The Sheldon NWR sits on the Nevada side of the OR-NV border and is accessed by OR and NV Hwy 140. The Reserve is vast and home to antelope, big horn sheep, elk, deer, mountain lion, wild horses and burros that were set loose years ago. The Refuge Hot Springs was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s by building a wall on the low side of the hot spring runoff. The CCC built a shower house that is free and open to the public, fed by the hot spring water. There is a great free campground surrounding the pool. [All photos Max Vollmer, Click on any image to enlarge]
Refuge Hot Springs pool and shower room.
The road to the hot springs passes an active opal mine which offers tours in season. There is also an old homestead with a stone barn and a corral with a fence woven with willow branches.
There are many in this land that was part of Catholic Mexico until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 and The Gadsden Purchase of 1854 brought what is now part of Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona into the U.S.
The Santuario de Chimayo dates from 1816. It sits on the site of a natural spring believed to have healing properties by native people before the arrival of the Spanish. Since the early 1800’s the Catholic faithful have come here seeking miraculous cures. Over 300,000 from all over the world make the pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo each year during Holy Week, many walking or even crawling on hands and knees from as far away as Santa Fe, NM.
[All photos Max Vollmer, Click on any image to enlarge]
The Santuario de Chimayo.Interior of Santuario de Chimayo with natural stone floor, original hand painted retablos, and vigas supportd by carved corbels.
Present day Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Conejas, CO, known as the oldest Catholic church in Colorado, sits on the site of an 1863 adobe church. Spanish families with centuries of occupation in the San Luis Valley have endowed the church with beautiful stained glass windows, carved wooden stations of the cross, and a handmade altar, all made by local craftspeople.
Our Lady of Guadalupe church, Conejos, CO.Interior of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO.Window in Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO.In memory of Teodoro and Epimenia Lobato, in Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos, CO.Offered by the family of Josephita Maestas in memory of her husband, Francisco.
The Sangre de Christo church sits on a high hill overlooking the tiny town of San Luis, CO. On the path up to the church are fourteen bronzes depicting the Catholic “stations of the cross” that were donated by a wealthy couple in Santa Fe, NM, who made the annual Easter pilgrimage to the church for 25 years.
Sangre de Christo church sits on top of a hill overlooking the tiny town of San Luis, CO.Bronze Station of the Cross on the path leading up to Sangre de Christo church.San Luis, CO, from the hill top location of the Sangre de Christo church. the mountains on the horizon are the Sangre de Christo’s.
The San Francisco de Asis adobe church in Rancho de Taos, NM, was constructed between 1772 and 1816. It has become famous as the subject of several paintings from the 1930’s by Georgia O’Keefe. Two examples of O’Keefe’s depiction of the church, from the front and rear, are included following my photograph.
San Francisco de Asis church in Rancho de Taos, made famous by Georgia O’Keefe in her paintings.Georgia O’Keefe’s “Rancho Church.”O’Keefe’s study of the rear of the San Francisco de Asis adobe church.
This is what it looks like on US Hwy 50, “The Loneliest Road in America” across Nevada. Actually, there are longer, emptier stretches elsewhere in the state. US Hwy 93 south from Majors Place to Pioche, NV, is one of them. The open road beckons. [All photos Max Vollmer, Click on any image to enlarge]
Where to go? Toward an expansive horizon is always my first choice. In the case of Chaco Canyon Road, the southern exit from Chaco Culture National Historic Park, it was 40+ miles of dirt road across the Navajo Reservation with the warning sign declaring, “Road not maintained, may be impassable to passenger cars.” There are no structures, no signs of habitation the length of that road. There are steep drops into and out of arroyos that flood with cloudbursts, as well as deeply rutted mud slumps that require 4WD to cross even in dry weather. There are no guarantees. But being alone with the unknown is a great way to get to know yourself. [Photo Max Vollmer, Click on image to enlarge]
I took the photo above on August 28 when Kat and I walked along the West Bank. Today I walked the Willamette River Trail from Skinner Butte to this spot and beyond in 60 degree weather and full sun. The message is as clear as ever. In loving memory of Kathleen “Kat” Jenison, October 8, 1955 – December 10, 2025, [Photo Max Vollmer, Click on image to enlarge]
[Photos Max Vollmer, Click on any image to enlarge]
Defazio Bridge Over To Alton Baker ParkAlton Baker Park Lagoon And SpillwayNorth Bank Of The Willamette River Under The Ferry St. BridgeUnder Ferry Street BridgeNorth Bank Trail by McMenaminsUnder I-205 BridgeGreenway BridgeSweetgum Tree Along South Bank TrailMorning WalkTrail Near Eugene Parks Outdoor CenterCedar GroveSouth Bank Trail Toward Skinner Butte
Having first written the journal entry below, I’m coming back to acknowledge that it may have some value for the uncounted number of people who struggle to create and maintain healthy romantic relationships, but it is myopic at the same time. The greater value in understanding and incorporating unconditional love into our lives is to apply the principles of acceptance and respect to ALL our human relationships! I am reminding myself daily to not judge others near and far, but rather to accept that everyone . . . everyone is involved in their own struggle through life.
