Category: Nature

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Snow Days

Chest deep in untracked powder

Once again weather dictates plans. A winter storm watch that didn’t materialize last week, showed up this week and brought along a foot of new snow.

Central Oregon winters are a mix of clear cold, then broken when a front shoves storm clouds across the Cascade range. Last week started almost spring-like and then came this week and a return to shoveling snow.

It’s not impossible to travel in these conditions, just easier to wait for the inevitable string of clear days.

Tomatillos in the Cuisinart for Verde Salsa

In that waiting we managed to accomplish a few home based projects. Starting with the pantry.

Cold winter days are a perfect time to start up a canning operation and restock soups, sauces, stews and chili.

We’re also trying to put up some late season vegetables, like broccoli and carrots. Found a good price on sliced mushrooms, so they got piled into half pint jars and loaded into the canner as well.

Little offsets cabin fever better than a warm meal, good book and comfortable chair. We enjoy that while we wait for the skies  .  .  .  and roads  .  .  .  to clear.

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Winter’s Chill

A fringe of ice suggests how cold it’s been

Winter continues to tempt us with sunny days, then thwart our activities with bitter cold.

For most of the week temperatures hovered in the mid-thirties and mornings started in the teens. Too cold for these old bones.

Scouting fishable water

Towards the end of the week we made a trip to the Crooked River. It had warmed up into the forties, and driven by a case of cabin fever we were ready to get outside.

Cirrus clouds streaked the sky, but some sun managed to shine through. Bowman Dam had been gushing water downstream to near spring levels.

Likely an attempt to prepare for a spring run off from above average snow levels in the mountains.

However, today it was back down to winter levels and the lack of wind made mirror surfaces of the still water.

There was an abundance of bird activity. A rather large flock of Robins darted from willow thicket to stream side  .  .  .  only slightly alarmed by our presence.

At one stop we watched a Heron perch on a bolder and survey the stream  .  .  .  marveling at the graceful curves of his plumage.

Great Blue Heron on river’s edge

Then he flew by us and headed downriver, perhaps looking for a better roost.

Rock sentinel at the canyon’s entrance

At the reservoir a Bald Eagle flew in a spiral over the water, then plucked a rather large fish from the surface.

It happened so quickly and we were so mesmerized by the aerobatics, that cameras didn’t come out until it was over.

River rock under ice

A final un-documented, bird sighting happened as we turned into our driveway.

A low flying Raven passed just over the hood of our car with a Chinese takeout box in his beak. Not a clue where it came from, but a fitting close to a peaceful day.

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High Desert Visit

Clouds and com trails mark up the sky

Our week started out sunny, with last week’s snow finally melting away. However, while writing this post, I  watch a light snow fall outside my window.

This is a cycle that will repeat itself many times in the coming months.

We plan our travels between the snow events. Roads are cleared quickly and our car is equipped for winter travel, so this is more for our convenience than anything else.

The ‘Sage Steppe’ in picture form

It had been a while since we’d been to Fort Rock, so that was at the top of our list. The trip is short, half an hour’s drive, and while not a major thoroughfare, Highway 31 gets good winter service.

The trip through pine forests onto a sage steppe presents a unique transition. Fort Rock is one of 40 tuff rings located in the Christmas Valley.

Waiting while they mess with that flying camera thing

A hundred thousand years ago it was nearly submerged in an ice age lake.

A mere 12,000 years ago, some poor soul left his shoes in a nearby cave.

The geology and archeology of the Great Basin are one more reason to explore this section of Oregon.

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It’s about weather . . . Again

Winter driving in Oregon

Our week was a deluge of endless ‘black friday’ ads and rain. Not sure when this Black Friday exploded out of control, but it can stop any time, as can the rain.

There was also a winter storm advisory from the weather service. A ‘Snowmageddon’ was supposed to blanket the Pacific Northwest.

For us it was a no-show-mageddon, though some nasty weather hit coastal areas. By week’s end, rain had obliterated any snow accumulation and we were left with cold, wet and gray days.

That is not a complaint. Really.

Soup is the best remedy for a gray day

While we didn’t get out much this week, we weren’t totally dormant.

This pre-winter weather is a perfect time to enjoy soup or stew. And really, what is the difference  .  .  .  tomayto, tomahto.

… wine helps as well

This week we ladled bowls full of steamy French Onion soup. A classic topped with slices of toasted baguette and melty Gruyere cheese. We’ll share the recipe. It’s not a quick cook, but well worth the extra steps.

A great soup cook book is invaluable, especially in winter months.

A couple of years ago JQ picked up a copy of Cook’s Illustrated “All Time Best Soups” and with that began Soup Sunday at the Schommer house.

In the process many of the book’s pages were stained and it’s margins filled with hand scribbled notes  .  .  .  signs of a good cook book.

Skies and the ground have cleared and the weatherman is calling for slightly warmer and much sunnier days ahead. So next week we’ll return to our favorite streams and backroads  .  .  .  though we are still braced for winter.

Print Recipe

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

SOUP

  • 4 lbs onions sliced through root end into ¼ inch pieces
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into 3 pieces
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cups water plus extra for deglazing as needed
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme tied with twine
  • 1 bay leaf

CROUTONS & CHEESE

  • 1 small baguette cut into ½ inch slices
  • 8 oz Gruyere cheese shredded (2 cups)

Instructions

For the soup

  • Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray inside of Dutch oven with vegetable oil spray. Add onions, butter, and 1 tsp salt.
  • Cover and bake until onions wilt slightly and look moist, about 1 hour.
  • Stir onions thoroughly, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Partially cover pot and continue to cook in oven until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions thoroughly after 1 hour.
  • Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, continue to cook onions, stirring and scraping pot often, until liquid evaporates, onions brown, and bottom of pot is coated with dark crust, 20 to 25 minutes. If onions begin to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Also, be sure to scrape any browned bits that collect on the spoon back into the onions.
  • Stir in 1/4 cup water, thoroughly scraping up browned crust. Continue to cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6-8 minutes. Repeat deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are a very dark brown.
  • Stir in sherry and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, beef broth, 2 cups more water, thyme bundle, bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp salt, scraping up any remaining brown bits. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Discard thyme bundle and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, return to simmer before proceeding.

Croutons and soup prep

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Lay baguette slices on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry, crisp, and lightly golden, about 10 minutes, flipping slices over halfway through baking.
  • Position oven rack 8 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set broiler-safe bowls on baking sheet and fill each with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 to 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with grated Gruyère cheese.
  • Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with chopped parsley and serve.
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Gray Skies

Winter’s approach stripped the Aspen of leaves

The pall of rain moved in this week  .  .  .  literally. But then clear skies returned. That’s a given in Central Oregon. 

For the most part, we kept busy this week with indoor activities.

We managed to make it to an interesting lecture on misinformation at the local library.

Plus, we spent a few hours walking around the High Desert Museum  .  .  .  both brightened the rainy days that made up most of the week.

We never get tired of watching the otters play.

There’s a space of time as we wait for winter to come on full snow  .  .  .  a seasonal shift.

This image is from a multi-media display on water  .  .  .  it was fascinating.

Sheltered under gray sky and surrounded by puddles, the period is brief but still dampens one’s spirit.

A water feature runs throughout the grounds surrounding the High Desert Museum.

Fall’s brilliant color displays are dulled with the arrival of winter’s rain.

The sky did clear, but only after depositing a layer of snow. Winter seems early this year, but as with any seasonal shift, we’ll adapt.