jstv – Page 4

September 15, 2024September 14, 2024

Back to the Canyon

We’ve managed to book regular stays at Cottonwood State Park and this week was September’s visit.

There is a quiet stillness to this spot that is very restful.

This cabin camping is just the ticket.

It starts with a couple hours drive up Highway 97 through a cross section of Central Oregon landscapes . . . forests to wheat fields, sage steppes to wind farms.

There is a great grassy spot in the day-use area

The day-use area allows us to plan a late lunch before the ‘official’ check in time.

A shady spot even in the heat of the day

We also managed to get in some fishing early in the afternoon.

Evening to sunset we mostly just sit in the shade of the cabin’s porch and sip cold beverages.

Though this time, the day was a bit too warm and we had to take advantage of the AC to endure the afternoon heat.

Outside urban light pollution, the star-filled skies require an early morning gaze.

There is coffee sipped to the sunrise over the John Day River and perhaps a morning try at Small Mouth Bass.

We’re usually packed and back on the road by noon.

It’s not a lot of time spent, but the value of place and peace of mind is huge.

We’ve got another stay reserved for next month and regularly check the reservation site to look for openings and chart the next stay.

September 8, 2024September 7, 2024

Under a Smoke Filled Sky

The predominate winds shifted this week and nearly the entire state was veiled in smoke.

This turned the morning sun orange, obscured the Cascade Range and generally muted our view. However, it did not keep us at home. It never got that toxic.

At the start of the week we took an afternoon trip to the Crooked River. After an early dinner at the Tastee Treet, we found our favorite parking spot vacant.

I was looking for an evening hatch and some dry fly action, a much anticipated part of summer flyfishing.

There were far more strikes than hook sets, but we’re not looking to catch. The river provided a couple of hours of action, ending in a cold beverage and relaxing time sitting on its’ bank.

Later in the week we headed West, over the mountains and into the farm rich Willamette Valley.

Sweet white corn near fresh from the field

Schlecter Farms corn was the primary objective . . . sweet corn that shouldn’t be missed.

There was farm fresh produce available and a visit with my sister in Tualatin.

Fall has started to spread it’s amber hues.

The weather got warm again, but it’s only false summer. Frosty mornings aren’t far off and we are looking forward to this change in the season.

September 1, 2024August 31, 2024

Preserving the Season

A couple of things this week, Steelhead and seasonal fruit canning.

If you’re a regular on this blog, you might recall we’ve combined trips for Summer Steelhead on the Lower Deschutes and orchard visits before.

Well, it’s that time of year again. Fishermen refer to Steelhead as a fish of a thousand casts. It can take that many or more to actually catch one.

Our favorite stretch of the Deschutes River.

In simple terms, this is a Rainbow Trout smolt that spent a few years in the ocean and then comes back to the fresh water river of it’s birth to spawn and repeat the cycle.

Late summer on the Lower Deschutes offers a chance to add to your cast number in pursuit of large fish. Mostly, I’ve been trying out fly patterns, improving my casting skills, and a little more.

This week I did manage to hook up a large fish, but lost it before a positive identification. In a week, I’ll try again. The Lower Deschutes Canyon in late summer is worth the trip.

Suncrest peaches feature in a new recipe, Ginger Peach Butter

August and September are huge canning months as farms and orchards overflow with new harvests. We eat “seasonally” which requires the preservation of some of what you are enjoying at the moment.

Pickling and fermenting are on this month’s menu

Stone fruit have started to show up at the Hood River orchards so that is what we gathered extra of this week. Peaches, plums and some crabapples are getting sliced for breakfast today and loaded into jars for meals this winter.

Tree ripened fruit from the farmstand outshines anything you’ll find at the mega-mart. It is always worth the trip.

August 25, 2024August 24, 2024

A Change in the Weather

There has been a shift in the weather this week. Days are cooler and skies hold more clouds. There’s even some rain.

The start of Fall is a welcome event in this house . . . certainly not for pumpkin spice … ewwww!

A pile of stuff , , , just to go fishing?

There were a couple of trips to the Crooked River this week. This is one spot that seems immune to smoke plumes and has become a regular destination.

Seasons shift means we don’t have to start quite so early and we can linger on the river longer.

The other harbinger of fall is the return of migratory birds. The honking of geese has become a daily occurrence. We’ll need to work in a trip to Summer Lake soon.

The Osprey was fishing and even the Kestrel peeked out from its hiding spot.

This might be in part because we did lounge longer. Regardless, it’s always nice to see old friends.

Some warmer weather is in the forecast, but it stays closer to 70 than 100 . . . and that’s a good sign.

As the heat of summer wanes, we’ll pick up the pace on outings, staying longer and venturing further. This is perhaps our favorite season and we’ll take full advantage of it.

August 18, 2024August 17, 2024

Camping . . . but not really

We spend a lot of time outside. None of it actually camping.

At least, not in the classic sense.

Coffee is cooked, camp chairs are set up and on rare occasions, regulations permitting, we might light a fire. However, by the end of the day we’re home and ready to sleep in a nice comfy bed.

When we did ‘camp’ it was in a Westfalia, so truth is, we’ve never been hard core campers. Creature comforts over wilderness experience . . . with one exception.

A couple of years ago we discovered the cabins at Cottonwood Canyon State Park.

There are elements of camping in that you’re isolated without cell service.

But each neat little cabin is fitted with AC/heat and a comfy bed.

Plus, there is hot/cold running water nearby. It’s a perfect solution.

The down side is, you need to reserve a space months in advance, making it difficult to predict the weather or as happened last year . . . wildfire.

Cottonwood is surrounded by sage covered hills

In April we set up a stay for August 13th, which when August came around we discovered was also a peak time for the Perseids Meteor shower.

With zero light pollution, the setting is perfect for star gazing, which is part of every visit, but this stay turned out to be a fortuitous reservation.

Bundled in warm sweaters, we spent early morning hours gazing at the heavens.

They didn’t disappoint. The smear of the milky way and hundreds of constellations filled a sky occasionally streaked by a chunk of space rock falling through the atmosphere.