The Creative Road Trip ~ Part Deux

My parents were both accomplished artists. I always wondered when I'd find my artistic niche. The answer came in 1990 with the simple gift of a handful of vintage beads and the opening of a local bead store. Artisans and customers have often asked about my creative zone, my place to play.

My original studio was on the "L" counter that divided our living room and kitchen. My first creative endeavors were earrings so each project was pretty self contained and there was ample space for a few bead boxes and a place to work. The second year I added necklaces and bracelets to my repertoire and we prepared for our first craft fairs. My husband makes walking sticks and canes, so we've done local fairs as Sticks and Stones for over 20 years.

My munchkin assistant is goddaughter Casey. She is now 26 and a graduate student at University of Chicago. How time flies!

I soon realized I could no longer afford to shop retail. I got my resale license so I could enter the world of wholesale: license to shop and a whole new understanding of the term "business expense". As my body of work expanded space and storage became an issue. Rod wanted the kitchen back and we also wanted to get our office out of the bedroom. 

We decided to demolish the rickety old sun room attached to the back of the house and build a studio/office on the same footprint. The best decision we ever made.

You can never have too much storage space, the key to sanity is being organized. The cabinets and shelves are the main storage areas for my varied crafting interests, the tall workbench is where I prepare packages for shipping, easy on the aging back.

The creativity zone is the old oak desk I got at a garage sale 25 years ago. The magic of this spot is that I can walk away from a project and not have to put it away. I can also store several works in progress on the nearby shelf which gives me options on any given day.

One corner of the room is set up with a "tabletop" studio. I need digital photos for my online store at Etsy and for applications to juried shows. I taught myself how to do product photography and practice has improved my skills. No matter how good you are, the editing tools in your photo program can often be your saving grace.

The office corner: In addition to our craft businesses I also do consulting work so an office space is a must. The light and airy nature of the room is good for focus and the back door to the yard is a great incentive to get up and away from the computer. It doesn't have to cost a lot to furnish your space. Except for the "L" desk unit every other piece of furniture and shelving in the studio/office came from the flea market, garage sales or second hand stores for pennies on the dollar.

So there you have it. Your creative space can be a kitchen counter, a dining room table, a corner of your bedroom or a studio. The key is that you find a place to let your imagination run free. Most important thing is make sure the welcome mat is always out for your muses.

This is my 4th blog in a series about creativity and marketing, if you'd like to catch up on older blogs check the archive for:

12/22/09 The Creative Road Trip

08/21/10 Marketing Close to Home - A primer for the Craft Fair Season

11/19/10 Marketing Close to Home Part Deux

A Sunday Drive on Friday Morning

The paper said it was going to be 93 today, not my cup of tea. Give me 75 and light breeze and I'm a happy camper.

The gardens are still moist from the rains at the end of June and the pasture's been mowed. No chores? After breakfast and cribbage we decide on a local field trip. We'll head to Armstrong Redwoods for a hike in the shade, and if that doesn't do the trick we'll head for Walk On Beach up the coast and post our butts next to the ocean for a few hours and stay cool.

We pack a picnic and head for the woods about 11. Hungry by the time we get there, we eat first and then head up towards Armstrong Tree with the idea of doing the Pool Ridge Trail Loop (about 2.3 miles).

Fungus on a dead fall - Rod called them Turkey Tails

What we had forgotten (we did this hike about 20 years ago - 20 years younger ago) was the 500 foot climb with lots of switch backs. It was like walking up our 45 degree sloped road. Can you spell shin splints? And of course the temperature and humidity climbed as we did. About 1/2 a mile up the trail we looked at each other and shook our heads - not working, so back down the trail we go and head out to the coast.

Hwy 116 has just been repaved, the temperature falls into the 60s as we head west and there is no traffic - the trifecta of awesome. The drive up Hwy 1 is gorgeous. Even though it's July there are copious amounts of spring wildflowers and the hills still show a hint of green. We do have to watch out for the occasional sidehill salmon ~ grazing cattle to you city dwellers. Flights of pelicans are cruising gracefully up the coastline and then drop out of the sky, like wayward missiles, diving for food.

Walk On Beach is just south of Gualala and the trail allows you to walk along the cliffs at Sea Ranch. Fortunately for us part of the agreement for allowing development of the area was public access.

