Random scenes from the northern California coast.
The girls and I recently returned from a roadtrip that took us through the middle of Oregon to northern California and then back up the coast.
Our first campsite was at Cottonwood Canyon on the John Day River in northern Oregon. To get there we drove through vast fields of dryland wheat dotted with hundreds (maybe thousands) of wind turbines and views of four of the Cascade Mountain volcanoes in the distance.
The highway follows a windy route into the steep canyon of the John Day River. It is a beautiful canyon carved by the river from volcanic basalt that spread out over eastern Oregon and Washington thousands of times over the centuries. The state park is pretty new and covers 8000 acres of valley bottom. I think most people go there for the fly fishing and river rafting. The girls and I enjoyed hiking along the wide trail that parallels the river on both sides. Being late October, there were few campers in the park and we had the trails mostly to ourselves, occasionally seeing an angler or two. The autumn light on the canyon walls was magnificent. I ought to mention that while it was sunny and beautiful, it was also cold. It got down to 13° Fahrenheit the first night and 16 the next night. Brrrr. Definitely two dog nights.
Assorted photos from October. Mostly dogs and pretty fall colors. And a couple of Red-tailed Hawks.
I am behind.
Luna’s birthday was on October 7! Six people and six dogs braved the rain to celebrate Luna’s 13th birthday with a hike to Cutthroat Lake. Somewhere on my phone, I think, is a picture of all six dogs together but I think the camera lens was wet. It was kind of a foggy image. Still, all the dogs had a good time and I think all the people had good enough rain gear that no one was too wet. Except the dogs.
Two very generous people, Phil and Cathy Davis, have gifted the community of Winthrop a new park! They purchased some dilapidated floodplain at the entrance to town and with a lot of hard work and money too, they changed it into a place for walking, gathering together, studying, contemplation and relaxation.
Homestream Park “is dedicated to the rivers and fish of the Methow Valley, and to the native people, past and present, who have called this place home for thousands of years.”
The park features original artwork by Smoker Marchand and Bruce Morrison. There is a kids’ lookout topped with Bruce’s carved Ospreys on a nest. A path meanders through the park, and like the Columbia River, it features nine obstacles (boulders) that represent the nine dams on the river that salmon must cross to get to the ocean and then back to the Methow to spawn. Native plants have been used to restore the area to something like what it may have been in the past.
There was a grand opening of the park just a little over a week ago. More than 300 people were there to stroll the path, study the art and listen to prayers of welcome and a few speeches and music too. It was a very nice celebration on a nice fall day.
Thank you Phil and Cathy Davis and all of the volunteers that worked hard to develop your dream.
My Everyday Photos 