Nine Mile Falls, WA
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: #Water in the Details

Welcome to the first Sunday in May! How did that happen? This week’s Sunday Stills theme is water. Not only will I share some images of water, I will get into the details partially inspired by this week’s Lens-Artists challenge “in the details” over at Patti’s blog.

As a former Aquatics Director for a large, urban parks and recreation department, I want to remind everyone to observe safety as you venture out into the waterways this month. Memorial Day weekend (end of May) here in the US marks the beginning of summer activities, especially around the water as temps rise. Here in my new neighborhood, I saw people already out in their kayaks and fishing boats.

May is National Water Safety Month

May in National Water Safety Month

People die every year of accidental drowning because they underestimate the cold water, fast currents, or drink too much and enter the water without life vests. Aquatic Professionals all over the world are hypervigilant to keep everyone safe in and around the water and actively promote water safety to their constituents. Please keep yourself, your kids and grandchildren safe!

Overview of Local Waterways

Water exists in all forms here in Eastern Washington, from frozen lakes, rainy days and insane amounts of rivers and lakes. Who needs an ocean?

Let me show you around my new neighborhood of Nine Mile Falls, Washington. As you can see in this featured image, this is the actual Nine Mile Falls dam, for which the town is named. The dam breaks up the Spokane River which originates in Lake Couer D’Alene in Idaho and flows 111 miles into the Columbia River in Oregon.

Nine Mile Falls, WA

Nine Mile Falls Dam is a dam on the Spokane River, in the unincorporated community of Nine Mile Falls, Washington. … The 58-foot-high cyclopean masonry dam and its powerhouse, storehouse, ten cottages and other structures were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Built in 1906.

Wikipedia

Nearby Riverside State Park is a favorite destination in the area, complete with fishing and water sports like boating, kayaking and stand-up paddling. This image was from last October while smoke from wildfires in the West enveloped the area.

Riverside State Park, WA

Long Lake Dam overlook shows the stunning Falls, still slightly frozen in this photo taken in February.

Completed in 1915, the Long Lake spillway dam is 400 feet long, 250 feet thick at the base, and 208 feet from foundation to crest. It is constructed of concrete on a base of solid rock. When built, the spillway dam was the tallest of its type in existence.

Source

Between these two dams on the Spokane River, Long Lake was created. Our home is situated about a quarter mile from this lake!

On this same day trip, we drove to nearby Loon Lake for giant pizza calzones and a look at the frozen area of the lake.

A Rainy Day’s Details

Right in our neighborhood, unofficially called “Tum Tum,” spring has sprung, and with that, some seasonal rain showers. In between showers last week, I took the dogs for a walk on a “new-to-me” trail and enjoyed blossoming trees and wild sunflowers adorning the trail. Have I mentioned that pine trees and sunflowers are my favorites and they live together here? This is how I knew we found the right place to live!

If you look closer at the details, you will see the raindrops on these sunflowers, dubbed “noxious weeds” by locals, but are really “Arrowleaf Balsamroot,” a plant of the Asteraceae (sunflower family). Believe or not, this entire plant is edible and is known for its medicinal properties!

Water droplets also adorn these blossoming ornamental plum trees.

Adding this walk to Jo’s Monday Walk series!

I hope you enjoyed my tour of my rural neighborhood. Just for fun and to enter Lisa’s Bird Weekly Challenge: Birds in Flight, I share an old photo of swallows nesting under a marina boat ramp along the Sacramento River Delta.

Swallow fly in chaos around their nests.

Behind the Artwork Details, Part 1

Since we are on the subject of water, I wanted to share more about the details of the three framed prints I posted last week that sit over my dining room table. These three pieces are special to me and two are water-themed. For Part 1, I will share details about the center print. Next week I will share more about the Kinkade prints.

Dining room

The middle print, 34 x 44, is by Thomas Mangelsen, world-renowned American nature and wildlife photographer.

How did I get this framed print? Years ago, I visited my brother in San Diego who had just purchased a framed print at the Mangelsen Gallery in La Jolla. I accompanied him to pick it up during their gallery show and filled out a raffle ticket. The grand prize was a $500 gift certificate. I won! I looked all over the store but couldn’t find anything at the time. I had a year to claim the prize and at Christmastime, having viewed some prints online, I visited the gallery again and had narrowed my choices down to a couple prints. But then I saw the print you see now.

Not only did the stunning Autumn landscape speak to me but you may just be able to see a moose walking in the shadows.

Mangelsen Snake River

Turns out Mangelsen had captured this scene along the Snake River near the Idaho-Oregon border. The Snake River eventually feeds into the mighty Columbia River in Oregon. As we hung the print in our new home, I exclaimed to my husband that the moose has come home! Well sort-of. Thar be moose here in Eastern Washington.

This post is also partially inspired by Cee’s Flower of the Day and Jez’ Water Water Everywhere

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

  • Please create a new post for the theme or link a recent one.
  • Title your blog post a little differently than mine.
  • Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post. I also recommend adding your post’s URL into the comments.
  • Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
  • Use hashtag #SundayStills for sharing on social media.

Sunday Stills is a wonderful community of bloggers and photographers who desire to connect with one another. Each week I share the links from the previous post so you can continue to meet and support each other. And with that…meet the:

Lovers of Pets and Kids

Copyright Disclaimer

Images of prints are copyrighted by the original artist. I have permission to publish as a certified owner of the prints.

