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Tag Archives: photography

June Camping Trip

Life’s been busy recently and I’ve had little time for personal work. Couple that with an aching back and I’ve just not had anything recent to post.

Last week I got away with a friend for a few days of (car) camping in the Okanogan Highlands and the Sinlahekin valley. We planned  some serious birding adventures and were not disappointed. By the end of four days we had seen 114 species and along the way, we saw a few other things as well.

 

The Okanogan Highlands clouds are always spectacular

 

And then there’s litter

 

Lost Lake, where we stayed for two nights. One of my all time favorite camping spots.

 

Dog at the Chesaw Store

 

Phone booth at the Chesaw Store.

This area is so close to Canada that if you have your cell phone on, it will connect to Canadian cell towers and your bill will show extra and possibly unexpected charges.

 

Molson is an old ghost town between Oroville and Chesaw

 

 

Camp coffee

 

Camp site in the Sinlahekin valley

I have a few photos of birds to share and will get them posted soon.

 

 

Something Different

I know it’s probably hard to believe but in addition to doing tons of personal work in my photography, I also am a professional photographer. Recently I was hired to create cover and featured photos for Methow Arts quarterly Arts magazine. They always feature a local artist and in this valley, there are lots to choose from. This season Julie Wenzel, creative director at the Merc Playhouse was the featured artist. I love the theatre and photographing there so it was a good match for me.

Here is Julie with her two month old baby directing a rehearsal of a readers’ theatre.

More photos from our shoots can be seen at my Reflected Light Images blog.

The Methow Arts article can be seen here.

Shorebirds at Sunset

In Florida, every night after dinner, we would walk to the beach. Surprisingly most other beach goers were gone by then. Just before the moment when the sun went down, a few people would wander back and all facing the sun, would raise a glass in a toast to another day well lived. It was a wonderful ritual – maybe one that we should practice at home as well as on vacation.

Ken would fish and I would walk on the beach – hoping to find interesting sea shells and watching the birds. At Sanibel, no cars are allowed to drive on the beach and almost no one takes dogs to the beach and then they are on leashses for the most part. These two factors must contribute to the tameness of the birds. Shorebirds were remarkably approachable. It’s the only place I’ve been where I could get good photos of these migratory wonders.

I have always struggled with shorebird ID. Some of these birds were in a transistional plumage – going from winter to breeding plumage – this made ID even harder for me. Field guide pictures show one or ther other generally, not the transistion. I was surprised to see that many of the species on the SE coast were the same as in the Pacific NW.

 

Willets relfecting the warm light of the sun

 

 

 

 

A plover – Black-bellied or American Golden?

 

 

 

Brown Pelicans flew by the beach all the time.

 

And so did the shorebirds.

 

Ruddy Turnstone

 

 

Sanderlings

 

 

 

 

A gull. I don’t even try to identify immature gulls.

 

There’s a dowitcher in the middle of this group. Long-billed or Short-billed?

 

 

 

 

 

Winthrop Balloon Round Up – Day One

Lots of colorful hot air balloons dotted the landscape and skies this morning as the Round Up got into full swing. Yesterday we saw two balloons out; today there were more than a dozen! The big parking lot didn’t get fully plowed so balloons were launching from various sites on the edges of town – behind and in front of the Red Apple Market, at the Friendship Church and rumour has it tomorrow they will launch from Town Trailhead too. All for fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This post needed a dog, don’t you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe two dogs.

 

This is a drone. Rumour has it that it will be making a video of a wedding to be held in one of the balloon baskets tomorrow! How exciting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Times and Music in Twisp

Once again, the Open Merc, an open mike at the Merc Playhouse in Twisp, provided lots of entertainment, surprises and also a few goodbyes. There were quite a few musicians, including my own husband Ken Bevis playing guitar and singing with Egon Steinebach on the harmonica, Brad and Eileen Pinkerton, Celeste and Kip Roberts, Biff and the Apostles (Brad and Peter and Paul) and several others. Josh and Tara surprised us with their original Methow reggae featuring banjo and medlodica! Everyone was talking about it. Sadly, Brad and Eileen are leaving this valley to move their musical lives to Westport on the ocean. We wish them well and hope that Westport is ready for them. This is rather a long set of photos but the evening was so lovely, how could I stop? Wish you could hear the music too.

 

Egon sets up and also does the sound and lights for the Open Merc. Thanks, Egon.

 

Brad and Eileen

 

Tara playing the melodica

 

In the winter around here, you rarely see anyone wearing nice shoes. To be truthful, even in the summer. We just live in boots or sandals most of the time. Thanks Tara.

 

Eileen captures Biff and the Apostles on her phone

 

Happy musicians

 

We love that old time music

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Egon and Ken closed out the evening