When Dawn retired from Intel, she moved to Bend in Oregon and built her dream home with her husband. She has lived in Bend for a good few years now and considers it home.

The day after our arrival, Dawn popped over to visit us at the trailer and to make some plans. She brought with her two loaves of banana bread and the most delicious English Muffins. Made from scratch!!!! Not only were they delicious, I mean really delicious, I was mightily impressed with the uniformity of all the muffins. They were utter perfection in every way. Dawn could definitely be a professional baker. I'm kinda embarrassed to say that between the three of us, we ate everything by the end of the following day. Everything. We are officially greedy pigs! Sorry, not sorry!

It was lovely to see Dawn. Clearly life in Bend agreed with her. I was once again struck by her thoughtfulness, kindness and gentleness. She is a truly beautiful human being.

Together we made plans to meet up and visit the High Desert Museum the following morning.

Celebrating the local wildlife, history and culture, the High Desert Museum was a gem, sprawling over 135 acres, with exhibits both indoors and outdoors. We began outside and headed straight for the otters exhibit. We saw three of them playing very briefly before they scampered inside to rest. They were so cute. We continued to walk outside on a trail that celebrated the native tribes indigenous to the area and the early pioneers that arrived in Oregon in canvas covered wagons, seeking a better life.

We enjoyed seeing the birds of prey, native to the region, including hawks, eagles and owls of different varieties. At least one of the owls winked at me ;) I was struck at the size and majesty of the bald eagles. They were huge! We tested our own wingspans, but nothing could compare to the condor or albatross. 

Inside there were more animals; small rodents, lizards and snakes. A friendly snake hissed his hellos, but unfortunately I don't speak pareselmouth so I didn't understand the rest of his message. 

One of my favorite exhibits was the wildlife photography of the wolf by world famous photographer, Ronan Donovan.

You can check out his exquisite work at www.ronandonovan.com

The wolf is Kim's spirit animal. Always has been. I enjoyed the artistry of the photographer, particularly the shots taken in my beloved Yellowstone. I could have stared at those images for a loooong time. They were incredible. The drama, the scope, the packs, the survival of the species, all captured beautifully. 

We finished up with a cuppa in the cafe and I bought a topographical, contour map of the Three Sisters Mountains.  

After deciding not to travel three hours up the coast to Coos Bay in Oregon that would supposedly offer the best views of the annular solar eclipse, I stayed put in Crescent City, California. I was rewarded with the most magical view of the eclipse, on the beach, right in front of our trailer.

With hot steaming coffee in hand and wrapped up warm and cosy in a blanket, I made the short walk to the beach and found a beached log on which to sit as I waited first for sunrise and then the solar eclipse.

It was a cloudy morning but ever so still, the waves were gently lapping on the shoreline in quiet anticipation. The birds were still and quiet. Some on one leg, some on two, resting, facing east, watchful, as if praying in some unspoken ritual.

The sun rose and peeked its cheery head through the clouds. And then the astonishing phenomenon began ever so slowly, with the moon passing between the sun and earth.
An annular solar eclipse is when the shadow of the moon does not completely cover the disk of the sun leaving a bright glowing ring, or annulus, around the sun creating a startling contrast of light and dark.  The eclipse took a good hour from start to finish. 

Even though it was cloudy and I did not get a really clear view, the clouds added magic and mystery, color and contrast. It was breathtaking. 

All photos were taken with my trusty iPhone 13 Pro Max.

I love the ease of taking snapshots with my iPhone 13 Pro Max. I do not own a fancy DSLR camera, I prefer to take lots of quick pics with my phone and then sift through to find one or two reasonably good shots.

At Yosemite, you truly cannot take a bad photo because the scenery is so stunning. I had fun exploring black and white photography in the park, especially using the long exposure facility on my phone to take pics of the waterfalls. It's all part of the creative process for me. At the back of my mind I am always considering documenting the moment for future generations, Henry in particular, but also any future ancestors that might be interested in life in 2023.

I was excited to explore Yosemite through this creative lens and I was looking forward to revisiting the Ansel Adams Museum in Yosemite for further inspiration.

Born in 1902, Ansel Adams' passion for landscape photography led him to the pristine wilderness of Yosemite. His meticulous craftsmanship and dedication to capture the grandeur of the park resulted in his timeless, iconic black and white photographs that celebrate Yosemite's natural beauty.

In the park there is a wonderful little museum celebrating the life and work of Ansel Adams that I remembered visiting back in 2008 on Kim's sabbatical. Prints, postcards and huge framed black and white photographs are absolutely stunning. As you walk in from the beauty of the park, you cannot help but be delighted to see the familiar sights  captured in a photo, taken from the most advantageous angle. The photos tell a story of Yosemite over time. Capturing all four seasons of Yosemite as it lives, breathes and unfurls with life, from the first buds of Spring and the rushing waterfalls in the valley to the snow topped trees and mountains in the depths of Winter, the changing personality of Yosemite in all its miraculous moods.  

In honor of Ansel Adams, here are my best efforts at black and white photography in Yosemite.

All photos are taken with my iPhone 13 Pro Max.