Pisti's favorite photos

(please view large for the pretty details!) Hello everyone! I'm so sorry to be out of touch--we've had literally weeks and weeks of zero internet on this second part of our trip! In fact, we had to drive our truck for miles just to get a signal. Finally we're back to better data connections and since today's Friday, I thought the picture I took a couple of days ago would be perfect! :D One of our favorite parks, LL Stub Stewart, has a maze of wonderful trails and this one, the "Timber Beast Trail" wanders through forest and then down through a steep ravine, where it crosses over this marvelous little bridge before ending at the area's famous and popular rails-to-trails Banks-Vernonia bikeway. (Looks like my phone geo-tagged this image so you can see by clicking on the map link to the right "Location: View on map) exactly where I took this shot! You'll also be able to see all of the wonderful trails we get to explore on foot or bike! :D) I hope everyone is doing well! I'm sorry to hear that Delta has returned us all to quarantines and wearing masks...once again, the United States is leading the way to stupid behavior and outrageous infection numbers. Ugh. Have a wonderful weekend! I'm hoping to visit some photo streams if I can! Explored on 8/28/21; highest placement #1.

(+many insets!) Steve and I weren't looking forward to it but the morning finally came after ten glorious days at LaPine when we packed up and moved on. I soaked up every sight and sound on my walk that morning, oh, how I love that beautiful park! We couldn't go directly to our final campground and instead drove less than two hours south to the privately owned Crater Lake Resort. What a pleasant surprise! It was very spacious for a owner-run park and the park was filled with trees--not at all like the usual parking lot that we usually see at these places. But it gets even better! Right on the Rogue River Trail! There is a connecting trail from the park that leads to the Rogue River Trail, which is a 37.5-mile trek which is very popular with backpackers and hikers alike. Steve and I have been on sections of this trail through the years and it's a total winner, so I was totally delighted to discover that our campground was virtually right on top of it! (By the way, I found a really neat pdf that shows the trail and all the highlights along the way. I also found a page that talks about the trail and has some nice pictures as well.) The afternoon we arrived, Steve and I enjoyed an hour's walk along the river and though we were sad that we were only able to stay here for a single night here, we were really happy we got to walk along the Rogue on a travel day! Before we left the next morning, I spent a lovely hour speeding at a fast clip along the trail so I could see more than I did the afternoon before. I had time for a few pictures too and have included the ones I processed as insets. Wonderful Joseph Stewart State Park The distance from Crater Lake RV Resort and Joseph Stewart is literally twenty minutes so we were parked and set up in no time! This park holds a warm place in our hearts. Located a mere 45 minutes from our home, it's the second place we went to when we first started our RV adventures back in 2019! We've been all over Oregon since, and to Canada's Vancouver Island too! When we got our current trailer (our second), we took it to Joseph Stewart for a 3-day stay to test out our new rig in a campground setting. In both cases we'd only gotten to stay for two or three days so having five nights/six days was a real treat. All of the campground loops are huge and spacious and there are enormous meadows everywhere, dotted with conifers and maple trees. We love the wonderful bike path which goes around a deep forest loop and--if you've got the energy for the return trip--down a long, lovely path to the boat launch and day-use picnic ground. There is a marvelous trail that overlooks Lost Creek Lake too, and strolling around the campground loops is fun as well. It's just a super place! The bummer was that on the day we arrived, a heat wave descended on the west coast. The temperature soared to well over 100 degrees and we were stuck inside during the day where we could keep cool. I got my morning bike ride and walk in as early as possible and still, by 8:30am it was already heading to 80 degrees! UGH! Today's Picture My main picture today shows the gorgeous, huge meadow next to the bike path with a lovely group of oak and maple trees that tower above. Today's Insets I'm sharing a pair from my walk on the Rogue River Trail that include one from the trail and a pair of images of some of the pretty foliage I found. From Joseph Stewart I'm sharing a very wide pano of the lake and some of the beautiful things I saw on my walks! I hope everyone is doing ok! It's very smoky here from wildfires in the area and hot too. Ugh! But we're off on our trip very soon now, just buttoning up last things and getting our live-in buddy moved back in again while we're away! Explored on 7/13/21; highest placement #8.

