A Full-time Life

SIUSLAW BAY DAY-TRIP

 I'm having computer problems, so this will be a post of few words.   Updates (unasked for) caused me to lose all my links and bookmarks.  I wish all these computer people could just leave well-enough-alone!  I have also been unable to leave comments on many blogs  but I think as of this morning I have that one figured out and I will catch up.    Apologies to anyone  who got "test" messages while I was trying. 

 

Here are some pictures from a spur-of-the-moment drive  one day last week.  It was great to get out of town and away from thinking about computer problems.    

 

 

This is Siuslaw Bay on the outskirts of the coastal town of Florence and the iconic art-deco style bridge over the Siuslaw River.  

 

 

Our Florence  is about 60 miles west of us.   We liked this signpost at one of the town's several sweet little pocket parks and we've been in a few of these Florences.  When we were full-time RVers  it was always fun to pass through a town with a familiar name even if it was miles away from home.    Our home town here in Oregon was Springfield and I'm pretty sure every state has one of those.   

 

 

We weren't really planning to visit anybody on this quick trip, but the Martin couple were at home at #5,  so of course we had to pay our respects and stay a while.

 

 

We saw a few of their neighbors too -- it was a busy apartment complex.   

 

 Purple Martins are amusing to watch and I'm thankful for the people who build the nest houses that help them to thrive.

 

Meanwhile back at home, my love affair with Oregon's Spring flowers continues.   Here is a virtual May basket picked from last week's neighborhood walks:  

 

 

Grateful to be here enjoying this colorful month.

 

  

Thank you to the hosts of these sharing opportunities, where I am linking this week:

 

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;   TRAVEL PHOTO SOUVENIRS;  OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; TUESDAY TREASURES;   MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; SIGNS SIGNS;  THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS; and  SATURDAY CRITTERS;

 

SMILES -- REARRANGED

 

Nothing much new under the sun this week.  Or actually under the rain and gray clouds.   Rain is definitely needed, so I'm not feeling sad about it at all.  And besides there are photo-worthy skies in the archives.  Here are a few I re-arranged:

 

 

These six pictures are from four of our favorite states.  Can you guess which?   There's a hint (and an answer) at the end of this post.   

 

 

 

No hint  at the end about the above plant, but information from any experts is always welcome.  It's fascinating that it has green flowers!   There's a whole bed of them in a neighborhood garden I walked past last week.  

 

Random soft color from a neighborhood walk before it started to rain. 

   

When I said nothing much new happened last week, I meant in a blog-worthy way  -- the camera didn't get much of a workout.  But things happened.  We read, we walked, we ordered groceries, we cooked, "we" worked on getting our tiny trailer ready for some future trips ... 

 And, as usual these days, we got a delivery or two. Now honestly, does every photo-blogger have a mental list of  things they wish they'd snapped a picture of?  My long list now includes the new mattress FedEx delivered last week. It arrived  vacuum packed and rolled in a box light enough for the two of us to carry from the porch.  Then we watched it magically inflate to a lovely 14"- thick queen-size as soon as the tight wrapping was removed.  I wish I'd taken a picture of that!  It's kind of amazing -- sure beats the old way when a mattress purchase took two furniture store delivery persons . (Of course this time we had to move the old one ourselves -- that was the harder part.) 

 

 

One of these "wildflowers" is not like the other.  Can you find it?   Oh wow it's another puzzle.  Every open space along the walking path is covered with these little jewels, in about the same proportion seen here.  All so spring-like and pretty.  I refuse to call them weeds.

 

 

 

This collection may help with the sky photo locations.  These animals and birds are from the same four states as in the sky photo  -- re-arranged in the same order.   (* see below link ups)

Thankful this week for the rain (but also kind of glad the sun has peeked through occasionally); for the new mattress that feels almost like it was custom-made for us; and for travel -- both memories and future trips now in the early planning stages. 

 

Linking this week to the following:  Thank you to the hosts.

