Wetlands Wednesday

Like a hawk I have been watching...

for another rain break

and

for a certain road closed by high water to reopen.

 

This week both happened

and we (hubby and I) set off towards a certain wetland I had been wanting to visit

 since I first heard about it.

 

 

When we arrived I was truly blown away by the tranquil scene before us.

It was better than a massage,

better than dark chocolate,

better than...

well at least it was better FOR ME than a whole lot of things:)

 

 

A lot of the usual feathered friends were there...

geese,

 

 

an egret

(I think he fit in well with the Oriental feel that part of the wetlands has),

 

 

 swans

(A special thank you to Teresa for reigniting my desire to see these beauties this winter!

BTW, for some amazing close ups of Mirror Lake's tundra swans see Teresa's lovely post on "her" feathered friends here:

http://teresakasner.blogspot.com/2016/01/lots-of-swans-swimming.html)

 

 

The trail around the lake was amazing--

all except for one snake who was definitely NOT hibernating

(being that this blog is a no-snake zone,

I am not posting any of the 3 photos I took of the slithery one)

 

 

The trail is mostly flat and only a tiny bit over one mile in length.

 

 

Oh, oh DH is up and foraging through the fridge in search of food.

Better go:)

 

Night all!

 

Blessings,

Aimee

Giving Thanks Down By The Riverside

Difficult challenges in life can make you sad, depressed, hopeless, angry and bitter

(been there; done that)

Or they can make you think of all the things in life you are truly and completely grateful for...

kind bloggers,

sunny days,

a pumpkin pie tempting me from our fridge right now,

a sandy beach during HIGH surf,

and...

 

 

 a certain lovely river and some of its feathered inhabitants.

Ah, yes. It is THE season for a bird lover like me:)

 

 

Just like my feathered friends at the beach,

the feathered friends here by the riverside make me smile...

 

 

cause me to admire their beauty and grace as they float with the current

or swim against it.

 

 

And their unique characteristics cause me to be filled with joy and a deep sense of wonder!

 

 

I may not like the rain of autumn

(though I am very grateful for it after months of drought),

I may not like the cold

(though there is no snow without it and I LOVE snow).

And I may hate the decrease in daylight hours...

but I look forward each autumn to seeing some of the feathered ones

who only visit us at this time of the year.

 

 

So, in my little unofficial beauty contest here,

which of the feathered ones is your favorite?

 

 

So many to choose from--

ducks, Canadian geese, pigeons, gulls...

 

 

I can't choose.

I LOVE them all!

 

Wishing you all a very blessed and joy-filled Thanksgiving no matter where you live.

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Photos:

Clackamette Park

(located at the confluence of the Clackamas and Willamette rivers)

Return To The Nestucca River National Country Byway: The Canyon

Both Farmer Boy and I have fond memories of the Nestucca River

 from when we were younger...

 

I recall camping along it at least once, under the stars, with my then best friend and also of times spent at a park that was located at the base of a dam (no longer accessible).
My hubby recalls visiting the area of the Meadow Lake dam which failed in the early 60s, fishing the Nestucca River and also of a "swimming hole".

Not so very long ago it became our "mission" to find that somewhat elusive "swimming hole".

Just a note that I am arranging these photos from east to west so,
if you look at the links below,
you'll have a better idea of what to expect.

 

And now some green immersion for this warm summer day:)

 

 

The coast range is a wonderland of ferns, trees and more. I never tire of it!
 

 

Not too far from the site of historic Meadow Lake Dam
you'll enter into the lovely Nestucca river canyon.

 

 

Pretty overhead woodland canopy.

 

 

Our furry passenger on this mission on her way to her beloved dad.
Coming Papa!

 

 

The swimming hole from above.
Much prettier in person where you can truly enjoy the peace of the area.

 

 

Lovely, lovely green. Is it my Celtic DNA that makes me love this color?
There were places on the route that reminded me of a tree "cathedral"--so amazing!
I am constantly amazed at the artistry of our Creator!

 

A small detour off the main road brought us to this nice view.

LOVE (usually) those small detours--

of course there are those narrow, winding, cliff filled, car injuring forest roads

  that I am not too fond of:)
They are not too far from here.

