M C

"M C "are letters that you will see on small yellow signs with an arrow on them that are posted around the Burns area. A movie is being filmed in this area and it is an exciting deversion for a small town. Star sitings are being discussed at coffee shops and grocery stores. It does give the locals something to talk about besides the weather and hunting. Featured in the film are Bruce Greenwood, Michelle Williams, and Will Patton. My wife and I had lunch and the local deli and Bruce Greenwood and another cast member sat at the table next to us. If you have seen the new Star Trek movie, he was Captain Pike. His voice gave him away even before I saw him.

The MC signs are posted at road junctions to give directions to the filming locations for the cast and crew. The name of the movie right now is "Meeks Cutoff". It is the story of an 1845 wagon train of 200 wagons led by Stephen Meeks, who tried to find a short cut that deviated from the well used Oregon Trail, traveling through central Oregon, over the Cascades and into the Williamette Valley. The route turned out to be a long and dry route that did not live up to Meeks promises. The result was many days of being lost with little food or water and many fatalities tallied along the way. http://www.historicoregoncity.org/HOC/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123&Itemid=75option=com_content&view=article&id=123&Itemid=75option=com_content&view=article&id=123&Itemid=75

Several scenes for the movie were filmed on the refuge and many more in the surrounding areas. The film crew has been exposed to warm days and cool nights early in the filming and now that fall is here, cool days and cold nights are the order of the day. The flora, fuana, and dust have not changed much since 1845 as it is still a harsh and unforgiving place.

My wife and I received the opportunity to visit the site of the filming for an night-time shoot. We followed the "MC" signs to the remote location which required 5 miles of gravel washboard road. It was just getting dark but the "day" was just starting for the movie people. Workers with tools and equipment were scrambling here and there The catering truck had breakfast items ( eggs, potatoes, cereals, fruit available for them as well as torillas and the walk-up window for special requests such as ham and cheese sandwiches.

We had the opportunity to meet the location manager and received an incite into the happenings going on around us. We were welcome to be there and observe the filming, but to be aware enoiugh to stay out of the way and to remain quiet during the actual filming. As for the filming, it was nearly completed. All that remained was several nights of shooting get done.

The oxen had been shipped back to where ever they came from and the only animals remaining were a donkey and a mule. There was still and representative from the ASPCA on site to keep watch. There is a rep there whenever animals are present so that the certification, " no animal has been harmed in the filming.........." can be displayed during the movie credits.

So after and hour of conversation, we walked over to the filming site. It was the last night for Bruce Greenwood as he has another film commitment beginning in a few days. The scene we observed was Stphen Meeks ( Bruce Greenwood) lying on the ground, musing about the meaning of life or something like that. There was no dialogue, no motion. It had all the excitement and drama of watching paint dry. But they all can't be fight scenes, I guess. It was fun and interesting just being there. A little bit of Hollywood in Harney County.

John Day Fossil Beds

Drive west of John Day on Highway 26 about 30 miles through Mount Vernon and Dayville and north 2 miles on Highway 19 puts you at the Visitors Center for the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. There are three units of the monument separated by many miles that the VC represents. Each unit is unique in it's topography, geology, and fossil remains, but the total is amazing. An hour spent at the center is almost overwhelming with the all the displays showing the varied flora and fuana that lived in the area over the eons. I recommend a visit to the area and to the visitor center.

Just 1/4 mile down the road, is the James Cant Ranch which has a large beautiful home built in 1917 by James Cant who was a Scottish sheep rancher. The home has about ten bedrooms because it was a gathering place for travelers in the early 1900s. It was also a social site as the Cants hosted "skip to my Lou" parties in the big white house, which was recently converted into a museum packed with various artifacts: Mother Cant’s recipe for macaroon cake, a beaver trap, a sack of oily sheep’s wool and other historic artifacts and pictures are displayed in part of the house.

An old haystacker hulks in the orchard of heirloom fruit trees, near the wonderful barn that was designed specifically for sheep with many shearing and lambing stalls scattered about. In the hills and flatlands where catlike nimravids and terminator pigs once stalked their prey, you can wander the Cant Ranch and explore the rest of the John Day Basin in search of a glimpse of the past and a restful escape with picnic tables available.

