Big Snow Event

 Eight days ago, last Tuesday, it started to snow. By Thursday afternoon we had 10 inches of snow on the ground, with temperatures dipping down to 24 degrees at night and hovering around 32 during the day. Those first couple days and nights, tree limbs and whole trees were snapping and coming down.  Every minute or so it sounded like a gunshot going off.  Fortunately, our power never went out, thanks in part to underground utilities on Yachats River Road.  It was beautiful, at times spooky, and occasionally fun.  It was also sad to see our beloved big leaf maple tree we see from our living room lose it's biggest remaining trunk.

The following pictures don't need much explanation, so I'll post most of them without captions.  The storms continue today with a wintry mix of snow, sleet, rain, and hail.  Last week we were congratulating ourselves for cleaning up the trails, removing fallen wood and leaning branches.  Now there is a huge amount of tree debris to clean up.  It will be a busy spring.

Wednesday morning, Feb. 27.

Our big leaf maple lost its biggest trunk.  Daisy, Yummy, and I heard it come down Wednesday evening.

The river is loaded with downed trees, and bent over branches.  That should be good for fish habitat.

There's only one big trunk left on the maple.

Good thing I shoveled the driveway on Thursday.  The snow froze solid after a little thawing soon after.  We still have yet to drive out of our driveway.  

Time to dust off the snowshoes...

...and head up the 5300.

Snow shoeing up the 5300 had its obstacles.

We also took Daisy up Bear Scratch.

We took a walk a couple miles down the road on Saturday.

A herd of elk was looking for food.  The bull has just one antler left.

I unscrewed a yardwaste container lid, which made a pretty good sled.

The final run.

We had a little drama this morning.  The school bus normally turns around in the fire dept. parking lot across the street from us, but the driver couldn't make it up the unplowed driveway and accidentally backed off the road onto our property. Cars were blocked in both directions.  There were three kids on board.

Here I am offering no advice.

The fire department emergency vehicle and volunteer from town came to the rescue, hooked his winch up to the bus, and pulled it out.  

I know this weather is commonplace to much of the country, but for coastal Oregon, this was more like a ten year event.  

☺

New Refrig and Cabinets

 It took about four months, but we finally have our new refrigerator in, and the cabinets redone to accommodate it.

Before

We needed a refrigerator in the kitchen, a novel concept.  This is the only place it could go, which meant some serious cabinet reworking.  Our go-to handyman, Jim R., helped me remove those center two banks of shelves and cabinets without damaging them.  A friend of his, Scot, used the old cabinets to make new cabinets, shelves, etc., that would surround the new refrigerator.  In this way, all the wood would match.  One of the banks of three drawers was relocated to the under counter spot where the mini-fridge used to be.  It was scary messing with these cabinets, and fearing that we would ruin the whole look and utility of things.

After

These three drawers are where the mini-fridge used to be.  Scot is a magician!

☺

Marine Debris Cleanup

 On Friday the 17th, Gail and I participated in a beach cleanup south of Reedsport near the mouth of Tenmile Creek.  Gail had signed us up, thinking that this would be at Ten Mile Creek, about a 20 minute drive from our house.  We later learned that it was a 1 1/2 hour drive.  We decided to go anyway.  It turned out to be a beautiful day, in the midst of a long rainy spell.

The event was organized by Jesse Jones, CoastWatch Program Manager, and Elizabeth Roberts, a marine debris artist with exhibits at the Washed Ashore Project in Bandon.  All the debris harvested would be trucked to Bandon, washed, and used in art/education displays.  This was a three day event.  The area to be cleaned is a Snowy Plover nesting area in dunes surrounding the Tenmile Creek Estuary.  Also enlisted were two US Forest Service biology technicians who would drive us the several miles through the immense dunes, and down the beach.  We were joined by about six other volunteers.

Jesse Jones on the right, and Elizabeth Roberts, center.  We're getting our safety briefing.

Our Forest Service driver did a good job of blasting us through the dunes.

Down the beach we went...

...until the beach narrowed.  We waited for the tide to drop a little more.

However, we quickly got stuck, but with some shoveling, use of traction mats, and letting some air out of the tires, we were on our way again.  Not wasting time, Gail hauled up a plastic culvert that was beached.

There were about 6-8 poles in our area that were for Purple Martin nest boxes.  It was noticed that Purple Martins mob Northern Harriers, a large hawk that predates on the threatened Snowy Plovers.  At the top of each pole, a Tree Swallow nest box is placed to attract the Purple Martins, who follow the Tree Swallows in their arrival to the area.

Getting ready for lunch break.  Lunch was provided by Jesse.

The dunes, the estuary, and another nest box pole.

We were so lucky to have such a pleasant day.

Happy debris collectors.

A drop in the bucket, but if everyone did a little, that would go a long way.  We were just 12 folks.

☺

Nick Visits

 Three days after I returned from Colorado, Nick arrived for a five day visit.  The weather cooperated most days, allowing us to hike around and enjoy nature.  We also had a run of savory meals, thanks to Nick and Gail.  I had birthday week privileges 😁

On our first full day, we went to a new area south of Newport that we had never been to, Yakona Nature Preserve.

 

We thought this sign was funny because below it was the first place we saw elk scat.

It was a beautiful day, with hardly anyone else out and about.  Thank you Super Bowl!

An amazing feature was this very classy outhouse, complete with framed pictures and reading material.

Nick clowning around with old artifacts.  The preserve had a town on it at one time named Oysterville.  Before that, it was home to the Yaqo'n.

We passed this beautiful old tree trunk.

There are some old growth trees like this big Sitka Spruce that were spared because they had nesting eagles on them.

The preserve is a peninsula on the Yaquina Bay flanked by two big sloughs.  

Ducks Observed

 Common Goldeneye, female

Buffleheads, females

Hooded Mergansers, female and breeding male

Back home, we played a balancing game of Totika.

Beachcombing at Strawberry Hill.

What do you see? I see Elmo from Sesame Street.

Nick and Gail made a delicious heirloom bean pot pie for my birthday dinner using Rancho Gordo King City Pink Beans that Nick brought us.  So good!

Whoopee!  76 trips around the sun for me!

Place setting by Gail

Getting better at Totika!

Why Neighborhood Watch came into being, ha, ha.  So long, Nick, we loved having you visit!