This week’s Foto Friday Fun includes 9 images chosen by readers picking a number out of my photo archives. Lots of pics from my time at Oregon Caves National Monument.
Guess because so many of you know I take 100s of 1000s of photos there was an assumed typo on my part last week. But really I was just feeling nostalgic at the time when I limited the number choices from 1-100. Makes no difference as I always enjoy the nudge into my memory banks when an archive photo appears. Anyway, I take artistic license in shortening some of your numbers.
Firefly wrote in last week’s comment, “I’m sure you left out a zero unless you just want us to pick a photo from your first 100 pics. My choice for next week is a random number of 8000 on the dot. (If its only in the first 100 then round it off to 80). LOL!” So #80 is what you get. Twelve years ago I lived in Southwest Oregon and the far north California coast became a favorite place to explore. Tami and I visited Pelican State Park with our dogs and while sitting on top of a huge hollow stump we couldn’t see her dog Murphy. But after climbing off the stump to look for him he sure could see us and gave a little bark to let us know it.
Jo chose #100 “just because.” And I’m thinking it’s “just because” she had her mind on the current holiday motor biking in Namibia. Her choice shows why I lived in Oregon as a Park Guide leading cave tours at Oregon Caves National Monument where I shared this stunning petrified garden with visitors.
Sherry’s choice of #77 takes us further into Oregon Caves, beyond the regular walking tour and shows less breakage of the speleothems (stalactites and soda straws in this case). The fragile soda straws are hollow and as each drop of water falls a ring of calcite deposit makes the straw ever longer. A very slow process.
Diane chose #968 from her on going theme of Porsches which I shortened to 68 only because she admitted to not remembering if she’d chosen that model before. (She hasn’t.) I’ll definitely cut her some slack on that as she’s recently returned and not fully recovered from a cruise. Remember the stump from above, this is it with Tami sitting on it. I love how the driftwood furniture gets constantly rearranged on the beach after each big storm.
Sallie’s choice of the unshortened 619, “the address of the first house we ever owned ((and the first house where we ever remodeled a kitchen, not that that’s been on my mind lately or anything ;>?)!)” For as long as I’ve followed her she’s been remodeling one kitchen or another. No remodeling needed here, my favorite aqua color, and that’s not photoshopped (as I don’t get that). That unbelievable color is the true blue of Havasu Creek, or as the Havasupai are known “the people of the blue-green waters.” Native farmers living in this amazing side canyon to the Colorado River.
Barb chose #1944, “my birth year.” While certainly not back in the days of cavemen and women, in 1944 the Grants Pass Cavemen helped promote Oregon Caves National Monument with all kinds of crazy activities like this supposed wedding taking place in Miller’s Chapel. This is not my photo as I was born ten years later. This is a National Park Service archive photo.
Arija asked for #99 because, “Nine is such a full and pleasing number.” Also pleasing were the tiger lilies that grew at Cave Creek campground were I hosted two summers while working at Oregon Caves. I know Arija likes flowers so hope these will brighten her day.
Elaine chose #621 because “We’re coming up on the solstice and our maximum sunlight.” I know she likes light and solstice reminds us it won’t be long before the monsoon thunderstorms return to the Southwest. And oh how we need the rain.
Freya’s choice of #22 goes way back to my early digital. Many very old and scanned photos don’t have numbers. My parents retired from the Chicago suburbs, where I grew up, to Mountain Home Arkansas then later to San Benito Texas where I used to visit them every winter. We usually made it to Padre Island at least once. I think my Dad just liked to drive his Big Lincoln on the beach.
Freya’s choice evoked another memory for my choice this week. About a year and half after Dad passed away I went to Texas for my last visit and moved Mom to Arizona. This time I drove the Big Lincoln to the beach, but not on it. This is one of my most favorite photos of my Mom from that day. And today marks the second year of her passing. We rarely saw eye to eye on anything yet our day at the beach was delightful and timeless.
Thank you for playing along with Foto Friday Fun. It’s so much fun to dig through my archives and pull the stories from my memories. If you’d like to join the fun leave a number between 201 and 506 in a comment and maybe you can see your chosen image next week.
Which one is your favorite from this week?
