Sunday, February 14, 2021 (34 days until First Day of Spring)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

And, Happy snowshoeing days!

Finally yesterday, in a day of new snow, I found time to test my new snowshoes–lightweight and correctly sized.

First, some history. Back in 2017, Central Oregon’s winter covered it in deep, long-lasting snow. One afternoon in snow about two feet deep, I ventured outside on snowshoes. Before, and about ten years earlier, I had for the first and only time used those shoes–up on Mt. Bachelor with a guided group of snowshoe novices. Then, the work of snowshoeing quickly proved too much. Walking required all my energy and whatever extra might be mustered. It was painful to stay with the group, lifting each heavy snowshoe was a feat of desperation. I welcomed the moments our guide paused to explain snowshoeing. From the depths of my heart, I swore never again to be on them.

Fast forward to 2017’s deep snow, it was perfect for snowshoeing. I found my old shoes, donned them, headed out. All was fine walking down my long driveway. At its bottom, I curved back onto my property and into a flat area without rocks. Who knows why I tripped, maybe one of my shoes caught the other. I landed on my knees with the front halves of both snowshoes stuck deeply in snow, which prevented a shifting of the shoes. I had to get them underneath myself in order to get up, and I had no walking poles.

The only solution would be reaching a tree about twenty-five feet away. Its trunk was narrow enough to grab and use to hoist myself to a stand. I crawled on my knees while dragging snowshoes through the deep snow. Finally reaching the tree, I pulled myself into a stand. From way deep in my heart, I’d never again snowshoe!

Upon reaching the house, I removed those shoes, threw them into the trash.

Meanwhile, I’ve learned that snowshoeing technology has improved and nowadays shoes are lighter. I know now that they come in sizes. My old ones might have been large or extra-large, leftovers from a store shelf. In my early days in Oregon, knowing next to nothing about winter sports, I grabbed any winter equipment I saw.

This season, I decided to try snowshoeing again. Most stores had sold out of all but the large and extra-large sizes. I’m educated now and walked past them, finding online instead an appropriate package. It had lightweight shoes, sized correctly, and with walking sticks. Yesterday, I unpackaged the set, figured out how to adjust fits, and set in and tightened my Sorel Boots. I slipped my feet inside the Sorels and lifted walking sticks.

What a world of difference lightweight shoes made. They were easy to lift up and set down. Those sticks were helpful for leaning on or poking ahead to check for impedances. I walked all over my property in snow averaging about six inches with foot-high drifts. Finally, I traveled onto the street and walked nearly a mile. Loved it!

Tomorrow, if the snow holds, I’ll venture out again–wearing snowshoes and accompanied by the dogs. We’ll be somewhere in the tundra.

Dear Friends: Sometimes just giving up may over time encourage a related new beginning. Diana

Saturday, February 13, 2021 (35 days until First Day of Spring)

The dogs loaded into my vintage Jeep and we took off for somewhere for them to run. They were eager, for between my working schedule and inclement weather, too much time had passed since they last were freely dashing dogs. Full disclosure, my other purpose for finding open spaces with snow was to take landscape photos. We found the right place with lots of interesting terrain. The dogs ran, and I activated my zoom camera.

I learned that this camera too-slowly transitions from the instant of capture and readies for another shot. Maybe there’s a fix to this in its dial-up capabilities. Meanwhile, I’m shooting on automatic focus. The camera can stop action and did with the dogs. Yesterday’s photos are pleasing, don’t need editing, but more rapid transitions would be a big plus.

Here are the dogs in that snowy landscape.

Snow so changes the visual world that scenes we’re accustomed to appear new and different. Most of yesterday’s scenic photos weren’t practice throwaways as I anticipated. Instead the downloads were interesting and compelling.

This stokes my imagination!

Dear Friends: It’s impossible to overestimate wintertime’s abundant joys and beauties. Diana

Friday, February 12, 2021 (36 days until First Day of Spring)

Spring, please, get here early!

All day yesterday snow slowly fell in little-bitty flakes, not the big fluffy kind that draws us to windows to witness nature’s beauty. Yesterday’s all-day fall compared to past snowstorms didn’t much accumulate nor become too bothersome. At least, not at Eight Pines Ranch. Yet, in trips to and from the barn, my cleated boots did do some wading-through and kicking-up. Today, we’re likely to be hit again. Several predicted follow-on snowstorms supposedly could fall for days and spike the challenges of navigating on foot or in a vehicle.

My horses spent much time standing in a shed that sheltered them, but on spotting me hurrying downhill toward the barn, they ignored falling snow and accumulated beside the gate. Soon, I’d be coming toward them and pulling a hay-filled sled. It’s a feeding ritual that happens several times daily. Horses always are hungry.

The horses’ bodies are warm and yet sport unmelted snow. Not a worry, because by plunging my fingers deeply into a horse’s coat, its bodily warmth is revealed. As a matter of practice, when my fingers feel stiff and frozen, I slip the gloves and warm my bare hands against an equine body.

