This Is Work? and it's Fun!

After a month we are settled into our jobs and making a difference here.  We assist as campground hosts 2 days and nights a week on the days our friends, Art and Janette, the official hosts, have 2 days off.  Then we have our 2 days off to go exploring.  Then I work Friday and Saturday giving tours at the Lighthouse while Terry does more clean up at the campground.  On Sunday morning I go to the inspiring Yachats Presbyterian Church and the Farmer's Market on the next block to inspire our meals for the week.  What a perfect schedule for June!  Here's the view from our day off exploring hike yesterday.

Last year I never took any inside pics at the lighthouse.  It's just so awesome after 2 years of restoration!  
It just re-opened for tours last June 8.  Here is the view looking up the stairs to the light circles next to the lens.

And here's the bottom and center of the lens- 392 prisms total!

I stand next to this window and look out as I wait for my tour group to join me below the lens on the top visitor level.  It always thrills me to see the magnificent Pacific or not!

Terry loves the time he spends power washing steps and curbs, blowing leaves on trails and campsites and mowing road edges.  He gets stronger and happier every day.  We are glad to help share the beauty of where we are!

Wildflower Memories of Grindstone CG in May and the Oregon Coastal Highlands

For many years my birthday weekend was spent at Grindstone CG below Whitetop Mt. VA to enjoy the wildflower walks there.  So it was really fun to find that on the same days in Oregon on Forest Service Rd. 58 and along Big Creek Rd. many of the same flowers were waiting to greet us.  Both these roads had been calling to us last year on the many times we passed them between Florence and Yachats.  We hadn't found the time to head off into the dark unknown.  My birthday seemed like a good day to do some exploring.   We were first amazed by the awesomeness of the huge trees along the creek  and the tall, tall, Douglas Firs and Western Cedars on the high roads.

As we followed Big Creek down the mountain after over an hour on the ridge tops above, we began to see more and more wildflowers.  Bright yellow buttercups and white spring beauties started the show and soon soft pink Bleeding Hearts appeared- a little lighter in color than the VA ones.  It wasn't long until we knew we in Oregon for sure as orange Columbine and purple-pink Foxglove stole the scene.  It was wonderful to discover the back road forest beauty we never knew was all around us.  Another gift from venturing beyond the familiar.

Click on the Picture to find the little bleeding hearts on the bank above me.

Reaching the Pacific- Day 15

 We had a nice visit with Terry's mom in Vancouver, WA (after the festivities in Salem, OR for Camp Hosts).  It was a delight as always to have huge scrumptious meals prepared for us, a real queen bed, and long extravagant showers.  We even had time to catch up on our activities since we were together last in late January.

Our trip was still begging to be completed, however, with a return to the Oregon Coast.  You can imagine our  joy to be watching the Pacific roll in from our campsite at Tillicum Beach near Yachats, OR.  Look at the view we have!!!

Right after lunch we took a long walk toward Yachats and passed below our favorite motel which Terry recognized from the steps.  Amazing! The blustery wind and beach fog in the distance are so typical of the coast here.

Our return became our belated Earth Day Clean-up.   We had been noticing lots of barnacle covered plastic bottles and foam pieces as we walked.  Since we forgot our trash bag we picked them up on our way back.  Their shapes were a bit unusual and as we examined them more carefully we saw that the lettering on them was Japanese.  Our first clear indication of tsunami debris on the beaches here.  We were happy to help clean up, but saddened by thoughts of the tsunami horror.  The view to the north shows this stretch of sand beach is immense.

After 15 days and about 3,658 zigzag miles the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean will sing us to sleep tonight.  We are thankful for another safe and happy journey across the country.

Spring Redbuds to AZ Summer and Oregon Late Winter Snow

If you have not traveled across Tennessee and Oklahoma in the spring, plan a trip someday.  The Redbuds in bloom were just gorgeous!  As a tree they love to grow on the edge of the forest so the roadsides were covered mile after mile, day after day.  It was amazing!  Here's an example in Red Rock Canyon State Park in Oklahoma.  This was our second night stop, a nice little park in a canyon on the edge of Hanton, OK.

