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Entries by Dr. Jeff Harper (338)
On an Oregon Filbert Farm
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at 7:15AM 
Out n the farm, just north of Keizer, Oregon, a storm approaches.
Western Oregon in mid-Spring . . . breathtaking beauty.
I am staying with a friend who keeps bees on his 'hobby' filbert farm.
A large puff of flowers being pollinated . . .
Busy bees from the farm's bee hives.
Bees are not the only insects that carry out pollination duties . . . flies do to.
Wild clover growing at the fringes of the orchard and gardens.
Late in the afternoon . . . one small shaft of light found it's way through the bushes to find this one hidden flower. WOW!
Such a lovely variety of magnificent flowers all around the farm.
A whole world in one flower . . .
Ravishingly beautiful . . .
So many flowers . . . I wish I knew the names of all of them.
Many flowers showed signs of flowering for a long time . . . as there were many stages of development all on the same stalk.
Deep red . . .
And a salmon rose . . .
A yellow marvel hidden deep in the reeds . . .
Oh my! The patterns!!!
I have to always keep an eye open for this mean, aggressive rooster. He will attack without eating!
Nature's flower arrangements . . .
Busy bees all across the many flowers in the garden . . .
I love these bursts of life . . .
A never-ending landscape of flowery bouquets . . .
It is hard to believe these waxy flowers are real . . .
Tiny flowers in the deep grasses.
While some plants throw out many, many blossoms, others offer only a few brilliant targets for pollination.
The back garden . . .
Busy bees . . .
A busy bee getting lost in the white folds . . .
Lovely green . . .
Lovely berry blossoms . . .
It has been lovely staying out in the Oregon countryside.
Flowers everywhere . . . down in the bottom of the garden's ground cover too.
A tiny world of flowers.
Afternoon . . . .
Late afternoon puffs of white . . .
Oregon is known for its rhododendrons . . .
The farmhouse.
A nutty farmer . . . er . . . a farmer of nuts.
Some of the filbert orchards.
Specialized filbert harvesting equipment: sweeper (left) and harvester (right)
The last of this kind of early-blossoming flower . . .
I was completely infatuated with these purple beauties!
There were so many of these on one bush.
Fantastic!
So green . . . it becomes purple!!!
The last of these messy orange flowers.
Astonishing beauty!
Ready to burst.
Morning opening . . .
Opening in morning's first light . . . fully open by afternoon!
In all phases . . .
The center exposed.
. . . and fully open!
More pink wonders.
I LOVE these happy little things . . .
A magnificent purple Iris!
Remarkable variety of flowers in the garden.
Many different kinds of rhododendrons all over the garden.
Gorgeous rhodies!
The rhododendron must be the most 'flower-full' of all bushes!
The variety of colors of the rhodies is amazing.
Red rhododendrons too.
Bright salmon-colored rhodies . . .
I sometimes took photos of the same flower at different times of the day . . . in different light.
Small delicate little sprites of color!
A spray of pretty pink flowers.
I was sometimes surprised by new bursts of blossoms . . . where there had been none only a few days before!
These beautiful 'ornamental cherry' flowers came right out of the trunk only a foot off the ground . . . not on the limbs and branches!
I LOVE flowers and am always happy when I am in a garden . . .
Hot Rods!
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 6:51AM 
I had the pleasure this past week-end to take a 1955 Chevy street rod to two different 'drive in' car shows in Olympia and Lacey, Washington State, USA.
The Hot Rod is a distinctly American Art Form . . . stereotypically characterized by painted FLAMES.
I saw many fine, and some famous, hot rods.
Wild 40 Willys coupe street rod . . . WOW!
Scalloped flames on a 1939 Ford Hot Rod.
The '1939 Ford had a beautifully detailed, polished and painted engine. I liked the mirror firewall.
My friend and neighbor, Ken, had two hot rods at both shows: a flamed mint green 1935 Chevrolet and a black 1946 Chevrolet . . . both have 'chopped' tops.
