Patience Tested

   This guy is patient.  He knows that sometimes you need to wait for the right time.  I am not as patient as I should be.  I am readay to head to Arizona as soon as we get back from Klamath Falls.  The weather has changed our plans and now we will leave the trailer here at home, travel to Klamath Falls on Wednesday, have our family Christmas on Thursday and Friday and then drive back to Eugene where we will wait.......

    The reason for the wait is me.  To be more correct it is because on last Friday I got the opportunity to ride in an Ambulance to the hospital.  One minute I am lying in bed with my wife cuddling and the next she is trying to wake me up.  It wasn't a case of passing out.  It was something different.  EMTs came, and thus the ride to the ER at about 9am.  By 1pm, after lots of tests, attached leads, and samples, I was discharged with the thought that I had passed out from low fluids.  My wife did not agree with the diagnosis.  Me being low on fluids is unlikely because of all the water I drink.  I don't drink beer, pop, coffee.  Milk and water is about it. 
    The ER doctor called me about 2 hours after we got home and said that the blood tests had come back and it seems that I had a seizure of some kind.  What caused the seizure is still unknown.  Until the hospital calls with appointment times for an EEG and a MRI, we are waiting.  Then we will have a conversation with my doctor.  Until then, the ER doctor told me not to climb mountains, get up on the roof, and worst of all, not to drive.  So our trip south is in an holding pattern right now.
     It is interesting how your life can change in one day.

Last Day of Fall 2012

   It is Thursday Dec 20, 2012 and I'm ready to go.  I mean "I" am ready to go.  We aren't ready.  Most if not all the the tasks to complete before launch are completed with the exception of one.  The trailer is back in the shop.  Remember that I had trouble with the bedroom slide?  Both the track and the gear were missing teeth so were replaced the second week of Aug.  We left for Malheur a day late because the parts had to come from Indiana.  Well, guess what the new gear sheared off three teeth and another is on the way from,--- you guessed it, Indiana.  Warrenty on the part is 90 days and it has been all of 150 days.  Of course the fact that during that time the slide was operated maybe 12 times, means nothing.  Oh well, at least it happened here in Eugene.   I am about to call the shop to see if the gear came in today.  They haven't called me which gives me the feeling that it might be tomorrow.
    Packing the trailer is not going to be a problem.  We done it many times.  The problem involves travel.  Getting the rig across the mountains in winter is an "Iffy" proposition.  My prefered route is Hwy 58 from Eugene, through Oakridge, Willamette Pass and then to Klamath Falls, Alturis, Reno, Vegas, and south.  An alternate roulte is I-5 south over Sisikyou Pass down to Bakersfield and then east over Tehachapi Pass.  That is the route we took last year because of snow in the Cascades.  I prefer the first route because of less traffic and better views.  Also, we can visit our kids in Klamath Falls on the first day and then head out from there the next day.   This year has a twist.  We are having our family Christmas in Klamath Falls on Dec 26-28.  
   See my problem? 

  So the plan is to watch the road reports and checking ODOT/Tripcheck and go when the opening presents itself.  Wish us luck.

Two weeks until take off

Got a couple of items checked off on my "To Do" List.

1.The bikes are partly disassembled and loaded into the bed of the truck.
2.The trailer tires were all put at 78 psi.

3, Yesterday I trimmed the cherry tree and some branches of the maple trees that have become major leaf producers

Two or three items left to do.  (Just as I get to the end, I discover several more have been added to the bottom) They will stop soon because the list is getting near the bottom of the paper.

A new rig? Maybe

I am thinking of a new
RV for next year.

 What do you think?

2013 Volunteer Schedule

We have our year for 2013 planned out, at least for our volunteer activities.  Well, at least until the first of September.

   Jan 1st  - April 30, 2013    Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  Arizona

   May 13th - July 23, 2013  Tallac Historic Site,  South Lake Tahoe, CA.

   July 24- July 30, 2013  Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, OR.

   Aug 1st - Aug 31, 2013 Cape Blanco State Park, OR.


We have no commitment for after August 31 at this time, but remain open to whim.

Almost December

   It is the 29th of November.  Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Black Friday has come and gone.  Cyber Monday has passed.  Most of the ads featuring "Black Friday Deals" have stopped running on the media.  (Thank Goodness)  The world begins the downhill , ever-steeper slide to the holidays.  Our Christmas, as usual, will be on a day other then Christmas.  The family is getting together at my son's home in Klamath Falls for the first time.  The tricky part of us will be getting the rig over the Cascades in winter.  In less then a month we will be watching the weather closely to see when the roads will be clear on Willamette Pass.  Last year we had to travel down I-5 and over Siskiyou Pass to avoid the storm that had aready made Hwy 58 snow covered and impassable for vehicles with trailers.

    R is subbing today at the preschool where she worked for many years.  Her former teaching partner is going to Hawaii for several weeks and so my wife will get a chance to flex her nurturing muscles again for a couple of weeks.  I hope she is aware of her limitations and remembers what activites she can NOT do.  I do bet she is having a great time though.

Granddaughter Art

I wish I could create art like this.  My granddaughter can.

Back in Eugene

   We are back home.  It is different.  It is the same.  A few businesses have closed or opened since we left in January.  The neighbors are remodeling.  But mostly it is the same. 
    I can feel the humidity difference.  We basically have been in a desert climate since we left and you can feel the difference.  Even on our trip back to Minnesota, it was dry.  The Midwest is in the middle of a drought.  I hope they get lots of snow this winter.
   The rainy season has started here now.  I just checked the thirty day forecast and there may be two days without moisture, but when we arrived home, rains hadn't started yet.  Even then there was a difference once you crossed the Cascades.  Western Oregon feels different.
   R and I have resumed normal activities.  The Sheldon Pool opened on Monday Oct 22nd. after being closed since June for repairs.  Today was our second day back in the water.  It feels good to be back excercising. 
   Busy day today.  Spinning group at noon.  Then three errands to accomplish while I am over in the northwest part of Eugene.  Winco, Jerry's, and the RV store.   Better get to it.