We spent 2 nights at Santa Rosa Lake State Park.  One of our favorite spots below that big New Mexico sky.  It was warm enough for sitting in the sun and wandering among the rock ledges, pebbles and wildflowers.  I did lots of sketching too!  Terry made radio contact with Lincoln, NE and CA on 5 watts.

We spent 2 days with our friends, Art and Janette, in Apache Junction, AZ.  Our trailer kept very well in their backyard for 2 months even though the temperatures were already in the 90's.  We feel so at home visiting with them that it was hard to push on to have a schedule to meet in Salem, OR.  We were  invited to a luncheon on April 23 for our nomination as Hosts of the Year for our maintenance duties at Carl Washburne State Park.

The last thing we expected on our way was snow in late April.  Collier State Park near Crater Lake, OR was saving that Easter Monday night surprise for us!

The park under huge pines is spacious enough to handle anything from tents to Terry's dream rig which is parked just around the bend from us.

The sun is shining brightly now as the snow continues to fall.  Seems like the time to venture over the Cascades to Eugene and on up towards Salem and the warmth of the Williamette Valley.

Back to the Cabin and SNOW!

Snow delayed our leaving in Feb. 2012 and halted our return in Feb. 2013.  We enjoyed an extra day in Texas as 14 inches of snow fell on the cabin.  I had never been to San Antonia or Houston so we spent some time we had not planned on exploring the area and a nearby long term care facility for folks living in their RV's.  (Maybe an eventual place for us to enjoy during our rocking chair years.)

Our travels home included several wonderful visits with family and friends.  We stayed at a beach near Santa Barbara to enjoy a lovely evening with Terry's sister, Jacque.

Click the picture for a better view of the Channel Islands.  The sunset was just beautiful over the Pacific.

Our next night was at Mojave National Preserve.  A splendid, quiet and remote desert paradise 20 miles off I-40 near the Arizona line.  We put this on the 'will return list' to hike and explore some more.  The natural vegetation was a desert garden.

We had a wonderful visit at North Ranch RV Resort in Congress, AZ with our 'bird nerd' friends from Heceta Head Lighthouse.  Bud and Elaine have a 'perfect' adobe home there of their own design.  We visited the nearby town of Wickenberg and the excellent Desert Caballeros Western Museum!  Bud took us on a Jeep Tour of the ghost towns and canyons.  We had such a great time that we are hoping to call a little piece of North Ranch our Western home someday.

Apache Junction, AZ is home to our friends, Art and Janette, who were our Camp Hosts at Washburne State Park last May and June.  We became fast friends and will be working as their assistants this May and June.  After seeing a little of the area and enjoying delicious meals at 'Carr's Cafe', we left our trailer in their backyard.  In late April we will join them on a journey back to Washburne SP.

Terry's best friend of 40 years, Tom and Julie moved to Maricopa, AZ a few years ago.  We loved being guests at  their spacious, comfortable  home with new backyard pool.  Tom will retire this year and we look forward to many camping trips and 'taco feasts' with them in days to come.

Terry assumed his trucker mode and we buzzed home in 4 travel days to a snow laden cabin and an immediate roaring fire in the wood stove.   Yay!!!!

A Trip to Silver Falls State Park

The premier State Park of the Oregon system is Silver Falls.  It is about 30 miles from the park where we are working.  Last Monday we finally got in a visit.  The park includes 10  waterfalls that cascade off the Columbia Basalt Ridge and many miles of trails.  Notice the trail behind this falls.  We only saw 2 falls but we were impressed!

These trails are below the falls on the Canyon Trail.  It was icy and slick so we didn't do much walking on the steep trails.

Silver Creek meanders through the State Park.  Here it is just above the falls before it roars over the cliff.  The towering fir trees line the park roads and paths.

As we were leaving we stopped at an overlook for the North Falls.  Next time we visit it would be nice to do more wandering on the trails in this area.  ( We couldn't help but think about the work required to keep them clean and clear.  Interesting how your perspective changes with your experiences.)

Put this park on your list if you are in the Salem or Portland area.  It's well worth the trip!

Trails are for Christmas Too!