By the way there are a number of waterfalls in this area--some easier to get to than others.

Can I also say that we had a very magical experience while in the canyon?
A beautiful butterfly accompanied our moving car for awhile--
almost flying through our open window.
Totally amazing!

 

 

Rural view as we draw closer to the coast.

 

 

Another thing I never tire of? Clouds, mist and fog on my beloved mountains and hillsides.

 

Good bye for now my beloved Nestucca River--

see you again.

Before I close this post--
in fitting with the beautiful creation experienced along this byway--
a bit of the WORD for your day (even though it's not Wednesday--LOL)

Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD...
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised.
Psalms 113:1, 3 KJV

 

Blessings, Aimee

Some info:
There are two routes through this lovely area.
One, the Bald Mountain road is a one lane paved road and, as you may guess from the "mountain" part of the name, it'll take you up in elevation. Later, you will turn onto Bible Creek Rd (two way paved road) which will--in time--rejoin the main route after the campgrounds.
The second and main route is the one through the Nestucca River canyon. On this one, the road is paved except for a few miles of gravel. As I have mentioned, you can also camp here along the river. Both routes are meant to be taken slowly and enjoyed :)
http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/Nestucca%20River.pdf

 

My Collection --thus far--of Nestucca River National Country Byway Posts:

http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2015/03/of-unexpected-blessings-pt-ii.html

(Meadow lake dam)
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2013/04/springtime-in-coast-range.html
(Bible Creek Rd, Lake, etc.)
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-different-kind-of-exercise.html
(Bald Mountain/Bible Creek Rd Route)
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2012/09/into-unknown-of-fear-and-detours-pt-2.html
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2012/08/into-unknown-of-fear-and-detours-pt1.html
(Bald Mountain/Bible Creek Rd Route--first time)
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2011/12/advent-journey.html
(Meadow Lake area and more)
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2010/08/mountain-retreat-for-soul.html
(Meadow Lake area, viewpoint BLM)

And, somewhere, hiding in my files and possibly this website,
 are photos of two of the waterfalls along this route and
one of those narrow, winding, cliff filled, car injuring forest roads

  that I am not too fond of ;)

Between Bay + Ocean: Bayocean Peninsula County Park

Bay view from Bayocean Dike Road past the gate. If you look really hard
you can see the historic smokestack located in Garibaldi. Clicking on the photo makes it larger.

 

 

 

 I've written about Bayocean before and the role that the north jetty at Barview played in its demise. Well this last weekend, on a "nice" sunny,  HOT day we took a trip out there--to this lovely spot located between bay and ocean



 

After getting on the wrong road and ending up in Netarts, we put my phone's navigation software and GPS to work and found the somewhat elusive Bayocean Road. Yippee! (If you are gaining elevation, you are NOT on the right road. We saw no signs pointing us the right direction.)

  

Memaloose Point area

  The bay was beautiful--despite the fact that it was not, as usual, the "golden" hour...

oh well you can't have everything, right? :)

 

 

the natives were also lovely and added to our enjoyment of the approximately 5 mile drive out to the peninsula. One small segment even reminded me of the Hood Canal of Washington state and its small homes along the water!

 

View of the Bayocean Dike Road from the parking area. The lower road runs along Tillamook Bay and carries traffic towards the parking area; the higher road passes by Lake Cape Meares and carries traffic back to Bayocean Road.

  

 

 

 

The dike road (Bayocean Dike Road) was a piece of cake...as usual I fretted over NOTHING imagining a road with steep drop-offs into the lake and bay from a very narrow dike. That's what you get when you have the wrong perspective on something:)

 

 

With furry white one in tow we headed out -- at first -- on road that runs along the bay, but hubby quickly decided we should reroute to the beach. A visit to the townsite's original location would have to wait for now...sigh (bay pic at the top of this post is from this area).

 

Returning to the parking lot, we found the sandy trail and headed westward...

 

 

Looking southward from the trail

The scenery on the way was lovely! Scotchbroom (some which still had a few blooms on it), trees, grasses---loved it! But what wasn't so lovely was the sand on the trail was blazing HOT (and I do mean BLAZING)...sheer agony as I couldn't walk barefoot and the sand kept working its way under the soles of my feet because I had worn, not knowing, flip flops. OUCH, agony, pain.

