbn6EV-Doc56-5FcsznAgfb4jOcWALbMVseL4SME-rurWWw47_Wxc/s1000/017%209547%201k%20On1IMG_9547.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOicGg4sNcYrHJj3v455V1XYzE4UrkibjhlDVdBvivhMimpznp_7aOy6DYzEspr-5xXH8NHgwyz24DYaFU6jO-Iu7jDU1zokjWr7stOzq-SAviu2KZW_fIRyOQCakIdJmh0iBN62Gbn6EV-Doc56-5FcsznAgfb4jOcWALbMVseL4SME-rurWWw47_Wxc/w640-h426/017%209547%201k%20On1IMG_9547.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Then Rico broke out a bottle of a very fine bourbon he’d been saving for the occasion and I think we drank quite a lot of it, though my memory becomes imprecise at this point.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYu-5hM6AIVqH4Y1fACKdndTEfidGs4_Zj4QB3UCwcN95fDPodYtCsjFNkAZW73JE_9fd5Qsu-vcN8RI7ZHoAvK70IH61sz5548zo7SewsDaV-NOoe5_xZPjMSJJcmLMOris24BCkpFKT5uAgX24nSCVnkt-q79xTxY-UF9sLgzPCJxNEpjI-QD2-Ww0/s1000/018%20WHALE%20FINAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYu-5hM6AIVqH4Y1fACKdndTEfidGs4_Zj4QB3UCwcN95fDPodYtCsjFNkAZW73JE_9fd5Qsu-vcN8RI7ZHoAvK70IH61sz5548zo7SewsDaV-NOoe5_xZPjMSJJcmLMOris24BCkpFKT5uAgX24nSCVnkt-q79xTxY-UF9sLgzPCJxNEpjI-QD2-Ww0/w640-h480/018%20WHALE%20FINAL.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I rapidly lost the ability to conversationalate and found myself focusing on maybe a specific way a leaf was shimmying at the end of a twig, or the way a sunbeam illuminated an ice cube. I listened to the words coming out of Rico and Kip but it felt like a warm syrup and besides, I had no waffles. The shadows slowly changed their aspect, shifting across the canyon walls. Later, a whale came floating up the road past our camp. It smiled and gave me a subtle nod, like a cowboy would if he were wearing a hat, but it didn’t say anything. It just slowly drifted on by - making good eye contact with that huge eye. It was so graceful. It was also so unexpected. I turned to see if Rico or Kip had seen it but they were all like, haven’t you ever seen a whale before?</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Even later, a middle-aged man approached the camp. He appeared to be looking for something. He greeted us, rather shyly, and asked, “Have you seen my whale drift by here? I’ve lost it.” Rico and Kip both just pointed up the road.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHJ9Xr3bNiTDW_JCp9zaIwPSQxsb06BE_XrEy115kCIbUqr-EvYsAl82SxFqVA_Y88RNMWN9d-qWfElwD5VN19a8kVmcPmt1X7Vz9RkvfcYBUP0hw7MTMkmjvogUPLhRyBnebKxs-hZWx4Jh239-S620Qzly5gh-ZLvWgQaOnDmeFQMva0QzB0vmFn1U/s1000/019%209554%201k%20On1IMG_9554.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHJ9Xr3bNiTDW_JCp9zaIwPSQxsb06BE_XrEy115kCIbUqr-EvYsAl82SxFqVA_Y88RNMWN9d-qWfElwD5VN19a8kVmcPmt1X7Vz9RkvfcYBUP0hw7MTMkmjvogUPLhRyBnebKxs-hZWx4Jh239-S620Qzly5gh-ZLvWgQaOnDmeFQMva0QzB0vmFn1U/w640-h426/019%209554%201k%20On1IMG_9554.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Even later, I was disturbed by a tap, tap, tapping noise. A man and a woman with hammers and crowbars had climbed the scree slopes below the cliffs and were treating the rock surfaces as personal percussion instruments. When they finally came down they explained that they were collecting thunder eggs. The man spilled his knapsack to reveal an impressive haul of baseball-sized geodes.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPj7ZJ2yP-dZcf_Kf_xkz0QXplMaYUCQ8XnBmFaBS2mr9_8TBeJ9Lu4sdHLeMbvXuj7Z-0IcwAtFmRb5GUKZcdCNZSF77YsTJ7bOs0mKQEZAeEjHRuVTEGw1Fh0gg2RC0RGXdNTVExs6uSsAMs6IWSvC7cRe7DIe6o4i6g_ztcliRgpooymn2sEUMyYkY/s1000/020%209563%201k%20On1IMG_9563.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPj7ZJ2yP-dZcf_Kf_xkz0QXplMaYUCQ8XnBmFaBS2mr9_8TBeJ9Lu4sdHLeMbvXuj7Z-0IcwAtFmRb5GUKZcdCNZSF77YsTJ7bOs0mKQEZAeEjHRuVTEGw1Fh0gg2RC0RGXdNTVExs6uSsAMs6IWSvC7cRe7DIe6o4i6g_ztcliRgpooymn2sEUMyYkY/w640-h426/020%209563%201k%20On1IMG_9563.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My dreams were both vivid and hard to remember.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZJHpDAGMe9HT7FB22-_SnHpwYhWOAfFQ7FGIVDlRNyeHM-aH_yFYQlIiBhKzKvzEqnNpCEGF8Hikphlc9obv4kpxoAYUtQa6Y63N_Q6WMNLTyGIZWbXBJ1HqC-rnZO-N8MuzMmALpIRSvYMroc2YY9EcC2Jrv3q106RyNHzViMK8Zvz3bChnEg5w0ew/s1000/021%201k%20On1juniper%20beachP6270574%20V2%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZJHpDAGMe9HT7FB22-_SnHpwYhWOAfFQ7FGIVDlRNyeHM-aH_yFYQlIiBhKzKvzEqnNpCEGF8Hikphlc9obv4kpxoAYUtQa6Y63N_Q6WMNLTyGIZWbXBJ1HqC-rnZO-N8MuzMmALpIRSvYMroc2YY9EcC2Jrv3q106RyNHzViMK8Zvz3bChnEg5w0ew/w640-h480/021%201k%20On1juniper%20beachP6270574%20V2%20.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There was something about the hero’s journey (Hercules and the gross of juniper berries).</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N8-uPgP3j6vWeY_ZE192dApDCIyAy3SjIQj0QYMyVrSYyNTDcz2OoCRSzGyB0XIs4EdPgEctQdwpS6utPi3bPhGdZ6czTA4oPtDRyU17SZoumksJNpFJrRpagnjPDubVrLliLaufw--wOCBpuViECT2gj9dplbI4ZkUY6rxkRYCCaGNEIevOAG-fVow/s1000/022%201k%20On1faceScapeV2%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N8-uPgP3j6vWeY_ZE192dApDCIyAy3SjIQj0QYMyVrSYyNTDcz2OoCRSzGyB0XIs4EdPgEctQdwpS6utPi3bPhGdZ6czTA4oPtDRyU17SZoumksJNpFJrRpagnjPDubVrLliLaufw--wOCBpuViECT2gj9dplbI4ZkUY6rxkRYCCaGNEIevOAG-fVow/w640-h426/022%201k%20On1faceScapeV2%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There was something about my own mortality - being one with the landscape - ashes to ashes</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6R-NrgFkP6zbsE9zkXiSnNRu9OS9L4HkAkU8kjmY0uaH_KOdXOr7OsxycBF-nVdB0n1Pvwo4XzckHFMSa1Y7QxRA3mhAkVFHd_6vXgLmltSiWOujotjH9boB77MT4wEKSdFaU1kHtcyE6CFOuS-ACIOOyTvTa62HCsb_JGmg1CHovQqsl5c3uFHpuHw/s1000/023%201k%20On1IMG_9451.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6R-NrgFkP6zbsE9zkXiSnNRu9OS9L4HkAkU8kjmY0uaH_KOdXOr7OsxycBF-nVdB0n1Pvwo4XzckHFMSa1Y7QxRA3mhAkVFHd_6vXgLmltSiWOujotjH9boB77MT4wEKSdFaU1kHtcyE6CFOuS-ACIOOyTvTa62HCsb_JGmg1CHovQqsl5c3uFHpuHw/w640-h426/023%201k%20On1IMG_9451.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Something about the Earth being alive.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIf0F975XU-UFbs5B2hYQ5DlZ_go3MlVahXOGTrpUbB59qp0eTCZrX_mcni52lGQ5moAT68Rkr4eDol1Eq28yWuccfhLIsUX3xYMruplZroF4CiIQ0XaDxHFSBy0ZH4VfTo0BMvkswfw_6vg-LzpYnJR9VLoDSw55Zj0ARSikzH6c0hllCaiRzBarZ3rA/s1000/024%209573a1kaaON1%20SDZ_2183.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIf0F975XU-UFbs5B2hYQ5DlZ_go3MlVahXOGTrpUbB59qp0eTCZrX_mcni52lGQ5moAT68Rkr4eDol1Eq28yWuccfhLIsUX3xYMruplZroF4CiIQ0XaDxHFSBy0ZH4VfTo0BMvkswfw_6vg-LzpYnJR9VLoDSw55Zj0ARSikzH6c0hllCaiRzBarZ3rA/w640-h428/024%209573a1kaaON1%20SDZ_2183.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Later still, I tried once again to take a shot of the Milky Way, still longing to achieve a technically competent shot. Bats squeaked in the dark and made impossible turns before the light of the stars. It occurred to me that I might still be dreaming, perhaps in the same predicament as Chuang Tzu who dreamed he was a butterfly, or wondered in retrospect if maybe he wasn’t really a butterfly dreaming he was a man.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So I asked, “Hey Kip, Rico,” pausing briefly to make sure I had their attention, “did you guys really see a whale?”<br />“Didn’t you?” they asked like a Greek chorus.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">That bourbon was strong medicine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />To be continued…</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The rest of this narrative can be accessed via these links: <br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 1: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/07/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-1.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part One)</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 2: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-two.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Two)</a></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 3: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-three.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Three)</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 4: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-four.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Four)</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 5: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-five.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Five)</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 6: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-six.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Six)</a></span></span></p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-14036678316450294282023-08-30T18:07:00.006-07:002023-09-04T01:52:58.744-07:00Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Six)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfkiFTpx32fwVOQ2CbanOoWInmBTNaNioVf1DE_KUGN7Z_GJCQqDxsyqB-zdfEpS5Y9xOTcDo7kH8lFtEzwws5p_Ud7EwnIRLUTgQFJPQn-bHbozWFKj3H8qSkRMgCV-TDQN-puIlTGLH5F_XnakylpKeio7PAa7SFVsmUjWfVKP8jtVOYjt4O6ymj0Y/s1000/001%209387%201kaIMG_9387.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfkiFTpx32fwVOQ2CbanOoWInmBTNaNioVf1DE_KUGN7Z_GJCQqDxsyqB-zdfEpS5Y9xOTcDo7kH8lFtEzwws5p_Ud7EwnIRLUTgQFJPQn-bHbozWFKj3H8qSkRMgCV-TDQN-puIlTGLH5F_XnakylpKeio7PAa7SFVsmUjWfVKP8jtVOYjt4O6ymj0Y/w640-h426/001%209387%201kaIMG_9387.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Rico passes beyond the confluence of Dago Gulch and Leslie Gulch.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Perched at the head of Leslie Gulch, I try to temper my anticipation. I also put on the best poker face I have at my disposal and try to minimize any role I might have played in lobbying for this excursion during the planning stages of this trip. I’m keenly aware of the let-down I felt at The Pillars of Rome and if this turns out to be a bust, I’m hoping I won’t be blamed.<br /><br />If you were to start researching Leslie Gulch today, you might find positively spun comments like, “...Situated amongst one of the most stunning landscapes in Oregon…” or “...one of the most jaw-dropping geological formations in the Pacific Northwest…”<br /><br />But you can also find more tempered expressions like, “But of all these non-disappointments Leslie Gulch, by far, has been the most impressive.”<br /><br />One comment, because of its awkward placement within its respective article reflected a positively cynical perspective. “Things to do near Leslie Gulch…” it began, “Visit Boise, Idaho.” it finished unapologetically. .</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqXHg6nweLUNuKla-zGzuuLMwpXm_oiNb6E-WQ5eTTD6S2OsSWaGHEVK_aUyRdwFMbSItJ9SuCv3EgKbDLjbyp7Ql7UVwYBdExSH3R3iOtrgi5SKxAcFV4ONbKHotTe43nD8qGq4WUGE7TNRNyD_pDI3QFSWI3MNZtkkCH5SScoNTCDtNzrA9XA0cwvg/s1000/002%201k%20On120210811_135401%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqXHg6nweLUNuKla-zGzuuLMwpXm_oiNb6E-WQ5eTTD6S2OsSWaGHEVK_aUyRdwFMbSItJ9SuCv3EgKbDLjbyp7Ql7UVwYBdExSH3R3iOtrgi5SKxAcFV4ONbKHotTe43nD8qGq4WUGE7TNRNyD_pDI3QFSWI3MNZtkkCH5SScoNTCDtNzrA9XA0cwvg/w640-h480/002%201k%20On120210811_135401%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Leslie Gulch road is a seven and a half mile spur that terminates at a boat ramp - a boat ramp that itself is meant to terminate in the waters of the Owyhee Reservoir… and sometimes does. The road is smooth and seems tame yet an indelible message imprinted in my brain from reading the Gulch’s literature is a warning not to get stuck at the end of the road when it starts to rain. Rain has only ever seemed like fiction on this trip, but after a moment’s reflection, it does seem evident that this current landscape would be well suited to exist as a flash-river tributary, given enough moisture.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituvnm6ILQDjex14fWBamdX0OOXkHSaO06jVEkttuZOKZB0VRD8avR2jslOUudZR8iWdeqlpu4BN-TjhCFq-Qv_1fy8f3ZdDZDg2wjGhdnavdnHtTCht_fQiRCEcHqIVvLRVhDQMHbRrQkJe7eHpspMBseGdbGR09HMHbd_krjPuoUNNQbBvGHmoMBK3Q/s1313/003%201k%20mm%20caldera.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1291" data-original-width="1313" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituvnm6ILQDjex14fWBamdX0OOXkHSaO06jVEkttuZOKZB0VRD8avR2jslOUudZR8iWdeqlpu4BN-TjhCFq-Qv_1fy8f3ZdDZDg2wjGhdnavdnHtTCht_fQiRCEcHqIVvLRVhDQMHbRrQkJe7eHpspMBseGdbGR09HMHbd_krjPuoUNNQbBvGHmoMBK3Q/w640-h630/003%201k%20mm%20caldera.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">USGS, Dean B. Vander Meulen - USGS Open File Report 98-77</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">To travel over greater distances efficiently, we’ve been skimming across the high plateaus, a haven where it’s possible to trace near straight lines. Nothing in the gradual descent toward Leslie Gulch has suggested anything other than a benign environment. Yet an overview of the area as interpreted by geologists shows that for some fraction of an hour, we have already been driving in the mouth of the vast Mahogany volcanic caldera. Sure, we already associate calderas with volcanoes, but geologist Ellen Bishop points out that Yellowstone is a caldera and few people would recognize that they are on, “the flat slopes of a huge, dangerously active volcano.” In fact, if I understand correctly, it may be that 15 million years ago, the same hotspot that powers the volcanism at Yellowstone today may have been under Southeast Oregon - our continental plate acting like a slow inevitable conveyor belt.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsoKGAA2jBAjWH7igl2w6hdGQtWYN-9xZCNnN_tDuZRIzV5RyvtCp2PP5Xq1K5b1FFRGbQayeTxMk3EXZYFazs7YRuA4fkiF0_oeExSPm_CXuBjGuYDtqe55iO2c15lYjWEkFj4qqrpZ-v_nE7NkQ6jSEE_nBBSGRTuNsQf05u99NF8ig3oPxZlbFpWA/s1600/004%201%206k%20explicit%20caldera%20extent%20overlap.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1600" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsoKGAA2jBAjWH7igl2w6hdGQtWYN-9xZCNnN_tDuZRIzV5RyvtCp2PP5Xq1K5b1FFRGbQayeTxMk3EXZYFazs7YRuA4fkiF0_oeExSPm_CXuBjGuYDtqe55iO2c15lYjWEkFj4qqrpZ-v_nE7NkQ6jSEE_nBBSGRTuNsQf05u99NF8ig3oPxZlbFpWA/w640-h386/004%201%206k%20explicit%20caldera%20extent%20overlap.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">In the image above, I’ve tried to place the margins of the Mahogany Caldera onto Google Earth. The overlain rectangle within the margins encompasses the entire Leslie Gulch spur.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bishop, in her book In Search of Ancient Oregon explains that, “Instead of building a cone, calderas spread their eruptions far afield as a turbulent cloud of hot gas and ash that often moves at 60-100 miles an hour. Such eruptions produce flat and extensive ignimbrite deposits.”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The word ignimbrite doesn’t mean anything to me so it was helpful to find that it was coined from the Latin words meaning ‘fire’ and ‘rain’. So ‘firerain’ fell from the sky to form this land. Where the firerain was heavy and hot, it melted together, and where it was dispersed, less so. Meanwhile, neighboring calderas contributed to the layers, sprinkling, dusting or pyroclastically flowing ignimbrite, tuff and ash layers until volcanic materials lay 1000 feet deep.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYw4Cu7TBzm5EfldEMSyaS-f-h25B6kRWjb81sgWimIWD67lwzUn2ydh7hDnFQBAVSkcNSjdP7QRlAR_0C3aKorcXPK4I1XDG2u3nrhyHb_UEBQAlz_USbH7hYSA-zWY2icBT3KkNuVL3n6v9GVj_fzGFcFT3R2q4s32Rh1kDjw0FbuZJMbdurD5z6sg/s1134/005%20Calderas.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="854" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYw4Cu7TBzm5EfldEMSyaS-f-h25B6kRWjb81sgWimIWD67lwzUn2ydh7hDnFQBAVSkcNSjdP7QRlAR_0C3aKorcXPK4I1XDG2u3nrhyHb_UEBQAlz_USbH7hYSA-zWY2icBT3KkNuVL3n6v9GVj_fzGFcFT3R2q4s32Rh1kDjw0FbuZJMbdurD5z6sg/w482-h640/005%20Calderas.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Figure taken from
Geology of the Mid-Miocne Rooster Comb Caldera and Lake Owyhee Volcanic
Field, eastern Oregon: Silicic volcanism associated with Grande ronde
flood basalt. Benson & Mahood.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfbt4cEt5NdkQLQZgk2OatR6_koS4R9fncF4nwUcOQmKEl6yRfZNiqMPcMLawFRsAanqlovIH99n9R1LD0v9DikUJPyIE7juLwvUDZwISHVNHvKHrSoDP4HN4GVJCI0cyfB3xq_yhQHV7zxBH5ea_MCJxUoKxGGd4OkFr-C7QKU6Vn4wWd8CqPNdVVB0/s1000/006%209337%201k%20On1IMG_9337.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwfbt4cEt5NdkQLQZgk2OatR6_koS4R9fncF4nwUcOQmKEl6yRfZNiqMPcMLawFRsAanqlovIH99n9R1LD0v9DikUJPyIE7juLwvUDZwISHVNHvKHrSoDP4HN4GVJCI0cyfB3xq_yhQHV7zxBH5ea_MCJxUoKxGGd4OkFr-C7QKU6Vn4wWd8CqPNdVVB0/w640-h426/006%209337%201k%20On1IMG_9337.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Now imagine a magician holding a featureless blob of multi-colored tuff before your eyes. Then he palms it. Shows you nothing up his sleeves save for millions of years of blazing hot summers, freezing cold winters, and seasonal rainstorms. Suddenly, the magician opens his hand and…Voilà, Leslie Gulch.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKefFUKFJlYmAv-0qLOgpDM5aBcp1AO-QajyiCVCjUFmtNijEwbs1PyZEkVJfWNp3v0brd0lRR2XmRnOYou4Vg0OjOoCyFfzpKfl2yQHcH10Fu5SGy2Jt82fmqmNQpYNVC4pry00OGxn-gNQY56Iss2-wziNNGsoDp-Aupq8zbFBQyYN0k_0D6FWjwOg/s1000/007%209359%201kaIMG_9359.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKefFUKFJlYmAv-0qLOgpDM5aBcp1AO-QajyiCVCjUFmtNijEwbs1PyZEkVJfWNp3v0brd0lRR2XmRnOYou4Vg0OjOoCyFfzpKfl2yQHcH10Fu5SGy2Jt82fmqmNQpYNVC4pry00OGxn-gNQY56Iss2-wziNNGsoDp-Aupq8zbFBQyYN0k_0D6FWjwOg/w640-h426/007%209359%201kaIMG_9359.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">These images unfold in chronological order as you ultimately draw to the edge of the reservoir.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5wI0EgP_xUpfIg1VJ1ckQHY-ekkdwMJ-x_q9ZnaahLNonPJaPUgaGmxurhmttmqKyClNoQB2kHFENEf9r0zKhpqc-pruYuAHtDoxRdu3X9KnJAbcSIjARMY3tgEu76nE7D9kmVBaUDJJuPgf9SmEWZhTrRQepLW9TPQTGbBGKZeaDbjncMOZaUO2N6Y/s1000/008%209369%201k%20On1IMG_9369.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5wI0EgP_xUpfIg1VJ1ckQHY-ekkdwMJ-x_q9ZnaahLNonPJaPUgaGmxurhmttmqKyClNoQB2kHFENEf9r0zKhpqc-pruYuAHtDoxRdu3X9KnJAbcSIjARMY3tgEu76nE7D9kmVBaUDJJuPgf9SmEWZhTrRQepLW9TPQTGbBGKZeaDbjncMOZaUO2N6Y/w640-h426/008%209369%201k%20On1IMG_9369.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">___</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCCqUhKBgDOHcZP42-a_OUznvre_YWCIFrIAbFrMCR6ApgamJtYz_LyUH37uN1KPyZLHL5kYTwaIEmukbDwheqLYrCK6SEtDYpp1PHI_qQC3Tkks8vA8VWpRNZK4R4qwekQtk4g8HAFcrkWLHVwWYSZAk_OURsfhzSMtJgsFUdsOXNbXlO9xN_eBEpYE/s1000/009%209388%201k%20On1IMG_9388%20V2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCCqUhKBgDOHcZP42-a_OUznvre_YWCIFrIAbFrMCR6ApgamJtYz_LyUH37uN1KPyZLHL5kYTwaIEmukbDwheqLYrCK6SEtDYpp1PHI_qQC3Tkks8vA8VWpRNZK4R4qwekQtk4g8HAFcrkWLHVwWYSZAk_OURsfhzSMtJgsFUdsOXNbXlO9xN_eBEpYE/w426-h640/009%209388%201k%20On1IMG_9388%20V2.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">___</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXJhixBuNQJwnvUIZl5SVKhOZAD9QYczP5v8lfPQf0waVjMUhCh9sFQPRQ7Pn8lIVwrVDpru0ITNXZXWDiu3XFrIHz2kttCxAevbAXNjHaJwZSmFgSrKrXRN_2EQEDYbakDMtYpcEw2rWUYbhNp-a58YMhpYO5KzT89Ah43NeFrCVN0R6t00DcrHRZn4/s1000/010%209409%201k%20On1IMG_9409.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXJhixBuNQJwnvUIZl5SVKhOZAD9QYczP5v8lfPQf0waVjMUhCh9sFQPRQ7Pn8lIVwrVDpru0ITNXZXWDiu3XFrIHz2kttCxAevbAXNjHaJwZSmFgSrKrXRN_2EQEDYbakDMtYpcEw2rWUYbhNp-a58YMhpYO5KzT89Ah43NeFrCVN0R6t00DcrHRZn4/w640-h426/010%209409%201k%20On1IMG_9409.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">___</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo8lgb6MnbshswMf06Pq0xx1DFxMiH0I0COPdwB38PClpUgX05NwAzPaydcQidLVSXuySpO57zAUJ8LFr7T4EUZlFaNvvyPegfLrSnOMc9uzDSiykLyS8FmFgw5KyVGipwSHZ4WGD4F_y6fz3wOdI8RFkKujdii8FxaYXL1LtGhTXjn8dQGE8gT1cCU8/s1000/011%209416%201k%20On1IMG_9416.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo8lgb6MnbshswMf06Pq0xx1DFxMiH0I0COPdwB38PClpUgX05NwAzPaydcQidLVSXuySpO57zAUJ8LFr7T4EUZlFaNvvyPegfLrSnOMc9uzDSiykLyS8FmFgw5KyVGipwSHZ4WGD4F_y6fz3wOdI8RFkKujdii8FxaYXL1LtGhTXjn8dQGE8gT1cCU8/w640-h426/011%209416%201k%20On1IMG_9416.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> ___</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PZShriOfeidIhssUhTSIXKfQuGTx1dWEDxlUgwMase9wedrE9LKmqExXDf4NxvIW8h857faQXc9g0i-cjP6_4UDM0efaksurRlWfQ3DJvnyem3dkeOc5rZru55b1vRlViBAMvchxpceiV_pUHmPGz2ladvRZqPory61EV1hIvUrwTyqAdlHujv1Taf4/s1000/012%209445%201k%20On1IMG_9445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PZShriOfeidIhssUhTSIXKfQuGTx1dWEDxlUgwMase9wedrE9LKmqExXDf4NxvIW8h857faQXc9g0i-cjP6_4UDM0efaksurRlWfQ3DJvnyem3dkeOc5rZru55b1vRlViBAMvchxpceiV_pUHmPGz2ladvRZqPory61EV1hIvUrwTyqAdlHujv1Taf4/w640-h426/012%209445%201k%20On1IMG_9445.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">___</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8yzezJ9zCPkuML9P_NasYf1Xm4E61MQrxFfdZsNf4tHXcZOa6HpqmSlUKVig8REXk9ZveiaAAulPmUzMHmCly-5C0aSqq1ueNXcHoSnW_INt8MNBXq6-9nhUkeZ-a1oLviF9sbOLmAlsOfbEMyS3VHASGT-bWgTgvHDiCdCJivM2tsdjbrWmmZ_FcY8/s1000/013%209449%201k%20On1IMG_9449V2%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8yzezJ9zCPkuML9P_NasYf1Xm4E61MQrxFfdZsNf4tHXcZOa6HpqmSlUKVig8REXk9ZveiaAAulPmUzMHmCly-5C0aSqq1ueNXcHoSnW_INt8MNBXq6-9nhUkeZ-a1oLviF9sbOLmAlsOfbEMyS3VHASGT-bWgTgvHDiCdCJivM2tsdjbrWmmZ_FcY8/w640-h426/013%209449%201k%20On1IMG_9449V2%20.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">___</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEBu-bJJtWqv0f6fmBkiMmqfnOq85alKGvtbrlyldWojp1IOVqhkCMsZ62XYAsSgQszCdJxZZRKyf2SdWDhoHflL7bKRCGalP1rHotbEzFCKNx6GPBIPQj4NZJ2UeBHHONC_psVamK6ldpP7okMz5Z_BmddggYSaRKaS_J3NvF3BKZohWv7hahfTdkCw/s1000/014%209495%201k%20aIMG_9495.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEBu-bJJtWqv0f6fmBkiMmqfnOq85alKGvtbrlyldWojp1IOVqhkCMsZ62XYAsSgQszCdJxZZRKyf2SdWDhoHflL7bKRCGalP1rHotbEzFCKNx6GPBIPQj4NZJ2UeBHHONC_psVamK6ldpP7okMz5Z_BmddggYSaRKaS_J3NvF3BKZohWv7hahfTdkCw/w640-h426/014%209495%201k%20aIMG_9495.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">___</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowqsQmr3_LazGQAPq3gHZmcDswOLq54zUIZWxB1hYTUpU_WGQNjSpqKAYFBOh_KcYh_VeRbC6vOgO_vt8U6H6eAQXTkS4_pVyIr-9ulo1Oy2UQ6jxIN-YnDVl65oM7c9CCanqKta1_HlnW34hoLZxbF_tfzfsYjlwv7SV0aC91bEPpSmLSK7rZBq9-xA/s1000/015%209470%201k%20On1IMG_9470.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowqsQmr3_LazGQAPq3gHZmcDswOLq54zUIZWxB1hYTUpU_WGQNjSpqKAYFBOh_KcYh_VeRbC6vOgO_vt8U6H6eAQXTkS4_pVyIr-9ulo1Oy2UQ6jxIN-YnDVl65oM7c9CCanqKta1_HlnW34hoLZxbF_tfzfsYjlwv7SV0aC91bEPpSmLSK7rZBq9-xA/w640-h426/015%209470%201k%20On1IMG_9470.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">___</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4ZLRLQWNalC11TXQlQ2W3fOwarI79pP_QFhWXhO9Mat6zIW_K2k4QT6v-_2HtLBpDJrBIv8qErAejK85QXZJ57ulPZRcEddeXewedEROEpTMLwgHg1njFxW6nlXH5qlSkzHRnSdkAa_buHwHFipbRo576t2dlif6IkynOedtrNrCGbx3lryvJdK4fcM/s1000/016%209475%201kaIMG_9475.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4ZLRLQWNalC11TXQlQ2W3fOwarI79pP_QFhWXhO9Mat6zIW_K2k4QT6v-_2HtLBpDJrBIv8qErAejK85QXZJ57ulPZRcEddeXewedEROEpTMLwgHg1njFxW6nlXH5qlSkzHRnSdkAa_buHwHFipbRo576t2dlif6IkynOedtrNrCGbx3lryvJdK4fcM/w640-h426/016%209475%201kaIMG_9475.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Owyhee River Reservoir did not appear to be fulfilling the function of a reservoir.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4aF4Y9FugX7Ctl2NZeue1u-s5lODn4TRZ6HEIBN_2ey1evHwclAIqDT34Pw5qfQG9qEUTB8k5RszH1ADRJZmURUFTkyzsHH7R5LgTXr9mLBJ5VwnmYNSfcaclGhNa0daeui63OLUQK6wFcd6tlW2CygBQbTTlEwTkEOMpE5wBqfdBg0spoTyw7IyjTY/s1000/017%2009472%201k%20aIMG_9472.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4aF4Y9FugX7Ctl2NZeue1u-s5lODn4TRZ6HEIBN_2ey1evHwclAIqDT34Pw5qfQG9qEUTB8k5RszH1ADRJZmURUFTkyzsHH7R5LgTXr9mLBJ5VwnmYNSfcaclGhNa0daeui63OLUQK6wFcd6tlW2CygBQbTTlEwTkEOMpE5wBqfdBg0spoTyw7IyjTY/w640-h426/017%2009472%201k%20aIMG_9472.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">The broad valley had, over time, become merely a record of graduated water levels.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXUphgbN01MrT2HxXMc_7epppJW7Qsh_l6UxVTFrpFPewSdgCi3gd6m8bMy1kwjTWzbKnrku5JXliIYi8C-nBSAjnVN-1ycFKRaB-FwW5zDZ_vSub3JH8QAj6w-gZfqctJ2tGowTmj0f_Qtz02gH4NcuqoXcO0n7F-K3Usq3i1JbuZbnGuSY8J9AIuLw/s1000/018%209487%201kaIMG_9487.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXUphgbN01MrT2HxXMc_7epppJW7Qsh_l6UxVTFrpFPewSdgCi3gd6m8bMy1kwjTWzbKnrku5JXliIYi8C-nBSAjnVN-1ycFKRaB-FwW5zDZ_vSub3JH8QAj6w-gZfqctJ2tGowTmj0f_Qtz02gH4NcuqoXcO0n7F-K3Usq3i1JbuZbnGuSY8J9AIuLw/w640-h426/018%209487%201kaIMG_9487.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">What was left of the river threatened to slowly soak into the thickening silt.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU13SCgRrhUozQi5IoaL6rMDTy3jeP6xxNA7XGtz8Ve3zSFxdRLLAFuAPLJyXxAInduHlOy_OssFYhuGLfScfG-ow5UUvOKHuSpWS4DKB_aulpiR3CSLatLoLP0Z1Ocf_bvrbYlprIgprHDHasIFlyGruUB6CG2JxnV5c5lYRQgw7CBdQRRMTzNcYUtbY/s1000/019%209482%201k%20On1IMG_9482.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU13SCgRrhUozQi5IoaL6rMDTy3jeP6xxNA7XGtz8Ve3zSFxdRLLAFuAPLJyXxAInduHlOy_OssFYhuGLfScfG-ow5UUvOKHuSpWS4DKB_aulpiR3CSLatLoLP0Z1Ocf_bvrbYlprIgprHDHasIFlyGruUB6CG2JxnV5c5lYRQgw7CBdQRRMTzNcYUtbY/w640-h426/019%209482%201k%20On1IMG_9482.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Rico sought out the best extant pools and cast bait into the turbid water, always seeking data on the availability of fish.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dDpJSpKIFOSimdmm51SHqPOx06viC3mjiEAlvFpiEVKG9eubQGk-yxx8-01fAoKQJ2X8CsglISLC6h6bx_b76eR04U3FLlxbS2MNeBORtZvBZihTU0cQGNfuSLd0pAp12QLvUbAFOy-ZF9s4ya0ooBDet_3W_kCqw2SJvl7u1oNVjUt94ujMEPGhaHM/s1000/020%209480%201k%20On1IMG_9480.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dDpJSpKIFOSimdmm51SHqPOx06viC3mjiEAlvFpiEVKG9eubQGk-yxx8-01fAoKQJ2X8CsglISLC6h6bx_b76eR04U3FLlxbS2MNeBORtZvBZihTU0cQGNfuSLd0pAp12QLvUbAFOy-ZF9s4ya0ooBDet_3W_kCqw2SJvl7u1oNVjUt94ujMEPGhaHM/w640-h426/020%209480%201k%20On1IMG_9480.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">If there were fish in there, they were non-responsive (I should note that the one-handed fishing style that Rico is employing here would provide an excellent opportunity for a beer product placement …if only we had a suitable sponsor.)</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcorT_dmFeKEdASuurkMqJjFw9g9gU1QvUIPMjptFD0IBjkGBTDHVMHIXb40ixzKwrAlLKroaq_zKIg2IciQHUbDHtwLq9Q40oAvVze6QiYeCVPHaad9Qg0td-pA2ran8UHr36qeN2KTEhjfZe2-y0gdYp5aAo0gXhfq-o9PJTX5DdYs4jeVcZG2O8vw/s1000/021%209493%201k%20aIMG_9493.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcorT_dmFeKEdASuurkMqJjFw9g9gU1QvUIPMjptFD0IBjkGBTDHVMHIXb40ixzKwrAlLKroaq_zKIg2IciQHUbDHtwLq9Q40oAvVze6QiYeCVPHaad9Qg0td-pA2ran8UHr36qeN2KTEhjfZe2-y0gdYp5aAo0gXhfq-o9PJTX5DdYs4jeVcZG2O8vw/w640-h426/021%209493%201k%20aIMG_9493.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">But we needn’t limit sponsorship options to the manufacturers of beer beverages. It occurred to me that this scene might be an excellent opportunity to show off, for instance, a board game - one of those complicated ones with large unusually shaped die…or cards…or place-mats and napkin rings or crystal punch-bowls…or Solo cups…or….</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TQ76GcgHqkiNxwOyLsTEUSCxl12iZ8BELHeDs8zZhdMKENPgroLHRL9X8FJzc6DqXvywj5cKiRxVD3zXRkLiNo_RNMhgI6R78Tou-WaIncNNYjpHNmMZ1EJfSEsp7d1JUPYeJk6hJ8_i-sFsjMewF-4TnPlAQ99KinYKQdUvE07-MK7keDPtVOXmZAw/s1000/022%209494%201k%20On1IMG_9494.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TQ76GcgHqkiNxwOyLsTEUSCxl12iZ8BELHeDs8zZhdMKENPgroLHRL9X8FJzc6DqXvywj5cKiRxVD3zXRkLiNo_RNMhgI6R78Tou-WaIncNNYjpHNmMZ1EJfSEsp7d1JUPYeJk6hJ8_i-sFsjMewF-4TnPlAQ99KinYKQdUvE07-MK7keDPtVOXmZAw/w640-h426/022%209494%201k%20On1IMG_9494.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Once more we feel the turning of the Earth nudging us to find the night’s campsite.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></span><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">…to be continued.</span><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you need to catch up with the narrative? All the previous parts are available via these links:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 1: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/07/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-1.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part One)</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 2: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-two.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Two)</a></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 3: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-three.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Three)</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 4: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-four.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Four)</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 5: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-five.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Five)</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">And the next part is now available at: <br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 7: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/09/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-seven.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Seven)</a> </span></span></p><p></p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-71700300744687060662023-08-22T17:23:00.006-07:002023-08-30T18:10:27.514-07:00Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Five)<p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-65dc7899-7fff-6c1e-1153-f63ab86bbcd0" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsIOWu2S-JUMSlMAbNGd7DukUrpyIS66FtZAkNO939OOGv7NgPepS1d0Kof62H4-sTvX1I2rH4411Gc3RoYz33HNg5dWOr2iyZnUIS18BrwDBC1J6BFPx8YCj5hSmvHWGEBWFX8KX9s5hmP2z-44Cd5yRGtRxjW_TbfovrRT6HKq_mkEG6T8vuhMP8XU/s1000/001%201k%20front%20cover%20boglands.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsIOWu2S-JUMSlMAbNGd7DukUrpyIS66FtZAkNO939OOGv7NgPepS1d0Kof62H4-sTvX1I2rH4411Gc3RoYz33HNg5dWOr2iyZnUIS18BrwDBC1J6BFPx8YCj5hSmvHWGEBWFX8KX9s5hmP2z-44Cd5yRGtRxjW_TbfovrRT6HKq_mkEG6T8vuhMP8XU/w640-h640/001%201k%20front%20cover%20boglands.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-65dc7899-7fff-6c1e-1153-f63ab86bbcd0" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There used to be a ‘reality’ show on television called Alone. The concept for the show was that the producers would select individuals to abandon in the great outdoors with limited supplies, each completely isolated, and under challenging environmental conditions. Then, each, isolated, abandoned person would have to document their day-to-day experiences with selfie-camera-kits. The audience would check in each week to see who was finding successful survival strategies, and who was not, and only the person who stayed out the longest would win the substantial prize.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was struck by the difference between two contestants in particular. One guy, when he ‘did the math’ decided that the best way to win would be to avoid risk and conserve energy. He ended up burrowing under a log and kind of sleeping in there all day, occasionally finding slugs or bugs to eat. His existence was grim. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But another guy worked at making a boat so he could reach a likely spot to trap fish, and he built a comfortable substantial hut. I recall he had some setbacks that cost him - like his boat capsized and he may have lost some of his gear. But, when he ate, it wasn’t slugs, it was fish - fish that was cooked over a fire. Eventually, he found he had enough free time so that he was able to fabricate a little one-string musical instrument. And then he sang himself little songs. Objectively, the songs weren’t deep, or technically beautiful. But what struck me was that they sprang from a creative, joyful process and to me - well - I know which camp I’d rather be in.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhuaZ_ZYnhgr0ywRjy0dcLjJtRK07UnIglaghcQycUejIhEDvIUGwq2AP4vM8SDAo_TJVkL74tode27Z6M_AlPqSwMrvZvIA8QrFr8sGOE5nTIf50Zr-tx8ntjuBo5vcTbCuURb0F22vhnRBBSlvtvaOYdJDtalOEPDUSAi2tWpaYCx4YlufyTPvWcW4/s1000/002%201k%20On1aIMG_3127.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhuaZ_ZYnhgr0ywRjy0dcLjJtRK07UnIglaghcQycUejIhEDvIUGwq2AP4vM8SDAo_TJVkL74tode27Z6M_AlPqSwMrvZvIA8QrFr8sGOE5nTIf50Zr-tx8ntjuBo5vcTbCuURb0F22vhnRBBSlvtvaOYdJDtalOEPDUSAi2tWpaYCx4YlufyTPvWcW4/w640-h426/002%201k%20On1aIMG_3127.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I suspect the vehicles I’ve been privileged to ride in are, in part, the creative, joyful songs of Kip and Rico.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhql0YPBaMNPk9r2QeW2oknTSezMoe2wXihmSvBNRkrzW9T9Pr-TsaQOdtfFWodQZqV9FoT49Vt2W_o_hXMH5pohBesvl_m2WDG3I0EqyXdjU6fSp2bOG92RKyFtGhkXjztMG4FGejB6ovlCBif1lr-HlVvKvutBIl8eLxzAMm6oKQ0AXsBRYBLKCOq-ng/s1000/003%201k%20On1IMG_9228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhql0YPBaMNPk9r2QeW2oknTSezMoe2wXihmSvBNRkrzW9T9Pr-TsaQOdtfFWodQZqV9FoT49Vt2W_o_hXMH5pohBesvl_m2WDG3I0EqyXdjU6fSp2bOG92RKyFtGhkXjztMG4FGejB6ovlCBif1lr-HlVvKvutBIl8eLxzAMm6oKQ0AXsBRYBLKCOq-ng/w640-h426/003%201k%20On1IMG_9228.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I don’t mean to juxtapose a profane thing against a holy thing, but this little throne I found in a poop forest - well - even a little thing like this reeks of, among other things, art.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOjuMV0PzChGgYsR68XgA-UC-MdUBZqPwacA-blV_miJXPB7kgW3uJdDHBgZzdMM486TTGA3xBZ8CvTMQTwPWlbkauvf2B_HTJjJ2-jTSwI7QtIfjJtpGKq9CCVO9_SUakoB-LD3JNgBQ8Bf4UKX8D-N6llEOJxzg9XeyocWsEKU2mWsX2hSNWVYf12Y/s1000/004%201k%20On1IMG_9032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOjuMV0PzChGgYsR68XgA-UC-MdUBZqPwacA-blV_miJXPB7kgW3uJdDHBgZzdMM486TTGA3xBZ8CvTMQTwPWlbkauvf2B_HTJjJ2-jTSwI7QtIfjJtpGKq9CCVO9_SUakoB-LD3JNgBQ8Bf4UKX8D-N6llEOJxzg9XeyocWsEKU2mWsX2hSNWVYf12Y/w640-h426/004%201k%20On1IMG_9032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Time to police the cans, pack, and move on.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaytFNtxc3mm_Z653DXuUNFQYvwnK_Nxhk4OALpPxFJAkOJd3L6qlGXWuVDCpfm_-NV4y3KI9oqRtTrL12F8Jj-sE_fO5nVGi1Zxafk9nhYMgk5ypV5Pjr1uOLUqF8W2jiZYuwBYyCxwvX_5vkmylD8O8HxBtvPJc9pkb0pvhenoPDwFwiv93V75sTptQ/s1000/005%201k%20On1IMG_9030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaytFNtxc3mm_Z653DXuUNFQYvwnK_Nxhk4OALpPxFJAkOJd3L6qlGXWuVDCpfm_-NV4y3KI9oqRtTrL12F8Jj-sE_fO5nVGi1Zxafk9nhYMgk5ypV5Pjr1uOLUqF8W2jiZYuwBYyCxwvX_5vkmylD8O8HxBtvPJc9pkb0pvhenoPDwFwiv93V75sTptQ/w640-h426/005%201k%20On1IMG_9030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCNUVC0sD4YYfJEc6ioekuraUargvL-7xV3uS0HcbdTRCxdVdXqAu7ZnErsA_u8ClpYy-pKt5qh3V2IRockPQPLZ_IFoPH3u4P1SI0adFG1HnbQUFTfYmZLjAu8kW7j6Aqs_XCmRUmHkvOR2g7XA6ce6im5Ei3_FvYFqFhpq8YeZ0mc4PPVunMeiBse8/s1000/006%201k%20aIMG_9014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCNUVC0sD4YYfJEc6ioekuraUargvL-7xV3uS0HcbdTRCxdVdXqAu7ZnErsA_u8ClpYy-pKt5qh3V2IRockPQPLZ_IFoPH3u4P1SI0adFG1HnbQUFTfYmZLjAu8kW7j6Aqs_XCmRUmHkvOR2g7XA6ce6im5Ei3_FvYFqFhpq8YeZ0mc4PPVunMeiBse8/w640-h426/006%201k%20aIMG_9014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kip seems well-rested, well-fed, and cheerful. I feel pretty good too and begin to imagine I can predict the fitful lurchings of the Montero - as if I’m transforming into something of a bull rider attempting to stay balanced for eight seconds at a time.</span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“That was relaxing,” Kip sighs, “but now it’s time to resume exploring these expansive boglands.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes,” I agree, “I’m really looking forward to…WAIT! Did you say boglands?”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes, buglands,” Kip says, confusing the issue further.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Wait. Buglands or Boglands? What are you saying?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kip looks at me like I’m a slow learner. “I’m saying,” and here he sounds it out really slow, “Boog-lay-unds.” He carefully enunciates each syllable of the suspect word which this time, weirdly, suddenly has an extra syllable.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Damn it Kip, you’re saying it differently every time!”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No. I’m saying Bögland every time.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I try to shoot him some side-eye, but of course, he’s got to keep his eye on the road. But I study his face briefly to see if I can determine how full of shit he is. His face is inscrutable. I drop it. I don’t care.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZ2xIFhs-4vAj7MzQ4Ey5RpFk9F3ALCOzEuZhuGlHwFZrd6uGD_sZIjJ7OdycWDExRF_S-sCAKqc4PiV4toO05o54NQyoBXQz5oqx0oDv57T3aD5XsXEG8GLw37Gu1Sm0pyrEAuGUCRCP5uoTRQRj-mTe6ks4g5Y0TaB_lnwUidbRgJOyT7U0_-Vlpe4/s1000/007%201k%20On1IMG_9238%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZ2xIFhs-4vAj7MzQ4Ey5RpFk9F3ALCOzEuZhuGlHwFZrd6uGD_sZIjJ7OdycWDExRF_S-sCAKqc4PiV4toO05o54NQyoBXQz5oqx0oDv57T3aD5XsXEG8GLw37Gu1Sm0pyrEAuGUCRCP5uoTRQRj-mTe6ks4g5Y0TaB_lnwUidbRgJOyT7U0_-Vlpe4/w640-h426/007%201k%20On1IMG_9238%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We begin negotiating the switchbacks that lead to the canyon rim.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speaking of names, before the trip, I had such trouble trying to pronounce Owyhee that I checked out McArthur’s tome Oregon Geographic Names. Usually, there are great origin stories in there. Still, the Owyhee entry was curiously incomplete as if McArthur got lost in the middle of a thought and no proofreader caught it. A Wikipedia entry helped me to make sense of it and, generally speaking, the story goes something like this. In the early 1800s, The Northwest Company employed a not insignificant number of men from the Sandwich Islands as trappers who helped to explore Southeast Oregon. The indigenous name for the Sandwich Islands was Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands, but when Americans tried to spell it, it came out Owyhee. Anyway, 2 or 3 Hawaiians sent to explore an as yet un-named river (un-named by Western Europeans) never returned (presumably killed by indigenous Americans). Maybe a year later, a search party found one skeleton in that area, and I suppose as a memorial, the river was named in the missing men’s honor - The Owyhee.</span></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bVdXyoKK-Jjt4ccYCDS06brx_xtNwi7CiDZ-6lyZQ7Bk3Vd9sCCy1r-31D0EB6W1D9lM1NkA9PY81Wt84RFXyqiGBLXVWV0p6TZYlDtIrJDuRKgUnO_19uZcpylxC8B2ST5xirxxtkS9djbX842KEB7S7iA4oB7KXLA4-CU56sVKjVgWU3hyHZNBTKk/s1000/008%201k%20On120210811_095510.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="1000" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bVdXyoKK-Jjt4ccYCDS06brx_xtNwi7CiDZ-6lyZQ7Bk3Vd9sCCy1r-31D0EB6W1D9lM1NkA9PY81Wt84RFXyqiGBLXVWV0p6TZYlDtIrJDuRKgUnO_19uZcpylxC8B2ST5xirxxtkS9djbX842KEB7S7iA4oB7KXLA4-CU56sVKjVgWU3hyHZNBTKk/w640-h424/008%201k%20On120210811_095510.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Photo Credit: Rico)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By now Kip and his trusty Montero have begun the last challenging pitch between us and the plateau above. I can tell the grade is steeper and rougher because my body is doing a credible Raggedy Anne impression and I find myself flailing for that little handle in the ceiling. Kip seems newly emboldened and he spurs the Montero on, leaning into the gas pedal. To see Kip become one with his Montero is akin to listening to the harmonizations of Simon and Garfunkel. Okay, that was clumsy, but I was trying to work back around to that joyful singing idea from before. This moment just seemed like a culmination of all Kip’s engineering and improvements and hours logged into the Montero.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQUSA-oBszWAfQ0hbUaDQWch9fEvRb3e1p5U_IjrDoJhKseW_FxUGbEVbNBhFn00VU37KASJW2EFrSCU5YeLxIGKQg6LTwjLx_JeDzPcseqsX5alhi8yfLJQI7a3tTGP2eMCUXYLbXSQUsDbDHljegkJ65o2aytyM7oN6IV4AaL7kTizgCMzOwnqefnA/s1000/009%201k%20On1IMG_8965.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQUSA-oBszWAfQ0hbUaDQWch9fEvRb3e1p5U_IjrDoJhKseW_FxUGbEVbNBhFn00VU37KASJW2EFrSCU5YeLxIGKQg6LTwjLx_JeDzPcseqsX5alhi8yfLJQI7a3tTGP2eMCUXYLbXSQUsDbDHljegkJ65o2aytyM7oN6IV4AaL7kTizgCMzOwnqefnA/w640-h426/009%201k%20On1IMG_8965.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now we pause briefly where we paused before, but this time with familiarity and thankfulness…and a celebratory beer brand that will now remain nameless until I get a phone call.</span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kip and Rico exchange notes regarding the ascent and the performances of their respective vehicles. I listen vicariously. The formerly frozen beers are still ice cold and under these conditions taste almost miraculous. Finally, Rico drains his can and glancing around says something to the effect of, “Well, let’s see what the rest of these mysterious boglands have to offer!”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My ears perk up instantly. “Wait. What did you say?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What?” says Rico.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Boglands! You said Boglands,” I accuse.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No, No…Buglands.” He says.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“He said Böglands.” interjects Kip.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I squint my eyes at Kip and then just let it go. They are obviously in on it together. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HyuMcu76x-KEWkLLbkRfaMhghVXO_gGNcb3DHutlIpHIhtiJGVM4tC2qRchA_KCjbF8RlDCdNVvoEKO1M03G4WDw8Ml04l_gMZJag3S5b7RGvN3aAziUaC9itiPQZQAs1fboEmafuHc53EaG25MrZNrdTMSU-c8y4Cs7-9nVrRO4DE93eZDfhgXFL5A/s1000/010%201k%20On1IMG_9310.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HyuMcu76x-KEWkLLbkRfaMhghVXO_gGNcb3DHutlIpHIhtiJGVM4tC2qRchA_KCjbF8RlDCdNVvoEKO1M03G4WDw8Ml04l_gMZJag3S5b7RGvN3aAziUaC9itiPQZQAs1fboEmafuHc53EaG25MrZNrdTMSU-c8y4Cs7-9nVrRO4DE93eZDfhgXFL5A/w640-h426/010%201k%20On1IMG_9310.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The nearest place to acquire gasoline is Jordan, Oregon. This will be a good time to stop by something called the Jordan Craters.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQe0DEfNplTuqEZfT70YyVvlCYGJNpWpq1bMvYFTeW6lurfJB0RZPEk8V920G70ddDu-xCohQSjEnCkB7IWRy-mhqFyiY44QYgWpROlZ8M2ozSWyOOvY8vdKeXhjQlYgjDRRv26nAG8IoLTviw1mHCf7yaZ2Mod5kXOXu2LOFShl0MXSBLBEuzn5NMuE/s1000/011%201k%20On1IMG_9253.