Friday, January 17, 2020

Yesterday, what a day! Throughout it, our area had had light snowing and no accumulating. But around 4 p.m., a head-on weather change killed my then-plan, to feed the horses before leaving for Redmond to attend a driving club meeting.

When sudden heavy snow and high winds took over, this environment dimmed. Snow accumulated quickly and winds whipped juniper branches into high action. From inside, I peered through one window after another to assess the storm’s velocity and potential length. Finally, the Driving Club’s leader and I, both feeling terrible about this, decided to cancel the meeting. I posted notices through Facebook and email, at about 4:30, or an hour before the scheduled start.

So, we could have guessed! One person showed up for that meeting and texted me angrily. She missed the cancellation notice while traveling from Sisters to Redmond. She added that neither Sisters nor Redmond had any new snow. She also explained her eagerness to expand local driving opportunities through the Club.

We communicated lots, with me highly apologetic, and meanwhile, the Club’s leader managed to find a location and reset the meeting for next week. The person in Redmond seemed mollified, but still, I felt badly for her. A couple of years ago, I traveled from Bend to Redmond, through an unusually hard-driving rain, to attend a driving club meeting. Standing alone outside that Library, and by then soaking wet, I learned that the meeting had been cancelled. After that, I avoided the driving club, it seemed in disarray.

Recently, Central Oregonians who enjoy driving horses, who’ve participated in past with the club, have worked hard to revive the common interest. We’ve met successfully, are communicating regularly via Facebook and email. For January, we had distributed a meeting agenda. The late-hour weather blew-up the plan.

My lesson from this experience will be to change the wording in meeting notices. From now on, they’ll include a blurb about “weather permitting”. This area’s winter months often become confounded by instant weather changes. Through the remainder of this winter, and in future, we will try to caution ahead and to communicate changes better.

Dear Friends: Successful collaborations rely on leadership, planning, communicating. Diana

Thursday, January 16, 2020

I walked home after leaving the horses on pasture and spotted a mature tree with a massive trunk. Making the tree interesting is that, during its early life, it produced multiple branches that today appear very strong and distinctive. That tree full of character is here in larger perspective.

Despite the afternoon’s icy-bluish nature, I bundled-up to walk the horses to pasture. Our streets were slippery, in appearance, so my boot-bottoms had heavy cleats. Our quartet moved slowly, carefully. Once in that pasture, the horses were happy, even with only sparse tasty grass. It took all my strength to break thick ice on their lonely watering trough.

I left the beasts searching for tidbits and turned toward home, enjoying my searches for new and compelling “snow art” scenes, and also, I peered upward. I wanted to interpret the icy-blue sky, filled with clouds and busy with weather warnings. All that’s overhead are readable messages, or “sky news”.

Still early today, our local sky remains icy-blue, but now it’s an uninterrupted blue. Our overhead hasn’t even a single cloud.

Dear Friends: This winter, although warmer than usual, is as beautiful as winters past. Diana

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Yesterday evening, the view from my property of Pilot Butte underscored an overall “bluish environment”. I spent most of the day working inside and customers said that outside, although very cold, had become clear and sunny. That perception didn’t last until I came home. These photos of the animals working through their hay reveal the cloudless and icy-blue sky.

I finished quickly enough with the horses and goats to enter the house in time to watch the final presidential debate. I didn’t expect to hear much different from past debates and was more interested in other aspects. Like, how articulately the candidates responded to questions, whether their comfort levels more fully had adjusted to the pressures, and whether an appearance of “Presidential” might suddenly pop-out. Those candidates still face long roads ahead.

Locally, the Central Oregon Chapter of NOW (National Organization of Women) has had serious problems. It’s on the verge of collapsing. The Chapter has scheduled a meeting in early March to drum up interest and volunteers, or completely to shut down. When the Chapter began a few years ago, I joined enthusiastically, but its meetings were poorly communicated. In real time, they were disorganized and confusing. After I dropped out, incoming communications stopped, and I forgot about NOW.

Until Local NOW has reached out for help. I will attend its meeting to learn more about the organization’s problems, and mostly, to find if possible leaders have clarity and real willingness to make better efforts. Throughout our nation’s current presidential cycle, both national parties have seemed a mess. Along with other citizens, I’ve become frustrated. Finally, I wonder, if in some way, by drawing from my education and professional background, I might help with reorganizing, and creating more clear messaging.

Dear Friends: Our national and local politics seriously need help and improving. Diana

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The topic again is snow, because this season seems somewhat different. We’re steadily receiving snowfalls in series, but with little accumulation. Between falls, the stuff underfoot is a little icy and crunchy while the larger environment feels less cold than in previous years. Maybe there’s more ground-warmth, and enough, to hinder accumulation despite adequate snow.

I know, of course, to leave theories to the climate experts. So, I’ll speak to what’s easiest. Last evening’s environment, a light snowfall gave the atmosphere a bluish hue. The dimmer light recreated and made ordinary scenes newly appealing.

I worried that new snow predicted for all afternoon might be heavy, and so, kept my horses at home. The snows fell, all right, but lightly with bare accumulation. The horses would have been fine on pasture in this snow. I considered taking them over but felt uncomfortable about possible footing issues walking on the roadway.

