Less than 3 hours from PDX: SHANIKO Ghost Town

The drive only took "Hood Winked" and a little of  "Parent Trap", not to much time at all! Really it was a pretty drive through part of the Columbia River Gorge and then inland a bit. The terrain of Oregon is amazing! We drove through lush green mountains, with beautiful waterfalls, into a rolling hills area with little to no trees at all. It always amazes me how vast Oregon's areas are and how much differences are seen on even a short 2.5 hour drive! 

Then in the middle of no where, is an old "ghost" town called Shaniko! We first stopped at a general store and the kids jumped out and started naming everything they saw "ghost". "Look, here are ghost polls", and "look a ghost store". It was funny...at first! 

Our first pictures where portraits by the "ghost polls" of the general store! So cute to see things through the eyes of children, to imagine what they may have expected! 

Next we traveled to the "wedding chapel". So cool to see the old buildings and realize how small a community was "back in the day" to be able to congregate in such a small one room building. 

The buildings in Shaniko are well maintained but still keep the old time feel. We visited on a Monday, so although most buildings were closed it was still a wonderful experience, and there were loads of photo ops! 

There are lots of things around to remind you of what life may have been like when Shaniko was a living "modern day" town. We call them old or antique, but these items were what made life a bit easier! Just imagine! 

 

State of the art fire fighting equipment!

In Shaniko one could play out great imaginary stories! Here is one that we came up with...

Early one morning, while waiting for the Shaniko Bank to open, 3 lovely ladies sat enjoying the sunshine!

When all of the sudden the "yellow bellied brothers" gang approaches them. Miss Kenzi runs to get the sheriff  but the gang holds the other two, telling them to hand over the money.

 

The yellow belly brothers persuade the youngest 

lady to join their group. 

Meanwhile the Sheriff shows up and can't figure out who the good guys and the bad guys are, so halls them all off to jail! 

 The Judge is in the next town over, so the Sheriff loads everyone into the patty wagon to take them to the next town. Unfortunately he allowed the yellow bellied brothers to drive! 

 They never made it to the next town, in fact rumor has it, they all bellied up to the bar at the local saloon and had a Birch Beer 

(root beer)...

 ...and toasted their good fortune of getting out of jail! 

The mothers however, well lets just say they 

were not seen at the saloon! 

The End

Just a few hours from Portland!

I live smack dab in the middle of a huge metropolitan city! But I am so blessed to live in a city where I can drive for 2 hours in any direction and be in a different setting! I can travel to the Oregon Coast, The Columbia River Gorge, the Deserts of John Day, or up to Mt, Hood just to name a few, within a few hours. 

I think I will! 

Be on the lookout for my 2 hour travel target practice! 

Oh the things we will see through my lens! Life so beautiful!

For right now here are some shots I have taken recently. 

The country is beautiful!

God bless, Michelle!

Fun with black and white

I have always loved the look of a black and white photograph. There is something pure and special about the lack of color. Details that might go unnoticed in a color photo suddenly pop out at you. Eyes tell a story, freckles that blended in now stand out and the little details become alive!

Well, I have been playing! Here is what I call...Life through my lens, in living color...kinda!







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Every Day LIfe!

If you read the previous blog you know my van needed a wash! While Washman did it's thing, I did mine! All these pictures were taken through the windshield of my van! So much fun. Don't forget to shoot the ordinary everyday things in your life. They will be beautiful because life is beautiful!
Enjoy!

Get Acquainted Shoot!

With a house full of needs and long of to do lists, there are not to many times my husband or I get alone. Last Saturday I took off for a shoot, just me my new camera and the beauty of our area! I was not sure where I was going, but I headed towards the Columbia River Gorge and ended up driving along the Sandy River.

I stopped where I saw a picture waiting to happen, I turned around when I passed something that might look interesting, and I probably made some people a little mad because it was Saturday not Sunday, yet I was out for a drive, slow at times!

OK, you need the story of the sign! I found myself noticing lots of street names of people I know (Kimberly Ct, Ellis street, ETC) I finally stopped to shoot a sign, thinking why am I not stopping, this is what I am out for! I pulled to the shoulder and thought it felt a little sloppy, but I would only be a moment and I was already parked so what would be the point in moving! I took the pics and then got back into go...yep my wheels spun. I laughed at the thought of calling my husband to pull me out! Luckily I was able to rock back and forth to free the tire, but sprayed mud all over the side of the van! You should check out the car wash pictures I took shortly after! LOL!

I had a sweet day. Enjoyed the freedom, but after a couple of hours realized it is more fun to shoot with other people, as co-photographers or models! Enjoy a sample of my Get Acquainted with my new camera shoot! She is a nice new friend who I plan to enjoy using! =-)

You don't want a premature blessing!

I don't care how much a woman enjoys being pregnant, during the last few weeks all she thinks about is being done with the pregnancy and finally seeing her new baby face to face!

In 1992 I was put on bed rest for the last 6 months of a pregnancy with twins! Yes, I did mean 6 months, no it is not a typo! I had to monitor my contractions for 1 hour 2 times a day and fax the information into a call center. If I was not contracting to much I could take a quick shower and then back to bed! JOY! If I was contracting too much I would need to take some medication through a tube in my leg and then monitor again. If still having to many contractions I would need to be taken to the hospital, usually to stay for a week. During these week long stays I underwent magnesium drug treatments. If you have never had one of these treatments you can not imagine what it is like. It plays with your mind as well as your body. I truly felt like I was going to die. It makes you so hot that the hospital staff turns the heat off in your room before they even start the IV! And the nurses who do not understand made me feel like I was just complaining so I would have something to do! But it works really well in stopping pre-term labor, so I took the treatments!

