The Texture of a Desert Canyon
Posted By Heather on December 20, 2009
Being away so much has me attempting to better understand my love for Central Oregon. Yesterday I drove from rainy Medford, on the West of the Cascades, home to Bend in Central Oregon. I felt desperate to reach the sunshine, and something more that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
Now Bend is really only on the edge of the desert. East of here the big sky stretches out across vast expanses of sage and juniper high desert. And so I dumped all my stuff at the house and got back int he car to head farther east and embrace the desert landscape, the big sky, and indulge myself in the details that I seem to be unable to articulate.
I disappeared into the Crooked River Canyon, chasing the batches of slim December sunlight that manages to slip through the rimrock. And the light became more and more fleeting as the afternoon sun dropped and the shade filled canyon. Ice from last weeks bitter cold, isclinging in the shadey spots and fills the slow still water sections of the river. The texture of twisted juniper, the basalt, the sagebrush, dried rabbit brush, and the teasel were mesmerizing.
There are layers of texture on texture.
Thank you for taking me home for a moment in time…
As always your pictures are great. You drove right by the house and didn’t even call. I am crushed. Keep up those trips I am stuck home with a broken ankle and all I can do is sit and tye fly’s.
David
Don’t be hurt. Is your dialing finger broken too? Just kidding.
Count me in for the Tuesday lunch. we’ll get together in January. Heck, maybe I’ll come learn to tie some flies. I need to practice more.
Dave-
I’m sorry, but now I have to go to Salem on Tuesday Jan 12 for a river rights meeting. Ugg, more time in the car…… So if you want, lets get together on Thursday or Friday for lunch.
Heather