The month of August was different, and hopefully will remain different for a long time. There were still many fires burning in Oregon from a series of more than 100 lightning strikes in early July. Two had a large impact on the Rogue Valley and extending on up our valley (Bear Creek). The Florence and Biscuit fires west of Cave Junction (about 50 miles west of here) merged into one fire, the Biscuit fire. The Tiller fire, about 50 miles to the north was much smaller, but probably sent more smoke our way. Here is a shot of our smoky sunset (actually this one is on July 24). Throughout it all, nothing deterred the squirrel from his appointed rounds at the bird feeder. On July 27, took this series of shots of a smokey sunrise.
Needless to say, we got tired of the smoke, so we headed off to the Oregon Coast on 8/5. Our base point was Yachats. Here's an interesting shot of the sand after the wave had receded. We saw some strange things on a rock, look kind of like barnacles on a stalk, but .... Feel free to email how dumb that idea is and what they are (both, first only doesn't fly). Got a nice shot of snail trying to find his way somewhere. The coast is a bit more "dignified" than the California coast, but there are some rugged places. Here is a channel back into rock worn by the water. After a couple of days of horsing around, we went back home.
On August 9, Evan, Laura, Ian, and Fiona came to stay for a few days. We took them all to Lithia Park in Ashland. I just happened to take my trusty S100, and caught a picture of Ian and Fiona splashing through the water. Note how closely their positions conform. Incredible! Evan and Laura kept a close eye on the proceedings at the playground.
The smoke had not abated by Monday, so we decided to head for the coast once more (Lincoln City was "base"), with everyone in tow. Had some beach time, and several beach pictures follow: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and the picnic.
Following a couple of days at along the coast, we headed for Portland. Along the way we stopped at the Evergreen Aircraft Museum. Their premier exhibit is the Spruce Goose. It was the first time for me. Is that buddy big, or what? Here is a DC-3 under its wing. They have a number of other well-restored aircraft, including an ME-109, a Spitfire, a P-51, and a P-38, among others. They also have a small (nonflying) trainer for the kids.
First outing in Portland was to look at a few of the waterfalls along the Columbia River. First up was the Wahkenna Falls, requiring a little hike, but not too strenuous. Then the biggie, the Multnomah Falls, and just for variety, a second shot of the Falls from the bridge, featuring me. The next day we took in the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Well worth the trip. We were focussed mainly on kid stuff, of course. Laura and Fiona enjoyed the painting area, while Ian enjoyed the water pipes. Fiona also liked the air-thrown ball machine, while Ian manipulated the large crane. Finally, Fiona honed her supermarket checkout skills. We returned home on Friday with Ian and Fiona, while Evan and Laura went on to Seattle.
Back home we had (guess what) continuing smoke, but not quite as bad.
As of today, we have had several days of clear air, and we are enjoying it.
Richard Franke
