It doesn’t matter what you call it . . . there are times when it’s important to refocus energy.
This was one of those weeks, and time on a stream is our preferred method.
Looking for a place to start
It was a perfect fall day.
Sun generated enough heat to counter the chill, as long as you were layered up. The Crooked was fishing well, and wildlife was prolific.
Media, mainstream and social, has gotten in the way. The constant barrage of sales and holiday propaganda came to an end . . . severed and throttled, those sources of noise were quieted.
This blog is where we can be found.
This river is magical
It’s a calm niche, carved out of the madness that is swirling about us.
Don’t expect us to click ‘like buttons’ on popular social media sites. If you need to talk, you know how to find us . . .
. . . right here or on the river.
Find a spot of your own and refocus . . . the world is going to get messy.
The high desert isn’t known for its foliage displays, but there are spots of color. Morning temperatures have dropped to near frost level chill, but the skies are clear, and by noon we are in the mid-seventies.
It’s a great time of year.
Marshes at Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge
Early in the week we headed over to Summer Lake only to find that it’s locked down in preparation for waterfowl hunting season. Didn’t really see many birds, wonder why?
Undaunted we swung up to Winter Ridge for the trip home.
A favorite pull off on the Chewaukan River
Large swaths of the forest were ravaged by wildfire three years ago and yet some sections were untouched. Wildfire is a tricky beast.
Aspen leaves hold a distinct shade of yellow/orange in the falll
The area is peppered with marsh land, which in turn is home to numerous Aspen groves. This was our fall color and while mainly just shades of yellow. It was beautiful.
Later in the week, we headed back to Maupin for an additional attempt at Summer Steelhead.
This week’s trek began at first light . . . or at least early morning.
My cast count must be getting close to that magic “1000” number and still no steelhead. Instead, I settled for a stand in the river, taking in the wildlife and practicing those casting moves.
It’s the height of apple season and we were hoping to get some more cider.
There are around a hundred boxes of different apples and pears at Kikawa OrchardIf apples with redish flesh are pressed you get red cider … tastes just as good.
From the Deschutes River it’s a short jaunt to the orchards in Hood River.
On the slopes of Mt Hood there are a great variety of deciduous tree species and thus more fall colors.
Trees are still loaded with fruit, though mostly pears and the harvest is in full swing.
We did find some cider, as well as a few different variety of apples and pears to complement a growing fall fruit basket. Ladened with seasonal fruit, we headed home.
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.
Keeping a watchful eye.
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.
Off to catch an evening hatch
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.
Putting up sweet corn for the winter
There was farm fresh produce available and a visit with my sister in Tualatin.
Evening light on juniper
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.
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.
Sage lines the river’s edge
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
Dolgo Crab Apples simmering
Crab Apple Jelly
Fresh tomatoes star of a new jam
Tomato Jam, better than ketchup
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.
