A Full-time Life

LAST LEAVES FROM OREGON

 

Because who could get tired of Autumn's vibrant reds, here is a look back to our last week at Fern Ridge Shores while pictures and posting catch up to where we are now. Shared with RUBY TUESDAY. Thank you Mary for hosting.

 

Three views of the same tree on Jeans Road.

Beautiful --

Especially since we don't have to worry about raking them up!

 

 

 

GOLDEN DAY

For Nature's Footsteps - Waters. Bill and I are on the road again, but these are pictures from our last week at the Lake.

Here's our daughter Cyndi at Kirk Ponds. She and I went walking in this natural area along with the dogs (Freya and Chase) who live at her house. This was one of our last days at the Lake.

It was crisp and clear -- a day of pure gold in a part of Oregon where Autumn days aren't always this dry and sunny!

And a day of pure gold because Cyndi and I got to go outside and play -- one of my favorite ways to spend the day, and, luckily, one of hers as well.

LEAVING THE LAKE

FOR SKYWATCH FRIDAY. It is time for us to hit the road. It's always hard to leave the people we love. And the beautiful Fall weather we've enjoyed this week sure isn't making it easier.

It seems like it never fails -- as soon as we are really ready to leave (anyplace where we've been for longer than a day or two), the weather turns beautiful and we think of all the things we meant to do and all the people we meant to spend more time with.

But the chilly rains will come and it is time for us to flee south, with a few detours along the way.

FullTime-Life will be on a short blogging break and then I'll try to post at least a little bit of our roadtrip as we amble our way back to our Florida home (slowly if we have good weather along the way, quicker if we don't).

OH NO, NOT ANOTHER DAM WALK

FOR OUR WORLD.

It's fun to walk the causeway between Fern Ridge Dam and Orchard Park, a Lane County Park. The dam is on the other side of the Lake from where we stay, too far to walk to it from our RV.

But that side of the Lake is close to where where Cyndi and Jeff live, making the walk even more inviting. (The top picture is the corner of their street, looking down from the causeway.)

So on this lovely October day Bill let me off at the dam on his way to Eugene to do errands.

I kept scaring this poor great blue heron as I walked (not on purpose -- I think he was just alert to the crunch of the gravel up above him). He'd fly a few yards and stop and watch and as soon as I got close, he'd fly again. Finally he got smart and flew off, but it took the poor thing about four stops to figure out that I wasn't going to go away.

When I got to Cyndi and Jeff's I did what I usually do there, which is absolutely nothing, accompanied by a healthy dose of watching other people work.

HUNT FOR RED, OCTOBER

For RUBY TUESDAY

Until this week, there hasn't been a lot of red in this area.  I looked for something to post for Ruby Tuesday a week ago and the reddest thing I could find was these bright crabapples growing wild in Orchard Park. 

 It hasn't been very cold yet (which is good for RVers) but that means that there hasn't been a lot of fall color yet.    A few trees around town have turned red and Saturday I finally got a real Autumn red picture.

I'm glad we got to see some red trees before we leave.   

  

 

  

 

 

 

SCENES FROM THE RECEDING LAKE

FOR NATURE'S FOOTSTEPS - WATERS

The grass in the foreground is the same spot where earlier in the summer I took many pictures of grebes swimming.  Much of the water is gone now as the reservoir is being drained for flood control.   The wading birds enjoy easy pickings.  Their prey is being "herded" into the remaining water as the lake recedes. 

 

OUR SUMMER ON THE WATER

FOR NATURE'S FOOTSTEPS -- WATERS. This new meme for water-related posts is tailor-made for our full-time life, because we spend a lot of time on the water or looking at the water... Whether we're home in Florida or visiting in the Northwest and much of the time when we're on the road in between. Thank you to Nature's Footsteps for providing this sharing opportunity.

This was our early morning water view this weekend.

The Lake is receding (soon it will be Fern Ridge (no)Lake ). And the weather is signalling that it's about time for snowbirds like us to head south!

Yep, winter's on the way and, in this part of Oregon, Winter is damp, chilly, and gray.

But in the summer, there's no better place to hang your hat -- or park your RV. And no better place to look through the RV window.

(Although when the weather is nice I don't take pictures through the window -- instead we go outside every time there's an excuse!)

Here's a sampler of our daily views of the lake this past summer -- through the window or outside of it.

We know how lucky we are to be here only during the best time of the year!

THE SMALLEST FULL MOON

 

FOR SKYWATCH FRIDAY, where bloggers all over the world are looking up!

