My new toy!!

[oxysback]

Not sure whether to post this under 'cycling' or 'non-cycling'...

Anyway, I've never really had a decent camera. Ok...never really had any camera except for the disposable ones that never end up getting developed because they lay around the house forever and get lost.

I picked up an Olympus Stylus 720 SW earlier this week and got a chance to take it on my bike ride yesterday. I chose this camera because it's small enough to fit in my jersey pocket, shock-proof up to 5', and waterproof up to 10'. The weather was partly cloudy, but the scenery is still gorgeous! I wanted to share what I see most every day with you guys.

And I must say, for someone that knows nothing about cameras or photography, this camera takes excellent pictures!

So here's my normal bike route...

We start out with a picture of my trusty steed. I love this bike!
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/TrustySteed.jpg


This picture is the exact same location as the bike one, just up over the fence.
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/StartingPoint.jpg


A fun little downhill, past the stinky dairy...nothin' but road!
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/Dairy.jpg


I was off the bike to take this picture. These osprey come back every year to nest. There should be some babies popping their heads up out of the nest before the summer is over!
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/Osprey.jpg


Further down the road we have the Heirloom Rose Gardens. Won't be long before these rose bushes are covered in blooms.
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/RoseGardens.jpg


And my very favorite part of the ride...NOT! Actually, this hill doesn't look nearly as big in the picture as it rides on the bike.
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/Hill.jpg


Ooops...even random pictures of my arm turn out decent!
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/Ooops.jpg


This is a hazelnut orchard. One of many in this part of Oregon.
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/Orchard.jpg


Some hops just starting to grow. These really make me sneeze when harvest time comes around in August.
http://www.footeco.com/ellen/Bike/Hops.jpg


And those are just a few highlights from my route. Hope you enjoyed them!

[maillotpois]

Wow - those pictures are just beautiful!!

[Trekhawk]

Great pictures!!
What a beautiful route. I want to come ride with you.:)
Pretty jersey.:D

[sgtiger]

Awesome pictures! I love that part of Oregon. The small wineries around there are great. When I'm able to ride longer routes, I'd like to do a winery tour of the Willamette Valley.

BTW, I like you jersey.

[mimitabby]

Nice pictures! and i have that same jersey ! :p

enjoy your cool new camera. you might make your pictures a little smaller for on line although i enjoyed the detail thoroughly.

[oxysback]

Nice pictures! and i have that same jersey ! :p

enjoy your cool new camera. you might make your pictures a little smaller for on line although i enjoyed the detail thoroughly.

I was wondering if they'd be huge to anyone else. Actually, I resized them down by 40% to post. Maybe I should go back and just put links? Sorry, Mimi and everyone!

[Trekhawk]

I was wondering if they'd be huge to anyone else. Actually, I resized them down by 40% to post. Maybe I should go back and just put links? Sorry, Mimi and everyone!

Dont worry mate, the pictures were worth the wait.:)

[7rider]

A hazelnut orchard???? Wow. I've never even thought about where hazelnuts come from (you mean, they don't just magically appear in my yellow bottle of coffee creamer??). How cool is that?!
Great pictures. Aren't osprey so neat? I love them.

[oxysback]

A hazelnut orchard???? Wow. I've never even thought about where hazelnuts come from (you mean, they don't just magically appear in my yellow bottle of coffee creamer??). How cool is that?!
Great pictures. Aren't osprey so neat? I love them.

Yup...I think Newberg is the hazelnut capital or something. The ground underneath the trees is kept very clear, so when the nuts ripen and fall off, they come and scoop them off the ground with a special tractor thing.

The osprey are my favorite thing to look for on my ride. I'm surprised I got both the male and female in the picture. Usually the male makes it known that he doesn't like us that close by flying over us and screeching.

[pooks]

I love seeing your ride!

I've been meaning to do something similar. Maybe you've inspired me!

By the way, did you take those pics while you were moving?!? (Well, not the one of the trusty steed, but, most of the others?)

[oxysback]

I love seeing your ride!

I've been meaning to do something similar. Maybe you've inspired me!

By the way, did you take those pics while you were moving?!? (Well, not the one of the trusty steed, but, most of the others?)

The only ones I took off the bike are the trusty steed one, the starting point one, and the osprey one. The rest were while I was moving....very slowly, mind you, but moving just the same.

Can't wait to see your pics!!

[mimitabby]

oh, no, leave 'em in. just next time make them a little smaller. I didn't have any trouble, just noticed they loaded a little slow. :rolleyes:

It's a lot more fun to look at pictures than links~!

[oxysback]

oh, no, leave 'em in. just next time make them a little smaller. I didn't have any trouble, just noticed they loaded a little slow. :rolleyes:

It's a lot more fun to look at pictures than links~!

ok...they're back up! LOL! :D

[pooks]

How long is your ride, oxy?

[oxysback]

How long is your ride, oxy?

The route I did yesterday is 17 miles. You can easily lengthen it to 30, or 45, though.

[DarcyInOregon]

Ellen, great photos!

Except you missed me on my pink bike. :-)

I did 30 miles and came back along that way yesterday. Your photos show everyone on the forum how beautiful Oregon is, and how special the roads are where we bike. The photos show how lucky we are to live where we do.

You can get rides past 50 miles and still come back that way. That road remains my favorite to ride.

Darcy

[LadyinWhite]

I love those roads! I would LOVE to be able to ride in an area like that! *wistful sigh*

[oxysback]

Ellen, great photos!