• 

• 

My fantasy is that we’ve seen all the snow that’ll fall.

Meanwhile, my heat pump is failing. The inside temperature is about 50 degrees, it’s freezing in here! Luckily, I noticed the thermostat dropping and sensed failure, for my heat pump usually maintains a steady temperature. Luckily yesterday, I could reach the furnace folks and arrange for help this morning. Meanwhile, my pellet stove will warm the area.

Usually, system failures occur at the most awful times, like major holidays or on Sundays. This one could have been a huge problem in cold, snowy weather, and fortunately, the conditions outside aren’t bad enough to tie up repair crews.

Dear Friends: Stay warm and have a wonderful day. Diana

Thursday, February 11, 2021 (38 days until First Day of Spring)

Yeah, oh yeah, here in Central Oregon starting around noon, we can anticipate a massive snowfall that’ll continue a couple of days. Also, a spell of very cold weather that’ll keep snow on the ground for days. We’ve had a heads-up long enough to prepare, and as usual, in moments just prior I’ll leap into action.

First this morning, a couple of outings. I must pick up my Jeep from the repair shop and then go to receive a first Covid injection. Returning home, I’ll gas up and start the snow-blowers, they’re critical in combating snowy terrains. My house on a hill, has me needing blown paths to and from the barn, and a blown driveway that’s long and curvy.

The horses will stay home where they have shelter. Aside from periodic tosses of hay, and unless downfall requires snow-blowing, I’ll be inside with the dogs, birds, and Max the cat. An inside free afternoon will let me experiment with ideas for designing a webpage for the Eight Pines Ranch.

A focused webpage is a huge commitment requiring one or more clear themes, objectives, and goals. To focus and develop my hopeful ideas, I’ll apply practical methods used to create viable business plans. There will be more to come.

Meanwhile, if you find yourself in a snow zone, bundle up. Put to good use all inside time.

Dear Friends: A dedication to continuous learning would be a webpage backbone. Diana

Wednesday, January 10, 2021 (39 days until the First Day of Spring)

It’ll happen, that on Thursday this area will be walloped by a major snowstorm. Today, I’ll practice starting my big snow-blower to be ready for battling harsh elements. I also have new snowshoes in the correct size and poles for navigating. I’ve dreamed of taking pictures while out walking on snowshoes, a great fantasy but unlikely, as snowshoeing itself is very hard work. Especially for one as out of shape as me.

In yesterday’s late afternoon, while going to retrieve the horses from pasture, I carried my camera. The day before, as I was leading horses out from the pasture, an owl surprised me by swooping down and landing about 50 feet away. Maybe it was watching for a rodent, sat a couple of minutes before flying away.

I so wanted a camera! Not that it would have done much good as my hands were full of lead ropes. The horses and I were leaving the pasture when again that owl landed, not far away, and paused momentarily before taking off. With me completely helpless to capture that owl.

I timed the next day’s trip to the pasture to be in late afternoon and with a camera. That time of day birds are active, hunting late or settling in with an eye on their territories. I took pictures and most turned out colorless in that late light. There’s a camera setting to offset drab lighting, but it’s yet to be explored.

Of course no owl appeared, but a nanosecond before lowering my camera and attending to waiting horses, another area resident flew overhead–the Red Tailed Hawk!, a bird I’ve looked for as well as its mate. Swooping high and landing atop a tall tree, the hawk stayed put, but distant enough to require the camera’s entire zoom capacity. The image is an interesting profile, and powerful, but lacking enough definition to suit me.

I’d been toying with Adobe Photoshop to understand its capabilities and wondered if that program’s assets might strengthen the original capture. Here’s the thing, I like the original but for the blog wanted feathers and sky.

This has pushed me into Photoshop World. Not easy, for one ought to understand how to work with nearly colorless photos. In the end though, my efforts did better define the image’s key elements.

Dear Friends: Anything that interests us enough can push us on forward. Diana

Tuesday, February 09, 2021 (40 days until First Day of Spring)

My new toys are up and running, after having received and installed various auxiliary parts. Today’s header photo is of a flicker high in a treetop. It’s from my 70sx zoom camera, with me about fifty yards away. The eye viewer helps to stabilize shots, yet there’s a little camera shake. I tried three times to capture the entire bird, finally successful in an instant before it flew.

From a distance, here are “the girls” grazing in a neighbor’s pasture.

I continued to check capture possibilities over distances. Here, the camera is zeroed-in to capture individualities. As usual, Pimmy’s whole cute self is irresistible.

• 

• 

• 

I love bluebirds–beautiful, quick and fun. This season. many are hanging by my barn.

• 

• 

• 

Like, whole flocks of them.

Finally, because this is so cool, a tree-scape.

An apparatus arrived that should enable better camera stabilization during high zooming. Stabilizing is the challenge, for even a slight push of the capture button adds a little shake. A new controller that I’ll try out today adds a separate handheld device which helps with focus and remotely captures images.