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;    TRAVEL PHOTO SOUVENIRS;  OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY;   MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS; and  SATURDAY CRITTERS     

 

Top row L-R:   Colorado, Florida, Oregon.   Bottom row:  Oregon, Colorado, Washington.

 

THE COLORS OF APRIL

 It's a  real feast for the eyes around home this month.

 

From the flamboyant ... 

 

to the delicate.

 

 

From the brightest colors, 

 

 

To the  softest pastels

 

 

 

All arrayed under clear blue April skies.   

 It's Springtime in Oregon.

 

We are grateful to have received our second dose of the Covid vaccine last week.  It feels like we are on our way to almost normal.  I am looking forward to a little travel,  but a walk along the river reminds me to be patient.   Good things come to those who wait.

 

 

 

Sometimes it is best just to relax and drift along.  

 

 

 

One more smile for the week -- this picture texted to us from our son who is in Florida right now.  That is their big beautiful dog Max (whom we haven't yet met) meeting a feral parakeet of some kind.      Geoff said the bird flew down and almost landed on the dog's nose.  I am sure the  bird is an escapee, but it  will probably do just fine in that sub-tropical climate.    (I am reminded of the movie and book "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.)  

 

 

LINKING this week to the following sharing opportunities.  Thank you to the hosts.

 

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS;  and SATURDAY CRITTERS 

A COVID-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

The eleventh of April marks an anniversary of sorts for us.  One year ago on this date we arrived at home after an earlier-than-planned trip back to Oregon from Florida.  (Due to Covid, Oregon felt like a safer place to be.)   While Oregon is our home, both officially and in our hearts, we have been fortunate to call the Florida Canal Cottage our snowbird-season home for the past dozen years.  

 

 April 2020

So it's been a long time since we have lived in one place for an entire twelve month period.    A year ago, we arrived home to see Spring flowers we haven't seen blooming for years.     The first picture I took when we arrived  was of the tulip garden under our daughter's and son-in-law's black walnut tree.  We parked our travel trailer on their property, said a quick and masked hello (hard not to hug) and went home to our Oregon apartment to self-isolate for the prescribed two weeks.   

 

May, June, July 

 

Watching the seasons change has been one of the year's simple pleasures.   Because we wouldn't be traveling this year,  it was a good one  for a "tree watch" -- observing the same tree every month (even if the year started in April and ended in March).    It's been interesting to notice seasonal changes in many of the different trees we see on walks and drives, but I chose the Black Walnut both because it was the first picture I took on our return and because it is such a magnificent tree. 

 

August

 

It has been twenty-four years since we've spent a whole year in one place.  Before we bought the Canal Cottage in Florida, we were full-time RV travelers for almost another twelve years.      Here is a link to our page that tells a little about our full-time life.   I just now looked at that page myself for the first time in  years  -- it  needs to be updated.  Our Canal Cottage looks much better in real life now -- we have extensively remodeled and improved it.  And also, for some odd reason, Bill and I look many years younger in the picture on that page.  

 

 

September, October, and early November 

 

We have spent at least part of the Summer/Fall seasons in Oregon during all of those two dozen years.   And before that of course it  is here where we owned our home and raised our family.  (I sometimes refer to those years as our previous life.)      So the walnut tree's Fall changes are more familiar to us.   Not   as dramatic as in some other Autumn foliage here, but obvious .   

 

Late November

 

From late Spring through most of the Fall, we enjoyed socially-distanced family visits under the walnut tree. I didn't take many  pictures during those gatherings.    But our great-grandson gave us this photo op that was way too good to miss.        

 

December  and January

 

Social distancing was more difficult when the weather turned too chilly to sit outside.  And of course it was during these months when we would normally  have left for sunny climates.    Our memories (from that former life, before we retired) were of chilly, rainy, gray days every day all day for months.   But this year we had some blue sky days and most weeks we were able to get outdoors at least once.   (It is possible our memories are faulty -- maybe in our former life we were at work during the pleasant winter days -- maybe it was only on the weekends when it rained all day.) 