JOURNAL ENTRY
The following comes from Psychology Today: ” When love is unconditional, these three signs are usually present. 1) When your partner loves you unconditionally, they love the version of you that’s right in front of them. There’s no secretly hoping that you’ll change with time, no ideal version they’re waiting on; 2) A lot of love is lost in the expectation of having it returned . . . Keeping score doesn’t help . . . this type of love turns bitter and eventually falls apart; and 3) When your partner thinks of the relationship and what would make you happy before their own ego, pride, and selfish desires, it shows more than just commitment. Feeling completely safe to be yourself around your partner and experiencing a deep emotional connection without fear of judgment is one of the biggest signs of unconditional love.”
[Psychology Today continues . . . ]
“A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychology proposed a comprehensive theory of love, identifying four core factors— attraction, connection, trust, and respect—that interact to create lasting love . . . Among the four essential components of love, the roles of trust and respect are especially important for creating emotional safety and prioritizing a partner’s happiness.”
Mary’s Peak is the highest point in the Coast Range. I hiked around the summit with Kat Jenison on a day when the peak was above a heavy cloud bank. A memorable day. [Photos Max Vollmer, Click on any image to enlarge]
Above the clouds.Kat JenisonAn ocean of clouds. View to the West
Sidney Barnsley (b.1865-d.1926), was an important and influential Arts and Crafts designer-maker who hand crafted furniture for his family and for clients. He had previously trained as an architect and worked in London before moving to the rural Cotswolds region of England, Pinbury Park and Sapperton in Gloucestershire.
In early 2019, I decided to build an oak dinner table for myself with a leg set that incorporated a “hay rake” or “heel rake” stretcher, a feature that Barnsley had adapted for one of his tables from a traditional wooden rake used by farmers to rake hay in their fields into windrows. Below is a photo of one of these 18th~19th century rakes showing the joinery used to create the handle. It is a marvel of traditional, rural woodworking that is very strong but lightweight . . . a perfect example of form following function. [Click on any image to enlarge.]
Barnsley used the essentials of the rake joinery to create the stretcher (see below) for his table, circa 1900. All three b&w photos are taken from Gimson and the Barnsleys by Mary Comino (Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1980).
Sidney Barnsley: hay rake tableSidney Barnsley: hay rake joinery
With no original drawings to go by, I made my own full size, scaled plans and set to work on the “Y” shaped joint only to find that my first effort was not going to be satisfactory. It ended up going in my wood stove. I revised the plans based on my experience and started over. [Click on any image to enlarge. All following photos Max Vollmer]
Revised plans.
For aesthetic reasons I reduced the acute angle between the arms of the “Y” and the main, longitudinal stretcher from 45 degrees to 40 degrees. I used overlapping tenons on the arms where they intersect and join the main stretcher.
And, based on my first failed effort, I also redesigned the tenons on the “spanner” or brace that connects the two arms of the “Y.” This allowed me to cut “through” mortises in the arms that were perpendicular to the axis of the arms rather than mortises cut at a 40 degree angle. This way I could use straight tenons on the spanner. Not only was this redesign equally strong, it was much easier to cut the mortises. The following series of photos illustrate my approach. [Click on any image to enlarge, All photos Max Vollmer]
In the next stage, I used a felt tip pen to outline the reduced size of the arms with their curved detailing where the arms meet the long, center stretcher and then used the bandsaw to rough out the shapes. Following that I used an assortment of rasps, files, planes and sandpaper to refine the curved details. The following sequence takes you through the steps. This was a very time consuming process, and one that cannot be duplicated with finesse by any other means. This is what hand work is all about.
Next I dry fit the arms to the center stretcher to check my clearances. See below.
From there I consulted my full size, scaled plans for the spanner that connects the two arms and interlocks with the center stretcher. All measurements, markings, and cuts on the spanner must be extremely precise in order for all four pieces to fit together with tight joints. It is an added challenge to have all the through tenons emerge flawlessly where they are visible on the outside faces. Here is the sequence.
Assembled it looks like this.
The dry fit stretcher assembly is then marked with the location of all chamfers. The chamfers in the original hay rake do not compromise the strength of the rake, but they decrease the weight the farmer has to lift and pull for hours on end. In the table, weight is not a concern but the chamfers add immeasurably to the aesthetic appeal of the stretcher.
See below the full stretcher and leg set ready to go and then assembled. Barnsley chose to have the pegs that lock the tenons in their respective mortises visible from above. I put the pegs in from below so they do not show and therefore do not distract from the flow of the joinery.
Rounding out the table frame, I fit cross pieces to the tops of the legs and then installed two long, under-table supports that are joined to the cross pieces with dovetails. The result is a support structure that, barring fire or natural disaster, has an essentially unlimited lifespan (1,000 years?) if cared for. Here it is with finish and signed with my makers mark on a cross bar.
Here’s the table top. And, following that, the table in my house. Final dimensions are 68″ L x 38″ W x 31.5″ H. The table is compact, but the design of the hay rake stretcher and the canted legs allow for four chairs, across and end to end, and will accommodate four people comfortably for a meal.
I have the lumber to make a long, low, and narrow coffee table with the same hay rake stretcher design, to which I want to add wishbone struts under the table top for added complexity and interest, something Barnsley did in one of his tables. I just need a shop.
To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly… this is my way. (Anonymous)
Max Vollmer, Click on any image to enlarge]