Wait until you hear this!  At 7 AM on Christmas morning as we pulled away from opening the Park gate a car drove in.  It was still very dark and yet they parked at the Filbert Grove and headed off on a hike by the river.  What a surprise!  

We counted 25 vehicles during the day and saw lots of hikers, dog walkers (some who come almost every day) and even 2 groups of horseback riders.  That was just on an 11 AM rove of the park and a 2 PM hike and geocache search.  When we closed the park at 5 PM one set of horse riders were still out on the trail and a walker was making his return to the bike trail car park on the River.   When the horse riders finally left the park it was after 5:30.  They reported making a wrong turn on the trails.  Since it was very dark we had been a little worried.

So- even on Christmas Day our time was well spent giving others an opportunity to enjoy a place of beauty on the River!

On Dec. 26 Terry and Ranger Carlie did some sign removals on the horse trail about 3 miles from the trailhead.  It was so far down the river, across the wheat field and deep in the forest that Terry asked me to come with him the next day to clear some trees that had fallen on the trail.  Since I had never been on the horse trail I was happy to help.  So we loaded up my favorite Park vehicle, the Kubota and headed out!

Yes, Inge, I really do drive this one and LOVE it!!!!  

We spent about 3 hours trimming blackberries, jerking down a mass of vines that almost blocked the trail and cutting the tree that blocked the detour around the tree across the trail.  There is lots of work to do just keeping the trail open in some spots.  It is work that both of us enjoy and it makes us happy to have been a help to someone.  It is a little muddy though---notice the boots!

Oh! and I forgot to mention the moss covered tires we pulled off the trail side (see them in the back).  Terry surprised me with my first pair of insulated coveralls and I was so glad to have them on this chilly, muddy work day.  (I'm learning to be a more contented maintenance volunteer.)

As 2014 starts on Wednesday we will be 30 days away from ending 8 months of Volunteer Work.  Who knew when we said yes to that first job in May of 2011 that we would become so involved in just 3 years?  What an adventure!!!!

Best wishes to you for many new adventures in 2014!!!

Christmas Wishes!

We have already had a touch of winter with two days of freezing fog last week.  Terry took this photo of the trees and shrubs right outside our camper door.   They front the Park Office and one of the trailheads.  The shrubs are Red Osier Dogwood (the branches are bright red and very pretty in winter).
The combination of conifer green and red looks like Christmas!

One of our Christmas traditions for the last few years has been a Christmas Day hike.  We usually go to Cumberland Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  This year we can just walk right out our door, under these trees and we'll be on the trail around the wheat field and to the Williamette River.  I wish you were all close enough to come share the hike with us.  The wheat field is a favorite feeding area of the green herons and there are frequent sightings of the resident cougar on the trail by the river.  Who knows what we will see on Christmas Day, but I'm sure an unexpected gift of nature will await us.

Our Christmas wish for you is that some time during the holidays you can find time to take a long walk in a quiet place.  There is always something to gain from stepping out of the routine and into a part of the natural world that surrounds you.  We forget that our lives are one small part of the web of life that goes on about us and without us.

We hope your Christmas is one of joy, peace and beauty!

Bar-B-Q and the Blue Ridge

Thanksgiving for me was a trip to North Carolina and a visit with my sisters.  I left Terry to continue our job at Williamette Mission SP in Oregon.  Jane came from Germany with Kevin for his November training in Memphis and then shared Thanksgiving and the week before in NC.  My sister Ann hosted a beautiful Thanksgiving Dinner.  It was wonderful to have all 3 of us together again, a true celebration!

It was a treat to watch the sunrises from the cabin, see a a little dusting of snow on the deck and back up to the wood stove.

I attended 2 Old Time Music concerts at the Rex Theater in Galax, VA ( about 12 miles away from the cabin), had a super hike with Nancy at the Blue Ridge Music Center on the Parkway, ate NC Bar-B-Q twice, had Fried Okra at the K&W Cafeteria and even got in a Line Dance Class with the Alleghany Jubilee Dancers.

