Happy Father’s Day Dad!

I am a bit late with posting this but seems life right now is a bit fast and crazier than I want…today is a very special day of honoring our Dad’s.

This is my Dad…he was an amazing man…he lived with a left stiff leg from a football injury during his senior year in high school. Yet not once did he ever complain or make excuses for his life. Instead he fought to live a normal life and he did. I saw it and was witness to it…Dad was the real deal when it came to being a cowboy and a great Dad!

Dad with his horse Jingle across the road from the house in the 1940’s.

Dad roping in the 1950’s…

Dad in the 1970’s running one of the biggest cattle ranches in the state of Oregon. One of the very last cattle ranches in the state to drive their cattle down from the mountains in the late fall to the winter pasture. It was a 90 mile cattle drive with 800 head of mamma cows.

Newspaper Article On The Juniper T

Yearly Fall Cattle Drive

Cows headed home…we drove the cattle every fall for almost 30 years and by the time we did it the last year…it was a piece of cake. They knew where they were going…home.

Dad looking weary on the drive about half way through. This is my Dad…his horse Bucky…his dog Blue. He was pretty much John Wayne to me and Mom and kinda scary to Wild Bill:)

Oh come on WB Dad does not look scary here!!!

 “WB are you gonna marry my daughter?”

“Yes sir….I am!”

“She is our little girl…and our only child…so I am watching you!”

“Don’t worry Dad…I am good with WB.”

I have so many good memories of growing up riding with Dad and working cows…but some of the best ones are when Dad took me fishing or when he taught me how to drive a four speed Scout up in the mountains…he was the solid comfort in Mom’s and my life…and he always kept a going.

Dad, you gave me the gift of life and horses:)

Happy Father’s Day…I learned everything I could from you about life and living and I miss you and Mom so very much.

I thank God for giving me a cowboy Dad like you!

Hotrod Cowgirl headed on down the road with horse power and horsepower:) Over and out…see ya on down the dusty trail!

Incredible Storms Rolling Over Juniper Canyon

Our weather the last year has been odd for this neck of the woods….but perfect for me to capture images to share with you all:)

It all began like this….dark couds overhead with threatening skies…I knew it was camera time.

Within minutes the first rainbow appeared…as the sun was dipping lower and lower so the incredible colors are natural.

Looking back towards the barn….beautiful skies!

We had several short cloud bursts of rain….

Incredible…God’s colors…in person they are intense and beautiful and awesome!

Another rainbow…and this time it was reaching over the entire ranch….we have land on each side of the road and this blessing rainbow was reaching from side to side of our land…wow!

And Mr. Buck was on the move…he was feeling good and stretching his muscle!

And a classic Quarter Horse stop…Buck is right on…head down…butt tucked under and haunches set…slide a bit and stop…love Quater Horse butts:)

“Did yah see that Mom?”

Ok this is the third set of rainbows…totally weird…I do not ever remember seeing so many in one storm here.

Neither does Buck….

Another incredible sunset in Juniper…

Melody and Annie were right with Bucky…weird weather makes them feel frisky…they love to play and run and buck too!

A beautiful end to an unusual storm for us…I know many of you have scary storms…so far ours have been unusual and great photo ops for me…by the way I shot over 350 pictures in a few hours with this storm and it was hard to pick the ones I did for the blog:)

Buck says whew that was fun! Now I need sleep…it is the time to say God Night:)

With that said…have a great night!

Magical Country Nights With My Car Guy

As spring slowly slides into Juniper Canyon, the evening light has become softer with golden highlights…perfect light to capture pictures of the various customer vehicles we have built. This “1951 Chevrolet Pick Up” came to us from Calgary, Alberta and it was time for pictures as the owner was on the road headed to our shop to take his truck home, as the job was complete:)

The late day light makes the colors pop…which I love!

The chrome grill and rounded nose of this vintage truck rock with artistic design!

