Nature – Page 6

May 19, 2024May 19, 2024

From River to Market . . .

The Lower Deschutes is open to fishing year-round. However, as winter turns to spring, fishing improves. Run-off hasn’t started, but water temps rising triggers the metamorphosis in aquatic insects.

By the middle of the month insect activity has come full swing. Most anglers await the big stoneflies to crawl on to riverside bushes. This week we’re content to chase Blue Wing Olives and the Baetis hatch.

Salmon flies, a giant variety of stonefly, attracts more fishers than fish. It also marks a point when the rafters start to flood the stream and camp sites.

We try to get at least one trip to the Lower Deschutes during the big stonefly emergence, before heading to less crowded water.

At a favorite parking spot on the Lower Deschutes

This week was that trip. We had a blast. There could still be a trip to fish over salmon flies, but river spots are already getting a bit too crowded for us.

The real highlight of this week’s travels was a trip to a grocery store. Just half an hour north of Maupin, in the town of Dufur is a unique market.

Years back, while researching whole grain suppliers, JQ came across Azure Standard. At the time they offered local delivery of a limited variety of bulk grains. We ended up getting our wheat berries from Bob’s Red Mill, as it was easier and closer.

Jump ahead a dozen years, our lives have changed, but not a need for organic, clean products.

In that time Azure’s offerings have expanded and are being trucked nationally. Turns out one of a growing number of ‘local drop sites’ is a five minute drive from our house. We’ve become Azure Standard regulars.

A wide variety of grains and beans fill shelves in the market

This last week, JQ discovered the company operates a brick and mortar store in Dufur, Oregon . . . The Dufur Market. The Azure Standard catalogue is quite extensive, with some items we’d love to try, but on a smaller scale than the delivery order.

Mt. Hood as backdrop to a winter wheat field

Thus the trip to Dufur.

In case you’re ever in that part of Oregon, it’s worth a stop. And the sprouted corn tortillas were as good as the reviews said.

May 12, 2024May 16, 2024

A Rare Sight

Usually our excursions start early morning, but this weekend we left the house after sunset.

There is a chance to see the northern lights and we were headed to a better viewing point.

The place we had in mind was a side road just south of Fort Rock.

If this works we could have an ancient rock formation in the foreground of a natural phenomena.

Aurora Borealis layering color on the horizon

Only hitch is there’s an active wildfire on the eastside of the Fremont Highway above Horse Ranch Canyon, only 10 minutes from Fort Rock.

We will not be deterred.

We are surrounded by waves of color and stars

Coffee in the thermos, paper bags stuffed with popcorn and the camera batteries all charged up.

The photo expedition ends and we head home in Saturday evening traffic

Was well worth the effort . . . though it should be noted that your phone is the best viewer for aurora watching.

May 5, 2024May 4, 2024

Face to the Sky

Weather has taken a toll on this fence post.

It seems that weather, or the discussion of weather takes up disproportionate space on this blog. Perhaps not on par with fishing, but close.

This can be attributed to a couple of things, really. When you’re going outside the weather is part of the process. However, when that outside is on the high desert, the weather becomes the view.

Layers of storm clouds fill our view east

Since moving to Central Oregon, we’ve noticed that you can literally watch the weather. Not just the weather you’re in, but all those storm cells moving about you.

Winter still has a hold on the high country, but winter wheat has turned fields green

Get up on a butte and it’s 360 degrees of weather. We were used to small openings through groves of Doug Fir. Doesn’t really matter because that weather was typically hitting against your hat.

Drove ’97 North this week. As you finish the grade to the Cow Canyon Rest Area, just past South Junction Road, the horizon line drops to a constant lower third. The other two thirds is sky and this trip we got lucky with the weather filling all that space.

John Day River Canyon walls are covered with fresh spring growth

Half a dozen storm systems were scattered about. Directly above us white streaks of Cirrus filtered the sunshine. Blackish thunder heads trailing gray curtains of rain bumped against the Cascades.

