Home on the range. But the deer and the antelope played a little too hard with it, so they had to move. Near Shaniko, Oregon; May, 2012

Not wild, blued, or yonder. (Click the photo to get a much better sense of scale) Madras, Oregon; August, 2009.

Bridge over placid waters. Japanese Gardens, Portland, Oregon; April, 2012

Clematis blossoms along a fence. Clackamas, Oregon; May, 2012.

Destroying every Conservative argument for austerity

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Sunset over rue Rambuteau's public space at Les Halles in front of Saint Eustache, with the circular Bourse du Commerce in the background. (click the photo for more detail) Paris, France; September, 2011.

Walking through the Victoria Conference Centre. Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

A tree grows out of solid rock. Sedona, Arizona; September, 2005.

The rising sun catches water droplets on this rhododendron blossom. Clackamas, Oregon; May, 2012.

It's the time of year once again where farmers are running their irrigation lines. (click on the photo to get a better view of Mt. Hood) Madras, Oregon; April, 2012.

Night falls over the lodge and garden at Hollyhock Retreat Centre. (Click the photo to see the Big Dipper) Cortes Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

Tulips in bloom in Hollyhock's garden. Cortes Island, BC, Canada.

In the meditation hall at Hollyhock Retreat Centre. Cortes Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

One of the great views from the deck of the Lodge at Hollyhock Retreat Centre. (click the photo for more detail) Cortes Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

This week we'll travel the grounds of Hollyhock Retreat Centre, where I do my annual meditation retreat. The garden at Hollyhock is world famous and has been featured in many magazines from around the world. It's where I do much of my walking meditation. When I first began going there 21 years ago, the green house (with the glass) was the only structure there. The structures built around it have been constructed over the years since. Cortes Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

Here it is, folks: the absolutely, positively, with out a doubt FORBIDDEN photograph taken from inside the Big Top of a Cirque de Soliel show. This one of their oVo show. Many entertainment offerings say no photographs, but actually do allow no flash photography and/or cell phone photos. Not the Gestapho associated with CdS. Although they are fairly nice about it, under no circumstances is one to take any kind of photo at all. None. Zero. Nada. Well, for me that's a challenge. I risked nuclear annihilation to bring this photo out to the free world. Portland, Oregon; May, 2012.

The mountains along the British Columbia mainland stand out from Hollyhock Beach. Cortes Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

A solitary figure walks Smelt Bay at low tide as clouds filter in over Vancouver Island and Desolation Sound. Cortes Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

Walkin' down that lonesome road. (Click on the photo for a better view) Cortes Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

Heriot Bay Inn, where I always have my lunch before taking the ferry to Cortes Island. Quadra Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

A quiet, inviting corner in a study. The Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

Sunset over the Salish Sea and Port Angeles, Washington; April, 2012. (Click on the photo for more detail)

Sunrise at Hollyhock Centre, where I spent the last 2 weeks of last month on retreat. Cortes Island, BC, Canada; April, 2012.

Well, I'm home. Spent the last couple of weeks in silence at my annual meditation retreat. Caught this shot on the way up to the retreat. It's the British Columbia Parliament Building on a cloudy day, taken from across the marina. (Click on the photo for more detail) . Victoria, BC, Canada; April, 2012.