Snow At The Cemetery

Since most of the snow seems to have melted around here, I figured I'd post snow photos once more before moving on to other things. Today's photos were taken at Lone Oak Cemetery on the corner of Fern Ridge Rd. and 3rd Ave.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the February 1st city daily photo theme day. I'm still undecided about what I'm going to post... I'm torn between two themes. We'll see what happens.

Snow Fields

I took the above shot near where Fern Ridge Rd. meets Highway 22. It's scenes like this that make me forget the mess snow and ice makes for driving and the like, because nature is just so darned pretty.

Another Snow Day

Today's images of our big (for us) snowfall come from guest photographer Ronda Faught of Sublimity. She took these lovely images in Sublimity and on the road to nearby Jefferson.

Be sure to visit Ronda's web site for more of her photography.

For more contributions from Ronda and others to Stayton Daily Photo, check out the guest photographers section.

Photos are copyright © Ronda Faught. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

Snow Day

We had a fair bit (for us) of snow yesterday. At my house, we had roughly 2.5 to 3 inches. So that means a snow picture from me today, and one or two very nifty shots from a guest photographer tomorrow. And maybe more from me after that, depending on how long the snow sticks around. Or if I can't find anything else to post. ;)

American Star

I've posted a photo or two (okay, three) of the neon sign on the Star Cinema before, but it's so cool, I'm doing it again. The flag behind the sign is at the police station, which sits right next door to the Star.

I really need to go back at night when it's lit and take more photos. I shall do that someday soon, when it's not so cold at night.

Other photos I've posted of the Star:

• Star Cinema
  
• Going To The Movies
  
• Nighttime Star

In The Distance

Earlier this month I posted a photo of some hills outside of Stayton which can be seen from town. I wasn't very happy with the photo, as it was somewhat blurry and the color was all wrong. I had cropped out the trees in the lower part of the photo because they came out very dark.

So I decided to reshoot the photo, this time using a tripod, a polarizing filter (to get the color right), and a different lens. It's basically the same view, but the results are fairly different.

For those who care, I took this on a small street just off of the east end of E. Santiam St.

A Trickle Becomes A Flood

Today's photo is the final image from my trip to Silver Falls State Park, an amazing park not far from Stayton (see also: South Falls, North Falls, Upper North Falls, and a black-tailed deer).

The above photo of water cascading down some rocks was taken near a bridge in front of South Falls. You can spot such mini-waterfalls (or whatever they're called) in various locations around the park.

We also came across some very cool (ha!) icicles near Upper North Falls. My pictures of them didn't turn out all that great, but my friend Steve captured a very nice one. Check out his photo: Nature's Ice Sculpture.

A Black-Tail Shows Off Its Black Tail

Today's photo is another from my weekend day trip to Silver Falls State Park, which is about 20 minutes away from Stayton (see also: South Falls, North Falls, and Upper North Falls).

When we first arrived and walked towards South Falls, we came upon five black-tailed deer. I tried my darnedest to get photos of them, but it kind of dark and I had to use a telephoto lens without a tripod... that equals blurry. This photo of a youngster is the best of the bunch.

Tomorrow I think I'll post one more photo from the park before I move on to other things.

Rush Of Nature

Today is waterfall photo three of three (see also: South Falls and North Falls) I took at Silver Falls State Park.

Upper North Falls is an adorable waterfall, and very different from the first two. It's shorter, wider, and extremely cute. I wanted to take it home and put it in my yard. It wouldn't actually fit in my yard, mind you, but let's not let reality get in the way of things.

I'll be posting a non-waterfall photo from the park tomorrow, and maybe one more after that.

Falling Down

Today's image continues our mini-tour of a few of the waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park (see also: South Falls), which is about 17 miles from Stayton. This is North Falls, taken from an observation point some ways away. It's truly a beautiful setting, with the tall trees surrounding the falls.

Tomorrow I'll post a photo of Upper North Falls. Stay tuned.

P.S. Thanks for the kind comments on yesterday's photo. I very much appreciate it.

Over The Edge

(See also: color version of photo)

I went on a day trip yesterday with my friend Steve to Silver Fall State Park, which is about 17 miles from Stayton. The both of us lugged our camera equipment around and saw three of the waterfalls at the park. That means you're going to be seeing waterfalls for the next few days. :)

Today's photo is of South Falls, an awesome waterfall which has a walking path that goes directly behind it. I took said path and promptly felt like I'd just taken a very cold shower. I didn't get any decent photos from back there, though. Too much water spray on the lens.

As a side note, I freely admit I stole my black and white processing technique from Steve's amazing shot of South Falls. Go check his out while you're here.

