Keith's Photos and Ramblings

More Spring Flowers

2009-04-30T07:50:00.001-07:00

More spring flowers for your viewing pleasure.

Spring Flowers

2009-04-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Since spring is here I thought I would post a few flowers for you to enjoy.

Turkey and Rodent

2008-09-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wild Turkey near Redmond, OR

Squirrel hiding in a tree at Willamette University in Salem OR

The Yellow Rose of . . .

2008-09-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well, Oregon.
Rosebuds give a promise of renewal, of new life.

The promise realized.

Oregon Flowers

2008-09-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

Flowering tree in the courtyard at Salem Hospital.
Red Rhododendron
Pastel Pink Rhododendron.

Stormy Skies

2008-09-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

A rainbow forms above a Starbucks in Salem, OR during a thunderstorm.
A shaft of sunlight breaks through a storm over Salem, OR.
Two shots of a sunset as a storm is passing Minto Brown Park in Salem, OR.

Pink

2008-08-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hibiscus
Dogwood with raindrops.

More of God's Beautiful Creation

2008-08-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Snap Dragons at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
I don't know what kind of flowers these are, but they are beautiful.
White Rhododendrons in Salem, OR.

Pink & White

2007-11-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him." Ps 37:7.

Taken last spring in Salem, OR.

Spring Flowers

2007-10-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Some bright spring flowers (and a bee) for a dreary fall day (at least here in western Oregon). Taken at Mission Mill in Salem, OR last spring.

"The Birds of the Air"

2007-09-02T19:33:00.001-07:00

The title is a line from a song titled The Majesty and Glory of Your Name based on Psalm 8.
Above: American Goldfinch. Below: House Sparrow. Both taken at my parents' bird feeder.

Above: Pine Siskin photographed at my parents' bird feeder. Below: Mallard in a puddle in Salem, OR.
Below: Mountain Chickadee at my parents' bird feeder.

Flowers

2007-08-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

"O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." Ps. 136:1

Fountains

2007-08-12T21:56:00.001-07:00

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14 KJV.
A fountain at Willamette University in Salem, OR.

Mountains

2007-08-11T12:28:00.001-07:00

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Ps. 91:1, 2 KJV.
Some of the peaks in the Cascade Range taken from near Redmond, OR.

Full Moon

2007-05-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

KJV Psalms 8:3-43. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Photos were taken in Salem, OR through a spotting scope.

Mountains

2007-05-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

KJV Psalms 121:1-2 1. I Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

The Three Sisters from northwest of Redmond, OR.

2007-04-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

28. "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Matthew 6:28-29.

Yellow and blue pansy.
Purple Columbine.

Raindrops on dogwood.

Spring Flowers

2007-04-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

Coast Starlight

2007-04-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

The southbound Coast Starlight arriving in Salem; on time for once. It had three locomotives instead of the usual two. One was being returned to California after being used on the Cascades service for a few weeks.
Above: Approaching the Amtrak Station.
Above and Below: Just south of the Amtrak Station at the north end of the Salem Yard.

A Splash of Yellow

2007-03-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Three different kinds of yellow flowers at Willamette University. I can image God thinking, "Why have only one kind of flower? I'll make a lot. I know my children will love variety as much as I do."

Lots of Orange

2007-03-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

The first three are from the greenhouse at Deepwood Estate in Salem, OR. The last one is from an outdoor garden at Willamette University in Salem, OR.

Best Friends

2007-03-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

My two grandsons in a garden at Willamette University. The one on the left is four and a half and the one on the right is five. They love to go with grandpa and watch trains or look for birds.

Water

2007-03-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Two different scenes, but both manmade to some extent.

Mallards swimming in what used to be a millrace.
An indoor waterfall in the middle of the Family Birth Center at Salem Hospital.

Sunrise and Daffodil

2007-03-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Sunrise at Basket Slough Wildlife Refuge.
Daffadil in bloom at Basket Slough Wildlife Refuge.

Spring is Here

2007-03-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

My grandsons watching birds at Basket Slough Wildlife Refuge.

A squirrel eating nuts in the sunshine where I live.

