Sunday, February 06, 2005

My Friday Off

I took Friday off work... My plan was to get my son off to school, grab the dogs, my camera bags, and make my way, 100 miles north of Boise, to McCall, Idaho. My destination, the McCall Winter Carnival. I took the Garden Valley turn about 45 miles into my trip, and found these photos along the South Fork of the Payette River. In the photo above, the water was crystal clear and this incredible emerald green.

I love the zoom on this camera... This photo, and the photo below, are basically the same shots. If you look closely in the photo below, you can see the ripples in the water, just above the rocks that spill out into the river on the right. I love this zoom feature, 10x Optical!
No snow... I zoomed out on this photo, the mountains are so striking, so tall, so steep. But, did you notice? There's no snow! The groundhog saw his shadow here the other day, so we're supposed to have six more weeks of winter. Boy, do we need it! Storms keep passing us by.

Lucy... She was not a happy camper! The whole time I was taking photos along the river above, (ten minutes, tops!), she was hanging out the passenger window of my truck, almost howling at me. Not quite barking, not quite crying. Her ears would stay back and she would just "ya-owl" at me!
Photo Credit: Katherine Jones / The Idaho Statesman
The tub, set up for photos and called "Relax in McCall," was awarded the Most Photogenic award. It's by Indulgence Day Spa.
I didn't capture half of the sculptures to be had. The air was warming and many of the sculptures were melting away. This was the 40th Anniversary of the McCall Winter Carnival.

"Heroes of McCall"... The title of this scupture, featuring an airplane on top of the sculpture which honors smokejumpers who train in McCall.



Whitetail Club, McCall, Idaho... One of the most beautiful hotels I've ever stayed at. I was here for a conference with my job a couple of years ago. We watched a thunder storm cross the lake from the windows of the conference room, at the bottom left in the photo above. I stayed in an upstairs room, facing the front of the hotel.

The view... from the back of the hotel. I was standing about 1/4 a mile to the right of the hotel when taking this photo. The lake, Payette Lake, is frozen over.

Cracking Ice... You can't see this spot in the photo above this photo, but this was about 20 feet out from where I was standing. (Remember, I like to zoom. lol) While I was facing the hotel, taking the backside of the hotel photos, I could hear the ice cracking and moaning, just short spurts of sounds. At first, it startled me. I couldn't remember if I was on land or ice! I found some boulders showing through the snow and realized I was fine. This end of the frozen lake is starting to melt. The lake pours into the Payette River just to the left of this photo.
Heading home... This is just above my favorite photo opp bridge, heading south on Idaho Hwy 55 along the Payette River. I took a photo of the bridge last weekend, of the south facing side. We had turned around then and headed back to Boise.
So on Friday, I got out of town, drove a very scenic 100 miles to McCall, Idaho, and back. I found some snow, ice sculptures, a frozen lake, and some much needed "me time." This highway, as you can see, is very narrow and windy. I saw so many things I would have liked to have taken a photo of, but there was no where to stop. I had a wonderful day.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Comment from dcmeyer420 | Email dcmeyer420
2/6/05 1:30 PM | Permalink
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Awesome pics! Your river pic is my favorite. I love bodies of water, big and small. Thanks for sharing your trip and adventure pics! http://journals.aol.com/dcmeyer420/DearDiary/

Anonymous said...

Comment from nhd106 | Email nhd106
2/6/05 3:18 PM | Permalink
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What amazing and fantastic photos!!! You are a pro. What editing program do you use? (I still can't eve get my pix to show up large, like yours. : ( Anyway, keep up the great work! nancy (NancyluvsPix)

Anonymous said...

Comment from swibirun | Email swibirun
2/6/05 5:34 PM
Another wonderful set, Boise. Simply incredible. I went out hunting (for photos) this morning but found nothing. I guess it is part opportunity, part eye, part equipment, part talent, huh? Great job!
Chris
http://journals.aol.com/swibirun/Inanethoughtsandinsaneramblings

Anonymous said...

Comment from sunflowerkat321 | Email sunflowerkat321
2/6/05 5:37 PM
I love all your pictures. The landscape where you live is spectacular and what fun that festival must be. It makes me want to get in my car and DRIVE!!! You haev good reason to LOVE that zoom...it really gives you a LOT of versatility!!