Lost In The Crowd

I had thought I was through with leaves for now, since autumn is over. But I was wrong, so very wrong. I found this pile of leaves at the Lone Oak Cemetery the other day. And I do believe they're even oak leaves. I could be wrong, of course, seeing as how they weren't labeled. Somebody should fix that. ;)

Just In Case I Forget Where I Live

This is the sign on the front of the post office on 2nd Ave. Now that I've taken the picture, I will always remember where I am... unless I'm somewhere else.

Looking For Signs Of Life

I had plans yesterday to go out and about to take pictures, but the weather had other ideas. It stayed near freezing, and there were even little snowflakes in the air. That's all very bad when one rides a scooter. Brrrrrr.

So I took a picture of some branches on a barren filbert/hazelnut tree in my backyard. Yay.

Green Shed

This little building sits at the edge of the creek which runs next to the library on 1st Ave. I'm not sure what color the building really is (mainly because it never occurred to me to try to see it from the other side), but since being so close to the water, that has at least contributed to the lovely green hue it sports.

Lawn Ornament

This backhoe sits at the back of Lone Oak Cemetery. I hadn't really paid attention to it until I went to the cemetery to take pictures in the fog. It's a nifty old vehicle, with all kinds of interesting details. A couple of detail shots are below:

 

STAYTON

Here we are today with a glamorous shot of Stayton's water tower on E. Regis St. It's really tall. And, uh, it says 'STAYTON' on the side. Yep. Big tower.

Those things at the top are cellular/mobile things.

I bet the view from the top is awesome. I have no desire to actually go up there, but I bet it's pretty up there.

Cold And Lonely

Yesterday was cold and very foggy. What better place to take pictures during such weather than a cemetery?

This is the Lone Oak Cemetery on the corner of 3rd Ave. and Fern Ridge Rd. It's actually a very peaceful place, but the tombstones, fog and the big, ominous looking tree made for an interesting mood.

Going This Way And That

From the truly random file comes this shot of some curved wrought iron on a mailbox post. It has nothing to do with anything, except that I took it in Stayton and I like it. That's all.

It's All Water Under The Bridge

I posted a photo of a small bridge in July of 2006, which was one of my personal favorites. I had the occasion to photograph the same bridge using a different camera on a different day (complete with different weather conditions), and was surprised at how similar yet how very dissimilar they are.

At right is the original image, and the main image above is the re-photographed version. I think the weather accounts for part of the difference in color, but it's probably mostly the different cameras. I'm torn as to which image I like better. If anyone has any opinion on the matter, feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

Misty River

According to the Travel Oregon web site, the Roaring River near Scio is the only river to flow into a creek instead of the other way around. The photo above is just after the river and the creek, Crabtree Creek, come together.

This rather spiffy geological oddity sits right next to the Larwood covered bridge. I took several photos of the water the day I was there. I discovered I really like taking pictures of flowing water. It's all my friend Steve's fault.

I have a brief video of the area, showing where the creek and river merge and the nearby covered bridge. It's about 20 seconds long.

Click on the thumbnails below to see more wet and wild water:

Incandescent Plant Life

This is some random but colorful plant which resides outside the library. I have no idea what it is. But it's pretty.

Can you tell my mind is blank? I can't even think of a caption to go with this photo. I am such a failure.

Down On The Farm

The weather 'round here has been rather wet, so with the exception of yesterday's photo, I haven't been able to get out much to take pictures. Today's photo is one more from my recent trip around the Scio area (see my shots of the Shimanek and Larwood covered bridges, plus a tree in a foggy farm field).

This farm sits right next to the Shimanek Bridge, and has all kinds of buildings and old farm equipment, not to mention those awesome trees which curve up and over the scene.

My friend Steve has a very cool photo of of an old wagon from the farm. Be sure to check it out.

Snow In The Hills

This view is looking out past Stayton to some hills. They are, in fact, the same hills I posted back in November (taken from almost the same spot), only with snow on them this time.

I wish I could have included more of the hills in the shot, but there were a bunch of trees in the way, so this was the best I could do.

Walk With Me

I took today's photo on a path which runs next to the public library and goes back to Community Center Park. The moss on the path was a vivid green, almost outdoing some nearby grass in terms of color. I set the camera on the ground and angled it up a bit to get the perspective and short depth of field.

Snow at Detroit Lake

We have another guest photographer today! Theresa Smith sent some beautiful photos she took at Detroit Lake, which is a little over 30 miles up Santiam Canyon from Stayton. It's a very popular recreation area for people who live here in the Willamette Valley.

Theresa owns D'-Tail Pet Grooming here in Stayton on Washington St.

More photos from the Detroit Lake area:

 

If you want more info on Detroit Lake, visit the Oregon State Park info site.

