The Mighty Columbia River Gorge Of Oregon!

Today I thought for fun I would do a post about the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. If you ever get the chance to drive through the Gorge I highly recommend it!

Whenever we make a trip to Portland, Oregon we travel down the I-84 freeway, which runs along side the Columbia River most of the 200 miles to Portland.

The Gorge has some of the most scenic and beautiful views you will ever see…

And it can be hell on earth if the weather hits it just right in the winter with ice or snow or both.

The Gorge has its own weather systems during the fall and winter….

And when it feels like being nice it can be beautiful!

The West end of the Columbia River Gorge has several water falls…this is Multnomah Falls… a 611-foot-tall roaring, awe-inspiring cascade of icy water, lets you experience the power and beauty of nature up close.

Looking down from Crown Point…on the old highway, before the freeway….you find amazing views.

This is Vista House on Crown Point…it is worth it to travel the old road…stopping in at Vista House to learn more about the history etc.

The mountains and the ever flowing Columbia River that flows along side of the freeway make your trip interesting…never boring…I have traveled the 200 miles to and from Portland all my life at least twice a year to shop…

And I have never grown tired of the incredible river view.

The Columbia River Gorge is a spectacular river canyon cutting the only sea-level route through the Cascade Mountain Range. It’s 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep with the north canyon walls in Washington State and the south canyon walls in Oregon State.

Coming home from Portland traveling back East you experience the beauty of the water falls and trees until you hit The Dalles.

This photo shows the dramatic difference in the environment. Each mile east you travel in the Columbia River Gorge, you find less and less annual rainfall.  You can see the spring green hillsides I’m standing on, Interstate 84 heading off towards Idaho, on the southern side of the gorge, and the arid hills in the more easterly portion of the gorge.

It changes quickly…all of a sudden…you are without trees and moss…as you travel home to Eastern Oregon…the dry side of Oregon.

Becoming more barren…yet still pretty:)

The Columbia River is a huge river that  is wide and deep. Looking across the Columbia to the Washington side….getting closer to home….

On down the freeway we go…we are on the home stretch now!

Heading down the last hill into Pendleton…

Welcome to Eastern Oregon!

Can you see the mountain in the sunset? You will have to click the picture and enlarge it to see the mountain that is Mt. Hood which is close to Portland, 200 miles away…I took this photo last fall on top of the hill behind our house.

Looking towards the Blue Mountains. We still have the wild west going on in Eastern Oregon…drier, isolated country and down home country folk!

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!

Whoa…Slow Down…Summer Times A Flying!

I know I know I need to do a post about life here instead of awards….I am sorry to be so dang slow!!!

We have been busy busy with the house remodeling job and doing all the various summer chores….

Wild Bill was taking a picture of me mowing the yard…a country yard is sort of dirty work…out here we do not have manicured yards as we have various visitors such as gophers or critters that dig holes and then when you are innocently mowing the yard you accidentally hit a dirt mound and poof:)

It seems the days fly by and here it is almost half way through June!!!

Yikes I want summer to slow down and stay for as long as possible with warm sunny days:)

With this post I would like to show you how the old house has changed over the years. This is a picture of my parents right before they got married in 1939…when they returned from their honeymoon, Grandpa moved them into the house here in Juniper Canyon…where we still live today.

The house has changed the last 100 years, but it started out like this in 1920…with a full basement and the upstairs. It was a typical white clapboard farm house…built really good as it is very solid. When they poured the concrete for the basement they poured it deep…and the wood they used for the structure was solid good stuff as Grandpa spared no expense as he wanted the best for his Mother. This picture would have been in the 1950’s…about 35 years after the house was built. I think that is my Dad on the tractor on the left, he is moving dirt in prepping the site for the concrete patio…and I think that is one of my uncles off to the right.

Fast forward to 2007…the patio runs the whole side of the house wrapping around to the front porch. The yellow siding was added to the house by my parents in the 1970’s…the windows were changed out in the 1950’s the first time and eventually replaced with storm windows. In 1980 we moved into the house as  Mom was tired of the stairs…she wanted a one level newer house. I was delighted as I loved growing up in the house…it was home to me. Over the years Wild Bill and I have done various remodels and upkeep to the house.