Among the traditional 'hot rods' were some very rare 'muscle cars' and more recent vintage 'street machines.' This is a 1 of 31 made "Street 426" Dodge Polara . . . looking like new.
For Sale - only US$100,000.oo! Full new custom frame, new Corvette suspension, NEW steel body stampings, New interior and gauges, NEW all-aluminum 800hp big block engine and 6-speed transmission. Essentially a brand new 1967 Chevrolet Camero.
The engine, like everything else on the 'new' 1967 Camero, was spotless.
These are NOT restored standard cars. The Ford Starliner had a mega-horsepower engine and racing underpinnings. It is a Hot Rod in sheep's clothing . . . a classic 'sleeper'!
The nice thing about hot rod shows, and hot rodders in general, is that there are many different categories of modified cars present . . . and appreciated. Here a very rare 1958 348 cubic inch, three carburetor V8 . . . restored and modified.
The 'tri-power' 348ci V8 in the 1958 Chevy (above). This car is a 'daily driver.'
One of my favorite cars in either show: a 1956 Ford Fairlane. The owner was an 82 year old custom car upholsterer . . . and this car had a fantastic interior!
1956 Ford Fairlane custom interior . . . by owner.
A 1955 Chevrolet done in the style of a 'Gasser' from an earlier era of championship drag racing.
Another nice 1955 Chevrolet . . . a favorite car to Hot Rod when I was in high school.
This 1955 Chevy I brought to the car shows belongs to my brother. It has a modern 383ci V8, TH400 transmission, Ford 9" rear end, modern power disc brakes and modern power steering . . . otherwise it is all stock in appearance. I spent weeks polishing and cleaning everything inside and out in preparation to show it.
The engine compartment of 'my' 1955 Chevy.
Another category of hot rod is the 'Rat Rod' . . . . ugly and untouched on the outside (left exactly as it was found in the field), but with modern high performance engine, transmission, chassis, steering and brakes. This is a 1953 Ford pick-up.
The interior of the Ford pick-up 'Rat Rod' had a lot of fun stuff in it!!!
A rare body style 1949 Ford with a 'built' flathead V8.
A beautifully prepared 4bbl flathead V8 in the 1949 Ford.
A pair of 1939 Chevys . . . one a business coupe and one a 4-door sedan.
A very nice 1941 Chevy with a perfect body and perfect paint.
One of my favorite rods from the two days of shows . . . Model A pick-up.
I like the big 'fat fendered' four door hot rods . . . so practical.
The classic hot rod, the '32 Deuce Highboy.
A '33 Ford full-fendered hot rod. Nice flames . . . very traditional.
Very nice display with this '35 Chevy . . . the burger drive-in window window tray from Bob's Big Boy.
"Dare to be different" - 36 Plymouth hot rod.
Another unusual make and model: a 40 Buick.
An amazing '41 Lincoln V12.
Everybody loves a 1959 Cadillac. A nice collection at the parking lot car show in Lacy, Washington.
Caddy tail lights and classic hot rods.
"Low Rider" car culture was represented by this amazing 1964 Chevy Impala . . . it won the 'Best Engine' Trophy.
The prize-winning engine in the 1964 Impala. Wow!
Car owners often displayed plaques that itemize the various modifications and custom parts.
Certain cars from the 'Muscle Car' era are considered 'Holy Grail' cars. This 426 Max Wedge is a Holy Grail collector car.
Perfectly presented 426 Max Wedge engine . . . essentially a race car engine offered in a street car.
Another of my favorite cars. The paint and interior on this VW were absolutely amazing.
The interior on the brown Bug.
There was a motorcycle category at the show too . . . this Honda won the trophy.
Another classic Deuce Highboy . . . in red. Tidy.
Winner, Best in Show . . . custom '49 Mercury convertible. WOW!