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQe0DEfNplTuqEZfT70YyVvlCYGJNpWpq1bMvYFTeW6lurfJB0RZPEk8V920G70ddDu-xCohQSjEnCkB7IWRy-mhqFyiY44QYgWpROlZ8M2ozSWyOOvY8vdKeXhjQlYgjDRRv26nAG8IoLTviw1mHCf7yaZ2Mod5kXOXu2LOFShl0MXSBLBEuzn5NMuE/w640-h426/011%201k%20On1IMG_9253.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the road, what looks like a Department of Transportation gravel cache slowly morphs into a ruined crater. The maps tell us this is Coffeepot Crater. Supposedly, 3,200 years ago, the crater was a standing cauldron of percolating lava which would periodically spill over and spread downslope across the plain.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNXxG8Xv5FB_j8cjJY1RDNDVXw0KZIxzbXPM57W3cT88cHzCepvjCAaGP_WoHZZiTuf0_3yFdfGBJIcxiyXx7AF2rF5Ck2fs85Ds7ULTH5P1FoMfkSuQ3iQOGHqJgjFS9I4v-nKa9dDsHClu5nrZCoLNUhkZrbnVOIPBD4IbM5TuCGQYPAR-qTERoUWs/s1000/012%201k%20On120210811_103253.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNXxG8Xv5FB_j8cjJY1RDNDVXw0KZIxzbXPM57W3cT88cHzCepvjCAaGP_WoHZZiTuf0_3yFdfGBJIcxiyXx7AF2rF5Ck2fs85Ds7ULTH5P1FoMfkSuQ3iQOGHqJgjFS9I4v-nKa9dDsHClu5nrZCoLNUhkZrbnVOIPBD4IbM5TuCGQYPAR-qTERoUWs/w640-h480/012%201k%20On120210811_103253.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The black pahoehoe lava appears as a severe scar across the landscape…but I guess in terms of deep geologic time, it might just be embryonic soil.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1U8YAZlyg5m6lMg-zz0d0Hvf9zO0Z_LuY7E-sl2liye_iq_qGnju7b-mqhyQg8Chdl3rVlUZ1Ij2qv42Z6zjv_z9LWKCZZwE68Zsbj68qbstHkG3qK4IY-nq1HVt80nbrUBZICrFnEjbeW5UN8Kphp6h-UFuaVnAiR5PCFMKox1nNAsbEWHclnR_SZY0/s1000/013%201k%20On1comp%20sky%20On1IMG_9280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1U8YAZlyg5m6lMg-zz0d0Hvf9zO0Z_LuY7E-sl2liye_iq_qGnju7b-mqhyQg8Chdl3rVlUZ1Ij2qv42Z6zjv_z9LWKCZZwE68Zsbj68qbstHkG3qK4IY-nq1HVt80nbrUBZICrFnEjbeW5UN8Kphp6h-UFuaVnAiR5PCFMKox1nNAsbEWHclnR_SZY0/w640-h428/013%201k%20On1comp%20sky%20On1IMG_9280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the rim of the crater, the breached walls suggest a tumultuous past.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHK-132I1wbnYmkH_4PnY-kD63z7lU9R371Sh_UX70aHmsfTG79Wu5deF8nPjobsl8yJzr61n7SP3TUY652oiqfxrB01jjiACQOOLjfsOpkj-Fv1ZW764q88T3VJlg53UrOyd2r28r-A4Xv54UEQ4v5vaPDTZKFkOwcqm_D6tQR9DQujY7WZU2vZxXWbQ/s1000/14%201kaIMG_9273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHK-132I1wbnYmkH_4PnY-kD63z7lU9R371Sh_UX70aHmsfTG79Wu5deF8nPjobsl8yJzr61n7SP3TUY652oiqfxrB01jjiACQOOLjfsOpkj-Fv1ZW764q88T3VJlg53UrOyd2r28r-A4Xv54UEQ4v5vaPDTZKFkOwcqm_D6tQR9DQujY7WZU2vZxXWbQ/w640-h426/14%201kaIMG_9273.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObaAZnGSso_CiOAbb1wACm62A8qTTKEvnwaqrgwWrs2-iP7_4O8lOD3cPFW9VxXPcZohaSKxcP13Ah1epbTAwTpJsPwZGRe6fjTsl7OUNB4cvf0QFqJGvcFkrn6qus4DVCnrl5wxP1id7rmsfIvAJ6pcPib9Y_ZSnTE5wo48WMQZwas2bkQYKD2J0eaQ/s1600/015%201k%20On1crater%2020210811_114226-Resize.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObaAZnGSso_CiOAbb1wACm62A8qTTKEvnwaqrgwWrs2-iP7_4O8lOD3cPFW9VxXPcZohaSKxcP13Ah1epbTAwTpJsPwZGRe6fjTsl7OUNB4cvf0QFqJGvcFkrn6qus4DVCnrl5wxP1id7rmsfIvAJ6pcPib9Y_ZSnTE5wo48WMQZwas2bkQYKD2J0eaQ/w640-h306/015%201k%20On1crater%2020210811_114226-Resize.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Photo Credit: Kip)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Looking downslope, a black hole cries out to be explored (Note Rico at center underneath the black hole and Deb at the edge of Coffeepot Crater at right).</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_XsFkM3BuDG-HVOpb18SyA730MSfAd7CXj_uaMfcT3FeH6QL9_2UkULISYtRpkp_56px6a3pZpVbGExZhDgEEu8p7Nua-1wEDsda-vVRICtGlM-ZW1mQk6ZxyA4nFnhdVZ26mnOiDDT_gcHn7S1IO69d8DFzQh4VSu2wAHjYC-O1pMrDzTgF-dVVyGA/s1000/16%201k%20On1IMG_9291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_XsFkM3BuDG-HVOpb18SyA730MSfAd7CXj_uaMfcT3FeH6QL9_2UkULISYtRpkp_56px6a3pZpVbGExZhDgEEu8p7Nua-1wEDsda-vVRICtGlM-ZW1mQk6ZxyA4nFnhdVZ26mnOiDDT_gcHn7S1IO69d8DFzQh4VSu2wAHjYC-O1pMrDzTgF-dVVyGA/w640-h426/16%201k%20On1IMG_9291.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, walking across the lava field is an eerie experience. The pahoehoe lava looks like hordes of giant writhing batter-pythons instantly frozen into a timeless snapshot. Visual cues suggest curvy motion and undulations, but the soles of your feet report the jarring unforgiving hardness of abrasive rock.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVdOq0UXTAJBn5HV6hxhWFfYGmB4vl7GTlNHzevFQB4ALVxT0aTHjYm4eWY4TJc40k8BEOYS3OcOyJqr5PSJzWaOKtFXWclacXnkaU2Ow4GQpbm1oMyqluuhYElVHGVumUd0ags3IJae2jNbWvqnEs7UY6CXp3Y9mPlV8S5qMmZA-85hvxLuCQ2sYzdw/s1000/017%201kaIMG_9292.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVdOq0UXTAJBn5HV6hxhWFfYGmB4vl7GTlNHzevFQB4ALVxT0aTHjYm4eWY4TJc40k8BEOYS3OcOyJqr5PSJzWaOKtFXWclacXnkaU2Ow4GQpbm1oMyqluuhYElVHGVumUd0ags3IJae2jNbWvqnEs7UY6CXp3Y9mPlV8S5qMmZA-85hvxLuCQ2sYzdw/w640-h426/017%201kaIMG_9292.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZj2cWFPJQxLJ1Brq4TpEsLhLEonu9e1I0xd6mS4vPgdJz0TdRJgA0P46gcuiCFWI3sUC6d_bEbPCJYRDEQi8T5diWKPU43cKjnrcjSa02iYgJdEMliK1JEwBTr1maO3PTvRbLCzPcekvvzQXnxNt5_L5pofjGSF0WCqIwXVzZ8fIhOPMhmqri5rsDP0E/s1000/018%201k%20On120210811_104619.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZj2cWFPJQxLJ1Brq4TpEsLhLEonu9e1I0xd6mS4vPgdJz0TdRJgA0P46gcuiCFWI3sUC6d_bEbPCJYRDEQi8T5diWKPU43cKjnrcjSa02iYgJdEMliK1JEwBTr1maO3PTvRbLCzPcekvvzQXnxNt5_L5pofjGSF0WCqIwXVzZ8fIhOPMhmqri5rsDP0E/w640-h480/018%201k%20On120210811_104619.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Photo Credit: Rico)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This lava flow covers 27 square miles. It’s pretty impressive, but I can’t help thinking back to our last John Day River expedition and the layers of basalt lava chronicled in the river canyon's walls.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDUZPYHtXdYLAmyQd8aLyks-E_fAWQ7ksgH0eYySQqVXFQRfJkn95xGMrxJNqfAfPPrvFjN69pdxLb2ohmyG1AVM7TpWRokopfX0uIFIcL3hHNfNjcwZBfKYBEfBROIBO7ZmqakZ90vVfrlxJTWL7yfmZ9PcLFHk5xLk3_BNRnQDRXOH95-vO3bKYbTc/s1000/019%201k%20On1P6250306.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDUZPYHtXdYLAmyQd8aLyks-E_fAWQ7ksgH0eYySQqVXFQRfJkn95xGMrxJNqfAfPPrvFjN69pdxLb2ohmyG1AVM7TpWRokopfX0uIFIcL3hHNfNjcwZBfKYBEfBROIBO7ZmqakZ90vVfrlxJTWL7yfmZ9PcLFHk5xLk3_BNRnQDRXOH95-vO3bKYbTc/w640-h480/019%201k%20On1P6250306.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> I’m not an expert basalt layer counter, yet it seems at least 13 layers are visible here.</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto17nfvf0pqBGlltKgO9CG9Dl7q6fB5KrKEH0IrOyXs9C2su3WJ3eeGABDGK1M8aReOGQOZKyw7IMJ5SN9X8jx-OlRIRK_lpgjbVsxx4YPZOBl_ECJeI6GneHD3D8-S-mJy4sIJfSZAZc9dlXNjMyIBvxCTnJLQIh80-26ytaKksQZSEM92HIi7AcYnk/s1000/020%201k%20lava%20flow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1000" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto17nfvf0pqBGlltKgO9CG9Dl7q6fB5KrKEH0IrOyXs9C2su3WJ3eeGABDGK1M8aReOGQOZKyw7IMJ5SN9X8jx-OlRIRK_lpgjbVsxx4YPZOBl_ECJeI6GneHD3D8-S-mJy4sIJfSZAZc9dlXNjMyIBvxCTnJLQIh80-26ytaKksQZSEM92HIi7AcYnk/w640-h486/020%201k%20lava%20flow.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A figure pulled from the article, Mantle Dynamics Beneath the Pacific Northwest and Generation of Voluminous Back-arc Volcanism by Long, Till, Drunken, Carlson, et al.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brown patch shows the extent of magma flows around Steens Mountain and the Columbia River Basin. That’s right, lava flowed all the way to the ocean. It defies imagination. These flows seem to be orders of magnitude beyond what one would expect for even the giant volcano upon which Hawaii perches. I guess it’s no wonder that flows of this magnitude are often correlated with extinction events.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVCqYrlZBGA-QfX-rKDVhH-GMKFR16mXuIMItfJL8QYo9mYJXnoB7B6EmOYX1yjn4lpP59JYIMH2wrtc95sf6M2m87s6WzzLyZToNiis5N5DBWAjc_0agefZxuDO7QZ8KYRyyHS1ZiYfxD0M3Ur8QoPWugMUkge1sSapmAaAijQ5YGqHJCdgjcmo6sds/s1000/021%201k%20On1IMG_9313.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVCqYrlZBGA-QfX-rKDVhH-GMKFR16mXuIMItfJL8QYo9mYJXnoB7B6EmOYX1yjn4lpP59JYIMH2wrtc95sf6M2m87s6WzzLyZToNiis5N5DBWAjc_0agefZxuDO7QZ8KYRyyHS1ZiYfxD0M3Ur8QoPWugMUkge1sSapmAaAijQ5YGqHJCdgjcmo6sds/w640-h426/021%201k%20On1IMG_9313.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The simplicity of a straight road, the even hum of the tires on a smooth surface, and hot baked air blowing in my window create a boredom field that lulls me in and out of sleep. The next thing I know we’ve entered Jordan and turn a corner at something that looks like a public handball court. The gas station sign here has a Brontosaurus logo on it.</span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Draining lukewarm water from the ice chests and restocking them with ice is a bit of production. If we had a beer sponsor, it would have been easy to quickly pick out more beer, but as it is, I’m free to pick any beer that catches my attention and so I flirt with different budget brands.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgAmtM4nfRfX_NJCrkoXKod188JNCeatGAE4SUQBivaIy1CZnKuZxIZLnq7tAiERHF_9GwxllUPqOIaS6Ciw-ubC1oiSUsdHGWFuc2302FKjZKny8w1HAsbfZXOn5VKhQAZn4xAoQZXD-11_9zpevEPVR7Vowarat-rj9rv9uihaxiddIC4e6c2v7KdU/s1000/022%201k%20On1IMG_9316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgAmtM4nfRfX_NJCrkoXKod188JNCeatGAE4SUQBivaIy1CZnKuZxIZLnq7tAiERHF_9GwxllUPqOIaS6Ciw-ubC1oiSUsdHGWFuc2302FKjZKny8w1HAsbfZXOn5VKhQAZn4xAoQZXD-11_9zpevEPVR7Vowarat-rj9rv9uihaxiddIC4e6c2v7KdU/w640-h426/022%201k%20On1IMG_9316.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkhb8GUiGhRl_DTnZRNuz13ZerJfOODs63LhxVqDUYTlwUBypETxYEpe8UwIf23wXZWV1_-pAFEPwbdFWU2rJ1I4EJ31frghiC4iS9p4SCButxIfnqe2cTibN1fWFomawNyy3sJ9dqUFMUzT20oZBlBPoZhWqPgyFqTDjWjrlaJ3V4jia3b567Lz4Ytg/s1000/023%201k%20On1IMG_9318.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkhb8GUiGhRl_DTnZRNuz13ZerJfOODs63LhxVqDUYTlwUBypETxYEpe8UwIf23wXZWV1_-pAFEPwbdFWU2rJ1I4EJ31frghiC4iS9p4SCButxIfnqe2cTibN1fWFomawNyy3sJ9dqUFMUzT20oZBlBPoZhWqPgyFqTDjWjrlaJ3V4jia3b567Lz4Ytg/w640-h426/023%201k%20On1IMG_9318.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> With essential supplies taken care of, we re-engage the open road.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsDkKRDGrxg6ZEJp-Pjo3F2tx2wmVGgQ2IOn0P4x8GqCWGm_1rqERav6dGyBvF4zyBNd65d75jfUmPjSNL1SP87zW9gL3_21oEAhVUrzAASJLgKlLjIMEwbFDgo5WE5W5SeTaalIlt9tOFXFQ_zT7KDLE2ui9ZtxTwkij77sKmGdrpE9fNL0uHBy28WI/s1000/024%201k%20On1IMG_9329.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsDkKRDGrxg6ZEJp-Pjo3F2tx2wmVGgQ2IOn0P4x8GqCWGm_1rqERav6dGyBvF4zyBNd65d75jfUmPjSNL1SP87zW9gL3_21oEAhVUrzAASJLgKlLjIMEwbFDgo5WE5W5SeTaalIlt9tOFXFQ_zT7KDLE2ui9ZtxTwkij77sKmGdrpE9fNL0uHBy28WI/w640-h426/024%201k%20On1IMG_9329.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are on the verge of descending into Leslie Gulch…</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XVSjpu8PqJITKTqxgI7HXXs2QJhTrSzIAZ4nou7nKsC90Lkpc7pUZs1nVgTjwc4DLlUzVMQMxiW87NpD9VcGZNIGzE7R6KkyXqrUmTT2jrKQ4vwTtvEnaegyW5RCmtfl3SYA5l4W3lq2jjmGrPLeEDwgW11G4kV9Tu5qGoQXZS162VDemJkSKOHlaBo/s1500/025%201k%20front%20and%20back%20boglands.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1500" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XVSjpu8PqJITKTqxgI7HXXs2QJhTrSzIAZ4nou7nKsC90Lkpc7pUZs1nVgTjwc4DLlUzVMQMxiW87NpD9VcGZNIGzE7R6KkyXqrUmTT2jrKQ4vwTtvEnaegyW5RCmtfl3SYA5l4W3lq2jjmGrPLeEDwgW11G4kV9Tu5qGoQXZS162VDemJkSKOHlaBo/w640-h322/025%201k%20front%20and%20back%20boglands.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the meantime, we imagine a Ukulele Road Trip Music LP from an alternative universe (Cover art by Deb)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be continued... </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you start reading in the middle of the story? These links provide access to the rest of the story. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 1: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/07/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-1.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part One)</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 2: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-two.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Two)</a></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 3: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-three.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Three)</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 4: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-four.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Four)</a> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">and the next part is now available:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 6: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-six.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Six)</a> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <br /></span></span></p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-82995432645438582882023-08-19T18:05:00.005-07:002023-08-23T14:03:17.596-07:00Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Four)<p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwry846JjjX3qJ3pD1q4L7bQabkCtQBfNjSM4I36J9Ize4LlZB5fCNb0OiFJJ_37ejMJhWqBcsZskSgLxLS_fFGTNoW6MuYGiGT4JEGyav48ELHEnbW-3D1H29T-HC7nJXiifSoPGx1YdHp6IMoYexLARvVY3mTKul0Ki1V_WD9-EBvjpfADZsVhYhMaY/s1000/001%201k%20On1aIMG_8957with%20arrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwry846JjjX3qJ3pD1q4L7bQabkCtQBfNjSM4I36J9Ize4LlZB5fCNb0OiFJJ_37ejMJhWqBcsZskSgLxLS_fFGTNoW6MuYGiGT4JEGyav48ELHEnbW-3D1H29T-HC7nJXiifSoPGx1YdHp6IMoYexLARvVY3mTKul0Ki1V_WD9-EBvjpfADZsVhYhMaY/w640-h426/001%201k%20On1aIMG_8957with%20arrow.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span>As near as I’ve been able to calculate, the red arrow points to our base of operations on the Owyhee River. This location is at the bottom end of about 48 miles of class II and III rapids - that is, if you happen to be there in the middle of May. If you’re there at the end of August and maybe during a season of drought, traveling by raft is rumored to be problematic.</span></span></p><p></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sitting in the shade, fishing and drinking beer is nice, but you can’t do it all day. Well, actually, you <i><b>can</b></i> do it all day, but we were also cognizant of other points of interest in the canyon.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One such site was archeological in nature, but the people who know of such sites tend to be protective of them - and for good reason.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtKeTYy2Md3MeCJDtAjWiHg4zLQcA_cVwbvOZns9IgZZX_OC1iq6y0XlKqtEoZY98EZHeE5i2MvKq4-Ci2L3TetEbAG3TaGGpY7mMJqyuxlDe-x1ARYuvtOlzv3r9A52TDBObzFQa8lZlLcsBUbikYU21yp81LRdYjnu-B_M9bm2lLv191c4ehY7sDFk/s1000/002%201k%20maupin%20shot%20compare.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1000" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtKeTYy2Md3MeCJDtAjWiHg4zLQcA_cVwbvOZns9IgZZX_OC1iq6y0XlKqtEoZY98EZHeE5i2MvKq4-Ci2L3TetEbAG3TaGGpY7mMJqyuxlDe-x1ARYuvtOlzv3r9A52TDBObzFQa8lZlLcsBUbikYU21yp81LRdYjnu-B_M9bm2lLv191c4ehY7sDFk/w640-h478/002%201k%20maupin%20shot%20compare.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(LEFT: pictogram peppered with bullet scars. RIGHT: Same image modified with Jon Harmon’s DStretch to better delineate the original art.)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For instance, this antler man that appears near Maupin, Oregon appears to be the victim of fairly intensive target practice.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfIKf3ooZizN6ggK2gU0wAuci6DiIf2lkv6vMSJM0-Ohlw2tI0QChmw_3fKUFFyntCCqWI05ggZRnxIMRDfkWqkopvBesoTDmqq1Aq-wszRWeD3U64kpJ-WLYYbr_ahUEqK-eE2zrRikqX242MVLuGg_Xv6Pk7-8PQNHw1ads2y2NEjvUtnvdzzFhzts/s1000/003%201k%20maupin%20painted%20analysis.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="746" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfIKf3ooZizN6ggK2gU0wAuci6DiIf2lkv6vMSJM0-Ohlw2tI0QChmw_3fKUFFyntCCqWI05ggZRnxIMRDfkWqkopvBesoTDmqq1Aq-wszRWeD3U64kpJ-WLYYbr_ahUEqK-eE2zrRikqX242MVLuGg_Xv6Pk7-8PQNHw1ads2y2NEjvUtnvdzzFhzts/w478-h640/003%201k%20maupin%20painted%20analysis.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(TOP: Various carved images - a medallion, a humanoid figure and a sunburst all defaced with spray paint. BOTTOM: The same image modified with Jon Harmon’s DStretch reveals a layer of spray paint that betrays a more modern, angsty origin.)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And these carved petroglyphs (also near Maupin) appear to have been covered in various layers of spray paint.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknzOwgPANOGdYVUMRmr3KuuBVo8lz_Mdb9-XTSAKUVZtJLkSK7hWKKD6S7XFeuOL56iKQdRkB3uKzQxq9Bex2rp6rorujG1j8bx-RN2OMrRKS908cjIuSShNRZBztRZl2cp9SKqRLni4SB7a2_ZxkbURKfzR0yu10yje8sa9MmYCl-bZUiqrnQ4jBYRE/s1000/004%201k%20On1IMG_9191%20maupin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknzOwgPANOGdYVUMRmr3KuuBVo8lz_Mdb9-XTSAKUVZtJLkSK7hWKKD6S7XFeuOL56iKQdRkB3uKzQxq9Bex2rp6rorujG1j8bx-RN2OMrRKS908cjIuSShNRZBztRZl2cp9SKqRLni4SB7a2_ZxkbURKfzR0yu10yje8sa9MmYCl-bZUiqrnQ4jBYRE/w426-h640/004%201k%20On1IMG_9191%20maupin.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Detail of the humanoid carving that appears beneath the ‘N’ in Tanya)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGs0dBrJWWuH-Yozcjs_ccIwgQM39HmfcWTiLfzMIUTEr7VOFDLJV3LeRdm4WNKU7rwToPL5IJ4CqbkzKsC9G6t_hFPtdQT1P1IRNRLw-dWdYvT-KxtwQRCjMo3KPGcI5LYw3Owa2_Az1Zb2hxBbZ8hPR2UJbU3tdTapQS1-nGvh3YvmiPeaqVyvTO7o/s1000/005%201k%20pic%20gorge%20scratch%20compare.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="746" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGs0dBrJWWuH-Yozcjs_ccIwgQM39HmfcWTiLfzMIUTEr7VOFDLJV3LeRdm4WNKU7rwToPL5IJ4CqbkzKsC9G6t_hFPtdQT1P1IRNRLw-dWdYvT-KxtwQRCjMo3KPGcI5LYw3Owa2_Az1Zb2hxBbZ8hPR2UJbU3tdTapQS1-nGvh3YvmiPeaqVyvTO7o/w478-h640/005%201k%20pic%20gorge%20scratch%20compare.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(TOP: Original image of pictograms in Picture Gorge. Note graffiti scratched over the top. BOTTOM: The same image modified with Jon Harmon’s DStretch to better reveal the extent of the original pictograms.)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And these Picture Gorge pictograms have likely been damaged by someone wielding a sharp rock as a scraping implement.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because of the protective reticence to share indigenous rock-art sites, the search for such places becomes something of a puzzle…or a treasure hunt.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhYFa7_fbqH2ttfim_DoBvy3CZt7BG4tMJAwS9IZvgJNlwXyW6DfXm0fEfHroTbFgTO7rY0c2Myp89_RrjiZxGOJgZJLQ0LivkHB5vqFNHaHLDz8KEyiGKIh1BIXxQE180JNOopsL1RyeU9tEXgroxh9QnYdmu9JeEvc9dhyYfwYdOCJcsJ4L-Ppi6Cw/s1000/006%201k%20On1IMG_9018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhYFa7_fbqH2ttfim_DoBvy3CZt7BG4tMJAwS9IZvgJNlwXyW6DfXm0fEfHroTbFgTO7rY0c2Myp89_RrjiZxGOJgZJLQ0LivkHB5vqFNHaHLDz8KEyiGKIh1BIXxQE180JNOopsL1RyeU9tEXgroxh9QnYdmu9JeEvc9dhyYfwYdOCJcsJ4L-Ppi6Cw/w640-h426/006%201k%20On1IMG_9018.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fortunately, Rico is pretty good at teasing the details out of arcane archeological papers and texts…and matching such details to pertinent landmarks.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJwARQl5lR-f0CAG5XVdPfRiMguyAYHnVZyhi3uXGFjKQ3rnZi7g7ZHtCyxNgazJGbvi_6sSpHJq8hvbKr5Ixpc42XqAdADAFwyf_cO1c1L28d0IbTf-l97ZFS0ERejecplorHsP0T0BRV2c_zdkmHu0r9UgGlegTIkjsDhvcIk6MOvbUe-1VCNQfxEU/s1000/007%201k%20On1IMG_9084.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJwARQl5lR-f0CAG5XVdPfRiMguyAYHnVZyhi3uXGFjKQ3rnZi7g7ZHtCyxNgazJGbvi_6sSpHJq8hvbKr5Ixpc42XqAdADAFwyf_cO1c1L28d0IbTf-l97ZFS0ERejecplorHsP0T0BRV2c_zdkmHu0r9UgGlegTIkjsDhvcIk6MOvbUe-1VCNQfxEU/w640-h426/007%201k%20On1IMG_9084.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We end up at a spot that looks like it would have been a pretty nice camp for a slightly bigger, higher river. Perhaps the level area where we parked would have been a nice broad beach.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7CXoWGp_5PEYarCFcigH2bv8ywNcjN6kbDHdhFbFY_D2yr_WGV5HpspQVzraTt7NEF-IkNmK7WJv_vwQnS3hhCKJKa6_fVyzuX2y1Zu53X0OYFAHEKHd7xE4Gli4P6FvLiHFgT8h5SPhVHhJ_mf-TSjEeJ9UyryCqQ-gvSz01fBrvtkFTIwS_jLJc_U/s1000/008%201k%20On1IMG_9175.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7CXoWGp_5PEYarCFcigH2bv8ywNcjN6kbDHdhFbFY_D2yr_WGV5HpspQVzraTt7NEF-IkNmK7WJv_vwQnS3hhCKJKa6_fVyzuX2y1Zu53X0OYFAHEKHd7xE4Gli4P6FvLiHFgT8h5SPhVHhJ_mf-TSjEeJ9UyryCqQ-gvSz01fBrvtkFTIwS_jLJc_U/w640-h426/008%201k%20On1IMG_9175.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nearby, a mound of earth features large river polished rocks. Some of these large boulders feature expansive flatish surfaces.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFAffYdVPHi2lsO0H8dzodzGZ3WJ-V68f_Aq_r7a_ClCKbd6CN3LejxAy8ZshcVYSpluJSUvUvskKbSTdxnjOKC_yTMAcaNj-Ht3wOiC2u3VUMh0GlVaXx-pebcmm7z8u45WzpVekFqAAu1vrhax19cJrGGDPhex8FrYizwBu4fpqJkIiF-7KUh-PyE8/s1000/009%201k%20On1IMG_9091.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFAffYdVPHi2lsO0H8dzodzGZ3WJ-V68f_Aq_r7a_ClCKbd6CN3LejxAy8ZshcVYSpluJSUvUvskKbSTdxnjOKC_yTMAcaNj-Ht3wOiC2u3VUMh0GlVaXx-pebcmm7z8u45WzpVekFqAAu1vrhax19cJrGGDPhex8FrYizwBu4fpqJkIiF-7KUh-PyE8/w640-h426/009%201k%20On1IMG_9091.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In some cases, it is possible to identify pecked markings - markings formed by the removal of the darker desert patina from the rock’s surface, leaving the lighter substrate to stand out as an intentional design (There may be a pecked oval shape in the center of the rock above).</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JdlbbZ9lb8GMoSvMg8eRZQdjDir1GNCcwB0-H9_FXLcBaWgAfmJZ01oWNhcgznLwO-4RcaftSTE_YHHZyAlCeNQsK51Tnv4CvQ-oT7ZlXf2ffu-U6PpJ8tu0W4GuEBofwzSnvwVBT3euQPD52SCCW9REM15a86l0Y6aPrCm8XBchHIlpci37sDWvtYg/s1000/010%201k%20On1IMG_9081.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JdlbbZ9lb8GMoSvMg8eRZQdjDir1GNCcwB0-H9_FXLcBaWgAfmJZ01oWNhcgznLwO-4RcaftSTE_YHHZyAlCeNQsK51Tnv4CvQ-oT7ZlXf2ffu-U6PpJ8tu0W4GuEBofwzSnvwVBT3euQPD52SCCW9REM15a86l0Y6aPrCm8XBchHIlpci37sDWvtYg/w640-h426/010%201k%20On1IMG_9081.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elsewhere, where the desert patina does not provide enough contrast, or the artist intended to make a more emphatic point, the pecked lines have been invested with more time and effort until they have become engraved.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve broached the topic of rock art before: </span><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-mystery-wrapped-in-enigma-squeezed.html" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-mystery-wrapped-in-enigma-squeezed.html</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">…so without going on too much of a tangent, I’ll just say the mystery of it is perpetually tantalizing to me. It’s like finding a message in a bottle…but in a language nobody speaks anymore. How important is the message? Was it sent by someone facing death on a sinking ship? Did seven stranded castaways try to reveal the location of their island? Or is it just advertisements for some shady shaman’s latest herbal remedy or a pubescent youth’s love proclamation for his parallel ‘Tanya’?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY0IiU1wVMlbflcb5VKErn8VKzWQowT72pT0ed3SxdcMcmArjSD08_-XEcAzxkp6otyugZKa9C1D91z9-NeQP8XLc_il3mxJ_hZMuJPa5pirLu4EMuEfp8cZPknNDO3jFtD7flAWcQv097iBO0Nlj62SqTw4XnMyImp72QYqmaC8rlkNUeeuNjDjfWMo/s1000/011%201k%20On1IMG_9123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY0IiU1wVMlbflcb5VKErn8VKzWQowT72pT0ed3SxdcMcmArjSD08_-XEcAzxkp6otyugZKa9C1D91z9-NeQP8XLc_il3mxJ_hZMuJPa5pirLu4EMuEfp8cZPknNDO3jFtD7flAWcQv097iBO0Nlj62SqTw4XnMyImp72QYqmaC8rlkNUeeuNjDjfWMo/w426-h640/011%201k%20On1IMG_9123.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anthropomorphic figures seem to lend themselves to narratives, but it is hard to get beyond pure speculation. I want to know why someone felt it was worth their time to tap a stick figure into a rock next to the river. I try to imagine what the landscape looked like when the drawing was created. I wonder about the art’s placement on the rock. Is the figure obvious, like a sign? Or is the viewer required to climb to a more precarious viewpoint?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, while struggling to identify the patterns and the symbols, one must also guard against the tendency to see patterns where they don’t really exist. Am I looking at a meticulously rendered grid pattern, or is this just the way a crystalline basalt weathers over a thousand years?</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I find the urge to interpret irresistible.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggtDGZoWztLioSvbo9nckLpNYffZWnLJ5oMPUQg_s-KLSr9kyh1H7qiA6qHSjcZsK5pg8GI84_gwwQRg8IK39mKMYvcWSvomeSi9GMvnKHzqT8Mf_iDf6hXUNs1gaWmrV3VAjALWjL5YRHEtC1iGo2qSGcwjP2oSGG3PRgyUqrBB-5TRsxjtOuYc4sp0/s1000/012%201k%20On1IMG_9130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggtDGZoWztLioSvbo9nckLpNYffZWnLJ5oMPUQg_s-KLSr9kyh1H7qiA6qHSjcZsK5pg8GI84_gwwQRg8IK39mKMYvcWSvomeSi9GMvnKHzqT8Mf_iDf6hXUNs1gaWmrV3VAjALWjL5YRHEtC1iGo2qSGcwjP2oSGG3PRgyUqrBB-5TRsxjtOuYc4sp0/w426-h640/012%201k%20On1IMG_9130.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While this image is visible from the ground, I find I can get a more encompassing shot of it by climbing on top of the rock it’s on and standing. I don’t see it as an animal or humanoid. But maybe it depicts a road - a path - or maybe a map.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMHeyF6z8v1OrKQTwZLwwSJ3NooakQDbkl4FRrft1q9QVbOmWIqKFQ5V2Rh3FlPR4EDFLuGPaIi9m0fbL9INlpsUsP0Jo4VJQ0A9H24RXNKVanfFnTcrINmOyfbtvrzld8hvxyPPyrnRpPtThcvag82pxrnP9UI42g2HCU48CuZou0DCcZM36SbsFQUQ/s1000/013%201k%20compare%20P%20to%20M.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMHeyF6z8v1OrKQTwZLwwSJ3NooakQDbkl4FRrft1q9QVbOmWIqKFQ5V2Rh3FlPR4EDFLuGPaIi9m0fbL9INlpsUsP0Jo4VJQ0A9H24RXNKVanfFnTcrINmOyfbtvrzld8hvxyPPyrnRpPtThcvag82pxrnP9UI42g2HCU48CuZou0DCcZM36SbsFQUQ/w640-h480/013%201k%20compare%20P%20to%20M.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(LEFT: Rock-art. RIGHT: Google Earth map)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just for fun, I check out the landscape as depicted in Google Earth and compare it to the rock-art carving.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfp7vH1xMyOsb-jPNKTct_i4O80h1i1wTOKUU4jpHuL1eyS_81fnAFjr_L5GJSnnj7OllJJYhGBRpNWpaUHAOSyIEiARCnUNGmqXQ6q34xSnMjy7ZWxj4WeL3L3LVh5k-2IwLFtL0qf-SXUTq2MUTqFLsya_D-S5Kpqg9N5f7cNCmvd5IDZGvsJooPlI/s1000/014%201k%20On1IMG_9079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfp7vH1xMyOsb-jPNKTct_i4O80h1i1wTOKUU4jpHuL1eyS_81fnAFjr_L5GJSnnj7OllJJYhGBRpNWpaUHAOSyIEiARCnUNGmqXQ6q34xSnMjy7ZWxj4WeL3L3LVh5k-2IwLFtL0qf-SXUTq2MUTqFLsya_D-S5Kpqg9N5f7cNCmvd5IDZGvsJooPlI/w640-h426/014%201k%20On1IMG_9079.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other rocks perhaps carry tally-marks - the counting of specific events, or visits?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lOa64KVszUaqzqgu-n4omdHAOdMbrBLDvIug_goj0qIvs3DeeRrI7j_9qcrnsU0mCRqfGTh8comoJPKvr7e9fkBcsYvAwI-dudx8suqIgevWrYPOuPlL191mQ1tGcegN2Nd-pmBJj9Flb8tdXnEU6rcgRdDT1x3yz9eq7ByAvmFTUGdeIl1ZcXlR9yY/s1000/015%201k%20aIMG_9097.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lOa64KVszUaqzqgu-n4omdHAOdMbrBLDvIug_goj0qIvs3DeeRrI7j_9qcrnsU0mCRqfGTh8comoJPKvr7e9fkBcsYvAwI-dudx8suqIgevWrYPOuPlL191mQ1tGcegN2Nd-pmBJj9Flb8tdXnEU6rcgRdDT1x3yz9eq7ByAvmFTUGdeIl1ZcXlR9yY/w640-h426/015%201k%20aIMG_9097.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of the rocks seem to show evidence that a substantially larger river carved and shaped this landscape.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp4Uvx0K9zEcP2D-rADcR9h3NRXPz3C-sKo1Cl47ieFkDgtG5OPAPM0Qau9sqKZjazDr43IXPC6hODlEU-fvv1qeemhq1gUDYBzZyD4YIwK_XuyV2ZmifeeXdM8yhNbM3JqiI_dwsawODVO147RlwYLbh4uFAWyrsBdCT-IBl_6C35VYCdklUjfYFv64/s1000/016%201k%20On120210810_103513.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtp4Uvx0K9zEcP2D-rADcR9h3NRXPz3C-sKo1Cl47ieFkDgtG5OPAPM0Qau9sqKZjazDr43IXPC6hODlEU-fvv1qeemhq1gUDYBzZyD4YIwK_XuyV2ZmifeeXdM8yhNbM3JqiI_dwsawODVO147RlwYLbh4uFAWyrsBdCT-IBl_6C35VYCdklUjfYFv64/w640-h480/016%201k%20On120210810_103513.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyri5ffI2YOc468-qbE8-0kgF4Mb41BsbEXa9YgROrekkTrXNxi9BTkzFdtvzpIw8ztmf4-pTgzjadu3Q0twuX9ggY9M0ms-aTqzTBbJctaLrqAybJWewOfCDYBusRR7zR8MG3410tHQrSfZg23a9aregfXl3AeHvAdHY9WJfG5vHQgWKKzCXheyRBsk/s1000/017%201k%20On1IMG_9101.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyri5ffI2YOc468-qbE8-0kgF4Mb41BsbEXa9YgROrekkTrXNxi9BTkzFdtvzpIw8ztmf4-pTgzjadu3Q0twuX9ggY9M0ms-aTqzTBbJctaLrqAybJWewOfCDYBusRR7zR8MG3410tHQrSfZg23a9aregfXl3AeHvAdHY9WJfG5vHQgWKKzCXheyRBsk/w640-h426/017%201k%20On1IMG_9101.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here, a large boulder appears to have been carved into a big bowl. One explanation for this structure is that it is a pothole - a circular impression in the rock caused by turbulent swirling water that utilizes pebbles and sediments to abrade the rock. These often appear in flowing river beds and absolutely gigantic examples can be found up in central Washington in the landscapes carved by ice-age floods.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcejynkmAgxqaaIJyAIpb4jZ6kJ2KLqF8CRamb-E9eH9L2ESfYxx1D7oVCTOdnkGr0bJl2Drb7nuPCJAfnGsa94WZdkW4TI3mIL8D_EghG2srd8AiZPy5JoUKTogP4GCwR3gyy7O2XTw4XSGiSjyYvLYmCNi0F1T1ZTFEJIBWejl_Hw7Gm1KKkbzgL7Y/s1000/018%201k%20On1aIMG_7270.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcejynkmAgxqaaIJyAIpb4jZ6kJ2KLqF8CRamb-E9eH9L2ESfYxx1D7oVCTOdnkGr0bJl2Drb7nuPCJAfnGsa94WZdkW4TI3mIL8D_EghG2srd8AiZPy5JoUKTogP4GCwR3gyy7O2XTw4XSGiSjyYvLYmCNi0F1T1ZTFEJIBWejl_Hw7Gm1KKkbzgL7Y/w426-h640/018%201k%20On1aIMG_7270.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In fact, there were countless examples of carved out pot-holes on the Umpqua River.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR2Iiox11NYNfgu9RyRwdqQT88w-Vtkb7LjSEoxnCX8UnDpiZ4tAF5sc8fInLdVGhS6pgizzhzKFlY44XJFJKNrG44pGgdQscaIY8GH-T0spzNsqGmbZjtGUSu4moLiilRlVVZIBQ-I0WUmDoq61wnVyJp6i737JSVyHTjbKfCwSOi4ILENcATWvrZ74/s1000/019%201kaIMG_9106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR2Iiox11NYNfgu9RyRwdqQT88w-Vtkb7LjSEoxnCX8UnDpiZ4tAF5sc8fInLdVGhS6pgizzhzKFlY44XJFJKNrG44pGgdQscaIY8GH-T0spzNsqGmbZjtGUSu4moLiilRlVVZIBQ-I0WUmDoq61wnVyJp6i737JSVyHTjbKfCwSOi4ILENcATWvrZ74/w640-h426/019%201kaIMG_9106.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Closer examination reveals that this naturally formed feature has been further refined and decorated. Could this natural indentation have served as a sort of mortar for the processing of grains or medicinal plants?</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp5Kpo7gbSkgKBv4zZ_yRZTSnYnMh_YbOhEJuMi90C3i-sHEc5Gd454cUY0sPkIoyoxjnWLPsZd-EDWeqdyiE7hVkV2_gghmIHdOlrf_oyFHzoopgoZkURdLcsaDZ5kYPZnM91gBUxelPpo9SyIzCxuDnnjKONUAv9rC9x-jFrPD04nmAgEZ-gRotin8/s1000/020%201k%20recipe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp5Kpo7gbSkgKBv4zZ_yRZTSnYnMh_YbOhEJuMi90C3i-sHEc5Gd454cUY0sPkIoyoxjnWLPsZd-EDWeqdyiE7hVkV2_gghmIHdOlrf_oyFHzoopgoZkURdLcsaDZ5kYPZnM91gBUxelPpo9SyIzCxuDnnjKONUAv9rC9x-jFrPD04nmAgEZ-gRotin8/w640-h426/020%201k%20recipe.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Given that context, could the markings then be interpreted as a sort of recipe (especially if we assume a much (much) more verdant landscape)?</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzBF-xRWjvLzVPJ1HZzHs0W3ZGSsq3dLjFjOW2h1cG9Ij-X_nd2_L6cJmikMuThiEtEGCODnGzumnmEX1-gSCsE11Y7mO07gKQNwte4Z9I-Y4Cel4WfultU31kybsT8E3oSc_Z8CNNdIv0CapR2zR9WOoUA7_3LiBk73hB3WkC4ysoMp_XqbxLEm6rgk/s1000/021%201k%20On1spock%20phaser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzBF-xRWjvLzVPJ1HZzHs0W3ZGSsq3dLjFjOW2h1cG9Ij-X_nd2_L6cJmikMuThiEtEGCODnGzumnmEX1-gSCsE11Y7mO07gKQNwte4Z9I-Y4Cel4WfultU31kybsT8E3oSc_Z8CNNdIv0CapR2zR9WOoUA7_3LiBk73hB3WkC4ysoMp_XqbxLEm6rgk/w640-h426/021%201k%20On1spock%20phaser.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, now my naive speculations have taken on the ridiculous timbre of pseudo-scientists hawking ancient alien theories. “Could these deep gouges in the rock really be made by mere humans using nothing but sticks and stones, or, is it more likely that this is evidence of aliens with advanced technology?”</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VcDJZpn8XU4VPF9cvyh1dO2k9czVqlZHIi7V3uPciqj1TNdGATu-tCViYliH_-Vqy9EQKhbf13j06BEiNzJnXAQskmG3rkSynvgk8rxbvLXBEBtiY5n-Xt-aJ5WCqMUPh8Zc-qg2JImZQId49YHWANERJQ2htB9azPPojjMqSreuk8C_pKysUyIT4LQ/s1000/022%201k%20On1spocksMom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VcDJZpn8XU4VPF9cvyh1dO2k9czVqlZHIi7V3uPciqj1TNdGATu-tCViYliH_-Vqy9EQKhbf13j06BEiNzJnXAQskmG3rkSynvgk8rxbvLXBEBtiY5n-Xt-aJ5WCqMUPh8Zc-qg2JImZQId49YHWANERJQ2htB9azPPojjMqSreuk8C_pKysUyIT4LQ/w640-h426/022%201k%20On1spocksMom.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Shout out to Atomic Arts Theater Company for those 5 years when they did Star Trek in the Park - Scene from Journey to Babel.)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwsg8InW5lahB6zJm-VpwWma4i1a-txrAiO9_HskexWDDOEfqEV019jMFGd6S87B_hQtoUt13UbtnNmADW97rjm5krXPH9C6-CYfGzQbkyvDHqEbIlIYOq6uxO3Yt1pczBGls0Kr9tApHQEjtUZUXOCtcExTdpSzr_OpU_QNvvKclswgy_5-sOidLwUo/s1000/023%201k%20On120210810_103221.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwsg8InW5lahB6zJm-VpwWma4i1a-txrAiO9_HskexWDDOEfqEV019jMFGd6S87B_hQtoUt13UbtnNmADW97rjm5krXPH9C6-CYfGzQbkyvDHqEbIlIYOq6uxO3Yt1pczBGls0Kr9tApHQEjtUZUXOCtcExTdpSzr_OpU_QNvvKclswgy_5-sOidLwUo/w640-h480/023%201k%20On120210810_103221.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The old rock art makes you wonder. Was this area a village? Was it a well known destination? Did it mark a river crossing? Did it mark a boundary between nations? Was it simply an excellent place to fish?</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRzAO1xqjv_AQ15H2IYFQ3rfYHVKSvI9iQ1tuoJEJNpUIy16UYc6iBE51o9mj16Nr3i-nE1kfo4i94ZeOmhK-PmD_j9sSQ6cXjzsQGPsBSuz3Js6LqhecWs53Krz3MWRn1sVwX8Hvlaw3KGjAeZnQtGkMQk4hOT4gVMass1vYS5v_phJ-5-CEBnCZDzE/s1000/024%201k%20On1IMG_9171.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRzAO1xqjv_AQ15H2IYFQ3rfYHVKSvI9iQ1tuoJEJNpUIy16UYc6iBE51o9mj16Nr3i-nE1kfo4i94ZeOmhK-PmD_j9sSQ6cXjzsQGPsBSuz3Js6LqhecWs53Krz3MWRn1sVwX8Hvlaw3KGjAeZnQtGkMQk4hOT4gVMass1vYS5v_phJ-5-CEBnCZDzE/w640-h426/024%201k%20On1IMG_9171.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can at least test that last one out by running a few experiments.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEInBT04TtvzlFg9PTn_GXC8bI3E9TCn5dGGMWA-ufNRfO35BVFH4gNDTWIU0M48aQ5he2K73pT50N-uJu8b5rsFWtfXMQCZbtTxtbYHBGG4Cm7ecYOWBo6VEtE1bvy5M_TFp1cDL7xnJfdYhTFK_e36HE4g_6BmtU3M788XPR9D9IrJOnhJdH269Lqz0/s1000/025%201k%20On1IMG_9168.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEInBT04TtvzlFg9PTn_GXC8bI3E9TCn5dGGMWA-ufNRfO35BVFH4gNDTWIU0M48aQ5he2K73pT50N-uJu8b5rsFWtfXMQCZbtTxtbYHBGG4Cm7ecYOWBo6VEtE1bvy5M_TFp1cDL7xnJfdYhTFK_e36HE4g_6BmtU3M788XPR9D9IrJOnhJdH269Lqz0/w640-h426/025%201k%20On1IMG_9168.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DgFZzeFSt00GdOkBtcMw_esnIWdIwrnJiJCoKqOgD1m1RUBHeGOjz7hHDe28KYoo0lIpNjaO3ZoOu_IDEXgFj5FchIsdXaharuUDYDX-OfEG03m2pWPc1SYxF8_rFgpWusddseWh3m4lTTYd3hoq5BiK2kDgli4o6_J7v5wt2aOsz_986RT0eKQPR8A/s1000/026%201k%20On120210810_125711.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DgFZzeFSt00GdOkBtcMw_esnIWdIwrnJiJCoKqOgD1m1RUBHeGOjz7hHDe28KYoo0lIpNjaO3ZoOu_IDEXgFj5FchIsdXaharuUDYDX-OfEG03m2pWPc1SYxF8_rFgpWusddseWh3m4lTTYd3hoq5BiK2kDgli4o6_J7v5wt2aOsz_986RT0eKQPR8A/w640-h480/026%201k%20On120210810_125711.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We head back to base camp as the sun approaches its apex.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-rfkFx33oNLeuiKnwNmNYtIewVgPXqGEEiFrHnStB9WSVBV2_M5ufo5b4TRc52z3jhwSF8o-zOWxHNlIaygi-gSK34I2FKtIY3LwNuuZ8mHGPq7jND_WP264IoTavNdqNk-c29In5cN6ZcG1S8M9ncr33SMNfkYk4EPWBuCOSerKvewSbuWIQXjZiJM/s1000/027%201k%20On120210810_130403.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-rfkFx33oNLeuiKnwNmNYtIewVgPXqGEEiFrHnStB9WSVBV2_M5ufo5b4TRc52z3jhwSF8o-zOWxHNlIaygi-gSK34I2FKtIY3LwNuuZ8mHGPq7jND_WP264IoTavNdqNk-c29In5cN6ZcG1S8M9ncr33SMNfkYk4EPWBuCOSerKvewSbuWIQXjZiJM/w640-h480/027%201k%20On120210810_130403.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Photo Credit: Kip)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At this point, we have been aware of a cluster of house-like buildings up river, but we don’t yet know if they are occupied. This time is as good as any to see if we have neighbors.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m2lhZ7cKlOToMij4TzCbpMq10kSKUBaj1knxyiZkDWjDDD-qsxykn1hQXYqDSUYdv8cPEFPi2GNWo4QusYLrwPeHQFRJTLmwHrcgKYJs568cb8c3StFyxTxeWr1uxrybgjhUuAaGoy9N-VHlCfW_FIn5_WfGAxdo3qgkc03KtrCd1VaRep-7mhjiCps/s1000/028%201k%20On1IMG_9189.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_m2lhZ7cKlOToMij4TzCbpMq10kSKUBaj1knxyiZkDWjDDD-qsxykn1hQXYqDSUYdv8cPEFPi2GNWo4QusYLrwPeHQFRJTLmwHrcgKYJs568cb8c3StFyxTxeWr1uxrybgjhUuAaGoy9N-VHlCfW_FIn5_WfGAxdo3qgkc03KtrCd1VaRep-7mhjiCps/w640-h426/028%201k%20On1IMG_9189.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdI9p9btqL7qI2gRdQyfmIlOxiRwfxHLyh5KCV058fZKudN4vrDinruTjSTw3Itrous82CaHrWdR_gJ4HojvGt64SGY1RSPJ3GX59NMEtlGJMQFAi3CTiPSVPbrIu0uL_5fuCKM7QrCXbQMPtE4EQfgjed7-Yyg0WUBVTTCvc4hnylxp6xd1yyY4qjQY0/s1000/029%201k%20On1IMG_9179.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdI9p9btqL7qI2gRdQyfmIlOxiRwfxHLyh5KCV058fZKudN4vrDinruTjSTw3Itrous82CaHrWdR_gJ4HojvGt64SGY1RSPJ3GX59NMEtlGJMQFAi3CTiPSVPbrIu0uL_5fuCKM7QrCXbQMPtE4EQfgjed7-Yyg0WUBVTTCvc4hnylxp6xd1yyY4qjQY0/w640-h426/029%201k%20On1IMG_9179.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35JaT8l5Cx7EYEomHKRdsUeXq4InGv-qSvK_K_HD3bUUVDHBnU5LKrIF_MbN3NS9yB3V9HtfRgmXUiXen-ymVT7kV79iGaj1JXGZGae0CVOoGrmFtr1pq1ak3PnsWwP9H3r6HUiifWsj9HpgN2bdqaKZLrTr6q8LskTn3z8Hcra_jtshWtHLObqejhfo/s1000/030%201k%20On1IMG_9177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35JaT8l5Cx7EYEomHKRdsUeXq4InGv-qSvK_K_HD3bUUVDHBnU5LKrIF_MbN3NS9yB3V9HtfRgmXUiXen-ymVT7kV79iGaj1JXGZGae0CVOoGrmFtr1pq1ak3PnsWwP9H3r6HUiifWsj9HpgN2bdqaKZLrTr6q8LskTn3z8Hcra_jtshWtHLObqejhfo/w426-h640/030%201k%20On1IMG_9177.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB9UJ04iazaPSq9RRUGZzETx3HhlC8SOQ9ms1IhGUDdKjOAgI3-9sSmtynkSWQP7R5ZUl2plJxWC9DQ8gDQsXpn3Fgg0LVCAju9P8hpApokj77UKrd9ITbsTp2MUuf-s5rKkoeWFj6vsE9TYdcySjt9-V0DNqsFOghUXTbnFOtlXFt_hpMquEpS9LrDA/s1000/031%201k%20On1IMG_9182%20distort.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB9UJ04iazaPSq9RRUGZzETx3HhlC8SOQ9ms1IhGUDdKjOAgI3-9sSmtynkSWQP7R5ZUl2plJxWC9DQ8gDQsXpn3Fgg0LVCAju9P8hpApokj77UKrd9ITbsTp2MUuf-s5rKkoeWFj6vsE9TYdcySjt9-V0DNqsFOghUXTbnFOtlXFt_hpMquEpS9LrDA/w426-h640/031%201k%20On1IMG_9182%20distort.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We appear to be alone.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgcUI_86ZI5R_iWHlfRN83Tx0y_69_VcG_RkMxaIXp3FjsaoQ899fhci-QrElW4BhQFuCGpP8V1Fb-UxzwlEgMpvcLt6eZyQPfCsYoAAE4jbwuldIcmI8UrSWGCulIZZWyPkf3ojYV4qkWNwPZOghtv_YemgjSNm3hUe520GJqyr4Agazz3ISvIiXVo8/s1000/034%201k%20On120210810_162300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgcUI_86ZI5R_iWHlfRN83Tx0y_69_VcG_RkMxaIXp3FjsaoQ899fhci-QrElW4BhQFuCGpP8V1Fb-UxzwlEgMpvcLt6eZyQPfCsYoAAE4jbwuldIcmI8UrSWGCulIZZWyPkf3ojYV4qkWNwPZOghtv_YemgjSNm3hUe520GJqyr4Agazz3ISvIiXVo8/w480-h640/034%201k%20On120210810_162300.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Photo Credit: Kip)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back at camp, Rico uses his meat thermometer to give us some idea of how hot it is. Rather ominously, when the breeze blows, the temperature climbs a few degrees more. I begin to appreciate the culture(s) that came up with the idea of siestas.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHa_2vX5tbEaOExJ54FPp_UgfzTaSReAvQmu5PHYv6sXFWVxintQeVxghPu0rixlbdJL9luw6QnOEL7zd5Bh5_ljD7yIAfv9OiToKdhC2U2jitbbqhKHzL9llf1_fiLbMt15CsN3lF6Lzne8Vz582PKArQVUYbzXTlQgs8RxzgYj6c523FovrJeLfU8A/s1000/035%201k%20On1IMG_9194.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHa_2vX5tbEaOExJ54FPp_UgfzTaSReAvQmu5PHYv6sXFWVxintQeVxghPu0rixlbdJL9luw6QnOEL7zd5Bh5_ljD7yIAfv9OiToKdhC2U2jitbbqhKHzL9llf1_fiLbMt15CsN3lF6Lzne8Vz582PKArQVUYbzXTlQgs8RxzgYj6c523FovrJeLfU8A/w640-h426/035%201k%20On1IMG_9194.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soon, we are able to seek out fishing spots next to the river again.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLThUcXaa_BHaMUbXFVP4eOUbtCIpQPP_ra4gNJRNwwfvhNPuamENajv0Gt4BymKDVJWmlO-cUJfm72cGlng4FcCC_3CpY_EIfp1dDBpg2yMNzIXqwN42fUKUCDyC6SvuPNz80y-Y4lwBlnbc2uGHOs3GZmzGq85glnORaxkgV72pltdW94QJplxvEzE4/s1000/036%201k%20On120210810_192518.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLThUcXaa_BHaMUbXFVP4eOUbtCIpQPP_ra4gNJRNwwfvhNPuamENajv0Gt4BymKDVJWmlO-cUJfm72cGlng4FcCC_3CpY_EIfp1dDBpg2yMNzIXqwN42fUKUCDyC6SvuPNz80y-Y4lwBlnbc2uGHOs3GZmzGq85glnORaxkgV72pltdW94QJplxvEzE4/w480-h640/036%201k%20On120210810_192518.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Photo Credit: Kip)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joyful patterns repeat (This is Kip’s stringer)</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QQlTWl3IiNvx1wvE0a46PZ8i0oJ2-Ytz4Wz84NQe3DqBTB8i3Zn_q19UDPiXEnGab37hBqI3PoXw-Iehn_Vp8mZJb9KzBwignWn4JRZyzk5GLp3uYIsfJDJ0ObY76gUKXMIncA2zJlCYl3unFkuUTkSEpNCee7_wHTSKMsup8jNfSV7tjWGYhgLRLKI/s1000/037%201k%20On1IMG_9204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QQlTWl3IiNvx1wvE0a46PZ8i0oJ2-Ytz4Wz84NQe3DqBTB8i3Zn_q19UDPiXEnGab37hBqI3PoXw-Iehn_Vp8mZJb9KzBwignWn4JRZyzk5GLp3uYIsfJDJ0ObY76gUKXMIncA2zJlCYl3unFkuUTkSEpNCee7_wHTSKMsup8jNfSV7tjWGYhgLRLKI/w640-h426/037%201k%20On1IMG_9204.jpg" width="640" /> </a> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim54zLA3YmSHpnI01USgMKa81vnVg24meH60-XFW8Dzqkwu_L-ThYaq1BHf8RnAK_FMRFF3GsSlMrfN2u5HlDSM9V2mie1Ws0YhoXnzCRssHijhMNaJwyCyhhyAQ1LoupEUMtkfvWlCnUsHb3yLZzUqvMeyE0w2jKtq6XrnM0XGataO1UyPchsr-_BSQY/s1000/038%201k%20On120210810_213119.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim54zLA3YmSHpnI01USgMKa81vnVg24meH60-XFW8Dzqkwu_L-ThYaq1BHf8RnAK_FMRFF3GsSlMrfN2u5HlDSM9V2mie1Ws0YhoXnzCRssHijhMNaJwyCyhhyAQ1LoupEUMtkfvWlCnUsHb3yLZzUqvMeyE0w2jKtq6XrnM0XGataO1UyPchsr-_BSQY/w640-h480/038%201k%20On120210810_213119.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are growing short of ice and gasoline. We begin to contemplate tomorrow’s egress from the canyon.</span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you need to catch up with the story? Then follow these links:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 1: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/07/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-1.