Steens Mountain Revisited

Steens Mountain Revisited

It’s always nice when friends stop by. When you are out here in the boon docks, it’s even nicer. Old friends B & B, who we have known since my time at General Cable in Lindsay, Ca. in early 70’s, spent a few days parked next to us here at the refuge. The refuge is very gracious about allowing friends to pay visits and enjoy the hospitality of the facility. We had several meals cooked in our rigs but eaten together in the guest house and hours of great conversation.

So yesterday it was time to take them to the mountain. We started by 9:00 am, drove through Frenchglen, and started up the south end of the 60 mile Steens Mountain Loop. The weather cooperated giving us lots of sunshine and little wind. Light jackets in the morning, t shirts in the afternoon. The south route is quite a bit more challenging due to the steepness, ruts, and rocks, but it is a blast to negotiate. The condition of the road is actually a bit better that last year because many of the holes have been filled in with gravel. Even then the top speed in the section called the Cock’s Comb is a blistering 10-15 mph. The elevation gain, is about 2000 feet in about three miles and the scenery is amazing so everyone in the car is busy looking around.

We made the summit about 2:00pm and spent a couple of hours above 9700 feet with binoculars and cameras being well used. This spot is the highest place in Oregon that you can drive to. Then it was time to continue on around the loop and descent using the north route which is a wide relatively smooth, gravel road. We saw wild horses, deer, but no bighorns. Heading back home on Highway 205 south of Frenchglen we saw a sight that caused us to turn around and go back to see if we had imagined it. But there they were, about a dozen pheasants were perched in a juniper tree, checking things out. ( You can click on this picture or any of them and zoom in for a better look.) It surely was an interesting sight.

We arrived home about 6:30pm tired, dusty, and happy.

Bike Herding

Here we were riding our bikes as we do several times a week our here in eastern Oregon. We had been using the paved road (Sod House Lane) because it’s flat and has little road traffic. Two weeks ago we changed our starting location because one of the ranches had sheep grazing in their pasture and, as we rode by, a grey dog that looked a lot like a sheep, came through the wire fence and out on the road to bark at us and let us know that he did not want us near his sheep. We rode past quickly and went down the road. Looking back I watched the dog standing on the side of the road waiting to see if we returned. So when we did turn around and ride back to the truck he was there. As a precaution I had picked up a stick which I intended to use to discourage him should he decide to attack us. Well, he didn’t do more than growl and posture which I was thankful for. But as a precaution, the decision was made to start our future rides further down Sod House Lane, past the sheep pastures.

And so we come to last evening. R and I have parked the truck at our new starting spot and are heading west. Who should we encounter but two cows and their calves walking along Sod House Lane. These bovines are not as tame as the ones at the ranch so when they see us they start trotting away from us. So here are four cows trotting and two bike riders peddling west on Sodhouse Lane in the late afternoon. It was a interesting site and we got a kick out of our herding abilities. After about a mile, one pair veered off to the left, through a gate and into a pasture. The other pair went a short distance further, veered to the right, jumped a fence and kept on going. R and I kept pedaling until we got to our turn-around spot and reversed our direction. Cows aren’t the most intelligent four legged creatures on the planet.

Winnie

For those who wondered about the title of this blog, let me tell you about the name. Winnie is the name of the sweetest dog you could ever meet. A retired racer, greyhound by breed, sweetheart by nature. The first six months we had her she only barked six times. Then our dachsunds, Molly and Peaches, taught her that when the garage door goes up, the people are home and we will get food, petting, a walk, or all of the above so it's time to tell them to hurry up and get in here.

As I was saying, Winnie, came to us through adoption, via Homes4hounds.com . They are your source if you are looking to adopt a dog that you will love for ever, a greyhound that has been rescued from the track.
Winnie was a "rehome" which means that she had been adopted by another family and, for some reason they could no longer take care of her. So, by contract, if you can't keep the dog, you can give it back to H4H to be adopted out again. We were lucky enough to get her in this way. We picked her up on a Sunday evening, took her home, and because we had to work on Monday, left her home in the laundry room with our two doxies all day. Much to our relief and joy, there were no problems when we got home. The little dogs kept her company, taught her "the ropes", and helped her feel at home. She melded into our family as if she had been part of it for years.