This year it was time for some major upkeep remodeling with a new roof, new siding, a floor upstairs and revamping our master bedroom and re-doing the concrete patio…along with a new well and all new water pipe to the house etc. This was about a month ago…we have the new roof on and the old siding off.

We added blow in insulation to the outside walls and roof…and then they wrapped the house with insulation…so we have double insulation now and I can tell the difference already!

We chose a Hardie Plank Red Cedar siding as it matches our log fence and also the cedar bat and board shop. I love how it came out!!!  The garage doors need to be painted yet…and we still have to re-do the patio.

Oh my the patio…I roller skated on this patio…had lots of birthdays on it…swam in my swimming pools over the years on it and have loved it…still do today as we live out there during the summer. Our contractor feels they have to tear out the concrete on the side of the house and re-pour it….it has aged a lot the last ten years and it is time to address that too. Ok Minnie…you and me need to head to the high country as this will be very noisy!

Ms. Melody is not impressed either…she is down at the barn…good water and nice stall but….she wants her old stall back right outside my window at the house…when we drilled for water it was in her old stall so I had no choice but to move her to the barn for a while….its ok Mel…we love you lots and we are setting up new stalls for you, Buck and Annie close to the house:)

Me and Mel when she was three a few years ago…first night she spent here after I brought her home. She is a very social horse:)

I will update photos over the next few days to show you what we have done inside the house too:) This is the new floor upstairs…it is Acacia Wood and I love it!

And Ms. Minnie Mouse says “Remodeling stinks…why Mom does this I do not know…of course I am the cat…and I know where it is at…my name is Minnie Mouse and I am the Queenie of the House…Humph!”

We have had several beautiful sunsets….with intense and incredible colors!

Lots of weird but beautiful clouds…

Funky ones of every kind:)

And then there was this big boy…it seemed like it was sitting on us…it was just beginning to rain a bit when I got this picture.

But then it did this and the day ended beautifully once again here in Juniper Canyon…ahhhh.

Minnie had a good day too as she had a nice sun bath before it rained…whew:)

Have a good night wherever you are:) Minnie says “Bye for now:)”

Blog On Fire Award

I was nominated for “The Blog On Fire” award from http://humbledpie.wordpress.com/….I am humbled and honored that my blog is worthy of this award:)

I am to nominate 8 bloggers and include 8 unusual thing about myself…hmmm…???

So here we go with the 8 things about me that you do not know.

1. Because I grew up here in a very isolated area I get extremely nervous when I have to travel to large towns such as Portland, Oregon….sweaty palms and severe twitching along with nervous break downs in the traffic and finding directions when I get lost…traffic and big cities…huge ugh!

2. My Dad was President of the Pendleton Round Up when I was 10 years old. I grew up with the Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo. Dad was inducted into the Round Up Hall Of Fame in 1990….he was called “The Cowboy President”.

3. My Maternal Grandfather was an Oregon State Representative in the Oregon Legislator .

4. I believe “Ya gotta keep a going…no matter what…in all circumstances of life.”

5. I was stepped on by my Dad’s horses when I was 2 years old. The babysitter left me at our barn so I climbed into the corral with about 8 horses as I wanted to pet them etc. When Dad heard I was alone with the horses he rushed to the corral and found me lying face down…he picked me up and slapped my back…I spit out horse manure and was able to breathe again. I had a broken shoulder and a hoof print on my chest…my shoulder healed up fine but every once in a while it throws fits. One would think I would not want anything to do with horses after this incident but I did and do. They are part of me…I love my horses:) The physical hoof print mark on my chest that day went away but I still have hoof prints on my heart.

