A Full-time Life

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).

GOT PUMPKIN?

FOR SIGNS SIGNS.  THANK YOU LESLEY!!

 

Yes we do! 

Happy Halloween!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BIRDS OF THE ALMOST (NO)LAKE

 FGR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY

The water of Fern Ridge Lake (reservoir) is shallow and getting shallower by the day, but there was enough last week for a whole raft of coots to swim past the RV window.  They created so much wake, it looked as if they had little motors.

But at the edges of the Lake, where I took so many pictures of the grebe families earlier, the water is nearly gone.

  

 So it's just about goodbye to the Lake for this season -- the water is leaving and, pretty soon, so are we. 

 

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. 

 

RAINDROPS ON ROSES

FOR MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY

 

 Last month I titled a post "The Last Rose of Summer."  There had already been some grey, chilly days and it seemed certain that a frost wasn't too far off.  But it warmed up -- and September wasn't the end of summer after all, at least for the roses.  

Last week, Cyndi and I took walk through the Owens Rose Garden in Eugene.  While the blooms weren't as profuse as they would have been if we'd made it earlier in the season, there were still plenty of beauties. 

 

Sunshine after a night of rain was a treat for us ... and for the roses!

HAPPY FALL

From a trip to Vermont, quite a few Falls ago. Blogged before, but not for SIGNS SIGNS!

ROSEATE SPOON BILLS

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  Go there for virtual birding at it's finest. 

 

 There's just something magical about a pink bird!

We watched (and fed) birds for years before we sold our home in Springfield, but in the Pacific Northwest you don't see birds like this. 

So when we spotted Roseate Spoonbills on one of our first RV trips south we were enchanted.

We were staying at Port Aransas Texas on that trip -- and it was pre-digital camera.  Those were simpler times.  I was thrilled just to spot birds.  And I do try to remember those times now when I can't get a picture  -- it's still a good thing after all just to spot a bird (almost any bird).

 

On a later trip, thankfully with camera, we saw these lovely pink birds in the bayous of Louisiana (these pictures were all taken there).  Now we see them occasionally in Florida and I still get excited every time we do. Even looking at these pictures makes me happy.  It's magic even if all you really spot is a stretched out pink wing:

  

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.

DR PIERCE'S PLEASANT PELLETS BARN

  LINKED TO SIGNS SIGNS  (thank you to Lesley for having this great idea and hosting) and to a new meme for me BARN CHARM.  (This post just seemed perfect to share with for barn lovers.)

     
 
In the early twentieth century, advertising on barns was a popular way to get your message out in front of the public.  The advertisers usually paid the farmer for the space by providing a coat of paint.  Dubious remedies were pretty popular back then too.

This sign is said to have been painted in 1903.  It stands within the present day city limits of Cottage Grove, Oregon, and is easily visible when driving through the city along Highway 99.  

Sadly, the barn is in serious disrepair and the current owner of the property wants to tear it down in order to make the home and property more saleable.      

The County Historical Society is interested in its preservation but has been unable to negotiate a price.   

Although a group of people are still trying to save it in some way, this icon of another time is slated to be demolished this month. 

  Here is an article about the barn.

EGRETS WE'VE HAD A FEW ... updated October 2011

This is a re-run post FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  A few weeks ago, Springman, our accommodating  host, suggested that we consider re-posting bird pictures from before joining WBW.   This post was originally written in 2008

  When there's a group of birders, the good spotters give directions by saying things like (for instance) "I have an orchard oriole in the tree at about 3 p.m..."  Or "Do you have the blue heron at the edge of the marsh?"   It really helps beginners like me to know where to focus the binoculars (and to learn what it is that we're seeing).  I  don't know why they always say "I have.." instead of "I see..".  I guess because when you spot the bird for the first time, you have added it to your list of birds.

During a winter in Port Aransas Texas, one of the resident experts at Paradise Pond asked me if I had egrets.  I misunderstood her for a minute and ever since then, a certain Frank Sinatra song has run through my head every time I see one of these beautiful birds.  So I thought maybe I'd take the song out of my head and put it in yours.**  (See note below if you need any help.)  

We have actually had quite a few egrets. 

There are cattle egrets in fields along the road in lots of states. (These are the smaller cousins of the family.) When we were in Louisiana, they were in their beautiful breeding plumage.  Louisiana is also where we saw the most Great Egrets that we've ever seen in one place.  This was at Bird Island where the McIlhanely Family pretty much saved the species from extinction. 