(+4 insets) No Internet For Weeks But We're Doing Great! Steve and I have been having a lovely trip! So many adventures!! However, our connection to the internet has been on and off so I haven't been able to keep my posting up. And of course, sometimes we've had a connection and I just haven't been in the right state of mind to put up pictures and trip notes. However, for the past couple of weeks we've been in an actual canyon with zero phone or internet service--the only way to get data is to drive miles out to the canyon's edge! We finally left that black hole of connectivity a few days ago and are at one of our favorite campsites, Lapine State Park! After my last post showing the awesome Harris Beach State Park, we travelled north to Beverly Beach, a place we'd never visit before. WHAT AN EDEN! So GREEN! So VERDANT! So GLOWING! A totally magical place that we absolutely adored. I lost my mind taking pictures--what a spectacular place for normal, vista, panorama and macro photography! I've only processed a tiny fraction of the billions of winner shots I managed to capture, but here are a few to give you an idea of this marvelous Oregon coast gem. Today's Pictures My main picture today shows Spencer Creek in dappled light. This creek meanders through the campground and eventually empties out into the ocean. There is a truly magical footpath just five minutes from our RV that skirts one edge of the creek, crosses a wonderful little bridge and then leads back down along the creek nearly to the ocean. This trail is so green and beautiful that you cannot help but ooh and ahh in amazement! Dotted with wildflowers and edged with countless ferns, horsetails and skunk cabbage, looking up further dazzles with the glowing green coins of translucent leaves from the canopy above. This path leads out to a road near the beach and a few minutes' walk will have you walking under the Highway 101 bridge and staring at the ocean beyond. Then, after a jaunt around the edge of one of the park's many loops, the other side of the park's nature loop trail pulls you back into the deep shade of the conifer forest, your footsteps silent on the thick bed of pine needles which carpet the trail. The path leads past a brilliant opening to the park's lovely green bog, a spot I stopped to appreciate every day of our stay. Finally, the path leads out to a park loop and then tucks back onto a path that leads back to the Spencer Creek trail. What a loop. What a place! My heart is all a-flutter when I think about beautiful Beverly Beach State Park! Today's Inset Pictures Inset one shows the coast looking north from Beverly Beach. We had a lot of wind, rain, and unfortunate weather while we were there, so cold I couldn't bear the chill on the beach. But one day the weather was simply fabulous and I got some really wonderful pictures, including this one! Inset two is a view of the Highway 101 bridge from the beach--I just loved the shape of it! The black and white format suited the mist-filled, cloudy day. Inset three shows the dazzling green of the bog which I couldn't get enough of! Inset four is just one example of the amazing trees found at Beverly Beach. This one is growing out of a stump, its roots stretching down to the ground. Eventually the stump rots away, leaving the roots which look just like a natural cage! Incredible! I hope everyone is doing well! We are fully vaccinated now and couldn't be happier! By the way, I did want to send my good vibes to someone who isn't so fortunate--one of our community, Andy Rodker, has been fighting a dire battle against Covid since April and I am hoping every day that he gets better. You can read more and contribute to our photo group here: Pictures for Andy Explored on 6/13/21; highest placement #4.