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part One)</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 2: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-two.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Two)</a></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">PART 3: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-three.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Three)</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 5: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-five.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Five)</a> </span></span></p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-52333373748494666302023-08-09T01:28:00.003-07:002023-08-19T18:08:30.342-07:00Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Three)<p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-p5h701PRkhEyG2nRgdxooCK3VYrTBdjA-_iS1IqRouVMurl1C-34lmv0fEt9mv2vHbX24AkMyt0gmtJuP7FPX3_8usR8keo7xuw6pdMp8j5_8KfUwQkwkVgKfZVRElkQSwnjsP1vWULf7-Op3NR3YTSjsWFMhj0WvfXMDATkCFvVH-VV8GXShl6TEE/s1000/001%201k%20On120210809_124827.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-p5h701PRkhEyG2nRgdxooCK3VYrTBdjA-_iS1IqRouVMurl1C-34lmv0fEt9mv2vHbX24AkMyt0gmtJuP7FPX3_8usR8keo7xuw6pdMp8j5_8KfUwQkwkVgKfZVRElkQSwnjsP1vWULf7-Op3NR3YTSjsWFMhj0WvfXMDATkCFvVH-VV8GXShl6TEE/w640-h480/001%201k%20On120210809_124827.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><span style="font-size: large;">The Montero lurches back and forth and sideways. Kip has become adept enough to accurately pick his way between the most aggressive rocks, but it is still a careful balancing act to maintain a speed slow enough to keep us from bouncing our heads off the ceiling, yet fast enough to keep Rico in sight..at least mostly in sight. Then again, it doesn’t pay to follow Rico too closely on account of the curtain of dust tossed up by his tires.<br /><br />Once again we are approaching the edge of the canyon and once again we will be required to survey our resources and evaluate our prospects. Not having a vehicle, I’m not troubled much with these decisions beyond figuring out which driver is liable to kill me the most and lobbying to ride with the one who won’t. Fortunately, we’ve ridden rapids on wilderness rivers together, negotiated powerful tidal currents together, and together even stood at the edge of Rico’s conspicuously excessive campfires.Maybe all of this has simply fostered a false sense of security, but it might also be interpreted as a history of shared experiences that lead to trust.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94Up-zIJ-_USp4_M-5Ea8-z8nPQjiNTyTL9Xh56dnKJj3I_Sc6lLYVYnBjI9sIpL6XWdaavSgfn0uEY0k1qiZCpRlVoZ7ArFu_KKYPyFlt2sLRLdd4T5Lbl4J4yVEE7WXiyaGiAIQJJEIfYjK4qKjsrr-Ur4xsfpGAL--7PjkUBp-oEWlWneEBy-LqZg/s1000/002%201k%20On1IMG_8965.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94Up-zIJ-_USp4_M-5Ea8-z8nPQjiNTyTL9Xh56dnKJj3I_Sc6lLYVYnBjI9sIpL6XWdaavSgfn0uEY0k1qiZCpRlVoZ7ArFu_KKYPyFlt2sLRLdd4T5Lbl4J4yVEE7WXiyaGiAIQJJEIfYjK4qKjsrr-Ur4xsfpGAL--7PjkUBp-oEWlWneEBy-LqZg/w640-h426/002%201k%20On1IMG_8965.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Somewhere down there is our campsite. At this point, I feel it is important to add that this picture could have, besides expressing the drama of at least two adventurers facing their unknown futures, easily also been a marvelous advertisement for Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer (Want to sponsor us? Leave a note in the comments). We all drink it, and some of us drink it exclusively (We’re talking about you, water!). Just what do you think Rico and Kip have in their hands right now?</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EmNPIwfG_WFkKWNXCDFG0tOH7Wnle89l8NisCtVTv1zVvZfCzFVm7YideOVYYF9xnFfvf-r2yKthTCHZlwzVyVEcvVMeoB041Sk31MWCWeirr6cVrakr9VRUMbgACSX2NlLe8MdZa48WTgrPG4ym9swV81XfyKnBBhrZYyKNhY9R4Qf8DMshHbWqiNs/s1000/003%201k%20On1IMG_8960.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EmNPIwfG_WFkKWNXCDFG0tOH7Wnle89l8NisCtVTv1zVvZfCzFVm7YideOVYYF9xnFfvf-r2yKthTCHZlwzVyVEcvVMeoB041Sk31MWCWeirr6cVrakr9VRUMbgACSX2NlLe8MdZa48WTgrPG4ym9swV81XfyKnBBhrZYyKNhY9R4Qf8DMshHbWqiNs/w640-h426/003%201k%20On1IMG_8960.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Imagine product placement like this…</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCnfL0484BxN5IHIF93DxREE6-fhLFKMY6WQnbQF1T0X65S6ZSE_Vhtq9MgatgTsH6kGwKtq6hwEC5tZDAu-8VANEMNqb1dpk6e06Hi8ZG2QexXr2_RwJ3z2JhXYi8s77VC9z7akM26XjMnx9UmCj7TvpG-mmFVIKGAH_QOR8h6TgqSj52YJM3JvurtA/s1000/004%201k%20aIMG_9333.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCnfL0484BxN5IHIF93DxREE6-fhLFKMY6WQnbQF1T0X65S6ZSE_Vhtq9MgatgTsH6kGwKtq6hwEC5tZDAu-8VANEMNqb1dpk6e06Hi8ZG2QexXr2_RwJ3z2JhXYi8s77VC9z7akM26XjMnx9UmCj7TvpG-mmFVIKGAH_QOR8h6TgqSj52YJM3JvurtA/w640-h426/004%201k%20aIMG_9333.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Or this (see what we’ve done there? It says Drive Slowly and Enjoy BeEr!).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUWHdijyIbfiJNtPogMBYIRC3Ciy1JhIumF_5eyPRP0rnzZXrG5IlHxCpIT92T1wQOAJWLu4XwffxL2jRPRG1xjwsCpMqJoumcrGCvKMVz-LUFRCpMUSWuWf5INfnCkFeGqMifQqPtRe6pDqZe9bLqbvR5VYeIdW8VQlgIwA96RI-MlHXj4F8_EPVExI/s1000/005%201k%20On120210809_134216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUWHdijyIbfiJNtPogMBYIRC3Ciy1JhIumF_5eyPRP0rnzZXrG5IlHxCpIT92T1wQOAJWLu4XwffxL2jRPRG1xjwsCpMqJoumcrGCvKMVz-LUFRCpMUSWuWf5INfnCkFeGqMifQqPtRe6pDqZe9bLqbvR5VYeIdW8VQlgIwA96RI-MlHXj4F8_EPVExI/w640-h480/005%201k%20On120210809_134216.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The path before us surrenders more and more of its area to encroaching vegetation and the grade becomes more pronounced. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWpUxgsJc4CfUitEIjstco5rHsV4jnxQoNuuf8ZW-1t-ah7Z29vK0iwMxyRsla9kRqqWGINURVHbua_TwiiVugMUd0lRyJoLj-088MvQ_ckTaveJzVTfIOxOAalSzlmUHc28ri4u0kCCH5go4MyiFYA3gAa9-WGLd-idZp2f_i1a04ujm-A29b_HO6fg/s2000/006%202k%20On1another%20way%20down%20pano.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="2000" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWpUxgsJc4CfUitEIjstco5rHsV4jnxQoNuuf8ZW-1t-ah7Z29vK0iwMxyRsla9kRqqWGINURVHbua_TwiiVugMUd0lRyJoLj-088MvQ_ckTaveJzVTfIOxOAalSzlmUHc28ri4u0kCCH5go4MyiFYA3gAa9-WGLd-idZp2f_i1a04ujm-A29b_HO6fg/w640-h242/006%202k%20On1another%20way%20down%20pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">But finally we begin to catch glimpses of the Owyhee River.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdJLmYcTMf-4yJ94u_fFaXwd397KxF2Qh7uWTxrC7F-FTbbpFYTutJiK0K8_zvEW-wJ15agbv23SgDM5nUeGwY0rlhv0_QrRZVzcB-04ZNRndwiDl2Nq801cn_GuNN6kvp_KWpmdkXm39DDLWvIQNPuuV308cLv-piUJAO4m3ni8v6U2I7Fg5LskyGeo/s1500/007%201k%20On1another%20way%20down%20pano%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1500" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdJLmYcTMf-4yJ94u_fFaXwd397KxF2Qh7uWTxrC7F-FTbbpFYTutJiK0K8_zvEW-wJ15agbv23SgDM5nUeGwY0rlhv0_QrRZVzcB-04ZNRndwiDl2Nq801cn_GuNN6kvp_KWpmdkXm39DDLWvIQNPuuV308cLv-piUJAO4m3ni8v6U2I7Fg5LskyGeo/w640-h360/007%201k%20On1another%20way%20down%20pano%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a parched land, the shimmering, pulsing artery of blue and green is unmistakable, bringing the possibility of life to this vast landscape.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfTY3RD4aNZ3bBs4YjD27YYCd43aM-_K30_q9WEwHO81bidyC11dP0TQiIUy99wTI9LLmGfCRnkuIkhB90LAQz30FXMgcniLbSQySCTXixezTiupSc2u4QIfcbub25dlUx-c5uf3KcSaSw-8j1_67DVFHPsHLHs9S2a7WffEhnFKznY1sLuXXcEbHu0M/s1000/008%201k%20On1IMG_8969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfTY3RD4aNZ3bBs4YjD27YYCd43aM-_K30_q9WEwHO81bidyC11dP0TQiIUy99wTI9LLmGfCRnkuIkhB90LAQz30FXMgcniLbSQySCTXixezTiupSc2u4QIfcbub25dlUx-c5uf3KcSaSw-8j1_67DVFHPsHLHs9S2a7WffEhnFKznY1sLuXXcEbHu0M/w640-h426/008%201k%20On1IMG_8969.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">As the path grows narrower and as it begins to trace switchbacks into the hills in its effort to dip to the valley floor, we become aware that in places, we may find it difficult or impossible to turn around - that is, once we begin our decent, we may be forced to proceed forward unless, as a driver, you can tackle complicated off-road bits going backwards. So perched on the edge of Yoda’s proverbial, “...do or do not.” Rico elects to reconnoiter the route ahead on foot.</span></span><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AoC5HPH9n5TRrT6isaGWpe6EuWgULOfc6Q686Z5rShrXyM5sD0_48CheP70GGehsdOUX7V_LRDLM8z_YqOBoE2qHv6JobzH9MifxJYMkbJDxIz-GEocERTS9zNRVPPq8hVcPIrtQRMOlP_MsvEBZdOjv_qxJAgn5e3qM171OuBb3TlNz7RwFZRAfSdg/s1000/010%201k%20On1IMG_9000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AoC5HPH9n5TRrT6isaGWpe6EuWgULOfc6Q686Z5rShrXyM5sD0_48CheP70GGehsdOUX7V_LRDLM8z_YqOBoE2qHv6JobzH9MifxJYMkbJDxIz-GEocERTS9zNRVPPq8hVcPIrtQRMOlP_MsvEBZdOjv_qxJAgn5e3qM171OuBb3TlNz7RwFZRAfSdg/w640-h426/010%201k%20On1IMG_9000.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">To me, the route looks kind of crazy. It straddles the pointy edge of a ridge that makes it look like Kip and Rico will be driving on the cutting edge of the curved blade of a scimitar.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And this I suppose, is the reason we go on these camping trips. Up until this point, you could say we’ve been on vacation. We’ve been on a guided tour. We’ve visited spots along the way, like you do on the way to Disneyland. But now, just maybe, there’s a chance that this can all turn into an adventure. We don’t know exactly where we will camp. We don’t know exactly how or if we’ll get there. We’ve found a place to step into the unknown - a place where we can take calculated risks and the results will depend on the quality of our decisions and our skills.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pvop4orR6EOmYsSwcYTnYd0BTutxnLZjQ0rERXAby9O641cQegS5RDQei3du5dy3yEmtf9t9T9VhspjoOUZWan2-cjKGN8utuB1r6xwKhly_w-7Xf9lnKl8klpUlBrXwzLydBWBPSPerV8uA_GjLy69UEGwOWGfLnXUY3iZzXBjEVKF5acgEw9_YNXM/s1000/011%201k%20On1IMG_8989.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pvop4orR6EOmYsSwcYTnYd0BTutxnLZjQ0rERXAby9O641cQegS5RDQei3du5dy3yEmtf9t9T9VhspjoOUZWan2-cjKGN8utuB1r6xwKhly_w-7Xf9lnKl8klpUlBrXwzLydBWBPSPerV8uA_GjLy69UEGwOWGfLnXUY3iZzXBjEVKF5acgEw9_YNXM/w640-h426/011%201k%20On1IMG_8989.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now, instead of the mediators our culture has devised to serve as a safety net, we will be dealing more directly with the Earth. Granted, we aren’t exactly adrenaline junkies, but I feel it is correct to say that finding that primal connection - fitting more closely into the Eco-system - slipping back into the food chain - somehow it feeds latent appetites.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our day-to-day media-rich environment is saturated with memes that implore us to “Boldly go where no one has gone before” or “...take the road less traveled”, or “Don’t follow any path at all…but make a trail”. Cinema, literature, music, they all have substantial road-trip genres. Even our earliest stories, our scriptures and our myths tell of adventurers and quests and God imploring patriarchs to step into unknown futures.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXB4KPLNAws2-vF_7LZdZZieVzfC1dNyU6BWWsb1HlA2nqNv8gquyK69rgepgV-7ydj-_e4XcwQCmYYyWI0mSDJqKgFKQw0Hptgz370fpqCUY0Is8BafbOhZO3XidMj-Hetd4PMwbMWyJ5Y-zDkBzRaXywzVi78AueovoQoD7eFHZKQN6lKFt_Hm9PV_E/s1000/012%201k%20On1IMG_9007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXB4KPLNAws2-vF_7LZdZZieVzfC1dNyU6BWWsb1HlA2nqNv8gquyK69rgepgV-7ydj-_e4XcwQCmYYyWI0mSDJqKgFKQw0Hptgz370fpqCUY0Is8BafbOhZO3XidMj-Hetd4PMwbMWyJ5Y-zDkBzRaXywzVi78AueovoQoD7eFHZKQN6lKFt_Hm9PV_E/w640-h426/012%201k%20On1IMG_9007.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">“...Mellow is the man who knows what he’s been missing</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many, many men can’t see the open road…”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">- Led Zeppelin</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRmEzCauuC3wy-0IV2-TiCd3zHeaSHyXNEPPXSZTAz9LIcgQ14mvvjBEiWMixxJbM-iaM_k72wMZFUqAM5YZWip1OIQjfkY_3xIj7coddD4h1rs-QqRt_txP8n1wTOTJM-ZoZ-nxfmj4ZCp3_1bXClAUBQwi6GguuAnlppR5fpiOPYDJ-nwGa-o_sYts/s1000/013%201k%20aIMG_8968.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRmEzCauuC3wy-0IV2-TiCd3zHeaSHyXNEPPXSZTAz9LIcgQ14mvvjBEiWMixxJbM-iaM_k72wMZFUqAM5YZWip1OIQjfkY_3xIj7coddD4h1rs-QqRt_txP8n1wTOTJM-ZoZ-nxfmj4ZCp3_1bXClAUBQwi6GguuAnlppR5fpiOPYDJ-nwGa-o_sYts/w640-h426/013%201k%20aIMG_8968.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">If all goes well, we assume we’ll soon be passing by that lone shrub down below.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMqPriv1PcNzmbEprirvBXnZjWM8wHfp6-wFQ1L0ypJlFTjgTUogCb6HBrMri4C9Kk2fKJ41-Xsy3KfCPvntp2c1CEcgB7NM3rxNB2p4ChFCqkSfFJwFSGCY8lVBeGBkIp7BTge63tpRZFeZv623_bMcyZvLDjHWbX6eCXl2rx4D8ZHSoKALrbW8UB2M/s1000/014%201k%20On120210809_130154%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMqPriv1PcNzmbEprirvBXnZjWM8wHfp6-wFQ1L0ypJlFTjgTUogCb6HBrMri4C9Kk2fKJ41-Xsy3KfCPvntp2c1CEcgB7NM3rxNB2p4ChFCqkSfFJwFSGCY8lVBeGBkIp7BTge63tpRZFeZv623_bMcyZvLDjHWbX6eCXl2rx4D8ZHSoKALrbW8UB2M/w640-h480/014%201k%20On120210809_130154%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusydXKv6MGaHZ7ex9R1Q7CHEk5HR9sX4RdhmxxK65lgXiHybl54TEkYB0vZ5Abyj32zSExPhO5ITqXeKhuqPq8wbIg4jnNFtrvPzdzD5WKBKSydGiJ8fSni2jFzzPD1Hm7jmLvT_Vp8_WldIAaa7Ci27OzTf2SoqFI5eG69jVLh-HJLv0I6aWAy-1p5s/s1000/015%201k%20On1IMG_9021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusydXKv6MGaHZ7ex9R1Q7CHEk5HR9sX4RdhmxxK65lgXiHybl54TEkYB0vZ5Abyj32zSExPhO5ITqXeKhuqPq8wbIg4jnNFtrvPzdzD5WKBKSydGiJ8fSni2jFzzPD1Hm7jmLvT_Vp8_WldIAaa7Ci27OzTf2SoqFI5eG69jVLh-HJLv0I6aWAy-1p5s/w640-h426/015%201k%20On1IMG_9021.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpT5a_Y3PWBsFgSoUTyIWCurgQcbXpGzAhvYejkpTTOtNGyCFohbZy21bZ3GXJs65NoCRDAHxzjPjPMYP3ZQc2n21lcR6Wa21p6SCyUHaUTXREsdPebE_2scJ7VgbMXSAt4VU5-db1AWbUL77aG1q_u8YZRsy9SCoDkcI4G09qUWpu9_IshBleB8eDZ8/s1000/016%201k%20aIMG_9034.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpT5a_Y3PWBsFgSoUTyIWCurgQcbXpGzAhvYejkpTTOtNGyCFohbZy21bZ3GXJs65NoCRDAHxzjPjPMYP3ZQc2n21lcR6Wa21p6SCyUHaUTXREsdPebE_2scJ7VgbMXSAt4VU5-db1AWbUL77aG1q_u8YZRsy9SCoDkcI4G09qUWpu9_IshBleB8eDZ8/w640-h426/016%201k%20aIMG_9034.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">It seems the Owyhee has meandered back and forth across the wide valley floor for a very long time. The place it has settled in for now is far away from the picturesque canyon walls. The river wears a delicate necklace of grasses and shrubs and opportunistic trees. We find a small stand of trees with healthy canopies and set up camp.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPALzsf2n5VvBuaIMjYXseApxOdhVtg1uXrRjxjXe7zWFz_9X8iTvDNr2Ksr7V2_aTWd1qwD9pmB6W3cVdeKMlnMguTbR538cJ0XcPAygaFuv995pScHPi4dyCWpTfr1ge_ko3YQuDBoEPaNWdziXXjQ7tL9d33pPJ2-cGPnyfwucNpDa55ixf3Wc0dl0/s1000/017%201k%20On1IMG_9068.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPALzsf2n5VvBuaIMjYXseApxOdhVtg1uXrRjxjXe7zWFz_9X8iTvDNr2Ksr7V2_aTWd1qwD9pmB6W3cVdeKMlnMguTbR538cJ0XcPAygaFuv995pScHPi4dyCWpTfr1ge_ko3YQuDBoEPaNWdziXXjQ7tL9d33pPJ2-cGPnyfwucNpDa55ixf3Wc0dl0/w640-h426/017%201k%20On1IMG_9068.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Up river, the road terminates in an abandoned ranch. The canyon stretches around a bend and on out of sight.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJgpuRvrJvzuuaPl2wFSBb_X_uMrBqppNsSLbP1Ye6p_JSSjgv0mRZBUm-G2kFwc57lKhhAcDbWUwJ1msZ_wuAzOdxUE2TNIE9F4oTO1aZCHP_NkNSs5Oel4l83J6qkD-FK8Vo60lYMGnf-FT7S53YbiOX0zdpJZ3p1i1OVo3mT0oRZprMDoc-7nf1hs/s1000/018%201kaIMG_9192.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJgpuRvrJvzuuaPl2wFSBb_X_uMrBqppNsSLbP1Ye6p_JSSjgv0mRZBUm-G2kFwc57lKhhAcDbWUwJ1msZ_wuAzOdxUE2TNIE9F4oTO1aZCHP_NkNSs5Oel4l83J6qkD-FK8Vo60lYMGnf-FT7S53YbiOX0zdpJZ3p1i1OVo3mT0oRZprMDoc-7nf1hs/w426-h640/018%201kaIMG_9192.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tall grasses grow along the river and hide its banks in shade…</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXoUIegIxjfCGl7x7HH37T4dSQ4KpFK4n4hKXc3A-zU6zQL3vsYIkx_lV4EaP3dLDA7RKkxYbR-DS4189qucso_U1D12WWpmevhvGWcU4hds-hRxSXH6FgpHLxkPIcZSzEqw08OHK7iMpGvid-NLXmjUIaEg1fHOL2O3CZ3iUAQNU7uSNye8D1aACZO4/s1000/019%201k%2020210809_202109.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXoUIegIxjfCGl7x7HH37T4dSQ4KpFK4n4hKXc3A-zU6zQL3vsYIkx_lV4EaP3dLDA7RKkxYbR-DS4189qucso_U1D12WWpmevhvGWcU4hds-hRxSXH6FgpHLxkPIcZSzEqw08OHK7iMpGvid-NLXmjUIaEg1fHOL2O3CZ3iUAQNU7uSNye8D1aACZO4/w640-h480/019%201k%2020210809_202109.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photo Credit: Rico</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">…and Uncle Rico quickly sets about filling up his stringer.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDK8zJO9EHHGE3ZpaMBfsCWqIgDCwCA_ILiswWBKSf_6g0kxSAHgcfx-AomcdoAoUHliXzXlukt9m4HHaM960tXGSW0lEc4fPtsH8p_5WLom0-64wrEcthu1Zns5kgTSt1bR_FChhnVPWKwtCt5Hvicqh3rukdaexMfPdLeuFA0TzkGK8Fauum31yOgy0/s1000/020%201ka%20img9208_HDR2%20v2%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="1000" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDK8zJO9EHHGE3ZpaMBfsCWqIgDCwCA_ILiswWBKSf_6g0kxSAHgcfx-AomcdoAoUHliXzXlukt9m4HHaM960tXGSW0lEc4fPtsH8p_5WLom0-64wrEcthu1Zns5kgTSt1bR_FChhnVPWKwtCt5Hvicqh3rukdaexMfPdLeuFA0TzkGK8Fauum31yOgy0/w640-h422/020%201ka%20img9208_HDR2%20v2%20.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BKw54N9PCGplROO1QFLIMwVQJ6SRotEEPa5oNpXzsZwEhPFQPd7L56g-rvx-cxWHo2yKS6vGzANNg7vkc34FCLfY9MfKFnhaw7p2yEgGOkLfP0jaG3N0FRf19DJB9ovZllTbt0hJr1oDIMNetWlhDqKGvqxzDDPA2SW0DNoR2ecXf7z3izlyyODlk8A/s1000/021%201k%20On1IMG_9029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BKw54N9PCGplROO1QFLIMwVQJ6SRotEEPa5oNpXzsZwEhPFQPd7L56g-rvx-cxWHo2yKS6vGzANNg7vkc34FCLfY9MfKFnhaw7p2yEgGOkLfP0jaG3N0FRf19DJB9ovZllTbt0hJr1oDIMNetWlhDqKGvqxzDDPA2SW0DNoR2ecXf7z3izlyyODlk8A/w640-h426/021%201k%20On1IMG_9029.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHObUWIB5TGfagUk4y9p-COztsHi_jAmls-WFj33NiJOCTNlPLmeVAxeYV8snxr0vp93EUc2yGkK_xxCueepD4Otdh8AtypAJKbyqxel1DZxjEBfUAsgXeh5PnZPzJKX9S6TYKNbdtyU7mz-FhAxUtIrYlD1DXW5JeuUUXE6EWyW5zoveUSmoUEUaAI-I/s1000/022%201k%20On1Fred%20a20210809_202052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHObUWIB5TGfagUk4y9p-COztsHi_jAmls-WFj33NiJOCTNlPLmeVAxeYV8snxr0vp93EUc2yGkK_xxCueepD4Otdh8AtypAJKbyqxel1DZxjEBfUAsgXeh5PnZPzJKX9S6TYKNbdtyU7mz-FhAxUtIrYlD1DXW5JeuUUXE6EWyW5zoveUSmoUEUaAI-I/w640-h480/022%201k%20On1Fred%20a20210809_202052.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photo Credit: Kip</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">For a change, I try to remember how to clean fish without asking Rico again.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r6M65LgGPf0rQ8-LqgU8ES3hJfShvHq8Pe9-IFBc_Ivw6AIdsOH0iisV3b1SIjw4GyTWIl5PaQNy4lYySMcpU8nXt969DkI8JOZrWtkbE6VDKubSK0eQpgT7e1z8wzeQYXnesCUPujuGxeqbUfukYmDXGwphBP9UK6qlRMSy1MDox548ShXXQfSv8XU/s1000/023%201kaIMG_9222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r6M65LgGPf0rQ8-LqgU8ES3hJfShvHq8Pe9-IFBc_Ivw6AIdsOH0iisV3b1SIjw4GyTWIl5PaQNy4lYySMcpU8nXt969DkI8JOZrWtkbE6VDKubSK0eQpgT7e1z8wzeQYXnesCUPujuGxeqbUfukYmDXGwphBP9UK6qlRMSy1MDox548ShXXQfSv8XU/w640-h427/023%201kaIMG_9222.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kip and Rico have already begun setting up the kitchen.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HGlBWDhOz99itZDKB-phAAHzuLun2w4YKDkegU1tHRtlmAP5Uyu_Nf_YLdwWoEU-FXmAxi1C9JbSSkncFftVXbk8yeOK1Mav_piyQ3y7SpwuOU33ON4C2u5yck69gU7QfI7MxY646esrLadPtt_frdOsaZqwALJK9ZaW96TEEdOb1rif_Z8Zu7Wpd9M/s1000/024%201k%20On1IMG_9038.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HGlBWDhOz99itZDKB-phAAHzuLun2w4YKDkegU1tHRtlmAP5Uyu_Nf_YLdwWoEU-FXmAxi1C9JbSSkncFftVXbk8yeOK1Mav_piyQ3y7SpwuOU33ON4C2u5yck69gU7QfI7MxY646esrLadPtt_frdOsaZqwALJK9ZaW96TEEdOb1rif_Z8Zu7Wpd9M/w426-h640/024%201k%20On1IMG_9038.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rico deep fries the batter-dipped small-mouth bass.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx5fmZDLpR9iNE7u9Z9yaUDMd1hhWI0kILv0ddNlOksxD0haVaE3JfkQ_dL_AVpC7FxltfiTziGSd7Kgxe6L11tHFMrQ0RVeA-iTvccTNUGgly3PLhQhQNOxbIKwcEok2yR3UQ5ah3saxlI4cjTU4rXD8yMzIvQeqLBgD-jPS3WNe5HCdkkkdLLVzUnE/s1000/025%201k%20On1IMG_9045%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx5fmZDLpR9iNE7u9Z9yaUDMd1hhWI0kILv0ddNlOksxD0haVaE3JfkQ_dL_AVpC7FxltfiTziGSd7Kgxe6L11tHFMrQ0RVeA-iTvccTNUGgly3PLhQhQNOxbIKwcEok2yR3UQ5ah3saxlI4cjTU4rXD8yMzIvQeqLBgD-jPS3WNe5HCdkkkdLLVzUnE/w640-h426/025%201k%20On1IMG_9045%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kip acts as bartender.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktDZR-mmTA6INPP2n6BDIN8SkwuZjpZqg0daBmBBFlxqURRpM1xfo0mbIidTdnuSpllmh7HmolMs8I7pumABDACJhx0dH2zvLh-aFM67ZZg8zXI1mIluBoWaLVC6_xoZ840Mml7MEe2swudhR7_t5wz0SjnLvt1OxRQ1i4XRYitl7DUyIwJKQUYnirME/s1000/026%201k%20On1IMG_9050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktDZR-mmTA6INPP2n6BDIN8SkwuZjpZqg0daBmBBFlxqURRpM1xfo0mbIidTdnuSpllmh7HmolMs8I7pumABDACJhx0dH2zvLh-aFM67ZZg8zXI1mIluBoWaLVC6_xoZ840Mml7MEe2swudhR7_t5wz0SjnLvt1OxRQ1i4XRYitl7DUyIwJKQUYnirME/w640-h427/026%201k%20On1IMG_9050.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fish Taco (One species, two if you count avocado as a species)<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmqjhMr5vgFibLoSwkBlMZoIqOjismGDcWfugZhJOtwFUsXkTpDD2BUD7dE9UIQEZH5PWiToGaZwBBDtMdvT2gOhvs-8DlJjKs2AkXbrcKDYV6JcPKP91-ze9QuqHNfGMG0LGylTTsCbwYX243mOicf25tenWUCRPNFqe-O184dmw2vEjztesxzLkg9w/s1000/027%201kaIMG_9061.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmqjhMr5vgFibLoSwkBlMZoIqOjismGDcWfugZhJOtwFUsXkTpDD2BUD7dE9UIQEZH5PWiToGaZwBBDtMdvT2gOhvs-8DlJjKs2AkXbrcKDYV6JcPKP91-ze9QuqHNfGMG0LGylTTsCbwYX243mOicf25tenWUCRPNFqe-O184dmw2vEjztesxzLkg9w/w640-h426/027%201kaIMG_9061.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfXNyljBGeGsUZUghTcIHiIVcz-J6K-4EoFR4QkOnXtfcpNSCzYyo72i5Oqlif1B6W4GNDZFP7m6KPDbDFln-gVJKbe-yafYzb0q3GoEDrDC0BJgTNLBdjs9eOCndZw5XmY-FaoV_frLYS65JRcQLghfLC838DPuY6ruPxvxxEiVlpJ4k_6wrOQ833Z0/s1000/028%201k%20On1SDZ_2175.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfXNyljBGeGsUZUghTcIHiIVcz-J6K-4EoFR4QkOnXtfcpNSCzYyo72i5Oqlif1B6W4GNDZFP7m6KPDbDFln-gVJKbe-yafYzb0q3GoEDrDC0BJgTNLBdjs9eOCndZw5XmY-FaoV_frLYS65JRcQLghfLC838DPuY6ruPxvxxEiVlpJ4k_6wrOQ833Z0/w640-h428/028%201k%20On1SDZ_2175.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now that we are in the canyon, the temperature at night is much warmer. Even so, the increase in insects spurs Kip to break out his tent.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUnTmEQc98R-J3RAY-n_eG1rJjAj4ZWfUltqyCHzCGobtVztm2kFXMvPQp6zAbfYj9VgQPExOrwTmPRq7Ka9QcJ11mU6guGYbR3O33gFJVCJ3wROt_eey7eiDWTjDZGBkByd6jI_J6dNnKMBqVHeMz9kQ3luSA5c4JdBiHLSabUVCx3cqG_C6e8Eh14c/s1000/029%201kaIMG_9060.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUnTmEQc98R-J3RAY-n_eG1rJjAj4ZWfUltqyCHzCGobtVztm2kFXMvPQp6zAbfYj9VgQPExOrwTmPRq7Ka9QcJ11mU6guGYbR3O33gFJVCJ3wROt_eey7eiDWTjDZGBkByd6jI_J6dNnKMBqVHeMz9kQ3luSA5c4JdBiHLSabUVCx3cqG_C6e8Eh14c/w640-h426/029%201kaIMG_9060.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Deb catches the four Galilean Moons careening around Jupiter <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">...to be continued...</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-four.html">PART 4: Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Four)</a> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Have you missed any previous installments? </span><br /></span><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 1: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/07/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-1.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part One)</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PART 2: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-two.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Two)</a></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-50884270939800602032023-08-03T19:34:00.008-07:002023-08-09T01:32:35.425-07:00Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Two)<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qnSCxhOwVfvVLzGtgEobSChHY2W82tgD1rbNaak6r1qbN0rPADlDbRwc9rRFAMFn57EcNJKVct69zAPn7s7MYFDratfOgXoxCzcy7dkocouZq-wVC9SFEj9-jyzWJ-lRu9ObI9FhSWQA0sP4qAmlCni8mEMX-Oe9iCtFmGYipRrT2CZuAQQeB5z30gk/s1000/1k%20On1tent%20top.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qnSCxhOwVfvVLzGtgEobSChHY2W82tgD1rbNaak6r1qbN0rPADlDbRwc9rRFAMFn57EcNJKVct69zAPn7s7MYFDratfOgXoxCzcy7dkocouZq-wVC9SFEj9-jyzWJ-lRu9ObI9FhSWQA0sP4qAmlCni8mEMX-Oe9iCtFmGYipRrT2CZuAQQeB5z30gk/w426-h640/1k%20On1tent%20top.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It wasn’t until The Riley Store that I remembered I hadn’t brought my sleeping bag. That’s a pretty significant omission. It doesn’t inspire your team very much with your level of expertise and camping experience so I didn’t make a big deal about it. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately, with the Riley store situated in the middle of nowhere, everything in it fell under the heading of rare or endangered and therefore everything was exponentially more expensive then, say, if I bought it on sale at Bi-mart. Besides, we were entering the heat of the day, and just how cold can it get at night in the desert anyway? So with a sense of unwarranted pride and denial, I managed to repress this issue until night had fallen and it came time to unro</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ll my sleeping bag. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My first idea was to put on all the clothes I had packed and hope my tent could make up the difference, but it wasn’t long before I found I was shivering. The way my tent is constructed, the rain-fly acts as the roof and it’s the only thing that keeps the heat in. That rain-fly worked more efficiently though when I took it down and wrapped it around me burrito-style. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally comfortable, I tried to stay awake and watch, through the top of my tent, the stars’ hourly testimony regarding the Earth’s off-axis twirling. Meteors would wait for me to give up looking for them and then shoot across the sky so fast I thought I imagined them. Soon enough, blazing Van Gogh stars whirled like dervishes in my dreams.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TANGENT ALERT!</span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve just tried to give you a glimmer of an idea of what it’s like to be in a tent on a desert plateau beneath the Milky Way. But, as I reviewed my photo archives, it became apparent that I hadn’t actually taken a picture from the perspective of inside my tent. I guess, in real life, you don’t necessarily know what the ‘photo moments’ are going to be, or, for one reason or another, you may lack the coordination and patience to operate your camera (thank you Kip’s new Margarita recipe!). Yet, despite the shivering, and the middle of the night repurposing of equipment, those moments of awe beneath the gaze of the universe…well, those are <i>the</i> moments.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The only thing I can tell you for sure is that none of my pictures do those moments justice. I still want to try to share them though, so in this case, I thought I could suggest the scene via a combination of photos that I <i>did</i> take.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizerft0lNBkX-9Q1bJM9aBXVCOrpStt2vDRJuC1XtE34tdqtEp1EEE4PnW9ZzvfA4oe_piafR9bmSnuX-sq80_-5RS6fsGVO04ToO3bqvQJPaFyGA5xOKewNXjDhBsf3VtTa8etey3Q-aF5f5ToG-jIlv7eIcoWykh1YuVdqY6GzJemBgfm4Rn85aYndk/s1000/1k%20On1SDZ_2162.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizerft0lNBkX-9Q1bJM9aBXVCOrpStt2vDRJuC1XtE34tdqtEp1EEE4PnW9ZzvfA4oe_piafR9bmSnuX-sq80_-5RS6fsGVO04ToO3bqvQJPaFyGA5xOKewNXjDhBsf3VtTa8etey3Q-aF5f5ToG-jIlv7eIcoWykh1YuVdqY6GzJemBgfm4Rn85aYndk/w428-h640/1k%20On1SDZ_2162.jpg" width="428" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">First, I found this picture of the Milky Way from that same night. The Montero and the Jeep are visible at lower right. I’m facing South for this picture, but my tent was orientated East-West and I was laying on my back with my head to the East. That means I had to re-orientate the sky like this…</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFa1SHx86XYUI-UGEttNto2nMno2rLvtcsp5jpr6cjhh7vM7QpOugOpzuvFFd6JH3kbLi4K5vBe8Ia3nItt2ke_tDuE6V-zkO-junCNqj5nVsSHkVZmTcq5xiR3pC5U1UurkN2pq9-sLNithO3znKqdqb1pAUC0pS0USjFVyY9-nKI-5FQT1pEdTYh4kM/s1000/1k%20On1SDZ_2160%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFa1SHx86XYUI-UGEttNto2nMno2rLvtcsp5jpr6cjhh7vM7QpOugOpzuvFFd6JH3kbLi4K5vBe8Ia3nItt2ke_tDuE6V-zkO-junCNqj5nVsSHkVZmTcq5xiR3pC5U1UurkN2pq9-sLNithO3znKqdqb1pAUC0pS0USjFVyY9-nKI-5FQT1pEdTYh4kM/w428-h640/1k%20On1SDZ_2160%201.jpg" width="428" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now the South side of the picture is at left. Also I’ve zoomed in a little bit to replicate the fact that I’ll only be able to see a portion of the view through the top of my tent. Technically, that’s the sky from that night, though technically, it obviously can’t be exactly the same portion I was able to see looking through the top of the tent while lying down.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TegwdNVdQIv2AOsmn5DOUAU9pFhgHWxO9TrplOvHgMEdU4S1Z9pXuzlozkli5GRfUhbRwHMcIJEyshjuYYRnbS1snIozziGkMStCntRwo7c9pfDO0l9T1fpCNoAIb_MmIfizJ-nkN_DQlc9nsg5IY20kgdeg0uIwlaS1txRYMtDJmRO5URW8yahf0K4/s1000/1k%20IMG_9701.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TegwdNVdQIv2AOsmn5DOUAU9pFhgHWxO9TrplOvHgMEdU4S1Z9pXuzlozkli5GRfUhbRwHMcIJEyshjuYYRnbS1snIozziGkMStCntRwo7c9pfDO0l9T1fpCNoAIb_MmIfizJ-nkN_DQlc9nsg5IY20kgdeg0uIwlaS1txRYMtDJmRO5URW8yahf0K4/w426-h640/1k%20IMG_9701.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The next image I need is the inside of my tent. I found one from an old trip near the Deschutes River. I take some time to painstakingly cut out the segments of the picture that have sky in them and then I use the leftover tent bits as a frame.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdRhaGnIIP8WW1CKvrtBKZdHI_SJdmpZgVNduJX6gzq98VKKVow7q-nxnyCkhsrTy-XVUsSUoufIBQbNdeiQStcTp7EHsiKUIYmdWKa4DVklsf5MAs40cKJZeRMD6GiFx9ar1N9P9Ahrn9hNFyD6G5IlCzBKu2-x97kkG8GTJf_buDjQNt1wc9aWOC_0/s1000/1k%20On1tent%20top.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdRhaGnIIP8WW1CKvrtBKZdHI_SJdmpZgVNduJX6gzq98VKKVow7q-nxnyCkhsrTy-XVUsSUoufIBQbNdeiQStcTp7EHsiKUIYmdWKa4DVklsf5MAs40cKJZeRMD6GiFx9ar1N9P9Ahrn9hNFyD6G5IlCzBKu2-x97kkG8GTJf_buDjQNt1wc9aWOC_0/w426-h640/1k%20On1tent%20top.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then I work at trying to make the layers fit together, darkening the colors evident in the tent to match the night. Since I’ve cut out the mosquito netting in the original tent picture, I insert an exaggerated canvas texture into the star picture to simulate the missing netting. The net result is a composite which seems accurate to my memory. It’s the real sky from that night. It’s really my tent. The parts that don’t seem correct to me are the stars - how bright and clear they were - and how they twinkled.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoGA_u-OR0bmbiiB-nzH2Ph3WA4xw5C2AWvp1kjVlX2pJFeBDBYYAOXgm6husLbx32GpXJoc97HLNIVy88co8cO4AUXFrVTGBcowzsJYrhJAuvx_WYHJgjDg6md8XMwwiDrv3sKEW_ZPGXqlVhIeu9yG-SoA9HnUHBe8Nn1ZmbG7866DaNpnpbYg2m74/s1000/1k%20annotated%20On1SDZ_2165.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoGA_u-OR0bmbiiB-nzH2Ph3WA4xw5C2AWvp1kjVlX2pJFeBDBYYAOXgm6husLbx32GpXJoc97HLNIVy88co8cO4AUXFrVTGBcowzsJYrhJAuvx_WYHJgjDg6md8XMwwiDrv3sKEW_ZPGXqlVhIeu9yG-SoA9HnUHBe8Nn1ZmbG7866DaNpnpbYg2m74/w640-h428/1k%20annotated%20On1SDZ_2165.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">But a real picture wouldn’t show that either. In fact, in this particular picture, my light-painting of the foreground convinced the camera’s white-balance auto-adjustment feature to paint the sky a hideous magenta color that I couldn’t stomach, and, not smart enough to correct the color balance manually, I settled for de-saturation. The arrow, by the way, points to my topless tent (people who bring their sleeping bags evidently don’t need to set up their tents). As you can see, I’m not trying to pull a fast one over on you with my composite photo. </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve provided this photography tangent for the sake of transparency and hopefully to preserve my integrity as a reliable narrator.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speaking of photographic integrity. Our next stop was The Pillars of Rome. Sounds exotic, doesn’t it? As context, I should point out that planning these trips is an unlikely beer-fueled brainstorming process that most resembles disparate dogs meeting each other at a random dog park. I’m tempted to characterize just how disparate we are, but I think I’ll limit my remarks to myself and say that the Kip, Rico, and Deb triumvirate is a rare association where the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vulcan philosophy of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations isn’t just a corny science fiction concept…or at least it’s an environment where I can make a nerdy observation like that and not be ridiculed and exiled…I think…mostly. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We try to be sensitive to each other’s interests, whether that’s blasting bunnies with a shotgun, mastering off-road skills, or capturing scenic landscapes. I had steeped myself in internet images of The Pillars of Rome to the point that I had begun to believe it might be one of the seven wonders of the world, and having mentioned it at a planning meeting, Rico did his due diligence and fit it into our itinerary. </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not so early in the morning, the Montero is whizzing along an actual road, smooth enough to permit me long stretches of dozing as I wait for my headache to dissipate. The sound of the tires and a sudden inertial shift alert me that we are following Rico off to the side of the road. I open my eyes to find myself in what might be characterized as a broad flood-plain. I guess that someone has to make a pit-stop. I exit the car and look around. In the distance I note some variegated erosional land-forms. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“This is it,” Rico says, “The Pillars of Rome.”</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg1tOTm0U5hrYLhZUiCxobGP8n2fBZpu5yB1zOEwzQiGFjB12S_Kj37FKibRzrc6CBhA96sn6hsFh74O4jMQzPYIsNl5mhjuWwIq2jmRJfGk3bqIDRhJtvSfC8D7yFKkZIUW8RyUZBa0VtYac8rmEpypTuI8W9MTC-CvAFF_WVb3kBT9u7lm1vaKmKUg/s1800/1%208k%20On1pillars%20of%20rome%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="1800" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg1tOTm0U5hrYLhZUiCxobGP8n2fBZpu5yB1zOEwzQiGFjB12S_Kj37FKibRzrc6CBhA96sn6hsFh74O4jMQzPYIsNl5mhjuWwIq2jmRJfGk3bqIDRhJtvSfC8D7yFKkZIUW8RyUZBa0VtYac8rmEpypTuI8W9MTC-CvAFF_WVb3kBT9u7lm1vaKmKUg/w640-h184/1%208k%20On1pillars%20of%20rome%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Rico's pictures + one of my pictures combined<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kip opens a can of sour cream flavored Pringles and shares them. We munch away together and dutifully look at the scene for a few moments.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wonder. Would people come to visit my backyard if I called it The Layered Gardens of Nebuchadnezzar? Would they be disappointed to see out-of-control blackberries and an old apple tree tipping over? </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">‘Marketing’ really makes a difference.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRojKaljtutxUAMJoo1czFgt-X6cqzjYDRb3BXn2S5PCzzPy8v2PazXWuiTN0v_zQO-nL_ld09TqFs7YMShpyjR2Q4TUyGa3Lr8MOeMl_-6rqEeR0TjtBoN9vjw_P0Tm5LVPVQUQQPr1hdxNjbbEj7E7GdjNneoz01mvF4GVEKqgp5gYL6hXdA5mYYIA/s1000/1k%20aIMG_8891.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRojKaljtutxUAMJoo1czFgt-X6cqzjYDRb3BXn2S5PCzzPy8v2PazXWuiTN0v_zQO-nL_ld09TqFs7YMShpyjR2Q4TUyGa3Lr8MOeMl_-6rqEeR0TjtBoN9vjw_P0Tm5LVPVQUQQPr1hdxNjbbEj7E7GdjNneoz01mvF4GVEKqgp5gYL6hXdA5mYYIA/w640-h426/1k%20aIMG_8891.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Later as our two vehicle convoy winds its way through Rome, I see that these land-forms are common and taken for granted by the locals.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We leave Rome behind in our dust trails and venture out into refreshingly unremarked-upon land.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XW05CpEIrdUJ4hQvi5xmVRe9WJl7X81okamLdGrzRQLYMv36SZxl_FSIfneLstBjGwtdTdeC_aoLWXq6lw8HDORiQUeVxArAdg4zXo4keWivaFbgtFS-RiXpQ94qouaYG4gBpVhKJNLlA8n8PM6rlnyEtiuUf7qbJihZyIiK64EZ0j2JbPWp1oSQeGM/s2000/2k%20On1IMG_8920%20Pano.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="2000" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XW05CpEIrdUJ4hQvi5xmVRe9WJl7X81okamLdGrzRQLYMv36SZxl_FSIfneLstBjGwtdTdeC_aoLWXq6lw8HDORiQUeVxArAdg4zXo4keWivaFbgtFS-RiXpQ94qouaYG4gBpVhKJNLlA8n8PM6rlnyEtiuUf7qbJihZyIiK64EZ0j2JbPWp1oSQeGM/w640-h130/2k%20On1IMG_8920%20Pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rico and Kip continue to follow inscrutable markings and symbols on their GPS devices. The idea is to find a way into the canyon. Somewhere down there at the bottom of the canyon is a river.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We follow way-points and coordinates gleaned from specialized internet forums rather than the tentative, outdated, dashed lines that appear on our maps and which are optimistically described as jeep trails. We have managed to drop some distance down the side of the canyon, to a point where the road below seems tantalizingly close.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoFDO-4tyCkkPE6Qo8h1L4JnYb4SR69g3Lmp7gW4EJDxF0po6YJZ0WBa5daIAKK-53ebFUxB27apbN2QIIh5i-RvlVndHJc6cFcjQDOv5fZ1E8CkOmZngQsX9GU8vjEaunAZnde-QkNhQ8Z3xP0y_bl3Y2iL0Jy4zZsiby84yDFp7n5b7SadKvJ0sFnk/s1000/1k%20aIMG_8943.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoFDO-4tyCkkPE6Qo8h1L4JnYb4SR69g3Lmp7gW4EJDxF0po6YJZ0WBa5daIAKK-53ebFUxB27apbN2QIIh5i-RvlVndHJc6cFcjQDOv5fZ1E8CkOmZngQsX9GU8vjEaunAZnde-QkNhQ8Z3xP0y_bl3Y2iL0Jy4zZsiby84yDFp7n5b7SadKvJ0sFnk/w640-h426/1k%20aIMG_8943.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But a few more bouncy miles around the next switchback reveals another washed-out section of road standing between us and our goal. Rico and Kip hike down to the blockage and compare the appearance of the problematic terrain to their self-perceived skill-sets and to the capabilities of their vehicles. They have to consider how much gas we have left, what our plan of action is if one of the vehicles get stuck, and how much water remains. Then, assuming they can negotiate the path down, will they be able to do it again coming back up? If they can’t, do we have enough gas to find another way out?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once again the verdict is - too risky. We don’t even know for sure if there is a suitable place to camp down there. We manage to turn around on the single-lane track and begin our climb back up to level ground when a Ford pick-up truck pulls up. We stop and exchange greetings and we warn the old white-haired octogenarian couple inside about the washed out section of road that lies before them.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ-zzQOuFmU3W6yRKjM0TRNOouh7XeA_J4NzStn9gteeImDvN4k7dJt1mlwvjixNSFR6xEzfSkUiblFb9YOYvo7vWDPb6LaCm0nsphCXUnM1OONeE_A-PGFg-FmrYiBQn_5iY4X3uDC1OKiwSu9nUDl0LYA5d3UBLqdeDylPCFLHbQF5PN-s764CFIaU/s1000/1k%20On1IMG_8949.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ-zzQOuFmU3W6yRKjM0TRNOouh7XeA_J4NzStn9gteeImDvN4k7dJt1mlwvjixNSFR6xEzfSkUiblFb9YOYvo7vWDPb6LaCm0nsphCXUnM1OONeE_A-PGFg-FmrYiBQn_5iY4X3uDC1OKiwSu9nUDl0LYA5d3UBLqdeDylPCFLHbQF5PN-s764CFIaU/w640-h426/1k%20On1IMG_8949.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I can see a walker in the back of their truck and I’m thinking it would be pretty bad if those two got stuck out here. The old man driving is cordial and polite and he listens to us, but he doesn’t seem too concerned. He decides to drive on around the corner to see for himself. We hang around briefly, just in case they get in trouble and need assistance, but it isn’t too long before down below, we see the dust trail from his truck as it speeds away across the canyon floor.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDz7BI1DWW9toFaK9UYE4NYAOzBf7XJW1JrYZYgV-oKLFWT3suybO61tUvI5sp-8txGtpXnyLli5x2FOXs6nINPn2dqm8CLnPdsBNCGaQq0H8rYMeUaWKmYiRnjmPFkTIpJ2QnHbfLCUzzQdtkkysJC_Rle_I4PBFQJqnmosG4Aww7ITuFdZdiVh1XRx0/w640-h426/1k%20On1IMG_8984.jpg" width="640" /> </span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well…we still have other way-points to check out. Who knows, maybe we'll decide to come back this way when that old guy isn't looking.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the meantime, there are other options which look very promising. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(To be continued...)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you miss Part One? Follow this link:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/07/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-1.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part One)</a></span></span></p><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Part Three can be found here: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-three.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Boglands (Part Three)</a></span><br /><br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-72186441694882032682023-07-31T23:19:00.011-07:002023-08-03T19:43:35.287-07:00Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part One)<p><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeyNZYES7589xi9K0jXR-rXa3gd1Crreit-hC4ydfdz6CelsgpyIIWTSDfoJ3RBW5f8yJ_Ev4Om3lYB-9uDZKcwkIrUA6R_chB0uQ9qPrMBlLEfHI19C2OIXzuUEEYE2RUjp1gMpwS4WolqSmAY45fo8_eMMOeHUajUC08-fNhRcLmANVjjdV5zdzS2k/s1000/001%20On1IMG_0585%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="665" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeyNZYES7589xi9K0jXR-rXa3gd1Crreit-hC4ydfdz6CelsgpyIIWTSDfoJ3RBW5f8yJ_Ev4Om3lYB-9uDZKcwkIrUA6R_chB0uQ9qPrMBlLEfHI19C2OIXzuUEEYE2RUjp1gMpwS4WolqSmAY45fo8_eMMOeHUajUC08-fNhRcLmANVjjdV5zdzS2k/w426-h640/001%20On1IMG_0585%201.