Last Day at Malheur

   Yesterday was our last day at the Sodhouse Ranch.  We had no visitors which was good because we had a lot of work to do to get the ranch prepared for closure.   Tables were covered with plastic.  Chairs were stacked on top of them.  Antiques were packed in totes and brought back to the headquarters for storage.  In addition, fences were erected and gates closed to help prevent cow from trampling the ranch area.  Cows are not allowed on the premises, but it seems that a few strays always seem to figure out a way to get in.  It was after 5pm when we got back to the headquarters, but we were done.


   Last night was the first good rain this area has had since before June.  It rained most of the night.  This morning I slept in until 7:30 before taking Mollie out for her walk.  As I started our walk I noticed the sunrise and the great cloud structure.  It was worth a picture.


   As Mollie and I headed out I turned to the west and these clouds warned us of what was coming.

 What was coming was a freight train.  Dark black cloud, high wind, and heavy rain.  The freight train passed over the trailer in about fifteen minutes.  Now the sun is back, but the high wind remains.


Tomorrow we travel back to Eugene.
  

Cattails in October

Now that it is Fall the cattails have turned a most rich golden color.

  A nice contrast to the sky.

Back at Malheur

   First day back at Malheur I was up at 6:30 to walk Mollie.  When we arrived in mid August the sun was already up by six o'clock.  It is now it is Oct 12 and at 6:45 it is just barely getting light.  This morning we were greeted by the rising Moon and its companion Venus welcoming us back.  The ranch was still there.  Somehow the place managed to function without us.  The cows were happy we were back. At least they bellowed a lot when they saw us.  I think it is because I go get some hay from the pasture and throw it over the fence to them every day that we work.

   Our last day on the road was an easy one.  We spent Wednesday afternoon and evening with our friends Vickie and Jeff at their home in Twin Falls.  They took us to Shoshone Falls but I forgot to ake either my phone or our camera.  Ate supper at good Mexican restaurant in downtown Twin.   Thursday morning we left TF after breakfast at Norm's; another place the "locals" call home.  We stopped at the bridge over the Snake River for at least one picture.
  
    Arrived at the trailer about 4:30 and got the Prius unloaded got our feet up an hour later.  It was good to be home.  

The Trip West (Day 2)

   Day two.  Cold and cloudy in the morning.  39 degrees. Wind continued as we traveled west on
 I-80.   Sprinkles and showers until we crossed the pass between Cheyenne and Larame. 

    Spotted in Gothenburg, NE for gas.  Visited the Pony Express Museum.  Also found out that Frito Lay has a large plant in town.  Any corn chip west of the Mississippi has flavoring from Gothenburg.

We passed through Sidney, NE and noticed a building stating,  "World Headquarters of Cabelas"

    Traveling west on I-80 from Omaha to Sidney you are traveling from the Midwest to the West;  From farm land to ranch land;  From metropolitan to rural to nearly desserted. From Central Time to Mountain Time .

    I-80 in Wyoming involves long stretches of open road up and down.  Semi trucks are visible in the distance like clipper ships moving in lines across the landscape.

The Trip Back West (Day 1)

   Monday we left Fairmont and started our trip back west.  We detoured to the town of Wesbrook to say good-bye to an aunt and then Hwy 60 which heads southwest to Sioux City.  The temp was 46 and the wind was biting and at least 30 mph.  We were in clouds and sprinkles until late afternoon  when the sun came out and the temp went up.  We stopped for the night in Kearney, NE 547 miles later.
   The road kill count for day one was:  two deer, nine racoons, five skunks, and five bodies too smashed to indentify.  Crossing the road is definately dangerous.
  

Another cold day in October

Saturday Oct 6, 2012

    Another cold day.  It's hard to believe that only a few days ago it was in the 80s and today it did not even get to 50.  The wind seemed to drill right through you.  The trees have turned to mostly browns and greys.  The leaves were so dry that most of them have turned to yellow granules instead of lying loosely in piles.
   Today we rode with R's sister and husband down to the tiny town of Buffalo Center, Iowa.  Other than the excitement of visiting a new town, we went there to shop at Weavers Shoe Store.  This place is the reason people come to this village of 963.  For the shoes.  The shoe store has been in the family for three generations with the forth generation (two sons) working in the store.  
    The store has more shoes and shoe styles than stores in major cities in any state.  We traveled, we shopped and we purchased three pairs of shoes for R,  plus some polish and a pair of laces.  It was worth the trip.

Summer is over

It's Thursday Oct 4th

  We have left Mankato and are now in Fairmont which is about 50 miles south.  My wife spent her high school years in Fairmont and her sister still lives here.
   Yesterday you needed to run the A/C in the car.  Today the heater will be needed.  80's yesterday 50's today. Cold wind blowing the yellow-brown leaves along the ground.   Summer is definitely over!  

The perfect Minnesota Truck

As I was walking Mollie this morning, I noticed this truck at the local Chevy dealer.  Is this the perfect truck for a Minnesota winter or what?

Southern Minnesota

   Land of the farm.  Driving around in southern Minnesota, I remember what rural America is like.  Miles and miles of corn fields.  Lots of fields of soybeans as well.  Scattered throughout the countryside among these fields are groves of trees.  Each of these groves is a windbreak for a farm.   Everywhere are cornfields and trees.  In Eastern Oregon the ranch home sites are 10-15 miles apart.  Around here the farm sites are about a half mile apart. 
    Today we drove to Windom to visit an aunt of R.  It is harvest time.  Everywhere you look, you see huge dry fields of corn and beans.  I thought they were dead from the drought, but that is just what they are supposed to do at this time of year.  As you travel, you see large combines working through rows of dry brown corn stalks or equally brown stands of soybeans.  You will also see parked combines using their comveyor shutes to load the corn or beans into waiting grain trucks.  Farmers are very busy right now spmetimes working into the night to get the harvest in.

