Nick Visits

 Last Friday, Nick drove up from Napa to stay with us until Tuesday morning.  We all had concerns about COVID, so Nick was tested 3 days before making the trip.  Our intent to wear masks and distance the whole time proved unworkable, so eventually we gave up on that.  The weather was great until Monday evening, so we were able to do all the favorite outdoor activities on our list.  Nick, being somewhat of a foodie, meant we didn't skimp on kitchen fun and fine meals.  

The visit took a turn Monday night with an unprecedented natural disaster.

                     Saturday morning we headed south for a beach walk at Ocean Beach.

                         We've watched dunes grow during the summer - a seasonal phenomena. 

                                                              Exploring the rock fall.

                                        Intrepid spelunkers, not so intrepid photographer.

                                                                      What's that?

                 From the beach, we continued south to have an afternoon hike at Enchanted Valley.

                                            We saw this Northern Red-legged Frog.

                                                                        What's that?

Saturday night we made pizzas using squash, onions, mozzarella, garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, toasted walnuts, and goat cheese.  Also, note a couple of the delicious melons Nick brought up from his garden.

                We all helped out on the pizzas even though the pictures tell a different story.

After breakfast on Sunday, we took a short hike on the trail across the road that we call Full Moon Trail, after Gail and I hiked up to its terminus on a full moon night.

Something that Nick noticed, that we never had, were numerous trees along the trail with these marks in the bark.  A check of my tracking books and the internet confirmed what we thought.  These are bear marking trees, the above picture being claw marks.  They also mark with their teeth, and by rubbing their backs on the tree.  The trees are usually along trails.

                      Where's Nick?  We returned to the house and walked around the property.

                      The afternoon was getting close to 90 degrees signalling "float time!"

Are we related to Esther Williams?  Synchronized aquashenanigans on the Yachats. Video by Gail.

Nick proves his manhood by performing total immersion.  I did my annual immersion a couple weeks ago, so was good for the year.  This water is colder than it looks!

                                                                           Sequence by Gail

Sunday evening, we had a chicken BBQ and a birthday party for Daisy who turned 28 in doggy years.

Gail made a supreme carrot cake for the occasion (but not for Daisy).

Daisy got a new squirrel, and long lasting chews, presented by Nick.  Daisy has accepted Nick into the pack, and a bond is germinating.

                    Monday, Nick and I canoed Beaver Creek in warm air and deep blue skies.

           On the return down the creek, the light was just right for the "shimmer" under the bridge.

                                                           The amazing "shimmer".

Monday evening, after a dinner of broiled halibut, roasted petite potatoes, green beans, and salad, the mood changed from contentment to concern.  

We started smelling wood smoke, and a warm east wind started gusting.  The electricity went out around 8:00 PM which meant no water to the house.  

In the morning, Tuesday, the smoke was very thick, ash was falling, the sun was obscured, and there was an orange glow.

I hooked up the generator to the refrigerator, freezer, and computer.  We can't hook it up to our water system, however.

When the sun was visible, it was a red ball.  We said goodbye to Nick, and he headed back to Napa around 10:00 AM.  

             I drove into Waldport to get more gas for the generator, and it was even smokier there.

We learned there were massive fires to our east in the Cascades, a fire outside Waldport,  and a big fire about 40 miles north outside Lincoln City.  The winds on the coast, similar to Santa Anas in Southern California, had gusted to 55 m.p.h. that night.  I saw where 4 trees had come down on Yachats River Road and had been cleared.  Some stores in Yachats had their storefront windows blown out.

                                  Seeing the smoke driving back up Yachats River Road.  

Gail and I loaded up our cars with essentials, pet supplies, and favorite keepsake pictures, etc.  We want to be ready for a quick escape if need be.

Our stashed emergency water, only 6 gallons, was getting low so we filtered some river water down at the river.  As soon as we finished, around 5:00 PM, the power came back on.

After wearing this mask outside for a couple days, it is now blackish on its surface.  Gail started wearing a mask, also, while outside.

Disaster central.  The little refrigerator on the left started defrosting after the power went out, resulting in puddles on the floor.

Nick's drive home turned into a near 17 hour marathon.  It had taken him only 8 hours to drive up.  As he approached Ashland, the I-5 was closed due to fire, and he had to reroute back to the coast.  And then, because the 101 was closed near Willits, he had to stay on Highway One all the way down to Albion and then head back inland to the 101.  He made it home safely, arriving at 2:30 AM.

Right now, Friday the 11th, the weather here is cool, no wind, and there is a chance of rain showers next week starting on Monday. I'm feeling fairly optimistic that we're going to be fine here.  So many people in Oregon and other Western States have lost their homes, even loved ones, and have had their lives turned upside down.

What a year this has been.  It was so fun to have Nick up, our only visitor in the last 6 months.  I'm hoping that 2021 means we have a COVID vaccine and no virus, no Trump, no massive wildfires, and the ability to travel and see more family and friends.  Give us the old normal!

