Stopping by the Big Field

This was the sunset this evening as I stopped by the big field near Jackson Bottom Slough.  What a gift it was.  I worked at the county jail this afternoon.  This was a dramatic change in scenery only ten minutes after leaving confinement.

It makes me appreciate freedom.

God's speed.

Leaves Everywhere & Foggy Scenes

I've probably written this before, so please excuse me if I have, but this is my favorite time of year.  The cool crisp air and the autumn colors trigger an internal awareness that the holidays are fast approaching.  It's a great time for family, food and photos.  And of course riding through the colors and the unique lighting are both special too.

When I was a kid my dad and I would rake the leaves each Saturday morning.  I was highly encouraged to do this weekly ritual before playing with my buddies.  Now a leaf blower does the trick.  I wish we had one of those back in the day!

These leaf shots were taken yesterday on the campus of Oregon State University.  A few weeks ago I wrote on the other blog that when I see scenes like this it reminds me of pumpkin pie or eggnog. I guess another internal trigger.

The fog was rolling in on the ride home this evening after working at the jail.  I've lightened the photo a little to make things more visible.  To the right is a familiar field that I call "The big field".   Most recently corn was growing there.

Here is part of the field with fog muting the trees in the distance.  Next spring the field will be filled with water and look like a lake.  It's a favorite spot for taking photos depending on the lighting.

After taking the photo above I turned around to walk back to the bike.  I noticed flashing lights.  It was a county sheriff motor-cop who stopped to make sure I was okay.  We've waved to one another on this road before.  I told him I just stopped to take photos of the distant fog.  He agreed that it's a good spot.  I thanked him for stopping and told him I appreciated it.  Pretty cool, tax dollars at work.

I take a longer way home on Fridays.  I think of it as sort of a treat after the work-week and being sprung out of jail.  Not that those two things are bad but rather it's the first time of the week where I don't have to be somewhere at a certain time.  The official beginning of the weekend and what better way to start than riding.

As it got darker and foggier the lighting became more intriguing.  More evidence of the season.

As the days get shorter I seem to get a little sluggish; feeling like I don't have as much drive to work on unfinished projects around the house.  Maybe I should be gathering pumpkin pies for hibernation.  Nah, better keep the projects going so I can ride guilt free.

God's speed.

A Friday Gift

It rained most of the day today in Portland. This afternoon I rode to the jail. I saw two other motorcycles out and even rode behind one for a while. It was a guy on a sports bike. He was cautiously going about 50 mph in an area of the country where 60 mph is common. Of course it was raining, but I still thought that his speed was on the slow side. On the curves we slowed but on the straights he kept it below 50. If it were a car I would have passed it but I got to thinking, maybe this is a good thing. Maybe I should be riding more cautiously than I have been in the rain. When I ride to the jail I feel confident and know the road so well but maybe I'm taking it for granted. Maybe this was a wake-up call. Or maybe I just got behind a slow guy... but on a sports bike? I think that might be an oxymoron.

On the way back home this evening while passing through the Jackson Bottom Wetlands I could see through the trees on my right a nice sunset developing. There are two fields on the other end of the Wetlands that are full of water. I figured the field on the west side might have some good photos to be had. I didn't realize that there would be a duck nicely placed on the lake.

In the spitting rain I took 18 shots by the side of the road. These scenes don't happen too often. I consider it a gift from the good Lord.