Ocean Waves…Sandy Beaches…A Bit Of Heaven On Earth!

26 Oct 2012 46 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Hot Rod Cowgirl, Landscapes, Ocean, Photography, Weather, Wild Bill Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ocean waves…sandy beaches…a bit of heaven on earth…and with each wild wave of the ocean…the peace of rest washes over your weary soul.

Seeing my hubby doing this last week blessed my heart. WB is a very strong man, but his neck fusion surgery has been very painful and difficult, so we went to the most peaceful God place we could go to so he could rest…and that was the Oregon coast.

There is something about the ocean that is very spiritual and healing to your heart and soul…it is the peace that passes understanding to me:)

Maybe it is the wild at heart feeling of the power of the water and the waves…

Or maybe it is the power of the ocean that only God can control…whatever it is…it is balm to your soul.

The roar of the waves we could hear from just about every room in the townhouse, brought deep relaxation during the daytime and lulled us to sleep during the night.

I loved the beauty of the Twin Rocks…two silent partners that have stood the test of time in a timeless world.

Filled with varied light and muted colors that invoke life’s mysteries…and for some reason our spirit connects deeply with the beauty that our heart sees, as life is like that at times….sometimes the muted colors of our life or the memories that have faded are yet the most beautiful and impacting parts of our lives here on this earth.

Incredible views framed with the intensity of life’s blues from the living room balcony.

And with a flick of a moment of life…the views change and are framed with an ethereal glimpse of another world and another time.

The ocean is always changing…maybe that is why I like it…it reminds me of the Rocky Mountains…weather can change in seconds there…views that literally take your breath away…life is ever changing and you move with it…much like you do with the incredible ocean.

And then the sun would slowly begin to set…each night with different colors and light.

Incredible ocean vistas…

Full of glorious sunset beauty…

The last glimpse of the sun and the end of another beautiful day.

I have never grown tired of the ocean…

 Walking forever on the beach…sand between your toes.

A constant calm filled with…

Incredible God given beauty.

Indescribably fun for camera nuts:)

I love the ocean and Wild Bill…

“Thank You Lord for creating such a Wild At Heart and Beautiful Sanctuary of Your Glory for us to go to…and a bit of Heaven on earth:)”

I hope you all have a happy weekend filled with good stuff and know HRCG and WB are thinking of you:)

Scenes Of The 2012 Pendleton Round Up From Hot Rod Cowgirl!

21 Sep 2012 49 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Heritage, Hot Rod Cowgirl, Photography, The Pendleton Round Up Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As I write this post, The 2012 Pendleton Round Up Is Officially Over Until Next September 2013. Pendleton, Cheyenne And Calgary Are Known As The Big Three Rodeos Among The Cowboys Who Favor Them…Some Cowboys Say That Pendleton Is Like Coming Home. Pendleton Has 102 Years Of Rodeo History, Heritage And Community Support. Hundreds Of Local Volunteers That Follow In The Footsteps Of Their Families Before Them…As Each Year They Put On One Outstanding Rodeo!

Come See For Yourself And Experience The Magic Of Pendleton…Seeing First Hand Why This Rodeo Is Filled With American Cowboy Heritage, Heart And Soul.

Did I Mention I Have A New Camera From Wild Bill For My Birthday? He Blessed Me With The Sony a77 And I Love It:)

My Cowboy Buddy…He Loves Horses And Cows And Someday He Will Have His Own Ranch…It Will Be Top Notch:)

Are You Guys Ready To Rock And Roll With The 102 Year Old Beat Of Pendleton?

Here Comes The Flag Bearers! God Bless America…God Bless The Cowgirls, The Cowboys And Their Horses!

One Of Our Four Beautiful Round Up Princesses…She Made The Run In Across The Arena…Jumping The Fence…Calmly Smiling And Waving To The Crowd…This Is A True Round Up Princess!

The Flag Bearers Are Awesome…I Love Seeing Our Flag Waving…On The Back Of A Horse…Perfecto!

Beautiful Princess Cowgirls And Beautiful Horses!

 Queen Alex Of The 2012 Pendleton Round Up…Making A Perfect Jump!