A Trip to Minnesota Day One

   We got an early start on Monday.  Not as early as I would have liked, but 7:30 was pretty good.  The Prius was really loaded!  There were a few extra boxes aboard, one containing my Teac reel-to-reel tape deck and two computer paper boxes full of reel-to-reel tapes some of which I have recorded and some were purchased from Special Services in Viet Nam in 69-70.  Some old stuff.
   We were taking it to Minnesota to give to R brother.  He has a recording studio and is going to see if the deck or any of the tapes are in good shape.  I might get some recorded CDs out of the deal.  We will see.
   An hour lost as we crossed into Malheur County.  An hour lunch in Jerome, Id at the Burnt Lemon where burnt lemons are used to make a tasty lemonade.
   We arrived at the Days Inn in Evanston, Wy. at about 8:00 pm       600 miles and the foam rubber pad helped keep my butt from falling asleep.  Early to bed for the next day which turned out to be longer than we expected. 

Minnesota Trip Day 2

   Left Evanston, Wy at 7:30am   The geology along the way was great,and scattered rain showers and sunshine made the trip enjoyable.   As I travel, I like to look at the vehicles both coming and going.  We passed a couple driving a very cool car tooling along I-80. 



    We lost another hour due to the time zones two hours after crossing into Nebraska.  Then about half way across the 400 miles we were trying to decide where to spend the night and came to the conclusion, " Why don't we just drive straight through to Minnesota?"  Let's do it!!

  
 By midnight, we wondered if we were ever going to get out of Iowa, but at 3:30 am we arrived at R sister's home in Fairmont, Minn.  I was asleep within 3 minutes of my head hitting the pillow.


I'll put in  a pic of the car when I find my camera.
 

Safety Cones

    There is a shortage of safety cones in Nebraska.  There has to be because there must be at least 100,000 of them scattered along I-80 across Nebraska in at least a dozen construction zones that last for 5-10 miles each.  Each zone consisted of a narrow single lane passage through cones on  both sides with no noticable construction going on in any of them.  The only use I can see for this construction is that is was good way to slow down the flow of traffic.
   Iowa is trying to use up its quota also, but they seem to put out a few pieces of equipment here and there to simulate actual construction.   It might be wise to buy stocks in the safety cone business.

Antique Hunting

    Yesterday, Wednesday, R and I went antique hunting.  We weren't looking for your average antique, something Gramma would have had in her house.  We were looking for items to display at the Sodhouse Ranch, circa 1880's / 90's.  There weren't many women there at that time either.  The Clark family were the managers and Mrs Clark raised at least three children and cooked for the ranch crew.  She may or may not have had a cook to help her with that job.  Then during the haying time several women would have been hired to cook three meals a day for the men that came to the ranch to for that period.  They all lived in tents on the ranch property and ate meals prepared out of the hay kitchen which, at one time, was the homestead house.  Our goal yesterday, was to find addtional items to furnish that hay kitchen and the bunkhouse.  With a shopping list in hand, we hit the road. 

  First stop:  a junk shop just east of Burns on Hwy 20.   Prizes:  a pair of leather chaps. ( in need of clean up), some harness tack, a coal oil can, and a stirrup.

  Second Stop:   A shop in Canyon City that has mostly decorative items.  They also make horse drawn wagons, surreys, and even stage coaches.    No luck here.'
 
  Third stop:   Jim's Antiques in "downtown" Canyon City.    Prizes:  a nice conversation with Jim, the owner and a line on an old saddle that he has at another location

Fourth Stop:   "A Touch of Europe" in John Day.  Prizes:  A set of blinders for a horse, some knives and forks, a glass hurricane lamp.

Fifth Stop:  "Skeins" in John Day to visit with the owner, Teresa, to catch up on her life and to buy some interesting blue wool roving.

Sixth Stop:   A shop on Hwy 26 just east of Mount Vernon.  Ken, the owner has several barns full of goodies.  What we were looking for and more.  A chair, three spoons, and a dust covered lantern.

Cowboys

It is Fall, time for the local ranchers to move their cattle from summer pastures to pastures that they will occupy until the end of the year.  There are herds in the fields on both sides of the ranch.  The herd from the Church family ranch arrived last Sunday.

 Cattle drives have occured since the late 1800's.   They continue today.  The distances are shorter.  The herds are different breeds now.  The comboys are mounted, some on horses, some on less traditional transportation. 

A Walk Back into Time

   My wife and I were invited to go with a group to an area of the refuge that has been occupied by humans about eight thousand years ago.  It was located on a bluff overlooking the Blitzen River Valley. 



The People rested in the open areas near their homes making stone tools and viewing the green area filled with game and fish below them.  Secondary chips are present in the areas near the ten rock circles that were habitation sites for the People. 

   Below the bluff are rock faces marked with petroglyphs.  Were they stories?  Were they braggings?  Were they religious?  Or were they just graffiti?  No one knows.  What do you think?

A Deep Question

    When did we stop calling it "Pepsi Cola" and start calling it just "Pepsi"  ?

A Busy Day

Today went by very quickly, because I was busy.  It was Monday so the crew of the refuge was back to work.  Carla, our supervisoer, came out to the ranch and we decided what to do now that the crew had left the ranch.  The cabinet in the corner of the back office needed to be taken out.  It was filled with the droppings of lots of mice.  So an hour of me dressed as a alien, using a pry bar and a hammer, and it was gone.  Another hour of painting two coats of KILZ and the day is almost over, but the place looks a lot better.