6. I played the flute in high school and also the piano by ear.

7. I love summer nights here…the sound of our nightly crickets in the small creek…the smell of wheat drying out for harvest…beautiful sunsets and sunrises…ahhh:)

8. I love Black Angus cows as that is what my Dad raised…we had 800 mama cows…and 100 plus bulls…and every summer was an adventure:) I miss those incredible days of a cowgirls life:)

Okay here are my eight nominations:

1. http://bentehaarstad.wordpress.com/

2. http://skedazzles.com/

3. http://catpurrology.com/

4. http://ilikephotoblog.wordpress.com/

5. http://naturepicsblog.com/

6. http://scottbourne.com/

7. http://briangaynorphotography.com/

8. http://lifeintheblueridges.wordpress.com/

I hope this award blesses all of the above bloggers…we are a community…and it is good stuff…thank you all for being my friend and also for the amazing work you all do:) Thank you again to

http://humbledpie.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/musings-from-the-darkroom-blog-recognition/

Be sure to check out all of the above blogs and meet some incredible artists:)

The Sunshine Blog Award…Wowzer!

I received my second award this week….wowzer!

I was nominated for the Sunshine Blog Award from Ania @http://aniaarcher.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/1021/

 Thank you so very much…I am humbled for sure that you chose me for this awesome sunny award:) Ok now I am to answer 10 questions about me and then pass on the award to 10 other fabulous bloggers.

Ten Questions About Me:

1. My husband says I often have 10 million words per day so he is happy that I blog to get most of them out! I am a writer at heart:)

2. I love each season…as they each have awesome qualities and fun things to photograph:)

3. I love my Mac computers…the iMac is totally awesome and the Mac Book Pro is too. I am hooked to Macs forever!

4. I love music….all kinds…and dance. Dancing to me is the best exercise!

5. Gone With The Wind was my first real epic movie….I read the book in Junior High and managed to fall in love with Clark Gable too!

6. Horses Horses Horses….love all of them!

7. Every summer I lived all summer in the mountains at our cow camp….no TV or other kids to hang out with or no telephone or electricity or running water. I learned from a young age how to entertain myself by being in God’s glorious scenery:)

8. I love natural horsemanship…to me it is the only way.

9. For several years I was a family/marriage/individual counselor…I loved helping people and teaching life skills.

10. I love taking old furniture and refinishing it…I love it when someone tells me that “oh no that is a piece of junk”….then when I get it done and moved to my house the same person says to me “where in the world did you find that piece of beautiful old furniture?” It is fun to make old things new again:)

Here are my 10 nominations for the Sunshine Award!

1.  http://emjayandthem.com/

2. http://semiruralfarmlife.wordpress.com/

3.  http://campfireshadows.wordpress.com/

4. http://nokotahorse.wordpress.com/

5. http://phototalkdaily.wordpress.com/

6. http://philosophermouseofthehedge.wordpress.com/

7. http://thesedaysofmine.com/

8. http://justanotherdayoutwest.com/

9. http://onespoiledcat.wordpress.com/

10. http://godguidesme.com/ 

Be sure to check all of the above out. Thank you again  Ania http://aniaarcher.wordpress.com/

I truly appreciate all my supporters and fellow bloggers! Thank you all for your encouragement and friendship!

I Was Awarded The Illuminating Blogger Award

I have been blessed with a new award from Food Stories at http://foodstoriesblog.com/

I was awarded the Illuminating Blogger Award!

Food Stories is pleased to present the Illuminating Blogger Award, a fabulous award that anyone can bestow on their fellow bloggers for illuminating, informative blog content. I was surprised and humbled that my blog was chosen for this awesome award.

Thank you so much Food Stories, CJ:) http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/

I am to share one random interesting thing about myself…hmmmm…I am 5’9″ tall…and was always in the taller group at school growing up…now I am in the normal group as we all have kids that are taller in this day and age.

Now I get to pass on the award to five other super talented illuminating bloggers that I enjoy reading…this is the fun part!

1. Ann Novek  @ http://havehest.wordpress.com/  She has such an informative and illuminating blog. I have learned many things about life and animals from all over that Ann posts, which educate and inform me about the awful cruelty abuse of animals. She also writes about her life and the awesome birds she sees as well as about Stockholm. And her photography is awesome!

