04 December 2013

Saturday Sojurn in the Land of the Elk

Brrr!
It's cold outside--definitely cold enough for snow,
 if ONLY there was a LITTLE moisture to go with this Arctic Front...
sigh,
Alas, no snow here yet, but the sunny skies have been nice-
very special blessings at this time of the year which is known more for gray than blue!
How's the weather where you're at?
Are you bundled up like we are too?

Brrr.

And now,
onto the theme of this post--
elk, elk and more elk:)

After a wonderful 'Beach Friday' last week...
the next day found us outdoors again,
this time several hours north of that area.
Our goal was to see some Roosevelt Elk and to visit one of our favorite beaches
on the north Oregon coast.
First the elk...
 
 
The first sighting was along the road--but since only ONE of us saw the elk
(my eagle-eyed hubby of course and not me),
we're not going to count that as an official sighting:)
Therefore, our first REAL sighting was at Jewell Meadows Wildlife Refuge.  
 
 
Gorgeous aren't they?
 
 
Not the best photo--sorry.
 
 
And, as a bonus, just because I LOVE it--
a photo of hanging moss!
As I said, I LOVE this stuff:) 
Does anyone know what kind it is?
I know I have seen it all over NW Oregon.
 
 
Next, MORE elk --
this time on a meadow overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
This was a planned destination-
because it's one of our favorite North Coast beaches;
the elk sighting here was a totally unexpected bonus!
 
 
I would have ventured closer, had I not been with my granddaughter,
but I didn't want to take any chances with her by my side--
elk are beautiful, majestic, amazing creatures--
but they are wild, not tame, ones.
 
 
And, a later sighting.
It was a GOOD day:)
 
 
A very, very good day!
(and yes we played on the beach. Doesn't everyone when it's late autumn?)
 
Blessings,
Aimee

Photos:
Jewell Meadows Wildlife Refuge
(located on Highway 202 which is a fun road to take from the Upper Nehalem Valley
 to Astoria when it's good weather. You can also visit Fishhawk Falls at Lee Wooden County Park a few miles from the refuge--beautiful and not too long of a walk.
North Oregon coast
 

21 comments:

Teresa Kasner said...

Oh, lucky you to find the elk! We saw a big herd last year south of Tillamook, I got some neat pix, too. We both need to cross our fingers for snow.

❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉
*M*E*R*R*Y* *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S*!*
❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉

((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Betsy said...

Your elk photos are amazing. Yes, they are beautiful creatures. Of course I always enjoy your beach pictures. I do love the Oregon coast and don't get there nearly enough.
It's cold here too. 8 degrees last time I looked an hour or so ago. Brrr. Out wood stove is keeping us toasty warm though.
Blessings,
Betsy

aimee said...

@Teresa~
I was pretty excited to see all the elk! Would have liked to have been a bit closer though (or had a better zoom lens).
I remember! You saw them near the Air Museum there! Pretty cool Teresa:)
Yep, crossing my fingers for snow...
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

@Betsy~
Thank you! How sweet of you.
Hoping that you will be able to make it to our beautiful coast SOON (and see the little one too)!
Brrr! We are supposed to be down below 20; I cannot imagine 8! Stay indoors next to that beautiful woodstove; stay safe!
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

Willow said...

Amy this is just beautiful , such beauty, "Gods country" comes straight to mind :)
What a blessing also to view it all with your granddaughter .
I found out on Thanksgiving that I will have my first grandchild this coming July . Excitement is in the air here.
Hugs,
Willow

Linda W. said...

I love going to the elk viewing area at Jewell. Nice shot of the coast. Yeah, I'm hoping for some more snow on our favorite mountain! :)

aimee said...

Willow~
You just MADE my day with your awesome news!! (Can you see my BIG smile?)
What a blessing for you and your family to have a little grandbaby to love (and teach to love all your wonderful critters)!!! Congrats and many blessings!
TY for your kind comment! I think it's God's country too:)
Blessings,
Aimee

Linda~
TY! It is so beautiful and peaceful there-I love it too! In fact, I really love the entire Upper Nehalem Valley--it's one of my heart homes:)
Me too, me too, me too (and maybe some snow at our house too) :)
Blessings,
Aimee

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Oh what a beautiful sight- I felt lucky seeing one elk in Arkansas! Even when we've seen them in YNP or RMNP we've never gotten close enough to get good pics.

Cathy at Wives with Knives said...

Seeing a large herd of elk out in the open is a thrilling site. They are so majestic and beautiful. Your photos are wonderful, Aimee. Love the misty shot of the coast line. I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

aimee said...

