The path photographed but not taken

While out walking my 4-legged companion, I was drawn again to the river, something about moving water. What can I say? Maybe it speaks to the traveler in me. Moving. Going somewhere else. Restless staying in one place. This is a very nice place, don't get me wrong. But in any case, the river pulls at me. Who am I to struggle against it?

I'm shooting directly into the sun; flawed thinking, eh? Well, so be it. I played with a Poster Edges effect filter and I like the grainy, inky blackness of the image, with just the mere suggestion of shape and the rippling water.

I was up on Summit Drive, I think, and there are numerous paths down the hills toward the river. One was rather indistinct, maybe it hadn't been used in awhile, but I liked it. If I had better shoes on for it, I would have followed it to see where it went. I also liked the shape of the trees in the background, there's a geometric shape to them, a nice background for the feathery grasses.  Maybe it's the strong vertical of the tree right in the middle of the composition continuing the path upward.

Looking in the other direction I saw the path carpeted with newspapers that had blown down and were caught by the tall grasses. There was something fetching about the incongruity of the newspapers in such a natural setting.




The Path Not Taken



The Printed Path

So, these are my uploads for today.

I went to a thrift shop on Maple in North Spokane this evening, wait until you see what I shot there!

A walk in the park

It wasn't exactly a park, but it was outside and there were trees; close enough. Suki and I don't go for walks frequently enough. Ah-HA! A New Year's resolution, if I ever saw one!

During our walk, I saw all sorts of cool things that caught my eye. Here are just a few of them.



I liked all of the intertwining mossy pine branches,
like a monkey puzzle



Bugs or woodpeckers
made a feast of this tree!



Spokane River in early morning fog

Oh, and an elephant ...


Spokane River all on a sunny afternoon ...

Mel had to take her grandson out to the mall to buy some things for a homecoming soiree, and I tagged along. I'm still learning my way around and throughout Spokane, so I was up for a ride along. I took some photos of skulls I had seen in one of the shops. It was a pleasant diversion while Mel did her grandmama thing.

However, once the shopping excursion was done, and grandson was safely dropped off with his goodies in stow, Mel and I headed back home. On the way, we crossed over a bridge and I asked how she would recommend I get down to the river from there. She showed me a cool little place right by the river, out past the water reclamation place.

I imagine in the heat of the summer, it would be a very popular place, but it was getting later in the afternoon and the temperature quite cool, so we had the place all to ourselves.

I could hear the water rushing over the rapids just down from our location; the sound was wonderful! Three paddlers floated by in their kayaks. What a glorious time to be on the river.

So, today I'll share those photographs with you. Enjoy the water this Day 285 of 365:



Color display just starting here; more
evident other areas of Spokane




Looked like so much FUN!



I applied a Dry Brush effect to this shot.




This one has a Poster Edges effect



Mel, waiting patiently while I scurried about
photographing this, analyzing that



Day 241 and an hour or so at Spokane River

I miss daily walks along the beach in Birch Bay. There are small lakes I can drive to from my residence here in Spokane, and there's the Spokane River, but I'm spoiled. I have to get into my truck, drive through the city, get on the freeway, and drive some more. Yeah, big whoopee!

But I did all of that and Suki and I ended up walking along the Spokane River east out by Liberty Lake and Otis Orchard.

The other side of the river was obviously a popular entrance point to the river, as kids and families carried their inner tubes and inflatible boats down to the water's edge and with much laughing and shouting, hopped in and headed quickly downstream.

This river seemed very clean. I could see the river bottom and one or two little fishies swimming around the rocks. When I visited with my son, Owen, in Grand Junction, I found the Colorado River to be very muddy and murky. It wasn't pretty at all.

I was curious what kind of rocks I would find in a river compared to the cobble and pebbles I would find at Birch Bay.

So, I had fun looking at rocks and listening to the flow of the river. And Suki again proved herself to be THE best photographer's dog in the world. She just curled up on the riverbank and let me putter around to my heart's content.

August 29, 2011