2. Sam and Pam @ http://onespoiledcat.wordpress.com/ Sam is a very talented kitty who keeps me smiling with his daily life and his thoughts about life. Pam is his Mom and she runs the blog for Sam and also keeps him happy with lots of kitty loves and hugs. Sam has become friends with my kitty girl Minnie and Minnie thinks he is very smart and uh well cute too:)

3.  http://throughmylens365.wordpress.com/  I love the photography of  Tuxedo Sophisticated Cat…she is doing a year long project of shooting a picture per day. She also has a website of her photography when she travels. I always look forward to what she posts and shares with us.

4. Lissa @ http://wheniride.wordpress.com/ She blogs about life and shares her thoughts on various topics with deep meaning. I love reading her perspectives as it broadens my thinking too:)

She spends her days training trail horses, observing her natural surroundings and appreciating how those two loves come together in her life. While she rides, she contemplates the people in her life and her relationship with the Creator. She writes about her travels and steps taken toward the goals she has set for herself. Go check her illuminating blog out!

5. Jeffrey @ http://photonatureblog.com/ is a new blog I just discovered and already enjoy seeing the various photos of nature that he takes.

It is always hard for me to just pick a few when there are so many bloggers and blogs that are all wonderful. I feel very blessed to be part of the blogging world as I have met some amazing incredible people:) Thank you again Food Stories @ http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/  and also to all my subscribers and supporters!

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!

My New Love Affair

I have a new love affair living here and “Wild Bill” knows about it…in fact he is the one who gave me this new love for Mom’s Day! I bet you are wondering what it is…

Let me introduce you to” Lola”…a completely stock “1955 T-Bird” that WB surprised me with for Mother’s Day:) Yes we name our vehicles around here…always have as we feel they each have a distinct personality!

We are the third owner and interesting enough…all three owners have been women. I fell in love with this car the first time I drove it with “Wild Bill”. A customer had asked us to check all the running gear out on it as he had bought it for his wife in 1992 and they were ready to sell it.

When I first met “Wild Bill” this was my car…a silver “1964 Corvette Coupe”…which I loved so much! I have looked for another one the last 35 years and have not found one yet. After I drove “Lola” I was taken back to driving my “64”…Lola drives the same and feels the same and is very much like my Corvette! I know there are some Corvette addicts out there that are rolling their eyes that Lola can not possibly be like Lucretia (my “64’s” name)…and I admit this is the first Ford I have owned.

Lola is all class…leather dash and all original interior…6 volt…both tops…three speed overdrive…enough room for two people…and that beautiful Torch Red. She is also the first year of Thunderbird…and honestly if she was newer than a 1957 Bird I would not like her. I personally thought the 1955-1957 T-Birds were incredible.

When you drive her you have to actually drive her:) In other words in my Suburban I just lightly steer and off we go…with Lola you have to steer and watch the tach and shift up and down:):):) So that is why she reminded me of my “64 Vette”. This is a classic sports car back when America knew how to build cars…the golden age of real steel and real parts with attention to detail on horsepower and the ride:)

Here is a very cool touch…the exhaust exits through the two chrome ports above the bumper. They were designed to look like a WWII machine gun ports on a fighter plane…really!

And the hood scoop…love it with the cool grill in it:) Love the flags with the Ford logo.

Smile “Wild Bill”..I love you…so does Tucker and Dasher…he hates me taking his picture…can you tell?

I can’t stop taking pictures of Lola to share with you how amazing she is in person and I love taking pictures! Have you noticed?

My “Baby Bird” has a 292 CID overhead valve V-8. It was the second year of these motors for Ford…a big improvement over Ford’s old flathead engines. Lola’s really peppy even as a senior citizen:)

As I often say…see ya on down the trail driving Lola…L..O..L..A Lola…La-La-La Lola:) Ok here is a test for…who sang the “Lola” song I am humming along to?

Another beautiful country sunset that gifted us on a perfect weekend!

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