Tuesday Our Day Off

So what do you do on your day off?

  Sleep late ( like 7:00 am)

Watch CBS This Morning.

Watch two movies and have breakfast in bed.

Light lunch

Go out to the ranch for a couple of hours. 
    Measure the rooms in the ranch office for future shelves.
    Look for my Mini- Leatherman that   disappeared yesterday out there.
    Empty the 100 gal water tank that is in the  back of the truck and water the little cottonwood "starts" that are scattered around the ranch.''

  It is 4pm and I'm back and I feel that I have accomplished something.

 Tomorrow we are going to drive up to John Day to see if we can find some antiques to put in the buildings at the ranch.  Here is what the bunkhouse looks like now.
 

A Monster?

There's a funny looking person out there and he is looking for mouse poop to clean up.

cool toys

The refuge has some interesting equipment on hand.  Here are some.  The top one is called the Marsh Master.

The other is an air boat. 

Both are way cool.

The Ranch Dog

   Mollie is loving the time she is spending out at the ranch.  Prior to this time at Malheur, she has only been off the leash in our back yard.  At the ranch I started experimenting with letting her off leash when I walked around the ranch performing chores and she was with me.  It worked pretty well.  I needed to keep an eye on her because she would get distracted by a smell or a taste of some "goodie" lying in the grass.

    While I was watering some cottonwood 'starts', I let her explore around the pickup.  She stayed pretty close.  So far so good.  Then, the other day, after she had been exploring on her own, I picked her up to sit on my lap and smelled an aroma.  Mollie had been rolling in ranch "poop per ree".  She didn't seem to be the least bit concerned with her aura.  I was so I took her back to the volunteer house and gave her a bath in the deep sink.  But it is official now, Mollie is a ranch dog.

the Harney County Fair 9/4/12

   We went out to the fairgrounds in Burns today.  Actually, we were there yesterday painting the walls and floor of the wooden booth that the refuge rents every year.  Today we were there again to set up the display for this year. 


   It is also the first official day of the Harney County Fair for 2012.  It is set up day for the booths, the midway, and the food booths.  It is also judging day for 4H and FFA which means that the area was filled with healthy and well groomed anaimals of all types.  Over here was a girl running with her sheep ("It's a male you know.")  Over there are cattle being lead into their stalls.  The dog event was just getting over as we were setting up.  The most exotic breed I saw were five whippets owned by the same lady.  It was mostly herding dogs and for good reason.  This is ranching country.  Cows, sheep, hay and alfalfa if they can irrigate are their products.


   The fair is the typical rural fair.  It doesn't change much each year.  R and I went two years ago and from what I could see, it looked the same.  In addition to the animal judging, the main events are a rodeo and horse racing.  The rodeo fills the stands and I imagine the racing does too.  There is not that much to do around here.  As an example the local theater has sign on it marque, " Closed for the Fair".


    This year is the 150 anniversary of the Homestead Act of 1862.   The theme of the booth decoration this year was based on that.  We brought out items from the ranch to make the area look good.  And it does not look too bad.  The interesting thing about the docorations, we were instrumental in many of them.  The trunk was ours, as was the rocking chair.  I made the table out of old lumber that I found on the ranch.  Looking at the picture of the booth makes me smile.

A Warm Springs Visitor

I am sure that many creatures visit this place.  I will return some day to sit, reflect, and perhaps to nap

The Barnes Homestead

   Last Thursday Carl and Jan, fellow voluteers who happen to be archeologists.  Took R and me on a field trip to the southern part of the refuge.  We began with breakfast at the Frenchglen Hotel.  Fortified we got back into the refuge vehicle and opened a locked gate and drove the short distance to the Barnes Homestead.  They started renting it about 1927 and the family lived in it for over 50 years.  Since then, it has remained empty, unused, neglected, forgotten.   Not much remains.  A sod building that may have been a cabin but more likely, a storage building.  25 -30 feet of willow fencing,  a loading chute that is on it's last legs.  A couple of apple trees struggle to survive among some beautiful cottonwoods.








   The highlight of the place is a natural warm spring that flows out form the hillside into a small pool and then away into the meadow.  A wonderful oasis that beckons one to stop and soak the feet in the clear tepid water.  You can imagine the ranch hands lined up down the path for their annual bath.  The dragonfly enjoys the area is well.


    Reluctantly, we continued our trip, traveling on some lightly used refuge tracks that took us on a circle around Boca Lake watching the Pelicans, Canada Geese, and other water fowl,  even disturbing some 4 point bucks as well.




    Before going home, we visited a rock outcropping that sported many pictographs, many too faded to be recognizable.  Thanks to our friends for the day.

Washing the Truck

It was time to wash the truck.  The trip with Bob and Marti required driving on some gravel.  In addition, one section of the paved road had been used by a local rancher as a path from pasture A to pasture B.  As these cattle travel they deposit goodies on the road.  I wound up having a dusty truck with cow deposits in the wheel wells. 
   There is a washing area over near the shop.  As I was spraying under the rear fenders, a bird flew out from underneath.  At least, I thought it was a bird.  It flew, strangely a few feet away and landed mearby on the ground.  It was then that I realized that it was not a bird at all but a bat.  As I watched the little guy crawled along the ground until he found a piece of moulding to hide behind.  By this time tonight he should be flying around trying to eliminate every insect in the area.  Keep up the good work, Mr Bat.

Sodhouse Neighbor - Badger

The other day we noticed a badger walking slowly across the field at the ranch.  It was a little over a foot long and eight inches tall.  It was hunting; hunting for rodents underground.  In a little while he found something to dig for and he began to dig.  Soon he was out of sight.  One of the volunteers, Jan, went for a closer look.  Here is what she saw. 