This is one very classy Chevrolet, completely restored to stock. The owner bought this truck at the Barrett Jackson Car Auction in Scottsdale, AZ. and once he got it home decided that it needed some TLC. He did some searching and  found “Holton Secret Lab”…that is our business here…he loved that we were the “Secret Lab”.

We restored a “1948 Chevrolet Pick Up” a few years ago and took it to the Portland Roadster Show several times winning Best of Class. Both pick ups are almost the same color etc. and they are both restored to stock. You can take a look at the “1948” on our website under portfolio and also awards on http://www.holtonsecretlab.com. It is on the second page of the Portfolio.

I do love taking pictures of the work my hubby does as when the vehicle is finished it is amazing as I know how it looked when it came into the shop. WB has incredible vision and can see through the rust and nasty looking vehicles that our customers often bring to us to make them new again. Kind of like me with salvaging some of the antique furniture we have…when I begin to restore an ugly piece of old dilapidated furniture I can see the end result even if no one else can:) WB puts his whole heart into the customers dream vehicle…doing what he said he would do…and he does it with perfection:)

Very cool shot…check out the headlights…and all the amazing chrome:)

When I first married WB I had allot to learn with Hot Rods and Customs. Thankfully on my own accord in High School I fell in love with the love of automobiles and cool cars….of course my parents did not allow me to have anything cool…geesh. I wanted a “1966 “396” Chevelle” for my car on my 16th birthday…I heavily hinted this to Mom and Dad as their very good friend owned a Chevy garage and on his used car lot he had this exact car…a dark black cherry color with black interior…I even test drove it…hoping beyond hope…instead they bought me a three speed on the column “1966 Dodge Coronet” or I could drive my Dad’s Chevy Pick Up or his Chevrolet Blazer…which was pretty cool in “1968-1969” as they were unique.

Simple times…simpler days…no iPod or iPhone or high-tech stuff installed on this dash…just get in and enjoy the drive:)

I love that the wood is oak with chrome strips…what a flash!

Ahhh…the good ol’ days!

Had to throw this in so you would not get too bored with car stuff…this was last night between storms…we now seem to get mid-west weather…wild clouds and wild weather…hoping we do not get tornadoes next or something crazy…weird clouds and storms are enough…perfect for a country cowgirl camera addict:)

Ok time to put her away…

Hmmmm? I wonder what he is seeing or thinking?

My car guy…love you WB:)

After 35 years you still make my heart pitter patter:)

It’s Fabulous Fantastic Freaky Friday!!! I am wishing you an incredible day filled with lots of good belly laughs with plenty of sunny sunshine!!! No matter where you are…there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if you look for it! It may not be actual money that you find but something very special and meaningful:)

Look deep into my eyes…the force is with you…Happy Freaky Friday!!!!!!

Sunsets…Horses…Moon Rising…Spring Evenings

Spring evenings are magical here as the earth begins to turn green everywhere and sunset time brings soft light and incredible skies.

I never grow tired of looking at this view…

The CRP is getting greener and is full of life.

Hey Mr. Buck Buck…love his Buckskin color…and he is such a good boy!

The sun is beginning to slowly slide behind the canyon hill….

While I fill water troughs and check horses…

My Sweet Melody…such a pretty girl:)

Heaven above is painting the sky colors and hues that we can not make ourselves…as it is God’s way of blessing us with His nightly creation…

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!

God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

And as the sun-kissed the earth one more time with golden colors…I was blessed with this view out the window…the incredible moon sitting on top of the hill.

What we call a “Harvest Moon” as typically we often have beautiful moons like this during the heat of harvest and summer…

And lift off…the end to a perfect spring day in Juniper Canyon….

Wishing you all a blessed Sunday…and a great start to a new week on Monday!

I will be updating some new pictures of the house remodel as it is beginning to change quite a bit!

It’s Tawanda Day! Tawannnnda!!!!!!