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruby and Gemma celebrate the end of the world in 2020</span></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In August of 2021, as Summer rounded out the year with its characteristic spurt of heat, Oregon wildfires decided it was finally time to make their bid for infamy and proceeded to scorch the sky by burning 10 times the acreage they burned the previous year. Then, also, U.S. COVID-19 deaths surged past the 600,000 mark (currently 1,127,152) a year and a half after Trump economic advisor Larry Kudlow reassured the public, “We have contained this, I won’t say airtight, but pretty close to airtight. We have done a good job…”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopAWC-cgIcFx1ciARVrR8UoKaI5zyS5XehZojzPev5skzVwO2qLiRTXG8RfucYmL7kSbfLS9RGIQ7KKc-I4lIgjMnJ5dmeQzyeG5yO3ZuEPAAWwCMLC8Yv4os7D7qnAz8dy9sygpLlD9YOfXD5nDCJgnNKXyQSOYq13Zm4AeSCdsr6g7BuX1oi8TbiH8/s1000/002%201kOn1IMG_9245.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopAWC-cgIcFx1ciARVrR8UoKaI5zyS5XehZojzPev5skzVwO2qLiRTXG8RfucYmL7kSbfLS9RGIQ7KKc-I4lIgjMnJ5dmeQzyeG5yO3ZuEPAAWwCMLC8Yv4os7D7qnAz8dy9sygpLlD9YOfXD5nDCJgnNKXyQSOYq13Zm4AeSCdsr6g7BuX1oi8TbiH8/w640-h426/002%201kOn1IMG_9245.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Owhyee Canyonlands in 2021</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Southeast corner of Oregon had long been enticing Kip, Uncle Rico, and me ever since our introduction to Steens Mountain, and though we knew the area was isolated and often desert-like, we also reasoned that triple-digit temperatures somehow seemed more wholesome in an actual desert rather than urban Portland. Shifting winds modulated the atmosphere from opaque to hazy to clear, but never predictably. For the most part, the smoke made even the most epic vistas look something like the dystopian environments depicted in motion pictures like Soylent Green.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once again we comprised a convoy of two off-road capable vehicles (Rico’s Jeep and Kip’s increasingly capable Montero) and veered off the highway just after taking advantage of an ice-buying opportunity at the Riley Store, which, apart from the post office building across the highway, appears to embody the entirety of the town of Riley.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSmH_yFoBnNM8jhFWZYCqdGUiGr8fofin0_pRTG1DpeeL6JxBwHQ3GyY8u4CuUJy7UF0L29bJFybnQXXO1QmPF4rx77Hu2lYqKeP4aiOcRxPaKIUP3D5BACO0Hl40hBCmm9D0YtXLP13WgyoX4JbmH0oN5em_OX4zz2Dsi02zhKZ0iMV-dWlOPJIKX-U/s1000/003%201kaIMG_8807.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSmH_yFoBnNM8jhFWZYCqdGUiGr8fofin0_pRTG1DpeeL6JxBwHQ3GyY8u4CuUJy7UF0L29bJFybnQXXO1QmPF4rx77Hu2lYqKeP4aiOcRxPaKIUP3D5BACO0Hl40hBCmm9D0YtXLP13WgyoX4JbmH0oN5em_OX4zz2Dsi02zhKZ0iMV-dWlOPJIKX-U/w640-h426/003%201kaIMG_8807.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This region was once covered with Pleistocene pluvial lakes and hosts some of the oldest known inhabited sites in North America. Archaeologists have only recently found artifacts here that suggest humans were in the Riley area 18,000 years ago. With the advent of the Holocene, however, a long drying-out phase began which reduced formerly vast lakes to barren salty playas.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHslpX4LNVxQBtZ7iOftK9LRyQRNk7wBayB_9m4i4B4WIrXWg9jzcxKgC7Fu2i5CkxL2WPiN4arlpNCwU1epL1YwGdkG9OzBZHNQq5ppp7IvkobONVRdm9evulicqG-Zm-Ic44TC0Z1RcIw5Vqzh8COy6_d1Xe_x3Uiy7IuRrNEaehUOLi2r1mG_qfgs/s1000/004%201kOn1IMG_8751.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHslpX4LNVxQBtZ7iOftK9LRyQRNk7wBayB_9m4i4B4WIrXWg9jzcxKgC7Fu2i5CkxL2WPiN4arlpNCwU1epL1YwGdkG9OzBZHNQq5ppp7IvkobONVRdm9evulicqG-Zm-Ic44TC0Z1RcIw5Vqzh8COy6_d1Xe_x3Uiy7IuRrNEaehUOLi2r1mG_qfgs/w640-h426/004%201kOn1IMG_8751.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Evidence of a richer past can sometimes be discovered in the flat surfaces of rimrock that overlook long-lost shorelines.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebtzQO-8P0FJgyajHrgduMv5oXmBey2U3YKquO4ciApc3_yY2SjrDWEUZ2xrZ1wXl-8oBPmw9upjVW6wQN4g68ZPOUThiZGiXnN2XL7tPLWesh_kmWo5kC1g5byhi_xA9L06vzZrImivaiEsJqCjiy1b3tvr1XkesaDByYQRGVU8uC9t3Rx9YjJFUKMw/s1000/005%201k8754%20compare.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1000" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebtzQO-8P0FJgyajHrgduMv5oXmBey2U3YKquO4ciApc3_yY2SjrDWEUZ2xrZ1wXl-8oBPmw9upjVW6wQN4g68ZPOUThiZGiXnN2XL7tPLWesh_kmWo5kC1g5byhi_xA9L06vzZrImivaiEsJqCjiy1b3tvr1XkesaDByYQRGVU8uC9t3Rx9YjJFUKMw/w640-h462/005%201k8754%20compare.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rock paintings as they appeared after processing with D-stretch </span> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdNyYAjhBLRnCAIyPfeKIFplpoifYFtfsV6QJASjf0XmO3Pm8byi2pt3I9U2fePq6-IU7ZNFE2SGABVSGbjyOQAJRKy6pVfzhVSNQW7jkHtL8Zt00AKMW0tl9pS0eTuw-4Uk-LrRdG1o6eEHG_UTaBah-m4ax3WEIYQrLYuFPrqZ4HEXD8chhtZ7ujcA/s1000/006%201kOn1IMG_8778.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdNyYAjhBLRnCAIyPfeKIFplpoifYFtfsV6QJASjf0XmO3Pm8byi2pt3I9U2fePq6-IU7ZNFE2SGABVSGbjyOQAJRKy6pVfzhVSNQW7jkHtL8Zt00AKMW0tl9pS0eTuw-4Uk-LrRdG1o6eEHG_UTaBah-m4ax3WEIYQrLYuFPrqZ4HEXD8chhtZ7ujcA/w426-h640/006%201kOn1IMG_8778.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rTL1vcSUJOuu34cf-ebyThiX_6qPpe1ijQumyo8mgcGxVibXFgctyW8U2AEvaUGg13vk5GAUspxe9du_NaPgjeqaxPoH5Zdbqs5JsRB_S9pROzcT1tcFLno6-e5ZL5Fg5TYbUKQteZsqJ17RmcTqojOx7-KaVbgeYe_Gr0ENDrpjiLDMOBgu2pWO_fI/s1000/007%201kaIMG_8813.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rTL1vcSUJOuu34cf-ebyThiX_6qPpe1ijQumyo8mgcGxVibXFgctyW8U2AEvaUGg13vk5GAUspxe9du_NaPgjeqaxPoH5Zdbqs5JsRB_S9pROzcT1tcFLno6-e5ZL5Fg5TYbUKQteZsqJ17RmcTqojOx7-KaVbgeYe_Gr0ENDrpjiLDMOBgu2pWO_fI/w640-h426/007%201kaIMG_8813.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since I was not required to drive, I hadn’t spent as much time previewing the route as I should have. I quickly lost my bearings in landscapes that reiterated a few basic themes about how to become alone and lost.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2-ZdJbv8wZyAFMlO1C45SDAwMFfDTsZ1UU4NmrSsZCRoZnAli7iYaBslbIPfH-UnBobEqN9JHvaHDMAb9J1sxcKs_SR1TXFIM63FuXFo5QHBg4mrK9lN0d4idN3JbODxPndFjIrduASoJ7cIE7c8GaKs2HDMpux4enQljpPmSDajcP3lEZhQ75Z8lf0/s1000/008%201kOn1IMG_8818.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2-ZdJbv8wZyAFMlO1C45SDAwMFfDTsZ1UU4NmrSsZCRoZnAli7iYaBslbIPfH-UnBobEqN9JHvaHDMAb9J1sxcKs_SR1TXFIM63FuXFo5QHBg4mrK9lN0d4idN3JbODxPndFjIrduASoJ7cIE7c8GaKs2HDMpux4enQljpPmSDajcP3lEZhQ75Z8lf0/w426-h640/008%201kOn1IMG_8818.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4Ci3S4qGkGz4ujYgerCAg1ePa_3debA1R5fQLXJafl4bJJyNInhOFzI1Uwy2RCAdrGauYAkO5yA3zNACv-kf3tnJ2GdxxhbcqYCO3QTLFeV6UIk1nvuBNaqt55dXbXf8g3IHgiLxBfo2H8GqqwFP9g59Gcex2j5RBvoXsjbUTgj9cy0q47wbtt59Z7s/s1000/009%201kOn1IMG_8854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4Ci3S4qGkGz4ujYgerCAg1ePa_3debA1R5fQLXJafl4bJJyNInhOFzI1Uwy2RCAdrGauYAkO5yA3zNACv-kf3tnJ2GdxxhbcqYCO3QTLFeV6UIk1nvuBNaqt55dXbXf8g3IHgiLxBfo2H8GqqwFP9g59Gcex2j5RBvoXsjbUTgj9cy0q47wbtt59Z7s/w640-h426/009%201kOn1IMG_8854.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3likZl6zZJae_9sqMV6qfV9GlkRvBAR5sgVJ0MZ3_2haO_Y8ia6inqrAC2sTOYTlhSvZZd-1L5BHjkJnZ_QFOxCte7Cp9tjLF7qTAK9UdopD2zD9tchHq5BF5XXC5m3S5IMaWtCd7uC8cdz4H8qFMnnKa5UVYd7x2tfQii_vNal1WWYtXk8ne0Vv2Mso/s1000/010%201kOn1IMG_8822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3likZl6zZJae_9sqMV6qfV9GlkRvBAR5sgVJ0MZ3_2haO_Y8ia6inqrAC2sTOYTlhSvZZd-1L5BHjkJnZ_QFOxCte7Cp9tjLF7qTAK9UdopD2zD9tchHq5BF5XXC5m3S5IMaWtCd7uC8cdz4H8qFMnnKa5UVYd7x2tfQii_vNal1WWYtXk8ne0Vv2Mso/w640-h426/010%201kOn1IMG_8822.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eventually, we passed through the Saddle Butte W.S.A. (Wilderness Study Area). It was notable for possessing several lava tubes, one of which we managed to find by assuming a correlation between lava tubes and random rock cairns that dotted the terrain.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE7Z_TNQyGbe4rHr9tnMTw57wsReyfMp1BysZCMPPB_BEwD5ekAEaqS_mfv-LbgY_U7YTOOhO1QVQx1lp9APWtbgwAhlQocaqathdW8_6D3YYJ5au-eHrqwAe4peiE0ikTAsMvm41aSsyPJ8zI2c0E52Dnx-seZ_BwdaPpfdS0pXgwWWSGZEPhgSwECw/s1000/011%201kOn1IMG_8823%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE7Z_TNQyGbe4rHr9tnMTw57wsReyfMp1BysZCMPPB_BEwD5ekAEaqS_mfv-LbgY_U7YTOOhO1QVQx1lp9APWtbgwAhlQocaqathdW8_6D3YYJ5au-eHrqwAe4peiE0ikTAsMvm41aSsyPJ8zI2c0E52Dnx-seZ_BwdaPpfdS0pXgwWWSGZEPhgSwECw/w640-h426/011%201kOn1IMG_8823%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tumbleweed receptacle</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of the entryways were less amenable to guests than others.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjjWGFk6paXVf_BO5yPSe-XDHIz6iIfwYw5_rqshFVqvOoSGobRRqaWmzQdeaX5uzCO2iNdwJ7-C22TgKeypzNGyY7AocIpgGE-7_YpSYziKyp0QOikaXBaRFVVyrKCGlzulq8NDbjxVg4Qf_JaOz4Y--ktaTVg3X8S0gG4FCN3WR1RmwtH6ri5tmr_I/s1000/012%201kOn120210808_161955.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjjWGFk6paXVf_BO5yPSe-XDHIz6iIfwYw5_rqshFVqvOoSGobRRqaWmzQdeaX5uzCO2iNdwJ7-C22TgKeypzNGyY7AocIpgGE-7_YpSYziKyp0QOikaXBaRFVVyrKCGlzulq8NDbjxVg4Qf_JaOz4Y--ktaTVg3X8S0gG4FCN3WR1RmwtH6ri5tmr_I/w640-h480/012%201kOn120210808_161955.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photo Credit: Kip</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Uncle Rico eventually found a path into the underworld.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhDWoyVx0qtxQBhd8i8r2N6jcKsbliRn_ov7kdsHN1vT6EpAIeahh0ci3pdccpKJeVgxfxN9zVlB4QRFrf4fXRKU_2oW78iylQ8fCGJKX8Oe6VB582t4-NS6RyvfSd1yb8oNCbReW7Hga4E5tNHvSPhn-Yv5DXSFVvSm_COIVPIi3gAPMK5w5HIcknjA/s1000/013%201kOn1lavaTube%20composite%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1000" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhDWoyVx0qtxQBhd8i8r2N6jcKsbliRn_ov7kdsHN1vT6EpAIeahh0ci3pdccpKJeVgxfxN9zVlB4QRFrf4fXRKU_2oW78iylQ8fCGJKX8Oe6VB582t4-NS6RyvfSd1yb8oNCbReW7Hga4E5tNHvSPhn-Yv5DXSFVvSm_COIVPIi3gAPMK5w5HIcknjA/w640-h476/013%201kOn1lavaTube%20composite%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The cave was cool, but not delightfully cool in the same way that death is restful, but not the way I’d prefer to catch up on sleep. Once we cleared the large boulder-field at the narthex of the cave, the tube traced a serpentine path down a gravitationally defined incline of dried silt accumulated over ages(?) It didn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that, though subtle, the tube was laid out like an elongated funnel.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizbCX3Xnyun5_yZszGzs4umOeEZxR9s9FFhPMwMqp1aOOJO21QQOi4DC3t3Nwr2uDhpVK3Y8EZ-H3gcJfLUw1ZC3F8LqEDRBmo8Gjmj1YvtG51cIDYqarSoTi4SMqVphM_YkE9ufPkpfq3L7Lxydu9kxuvRJCo788SCm3W8zcnTq9jxOdm15176Hfmfk/s1000/014%201ka20210808_170822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizbCX3Xnyun5_yZszGzs4umOeEZxR9s9FFhPMwMqp1aOOJO21QQOi4DC3t3Nwr2uDhpVK3Y8EZ-H3gcJfLUw1ZC3F8LqEDRBmo8Gjmj1YvtG51cIDYqarSoTi4SMqVphM_YkE9ufPkpfq3L7Lxydu9kxuvRJCo788SCm3W8zcnTq9jxOdm15176Hfmfk/w480-h640/014%201ka20210808_170822.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t know for sure how far or how long we walked (like fishing stories, spelunking stories lend themselves to exaggeration) until our path terminated in an Uncle Rico shaped hole beyond which Rico didn’t feel the need to probe and Kip and I couldn’t fit.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuEMeTvovBxRfjaLNb_rXP7xgGktqY2rWO79JGEV2bfCL_PiZsACAR91QK25TDnd6GZpVi6lVV15tnYzuBu-Ebe-zG0gQ21srgYNV8XWWRqWajkN0EbStiOu3XC8xu-DCny1T6w8iZHbfWbauoFXi4XNBFqs1J3CxTxnOGJdNDJGDXPpvHG1DgHtna1k/s1000/015%201kOn1lava%20textures.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuEMeTvovBxRfjaLNb_rXP7xgGktqY2rWO79JGEV2bfCL_PiZsACAR91QK25TDnd6GZpVi6lVV15tnYzuBu-Ebe-zG0gQ21srgYNV8XWWRqWajkN0EbStiOu3XC8xu-DCny1T6w8iZHbfWbauoFXi4XNBFqs1J3CxTxnOGJdNDJGDXPpvHG1DgHtna1k/w640-h426/015%201kOn1lava%20textures.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">LEFT: That time lava dripped from the ceiling. CENTER: (Photo Credit: Rico) Mini stalactites? RIGHT: Cave wall with localized mystery sheen.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The walls of the lava tube doubtless tell informative stories to those who can read them. We supposed that we were reviewing a catalog of the different ways basalt can cool from its molten state or the ways chemicals can leech over geologic time. In places, the basalt walls had a curious donut-like icing. Where I was reticent to even touch unknown glazes - my brain harboring references to cautionary horror movies like The Thing, or Stormy Daniel's Bikini Kitchen - Uncle Rico’s scientific curiosity eventually compelled him to lick the wall in a quest for more data points. I don’t think he discovered anything conclusive, but on the bright side, he didn’t drop over dead from some prehistoric pathogen a matter of days later. I am still uncertain whether he should be emulated or not (what if cave walls taste like bacon?).</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWl0m1y2gkGCyhg-e8HpmUfPVAPxt7CaA6YmhPmMbIzk3HUmCnZV0WqnhPpw_lcOOO1be-q0xmcA_aDP5MAJEh_N3OmvlLbW98dBWLU1u-uvyhEMhQ7Ytxjg76iWiwnDcahLaO2obBgN-xxmfYnLEj9fXaCAF0L_JBbUykHHjnS2pte14DUS8kyaxpOMw/s1000/016%201kOn120210808_163156.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWl0m1y2gkGCyhg-e8HpmUfPVAPxt7CaA6YmhPmMbIzk3HUmCnZV0WqnhPpw_lcOOO1be-q0xmcA_aDP5MAJEh_N3OmvlLbW98dBWLU1u-uvyhEMhQ7Ytxjg76iWiwnDcahLaO2obBgN-xxmfYnLEj9fXaCAF0L_JBbUykHHjnS2pte14DUS8kyaxpOMw/w640-h480/016%201kOn120210808_163156.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The question you have to ask yourself in a lava tube (or any cave) is, “How did all those big chunks of rock come to lie on the floor of the cave?” followed by, “Is that concavity in the ceiling a perfect fit for the rock lying below it?” </span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you ever, when you’re walking down the street, happen upon groups of people being still and quiet, just silently waiting for an earthquake? I haven’t. There’s probably a good reason for that. So to summarize, when deep inside a lava cave, may the odds always be in your favor.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lEiDWq18iEmcyJUehHNzwb72TbmUFZ0vFt-uKPKSQeYVo3YOAPDcYyS8E1gyZSh7rgV4BG_Og5K_2hyQ6TDX_-DNzUbLwAStnMvGR1jO-VBArc6dC9EJyr34R8SPBrD3-yNtwgRotehnmmge-VBgI6mvY0jcUEnkUqXyywVGmfshdgfrhks73jcwdto/s1000/017%201k%20On1a20210808_172411%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lEiDWq18iEmcyJUehHNzwb72TbmUFZ0vFt-uKPKSQeYVo3YOAPDcYyS8E1gyZSh7rgV4BG_Og5K_2hyQ6TDX_-DNzUbLwAStnMvGR1jO-VBArc6dC9EJyr34R8SPBrD3-yNtwgRotehnmmge-VBgI6mvY0jcUEnkUqXyywVGmfshdgfrhks73jcwdto/w640-h480/017%201k%20On1a20210808_172411%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though hidden in the depths of the Earth, we cannot yet hide from the relentless march of time. Rico reminds us that we must still find a path to the Owyhee River so three intrepid cavemen emerge into the lengthening rays of the sun. We are re-entering a world that teases the apocalypse, but hopefully, we are leaving our misshapen shadows behind on the walls of the cave (Given a little more thought, that could probably be crafted into a fine allegory).</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcNUeoZKOEAnlYzQiA4mLBBtPJYrA7MW4eFsil9gFg5c_A4nzO7XHwyjzSokqxjoxiSa1FKrV8z4ii9fSBCPu_olRAGlfJ-k6IYn7NMyXWMMmY2p7kWSADmnQm3CEU8vULTgB3_aF7e0I38MGv5fQlTxI4BIArojog916TLLmGY7B2_v_uTwu4dkH9yY/s1000/018%201kOn1IMG_8853.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcNUeoZKOEAnlYzQiA4mLBBtPJYrA7MW4eFsil9gFg5c_A4nzO7XHwyjzSokqxjoxiSa1FKrV8z4ii9fSBCPu_olRAGlfJ-k6IYn7NMyXWMMmY2p7kWSADmnQm3CEU8vULTgB3_aF7e0I38MGv5fQlTxI4BIArojog916TLLmGY7B2_v_uTwu4dkH9yY/w640-h426/018%201kOn1IMG_8853.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not driving, but I can’t help but notice that our working definition of ‘road’ has become somewhat more elemental. Here, a working road appears to be merely a story told by an unknown predecessor.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk40l2DW4cjQ3NKtTlewDBrC_0bmJ7taj_U460iteb-JcNS-p6s6e5-9B5vW1ILNICwoKVLBgDaXknuPXE4-tLEMc6AybY3Z4aavNXE3kNlhuXIDdkIvm2CgeCMPhstPAs0eJKJzJ7vPjF-4xiE0pXT2xrVsw8DGxfTdsZLXXKNM4tXiA6NnhhYZEcTjk/s1000/019%201k%20aIMG_8857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk40l2DW4cjQ3NKtTlewDBrC_0bmJ7taj_U460iteb-JcNS-p6s6e5-9B5vW1ILNICwoKVLBgDaXknuPXE4-tLEMc6AybY3Z4aavNXE3kNlhuXIDdkIvm2CgeCMPhstPAs0eJKJzJ7vPjF-4xiE0pXT2xrVsw8DGxfTdsZLXXKNM4tXiA6NnhhYZEcTjk/w640-h426/019%201k%20aIMG_8857.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Owyhee River Canyon is, in places, 1000 feet deep and Rico has chosen a particular story about how to get to its bottom. But it turns out the story is out of date and doesn’t account for one deluge or another that erased its physical basis. Given time and resources, we could perhaps create a path, or pick one through the prickly brush, but help is far away and there is no need to go all-in at this point in the trip. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1QdkOoALv6bu_IV0SbYECRI80nJXvJElqA2hRUGG6ahXp1Zyr_ecENyQKZHyt0590SF3NbbV8-17ZBQ7wpsSRIXl6REM4F2VSryQsIYxZcFMMgz3RC5R9DYL8Z9F4iBoFFWv5EQeDaPCuC4S7oKylfkfbeLiJ6fWosi4LPz9y5LK0hp_sptlk_oXZEU/s1000/020%201kOn120210808_195054.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1QdkOoALv6bu_IV0SbYECRI80nJXvJElqA2hRUGG6ahXp1Zyr_ecENyQKZHyt0590SF3NbbV8-17ZBQ7wpsSRIXl6REM4F2VSryQsIYxZcFMMgz3RC5R9DYL8Z9F4iBoFFWv5EQeDaPCuC4S7oKylfkfbeLiJ6fWosi4LPz9y5LK0hp_sptlk_oXZEU/w640-h480/020%201kOn120210808_195054.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Deb makes chicken cordon bleu. It's not three species tacos, but it
isn't Seven-Eleven roller hot-dogs either. (Photo Credit: Rico)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We retrace our route back to the plateau and set up camp in a bare spot. From this vantage point, half the world is sky and half the world is ground and as the last light from the sun retreats beyond the horizon, we soon discover how dark the nights can be and how radiant the stars.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyIxmcw7ibhjeJSTKAiCIjCr7TPxxsFK5eKrYVQ21mvNGJvVzMXXOrnSAsEgvRIvp5pg0Nz-QQiflJrBZ2aQ3c57kERCb7ZHxbsXEqkfxEgmCkcqG614bTgTE7Lo5Y2YP9hojnAXQb9HDbaUM7Um_y4rlwoyB5fd60wXhtqSvePgzWMgQpNCE7E8qvzw/s1000/021%201kaaON1%20SDZ_2169.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyIxmcw7ibhjeJSTKAiCIjCr7TPxxsFK5eKrYVQ21mvNGJvVzMXXOrnSAsEgvRIvp5pg0Nz-QQiflJrBZ2aQ3c57kERCb7ZHxbsXEqkfxEgmCkcqG614bTgTE7Lo5Y2YP9hojnAXQb9HDbaUM7Um_y4rlwoyB5fd60wXhtqSvePgzWMgQpNCE7E8qvzw/w428-h640/021%201kaaON1%20SDZ_2169.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Would you like to read Part Two? Follow this link:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2023/08/hawaii-owyheeuh-boglands-part-two.html">Hawaii, Owyhee...uh, Böglands (Part Two)</a></span></span></p><p></p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-81002194395826738422021-06-25T20:25:00.010-07:002021-06-27T23:30:51.523-07:00Setting Foot In Rivers: Umpqua River 2020<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--></p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Evidence was
piling up suggesting that the Lower Umpqua River was an excellent smallmouth
bass fishery. Youtube videos showed happy fisherpeople struggling to hold up
stringers laden with fat fish which was enticing, but also multiple pontoon
boats careening towards various dubious underwater ends which looked all too
probable for long kayaks.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Uncle Rico and
Kip shifted gears into research mode and before long had analyzed the
serpentine path of the river and come up with a figury-eightish route (if
'eights' had 3 or more loops) that only required advanced technical paddling
prowess for two water obstacles over an otherwise negotiable 27 miles of
drifting. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT2bno7yUXavkRQgn0-Ps4FQgHGUPCE7RoC9pz6NfLvkL0sXCg0ZOhUczSKRSklvr3F6bTcUXN2EcYaCqjBPK3XSB-M6nejok8QIoUB4R-gDU2inRP1ZPBxd4otuyVzlgwjOvDEd8pC0/s1000/000+1kUmpqua+River.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT2bno7yUXavkRQgn0-Ps4FQgHGUPCE7RoC9pz6NfLvkL0sXCg0ZOhUczSKRSklvr3F6bTcUXN2EcYaCqjBPK3XSB-M6nejok8QIoUB4R-gDU2inRP1ZPBxd4otuyVzlgwjOvDEd8pC0/s16000/000+1kUmpqua+River.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy Google Earth<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <br /></span></span></span></div><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The accumulated
Covid-19 death toll for America had only just topped 100,000 at the end of May,
just a week after 10 Oregon churches had sued the governor for mandating masks
and public distancing. While these kinds of reactions established that the
United States was not responding well to the pandemic, Uncle Rico, Kip and I
determined our risk outdoors in the sparsely populated Umpqua valley was
minimal.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvdGGdDcc0ZiDAa0hPiUEyXgbWW4wcXXS4yMRo8hSSAmvxm7641WG6wXj1uK8HIEZUaQJA9lTHZalrHbfObrFg64ugNVUWPRnemae4SyAqxrdOB_QX4li2bdHSzpGnLpax-QM0ACWZX0/s1000/000a+1kaP6240012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvdGGdDcc0ZiDAa0hPiUEyXgbWW4wcXXS4yMRo8hSSAmvxm7641WG6wXj1uK8HIEZUaQJA9lTHZalrHbfObrFg64ugNVUWPRnemae4SyAqxrdOB_QX4li2bdHSzpGnLpax-QM0ACWZX0/w640-h428/000a+1kaP6240012.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While it would
take us 3 days to cover the 27 river miles outlined by Uncle Rico, the
straight-line distance between our launch and take-out sites was only 8 miles.
The twisty river path was bisected by roads and at one high bridge we were even
able to preview one of our anticipated river hazards - the Smith Ferry
Rapids. We peered at the white-water in the distance with our various
optical aids - Uncle Rico with sportsman’s binoculars and me with a long camera
lens - and tried to formulate strategies. The worst case scenario, if the water
was too threatening, would be to walk our boats through the braided streams
that flanked the main channel carved deep into bed-rock.</span></span><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CZi7tcn90-9rN-U0R2TzXkC5863Dn-NXzCyuy1c3D8nazx0IFOHSCxZ9_nyxguVeq4JQKiPMZny9fOqokqLEIMkRKY9i3ES6OaELdXfR-QHLZixLRA9_kevYJ3lRvBv_x8oOCtUYhSg/s1000/001+1kaP6240002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CZi7tcn90-9rN-U0R2TzXkC5863Dn-NXzCyuy1c3D8nazx0IFOHSCxZ9_nyxguVeq4JQKiPMZny9fOqokqLEIMkRKY9i3ES6OaELdXfR-QHLZixLRA9_kevYJ3lRvBv_x8oOCtUYhSg/w640-h428/001+1kaP6240002.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span></div><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kip didn’t seem
to be very impressed with the rapids. “They look tiny!” he said, showing us the
size of them as measured with his fingers. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nDgiRDICK7_NyHtDN1li6DE75TCtHhOc0Z0piieRVni1RpU7nEfIpKYEtriVa9UW96o2iJNTS3nUXczI96Twt6psytAk1OFsNdejrErcHLDFclrO-C22y_Y8ld98YabkMTfVssS_SsE/s1000/002+1kaP6240009+-+Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nDgiRDICK7_NyHtDN1li6DE75TCtHhOc0Z0piieRVni1RpU7nEfIpKYEtriVa9UW96o2iJNTS3nUXczI96Twt6psytAk1OFsNdejrErcHLDFclrO-C22y_Y8ld98YabkMTfVssS_SsE/w640-h428/002+1kaP6240009+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /> </a></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyKW3UOFSXn4FN08pWuP2ruHreGc_5fNOFvuKVW5yEe8HLPiJzzm59Ewqp_mRbED29qIqZymqkP85Ug330bzGlfS5hkGfOqlZiSUjvbEY8kMUGHrs64n27-rWg-A3FP11xi0ufh4dIPs/s1000/003+1kaP6240018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyKW3UOFSXn4FN08pWuP2ruHreGc_5fNOFvuKVW5yEe8HLPiJzzm59Ewqp_mRbED29qIqZymqkP85Ug330bzGlfS5hkGfOqlZiSUjvbEY8kMUGHrs64n27-rWg-A3FP11xi0ufh4dIPs/w640-h428/003+1kaP6240018.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the launch
point, I guarded the boats while Uncle Rico and Kip took care of shuttling a
car to the take-out point in Elkton. Sitting by the river with my kayak loaded
for adventure, I tried to feel if my confidence matched the role I was to
assume with my friends as a man who might be comfortable surviving in the
wilderness. I looked at the water which, from where I sat, looked benign -
almost boring. Yet I was all the time remembering the YouTube previews of our
designated route keenly aware that such ‘accounts’ are outdated the moment they
are shared. ‘River’ is just a name we give to water that follows a recognized
path. So in a way, any river you meet is an imposter - entirely new water owing
to its perpetual running. In a small way, I would be the very first
person to explore this particular river. Sure, I’d experience many things in
common with Kip and Rico, but they too would bring unique sets of skills and
experiences that almost certainly would lead them to different choices and
various other conclusions. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kaLhovu6P4p_A9DoPujnkZcQHjWTsIVxSMT0CrkQbCXA_CiNr674h2j4-PCykFirODEkSSaXYgfweKVrDho9NyE_8gQ0U0ypq9JLj0PBvHYUObQpIECmDGryhvD98GGz1nJW0o6a624/s1000/003a+1kaP6240040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kaLhovu6P4p_A9DoPujnkZcQHjWTsIVxSMT0CrkQbCXA_CiNr674h2j4-PCykFirODEkSSaXYgfweKVrDho9NyE_8gQ0U0ypq9JLj0PBvHYUObQpIECmDGryhvD98GGz1nJW0o6a624/w640-h428/003a+1kaP6240040.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I guess you could
say the river’s course was meandering aimlessly through a forest landscape. But
the transparent water revealed the river was cradled by broad fractured sandstone
beds and this lent a suggestion of pent-up frustration to the water which
collected behind barriers and choke-points until it could spill down to the
next level. Instead of pinched loops and letter C’s It was like the water was
writing expansive question marks into the earth, asking repeatedly, “How do I
get to the ocean?” Meanwhile bass found these long calm terraces of water ideal
breeding grounds. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLOoBN7wR7Ms4aIgvFYsLrtZe-HWpuSZtgF9xwSpOMVwQZNLY9mMGq_cU1vlZtwFTe5k3JS6ecu8wzJ77gdb57otKn3aPViDG7mvfMocz6n6yzW63albNzLhcnu5txAkS2wChds6KETg/s1000/004+1kaP6240067.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLOoBN7wR7Ms4aIgvFYsLrtZe-HWpuSZtgF9xwSpOMVwQZNLY9mMGq_cU1vlZtwFTe5k3JS6ecu8wzJ77gdb57otKn3aPViDG7mvfMocz6n6yzW63albNzLhcnu5txAkS2wChds6KETg/w640-h428/004+1kaP6240067.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Occasionally a
fortuitous bank of rock would present itself as a fishing platform and Uncle
Rico was quick to take advantage of these. Of the three of us, Uncle Rico is
demonstrably the most skilled fisherman. To watch him fish is like watching
Picasso paint and I often try to catch candid shots of him applying his
art. But despite over a decade of adventures Uncle Rico is still not
comfortable in front of my camera. The skills he uses to see fish that remain invisible to me in the
shadows are the same skills he uses to spot the
appearance of my camera at which point all hope for a candid shot evaporates.
His first instinct is to adopt a dramatic pose which often translates into
full-body gestural pointing as if he was Lewis Meriwether or Cortez at last
discovering the object of his search. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_s1ymr6Yypioq6KmLL7_YdA1wWFwJo0ILSb24DETp84qGQA44gTANoFN7x3k8Njcd4WS3JmisoL2d0Uszc-hXRprszR5meo1XJKI7EmEU3Z69YUOZquv3zqQQgZdWr6-XH-wh82I35CA/s1000/005+1kaIMG_7123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_s1ymr6Yypioq6KmLL7_YdA1wWFwJo0ILSb24DETp84qGQA44gTANoFN7x3k8Njcd4WS3JmisoL2d0Uszc-hXRprszR5meo1XJKI7EmEU3Z69YUOZquv3zqQQgZdWr6-XH-wh82I35CA/s16000/005+1kaIMG_7123.jpg" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I guess names
like Uncle Rico, or Kip or Deb are just names we give to human bodies that are
flowing through time. Uncle Rico had been flowing for 30 years or so before I
met him and by that time lots of significant channels had already been
carved - which is what I could say for all of us. Some researchers say that
human bodies completely replace themselves within seven to ten years. That
means all the cells in Uncle Rico and Kip have died and been replaced since I
met them. I still call them Uncle Rico and Kip though. It would be nice if the
old cells handed batons to the new cells so we could be sure of continuity. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionMLp3jF6f1JCwOhz8xIzZqsvbrrhPO7pv6fYAMuBKTXmqdyTLdm8klAGrdBimx53j2Xk9i6xCo6fFCIbaqGYoUcGSsC0iUeYrjmP0rzVEuMVhRTaKmooesU0iCrgnN2u7WKiGWq24o8/s1000/008a+1kaDSCF0794.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionMLp3jF6f1JCwOhz8xIzZqsvbrrhPO7pv6fYAMuBKTXmqdyTLdm8klAGrdBimx53j2Xk9i6xCo6fFCIbaqGYoUcGSsC0iUeYrjmP0rzVEuMVhRTaKmooesU0iCrgnN2u7WKiGWq24o8/s16000/008a+1kaDSCF0794.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copyright 2020 by Kip<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One way you can
tell if there is a ridiculous number of fish in a river is if I start to catch
some. Based on that yardstick, I hold the John Day River in high regard.
However, the Umpqua has, in my estimation, exceeded that river both in the
number of fish available and in their relative size. Kip caught an impressive
sample (pictured above). <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQClqlGZ5IXBSxZjap6mNTMR26bralzIaihsvrRFRdDdccE0ScHomrsuYHAdw1dDyj4STPr9F8_7JUkXto_qaCwKHy_yPzAt8uNrUDSRRyxfRsU-EF4GgA36l9Aqtn7-WGJqJAZZuLBfU/s1000/010+1kaP6240114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQClqlGZ5IXBSxZjap6mNTMR26bralzIaihsvrRFRdDdccE0ScHomrsuYHAdw1dDyj4STPr9F8_7JUkXto_qaCwKHy_yPzAt8uNrUDSRRyxfRsU-EF4GgA36l9Aqtn7-WGJqJAZZuLBfU/w640-h428/010+1kaP6240114.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Uncle Rico
caught, conservatively, about a million fish, but kept only the ones he
fancied. </span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnkNHl4I0CuzS-860Tli9JMiKg13uZk8Ijnm7Iu-qo7ce0GxVRY-fojvdvAFtIgHx5cUu3NQMcFRIBL-dNMkBizfJwNZxeBo2k8egJamtBESJe7SYgJiXwxmD2T6d0IFH4jl2JAaoBKk/s1000/011+1kaP6240116.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXnkNHl4I0CuzS-860Tli9JMiKg13uZk8Ijnm7Iu-qo7ce0GxVRY-fojvdvAFtIgHx5cUu3NQMcFRIBL-dNMkBizfJwNZxeBo2k8egJamtBESJe7SYgJiXwxmD2T6d0IFH4jl2JAaoBKk/w640-h428/011+1kaP6240116.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copyright 2020 by Kip<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And I was pretty
proud of one of the fish I caught. As always, the rule is we only get to eat
what we are able to obtain in the wilderness (plus Kip’s Costco pistachios (not
a metaphor)) and it is always gratifying to meet the necessary quotas that
ensure fish tacos for the duration of the trip. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYxMa_7oaznkpYkLR-r-GoN8gxSnONYcnNZploZ8KPVhxaJ3gEByyvyXPKPsjsEIrcKirQlUXH2bZOQjqjct8umXdBOsafSvmGVG_zXTjP53WarDIIipD3VnYA8hrZYtxcBqnM0c__TM/s1000/012+1kaP6240120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYxMa_7oaznkpYkLR-r-GoN8gxSnONYcnNZploZ8KPVhxaJ3gEByyvyXPKPsjsEIrcKirQlUXH2bZOQjqjct8umXdBOsafSvmGVG_zXTjP53WarDIIipD3VnYA8hrZYtxcBqnM0c__TM/w640-h429/012+1kaP6240120.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Evidently
cleaning a fish (or two) once a year isn’t sufficient to establish a habit, so
Uncle Rico patiently teaches me to clean my catch every year. This year he
began gently chiding me that cleaning fish is a skill which his six year old
has mastered. Part of the problem is that my Grandfather very likely died
before he was able to pass the family fishing skills on to my father, and
consequently that deficiency is something I am still working to rectify. It’s
just that I have no great aptitude for killing and while I understand that
striking a fish with a club before carving filets off its sides is an act of
mercy, the resulting spine-stiffening seizure and characteristic shocked,
eyes-wide-opened expression remind me that I have turned a miraculous apex
predator into meat.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3PxEgkvcDr-xWpBg8kXSfdMyrD1P1PNjj_DN44VdPf05ejchyphenhyphenAkAmIi_-CdFJIm_9GTAqXJsOQfo-kuU38Ss44S0kNnw2hyphenhyphenUWeJU8ddbOShzJccM5Ug-iHtR3jnrIZqaWCttk83l9fs/s1000/013+1kaP6240122.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3PxEgkvcDr-xWpBg8kXSfdMyrD1P1PNjj_DN44VdPf05ejchyphenhyphenAkAmIi_-CdFJIm_9GTAqXJsOQfo-kuU38Ss44S0kNnw2hyphenhyphenUWeJU8ddbOShzJccM5Ug-iHtR3jnrIZqaWCttk83l9fs/w640-h428/013+1kaP6240122.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kip knows how to
handle himself around a fish carcass so after a wildly satisfying day of fishing,
we all get to experience the Zen of cleaning fish. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have been
insulated from the true process of eating. My food often is presented to me in
its finished form, unnaturally uniform beef patties stacked within a segmented
sesame seed bun, decorated with lettuce, onion and special sauce, a slice of
processed cheese-matter and a pickle. It comes wrapped in tissue paper inside a
cardboard box much like a Christmas present. If you had to guess where beef
comes from, you’d be inclined to wonder if perhaps it comes from clowns. But
cleaning a fish reminds you that your life is prolonged by taking life from
others. The filet knife, guided by a skilled hand, glides across the fish’s rib
cage, its point ticking off the vertebrae and revealing a body plan optimized
for life in water. Vital organs lie in their shielded cavity. Now and again a
latent chemical reaction fires a futile signal across a synapse and a muscle
twitches. It is evidence that the line between life and death is fuzzy and
mysterious and final.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIYwgQwJE99RzEjuXJdUIYwtBoqEnSLUFclzTKS7l_SQVfiTDGfLdpxovXtSgmTOZf1XzhSg8WggfIvrj0xyM1s4H9zNqOf7Jm0RlM9bRx-TMDTggASVAD51B3T5q0dXi7aSUWTNX_RQ/s1000/014+1kaP6240130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIYwgQwJE99RzEjuXJdUIYwtBoqEnSLUFclzTKS7l_SQVfiTDGfLdpxovXtSgmTOZf1XzhSg8WggfIvrj0xyM1s4H9zNqOf7Jm0RlM9bRx-TMDTggASVAD51B3T5q0dXi7aSUWTNX_RQ/w640-h428/014+1kaP6240130.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While cleaning
fish, Kip notices there is still something in a fish’s mouth, even after the
bait has been removed, so a quick investigation ensues.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTizOY9KQHoUtWtGjZQAJ9MponRXmvG1-nDt_zvkvq7qzE179OkqWHYc_bgTU0JqsJVh8nVao2Nh3HrY_RemB9jIVmxkMwzn_7l23-c9G-1fiDqdBEXmc_oRESCFJOi8sM2a-07KbNFdU/s1000/015+1kaP6240132.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTizOY9KQHoUtWtGjZQAJ9MponRXmvG1-nDt_zvkvq7qzE179OkqWHYc_bgTU0JqsJVh8nVao2Nh3HrY_RemB9jIVmxkMwzn_7l23-c9G-1fiDqdBEXmc_oRESCFJOi8sM2a-07KbNFdU/w640-h428/015+1kaP6240132.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This leads us to
certain ideas about what might make good bait.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FNP6iiq6pXnXR2-PkS2QaycMf_NzVcC5rANm4VlG54V0B5c4PfVCmW_6DCa9HW3J1ImjYFpDg5oV8-gxW6a9eqLi8GwUT1qxjzGAYzLdPDdREwecJqOvRPX8BqZWUnNvlzUB31BwsWM/s1000/015a+1kaIMG_7131.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FNP6iiq6pXnXR2-PkS2QaycMf_NzVcC5rANm4VlG54V0B5c4PfVCmW_6DCa9HW3J1ImjYFpDg5oV8-gxW6a9eqLi8GwUT1qxjzGAYzLdPDdREwecJqOvRPX8BqZWUnNvlzUB31BwsWM/w640-h428/015a+1kaIMG_7131.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Darkness kind of
sidles up to you in a river valley. The sun wanders away behind the hills so you never really see the sunset - just a slow, almost imperceptible slide
through a color gradient that favors hot oranges and reds at first then fades
to violets and blues and finally black. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRhtdIdgZVf8aCG4Ty6HVzWXphg11HdFPCqu5WKlLwvzacftWuKTJMD2uWEzWbUmYNS5NUUzjYNvaAg5ZagdZDnT57C46GrQrAS5KpXg4kqhZYm_7pf4AnBT7SXbAWVGxuD6mSLVz1RQ/s1000/016+1kaP6240135.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRhtdIdgZVf8aCG4Ty6HVzWXphg11HdFPCqu5WKlLwvzacftWuKTJMD2uWEzWbUmYNS5NUUzjYNvaAg5ZagdZDnT57C46GrQrAS5KpXg4kqhZYm_7pf4AnBT7SXbAWVGxuD6mSLVz1RQ/w640-h428/016+1kaP6240135.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With our survival
needs met or exceeded, we turn to building the fire - the sentinel which
accompanies us on our journey into night. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20e8JwfliJ4jbBMPFZm7Q_yhVnzbvJBOMQjOXMBDKyaQvNmjAk-LESjFnJcaYc_REiW4QQRzcAm2l3JVl78OBt0kV0KeLa874Nw7sL0m2cczrBuPSWfLBH3i5JfkTvtakBpnv8FTFsT0/s1000/017+1kaIMG_7079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20e8JwfliJ4jbBMPFZm7Q_yhVnzbvJBOMQjOXMBDKyaQvNmjAk-LESjFnJcaYc_REiW4QQRzcAm2l3JVl78OBt0kV0KeLa874Nw7sL0m2cczrBuPSWfLBH3i5JfkTvtakBpnv8FTFsT0/w428-h640/017+1kaIMG_7079.jpg" width="428" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Strictly
speaking, we don’t spend energy combing the banks for firewood because we need
the sustaining warmth of a fire. And we didn’t need it for cooking either. We
had more efficient tiny gas stoves for that. I think it must be an instinct. I
think the way we gather around the blue glow of our T.V.s in darkened living
rooms is a distant echo of the communal fire we gathered around as we hiked our
way out of Africa. Staring into the embers - watching the flames consume and
dance and flicker - we humans shared our food, our stories and our experiences
and learned strategies to tame the wilderness. The psychological embrace of the
fire protects us from the coming oblivion of sleep. Whatever spirit animates
the fire and spreads its embers to the stars is a sort of proof of
resurrection, that a fragile spark may be preserved and propagated, that buried
coals may spring back to life in the cool morning. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhCQZGPSEmavQwbm3RJobvALszKNuiVFmlZk3DTnBBJjKAtEPELbtMruF9guJ0-j8NjZKM0ishfkZwf22AmMmcVwHh4k_YKTvi7e4W-gDG7QH7BRPeyNzs_RHdltiZOvh4L0loRKlgXc/s1000/019+1kaIMG_7085.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhCQZGPSEmavQwbm3RJobvALszKNuiVFmlZk3DTnBBJjKAtEPELbtMruF9guJ0-j8NjZKM0ishfkZwf22AmMmcVwHh4k_YKTvi7e4W-gDG7QH7BRPeyNzs_RHdltiZOvh4L0loRKlgXc/w640-h428/019+1kaIMG_7085.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the morning I
caught the clouds admiring themselves in the perfect mirror of the Umpqua. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXJgCA0kN_-pvWsb3mSitZVz0UXaB7eeKc-t2FpGIQFVTn-tZjdJfFBYgXMrJ-Q4H-BdY2jlbSMd_3fG7xr1EWpclrL2nLu6J_UU0lEQJbAnLxao9eAI-mja-ZNBUzHDOUpl4JIa6dvc/s1000/021+1kaIMG_7099.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXJgCA0kN_-pvWsb3mSitZVz0UXaB7eeKc-t2FpGIQFVTn-tZjdJfFBYgXMrJ-Q4H-BdY2jlbSMd_3fG7xr1EWpclrL2nLu6J_UU0lEQJbAnLxao9eAI-mja-ZNBUzHDOUpl4JIa6dvc/w640-h428/021+1kaIMG_7099.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The clouds
linger, kissing the surface of the water, the rocks, the ripstop nylon, and the
plastic boats. It’s a wet kiss. Beads of water drip from the leaves and from
our boats. My sleeping bag isn’t wet exactly, but the ‘out’ side feels...humid.
With no requirement but to travel +/- 9 miles down the river and catch fish,
the schedule for waking up is leisurely and undisciplined, kind of like if you
dropped a planeload of British schoolboys on a desert island with no adult
supervision.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGJfLYOVquUvDnXYv7shNF2lOvRZNhicL1lBiMOvQpj4pEfcB0obT89QIkhtGCAg5ix-ReoviB1WhC9TQp825Z6A61GBmXIUNlQHY3Jw150zGk1BRy53wp3A7iFhqsSP4GQ69wMOUgGk/s1000/024+1kaIMG_7137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGJfLYOVquUvDnXYv7shNF2lOvRZNhicL1lBiMOvQpj4pEfcB0obT89QIkhtGCAg5ix-ReoviB1WhC9TQp825Z6A61GBmXIUNlQHY3Jw150zGk1BRy53wp3A7iFhqsSP4GQ69wMOUgGk/w640-h428/024+1kaIMG_7137.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Another day of
languorous drifting brings us to a cobbled bank suitable for a campsite.
Typically, there aren’t any developed campsites on rivers flowing through
private land but you are allowed to pick out places below the high-water
mark. Sometimes, on popular river routes, there are well established
camping areas that you shoot for. In this case there was a dearth of
information and so it fell upon us to evaluate possible candidate locations
from our boats in the brief minutes afforded us as we passed by. In a
meandering river, the main channel often winds its way through a wider
flood-plain etched with the courses of the river’s alternate paths. But on that
same river you may enter into narrow rocky canyons that resemble log flumes.
Important considerations are: Is there a wide, safe, approachable landing area
that will accommodate your fleet? Is there enough level space for tents and a
cooking area? Is there access to shade? How hard will it be to find
firewood? Is there an un-necessarily robust mosquito population?
Sometimes the brush growing next to the water is thick enough that you have to
interrupt your drifting and mount scouting expeditions inland. Much depends on
where you happen to find yourself in the late afternoon. The calculation is
always; sure, this place looks nice...but what about around the next corner? If
you pass up a ‘good’ prospect in hopes of a better one, it’s understood
that you may have to settle for a crappy site since it is unlikely you’ll be
paddling back up the river. It’s not as dramatic as wagering your life in a
hunt for a woolly mammoth, but again there is that faint echo from prehistory of
having cast your fate upon an uncertain journey - trusting you can stay on
nature’s benevolent side. I’m reminded of the ‘road song’ from Fellowship of
the Ring: <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-aIixQ7OeqpAUw5tz6BiFXJIiHTpneuASN3dj68bRwYSIvp-Xw2ZeU39C5Ut3RiIbbBpMVm1mLNxIe9MqBWeIRMg_PbnuBnSWytgvoDjlysvcGWbKgGWE3CY4SO0JnJqqKuduCDn08w/s1000/024a+1kIMG_7155.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-aIixQ7OeqpAUw5tz6BiFXJIiHTpneuASN3dj68bRwYSIvp-Xw2ZeU39C5Ut3RiIbbBpMVm1mLNxIe9MqBWeIRMg_PbnuBnSWytgvoDjlysvcGWbKgGWE3CY4SO0JnJqqKuduCDn08w/w640-h428/024a+1kIMG_7155.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Road goes
ever on and on</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span></i><p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Down from the
door where it began.</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span></i><p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now far ahead the
Road has gone,</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span></i><p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And I must
follow, if I can,</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span></i><p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Pursuing it with
eager feet,</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span></i><p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Until it joins
some larger way</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span></i><p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where many paths
and errands meet.</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span></i><p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And whither then?
