Paulina Plunge Waterfall
I don’t know the name of this waterfall, but it was the last of several we visited on the Paulina Plunge tour we took last month near Bend, Oregon.
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Wagner Butte Hike (4 of 7)
As a hiker approaches the top of Wagner Butte the scene changes again. Instead of forest, desert, wildflower-covered field, or grassy meadow there are a few rocks to climb (not difficult) to get to the top.
I have never seen a dandelion seed head this big before. I should have put a finger in the photo to give the viewer a point of reference. Usually they are smaller than a golf ball, but this one (and the others in the field on the Wagner Butte trail) was bigger than my fist.
The sign on the top of Wagner Butte has been there for probably a couple decades now. The elements have not been kind, and it is now barely readable.
Wagner Butte (3 of 7)
Looking west (and maybe a bit south) from the western slopes of Wagner Butte yields the above view which is probably Little Applegate in the foreground. I’m not sure what mountain ranges go beyond that.
As I mentioned yesterday, sometimes the landscape can get a bit desert like; however, frequently there are wildflowers right in the middle of these scenes. I wonder how different this view would be in the morning (or a month or two earlier). I took this photo in the late afternoon in early September.
Along the Wagner Butte trail you cross a dozen or so streams. This late in the year they were mostly a trickle of water, but in spring, or while it is raining, I imagine they can be somewhat tricky to cross. This one was probably twenty feet across of mud in early September so crossing over via the log helped to keep shoes from becoming a mess even without a small river coming down the mountainside.
My new 10-24mm lens can do some pretty cool things in the macro photography world, nice bokeh too. I was surprised how close I could get and still focus. The specs said the minimum focus distance was 9.5 inches, but I was less than that far away on this photo (and even closer on some others I’ll show you in the next few days). My other lens really does require a distance between the end of the lens and the focus subject of at least a foot and a half.
This flower probably looked much better a week or two earlier in the year. I’d like to do this hike in, say, July and then again in September of the same year to compare the wildflowers. Do some last all summer long or are there totally different wildflowers blossoming and dying as the summer progresses?
More photos of The Weepies
The Weepies' Steve Tannen on guitar
The blog entry with the prior images of The Weepies has quickly become the most popular on the site so I’ll offer you some more pics of The Weepies from their show opening for Aimee Mann in Jacksonville last week.
Deb Talan of The Weepies
The Weepies at Britt Festival 2011
Bend mountain biking
Ellie said her favorite part of the Paulina Plunge Tour was the last three-mile downhill stretch.
Paulina Plunge
Ryan jumping in a waterfall on the Paulina Plunge tour
As previously mentioned, we had a little summer adventure in and around Bend, Oregon a couple weeks ago. The “Paulina Plunge Tour” had us hop in a bus at the Sun River Resort, drive a while, and be given a bike to begin things off. We rode about 6 miles (90%+ downhill) during the day and stopped at three waterfalls. Today’s photo is of Ryan jumping in at the base of the first waterfall.
More Britt Festival photos (Aimee Mann)
Aimee Mann
I’m heading to another show at Britt tonight (Cheap Trick), but I’m not bringing my camera. Today I can offer you a couple more pics from last week’s excellent Aimee Mann show though.
Aimee Mann on the Britt Stage
The Weepies
The Weepies (and Jonny Flower on bass)
Opening for Aimee Mann at the Britt Festival a few nights back were The Weepies on their 2011 Acoustic Summer Tour. They had Jonny Flower on bass for most songs as well. I had never heard of The Weepies before, but most of the audience seemed to be very familiar.
Steve Tannen on harmonica for The Weepies
Deb Talan on keyboards for The Weepies
The Weepies 2011 Acoustic Summer Tour
Three Sisters
Three Sisters from Bend, Oregon
We went camping in Bend, Oregon for a few nights earlier this month. As part of the “Paulina Plunge Tour” we ate lunch near this burned-out forest with a view of this set of three volcanic peaks called Three Sisters.
An old friend of mine, Nelson, enhanced this photo. If you like his work check out 1 of one photo.
More Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann - Britt Festival - Jacksonville, Oregon - 8/23/11
I am a fan of Aimee Mann‘s solo work. Back in the 80s, bands like Til Tuesday were not on my radar.
Aimee Mann
The first I ever heard of Aimee Mann was on Rush’s “Time Stand Still” (video below). Alas, “Hold Your Fire” is my least favorite Rush studio album, which is saying a lot since they have 19 of them.
No, I became a fan in the 1990s when a friend put “I’m with Stupid” on his “desert island discs” list so I gave her a try; I’ve been hooked ever since.