Bob and Marti

Yesterday Bob and Marti came to Burns.  We met them in Burns and had lunch at the Broadway Deli and the conversation began.  After more than an hour I rode with in their rig on the way out to the refuge while the ladies hit the grocery store.  We had checked and found that it was ok for our guessts to spend a few nights in the RV park.  Thye set up and we cooked steaks on the grill and ate in the RV building.  It's a nice place and there is more room than in the rig.  After dinner we strolled the half-mile down to the river and watched the moon rise thru the smoke layer.
   Today we showed our friends around, the Sodhouse Ranch, the Round Barn, P Ranch, and visited the Headquarters on the way back.  We spent 30+ minutes in the viewing blind at the Marshall Pond watching ducks doing their thing.
   Tonight we are invited to Bob and Marti's for dinner and then it is over to the volunteer house for conversation and crafts.
 

Weather Change

It is Tuesday the 28th of August and you can tell.  Summer has definately peaked.  Two weeks ago it was 95 for over many days.  Now the days are getting into 80's but the nights are quite cool.  It was 44 when Mollie and I took our morning walk today.  Wait until next month.  Eastern Oregon knows extreme weather, at least in temperature.  You have to be tough to live out here.

Weed Trimming

A couple of days ago I had the "opportunity" to use a DR Trimmer.  We have all seen the commercials on TV where the guy dressed in Khakis and a polo shirt smiles while he eats thorough the large patch of tall grass.  Well, it wasn't tall grass that I needed to tackle but tall weeds instead.  Let me tell you that the commercial is only a "representation" of what really happens.

  Yes it does have an electric start, but that is after it is warmed up.  If the machine is cold, you will need to pull the starter rope to get it going.  Yes, you walk behind it as it tears away at whatever is near its spinning nylon strings.  But weeds, especially good sized ones, require that you go over the spot several times from different directions.  You had better be wearing a protective face shield because dirt, dust, and debris is flying every which way, so you may get your khakis and your polo a little dirty in the process.  If you have allergies, your eyes are going to be in deep trouble.
   The job will get done, but you will know that you have done a days work and you will need a long hot shower.  

Caspian Terns

Caspian Terns have recently gotten some bad press because of their nesting habits.  Because of loss of nesting locations they started nesting on islands near the mouth of the Columbia River and in doing so, were feeding on immature salmon. 
   At Malheur we have a problem with invasive carp and how to get rid of them.
Fish and Wildlife came up with a solution;  build artificial islands in several lakes so that the terns will end their northern migration at these islands and not on the Columbia.  So the islands were constructed last year.  It was a major project involving lots of fill material and machinery to construct the islands.  They were placed on Malheur Lake, Fern Ridge Reservoir, and Summer Lake in Oregon and several lakes in California.  Decoys were placed on the islands and machines making certainnesting sounds were installed.  The result---  nesting birds the first year.  Check out the link and at the bottom of the page is a link to the webcam actually on Tern Island on Malheur Lake.  You will see the decoys and more importantly, moving and flying and nesting birds.  Terns eating carp instead of salmon.  I would call that success.
http://www.fws.gov/malheur/caspian_terns.html

Steens Mountain Loop

   Today we took the loop up to Steens Mountain.  It was a fun day.  With the exception of the smoke from the fires down south the scenery was great.  It has been two years since we had been on this road and there were changes.  A few miles in on south road, we encountered a few wild horses louging under a Juniper tree. 


   The south end of the loop has been improved, by a huge amount.  Where there were ruts and large rocks in the roadway, there is a smooth layer of gravel.  The incline is still very steep, the edges look down into the canyon as you climb what is called the coxcomb.  The elevation gain is over 4000 ft in the span of about 5 miles so that rush is still there.  The u-shaped canyons still draw your eyes toward them as you negotiate the serpentine route to the east.


   Our favorite stop off place is still there.  A great lunch of sprimp and crackers at the edge of miles of nothing.  Gazing off into a canyon, no one anywhere nearby, the only noise were the grasshoppers making sounds like lawn sprinklers, chi -chi - chi, shtt, shtt,shtt shtt, chi, chi, chi

   After lunch we resumed the climb to the summit, to the altitude of 9724 ft.  It's the highest place in Oregon you can drive to.  The view is amazing, canyons to the north, east, and south, the  Alvord Desert 5000 ft below to the east.  Time spent looking and photo taking and then the 26 mile descent back to Frenchglen with a stop to check out the gnarled Aspens at Jack Lake.

Driving Danger

The road to Burns has it's dangers.  No it is not the road itself.  That is paved and straight as an arrow.  What is ON the road is the cause of the problem.  Although fences line the road edges, there are always bovine intruders ready to saunder from one side of the road to the other.  These are not something you want to run into on your way to town, literally or figuratively. 

Night Hawks

This morning's wildlife report.

  Night hawks on the nearby tree branches.  A doe on the road.  Rooster pheasant in the field.  A coyote in another field.  Two Redtailed Hawks on successive power poles.  A harrier flying low over the mowed hay.  Six turkey vultures sitting on a fence along the gravel road into the ranch.  Because of our evening program, these are one of our favorite birds.  Later this morning several dozen white pelican circled overhead searching for thermals.  They are always fun to watch.

First days of work at Sod House Ranch

The weekend has come and gone and we have one more work day before our days off.  I am disappointed by the attendance (or should I say lack of attendance).  Here are the numbers Friday – zero,  Sat – four, Sun – five.  All the work we have done to get this place ready for opening and nobody shows up.  It’s not like there have been hundreds of folks at the headquarters either.  The visitation numbers are pathetic.  Maybe it is the heat.  Maybe it is the economics.  Maybe it is the time of year.  Or maybe it is the place.  Malheur is an out of the way location for sure.  I wonder what can be done.

  PS   Zero for Monday too.   Hmmmmmmm...