I cannot say.</span></span></i></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJQy4bZ-2Q3WgJ5caa_YAjxhT11KMrGV1QgWZBOitZ1Cm1mYYtBrK0F5g4fFJUaApuKDy0j5uWyVEmMg8XUPdbcYTFzmiPP_znVV-rsvklVBNTAV_SSoI2bjZoWxfULnWOj7ENsKKgjI/s1000/024b+1k+a20200625_224318.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJQy4bZ-2Q3WgJ5caa_YAjxhT11KMrGV1QgWZBOitZ1Cm1mYYtBrK0F5g4fFJUaApuKDy0j5uWyVEmMg8XUPdbcYTFzmiPP_znVV-rsvklVBNTAV_SSoI2bjZoWxfULnWOj7ENsKKgjI/w640-h480/024b+1k+a20200625_224318.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copyright 2020 by Uncle Rico<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kip considers it
briefly, but eventually realizes the folklore on the subject favors the
appearance of a handsome prince, not a princess. I suppose either outcome would
be difficult to explain to Mrs. Kip. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-COiqmUZ7QOS8GfQ3tXVDsWVwDsjBkIfYMF77BL7vFQLGCGn0agIAbc9PGp3dtVGZkXUdNI2FND5vTsWuQ0MruJBbazXoeAFx_uJrcdCwICJM5ewSAbPEGNJaypE5kHFXXavHy7prh8/s1000/025+1kaIMG_7169.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-COiqmUZ7QOS8GfQ3tXVDsWVwDsjBkIfYMF77BL7vFQLGCGn0agIAbc9PGp3dtVGZkXUdNI2FND5vTsWuQ0MruJBbazXoeAFx_uJrcdCwICJM5ewSAbPEGNJaypE5kHFXXavHy7prh8/w640-h428/025+1kaIMG_7169.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I dwell in a
garage apartment somewhere above I-5 as it ascends the West Hills. To retire
on hot summer evenings is to listen to all manner of heavy tractor-trailer rigs
labor through the Terwilliger curves - the diesel engines modulating their
screams as their drivers downshift through an infinite number of gears. This is
the soundtrack to my dreams. Over time, I’ve become accustomed to the ebb and
flow of interstate traffic. As the city of Portland begins to wake up and
traffic noise builds up to its rush hour crescendo, I find myself, more often
than not, staring at the digital display of my alarm clock well before the
alarm. To sleep along a river is to trade the sounds of internal combustion for
the roar of a thousand tiny splashes. It almost seems counter-intuitive that
the friction of water over rocks could be noisy, but the river chatters
non-stop save for those muted moments when morning mists blanket the valley. In
the beginning, the river’s voice is unintelligible to me. But over time, it
begins to whisper things - river things. “Come with me,” it invites. “Come with
me to the ocean. It’s going to be so beautiful!” <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-lCL76c8tsdSJ50xWBQZnOwdKcT2wo1_VwmzLRiD70CvPLsNChHv80VT6DP3lChaCrhQY9aWDMAMTUbStFHj-TURrWYvEr6slf-wSdhz-8V-971UJKL5N2tRwrYzZ7H1aq1vX3jKrjo/s1000/0026a+1kaIMG_7184.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-lCL76c8tsdSJ50xWBQZnOwdKcT2wo1_VwmzLRiD70CvPLsNChHv80VT6DP3lChaCrhQY9aWDMAMTUbStFHj-TURrWYvEr6slf-wSdhz-8V-971UJKL5N2tRwrYzZ7H1aq1vX3jKrjo/w640-h428/0026a+1kaIMG_7184.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’ve heard it
said that the Inuit have dozens of words for snow & ice. Linguists may
quibble, but there does seem to be a much more specific vocabulary for
differentiating types of snow in their language than I’ve ever encountered
while discussing the weather in Portland. For instance, ice that breaks after
its strength has been tested with a harpoon is ‘qautsaulittuq’. When I try to
describe my river trips, I find that my vocabulary fails me in environments
where my route is not labeled with street signs posted at the intersection of
streets. Close to the water line, the bank was covered with river worn cobbles,
but elsewhere sections of underlying rock had been scrubbed clear by spring’s
high-water events. I struggled to come up with a suitable word for the exposed
rock and eventually settled on ‘bedrock’. All in all, it wasn’t a terrible
choice, but it seems I may have misunderstood its etymology.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHrIOK9Uj5Afaf0DsoQmtD1EpYoMkEVGS0YyZo9jooyCvfXxSKNsTq0DjPtSS-uXX9IjEBguPFqkn27TWF13XhwKWVabU5TjRs-Nuy4VolhDY64QKQ9mWixKefPG6hlmqygq5CIc0jU4/s1000/026+1kaIMG_7182.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHrIOK9Uj5Afaf0DsoQmtD1EpYoMkEVGS0YyZo9jooyCvfXxSKNsTq0DjPtSS-uXX9IjEBguPFqkn27TWF13XhwKWVabU5TjRs-Nuy4VolhDY64QKQ9mWixKefPG6hlmqygq5CIc0jU4/w640-h428/026+1kaIMG_7182.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span> <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It took a little
trial and error, but eventually I found a comfortable resting place. I still get
a certain sense of satisfaction to wrongly conclude that 50 million years ago,
the earth lay down sediments that would eventually coalesce into the Middle
Eocene Tyee Formation which would eventually be carved by the Umpqua river into
a suitable Scott-shaped bed for my short visit in 2020.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GSAO0zrwj3_VXTQ8LPFBUuw_r0GtpKrkOiXkG9oung5UY_zP0WnRMTY3BTSIMjz-Fg8MextvYq2k6ZuYaq7jF5xJdp3-MMYSbAObtkeZsBYuAzWvxVeTLZWeybAq9FUlXWHVcKTv6nQ/s1000/027+1kaIMG_7193.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GSAO0zrwj3_VXTQ8LPFBUuw_r0GtpKrkOiXkG9oung5UY_zP0WnRMTY3BTSIMjz-Fg8MextvYq2k6ZuYaq7jF5xJdp3-MMYSbAObtkeZsBYuAzWvxVeTLZWeybAq9FUlXWHVcKTv6nQ/w640-h428/027+1kaIMG_7193.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The morning air
is cool and refreshing. The mist blows around in clumps like disenfranchised
ghosts. As the rising sun peeks over the coast range mountains, the fog begins
to burn off. From my vantage point in the bedrock, the fleeing vapor presents
the illusion of bursting into flames.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqc56-l_Qc-r5qcoTh9SZE_6N2lSOCG57pmvuWdoQjTe3IWzVPKD8QucegNeJ4vOrTra5Qn_gY_HvVj0jTD75yTDHQ64UzmAToqdGj9IK7jJgEeIrhNPyyRSwSsNr6a02HCy9Idjoh9pk/s1000/027a+a20200626_120032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqc56-l_Qc-r5qcoTh9SZE_6N2lSOCG57pmvuWdoQjTe3IWzVPKD8QucegNeJ4vOrTra5Qn_gY_HvVj0jTD75yTDHQ64UzmAToqdGj9IK7jJgEeIrhNPyyRSwSsNr6a02HCy9Idjoh9pk/w640-h480/027a+a20200626_120032.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copyright 2020 by Uncle Rico<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first big
water obstacle was a fairly simple looking but powerful chute where the whole
width of the river seemed suddenly to funnel into a narrow rock-lined passage
and buck over several submerged boulders. Both Kip and I have a deep
appreciation for what can happen to our long kayaks if we go through such a
feature cock-eyed. I’m not sure what factored into Uncle Rico’s calculations, but
I suspect that though his aquapod is stable, in dynamic drop situations, it may
too easily convert to a submarine with its wide open cockpit. In any case, we
all opted to lower our boats down through the braided streams that snaked
through the rocks and grass to the right of the river.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFKZGlaAE7T5f_xWgf4dBRYGFeSe-tirPQECOryfVjDMR8inHTuyASvjfOj-_twetQ0uY8r06iZAIDRLC6_OW2nVryO0xs7ynC6MvN0yCXXKwI525nu76-B0LVrqfPrV3Ejwj-qK8isI/s1000/027b+1ka+20200626_120959.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFKZGlaAE7T5f_xWgf4dBRYGFeSe-tirPQECOryfVjDMR8inHTuyASvjfOj-_twetQ0uY8r06iZAIDRLC6_OW2nVryO0xs7ynC6MvN0yCXXKwI525nu76-B0LVrqfPrV3Ejwj-qK8isI/w640-h480/027b+1ka+20200626_120959.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copyright 2020 by Uncle Rico<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Afterward, Uncle
Rico took a few posed shots of me in my kayak so I could later try to pass off
a composite image demonstrating my paddling prowess.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><br /></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH9lUB0wkHWicnBYFsWtH0R00dY7pU8jacC7_e_xLWCuFKZhdsGTQsibZOnAhab0KCnqQdVCUrb2ylfSKMDzyI6UT9SjhATAhzl_Rz0O0qMMgQRAbXamp9Yn1qdo3UELDDJcba-hQcx4/s1000/027c+fake+news2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFH9lUB0wkHWicnBYFsWtH0R00dY7pU8jacC7_e_xLWCuFKZhdsGTQsibZOnAhab0KCnqQdVCUrb2ylfSKMDzyI6UT9SjhATAhzl_Rz0O0qMMgQRAbXamp9Yn1qdo3UELDDJcba-hQcx4/w640-h428/027c+fake+news2.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWltgTeesU7rDJunbz7aESzf6En030jQPpFwm2Ti1ofwlpqE9-7VrJBYCsW2ADrFh_TYjCzqpENKJO0Gkq7ZHq4u59QMSZJleWfrBL3fq-b0gaobDQoqoxH9vMrNoe3icyIhpbYdTl5J4/s1000/027d+1k+aDSCF0799.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWltgTeesU7rDJunbz7aESzf6En030jQPpFwm2Ti1ofwlpqE9-7VrJBYCsW2ADrFh_TYjCzqpENKJO0Gkq7ZHq4u59QMSZJleWfrBL3fq-b0gaobDQoqoxH9vMrNoe3icyIhpbYdTl5J4/w640-h480/027d+1k+aDSCF0799.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo copyright 2020 by Kip<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Not long after
that, we found ourselves at the top of the Smith Ferry Rapids and followed a
similar strategy. Kip looked downriver to the bridge from which we had scouted
this obstacle at the very beginning of or trip.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQMYifGE-du9VXuoqqz9AgVvQSuBgD3JM17rv70b7BoId_E8X1cKIe67P1SnOs8MAlQ5sMP_M5cfDRYW-6jOe30hlVLGYpf3n3MsROIV6NizmnlVAUwJRLgHfTguMfN35mUhHQWwuK3M/s1000/027e+1kaP6240009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQMYifGE-du9VXuoqqz9AgVvQSuBgD3JM17rv70b7BoId_E8X1cKIe67P1SnOs8MAlQ5sMP_M5cfDRYW-6jOe30hlVLGYpf3n3MsROIV6NizmnlVAUwJRLgHfTguMfN35mUhHQWwuK3M/w640-h428/027e+1kaP6240009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I can’t believe
we drove our cars across that little bridge!” Kip exclaimed, “It looks so
tiny!” he said, showing us the size of it as he measured with his fingers.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwFPlnT4Yvz3CrIsQGQaXsbFqTlyrgR9UyWHFig_ybhgZ1JltZ7tXqtHc_ZdZLBhRDaPO3Ztxe_gRBI4-XHKbH2GP64kv5d54TYEElUSXXLEFnOh26vwM54hjp8nOMMI-NqsXYlM9zq8/s1000/028+1kaIMG_7235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwFPlnT4Yvz3CrIsQGQaXsbFqTlyrgR9UyWHFig_ybhgZ1JltZ7tXqtHc_ZdZLBhRDaPO3Ztxe_gRBI4-XHKbH2GP64kv5d54TYEElUSXXLEFnOh26vwM54hjp8nOMMI-NqsXYlM9zq8/w640-h428/028+1kaIMG_7235.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Below the bridge
we found a beautiful rock outcropping suitable for camping.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk98rDY7QJYhjD5MrwVebjSfrwwiP-twMDbLhTey3-V_ax64OlcP7uqsSMvL9XltZvmTw2dSPI2hGOpFBfDjyMlc157DSKV467N9eOeULf-_pUnC1EPXTZZpXaGE4VHg6IBw5u0s_RuuQ/s1000/029+1kaIMG_7247.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk98rDY7QJYhjD5MrwVebjSfrwwiP-twMDbLhTey3-V_ax64OlcP7uqsSMvL9XltZvmTw2dSPI2hGOpFBfDjyMlc157DSKV467N9eOeULf-_pUnC1EPXTZZpXaGE4VHg6IBw5u0s_RuuQ/w640-h428/029+1kaIMG_7247.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rico began
preparing the final ingredient for the three species tacos.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbSAPqbXvDN5BTAfLBgVQe8sprPCvpEv30ipaay0Bq5fG6uX0UzEsfib8CuD0R4xeHb-IM-EMOP2UYSCZLP4JU7MDTj907eC1ogxZpcgGJo_illoVctiXC4s8Buvr1QwnmMSzeIWAm1k/s1000/030+1kaIMG_7254.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbSAPqbXvDN5BTAfLBgVQe8sprPCvpEv30ipaay0Bq5fG6uX0UzEsfib8CuD0R4xeHb-IM-EMOP2UYSCZLP4JU7MDTj907eC1ogxZpcgGJo_illoVctiXC4s8Buvr1QwnmMSzeIWAm1k/w640-h428/030+1kaIMG_7254.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The frog's skin
didn’t<span> </span>come off as easily as, say…a
rabbits, but it didn’t look any harder than removing straight-leg jeans. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPL30Tw1Cq6JxD0BH4CfBxhf_fLJE0-Seyx1JLfqt0vtReQiLvmCRfrzBAFTiPSzqt6y5fIkzTsrIla5TCeO4ejCLR-RGzVJ2lBzJ0CQX6SWRqUKKp5F4fUQJOJm-buhS0IHK4UzwdGjA/s1000/031+1kaIMG_7270.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPL30Tw1Cq6JxD0BH4CfBxhf_fLJE0-Seyx1JLfqt0vtReQiLvmCRfrzBAFTiPSzqt6y5fIkzTsrIla5TCeO4ejCLR-RGzVJ2lBzJ0CQX6SWRqUKKp5F4fUQJOJm-buhS0IHK4UzwdGjA/w426-h640/031+1kaIMG_7270.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15mb30JiQ0pO_LD0w5eb8BMIyksYWNfsMXNnYuwDEtajljketjoFafyNxLZZCfNZDC7KLKnbAs8VMZpQl_gAe3cxr3LM9Ki7pp8yMagc1JX6T3DRGUe7Ohguuv72rfUUsauXaF1e_cEo/s1000/031a+1kaIMG_7285.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15mb30JiQ0pO_LD0w5eb8BMIyksYWNfsMXNnYuwDEtajljketjoFafyNxLZZCfNZDC7KLKnbAs8VMZpQl_gAe3cxr3LM9Ki7pp8yMagc1JX6T3DRGUe7Ohguuv72rfUUsauXaF1e_cEo/w426-h640/031a+1kaIMG_7285.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6h-_vkJuKF-MCYXKpLWN5GZRN3iq396XRxsCeGCdHdyEBPiIgzNq4t-NYdLZQ_4T1yB1_RWBMHIu53nmBd2cyNE2u5qZPhvUHKuk3CbpIYL9S1BD9S35GnROyOsk-IESuUZKUx_7W978/s1000/032+1kaIMG_7279.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6h-_vkJuKF-MCYXKpLWN5GZRN3iq396XRxsCeGCdHdyEBPiIgzNq4t-NYdLZQ_4T1yB1_RWBMHIu53nmBd2cyNE2u5qZPhvUHKuk3CbpIYL9S1BD9S35GnROyOsk-IESuUZKUx_7W978/w640-h426/032+1kaIMG_7279.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42yn182Ak2EfUA18fSWazbUCYSQRDSGc2ECR3m0sgmy8oo9O8rpisPlhXvBtyBf6EncXX2QT8LbGOJ-PM73fRAJ9npBuiobpbduolF9ZkOxz2JtMX26S1U4UAEJDyu216oJAdontJKTg/s1000/034+1kaIMG_7291.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42yn182Ak2EfUA18fSWazbUCYSQRDSGc2ECR3m0sgmy8oo9O8rpisPlhXvBtyBf6EncXX2QT8LbGOJ-PM73fRAJ9npBuiobpbduolF9ZkOxz2JtMX26S1U4UAEJDyu216oJAdontJKTg/w640-h426/034+1kaIMG_7291.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgoVJ3D-ec5o9hxPdHiL6m3j8Z5R9CvCxcX0zKcYJxBgbzA5Y7PE1JrORI8dLO5iVq05IuRbnTPp3LS3BixpCuj3xwjj7fGwf4pRmAVLfTKPPNWfl1E5go0ZqgaYup-3cfEeCj-Ipac0/s1000/035+1kaIMG_7302.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgoVJ3D-ec5o9hxPdHiL6m3j8Z5R9CvCxcX0zKcYJxBgbzA5Y7PE1JrORI8dLO5iVq05IuRbnTPp3LS3BixpCuj3xwjj7fGwf4pRmAVLfTKPPNWfl1E5go0ZqgaYup-3cfEeCj-Ipac0/s16000/035+1kaIMG_7302.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVLLHcqYJCnR8dJPplL95e_5IgfOn1rK_r5sGSDAd5aW8H4ceOpg-Q7XMmCyKepzmGe-maVjkB5WewGl9-8hTASpSCYnSKT7fkatVfDiESktI2rCqsB7DLxPQcwP0VG1rilb5xWE_Ssw/s1000/036+1kaIMG_7308.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVLLHcqYJCnR8dJPplL95e_5IgfOn1rK_r5sGSDAd5aW8H4ceOpg-Q7XMmCyKepzmGe-maVjkB5WewGl9-8hTASpSCYnSKT7fkatVfDiESktI2rCqsB7DLxPQcwP0VG1rilb5xWE_Ssw/w640-h426/036+1kaIMG_7308.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On the third
night paddling the Umpqua, we poured Uncle Rico's magical potion into
make-shift tumblers. There, beneath a gallery of stars, partaking felt
significant - something like halfway between holy communion and a cerebral wild
rumpus. The stars not only twinkled, they danced...and the fire's embers leaped
to join them.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14jw-It8SRR3MZR1IbaBnkrYolxOOgI42rRZ15NNSftyAKHJczfpNJD55dJ8aao2I4xF0kDyHfXG1rV410tIlJXjVtXQRDukxc1nFWN8Wffgt-7XvlkkX5UEwoh5B00IwMmIflkDb4KQ/s1000/037+1kaIMG_7318.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14jw-It8SRR3MZR1IbaBnkrYolxOOgI42rRZ15NNSftyAKHJczfpNJD55dJ8aao2I4xF0kDyHfXG1rV410tIlJXjVtXQRDukxc1nFWN8Wffgt-7XvlkkX5UEwoh5B00IwMmIflkDb4KQ/w640-h426/037+1kaIMG_7318.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_RYM_yuabPcr8dYrnq1cgdI0R9-fWU-Hrlt5_bLbbqPIlWzJf7mGCHO3hfQTrjDCB2yJp6IgQxf6j7H7mF6pXq0ijjtvSmonAtTjw7x4aoew1lT-WZlc3oq_wd_UenhyGkDls5KnA_g/s1000/037a1kaIMG_7316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_RYM_yuabPcr8dYrnq1cgdI0R9-fWU-Hrlt5_bLbbqPIlWzJf7mGCHO3hfQTrjDCB2yJp6IgQxf6j7H7mF6pXq0ijjtvSmonAtTjw7x4aoew1lT-WZlc3oq_wd_UenhyGkDls5KnA_g/s16000/037a1kaIMG_7316.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduApsChDt5eajrcw04UH-N7koBuIORF5HRHXikEuasemmy4urjdoJdr1P-P16iKkLxKSbpIOxdDQLY1X011D8WtRYn13pL6em-F5uX3fsjzaIMBiLhdtHgRj2Hq_10EO3AQeBitpwz3s/s1000/038+1kaIMG_7321.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduApsChDt5eajrcw04UH-N7koBuIORF5HRHXikEuasemmy4urjdoJdr1P-P16iKkLxKSbpIOxdDQLY1X011D8WtRYn13pL6em-F5uX3fsjzaIMBiLhdtHgRj2Hq_10EO3AQeBitpwz3s/w640-h426/038+1kaIMG_7321.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKNqrZzVGGGlPiwG33ELV8Vz6Vlij5oDgydUr_2-GLMeQeEE3jrf3P5WslcrcpHO_vzh18YnVo-9aqWOyWXcvsGOhxCwRJ3xzz_lgTnHJhPwPy7Pu9P48bDd-Jdh6V3SbSWD5TWnbVsI/s1000/039+1kaIMG_7348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKNqrZzVGGGlPiwG33ELV8Vz6Vlij5oDgydUr_2-GLMeQeEE3jrf3P5WslcrcpHO_vzh18YnVo-9aqWOyWXcvsGOhxCwRJ3xzz_lgTnHJhPwPy7Pu9P48bDd-Jdh6V3SbSWD5TWnbVsI/w640-h426/039+1kaIMG_7348.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreF__-0-kBIS_ChHD4X6Ni_kQm2UdOa_kfi25ot6J3qDVHPSy2s347rvwaBhztYyyfe_UnJwD1yigUgs-ZfNWuPT0EvY97c9KSnbmDW_D__UKDpEP5CYbXG9m5V-AsiBGTwSmUUOYJbk/s1000/040+1kaIMG_7380.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreF__-0-kBIS_ChHD4X6Ni_kQm2UdOa_kfi25ot6J3qDVHPSy2s347rvwaBhztYyyfe_UnJwD1yigUgs-ZfNWuPT0EvY97c9KSnbmDW_D__UKDpEP5CYbXG9m5V-AsiBGTwSmUUOYJbk/w640-h426/040+1kaIMG_7380.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-DiKoebCaYsA1nh8kRRoVRI5BsJKSGYWXfwukn4dsQbNTGR66y35CxCgI8w4j1ULIzKNajIWjm3DKV9elM1IblDbsmtWzkTfWEuAJ6AQVd3Q5AHnPdPWoQKw_3tWApgiJDSQfbPtSKY/s1000/041+1kaON1+IMG_7355_HDR+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-DiKoebCaYsA1nh8kRRoVRI5BsJKSGYWXfwukn4dsQbNTGR66y35CxCgI8w4j1ULIzKNajIWjm3DKV9elM1IblDbsmtWzkTfWEuAJ6AQVd3Q5AHnPdPWoQKw_3tWApgiJDSQfbPtSKY/s16000/041+1kaON1+IMG_7355_HDR+copy.jpg" /></a></div></span><p><!--[if gte mso 10]>
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<![endif]--></p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-43435395588731295542019-04-13T00:39:00.000-07:002019-04-13T17:13:15.274-07:00TILIKUM CROSSING, Bridge of the People, Portland OR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnuwz2P1EaISpY7ijtuqD6U2uu81Wb3H83sxgvBdiEAns5G48VHFDVdN7Se6u2hRastgJNRXAXKPe9PA_ZK9psnq69oK7rBvxBJLSYXne_pvTOAEy9ohXJJlABq39-vqBZV5YiSAh0EE/s1600/001+1k+a+bw+P1030463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnuwz2P1EaISpY7ijtuqD6U2uu81Wb3H83sxgvBdiEAns5G48VHFDVdN7Se6u2hRastgJNRXAXKPe9PA_ZK9psnq69oK7rBvxBJLSYXne_pvTOAEy9ohXJJlABq39-vqBZV5YiSAh0EE/s640/001+1k+a+bw+P1030463.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 1 (02-06-2011)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilbfIf2bSwjjV1bCB85N14IrHcbPPr1ddyuk9_AWa7c7aoxdtL-dM0PUDIGLvKgBYDQ9meggAaPED8ExxoYFWrd-pVmMMDYdG30cp72Z5Ld0gBPHapkDt4Cx4cYblcm4KBU_WEIhV2wI/s1600/1k+0001P1030463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilbfIf2bSwjjV1bCB85N14IrHcbPPr1ddyuk9_AWa7c7aoxdtL-dM0PUDIGLvKgBYDQ9meggAaPED8ExxoYFWrd-pVmMMDYdG30cp72Z5Ld0gBPHapkDt4Cx4cYblcm4KBU_WEIhV2wI/s320/1k+0001P1030463.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">color version, click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 2 (03-24-2013)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wfltD3QfcfEp0BTdPNxN3hRfKYbhHZJsd38NClfmOZtRjrajUhKm9nVD8arMrMRtVZ3VbKU5ILEzyh-pr5K8lYQWUxHG_KAEE2DOlrplDwt6GTLZS5cmeUZ9ZW2fAR8sbgYgrCWDbj4/s1600/1k+0001aP1050390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wfltD3QfcfEp0BTdPNxN3hRfKYbhHZJsd38NClfmOZtRjrajUhKm9nVD8arMrMRtVZ3VbKU5ILEzyh-pr5K8lYQWUxHG_KAEE2DOlrplDwt6GTLZS5cmeUZ9ZW2fAR8sbgYgrCWDbj4/s320/1k+0001aP1050390.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Color version, click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 3 (01-05-2014)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4mNEK4W4NpBRTMvty0GwmQ2tYh0OrziGgoUvzh_Yu1IQVn1SsrQC6n-byzJveoFjBdgExrvoKBwxXUmV1vmqBSGZ-rmf5sKUysXfQKZrRTfK-35TlwcIJGYNUUNokmv2cPl_5tPSjuI/s1600/1k+0001aIMG_5497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4mNEK4W4NpBRTMvty0GwmQ2tYh0OrziGgoUvzh_Yu1IQVn1SsrQC6n-byzJveoFjBdgExrvoKBwxXUmV1vmqBSGZ-rmf5sKUysXfQKZrRTfK-35TlwcIJGYNUUNokmv2cPl_5tPSjuI/s320/1k+0001aIMG_5497.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Color version, click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 4 (03-15-2014)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1KTKs6Kz49nJE1KZOihR5gaCSgOh3f5K-lmyGPxN2gP6BQFYDRE3krhCECY7s74quJmh1EUe3tNyRh5jrGFY4l_3XbxJPhKuclqCuzxsJNvfEYacd7VP3icPB7gCvzDqcQ29SS6n9-s/s1600/1k+0001aIMG_5714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1KTKs6Kz49nJE1KZOihR5gaCSgOh3f5K-lmyGPxN2gP6BQFYDRE3krhCECY7s74quJmh1EUe3tNyRh5jrGFY4l_3XbxJPhKuclqCuzxsJNvfEYacd7VP3icPB7gCvzDqcQ29SS6n9-s/s320/1k+0001aIMG_5714.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 5 (03-15-2014)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-G0cZe6C7jmSx3YvGdmMv7uC4v8xH5Tyrj1zmpr2VcrcuVSPcWf0gxzGqjzvQWx3Ny6JVWwZseNIgMyTZVy653IQ70KucYSA_rLmOmPDlKq_7JR9YHuSiVvz8h30XPFdKDmE6kiDosZc/s1600/1k+0001aP3150063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-G0cZe6C7jmSx3YvGdmMv7uC4v8xH5Tyrj1zmpr2VcrcuVSPcWf0gxzGqjzvQWx3Ny6JVWwZseNIgMyTZVy653IQ70KucYSA_rLmOmPDlKq_7JR9YHuSiVvz8h30XPFdKDmE6kiDosZc/s320/1k+0001aP3150063.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4TN1BAxq6onu6Sa7CopwKo5nTxYLfeTvvxpYD2dRTwk6Z_NqK5hEYoRcXsBfVFnlTqtmuoqdR9azlriUShPgaDUPcIOmvIlnjFuNEzXoYhOKxeHtuOdUlF7zOY_HSSLwc7jvyjxkCZg/s1600/007+1k+a+bw+P3150071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4TN1BAxq6onu6Sa7CopwKo5nTxYLfeTvvxpYD2dRTwk6Z_NqK5hEYoRcXsBfVFnlTqtmuoqdR9azlriUShPgaDUPcIOmvIlnjFuNEzXoYhOKxeHtuOdUlF7zOY_HSSLwc7jvyjxkCZg/s640/007+1k+a+bw+P3150071.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 6 (03-15-2014)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cv_7qqp-zHeAbbr8BFGSCAV-jtnoiqLA2_fnXFOrIOAQyIzhk7uwHu7cQL4kk73ch53OFUYujpnzPLVcZkbks4BcEo15QEyDZGNhdXItsGMMpgVmrCdeoCv7CiTatQV8NypidEOG2Vg/s1600/1k+0001aP3150071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cv_7qqp-zHeAbbr8BFGSCAV-jtnoiqLA2_fnXFOrIOAQyIzhk7uwHu7cQL4kk73ch53OFUYujpnzPLVcZkbks4BcEo15QEyDZGNhdXItsGMMpgVmrCdeoCv7CiTatQV8NypidEOG2Vg/s320/1k+0001aP3150071.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Color version, click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 7 (03-15-2014)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittFzcSWonCe3Gs_A9ML3DZhfPWn4h-WdLoD9N2zwfWJhcp6ETRyz7vsLbti9elyPIQi1WZx_M09YGDsv2es_BkdAa1RPPAK4yZdM16BVcOIcuJh0ZdR2DVRImskRYATDBETCLkxhA_Cw/s1600/1k+0001aP3150113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittFzcSWonCe3Gs_A9ML3DZhfPWn4h-WdLoD9N2zwfWJhcp6ETRyz7vsLbti9elyPIQi1WZx_M09YGDsv2es_BkdAa1RPPAK4yZdM16BVcOIcuJh0ZdR2DVRImskRYATDBETCLkxhA_Cw/s320/1k+0001aP3150113.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Color version, click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 8 (04-07-2014)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSb2eJettGmTJOTiTh9wUG22vJDxv3rXJm5P-kIEqW241qKgn1j_5A78dUq9V4jKhRU6SALXjbT5qoI7ZS61SyQ0jvjbpNuBBbScvng6j8L4of6-HnzfzKppKvwiU28SZ8U1qMxzCePY/s1600/1kaIMG_5953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSb2eJettGmTJOTiTh9wUG22vJDxv3rXJm5P-kIEqW241qKgn1j_5A78dUq9V4jKhRU6SALXjbT5qoI7ZS61SyQ0jvjbpNuBBbScvng6j8L4of6-HnzfzKppKvwiU28SZ8U1qMxzCePY/s320/1kaIMG_5953.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm_1izRmpOGgZyQIP4n1CTKM2v5e0z6ivmW66dwShjfJjb-IaU6-fY2q3QFcOlK1B2Te7cP-DCTu8MLK-gfXxexVnyyhuEU4XlgzyJxTcdtly3vcfRtKA6FNv4jDc8y23XF-Rh7nK4ZM/s1600/005+1k+a+bw+P1020409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCm_1izRmpOGgZyQIP4n1CTKM2v5e0z6ivmW66dwShjfJjb-IaU6-fY2q3QFcOlK1B2Te7cP-DCTu8MLK-gfXxexVnyyhuEU4XlgzyJxTcdtly3vcfRtKA6FNv4jDc8y23XF-Rh7nK4ZM/s640/005+1k+a+bw+P1020409.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 9 (10-03-2015)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmn8zySkWNc2yrhjbiWfoLdZGkvv-MwLsAL3y4xoGmn-KBj2PWGDVmoUQNCMyo7gEsuZeFTPEsD-8YV1p1cirkBhEMpSlWvK7urhzxClC7svnyhRZaRYL3eLmJDWZHRSSwvPgTw0_TMJc/s1600/010+1k+a+bw+P1020390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmn8zySkWNc2yrhjbiWfoLdZGkvv-MwLsAL3y4xoGmn-KBj2PWGDVmoUQNCMyo7gEsuZeFTPEsD-8YV1p1cirkBhEMpSlWvK7urhzxClC7svnyhRZaRYL3eLmJDWZHRSSwvPgTw0_TMJc/s640/010+1k+a+bw+P1020390.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 10 (10-03-2015)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4B-P37-0QFrAphYqD1cB7qqQzfJ_IS4c24lkiNHbx60YIGs4nMMYTYYIv4lGGoBfA46KOeQqrXVbvFHJZGrWX70Zde_zWHdgsZf3-y2BjjiZCgq45jlZleXslFqjDn3N0fg_4p3yaoM/s1600/1k+0001P1020391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4B-P37-0QFrAphYqD1cB7qqQzfJ_IS4c24lkiNHbx60YIGs4nMMYTYYIv4lGGoBfA46KOeQqrXVbvFHJZGrWX70Zde_zWHdgsZf3-y2BjjiZCgq45jlZleXslFqjDn3N0fg_4p3yaoM/s320/1k+0001P1020391.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Color version, click to enlarge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 11 (12-03-2016) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Srha5Oh1fuo5LG0pe9_CI490PwtW3nXbkhhXLVT1jipgzcat8_VF3fc7MDqv68Jd2owLbIvB9tyUdVbq1qcTwYFPHXtYDXoR1ihUbwDWC3kHMV2ExZoIexrtKO07hO0GBphY_IE_YpU/s1600/011b+1k+aaP1070140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Srha5Oh1fuo5LG0pe9_CI490PwtW3nXbkhhXLVT1jipgzcat8_VF3fc7MDqv68Jd2owLbIvB9tyUdVbq1qcTwYFPHXtYDXoR1ihUbwDWC3kHMV2ExZoIexrtKO07hO0GBphY_IE_YpU/s640/011b+1k+aaP1070140.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 12 (12-03-2016)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN-PyG2-dWRUf95Jfeo85yckYy4EGZoL93UheJSh2TuAvoPv5_z3Hu7kYRGlcOHKMMbW5ezqhMSFa9kzqTmpgHfzpMaWJX9XAuelOYq5DPRxL8tBR6xVOlfrftpJjoxac0UdLiEoWm4Q/s1600/011c+1k+abwP1070117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN-PyG2-dWRUf95Jfeo85yckYy4EGZoL93UheJSh2TuAvoPv5_z3Hu7kYRGlcOHKMMbW5ezqhMSFa9kzqTmpgHfzpMaWJX9XAuelOYq5DPRxL8tBR6xVOlfrftpJjoxac0UdLiEoWm4Q/s640/011c+1k+abwP1070117.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 13 (12-03-2016)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 14 (03-30-2019)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSHUHbccK-3v9AAOeBbeognRiQHXMghJhFLtKpc8LvQZDSOqwrFWw0YLLaeFOmDwfYW-yvpen3sIIqnVtbiGb-9AtIVglW3wNk_FyQDivFzNRzuf-sQMLYq4JzNhLXJrv47V_9CJY_oU/s1600/012b1k+aIMG_9640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSHUHbccK-3v9AAOeBbeognRiQHXMghJhFLtKpc8LvQZDSOqwrFWw0YLLaeFOmDwfYW-yvpen3sIIqnVtbiGb-9AtIVglW3wNk_FyQDivFzNRzuf-sQMLYq4JzNhLXJrv47V_9CJY_oU/s640/012b1k+aIMG_9640.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 15 (03-30-2019)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 16 (03-30-2019)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 17 (03-30-2019)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 18 (09-19-2015)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 19 (09-19-2015)</td></tr>
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NOTES:<br />
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Fig. 1 This picture predates the construction of the Tilikum Crossing. It shows an unobstructed view (No Tilikum Crossing) downriver - peering through the frame of the Ross Island Bridge, all the way to the Marquam Bridge. An interesting aside, Mr. Thompson, pictured in the leading kayak, will proceed downriver from this point and in about an hour or so, snap a picture that will place in the Oregonian's travel photo contest.<br />
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Fig. 2 Construction of the bridge began in June 2011, so by the time this picture was taken, work on the foundational bridge piers had been underway for two years.<br />
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Fig. 7 In January 2014, Tri-Met presented four candidate names for public commentary;<br />
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Abigail Scott Duniway (to honor an Oregon pioneer suffragist)<br />
Cascadia Crossing (to reflect the bridge's location)<br />
Tillicum Crossing (to honor indigenous Chinook people - Tillicum means people, tribe, and relatives in Chinook jargon)<br />
Wy'east (the original name of Mt. Hood)<br />
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In April of 2014, after theoretically listening to public input, Tri-Met chose Tilikum Crossing Transit Bridge, Bridge of the People (with the spelling of Tilikum preferred by Chinookans.)<br />
(This information is taken from Wikipedia)<br />
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Fig. 10 The bridge opened for general use September 12, 2015<br />
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Fig. 18 The bridge as it appeared one week after opening.<br />
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Fig.19 The bridge with its specially designed aesthetic lighting system engaged. The colors change based on the Willamette's speed, depth, and temperature.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-41569304797147018202019-03-10T01:21:00.001-08:002019-03-10T10:43:06.724-07:00THE CASE OF THE LYING WATERFALL<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I saw the comment in a social media forum - a private group for hikers. I was yet unaware that the group was a loose confederation of fairly opinionated if not quite warring factions. The comment seemed innocent enough. It was a veiled plea to start a civil debate about editing waterfalls. The gist of it was this, “...the smooth water effect looks very unnatural. Almost looks like it’s trying to trick folks who don’t have the opportunity to go and see waterfalls themselves.” As the post began to generate more and more comments, the ambiguity of “Almost looks like…” slowly became more explicit as in “...it is intentionally deceiving people who have not seen the waterfall... Just curious to hear if anyone feels the same way.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The “smooth water effect” refers to the silky, blurred look that happens to moving water in long-exposure photographs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFz35wSycUL9v6kbZ45SLMUsBtYNilOhoRZ27cg0Jz4drYNGVv70Jp_1-y-kaMaNbijms8d_VZ1oKrrR1HAUKWnuoE5jMcq7u7fFmlfW4_n3lAl8GcAKlkyiBjF9aZtU4YUsQzBZcuYc/s1600/001+1k+aIMG_5981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFz35wSycUL9v6kbZ45SLMUsBtYNilOhoRZ27cg0Jz4drYNGVv70Jp_1-y-kaMaNbijms8d_VZ1oKrrR1HAUKWnuoE5jMcq7u7fFmlfW4_n3lAl8GcAKlkyiBjF9aZtU4YUsQzBZcuYc/s640/001+1k+aIMG_5981.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fig. 1 Abiqua Falls with perhaps a tad too much 'Silky Water Effect'. s.dietz © 2019</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At about a hundred comments into the thread, the original poster had distilled his viewpoint to this: “It’s negative in my mind because it’s an inaccurate depiction of a natural place.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many others echoed the idea that silky-water images are not natural. The eye doesn’t see water this way, they would say. Others preferred to see water frozen in an instant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5mCxtsTXVKjSLEGDSMMewg7lwgOQQAWcXbleuHqfV-CHlw6lHPYhpdm8NjUUC9Adqnei_x7fYXZQmY8XfAERK42dn-BtPO5N9OSpqwaBmRUkDK8nM8xkLhgOAzmPlwcS4glsA-0s36I/s1600/002+1k+aIMG_with+txt9547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5mCxtsTXVKjSLEGDSMMewg7lwgOQQAWcXbleuHqfV-CHlw6lHPYhpdm8NjUUC9Adqnei_x7fYXZQmY8XfAERK42dn-BtPO5N9OSpqwaBmRUkDK8nM8xkLhgOAzmPlwcS4glsA-0s36I/s640/002+1k+aIMG_with+txt9547.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 2</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few touted the superiority of videography. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, a small but vocal minority took advantage of the discussion to air their prejudices against photographers in general. Besides making ‘untruthful’ pictures, photographers also evidently share too many carefully composed images in hiking forums, ruin the best viewpoints by hogging them in ever-growing numbers, obstruct sight-lines with expensive gear and gangly tripods, and refuse to stay on trails - instead trampling sensitive flora in search of the ultimate never-before-seen angle.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wya592gAzKonwCGdL8xURAceXCZtqCtASxDMxfEnnERrKxmrR8TUJFJKnRtdaT6khK-Xk5F9Ck4mVzjctuHYmCKf5a7zMiEKJeJdrGwyWzJKF2o4SoWAzcD8auQaryQ7T092BJz6Y-w/s1600/003+1k+riskyIMG_0411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Wya592gAzKonwCGdL8xURAceXCZtqCtASxDMxfEnnERrKxmrR8TUJFJKnRtdaT6khK-Xk5F9Ck4mVzjctuHYmCKf5a7zMiEKJeJdrGwyWzJKF2o4SoWAzcD8auQaryQ7T092BJz6Y-w/s640/003+1k+riskyIMG_0411.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig.3 Photographers (presumably), off-trail at Latourel Falls, doubtlessly taking long exposure photographs</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I understand that people have personal preferences. I can understand that some people may not like silky smooth water in photographs. I even speculate that some people who hike extraordinary distances to seldom-visited locations become disgruntled when their hard-won snapshots are inadvertently snubbed in favor of more commonly photographed landscapes that are deliberately, even artfully composed. But when it comes to comparing being in the presence of an actual waterfall to viewing a two-dimensional graphic representation of a waterfall, I’m initially compelled to point out that no photograph is ‘natural’. Whether it is a frozen instant, a long-exposure or even moving pictures - all mechanically derived images record aspects of nature that our eyes cannot (and underperform in areas where our eyes excel.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To be fair, when I commented that all pictures are un-natural, I did get some concessions. But while people were willing to grant the artificial nature of photography in general, there was still a sense that, “...some (photos) are more deceptive than others. The BEST photos are the least deceptive”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I saw this sentiment expressed in this way, I did an instinctive Pontious Pilate. I asked myself, “What is ‘truth’?” I suppose I would have washed my hands of the whole conversation, but on my way to the wash-basin, I was ambushed by another unrelated metaphor and found myself falling helplessly down a rabbit-hole.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKOowdI5LAnkJC7m_xkLCAqnq_DRA8TFfqlIBH1lAiyrbIiKd_3E0lCiBQecYVDNsNIfhRlvad6A3eXpGCOrGnNnqybLBLKQzoi816YeWfkegGJHFgrVejA_WHxIT3aUrlEkvcSOgkwE/s1600/washer+P3050688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKOowdI5LAnkJC7m_xkLCAqnq_DRA8TFfqlIBH1lAiyrbIiKd_3E0lCiBQecYVDNsNIfhRlvad6A3eXpGCOrGnNnqybLBLKQzoi816YeWfkegGJHFgrVejA_WHxIT3aUrlEkvcSOgkwE/s640/washer+P3050688.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 4</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a picture of a common scene (at least for people who don’t have washers and dryers but are not yet homeless) as depicted by a typical photograph straight out of a point-and-shoot camera with no modification. It has many of the characteristics of the type of photograph that typical people feel are among the least deceptive. The photo is sharply focused (well...not exactly tack sharp), the colors are not exaggerated, and there is no silky water. It allows people to say that they can reasonably expect the laundromat to look like the picture when they get there. In a way, I can see how that’s reasonable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But part of the acceptance of this kind of picture as ‘natural’ could be the result of our submersion in a media-heavy culture, where we have been trained to interpret such images and correlate them to the real world. News photos and photo documentaries imply that photos are evidence, and such photos carry the implicit promise that this is how things appear - that the image has not been manipulated. However, in my drawing studio, during critiques, my teacher could always tell the difference between a drawing based on a photo and a drawing transcribed directly from nature. The photo always flattens and foreshortens and rigidly provides a single point perspective, an abbreviated form of our stereoscopic vision - mechanical shortcuts to translating a universe of bouncing photons into smudges on a plane. Indeed there is a whole art movement that goes by the term photorealism. Many mistakenly take this term to mean that something appears ‘as real as a photo’, but really, photorealists strive to make their art (paintings and drawings) look exactly like photographs....and perhaps it is this kind of association with the word ‘real’, that fosters the assumption that clear, crisp photos are the best analog of natural vision. Perhaps this convention is useful, like a stenographer’s shorthand, but this is not how the eye sees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our eyes do not encompass a limited rectangular view in a fraction of a second. We can’t, for instance, leisurely inspect an instant of a real scene and read the placards at the periphery of our vision (for one thing, we don’t typically have photographic memories, and for two, the placard wouldn’t be in focus).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Instead of taking snapshots, our eyes dart around like hungry chickens looking for birdseed. They scan here and there, searching for patterns, noticing things that are changing or focusing on points of interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOcNIGR6CDat_8jGjvjB4p-mNuM3OlOwhqXh9zpVNrmFQkB1LXhNF01ttlKjGUKcv3pRJqWPkHEq4KtIWUPoiiMS6o8JlRT3nDNAot0H3P7yJAA42UsNl1xHq7CaKfzvEutTvdR7Uy5c/s1600/005+eyeview+laundry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOcNIGR6CDat_8jGjvjB4p-mNuM3OlOwhqXh9zpVNrmFQkB1LXhNF01ttlKjGUKcv3pRJqWPkHEq4KtIWUPoiiMS6o8JlRT3nDNAot0H3P7yJAA42UsNl1xHq7CaKfzvEutTvdR7Uy5c/s640/005+eyeview+laundry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our sharpest vision is at the center of each eye, where we process detail and color best, but the sharp area is small and if one were to view a room with a blink as brief as a camera’s shutter, one might see something more like the image above, with color and acuity fading towards the edge of vision.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is tempting to imagine that the eyes are like little windows through which light streams into our heads so that little mini-mes can see the outside world. But light never gets beyond the back of our eyeballs where it has been focused by our lenses, regulated by our irises and where it is projected upon rods and cones to be translated into electrical/chemical signals. These signals travel the length of the optic nerves to relevant brain parts for interpretation and integration into a running simulation of the world outside. As close as we can tell, the simulations run in real time (when our eyes are open, and sometimes even when they are not) somewhere amongst the trillions of synapses in the three pounds of gray and white matter encased in our skulls. As we move forward through time, whatever we have ‘seen’ is consigned to memory and buttressed with narratives. The best we can do to share a ‘print’ is to perhaps describe what’s stored away with the best poetry we are capable of, or maybe draw a diagram, or employ a camera for additional documentation (albeit a third party mechanical source).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In his book The User Illusion, Tor Norretranders describes consciousness in terms of bandwidth. He relates several lines of evidence that suggest the sensory information (sight, sound, touch, smell) available to the brain is staggeringly vast, but that our consciousness, facing this sensory assault, is limited to a mere trickle of all that is available on the order of a million to one. Put another way, when we are confronted with the spectacle of a waterfall, each one of us must consciously, like a triage nurse, pick out the parts we can save. This results in what must always be a uniquely personal experience. What part of that experience is reflected in the impersonal, mechanical interpretation of a camera? What settings on a camera’s controls result in the closest approximation to the human visual experience? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwizgtWFqTjnaZNcoo-0N0pXD0NSk0n-49Pw9mI3g6d56tumuMCPc665n53MiFNF3qnvy0hT1y0P-lmBiKWctmWpE1JXYjKn5c8CDFgKGNNfMCtiySqQH_Wr5grrVQkr7DVVb-cmJwo8/s1600/006+1k+ponytail+falls+shutter+speed+compare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwizgtWFqTjnaZNcoo-0N0pXD0NSk0n-49Pw9mI3g6d56tumuMCPc665n53MiFNF3qnvy0hT1y0P-lmBiKWctmWpE1JXYjKn5c8CDFgKGNNfMCtiySqQH_Wr5grrVQkr7DVVb-cmJwo8/s640/006+1k+ponytail+falls+shutter+speed+compare.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 6</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Given that our natural apparatus for seeing shares some characteristics with cameras, I began to wonder what is mechanically possible for eyes to see. While researching that question I found this informative article:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/find/newsLetter/The-Photographic-Eye.jsp">https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/find/newsLetter/The-Photographic-Eye.jsp</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While shutter-speed is not a completely suitable measurement when applied to the human eye, it appears for the sake of comparison that a human eye’s higher-end shutter speed might hover somewhere close to 1/100th of a second. Not all eyes would be that fast, especially if one accounts for lighting conditions and age (and since the eye doesn’t really have a shutter, I’m not sure what the low end would be). I suppose if I stood before a waterfall on a bright day, blinking very fast, I could duplicate brief images that look kind of like photographs that stop motion in a crisp ‘photorealistic’ style. In fact, with bright light and even faster shutter speeds, cameras are capable of completely freezing motion (which strays from our eye’s natural capabilities in the opposite direction of silky waterfalls). Videos show us that the illusion of movement is created when we see images at ~30 frames per second which shows a certain synchronization with the eye’s function - the point where distinct images are mistaken for moving ones. Motion pictures have historically used 24 frames per second.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-OKU6Zl1RXqkOjL30lZEUiju-bHrbNXpKXYrwFHZ4D4z6RLWk1xj2x2a5yXb3AHmqRr_Nli2xhB6HBM6m1avsGUBHhKo-R_mjhUdZT6I50BzqGLns1fWUaGbquP8OAKKmENlrX_WhPk/s1600/007+2k+drop+range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-OKU6Zl1RXqkOjL30lZEUiju-bHrbNXpKXYrwFHZ4D4z6RLWk1xj2x2a5yXb3AHmqRr_Nli2xhB6HBM6m1avsGUBHhKo-R_mjhUdZT6I50BzqGLns1fWUaGbquP8OAKKmENlrX_WhPk/s640/007+2k+drop+range.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 7 Water dripping from a faucet at a constant rate (albeit not a strictly scientific constant rate. I just opened the faucet to a steady stream and didn't adjust it during the course of the photo session.) Note: click on images to see slightly larger versions.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Given the imprecise estimates above, it appears that photographic renderings of flowing water ‘should’ best match human perception in the range from 1/100th sec. To 1/25th sec.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yet even if this extrapolation is correct, are the resulting images satisfying? Do they look real?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVQ-pdFso7-eFFB2d3Xyhx813fzJL2shPQp7sewmGVFElgqlg8ycY9jGiI0zJnZx17SXoKO7F1VXJpGBEymBowbQeoW0uGsKe9HSl6X4OnswMtkNYJ4TMk8sECp1klpovMruU600i0xk/s1600/008+1k+middle+falls+compare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1379" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVQ-pdFso7-eFFB2d3Xyhx813fzJL2shPQp7sewmGVFElgqlg8ycY9jGiI0zJnZx17SXoKO7F1VXJpGBEymBowbQeoW0uGsKe9HSl6X4OnswMtkNYJ4TMk8sECp1klpovMruU600i0xk/s640/008+1k+middle+falls+compare.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 8 North Middle Falls at Silver Falls State Park on the Trail of Ten (or so) Waterfalls</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I like the way the waterfalls are rendered with our optimal-human-range-compatible shutter speeds, but I think it is a mistake to conclude that these images are ‘more natural’. It may sound pedantic, but these images are not waterfalls. They are mechanical interpretations of a three dimensional ‘happening’, frozen in an instant and compressed into a flat image. We have time to examine an instant of falling water and learn about how water moves and how it is distributed. Our eyes are free to roam the image at will, choosing our own focal points, or, if the photographer was careful, we can follow subtle compositional hints to see another’s perspective. We can see the contours of the rocks beneath. We can examine the shrubberies. It’s like a clear memory that won’t have faded into an abstract idea by the end of the week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The two examples above have resulted from measuring the movement of falling water at speeds and wavelengths with which the human eye is familiar, and knowing this, we can expect to find a similar scene if we venture to this location. And yet, when we get there, we will not be able to see a waterfall that looks exactly like these still images. Are these images deceptive?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF68srYV5eOzX5qHRZXSTU2Fm6AGVEwIIX388i0n4a0tBYmKCxbqIMLSZuNoKlrx35Xqjl8Chyy-zEPgowvptsIq3OxHpJwFX0mkiGpR6PoAl3S4c7WZYaSByA-QYfMki3Kb60dSTkkvY/s1600/09+1k+middle+falls+B+compare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1377" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF68srYV5eOzX5qHRZXSTU2Fm6AGVEwIIX388i0n4a0tBYmKCxbqIMLSZuNoKlrx35Xqjl8Chyy-zEPgowvptsIq3OxHpJwFX0mkiGpR6PoAl3S4c7WZYaSByA-QYfMki3Kb60dSTkkvY/s640/09+1k+middle+falls+B+compare.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 9 North Middle Falls at Silver Falls State Park on the Trail of Ten (or so) Waterfalls</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In these two images, the shutter speeds are becoming progressively longer. The obvious difference now is that the moving water begins to transcend the human eye’s experience. We’ve begun to press more and more time into an instant. The visible streams of water are not only showing the distribution of the water but are beginning to show a summary of its probabilities. We can begin to see the favorite paths of water. Are these images deceptive? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMMkHIqU2BVyZd4LqWmjkkUWKCVZifK8HEVtkxqKpb1MpWs9Y7KkxDrfPkVAXA37gVtdHzaO-8nCs7JU5RevnDgqT5k5YpiCIVZFJRGj0mP5U54D7xAAXfXXWhbvXa3LOGdRHO3L8PII/s1600/10+2kTime+comparison+waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMMkHIqU2BVyZd4LqWmjkkUWKCVZifK8HEVtkxqKpb1MpWs9Y7KkxDrfPkVAXA37gVtdHzaO-8nCs7JU5RevnDgqT5k5YpiCIVZFJRGj0mP5U54D7xAAXfXXWhbvXa3LOGdRHO3L8PII/s640/10+2kTime+comparison+waterfall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 10 Images straight out of the camera ....same images with tone mapping filters</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a series of throw-away shots from a trip to Abiqua Falls. From these three images, I can tell I was still searching for a composition that would echo the excitement and awe I felt when I first came around the corner and saw the falls for the first time. I can also see that I was trying to find the right exposure. The images on the left side are straight out of the camera with no editing. The problem with those images is how dark the basalt amphitheater is compared to the white falls. The darkness is a limitation of the camera’s sensor. It can’t see the range of dark and light that my eyes could see, so, while the photos are honest in terms of a camera’s specifications, they don’t come very close to what I remember seeing when I was there. To compensate for this physical shortcoming in my camera, I’ve applied a filter during post-processing (editing) that attempts to increase their dynamic range. The result is the pictures on the right. My goal is to bring out the details my eyes could certainly see when I was there, the red color of the lichens, the green of the moss, the detail and texture in the white cascade (details blown out in the camera’s view), and the texture of the basalt. From my perspective, I am trying to correct the lies that my camera tells. Which images are the most deceptive?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYbEaz6IAaCyBaJHrtV0aZBNKyMSvLgvdzc1q-YlJJulQLiANVSR3j6Jy5tJGDorkIaDJ_OH6wqzfHDL-ttnn7Y27bVSosj-OSBesSr2XSnIU1biDxpUG5AlwETQsCmArLpGIiPTKHLU/s1600/009+1kaIMG_9085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYbEaz6IAaCyBaJHrtV0aZBNKyMSvLgvdzc1q-YlJJulQLiANVSR3j6Jy5tJGDorkIaDJ_OH6wqzfHDL-ttnn7Y27bVSosj-OSBesSr2XSnIU1biDxpUG5AlwETQsCmArLpGIiPTKHLU/s640/009+1kaIMG_9085.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thunder and mist emanate from around the corner</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25BpMXdP93MyvVPaaSBqOXoUvkFGvNSveWnymDoN1PvCbCPBQ8kDav36mfnv7CALYIb-DoigeD9Aeq3D41pR-npHf72jhn6AZM0qkjPB6jsrHLclxzaurC2FR99uyAlWyO9aY2rsCNYw/s1600/1000pw+txt+aIMG_7043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25BpMXdP93MyvVPaaSBqOXoUvkFGvNSveWnymDoN1PvCbCPBQ8kDav36mfnv7CALYIb-DoigeD9Aeq3D41pR-npHf72jhn6AZM0qkjPB6jsrHLclxzaurC2FR99uyAlWyO9aY2rsCNYw/s640/1000pw+txt+aIMG_7043.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...and then…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At this point, after reviewing what I’ve written so far, and after having set up the various shutter-speed comparisons above, I think I’m finally able to see what the original poster in that hiking group was saying. Given that all photographs have the limitations of being mechanical renderings, it is still apparent that some more than others manage to depict waterfalls in a fashion that more closely resembles what our eyes are capable of seeing. I will henceforth refer to this viewpoint as Human-centric-pseudo-natural-fundamentalism. For my part, I will attempt to be neutral, but when I stray, I suppose my viewpoint could be referred to as art-dweeb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Previously, when I wrote, “The obvious difference now is that the moving water begins to transcend the human eye’s experience.” I’m pretty sure I undermined my claim that all photographs are unnatural by giving credence to the idea that some images are more natural than others. I think the problem here is resolved by understanding that when the Human-centric-pseudo-natural-fundamentalists invoke the word natural, what they really mean is that, “in my opinion, these particular results are not how the human eye sees, and therefore, I (for one) don’t like them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With that concession out of the way, I still want to press the point that we cannot assume that unedited, straight-out-of-the-camera (hereafter SOOTC) photos are the most natural. To say it more carefully, it is unwarranted to assume that the camera’s default interpretation will best match (to the point that it is possible) the experience of sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think the best way to explain this is to share an example of what goes into taking and editing an image when the intent is to go beyond the ‘literal’ documentation approach and try to address human attributes like feelings and empathetic responses. As a sort of preface, I took a paddle-sports photography class from Neil Schulman back in 2012 in hopes of improving my snapshots. He said that when we are out in the world, we can’t help but have emotional (I would use the word visceral) responses to it. Mr. Schulman felt that a good photograph is one which elicits this emotional response. That’s a big premise - the idea that the evocation of emotions is what makes a picture great - and I’m sure that’s not what everyone with a camera is trying to do. I imagine that for some, straightforward documentation suffices. For many, I’m sure photographs act as memory devices - like flashcards. For others, photography may be a matter of attaining exotic selfies for self-promotion or status. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking for myself, as a solo hiker, I use photography to share the experiences I have on the trail because I’m not very proficient at sharing in person. Keeping in mind the sensory tidal wave upon which our consciousness instinctively surfs, it makes sense to me to ensure that the elements which spurred me to pick up a camera in the first place are somehow contained in the images I record.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ09shvUutELbLnypWHWPvvk8TFRBS8aCH2dFE0DJADfSP6EY45l7KkyD5uATX8wDt7xe6lRAFq106J_RIKWz2KvHn8l5g2lWt9c4kKrnxlgjiDds1oeRetxy1XOEJFEG4603OWEyxgrI/s1600/011+sootc+01+IMG_6631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ09shvUutELbLnypWHWPvvk8TFRBS8aCH2dFE0DJADfSP6EY45l7KkyD5uATX8wDt7xe6lRAFq106J_RIKWz2KvHn8l5g2lWt9c4kKrnxlgjiDds1oeRetxy1XOEJFEG4603OWEyxgrI/s640/011+sootc+01+IMG_6631.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 13 (SOOTC)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The following transcript (with some editing for clarity) is essentially the content I sent to a friend who wanted to see how I edited images.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>So there I am, unconscious on Long Island in Willapa Bay, Washington. In the pitch black of my tent, noises from the outside world begin to filter over the threshold of awareness. The insistent throbbing of a boat engine, snippets of foreign languages carrying across the water, equipment shifting, banging and being unloaded, all these sounds punching through a brain-pinching hangover - that and the growing realization that I have to pee - drives me out into the night beneath condensate-dripping fir trees. I set about relieving my priorities, but as I stand at the edge of a bluff over a dark shoreline, my eyes become adjusted to the moonlight and I recognize a promising photo opportunity. I hurry back for my camera…</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrbCDer88i9YIBOn-3zsVscINKCLoxzg7AT0UfcllhyXKisGcqb2QJ9_0CwUSnLSayHeX_0Ws8DK8f8glT4dGyEOWMANJ0kIwwbgO2LqXw-OI-YpYadYejUeMA7VDsMnUh59kStVPqDE/s1600/012+sootc+02+IMG_6633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrbCDer88i9YIBOn-3zsVscINKCLoxzg7AT0UfcllhyXKisGcqb2QJ9_0CwUSnLSayHeX_0Ws8DK8f8glT4dGyEOWMANJ0kIwwbgO2LqXw-OI-YpYadYejUeMA7VDsMnUh59kStVPqDE/s640/012+sootc+02+IMG_6633.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 14 (SOOTC)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>...and after firing off a few shots I quickly realize I’m going to need a tripod. The camera’s auto-settings do that thing they do where it makes everything lighter than what you see with your eyes, at speeds too slow to freeze motion. However, the moon is setting, and it’s close enough to the horizon so that you can actually think you see it moving. Time is limited.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jw8ree7DzzcmdRFfuGYNVyS__FUMZ45hdXkkZd8i9G457xBe27-xJeKjVXav6ReTU-j5xrlq1-MSPm0KvZ6R8xYb2gcAg-xOop97ltqs_I1WNyg_y2HI4Vh8LFlRr7lENQkU4tMk8Fs/s1600/013+sootc+03+IMG_6633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Jw8ree7DzzcmdRFfuGYNVyS__FUMZ45hdXkkZd8i9G457xBe27-xJeKjVXav6ReTU-j5xrlq1-MSPm0KvZ6R8xYb2gcAg-xOop97ltqs_I1WNyg_y2HI4Vh8LFlRr7lENQkU4tMk8Fs/s640/013+sootc+03+IMG_6633.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 15 (SOOTC)</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I manage to find the tripod and frantically start looking for my composition. I want the defining landmark of Pinnacle Rock in the picture for the sense of place - the context - but I can’t find a shot that includes the boat and the landmark that doesn’t make all the interesting stuff too small. Anyway, I take a lot of shots. Evidently, I didn’t have the presence of mind to </span><span class="" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">bracket the exposures</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, but I do at least vary the exposures and work the composition ultimately ending up with 43 different shots.