Last March we watched the "super moon" from the backyard of our home in Florida. It was lovely to look at, but I didn't get good pictures. This week, from the RV's backyard here at Fern Ridge Shores, the smallest full moon of the year was more photo-friendly.

This month's full moon (on Tuesday) was nearly at its maximum distance from the Earth making it appear much smaller than full moons usually look. (The March moon was nearly as close as it could be.)

Here's a link to an article at Space.com that explains all this much better.

END OF A RAINY DAY

for SKYWATCH FRIDAY.    Thank you to our wonderful hosts.

Mostly cloudy and rainy this past week.  But hope lies ahead!

 

 '

Taken yesterday evening a couple of hours before sunset --  and sure enough, this morning dawned sunny and bright!  The docks (in the picture below) are almost empty -- the drawdown of the Lake has begun and everyone has taken out their boats.

 

 

This time of year, in this part of the country, sunny days are a rare treasure.

DISTRACTIONS

FOR:  OUR WORLD .

I've always loved to walk around our neighborhood -- wherever our neighborhood happened to be the moment.  It was a good way to get to know a little more about the place where we had parked our rolling home and pretty good exercise as well. 

I still get outdoors to walk most days.  But now I have a pocket-size digital camera -- and a blog. 

So I get to know the neighborhood, but the exercise is a little iffy.  Too easy to get distracted by photo ops.  Sometimes I'm not even out of the RV Park before something catches my attention:

 

And this summer, along the wetlands there  was something new to see every day.  I have posted birds, bees, flowers, sky, and water -- and every picture is an interrupted walk.  (But every picture was worth it).  Here is one more summer collage from along Jeans Road:  

      
  

So it looks like if I'm ever going to get a real daily exercise walk again, we'll have to to stay in less picturesque places. 

But actually that probably wouldn't work either

because if nothing else catches my fancy, I'll even stop to take pictures of weeds growing along the edge of the road.    

 Maybe we need to buy a treadmill!

 

GLIMPSES OF BLUE

Thank you to the hosts of SKYWATCH FRIDAY where this post is linked. 

It was grayish most days this week, but I'm not down in the dumps.  Just still down at the recycling center with pictures from last Sunday.  So here are some glimpses of blue sky as well as of some creative uses for recycled materials.

   
 

The barrel in the foreground is for composting.  These composters are big sellers here. 

    
                                                     

 

 

 

  

THE BACKYARD

This post is shared at  SKYWATCH FRIDAY

The backyard of our RV spot while we visit in Oregon.

 

(The front yard is the street with a view of other RVs.  You'll find us around back if you drop by!)

EVENING ON THE LAKE

For WEEKEND REFLECTIONS hosted by James

 

A quiet evening on the Lake is pure gold!

RED SKY AT (EARLY EVENING)

LINKED TO SKYWATCH FRIDAY

Viewing the sky from the Lake dock while tying up the boat after our dinner on the water:

 

   A few minutes (maybe just seconds) earlier:  

 

 Though I know that at least some of the red color of this sunset was because of the smoky conditions in the Valley, I prefer to think of it as magic.

STRIPES

THIS POST IS LINKED TO OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY hosted by Southern Daydreamer.

The striped look was big on the Lake last week. 

 

Reeds, waves, wind, and reflections combined to produce this repeating theme.  All pictures straight out of the camera and all taken on the same day.

SMOKE GOT IN OUR EYES

Linked to the blogging community at OUR WORLD.  Click there and then on the links to share what bloggers from around the globe are seeing these days.

Range fires in Central Oregon created smoky conditions in the Willamette Valley last week.  The fires, East of here, are miles away, but when the wind was blowing this way, we got the smoke.  (And we're definitely not seeing any of the Three Sisters mountains as shown on a clear day earlier this summer.)  Some days last week we could barely see across the Lake at all.  We worried for the people whose homes were closer and happy to read today that the fires are nearly contained.

 

Last week was also quite warm (for Western Oregon) ... kind of summer's last blast.  We were able to take our boat out on the Lake one afternoon when the smoke wasn't too bad. 

A combination of cool weather and being-busy-with-other-stuff has kept it sitting in the dock ever since we've been here. 

It's always pleasant to see the Lake from other angles -- and there's nothing like supper al-fresco on the water.  We tied the boat up to a snag on this quiet channel and reflected on the peaceful view.

 

 

 
 

SKY UPSIDE DOWN

This post is linked to SKYWATCH FRIDAY 

 
 
A little bit of late summer sky.  In an odd twist for skywatching, on this particular September day the view was better looking down than looking up.