Walk on Beach trail view

After a walk of about 2 miles we decide it's time for a snack so we head north to Gualala. Here we discover Bones Roadhouse (BBQ, brews and blues music) and split a delicious seafood sampler. In answer to your question ~ no we haven't fallen off the Vegan wagon ~ we are now what Rod calls Flexitarians and occasionally we allow ourselves chicken or seafood. After dining we hit the local bakery for a few cookies for the ride home.

The return trip just as gorgeous and cool, as we head inland towards home the temperature rises, but by the time we hit the driveway it's a reasonable 80 degrees. We read on the porch until dark and then called it a day. A good day!

Adventure Planning

We've just discovered that the last two weeks of July are open for interpretation: no work scheduled, no commitments, and no promises to keep. You know what that means ~ Road Trip!

We rarely plan more than a general direction which is known as the "shall we turn right or left" school of planning. This time we added a few parameters:

• blue highways
• temperate climate
• fishing
• hiking
• photography
• bird watching

If the weather cooperates (not too hot) we may head towards Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon.

Sky Parlor Meadow

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dubland

If it's unseasonably warm in the Sierra's then perhaps we'll head north to the Smith and Rogue Rivers along the coast. We've travelled Hwy 101 to Oregon every year for 30 years and never get tired of exploring or the view.

Smith River Walk, Smith River, CA

Rogue River

Something to add to your bucket list is a Rogue River Jet Boat trip. It's a 104 mile round trip through some of the most beautiful wilderness you've ever seen. Prepare for an experience of a lifetime and prepare to get wet. It's been 4 years for us, so if we decide on the Oregon Coast for our trip we're going to do it again. They even picked us up at our campground. Here's a link to Jerry's Rogue River Jet Boats to learn a little about the company and it's history: http://www.roguejets.com/

Life is short ~ don't waste a minute!

Catitude

My husband is a huge fan of Robert Heinlein and has turned me onto some great reads like "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" and "The Door into Summer". It appears the late Mr. Heinlein had a special place in his heart for cats. When I read the quote below I just had to pass it on.

Cat Woman Letterpress Print

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WASPPP

Women and cats will do as they please,

and men and dogs should relax and get used to it.

Robert Heinlein

"I Am Tekha Sher,

The Tiger That Lives Inside Your Mind"

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CodyPendent

Thanks to these Etsy artisans whose imaginations are out of this world.

Beads of Courage

I purchase a lot of my accent beads from lampwork artists Becki Meckier and Sharon Peters. I've been spending a lot of time in the studio lately and realized I needed to replenish my stash to prepare stock for Fall shows. Once again the stars aligned and I found out yesterday they were both going to be in Sacramento for a meeting of the NorCal Society of Glass Beadmakers and a trunk show today. No brainer ~ Road Trip!

Sharon emailed me the flier and directions. The second agenda item was BEADS OF COURAGE: Have any donations? Bring 'em along! I had no idea what this was so I googled Beads of Courage and discovered an incredible organization. From their website at http://www.beadsofcourage.org/:

"The Program is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen children and families coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path." The program is currently in 90 children's hospitals in the US, New Zealand and Japan serving over 15,000 children.

Take a moment to watch this video from CBS Sunday Morning ~ March 24, 2011.

I've gathered a large bead collection over my 20 years of design. Interests change as my experience grows so every once in awhile I go through it and set aside beads I probably won't use. After reading about Beads of Courage last night I realized I'd found the perfect destination for the beads and delivered a large box today, shopped, visited with the artists and met some new ones. A good day!

Joy Of Aging - Side & Sound Effects

There are definitely side and sound effects to art of aging and let's face it we're all cruising into new and unknown territory. Here are a few of the ones we've cataloged so far:

"Don't Be a Sissy"

http://www.etsy.com/shop/janmyrickdesigns

AccuWeather: Body parts seems to do a better job of projecting changes in the weather than our local news.

Knees Louise: Squatting is no longer an option unless there is a block and tackle handy or my husband is close enough to give me a hand up.

Toots Suite: TMI ~ but a reality of life ~ think dueling banjos.
HipHopitous: The first 10 steps that follow arising from a seated or couch position. One would think we were budding hip-hop artists with all the snapping and popping, but alas we're just trying to get the booty in gear.
I've groan to love you more: It's a scientific fact that if you swear a blue streak when you stub a toe, hammer a thumb or bark your shin, it will hurt less. Must release endorphins or something, like laughter or a good cry. Who really knows but as long as we continue to laugh about it, it's cool.
CompuStoveUp: Too much time on the computer may (read that as will) lead to shoulder cricks, now what have I done and tendinitis. How do I know this? Talk to the shoulder. We humans need to spend less time riding herd on computer games, social networks and email and more time doing something physical like digging in the garden, working out, doing yoga or dancing.