</span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nyTrLOvy0jfMuFOoVJQ6poGFsAnpUuZ9mdfD6XS2klyGa2vpspy_GLvVzp0Fd7dQ3COkCDGaRHzesxGZPAJUpV-qDlgIR5HkOzsYTVqWO093fcEFgTobYKJWx3RFdPmQd0lNHpYw7Io/s1600/014+sootc+04+IMG_6662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nyTrLOvy0jfMuFOoVJQ6poGFsAnpUuZ9mdfD6XS2klyGa2vpspy_GLvVzp0Fd7dQ3COkCDGaRHzesxGZPAJUpV-qDlgIR5HkOzsYTVqWO093fcEFgTobYKJWx3RFdPmQd0lNHpYw7Io/s640/014+sootc+04+IMG_6662.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 16 (SOOTC)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Things I’m seeing are the reflection in the water, the colors starting to bloom in the sky as the sun rises, the shell harvesters (who could have been pirates for all I knew) and their changing spatial relationships. Things I’m thinking include, where did all the water go? It’s so peaceful! Look at the moon! What are they doing? Is there a body in that bag? My head hurts and I can’t see through the viewfinder with my bifocals, but I’m in manual mode now and I need to see the settings on my camera. I’m amazed by this secret night-time world that, save for a full bladder, I would have missed.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gd-9qR4wUxolyvsxRBZTNHGmCDDnJBpQp_etxLDvMXhwifBDHiHcH1ID8EmUUYBPxbUMwkMQOUmCN81MBjrZJE_YEMNwxBYHEnAa1zbQ2jRj6tdyg7GsQ6bw7JCVzPthFnxQZcITUBk/s1600/015+sootc+05+IMG_6679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gd-9qR4wUxolyvsxRBZTNHGmCDDnJBpQp_etxLDvMXhwifBDHiHcH1ID8EmUUYBPxbUMwkMQOUmCN81MBjrZJE_YEMNwxBYHEnAa1zbQ2jRj6tdyg7GsQ6bw7JCVzPthFnxQZcITUBk/s640/015+sootc+05+IMG_6679.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 17 (SOOTC)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>One of my ambitions has always been to get a shot of the moon when it looks so unnaturally big next to the horizon. Now the moon is practically diving toward the treeline. I can’t get Pinnacle Rock in the picture and there isn’t time to move. Besides, if I run down to the beach I’ll lose my altitude and not get the long moon reflection. I wish I could be sure about my focus.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdayxyZZ3YiMk5zzBlTCkfsSpKCVxbB2Yloa3Zg1LGHMlcel4Vby7vmu9En2ENrYgimCK-5mUDDBAdDR1TbOFWGj9wN5NiOKKKdo-o1hGYOKsnVIis3dLppDamImrYDa_TTet6EyJwBVU/s1600/016+sootc+06+IMG_6648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdayxyZZ3YiMk5zzBlTCkfsSpKCVxbB2Yloa3Zg1LGHMlcel4Vby7vmu9En2ENrYgimCK-5mUDDBAdDR1TbOFWGj9wN5NiOKKKdo-o1hGYOKsnVIis3dLppDamImrYDa_TTet6EyJwBVU/s640/016+sootc+06+IMG_6648.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 18 (SOOTC)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Out of all the unaltered images I took, this one comes closest to what I think I saw. However, I can’t use it because it’s out of focus. The sky doesn’t seem as dark as I remember. The detail in the moon is blown out. The people in the boat aren’t really doing anything interesting. And did I mention it isn’t in focus?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I want to accurately depict some aspect of what it was like to be there, but I feel like this exposure is bland and flat and void of the feelings of rising from a mini-state of death to an other-worldly beauty. The mechanical restrictions of my camera are inhuman.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2c8I8NW7r9Yn3gdX9YXPuq_H2H_oz59UV-RMWd9mtVyIv1NTWh2lrxFGzz_8RQrNtvqV082M4E4mFdggmC3uWRT4gLVBShBmsJ98rCoTabE4jwwPZqoOYS76Wu6DS-qWCVdV2D5x9stE/s1600/017+sootc+07+crop+IMG_6679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2c8I8NW7r9Yn3gdX9YXPuq_H2H_oz59UV-RMWd9mtVyIv1NTWh2lrxFGzz_8RQrNtvqV082M4E4mFdggmC3uWRT4gLVBShBmsJ98rCoTabE4jwwPZqoOYS76Wu6DS-qWCVdV2D5x9stE/s640/017+sootc+07+crop+IMG_6679.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 19</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>In the end, I chose to work with one of the overexposed horizontal images (Fig. 17) because of its better focus and more pleasing (to me) placement of available elements. First, I cropped the image and made it into a vertical image. The portions I cut out didn’t have anything informative in them. Then, I treated the sky half and the water half independently. I made the sky a little bit darker, and the water a little bit lighter. To the water half, I also pumped up the contrast a bit to make it appear ‘not flat’ and added a bit of diffused glow to accent the marine mist. By treating them independently, I was able to restore the detail in the moon’s face, and the colors in the reflecting water.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYbFNBIjSdEGyKRN-UQxtGj4WKCoH1eu1ER8vj-o52K9AtMBevl7-E9Te2P8hQU_sRc_wBMIqE-TeP7th61dR_rgSPYS9i75JRH3bOsjZYnxX1oNQe142OUVB41elBgjzMIUzzu-WD0Q/s1600/018+sootc+08+crop+IMG_6672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYbFNBIjSdEGyKRN-UQxtGj4WKCoH1eu1ER8vj-o52K9AtMBevl7-E9Te2P8hQU_sRc_wBMIqE-TeP7th61dR_rgSPYS9i75JRH3bOsjZYnxX1oNQe142OUVB41elBgjzMIUzzu-WD0Q/s640/018+sootc+08+crop+IMG_6672.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>I think this is closer to what I experienced when I was there. I don’t think it is anymore unreal than the camera’s misguided efforts to render everything as if it was midday.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also think it is, overall, less deceptive than the camera’s default rendering. In fact, my waterproof-point-and-shoot camera will try to do alterations like this for you by automatically shooting three exposures and combining them in the camera to create an instant high-dynamic-range photo. The things that dweebs used to do by hand are now automatically available on cameras as a standard feature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is important to note here that even if a camera supersedes the limits of human eyesight, it doesn’t mean the resulting image can’t be true. It just means that human eyesight is limited. The visible light spectrum is, by some accounts, less than one percent of the electromagnetic spectrum of which it is a part. The electromagnetic spectrum beyond visible light is certainly a part of nature, it just isn’t possible for the human eye to see it unaided. To see images of the infrared realm via specialized photographic equipment is not blasphemy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the same way, just because a camera’s sensor can remain active for hours, it doesn’t mean the resulting long-exposure images are deceptive. It means we’ve found a mechanical way to extend our vision beyond its limitations. It gives us a greater understanding of the world around us, just like microscopes or telescopes or x-ray machines. Think of Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction image of crystallized DNA that was crucial in determining the molecule's structure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki40w6H2s1EXxSXpgpX6BDAGuMnSQS_MImPWDNKQw1UrrSqme-qinR07cgPRZLoCf71qHC3RAvRgY2cc6mUjuwj02IRhiR_GaSAm_VEb9VgkvMJgi9am-gai9ugxgLKtPUE8RjIUjTo0/s1600/1ktxt+shitinMe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki40w6H2s1EXxSXpgpX6BDAGuMnSQS_MImPWDNKQw1UrrSqme-qinR07cgPRZLoCf71qHC3RAvRgY2cc6mUjuwj02IRhiR_GaSAm_VEb9VgkvMJgi9am-gai9ugxgLKtPUE8RjIUjTo0/s640/1ktxt+shitinMe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The picture of my kitchen sink that has me rethinking the concept of water.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyHxcFXrFuB7Oc3KCufGi0RW1_-PKj3McBRDCAbdkdobKlTUJBTVCjI9-YEnemyO5cExi-jkfWh513T3WDw38GTR8e6oy07zZ2SQMjnJxySN_y52UbfTUoF3jUpasM6gocG1F3mgfYkU/s1600/1k+wf+a+IMG_4686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyHxcFXrFuB7Oc3KCufGi0RW1_-PKj3McBRDCAbdkdobKlTUJBTVCjI9-YEnemyO5cExi-jkfWh513T3WDw38GTR8e6oy07zZ2SQMjnJxySN_y52UbfTUoF3jUpasM6gocG1F3mgfYkU/s640/1k+wf+a+IMG_4686.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 22</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A picture of The Vista House that makes me wonder if there are rapids in the sky.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiFiW_qF0inz-eEuUeVKUB12nqWXrNUeOrpxDX-r8HarWBOu8XgVDSOQFsMYekd_hkCwqUV_YYvas4kb2e5IhvHZLa4J6ZR6yeTxZHECvDxe4Ek-Fklpb9x51QOp5C-nP5_ALXSWWPc0/s1600/1k+txt+aIMG_5916+A1+trails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiFiW_qF0inz-eEuUeVKUB12nqWXrNUeOrpxDX-r8HarWBOu8XgVDSOQFsMYekd_hkCwqUV_YYvas4kb2e5IhvHZLa4J6ZR6yeTxZHECvDxe4Ek-Fklpb9x51QOp5C-nP5_ALXSWWPc0/s640/1k+txt+aIMG_5916+A1+trails.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 23</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps a method to discover something about gnats?</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlyOP_fZQw-tnT8wRycG5q9TY-H4NUXfUdB0KAUnVEg09l6ST4TLvv0ULi5U36Iu0whA6VVhQYCOeV6l5NWfdT4tb8XMHemyu2eDheHTJQjbkElR5c4PcCo_2qUAPYdwaXrdCpgzT7M4/s1600/023+1k+wf+aIMG_5825+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlyOP_fZQw-tnT8wRycG5q9TY-H4NUXfUdB0KAUnVEg09l6ST4TLvv0ULi5U36Iu0whA6VVhQYCOeV6l5NWfdT4tb8XMHemyu2eDheHTJQjbkElR5c4PcCo_2qUAPYdwaXrdCpgzT7M4/s640/023+1k+wf+aIMG_5825+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 24</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Something about the shape of water...not as flat as I thought.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-E7M7gVo8eQSwbbFuBtu8dEnITdyGr25dsG6RJJzhogwE6N5IVffPtHXyASg4qH7kqYsPUlxiA_ib6-qpJkngXVGTAFkZV1MQlOojcpbTiOakD3QY6csRmwb4_N3mlBFuzf726KjjyaQ/s1600/024+1k+wf+DSC03408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-E7M7gVo8eQSwbbFuBtu8dEnITdyGr25dsG6RJJzhogwE6N5IVffPtHXyASg4qH7kqYsPUlxiA_ib6-qpJkngXVGTAFkZV1MQlOojcpbTiOakD3QY6csRmwb4_N3mlBFuzf726KjjyaQ/s640/024+1k+wf+DSC03408.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 25</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not streams of water after all...</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVLjRuYdzY1ik96haNUPgfWd2FdNWJQ-Ld-Y1Z43lI-9yRLxmo2p3V8Qs41iunXbKyZsJztMv1NaozE_lWrlI1oM3ZTgJMzKHgcLhfVH1cagMLT1Zm6ZoW9w4pfsbedfH1UAh8e_gr7g/s1600/1k+txt+aIMG_6068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVLjRuYdzY1ik96haNUPgfWd2FdNWJQ-Ld-Y1Z43lI-9yRLxmo2p3V8Qs41iunXbKyZsJztMv1NaozE_lWrlI1oM3ZTgJMzKHgcLhfVH1cagMLT1Zm6ZoW9w4pfsbedfH1UAh8e_gr7g/s640/1k+txt+aIMG_6068.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig. 26</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps just to evoke a sense of deep time...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxEJcqdYIawR-E9wTIBHVyHTj5HddY3SYyVh2aygGabGVd2REe2Hl_qR_GqXd1HinOGN5uVc6BfNIOjdxbmtGmakn3eAkiczVi7V45cdjD59mfBxSBPD-maanG_GPz76wwy76G_BB6GI/s1600/1k+txt+aSDZ_4281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxEJcqdYIawR-E9wTIBHVyHTj5HddY3SYyVh2aygGabGVd2REe2Hl_qR_GqXd1HinOGN5uVc6BfNIOjdxbmtGmakn3eAkiczVi7V45cdjD59mfBxSBPD-maanG_GPz76wwy76G_BB6GI/s640/1k+txt+aSDZ_4281.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Fig.27</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...or to capture the visit of a heavenly visitor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All text and photos by s.dietz © 2019</span></div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-23552702966121575952018-12-22T03:22:00.001-08:002018-12-22T03:22:19.101-08:00Padding My Resume with Dubious Skills: Antique-Fire-Hydrant-Gnome-Painter-Oner<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have a creative friend with a whimsical nature who is in the process of designing and building a dog park. There are ever expanding trails and benches and points of interest featuring eclectic artwork. Because it is a dog park, she figured a natural addition should be a fire hydrant...and so she found one on the internet and bought it. She offered to let me restore it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsy9dI33tDd5JnhAC0TFrX-LZHL7mGvCbuuR1YA7EB-EzOkBUZP8i12jBkq41-xpTKgGe81_GdnXfousEuuuRWIg6wUxSIFyTfSlFtYh5UP-WZL1OpJwWssXvskQYI6kHkAQr_iubrZeI/s1600/01+1k+a+20180508_164332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1000" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsy9dI33tDd5JnhAC0TFrX-LZHL7mGvCbuuR1YA7EB-EzOkBUZP8i12jBkq41-xpTKgGe81_GdnXfousEuuuRWIg6wUxSIFyTfSlFtYh5UP-WZL1OpJwWssXvskQYI6kHkAQr_iubrZeI/s640/01+1k+a+20180508_164332.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first surprise was that the fire hydrant weighed about 300 pounds. To my brain, that seemed like an amount of weight that, while heavy, should have been manageable. But my 58-year-old knees had some input on that idea, and when they initiated a labor embargo</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, my back also came up with some heartfelt complaints.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM7oGq348CeqYF1E24_JddFfD2RbpSrIb-z6JhL2wtX_-GbtAwIJBDM1WbWneEpGIIHw8PwArBlYF7tJPcB8DBrRG2nRlKkV_hi1JIhcqJnWDXT70KbOjSLZjdIfg827aHgiIccI9CMg/s1600/02+1k+a+20180518_115929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM7oGq348CeqYF1E24_JddFfD2RbpSrIb-z6JhL2wtX_-GbtAwIJBDM1WbWneEpGIIHw8PwArBlYF7tJPcB8DBrRG2nRlKkV_hi1JIhcqJnWDXT70KbOjSLZjdIfg827aHgiIccI9CMg/s640/02+1k+a+20180518_115929.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first step was to smooth out the previous paint job(s) which turned out to be something of an ordeal because of the thickness of the enamel paint and my uncertainty about whether or not the old thick paint was the kind that had lead in it. Even though I am past my formative years, I felt I didn't need to breathe anything that might affect my brain or nervous system so I went to the hardware store to pick up a particle-filter mask.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskNP1Tbm6IoXTzYdYQpPVjEg0PoFfsEx3v-qOhx582Osqr0DgphkOwLmv9dl-_N4kn5tVlGJM5sVtlzUoPFVZJBwBlQpm2xcBAxmkVcJ2Wiq08_4v5AYSI4ejla2s8r1H2maq2AnpyT0/s1600/001+1k+aP1090129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskNP1Tbm6IoXTzYdYQpPVjEg0PoFfsEx3v-qOhx582Osqr0DgphkOwLmv9dl-_N4kn5tVlGJM5sVtlzUoPFVZJBwBlQpm2xcBAxmkVcJ2Wiq08_4v5AYSI4ejla2s8r1H2maq2AnpyT0/s640/001+1k+aP1090129.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, the summer's wildfires were peaking at the time, and I found the shelves at hardware stores and paint stores barren of all but the most expensive respirators.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaJUS4VbBrzDd82oNAif6bWV1dtKMQulySsgb2Fv9662GJ65ChuupCuwXmsWX-ttgzhV4yNOHcnFDkbaTgdO9MZ_ghAdSSIhEo2w7NsRvm_FjnGHLSCuFea9l7JICxo9tGLcCopCmUEM/s1600/03b+1k+a+011.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1000" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaJUS4VbBrzDd82oNAif6bWV1dtKMQulySsgb2Fv9662GJ65ChuupCuwXmsWX-ttgzhV4yNOHcnFDkbaTgdO9MZ_ghAdSSIhEo2w7NsRvm_FjnGHLSCuFea9l7JICxo9tGLcCopCmUEM/s640/03b+1k+a+011.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I went back to the apartment and rummaged through my old stuff, trying to find the gear I used as a painter. But all I was able to find was my full face respirator from the biotech company. It wasn't ideal because it doesn't allow me to wear my glasses — and for detail work I really kind of need to see. But I also felt like I need to have a functioning brain, so I did a little bit of compromising in both directions.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t4pGZwSvp_I66H-8u4L19wHEx2KfV6HEOufV2E5OMAvbcsWnsU5N5hZX6o2Pz-MoW2XZSitI23jdcuaNb5L10GUiQcenB0-Oqk2o_gXxVxWWSJxUgLJnOlUkK_cLujQP2epZPCteXbA/s1600/03+1k+a+20180518_120136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="1000" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t4pGZwSvp_I66H-8u4L19wHEx2KfV6HEOufV2E5OMAvbcsWnsU5N5hZX6o2Pz-MoW2XZSitI23jdcuaNb5L10GUiQcenB0-Oqk2o_gXxVxWWSJxUgLJnOlUkK_cLujQP2epZPCteXbA/s640/03+1k+a+20180518_120136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wildly spinning wire brushes kicked up a fine powder that turned my sweaty forearms red. So I'm probably screwed anyway.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_w-sKdedr0eFC53RrkBjAAYNPq8USybLZ-1r1oaQyrxJWTg_CIjUvTYGLgXq8BCCX6HNHosAIhzbaZX11rwY92X7SGzRI-VIUt15UhbXxdlNy7SRnEvOURCXKn70ynke-jqBWv2fAAE/s1600/04+1k+a+20180727_132700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_w-sKdedr0eFC53RrkBjAAYNPq8USybLZ-1r1oaQyrxJWTg_CIjUvTYGLgXq8BCCX6HNHosAIhzbaZX11rwY92X7SGzRI-VIUt15UhbXxdlNy7SRnEvOURCXKn70ynke-jqBWv2fAAE/s640/04+1k+a+20180727_132700.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfCtFAopc8gBikDs0yKJiwK3ehO4bkvO43_dcVSQdy9PBguPkYmRu93D6a6YrjqgJ6B901akXhodk9V_eOhbftOqJwq-EJWw2YNi-iYyoafm_xaKYYAMKzcR5aFsmDY75s9jResjz30g/s1600/05+1k+a+20180820_163230combo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="1000" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfCtFAopc8gBikDs0yKJiwK3ehO4bkvO43_dcVSQdy9PBguPkYmRu93D6a6YrjqgJ6B901akXhodk9V_eOhbftOqJwq-EJWw2YNi-iYyoafm_xaKYYAMKzcR5aFsmDY75s9jResjz30g/s640/05+1k+a+20180820_163230combo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After I got all the loose paint off and all the rough edges feathered, I sanded the whole surface with a vibrating hand-sander and fine grit sandpaper at which point, I deemed it ready for a heavy coat of metal primer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtTbNqkru91g0behkQOMAlVDAoQZpqslmw6IZIzz6_i0JNFSOYpJzx5f5LWi69o9lHT9y4NnhL6OxGvDxc52fZtT5az0yE7o0fUzXT8Z9FOxt65rRQlJLgxJaXyne19EvCbq5xmvzhzY/s1600/06+1k+a+20180820_172518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtTbNqkru91g0behkQOMAlVDAoQZpqslmw6IZIzz6_i0JNFSOYpJzx5f5LWi69o9lHT9y4NnhL6OxGvDxc52fZtT5az0yE7o0fUzXT8Z9FOxt65rRQlJLgxJaXyne19EvCbq5xmvzhzY/s640/06+1k+a+20180820_172518.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I applied the primer with a brush and determined that painting chains is among my least favorite kinds of painting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9WRvoyN4dUOr_KhlEnlw3oe26VK15t-rHQb1HEWUfTYO16a4_7GxSH4JdnxQjC6dXOu9FbGAcj2jYTIWNfTd2YgeioHsuNjudQ6oq2jmRHgKnnz_rl2BGyjq8I2ZMEWp3d7Ng5HjRFM/s1600/07+1k+a+20180827_112609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9WRvoyN4dUOr_KhlEnlw3oe26VK15t-rHQb1HEWUfTYO16a4_7GxSH4JdnxQjC6dXOu9FbGAcj2jYTIWNfTd2YgeioHsuNjudQ6oq2jmRHgKnnz_rl2BGyjq8I2ZMEWp3d7Ng5HjRFM/s640/07+1k+a+20180827_112609.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I found a red enamel paint suitable for safety equipment and applied two coats by brush. It was tricky to apply it smoothly without drips, and I found it best to divide the hydrant into manageable sections at logical break-points. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o2IfJvF8-zRzQ4FK4Rr8FUlH9AMSpzeW8DoGzE-DivUy7MqiobUz65UkNQMg4BZ5PN6d0nNJxGEzp855L3cbDbu35oDTltOUZAbVN4sJcI9SR_GZrRyV2bzXDjECA5MICUD3WzyNj7o/s1600/07+1k+a+hydrants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1000" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o2IfJvF8-zRzQ4FK4Rr8FUlH9AMSpzeW8DoGzE-DivUy7MqiobUz65UkNQMg4BZ5PN6d0nNJxGEzp855L3cbDbu35oDTltOUZAbVN4sJcI9SR_GZrRyV2bzXDjECA5MICUD3WzyNj7o/s640/07+1k+a+hydrants.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was at this point that my friend discovered that some people had painted hydrants as characters, some even as gnomes. While I thought some of the examples she showed me were clever adaptations, I felt that the simple idea of a classic fire-hydrant in a dog park was already an elegant idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The simulation of a gnome hydrant I worked up via photoshop, I thought, showed rather conclusively that a gnome's physique was not well suited to the fire hydrant's physical constraints.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaiwhThcJ9J42OOpBqGbuhmzEhPHuOKQzBRxFSlMvmKVzHnnU_6cabK48hBEcHr3giDbq5S9RSxGSRRaWVE3j9728Y_TtRjdTuyAPQOkd6RNIi5COR6FS0I2vXeSGkokcxj-T7MRq1Ws/s1600/08+1k+a+postulate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaiwhThcJ9J42OOpBqGbuhmzEhPHuOKQzBRxFSlMvmKVzHnnU_6cabK48hBEcHr3giDbq5S9RSxGSRRaWVE3j9728Y_TtRjdTuyAPQOkd6RNIi5COR6FS0I2vXeSGkokcxj-T7MRq1Ws/s640/08+1k+a+postulate.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Instead, I was surprised that my friend found my rough sketch adequate to be a satisfactory sort of proof of concept. Despite my misgivings, she reassured me that as long as it suggested a gnome, it would be fine. Well — almost. I was soon informed that green coats are more rightfully associated with leprechauns and found it necessary to adjust my color scheme accordingly.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPAGpUgROEFgVFRxbTbonCXVvFEHIdRlY2EaFScipSkHwTm-Z-JWn59Ah86lpQLEI1e3pA4hpEmwg8L8JzfnWzZO5snjsO7Ux9eSdWjiAXHhf1CgRDBaFNkeKr11ofKl0u-bnlYzF1cM/s1600/09+1k+a+20180910_225323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPAGpUgROEFgVFRxbTbonCXVvFEHIdRlY2EaFScipSkHwTm-Z-JWn59Ah86lpQLEI1e3pA4hpEmwg8L8JzfnWzZO5snjsO7Ux9eSdWjiAXHhf1CgRDBaFNkeKr11ofKl0u-bnlYzF1cM/s640/09+1k+a+20180910_225323.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I sprayed on a bright yellow coat.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0M4TZiol1h1kEDqAF1w0JcLJoZciC897mUY1opMHjEdbpfLRGnKhhYcNW1tLHboVULWMRla_inOQXUkj3IOrJ3xjYy7hpYi-zKxuZTtZV315w7Ni9xmCEhIFelPhzE1GLCHouVL_81eA/s1600/10+1k+a+20180913_112127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0M4TZiol1h1kEDqAF1w0JcLJoZciC897mUY1opMHjEdbpfLRGnKhhYcNW1tLHboVULWMRla_inOQXUkj3IOrJ3xjYy7hpYi-zKxuZTtZV315w7Ni9xmCEhIFelPhzE1GLCHouVL_81eA/s640/10+1k+a+20180913_112127.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">...and finished it out with blue pants, a primary color combination designed to absolutely not blend in with the natural colors of the forest-setting in which it would be placed (another design constraint that wouldn't occur to me).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsZl_WSOG5kH8pvx4aqCb406FQH1B5MKkxtZd_XOmSDxqciypgNJyJoHRd-005zpiRuaBhhEbPyiVeNLt_p0hQYoz-fjAkziS0j6Sqh_OuTh6hv0Oy5kP1DDQI1IdWQMD4VH7CrsNQRs/s1600/11+1k+a+20180914_120525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsZl_WSOG5kH8pvx4aqCb406FQH1B5MKkxtZd_XOmSDxqciypgNJyJoHRd-005zpiRuaBhhEbPyiVeNLt_p0hQYoz-fjAkziS0j6Sqh_OuTh6hv0Oy5kP1DDQI1IdWQMD4VH7CrsNQRs/s640/11+1k+a+20180914_120525.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I began to contemplate how to proceed with the face, I realized suddenly that I'd probably been talking out of my ass when I reassured my friend that I was capable of executing a gnome hydrant. It suddenly became very clear to me that I hadn't painted a portrait since college, and certainly hadn't used oil paints since I was 14 or so (When I took beginning oil-painting classes from Bette Brodhagen in a store-front in the Hollywood District).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSwVFsiijnaok5Ut9LPp5mmqC0GCR1GoOQY-2pb-RCKMR-g_VX45I_NZllTIMOuKrhZUV9Tvn73jFZaR-0kkx3XRTE6jy_PzfbAg4ITK_EMuJzeQl2hqcjgEXGEthZb2u5Bw4GadPMXA/s1600/12+1k+a+20181008_110207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSwVFsiijnaok5Ut9LPp5mmqC0GCR1GoOQY-2pb-RCKMR-g_VX45I_NZllTIMOuKrhZUV9Tvn73jFZaR-0kkx3XRTE6jy_PzfbAg4ITK_EMuJzeQl2hqcjgEXGEthZb2u5Bw4GadPMXA/s640/12+1k+a+20181008_110207.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I looked for faces that had forced smiles because I was anticipating that my hydrant-character was eventually going to be pissed on — perhaps on a daily basis.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXaaAbz8VkuAmYf_hLj2BuQK17H52dAqIXeqBN-NimXZ2GxmDk3kRp3YnphoZOeAvisgkEWZ0xisS0lAZpeOBdEOhPvISONmRks3OZa7oQvqjplswkV6VMD4CyJXIrTrxxJjhgm495Jg/s1600/13+1k+a+20181008_122243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXaaAbz8VkuAmYf_hLj2BuQK17H52dAqIXeqBN-NimXZ2GxmDk3kRp3YnphoZOeAvisgkEWZ0xisS0lAZpeOBdEOhPvISONmRks3OZa7oQvqjplswkV6VMD4CyJXIrTrxxJjhgm495Jg/s640/13+1k+a+20181008_122243.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I couldn't remember exactly how to do an underpainting, but I did the best I could trying to block in lights and darks, and fix the position of the features for future refinement. The eyes started migrating upward because, proportionately, they needed to be just under the heavy hat, but this made the nose too long and threw all the other features into disarray.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yw5iFZj6WY-nX5fAHNj2gYWTsOANVlSSn_a5ZpyysXsDx3gzqYe_01l4vU6dZPiJZ3ODViMjSYPRIzAVpO7eLfRcEgJCDwCx63BoOexLd1-aVUSf-yCsv2fPWLJu5XGKwmC8LEzX9nM/s1600/14+1k+a+20181008_143131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yw5iFZj6WY-nX5fAHNj2gYWTsOANVlSSn_a5ZpyysXsDx3gzqYe_01l4vU6dZPiJZ3ODViMjSYPRIzAVpO7eLfRcEgJCDwCx63BoOexLd1-aVUSf-yCsv2fPWLJu5XGKwmC8LEzX9nM/s640/14+1k+a+20181008_143131.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Working from photographs isn't optimal, because it forces you to copy a two-dimensional interpretation of reality instead of the 3d interpreting you'd be doing if you were looking at a real model. I found a model to wear a yellow jacket for me, but she wasn't interested in posing in my garage so I had to take pictures.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5IWyGkH5tBUAH-yxWEGLkE-2P3MrfZesrKbkgbRrK1vIeiezK4x9-ScK-MQHsLWf6Rpj9wCBa4jBAk8ZoR0hmrbs0J0bwHQwWHF-O_3jt-VzvtP4YWm-VR5k66LdqPuV1XJnBdpCBmQ/s1600/15+1k+a+20181010_111653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5IWyGkH5tBUAH-yxWEGLkE-2P3MrfZesrKbkgbRrK1vIeiezK4x9-ScK-MQHsLWf6Rpj9wCBa4jBAk8ZoR0hmrbs0J0bwHQwWHF-O_3jt-VzvtP4YWm-VR5k66LdqPuV1XJnBdpCBmQ/s640/15+1k+a+20181010_111653.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As summer faded and the weather became cooler, I found that the oil paints weren't drying very fast. Honestly, they weren't drying at all. So I bought a special oil that had a drying accelerant in it. This worked at first, but it also increases the danger that the paint will later crack so I used it so sparingly that my painting sessions had to be spaced far apart. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_sqwMNpVr4SdFqMIsrUPYqK6xFWSHVQ8llqRvo19pNZOdY9VAgTX9rHOWiJplnHi5_9pRo5EGc6b8SZ1rrYowTE-V-IeJ7SVnZG820LAU4lsYZggH_mNeFM8fft4H83Gku8hEXXze24/s1600/16+1k+a20181107_125536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_sqwMNpVr4SdFqMIsrUPYqK6xFWSHVQ8llqRvo19pNZOdY9VAgTX9rHOWiJplnHi5_9pRo5EGc6b8SZ1rrYowTE-V-IeJ7SVnZG820LAU4lsYZggH_mNeFM8fft4H83Gku8hEXXze24/s640/16+1k+a20181107_125536.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next puzzle that troubled me was how to make a big white beard that didn't look completely out of place. I decided to re-enact the stages of growing a beard and add touches of gray as it grew out. At first, whenever I added white, I soon found I was working with a muddy gray that spread out and obliterated my darks and lights. I bought several more small brushes and tried going from dark to medium to light in three different layers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRHmkrjFY14JCYhzzccxCworEZqM3AGQxbpxdIi6N9hHabK52F0jYG10ou5cTz5Gwbzc1siMix0X9ACWRR9LvxmMcqTPSL_WXZXPkBo4nnG0ReHq5IvLhFnN50adLo7Amo3oZTUoOHKc/s1600/17+1k+a+20181116_120655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRHmkrjFY14JCYhzzccxCworEZqM3AGQxbpxdIi6N9hHabK52F0jYG10ou5cTz5Gwbzc1siMix0X9ACWRR9LvxmMcqTPSL_WXZXPkBo4nnG0ReHq5IvLhFnN50adLo7Amo3oZTUoOHKc/s640/17+1k+a+20181116_120655.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite being 300 pounds or so, and partially wet, I wrestled the little hydrant gnome into the truck and transported him to a heated shop across town.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYDvzlE18SLbI475pEyeiL25pgAKsCivP2ynlVeJMAYEczDEhxx3PKAOonJpWAuTGokCs4z6krMPRUcdQBXH33f_RFMGqX0WPhn1jI52R3BepjDv03c4vS1j5jk5nqXbl4d3fO6Ireps/s1600/18+1k+a+20181202_214044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYDvzlE18SLbI475pEyeiL25pgAKsCivP2ynlVeJMAYEczDEhxx3PKAOonJpWAuTGokCs4z6krMPRUcdQBXH33f_RFMGqX0WPhn1jI52R3BepjDv03c4vS1j5jk5nqXbl4d3fO6Ireps/s640/18+1k+a+20181202_214044.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the heated shop, the layers stiffened up fast enough to allow my layered approach, provided my layers were slightly transparent.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Zo0Vol_T-isd91J9jW_2HPrxx-_qm0layA_5I4QMkhkuhy8S3yVfG2k6-KNAi9MY0tgkf_Oui41eNxmyS-zoNXgQL9-NFppiws1uiLMI62Nup1-I0Bq0SXkrZzonjpf-b5c4WnRr9_U/s1600/19+1k+a+20181203_201445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Zo0Vol_T-isd91J9jW_2HPrxx-_qm0layA_5I4QMkhkuhy8S3yVfG2k6-KNAi9MY0tgkf_Oui41eNxmyS-zoNXgQL9-NFppiws1uiLMI62Nup1-I0Bq0SXkrZzonjpf-b5c4WnRr9_U/s640/19+1k+a+20181203_201445.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I continued refining the gnome until I was satisfied it was good enough to piss on. When I was sure that it was dry enough, I tested a portion in the back with a clear-coat to make sure it was compatible with the oil paints.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50EvnJfnBfB3DFqKsQ31qTro-8Q8UuUnyWflLVDjhVn2F7p8N6BygZfj9yZRFOGHbRLYldNPdvhBPx2nVxoWDuunt_7jMzcf-POku1B8UG5MgeFjnYok8pd6nkdFJyW4_RlJLmcP0rXc/s1600/20+1k+a+20181213_205839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50EvnJfnBfB3DFqKsQ31qTro-8Q8UuUnyWflLVDjhVn2F7p8N6BygZfj9yZRFOGHbRLYldNPdvhBPx2nVxoWDuunt_7jMzcf-POku1B8UG5MgeFjnYok8pd6nkdFJyW4_RlJLmcP0rXc/s640/20+1k+a+20181213_205839.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then I applied two spray coats of a tough enamel clear-coat.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kG6K-gyJAFckE72Yffa_XJvH24HDu1GB-iADjEW7UxLZ1GIlwArpXzKjdjigcGEtauhd3H6OF6e6gCtNb53ncCRiXhGu0IpKhXNOHZqitTnq09qf1m8ZpWsNALE06AN_QPtIRgngOps/s1600/21+1k+a+20181214_134637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kG6K-gyJAFckE72Yffa_XJvH24HDu1GB-iADjEW7UxLZ1GIlwArpXzKjdjigcGEtauhd3H6OF6e6gCtNb53ncCRiXhGu0IpKhXNOHZqitTnq09qf1m8ZpWsNALE06AN_QPtIRgngOps/s640/21+1k+a+20181214_134637.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LAoh0aK3c4pbxWM95HlvxJO-CxSX037zH9e5OVsm0ztWn5NKH3ghvka350pFDCSY-ytOdv6MCB0ZnpqwWyxxp2vt0EFr0dW6JjQmuG5_bb8vB8HMCkOiYvlUnrSPkQqmIxeoGzQbs0k/s1600/22+1k+a+PC180098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="1000" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LAoh0aK3c4pbxWM95HlvxJO-CxSX037zH9e5OVsm0ztWn5NKH3ghvka350pFDCSY-ytOdv6MCB0ZnpqwWyxxp2vt0EFr0dW6JjQmuG5_bb8vB8HMCkOiYvlUnrSPkQqmIxeoGzQbs0k/s640/22+1k+a+PC180098.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I intended to surprise my friend by setting the gnome up in the dog park via a 4:00 AM stealth delivery made possible with the aid of my brother.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I still can't decide if it looks like a gnome or not.</span></div>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-54598042115292595712018-11-28T21:07:00.000-08:002018-12-08T00:30:00.824-08:002019 CALENDAR INFO<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Thank you for your orders!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>(Those of you who ordered can expect periodic updates via email.)</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSRvp-SR12KKkizbowiVuNeXUU7P4wTccn0KV9J37Afje3VXMxN5yt9OVw0Ls7nEjBbYKTfKJBdCrsr1hqrYcAd6kTNf1Z7VOMWpoUmRMss5bSryzL4qnXNcjounExWsgmvCaY80nzbA/s1600/1k+calendar+star+flat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="1513" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSRvp-SR12KKkizbowiVuNeXUU7P4wTccn0KV9J37Afje3VXMxN5yt9OVw0Ls7nEjBbYKTfKJBdCrsr1hqrYcAd6kTNf1Z7VOMWpoUmRMss5bSryzL4qnXNcjounExWsgmvCaY80nzbA/s640/1k+calendar+star+flat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-43286327306821307332018-09-12T14:12:00.001-07:002018-09-12T14:12:40.138-07:00an instant appreciation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4c8RM6mK21sxhHn3AxfP39tUcpTeIJM3YkI2k22wRQmxqY3s-9Zndc4dg3Gsg0zDiNPZnJTlb7TsuzGtulvQNGNbFTwTS6VYZBzZAorK68evbdsFdLNBunoYZmy9F8WqrWLGLU4NZko/s1600/24+PICTURES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4c8RM6mK21sxhHn3AxfP39tUcpTeIJM3YkI2k22wRQmxqY3s-9Zndc4dg3Gsg0zDiNPZnJTlb7TsuzGtulvQNGNbFTwTS6VYZBzZAorK68evbdsFdLNBunoYZmy9F8WqrWLGLU4NZko/s640/24+PICTURES.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The East Portland Community Center is hosting a display of photography by Scott Dietz through the month of September.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The images depict quiet moments of beauty in what are often familiar locales often taken for granted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Scott has a B.A. in Art and Art Education. This implies that he has a college education, however, his scientist friends are quick to point out, “Yeah, but it’s in Art.” While studying art, Scott’s concentration was in sculpture (in particular, bronze casting). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He began seriously exploring photography on his own in 1996, the same year he acquired a canoe and began documenting the lifestyles of the Smith & Bybee (what were then) Lake beavers. Since then, his interests in photography seem to be converging on the intersection between nature, science, and faith. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He has displayed his work in juried exhibitions and local art festivals and occasionally wins awards. One highlight was winning the Oregonian’s 2006 Travel Photography Contest with a shot of the Eagle Creek trail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/East+Portland+Community+Center/@45.5157461,-122.5553085,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x5495a1a27e8dbd65:0x987be2e7672e9191!8m2!3d45.5157424!4d-122.5531198"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">East Portland Community Center location</span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm6AjwTnC5Y87w1PcMMYGtoT0eeonfSTdPgcHl8O_y8O3tG0KNORXEnqEWspKoMfXaK4pqdPweR5g737lIbYshyoq4wVsBgUTJiMqw7kLI_4LA9MrMH1Vi9qvxdfAWowYu1Ju6HT9bYQ/s1600/20180911_175649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm6AjwTnC5Y87w1PcMMYGtoT0eeonfSTdPgcHl8O_y8O3tG0KNORXEnqEWspKoMfXaK4pqdPweR5g737lIbYshyoq4wVsBgUTJiMqw7kLI_4LA9MrMH1Vi9qvxdfAWowYu1Ju6HT9bYQ/s640/20180911_175649.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The display is in a broad hallway just around the corner from the front desk.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If the photographs don't grab you, there are often spirited ping pong competitions</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0pHvXramfvS-aBVgM1wxb0CP6ga2xEkNHFmAFuQVN8nbopusWMxajrz34VpU7HMzTd8Lm9f9qVUsJ0mtVLUl0Qk365VhYRTAjqZnBHCGqAjGYglPtsx3TY2Q86BbBQBtBoqMNN2O7Oc/s1600/20180911_175840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0pHvXramfvS-aBVgM1wxb0CP6ga2xEkNHFmAFuQVN8nbopusWMxajrz34VpU7HMzTd8Lm9f9qVUsJ0mtVLUl0Qk365VhYRTAjqZnBHCGqAjGYglPtsx3TY2Q86BbBQBtBoqMNN2O7Oc/s640/20180911_175840.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unlike some venues, there is plenty of room for viewing (I'm talking to you Pancakes and Booze).<br />Alas, there will probably not be wine and cheese.</td></tr>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-38980629824588403982018-08-16T16:42:00.000-07:002018-08-16T23:36:14.187-07:00RED SUN RISES, WILLAMETTE FALLS<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They say Native Americans carved petroglyphs at the base of Willamette Falls, an ancient fishing site. I’ve paddled up to the falls a couple of times to find the old markings, but always seem to miss them. The massive horseshoe-shaped falls are over a quarter mile wide and are blended in with concrete and steel industrial structures that make its natural configuration something of a puzzle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I figured a fresh set of eyes would improve my chances of finding the petroglyphs, so I invited Karen, who had previously expressed an interest in learning to kayak. Karen and I are part of the same extended church family, but more like cousins who almost never visit each other. In the past, she has tried to kill me with a heavy piñata stick and also a spring roll (the spring roll wasn't really her fault). Having Karen along makes even the most pedestrian outing more like a life and death adventure — at least for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Smoke, presumably from California’s wildfires, interfered with the dawn and colored the landscape and everything in it with a hellish red tinge.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlg-pne_Er4ihBvhRuhyphenhyphennftomV82m9-ZORaeshDJ_8nVHJ0cY1WaNOIKSMcLeHDoagXamne-a8A8RZzIVJGScht4K5LlIsizqUNQOafbxtjfpid3l60R0iY83w1r8BC4DjasFFCzAMDM/s1600/002+1k+aP1090137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlg-pne_Er4ihBvhRuhyphenhyphennftomV82m9-ZORaeshDJ_8nVHJ0cY1WaNOIKSMcLeHDoagXamne-a8A8RZzIVJGScht4K5LlIsizqUNQOafbxtjfpid3l60R0iY83w1r8BC4DjasFFCzAMDM/s640/002+1k+aP1090137.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We launched from behind an R.V. park, leaving our vehicles on the beach.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2v5Gi9k6AfggHnDQMbtWR3gUE2OIiQdkTKVD6csaB3rQ19CRtwefvQgnRYkhUmTy6tHOSOaZyq4jA-edx3G9Ev_tryJkSiyq8yQAm-GsvkbPLaqkk1y3H3UPaSoeGnK8bIT9UaLB7M0/s1600/003+1k+aP8140008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2v5Gi9k6AfggHnDQMbtWR3gUE2OIiQdkTKVD6csaB3rQ19CRtwefvQgnRYkhUmTy6tHOSOaZyq4jA-edx3G9Ev_tryJkSiyq8yQAm-GsvkbPLaqkk1y3H3UPaSoeGnK8bIT9UaLB7M0/s640/003+1k+aP8140008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7WWqAAc_OYS_EZs7plIJYubfOZa3n6LNNOhK5z540vrt4kkln7hJgO5Htg0HEkM3nRCuVH999RnZRvlMJ9raOOX_dsXjjFU7zZrxZ4GoQdK84aJUj-hvehdhnRQUPAkIPMnz4j7DrHk/s1600/004+2kWillyFallsPano.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7WWqAAc_OYS_EZs7plIJYubfOZa3n6LNNOhK5z540vrt4kkln7hJgO5Htg0HEkM3nRCuVH999RnZRvlMJ9raOOX_dsXjjFU7zZrxZ4GoQdK84aJUj-hvehdhnRQUPAkIPMnz4j7DrHk/s640/004+2kWillyFallsPano.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">clicking on the photo should result in the display of a larger image, the same one, just larger</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The falls are visible from high atop the bluffs of Oregon </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">City</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> or the I-205 overlook, but to get to the base of the falls requires a boat (or bolt cutters) (or a particular set of skills).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nope. No petroglyphs here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I try to imagine what the falls looked like before we bent them to our will.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Noting the artificial structures rimming the top of the falls, I wonder if this is really a waterfall or a dam. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The height of the falls is listed at 40 feet. I don’t think that includes the concrete structures above the falls. Scampering among the boulders at the base of the falls, it is unsettling to remember what this place looks like when the river is near flood stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The concrete structures inundated in the tumult above are the same concrete structures at the top of the falls pictured in the previous picture. This is the view from the Oregon City bluffs during a high-water event in January of 2012.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Karen secures her kayak, spontaneously fitting available equipment to nature’s proffered landscape. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We look everywhere, but can’t seem to find the elusive petroglyphs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OKA_KKab7h2-SQsL41SFaVhY1KNZ-bHyAw7HzRpZbVpj391IHyxXLUifPilSia3kmD4iPUhVjhUktanlJrV69B2u7hQmbdhhCtyFDE1gFkmqx2fbYsKlqFedePDvnSoqKtco4nuYDhw/s1600/017+1k+aP8140235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OKA_KKab7h2-SQsL41SFaVhY1KNZ-bHyAw7HzRpZbVpj391IHyxXLUifPilSia3kmD4iPUhVjhUktanlJrV69B2u7hQmbdhhCtyFDE1gFkmqx2fbYsKlqFedePDvnSoqKtco4nuYDhw/s640/017+1k+aP8140235.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So is it just me, or, painted on the spider’s abdomen, is there a picture of Osama Bin</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Laden sitting </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">in a chair, facing the viewer with legs all akimbo?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Big industrial parts, complexly designed, intended to spin, possibly refractory, and abrasive in nature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I thought it was just a pretty flower — like maybe a morning glory, but Karen called it bindweed, an invasive monster that chokes out native species. Then I was able to trace its red tendrils spreading through the grass and shrubs like a cargo net.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUaZEObLiuiMXjEwhg8I26pEk7tSLhyphenhyphenjbAmXdcQ6oYEu0HVPjRQDdO3UAnBjYX_wDP78GbZK-tRBlsh-qJdIH7FyU2-__CPZTjSzLfMhz5PpVrlF4lKzXU4r5T-2R8pRiTO2JhLfjorY/s1600/021+1k+aP8140259.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUaZEObLiuiMXjEwhg8I26pEk7tSLhyphenhyphenjbAmXdcQ6oYEu0HVPjRQDdO3UAnBjYX_wDP78GbZK-tRBlsh-qJdIH7FyU2-__CPZTjSzLfMhz5PpVrlF4lKzXU4r5T-2R8pRiTO2JhLfjorY/s640/021+1k+aP8140259.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The back end of a turbine system?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Purple loosestrife, another invasive species, brings my invasive species count up to two. Then I glance at the rusting industrial facilities perched on the river banks and add a third species.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Oregon City Bridge</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the end of the adventure, sharing a picnic lunch with yellow-jackets, I thought this one’s face looked familiar. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDDNlkePGTJx0jnTo0QB4y3MjZM2fjBGqoRF8ZnnyLtpuGvmxnKX3zhcGaryIAtP128perZN0vlZXw3IuhvUJudXTr_1MHXed7_UpFSmZVD-CgXUhwiP5exE3Y9lxUdcQ6XjRj8F03II/s1600/028+1k+aZanti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDDNlkePGTJx0jnTo0QB4y3MjZM2fjBGqoRF8ZnnyLtpuGvmxnKX3zhcGaryIAtP128perZN0vlZXw3IuhvUJudXTr_1MHXed7_UpFSmZVD-CgXUhwiP5exE3Y9lxUdcQ6XjRj8F03II/s640/028+1k+aZanti.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="clear: left; display: inline; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Zanti misfit courtesy of The Outer Limits.</span><br />
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-48744379576872492492018-08-01T13:55:00.000-07:002018-08-02T01:44:17.439-07:00DIGISCOPING: First Steps<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do you call it when you mix a digital camera with a spotting scope?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The answer is digiscoping.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Taking quality pictures from far away requires expensive lenses, lenses worth thousands of dollars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can’t afford them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But Mr. P already has a legacy spotting scope and he had heard that there were adapters available to connect it to a digital camera. The question became, would digiscoping be a viable option until such a time as purchasing an $8,000 telephoto lens would be deemed justifiable? And more to the point, would it be fun?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Right now, the longest lens I have access to is a third-party 70 - 300 mm, F/4 - 5.6 zoom. When </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">combined with my camera sensor's crop factor of 1.6, it becomes equivalent to a 112 - 480 mm zoom. But if I could hook my camera up to Mr. P’s spotting scope, I theoretically should be able to achieve a focal length equivalent to 2,700 mm</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi-Fws92xSen1ZlLd5fBbNeZnE9r4sTJmlhtuUTwOUX-jt5m9LyfhFWTdqXvAk6Ncg2P9y6_RrqbippHNtoOCHFOpelOV3AXh_8pQj3hsrR781aQ8pByJNgpX-pq5e6yTX7pqP7c7NrQ/s1600/1k+a20180721_132536.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi-Fws92xSen1ZlLd5fBbNeZnE9r4sTJmlhtuUTwOUX-jt5m9LyfhFWTdqXvAk6Ncg2P9y6_RrqbippHNtoOCHFOpelOV3AXh_8pQj3hsrR781aQ8pByJNgpX-pq5e6yTX7pqP7c7NrQ/s640/1k+a20180721_132536.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It took some research and eventually some help from Kowa experts Mr. Paul Kardos (National Sales Account Manager) and Mr. Robert Wilton to identify the necessary components to connect my particular camera to the TSN-822 scope, but eventually, I had pieces that fit together. Even so, it took more input form Kowa US Brand Ambassador Robert Wilson to help me understand that digiscoping isn’t a magic solution and that a 2,700 mm focal length requires a certain technical expertise to yield sharp results.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrtVOzDBq-TJfsyqCmyjsWn5Gtv1S8vN0YsQazzHoaFxW26f_mw40mqOtdzcpqfDhJqXrDSpUg4nCHBQZLE-m-KMzmsjoxJkHAVrCR43YKKXNqfxygXckcDcJq0AipKH6Uc-tVpXhyIw/s1600/aA1k++digiscope+rig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="1000" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrtVOzDBq-TJfsyqCmyjsWn5Gtv1S8vN0YsQazzHoaFxW26f_mw40mqOtdzcpqfDhJqXrDSpUg4nCHBQZLE-m-KMzmsjoxJkHAVrCR43YKKXNqfxygXckcDcJq0AipKH6Uc-tVpXhyIw/s640/aA1k++digiscope+rig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Essentially, with the camera body hooked onto the scope, I’ve created a 2-foot teeter-totter that readily rocks on top of the tripod at the drop of a shutter. Worse, the attachment point on the scope (red arrow) is thrown off center which, though I’m no master at physics, makes me think vibrations are amplified at the long end. I enabled the mirror-lock mode for my camera and triggered the shutter using a remote. I also counterbalanced the scope so the tripod head stopped creeping up. Even so, the wind was an obvious variable leading to motion blur as well as available light and subject motion.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu4sFyMIe0Al_zNNnXwTKVbOoj5Dx9ROUwZTJXRMgBEYjL0sB6whOh3HE58nwT2HX9x9EpVMhGMOaA81O0ILEosleTZEj5Kd95M0KplCckHcvR7aB-d3LZdTqX3zIBr2bFU22PuLOqD0/s1600/1k+aIMG_3951.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu4sFyMIe0Al_zNNnXwTKVbOoj5Dx9ROUwZTJXRMgBEYjL0sB6whOh3HE58nwT2HX9x9EpVMhGMOaA81O0ILEosleTZEj5Kd95M0KplCckHcvR7aB-d3LZdTqX3zIBr2bFU22PuLOqD0/s640/1k+aIMG_3951.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wanted to capture the cormorants diving on the surface of the ocean. However, not only are the cormorants fast, they are sitting on a surface that is also moving up and down.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://giphy.com/embed/vRHMuhCK5jHEKfdNL0" width="640"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/vRHMuhCK5jHEKfdNL0">via GIPHY</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8c83GlBLRp_TSnFNhLDdSVo19elOpFmCnNmm8-CvAgCXv9uG16GXR6kTeGJPP439FtVpuHD5U5rSNeuN5zAsYgWWh9KLNuDZXBhdv2ZSUESkoQ19OUw6myXa17xshpNO7qYkDEfDDwlk/s1600/1k+aIMG_3847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8c83GlBLRp_TSnFNhLDdSVo19elOpFmCnNmm8-CvAgCXv9uG16GXR6kTeGJPP439FtVpuHD5U5rSNeuN5zAsYgWWh9KLNuDZXBhdv2ZSUESkoQ19OUw6myXa17xshpNO7qYkDEfDDwlk/s640/1k+aIMG_3847.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I set up my digiscoping rig on Fishing Rock. With the eyepiece set somewhere around 20x, I was able to obtain the image above — the mouth of Fogarty Creek.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPJ723Nk4Mp37X-kge5cxhko0SPBgYIDnJtoH2VRvIK-d3b-TGj3BgNQka-jyoVG_TBmSAkL9sMGA3BM4LTxn65l9jVkEGpW6wTvOkyDR46jkugi64E1OY5MKckQhNQKkwTMbgplfDUA/s1600/1k+aIMG_3845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPJ723Nk4Mp37X-kge5cxhko0SPBgYIDnJtoH2VRvIK-d3b-TGj3BgNQka-jyoVG_TBmSAkL9sMGA3BM4LTxn65l9jVkEGpW6wTvOkyDR46jkugi64E1OY5MKckQhNQKkwTMbgplfDUA/s640/1k+aIMG_3845.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At 60x I was able to see the observation area at Boiler Bay State Park (1.26 miles away as shown in the clip from Google Earth below)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdQ0zy2vZKZ9iu1dwktRrHeiBNYMx-nybzNYURR4yziLCd7gVUY9L8Py7ojMYcV0OX7WTDkyYrAborXaavPvnwJvK9R5WbP3RsDH5T4ovWbdNMCnPTrd78njDT0ODHdmzlHGFGTGh7ug/s1600/1k+distance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdQ0zy2vZKZ9iu1dwktRrHeiBNYMx-nybzNYURR4yziLCd7gVUY9L8Py7ojMYcV0OX7WTDkyYrAborXaavPvnwJvK9R5WbP3RsDH5T4ovWbdNMCnPTrd78njDT0ODHdmzlHGFGTGh7ug/s640/1k+distance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO2V_9vHVD1mz5fpx80pe-XKPgIfxnwX4gQxDvEE_ncJ0Cb-bVn0MxKtsWx09M6lut4MKOPAGaDcp3tWvw5F34eaZcm8Pi75LpzUJN5PbMJAtbWfs1X_OyurjibyyZB5Vj2J-9nim1FI/s1600/1k+IMG_6933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO2V_9vHVD1mz5fpx80pe-XKPgIfxnwX4gQxDvEE_ncJ0Cb-bVn0MxKtsWx09M6lut4MKOPAGaDcp3tWvw5F34eaZcm8Pi75LpzUJN5PbMJAtbWfs1X_OyurjibyyZB5Vj2J-9nim1FI/s640/1k+IMG_6933.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At 480 mm, my third-party lens makes the moon this big in the frame.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZVLUTEOqdT3sod4juNiqXUXNuZqnr9ks4g5LYVpEFbLF6eKvd1s4d8AWUSXNZ-fdr_bWP7jPxL1JlIyYHSQEkNKC5sgSI8AxeAc1Fxeii79PGsSb3iEGxSJIksfU4fAnJ5ficReP2gE/s1600/1k+aIMG_4332.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZVLUTEOqdT3sod4juNiqXUXNuZqnr9ks4g5LYVpEFbLF6eKvd1s4d8AWUSXNZ-fdr_bWP7jPxL1JlIyYHSQEkNKC5sgSI8AxeAc1Fxeii79PGsSb3iEGxSJIksfU4fAnJ5ficReP2gE/s640/1k+aIMG_4332.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using the spotting scope at 20x, I get an image of the moon substantially bigger (but also significant color fringing)...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXZQYTCthqNIVM854k-1bWT1ia1QYp3LVwI4ZlBmZgzH1oYo7-UnMVxGysduiXhz-4lyv6pyNWPvDoOBMTWt1lFTq5nDeC0T62QBmt3WjanJqPWdbJ6kWCP_kyM6Mrk7h0RVaKU2PfYg/s1600/1k+aIMG_4329.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXZQYTCthqNIVM854k-1bWT1ia1QYp3LVwI4ZlBmZgzH1oYo7-UnMVxGysduiXhz-4lyv6pyNWPvDoOBMTWt1lFTq5nDeC0T62QBmt3WjanJqPWdbJ6kWCP_kyM6Mrk7h0RVaKU2PfYg/s640/1k+aIMG_4329.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...and at 60x I get this, but at this magnification, the moon’s apparent motion is also making sharpness an obvious issue. So, while the equipment holds promise, I still have refinements to make with the gear and considerable practicing to do. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ShJzKtlI5dfsIhPxka4K4vLv8zfehrjoHrRoUSzLeqX6tcxIMuONI3kYqGlae3a-_IV6qfFp9vSrwhcnUy5K5GwX4dTWFLTMVVQJvhIJgd9Zwz39MZgFGaA9u76pZByO3X94BSr650w/s1600/1k+aIMG_3975.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ShJzKtlI5dfsIhPxka4K4vLv8zfehrjoHrRoUSzLeqX6tcxIMuONI3kYqGlae3a-_IV6qfFp9vSrwhcnUy5K5GwX4dTWFLTMVVQJvhIJgd9Zwz39MZgFGaA9u76pZByO3X94BSr650w/s640/1k+aIMG_3975.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shedding the scope, I headed to Boiler Bay where I was sidetracked by the appearance of whales.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is a shot looking back North to Fishing Rock, taken from the fence I had earlier seen through the digiscope rig. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I mistakenly thought these were the pickle-like pyrosomes that had previously been in the news, but it turns out that this is probably squid eggs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the sun draws ever closer to the horizon, its oblique rays deign only to illuminate the top portions of the waves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, the waves force a substantial school of small silver fish close to the shoreline. The seagulls quickly catch on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...and begin playing a daring game of tag with the ocean in hopes of collecting the enticing morsels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(Should I stay or should I go?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The gulls and black and white duck-like things compete together for the fish windfall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Early the next morning I walk the beach noting some kind of infant crab apocalypse.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoKs1_6Rsq624s-7utwBc5rJab7TVm_nZXU-lDXjST2AWlAPEOuoBA01LJUFlAJnPz8IxGY4GRjeNOsxYTWHhK1ZXeIF6E1xtWnt46OPS-9dVWs9B1h7a8bmrNDtlGEnh7ZZYcF_gWmU/s1600/1k+aIMG_4360.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoKs1_6Rsq624s-7utwBc5rJab7TVm_nZXU-lDXjST2AWlAPEOuoBA01LJUFlAJnPz8IxGY4GRjeNOsxYTWHhK1ZXeIF6E1xtWnt46OPS-9dVWs9B1h7a8bmrNDtlGEnh7ZZYcF_gWmU/s640/1k+aIMG_4360.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then content myself at a vantage point with the seagulls to watch their feeding behaviors.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UZJjjAOMt0JpFJEdteytJvXuXiucAeU_6PQyrONpamt0MsFETHey0nseO5YDk2bi_4HAvNGWP38IOUjaS9wHqRdrouO1-2fwIFU7igDq8v3a62cnvDhCyrtRhcFdofFhr7TQ4OMiV1o/s1600/1k+aIMG_4352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UZJjjAOMt0JpFJEdteytJvXuXiucAeU_6PQyrONpamt0MsFETHey0nseO5YDk2bi_4HAvNGWP38IOUjaS9wHqRdrouO1-2fwIFU7igDq8v3a62cnvDhCyrtRhcFdofFhr7TQ4OMiV1o/s640/1k+aIMG_4352.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This morning, they seem to be arranged in a pecking order, taking turns standing on an ideally situated rock at the surf line where they snag fish that are left in compromised positions in ebbing waves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The seagulls must brave the incoming waves to be in an optimal position to dive at the fish in the receding water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They do not seem to be enthusiastic divers like the cormorants — but neither are they afraid to get wet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes, even seagulls miscalculate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The black and white duck-things blur the distinction between bird and fish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And seals look on ominously, almost as if they’d be willing to blur the distinction as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In February, the intertidal zones are evidently affected by the input of copious amounts of precipitation and cloudy skies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the harsher summertime, the range of lush tidepools appears to contract as evaporation causes established algae to crystalize.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wonders and mysteries present themselves whether I'm looking up or down, close or far away. The few moments I spend at the beach remind me that we all once had to be keenly aware of the patterns of the seasons and be fit to chase after our food wherever it appeared. Perhaps my attempts to capture small-mouthed bass from my kayak are like spasming frog legs in a frying pan — a neural vestige from those days when we were alive, and not hunting big bites at the 7-11 twenty-four hours a day. This post was just going to peter out after the last picture, but I thought I should try to tie it all up with some kind of thoughtful conclusion. But this is all I came up with. I guess what I really mean to say is photography — even primitive efforts at digiscoping — provides ways to extend my sight, to see things in ways that I wouldn't ordinarily see.