Do you remember the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”? I loved that movie…and Tawanda! So every once in a while it is Tawanda Day here…why…because it represents a sense of freedom and complete silliness!!! Which I personally need and love…we all do. In our busy crazy lives, wherever we live, we need to remind ourselves to take time out of each day and dance…laugh…let your hair down…be you…and just do it:) Tawaaannnnndaaaa!!! Yee-Haw!!!

We had rain this morning…with this amazing ground rainbow….I have never seen a ground rainbow…it was quite curious to me.

At noon we had a small break and now the clouds are definitely building…looking a bit ominous too.

 A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL

PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH…HAIL…AND HEAVY RAIN.

Well that does not sound fun!

I need to go check on my girls…Melody and Annie…they have been at the real barn since we began moving their portable stalls across the road…I miss seeing them out my window…the barn actually is very nice with quality stalls etc. for them but they miss me too…that is why we bought the portable stalls so they could be closer to the house.

So because it is a Tawanda Day…I had Wild Bill take me for a drive last evening to grab some shots of our landscape…I wanted to shoot the Canola now while it is yet blooming as in a few days it will drop the blooms…right now it is a vibrant yellow…this is for you:)

I loved taking these shots…could not stop as it was beautiful with the colors, the clouds, the light…it was magic time!

This is above our house…yes we can see into forever here…we live in a beautiful pristine land…most of the families that live here are like us…our ancestors came to America over 100 years ago to settle the land…to farm and begin a new life to pass on to their families and they did. Now we are the caretakers of the land and we all seek to do it right.

The view behind me….

And to my right…back towards the Blue Mountains…the carpet of green is this years wheat crop growing.

Incredible huh…golden clouds above a golden-yellow field of Canola.

This particular field has lots of memories for me…it is up the road from our house and joins our land…my cousins farm it. I ride my horses on it when there is stubble or no crop for the year…I love it as it has lots of hills and draws to explore. When I drove wheat truck in it…well it was never boring…very steep hills and draws to climb with one long 45 degree hill that lifts the back wheels on a self leveling hillside combine off the ground!

One year when Wild Bill was driving combine, I rode with him for a day sitting on a bean bag pillow on the floor, my back was against the glass and my view was either looking at WB or looking at the back wheels of the combine. As we came down the steep hill, I saw the back wheels lift off the ground…the only thing that kept us from rolling was the header! Of course my cousins and WB thought it was so dang funny as I was pretty wide eyed…no make that hysterical…oh wow what a ride…yeah!

Back to the Canola…this is how your Canola Oil becomes oil…next time when you look at your oil…think of this incredible yellow field…the seeds are there in the head of the flower. After the blooms fall off, the stem dries out, then the farmer pushes it over and harvests the seeds.

And this is what makes “Hot Rod Cowgirl” get excited with her camera!

The ever changing light, the colors, the landscape…beautiful and incredible:)

Country clouds and….

Wide open spaces…perfecto!!!!

Annnd…HRCG is on the move!!!!

Have a great weekend!!!! Taawwwaannndaaa!!!

Weekend Warriors!

A few weekends ago we began to move the portable horse stalls we set up here at the house to the new set up across the road from the house…last weekend we decided to move the hay/feed room.

With running a small business during the week and currently remodeling the exterior part of the house etc…often our weekends are when we do ranch chores.

In the spring especially, the ranch requires lots of TLC…we spray weeds and burn weeds…clean up around the buildings and along the roads…drag pastures as well as drag the gravel driveways around the ranch complex…fix fences, gates and sprinklers if needed…clean the barn, saddles and corrals…work up the dirt in the arena into nice soft un-clumpy dirt…lots of this and that type things.

There are not enough hours in a day for either Wild Bill or me from about February until maybe December and then we have the holiday rush!

“Wait…Hey Mr. Sun…you can’t leave me now…come back I need more daylight please!!!”