 

 

But we persevered, extremely thankful for the grass at the sides of the trail and all shady spots. Talking to a couple fellow trekkers we gained hope that the trip was well worth it and then...

 

 one last hill to climb and we would be there.

Yippee!

 

Much cooler sand on the beach. Ahhhh. Lovely on the footsies!

 

 

 Beautiful view towards the Cape Meares area

(the community and headland)

Some buildings from Bayocean were moved to the town there...

 

 

Beautiful views to the north too

(Barview area, jetties and more)

 

 

 

The ocean (west of course)--always lovely

 

 

Eastward view towards the dunes and center of the spit. .

 

Was Aimee happy and was it worth it?

Oh YES...despite getting a friction blister. At least I no longer have the splinter, I had picked up earlier in the week, thanks to DH "doctoring" before we left to Bayocean:)

 

And the hike that seemed to be SO long?

Well, per the measuring tool on the most wonderful Google maps...

yep, it was about 1/3 mile one way.

 

But now I have another problem.

I have to convince my wonderful hubby to make a return visit :)

 

 Blessings,

Aimee

 

Links:

The Bayocean link above will take you to a prior post where I've listed some great websites on Bayocean and its fascinating, though sad, history.

Another excellent website I found recently is here:

http://www.bayocean.net/

(some of his posts have really given me a new perspective on Bayocean and its actual location)

Since this post was so photo heavy, I'll include some pictures of Cape Meares Lake at a different time. Heading south on Bayocean Dike Road it's to your right--

it was formed when they built the dike to reconnect the Bayocean spit which had, temporarily become an island in the 1950s due to winter storms and beach erosion caused by building (and later extension) of just the north jetty.

PDF map of Tillamook County -- will give you a perspective on where

the different locations mentioned are.

Once on the peninsula you can have quite the hike if you are up to it...

 

 

 

Into the Woods + A Little Surprise for Small One

Spring break was a busy one for us this year. On Wednesday, I was down in the Newport area with my best friend and her grandson. Then, on the following Sunday, we visited Regatta Park and a new beach in Lincoln City with tidepools (LOVE tidepools). But the day before that we were in the valley at Milo McIver State Park enjoying...

 

hiking on a trail there.

We arrived soon after the Vortex Half Marathon and 10K Trail Run ended...

hence the lovely white arrows on the bridge and elsewhere.

Vortex I, for those who may not know, was a rock festival held at Milo McIver SP

 just about 45 years ago. I don't recall hearing about it at that time, but quite a few people showed up at this--believe it or not--state sponsored event. If you're interested in learning more about it, you can follow the link above to the wiki article. There was also a OPB special on it quite awhile ago--that was where I first learned about it.

 

Anyway, MMSP is quite a pretty place between the woodlands filled with lots and lots of green,

the Clackamas River, the creek and the views one can catch--on a clear day--of Mt. Hood.

 

 

I love the wildflowers of the PNW:)

 

I believe this is Dog Creek...

I couldn't believe all of the shades of green!

Truly amazing.

Spring is awesome for greens here--

right now our mountainsides look gorgeous!

 

And of course, our primary reason for being at MM that day...

 

the Clackamas Fish Hatchery!

We thought little Miss would enjoy seeing the HUGE ponds that hold a lot of growing fish.

(She did)

 

And then there was a little surprise -- for her and for us...

 

One of the very kind workers there let her (and a few others) help feed the fish!

Can you believe that?

Totally cool!

BTW, she did pretty well and really enjoyed doing it!

 

This time we also took a peek inside the small visitor building which contains the incubation room and displays showing the life cycle of the fish--from zygote (isn't that the coolest word? LOL) to fry (oh, oh...when I see that word, my mind wonders to eating. Bad me).

 

 Another great thing about MM?
We often see horses being ridden on the trails there.  

Makes me want one again...

 

Blessings,

Aimee

Photos/Info:
Milo McIver State Park
Here's a link for more info
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=102

And now back to researching my latest idea for a trip...
this one will be a trip down memory lane:)