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Totally worth it.</span></div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-71474524643443391672018-07-17T02:11:00.000-07:002018-08-17T12:42:30.235-07:00EVOLVING ROADS: Car Camping with Kip & Rico (Part Four)<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s benign most of the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You’re warm. Through your eyelids, you can sense sunlight gently streaming in the window. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You’ve been talking to your dad, and though your dad died decades ago, part of you knows that this is all a dream, and so talking to dead people isn’t all that strange and neither is the sensation of floating in a white, cozy cloud. It isn’t until you open one eye that you begin to freak-out. “That’s not my chest of drawers,” you realize, “and that’s not my carpet!”. Your other eye pops open. “This isn’t my bed!” and, “This most certainly isn’t even my room! I’ve been drugged somehow and kidnapped and I can’t move my arms!” Just as the panic rises and you flop out of the bed tearing at the tangled industrial-strength king-size bed-cover, you remember, just before you hit the floor, that this is a hotel room and you’re on a business trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Except, I’m not in a cozy warm cloud. I’m lost in the Antarctic huddled in a blanket made from an unzipped sleeping bag. Shrieking wind is tearing at bits of ruined shelter — shreds of blue tarp slap my face. It stings. I try to curl into a heat-conserving ball and wrap the flailing ends of the inadequate blanket under me, but the wind is clever and works at untucking the short ends. I wait to wake up in that warm hotel room… but I never do, because I’m not on a business trip and I’m not asleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’m lying on a blue tarp, shivering under my sleeping-bag-blanket in some kind of diabolical wind-tunnel on the bank of Lake Mann at the base of Steens Mountain. The fire ring, which mere hours ago contained a hell-worthy conflagration, now emanates only cold gray ashes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I risk another peek out from under the blanket. The sky is starting to show light. Part of me argues, “Just sleep until the sun comes up. It will be warm then.” But another part argues, “By the time the sun shines into this valley, you’ll be a popsicle.” and though that last bit seems hysterical, I steel myself for a sprint to the Montero where my gear is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Being inside the Montero makes a big difference. I’m grateful that Kip has already forgotten his city habit of locking his doors at night. I’d sleep in the front seat except the colors outside are beautiful so I find my jacket and camera and go to meet the sunrise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Uncle Rico seems immune to the wind...and weather in general.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And Kip will probably never know that there even was any wind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinO3WRX87-mPm139ZOZ6ewPvxmY63VZPt9Sd6DbNCkjALnLm13RyLPbjQRLgxatlmZW7RdZYOKsVi4nYwLKtw8DEu-1mwWDuMsdBRAThhsPnQXezBKLaQQwArabOso5-XXaWan7lyIlY/s1600/008+1kpersistantCloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinO3WRX87-mPm139ZOZ6ewPvxmY63VZPt9Sd6DbNCkjALnLm13RyLPbjQRLgxatlmZW7RdZYOKsVi4nYwLKtw8DEu-1mwWDuMsdBRAThhsPnQXezBKLaQQwArabOso5-XXaWan7lyIlY/s640/008+1kpersistantCloud.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As alluded to before, despite brief periods of surprisingly strong winds, our resident cloud remains a constant companion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the wind dies down, I break out a grill and the groceries I need to make cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped jalapeno peppers (for breakfast). I was counting on 12 pieces of bacon per package but learned that isn’t always the case with thick slices. Even worse, I forgot to bring toothpicks, so I had to wrap the peppers with more finesse than usual and hope that the bacon molded itself on as it shrank. That wasn’t always the case either, which is why this picture is a file picture from our Willapa Bay trip. Kip and Rico are polite about the cheese-stuffed peppers with a side of bacon, but I feel like I’ve disappointed them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In no danger of starving, we set our minds to solving the puzzle of catching fish in a six-inch deep lake. Kip has a comprehensive book about Oregon lakes, and the Mann Lake entry reveals that some people wade out into the lake and then cast toward shore. It sounds like it’s worth a try, so I take off my shoes and socks and hike up my shorts and strike out for deeper water. 10 minutes later I’m about 40 yards into the lake and water is tickling my...shorts, but frustratingly, while the mud now appears to be 2 feet deep, the water remains confined to a 6-inch layer floating atop the ever deepening mud. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1laeGNOyldkpEbTQdpzHDsQealpo0SLgnvHnJSmnuz0zYINaCer2eYsYdgiEFxai0Iv_PfRog3y60Ij0Jnfaf17SMvsthn1F1O46OwarZQKFWWeUHJVUhlwy7txze2Oq2FfkFq6Kh1Js/s1600/1k+aDSCF0682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1laeGNOyldkpEbTQdpzHDsQealpo0SLgnvHnJSmnuz0zYINaCer2eYsYdgiEFxai0Iv_PfRog3y60Ij0Jnfaf17SMvsthn1F1O46OwarZQKFWWeUHJVUhlwy7txze2Oq2FfkFq6Kh1Js/s640/1k+aDSCF0682.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Kip 2018</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I return to shore, I catch a pair of cows smirking at each other, as if to ruin the illusion I cling to that this is actually mud I’m wading in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, Rico and Kip have been casting a variety of lures with no success. At times, they claim to see the dorsal fins of Loch Ness Monster-size-creatures trapped towards the center of the lake. But I can’t see them without the binoculars they’re using.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOgsX4hWruylQIu0eHQuj1H8RbRPhKn1UFBC-UC0KqxW0-ejTq7iOTRwcDuVKjnX-8lw4jTTF_d0ls3QMoJn9q94F3hEJzYkYWkP7CAhOk5qSz5HyjTccSg9VKq86Cx_iMm-ueL9Gutc/s1600/013+1k+avocets+3264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOgsX4hWruylQIu0eHQuj1H8RbRPhKn1UFBC-UC0KqxW0-ejTq7iOTRwcDuVKjnX-8lw4jTTF_d0ls3QMoJn9q94F3hEJzYkYWkP7CAhOk5qSz5HyjTccSg9VKq86Cx_iMm-ueL9Gutc/s640/013+1k+avocets+3264.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This bird’s colorful wing markings and unusual beak caught my attention. Rico said it was an American avocet. After sinking into the mud myself, it is easy for me to appreciate these bird’s adaptations for fishing along the lake’s extended muddy shoreline - long legs for wading, webbed feet for distributing weight on insubstantial surfaces (or swimming I suppose), and a built-in fishing pole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As it becomes evident that we won’t be catching any fish, we calculate that it’s time to move on. Although I had recently visited the Malheur Wildlife Refuge area, in the face of questioning I become less and less confident in my assertion that there is a gas station in Frenchglen. Given my uncertainty, we decide to head back to Fields Station to top-off the tanks and get ice for the ice-chests. Once we are resupplied we head towards Frenchglen (60 miles away) to check out Page Springs Campground and the much-hyped Donner und Blitzen River. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At first, I wonder why they would name a river after two of Santa’s reindeer. But cursory research reveals that donner and blitzen are German words for thunder and lightning, which supposedly, were the conditions encountered when troops crossed the river in 1864 during the Snake War (and which, retrospectively, also make Santa’s reindeer sound much more like bad-asses). What you don’t hear so much about is that the Snake War was a significant set of skirmishes between Native Americans and American soldiers which eventually resulted in over twice as many deaths as the more famous battle of the Little Bighorn. I suppose that’s why the river hasn’t retained its Native American name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Donner und Blitzen river may be a mythic trout stream, but it seems to pander to fly fisherman...not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just that the accepted convention here is to catch and release and that’s just not going to provide many fish tacos. Not only that, but the ratio of mosquitoes to campers is pegged at the high end of the scale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now that we are on the gently sloping side of Steens Mountain, we want to follow the available road up to the top even though the Page Springs kiosk indicates that the gates to the Mountain Loop Road are still closed. We reason that we may not get as far as we want, but expect there may be interesting things to see along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our reasoning pays off. The gates are not closed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenXXjn2yKtvQWGczQ3xlFb8Sl5na3xhDgUGg4-G6CGMKTJG0wUpJFN7EBKMV7-K_e-X9EBZOxBjb7jIXd-bxRuPyggjk6Bfo3JtXkdu7ikb-WM4W7FFfO0_Nd8s92eUl4VLvI1K_nJvU/s1600/014+1kaIMG_3327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenXXjn2yKtvQWGczQ3xlFb8Sl5na3xhDgUGg4-G6CGMKTJG0wUpJFN7EBKMV7-K_e-X9EBZOxBjb7jIXd-bxRuPyggjk6Bfo3JtXkdu7ikb-WM4W7FFfO0_Nd8s92eUl4VLvI1K_nJvU/s640/014+1kaIMG_3327.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip standing before the glacier-carved Kiger Gorge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico surveys the scene. That notch at upper middle was visible from Mann Lake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdn1si-XsY_wMT-TIo53qNxAHjJhK3jagz3ejpiAPZgRtTo4nWV5XjgGlhaUEqyITNhw6t34wchI_6GOp39wQmorXHR56dcC13sMldzN7JLoa5VMOVoKpw0haoLY_lxBQQph8GCvX2t4/s1600/016+1k+aIMG_3354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdn1si-XsY_wMT-TIo53qNxAHjJhK3jagz3ejpiAPZgRtTo4nWV5XjgGlhaUEqyITNhw6t34wchI_6GOp39wQmorXHR56dcC13sMldzN7JLoa5VMOVoKpw0haoLY_lxBQQph8GCvX2t4/s640/016+1k+aIMG_3354.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s like that time my parents handed me a camera at Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser. I took a whole roll of the same picture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeE9xbZ6NFtlMem6y06VAfqOIkXxGSVjNVrVMR6kjKlFvVuXf6u_H8xGs6Ml9ORX9SbtsGAl0MFBG-MqwH-6hDbtztaoUjKqWD3RJAds3KzDKXjNSWPRe-PytXIZirORWqomFeHZ2KMU/s1600/017+1kaIMG_3395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeE9xbZ6NFtlMem6y06VAfqOIkXxGSVjNVrVMR6kjKlFvVuXf6u_H8xGs6Ml9ORX9SbtsGAl0MFBG-MqwH-6hDbtztaoUjKqWD3RJAds3KzDKXjNSWPRe-PytXIZirORWqomFeHZ2KMU/s640/017+1kaIMG_3395.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the East Rim Overlook, I spot Mann Lake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI9OEX44C9VcPTxSgkGMhyphenhyphen6oLfFgP0WhN5hxOkd8FWGyJyHVFIdZo4dKlMQnRdQItpepGUHb5jeivxLfIpmwdGE6nS3lXlOghXCDjHKkRDRMwYpi1a_YaXJPNMgvdR-rj_zgpGMjkOpw/s1600/018+1kaIMG_3399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheI9OEX44C9VcPTxSgkGMhyphenhyphen6oLfFgP0WhN5hxOkd8FWGyJyHVFIdZo4dKlMQnRdQItpepGUHb5jeivxLfIpmwdGE6nS3lXlOghXCDjHKkRDRMwYpi1a_YaXJPNMgvdR-rj_zgpGMjkOpw/s640/018+1kaIMG_3399.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To the southeast lies the Alvord Desert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ntuxzpjlLwxYyJDZJhG43fhE4YyAUk_Gd0EQxgZIhPJZHzWQIQA6lBqWA3oUNXytw5a4ZDHx_tXUCKw0kLdraNC0u2isX0i4E1ONzvcFVjHSFDoY7IKkLzNGyuA0599sTZQoU1Bvnm0/s1600/019+1k+a+lance+pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ntuxzpjlLwxYyJDZJhG43fhE4YyAUk_Gd0EQxgZIhPJZHzWQIQA6lBqWA3oUNXytw5a4ZDHx_tXUCKw0kLdraNC0u2isX0i4E1ONzvcFVjHSFDoY7IKkLzNGyuA0599sTZQoU1Bvnm0/s640/019+1k+a+lance+pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Uncle Rico Copyright 2018 (click on image for slightly larger version)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico takes an awesome panorama picture with his phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqistbWnRrhshzvfEpWpK9F9ydDAKtOyx-pprFu-hpaa-BiqJKLtCyAqbsQ5WtPpeUaC9vsfHAZ5hJZLL7igi4pOAvQeNjQ3MKsoFkB9HYh6ZmJs6lgOJjvZ-hb3R-WAIbW72hnKX86k0/s1600/020+1kaIMG_3413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqistbWnRrhshzvfEpWpK9F9ydDAKtOyx-pprFu-hpaa-BiqJKLtCyAqbsQ5WtPpeUaC9vsfHAZ5hJZLL7igi4pOAvQeNjQ3MKsoFkB9HYh6ZmJs6lgOJjvZ-hb3R-WAIbW72hnKX86k0/s640/020+1kaIMG_3413.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico is wearing a special bra for binoculars, but I think he is just keeping two beers in it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO44cgHWdb1QSm3zERwakG-AmZRQ3ZoGyVuWcZTUUOIFBFAVm-ayUVDD6tBphriaq66E6NAH32sJgFFFZVudiMOiUOLoRTSgTZWQhplYcIfQf-gAEazN5do2Gd6QlEY3JGNpDyAJxJsAQ/s1600/021+1k+a+rim+lance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO44cgHWdb1QSm3zERwakG-AmZRQ3ZoGyVuWcZTUUOIFBFAVm-ayUVDD6tBphriaq66E6NAH32sJgFFFZVudiMOiUOLoRTSgTZWQhplYcIfQf-gAEazN5do2Gd6QlEY3JGNpDyAJxJsAQ/s640/021+1k+a+rim+lance.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Uncle Rico Copyright 2018</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico gets a shot of me doing a patented old-man impression as I dodder around trying to compose a shot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A photographer’s goal would be to stay atop the observation point and watch the Mountain’s shadow stretch out to the East to meet the coming darkness. But I am not alone and we still need to find a campsite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We find what we are looking for in the sub-alpine/quaking aspen zone at about 7000 feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I string my hammock up in a small aspen grove (Now we’re talking!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...and stoop to some shameless pandering.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(triple reinforced stitching)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip sets up his tent in a small clearing nearby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the sun travels beyond the horizon, we fall into our familiar dinner routine. By now nobody will be surprised to discover that this evening’s meal is going to be trout tacos. Kip, however, surprises us with a new snack variation (besides the salt and pepper pistachios). He sets about trying to make popcorn over a propane burner, heating the oil in one of my thin aluminum pots. I think the odds are about even that he will significantly burn the popcorn. But he doesn’t. Generally, I like to season my popcorn with Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, but Kip uses real butter and a seasoning I’m not all that familiar with. Whatever. This simple treat, well executed, seems a particularly extravagant snack in this setting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Somewhere in the middle of deep frying the trout, we realize the stove is out of propane. To make things more complicated, the proprietary fuel canisters for Rico’s range are now all exhausted. Kip’s propane burner has the potential to heat the oil, but it is shaped something like an upside-down rocket ship and will be an unsteady, dangerous support for the cast-iron frying pan filled with still-sizzling oil. I scramble to find a new propane tank in my gear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the most part, Rico manages to save the bulk of the trout. For those few pieces that soaked up too much oil, I’m pretty sure I see him placing them randomly in the trout plate hoping we won’t notice. A running joke for this camping trip is that I’ve been overcooking the tortillas. Working with the precariously balanced burner, I’m — I guess paranoid is the best word — paranoid that I will once again overcook the tortillas and so I try to get them in and out of the oil as fast as I can. Later when Rico observes that the tortillas appear to have been “merely dipped” in oil, I realize I may have been a tad too spastic. Thankfully, none of us are sporting skin grafts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sitting before the evening’s firewood holocaust, I’ve come to expect unusual conversations. If it isn’t Kip and his knack for saying things that are hilariously out of character, it will be Rico defending outrageous positions so matter-of-factly that I find myself in agreement. But tonight Rico has once again taken up the topic of petroglyphs and insists that the power of the shamans is real and that we, even now, are influenced by, or even protected by their energy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like a popcorn kernel unable to contain itself, Rico springs from his chair wielding one of the ultraviolet flashlights. “It’s around us!” he screams. “It’s all around us!” and he darts one way, and then another, subjecting everything in range to the scrutiny of his ultraviolet beam. Kip and I are bewildered, but we follow Rico on his mad search until he comes to the jeep. There suddenly, radiating intensely in the black light are mysterious native American icons, just like the ones we’ve been finding all week (well, maybe not the rabbit).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before we can stop him or comment, Rico is racing off to the Montero. When he gets there, he sweeps the vehicle with his beam and there on the hood are concentric ray-arcs, spirals, lizards and forkman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The depictions of petroglyphs are hilarious. Kip and I try to figure out when Rico had time to execute his drawings without being seen. It turns out that various markers are highly fluorescent under ultraviolet light, but nearly invisible on, say the surface of a dark-colored car during the day-time (not so much on a white colored car as Kip found out surveying his hood the next morning). The implication is that Rico may have been decorating things ever since he handed out the ultraviolet flashlights. Quickly, I check my forehead in a rearview mirror (because I’m a heavy sleeper), but no fluorescent patterns appear there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the morning, in the aspen grove, amongst the aspens, the leaves whisper in the gentlest of winds. But beneath the sweet-nothings filling the air, more conventional messages are conveyed by the tree’s bark. Matt and Debra were an item back in ‘89. C.H.S., J.F., M.S.A., A.S.H., and perhaps fraternity and sorority members have been here. Somebody killed their first deer back in ‘05. Rico says it’s a mistake to carve big block letters into the bark because the scars grow and become illegible. He thinks the way to make an enduring message is to carve thin lines. I tried but concentrated so hard on the wrong letter that I misspelled my name (As an enduring message from me, that somehow seems appropriate).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has become increasingly hard to keep track of the days. Even so, a growing unease is evident as we sense our time on the road is coming to an end. Unless we want to make a 6 hour trip on our last day, we need to head West before establishing our next camp. Rico reminds us that his goal to find an ancient mortar is still unfulfilled. We travel back down the mountain to Frenchglen and beyond in search of something the Lorings called the Krumbo Boulders, one of which is Mortar Rock. It is said to contain two mortars, one 7 inches deep and one 8 inches deep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Uncle Rico Copyright 2018</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Petroglyph Rock turns out to be the easier of the two rocks to find.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The depth of this carving makes it very distinctive from most of the petroglyphs I’ve seen on this trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our search is hampered by a terrifying blanket of mosquitoes. I find it necessary to spray repellant not only on my exposed skin but also on all of my clothing front and back to keep the sharp proboscises from penetrating my shirt and pants. Still, scores of mosquitoes alight on my hands and wrists before they taste the repellant. I look something like a Pavlovian trained dog as I repeatedly swipe at any high pitched noise or tickling sensation. We scour the landscape east of the Petroglyph rock according to the Loring notes but somehow manage to overlook it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We find respite from the mosquitoes at the boat ramp at Krumbo Reservoir, probably because of a breeze off the water. We take the opportunity to re-hydrate and as we sip our beverages, Kip and Rico start to imagine what they’ll be able to do with their booty of sunstones. Both of them collected easily 3 times the number of sunstones that I did and Kip is quick to point out that it is a well-known fact that sunstones are equivalent to what he terms ‘male enhancement.’ Kip goes on to ask what it’s called when a person decorates articles of clothing with glued-on sunstones. I’m not sure who came up with it first, but the answer is “Bedazzled.” Kip then begins describing how he would go about bedazzling a pair of glasses, and we begin to imagine the garish eyewear of Elton John and Deepak Chopra. Rico volunteers that he thinks bedazzled sunglasses are obviously impressive, but then he earnestly turns to me and warns me not to wear sunstone-bedazzled glasses until <i><b>after</b></i> I meet someone. After all, Kip adds, “How would you know whether she loved you, or just wanted your sunstone-bedazzled glasses?” Rico and Kip spell it out in a simple formula: Sunstones = panty droppers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I just wish they would have shared this information earlier while we were still actually searching for sunstones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We made it to the Southwest edge of Crane Prairie Reservoir for our final campsite where Rico prepared guacamole with an authentic stone pestle. It wasn’t what he had hoped for, but the guacamole was exceptional, even without an authentic ancient mortar. I wrapped the last of the peppers with bacon using a packet of 12 cinnamon toothpicks I found in the Qwick-shop when we stopped to gas-up in Burns. Rico also prepared margaritas with damiana. Kip distributed raw cookie dough for dessert.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Later I walked down a short trail and emerged from the pine forest to stand at the edge of the reservoir. I set up my tripod to capture the moon and Venus, but by now my tripod head was broken and the whole process took much longer than it should have. A frigid wind was blowing over the surface of the lake and this was the best I was able to do before I retreated back into the shelter of the forest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Quite a while after the trip, Rico posted his pictures in a Dropbox. I found this one in there. I’ve chosen it as a fitting end to this narrative. I’m not sure that it has an enduring message for everyone, but what it says to me is, my friends are artists, and I am grateful to have traveled these roads with them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEE ALSO <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/06/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip-and.html">PART ONE</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEE ALSO <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/07/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip-and.html">PART TWO</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEE ALSO <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/07/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip.html">PART THREE</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Epilogue:</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="10" height="740" src="https://giphy.com/embed/2wUFFTAmEg9165x4Pu" width="550"></iframe></div>
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/2wUFFTAmEg9165x4Pu">via GIPHY</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip models a pair of sunstone bedazzled glasses</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Deb: Okay, turn your head on more of a slant...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, make a fist. Slowly ease it up underneath your chin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is really looking good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip: You can say that again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Deb: Kay, hold still right there. Now, just imagine you're weightless, in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by tiny little seahorses [Deb takes the picture] That was the one. I think that's gonna come out really nice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">- dialouge from the movie Napoleon Dynamite (or is it?)</span>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-40274325427816718732018-07-13T02:49:00.000-07:002018-08-05T15:45:05.669-07:00EVOLVING ROADS: Car Camping with Kip & Rico (Part Three)<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From my supine perspective in the giant mosquito-net house, the snoring noise emanating from the S.E. corner is, by deduction, Kip, who must have migrated from his chair sometime before dawn. But it is the heat-lamp-like beams of the sun that have prodded me from unconsciousness as my body begins to glisten like greasy chicken on a buffet island. I shed my sleeping-bag cover and risk the mosquitoes outside, seeking shade. Outside, I see Rico’s sleeping bag in the shadow cast by his cot. Whether he got there by accidental tumble, instinct, or conscious strategy is uncertain, but I’d guess some mixture of the last two options.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The inexorable advance of the sun prods us to action (even if it is sluggish action). Our sleeping accouterments get folded, stuffed or rolled. Beer cans are policed. Cookware and plates are cosmetically cleaned under a less than rigorous paper-towel protocol. The bags and boxes and ice-chests are re-sorted into the vehicles. Finally, the appropriate lures are chosen from personal fishing arsenals for enticing those particular fish that reason suggests might accumulate at the base of significant falls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If truth be told, however, my personal fishing arsenal consists of a blunt collection of bass tools that are increasingly obviously not fooling any trout. Instead, I reach for a long lens and lag behind Rico as he descends into the canyon. I try to catch a different kind of magic — all the richness of an instant in time — as Rico plumbs the recesses of the plunge pool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We stop to top off the fuel tanks in Adel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip asks, “Is this town named after the famous singer?” He knows full well that it isn’t. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The gas pump is at a little island near a patchwork building that appears to be a combo bar, gift shop, restaurant and, curiously, youth hang-out. I say that because a trio of teens wearing reasonably coordinated shirts and pants (smartly accessorized with coonskin caps... and side-arms) materialize out from behind the adjacent tiny one-room post-office structure and saunter across the parking lot. They enter the combo-building as if they own it. Struck by the novelty of the coonskin caps, I reach for my camera in hopes of documenting what appears to me to be a rural 'gang'. But I quickly check my impulse to take pictures despite the attraction of the glorious ring-tailed headwear. I reason that even though my college degree was in Art (which really doesn’t qualify as a college degree) I might still, because of my unfamiliarity with local customs, be mistaken as a liberal elite. I well remember the day I unexpectedly met my girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend in a small-town Kansas pub only to have my friendliest overtures interpreted as negative comments regarding his mother. Perhaps it would be wise to not draw undue attention in this Eastern Oregon outpost where I am a visitor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A young mother handles the gas nozzle, all the while simultaneously admonishing the actions of her feral 5-year-old (who runs loose, tasting unlikely objects). When she finishes with the vehicles, caps screwed tight and little doors slammed shut, she manages to wish us a pleasant day as we pull away without incident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The landscapes begin to impress themselves into the moldable regions of our brains. The high plateaus are overrun with water-hungry juniper bushes — prickly shrubs with sights set on becoming trees. Competing grasses wither and dust devils rise from the parched soil. Basalt crumbles under the assault of alternating hot and cold temperature extremes. None of it seems very hospitable. But in the pauses, in the moments when you catch your breath or sip from a frozen Pabst Blue Ribbon can, or gaze toward blue bands of mountains shimmering on the horizon — subtle movements betray life hiding in the cracks and shadows, sometimes at your very feet. Western Sage lizards start and skitter from crevice to crevice. Cottontails explode out of nowhere into frantic zig-zag sprints, barely touching the earth. Then they freeze in golden grasses, effectively invisible while still. Striped chipmunks display a fatal indecisiveness when attempting to cross paved highways but otherwise materialize here and there as if traversing different dimensions between point A and point B.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico, in an uncharacteristic fit of near poetry, attempts to express some fundamental truth of the animating power of nature, and how this truth has been expressed through the millennia and recorded on the rocks we have been examining — by people who hunted and lived according to Earth’s benevolence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico seems to suggest that merely by viewing the ancient petroglyphs, we somehow benefit. Perhaps by some spiritual osmosis, the Shaman’s art enlightens us, though literal understanding eludes us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To me, this sounds like some shit I might say — not my scientist friend. Certainly, art can touch us at emotional levels and thereby move us to action. Maybe, in the end, that is the power of the Shamans. But rock art seems notoriously able to resist interpretation, and whether it is the work of influential medicine men or the graffiti of idle children remains a point of debate. Regardless, like a hapless Fox Mulder, I want to believe in the power of art.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the miles pass, we begin to stretch beyond Rico’s familiar spots to destinations unknown to us. Rich locales described in the Loring and Loring book provide an impetus to climb higher and higher into the high desert which has the effect of making the term ‘high desert’ less and less precise (shouldn’t it really be the ‘really high desert' by now?).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Soon we begin to mistake temporary streambeds for roads or imagine the general direction of a turn-off according to a subtle change in the color of the grass. Kip’s modified Montero with its new manly suspension and virile tires keeps apace with Rico’s time-tested Jeep. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since that first night of gentle aerosol showers, the sky has been squeezed clean of clouds so that the atmosphere nearly begins to suck moisture from the ground and from all living things. Following behind the Jeep means breathing a dusty wake of grit and sage pollen. My nose whistles as dirt and drying mucous construct obfuscating booger castles deep in my nostril passages. I long to pick them and feel ready to argue that doing so publicly would be justified.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After half a day of bouncing over road-optional terrain, Rico and Kip eventually remember that reducing the air pressure in their tires improves traction, flexibility, and flotation. By now, the sun is at its zenith. The appearance of two shade trees corresponds with the disappearance of the road we are following.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67gtNoFJdbqxP_LRrIrDJkwuS4rQOjbuAGyxbsZX91AVllZAIrz9empNl9JKecgM7IN3DLSk6SZZMSHDyQPcTc3dpe0ND9ubZ0jxoyXIPgNFwtpDbBnBGvareXOt1JQform3h4tm9M5U/s1600/008+1kaIMG_2688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67gtNoFJdbqxP_LRrIrDJkwuS4rQOjbuAGyxbsZX91AVllZAIrz9empNl9JKecgM7IN3DLSk6SZZMSHDyQPcTc3dpe0ND9ubZ0jxoyXIPgNFwtpDbBnBGvareXOt1JQform3h4tm9M5U/s640/008+1kaIMG_2688.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Earth has provided shade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We sit in it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico and Kip adjust their tire pressures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you ask a medical device engineer, a project manager and an art major what this is, you’d get an answer something like, an arrowhead workshop. Take it for what it’s worth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The vehicles climb ever upward until we reach the top of the world — 360 degrees of horizon. The sky seems closer, almost as if you could see through the blue and off into space. Before us lies a vast playa that stretches to the East for miles — a flat basin surrounded by basalt rimrock — a ghost lake laid out before heaven. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Scattered on the surrounding rimrock and isolated boulders, we are pleased to find hundreds of pecked and carved designs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have a flashback. I can remember back to an idyllic time when my parents took me and my siblings to a lake to camp with a number of their friends and their families. This temporary community joined together to catch crawfish, and all the children ventured out into the shallow water and contributed to the effort. The adults sat around a large fire with a boiling pot, drinking forbidden beverages and laughing and talking. The cadences of these voices created a background noise that flowed into the night and braided us together, something like a dog’s comfort jacket. I couldn’t exactly hear what any particular adult was saying, but I could feel the ebb and flow of emotions, joy, laughter, surprise and comfortable silences — the telling of yarns, jokes, and secrets. Finally exhausted, my eyelids slowly drifted closed and I disappeared into oblivion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here in this dusty basin, in the face of all these images, I imagine I can hear a similar noise — a similar story, but in a language I can’t decipher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I catch up with Kip and Rico, they are standing before a virtual chapel of images.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico speculates that the production of petroglyphs must have been noisy. I remember my college sculpture studio and the characteristic rhythms of the wood carvers, or the jewelers, or the bronze casters chasing their castings. I wonder what the petroglyph carvers sounded like and vow to create my own petroglyph to find out…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(But not here).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKog3HVkAvrV_Kt1lvueTWTX0-lxyv_wAVyWff749fP4oTFGTU-UAvV54C2K0D6D12VzBwHkTL1_6WUMb0rVz4-Pa2rkLRsYgXNZAwkRnj1pRHzim6T9utwGqpCD_FAjD4VjLaNS74Dpc/s1600/019+1kaIMG_2922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKog3HVkAvrV_Kt1lvueTWTX0-lxyv_wAVyWff749fP4oTFGTU-UAvV54C2K0D6D12VzBwHkTL1_6WUMb0rVz4-Pa2rkLRsYgXNZAwkRnj1pRHzim6T9utwGqpCD_FAjD4VjLaNS74Dpc/s640/019+1kaIMG_2922.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4N-XaifBvals60Fky5InwsBnsLkW2h6QC2u9QmD2GTrnIZGJjEXPtxQfLOAdbWmRIyNgbhaFzb6WUImOehuLTIOF4DtRLxViVItR_b7EzbmIHZ6OFx9-xF_GIwjaEmPYT7zBk1ENDxs/s1600/020+1kaIMG_2895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4N-XaifBvals60Fky5InwsBnsLkW2h6QC2u9QmD2GTrnIZGJjEXPtxQfLOAdbWmRIyNgbhaFzb6WUImOehuLTIOF4DtRLxViVItR_b7EzbmIHZ6OFx9-xF_GIwjaEmPYT7zBk1ENDxs/s640/020+1kaIMG_2895.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Windblown soil from the plateau above is periodically washed into the basin. Ever so slowly, this process of erosion is burying some of the designs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We spend as much time here as we can, but eventually re-acquire the trucks and turn our attention to finding our next campsite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the next horizon, it becomes obvious we weren’t at the top of the world after all.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfrD1AxtLxXtC79_7klsLO5UvWBqgITFjV7smOFQ_ERP7Xx4XTyD1zUe-DEgHV10Bjxmlg5WpEW7_NOLOq1AOKrzdlHXh-RIMr92ZPy5FFZPwycDUzqsRkjaaReJIhWnuGfoqcUh1JtM/s1600/024+1kaIMG_3064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfrD1AxtLxXtC79_7klsLO5UvWBqgITFjV7smOFQ_ERP7Xx4XTyD1zUe-DEgHV10Bjxmlg5WpEW7_NOLOq1AOKrzdlHXh-RIMr92ZPy5FFZPwycDUzqsRkjaaReJIhWnuGfoqcUh1JtM/s640/024+1kaIMG_3064.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ7xlkXmNf4Oi17_5dsSnJRYC6yPbzdR2WVD_JSC_7YYqOZz4IwcRSxrcKHIXJH0i90gUBraqBsFh27T7VfYqrbQ5o54rJbiH1gHsPxkweoNexeBLXHt9w2d4bTJBk6dAHVLLFAhZHPA/s1600/025+1kaIMG_3069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ7xlkXmNf4Oi17_5dsSnJRYC6yPbzdR2WVD_JSC_7YYqOZz4IwcRSxrcKHIXJH0i90gUBraqBsFh27T7VfYqrbQ5o54rJbiH1gHsPxkweoNexeBLXHt9w2d4bTJBk6dAHVLLFAhZHPA/s640/025+1kaIMG_3069.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip said, “Look!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I said, “That’s the muddiest lake I’ve ever seen.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip said, “That’s the Alvord Desert.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We set up camp at Mann Lake at the base of Steens Mountain, from this side, a sheer, 1-mile high vertical escarpment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico casts into the shallow lake. He hopes to add another species to the list of species he’s caught — the desert-adapted Lahontan cutthroat trout. Unfortunately for us, the lake appears to be only 6 inches deep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wind acts funny around here. Though it is clear the wind is blowing, the clouds hover in place above us. It calls to mind the way you can, among rapids, maneuver your boat into quiet eddies behind rocks in the midst of the maelstrom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip sets his tent up, throwing his sleeping accouterments into the shelter to weigh it down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A steady breeze makes it difficult to use our gas range. We build an aluminum foil wind-break which allows us to make this evening’s edition of our trout tacos. This evening’s cocktails start out as rum and cokes, but there isn’t much rum left so we switch to screwdrivers. When the screwdrivers run out we switch to coke and tequila. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“What’s coke and tequila called?” somebody asks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Joanie and Chachis,” says Kip knowing full well it isn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A short time later, as Kip eats his second fish taco, we hear a noise that sounds something like a speeding train. The noise grows in volume until suddenly Kip's tent bounces into the back of his head as part of the leading edge of a vigorous wall of wind. As suddenly as it arrived, it’s over. But Kip gets the hint and ties his tent to his Montero.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The eddy-surfing clouds accompany us into the night. Beyond, a spiral arm of our galaxy once again marches across the sky<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I stare transfixed — until exhausted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My eyes slowly close.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I disappear into oblivion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Continue to <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/07/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip_17.html">PART FOUR?</a></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEE ALSO: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/06/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip-and.html">PART ONE</a></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEE ALSO: <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/07/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip-and.html">PART TWO</a></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-5992804616356577002018-07-03T18:29:00.000-07:002018-07-18T09:29:57.645-07:00EVOLVING ROADS: Car Camping with Kip and Rico (Part Two)<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In our last episode, after appreciating the subtle nuances of Kip’s latest margarita recipe, we were treated to the intermittent unveiling of the Milky Way as patchwork clouds streamed over us to the West.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cows, emboldened by the cover of darkness, venture out to the dry lake’s terminal puddle where the last delicate grasses rise from drying mud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Minds, free from the constraints of day to day routines, become free to ponder the day’s events and images — to decipher messages preserved in stone for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are by no means the first to sit comforted by our campfire in this shallow basin. Doubtless, others sat before us, watching the universe display its bright jewels. Here, perhaps before a more convincing lake, those others noted the arrivals and departures of skittish deer and elusive big-horn sheep — not today’s tame cows that pulverize sensitive shorelines with great bovine hooves and trample into the mud a generous portion of their specialty pies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our campfire crackles and sparks and spits embers into the sky — earthborn messengers sent to consort with the stars. The constellations shuffle — the eternal multi-limbed project-deadline is banished before the promise of more ideal game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the early morning hours, aerosol rain periodically wets my face, waking me and forcing me to consider whether to string up the rain-fly. Stars visible between patchy clouds wink as if to reassure me that the clouds aren’t all that serious about releasing their load. Besides, the mist is cool and refreshing on my sunburnt cheeks. When the sun eventually peeks over the summit rim, it warms the gentle morning breeze, drying everything instantly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After breaking camp, we resume fishing close to where we left off yesterday, but further downstream. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here the water is deeper. What appears to be a gently sloping mud bank drops sharply at the water’s edge — a steep rock face.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I lower a GoPro over the side and obtain these images of a world that until this moment, existed in my imagination as a kind of naive cartoon. In this domain, finely tuned, underwater, meat-seeking missiles effortlessly negotiate the currents in three dimensions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yet they can still be fooled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another river yields a catfish and a bass. Though small, these fish will technically allow the preparation of our traditional 3 species tacos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We set up camp high on a long ridge of buttes that provide an expansive view of the basin below. In wetter months, the basin is likely a marsh, but even in its arid state, it appears beautiful in the growing shadows of the setting sun. Wikipedia informs me that this entire basin was once a vast Pleistocene lake. It was, however, a lake with no place to go — no exits to the sea — so as the ice age came to an end, it began a long process of evaporation, concentrating salts and alkalis until only Abert Lake (full of brine shrimp) and Summer Lake remain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It doesn’t escape my notice that this campsite is bereft of trees which makes sleeping in a hammock somewhat problematical. Rico’s sleeping solution of preference is a cot. Kip relies on a tent. For tonight I’ll be sleeping with the scorpions on a lightweight, self-inflating sleeping pad. The threat of mosquitos is a constant on this trip, but I’ve brought lots of repellants. Also, since we have occupied a zone that sits well over 4000 feet in altitude, the night temperature will be cool enough to permit sleeping with a blanket over my head.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico expertly deep-fries the three species of fish. We savor the flavors that could not be any fresher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is a precious experience, to feel at home in the universe…however briefly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Like a kid filled with wonder, Uncle Rico brought along 3 ultraviolet flashlights. The lights emit radiation in the ultraviolet range, and Rico encourages us to search for otherwise hidden biologicals in the darkness of night (like those scorpions). Unexpected things, like lichens, glow like neon under the ultraviolet beams. Conversely, if one is still hungry, it is best not to scrutinize one’s food preparation area too closely since leftovers scattered across used greasy plates appear grayish and moldy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next morning, Rico outfits us with shotguns to carry along in case we flush rabbits out of the sage while we search for arrowheads. We learn to walk into the sun to facilitate the reflections that betray the presence of flaked obsidian. Thankfully, I do not encounter any rabbits. But Rico does.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am all at once horrified, awestricken and fascinated by Rico’s workmanlike reduction of the rabbit into meat for our evening meal. This is the cost all animals pay to fill our plates with steaks and stews. I recognize the homologous organs of my fellow mammal as Rico slips the pajama-like hide off the cottontail’s skeletal armature. There is a miracle here, in that these parts — bone, muscle, sinew, nerves, lungs, and heart —were, just seconds ago, a graceful, leaping, zig-zagging master of elusion. If I choose to eat meat, I must acknowledge this process of stealing life to sustain my own. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We follow the road along Lake Abert. A squadron of geese set sail out into the salty waters, trailing wakes that replicate the ‘V’s that are so often a part of their aerial signature. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Occasionally, we stop to seek out petroglyph locations, but our primary goal today is to find the public sunstone gem collection area. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunstones are crystals that formed from minerals coming to rest in the scaffolding of a vast lava bed which lay underwater for thousands of years. Now, as the lava weathers in the arid high desert, these crystals can be found, loose in the topsoil. A superficial reading of the Bureau of Land Management’s kiosk might lead one to believe that sunstones are “Found only in the high desert of Eastern Oregon…” which sounds impressive. A more careful reading shows the claim is only being made for ‘Oregon sunstones’ which… seems totally reasonable. You wouldn’t expect to find Oregon sunstones amongst Norwegian or Swedish sunstones. Technically, the point they’re really trying to make is that these particular sunstones are uniquely infused with copper which gives them distinct colors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">20 acres or so of land is designated for public gem collection (with hand tools only), but the public land is surrounded by private claims where more methodical, mechanical methods of collection are employed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kip’s haul (with something we convinced ourselves was a significant fossil shark tooth).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Uncle Rico’s haul (with what he claims, straight-facedly, is a remarkably rare and valuable green sunstone)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coming down from the high plateau, we stopped for ice and beer in Plush, then drove along the Warner Lakes until we came to Deep Creek. Traveling up the canyon, we found a suitable site a short distance above the Deep Creek Falls. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At first, the mosquitos worked to drive us away from our chosen camp, but Kip had brought the giant portable house with mosquito netting, so setting up that emergency shelter provided psychological re-enforcement (perhaps in the same way that designated fallout shelters helped cushion the horror of nuclear war). Kip also deployed a surprising number of mosquito coils and Rico ignited another needlessly conspicuous fire to smoke them out. Eventually, these measures and the addition of a reliable breeze allowed our panic to subside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was curious to see how Rico would prepare the rabbit. I imagined, perhaps, a nice hasenpfeffer or seared rabbit with rosemary potatoes. We ended up nibbling on deep-fried legs and incorporating the rest into rabbit tacos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our camp nestled in the trees and tucked into a canyon didn’t provide the expansive views of the previous evenings. But the falls we had passed on the road seemed a target rich photo opportunity, so I set out on foot to capture them in the long red rays of sunset. I was a little bit late.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Still, it was instructive to see how the crystal-like structure of basalt makes it so susceptible to time, water and temperature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Back at camp, the ambient noises of the gently gurgling creek and the cooing of doves were shattered by Bluetooth speakers blaring Rico’s mariachi music. Both Kip and Rico began commenting on the sentiments expressed in the lyrics and how they so closely compared to Country-western music and the human condition in general. When they realized my shameful monolingualism precluded me from this conversation, they proceeded to speak solely in Spanish. It was in this way that I quickly became certain of the meaning of ‘cerveza’.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Several margaritas and an undetermined amount of sangria put me in a somewhat nostalgic state of mind and I timidly asked if perhaps we could, in addition to the mariachi music, maybe slip in a Jim Croce tune now and again. This proposal met with an unabashed denial. I countered with John Denver, but little progress was made until we finally reached an uneasy truce over the Avett brothers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Early in the morning, I found myself in the mosquito-proof house. Rico was outside under his cot. I believe Kip was still in his chair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Continue to <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/07/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip.html">PART THREE?</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/06/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip-and.html">see also Evolving Roads: Car camping with Kip and Rico (Part One)</a></span></div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-23661950941856372122018-06-22T13:51:00.000-07:002018-07-18T09:27:40.394-07:00EVOLVING ROADS: Car camping with Kip and Rico (Part One)<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don’t know how it started for sure. Some intrepid band of Homo sapiens maybe walked over a land bridge from Russia or navigated the seas in functional watercraft. Maybe, at first, they followed the easy paths provided by beaches or slow-moving rivers, living on a wealth of migrating fish and fowl. Fueled by the discovery of other resources, they cut trails into the land’s interior. If they succeeded, others followed. The trails became roads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some roads are stable, while others are erased by encroaching rivers, covered by seasonal lakes or interrupted by landslides. Due to the vagaries of economics, some roads fall into disuse while others are appropriated and paved. All roads are contingent on their usefulness. <br /><br />Like a network of synapses growing in a brain, roads link us to memories. At the same time, they stretch ever outward, allowing us to reach the edges of the known — where ghosts still whisper and discoveries can yet be made. <br /><br />Uncle Rico thrives in the margins where roads become matters of interpretation. He led Kip and I into the high deserts of Southeast Oregon where GPS coordinates carry more credibility than the hint of jeep trails threading through sage and juniper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The distances in this part of Oregon are vast. Gas stations seem to be located more than a gas-tank apart. The plains stretch to the horizon till, over time, some plateau or mountain range eventually begins to climb into the sky, forcing your road to veer off and around — or to begin a series of strategic switchbacks to the top. The skies are so big they remind me of Kansas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico has researched the possible location of petroglyphs by raiding university internet libraries. The historical documents are sketchy, but somehow he has managed to piece geographical descriptions with likely GPS coordinates. Our long journey is thereby broken down into manageable bites as we stop occasionally to hunt the enigmatic messages from pre-history.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Back in the sixties, a husband/wife team (Malcolm and Louise Loring) spent 40 years cataloging rock-art sites of Oregon. Since then, many sites have been lost, but their book still contains a wealth of dutifully recorded drawings of art that may still exist, and deciphering their directions makes searching for the pecked designs something like following a worn treasure map.