The dashboard on the Best of Show '49 Merc.
A beautiful customized Hot Rod. Classic!
Another of my favorites, and winner of the Best Truck in Show, was this Ford Econoline pick-up. It was a real crowd favorite too.
The Ford Econoline interior.
Cute 'eyelids'.
Nice old Buick hot rod.
Another Buick . . . custom Riviera.
I had a lot of fun walking around the car shows . . . talking with the car owner/builders about their pride and joy . . . and answering questions about my brother's '55 Chevy.
It had been many years since I attended a hot rod show . . . and now I have my fill!
The Procession of Species
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 12:15AM An annual parade in Olympia, Washington State, USA brings families, teens, and old folks together in celebration of the life on our planet.
A popular event in Olympia, Washington is the Procession of Species. The townsfolk arrive early to grab the best viewing spots along the route.
For families, the parade is an opportunity to dress up and walk down Main Street together.
Groups of friends, of all ages, gathered hours before the official start to practice their street routines.
For the children . . . heaven!
The parade rules were simple: any species that lives in the air, under the sea, or on the land . . . and NO motorized vehicles.
I wandered the pre-parade staging areas for these portraits of the communities' creativity.
The kids were ready. Cute.
The city came around with wagons full of colored chalk for the children . . . . and came around later to collect the unused chalk.
Bird Girl!
Floats . . . getting ready to parade.
Stilted sea creatures arriving for the parade.
Final adjustments for comfort before the long march.
Some of the children 'street artists' were very good.
A large crowd began to assemble for the parade.
Wherever you have a large crowd, buskers will appear.
The clouds looked threatening . . . .
The Olympia city center was closed for the afternoon.
Olympia, being a state capitol, is a political town.
Town characters . . . The Goddess of Trash, "One day, everything you have will be mine!" she exclaimed.
Old Olympia.
The crowds began to gather around the town square in front of the old state capitol building.
A marvelous xylophone band played in the square gazebo . . . . . and then . . . and then . . .
. . . and then a break-dancing Superman entertained the crowd . . . and then . . .
And then the Boys in Blue separated the crowd to the sidewalks . . .
And then there was a buzz in the air as the start of the parade approached.
A fantastic scene approached!
A parade of homemade costumes and floats. America celebrating itself.
I loved this Mantis costume . . . and wanted one too.
Citizens parading.
Its fun to dress up in a costume and walk through your town.
The families that 'floated' together were my favorites.
The ladies I saw practicing before the parade did well . . . and garnered much applause.
Some of the costumes were very creative! The Human Fly really scared some of the children . . . in good fun.
OOOOO! BBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
A fly eye! Spooky! Creative.
Even the morose teens joined in!
Jellyfish were very popular.
Fantastic colors of the jellyfish!
Some of the jellyfish were simply beautiful.
These jellyfish were very creative . . . they would rise, fill with air, then propel themselves around . . .
Lots of jellyfish . . . and a narwhal.
The sun finally came out and dried off the dampness. There were many troupes of dancers.
With the dancers came the drummers . . .
And more dancers!
Having fun with your chums. A good day.
Getting into it!
Parade parrot.
A fish when closed, a butterfly when open.
Some of the 'species' were very large . . . like this frog . . .
23 people were needed to manipulate this giant peacock down the avenue. Beautiful!
A very large flying insect buzzing around.
Just plain folks out having a good day.
A couple of wizards showed up as well.
Fun for the whole family.
Sister mushrooms?
A creative starfish.
A great day out frightening the kids . . .
A rare 20 foot street shark . . . they would drag the crowd with the tail . . . as the children would scream!
How much does it rain in Olympia? So much, that they have to actually carry the sun!
For a few, it was a long day . . . . might want to use larger wheels next year . . . and grease those bearings too . . .
This group were fantastic dancers with a wonderful routine.
An energetic and diverse group of very good dancers having a ball!
And then the last of the floats passed by . . . and the parade was over.