 

River Song Provides

 We have been eating mostly home grown produce this summer.  The blueberries and strawberries were plentiful, and we had all the blackberries we wanted from "our" patch down the road.  We had so many zucchinis and yellow squash, that I set up a free stand on the road several times.  In addition we've had broccoli, carrots, beets, chard, peas, lettuce, basil, parsley, and our favorite beans so far, Helda beans.  The tomatoes are just now ripening and coming in strong.  I'm now in the process of doing some fall planting in the greenhouse.  

Knockin' Around With Gail and Bob

We took out our canoe last week at Beaver Creek.  Near the launch site was this tree growing out of a post!

 Putting in our canoe at this nifty little entry spot, a tributary of the main creek.

 It was gorgeous, and we never saw another person on the water.

 There is one spot that I call limbo bridge.  You have to lie down in the hull to slip under this two log bridge.

My view from the bottom of the canoe.  Am I missing a leg?

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, this Douglas Squirrel is getting a calcium boost, or is it grinding down its rodent teeth?

 We have had a flock of Pine Siskins at the feeder.  Some of them are so tame that they keep eating while I'm holding the feeder and filling it.  They might be fledglings that don't know any better.

 Grrrrr...   this is the Great Blue Heron that cleaned out our fish last summer, except for three little babies.  Now he is determined to get them, as well as our frogs.  I think there is only one fish left, if any.

 To add insult to injury, I just washed my car yesterday evening, and this morning when I came out, he had sprayed poop all over it.  I want to like the heron, but he's making it difficult.

This has been a berry good year for berries.  Our blackberry patch down the road seems to be giving us endless berries.  After a pick, its hard to tell the berry juice from the blood on our hands and arms! We have loaded up the freezer with quart bags.

Those Crazy Arthropods With Funny Bods

 The tall weed next to Gail with the yellow flowers is Tansy Ragwort. It is an invasive plant unintentionally introduced in Oregon in the 1920's.  It is native to Eurasia, and prefers pastures, logged areas, and disturbed ground.  It was responsible for killing thousands of cattle and horses until bio controls were implemented in the 60's and 70's. 

Cinnabar Moth larvae were brought in from Eurasia as well as a type of flee beetle, and a seed head fly.  You can see how the larvae have decimated this flower head. When they run out of food, they eat each other.

 Cinnabar Moth larva at work.

Last year, Gail and I pulled up all the flowering Tansy Ragwort along the forest service road we hike on almost daily - about a two mile stretch.  We pulled the plants before the flowers matured and threw them on the road to be run over by vehicles.  We did this over several weeks just for something to do that we thought might make a difference.  This year, the Ragwort is back at least as much as last year.  We're leaving it to the caterpillars this time.  However, we've only seen the larvae in one small area.  The Cinnabar Moth is a pretty red and black.  I hope to get pictures soon.


You might remember the little white spider I recently posted.  Well, this is another one.  They are tiny, about an eighth of an inch long, and hide in flower heads where they ambush pollinators like butterflies and bumblebees.

 It is the Goldenrod Crab Spider.

This tiny arachnid uses its large front legs to grab onto its prey and then immobilize it with its venom. It does not use a web.  They can change color over several days to match the flowers that it is in.  It is very common in the Goldenrod plant, hence its name.

Doin' Our Yachats Thang

Here are a few photos and a video from the past week of observations and shenanigans.

Our guardian of Baboon Beach close up and personal.  Gail gave him a trim this spring as he was hiding behind his bangs.

Gail found this little redwood burl slab down in Reedsport.  I made the legs out of steel rod that I heated and bent, and then welded to brackets I made.  Daisy, here, giving it the lick test.  It will go between two chairs (whenever we find them) facing our river view.

This bobcat is crossing the river where there was a natural log bridge until the river took it out last winter.  It looks to be fairly large to me!

 Trying to photograph water striders from 11 inches away is almost impossible.  They are in perpetual motion!

I learned that they prey on other insects such as mosquito larvae, and have a sting that can leave a red spot and irritation.  Usually they have wings, and can fly to other bodies of water if they have to.  Their legs and bodies are covered in microscopic hairs that repel water that could weigh them down.  Their middle two legs are used for rowing, and the back two for steering.  They communicate by sending out vibrations through the water, which is often done to warn other striders to stay out of their territory.

Daisy and Gail take shelter on the beach near Rock Creek.  How many creeks are named Rock Creek on the West Coast ?  Also, Dry Creek and Big Creek.  Who gets to choose such unoriginal names?

The Fly

Got My Ducks In A Row

We've been watching these Mallard Ducks grow up this year.  They are wild and skittish, so we usually only get a quick peek before they take off.  They are now a family of nine - no Dad.  They appear, however, to like posing for the trail cam!