The Legend of Face Rock

This section of the beach in Bandon is named for Face Rock, which comes with a legend: Many tribes had gathered at the beach for a big potlatch to honor the gods. The visiting tribes were warned of an evil spirit in the ocean. But the daughter of a mountain tribe didn't listen. By the light of the moon, she snuck to the ocean with her dog, and her basket of baby racoons (I've also heard kittens, but I like the idea of a basket of racoons).  She was enticed into the glimmering water, swimming out further and further in the moonlight, her dog barking frantically.  Suddenly a black shadow passed over the moon, and the evil spirit of the water grabbed hold of her, her basket of racoons, and her trusty dog. The next morning the tribes looked in vane for the girl. As the mist cleared, a series of rocks became visible in the water: the daughter, her face gazing toward the setting moon, the basket of racoons (there is a rocky outcropping just to the right of her, I hadn't heard the legend when I took this shot or I would have included it), and her dog barking on the shore (I'm not sure which rock this would be, but it doesn't looks like I got that one either). It's a good legend, I think, with all the proper lessons: healthy fear of the water, listen to your wise elders, and the moon has something to do with the tide. That's it in summary. If you're interested in reading more detailed (and better written) versions, an online search should provide you with some entertaining reading.

Linking to Weekend Reflections.

Doorway to Cathedral Rock

Cool passageway through this rock, with a glimpse of the much larger rock outcropping called Cathedral Rock. My son found a web of tunnels and passages through Cathedral Rock and had fun mapping it out during low tide. So much to explore at this beach in Bandon, Oregon.

Tide Pools

It was a half mile walk down the beach from our hotel to Face Rock, and because the labyrinth drawing always coincides with low tide (and we were heading to the labyrinth), we got to see lots of interesting tide pools along the way.  The biggest tide pools form around the rock formations, but these little pools had such an interesting pattern and texture that I wanted to include them in a beach scene. 

Dunes Grass

Our walk to the beach in Bandon included a short hike through the dunes.  This super soft, clean sand and dunes grass reminded me so much of where I grew up, on the southern shore of Lake Michigan.  So in addition to being a breathtakingly beautiful beach, it also felt a bit like a homecoming to me.

Back to Bandon

Just returning, relaxed and refreshed, from a family vacation in Bandon, Oregon. 

Warning: at a photo a day, this could be a long series!

For starters, Friday's beach labyrinth washing away with the tide.

Mt. Adams farmstead

Another view of Mt. Adams from my trip to Trout Lake last weekend, this time from the edge of an old farmstead. According to a sign at the entrance, the farm dates back to the turn of the 20th Century. I suppose the wetland area in the foreground is merely the result of heavy rains that came through a few days earlier and soil tending toward clay. It's probably all dried out by now. Glad it was there during my visit because it gave me a chance to frame a reflection of the mountain.

Linking to Weekend Reflection.

On the Horizon

Well it's starting to look like summer in the gorge! I don't get to photograph Mt. Adams very often. It's barely visible from my town, and even then only from the higher elevations. Of the three volcanoes near the Columbia Gorge, Mt. Hood and Mount St. Helens are mainly what we see. But on Saturday we were in Trout Lake, gateway town to Mt. Adams, and the weather was 'picture perfect'! So of course I made time for some photography as we drove through. As an added bonus we had so much snow in the mountains this year, Mt. Adams is still almost completely covered, with summer only days away.

Standing Watch

Such a beautiful, weathered Ponderosa Pine along the bluff line at Catherine Creek. 

The morning light on the trunk is what caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks.  

What a lucky tree to have such a beautiful location to spend its days!

Mystery Plant

Also from my walk at Catherine Creek. This is mystery plant must have a larger clustered flower when it's blooming. The seeds caught my eye, because they are as big as sunflower seeds, and really pretty!  The plant has leaves like dill. Maybe some sort of wild dill or maybe fennel? It would help to have visited last month when the flower was blooming.  Or to have rubbed the leaves a bit to see if they had a strong scent. (I didn't think of that until now.) I searched on a great database-type website for Catherine Creek flowers, linked here. Any ideas?

Field of Dreams

Wildflowers blowing in the breeze.

Busy Bee

An industrious little honey bee caught midflight as he pollinates bachelor's buttons (Centaurea cyanus) at Catherine Creek earlier this week.  It's a good metaphor for my month, so busy... I see I haven't posted since May 22nd!  But things are finally settling down again after a family visit, tons of yard work, a short but nasty spring cold, and a long overdue update to my website. It's not flashy, but I've done all the design and update myself so I'm proud of it.  As for the wildflower and honeybee image, it's one of several that I will share from my trip to Catherine Creek last week.  I made the visit on my way to pick up the 2018 calendars in Hood River.  Very exciting!  I'll get a new Amazon link for the calendars up this week. And in the meantime, I hope to get a little busier with the photography and blogging, and get caught up on all the blogs I'm following. 

Eight Mile Creek

Ok, no creek visible in this photo, but Eight Mile Creek cuts through the Dalles Mountain Ranch, and it's pretty easy to follow its route. Just look for the line of White Oaks and other trees supported by the creek as it meanders through the otherwise treeless terrain. 

Snag Reflection

I thought this was a pretty interesting tree snag reflection at Round Lake in Camas. 

I was thinking the photo might look too busy, but I have to say I don't mind it at all. 

Linking to Weekend Reflections.

White Camas Lily

While I was still in the camas field, photographing the chocolate lily in yesterday's post, the same wildflower couple called to me to point out a white camas lily. They informed me that each year they have a competition to see who will find the first white camas. This year the wife won. If only I could photograph faster...I could have followed them through the park and photographed all their finds! 

Chocolate Lily

Fritillaria lanceolata (Perhaps) 

I wasn't even aware of this lily until a couple of wildflower hikers pointed it out a few weeks ago in Camas. I saw lots later in the week at Memaloose Trail in Oregon, but they were fading fast at that point. Next year I need to remember to look for them at Memaloose in late April.