A Day at Basket Slough

2007-02-14T19:54:00.000-08:00

Basket Slough is a wildlife refuge just off highway 22 west of Salem, OR. I spend quite a bit of time there hiking the trails and photographing whatever happens along.
Frost on teasl.
Great Blue Heron.

Killdeer.

Where Are the Trains?

2007-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Back in December I stopped by Tehachapi Pass on my way home from San Diego. Unfortunately the railroad was on a maintenance window and no trains were running.
The only train we saw was this BNSF eastbound stopped at Bealville.
The empty grade crossing at Bealville. The small town of Caliente is about a mile from here by road. By railroad it is more than six miles away.

Of Birds and Beasts

2007-01-15T18:44:00.000-08:00

Brown Pelican at the mouth of the Tijuana River.

Greater Roadrunner near the Mexican border.
A ground squirrel catches the early morning sun near the Mexican border.
A Black Phoebe takes flight at Imperial Beach
Patterns in the sand on Imperial Beach.
A Whimbrel strides along Imperial Beach looking for food.

More San Diego Scenery

2007-01-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

A fuzzy round flower at Balboa Park.
Point Loma Lighthouse.
Surf on the ocean side of Point Loma

HO Scale Railroading

2007-01-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

At Balboa Park in San Diego there is a model railroad museum with several large layouts built by clubs. There is a two-rail O Scale, Three-rail O Scale, two HO, one N, two Legoland, and three Brio layouts. The photos below are from the HO scale club that is modeling Tehachapi Pass.
Caliente, CA as it looked in the 1950s.
An SP train climbing the grade between Bealville and Woodford
A BNSF train climbs the pass at Bealville.
Heading down the pass between Woodford and Bealville.

USS Midway

2007-01-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

On December 14 I headed for the waterfront in San Diego to find the USS Midway. This aricraft carrier has been converted to a floating museum. The first photo is of the stern of the ship and the second is looking toward the bow.

A Heerman's Gull posed for me just across the water from the USS Midway.

Tijuana Estuary

2007-01-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

The Tijuana Estuary is a Wildlife Refuge at the mouth of the Tijuana River just north of Mexico. It is a tidal wetlands that supports an amazing variety of plants, animals, and birds right next to a large city.
A few of the houses in Imperial Beach right next to the estuary. A navy base is just to the right out of the frame.
A red flower that was growing in a dry area near one of the watercourses.
Prickly Pear cactus. The red knob is its fruit.
I'm not sure what this plant is, but it looked really neat next to the flags.

Birds, Catctus, and Helicopters

2006-12-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

You can see it all at the Tijuana Estuary and Imperial Beach.
Rock Pigeon on a fish cleaning sink out on a pier at Imperial Beach.
Western Gull on the pier at Imperial Beach.
Spiny plant of some sort at the Tijuana Estuary.
Marbled Godwit taking a snooze at the Tijuana Estuary.
Navy Helicopter hovering above the base at Tijuana Estuary.

San Diego Scenery

2006-12-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

I took a trip to San Diego earlier this month to visit my son. Here are a few photos from the trip.
Surf at Imperial Beach
An interesting flower in Imperial Beach
A cottontail thinks if he doesn't move I won't see him. Taken at Tijuana Estuary.

Kestrel

2006-12-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

I have been trying for three years to get a good shot of an American Kestrel. They are a fairly common member of the falcon family, but they won't let you approach very close. Finally this one landed on a sign a few yards away and just sat there for awhile.

Demolition from June 29

2006-12-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Taken from the sky bridge near the conection with the structure.
Taken from the roof of the Center for Outpatient Medicine.
Taken from the roof of the Center for Outpatient Medicine.
The southeast corner from the roof of the Center for Outpatient Medicine.

Demolition Photos from June 26 & 27

2006-11-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

June 26 from the southwest. Almost half of the top two floors are gone.
Ground level view of the southwest corner on June 26.

June 27.
The former Doctor's office building that was on the creek bank is gone. June 27.

Raptors

2006-11-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

I love watching owls, hawks, falcons, and eagles. Their power and grace in the air is stunning.
Snowy Owl at South Beach State Park near Newport, OR.
Red-tailed Hawk catching some sun after a rainstorm at Basket Slough Wildlife Refuge near Salem, OR.
Dark phase Red-tailed Hawk at Basket Slough Wildlife Refuge.
Burrowing Owl on Livermore Road north of Basket Slough Wildlife Refuge.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles." Isaiah 40:31.