Time to go home . . . and enjoy the sweet memories.
But I don't want to go home . . .
Do we have to go home NOW!
And that was that, as they say.
Biking The Chehalis Western Trail In Early Spring: Heaven!
Friday, April 27, 2018 at 11:08PM 
Mile Zero - The Chehalis Western Trail, just outside of Olympia, Washington.
With my new (used) bike under me on a cold and damp late March day, I headed up the trail to see wht I could see . . . . and take a few photos. Mile Zero is only a few hundred yards from where I am staying.
The brown vestiges of last Autumn still strewn about on the wet trail . . .
. . . but here and there the first signs and sprouts of Spring were appearing.
I rode this trail in sections . . . up and back for 5-7 miles each way at a time, in different weather and in an ever exploding Springtime.
Before all the foliage returned, there were still many views out across the Thurston County rural landscaped.
The Chehalis Western Trail is a converted logging company rail line cut through beautiful forested Pacific Northwest countryside.
The trail is very well maintained and the horse riders, walkers, and bike riders share the pavement . . . and follow the rules.
As the weeks went by, and the weather warmed, the bare branches started to show tiny daubs of green.
The deep, old growth forests remain lush throughout the winter.
There are a number of ponds and small lakes along the 18 miles of the trail I have ridden so far.
I have taken my bike rides at various times of the day . . . an evening scene at one of the many lovely lakes.
Riding through these tree-lined canyons and green tunnels is a visual delight.
My new (used) large-size hybrid bike. Perfect for this kind of riding. It has a sprung front end and a sprung and damped seat. Very comfortable. I have since added more kit - lights, a dinger, a water bottle, and a couple of sacks for my phone and camera.
Such different scenes along the way . . . from open and sunny to dark and closed in.
I stopped often to take photos and have a sip of water.
A beautiful pond where I would sit and rest each time to just enjoy Nature.
As Spring progressed, the trail became greener and greener.
Very occasionally I would see another cyclist or walker.
New growth everywhere . . . . in late Spring.
There was more and more green in the tree tops the later in Spring I rode.
Sometimes I would load my bike into my truck and drive up to where I last turned around. My last leg (so far) was from mile 11 to mile 18. This leg of the trail brought me up into the foothills of the Cascades Muntains . . . and a very different topography.
The Deschutes River.
The Chehalis Western Trail runs along side the Deschutes River for several miles.
Up in the hills there were beaver dams with duck pairs paddling about.
The trail crossed several pleasant streams.
A Llama (or Alpaca?) ranch along side the trail. Cute.
I felt right at home on the trail . . . there were many 'Old Timers' like me out for exercise and inspiration.
My now 'kitted out' bike on a water stop . . . up near Mile 18.
I returned often to my favorite pond for quiet meditation.
Mmmmm!
It has been raining about 50% of the time I have been here . . . and many areas of the forest are supersaturated . . . making for some wonderful reflections.
Beautiful daubs of green and yellow adorn the trees all along the route.
A small sign directed me to this pretty lakeside rest area.
An idyllic Pacific Northwest scene . . . on the more-or-less rare clear day in late April.
The same stretches of trail I rode only one month earlier are now lush with new leaves and flowers.
Trees sprouting puffs of Spring.
Beautiful wild flowers along the trail.
Blossoms and blooms.
These fruit tree blossoms . . . smelled so sweetly.
Deep in the undergrowth . . .
Such a bold yellow!
Such lovely scenes all along . . .
Greener and greener as the weeks go bye.
April 27, and the refoliation is nerly complete.
Update on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 3:20AM by
Dr. Jeff Harper
Dr. Jeff Harper
Two weeks later and I am out with the intention of riding the last 13 miles . . . . beginning at mile 15 of the trail.
It was a beautiful day . . . clearing all day, and warm. Wonderfully bucolic scenes of western Washington.
The cows were enjoying the good weather . . . and fresh tender grass.