 

February 2021

So we made it through the winter.  Although it certainly wasn't as warm and sunny as we'd gotten used to lately,  we knew all the time that we had made the right decision for us when we hurried home in the previous March.

 

March 2021

 

It has truly been a joy to be here for the arrival of Spring  -- we had almost forgotten how lovely the season is here in Oregon.    Though we know challenges remain, we  are  grateful  to have made it through this Covid Year safely and more pleasantly than we had thought possible a year ago.      We continue try to remember to treasure every day of every month --  no matter where we call home. 

 

LINKING this week to the following sharing opportunities with thanks to the hosts:

 

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  and FRIDAY  BLISS;  

A WALK ON THE WILDER SIDE

 

Really not very wild at all, but the path where I took a long walk last week is about as wild as we get these days.  The area around this section of the river  path is a little less-developed than the part closer to our home.    

 

 

I drove about a mile and a half to a parking lot to start this walk .  So  it is really sort of within walking distance, but then I'd be too tired to actually do the nature  part by the time I got there.    Which would definitely spoil the purpose.   

 

 

 

The path goes along the Willamette River and some of the ponds created when old gravel pits were reclaimed by the City.  The river bike/walk path system and the Delta Ponds are definitely two of the best things about Eugene.

 

 

The usual ducks -- and lots of them.  But for some reason they didn't want to swim very close to the people path.

 

Great Blue Heron

 

 

Western Pond Turtles

 

So many turtles!   They were everywhere.  I counted over twenty on one log.  

 

 

American Coot

 

The weather has been lovely.  March went out just the way it came in -- like a lamb.   We are thankful for that!  In the "tamer" neighborhoods around home,  more Spring flowers bloom every day.  We continue to enjoy our first real Spring-like Spring in many years.  (Because we've been in Florida and Florida is different.) 

 

 

Tulip Magnolia

(This one is at our daughter's and son-in-law's home.) 

 

 

LINKING THIS WEEK to the following sharing opportunities:

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; SIGNS SIGNS;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS;  SATURDAY CRITTERS;    and RATHER B' BIRDING

 

OFFICIALLY SPRING

We've been enjoying Spring-like weather for at least a couple of weeks. but the season officially started on March 20.    Here's what the first week of Spring looked like around here:

 

 

In our neighborhood on the paths to the river, trees are beginning to bud out, forsythia and Oregon grape are spots of sunshine, and early rhododendrons are blossoming.   We can pretend this is the first robin of spring -- even though these birds never leave this area, so they really aren't a reliable sign of the season.

 

Common Merganser

 

And on the river on one perfect afternoon last week there was what seemed like a convention of ducks.  I've never seen this many different species in one small part of the Willamette.

 

Lesser Scaup

 

There was a small rapids area and a river island near where they all were -- and honestly it seemed like all the different ducks were floating around in perfect harmony -- just enjoying the beautiful day.  

 

 

There were at least two additional species I didn't get a picture of and the usual Canada geese in there too.  Gotta' love it when everybody can just get along!

On another lovely day we went for one of our favorite kind of  mini-roadtrips:

 

Yup, narrow winding roads are the most fun.  We've been on lots  that were narrower and windier, but whoever it is that decides drivers need constant reminding was vigilant on this one  -- the same sign kept appearing every two miles for about fifteen of them!  

 

You don't have to go too far to get away from the city in this area and there are lots of country roads to explore.  That's something to be grateful for in our opinion.                                                                  

 

 

Daffodils are lasting longer than they do some years since we've had no heavy rains.  I  remember from a long time ago that they sometimes would be  gone before the season really officially began.   I'm glad this is a good year  and I'm grateful for all the signs of Spring.  (Except maybe the pollen.  Achoo.   Our covid masks do double duty on some days.) 

 

Linking to the following sharing opportunities:  Thank you to all of the hosts.

