Nature – Page 2

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.

July 28, 2024July 27, 2024

Another week of high temperature avoidance meant an early morning trip to the Crooked River. We’re also dealing with an influx of wildfire smoke. However, we’ve managed to stay out of the worst of the plumes.

Not sure how long that will last.

The extreme heat subsided this week, giving a few more hours before shelter is required. We managed nearly four hours of peaceful stream time a couple of different mornings.

Fresh from a dive, our osprey searches for another target

The Kestrel family seems to have moved on, replaced by the Osprey. Birding action at the old tree continues unabated.

Fishing is good. This warmer weather wakes up the aquatic insects. The river’s edge is a lush green as summer’s heat has yet to dry out the riparian growth.

We continue to manage avoiding the worst of the smoke plumes and have some other excursions planned, but these days that means keeping a close eye on the fire reports.

July 21, 2024July 26, 2024

Early Morning Observations

This week we found one way to avoid the heat is to get going at dawn, and of course, be home by noon.

Destination: Crooked River

Departure: 5:00 a.m.

Reward: Pleasant morning sitting by a stream.

When you sit quietly, nature comes to you. Or more to the point, you notice what was around you all along.

Finally, back on the river

Before the heat of the day pushed us out, there were visits from a kingfisher, osprey, heron, numerous songbirds, and a collection of wrens.

Early morning sun illuminated a web filled with spider snacks.

Stalking spent flower blossoms revealed a plethora of wonders in the frame of a macro lens.

On rivers edge there is still plenty of green

After lunch at the Tastee Treet, we headed home to avoid the oppressive afternoon sun in air conditioned luxury. Soon there will be another early morning jaunt.

June 30, 2024July 26, 2024

Where There’s Smoke . . .

View of the Darlene 3 fire from outside our front door.

Wildfire has always been a threat to western forest dwellers. Over the last few years there has been an increase in the number of major . . . as in thousands of acres . . . wildland fires.

To us, the off-shoot of most of these conflagrations has been smoke plumes that randomly blanket the spaces we inhabit. We have not had to deal with a direct threat

. . . until this week when we looked out our front door.

Dubbed Darlene 3; because there were two previous fires in the same area, La Pine’s first wildfire of 2024 was reported around noon on Tuesday the 25th.

By dinnertime it had grown to 500 acres and level 3 evacuation orders (“GO NOW”) had been issued to a large number of La Pine residents.

The fire kicked up several times due to wind gusts. Here you can see several new plumes.

Many of the fire fighting resources concentrated efforts on reinforcing containment away from neighborhoods, and in our case we were grateful they prevented the fire from jumping Hwy 97 (located just past the small forest in front of our home).

For the past couple of days the fire has been sitting at nearly four thousand acres burned, with 40% contained. Thankfully it continues to receive a lot of attention from a wide range of state and local agencies.

All it would take is a shift in wind direction and this wildfire would rise to disastrous levels.

Topping off our gas tank at Wickiup Station off of Hwy 97 before heading home.

Some area neighborhoods remain at level 3. Luckily, other areas have been downgraded to level 2 BE SET to evacuate.

Winds continue to push east-southeast away from La Pine and our neighborhood. But vigilance and constant monitoring is our best course.

Watch Duty, a free app for computers or smart phones, has been a great help tracking the fire’s progress. The app allows you to identify and track wildfire even really small local burns that other online sources ignore until they are at disaster level.

June 23, 2024June 29, 2024

Curses . . . foiled again!

This week we set off for Paisley, the Chewacan River, and eventually a swing through the Lower Klamath.

This is a loop we’d attempted a few weeks ago, but were forced to turn back when we ran into snow covered roads.

Since then, we have had a few weeks of warm weather, so we expected clear roads.

What we didn’t expect was Jack tripping on the rough terrain and cutting open his knee. While exploring a path to the river, he took a spill and jammed his knee on a rather pointed rock.

The MyMedic First Aid Kit was employed for the deep gash. But there was no doubt, we needed to head home to the nearest Urgent Care.

All ended well. The doctor praised our butterfly closure technique. However, the wound did require stitches. As a precaution, x-rays were taken, only to confirm the kneecap was not broken . . . which apparently IS a common injury.

JQ did manage to gather a few wild flower images before the excursion was cut short. Current circumstances may limit our adventures next week . . . stay tuned

Category: Nature

Camping . . . but not really

Smoke Avoidance

Early Morning Observations

Where There’s Smoke . . .

Curses . . . foiled again!