Mountain Drive

In the backyard now there are more leaves on the ground than in the trees.  They make a pretty carpet.  Nowadays we aren't responsible for lawn care and in addition we've had mostly dry Fall weather.  Those two things make it easy for us  to admire the beauty without worrying about what needs to be done before the fallen leaves get wet and sloppy.

 

 I've read  that it's better for the environment and the birds to leave the leaves alone or to mulch them  in place.  We didn't know about that back in our former life when we had a yard and gardens.   Unfortunately, if this year is like past Autumns since we've lived in this apartment complex,  the lawn maintenance crew here doesn't know it yet.  And worse they will use noisy leaf-blowers.    At least, the City of Eugene will pick up the bagged leaves and make them into mulch available to the gardening public.  So there's that good thing.

Last week we took a mountain drive up the Old McKenzie Pass. It's a good day-trip  this time of year for the Autumn color and because Winter snow will close it.   

 

Bill loves driving curvy mountain roads.  I like riding along.   This is a good paved highway, but there are sharp curves and I wouldn't want to pull our trailer on it.   Years ago, when driving this road, we were stuck a traffic jam because a truck driver had jackknifed his long flatbed tractor/trailer rig on a curve.  We were coming down the hill, and had a few cars behind us.  We decided not to try backing up the hill to find a place to turn around, and instead  to wait for the totally blocked road to be cleared. It took quite a while, involving large recovery trucks being summoned from towns both above and below the accident.  I think a tree or two had to be removed before the problem was solved.  The truck driver had  passed flashing lights and signs warning that his 50 foot plus length was not allowed!

Whether you love navigating curves or not, there are beautiful mountain views as payback for the effort:

 

Three Sisters Mountain

Besides mountain viewing and leaf-peeping, we wanted to see how much damage there was in these hills from the summer wildfires.   It  wasn't quite as bad a fire season this past summer,  but still thousands of acres of forest land were burned and there were some evacuations in mountain communities and campgrounds.   Annual wildfires are a frightening fact of life now.  

 

 

Some ghost forests (dry burned trees) and blackened trunks along the McKenzie Pass.  

Back at home this past week, we've had some rain but interspersed with beautiful blue sky days that make it easier to appreciate the rainy ones.  Later in the season, when it starts to rain and drizzle day after day and the sky stays gray, that's when I have to remind myself often that we need the rain.  

 

 

Grateful for beautiful blue sky October days, but still hopeful for a good rainy season here because that means needed snow in the mountains east of us.   

 

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

MOSAIC MONDAY;   NATURE NOTES; SIGNS SIGNS;  THROUGH MY LENS; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  and SKYWATCH FRIDAY;    

Comments

[Michelle Keltner]

Beautiful photos! Fall is my favorite :) Thanks for linking up.

[DeniseinVA]

More amazing sights Sallie! Thank you for sharing them. The three Sisters Mountain is an amazing sight. I am always drawn to mountains. Winding roads can be fun. Glad you don’t have to rake all those leaves. Seeing them on the grass in all their golds and reds around here make for a pretty sight. Enjoy the week ahead.

[Jm, Illinois, U.S.A.]

Views in Colorado are spectacular. Happy Halloween!

[a spirit of simplicity]

Wow! What an absolutely beautiful place. I think back in the day, before we thought to leave the leaves in place for wild life, we hadn't built up so much so there were more places for the wild life to find food. Now it seems there are no more wild spaces. Everywhere is a building or a development of some kind.

[Jocelyn]

Amazing.

[Breathtaking]

Hello Sallie :=)
Dear Sallie :=)
Beautiful collages of the Autumn coloured trees, and snow capped mountains. I have also learnt that leaving the leaves on the ground where insects and other small creatures can hide is better than raking them, but it's still pouring down with rain here, and the leaves are sopping wet, and worse than that they are slippy. Yesterday they were all raked and loaded onto the truck, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I don't want to fall again, as I have done before. They are a pretty sight however when dry. It was a shame that your journey was interrupted because of the negligence of the truck driver, but as you say philosophically the lovely views compensated for the delay.