Dear Friends: A step forward will be, on snowshoes, out tramping with camera. Diana

Monday, February 08, 2021 (42 days until First Day of Spring)

While stumbling around on the internet I happened across what makes today special. February 8 is “Opera Day”. That strikes a old cord within me from years ago when I was a huge opera fan. Many Saturdays, I reserved time to listen to the Met’s live broadcasts, and in those days I owned bunches of live opera recordings on LPs. In Kansas City where I lived, tickets for good seats at concerts back then were cheap. I attended performances by classical artists and learned the joy of experiencing in real time the capabilities of the human voice.

I’m still an opera fan although now out of date. I too rarely take time to concentrate on lovely song stories told by great artists. Anyway, this morning, fiddling around on the topic of opera, I pulled up some of my favorite artists in great performances. For awhile, I was lost in music.

So, this is a good day for sharing opera. Maybe something universal appealing and beautifully performed but not too lengthy. I discovered everything wished for captured in this video, a recording session with wonderful musicians performing famous music. From the opera, Lakmé, by the French composer Delibes, this song is entitled, Duo des fleurs (Flower Duet). The singers are soprano, Sabine Devieilhe, and mezzo soprano, Marianne Crebassaof.

Enjoy four minutes of sheer deliciousness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1ZL5AxmK_A

Dear Friends: Today is about waking-up, taking time to listen and feel the sublime. Diana

Sunday, February 07, 2021

Sorry to say, I’m not yet set up to transfer photos from my new camera to the computer. Believe me, I’ve fiddled with ways to make a transfer all this morning, but am forced now to toss in the towel as this is a at-work day at Costco.

What’s most irritating is that yesterday the photos did transfer, maybe today I’m too anxious and that’s the problem. Anyway, this will be settled tomorrow because there’s a transfer cable on its way to me. The cable allows a direct connection between two hardware elements, enabling data exchanges. No more will I be scrambling to download photos using bluetooth and wifi! Nevermore, I can hope…but as usual, must nod to a caveat.

A forced partial-learning occurs while attempting to do new things, even in failing. This business of transferring by using new ways begins another “new to me” that in the near future I’ll have to know “how to do”. That’s ahead and not so worrisome because recently I learned to use a complex computer system, and did all right. Chalking-up a yea for having faced a challenge.

I could spin off into the mysteries and joys of learning, but haven’t time this morning. You know and I know that it’s a major topic with me and will pop up another day.

Dear Friends: Have a wonderful day by making it a point to learn something new. Diana

Saturday, February 06, 2021 (

Today I’m writing on a new computer and feeling slightly awkward because of improved technology over my several years with another computer. This new machine has a more responsive and intelligent keyboard, it has larger keys spaced slightly more apart. My fingers keep slipping and sliding.

There’s more that’s new. Yesterday my zoom camera arrived. I took it outside to practice shooting and think we’ll become good friends. Today’s header photo from that camera is a quickie, snapped from faraway of standing snow. It was intended as a toss-away, but something about the image is attractive, somehow reminding me of shallow water. I didn’t adjust or alter it, so there, a work of art capture.

While busy with the new computer and camera, I totally neglected my phone. This morning its battery is dead, and too bad, It holds more pictures from yesterday that I hoped to share, but can’t until the phone again is up and running.

Dear Friends: Just a quickie while working through a transition, have a great day. Diana

Friday, February 05, 2021 (43 days before the first day of spring)

Recently, I reduced my at-work days to two weekly. This requires a reorientation to freedom in daytimes. That seems easy, but after six months of absence from routine household and property work, returning things to order means catching up to points past.

I’m wrapping my head around what needs attention, am astonished by all the “ignored messy”, while dashing into or out of the house. My key focus has been caring for animals, leaving most everything else untouched. The exceptions are in key spots, like cleaning the kitchen counter where food is prepared, and organizing the master bathroom so as to hasten myself off to the job.

Working nearly full time was a grand experiment, an way to escape frequent solitude. My working team, re-beginning after months of being laid off, required me to work five days weekly. After months of self-isolating, I looked forward to the workplace.

Starting again was fun, sometimes stressful. The problems were that horses need hay and someone keeping a watch over then, and dogs need to be inside during rain and extreme cold, or outside in improved weather. Wanting to be in two places at once began overcoming the fun of working and got me rethinking my commitment.

So, today’s my second of being home, free from the job another few days. Yesterday, like a kid in hardly recognizable surroundings, I organized some but mostly loafed around. Ahead, I’ll take my dogs out for runs, walk the streets with Peaches on my shoulder, and lead my dwarf goats on strolls through the neighborhood. The horses, meanwhile, will graze at a neighbor’s place, until it’s warm and time to get them into condition for summer’s riding and driving.

Dear Friends: Freedom and planning encourage eagerness for spring’s arrival. Diana