(+5 Insets!) (Sorry this is really long...scroll down to "Today's Picture" for info about my presentation today) What a Difference a Year Makes Last year we'd just started to seriously plan our upcoming RV trip when Covid hit. We would eventually leave three months later and had a fabulous season of adventures. This year we didn't have to wait! A couple of months ago the state park reservation system changed to allow bookings six months ahead and we jumped on the opportunity. It took hours that day but we locked in nearly 3.5 months of our season! From then on, we slowly prepared and began packing a few things. Steve worked on upgrade projects as weather permitted--it gets very cold here in the winter and our shop isn't heated so he worked on days that were warmer. Steve kept last year's preparations in mind and this year he didn't hurt himself just as we were about to leave. Both of us were very careful because we learned what a total bummer it was to be trailer-ridden and unable to hike, cycle or enjoy the beautiful setting we were in. We Could Hardly Wait to Leave on our Adventure As April rounded the corner, we got increasingly excited because our first reservation would be on April 6 at a hugely popular campground we never thought we'd get into--Harris Beach State Park. Amazingly, we got a full two weeks at a perfect site for our large rig! Steve and I worked very hard all the way until the very moment we left and then it was showtime! Our live-in house guest arrived--just as excited to move in as we were to move out! He loves staying at our place and we don't blame him--the outdoor activities and beauty of this area are so nice. But traveling around in a "home on wheels" is even better! :D Topping this with a win-win situation is so perfect, isn't it?! Off and Away! I walked down to the gate, opened it up and waited for Steve to make his way through. As our rig passed by, I couldn't help but watch and think of the past fun we'd had in the last couple of years. This season we were set up for almost six months of camping, YIPPEE!! NO MORE WAITING! It was time to GO!!! I pulled the gate shut, locked it and trotted across the road to hop into our fabulous truck. Steve and I shared a face-to-face grin and high-fived. LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!! What a Wonderful Drive Driving out to the Oregon coast, we took a route that many RV and trailer owners have openly worried about online. The two-way road gets very narrow in places and at a few points there are some very tight curves combined with rocky walls which encroach on the road. To make matters even worse, there were areas where trees used to lean over the road with branches that hung low enough to be a real concern. We were happy to learn that the trees were gone and it turned out that we had no problems with the curves or the rock walls, though we did go cautiously through those spots. We enjoyed a beautiful three hour drive through redwoods, past verdant meadows and farmland, and finally we reached the gorgeous coast! All the while Steve and I chatted about our trip and Pumpkin supervised from her Lucite travel cage braced between my knees. Munching on her food and whistling joyfully, she couldn't be happier either----she adores travelling and camping too! Once we arrived at the campground, Steve had no problems backing into our site. We'd learned to make sure the sites we reserved would be easy to get into--we've had our share of stressful parking memories! Upon parking, we hopped out of our truck to congratulate each other with a big hug. Our happy Cheshire Cat smiles couldn't be bigger! Our very first site was HARRIS BEACH!!! YAHOO!!! What a way to start our 2021 camping trip! Today's Picture We arrived and set up early enough that we could walk a quick 5-minutes out to one of the nearby vistas to take sunset pictures! Can you say "drop-dead gorgeous"? WOWZERS!! You can see a silhouette of Goat Island offshore--it happens to be Oregon's largest island, though a mere 21 acres. It's been a National Wildlife Refuge since 1936 and is one of the largest nesting sites in the state, home to 11 species and over 100,000 seabirds during breeding season! Today's Insets Looking south is rugged coastline including tide pools and lots of driftwood. I couldn't stop appreciating the huge boulders around us and then Steve pointed out a plane above us complete with jet trails! I also got a picture of the evening's warm sunlight showing of the side of a pair of large boulders beyond which one can see both a small butte and a sliver of beach with drift wood at the top of the beach. The second row of pictures show a panorama I took the next morning from the shore of North Harris Beach. Finally, the butte shown in my third inset has a trail that emerges out to a jaw-dropping view... my last panorama is a view up the coast from Harris Butte. :) I hope everyone is doing well! Steve and I got our first vaccine shot yesterday, hooray!! Explored on 4/17/21; highest placement #2.