Tule Ducks

   Tuesday we rode with Carla, our supervisor, to a camp for foster kids.  We were one of the programs.  Carla explained the importance of cattails and tules, both of which grow in the wetlands of this area.  One of the uses if these plants was to make decoys which were used to hunting.  Nets were put around ponds, decoys put out to entice waterfowl, and then the duck were ensnared wher they tried to get away.
    So R and I helped the young people make decoys.  Take a look.  They are pretty amazing and surprisingly easy to make.

    We were too busy helping to make our own so we look forward to next week when Carla says we will be making some more here at the refuge.  She wants to make some decoys for the State Fair.  Stay tuned. 

Morning walk Saturday 8/11/12

Saturday morning and I am awake by 6:30. Time to take "the girl" for our morning walk. I get dressed and put her on the leash and away we go. The route is familiar; south out the gravel service road, on the main road, which is also gravel, up the hill heading west. At the top of the rise the road bends to the right, north and becomes pavement at the main entrance to the headquarters area. I don’t know if Mollie remembers this route, because she is too busy smelling the smells and checking the side of the road for interesting creatures.  We go past the mail boxes, turn right to the overlook. From the overlook you can look down on the headquarters and its buildings, and down to the east, the rv area and our trailer.

Standing on this hill I was aware of two major things. The first was the roar of the silence. No wind, no vehicles, no people. The only sound to be heard was the buzzing of two flies and chirping of a distant bird.
The second feature that struck me was the amount of water that was before me. The amount of standing water must be double what was here in 2009. There is water where I have not seen water before. The birds are loving it because there is much more aerial activity than back two years ago. It is exciting to see

Monday 8/13/12

  Hot again today.  R and I worked out at the ranch for several hours this morning.  Instead of working a full day we decided to go home at lunch and get cool and work a half day tomorrow.  The ranch officially opens on Wednesday the 15th.  We will be ready.

   You know you are on a wildlife refuge.  Birds are everywhere.  Ibis, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Cormmerants, Sand Hill Cranes, Coyotes, Harriers, Rabbits.  and that is just after three days here.  Some day this week it will be carp.  Stay tuned.
 

Malheur 8/10/12

We are here.  Luckily it was an uneventful trip.  R drove the Prius so we could use it to drove to Minn in Sept.  So I was stuck with Mollie as my companion.  Don't get me wrong, Mollie is great for walks and sitting on your lap, but I prefer my wife's company in the car (or truck).  No question.

  We start tomorrow.  We will go out to the Sod House Ranch and start to open up the buildings.  How dirty can they get when they sit vacant all winter.  Hmm.......  It should be interesting.  I'll let you know.

Lets Go !! Thursday 8/9/12

Finally, we are ready to head out to Malheur Wildlife Refuge.  We got the trailer back at 3:30 on Wednesday afternoon.  It now has a new motor and gear for the bedroom slide.  It sounds differently when it moves now.  Today was spent doing lots of chore to get the rig ready.  A little polishing, lots of loading, some rearranging, some unloading, a little paintng ( I also repaired and repainted a park bench in my spare time), did I say packing?  The day was one big whirl.
   Now, as I write this, my brain is doing the " what have I forgotten to load?"  I will, no doubt, think of something in the middle of the night.
   Tomorrow,  zoom, zoom.

I "eeked" today Wed 8/8/12

Yes I did !  After my walk with Mollie I decided it was a good day to clean out the storage shed in the back yard.  Clouds were keeping the sun hidden so the temp was low; a good time to do a yucky job.  And so I started.
   Grab a box, tote it out into the yard. Grab another, do the same.  As I was carrying a medium sized wooden box out, I looking into it and something moved.  Several things moved!  Little gray things moved in the box.  I remember emitting some sound as I rapidly put down the box, but I'm not sure what it was.  It might have been an "eek".  I'm not positive.  Whatever it was it woke up my wife.

   The shed did get clean and things put back.

Home in Eugene Aug. 4, 2012

The problem with being home is that there are three million things that need to be done on the house and yard and not enough time to get going on most of them when we are home for such a short time.  So we did the big things, weeded and trimmed and called it good.
  I was going to try to get the trailer polished while it was sitting in my driveway, but a more pressing problem cropped up.  When I went to put out the bedroom slide I flipped the switch the wrong way ( which I have done before) and instead of hearing the motor grunt, I heard a clunk. ( not a good sound to hear from a piece of machinery).  I immediately reversed the switch and the slide started to open.  However, instead of doing it smoothly like it has for the last five years, the motor hesitated every six inches or so.  I tried it in the other direction with the same result. (Again not a good thing).  After calling several RV repair facilities, "We can't get you in for several weeks." I finally found one that had room for me.  So I took it in on Monday July 30. 
   The clunk and the jerks meant two problems, a broken gear and broken motor.  Good news; it can be fixed and it is covered by our maintenance policy.  Bad news; the motor is not in stock anywhere so has to be made at the factory in Iowa.  5-10 days to get it made and shipped.  Our departure date is on hold. 
    We have had some maintenance situations this year, but I am not complaining.  The trailer tire did not disintegrate while we were on the highway.  The water pump did not totally go out while we were on the ET highway a hundred miles from no place.  The front brakes pulsed but still slowed us coming down the mountains.  They have been replaced.  And now the slide.  The problem could have happened anywhere that we have been.  Instead it did it in our driveway.  Wow!

Looking back at our posts for the first part of 2012

ORPI  Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  The most beautiful desert environment.  Great volunteer services.  The location is remote, the visitor center is only 5 miles from the Mexican border.  It is basically 100+ miles from anywhere so to visit other attractions in Arizona requires some driving.  The working conditions are great.  32 hours per week per couple, so it is easy to perform.  There are several tasks as volunteer, the van tours ( either as the driver or the guide), patio talks to give, evening programs given at the campground, driving to Quitobaquito several times.  All good stuff.  Some of the volunteers we have met there have left special memories in our hearts.  We are going back there in January - April.