That was four years ago and Winnie was a big part of our family, size-wise and love-wise. Everywhere we went , people would come up to us and want to touch her and pet her and it was a problem. In fact, she was a bit reticent and had to be coaxed not to hide behind me at times. As time went along she was more at ease with people and actually would slowly edge over toward them so that they could pet her. People couldn't get over her coloring and the softness of her fur.

The walk was a big part of the day for all of the dogs. She was always at my side. They say never let a greyhound off leash. Good advice at least intially. After a while when we went to the beach and it was safe, I would let her off. She would take off at full gallop and run huge figure eights in the sand with me as the crossing spot. I could almost see a smile on her face the whole time. After about 15 minutes of this joyful experience, she would slow down and come over to me to be loved. I would pet her and praise her and then we would walk together down the beach with her at my hip, unleashed, breathing heavily and happy as a clam. I tried this procedure in grassy fields with the same results and the same joy. It makes me smile to think about her running. In our backyard upon letting her out, she would streak around the yard flying past the window going one way and then the other until she was fulfilled.

But sadly, no more. We had to let her go to a better place yesterday. For the past couple of weeks she had been less active, not running when off leash and then walking more slowly. The vet said it probably was an infection and gave her meds. They didn't help and she ate less and less. Yesterday, Sat, the vet brought her in and using xray and by actual feeling it, located a mass.

CANCER

Good Bye, Sweet Girl. We will miss you !

Carp Fishing

I know, your heart quickens as the very mention of the phrase, "carp fishing", but there is more than just the glamour involved. When you are working at a wildlife refuge, your attitude is different. You look at things from a more boilogical view. When we volunteered to go out with some of the crew here at the refuge when they stated that they were going carp fishing, I was not sure what was in store for us. Carp have infested Malheur Lake and a long portions of the Blitzen River. They muddy up the water which is bad for the birds and the natice fish so they are a problem.

Seven of us headed out in government vehicles to the Double O area of the refuge. After driving for about an hour on a road that went from gravel to dirt to just a track, we arrived at a spring-fed pond. The pond is land-locked but the carp arrived during the high water of the 1980's when the whole valley was flooded for several years.

Our visit to the pond had two purposes. The first was to catch as many fish as we could and thus get them out of the pond. The second, and more important was to test the captured fish to see if they were infested with any bacteria or diseases that could be harmful to the ecology of the fisheries of the Blitzen Valley.

So out came the fishing equipment; rods and reels, nets, buckets to put the captured fish in until they were tested, bait. Now we are not talking about fancy lures or flies, or anything like that. Worms, and canned corn. but the bottom line is that the fish were not interested in either. We moved around the pond, tried different combinations, such as just worms, worms and corn, just corn, even those combos with "trout stink" on them; with pitiful results. Eight people, five hours, six fish. I have included a picture of three of the carp who volunteered in the name of science. Notice the roe in fish number one and the swim bladder has been pulled out of fish number two. I, at least, did my part and got one, but they were just not interested in our food. There were plenty of fish swimming around. They were just not interested.

It was, however, a very nice day at the pond.

The Irish Music Festival ( or Celebration) is held annually at Harriet Island on the Mississippi just across from downtown St. Paul, a very scenic spot. We were lucky enough to be in the area during it’s three day run. We arrived at the site about 10am and so the crowd was just starting to increase. It was a no-charge event so lots of families were showing up. Security was checking incoming bags as no coolers were allowed on site. No outside beer, pop, and unfortunately, even bottled water was allowed. I asked the security person about the ban on water, especially when it was going to be a warm, sunny day, and was told the water was available free inside. However, that was not the case.

As we approached the gate, there was a pleasant surprise awaiting. M&M now has ice cream treats and they were being handed out to passing attendees. They are like Dilly bars but colored the shades of the M&M guys. Pretty good, but needed to be eaten fast due to the warm temps. We found that easy to do.
Once inside we were greeted with sights and sounds from many different directions. Here there was an area with activities for kids, face painting, making a brightly colored snake, etc. Another tent had Irish music and dancing performed by various clubs and dance schools. The dancers’ costumes were amazing. I heard that $800 is not unusual for a child’s outfit, shoes, and wig included. The music and dancing was infectious