Anonymous said...

Comment from derasta
2/6/05 6:47 PM
These pictures are just amazing...I loved every one of them :)

http://journals.aol.com/derasta/ADayInTheLife/
http://journals.aol.com/derasta/ADerastaCreation/

Anonymous said...

Comment from bookncoffee
2/6/05 8:22 PM
Awesome photos!!!! I love that hotel. That looks like where I would like to retreat with a few books and the internet and warm coat and my camera.
Sonya

Anonymous said...

Comment from sonensmilinmon
2/7/05 12:52 PM
I feel like I went out today. :-) I love all the photographs, that lodge looks heavenly.

Monica
http://journals.aol.com/sonensmilinmon/SmilinMonsAdventures/
http://journals.aol.com/photographybymon/Mamarazzi/

Anonymous said...

Comment from delela1
2/7/05 1:27 PM
The drive between Boise and McCall is one of my favorite scenic drives. Thank you for sharing. ~Dona
http://journals.aol.com/delela1/BlueSkiesandGentleBreezes

Anonymous said...

Comment from cneinhorn
2/8/05 9:33 AM
love the photos....what a beautiful area...love the last one with the winding road, great eye!

~JerseyGirl
http://journals.aol.com/cneinhorn/WonderGirl

Anonymous said...

Comment from carolhehe
2/8/05 10:46 AM
I love that drive along the river. My husband and I go that way when we go up to Warm Lake for the Nuts and Bolts annual Bike Rally.
http://journals.aol.com/carolhehe/GypsyPaths

Anonymous said...

Comment from mrccgoody
2/8/05 7:44 PM
Hi, I just wanted to stop by and say thanks for visiting my journal and for the birthday wishes...and wow, Idaho is such a beautiful place! Your pictures are amazing!
-Michelle
http://journals.aol.com/mrccgoody/RememberingGrace/

Anonymous said...

Comment from wildjoker669
2/8/05 11:06 PM
LOOKING AT EVERY ONE'S PICS I SURE WISH I HAD SOME ON MINE BECAUSE URS IS ONE OF THE PRETTIEST OF MANY THAT I HAVE SEEN...MOST DEFINITELY KEEP TAKING PICS PLEASE...XXXSTACEYXXXX

Anonymous said...

Comment from deveil
2/9/05 8:29 AM
I took Friday off too, great shots! Hope you have a great week!

Derek
http://www.waterbug.com/pacetti.html

Anonymous said...

Comment from justaname4me2
2/11/05 9:45 AM
Oh the world is small. I have a home up in Garden Valley for those precious weekends I can escape from Boise. So the pictures, I can picture exactly where you are standing when you took them! Thank you for shedding "light" on the road trip I make often. The next time I drive up there I'll be watching for these specific angles
Rebecca
http://journals.aol.com/justaname4me2/InTheShadowOfTheIris/

Anonymous said...

Comment from hsent
2/13/05 12:48 PM
Love all the "border" photos that are popping up in everyone's journals. I haven't had time to play with it myself yet. Someday........

Anonymous said...

Comment from ryanagi
2/13/05 9:56 PM
These are all GREAT! I swear...I am wanting your camera big time. LOL

Anonymous said...

Comment from rrveh1
2/14/05 7:12 PM
Gorgeous photos-what a beautiful area-mini vacation here!!! _rRose
Happy Belated Birthday - Happy Valentine's Day!
http://journals.aol.com/rrveh1/WAIT-NOTYET-/

Anonymous said...

Comment from stphnf3
2/26/05 11:11 PM
Hi, I just had to drop you a line to say how beautiful your pictures are. Like you, I was born and raised in Ca and just recently moved here to Idaho last May. I live in Melba, but I work in Boise. My family and I drove up to McCall a few weeks ago too. We went on a Tuesday and so there wasn't much going on. What a superb little town! My first memory of it is from 1976. I was only 5 years old but I never forgot the ice sculptures. It was our centennial year and so there was many patriotic sculptures. Ofcourse, since I am now grown, it all seemed somewhat smaller... I just felt like reading your journal that we had a lot of things in common. My 15 year old son is even an aspiring Metal guitar star!
Thanks for your awesome journal. Stephanie