  Tallac Historic Site    WOW !  How do I put it in words?  A wonderful place to spend some time.  Great volunteers, I mean great!   It fealt like we were leaving family when we left on Monday morning.  we were the first to leave.  Everyone in the campground stopped by to say " This is not good bye, but only 'see ya later' "   Of the eight spots in the campground , everyone plans to return next year.  The work!  We worked our butts off during the first session.  It is the time to get teh site ready for visitors;  take down and store all the window shutters, rake pine needles, repair winter damage on the buildings, rake pine needles, get the displays arranged, rake, paint what is needing it, rake, etc. The second session arrives and the grounds are in pretty good shape.  It time to increase the number of programs and tours and the fun of interpretation begins.  R gave tours of the Pope House, dressed as the maid.  I gave tours dressed in straw hat and 20ish garb also.  Then came the Servants tours, dressed as the butler.  The finale was the events called "Vintage Vatican" where both the maid and the butler plus others serve Mrs Pope and her guests on the front porch of the Pope house.  The whole ten weeks was a good time.  Our "going away bbq was like a family get-together.  I will miss them. 

Back in Eugene

Sorry for being absent.  Things got very busy at the end of our stay at Tallac.  But we are home now.  At least for two weeks.  It will be a busy time here too.  I could spend the whole time on the yard, but I won't.  R and I worked on it today, cutting back the wisteria on the arbor, cutting back the grape vines on the gazebo, trimming back the ivy and bushes along the back fence, trimming the branches on the Maples out front.  Do you detect a theme here?  I will take a load of brush to the recycler when I'm done cutting.  It's why I would rather stay out there.
   One of the sprinkler heads needed to be repaired.  The bedroom slide motor is acting "funny" so I will need to take the trailer in next Monday.  Put that with an appointment with our financial advisor and with R do to qualify for social security in November, it is time to see an agent to get her signed up for supplemental insurance.  So you see, the time will go very fast.

The Fourth

Yesterday was a busy one.  After our Wednesday meeting, we all scattered in a hundred directions with our tasks in mind.  I spent most of the day at the Pope house.  Bob and I did a cursory cleaning of the inside and swept the front porch. Midmorning I changed into my tour-guide outfit and then we went outside and started talking to visitors.  We get a lot to our tour folks from the direct contact with visitors strolling by the house.
   Two afternoon tours were scheduled for the holiday.  Both were full.  I lead them and Bob was my sweeper.  The sweeper has many jobs.  He helps to keep the group together, answers anyh questions that the leader forgets,  locks the door behind the group, keeps an eye on things.  Not all tours have a sweeper but it is good when you do.  R is doing two tours this afternoon.   I will try to assist her in her tours if I have the opportunity.

The appliance Hunt

It did not go well.  After calling the place and finding out taht they had an electric range that would have been great for our needs in the volunteer house, I went into WM and helped R finish getting a few things.  We then drove out to Mountain House which is 5 miles east of Carson City on Hwy 50 to the FISH store ( It's like Goodwill). 
   "Oh, we sold that a few minutes ago."

Grrrrrrrrr  

Monday July 2, 2012

I'm sitting in the parking lot at Walmart in Carson City.  I have a good cell signal so I can use the hot spot created by my cell phone.  I know that I can go to McDonalds, but I am paying for this from verizon so I will use it.  The cell signal at our RV site is ok for voice but not strong enough for WiFi.

  We are here in town to get a few things, hit Costco. (yipee!) and look for a used range for the volunteer building at our campground.  The existing one works but some rodents, probably mice , used it as a hotel over the winter and when R tried to bake cookies in the oven, the kitchen was filled with an extremely unpleasant odor.  we pulled the stove (range) out from the cabinets and thoroughly cleaned in and under it, but we noticed that its insulation had been used as a bed, so the smell will be there forever.  guess what?  We decided not to use it again.  That is why we are appliance hunting today.  Finding a used range is not as easy as you would imagine.  I will let you know how the hunt went.

  Sunny and 82  at Noon in Carson City. 

Tallac Sessions Two

Second Session

It is amazing how time flies.  Already the first session is behind us and it is the beginning of the second week of the second session.  The main differences?  Less manual work and more interpretation. 

   The first session was getting the site open; taking off all the shutters, repairing any building that has had a hard winter, cleaning all the buildings, pulling out the materials that are part of the display for each building.  Also, the grounds are in need of prepping too.  Raking the millions of pine needles, weeding the flower beds, mowing and watering the lawns.  It was rewarding but lots of work.

    Memorial Day came and we went into the transition mode.  On week-ends  tours of the Pope house began and the museum was open. 

   July 16 was the magic day and the Tallac site went on full schedule.   It seems it is the magic day in this area because other places also went on full schedule on this day.  Full schedule means more tours.  More tours mean more fun.  More fun for our visitors and more fun for us volunteers.  R conducted her first two tours of the Pope house on Thursday and I gave mine on Friday.  We are encouraged to conduct the tours in costume if we wish.  One of the bedrooms of the Pope house is used as the costume room and it is filled with costumes for both men and women. 

    While Fort Vancouver has costumes for eras from 1820’s thru WWII, Tallac is aimed at a specific timeframe of the 1920’s.  As I mentioned before flappers dresses do not look good on every body.  So R has found a maids costume that works and conducts her tours as one of the Pope staff.  I have discovered two costumes.  One of them includes a beige sport coat, shirt and tie and a straw hat.  Adding my own black slacks and shoes and it was complete.  The straw hat makes it.