We began the process of dismantling stuff and I had gone to the house to grab some water for us to drink and my camera…I glanced out my kitchen window as I walked by and I saw this! We had moved the two stalls by taking them apart the weekend before…and Wild Bill…now you can see why he is known as “Wild Bill”…decided there were too many screws in the hay/feed room to take it apart sooooo…he was Wild Billing it!

“Uh honey, we are blocking off the road and it looks like you are beginning to slide down the embankment…which means you are likely going to roll the tractor and the feed room is chained to it so it will follow you!!! What are you #### doing!!!”

Yikes the tractor is sliding…ok I can’t watch this…no I have to watch this…”WB…there has to be a way to do this different #### !!!”

“Wild Bill get off the tractor!” The gravel and ground is sliding terribly!

Somehow WB, “Wild Billed it”…saving himself, the tractor and the feed room! Maybe it was me falling to the pavement kicking…screaming with a few swear words and praying hard!

Ta-da! Almost to the right spot! Aussie dog Dasher is supervising!

And then WB tries one more time to tip it over! I think he likes to give me a heart attack or something just to see if I am watching!

The new stalls are across the road from where they were before…this was a distraction picture as I was trying to not look at WB and the feed room that was trying to tip over!

Buck is munching away on the nice green pasture grass…soon the big irrigation guns will be watering the pastures again with having the new well:) “Psssst Buck…look at WB…the feed room is tipping!”

“Uh you mean the hay room…the feed room with the treats in it?” Buck was worried too!!! He loves that room!

Well we got it all moved without tipping something over and without yelling too much…just a few rather loud cuss words:) The feed room looks good…next we will re-assemble the stalls with a pen in front for a run and dry lot. I think they will like it better…more to do and not as boring.

Yes….we had more rain on Monday. Sunday had been beautiful…today it is semi cloudy and cold. I want warm days with sunny sunshine:) If you look close you can see the field down the road with the yellow hue to it. That is Canola…when you use Canola Oil this is how the farmers grow the seeds. I will get a better picture of it this week to show you.

Have a peaceful evening and a great week!!!

Spring Has Sprung Forward…Onward We Go!

Did someone say “Clouds?” I love clouds with their amazing creative shapes and their colors but the best part is capturing the clouds playing on the landscape.

I strive to capture images that tell their story in the image. Seeing a picture that is part of the story…and the story is in the middle of the picture is incredible.

I love writing, writing, writing…words, words, words to paper…and camera to the eye, click, click, click. I am addicted and can not seem to get enough…I am always scanning my surroundings…outside or inside looking for a creative image to shoot pictures of…thinking the whole time of words to write with it

I love capturing that shot that draws you into the shot…such as this group of beautiful clouds that hang and build as I take shot after shot of their incredible majestic beauty.

Horses are another one of my favorite subjects as they are so spiritual…so intuitive to your thoughts and your spirit….horses are God’s gift to us or maybe we are God’s gift to our horses. In this shot Melody was waiting for her breakfast, standing in a headwind with full expectations of her food and knowing that first she would get loved on as we greeted each other…she is so incredibly perceptive…and has such a huge heart of love for me…I am truly blessed by her each time I see her and spend time with her:)

And you know how much I love Minnie Mouse…she also is one of my favorites to take pictures of…she is very photogenic and lots of fun…she will fetch her bouncy ball toy and pack it back and forth to me as she wants me to throw it again…loves her red colored mouse and also her squeak brown mouse that actually looks like one…and she loves to throw her toys up in the air to catch them and then she will roll all over with them…Minnie is an amazing part of our lives…she has our hearts…and she thinks I am weird with my camera taking pictures of her but she lets me and just loves me back…my blessing kitty girl:)

I was experimenting with my camera when I noticed the clouds and sky were doing incredible things but the sun was right in my face…after debating I thought well ok lets just go with it and shoot anyway:)

Clouds, light and colors…stir my creative juices into a frenzy and my writers brain kicks into overdrive with ideas.