Remember to check out the Geogypsy Facebook page for more photos.
Great photos and a fun blog meme. Now I need to put Oregon Caves on my list of things to see! 🙂
42 degrees in the cave, all the time, probably sounds pretty good right now.
You have me torn to shreds trying to pick a fave! I love caves and the shot of the dog, also that thunderstorm is just so ME but . . . my absolute, miles above any other is the shot of your parents. That is such a universal shot of anyone’s aged parents.
Thank you for my bouquet of lilies, you are so right, I do love flowers, grass, moss, lichen trees, all animals even those others think of as ugly, in fact, I love all living things as well as soil, sand, rock formations and all possible vagueries of weather. In fact, I love all natural things on this wonderful Earth of ours.
If you grace me with another pick, I would dearly like 365, hoping I can enjoy another year of full on, wonderful life.
Almost didn’t post the pic of my parents. You are definitely an Earth Mother Arija. Have you down for 365.
Love this week’s pictures especially Murphy peeking out and my little Oregon pipes (well straws actually) . Is there something in the water in Havaeu Creek that makes it that amazing blue? Great picture that and the lightning in b/w. Terrific choice. The picture of your parents is great and made me laugh – I’ve saw that conversation going on between my parents many times. I also had the same sort of never saw eye to eye thing with both my parents. SO glad I don’t have that with my daughter. Just great pictures Gaelyn as usual. For next Friday, I’d like number 278 for reasons too convoluted to explain. :-))
make that Havasu
There’s a lot of calcite in the water that gives that beautiful blue. You are down for 278.
Love my tree stump, wish i had one like that in the garden. Think I have had a model 944 but turn it around and 449 fits this weeks numbers 🙂 I will get back to blogging soon, so much to do and the days are just not long enough also visitors next week! Take care Diane.
That stump was awesomely Huge. I’ll bet you’re busy. Have fun with company. Have you down for 449.
I remember when you visited your Mom. Glad I only have to see photos of caves and not go into them myself, Gaelyn! I love Havasu – I remember that BLUE. My new # is 536 – my Denver address.
Not into caves huh? I’ll never forget that Caribbean blue of Havasu. Have you down for 536.
Wonderful collection! Love my lightning strike, although here we wouldn’t necessarily get the rain with it. With the dry weather we’re having right now (80s) the possibility of forest fires looms, so we could do without the lightning. Nice bunch of photos from the Oregon Caves. I went there way back in the early 50s and have been wanting to go again now that I’m older–okay, a lot older! I’ll choose 301 for the time of today’s sunrise.
We don’t always get rain with the lightning either and the dryness has every one worried. Have you down for 301. Really, the sun rises that early? I’d never see it happen. 🙂
I like the peeking-dog one (Peking Duck, ha, ha?) and the one of your parents looking like they’re having a stand-off. Sorry I’ve been absent; took a trip to Victoria B.C. with my daughter (overnight stay; traveled on the Clipper) and now am psychologically getting ready to pack. Always so hard. Numbers? How about 714, for July 14th, Bastille Day. I’ll be in France for two weeks starting the 29th of June, and returning to Belgrade on the 13th of July, just before the fireworks!
Victoria is such a quaint town and how fun to arrive on the Clipper. Packing is always a drag but travel is awesome. Have you down for 714. Safe journey.
Loved “my” photo #619 — and I know how beautiful blue the water is there. In fact, all of your pictures brought back wonderful memories as we’ve been in — and loved — all those places. Great Friday post as always.
Very cool that we both to relive wonderful memories from beautiful places. No number this week?
Scanning through before I read the post I thought here was a cave post in there somewhere. I love visiting caves and would like to explore and visit some around the world if I could. Amongst the may things I love, I know.
Next week’s number of choice is……. 405. To keep to your 201 – 506,
So far in SA I’ve liked Cango Cave best. Have you down for 405.
Gaelyn, I am touched by those last photos. “Never see eye to eye”. That sounds like my relationship with my parents but it doesn’t make us love pr miss them any less does it:)?
I’m back…yet again. I miss you and look forward to seeing you again in a couple months.
Hope you’re still planning to visit the North Rim this summer.