June 20 - June 23

2006-11-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

Parking demolition photos.
Southwest corner on June 20.
East side on June 21
Southwest corner June 21.
Southwest corner June 22.
Southwest corner June 23.

Demolition Pictures from June 19

2006-11-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

Northwest corner. This was the location of the helipad.
Southwest corner. The top of the stairwell and elevator shaft is gone.
Southwest corner looking southeast.

Demolition from June 13 & 14

2006-11-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

Captions are below each photo. Three photos from each day.

The southwest corner.

Northwest corner.

The southwest corner from a different angle. The crane was used to hoist jackhammers onto the structure.
The northwest corner.

The southwest corner.
A wider view from the southwest. The seventh floor is almost gone and they are starting on the sixth floor.

Demolition from June 12

2006-11-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

The southwest corner showing a pile of rubble where the stairwell and elevator were.
The southwest corner where there was a stairwell and an elevator.
The southeast corner where the stairwell was still intact.

Of Beasts and Birds

2006-11-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

Take a look at the immense variety in nature and you will be impressed; whether a creationist, as I am, or a believer in evolution. The variety of subjects for the camera never ends.
Three bison graze in a pasture east of Woodburn, OR.
Above and below a Common Loon rests on a man-made lake following an accidental encounter with a car. The location is north of Basket Slough Refuge in Oregon.

Looking west into the Columbia Gorge from a cliff above Mosier, OR.

More Fall Colors

2006-11-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

Now that the leaves are almost gone here are some shots from a month ago when the leaves were still on the trees.

A row of maples on Winter Street by Salem Hospital gives an impression of fire.
A lone tree at Mission Mill has turned red while others remain green.
A street light shines through the leaves in front of Salem Hospital.
Mission Mill basks in the late morning sunshine.

Helicopter and Hot Rod

2006-11-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

The helicopter was at Salem Airport and the Hot Rod was in the parking structure at Salem Hospital.

Gull

2006-11-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

A Glaucous-winged Gull poses on a rock at Cascade Gateway Park in Salem, OR. These gulls are only found on the coast during the breeding season. Following that they disperse inland.

Fall Colors

2006-11-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

A beautiful time of the year with all the brilliant colors just waiting to be captured on camera. On the other hand it says winter is almost here with day after day of rain here in western Oregon. Captions are below each picture.
Japanese Maple at the Yakima Seventh-day Adventist Church in Yakima, WA.
My son, Bryan, standing in front of tree by Davis High School in Yakima, WA.
A row of Maples in Albany, OR.
A Japanese Maple behind the Center for Outpatient Medicine at Salem Hospital in Salem, OR.
A Japanese Maple at the Yakima Seventh-day Adventist Church in Yakima, WA.

Waterfalls

2006-11-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

On October 29 I headed for Yakima, WA along with my two boys and the girlfriend of one of them to attend the funeral of one of my nephews. Along the way we stopped at several waterfalls since my son's girlfriend had never been in the Northwest before. The captions are under each picture.

Willamette Falls on the Willamette River at Oregon City. Taken from the I-205 overlook on the west bank of the river.

Upper Bridal Veil Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.

Lower Bridal Veil Falls

Upper and Lower Bridal Veil Falls in one shot.

My son and his girlfriend at Bridal Veil Falls.

Latourel Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.

Multnomah Falls Lodge.

Multnomah Falls.

My son's girlfriend by Lower Multnomah Falls.

More Demolition

2006-10-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

May 25, 2006.
A crane is brought in to hoist equipment onto the structure since the ramps are all blocked by support posts.
The elevator and stairwell on the southwest corner are gone.

Starting to Come Down

2006-10-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

On May 24 the top floor starts to come off the parking structure.

The Destruction Continued

2006-10-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

From May 23, a small backhoe works on the top floor and the southwest stairwell and elevator are still present.