(+7 insets) Learning a Lesson About Popular Destinations During Covid Steve and I figured tourist spots had plenty of visitors but we weren't prepared for the zoo of crazy idiots out there at Heceta Head Lighthouse. However, in the end it turned out fine. I got a real eye-opener for what Steve went through every time he did our errands and shopping and we got the reward of seeing this cool lighthouse and awesome coastline. We even got to see colonies of cormorants and common murres hanging out on their huge rock! Today's Picture As we drove away from the "plague zone", we made sure to pull off at the lookout which showed the lighthouse and guesthouse seated in their beautiful settings nestled along the magnificent coastline. Looking north showed the view I shared a couple of days ago, and looking south is the view I'm showing today. What a jaw-dropping scene! There's even a peek at a little lake just inland from the coast, which has a loop hike for those who are interested. Us? We were ready to get back to our home on wheels, though we did stop at the grocery store on the way back. (I decided to go into the store to see what that was like …not recommended! Scary people being rude and stupid! :D However, I wanted to know what Steve went through and came out of the store with even more respect for what he does for us every time we need supplies.) Today's Insets The first picture is another view north that shows the lighthouse and guesthouse off in the distance but this shot shows a secluded beach without anyone on it. I thought that was interesting because the beach closer to the lighthouse is just around the next outcropping and there were people everywhere! Goes to show--no matter how crowded an area may be, if you add any challenge, only the most resolute will go. In this case it was zero! The next three insets show the guesthouse, which was originally one of a pair of lighthouse keeper's quarters. Built in 1900 to house the lightkeepers, the second house was razed in the '30's when only one keeper was needed. The last keeper moved away in 1963 when the lighthouse became automated, and from 1973-95, the house became a satellite campus for nearby Lane College. The U.S. Forestry Service then decided to turn the house into a bed-and-breakfast as a way to incorporate tourism and also generate funds for the ongoing upkeep of this historical landmark. I'm also including another picture of the beautiful forested road up to the lighthouse and its pretty fencing There's an image of the pair of giant rocks jutting from the sea, and isn't it interesting that one rock was packed with birds and the other was not? Finally, while snapping away with my Sony, zoomed in as close as I could, I managed to get a fun picture of a Common Murre flying in with a fish for its hungry family! I'd like to apologize that I've fallen behind in my commenting--projects abound as we get closer to leaving on our next trip! However, I really appreciated every one of your comments and favorites! I hope all is well with everyone. Spring is showing its face around here with greenery popping up everywhere and the season's first blossoms! Please stay safe, dry and warm! Explored on 3/8/21; highest placement #2.