Here Comes The President Of The 102nd Pendleton Round Up!

Its Official The 2012 Round Up Has Begun!

History Is Being Made And Recorded In The Books! Look At Them Go!

Beautiful Teepees Filled With Native American Heritage…Hallmarks Of The Round Up!

The North Grandstand Is Ready To Boogie With What ONLY Pendleton Can Deliver!

Hang On Tight…Pendleton Gets It On With Action!

Cowboy Ponies Resting…Waiting For Their Events.

Contestants In The Warm Up Area…Giving Support With The “You Can Do It Attitude”…Which Is What We Do As We Honor” The Code Of The West.” If You Grew Up With It And Lived It…You Know What I Am Talking About.

 The Sports Medicine Van Stands By…As Well As Top Notch Equine and Animal Vets…They Are Ready To Help Any Injured Contestant, Volunteer Or Injured Horse Or Animal…Dr. Corey Has Been My Vet For 32 Years With My Horses…He Is Outstanding In His Field!

Bucking Horses Hanging Out Behind The Scenes…These Horses Are Loved And Well Taken Care Of…They Have Great Value And Are Raised By Their Owners To Buck And Perform.

Pendleton Has It All! And Bill Dawson Is Incredible With Repairing The Historic Wagons And Getting Them Ready For The Parades And Arena Presentations.

Horses Stand By Patiently…Taking A Rest In The Shade.

What I Love About The Round Up Is That I Get To See My Favorite People…And This Couple Is On The Top Ten Of My List:)

Hey Cowboy Dog…He Actually Told Me He Travels To Lots Of Rodeos And Loves It…But Pendelton Is His Favorite:)

Horses Discussing Their Owners And Their Ding Dong Events…LOL…And Waiting For Their Time To Shine!

Outside The West End Of The Round Up Stadium…You Find Another Part Of The Rodeo Back Here Behind The Scenes.

You See Cowboys Swinging Their Ropes…Loosening Up…Trying To Relax…And Cowgirls Relaxing Their Horses By Giving Them A Job To Do…With All The Commotion It Helps Both You And Your Horse To Have a Focus.

My Favorite Picture This Year Is This One:) I Like The Sepia Color And The Horses Seem To Be In Sync…I Love The Build Of “A True Classic Quarter Horse”…Put Together Rock Solid…I Love Muscled Quarter Horse Butts!

The Same Picture With Colors Is Ok Too:)

Pendleton Is Like No Other Wild West Rodeo…Full Of History…Full Of Tradition…Full Of Memories And Old Friends:)

Forever Families Who Have Lived Their Lives Here Settling The Land…Raising Their Families…Building Their Future With Hopes And Dreams…It Was Through The Story Of Their Lives…That The Pendleton Round Up Story Was Born 102 Years Ago.

And Is Still Going Strong Today…Filled With Historical Heritage And The True Western Spirit.

Happy Birthday Dad! He Was Born September 17, 1914…Four Years After The Round Up Began…He Grew Up In It And Played A Huge Roll In It…I Am Proud Of My Dad Forever And Always! He Taught Me Everything I Know About Horses And Cows!

One Of These Years WB And I Are Going To Play Tourist…Go To All The Parades, Dinners, Breakfasts, Main Street And Do The Entire Week Of Rodeo and Happy Canyon:) We Have Always Been In It Or Involved And Have Not Seen What The Tourist Sees…So Yee-Haw!

Minnie Cow-Kitty  Says Meow-Yahmoo! Isn’t She Cute…I Love Her Green Eyes, Her Markings and Her Long Whiskers!

Let ‘Er Buck!

This Was My Morning Sun Today…My Prayers Go Out To All Who Are In The Middle Of Fighting For Your Homes And Your Lands…Your Animals And Lives. I Pray That God Will Send Heaven’s Rain And Blessing You With His Glory…Putting Out ALL The Fires In The Western United States! God Bless You All!

The Mighty Columbia River Gorge Of Oregon!

03 Jul 2012 26 Comments

by Hot Rod Cowgirl in Hot Rod Cowgirl, Landscapes, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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!