 

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; WILD BIRD Wednesday;   SIGNS SIGNS;  THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS;  SATURDAY CRITTERS;    and RATHER B' BIRDING

PANDEMIC, SEASON 2

A year ago this week I wrote about the first day of Spring and how it was different in Florida.  

 

 

 This is a mixed bouquet of Florida and Oregon Spring flowers.  Mostly Oregon.  I really do miss seeing the usual Spring beauties when we're in subtropical Florida and so this was much the same thing I've mentioned every year since we've spent the season  away from the Pacific Northwest.    I’m grateful to get to see them again.   In that first-of-Spring post last year, I  mentioned worry about Covid but the news still didn't seem quite real.    

 

 

But just a week later, my post talked about how we were going to head home to Oregon immediately, much earlier than we'd planned.   We had begun to understand how serious the threat was and we felt we'd be safer there.  Things moved fast.

 

 

It was a long way back to Oregon, but we were fortunate to be able to travel in the safest way possible.   

 

 

 We both enjoy road-trips so even under less than ideal conditions the first couple of weeks of "Pandemic:  Season One" were interesting and actually kind of fun.   We made the  3100+ mile trip faster than we have ever driven cross-country.  

 

 

We were grateful to be home and safe and we  still feel we  made the right decision.   

 

 

 

But it's  been a year now and Pandemic is getting just a little tiresome.     We hope it gets cancelled for good before this season is over.

 

 

Meanwhile, we are looking forward to enjoying more of our first Oregon Spring in many years.  And to a beautiful Oregon summer  -- a season we have always spent in Oregon.  I hope this one is more like normal summers here (before last year).  

 

 

LINKING TO the following with thanks to the hosts:

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;  TRAVEL PHOTO SOUVENIRS; OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  and FRIDAY  BLISS;  

MARCHING ON

 Not a lot of pictures from last week, but much to be thankful for.  I'm glad for the return to Daylight Savings Time and look forward to late afternoon and evening walking time.

 

 

East Bank Willamette River Walk, March  2021

 

Our weather stays mild with little rain (that may not be entirely a good thing, but it is hard not to appreciate beautiful days).  

 

 

I managed this too-far-away-shot of what I think are Greater Scaup.  I know at least that they are different ducks from the usual Mallards.  So that was definitely a good thing.

 

Neighborhood path to the river

We have stayed pretty close to  home lately because we wanted to be able to jump quickly on any Covid vaccine appointment that came up through the County's  pre-registration list.   We will be able to cancel our names from that long wait-list, because Bill put his talents to work and found us appointments as soon as the vaccine became available to area pharmacies.   One down last week, one more this week and then our two second doses in a couple of weeks.   Closer-to-normal is on the horizon and I am grateful, in so many ways.   

Meanwhile, I am thankful for life-as-usual, which is really not so bad at all, except without travel pictures.

 

There are quite a few ways to walk to the River from where we live.  The last picture above this collage is one of those.  That path  winds through a lovely neighborhood.   The collage is the not-so-lovely view from a different path.  Not so pretty, but   the quickest way to get there.  The highway construction project pictured includes the building of a sound wall.   Whenever I walk this way, I see  birds and wildlife in the weedy area along the bank between the  path and the wall construction.   It's been kind of interesting to watch the   project move along but the better part is always seeing birds.   They don't seem to be bothered by the construction noise.   I'm thankful for that.  And also thankful that our home is not along the path.  I'm sure the people who do live there will be grateful when the wall is completed.

 

Not an alligator

I may have been thinking about Florida as I walked because this fallen log reminded me of a sleeping alligator.   Something we won't ever see here in Oregon.   I don't exactly miss alligators, but I am glad I've had the chance to live where they do.    But for this year during this pandemic -- and for many reasons -- I'm quite happy to be here in alligator-free Oregon.  

 

LINKING this week to the following:   Thank you to the hosts.  

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS;  and SATURDAY CRITTERS;

IN LIKE A LAMB

If it is possible to OD on daffodils I plead guilty.   I stop to admire them and take pictures on every walk.  And on every country drive, in every park and almost in every yard.  