Waterfalls

2006-09-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the most photographed waterfalls in the United States. This is the lower part of Multnohmah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. There is a bridge on the hiking trail just above the lower falls. The trail goes all the way to the top and there are more falls above the main falls.
Here is Upper Multnohmah Falls. At over 300 feet it is one of the longest drops in the United States.

2006-09-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to go chase SP 4449 from Portland to Bend and back this past weekend but I was on standby for the hospital so I had to content myself with looking at pictures others posted. If you go to this site http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/index.php you can see them too.

More Demolition

2006-09-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

From May 21 and 22.

Above: The northwest corner.

Below: The southwest corner.
Above: The southeast corner.

Car Show Part 5

2006-09-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

The last installment of the car show.

Car Show Part 4

2006-09-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

More cars from the car show. The two little boys are my grandsons, Damen and Christian.

Car Show Part 3

2006-09-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

More cars. The little boy in the last two pictures is my four year old grandson.

Car Show Part 2

2006-09-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

More cars from Riverfront Park in Salem, OR.

Demolition Part 3

2006-09-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

The northwest corner where the helicopter pad was. Taken from the employee skybridge.

Car Show

2006-09-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

A few classic cars from a car show held at Salem, OR Riverfront Park on September 2.

More Demolition

2006-09-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

The east side of the structure on May 19, 2006. Some of the vertical panels have been removed.

Parking Structure Demo

2006-09-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

Back in May the hospital I work for began tearing down a parking structure to make way for a new hospital building. Complicating the process was the emergency generator and telephone switch building that adjoined the parking structure. Over the next few days and weeks I'll post some pictures of the process.

Above: Taken from the southwest corner of the structure. The support cribbing can be seen inside the structure.
Above: This is the northwest corner. Besides the stairway there was also an elevator. The helicopter pad has already been removed.
Below: The southeast corner, still intact. The structure in the background is the former employee parking structure that is now available for both visitors and employees.

Portland Chase

2006-08-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

On the 27th I found an interesting locomotive on a northbound BNSF train in Salem so I chased it to Portland. Also photographed a few other trains along the way. Above and Below: PNWR Salem Switcher pulls some cars past Minto Siding.

Below: The northbound BNSF train at the north end of Minto led by a GP50 in the Power Bar paint scheme.

The next two shots are in an industrial area between the Portland & Western yard and the Union Pacific mainline.

Above: The southbound Coast Starlight runs through Aurora.

Below: Shortly after the Amtrak train went by the BNSF train appeared heading north.

Above: Near Union Station in Portland a crane is erecting more condominiums.

Above and below: The eastbound Empire Builder departs Union Station on time.

Salem Trains

2006-08-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

Above and below: The Salem Switcher works the north end of the yard.
Below: The southbound Coast Starlight approaches the yard.

Waiting for a Fish

2006-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

An osprey surveys the Willamette River from his perch in Minto Brown park in Salem, OR.

The Gold Man

2006-08-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

This statue of a "pioneer" is on the top of the capitol rotunda in Salem, OR. It is covered with gold leaf. The shot was taken at sunset.

Camping in the Cascades

2006-08-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my family and I headed up to Cleator Bend Campground near Breitenbush Hot Springs a few miles east of Detroit, OR. My parents and brother went up a day before us to get a couple of campsites.

Above: My dad relaxing in his chair the day before his 75th birthday.
Above: The Breitenbush River. Taken by my grandson Damen.
Above: Me and Damen sitting on a log.

Above: Damen waiting for breakfast.
Above: The campfire.

I always find it very relaxing to go into the forest for a few days, sleep in a tent, and just listen and watch everything around me.

Roses

2006-07-25T21:35:00.001-07:00

I enjoy going to a rose garden, even if it is only through photos. These pictures of roses were taken by my son Bryan in Salem and Portland and are posted with his permission. As you view them image yourself in a garden with the scent of roses all around.

Sunset

2006-07-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

This evening I sent my son out to get a couple shots of the sunset. I am still recovering from surgery and can't get around very fast. I love the beautiful colors and watching the sky change. It speaks to me of God's love and care. Sure, the colors are a result of natural laws, but where did those laws come from? Personally I believe a God who loves each of us and wants to be personally involved in our lives created it.

Enough of the soapbox. Here are the pictures.