Daydreaming

My husband constantly surprises me with his insightful observations of the human condition. He is a preschool teacher, a chef, a gardener, and an artist. He is also a voracious reader of both science fiction and the news. Considering the state of the world I wonder, at times, how he tells them apart. 

I came into the house the other day and he was gazing out the kitchen window down towards the garden. I asked what he was up to. He just pointed to a piece of scrap paper on which he had written the following words: 

The Intuitive Mass

Transition occurs

when enough people arrive

at the same thought

at the same time

without being told

what to think

I'd call those words worth pondering. I know he's on to something, because I often do my best thinking while appearing to stare into space. That's my creative time.

A Walk in the Park

The sun is out at last, time for a walk in the park, but alas which one? Sonoma County is rich in state and regional parks and home to an unbelievable array of summer to fall celebrations of life. The two major ones this weekend are Peggy Sue's All American Cruise and the Health and Harmony Festival. No matter where you go you'll see cars right out of American Graffiti and humans right out of the 60's Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. We grew up during those heady times so see no need to join the crowds.

We decide on River Front Park just west of Windsor. You can take the back way from our place and avoid any highways and traffic (our favorite kind of road). We packed at picnic lunch, binoculars and a camera and hit the road about 10:30 this morning.

The park is adjacent to the Russian River and has several good sized "lakes" that were formerly gravel pits. Only one, Lake Benoist, is open to the public right now, but it's a nice 2 mile walk. Bass fishing is said to be good and there is prime Blue Heron habitat on the south side. Most fledglings have left the nest already but we did spy a nest about 80 feet up a dead spar with large Heron chattering up a storm. There are also other winged attractions this time of year: some yellow, some black, some turquoise and some in camouflage gear like this beauty.

Further along the trail we find a bench that looks across the lake to Mount St. Helena. It's a beautiful and peaceful spot to stop for lunch and take a load off.

I was taken by the dedication sign on the bench and the self written obituary placed carefully between the slats. Tom, it seems, was an architect, artist, traveller, outdoorsman, and photographer who lived his life to the fullest and encouraged others to do the same. You gotta love this place.

Vintage Warbirds

I have a thing for old warbirds, vintage planes from WW II. We live about 20 miles from the Sonoma County Airport and Air Museum, home to a number of these restored beauties, so it's not unusual to see one fly over now and then. I'm like Pavlov's puppy. I hear those prop driven engines and I'm out of the house in flash with my binoculars.

I don't know where this obsession started but the seed may have been planted by my folks. They took me to the Unlimited Hydroplane Races at Pyramid Lake outside of Reno, Nevada when I was a kid. The engines that powered the monster 28' boats in the early 60's were surplus WWII aircraft engines like the V-12 Allison and Rolls Royce Merlin. When they went by at full speed your entire body would vibrate, way better than even a Grateful Dead drum solo at full volume.

So this is a big week for vintage planes locally. The Collings Foundation, a non-profit educational foundation devoted to supporting living history events (www.collingsfoundation.org) has a B-17, B-24, and P-51 on tour and have been at the Sonoma County Airport for a couple of days. My husband was reading on the front porch yesterday afternoon and all of a sudden I hear him shouting "get out here quick" so I grabbed my binoculars and joined him. What an incredible sight to see this baby fly right over the house.  

Starting tomorrow the restored B-17 Flying Fortress ’Sentimental Journey’ and the B-25 Mitchell ‘Maid in the Shade’ are visiting the Sonoma County Air Museum (http://www.pacificcoastairmuseum.org/) on tour. I will definitely head up there with my camera, I might even take a flight over Sonoma County. I mean really what's life about if you can't treat yourself to one of your long term fantasies now and again?

Last year I went up to see the Sentimental Journey and started chatting with a gentleman wearing a vintage leather flight jacket holding a picture. It turns out his father had be part of the flight crew and the jacket belonged to him. I was honored to photograph him with the plane holding his dad's photo. Talk to your fathers, uncles and grandfathers and learn a little more about your history. Visit a local airshow in your area or check the links above to see if the tours are coming to your hometown. You will be thrilled and amazed!

