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Shoveling

Winter in Central Oregon requires you to shovel. The average snowfall in our area is two feet. Although, we got a fraction of that in 2017, the year before saw a roof-bowing four feet of the white stuff.

The previous owners of our house left us a snow shovel, which was nice of them, as it has come in handy.

So far this year, we’ve had a half dozen winter storms. One dropped nearly six inches in one day.  Currently, there is about four inches on the ground, and this morning we had a couple of new inches added. The forecast fluctuates between rain/snow mix up to a foot of accumulation.  It’s been a strange week for weather forecasters in Oregon.

Predictions for this week’s weather… looks like I’ll be using the snow shovel. It’s not as bad as I remember from the Montana winters of my youth.

That said, it is the most shoveling I’ve done in many years.  All in all, we are enjoying the snowy winter weather of Central Oregon.

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Chimney Rock

Usually when we are on the Crooked River, we’re on the other side of the road, rod in tow and knee deep in the stream. However, today it was a scramble up one of the many dry gullies to the east for a look out over the Crooked River canyon south of Prineville.

Chimney Rock is a distant cousin to the more famous Crooked River basalt formation Smith Rock.

But here again, we are talking about a much lower attendance on trail and of course much less technical hiking.

There is a short climb up the side of the river canyon to a juniper and sage ridge. The trail then meanders along crossing and re-crossing a dry creek bed. Ancient juniper trees are  literally poking out of rock outcroppings. The surrounding canyon walls are home to a conspiracy of vocal ravens.

The day offered an interesting prospective on a stream we often camp along, and provided a delightful hike on a sunny winter afternoon.

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Clean that produce

Fresh produce, fruits and vegetables, make up a major part of our diet. No shopping trip is over until the produce is rinsed, because along with dirt and general produce department grime, even the stuff marked organic might still hold trace chemical residue. We’ve discovered a simple method to ensure a clean rinse on all the raw fruit and vegetables going into our next meal.

Citrus essential oil, vinegar and water make up the initial bath, you then rinse with water and give veggies a quick spin. Finally, we pack everything in “Debbie Meyer’s” green bags to get a longer fridge life.

Print Recipe

Essential Oil Fruit and Vegetable Wash

A simple, cheap way to remove dirt and pesticides from fruits and vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1 quart filtered water
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 drops Lemon essential oil Use citrus essential oil of your choice.

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in bowl.
  • Place produce in cleansing bath and let sit for approximately 5 minutes. 
  • Slightly agitate veggies to help knock loose any dirt clods and debris.
  • Rinse produce well in colander.
  • Dry. (We use a veggie spinner.)
  • Place clean produce in green bag or container. (Debbie Meyer GreenBags)

Notes

Optional: Store mixture in squirt bottle to spray on produce. Then rinse and dry.

 

 

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Nutty twist

We frequently look for new and healthy ways to eat. Finding a way to enhance fresh fruit, without adding sugar, seemed like a worthy challenge.

We found a simple, easy way by adding one additional ingredient.

We selected a mix of fresh berries and made it even more delicious, with the addition of toasted unsweetened coconut.

Stovetop toasting is remarkably quick and easy, and it has the added benefit of leaving your kitchen smelling great. It only takes a few minutes and is well worth the effort.

 

Print Recipe

Berries with Toasted Coconut

A healthy, refreshing treat.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Keyword: berries, fruit
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • 1 cup berries mixed
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes lightly toasted

Instructions

  • Select your choice of fresh berries. Rinse, dry and place in serving container.
  • Warm a pan on medium heat and measure coconut flakes into pan. Lightly stir until flakes begin to brown and you smell warm coconut. 
  • Sprinkle toasted coconut onto berries. Enjoy!
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Roadside geology


 
It’s a bit of an understatement to say Central Oregon has a unique geological history. Nearly every hillside and canyon in the region tells a story, exposing a variety of volcanic eras. According to “Roadside Geology of Oregon,” we live on the volcanic plateau. Walking ancient lava flows is so cool!

Northwest of Bend, a man-made lake occupies a space made up of igneous rock, once cut into by three rivers. This is where the Metolius  and Crooked join the Deschutes river. The waters of Billy Chinook draw hundreds of power boaters from May to November, however in the winter months, the canyon walls are quieter and we can indulge our geological interests in relative peace.


 
Mountain View Drive, a few miles off Highway 97 and northwest of Culver is a good starting point.  From it’s many overlook pullouts, you get a “whole picture view” of the plateau and canyon walls.

Next it’s down to the floor and the Crooked River Day Use area.  The deserted boat ramp is a nice place to stop for some lunch by the lake. The sun has made it to this level by noon and is warming huge boulders that serve as picnic site buffers.

Drive up the Crooked river branch and you are able to see textbook examples of columnar basalt that lava flows laid down millennia ago. Cross over the lake and stop to see one of the more recent rock formations in the area, a Petroglyph Rock.

We are now on the Metolius River branch and climb out of one canyon, across a flat, and drop into Fly Creek, where at USFS road 1170, the pavement ends.   A short distance farther and you pull into a turnout on the right. Down the gravel path is the Balanced Rocks, another geological oddity with Lake Billy Chinook and the snow covered peak of Mt Jefferson in the background.