   There are even a few of these beautiful birds here on Fern Ridge Lake.  Which is why my head is singing that song again.

   It's harder to get a good picture here, but this is an Oregon egret flying over the marsh at the edge of the Lake.

The ones in Louisiana and Texas posed better for us:

Bird Island

Our RV Park in Fulton TX

 ** "My Way" Lyrics by Paul Anka.

"I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
and more much more than this
I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exception
I planned each chartered course
Each careful step along the byway
And more much more than this
I did it my way."

  

 

 

EAT WITH YOUR EYES!

This post is linked to OUR WORLD.  Click on the links to see what's happening out there!

 

It's a perfect time to visit the Farmer's Market in downtown Eugene.  Summer tomatoes and peppers are still bountiful (for a little while longer) and the colorful and delicious Fall crops are coming on strong. 

 

It's hard to pick and choose -- but easy to eat locally and healthfully.   

 

FLEETING BEAUTY

Linking to MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY and RUBY TUESDAY

Daydreaming on a dreary morning

(or what I took pictures of when there was nothing else to take a picture of).

 
 One turn of the teleidoscope and these jewels are gone forever, never to return in exactly the same configuration....

 

.... or at least that's the way it was before I learned I could capture them with  a camera.  

 

Here is a link to the Wiki article on the teleidoscope. 

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.

THE PATH

First, a quick note to let you know, if you use Blogspot and have your comment box set to "Embedded below post" I am unable to leave a comment on your blog.  Please consider changing to "Pop-up window" under Dashboard-Settings-Comments-Comment Placement Form.  Thanks!

FOR SIGNS SIGNS.  These aren't exactly  signs, but they are pictures of printed words that I really wanted to share!  This is one final post from the Recycling Center -- the stepping stones of this meditative path are  part of the garden.     Listen to Leonard Cohen while you virtually walk the path by clicking on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e39UmEnqY8

 

                                                                                                                                                                       

  

                                                                 

COMMON NIGHTHAWK*

FOR WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY  .  Thanks Springman!!!!

 

 

Taken a couple of years ago on the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon. 

This was really the first bird I ever became aware of besides a robin -- and nobody knew what it was!  In the tiny town in Eastern Washington, where we both grew up, kids could play outside in the evening until curfew (a siren which rang at 9 p.m. sharp every night). My family lived in a post-war housing development and there must have been a hundred kids on our block!  Looking back, it seems like we just ran all over the streets from after-school until curfew (there must have been a break in there sometime for eating dinner!). 

Every spring and summer evening, we kids would see flocks of birds with a white spot on the underside of each wing swooping low over the streets.  The boys pretended to shoot them and the girls wanted to catch one for a pet. (Hey, it was a loooong time ago.)  **

But no grown-up knew the name of the bird -- or cared.

I don't remember seeing the bird after a while -- I suppose more houses took over the feeding fields and they moved on.  Or maybe we just stopped playing outside in the evenings.   But I always wondered what they were (and actually whether the birds just existed in my imagination). 

And then one year, way after I was a grown-up myself, Bill and I were in Eastern Oregon and saw them flying over our campsite.  I was as excited as if I'd spotted an ivory billed woodpecker!    By that time I owned a bird book and my long-standing mystery was solved!   

So although it's a common bird in some places, it is special to me and I was happy to get a picture of it sitting on a fence a few years ago when, once again, we were RVing in Eastern Oregon.

 

** Notes:  I don't have a picture of it in flight, but since that's a big part of my story here I borrowed this one from Google. 

*  The bird is misnamed.  Pioneer settlers mistook it for a hawk, because of its flight pattern, but it is not a member of the hawk family at all.

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!

 

LIONS GUARDING LIONS

FOR MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY

This house is along the country road near the RV Park where we are staying.  The fence made me laugh when we first saw it this summer, because it looked like the lions on the gate were guarding the (dandi)lions inside. The lawn was a little bit neglected, especially for a house with such a fancy gate.

 

 

 

 

SHADOWS FROM SCRAP

This post is linked to SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY hosted by Tracy at Hey Harriet.

 
More wild and wacky sculpture made from recycled materials.

(Recycle through this week's posts to see more.)