jstv – Page 4

April 5, 2026April 18, 2026

April Showers

This week the rain settled in over Central Oregon, at times mixed with flakes of snow.

Then Thursday morning we woke to half an inch on the front walk. Not so unusual for a High Desert April, but still.

Also typical in Central Oregon is the sun’s return to mitigate the drizzle. Often the shift is within minutes of the other.

We managed to complete the pergola painting ahead of ‘winter’s’ brief return.

Chimney Rock Campground has an impressive canyon wall

One warmish and sunny day we drove a loop through the Crooked River Canyon.

Expecting wet weather we prepared for rain, but didn’t bring the picnic basket or fishing gear.

A herd of mule deer forded the river just below a spot we’d pulled over to grab some photos for this blog.

A sign the seasons are shifting was increased activity along the Crooked River.

The green is appearing to come back into the canyon walls. Willow buds and wildflowers have starting to show color in the riparian.

We were serenaded from a rock outcropping by a pair of Canada Geese blasting what seemed like a distress call.

Over what? We never determined, but we did eventually see them fly downstream.

There were a few different species of duck ferrying up and down the river, most in flocks of 8 or 10.

Seems they are getting ready to find a mate, nest and rear fledglings.

A recent update at Chimney Rock Campground put in some great walking trails

We actually pulled into a few different sites on the drive down to Prineville. Few people on the stream or in the camp sites made it a perfect time to scout new stopping points.

The day was topped off with a Tastee Treet cheese burger and fries before heading back home to projects still waiting.

March 29, 2026April 18, 2026

Last of the Spring Projects

Before we can paint there is quite a bit of wire brush work.

There has been a stretch of nice weather this week, a perfect time to get some house projects off the ‘to do’ list . . . finally.

Our big outdoor project, which we put off last year, is painting the pergola. It was starting to look weathered, so we thought it best to move that task up on the list.

We also have a few canning projects we need to complete to help replenish the pantry. It is pretty straight forward . . . we cook up a large pot of soup, usually on Soup Sunday, then pressure can the contents.

The one caveat . . . these projects need to be completed well before the heat of summer.

It has been a nice spring in Central Oregon and the temptation is to head out for the river . . . or forest. Unfortunately, that puts off the inevitable.

An outside painting project requires a couple of days of dry weather. Fair conditions prevailed, but we can’t count on that for much longer. It looks like snow is in the forecast for later this week.

Sitting on the patio under a freshly painted pergola on a warm summer’s night will make all these efforts worthwhile.

Now complete, we can look forward to being on the river or out in the high desert.

March 22, 2026April 18, 2026

It Sure Feels like Spring

OK . . . going to call it. Winter is over.

The aspen tree has buds. We’ve had a week of 60 degree days, and a robin showed up at the feeder. All signs that spring has sprung.

We’re not so naive to think a winter storm isn’t possible, but at this point it appears unlikely.

The week has been busy with errands, but we made time for a trip to the river. It’s very spring-like in the Crooked River Canyon these days.

The river is fishing very well, so that brings a lot of people. Also, there has been an increase in wildlife among the willows and junipers.

Those rowdy Magpies are back, though not yet at last year’s force, but then its still early.

While the Magpies were making a racket in the juniper trees, on the far bank a pair of Kingfishers were scouting for a meal.

When you look at Kingfishers it’s easy to see why people believe birds evolved from dinosaurs.

Warmer weather brings better fishing. The water doesn’t seem to be much warmer, but it only takes a few degrees to stir life into the aquatic insects.

We managed to hook up quite a few more fish than our typical winter outing . . . although we didn’t have any dry fly action.

The week ahead is forecast with warmer days, so we’re increasing planned excursions.

This week there was a 20 acre fire (debris burn got out of hand) about a mile from our house. As we monitored evacuation notices, we couldn’t help wonder how bad this year’s fire season might actually be.

That said, we are focused on getting in as much outdoor time as possible before air quality gets bad and closures begin.

March 15, 2026April 18, 2026

Winter’s end or False Spring?

We just walked in the door from Tip’s daily. There’s a winter storm warning in effect. However, the sun was out and it’s 50º. We’re beginning to think that we’ve seen all the winter there’s going to be.

Its the middle of March and while winter has returned in the past, that doesn’t seem likely this year.

Of course now we’ve jinxed it. Long range forecast calls for warmer than normal temperatures in the Northwest. So it’s a false spring or maybe the change of seasons?

Beautiful March day on the Crooked River

Any un-seasonal weather just means we get outside. A majority of the week was taken up with errands and finishing unfinished projects. But we picked the nicest of days and headed up to the Crooked.

Recharging on the river has become integral to our sanity. We’d expected to just enjoy the water and a picnic lunch. But the river had other things in mind.

There was increased water fowl population. We suspect they are getting ready to nest. And while JQ was capturing images, fish started to feed on the surface.

It’s rare to fish over a surface hatch in winter months so we took advantage of the moment.

The sun warmed the air around us, but the water was really cold. That said, we got an hour of really good fishing before needing to warm up.

The week ahead offers more mild temperatures so even with cloudy skies we’ll have opportunity to do some more exploring, now that most of our winter chores are completed.

March 8, 2026April 18, 2026

Watchers

Flicker waiting his turn at the suet block

As noted in an earlier post, we’ve erected a bird feeding station outside the office window.

Erected is a good descriptor as it is a multi-piece metal pole, driven into the ground. with a tray and two arms attached.

In the ensuing months a slew of feathered critters have discovered it , as well as one, well perhaps two, large gray squirrels.

We spend a portion of each day pecking away at keyboards and moving media files around.

This circus of avian activity presents a calming break from re-reads and edits. So of course we directed cameras at the action. Finches, juncos and chickadees flit in and out of the tray, staging runs from the branches of the adjacent aspen tree.

Morning Dove getting breakfast on the patio

There is a covey of mourning doves that make regular stops. These chubby little buggers hunker down and take possession of the space.

A mesh bag filled with thistle seed was hung for finches and for the chickadees, a suet feeder.

That suet feeder got heavy use from a pair of flickers who, it appears, were just passing through. There is also an occasional visit from a nuthatch.

Then, the other night our security camera caught some four legged visitors. They seemed interested in the suet, which fortunately was out of their reach.