Thanks to Theresa for sharing her photos!

Photos are copyright © Theresa Smith. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary

Guest photographer Danni K. has provided us with some rather awesome photos from Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary in nearby Scio. Her description of the farm:

Just down the road from the Shimanek Bridge on Richardson Gap Road in Scio is a most amazing place called the Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary. This non-profit sanctuary was created after it became clear that farm animals (horses, cows, llamas, sheep, goats, pigs, etc.) taken from abusive or neglectful situations rarely had a safe place to go. This fact often prevented them from receiving the help and care they deserved. With the goal of providing a safe haven for these beautiful creatures, Wayne Geiger established the Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary. Just last spring, the farm relocated to this new location on 52 wonderful acres and now provides refuge to about 160 animals.

The farm welcomes volunteers on work party days (be sure to bring apples and carrots!) and many visitor events are planned throughout the year. Be sure to visit the farm's web site (lighthousefarmsanctuary.org) if you'd like to help or want learn more about this great place.

More photos from the farm:

 

Be sure to visit Danni's blog, On the Way To Critter Farm, for more animal photos and more.

Thanks again to Danni for sharing her photos!

Photos are copyright © CritterFarmGirl. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

Larwood Bridge

The Larwood covered bridge is another covered bridge outside of nearby Scio (see also: the Shimanek Bridge from yesterday's post). Built in 1939, it spans Crabtree Creek, right near where it merges with the Roaring River. There's a small park next to the bridge with picnic benches and BBQ grills. It's a beautiful area.

For more information about the bridge, please visit:

• Daytrails.com - Larwood Bridge
  
• Travel Oregon - Larwood Bridge

Click here to view a very brief video of the bridge and surrounding area, as shakily taken by me.

Shimanek Bridge

I get asked from time to time if I've ever taken any photos of the Shimanek covered bridge outside of nearby Scio. I finally got the chance to do so a couple of days ago thanks to my friend, Steve.

The site of the bridge has had five iterations, possibly dating as far back as 1861 (Oregon.gov has a Acrobat PDF on the bridge's history). This most recent version was built in 1966, and is one of the newer covered bridges in Oregon.

The bridge is located on Richardson Gap Rd., and spans Thomas Creek.

Tomorrow I'll be posting a photo (or two) of another covered bridge, Larwood Bridge, which resides not far from Shimanek.

Uprooted

A friend and I went on a bit of a road trip yesterday to a couple of the covered bridges in the area (I'll likely post a photo of each over the next two days). Somewhere in the vicinity of nearby Scio, we went by this awesome old tree in the middle of a fog intensive field. It's awesome, and I want to take it home and make it my own.

DP Theme Day: My Best Photo of 2007

Happy new year! Today's city daily photo theme day is: best photo of 2007. Our own personal best, that is. So I sat and thought about it for upwards of 30 seconds, and then I say "Ah, heck" and chose the one above. It's of my favorite trees in Stayton, the mighty oaks which reside about a block from the hospital off of 10th Ave.

Here are my runner-up photos, in no particular order:

• A Shock To The Heart
  
• Rottweiler
  
• Time Waits
  
• By The Light Of The Bridge
  
• The Little Shed On The Hill
  
• DP Theme Day: Bridges
  
• To Wonder At Its Vastness
  
• DP Theme Day: Cemeteries / Tombstones
  
• Weeds
  
• Latent Power
  

Over 100 city daily photo blogs are participating in today's theme day. Visit 'em below:

Paris, France - London, England - Hyde, UK - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Grenoble, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Riga, Latvia - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - New Orleans (LA), USA - Wichita (KS), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Francisco (CA), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Mainz, Germany - Melbourne, Australia - Portland (OR), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Toulouse, France - Naples (FL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Brussels, Belgium - Stayton (OR), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Nashville (TN), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Prescott (AZ), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Evry, France - Trujillo, Peru - Arlington (VA), USA - Denpasar, Indonesia - American Fork (UT), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Coral Gables (FL), USA - Montpellier, France - Joplin (MO), USA - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Boston (MA), USA - Torun, Poland - New York City (NY), USA - Dunedin (FL), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Chateaubriant, France - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Budapest, Hungary - Austin (TX), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Cypress (TX), USA - Bicheno, Australia - Wrocław, Poland - Brookville (OH), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Cheltenham, UK - Wellington, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - London, UK - Haninge, Sweden - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Arradon, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Mumbai, India - Terrell (TX), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - Delta (CO), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Saigon, Vietnam - San Diego (CA), USA - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Belgrade, Serbia - Auckland, New Zealand - Seguin (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA - Oslo, Norway - Singapore, Singapore - Las Vegas (NV), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy - Susanville (CA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Memphis (Tennessee), USA