@Terri~
Thanks-I agree elk are beautiful! Just to let you know, the elk were quite a distance from me at both the refuge and the beach. I was using a zoom lens for the photos. Still, it was very exciting! Now, the one besides the road--had I seen it--would have been really, really close :)
Blessings,
Aimee

@Cathy~
Agree! I never tire of seeing them!
Thanks for your sweet comment--I DO love my coastline and mountains with a touch of mist:)
Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas also!
Blessings,
Aimee

Lorrie said...

Your elk photos are gorgeous. We rarely see such wildlife on our island.
That last photo of the beach - stunning. The beach in autumn/winter has an austere beauty that rivals summer, doesn't it?

Gracie Saylor said...

It is exciting to see herds of elk, Aimee! I have not seen them in Oregon since I moved to Oregon, but every time I drive to northern CA on 101 I see several herds. When I do see them I am often reminded of when my youngest daughter was four and we lived on the west bank of the Hudson River in NY. We saw some deer in our backyard and commented to our children that they reminded us of Santa's reindeer. That along with the fact that my husband had been persuaded to dress up as Santa the year before threw our youngest into a tizzy on Christmas eve. She tearfully insisted that her daddy needed to get his Santa suit on and get into his sleigh so his reindeer could fly him around to deliver presents!
Blessings,
Gracie xx

aimee said...

@Lorrie~
Thank you so much! I am surprised-I thought you would have even more wildlife than we do. You live in an amazing, amazing place! I totally agree--I often like the lighting better too:)
Advent Blessings,
Aimee

@Gracie~
You should stop by the Jewell Refuge the next time you are taking Highway 26 to the coast. It isn't hard to find it and is a pretty drive by the river and farmland. There is a sign on the main highway and another once you get to the junction of Highway 202. The elk are there till springtime (they feed them during the winter) and are beautiful. Bring your binoculars and/or zoom lens camera!
LOVED your story!!! LOL When my hubby had a long, whitish beard years ago, I thought he should dress up as Santa:)
BLessings,
Aimee

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Didn't know there were so many elk on the north coast. The ones we know about are south of Reedsport, near the appropriately named town of Elkton. Next time we're there in the fall I'll remember this drive! thanks for sharing the great pictures. We always just called that hanging stuff deer moss. I think they eat it during bad winters when they can't get anything else. Here in the south there is Spanish moss.. It looks quite the same to me.

aimee said...

@Sallie~
There always are elk at the refuge--at least this time of the year--and I have seen them on the coast the last two years:)
You have me wanting to visit our southern coast and see Elkton now.
THANK you! Now I know what to call that gorgeous moss. And I agree, it looks very much like Spanish moss.
Blessings,
Aimee

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Came by again to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy 2014. Thanks for your visits and comments, they are appreciated.

(Hope you are OK and just not blogging because you're busy with family! I could understand that, getting ready to take a blog-break myself until after the Holidays. Sallie

Louisette said...

Wonderfull landscape, best regard from Belgium

aimee said...

@Sallie~
Thanks SO much for dropping by with Christmas greetings! Wishing you a wonderful and very blessed Christmas also!
Yep, all is fine here--just been very busy with visiting family, dad, Christmas related stuff, etc.:) Looking forward to seeing new posts of yours after the holidays.
Blessings,
Aimee

@Retriever~
Thank you for your kind comment! I am SO glad you enjoyed photos of our PNW landscapes! I very much look forward to visiting your blog after the Christmas holidays:)
Blessings,
Aimee

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

A belated Merry Christmas to you! Even after living in Eastern Oregon all my life, I never tire of seeing elk. They are beautiful, powerful and majestic creatures! Happy New Year!

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

Hope you had a good Christmas.Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving me a sweet comment. Much appreciated! It's been foggy and cold here the past few days. We actually saw the sun today and I opened up the curtains in living room and let it in! Made me feel a bit more energized, even though I stayed home all day. Have a blessed New Year! Maybe our paths will cross in 2014,don't be shy if you see me! :0) God bless!

Willow said...

Happy New Year Amy
Wishing you all the best !
Willow

aimee said...

@Jackie~
Thank you SO much for your Christmas wishes! I wish you and your family a very blessed New Year on your new homestead.
Blessings,
Aimee
PS: Me too--elk are amazing!

@Becky~
We did have a great Christmas -- despite some challenges. I hope you saw some more sun this week as we did. It does make a HUGE difference - especially during this time of the year.
I hope very much to meet up with you some time this year. An answer to prayer has brought some much needed changes to my life:)
Blessings,
Aimee

@Willow~
Thank you Willow! Wishing you a joy-filled New Year also! Hope to catch up with your blog as soon as I can solve our laptop woes. I did get to show Small One your Honey Bee on my phone--she (just like I) thought he was awesome!
Blessings,
Aimee

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