Back of the Closet

Every so often I get out the ladder and explore the netherworld of the large storage area above my closet. My motivation was prompted by the continuing rain (its June for crying out loud), it was time to see what was up there again and I was given a wonderful large brim red hat with it's own box that I want to store up there out of harms way. 

When I was a kid one of my godmothers gave me a piece of silverware for each birthday and Christmas so that I would have nice settings for entertaining when I was a grown up. The thing is we're BBQ people, we don't have sit down dinners. The box has been stored "up there" for 20 years, it's contents rarely used, so I got it down for a look see. Her heart was in the right place, but her count a little questionable. To my amusement I found 4 knives, 3 salad forks, 16 teaspoons, 14 forks, 4 butter knives and no tablespoons. So my question was, why am I storing it, why not use it for everyday. Geeze Louise, that was a hard one!

We hold onto stuff for various reasons but there comes a time when one has to cowgirl up and make some decisions. I'm donating some really cool and useful things to our local VNA Hospice Thrift Store. My red hat now fits up there just fine.

Might be time to take a look in some of your "out of sight, out of mind" nooks and crannies. You may find something inspiring, some things to donate to a local charity and best of all liberate some space (a girl can never have enough storage). Good luck on your mission.

Wordsmith Series ~ Post Script

Driving east on 299

Heading for the Oregon Outback

North of the Southeast border on old 395

On our way to the sagebrush sea

 Home to the ponderosa and juniper tree

Travelling the Emigrant Trails Scenic Byway

To see who's been on the migration flyway

~

The scenery is hard to beat

and it's time to give our buns a rest

And fix a bite to eat

So we stop on the crest of a mountain pass

With a vista that made us gasp

~

Delighted with the visual treats
We turn to look around

And suddenly have to take a seat

~

Cowboys in chaps and rigging exiting a dusty pickup

A tempting photographic moment

Until they step out into the road

They’re walking Pomeranians

Leashed and coated for the cold

All I can think of is the perfect raptor lunch

Furry with a bit of crunch

~

What’s happened to the cowboy?

Where have all the ranch dogs gone?

The ones who rode shotgun in a pickup bed

And worked all day

For just a pat upon the head

~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to these Etsy artisans I've regained my senses
 

Blue Heeler and Pasture

http://www.etsy.com/shop/harmonbullard

"Cowboy Accessories"

 http://www.etsy.com/people/BrucknerCowboyArt

 

Cowboy Break Time

http://www.etsy.com/shop/eoj7120

Up to Hart Mountain ~ May 22nd

Slept like logs last night, it's remarkable what a little exercise will do for the soul! We must bid adieux to Trisha, Leland and Annie the Wonder Dog this morning as they head home to Idaho. After breakfast and goodbyes we once again pile into Ken and Betty's trusty CRV and head out for the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge (over 240,000 acres).

It's located on a massive fault block ridge that ascends nearly three quarters of a mile above the Warner Valley floor. We pull into the first scenic viewpoint on the way up Hart Mountain for a short walk and are absolutely stunned by the expansive views of the valley. This is one of those places when you say to yourself "What population problem?"

We're only part way up the mountain

The Warner Valley

The Rodster

The east side of Hart mountain is less precipitous and descends in a series of rolling hills and low ridges: a sagebrush sea, sprinkled with juniper and bunch grass, that is typical of SE Oregon and the Great Basin. Aspen and pine are also found in the canyons and on the steep rim. Below are a couple of locals, the beauty on the left is a meadowlark.

Since its creation in 1936 as a range for remnant herds of pronghorn antelope, the refuge has broadened to include conservation of all wildlife characteristic of this high desert habitat, more than 300 species. At the high point of the refuge is the visitors center. I'm totally smitten with the residential buildings. Though I've not been able to confirm it, my guess is they were built in 30's or 40's. What an incredible place to live and work. If you like solitude this would be heaven.

Ah, but here is what we came to see, the Pronghorn antelope. It took us bit of exploring but the wait was worth it. It's so amazing to see these beautiful creatures in the wild.

They are curious enough to watch us but wary enough to know when to go. It's quite a site to see them race across the landscape. A special thanks to Leland for trusting me with his telephoto lens!

After a long day on the range we take a different route home and discover more picturesque landscape, rivers and ranches. Absolutely toast by the time we get back to camp, we decide it's time for dinner and a nap. Another excellent adventure. We reluctantly head for home tomorrow.

