Some Signs - A Few Bugs - Some Scenery

Here is a post that is a collection of disjointed images. We thought it might be fun to put some unrelated, interesting and sometimes humorous images together

This sign was in a restaurant where we stopped for lunch. It was not the Red Dog Saloon as the sign might indicate so the owners of the not-to-be-named establishment must have bought, borrowed, replicated, or absconded with the sign. The food and service were much better than the sign would indicate, we did not have to lower our standards but who knows our standards might already be pretty low.

We have in earlier blog posts mentioned Palouse Falls. It is a state park in Washington that is about 75 miles from our home. It is a fascinating location. This geography was scoured out by the Missoula Floods of many years ago, a quite fascinating geological event.

This is an interesting panoramic image looking from Palouse Falls on the left down the river. In case you are interested, an individual went over the falls in a kayak, intentionally. We think there is a you tube video of his adventure.

This image is one of two representing a test. As mentioned it is about 75 miles and some amount of coffee from where we live to Palouse Falls. Hence when we arrive, we need to use the facilities. Thankfully there are lots of options since it can be very busy with us tourists at different times during the year. The question becomes obvious as you look at the next image.

Here is the truck to service the facilities. They have a business named ''Kings Throne". The test or question arises as you ask yourself "Äre they here to clean them or take them away and if I am inside will I be notified prior to them loading the one I am in on the truck". Certainly impetus to be quick with your business.

Along the Snake River downstream from Little Goose dam there is a small vegetation filled draw. It is along a solid rock hillside. In that vegetation we saw about 45-63 spiders. They appeared to be all Western Spotted Orb Weavers. There were lots of them in a fairly small area.

For all of you who know how big a dairy cow is this sign should hold significant meaning. Be sure and practice safe distancing by staying that far away from other folks in designated environments and appropriate situations. Also for those of you who know dairy cows be sure and stand at the front end of the cow, the safer end.

We have seen several Praying Mantis in various locations this fall.

This big brown one was on the side of the workshop and we relocated it to some plants. They are wonderful to have in the garden as they can consume a lot of insects and bugs

We found this green Praying Mantis in the street and relocated it to some foliage nearby. It is a pregnant female as can be seen by the oversized abdomen.

It appears that some Praying Mantis species can change color, not fast like a chameleon, but gradually over time. Temperature, humidity, and light intensity of their habitat all play a role in mantis’s color adaptations.

There are a great many Elderberry Trees in this area. The berries are ripe now in late September and the birds and other critters love them. We have a good friend, David, who harvests the berries and makes a syrup out of them. The syrup he makes is quite good over ice cream but so are many, many other condiments.

Just riding down the river - much easier than flying. We were just above Little Goose Dam, along the Snake River, the water was not moving too fast and this Great Blue Heron was just aimlessly floating along on the log, just checking out the countryside.

This is a small pond called Rainbow Pond that is east of Dayton Washington. We are at the southern end of the pond looking north. At the north end of the pond just out of our view is a fish hatchery. Rainbow Pond is for put and take fishing. The hatchery puts the fish in the pond and the fishermen take the fish out by catching them. It certainly is a pretty spot.

These birds are called Red Crossbills, named for the obvious bill structure. They use the bill for opening pine cones to get the seeds. The males are the reddish color while the females are more drab in coloration. Here we see them in a camp fire pit getting the ash and minerals from the burnt logs and charred surfaces. There was a flock of about 23 some of which would fly down from the large fir trees and into the fire pit and back and forth. Fun to watch.

We might have to call this a Swiss Cheese Fir tree because of all the holes in the tree. Quite a variation in the size of openings.

The color from the bark, light green moss, and tree surface is quite fascinating.

This is an image of a location along Summit Road in Oregon called Quarry Pond. Summit Road is in the Blue Mountains and about 45 miles east of where we live in Walla Walla. It is about 4,800 feet in elevation and early in the year has a lot of great birds and wildflowers. We found the tree in the image above and the Red Crossbill near this pond. It is a neat, quiet place. There are campsites here but it is very rustic, no water other than what you see in the pond and no bathroom facilities.

We hope you enjoyed this brief look at some signs, a few bugs, and some scenery. We think It is a fun, interesting, and diverse collection of images and information.

Let us know if you have any questions.
All the best - Be Well - Happy October - George & Deanna