The Chehalis Western Trail climbs up into the foothills of the Cascade mountain range, and as it does, the trees become larger.
The trail up in this part is an almost continuous tunnel between the trees.
Such a lovely and inspirational place for an all-day bike ride.
There were some wildlife to spot . . .
It must have been a very bad winter here . . . the deer were very thin. :-)
The cows, on the other hand, seemed to have done well over the winter.
The bike path became sunnier as the day wore on.
On and on down into a tunnel of foliage . . .
A rail line crossed over the path, which was itself a rail line before being paved.
It must be very wet here throughout the winter . . . these trees were completely moss and lichen covered . . . and only just beginning to bud out.
Beautiful . . .
Sometimes the trail would come out of the trees into bright sunshine.
There were many kinds of wild flowers. I had a lot of miles to cover, so I did not stop as often as would have liked.
Sweet yellow wild flowers.
As the trail neared its end near the town of Yelm, there was more farmland.
What an idyllic scene.
A dry shed for the kids to wait for the school bus . . . it rains a lot here.
The rural school bus waiting shed was decorated nicely . . .
The complexity of these budding trees in the bright clear sunshine was captivating.
I eventually rode to the end of the trail . . . 13 miles one-way . . . and then back for a total of 26 miles (40K) in one day! Overall I rode the 34 miles of the trail in three sections . . . both directions, for a total of 68 miles along the fantastically beautiful Chehalis Western Trail while Spring was exploding all around me.
Gibraltar: Day and Night
Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 3:27AM Gibraltar by Day:
In February 2017 we made the short flight to the British enclave of Gibraltar. It is worth a three night stay . . . but perhaps not any longer . . ..
Gibraltar sits near the southern tip of Spain at the northern side of the Straight of Gibraltar. All ships that pass from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean must pass through here. The North African coast can be seen across the Straight of Gibraltar..
Gibraltar is a British territory . . . The residents recently voted 96% in favor of staying within the UK and not joining Spain . . . of course, they also voted 96% to stay within the EU during the Brexit vote!.
The lighthouse at the tip Gibraltar . . . this straight is also known as the Pillars of Hercules by the Greeks..
The 'rock' of Gibraltar falls directly into the Mediterranean Sea on the eastern side. Fishermen find good use of an old war pill box..
The cliffs of Gibraltar are compelling: their sheer size . . . and the remnants of structures left behind by the many former occupants over the millennia, draws the eye..
The whole of the rock is riddled with passages and tunnels used as fortified defensive emplacements..
Some very old infrastructure left behind by a long forgotten project..
Everywhere a remnant of some previous occupier . . . Moorish?.
Many different building traces from many different eras all overlapping . . . . Gibraltar was occupied, at various times from 950BC, by the Phoneticians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Goths, Visigoths, Moors, Nasrids, Medinas, Dutch, Spanish, and ultimately, the British..
Near here, in Gorham's Cave, Neanderthal remains were found dating to 55,000 years ago..
Today, Gibraltar is a Mecca for Mediterranean cruise ships and British retirees (pensioners)..
The Rock of Gibraltar is as riddled with caves and tunnels as a block of Swiss cheese. The massive rock was the ideal place to build hardened shelters during times of war, particularly during WWI and WWII. These tunnels date to even before those times when the British and the Spanish were at constant conflict..
The St. George Tunnel is still equipped with the original cannon from the era..
Although the cannon is missing, the turret and fire safety cart remains..
The historical placards were very informative and made the tunnel visit very interesting..
This view from a cannon emplacement is testimony to the strategic importance of these tunnels..
In addition to the military tunnels, there are also natural caves in the Rock of Gibraltar. For a nominal fee, you were treated to giant caverns lit by an ever-changing Xmas tree light..
It appeared that they must hold musical events inside the cavern from time to time..
A very beautiful place indeed..
The colored lights grew on you after a while..