A Day Off - Sorta - May 21st

After our birding adventure yesterday with Ken, Betty, Trisha and Leland we decide it might be good to take a day off and relax, we have another adventure planned for tomorrow.

Rod and I decide on a short walk. We've got a hand drawn map of the reservoir and ranch trails and take off about 9:30am. It's threatening rain, so along with binoculars, my camera, peanut butter sandwiches and water we bring light weight rain gear (smart move it turns out).

There are wildflowers everywhere. The leaves on this purple one look a little like our California lupine, but the flowers grow at the base (perhaps to protect blooms from extreme weather). There are bright yellow, pink, orange and white ones at every turn.

The ground is damp and cushions our footsteps. The aroma of pine is in the air and creek sounds and birdsong are all we hear. Very serene. The sky keeps changing, it's warm when the sun is out and cold when the wind shifts and comes right at you. Enchanted by our surroundings we keep on walking, making note of the land marks cited on the map. Then we come to a sign with an arrow that points in both directions. Back to the park is 2.7 miles and to continue the rest of the walk is 3.8 miles. 

Okay, we're game, the altitude isn't bothering us, the legs seem to be pretty happy, and we've just had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Life is good, westward ho!

We pass large outcroppings of white rock, a field of rock with bright orange lichen, ponds, small footbridges and several flumes directing water in different directions, no doubt for irrigation of the upper pastures we are traversing. We turn a corner and the valley begins to stretch out below us. The skies darken and we're suddenly being pelted with hail and burst out laughing as we scramble to get into our raincoats. It breaks in about 5 minutes and we're back in the sun. Rod calls it a freshet. Around the last turn before we reach the lakeside path back to camp we spy a welcome site.

Kidding! We're totally amazed at the distance we've travelled today, almost 7 miles. It was a great excursion, but now it's time to relax, we again join the camp chair brigade and do a little bird watching with our feet up while we contemplate dinner.

Bird Watching 101 - May 20th

We know most of the birds that visit our property and the Sonoma County coast, but were never serious birders until two things happened: good binoculars and this trip to a spectacular stop on a North American migratory flyway.

After breakfast this morning we pile into the car and head for Lake Abert, the third-largest saline body of water in North America. It lies in a basin with no outlet and so the mineral salts that have dissolved over millenniums are highly concentrated. Millions of brine shrimp (sea monkeys) in the lake provide food for thousands of migrating birds.

Abert Scarp Rim

The Scarp Rim, however, is the striking focal point of the area. The formation extends for 19 miles along the lake edge. It rises 2,000 feet above the plateau with an 800 foot lava cap that ends in a sheer precipice. It is one of the highest fault scarps in the world. We didn't find too many birds here, so after a short stop we head west to Summer Lake.

Summer Lake

The arid lands around Summer Lake were once lush. During the Pleistocene Era, vast areas of this region were covered by lakes and wetlands. As the last ice age was ending, rain and runoff from melting snow filled the lowlands throughout this region of the Great Basin, creating an immense, freshwater lake called Chewaucan. It covered 461 sq. miles at depths of up to 375 feet.

Summer Lake and Abert Lake are now separated by twenty miles and are the only remnants of Lake Chewaucan. Summer Lake is approximately 20 miles long and 10 miles wide. It's only source of fresh water is the small spring-fed Ana River so it shrinks during summer and expands dramatically in spring time. The Basin supports more than 250 species of birds and the wildlife area has about 8 miles of gravel road that weaves through the refuge.

When you were a teenager do you every remember doing what we used to call a Chinese Fire Drill? The driver would stop the car, all doors would fly open and everyone would change seats. I guess our greybeard version could be called the Birder Shuffle. The weather was perfect today, sunny and in the mid sixties like us. There was no one out on the refuge roads, so when someone spotted a new species our intrepid driver would simply stop the car and we'd all jump out with binoculars, scopes and cameras at the ready. 

Our partial list includes ibis, sand hill crane, stilt, yellow headed blackbird, marsh wren, ruddy duck, cinnamon teal, tundra swan, horned lark, sage sparrow, chucker, red tail hawk, night heron, golden eagle, bald eagle and white pelican.  

White Pelican

An amazing day for veterans and rookies.