2006-07-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

From a pedestrian overpass at the north end of Brooklyn Yard in Portland, OR we see a Albina to Brooklyn Transfer arriving at Brooklyn. A little different angle shows a northbound manifest waiting for the transfer to clear so it can continue on to Albina Yard.

2006-07-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

On July 8 I headed to Biggs to pick up my wife and to spend a day railfanning. At Sandy just east of the Sandy River and Troutdale I caught up with an eastbound manifest.

I got ahead of it and pulled off and took this picture at Corbett. There is a place to park on the south side of the tracks. I got back on the freeway and beat the train to the park at the base of Crown Point. However the sun was wrong and the picture didn't turn out. Next stop was Multnohmah Falls.

I ruined my shot there by triggering the camer too soon but I did get this old Ford in the parking lot for the Scenic Highway. Anyone know what model it is? Next it was on to Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery and a bridge I had wanted to photograph for quit awhile.

I think it turned out pretty well. This location has several possibilities. I passed the train again somewhere around Cascade Locks and continued on west. Just before Crates (where the double track at The Dalles starts) I caught up with an eastbound garbage train.

During GorgeRail I had spotted a great location to photograph an S-curve in The Dalles. So I headed there and set up. The westbound manifest was a bonus.
The bridge in the background is I-84. There is a parking lot for easy access behind me.After picking up my wife we decided to stop at Celilo Park and let my grandson play in the river. While we were there several trains went by but the shots didn't turn out very well. This Tidewater Tug was headed upriver. When we left here we crossed the river at The Dalles and went back toward Portland on Highway 14.
This shot is from where Highway 14 crosses over the tracks a couple of miles east of Cooks Siding.

In Vancouver we stopped at the Amtak Station for a couple of hours. Here an eastbound garbage train leaves the Seattle Sub and enters the Fallbridge Sub. Hope you enjoyed the little tour.

Freedom Train

2006-07-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

At the Oregon State Fair in 2002.

A White Ghost

2006-07-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

That's what railfans call this Kansas City Southern SD40-2. There aren't very many left this this paint scheme. I caught this one on July 1 in a southbound manifest at Moody, OR.

Along the Deschutes River

2006-07-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

On July 1 I took my wife to Biggs, OR to meet her sister and then headed south. It was a great day and there were lots of rafters on the river. I caught this one at Twin Bridges on the Oregon Trunk Railroad.
I stayed overnight at my parents place near Redmond and on Sunday morning went down to the Deschutes River near Crooked River Ranch to do some birding. Above is looking down from the rim into the well watered canyon. Below is a Mariposa Lily on the dry rim.
Back at my parent's place I caught this Northern Flicker at their feeder.

Roses and Zoo Trains

2006-07-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Last June I went to the Portland Rose Garden near the Oregon Zoo just to enjoy the outdoors and some beautiful scenery. Here is a picture of a rose at the garden. I don't know much about varieties, I just enjoy looking at them and smelling them.

The Oregon Zoo's railroad has a station at the Rose Garden. They were running the steam locomotive and this one. Here the Zooliner heads back for the zoo after a station stop.

B-24

2006-07-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Back in June a B-24 bomber made a stop in Salem so I went down to the airport and got a shot.

The B-24 was used mostly in the European Theatre of WWII and is probably best known for the raid on the Rumanian oil refineries at Ploesti.

Bird Photography

2006-07-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

A Mallard preens on a rock in Pringle Creek in Yakima, WA. Mallards are some of the easiest birds to photograph due to there familiarity with people in cities. In fact sometimes they are almost as obnoxious as rats although a lot more beautiful.

SP&S 700

2006-06-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

On June 10 my son and I went to Portland to catch the 700 at Oaks Park. The picture above is of several speeders that were there with the 700.
Above: From the bluff above the amusement park.

More from GorgeRail 2006

2006-05-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

Above: 4449 in the Brooklyn Roundhouse in Portland, OR. On Sunday we got to tour the roundhouse. There are several diesel engines being restored, some operational diesels, and three steam engines. SP&S 700 and SP 4449 which are operational and 179 which is being restored.
Above and below: Two views from the top of the bluff above Celilo State Park, OR. A westbound UP stack train crosses under a northbound BNSF manifest as the latter starts across Fallbridge. The close-up was taken through a spotting scope.
Below: An eastbound intermodal is silhouetted against the sky at Cliffs, WA near the John Day Dam.