Ethereal images speak deep to my heart as the soft light of eternity falls from above.

Magical moments softly shinning…

And then because it is now spring in Juniper…the wind picks up blowing the dark clouds up and away…replacing them with beautiful colors and golden light.

My ethereal clouds are almost gone but the sky is clearing and the clouds are changing to new views of…

Magical incredible clouds that are artistically wispy and perfect for a shot.

I love spring weather and clouds…you never know from minute to minute what to expect!

And I never get tired of our views, our crazy weather and incredible clouds…the landscape and our life here in Juniper Canyon!

Versatile Bloggers Award…Wowie Zowie!

Versatile Bloggers Award…Wowie Zowie!

Yesterday afternoon as I was putting together my secret family spaghetti sauce…I had a humbling surprise. Creative Noshing  sent a note saying that she had nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award!

I was so excited to be nominated that Minnie and I did the happy dance:) Well ok she watched as I did a quick disco move or two…

Then she rolled back over and went back to her afternoon nap!

When I first started this blog last summer, I was not sure what tags were or categories or really what was Word Press and how did it work? I have learned that this is a community of fellow bloggers with stories to tell and pictures to share. I have read beautiful inspiring words that reach down deep to touch your heart and occasionally even my toes…very gifted writers that have the ability to tell the story in one word. Photo images that are simply breathtaking…gifted photography that pulls you into the story that is being told through that one image. The creative and artistic element that involves so many artists on Word Press is helping me to grow and learn…thank you for sharing your wisdom, knowledge and artistic ability

Thank you to Creative Noshing  for nominating me. You have given me encouragement and determination to write better and shoot more pictures:)

Now I am to share seven interesting things about myself and nominate seven other blogs.

A picture of WB and I visiting with a fellow survivor and friend…we are on the right. Tough Enough To Wear Pink Day or TETWP happens every Thursday of the Pendleton Round Up Rodeo…cowboys, contestants and everyone in the crowd comes to the rodeo that day wearing pink. It is a day of hope and celebration for survivors…I was in charge of the arena presentation for the survivors…which included their family members…as those who are in our family are very much survivors with us. TETWP raises money and awareness each year for local cancer survivors with support to help with their healing physically and emotionally. TETWP is a national organization that has spread to every rodeo whether large or small…check it out in your area:)

Seven random things about me….

 1: The end of July 1993 at about 9500′ elevation behind Yellowstone Park I was gathering and moving cattle with several neighbors. We had about 500 head gathered as we moved them up Pinion Ridge, which is a dividing ridge for the Columbia River, The Green River and The Mississippi River. As we started up this massive ridge a Wyoming thunderstorm had begun…the lightning struck all around us, starting small fires that the snow would put out…yes we were in a blizzard of snow too as we climbed…it was so bad near the top that the only thing I could do was pull my hat down lower and allow my horse to follow the one black cow we could see…I had no idea where I was and where my neighbors were. We were all in a storm cloud that boomed with thunder and flashed with lightning that was brilliantly white in the snow. Finally we came into a clearing…the storm faded away and the sun came out…the herd was together on the grassy meadow with all my neighbors. I sat in the sun soaking it up and was visiting with a neighbor when he said “Oh look Doc is trying to chase a Buffalo out of the herd…it looks to be 3-4 years old…lets go”…no one will believe this….and Toto we are not in Kansas anymore….a buffalo in the herd…what?

2. I love to write….as evidenced above! I have written as far back as I can remember…being an only child it gave me something to do with my imagination.

3. I love photography…I am self-taught and still learning…I get truly excited when I walk into a camera store to look at new equipment. Photography and writing go hand in hand…they feed my heart and spirit and I love doing both.

4. My office is in my parents old bedroom…I spent many nights in there due to the boogie man or the wind blowing or the house creaking…mostly the boogie man.

