There was a nice big Rainbow just behind that rock
We’ve settled into summer. The mornings are cool and the afternoons are hot, so we travel in the morning hours and are comfortably ensconced in AC by late afternoon.
This will be the rhythm of our days for the next few months.
Goose family swim time
Back on the Crooked River we’re looking for a Caddisfly hatch.
We have had lots of success on the river in the last few weeks. The dry fly fishing season is in full swing and the Crooked is at peak performance.
Wing spreading to dry feathers
Preening to keep feathers clean
We were treated to a Great Blue Heron sunning on a rock. Usually they are kind of skittish and you don’t get much chance to grab a pix. This was not the case this day. He was quite satisfied to just lounge by the stream.
After a long rest the Great Blue Heron heads downstream
We then watched him as he fly-hopped along the edge of the water in search of his next meal. It was a real treat!
Those are deadly looking talons
The Osprey flew by a few times, hunting the length of the canyon it seemed.
He did rest a few minutes on the other side of the river, passed with a fish in his talons and generally harassed the fish population on our stretch of the river. So I guess we were in similar pursuits.
The heat of summer really started up this week with temperatures pushing toward 90º. High desert days, even the sweltering ones, usually start and end cool . . . sometimes even cold.
So we shift our travel to early mornings and are sheltered in AC with a good e-book by afternoon.
Van lifers at the Adventure Van Expo
One recurring trip in June is a visit to the Adventure Van Expo in Hood River, OR. It’s a gathering that started with enthusiasts connecting with van conversion companies and has gained in popularity and of course, size.
Our trek has been to find a good way to travel and live semi-off grid in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest.
In the spring of 1998 we paid twelve hundred dollars for a 1972 VW Westfalia camper. A bright blue Vanagon that served us very well for a decade.
Along the eastern edge of Oregon lies Hells Canyon, this was one of many excursions along that part of the state
Pop top on the Deschutes
Comfy place to enjoy an iced tea
Back to front: Maggie, Doogal and Emma
Never forget the extra water
Transporting not just JQ and I, but also three Border Collies across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.
On a late fall camping / fishing trip to the Lower Deschutes a wet dog walked shivering up from the river to the van. We wrapped her in a wool blanket, fed her and the next morning made inquiries at the Maupin General Store.
Sage, an ancient Golden that literally wandered into our lives
We called her Sage. She turned out to be a great companion for Maggie (our six month old puppy) during her hip surgery ordeal. While in Montana, Sage showed Maggie how to ‘chomp’ a soft serve ice cream cone. Good times!
There was an attempt to re-kindle the wanderlust briefly in apoor copy of the Westfalia.
Eurovan parked in Greys Creek Campground on the Gallatin River, Western Montana.
A Winnebago build on a VW Eurovan that never lived up to the experience we enjoyed with the German design.
These days Class B RVs are way too expensive, stuffed with unnecessary tech, adorned with bling and usually built on a diesel Mercedes chassis that could be a nightmare to get serviced.
The van builds we are looking at
This year’s trip to Hood River promised a different camper van. DM Vans builds on aDodge RAM ProMaster with a minimalist approach. An online discovery spurred memories of that old Westfalia.
Very comfy seats and lots of window space, both pluses
DM offers a practical layout, well built cabinetry and windows that let the outside in. Plus, no flat panels or multi-speaker audio systems, just clean basic design. It’s a van conversion with ample solar power to allow for off grid adventures.” It really is “Everything you need, Nothing you don’t. “
The morning’s watering left droplets on the lavender
We wrapped up the last of the spring projects . . . planting, weeding, and general yard work.
Our yard work philosophy focuses on using drought resistant plants and drip irrigation. This conserves water, as well as our work load, while keeping the habitat around our house very bird friendly.
Yard work supervisor
June days seem to start out cooler and never reach blistering hot. That will change in July.
For now, trips to the river don’t require regular shifts to stay in the shade.
Attempting to drop a dry fly above rising fishOne of the bigger ones netted that day
The last couple of fishing excursions have included late morning caddis fly hatches.
The conditions have been perfect for dry fly fishing. Once the swallows start diving we know the hatch is on.
Paired with the temperate early summer weather, these trips to the river have been great.
Bird activity has shifted. Fledglings are out and about and there is frequent movement along the river’s edge.
We sighted a young osprey perched in the snag dominating the opposite bank. He appeared to have taken a recent dive into the river, and was busy air-drying his feathers.
Osprey dries his wings by flapping them
JQ identified another new (to us) bird. It was a a medium-sized flycatcher called Say’s Phoebe. It has a distinctive pale orange breast and feeds mostly on insects.
Say’s Phoebe named after Thomas Say, an American naturalist
Forecasts are for more of the same this coming week . . . cool mornings and warm afternoons. Heaven!
Colorful spikes of lupine have started to appear in the high desert
We plan to spend a few days at the coast celebrating Jack’s little sister’s birthday . . . then visit old haunts before the heat of the season sets in.
At least once a week we make the trek to the Crooked River. This week was no different.
That journey usually takes us past the site of Deschutes County’s new Central Library. It’s been under construction for a bit more than a year, but this month it opened.
Deschutes Public Library, main entrance
The thing about libraries is that you don’t need to search through stacks to find a book, movie or magazine.
The internet has put the library online and most of our reading involves connecting to a website and downloading a borrowed e-book or audio book.
Physical books can be tracked via the library’s catalogue and a visit to our local branch makes pick up quick and easy.
Looking over what’s new
But there is something nice about craning your neck reading titles on a row of books. You walk into the genre and start to find reads you never knew existed.
The apps, like Libby and Hoopla are great search tools. However, prowling the shelves of the library will often bring a forgotten author back to your attention or a book cover will spark your interest in ways no computer search can.
Lots of natural light and places to read
The new library is beautiful, as well as cleverly laid out.
Along the outside walls are massive windows and lots of nooks with comfortable chairs, desks and tables to review that stack of books you pulled.
The building is covered in glassShelves of choices
Shelving takes up the middle ground and then in the center of each of the three floors are closed work spaces.
Some are staff offices, but many are study carrels, meeting spaces and even a MakerSpace.
Not sure we’ll visit there often, it’s kind of out of the way, but they did an excellent job of making a library that invites a visit.
Being retired allows you to pick and choose the activity, as well as the day.
The crux of this is . . . we avoid weekends and holidays, regardless of how nice the weather.
Not to begrudge the wage slaves their Memorial Day weekend, but as the campsites started to clear, the dark clouds rolled in.
Tuesday arrived blustery and gray, so by midweek the storm clouds had bunched up overhead and the rain moved in. This dampened our plans. But being resilient, we shifted to more home oriented projects and waited for the inevitable sun’s return.
Last week’s trip to Portland netted us a stack of light fixtures and accent pieces for our ongoing house update. Sooo . . . we spent some of those rainy days installing stuff.
Evening thunderstorms roll through, usually moving north or west along the eastern side of the Cascades. The sky opens up and for a few hours there is sunshine.
Summerlike weather is returning to the forecast next week, so we’re planning accordingly.
For now, we keep working through our house projects.