I look forward to your creative images, stories, comments, music and poetry related to water this week. Remember to please be safe in and around the water!

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114 comments

  3. Hi Terri, What a wonderful post. I love how you are highlighting the inside of your house as well as the surrounding area. The flower tidbit is interesting. Does the noxious weed grow thorns? Those are the fiddleneck-type of weeds I hate! I’ll be posting to Sunday Stills with my Writer’s Quotes Wednesdays challenge. I’m combining several.

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    • Thanks, Marsha! No thorns on those weeds, but they are everywhere and I’m sure people don’t want them overtaking their yards. They can spend all the time they want here, no grass or anything for a while. Look forward to your post. Also, got my second shot and feeling great 👍

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      • Yay! I’m glad you came through it with flying colors. I knew you would. 🙂 I just finished the water part of my post. I’m excited about that topic. I’m thinking about changing my topics to align with yours and LAPC. This week is writer’s choice, which I think would be a a good one to keep monthly.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Fun post Terri! Loved your “new to me” walk and yes of course we know Mangelsen! I too have visited his galleries and lucky you for winning the raffle!!! Loved the image you chose – reminded me of my visits to your beautiful part of the world. Fun post – you really covered a lot of ground!

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  16. What great waterways you have nearby Terri and I always love water drops on flowers! The autumn colours in the picture are fabulous especially with the moose. I can only imagine a frozen lake! Lovely to see a little of your new abode too, it looks like are getting set up in there.

    I have featured some stillness on the dam at my husband’s family home for this week’s post. https://debs-world.com/2021/05/02/what-did-the-fish-say-when-he-swam-into-the-wall-sundaystills/

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    • Yay, so good to see you this week. Hope you had an enjoyable break, Debbie! That frozen lake was only a few miles from us and it’s been years since I’ve seen one. Glad you like the moose. I’m still waiting to see one, lol! The house is going well. Soon I can post about the construction of our polebarn/garage!

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  33. So nice to see your new neighborhood! Though I’ve been to Spokane a few times, I’ve near explored much outside the city. What a wonderful new trail you discovered! I can almost smell the fragrant pines! And the close up of the arrowleaf balsamroot (there! I’ve learned a new plant!) is gorgeous! Hoping I might come up with a water post sometime later this week! 🙂

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  35. Looks like you are enjoying your new home, Terri. I love balsamroot. It’s such a bright, happy flower to me. Thanks for clarifying that they’re different from sunflowers.

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  41. The water droplets on the flowers are lovely, Terri. Great details! I’m glad you’re living in a part of the country that you love. And I love that framed autumn print, too! Wonderful colors.

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  42. Thanks for the walkaround in your new neighbourhood, Terri. Those are some dams. I can’t image how they built them back then. It must have been backbreaking work, especially with the lack of equipment we have available today.
    Congratulations on your win at the Mangelsen Gallery in La Jolla. I know that gallery quite well, having visited it twice. I only ever picked up some Christmas tree ornaments from there, though. We loved La Jolla.

    For the theme of detail in water, and because the UK has just had the coldest, frosty April in history, I’m going with this picture for this week’s challenge.

    We had a frost every night in April. The normal is 4 nights during that month.

    Have a great week.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Thanks so much, Hugh. Our neighborhood reveals new details each week! How cool you have been to that same gallery in La Jolla. We used to go the the cove and La Jolla shores beach every week each summer as kids into our teen years. Many fond memories.
      Frosty days in April? What gives with the weather? We are having much warmer than normal weather now. Cool shot you shared. Next week’s theme is weather, perhaps I can talk you into sharing a twisty short story about the frost for us next week? Gauntlet thrown, lol 😆!

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  46. Terri,
    Enjoyed the tour greatly, thanks for sharing. I’m a big fan of Mangelsen and have spent many hours in his gallery in Jackson Hole. For my water image, I sharing a picture taken at Lake Pend Oreille in Farragut State Park, Athol, Idaho. This Park is about an hour east of Spokane and there is a very nice hiking trail around the lake. When you’re ready to venture out, give it a try. The campground is excellent! Have a great week! Joe

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    • What a lovely view of Lake Pend Orielle, Joe, and so close! Always great to know details from folks who spent time there. Definitely on our list to visit. And I know how to pronounce Lake “Ponderay” now, at least according to PBS!

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  57. You sure have picked a beautiful area to live, Terri! Being able to walk to Long Lake (with the dogs) is so nice and there you can practice some of your favorite water activities, probably. Great story about the history of the beautiful middle print. Love the moose! Lucky you, winning the grand prize with a raffle ticket!!

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  65. Look at all the interest this post and your lovely photos generated. So glad you are able to explore your new surroundings. That framed photograph over your table is beautiful. How fun that moose has made it full circle and is back home where he belongs!! Love the contrast between his dark silhouette and that vivid yellow in the trees. Hard to believe there is a (frozen) lake in that photograph. Looks like a snow-covered field.

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    • Thank you, Leslie! All is well here in the PNW, but still dealing with no internet. Luckily I can use my 4g through Verizon as a Hotspot with an unlimited data plan. I see your posts regularly but I can’t read through my email account without logging in every time. Hope all is well with you my friend!

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