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For example, <i>“The petroglyphs of figure A are farthest from the highway and are scattered along the south face of a low rim on the summit above a shallow lake which has water in wet seasons,”</i> translates into the scene below…</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">…and eventually we match some of the panels we find to the designs the Lorings recorded so long ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Sometimes we are unable to match a design to the Lorings’ record. Then it becomes an entertaining notion (if not accurate) to suppose we have discovered something previously undiscovered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rico and Kip take the liberty of naming this petroglyph Forkhead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The periphery of the dry lake-bed will make a nice camp. With that decision accomplished, we go on to find the night’s meal.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">To my Northwest Oregon eyes, this terrain seems barren and inhospitable. Dust devils arise in an afternoon-long succession of testimony, explaining how dry it is and how unrelenting the sun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But just below the surface, like subcutaneous arteries, raindrops have migrated from the hills to form secretive high-desert tributaries where life abounds.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We will not be going hungry.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Rico manages to multi-task — hunting rabbits — as we check-out another possible petroglyph locale beneath a prominent butte.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first order of business upon returning to our intended campsite is to create the traditional needlessly conspicuous bonfire.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The clouds are acting curiously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">While still sober, I set up my hammock between two squat juniper trees, carefully threading it through voids in the low slung branches. Using rare foresight, I string a line for a rainfly just in case.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Shaman-like, Rico conjures the medicine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Kip performs bartender duties, sharing a new margarita recipe while Rico prepares trout for the evening’s pending one-species-tacos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Continue to <a href="https://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2018/07/evolving-roads-car-camping-with-kip-and.html">PART TWO?</a></span></div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-21588623271229009152018-04-09T01:08:00.000-07:002018-12-05T08:56:58.900-08:00FEARFULLY MADE: Notes from the Field<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Fearfully Made presentation went off pretty smoothly. Friends and family, some unexpected, sat through a whole worship service to see this audio visual foray on a beautiful sunny day (which offered lots of other recreational temptations). I was touched and honored by their support. I've incorporated the live recording of Shirley Brendlinger's piano arrangement (from Sunday's presentation) into a video version available now on YouTube.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Curious to know where some of the pictures in the presentation were taken? </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unsure of what some of the pictures are? </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This annotated timeline might prove to be helpful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://1drv.ms/b/s!Alql4PmeiWPIqWj-JNbV_y_KC2mX"><span style="color: orange;">Click Me to download a print-it-yourself Timeline booklet!</span></a> (in .pdf format)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Check the 'Print-on-both-sides-of-paper' box<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then hit the print icon. After the first side is done, Acrobat will show you how to reload the one-sided print so the second side prints properly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>EARTH DAY, APRIL 22nd, 10 AM @ REEDWOOD FRIENDS CHURCH</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beauty from Chaos has been the working title for the presentation of images I’ve assembled over the last month, but the thing that sparked this endeavor in the first place was the night the Eagle Creek Fire sprinted down the Columbia Gorge with the capriciousness of a tornado, obliterating some treasured landmarks while leaving others unscathed. Standing in the smoky darkness atop the Cape Horn Viewpoint, I was awed and horrified all at the same time. While I knew that lives and the works of lifetimes were hanging in jeopardy, I also knew that beauty, whose loss I was mourning, was itself a product of volcanic ‘disasters’, geography altering super floods, tectonic-plate-level seismic events, and countless fires through the eons. Indeed, from a cosmic perspective, life was born from stars and it has contended with fire from the very beginning.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Reedwood Friends have posted the publicity for FEARFULLY MADE: Notes From the Field on their website:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">FEARFULLY MADE: Notes From The Field is the second audio/video collaboration between photographer Scott Dietz and pianist Shirley Brendlinger. Scheduled to premiere on Earth Day, April 22nd, at Reedwood Friends Church (during the worship service), the presentation utilizes Scott’s images of the Pacific Northwest and Shirley’s classical music arrangements to explore a suspected correlation (albeit a paradoxical one) between chaos and beauty: Does beauty spring from chaos? Is chaos beautiful?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was sitting at a funeral reading the verses to the Sending Hymn (sung to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy). “Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea, Chanting bird and flowing fountain, teach us what our praise should be.” And I thought to myself, that’s what I was trying to explain to Dwight, except that with Dwight, I was relating the story of a Catholic nun who was explaining to me that there was another gospel, the testament of nature — the Artist’s brushstrokes (as I’ve said before).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Implicit in my title, I’m suggesting that the pictures I’ve taken are my notes from the field (of study). I began with </span>an assumption<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> that beauty arises from chaos, but after reviewing my notes, I noticed that this does not always seem to be true, especially for some individual trees. So, in an effort to follow where the data leads, I’ve picked a title that I hope allows for the emergence of beauty from chaotic scenarios, but recognize (from my limited perspective) it’s not a sure thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’ve divided the presentation into four segments. The first segment deals with Cosmology. I have to say that, on my budget, it is extraordinarily hard to take pictures of the beginning of the universe. I had to use lentils as stand-ins so technically, some of my ‘notes’ are re-iterations of other people’s notes. My intention, though, was to establish the context of our world by sharing the narrative that stretches from the ‘Big Bang’ to the development of human consciousness. It’s a fascinating story that stretches 13.7 billion years. I had to leave a few parts out.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The second segment deals with geology broadly, and volcanoes in particular. From the lava vents that repeatedly flooded Central Oregon with molten basalt, to our temperamental strato-volcanoes (all fueled by the activity of migrating, earthquake causing, tectonic plates) volcanism has played a significant role in the shaping of the Northwest as well as dictating how our environment works today. The land we stand on, the weather we experience, and the water we drink are all keenly related to the formation of the Cascade Range.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The third segment briefly touches upon evidence of Ice-age floods. After the land was in place, water and ice went to work sculpting its face. The failure of ice dams repeatedly allowed the sudden entirety of vast Missoula Lake to pour across Central Washington creating the scablands, incredible scooped out coulees, and hanging waterfalls. Much of the distinctiveness of the Columbia Gorge is dependent on these episodes when the river’s peak flow-rate was ten times the combined flow of all the rivers in the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The final segment centers on fires I’ve seen in the Columbia Gorge with some examples of what occurs in the aftermath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s a conundrum. The world is unbelievably beautiful. And if you aren’t careful, it will kill you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have a confession. Sitting at funerals, I sometimes have a suspicion that my dead friends are truly dead — that there may not be a life everlasting. As one who values the fruits of a scientific worldview, I long for evidence or proof. Out in the field, with my camera, I see hints. The repeating, renewing cycles of the seasons and perhaps even the cleansing, refining work of fire are patterns that suggest Nature is constantly recycled. And though I would like to fit into this pattern personally — to be renewed — I am afraid it is likely to be quite painful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have camped on an island that has all at once tried to exhaust, freeze and drown me. Alternately, the same island has cradled me in a warm summer evening while providing me with all the oysters and berries I could eat. It’s the same island — only my experience and understanding change. I guess that’s why, when my loved ones lie in their final repose, I sing (Well, O.K., I don’t really sing – I follow along in the hymnal) those relentlessly optimistic songs. It is an exercise of hope. It is faith that my unbelief will be helped. I latch on to the conviction that, “Brothers! Above the canopy of stars, must dwell a loving Father.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the meantime, the world is unbelievably beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, I’d like to point out that I am not technically a Quaker and I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the synthesis of ideas presented in this article are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of Quakers, real scientists or members of my family.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13Vrg2Y7kXHgQQ92ecu5BhyWfjRhmM3vK3lf_IhoD1vLyKGgxQsgpOWisAeOgs2luKfjkrUO0Yu615Uwf5w0aKOZeVsZiHWdpT5hmr_9LhiGTnZ2z6y5h-aVYy-WKmuzVIVuMNCoeK4o/s1600/web+fire+fearfully+made.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1000" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13Vrg2Y7kXHgQQ92ecu5BhyWfjRhmM3vK3lf_IhoD1vLyKGgxQsgpOWisAeOgs2luKfjkrUO0Yu615Uwf5w0aKOZeVsZiHWdpT5hmr_9LhiGTnZ2z6y5h-aVYy-WKmuzVIVuMNCoeK4o/s640/web+fire+fearfully+made.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to a very old story, God makes a wager with Satan and calamity soon befalls a good man named Job. Abandoned and in considerable pain, Job asks questions that occur to him, like why do the wicked go unpunished? There follows considerable debate among Job and his ‘friends’, but eventually, God speaks from out of a whirlwind and berates Job with a flurry of rhetorical questions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where is the home of the east wind?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">in a desert where no one lives?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and make the tender grass spring up?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">God seems displeased that Job has questioned his wisdom. God’s strategy seems to be to direct Job’s attention to His creation. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” He asks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In Fearfully Made: Notes From the Field, the audience will see the channels cut for the torrents of rain, the barren land where no one lives and the parched ground where tender grass springs up. What do these landscapes shaped by cataclysm reveal about the creator?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I revealed the title to my presentation, I promptly received two emails from my Mom asserting that it’s, “…fearfully AND WONDERFULLY made.” She didn’t explain why this distinction was so important to her, but I suspect she wants to counter my emphasis on the fearful part and remind me that God is good. So without further ado…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2797.2499182276115!2d-122.63784858378398!3d45.484911840081004!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x54950a9a4498865d%3A0xbe1ced1836623495!2sReedwood+Friends+Church!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1523300903447" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-28062086458760424292018-01-24T01:04:00.000-08:002018-01-24T01:04:43.771-08:00Paired Couplets in Leavenworth or Quadruplets in Twelveworth<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhGahRDkqV_GdFGswhTms3idGJWh53z3fHXQiIARubjE6hBc5PB4fZdnxHfM6zIgPu4fPCiseLCRFT_YbTTnSpKfibslEmewDJ84scx7bBSeFVnQwL-W0D_jQwPgrV0ys9ZsOliikS_k/s1600/01+1kaIMG_9229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhGahRDkqV_GdFGswhTms3idGJWh53z3fHXQiIARubjE6hBc5PB4fZdnxHfM6zIgPu4fPCiseLCRFT_YbTTnSpKfibslEmewDJ84scx7bBSeFVnQwL-W0D_jQwPgrV0ys9ZsOliikS_k/s640/01+1kaIMG_9229.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowman spokesman at Lake Wenatchee, Washington</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The car spiraled ever higher<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Till the sky, I imagined, I might just touch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And all the hills and trees conspire<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To grasp the stars, and clouds and such<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A chaste white veil of innocence<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hides a hard-used landscape<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unaware of any sinfulness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stare at virgin scenes and gape<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Courses down ‘neath nebulous shrouds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Past granite spires like holy palaces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icicle Creek off Icicle Road</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Convinces bears that death is to feign<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scene along Icicle Creek</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Short days only interrupt long nights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Refrigerators preserve our food<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By slowing down molecules<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perhaps Nature to Winter is similarly imbued<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Essential time traveling tools<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAk-cYDo5P3U3CgZsLCOG2fSlCxfuK6yqJcwXQvCwAWjtFgbSabM0BV9h14f7eMkPNVff7_n_w-DdtdoPyjzcXiMIkEJGA3op_8DkeLPg20schXz9PT9pyqt1feNcfmQDor79iTFXaEjo/s1600/10+1kaIMG_9385.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAk-cYDo5P3U3CgZsLCOG2fSlCxfuK6yqJcwXQvCwAWjtFgbSabM0BV9h14f7eMkPNVff7_n_w-DdtdoPyjzcXiMIkEJGA3op_8DkeLPg20schXz9PT9pyqt1feNcfmQDor79iTFXaEjo/s640/10+1kaIMG_9385.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The sign said “Modern Apartments”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or maybe it was just a label<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As if some bureaucratic labeling department<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Said I was, in fact, a table<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyMGLO89BVkJg0qiYuRFwX_pu7Bkw82JrFg01qqyDmQV3WfH_34cxXooHOZVby7xblxSMAo3FMrxV5Fj-atTHYnKIqhCpfxkC98TpfkYwIyx_P8A_x2kZMjiE2zjUg-1K4VQagE-9qns/s1600/11+1kaIMG_9389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyMGLO89BVkJg0qiYuRFwX_pu7Bkw82JrFg01qqyDmQV3WfH_34cxXooHOZVby7xblxSMAo3FMrxV5Fj-atTHYnKIqhCpfxkC98TpfkYwIyx_P8A_x2kZMjiE2zjUg-1K4VQagE-9qns/s640/11+1kaIMG_9389.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A tiny brick box <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Under the worldwide sky<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Listening to a pastor’s Jesus talks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Behind a Roman temple façade…but why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdC_m_u7SmW4ThQ6rNdMryhqCoeIIQGyhVuFkvgPaoN0nP8r-P4ecQ0pG_HTKCWl9ni8uL8cRfpkFCZLraau7LNHVSU0-x1E1D0demAoL2xCrHWQMk-6OEBuj2foybazLussUMZEZVfpg/s1600/12+1kaIMG_9401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdC_m_u7SmW4ThQ6rNdMryhqCoeIIQGyhVuFkvgPaoN0nP8r-P4ecQ0pG_HTKCWl9ni8uL8cRfpkFCZLraau7LNHVSU0-x1E1D0demAoL2xCrHWQMk-6OEBuj2foybazLussUMZEZVfpg/s640/12+1kaIMG_9401.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across the Wenatchee Valley toward the Enchantment Range from Peshastin Pinnacles State Park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hiking round unusual geography<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Found myself in Middle Earth I think<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though inexpert in cartography<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In distance, Misty Mountains wink<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do fruit trees like life in the orchard?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are they proud to be part of an interspecies team?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Or in disciplined lines, are they systemically tortured?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Clinging to half-remembered sapling dreams?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAlWFSXvNtNg_Ut7vo5XDrkNPJoZvmSIq7UhSsZG0lPQ-tuDML39VOwLpwB5aXGb4_qVhJKju-vtU0Z33cyMHbS8-xlem_IgynFs0uUbFJKsFtCLeyJ2dIrfG0P6E6v9qI6AoHVQj5xo/s1600/14+1kaIMG_9417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAlWFSXvNtNg_Ut7vo5XDrkNPJoZvmSIq7UhSsZG0lPQ-tuDML39VOwLpwB5aXGb4_qVhJKju-vtU0Z33cyMHbS8-xlem_IgynFs0uUbFJKsFtCLeyJ2dIrfG0P6E6v9qI6AoHVQj5xo/s640/14+1kaIMG_9417.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the pinnacles beyond the entrance to Peshastin Pinnacles State Park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mysterious portals<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The iconography of dreams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What paths beyond await we mortals?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Half a dozen sandstone spires, it seems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MfTHdu1aGYqnoVVgoZKqjVRv1jjgINsl07NXF61ZnDWrsXtW3XopAuv4UfQC1AzP5ql5WL0XZeyIWsvT2m0OhjL9z6IjvSkuJpI7Pvr77LpmEIKQg4gXF3y_6r2KuN_jsxOhCyNxCb4/s1600/15+1kaIMG_9438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MfTHdu1aGYqnoVVgoZKqjVRv1jjgINsl07NXF61ZnDWrsXtW3XopAuv4UfQC1AzP5ql5WL0XZeyIWsvT2m0OhjL9z6IjvSkuJpI7Pvr77LpmEIKQg4gXF3y_6r2KuN_jsxOhCyNxCb4/s640/15+1kaIMG_9438.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They walked on ahead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unconscious steps in obvious synch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some common purpose – well wed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Time-tested team-link<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Street, Leavenworth, Washington</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The mystery of Leavenworth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On every store and restaurant<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of the same Bavarian font<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAVm7ON6E5KArHtDXKzmrh3LNnTtYlqdbhOrR8YL3F-wsEvGuqFX3m8Le4K91l-qVGln2BtB-x8mhL9Q2IS46cLUFNaykakHvukfjwDl9Co2-f3WEmx8zbqlAcGJBR6JBNQYdDp0VK54/s1600/17+1kaIMG_9460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAVm7ON6E5KArHtDXKzmrh3LNnTtYlqdbhOrR8YL3F-wsEvGuqFX3m8Le4K91l-qVGln2BtB-x8mhL9Q2IS46cLUFNaykakHvukfjwDl9Co2-f3WEmx8zbqlAcGJBR6JBNQYdDp0VK54/s640/17+1kaIMG_9460.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cars maneuvering for parking spots on Front Street on Saturday night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNhht2S_LuXP__zQwiMddXyUoJx4n4MHM-QmAB3tylS5nQQA0OBqT8KQdHq1mgvzRVT8MDqv-7HY1bYx3I5ssr4KfTGqlUlAWkJGy9kDCyzWysStd9tWS4BGAy8Rykecjz7ptVedE4PQ/s1600/18+1kaIMG_9476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNhht2S_LuXP__zQwiMddXyUoJx4n4MHM-QmAB3tylS5nQQA0OBqT8KQdHq1mgvzRVT8MDqv-7HY1bYx3I5ssr4KfTGqlUlAWkJGy9kDCyzWysStd9tWS4BGAy8Rykecjz7ptVedE4PQ/s640/18+1kaIMG_9476.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wedding at the Front Street Gazebo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WRv61OG3pF_K69LcK-2VeRrLU681gzXeQzxL8p64QwMzsX4-ZFmtU0Go5edInBN8sJkEUTHk8-C-hAt8BCQRysL4y1cdGPxBKxN8kLA3k9R7Y-q8SEe75mMsUxxgS4OaygTTr25KgKw/s1600/19+1kaIMG_9481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WRv61OG3pF_K69LcK-2VeRrLU681gzXeQzxL8p64QwMzsX4-ZFmtU0Go5edInBN8sJkEUTHk8-C-hAt8BCQRysL4y1cdGPxBKxN8kLA3k9R7Y-q8SEe75mMsUxxgS4OaygTTr25KgKw/s640/19+1kaIMG_9481.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night descends on downtown Leavenworth</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89PuFIZh3WgnmIXuAQl_nAaBweqGjX-E8gKAxCvbo5-8tEJBd9EGzs1HTlocxLU1kJjglFJ_ZgEVzymYM3nclgiZmupqR_FP6vuHGS6ih6TF-Pjf4liYjcDkdOqeJEYEZxb6CCfcsjbs/s1600/20+1kaIMG_9484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89PuFIZh3WgnmIXuAQl_nAaBweqGjX-E8gKAxCvbo5-8tEJBd9EGzs1HTlocxLU1kJjglFJ_ZgEVzymYM3nclgiZmupqR_FP6vuHGS6ih6TF-Pjf4liYjcDkdOqeJEYEZxb6CCfcsjbs/s640/20+1kaIMG_9484.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-43907173820271008442017-12-06T02:27:00.000-08:002017-12-06T02:27:02.191-08:00WHAT'S LEFT?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBhsJkLOMWecMHOKWARtWBrZX8h6o8xSWa4sWHtJoOkjnP5Ubbvl0qu33EQclmjYBx9i5qflp_4WLzDdRIL57g3gE6ehfVBJKO6LYWmi-07q_BqDrruNTYlnwvQfBkFNFSkYlYMOg8IE/s1600/1k+aIMG_8847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBhsJkLOMWecMHOKWARtWBrZX8h6o8xSWa4sWHtJoOkjnP5Ubbvl0qu33EQclmjYBx9i5qflp_4WLzDdRIL57g3gE6ehfVBJKO6LYWmi-07q_BqDrruNTYlnwvQfBkFNFSkYlYMOg8IE/s640/1k+aIMG_8847.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The lodge at Multnomah Falls is open again — and that’s not
fake news. But the lodge is about all that’s open. The route to the first
viewpoint is screened off with a section of chain-link fence. This is the best
shot I could get holding my camera up over my head to clear the fence. You can
see the railing of the distant observation area in the lower right corner. Even
as I stood behind the barrier, workers brought more fence to make sure that certain
‘gray areas’ of access were no longer open to interpretation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ThBpmZKT0GqPgVidjlbjc5MJ9XhGWa17C8m9hilSKVk4AYFoUcMF_kQ6KaJwDrUc-6n_O-7bjTUQPSe7LJ0HCgh2UFgv0JKiCbZdDOAO5MTzRSp-YWMKIHBi0YC9P7SAG7WsOSgzsvE/s1600/1k+aIMG_8897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ThBpmZKT0GqPgVidjlbjc5MJ9XhGWa17C8m9hilSKVk4AYFoUcMF_kQ6KaJwDrUc-6n_O-7bjTUQPSe7LJ0HCgh2UFgv0JKiCbZdDOAO5MTzRSp-YWMKIHBi0YC9P7SAG7WsOSgzsvE/s640/1k+aIMG_8897.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wind was hurtling westward down the gorge, and plastic
chairs that may have earlier welcomed winter tourists’ butts were now stacked
in compact piles, perhaps to avoid the prospect of flying furniture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWdf1taU8jN3knK3zGxFQHtXlbfxvjH9BFi7sQP1TghqxhykJXf8wR0EpC8Da5R2dMH3wNj4oVse0UtNVElEZi2eL9AS40EBeqCKR0foM_PNzUzmqUggeZjUYFpfv41_Ai7rb77kjzOw/s1600/1k+aIMG_8907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWdf1taU8jN3knK3zGxFQHtXlbfxvjH9BFi7sQP1TghqxhykJXf8wR0EpC8Da5R2dMH3wNj4oVse0UtNVElEZi2eL9AS40EBeqCKR0foM_PNzUzmqUggeZjUYFpfv41_Ai7rb77kjzOw/s640/1k+aIMG_8907.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tree limbs combed the sky for litter nits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKZ48tVGMm_TFUCU8MIltiS7nLgM8gS22v0RKZ_Be7laRK3ChOeN1VRg-g6UXW57BsvriR8bxtvKNv9LlBJXkH5eZXxUEepucl_Cob84k420BJQQSMXfAquedai59f8tK4zl374J0TrQ/s1600/1k+aIMG_8920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKZ48tVGMm_TFUCU8MIltiS7nLgM8gS22v0RKZ_Be7laRK3ChOeN1VRg-g6UXW57BsvriR8bxtvKNv9LlBJXkH5eZXxUEepucl_Cob84k420BJQQSMXfAquedai59f8tK4zl374J0TrQ/s640/1k+aIMG_8920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Already, it’s hard to be certain if one is looking at fire
damage, or autumn’s annual tree stripping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibU6hSU0RaGDmL1udvnawiyRS79yLg8VfQwQQk8sKnfVqOM0SKGyoAJg0R-k8eXnS1Zq6yw_BCRM98vmvensWdH4AAoBThRyy3L3VZtuN3zASwn13YohDeHa8iVcF5NJ1Xjp2vLqs6bpc/s1600/1k+aIMG_8932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibU6hSU0RaGDmL1udvnawiyRS79yLg8VfQwQQk8sKnfVqOM0SKGyoAJg0R-k8eXnS1Zq6yw_BCRM98vmvensWdH4AAoBThRyy3L3VZtuN3zASwn13YohDeHa8iVcF5NJ1Xjp2vLqs6bpc/s640/1k+aIMG_8932.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s so windy that some waterfalls stop falling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYG7x_M7FjTmP90vXbrxEKxVkCsmH9tZIKw3_EyVCN2VZj9Z_Kv2B00Nac61pdQHXwEoEg77T-K10ZKP6PlIrBgyAs0vrPa3b1h9kS-rKzJ4LlCqj5cTHQdK5EOXkR2iiBBs0av9Dnonc/s1600/1k+aIMG_8959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYG7x_M7FjTmP90vXbrxEKxVkCsmH9tZIKw3_EyVCN2VZj9Z_Kv2B00Nac61pdQHXwEoEg77T-K10ZKP6PlIrBgyAs0vrPa3b1h9kS-rKzJ4LlCqj5cTHQdK5EOXkR2iiBBs0av9Dnonc/s640/1k+aIMG_8959.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The iridescent sheen of charcoal is the tell-tale signature of
the fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4k74nr5G9mxMoMeauCSfQkdrdLBfDePflOZNlgWxeqbmGZfydkQZJGVFDDCztNNUDmYGa1CuelOLtb6THhLDMTWszbiFdekMZpwYlMBkYO4ky8-ELUlVLQnd6df6rGVyiNK_lNrkONI/s1600/1k+aIMG_8960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4k74nr5G9mxMoMeauCSfQkdrdLBfDePflOZNlgWxeqbmGZfydkQZJGVFDDCztNNUDmYGa1CuelOLtb6THhLDMTWszbiFdekMZpwYlMBkYO4ky8-ELUlVLQnd6df6rGVyiNK_lNrkONI/s640/1k+aIMG_8960.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The high ridges exposed to the wind bore the brunt of the
flames.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG_GP9QaJl50iVUiwXi1g7YXTZjJd_UH1knRuJXSIhLJmY7E3d8w7HzGEURzn0yxTZGZgZKCKCSYfaOdDy5i0MKFpRcvi2xG9JtYDal-0KIWIQd2LvubJzyMkBnvCLe7tWdCwAOsEy8U/s1600/1k+aIMG_8962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG_GP9QaJl50iVUiwXi1g7YXTZjJd_UH1knRuJXSIhLJmY7E3d8w7HzGEURzn0yxTZGZgZKCKCSYfaOdDy5i0MKFpRcvi2xG9JtYDal-0KIWIQd2LvubJzyMkBnvCLe7tWdCwAOsEy8U/s640/1k+aIMG_8962.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At least some of the railing at the top observation platform
appears to be intact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fire has rhymes and reasons that I don’t understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The same niche that protects the falls from today’s wind must also have provided some degree of aerodynamic shelter during the fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIx36xGyT36UyC3Al4IKe_4_-ijLbDgj_4mW4gjHBb9vhJ6acJrOEwkY-R8E_cAycHxGWGiU02ig01lL71OoljyHCYteRMf1B1jcp3XZ5uhTo73qba1WggWPA0xprNKMZ17QO96hPyUUA/s1600/2k+multnomah+falls+pano+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIx36xGyT36UyC3Al4IKe_4_-ijLbDgj_4mW4gjHBb9vhJ6acJrOEwkY-R8E_cAycHxGWGiU02ig01lL71OoljyHCYteRMf1B1jcp3XZ5uhTo73qba1WggWPA0xprNKMZ17QO96hPyUUA/s640/2k+multnomah+falls+pano+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on images to view larger versions</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of the burnt trees have been removed, and I suppose
park personnel have taken steps to make the area look nice. But enough evidence
remains to speculate that the lodge’s survival — is a surprise.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1J2j7C_kXQVcb1KQVp6mbdFGSbSiC8uuxXkgiqRVyubKNYQxih2YQiU3xPF7VkUfz33D4F9XaFfzN9umJcTlOttK6oeARkhEjnAiX9aglpqgX9F9O6OYPxlUvT8Kdq9JzkdHhbin3R-8/s1600/2k+multnomah+falls+pano+2+ON+FIRE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1J2j7C_kXQVcb1KQVp6mbdFGSbSiC8uuxXkgiqRVyubKNYQxih2YQiU3xPF7VkUfz33D4F9XaFfzN9umJcTlOttK6oeARkhEjnAiX9aglpqgX9F9O6OYPxlUvT8Kdq9JzkdHhbin3R-8/s640/2k+multnomah+falls+pano+2+ON+FIRE.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artist's depiction of Eagle Creek Fire at Multnomah Lodge 09/05/17</td></tr>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-87754779484584555062017-12-01T21:41:00.000-08:002017-12-01T21:59:08.226-08:00SHITTY CONDON POETRY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30xwTOTG39eokTQxZ9KM5mehvyFo10KzYT3wWw9neR3R6cfI38yiskNlDbdpGGMw3Ot6gzQQPCq2hyY9WudMTaummZyTi0oA3P9vufMeyMw_YUKQ6Pl68l4UGO2Dl1DvzEKKUup8wOLg/s1600/00+1kaDSCN4436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30xwTOTG39eokTQxZ9KM5mehvyFo10KzYT3wWw9neR3R6cfI38yiskNlDbdpGGMw3Ot6gzQQPCq2hyY9WudMTaummZyTi0oA3P9vufMeyMw_YUKQ6Pl68l4UGO2Dl1DvzEKKUup8wOLg/s640/00+1kaDSCN4436.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A thin, icy,
cloud painted crystals overnight onto chilly windshields</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Till the
morning’s faux summer-sun chased it into low places<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy40k6DeswFpRqMV-jmQh-h69PPO8SmN4lQZwPZ7SGPzVPL_eVHNoub2puTB54DmbHKnpLdxng64gWaT-i8VWGRTlCUT8Rr9nbR7eeuTFjMlBV1hq082RPkwuAx4AHyD66_-0JmgbYxCc/s1600/01+1kaIMG_8283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy40k6DeswFpRqMV-jmQh-h69PPO8SmN4lQZwPZ7SGPzVPL_eVHNoub2puTB54DmbHKnpLdxng64gWaT-i8VWGRTlCUT8Rr9nbR7eeuTFjMlBV1hq082RPkwuAx4AHyD66_-0JmgbYxCc/s640/01+1kaIMG_8283.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Winter’s
premature apparition melts in gullies, carved across sloping fields<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Behold a golden
diamond set in a blue dome of sky, quiet and still as if in permanent stasis <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgZDfIoEUdGuuxVaMfz1rEZqomsr9lygTuhvwuiZ9dJMuPw1udKd05oqa6Nfm2ZZZQcU6r05T_e84xNfzfX66Y6HP67V3_GS93neenRe44eRvVH0pwy-jtJNTdJE16TqATML6nSwiFTQ/s1600/02+1kaIMG_8274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgZDfIoEUdGuuxVaMfz1rEZqomsr9lygTuhvwuiZ9dJMuPw1udKd05oqa6Nfm2ZZZQcU6r05T_e84xNfzfX66Y6HP67V3_GS93neenRe44eRvVH0pwy-jtJNTdJE16TqATML6nSwiFTQ/s640/02+1kaIMG_8274.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Until Winter’s
specter fingers stretch forth, over brittle, golden-fields shivering<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Birds bail out of
the sky, as if some great dangerous tide is turning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvlZO2H9BCKbGGU9dsvbiSUThOXoyHiR8EujwzmuefZYPF1_xNNAke-UwY1ZWZQh76Ojm0OtllmTS9QjelSRbn3AXatr3IxcyFpcR615_gVAMtjPtd1eUScMe8uDRVQUNzBxv6Es8CcE/s1600/03+1kaIMG_8294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvlZO2H9BCKbGGU9dsvbiSUThOXoyHiR8EujwzmuefZYPF1_xNNAke-UwY1ZWZQh76Ojm0OtllmTS9QjelSRbn3AXatr3IxcyFpcR615_gVAMtjPtd1eUScMe8uDRVQUNzBxv6Es8CcE/s640/03+1kaIMG_8294.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I stand atop a
deep cut scar, a canyon, a river’s ceaseless dithering<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gusting winds
kick up a haze though no fire is left burning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oslH9o-uxWXt-NbMG2DyvC8lMcakj4ocg4cF3cEfZT2VoyNwOQeE2nuCh97c4znl4hxW38TDEENMcTvn6XKTkghJFKRh-JZb2xLHBoAvIM2vj3nKvj8Z15kZLa1t9V89qKkU4IOap0o/s1600/04+1kaIMG_8296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oslH9o-uxWXt-NbMG2DyvC8lMcakj4ocg4cF3cEfZT2VoyNwOQeE2nuCh97c4znl4hxW38TDEENMcTvn6XKTkghJFKRh-JZb2xLHBoAvIM2vj3nKvj8Z15kZLa1t9V89qKkU4IOap0o/s640/04+1kaIMG_8296.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This bird’s eye
view reveals my path through history, those days of triple digits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The river,
flashing cold blue grins, teases saying, “I still got your (pretty-good)
fishing pole”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH6xYvKRcVSuWkho0DteX46E-jXid0nQKW1I4HkSqze4jdynvDKxCYuQObfNQ9k5DU5Rj3slstHnq9qm_3iPwdNwKZuMGrET0RZx1qJBI66f0yghlQkijGSpCxe73uL7UYj43X5n11lI/s1600/05+aa1kIMG_8350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH6xYvKRcVSuWkho0DteX46E-jXid0nQKW1I4HkSqze4jdynvDKxCYuQObfNQ9k5DU5Rj3slstHnq9qm_3iPwdNwKZuMGrET0RZx1qJBI66f0yghlQkijGSpCxe73uL7UYj43X5n11lI/s640/05+aa1kIMG_8350.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It seems unlikely
that a river’s fits and starts, its endless fidgets<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Would craft such
nonsensical wondrous scenes — absent any goal <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Though born of
different mothers — those distant violent mounts, these carved out hills —<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They put on
similar fashions, they rock their gravity skirts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63HVaxroumsS9KQGm4JTP6Lsjf3sSFDAeE6JMzoTvyc7lAZOx8Kq3yWPdneiyfs3TsWDmsHpXSP939ZhTTR59f7W6OEOOlnUzhi4i8BSTt3GbSvGf9OsyNkrPIbWgifHcAyHwOERaA2M/s1600/07+1kaIMG_8328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63HVaxroumsS9KQGm4JTP6Lsjf3sSFDAeE6JMzoTvyc7lAZOx8Kq3yWPdneiyfs3TsWDmsHpXSP939ZhTTR59f7W6OEOOlnUzhi4i8BSTt3GbSvGf9OsyNkrPIbWgifHcAyHwOERaA2M/s640/07+1kaIMG_8328.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Strong gusts comb
the blond stubble of this barren high desert, yet my nose fills<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With juniper
pollen, hints of sage — varieties of earthly dirts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBmLVBOrvRzIiDundQi7j1GqVR5RMDrWuNxpx83WWuybG7zZvyD0gqxAX2Dik3gpPk-otdjhkiYM2AikwUjohADcr2xZsgcKWPZjh3VjQbM5gZU7BO01teAX7XqR_euDh_YhMQq65GBI/s1600/08+1kaIMG_8449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBmLVBOrvRzIiDundQi7j1GqVR5RMDrWuNxpx83WWuybG7zZvyD0gqxAX2Dik3gpPk-otdjhkiYM2AikwUjohADcr2xZsgcKWPZjh3VjQbM5gZU7BO01teAX7XqR_euDh_YhMQq65GBI/s640/08+1kaIMG_8449.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This isolated
house — it’s hearth — someone’s metaphor for heaven<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Did it nurture
its humans, or do tragic skeletons somewhere repose, without testament or will<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdeq3cHt-6GmIsl3vZww5ErEu0-rZgGLOu3sICyoUq8LDMhq3lHmn970UXpoxvhq6EUQ9abJy3zHYHLa9VQbYlt91317RSO3GV8Lh8JwOsGCbfWjAN0PXrJHXbKUUG6Tbil8yordd-LE/s1600/09+1kaIMG_8482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdeq3cHt-6GmIsl3vZww5ErEu0-rZgGLOu3sICyoUq8LDMhq3lHmn970UXpoxvhq6EUQ9abJy3zHYHLa9VQbYlt91317RSO3GV8Lh8JwOsGCbfWjAN0PXrJHXbKUUG6Tbil8yordd-LE/s640/09+1kaIMG_8482.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can see for
miles and miles and not see one Seven Eleven<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Or gas station
for that matter, my sketchy gas gauge reading empty while slanted downhill <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVplYj7pAqo-464ruWbFQY-48H8scKDuk43Tjlg5PXFTuAjmHLNcHLnsfNqynRA6gEksE9ZNCFkracPii4LZnRNK4FBfJAtaMqMKRmn9qS_dEFCnCX_RnxIJE-M-IEjlMwoJ1S8YxTqwc/s1600/10+1kaIMG_8488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVplYj7pAqo-464ruWbFQY-48H8scKDuk43Tjlg5PXFTuAjmHLNcHLnsfNqynRA6gEksE9ZNCFkracPii4LZnRNK4FBfJAtaMqMKRmn9qS_dEFCnCX_RnxIJE-M-IEjlMwoJ1S8YxTqwc/s640/10+1kaIMG_8488.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those grasping
spectral fingers from before <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dragging a cloud
blanket behind me, to swaddle me in cold darkness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhyb7DvMLUTAsc125aJDobKXJGmk3eH6mOXf-0D9mjrQiGPiDSLXbztilDP_2L9MZRVXVHJIXR-UTgKnMirQsPC8dB-sDwmniWaPzRMY5D3iQ9IsDMTZyOtElZK4Whr_9xyO3S43xd00/s1600/11+1kaIMG_8491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhyb7DvMLUTAsc125aJDobKXJGmk3eH6mOXf-0D9mjrQiGPiDSLXbztilDP_2L9MZRVXVHJIXR-UTgKnMirQsPC8dB-sDwmniWaPzRMY5D3iQ9IsDMTZyOtElZK4Whr_9xyO3S43xd00/s640/11+1kaIMG_8491.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A crowd of fans
are waving at the sun they adore</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">“We really love
what you’ve done with these pressure gradients”, they confess<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1gEDp6Mn6ny_jTgmdRHzddWeCV7BsCvKjXRTBTaKoy2P6GDak7uvy6PqgYXkmFbBQotZXxq-AX9V5rmfnDxLML_BLW_wc2UQI7p4xDjBg14h23cWW45N6BLg_3FTKbOdDwrFQsW0m1w/s1600/12+1kaIMG_8505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1gEDp6Mn6ny_jTgmdRHzddWeCV7BsCvKjXRTBTaKoy2P6GDak7uvy6PqgYXkmFbBQotZXxq-AX9V5rmfnDxLML_BLW_wc2UQI7p4xDjBg14h23cWW45N6BLg_3FTKbOdDwrFQsW0m1w/s640/12+1kaIMG_8505.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Winter seems
certain to win this seasonal battle, yet one pinwheel yet strives<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To blow the snow
off the mountain (with picturesque backlighting)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DpOFz9VJlG1gvqn8kdWc69gTzTSx__jyI_qZicC-vH140GdYkKcg7lngJuA2cvDByR13mR74Gk9OLNA1YY6wjWpDhk0HoWBPniAql2zFwESgWbuCALNbqaBwlMjprrHCsrfsiPv8YYw/s1600/13+1kaIMG_8511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DpOFz9VJlG1gvqn8kdWc69gTzTSx__jyI_qZicC-vH140GdYkKcg7lngJuA2cvDByR13mR74Gk9OLNA1YY6wjWpDhk0HoWBPniAql2zFwESgWbuCALNbqaBwlMjprrHCsrfsiPv8YYw/s640/13+1kaIMG_8511.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The vanquished apparition rises from the valley again, as if with infinite lives</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who would have thought 23.5 degrees of tilt would guarantee forever fighting</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4523119069927007782.post-8690966961377391932017-11-06T16:25:00.000-08:002017-11-06T16:25:47.895-08:00SILVER FALLS FALL<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuea1b6a7zrpcCBB6cTJiR4WSxcWoXY6-DaP4HMl-QcJ9CQ7HYwbL1dKf9HEdX7Mh1XMyCThCJjQbeLAb2CV-4mbnWn0TkomGiHAwVhQ7eBMpK0JRoIwmBYrcTyQkVVFLvHUzn6kn60U/s1600/01+1k+aIMG_7730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuea1b6a7zrpcCBB6cTJiR4WSxcWoXY6-DaP4HMl-QcJ9CQ7HYwbL1dKf9HEdX7Mh1XMyCThCJjQbeLAb2CV-4mbnWn0TkomGiHAwVhQ7eBMpK0JRoIwmBYrcTyQkVVFLvHUzn6kn60U/s640/01+1k+aIMG_7730.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Falls from the canyon floor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wish I could write poetry about the last warm, sunny days
of autumn. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’d try to explain how,
despite the morning’s cold, I’ve worked up a little sweat hiking to the canyon
floor, and now, coming to a standstill behind my tripod, I shiver as I wait and
watch the Sun’s fingers prod and probe through the trees and mist, slowly — imperceptibly
— prying their way into the shrouded canyon. The noon’s warmth is yet just a
feeble promise. I am glad to start walking again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfHHi9nWKMyT0f-hqQyrOFvUAEjA3Y71tc5RK56_XDs6aJ8kdjqjlmW1iui0TCAYSPf3B-dXD-vq228bTKIxgpbrAKbx8lmP2DJ0zJyEnc_sgA-P1QlUeMcCN3XFjQQS07tCAuRtCuyI/s1600/01a+1k+aIMG_8005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfHHi9nWKMyT0f-hqQyrOFvUAEjA3Y71tc5RK56_XDs6aJ8kdjqjlmW1iui0TCAYSPf3B-dXD-vq228bTKIxgpbrAKbx8lmP2DJ0zJyEnc_sgA-P1QlUeMcCN3XFjQQS07tCAuRtCuyI/s640/01a+1k+aIMG_8005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Falls from the canyon rim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sun continues to rise in defiance of the autumn’s
measured coup. Where the sun gazes, leaves burst into the colors of wildfire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDWMJuI8LVKRbnA_adV0N0yGMvmfJlI2MhZXvsMi_YO7ZwemHeAyuXplmGvMS9KDECNrnYVQkr1ff4SDNl5RB56UluuhDtap2FF6FKPjXd3jOBhb8gjDTdiGg4ReQ1PKN1KShC44gvrI/s1600/01b+1k+aIMG_7691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDWMJuI8LVKRbnA_adV0N0yGMvmfJlI2MhZXvsMi_YO7ZwemHeAyuXplmGvMS9KDECNrnYVQkr1ff4SDNl5RB56UluuhDtap2FF6FKPjXd3jOBhb8gjDTdiGg4ReQ1PKN1KShC44gvrI/s640/01b+1k+aIMG_7691.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Falls (detail)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Near the Silver Falls Lodge, a roofed enclosure shelters a
small theater where a video loop tells its short story over and over to empty
benches. It features a man who captained a canoe over the South Falls in a
money making gambit. The camera’s vintage footage shows a close-up of his face and
does a creditable job of preserving all the craziness in his oblivious smile as
he sits in his hospital bed, mending all his broken bones.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkacY6sFPa_g8YRlYn1O313utj6fuG2f9SbngKsQWrCPtmUmnHa8FQJuDrk_mlYR7xhUlzxY4kQ5WSXajSke8aYVfcLdzPV6XlLdNVoSbgzrVsGSFm-tafQe3XwipU95F0lsCL_5Ysu34/s1600/01c+1k+aIMG_7715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkacY6sFPa_g8YRlYn1O313utj6fuG2f9SbngKsQWrCPtmUmnHa8FQJuDrk_mlYR7xhUlzxY4kQ5WSXajSke8aYVfcLdzPV6XlLdNVoSbgzrVsGSFm-tafQe3XwipU95F0lsCL_5Ysu34/s640/01c+1k+aIMG_7715.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Falls (from the trail)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The waterfall makes background noise like the noise of a
distant interstate, like some irrefutable subliminal conspiracy, and this never
ending subtext whispers continually as the dawn reveals the trees undressing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr2efgUJvmzGU9oxl95MsOElP7A4QiwPH6iS5glStieKu5ga3KD7khyu-UwylYf5mOaTtVSZ2Ohfk0-QOLzICZA_cjGc22vM8o1z3uUwygBbUgPPCGwqkLBcWF6vl4TS30c_R4uqWMH0/s1600/01d+1k+aIMG_7708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr2efgUJvmzGU9oxl95MsOElP7A4QiwPH6iS5glStieKu5ga3KD7khyu-UwylYf5mOaTtVSZ2Ohfk0-QOLzICZA_cjGc22vM8o1z3uUwygBbUgPPCGwqkLBcWF6vl4TS30c_R4uqWMH0/s640/01d+1k+aIMG_7708.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes. It's still South Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The trees look all innocent, as if they didn’t see the raccoons
cavorting, or witness the bats dancing and the owls performing acrobatics.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The trees hold their limbs in perpetual
shrugs. The possums play possum. The bears quietly bide their time, waiting for
the right moment.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNruYIZAodVjBDd_-7yfLRYqt2_dT_zJUs95e-UcAonDH1gp_ivZrp5MWpVOs0PdQ0-MGYHjIn6rP60k6KD_2FG6mMdIcxFQYt5DY0LQBuYDaMHm8BOUrCemkBM0kYIyXB3FBwBCAzz2k/s1600/01e+1k+aIMG_8025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNruYIZAodVjBDd_-7yfLRYqt2_dT_zJUs95e-UcAonDH1gp_ivZrp5MWpVOs0PdQ0-MGYHjIn6rP60k6KD_2FG6mMdIcxFQYt5DY0LQBuYDaMHm8BOUrCemkBM0kYIyXB3FBwBCAzz2k/s640/01e+1k+aIMG_8025.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, still.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leaves become compost, moss thrives. Life and decay are juxtaposed
and somehow, without human intervention, it all looks beautiful and verdant and
smells like a pine forest. Oh why can’t it work like that in my shower?</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgNDS0_TUmoqrtgbrklRkbWOycQvSaosPmPufhocOm-T8RPT91tiN_mqKZbq-wMUP2m3_0E7z32Iv2CVw0mzcFD2Sjq3P1DeQbKEc_CsGrpND99FCCGKpuhn2rV4UMm4fXX5iSTX6UVg/s1600/01f+1k+aIMG_8013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgNDS0_TUmoqrtgbrklRkbWOycQvSaosPmPufhocOm-T8RPT91tiN_mqKZbq-wMUP2m3_0E7z32Iv2CVw0mzcFD2Sjq3P1DeQbKEc_CsGrpND99FCCGKpuhn2rV4UMm4fXX5iSTX6UVg/s640/01f+1k+aIMG_8013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...still</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A jungle setting fit for a fruit loop bird.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2kj_lSHKgOC_SFM_9a9Mfdk_I6Tpc0aw_hj67ytBJDYNulpYnNUcv97EsgVSFacwtP7BnM3waJpcANwhwC726ncfEkdQQiJ0Pz9UJVxg8zQDvK4rgGqwT6mWfWiLBWU-XuVkTHPMj_U/s1600/01g+1k+aIMG_8078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2kj_lSHKgOC_SFM_9a9Mfdk_I6Tpc0aw_hj67ytBJDYNulpYnNUcv97EsgVSFacwtP7BnM3waJpcANwhwC726ncfEkdQQiJ0Pz9UJVxg8zQDvK4rgGqwT6mWfWiLBWU-XuVkTHPMj_U/s640/01g+1k+aIMG_8078.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">O.K. Pretty sure that's the last one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sun slices the world into warms and cools.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0Y3FEl49zS-UcUvlOAZiLjj7w9ToUQujHsTGR6rxIKu0wegg2h67lrwC_FZ9SA7KvEpomJwgVkK1DP6uVWZkOqrcYJK-BAueKSDBo6aYo3i0HH9fUMfI1NZDgWhBP0qL-hpD5o5xx2c/s1600/02+1k+aIMG_7745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH0Y3FEl49zS-UcUvlOAZiLjj7w9ToUQujHsTGR6rxIKu0wegg2h67lrwC_FZ9SA7KvEpomJwgVkK1DP6uVWZkOqrcYJK-BAueKSDBo6aYo3i0HH9fUMfI1NZDgWhBP0qL-hpD5o5xx2c/s640/02+1k+aIMG_7745.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Atop the stairs to Lower South Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How lucky we are that we have trails to follow and from
which we can branch off. How unfortunate that we don’t appreciate the cumulative
efforts and compromises it took to make them.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrm_wqgErrGUdeBQtssjObSf3-BD6SsTPTPOn_n1j4a_5oizT8oFP3_S4vaFasYsbzbG8S0QM3LPMclQEiwXIvrS3upGxcIxOFOd7W26_hxqGUEvvvMm-9BXS-UsBpXpS8ZQgHKA7aYaI/s1600/03+1k+aIMG_7777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrm_wqgErrGUdeBQtssjObSf3-BD6SsTPTPOn_n1j4a_5oizT8oFP3_S4vaFasYsbzbG8S0QM3LPMclQEiwXIvrS3upGxcIxOFOd7W26_hxqGUEvvvMm-9BXS-UsBpXpS8ZQgHKA7aYaI/s640/03+1k+aIMG_7777.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower South Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Waterfalls: Beautiful
engines of destruction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLO0PVfK8f9hwcRxEHWV6EiYtOxC_lIIgPqMR3yN3dJ6KFVgkx43WO1ybrqFsm-0RTsfe4t6TzXyg0h3apFu2HLuJL4lB0WeU_lY-pUuElnd1-Ns1VKlPpLMsQyIigKYgtCZ0INJhbzFM/s1600/04+1k+aIMG_7793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLO0PVfK8f9hwcRxEHWV6EiYtOxC_lIIgPqMR3yN3dJ6KFVgkx43WO1ybrqFsm-0RTsfe4t6TzXyg0h3apFu2HLuJL4lB0WeU_lY-pUuElnd1-Ns1VKlPpLMsQyIigKYgtCZ0INJhbzFM/s640/04+1k+aIMG_7793.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Creek, South Fork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don’t remember where I learned this photographer’s maxim,
or even if it is one — I suppose it works as well for tenderfoots in cougar
country. But it goes, “Don’t forget to look behind you.”</span><br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYTFKlIT6eEZqggLCZ28TfUXrc6pNE1urlfE5rSnAJjZ3QTPaNI7iSlV0pZ49BAo_QHXDw6-e85ADy_LmAUUUwFywQub1t09C0oNpZysvY4JyNC0X1IcgpQDO8JQBZkZzG8s9QH_tct8/s1600/04+1k+aIMG_7805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYTFKlIT6eEZqggLCZ28TfUXrc6pNE1urlfE5rSnAJjZ3QTPaNI7iSlV0pZ49BAo_QHXDw6-e85ADy_LmAUUUwFywQub1t09C0oNpZysvY4JyNC0X1IcgpQDO8JQBZkZzG8s9QH_tct8/s640/04+1k+aIMG_7805.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Creek, South Fork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A long exposure reveals the paths that water chooses.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCotbes-i6NLdfVO6OmMhlsufm9UOAMAO_jhxLTTPMsLYTZE6xxQR3nabjPYeQAOkP1kQvl-OaZXSTTe-9QBAx0vGfDCq7eZMwK6798vD54vCWuq2AV30FxnkgKqmF-38pcHP8fT5XSs/s1600/05+1k+aIMG_7858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCotbes-i6NLdfVO6OmMhlsufm9UOAMAO_jhxLTTPMsLYTZE6xxQR3nabjPYeQAOkP1kQvl-OaZXSTTe-9QBAx0vGfDCq7eZMwK6798vD54vCWuq2AV30FxnkgKqmF-38pcHP8fT5XSs/s640/05+1k+aIMG_7858.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower North Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having descended the Silver Creek South Fork, I realize I’m
now ascending the Silver Creek North Fork — because how else to explain the
change in direction of the water’s flow?</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHRjB5_pZcAExAHgiTUOFJlVik2g1uB0q65pTKXPhu98xUccIly79QT2vmJ13xl6HXzZQua4KkZAVjbUNYtGutlAGDRjN6ry8PzLTbj0yWNXXBOG9AJOsyE8YlwVFpYa-nHj25YaVaE8/s1600/06+1k+aIMG_7881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHRjB5_pZcAExAHgiTUOFJlVik2g1uB0q65pTKXPhu98xUccIly79QT2vmJ13xl6HXzZQua4KkZAVjbUNYtGutlAGDRjN6ry8PzLTbj0yWNXXBOG9AJOsyE8YlwVFpYa-nHj25YaVaE8/s640/06+1k+aIMG_7881.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In horror movies, sometimes it is best not to show too much
of the monster, too early.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes, a shy, partially dressed naked person is more
provocative than an in-your-face completely naked person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So too, it may be, that a visually obstructed waterfall may
hold more mystery and beauty than an isolated waterfall. Here, I hope the trees
add descriptive poetry with delicate calligraphy branches, or accentuate a
point with pointers aflame in golden leaves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR1CeVyGpJ5CfZqq2e19yryHg5OSo05cLK8FdZxrX6WoJnGHzWxVuZ4oNr5XW3uFMRD-s7dNpyrnNFaRt4_aIZFRC85mlmrcgiQoW-9hpGP7YPDQcr6nD_jmpCVSoNLYEGlIaIud0r6U/s1600/06+1k+aIMG_8193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR1CeVyGpJ5CfZqq2e19yryHg5OSo05cLK8FdZxrX6WoJnGHzWxVuZ4oNr5XW3uFMRD-s7dNpyrnNFaRt4_aIZFRC85mlmrcgiQoW-9hpGP7YPDQcr6nD_jmpCVSoNLYEGlIaIud0r6U/s640/06+1k+aIMG_8193.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sun throws spotlights on the amphitheater stage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJ87kcOD2_8EVznGZgRu355H-N0YqLnEqPRtVYd2XUUvFn_brYi-FuDyyOJCYGV2cAsBhWi_bSA5ri7k4a6Do9LRxn04MavbC-ovnQcTFq9LCAt2wlDfx0ICAZmrCrfYlYCEpGnNOX38/s1600/06+1k+aIMG_8200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJ87kcOD2_8EVznGZgRu355H-N0YqLnEqPRtVYd2XUUvFn_brYi-FuDyyOJCYGV2cAsBhWi_bSA5ri7k4a6Do9LRxn04MavbC-ovnQcTFq9LCAt2wlDfx0ICAZmrCrfYlYCEpGnNOX38/s640/06+1k+aIMG_8200.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the background, the water whispers disparaging remarks to
stoic rocks in a play that repeats through the eons.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWINNSYsGD8XyAm4-C-B2RnajnBsh1hWLisdkE8Asqi-sw8K2RahUM9MHEpL7jn5tll8zHtXfVuUFSfw2bBXhfX1RM8HIT3Do18am8Z91XbsCJdszbzpL9tZ-g5nXvtgYtRo7PSGR0NY/s1600/07+1k+aIMG_7891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYWINNSYsGD8XyAm4-C-B2RnajnBsh1hWLisdkE8Asqi-sw8K2RahUM9MHEpL7jn5tll8zHtXfVuUFSfw2bBXhfX1RM8HIT3Do18am8Z91XbsCJdszbzpL9tZ-g5nXvtgYtRo7PSGR0NY/s640/07+1k+aIMG_7891.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the canyon trail above, but not showing Drake Falls</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Great beams of light search the valley floor, as if the sun
( at the last minute ) has forgotten something it needs to take on vacation
into winter.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_1_IiLhyo4P7SsAiLQmk3AEGy3lN4aoSSwnTPaRvZWw3dMwUp0qrxQsc7LLm8w0-jhorE_fTW38uQOj1B32IeYKC4AvefEAyVnBFR8YB1AbKSb77pQVSyIpjhZcji3w3awWlnDPGluI/s1600/08+1k+aIMG_7905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_1_IiLhyo4P7SsAiLQmk3AEGy3lN4aoSSwnTPaRvZWw3dMwUp0qrxQsc7LLm8w0-jhorE_fTW38uQOj1B32IeYKC4AvefEAyVnBFR8YB1AbKSb77pQVSyIpjhZcji3w3awWlnDPGluI/s640/08+1k+aIMG_7905.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle North Falls</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">At this moment, the difference between cool and warm, summer
and winter, vibrant life and still hibernation, all seems poised on the edge of
a razor.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjss_ZH7wFJiBfh8OSgOa7oS8KhiGSI7paJmu0uYGBeaAlRlGImXP9N-v9yYOYR95IqjOYpYM11XL_bDnHYp0pBkQWoyVuGAEJT8UZZFTZsvY4RQ1RCoOeQjSpmEOooE-BoY6e7xa3BOg8/s1600/08+1k+aIMG_8163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjss_ZH7wFJiBfh8OSgOa7oS8KhiGSI7paJmu0uYGBeaAlRlGImXP9N-v9yYOYR95IqjOYpYM11XL_bDnHYp0pBkQWoyVuGAEJT8UZZFTZsvY4RQ1RCoOeQjSpmEOooE-BoY6e7xa3BOg8/s640/08+1k+aIMG_8163.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle North Falls</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My long exposure seems to foreshadow a near future when time
will be frozen.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUM0F6A-1SZnlkP6zc3Gbei1PafFOpVau6aM2kk89h3YJi30fb2bBEkjQxkMttriSYhj2hrTnaw2jruqwt8BGa9tv8JO0Z07vdZSht2_KI3s27fFp_hnJm48iDi2YzGiFUOEE3uhNqkc/s1600/09+1k+composite+aIMG_8136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUM0F6A-1SZnlkP6zc3Gbei1PafFOpVau6aM2kk89h3YJi30fb2bBEkjQxkMttriSYhj2hrTnaw2jruqwt8BGa9tv8JO0Z07vdZSht2_KI3s27fFp_hnJm48iDi2YzGiFUOEE3uhNqkc/s640/09+1k+composite+aIMG_8136.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Falls</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Winter Falls, vanquished in summer, lays its plans for the
future by saturating the earth and filling the cracks in obstinate rocks where
it waits patiently for freezing temperatures and its wedge-forming metamorphosis
into solid matter.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYATU8kDOKoqYXGRiTgMUSWx6hX94ZfZ3W8Xnlh1KO13IbjsruBbu4aLXvqmbyTUiurei_OwNQbXbDWSxzXUrLGBR7AvqalAs1F_4nQlSjU0D3UqS1i8pqq8y97mzKJFtiwiib7EJakxo/s1600/10+1k+aIMG_7980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYATU8kDOKoqYXGRiTgMUSWx6hX94ZfZ3W8Xnlh1KO13IbjsruBbu4aLXvqmbyTUiurei_OwNQbXbDWSxzXUrLGBR7AvqalAs1F_4nQlSjU0D3UqS1i8pqq8y97mzKJFtiwiib7EJakxo/s640/10+1k+aIMG_7980.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Falls</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">North Falls has made considerable headway in its efforts to
ascend the North Fork...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18i50hsou2210ThCjVsuW0YBTOpuocbmWH7SDHiE-txaLqAwtlA4gSLOFhXghx8Dt3NuICy3B7BqXV5okT-5DhROyASs5gN7v6y3AUgRazgphv16NqBQq9swy897gRMR9FspCf5AgwxA/s1600/10a+1k+aIMG_7984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18i50hsou2210ThCjVsuW0YBTOpuocbmWH7SDHiE-txaLqAwtlA4gSLOFhXghx8Dt3NuICy3B7BqXV5okT-5DhROyASs5gN7v6y3AUgRazgphv16NqBQq9swy897gRMR9FspCf5AgwxA/s640/10a+1k+aIMG_7984.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. T. braving seismic catastrophe to capture his images of North Falls </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">…so much so that I am uneasy under the shelf of rock that
even now seems over-extended.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7xYhCdNtctFnfkOSNHDUTHQqtKC6wzobEHveG1V_W3dwRlPv8esd8ubLT_uVTNx-8xiEHpDikBPljV34hjBHrc3ObETUTZfYT1kIw2w_KxlAYFqWT2ra6juN62K6kp_j_9GX84l5deA/s1600/10b+1k+aIMG_7930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7xYhCdNtctFnfkOSNHDUTHQqtKC6wzobEHveG1V_W3dwRlPv8esd8ubLT_uVTNx-8xiEHpDikBPljV34hjBHrc3ObETUTZfYT1kIw2w_KxlAYFqWT2ra6juN62K6kp_j_9GX84l5deA/s640/10b+1k+aIMG_7930.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parting view of North Falls</td></tr>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09318559366411269563noreply@blogger.com3