I ate all my meals laying on my left side, drank a gallon or more of water a day, and lived with heartburn you would not have believed! I was taking so many drugs to help keep the contractions down to a minimum that my face was all blotchy, the circles under my eyes were huge and dark, I looked like a drug addict! Some of the meds made me shaky and that coupled with the loss of muscles from laying down all the time made it so I could get winded walking to the bathroom!

There were so many days, laying in my bed watching life go by I had to remind myself why I was doing it. Towards the end I was shaking so bad I couldn't even read a book, the words jumped all over the page, that is if my hands could hold it still enough! Every day I asked God to get me through to the end, and I asked Him for healthy baby boys, and often I asked for the pregnancy to be done fast! Yes, I too got to the end and couldn't wait for it to be over. I did not enjoy much anymore! I was about done!

On March 25, 1993 the Portland OR area had a good size earthquake! It happened just about 20 minutes after the water sack of one of my boys broke. At the time the earth shook, my husband and I were getting ready for our final trip to the hospital (at least for this pregnancy) and I was delighted! Soon it was ending and I would see my new baby boys face to face! It was so time, I was so done with being pregnancy!

I was in the operating room, my husband by my side, watching. One of the worlds best doctors (to me anyway) cut me open and removed the smallest baby I have ever seen! Many things go through a mothers mind when she first lays eyes on her new baby. The thought I had was put him back, he is not done yet! In that moment all that could be wrong with these two precious babies flew through my mind. I almost started to cry, maybe I did, I can't say! My 4 lbs 5 ½ oz identical baby boys came into the world 4 ½ weeks early without a problem at all! They ate right off the bat, breathing was fine, and they slept and ate as normal newborn babies should! After a 4 day stay, all 3 of us were released to go home! I took home babies that were around 3 pounds each! WOW! Miracle? Blessing? YES!

In the past 17 years I have thought about the twins pregnancy and birth often. I remember how for a few months before the birth I prayed for it to be over! I praise God in His great wisdom He did not answer that prayer on my timing! Can you imagine even 1 pound less? We could have lost them! Thank you Jesus!!!

I find it is like that in life as well! You've heard the phrase, “birthing something new”? In our lives there are seasons, events and many unknown outcomes. There are ample times we must endure, go through, wait it out. Like I did in the last months we often pray for it to end soon. We want to skip the hardship and be handed the blessing right away. But I caution you! Don't pray for a premature blessing! Don't be in such a hurry that the blessing you get will create extra work and hardship! Had my twins been born with problems, they would have been the same blessing! But all of our lives would have looked much different! And the stress of a premature baby is huge! I'm betting that a blessing is a blessing! But the stress of a premature blessing is huge, and your life will look much different than it will if you can just hang in there and wait for God to bring it to full term!

As I continue to allow God to form Miche Photography I realize it is a blessing from God! I also realize this is a birthing process and I totally want it to be a full term blessing! I will wait on God, I will continue to do the right things, the healthy things, and TRY to enjoy the final moments of this “pregnancy”! For when it is time, God will birth a healthy business! One that will meet needs for me and my family, and also bring glory to Him!

Recently I was honored to do a shoot with a couple expecting 2 little girls! Enjoy the pictures from this twin pregnancy shoot!

Blessings (full term blessings that is) =-)

Michelle

Check out the new website!

michephotography.zenfolio.com

And I'm off!

Sunday night I started my website! Michephotography.zenfolio.com! Please check it out and sign the guest book for me! It really was not difficult at all. The site gave vary clear directions and spaces for me to fill everything in. It also laid out the different choices I could make to change theme, colors and the layout. Easy enough! BUT... I found myself reading only the minimum to move on to the next step. I would read the first line or so and think, oh I know what they meant, or OK, I got it. Sometimes I did have it, but more often I had to go back and get more information that would have helped me had I just taken an extra minute to read all the words in every step!

I don't know about you, but I do this with life also! Our society is so busy, and on the move that often we jump first and look next. This can be so dangerous at times! I think God sometimes looks down on us and laughs, like a father would at an inexperienced naive little child! I do a lot of volunteer time at my children's school. I can not tell you how often I hear teachers say, “please put your hands down until I am finished explaining all the directions!” And I must say, at the end of ALL the directions there are fewer questions!

I wonder how much better and less stressful my life would be if I just waited for God to give me ALL the directions first? If I truly took the time and sunk my teeth into His living word! If I really sought Him and His will for my life before I said YEP, I am going to...do this, say that....!

Lord help me to seek first Your kingdom! Let me ask for Your wisdom. Let me learn to hear Your voice above all others! Lead me Lord, give me directions!

Michelle

Let go and let God

Well, I am getting ready to do some huge things on Monday! I will post new prices, launch a website where you can order prints and take Miche Photography to a new level! Nervous? Yes. Frightened? No. You see I am learning that there is a huge difference. I know God has called me to start Miche Photography, He has proved that to me many times over. I also know He will guide and help me every step of the way, all I need to do is ask (and oh I will)! I also know that there will be bumps in the road, problems I will need to solve, and I know that it will come down to my knowledge, my ability and my faith. However, I do get all those things from Him! See a little nervous, but not frightened. This is new for me, Praise the Lord! He is so good!

God "down loaded" a thought to me this weekend, with a vary small bit of faith, God can move a mountain! Sometimes He moves it one rock at a time!

Blessings! Michelle