(+8 insets!) From William Tugman State Park to Heceta Head RV Park We'd planned to stay at William Tugman State Park for a full 14 days if it was possible, but unfortunately, we had to leave and come back after four days. Steve's sister would be staying at Tugman the next week so we needed to find a place to stay for a couple of days. Though we looked high and low for reservations at nearby state parks, nothing was available so we gritted our teeth and booked two days at the Heceta RV Park. It was reasonable enough but private campgrounds are almost always glorified parking lots that make visitors feel like a sardine in a can. Windy, foggy and cold, the trees would whip back and forth each morning when I looked out, condensation on the branches dropping noisily onto the roof of our RV. My frigid walks were only around the packed grounds and though I did see some nice flowers in planters, I couldn't bring myself to take any pictures there. Happily, the sun came out by late morning and one day we decided to go for a drive and visit a famous lighthouse in the area. However, upon pulling into the packed parking lot we realized it may have been a mistake to visit a popular landmark… Heceta Head Lighthouse and Horrible People Even though it was July, I hadn't been around people since Covid hit--Steve had made all of the shopping trips since the virus changed everything. Climbing out of the truck and donning my mask, I was about to be in for a total shock. There was a lovely winding road that led up through coastal forest, past a historic guest house and out to the light house. This turned out to be a popular walk--too popular. Whenever we encountered people--which was often--we slipped on our masks, but to our amazement, most didn't wear them and stated their opinion by staring rudely as if we were space aliens. People often didn't observe distancing and dropped snarky comments in reply to Steve's remarks about reasonable precautions. I couldn't believe it! Steve had told me about the many situations he'd had in stores but to find the same thing out here…I was stunned! The lighthouse was really cool, and so was the guesthouse. I really enjoyed seeing flocks of cormorants and common murres covering one of the prominent rocks that rose out of the sea next to the lighthouse, and the views up and down the coast were breathtaking. Before leaving, we walked out to take a look at the beach below the lighthouse which was another pretty sight. However, by the time we got back to the truck I was totally fried by the experience of callous, unprotected people and fairly dove into the protective safety of the car. I was amazed that Steve had to deal with this every time he went out. I mean, it was one thing to imagine it. But being immersed was totally different and I sat there as we drove away, trying to get a grip on myself again. Part of me felt like such a baby because I was so freaked-out by this but on the other hand, it was the first time since Covid hit that I'd been around any strangers. I had a right to be jittery. But as I sat thinking, all of it made me feeling very reflective and uncomfortable about the average American and how they seemed to view the virus. Were most people truly that stupid? Before we left the area, we pulled over to take pictures of the lighthouse and guesthouse from afar, with the jutting coastline and beautiful beach. What a view!! Today's Pictures My main picture was the iconic view from the pullout--what a pretty sight that was! I'm also including a view of the forest on the walk up the road and another one showing the lighthouse. I have a picture that shows the beach below the lighthouse--both from the road and the beach itself. There's also an image of the bird-covered rock and a couple of close-ups to see the colonies of birds and finally, a funny-looking cormorant as it was landing. (I'm also including another trip map so you can see where we were on our trip.) I'll have one more set of pictures to share of this place, since there were just too many to share in one presentation! I hope everyone is having--or had--a very nice weekend! Stay safe and here's hoping you get your vaccine soon! Explored on 3/6/21; highest placement #2.

(+5 insets!) Today's Quick Post There were so many beautiful plants to photograph on my daily walk around the edge of Eel Lake. Of course, it was impossible to resist taking more pictures of one of my favorite subjects--ferns! In fact, as I usually do, I got too many winner shots because ferns are such divas! Today I'm sharing some of the beautiful ferns and also some more pretty leaves I found too. Enjoy! Explored on 2/18/21; highest placement #1.

It's not cold enough for icicles today but still very chilly and rainy. Perhaps the weather is reflecting the view of the ugliness of our soon-to-be-evicted-six-year-old-spoiled-president-who-should-have-never-been. Cannot even BELIEVE the outrages and horrors of the past couple of days. It's just shocking that there are actually millions upon millions who think that fool should be in charge. I loathe politics with a passion...it's no wonder why. Originally posted on 11/20/2011 Who can resist the beauty of an icicle?!

With a heavy heart, I dedicate this dew-drizzled rose to Bobbie Blair, a beloved friend of Steve and mine. Before me, Steve met and married Dina Blair, a dynamic, whip-smart lady who captured his heart. Not long after, Steve would meet her parents and there a dear and affectionate bond would be forged between Bobbie and Steve. Though Dina and Steve's union wasn't forever, the connection between Steve and Bobbie was rock-solid and their mother-son-close friendship lasted through the years without pause. For me, I loved to see this relationship from my vantage point. Just like family, these two exchanged regular calls and Bobbie sent cards and welcomed me to cuddle under her wing as well. How fun it was to hear Steve chattering on about the latest, his laughter filling the house, the joy of having a surrogate mom to share time with. Hospice is a word that fills me with sadness in its unspoken finality. But, it is a comfort to know that Bobbie is with her loving husband and surrounded by adoring family and friends. Bobbie will be missed by all of us. I grieve for Bobbie and her family. I grieve for my husband, whose heart is breaking. I grieve for this sweet lady, who I never met in person, but whose sweetness touched my life nonetheless. Our tears fall. Explored on 12/05/20; highest placement #1.