Al Larson Photography

At the end of WWII, I found myself on duty with the USMC in Peiping, China. I soon found a Chinese friend (at left in photo) who could speak good English. He knew his way around the city and volunteered to show me the sights of Peiping. We visited the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, a Buddha temple and a Catholic church (where we sat in a balcony with the choir boys).  Our principle means of transportation was bicycle. There were also rickashaws and san lurs (three-wheeled pedal-powered rickashaw) available. Restaurants served real Chinese food to be eaten with chop-sticks. Eating soup with chop-sticks is an adventure of its own.

One evening Lu and his friend, Shorty (male) and I stopped by a photo studio for the above portrait. We donned costumes that could have been worn in ancient China. Lu posed as a General. Shorty in his dress, posed as the Emperess. I wore the attire of Emperor Liu Pei Hwang Sheang, Sung Guo Dynasty (right in the picture). As I remember, I was glad to shed the footwear. My feet were too big to comfortably fit in those shoes.

I wonder how many times we pass an old landmark and watch it fall into disrepair? Then there are folks who pass by without ever seeing it. This old barn stood at Barber just off of Warm Springs Ave. in Boise. It would be interesting to hear the stories this old barn could tell if only it could talk. Luckily I stopped by one day and took this photo. Now this barn is no more. It passed over the Great Divide this past summer. It almost breaks my heart to look at this site, bulldozed over, sadly waiting the next stage of developement.

I took the liberty to publish this photo in sephia. A tired old building needs to look old. Right?

Here we are on a ridge in the Owyhee Mountains. In this view we are looking toward the north-east across the Snake river plain. The elevation is about 6,000 feet. This is a magnificent view and is one of my favorites.

Situated on the ridge like this the box is exposed to all kinds of weather. Cold winds blow in the spring. Rain, sleet and snow delay the nesting patterns. Though a week or two later than the more sheltered sites this site has been very successful. Nearly every year for the last 30 years Mountain Bluebirds have fledged from this box.

The lady checking the nest box is a dear friend and often accompanies me on my rounds. With nearly 150 nestboxes to check on this trail it is a pleasure to have someone along to do the driving and share the surprises we find along the way.

My Bluebird friends have all departed to their winter quarters. I wonder where they spend the winter?

The temperature dipped to 6 degrees below zero F. last night here at the ranch. I should have gone south with the bluebirds. I still have my memories and photos of these lovely creatures from last summer. So I dream about the adventures and close encounters I had with some of them when I monitored my “Bluebird Trails.” Every once in a while I encountered a bird that would come in close and pose for me. These I christened my photogenic birds.