Boolie

Harlequin

I timed this short visit to the Oregon coast to coincide with low tides around both sunrise and sunset, planning to spend some time photographing tide pools, but my plans changed when I arrived at Yaquina Head. I had trouble finding subjects in the tide pools I wanted to photograph but the harbor seals were out in abundance, and then I saw a bird species I had never seen before, the harlequin duck. I spent the last morning photographing from a tide pool at least, as I had great views of both seals that had hauled out to sleep on the rocky shore and a nearby group of male and female harlequins. I was especially happy to get to photograph the harlequins in their environment as the tide came in, until the selfsame tide forced us both from our perches.

I’m happy to report that I did buy some Neos waterproof overshoes before the trip and they worked a treat, keeping my feet dry each day. On this day the tide came up fully over my ankles and thankfully my shoes underneath stayed dry, as I was wearing my beloved orange running shoes so I’d be comfortable on the drive back to Portland. They fold up nicely so they can go in a backpack or in a random corner in the corner, when home I hosed them out to wash off any residual saltwater and they soon dried and were ready for the next visit to the coast.

Crash Around Me Waves, You Won’t Ruin My Mood, Not Today

Who Doesn’t Like Lots of Room in the Bath?

Trixie bathes in an empty dog bed.

Foggy Sentry

A northern harrier perches above the marsh at Rest Lake, sometimes obscured in fog, sometimes not, as the sun struggles to break through on a winter morning.

A Warning or a Welcome?

On Golden Pond

A mallard takes a rest as he swims in a shallow pond, golden from reflections of fall colors, at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland, Oregon.

Rainy Rest

The pouring rain forms concentric circles around a female lesser scaup as she gets some rest as she swims. Taken in February 2003 with my Canon D30, an expensive camera with no weather sealing, but I’ve long loved photographing in the rain.

The Aging Pup

When I got back from a two day trip to the coast you would have thought I had been gone two months by the warm welcome I got from our aging pup. Ellie shadowed me everywhere I went, brushing up against me, even following me up and down the stairs on her arthritic legs. I took some time to shower her with affection to let her know I was happy to be reunited too. Time continues to take its toll on her, her blood pressure is up again and so is the protein in her urine, so she’s getting more medicine and a kidney-friendly dog food. She’s also getting anti-inflammatory pills since the arthritis is getting worse, so there’s now a whole army of pills she gets each morning and evening. She gets tired easily and takes a lot longer to recover after a walk, but she still gave me a 45-minute walk today on a sunny but cool fall morning.

She’s probably about fourteen years old, so all things considered she’s doing rather well, and I’m thankful for every day we get with her.

Methinks Brother Boo Wants To Be Jumped On From Above

Brothers

I took this picture of the brothers on the same day as the previous picture of Trixie and also edited them at the same time. I decided I also prefer this one in black-and-white, even though I don’t dislike the color version, which is so rare for me I began to wonder if something hadn’t broken in my brain.