So, here’s yesterday’s key to-do item, and one required quarterly, for which I feel sheer hatred. It’s about having to rush income tax payments to the Post Office, pronto, so they’re postmarked prior to the due date. This year, I felt extra angry thinking about the 1% wealthiest compared to my pitiful position among the 10% poorest. It’s feelings of sheer hatred toward an unbalanced and unfair process.

Then home to unwind, by hanging out with the dogs, feeding horses and goats, and spending a long while gazing at the Cascades. Studying the western sky gives me hopes of grasping a better sense of approaching weather.

Dear Friends: Being in and appreciating blue hues, beats dealing with feelings of blue. Diana

Monday, January 13, 2020

A few weeks ago Costco marked down the price of its ladies’ Pendelton Wool Coats and I purchased one, as a lark: “For some special occasion?” My closets are full of heavy winter jackets, but while preparing for work yesterday morning as a predicted snowstorm began, I needed outerwear that easily could be stuffed into my tiny workplace locker. I wore the new coat, got it into the locker, and above all, found it wonderfully warm and waterproof.

Later leaving Costco in a heavy wet variety of falling snow, and while the Jeep motor warmed-up, I stood in that snow using inadequate tools to scrape ice from windows. My coat helped me feel slightly ahead of the game. Even on arriving home and hopping from the Jeep in falling snow (to haul hay on a sled to the horses), that wool provided warmth aplenty, and above all, it shed moisture as efficiently as duck feathers.

This coat can “take it” and will become my go-to winter wrap. That might provide my peace of mind, finally, to create closet space. I have many jackets, little-used or for “just in case” situations, that would benefit a non-profit.

While mentioning “good things at Costco”, I discovered there a nice wine for $5.99. It’s a red blend, from Portugal–pleasant, drinkable, and above all affordable. Costco coworkers who already found this wine have affirmed my taste-impressions. The bottle is easy to spot, it has a very bright label, and of course, low-price tag.

I’m using very early morning hours to read a long-overlooked book from my shelves. It’s “Letters of a Woman Homesteader, by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. The letters, written between 1909 and 1914, describe some key events and people in her Wyoming life. Each letter has enough presence to stand alone as a complete story. In fact, the successful modern video series, “Heartland”, was based on her stories. Wanting to know more about EPS, I found a photo. She appears as friendly and open as her letters sound.

I don’t recall purchasing this book, but maybe it was in the early 2000’s, shortly after my move to Bend. I discovered an interest in rural western history and culture, but in those days, many other new interests crowded into my brain. This lovely work got set aside. I hope to finish reading it before having lunch this week with my literary friend, Julie. She might want to read it as another who enjoys well-written stories of, or by, frontier women. We both like learning about their hopes and how they managed to survive in early America’s open range environments. In those days, somehow and despite cultural constraints, women learned to cope with the daily routines and very-real hardships of their lives.

Dear Friends: Warm coat, good bottle of wine, a great book. It’s how I cope! Diana

Sunday, January 12 2020

Here’s a photo from yesterday’s early morning walk with my trio of horses. This street begins our quarter-mile trek toward a neighbor’s pasture. Yesterday, navigating through snow for the first time, happily the critters behaved.

I have a new policy of paying attention to Weather Channel predictions. This morning, it warns us to expect rain and snow. This afternoon, it adds high winds and gusts to 40 mph. Through the week, it expects this weather pattern to continue.

Winter is arriving quickly, and as in some years, perhaps furiously. Meanwhile, yesterday morning’s brief snow left a transforming layer that made this area seem a beautiful holiday card.

After released to pasture, the horses kicked aside snow. With noses plunged deeply into frozen grasses, they sought underlying and more palatable bites.

Leaving the horses to their quests but before starting home, I paused to absorb the quietly-magical surroundings. Like a trip backwards in time, a snow covering erases modernity. This snow transformed western artifacts, that our host collects and sets-around strategically, and made them seem more relevant.

I began walking home after waving a final goodbye to the horses.

I couldn’t resist photographing previously-captured scenes. This snow endowed the common with special qualities.

Highlighted details compelled from all sides of my pathway. I stopped to stare, absorb, and let imagination loose.

And simply, enjoyed.

As predicted, new snow is beginning to fall. Today, I’m scheduled to work and will keep the horses home. If there’s a large downfall, that open pasture hasn’t a shelter.

Dear Friends: Even with snow this mild winter feels less cold than usual. Diana

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Last evening’s Wolf Moon was a stunner. Stopped me in my tracks. I regained myself and rushed to get a zoom camera in my hands.

The above photo has a halloween-like complexity and compelling mood. The photo below, unembellished and powerful, is an example of my inability to capture the colors of surrounding sky that make this clear moon most-stunning. There’s little to compare with the sight of it seeming to float among moving clouds and through variations of light.

This morning’s western sky, cloudy from an overnight rain, currently is dropping light snow. Makes it impossible to see this moon settling beyond the Cascades, a compelling sight that equals the beauty of its early evening emergence in a clear sky.

