(+9 insets!)


Quick Trip Notes from L.L. Stub Stewart State Park!
We had a wonderful stay here this year! Our visit last year was planned for just 4 nights but ended up being an extra week because our truck's transmission died as we were pulling out to go to our next campsite. The result was a worrisome week without ever having a lot of fun because of the stress and anxiety.

This trip was perfect in every way! 11 nights combined with great weather made it a lovely, relaxing stay that was so nice we would have happily stayed for 11 more nights!

This gorgeous park has trails-galore for hiking, cycling, mountain biking and horseback riding too. Although most trails are "mixed-use" for everyone, there are two dedicated areas set-aside for just for specific activities! One area is just for mountain bike riders and has 8.5 miles of "single-track" trails built that are labeled by level of difficulty and includes important advice for anyone who wants to try them out. The other area is for disk golfers! There's a 9-hole beginner's course aimed at kids and also a very challenging 18-hole course, all of which are in a lovely forest setting! How's that for cool?!

I had a marvelous time taking pictures too…how nice to cruise around exploring the macro beauty of this place. And of course I got many trail pictures as well, but today is all about macro!

Today's Pictures
Creeping along one of the many trails I saw this ordinary white clover and noticed how its long stem pushed it above the others around the area. Of course you never know how a picture will turn out until you see it on the computer so I was really delighted to find this image to share with you today!

Insets include…
…a beautiful Sierra Dome Spider in front of a sea of colorful bokah. I've never seen a spider like this before and at first I thought it was an orb weaver. A helpful spider forum suggested this species and then I realized it hadn't built an orb web at all After spotting this pretty spider I couldn't help noticing how common they were. Walking through the forest, I could spot dozens of these spiders almost everywhere. Such beautiful markings!
…Scotch Broom seed pods against a beautiful wash of bokeh. This cluster was by itself just above a variety of different grasses and ended up creating a wonderful background to contrast the interesting pods.
…a Grey Cross Orbweaver glowing in backlit sunlight. I'd been taking pictures of yet another Sierra Dome Spider when I stopped to peer around at the other plants near by. A large spot got my attention and I exclaimed, "WOW!" when I saw this beautiful spider glowing warmly in the sun. I admired its perfect web while I took pictures from behind, at its side and this view which was the best of all. I have never gotten a picture of this species before so I was really happy at my discovery!
…a St. John's Wort blossom that was on its way out, but still beautiful. These flowers are very common here in Oregon and I believe they are easy to find in most countries. Such a beneficial plant--I use this herb in capsule form to ward of anxiety and depression! Especially nice to use if I can't get to sleep because I'm worrying about something. It just fades away and I can go to sleep!
…a "Bee-Like Robber Fly" (Laphria), which I found on a fern while walking along. What a scary looking fly! Very large and menacing, when it flew off it circled me a couple of times and made me wave it away…yikes…anything that big would surely have a nasty bite! (Ever been bitten by a horse fly? OWWW!!!)
…a Queen Anne's Lace seed ball! This is a picture I've tried to take before but haven't been entirely successful until now. The dof has to be just right and the lighting too, so I was really pleased when I found this image in my set of attempts!
…a Smooth Hawksbeard against yet another sea of bokeh! These flowers were everywhere and to the uninformed, can appear to be a dandelion, though they are not very closely related (both are in the 32k species Aster family but diverge from there).
…a Pussy Toe "torch". These flowers get their name from the budding flowers which form clumps that look a lot like the toes of cats! I usually see them closed-up but here at Stub Stewart, they were all approaching the end of their blooming cycle and I found most of them opened up like this one. Magnificent!
…a cluster of Spiny Rose Galls on a wild rose. These galls are made by wasps, each of which has an egg laid inside it. The galls grow and the larvae feed on the material inside until they finally hatch and fly away as fully-developed adults!

I hope that everyone is staying safe and having a pleasant weekend--happy Labor Day to those of you who live in the U.S.!

Explored on 9/7/20; highest placement #3.