 

 

It's a harmless addiction, unless you count the sudden stops made on those country roads.   And anyway, there's a good excuse because this is the first time in years that we've been in daffodil country in March.   

 

 

 

 

I wouldn't trade the decades of  winters and springs we've spent  in sunny climes  for anything.  But the  beautiful early Spring flowers have been a gift in this year when staying home was our safer and happier option.  

 

 

And the winter weather here in our part of Oregon  has really not been all that hard to take.   Not nearly as rainy and gray as we remember.    March definitely came in like a lamb with a beautiful sunny day  and only a couple of partly rainy days last week.      I've read a lot about places where it came in like a lion and  therefore (hopefully) will go out like a lamb.   But here in the Pacific Northwest, we've always heard the opposite version of that old proverb.   There's actually  a fact-based reason for that.

 

 

Not my picture (I wish it were).    Google  public domain

 

Here is information from CNN Weather:

Some may be familiar with a reverse version of the proverb: "March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion."

This "reverse" of the proverb is hard to trace in its origin, but definitely makes sense if you consider those who traveled westward with the American expansion to Western states.

These western states can have incredible temperature swings this month as the polar jet stream moves from it's preferred position near Canada over the winter to a more southerly route during the spring. This tends to cause many states in the Western US to experience some of their heavier snowfalls from the end of March and into April -- thus the lion (and the harsh weather it represents) coming at the end of the month.

 

 

 

 

I hope the proverb comes true for those who got the lion last week -- and that it doesn't for those of us who got the lamb.  

 

 

 

 

 

Just the usual suspects when it came to birds last week.   I heard and saw a lot more species.  Spring activity is picking up even here in the city, but pictures are hard to get.  I've been trying to remember that just observing birds used to be enough to make me happy.   Now I'm a little disappointed if I don't get a picture.    

 

 

 

 

 

Thankful to  be safe and well and enjoying this seasonal transition.  It is almost a brand-new experience for us after all these years.  

 

 

 

 

And thank you to the hosts of the following sharing opportunities, where I'm linking this week:

 

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS;  SATURDAY CRITTERS; and RATHER B' BIRDING

 

THE GIFT OF FEBRUARY SUNSHINE

The weather forecast for last week called for rain and flooding, but here in our corner of the Willamette Valley we were instead  blessed  with sunshine and blue skies most days  and very little rain.

 

 

 One morning, we went for a ride through the pretty farm country west of town to the small town of Junction City and then on BLM roads through  the surrounding hills down into a coastal valley.

 

 

Bill likes to drive these curvy mountain roads.    We probably drove about 40 miles in this backcountry and in 4 hours did not see a single other car or person.    There are a lot of places like this around our area.  I do think about how easy it would be to be lost and have to admit that I checked  to see if there was cell service.  (There was.  I guess nowadays it wouldn't be as easy.)  

 

 

The drive was really a long-way round to the farm  (otherwise known as our daughter and son-in-law's home.)  We stopped to look at the migrating pelicans on Kirk Pond -- the wild area that is within walkable distance of their house.    Most of them were on the other side of the water, but these three were nice enough to swim closer to the shore.  

 

 

A quick tour around their backyard on this blue-sky late February day.   Spring is on the way (although the groundhog did see his shadow here, so we hedge our bets).  

 

Tree watch, late February

 

 

   Stellar Jay, Scrub Jay, and Common crow.     

 

Three different (noisy) birds all enjoyed the same blue sky in the same winter tree.   

 

 

We brought a few branches of these harbingers of Spring home.   (There are pictures of the pussy willow tree in last week's post -- the tree has branches to spare.)  

 

Sunny February days are a gift here in Oregon.   Thankful for blue sky days and the time to enjoy them.  

 

Linking this week to the following sharing opportunities.  Thank you to the hosts.

 

MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY;  MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  FRIDAY  BLISS; SATURDAY CRITTERS; and RATHER B' BIRDING