Live From WJRR Cow Country Radio ~ May 19th

From Burney we head further east to Hwy 395 and turn north through a number of small towns. At the Oregon border we discover New Pine Creek. As we toddle through town we spy an old building with a peace symbol and Just Stuff painted on the front. Rod and I looked at each other and decided we had to turn around and check it out.

Just Stuff ~ New Pine Creek, OR

There was indeed "stuff" from floor to ceiling, every square inch of shelving sags under the weight of wondrous treasures. The owner came there 30 years ago and started collecting things at garage sales and soon people were coming to her. We spent at least an hour and kept retracing our steps to make sure we didn't miss anything. We purchased four vintage 1937 California made Poppytrail dinner plates in yellow, blue, green and rose (we were never big on matching sets). You've got to love a small town, the owner gave us a dozen fresh Araucana eggs from her neighbor as part of the deal.

Back on board we turn left off of Hwy 395 and head west on Hwy 140 about 10 miles to Juniper Reservoir RV Resort. This little slice of high desert paradise is at 4,800 feet in the middle of a working cattle ranch. Meet our welcome committee. The leader of the pack looks like he's part reindeer.

Curious George

Juniper Reservoir

This is the incredible view from our spot. We are here to meet up with Ken & Betty Rodgers and Trisha & Leland Nelson, their friends from Boise. We all got in late afternoon, parked our butts in camp chairs with binoculars and cameras and chatted until hunger set it. Between the six of us we came up with homemade tamales, green salad and Rod's stir fry polenta and garden veggies. Early to bed to read for awhile, road trip tomorrow to Summers Lake.

Off We Go - May 18th

I've reconsidered my dislike of Interstate 5, at least in the springtime. We traveled north through some of California's most beautiful orchards and farmland. How many of us take for granted the wonderful produce we find in our local stores? Hard working farmers around the country labor through good times and bad to bring us their best. Think about visiting your local farmer's market and spend your money locally.

Our adventure really begins when we turn right onto Hwy 299 at Redding and head East to McArthur-Burney Falls. Wild flowers abound, the Redbud is in full bloom, meadows are still green, and the rivers high.

 Redbud & Pit River

We find a great spot in the campground within walking distance of the falls. There is no one down there when we take our morning hike.

Burney Falls (129 feet)

I've been coming here since I was a kid and I am always awed at it's beauty. The volume of water never changes. Snowmelt and rainwater percolate through the porous surface of the lava rock and is trapped in huge subterranean rivers and reservoirs. One of these underground aquifers feeds Burney Creek, and in turn, Burney Falls. The falls flow all year even though a half mile above the falls, Burney Creek is often absolutely dry. One of nature's wonders to be sure. 

Happy Campers ~ May 23rd will be the 30th anniversary of the day we met at the Fort Ross Volunteer Fire Department Picnic ~ how time flies when you're having fun!

Happy Birthday Diane ~ May 19th

I'll be on a road trip in SE Oregon and off the grid for a week, so I wanted to post an early birthday wish to a late friend who always made me laugh out loud. Oh the stories we could tell: the day that 6 foot diameter kelp balls rolled up on Wrights Beach with live abalone attached after a huge storm, our Thanksgiving trip to Ashland or the trip to Hawaii when we found out that our airline had folded after we got there. Oh darn, we're stuck here for a few extra days!

For many years we collaborated with our friend Rosie to make the wreath for the Blessing of the Fleet at the annual Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival, a labor of love we truly enjoyed. Can you tell?

Diane ~ Me ~ Rosie

Here's to you Minkie, Happy Birthday

Time for a Road Trip

The rig is packed and we head out early Wednesday for Lakeview, Oregon. We're meeting up with friends from Idaho to spend a few days camping near Goose Lake. The area is situated at the foot of the Warner Mountains on the edge of the Oregon high desert. I've never been there so it's going to be a grand adventure.

Pronghorn Antelope

Doing a little research I found that the Goose Lake Valley provides a number of unique animal habitats and the resident wildlife includes pronghorn, elk, deer, black bear, cougar, bobcat and coyote.

 Bobcat

It is also on the western flyway from Mexico to bird breeding grounds in the Arctic. During the springtime geese, cranes and swans stop in the valley to feed and rest before continuing north. Numerous shorebirds migrate though the valley and nest in the areas around Goose Lake.

Tundra Swan

Sandhill Crane

This sounds like an idyllic place to learn about birdwatching and hone my photography skills with of a couple of experts and for Rod to do a little fishing. Stay tuned for reports and photos from the road.