If it were at all possible Sallie I would also love to share a meal with you on my balcony in good weather.It would be fun and the birds would put on a good show.
All the best.
Sonjia.

[Jim, Sydney, Australia]

Beautiful.

[Carol]

Your photo of 3 Sister Mountains is gorgeous!

[Peter B.]

Gorgeous photo of Three Sisters. Love the fall colors! I remember the days when truck drivers were hands down the best and safest drivers on the road. Sadly, I don't think that's the case anymore.

[Johns_Island]

Hi Sallie,

What an interesting post with lots of neat photos! Love your collages and the Three Sisters Mountain … wow! Excellent!
Your decision to wait for the road to be cleared, despite the inconvenience, was a wise one. It's a testament to the patience and understanding required when encountering unexpected obstacles on the road. The involvement of recovery trucks and the removal of trees to resolve the situation highlights the complexities of dealing with such incidents.

It's fascinating how our awareness of environmental practices evolves over time. The idea of leaving leaves alone or mulching them in place for the benefit of both the environment and local wildlife is indeed a more sustainable approach.

Thank you for stopping by John’s Island and your kind comment. Sure good to hear from you. Best regards to you from Seattle.

John

[tomthebackroadstraveller]

...we were in the mountain last week and saw many of those winding road signs!

[Yogi]

I miss drives in the mountains just to see what one can see.

I quit raking leaves a long time ago. I mow them if they get too bad.

[::: Heidrun]

Yes .... I love shuffeling through the leaves on the ground, like a child. Even though I'm 66 years old :)))) It's funny.

What a lovely side of autumn here in your Post, dear Sallie. I enjoyed reading and thank you for sharing at
MosaicMonday

Hugs by Heidrun

[D. Nambiar]

October days are pretty days!

It's nice to know that those leaves are better left where they are. Another great sight of the season (of course until the showers come :D). It was also nice to know that Eugene makes good used of the collected leaves.

The summer n' fall wildfires have really been a whole lot better this year. Fingers crossed!

[magiceye]

Beautiful captures!

[Linda W]

Stunning view of Three Sisters Mountain. I’ve been stuck behind a truck blocking the road near the Blue Ridge Parkway, and yes, there are plenty of warning signs. Here there are several places where the signs warn against long trucks, and they also say GPS routing not advised.

[A ShutterBug Explores]

Wow! Beautiful autumn photos ~ glad you get to sit back and enjoy the view ~ Great to hear from you again ~

Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

[Villroses hage]

Beautiful mountains! Frightening wildfires.

[Mae]

what a beautiful place!

[Gattina]

Our trees are still green ! Only one is stripteasing, but there are no leaves on the grass. Rick to loved curves and there were streets in the mountains around the Garda lake just for one car.
So you had to horn at each curve because you couldn't see if there was a car coming. Curiously they drive like crazy but is amongst the country with the less accidents !! On the 15 I will live in my new home ! It's time, I don't like it here anymore and when we moved in I loved it !

[Lorrie Orr]

Driving in the mountains in autumn is so scenic. I love the early snow on the mountains; it looks so fresh and clean.

[Life Images by Jill, West Australia]

Looks like a beautiful mountain drive - so much better than raking leaves. Enjoy your week. I am joining you at Mosaic Monday

[Sharon]

Beautiful picture of the Sisters. So far, October has been great. Glad you were able to capture some of that beauty for us to view!

[Michelle Banks]

Sallie..we try to leave some leaves but we have too many and no place to put them. We do put them in the garden beds and under the trees and shrubs but we rake never leaf blow...Michelle

[ellen b.]

It's nice to be able to take a drive on those winding roads when you aren't in any hurry. We have snow in the forecast this week! Happy new week to you.

[Eileen]

Hello,
I heard it is good to keep piles of the leaves for the critters.
Beautiful scenic views, I love seeing the snowcapped mountains and the colorful trees. Take care, have a wonderful week!