Lovin' Adventure . . . .

My sister Barbara's big lens would have had a good work-out at this spot yesterday with wind whoopin' like crazy and the sun rays creating picturesque effects upon the landscape.  

This photo, especially, would have been much more dramatic had Barbara shot it through her telephoto.

I decided to blow it up through my photo editing program to give some sense of how the beauty that big flag coming down off the south hill into Bonners Ferry was casting as it fluttered ferociously in the wind.

And, I made a mental note:  next time there's a day with similar conditions and Barbara's free, I'm gonna take her to this spot.

By the way, while I'm at it, several samples of Barbara's black-and-white photography are on display at America West Bank on Fifth Avenue in Sandpoint.  Haven't seen them yet, but I've heard the exhibit is pretty impressive. 

Two days in a row, I've headed north with my camera.  

The loner and the lover of nature in me has been enjoying this new opportunity in life: taking off when I feel like it and heading out to capture the day's beauty in some of my favorite places.  

There was plenty yesterday in the area around Bonners Ferry and the beautiful, expansive Kootenai Valley.

There were also fresh bread and melt-in-your-mouth macadamia nut cookies at the Bread Basket Bakery, one mile past the stoplights on the north hill.

I saved the cookies for the trip home and spent my time driving the county roads looking for fun photos.  
The photo above was taken along the road just north of the Kootenai River Bridge,  leading to the athletic fields.

The Cabinet Mountains formed a nice backdrop for these cattails which were getting a full dose of sun which had just re-appeared from behind a cloud.

I drove the county road leading to the Kootenai Tribal Headquarters and skirting the east side of the valley. 

These grain elevators and the harvest truck have probably led a quiet existence for the past few months.  When those now dormant fields turn amber, though, I'm sure there will be plenty of activity in this area.

I love the quiet drama of the Kootenai Valley.  It's one of those places where we can appreciate our insignificance on this vast planet. 

Just a nice stump with some pretty moss.  I parked the car and walked the slightly muddy road and had to be really careful while stepping over and avoiding some pretty squishy-looking  mud to get a picture of this stump up close and personal. 

The highlight of the trip:  with wind still gusting several miles per hour, this old relic was pretty busy twirling and turning yesterday.  It didn't seem to mind my intrusion into its territory.  The windmill just kept on with its work while I took several photos. 

Swaying in the wind and lovely. 

I like to think of this photo and the one below as "perspective."  It changes quickly, depending on the angle of view.  Too bad we can't always employ that same flexibility with our thoughts.

Anyway, there's the dark AND the bright, depending on where you're standing. 

Again, I loved the afternoon spent with my camera and the glories of nature.  One of my former photography sidekicks from photography outings about 30 years ago may be joining me on the next spontaneous adventure.  That will be fun cuz she's pretty darned good with a camera.

Looking forward to it, Kari!

Happy Tuesday.