5. I am a tall person and a short person in one….my leg inseam is 36 as I am mostly legs and that is the tall person part…my arms are long too and I can bend them in weird ways…the upper part of me is little….when I sit down I sit short but when I stand up I am tall.

6. My husband “Wild Bill” builds custom cars…we own and operate Holton Secret Lab LLC…www.holtonsecretlab.com This  is a 1928 Dodge Coupe that WB customized and built with various details….such as a V-12 Jag engine….WB had to custom build the engine compartment to make the V-12 fit…the name of the car is “Jagged” and he is still working to finish it…the above picture was taken in our shop in May 2011.

7. I went to a small school 8 miles from the house…in the four-year high school there was between 35-45 students. When our youngest son began 1st grade in the same school he had two kids in his class….himself and a girl.

8. One more thing….see I told you I like to write….I am living in a house that I was born into on our century farm….my Grandfather Gunder built the house for my Great Grandmother Anne Marie in 1920…my parents moved into it in 1939 and WB and I moved into it in 1980.

My choices for the seven blogs:

The Simple Life Of A Country Mans Life

Real Ranch Wife

Veeder Ranch

My New Favorite Day

Brian Gaynor Photography

Sotardalen Nokota Horses

1001 Scribbles

If the above mentioned nominees feel moved to play the game, here are the rules:

  1. In a post on your blog, nominate 7 fellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award.
  2. In the same post, add the Versatile Blogger Award.
  3. In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
  4. In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
  5. In the same post, include this set of rules.
  6. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs.

It was hard to pick only seven as every person on Word Press is very good!

Congrats from HR Cowgirl!

Driving Home From Town On A Magical Country Night…

Driving home from town on a magical country night was perfect for shooting pictures with the ever changing light! After running errands with Wild Bill most of the afternoon we headed for home just as the light was switching. The early evening was crisp and clear and you could see for miles. Thankfully I pack and travel with my camera…I had extra batteries and I was ready to go 🙂

This is the view that I see when I climb out of Juniper, the canyon that I live in…the Blue Mountains…incredible huh? No houses or people to be seen! A view like no other as most people look at people and houses and cities…out here…we look at a whole lot of nothing. Instead we enjoy viewing the rich landscape views and the interesting weather .

The 20 miles of country road that we travel to Safeway…the bank…and my hair dresser is over to the right of the photo…can you see the black top with the up and down rolling hills? The views of the Blue Mountains are always part of the reward for living this far out of town…we get to see them and enjoy them as we drive.

A beautiful incredible February evening…more like early April.

We are about a mile from my house…the view is looking West towards Mt. Hood about 200 miles from here.

Can you see Mt. Hood? It’s that little pointed blip in the photo. Next summer when I ride my horse at the magic time I will shoot some pictures that include Mt. Hood…St. Helens…Mt Adams and Mt. Ranier if I am  blessed with the perfect shot…and I know I will be:)

Why we call them “The Blue Mountains”…with the light they always look blue.

Rolling hills very close to my house…the golden fields that you see are last summer’s wheat fields…once the wheat is thrashed the combine leaves this…we call it stubble…it rests for a year before it is planted for wheat or barley…each field is harvested every other year…the dark soil you see in the fields is fallow ground….it is ready to plant again in the Fall or the Spring for Spring wheat.

We have our land in the Conservation Reserve Protection or (CRP ) program that pays the farmer to not work their land or grow wheat for 10-15 years…it is geared towards laying the ground off as it has been farmed and worked for over a 100 years.

We liked that idea when we had the chance to sign the land up so that it could rest…so that is what we did.

The light…the colors of the landscape and the sky pop…and I am clicking away with my camera with a big smile on my face:)

We were blessed with a beautiful sunset on a magical country night…the last shot as the sun sinks lower and lower.

Have a great day today…hoping you will get a gift like this…sunsets and sunrises are magical and I love shooting them 🙂

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