Except you missed me on my pink bike. :-)

I did 30 miles and came back along that way yesterday. Your photos show everyone on the forum how beautiful Oregon is, and how special the roads are where we bike. The photos show how lucky we are to live where we do.

You can get rides past 50 miles and still come back that way. That road remains my favorite to ride.

Darcy


We'll have to ride together again so I can get some of you on your bike, for sure!

I was out later in the afternoon. I didn't even see your car at Champoeg, so you must've been done long before I got there.

We are, indeed, fortunate to live in this part of the country. I love the farms, orchards and beautiful scenery and I count my blessings because I get to see this every day!

[F8th637]

Congrats on the new camera! My husband and I love taking pictures and I can't wait to start taking some on rides. Thanks for sharing!

[Jo-n-NY]

I love the pics!!! You know maybe that is what I need, my own camera. I never posted a single pic in the years that I have been here. This was great. I love seeing pics of where everyone lives. Oregon looks like a really nice state to ride.

~ JoAnn

[HappyAnika]

Thanks for sharing. :) I always wonder what other people's rides look like. I just got a small camera myself, I can't wait to take it out on a ride.

[IFjane]

Oxy - what great pictures! Our terrain looks much like yours except ours is a bit hillier - and no hops and hazelnut groves.....or ospreys this far inland. My mom lives over on the Potomac River & has an osprey next out from her house. They arrive every year on March 3 (her birthday) and usually leave on Sept. 2 (my late father's birthday).

Anika - YOUR pictures will be the best 'cause you live in the most beautiful place to ride. (Jane is envious......can you tell? :D )

[DarcyInOregon]

Well I saw Ellen on that road on the way back from my ride this afternoon. Gosh, it was a lovely day. The temps went from the upper 70s to the low 80s. Ellen was on the side of the road tinkering with her brakes. It was good to see her.

Ellen, if you get on Donald Road, between Boonesferry and the overpass, there is a farm on the left (if you are heading toward Donald) and the farmer cut down a tree and made three stumps of varying heights; one stump is 3 feet, one is 4 feet and one is 5 feet. There are three goats and some days when I bike that way, the three goats are all perched on those stumps, one goat per stump. It is the most amazing sight, and maybe you can capture it in a photo.

Let us get together for a ride soon. I've kept my rides on the short side this week (30 miles) because I am doing the metric century on Sunday; I am recovering from some bruised tissues in my sensitive parts because I wore a pair of shorts that were too large for me on a longer ride last week and the chamois wrinkled up under me. I had new shorts arrive in the mail today in a smaller size and hopefully that will help solve my problem.

Darcy

[7rider]

Oxy - what great pictures! Our terrain looks much like yours except ours is a bit hillier - and no hops and hazelnut groves.....or ospreys this far inland. My mom lives over on the Potomac River & has an osprey next out from her house. They arrive every year on March 3 (her birthday) and usually leave on Sept. 2 (my late father's birthday).



Jane - my friends who live in Colorado - in Summit County at 9,000' - have an osprey nest not far from their place. All they need is water and suitable nesting space.

[oxysback]

Well I saw Ellen on that road on the way back from my ride this afternoon. Gosh, it was a lovely day. The temps went from the upper 70s to the low 80s. Ellen was on the side of the road tinkering with her brakes. It was good to see her.


Haha...that was certainly an interesting ride today. I was riding with a friend that will end up going with us on our couples ride in August to Cour d'Alane (I know I spelled that wrong!), Idaho. Right about at the rose gardens she has a flat. Back tire, of course, and she didn't have a spare, so we tried to patch it up. We couldn't find the leak, so it was a lost cause. She told me to go ahead and finish my ride and she would start walking the other way, then I'd pick her up with the van when I got done. Turns out she called her daughter to pick her up instead and I didn't check my phone messages, so I'm driving around thinking, "Surely she would have gotten this far by now!"

On a positive note...she and I used to ride at about the same speed. I guess I've gotten faster or something because it seems like I go reeeaaaaly slow when we ride together. But that's ok...feels good to be faster than someone for once!!

Oh, Darcy...did the scruffy border collie chase you today? He was just waiting in the bushes for me, but I yelled in a really low, loud voice and that stopped him in his tracks. He nipped my husband on the shoulder yesterday (he rides a recumbent trike...so he's at about dog level). Guess he looked like a weird sheep! I think I'll drive by that house and get the address so we can take some sort of action about the dog.

[DarcyInOregon]

Hi Ellen, the border collie runs out at me a few times a month, but I keep yelling NO! at the top of my lungs and pedal furiously, so the dog hasn't caught me yet. If a dog continues to bother you, it is best to stop and let the owners know, especially that as the weather warms up there will days where hundreds of cyclists will pass in front of their house.

Regarding your speed, when I cycle with you your low speed is about 12 and your high speed is about 18-19. You must be twice as fast as your friend, because when I rounded the bend in the road and saw you today, you were off your bike and tinkering with the brake, and your friend was still a quarter of a mile further along the road biking to catch up with you. I think for the rail-to-trail ride the four of you are planning this summer, you will need to sit down and discuss things like speed, how often you will stop, if you will bike together as a group, and so on. If your friend is only cycling at 8 miles an hour, I don't see the rest of you cycling that slow for 70 miles, especially when you are used to averaging 14-16 and your husband averages 18-22. For one thing it would take you almost 9 hours of being on the saddle, and that isn't counting the time for the stops.

Darcy