RED SKY AT MORNING

FOR SKYWATCH FRIDAY

 

From last week, a beautiful early morning at the Lake.  On this particular day, the sun showed all its glory early and then faded.  

 

Less than an hour later, the red had faded and the sky looked like this.  And it got grayer as the day progressed. 

The old saying goes "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning"...and there weren't many "Lake sailors" out that day.   

So it was a good day to wake up early!

IN GRATITUDE ...

FOR OUR WORLD.  This week we are deeply grateful for having not much news to report!  (And grateful too to the hosts for continuing with the second generation of this meme.  Click and visit!) 

 
August 2011, Fern Ridge Shores, Oregon

Things remain calm and peaceful here at the Lake.  We had a week of "hot" weather.  (Hot for this part of Oregon, where hot means a high of 90, usually mid-80s and cooler in the mornings.)    The mantra that we hear from everyone is "Why would anyone want to live anywhere else?" 

We are not smug about our good fortune.  Just grateful.  Grateful for being here and being able to spend time with family and friends and grateful for the calm. 

And we know that peace and calm are not guaranteed.  A year ago this month we were in North Carolina camping on the beach near Rodanthe.  It was incredibly beautiful and I am sure people who live there were also saying "Why would anyone live anywhere else?"  

 August 2010, Cape Hatteras North Carolina

The  pictures of this beach and the nearby towns and roads that we see on the news today do not look at all like this.   Our hopes are for a full recovery of this beautiful area and all others affected by Hurricane Irene and its aftermath.

 

AFTERNOON VIEW FROM OUR PORCH SWING

FOR SKYIWATCH FRIDAY

Thankful to be where skies are calm and peaceful and temperatures are moderate.

 
Fern Ridge Lake from the RV Park, August 2011

Like all Skywatch participants, I am thankful to Wren, Sylvia, and  Sandy for continuing to host this  meme after the untimely death of fellow host, Klaus.   And like all the other participants, I will remember his work whenever I take part.   

BLACKBERRY BUSHES

 Blackberry picking is an iconic part of late summer in this part of Oregon.  It's going to be REALLY late summer this year.  We need some hot days, because most of the bushes are still in this state:

    

Lovely to look at, not so delightful to hold.  (You really have to watch those thorns.)

And not very many ready to eat.  There are tons of bushes on the border of the  RV Park. This morning I managed to find a scant cupful of ripe berries. 

Just right for breakfast, but I wonder if there will be enough this year for those who still like to make jam and freeze them. 

 

 Unless it warms up pretty soon, this just may be the year of the green blackberry.

 

JEANS ROAD RAMBLE

That's My World

 

The dogwood trees along Jeans Road have been especially beautiful this summer. 

And as a fallen-away, non-practicing gardener, I am grateful for the dedication of these RV-Park neighbors. 

  

For more views of the world as people from all over know it, click the That's My World links.

 And join me in thanking the hosts for bring us this opportunity every week.



 

LAKE VIEW, JULY

LINKED TO RUBY TUESDAY

 

The view from from our "back yard" one day last month.  Until this past weekend, it has been cool and rather overcast -- but Oregonians don't let that bother them -- they are outside playing anyway.  And those of us who are visiting are grateful that we're out of the extreme heat.  (Real Oregonians take the cooler weather for granted!)

BUTTERCUPS ON A BUSH

FOR MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY.

 

 

When we're staying at Fern Ridge Shores, Jeans Road is the "default" daily walk. I never get tired of it. 

Between the wetlands and Lake on one side of the road and more wetlands and a few country homes on the other,  there's something new to see every day.  

One yard has a few of these plants.  I call them buttercup bushes -- I don't know what the real name is. 

They're a little straggly now (they were prettier when we first got here), but I love them because each individual flower looks like a giant buttercup.

 

 

 

JULY MOON

FOR SKYWATCH FRIDAY this moon shot looking across the Lake from where our RV is parked.

 

Here's what the Farmer's Almanac says about the July Full Moon:

"• The Full Buck Moon – July.   July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon."

I saw this sweet little whitetail deer earlier the same day on a walk along Jeans Road.   Too young to be afraid of me.

It's not a buck deer, so there are no velvety antlers.

But isn't it lovely?

THE LAKE IN JULY

  

LINKED TO SKYWATCH FRIDAY.  

 

Our summer roadtrip is over and we are back in the Pacific Northwest.  This is our view of Fern Ridge Lake where we stay when we're visiting family and friends.