Steps, wall, tree, sky. Simplicity itself. (Softened just a little). Dundee, Oregon, June 2006.

A fisherman throws bugs in the John Day River. Has he caught something? Rural Grant County, Oregon, June 2007.

Along Oak Creek, Sedona, Arizona. When I snapped this photo, I didn't realize the more sensuous qualities of it. May, 2007.

Another in my series of lines, light, texture and color. Inside the Oregon State Capitol Building. Better detail by clicking on the photo. Salem, OR. February, 2007.

Moonlight dip anyone? Scottsdale, Arizona, May, 2007.

Not sure if this relic is a homestead, a minor's cabin, or a shed from some long-gone homestead. But it certainly fits this week's theme. Rural Grant County, Oregon. June 2007.

I'm not sure if technically we can call these two fireplaces an abandoned homestead or not. Perhaps they're just the remnants of a fire. But they'll fit for this week's theme. I know this pic looks much better at its full size, which you can see by clicking on it. Redmond, Oregon, June, 2007.

Abandoned homestead, Crook County, Oregon, June, 2007.

Abandoned homestead, Sherman County, Oregon. February, 2007

It's Abandoned Homestead Week here at the Grind. And we begin with this entry from rural Grant County, Oregon. They're usually not this colorful. Given the metal roof and the new coat of paint that has been begun on this one, perhaps someone is trying to restore it. June, 2007.

A bucolic valley scene in eastern Crook County, Oregon. June 2007.

This is an ancient site known as Montezuma's Well, which is actually a collapsed caldera fed by an underground spring. The Sinaqua people who lived here over a thousand years ago created an aquaduct system that allowed them to grow crops in the Sonoran Desert. They disappeared sometime in the 1400s and no one knows why or where they went. If you click on the photo to get the large version, you'll be able to see a couple of the cliff dwellings above the large tree. For perspective, you can also make out some people on the cliff just to the left of the largest dwelling. Near Rimrock, Arizona. May, 2007.

A covered wagon interpretive center looks out over a valley near John Day, Oregon, and towards the Strawberrry Mountains in the background. June, 2007.

There's a new subdivison going in here and it abutts a road named Grizzly. So the builders, with the help of some townsfolk, commissioned an artist to do some work on a round-about there. This grizzly is about 20 feet tall. Madras, Oregon, May, 2007.

The allium are growing in my back yard in a passionately purple way. Click on the photo to see more detail. Madras, Oregon; June, 2007.

An American-born nun and a baseball cap. Portland Buddhist Festival, Portland, Oregon. June, 2007.

Ancient Native American rock art on the grounds of Taliesen West, the western home of Frank Lloyd Wright. It is now an architectural college. Scottsdale, Arizona, May, 2007.

Last week I posted a photo of the north side of Mount Hood from the air. Here's a photo of the south side of Mount Hood from below. Government Camp, Oregon; June, 2007.

Intermission at the wedding reception. January, 2006. Madras, Oregon.

Out the hacienda window. Click on the photo for the full sized version to get more courtyard detail. Sedona, Arizona; May, 2007.

An eatery in Jerome, Arizona. Click on the photo to read the sign. Best piece in town. May, 2007.