Friends, inspiration and bonding times - Part 1 of 4

My friends Rick Clark (standing right) and Chris Kilpatrick (crouching left)

I don't usually travel much outside my sphere of residence. A lot of my limited travel has to do with anxiety. So I have not seen much of the state I was was born in. I was born in Oregon, raised in Oregon and outside of four years in the military I have lived in Oregon my entire life.

Given that I have 40+ years of living in a state that contains such natural beauty, I have never seen such basic must see sights like Crater Lake, Smith Rocks, Painted Hills or many other natural beauties. That was until a few weeks ago.

Salt Creek Waterfall

When I turned 30 I started my bucket list of things to see during my time on this earth. That list has turned into a list of things to Photograph. It contains a list of things right here in my home state that I have never seen.

I was blessed with an opportunity to stay in a cabin by a lake in the beautiful Cascade Mountains on the central Oregon side. Chris and her husband Steve invited me, my wife, Rick and his wife Shawn to come spend a weekend at their cabin by the lake for a weekend filled to the brim with photographic opportunities.

In this three part post, I will share with you the wonderful scenes and times I got to spend with these wonderful people and the two major items I got to cross off my bucket list.

On day one, we drove to down to the cabin. On the way we stopped at Salt Creek Fall. This amazing waterfall is nestled into the Cascade Mountains 21 miles east of Oakridge, Oregon on Highway 58, just after the tunnel. Not being a fan of heights, I got my shot and left the scene immediately.

We arrived at the cabin a little after 4:00 PM and I went to work with my camera photographing the various scenic landscapes around the lake.

I cannot thank Chris and Steve or Rick and Shawn enough for the generosity. I can only say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Kim and I had the time of our lives that weekend and it was all thanks to you.

Here are a select few images from that amazing evening on the lake. Come back next week to learn what item I first crossed off my bucket list. And make sure to check out tomorrow's free wallpaper.

Crescent Lake, Oregon

Diamond Peak

Odell Butte