Our 2019 Adventures

Howdy Y'all We're still here.   We had 3 great days at work this past week and are now enjoying our days off.   Nothing new to share with you guys except some new pics around camp and beyond.   Enjoy!!!! One morning we had a visit from Bambi: These are all the Umpqua Lighthouse & Museum Volunteers on our last social gathering for Italian food a few days ago.   A great bunch of new friends: These are shots of the Umpqua Lighthouse at night.  This is what the lens looks like.  As beautiful as these are, unfortunately we feel it is not doing it justice: In the last two pics above, notice the lights reflected on the trees.  The beams of light emanating from lighthouse, can be seen 21 miles out to sea. Yesterday pictures from the beach: Till next time.....

Thursday was a quiet day (sort of).    In the afternoon, we experienced our first  Chain Saw Competition .    An annual event in Reedsport, OR and their 19th.    Competitors came from as far as Japan (3 of them) and one from Argentina.    About 40 competitors in all.    Unreal watching these guys with chain saws carving 300-500 lbs & more of a tree trunk into beautiful works of art. Yesterday was another birding day.  Unfortunately, it was not a very successful one. Previous birding was done in Bandon, OR.  A small fishing village about 40-45 miles south of our current location.  Yesterday we went north on the Scenic Coastal Highway or US 101.  Visited another small village called Yachats.  En- route we saw Heceta Lighthouse & State Park.  Incidentally, it is our sister lighthouse.  Identically built but different lens (no red lens) and no longer allows visitors to enter it.  Also visited Cape Perpetua and its State Park.  

Yesterday we got together with new colleagues & volunteers Marty & Pat.   We went birding in Bandon, a coastal town where they had prev Yesterday we got together with new colleagues & volunteers Marty & Pat.   We went birding in Bandon, a coastal town where they had previously volunteered for US Fish & Wildlife.    It was a rainy dreary morning but what a treat it turned out to be.  The views of the Pacific Ocean were unreal.  The number of aquatic and shore bird species was unbelievable.  To add to the experience, Marty & Pat also own a spotting telescope.  This made viewing birds and other wildlife a real treat.  We had binoculars but due to the distances, much of the details were lost.  Using this spotting scope made all the wonderful features visible.  We suddenly wished we had one of these new toys with a camera adaptor.  Instead we will provide hyperlinks to those species seen on this outing: Tufted Puffins , Black Oyster Catcher , Common Murre

Hi again Yesterday we biked for the first time.   We left from "home" and rode down big hill.   Probably a 7% grade or higher.   Needless to say, it was great fun for one of us.   The downhill ends on the "Bar"; confluence of the Umpqua River and the Pacific Ocean.   We rode east into town.   Perhaps "town" is not quite right. Town has a few restaurants and bars, fish markets and shops, as well as a post office.     It also consists of 2 county RV parks; an RV Resort (really nice) and a very large marina with numerous RV parking spots.   These are simply parking spots with no amenities.   Public bathrooms and showers are available.   Right now this parking lot had very few RVs staying but we're told that in mid-season and when school is done for the summer, people fight for these spots. We continued riding through all of the above and found the new US Coast Guard Station.   They moved to this location in Salmon Ha

So great being off.   Today was another fantastic day weather wise.   Sunny (not a cloud in the sky), light winds and 62F for the high.   I can get used to this really fast. I washed the RV today.   All the bugs and road grime was still on it and the front dome looked awful.   After some heavy elbow grease, not just the dome but the entire rig looks great if I may say so myself. After lunch, we took a little drive to see the beach up close and personal.   Between us, where we're parked and the water, you have The Oregon Dunes National Park.   The Dunes extend for about 50 miles up and down the coast.   Rvers from all over the country are here; many with "toy hauler" RVs, carrying their toys and Dune Buggies / ATVs.   Watching them, we wonder how they are not killing themselves on those things.   We hear the sirens often responding to some type of incident in the Park.   Farther West, you have a park road and a couple of State and County campgrounds for these fan