I’m beginning to accept how accurately modern technology can forecast the weather. Yesterday, the Weather Channel indicated that we’d have rain starting at 1:00 p.m. The morning had a sunny sky, relatively clear, and I decided to walk the horses to my neighbor’s pasture. A wonderful pasture but it lacks a shelter. In case of more than a very light drizzle, I’d want the horses home pronto.

Here’s that innocuous sky as I walked home after leaving the horses to graze.

I went shopping for art supplies and then stopped in Costco, where of course, I chatted with co-workers and familiar customers. I forgot about the weather before emerging at 2:30 and finding myself in a heavy drizzle. The area was wet enough to assume that rain had begun when predicted.

I rushed home, tossed on rain-gear and hurried to the pasture. The horses were grazing, their coats wet, they totally were disinterested in my appearance. I had to walk the entire stretch of wet grass to adorn them with damp halters and lead ropes. We started home facing into the rain, with me keeping us in lockstep and hyper-alert to possible vehicles coming toward us.

No vehicles, until we neared my neighbor’s driveway, when I saw two behind us. The drivers kindly pausing and waiting for us to get out of the roadway. I saluted thankfully and quickly moved the horses into the driveway, whereupon the drivers, waving and smiling, passed by.

That was my first test with rain, and one I’ve anticipated. Not so bad, having to walk the three horses a quarter-mile and facing into a rain. Fortunately, yesterday’s rain was moderately-driving and not heavy, and taught some lessons. One was that the horses will walk calmly in it with me. Two, and most of all, I must pay close attention to weather predictions.

Dear Friends: Snowing, maybe soon clearing for another interesting walk. Diana

Friday, January 10, 2020

There’s not much sweeter than a little snow, covering shallow earthen flaws and freshening the air. Our snow fell early in the morning, under a setting-first Wolf Moon, and laid a very thin white over almost everything. Before most of it melted, I went outside and roamed, looking for cleverly-altered views and objects.

The snow transformed spots on my property, and also, alongside the road. I took an early walk and searched for the temporary enhancements. This photo is of rabbit brush that highlights a deer trail. The rabbit brush, plentiful this time of year, stand out among all other, and mostly dormant, plants.

This dusting of snow introduced me to a fresh sight. It highlighted a previously unnoticed lichen-covered rock in a general shape that I enjoy. (My brain has begun cataloguing this shape as a “castle rock”.) The early-morning combo of lichen-plus-snow enriched its natural appeal.

Finally, here’s a naked rock, without snow but what sorts of markings? On its surface are circles, permanent-looking, and seemingly, not of chalk nor recently scratched by human hands.

My little outing turned into another lesson, or reassurance, of how on overcast damp mornings, nature adjusts its natural art. Doing so creates new pinnacles of beauty and appeal.

Dear Friends: Rain will fall today, and I’ll be out in it with a camera. Diana

Thursday, January 09, 2020

I was out wandering with my iPhone camera and trying to keep my right brain to the fore. The right side probably began as my dominant side, but over years of working in large corporations, my right learned to shut down while the left worked to wring data from various inputs. In for-profit organizations data-drawing equals creativity. In truth, I barely became data-oriented but managed well enough to hang onto my jobs. But recently, I’ve recognized that my right side tends to drowse.

This has me in a combative mood and I’m using cameras as tools to enhance my imagination. This has been stimulated during solitary walks along neighborhood streets, while coming home after leaving my horses in a neighbor’s pasture, and later, in returning to that pasture to lead them home. On one of my walks, I zeroed-in on the golden tree trunks in today’s header photo.

On another stroll, a lava rock caught my eye reminding me of an early Picasso sculpture, one of my favorites, of a woman’s head. My right brain saw that rock as similar to Picasso’s boldly structured perspective. My brain adopted the rock, cleaned and refined it, and created a sculpture of my own.

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As another rock-inspired image, this lava rock appeared castle-like and encouraged me to seek for comparison an actual rock castle. I found an ancient one that’s famous and adds potential to my vision.

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Dear Friends: A little effort makes everyday more fun and the world a better place. Diana

Wednesday, January 08, 2020

Yesterday morning, the Cascades were bright and clear on the horizon. My zoom camera captured the Middle and North Sisters Mountains. The third Sister lays south a little too distant for an up-close view of all three peaks, but it’s an impressive standalone.

Our local range extends south of the South Sister. The most southward, Mt. Bachelor, is Central Oregon’s busy ski slope, a popular tourist attraction. Just north of Bachelor, my favorite cluster of peaks create the jagged topline of Broken Top, an ancient-spent volcano.

The busy and beautiful sky in a clear morning gave me a good glimpse of distant Mt. Jefferson. Here’s the sky:

Mt. Jefferson is north of the North Sister and precedes Mt. Washington. It’s often not visible from my property, but yesterday was a reasonably substantial sight.

Included in the near range and following Jefferson are Black Butte, Mt. Washington, and Three-Fingered Jack. Much farther away, Mt. Hood, punctuates the border between Oregon and Washington. I’ll have to travel to photograph beyond Jefferson, and will.

Dear Readers: This area’s historical and contemporary geologies are fascinating. Diana