To the East, less ominous but more abundant fronts hung behind projections of windmills and grain elevators.

After the sun sets there are additional perks to being on this side of the Cascades. It’s our impression that Central Oregon experiences more cloudless days than the place we moved from.

Regardless, the vista is wider, even at the bottom of a river canyon.

This particular April evening offered excellent star gazing. You just had to scoot chairs off the cabin porch. Constellations I’m familiar with got lost in a night sky filled with the stars not visible in an urban settling.

Constellations I’m familiar with got lost in a night sky filled with the stars not visible in an urban settling.

Looking east . . . the constellation Hercules might be there on the left.

Much like birding, identification isn’t critical to enjoying the moment. We regularly cast an eye to the night, or early morning sky. On this trip JQ braved the early morning cold and got some excellent images.

If the weather is right you can turn your face to the sky and see all kinds of wondrous views.

April 28, 2024April 27, 2024

Spring at Cottonwood

A dog friendly cabin, our favorite, at Cottonwood Canyon State Park.

A few years ago we discovered a spot on the lower John Day with cabins, bass fishing and great walking paths. Since then we try to snag cabin reservations in spring or fall, but it’s no easy task.

It takes some time for the sun to clear these hills in the morning

Cottonwood Canyon State Park is one of Oregon’s newest additions, and for us a cabin makes the overnight easy.

Spring’s growth on sage and in the grasses turns the hills a bright green

We have also made day trips there, as there is an excellent day use area.

Our cabin was one of four sitting on old pasture land. The river runs along the south edge, at the base of rock wall.

Looking south from the cabin toward the river

Walking to the cabin from river’s edge, you pass a line of willow, then cottonwood, across a stone beach, before passing through a hedgerow of sage, onto a grassy plain.

A line of rounded hills mark the park’s northern edge and in April they are green with fresh growth, but only an occasional tree.

Big Horn Sheep can be seen grazing high up amid rocky outcroppings. We’ve also seen a variety of raptors, song birds and Canada Geese.

While area signage warns of cougar or rattlesnakes, we’ve yet to encounter either, which is fortunate.

It’s a peaceful spot to spend some time, wander the banks of the John Day and while not during spring runoff, there are smallmouth bass to catch.

April 14, 2024April 20, 2024

Getting Older

The willow buds are about to burst at Summer Lake Refuge

Over the course of a week we picnicked on three different rivers. It was a busy week . . . at last.

The week also contained Jack’s birthday. We won’t pretend celebrating was limited to a single day. With upcoming posts we’ll catch you up on the state of spring fishing in Oregon.

Getting older gets easier, but there remains a sensitivity to being reminded of the fact. On a recent internet scroll , I hit a meme that suggested a natural outcome of aging was . . . bird watching .

That stung a bit.

The thing is . . . we sort of do bird watch.

We make regular pilgrimages to Summer Lake’s Wildlife Refuge, known for its birding. We have identified most of the regular visitors to trees that surround our house. And, if a raptor should perch nearby, all activity ceases.

I guess that counts as bird watching and as birders we suggest everyone try it.

The Summer Lake spring birding trip also occurred this week. There was a crowd.

Well . . . in reality a ranger, a group of bird watchers and an older couple from Prineville. But that was 8 more than we saw on the winter visit.

A typical wildlife refuge greeting opens with, “you seen anything unusual”? This makes it easy for someone to assess your level of interest and birding acumen .

Our depth of knowledge was tested with the Snowy Plover gaffe of 2023 when we learned to always have a copy of Sibley’s bird book readily at hand.

There weren’t a lot of ‘new’ faces paddling around, just greater numbers. We’re not the counting kind of birders. There are no notebooks. There are however, lots of images, many shared in this blog.

On this trip a muskrat swimming along the dike actually got more attention than an Avocet, a Pelican rookery or Grebes diving.

It’s more of an interest in nature than birdwatching per se. The trick is to just slow down, which so happens is exactly what one does as they get older.