The Christmas Season started for me in my favorite way with a Moravian Candlelight Service at Sparta Presbyterian.  We got to attend a little country church Christmas Bazaar and buy handmade ornaments too.   It was great to get such a fine sampling of NC treasures in just 15 days, but I was mighty happy to see Terry waiting at the Portland Airport.

Terry and I are looking forward to Christmas at Williamette Mission.  We've already had a little snow (on the day after my return).  We are curious to see if the park will have visitors on Christmas Day like it did on Thanksgiving.  We will open and close the Park and be the only staff for the day.   A different kind of experience for us!  Stay tuned for details!

As the Water Rises

The Willamette Mission that gave our Park it's name was flooded out in the 1840's and moved to the present day Salem area.  A major flood in 1861 actually changed the course of the river in the park and created a Lake.  The river continues to flood each winter and most of the park is closed until the water recedes.  We have had a very busy week working to prepare for the flood predicted for Nov. 22.  All the picnic tables have to be stacked and cabled to trees.  Bridge railings and boat docks have to be removed.  The grounds have to be mulched and the trails uncovered where the leaves are thickest.

The ferry will be closed when the river gets too high.  The dry land visible in this photo is already covered by the river waters.

Here's a close-up of the ferry.  It gets lots of use and links our staff to another park and greenways along the river  that our staff manages.  We took it a few days ago and the water was surging beneath it nothing like the gentle waters pictured.

It is really interesting watching the changes in the river and learning about how the water levels are predicted and monitored.  Terry will be returning from our days off in Vancouver at his mom's place to finish up the preparation for the first flood.  I will fly from Portland to Charlotte in the morning and spend Thanksgiving with my sisters.  It will be great to be in NC after 9 months of roving and rambling.

Enjoy the coming days with thankfulness and gratitude!!

On the Willamette River

     All those wagon trains going to Oregon that we studied in history classes were headed for this river valley and it's rich, fertile fields---- the Williamette.  Our present hosting site is on the banks of the river north of Salem and about 40 miles south of Portland.  It includes 1,600 acres of woodlands, wetlands, rolling meadows and working farmland.

This is one end of the largest picnic area in the park.  The distant tree line borders a lake that was the original river channel before a huge flood changed its course.  The present river course was behind me when I took this photo.

This picnic area, the Filbert (Hazelnut) Grove, borders the river with a 6.4 mile bike trail along the river bank.  This area will stay open all year when access to it is not flooded out.

The paved bike trail goes all the way to the Wheatland Ferry Crossing at the edge of the park.  This crossing was used by the wagon trains too!  There's a Bicycle Campground and a Horse Campground back to back here on the right.  Nice trail !!

We are busy helping to ready the park for winter; taking down volleyball nets, blowing leaves off the trails, patching holes in the bike path, getting equipment winterized, and organizing the work sheds.  With 17 miles of trails in the park we will never keep them all clean and trimmed.  It's all very satisfying work though and more than we can do before winter rains stop us.

More Beach Views

Looking south to Heceta Head and Lighthouse.

Back at the parking and picnic area the view looks over the shrub covered dune to the beach below.  Another path winds through the moss draped trees to the campground for about a 1 and 1/2 mile loop.

The October days here have been gorgeous as these pictures show and I try to get to the beach daily.
The only place we can get cell phone service or internet is parked at this view.  Not bad, huh?
Only 12 more days and we head inland to Willamette Mission State Park, 8 miles north of Salem, OR.

The Beach at Washburne State Park

This beautiful sandy beach is 1/4 mile across Hwy. 101 from our campground.  Part of our duty is litter pick up in the parking and picnic area.  We are stopped many times and thanked for our clean up efforts.  Makes us feel good!

One trail at the end of the camping area leads under the highway along China Creek for 1/2 mile to the beach.  It's a little more than 1/2 mile back to the picnic area, making a very nice loop walk.

So here we go on a little stroll to the beach.

Once you climb down a few steps, here's the view north toward Yachats.

Big Creek flows into the ocean up where the sand breaks at the rock strewn edge.
As you turn to head back to the picnic area, the sea stack rocks at the end of Heceta Head are in the distance.


Well, that's all folks! Something is goofy here.  Look for a second post.