For more pictures see: http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13391 or www.rrpicturearchives.com and go to contributor sites - Keith Owen - GorgeRail 2006.

GorgeRail 2006

2006-05-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

My son and I spent May 18 - May 21 in the Columbia River Gorge for a railfan meet called GorgeRail 2006. Here are a few of my pictures.
The first three are an eastbound stack train at the rest area just west of Lyle, WA.Mt. Hood and a thunderstorm from Maryhill, WA.
Western Kingbird at Celilo State Park, OR.

For more pictures see http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13391

Great Weather for Birding

2006-05-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today we had great weather for birdwatching so yesterday I went to Basket Slough Refuge and today spent about 3 hours in Minto Brown Park. First up from Saturday is a Western Wood-pewee.Next, also from Saturday is a Western Scrub Jay.From today a Savannah Sparrow. An American Robin. And three shots of a Black-headed Grosbeak.

I saw about 34 species today and 36 yesterday. These were the ones that held still long enough for photos. Enjoy.

Reflections

2006-04-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

On April 18 I took my two grandsons to Minto Brown Park in Salem. It was the last week one of them would be in town since he was moving to San Deigo with is Navy Airman dad. It was a beautiful spring day with no wind and I was able to catch a couple of almost perfect reflections in one of the sloughs.

Above: Christian (on the left) and Damen walking down a pathway.
Below: Looking for just the right rock to throw.

Ten Years Apart

2006-03-31T11:26:00.000-08:00

Above: A westbound train descends Fishtrap grade toward Sprague in April of 1994. I was returning home from my 20 year reunion at Upper Columbia Academy in Spangle, WA.

Above and Below: A westbound Z train crosses the former SP&S near Fish Lake in May of 2004. This time I was returning from my 30 year reunion. There is another picture of this train taken just a few minutes before I took these on this website: www.westernrailroads.com I didn't know he was out that day and have never met him except through e-mail.

More Birding

2006-03-30T11:46:00.000-08:00

Above: My wife and grandson looking at a nesting goose at Basket Slough Wildlife Refuge.
Below: A digiscope shot of the goose on the nest.

Brambling Watch

2006-03-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

I heard there was a Brambling (a finch from Asia) in Monmouth, OR so I headed over there this morning to see if I could find it. I got there about 11 and stayed until noon and couldn't find it. In the afternoon I went back, got there at 3 and it showed just after 4. I got a few pictures. Here are the best two. Taken with a HP 812 at 3X zoom through a spotting scope.

2006-03-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from the 5th of March.The lighting wasn't very good. The two pictures above are the northbound Coast Starlight at the Salem, OR Amtrak Station.

Below is a Southern Pacific crossbuck on Portland & Western's line near Independence, OR.

2006-03-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

A couple of shots from Minto Siding on the Portland & Western near Salem.

And another one from Union Pacific's Salem Yard.

2006-03-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

As promised a few more pictures from my cruise on the USS Carl Vinson.

Above: The forcastle showing the anchor chains. The man in blue coveralls with his back to us is my son, Airman Jason Owen.

Above: The hanger deck.
Above: A navy tug to help us back into our berth at Bremerton.
Above: A navy zodiac. A navy zodiac, a Coast Guard cutter, and a Coast Guard Zodiac accompanied us for the entire cruise. We went from Bremerton to Whidby Island and back.
Above: A Foss tug also accompanied us. We left Bremerton at dawn.

Welcome

2006-03-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

B-25 at the Salem, OR airport.

March 2, 2006.

Welcome to my blog. I enjoy taking photos of airplanes, railroads, birds, and other nature subjects. Here are a few.

Evening Grosbeak in Redmond, OR.

Beatle and lichen on a rock at Celilo, OR.

Looking toward the bow of the USS Carl Vinson from the island. My son served on this ship and I got to go on a cruise in Puget Sound in Octber of 2004. Sometime I'll post some more pictures from this cruise.