Monday 6.25.12

   It's Monday morning.  I am typing this up in the office at Tallac using the only WiFi here in the site.  It has been mentioned to our supervisor that it would be great to have WiFi in our campground area, but that has not been accomplished yet.
   R is over at the Pope house, trying on costumes.  The person who is what you would call the "head costume person" for the site is there today and so it is a good time to see if she can find something for R to wear when she gives tours.  It is not a requirement to wear a costume, but many of the volunteers wear them and I think that it adds to the fun.  My wife does not have the the slim figure that the 20's dresses require so the "flapper" type dress is out.  It will be interesting to see if they can come up with something.
   I "shadowed" the Pope House tour guides on both Friday and Saturday to watch and learn.  Everyone has a different style and tells the story differently.  I "know" most of the facts about the site.  But I will tell the story my way.  That's the fun of it and that's why it is important us to hear other people's stories and learn the little side stories of the site.  The side stories are what make the tour more special.
   The park has "ramped up" to the summer mode.  The visitor numbers have increased.  The number of programs that we offer has increased and are continuing to increase.  In addition to the museum being open 7 days a week now, and the Pope House tours offered 6 days a week, there are such things as the Servants Tour, the Tallac Site Tour, an Evneing with Mrs Pope, and Tea with Mrs Tevis so there is lots to do here are the Tallac site as well as the nearby Visitor Center and Valhala sites.  It is a fun place to be working right now.

Pope House Tours 6.23.12

We are getting ready.  Next week we will be giving tours of the Pope House.  R says she is ready.  I think I am also.  I am going to "shadow" another volunteer on her tour in twenty minutes to get another person's perspective on the tour.  Then I will choose which parts I want to use to make the story My story.  It is fun to listen to other volunteers and hear how they conduct their tours.  It is the way I learn.  My wife, likes to write everything down and then by reading it several times, she gets it learned.  Neither way is better than the other, it is just the way it works for each of us.
   I already have my costume figured out.  If we wnat the guides can choose to dress up for the tours.  I have found, in the "prop room", a tan sports coat that looks time apporpriate ( the mid twenties) along with a shirt and tie.  With it I will bring my own black slacks and shoes.   Did I mention the straw hat?  Very stylisth.  I will tell you more later after my first tour.  

Tallac Musings

1919 Pierce Arrow R-9 5 Ton Truck

First session is history.  Things are gearing up for more visitors, more programs, and more fun.  There are 4 five week sessions here at Tallac.  The first and fourth are basically work sessions.  Number one is opening up the site; taking the shutters down, uncovering the furniture, hanging the curtains and putting down the rugs and accessories and getting the grounds ready for visitors.  The fourth session is just the opposite.  It involves putting the items away, replacing the shutters, and just getting the place ready for the snow and cold winter.  Sessions two and three is running the site at full speed with programs and visitors going on everywhere.  Lots of confusion, lots of activities and lots of fun for everyone, vistors and volunteers alike. 



1949 International

   And that's where we are right now.  If only the weather would find out that summer is here.  The wind has come for a several day visit and it is cooling the temps and blowing the pine pollen around like dust on a gravel road.

Wine Tasting 6.10.12

   Fifty miles west and south of here is Placerville  ( pronounced like glass).  Placerville was an important town during the gold rush of 1849.  Gold was to be found in the creeks and rivers of the area having been washed down from the surrounding rocks.

   The gold ran out, of course, and the miners moved to another place.  The town shrunk.  Today Placerville is fueled by tourist gold.   Highway 50 runs through it. People hurry by on their way to and from Lake Tahoe.  I hope they stop.

   Nearby, to the south is the Amador wine country, and area lower then Placerville but above the valley of Sacramento.  As one person put it, “This area is above the fog and below the snow.”  An area, it seems, that is perfect for growing grapes.  And going grapes is what happens here.  In this altitude zone of lots of small and large hills, there is a winery in every direction.  Neat fields of green stretch up and over each bump of land and many of the hilltops are locations of shady farms and wineries beckoning you to stop and sip.  And so we did.

    If you are in the area of Placerville and the small towns nearby such as Lincoln or Plymouth and you have a sunny afternoon to kill, do some winery exploring.  The scenery is excellent and most of the wineries do not charge for tasting.

Waiting

It's Tuesday morning June 5th, 2012.  I'm in Les Schwab Tire in South Lake Tahoe, waiting while they do a brake check on the truck.  It pulses when the brakes are applied, especially when towing the trailer.  Warped front rotors, no doubt.  They are checking and will give me an estimate.  And so I wait.  But at least they have WiFi here so I can catch up on the blog.
  

    Yesterday was a Tahoe weather day.  Because of it's location and elevation, the weather here is quite unpredictable and yesterday was no exception.  We have been told that it can snow here any day of the year and yesterday was one of those days.  R and I took Mollie for a short walk around the Tallac site about Noon and the weather was already starting to change.  Clouds and sprinkles warned of things to come.  A look across the lake showed the future.

 By  1:30 it was raining and by 3:30 the rain turned to snow.  Big fluffly flakes.  The drive to the restaurant for our Monday night dinner was in a snow storm.  By the time we left the restaurant the parcipitation had ceased and blue sky was showing.


  This morning's walk presented several snowy vistas that will not last more than a day or two.

The Lunar Traverse May 2012

   We were in the path.  It was a sunny evening.  The volunteer group was having a BBQ to celebrate, the end of teh day, the getting together of friends, and the lunar event. 
   There had been some preparation.  A hole had been cut in a piece of cardboard by one volunteer.  Another had a glass from a welding mask.  John had four pairs of dark glasses that he stacked for his viewing arrangement.  They all worked to some degree.  The cardboard was the best to get a photo of (as you can see).-->>>

  The welding glass provided a great view through the eye, but the my camera was not able to see the actual event.                             ----->>>



 I am glad we were there to see it.  I'm the group got together.