We enjoyed our walk-through of the caves. When we emerged were greeted by . . ..
Monkeys! Lots of monkeys! We were warned about the monkeys . . . that they were little pickpockets! One does not associate monkeys with Europe . . . but there you are!.
It was late February when we visited Gibraltar . . . and the tourists and cruise ships had yet to arrive. Some of the attractions were closed . . . yet still interesting.
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Gibraltar is, of course, built on the side of a big rock with little flat ground. As such, the streets and alleys are often just steep stairs..
Gibraltar is also a port city . . . and a place for a 'mystery Russian' to came and try for sea trials and licensing of a stealth sailing ship. This Dark Boat was the talk of the town's permanent residents. It was gone in the morning..
There are craft shops open to the public. Here a famous glassblower plys his trade..
Beautiful work too . . ..
Gibraltar town sits fast against the famous 'Rock.'.
The south city gate . . . already a few tourists mixed in with the locals . . ..
There are some beautiful curving streets through the old town..
My Old Door Photo Fetish (ODPF) was completely satisfied in Gibraltar!.
A pleasant place to stroll around . . . before the throngs of tourists arrived, the locals told us..
Steep streets . . . ..
Gibraltar has a fine Botanical Garden . . . a favorite place to visit on all my travels..
There is hardly any unused land on Gibraltar, so it was nice to see they valued their botanical garden enough to not build on it or pave it over..
Being on the southern to of Spain, the climate is very mild. Many kinds of semi-tropical plants grow very well here..
Aloe grew everywhere..
A few of the tropical plants were in flower or bud..
We spent art of a wonderful afternoon here . . ..
There is still a British military garrison on Gibraltar . . . complete with daily-polished brass cannon..
The central walking street is the focus of the town and the only developed commercial area. There are sweet cafes, bakeries, and shops all along here . . . as well as tawdry tourist curios shops where I bought a refrigerator magnet..
Gibraltar by Night
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In my opinion, Gibraltar becomes even more interesting, and beautiful, when the sun sets..
At night the squares are lit and the old government buildings stand out in all their old glory..
In the evening people, tourists and locals, come out to the cafes in Casement Square. One can imagine this space filled with thousands of cruise ship passengers later in the summer..
In couples, foursomes, and families, they came to done in the cool air of a February night.
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The children wandered free around the square as the adults conversed over wine..
A happy girl skipped into my photo . . ..
Casement Square..
High above Casement Square, a Moorish castle looks on . . . ..
Later in the evening, the restaurants and cafes closed up . . . leaving their umbrellas like forlorn soldiers in a strange night..
I was startled when I first saw these visages of another world!.
My other photographic subject obsession are push carts of all kinds. This ice cream cart waiting for another day was just fantastic..
I'm sure I took way too many photos of this particular cart, but it was special, the light was special, and it was a special night.
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One evening (of the three) I went back out of the hotel late at night . . . to capture the abandoned streets and alleys..
Light, textured surfaces, shadow, arches, color . . . wonderful..
Ladder, light, shadow, and wall!.
If the conversation is good, why go home? Well after midnight in Gibraltar..
The dark streets where the only sounds were my footsteps..
The historic government buildings were closed. Not a soul around..
The "Government Of" . . . something or other at 01:00. Wonderful lighting . . . and only me there to see it. This must have been the police station; otherwise why were there still two men sitting behind the counter at that late hour?.
Such scrumptious shapes, line, color, shadow, and light..
I walked through these same streets several times during the day without really noticing the relationships between shapes and structures . . ..
An inviting passage to . . . . who knows where..
I literally walked from one end of the town to the other in only two hours . . . back out the southern city gate . . ..
I walked all the eay back an abandoned traffic circle . . . and then back to my nearby hotel. I had had such an inspiring walkabout in the night streets of Gibraltar..
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Gibraltar is such a very small place, but it is packed with history, charm, and aesthetic experiences everywhere.
