Madras Railroad trestle at sunset

I love the sunsets we have in Central Oregon. I love the thunderstorms and when you get both it is amazing. The railroad changed central Oregon and if you ever get the chance you should read the book "Oregon's railroad wars". It is really interesting book.

I collect books on Oregon so if you know a good one please let me know. I love Oregon history. I always hated history until in 8th grade we had to take Oregon history and I have been hooked every since. I even love the Oregon trail history.

We live in the best state in the nation in so many ways. We have every type of landscape anyone could want and the majority of the people are still caring honest hard working people.

Post some photos of areas you love in Oregon

Longhorn in Oregon

I about ran off the road the first time I saw this big boy standing there in the field by the highway. I think he is about the prettiest thing and so impressive. This picture just does not show how big those horns are.

 Now this photo gives you an idea of just how big those horns of his are.  It is just amazing.

I love the back roads of Oregon. You never know what you will find. I drive this road at least once a week usually and I saw him once and could not get stopped due to traffic and I looked for him for over a month before he was out there again.  Makes me wonder how long he has been there and I just never noticed. There are several cows with horns there but none like his.

Now I see these cows all the time and have even posted some photos of them feeding their calves but this is only the second time I have seen him. Maybe he hangs out in the back in the trees, I know the cows are back there a lot.

Slow down and see what you find in Oregon.  Not all of our treasures are in the tourist spots.

Wild Horse Race

The wild horse race is one wild rodeo event. So many injuries occur, last one I went to one of the guys ended up losing his leg over an injury. It takes a tough person to wild horse race but if you love it they do it for a lot of years. I know guys in their 60's still in there. They don't do the riding anymore, they anchor or mug but they are in there trying.

At the Warm Springs Reservation rodeo the wild horse races are really fun as they have a peewee division where the under 12 ride colts.

Rodeo is a tough sport but when you love it.  They also have a division for the 12 through 18.

These kids never give up, the mud today was a good 8" deep but that did not even slow them down, they lost their boots, ripped right out of them because they were stuck and the horse took off and they refused to let go of the horse.

Most of these kids were kids I hauled on my school bus. They are the neatest most thoughtful kids and made my job such a delight. Kids that live in rural areas I think look at life a little different then city kids. I remember once a city friend of ours was telling us how farm life would be so boring until they came to live with us for 3 months during a bad time. He decided the first week you have to be tough to be a farm kid and it is more dangerous then the streets.

If you want to see more of the rodeo photos you can go to:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Photos-by-Linda/289741514452155

What a great weekend, I was proud of my kids and proud of my friends and so thankful no one got hurt bad.

Water attracts birds

We put in a pond in our back yard and it attracts birds everyday. It is so nice to set and watch them come in for drinks. We have some trees around the pond and they set in the trees and sing away.

We have a chain link fence around the yard but the skunks, raccoon, squirrels, rats and everything else manage to get through once in a while to the water. About the time we get one hole they dug under the fence they dig another and the hotter it gets the more animals come.

Right now it is so full of polliwogs you can't even dip a leaf out without getting a polliwog.

Today it is pouring down rain. We usually only get thunderstorms during the summer but this year it is rain like the coast a continuous rain and dreary cloud cover where you can't see anything.

I hope everyone has a good day.

A simple day

In Oregon even a simple day of driving to town can bring joy. I love the sunrise. It is scenes like this that make having a job outside or early morning is so wonderful. To me farming or ranching is the best life in the world. It is a lot of work but you don't need incentive's to keep you loyal to a job. You do the job when you are sick, tired, sore because you love it. Your feeling of being with nature is wonderful.

You can see the farmers pickup sitting there as he gets ready to change his irrigation lines early in the morning.

The bottom ones brings out in me the love of a mother. I took this one just a few minutes after the sunrise one of the cows feeding and caring for their babies in the early morning light. The little one is stretching his neck up for mom to get under his chin.  There is only one love as great as a moms for her off spring and that is Gods love for us and both are in this photo.

Three Sisters Mountains at dawn

Here are three good reasons of why I love Central Oregon. The Three Sisters mountains. I rode my horse up to Green Lakes which is right at the glacier level and you can't usually get in there until July or August. We went in July and still had to cross 2 sections of snow. Green Lakes in right in the hole between the three mountains and is a beautiful hike for anyone wanting to hike. It is a well marked heavy traveled trail that follows Fall Creek all the way in. I am sure it is named Fall Creek because there is just one waterfall after another. I wish I could find my photos to put on here. Maybe some day I will.

The railroad can be seen in this photo. Can you imagine what the passengers that did not get up early enough missed this morning. I can just see someone from Southern California being on the train and waking up and looking out to this view.

Here is a reason people like to farm in Central Oregon. Don't you wish this was your work place every day. I don't think the farmers even mind getting up early as they have this to welcome them to work and then watch the light change and the mountains change all day long. What a terrible chore that must be. To see this instead of 4 walls. To  hear the birds sing, the cattle call and yes Tommy the rooster to welcome you this beautiful morning singing his joy.

The North and Middle Sisters. I think these mountains are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen everywhere. I also love the Tetons in Wyoming but I have never found any I love any more then I do the Cascades. What lucky people we are to see this our whole lives.

This is the South Sister who everyone is watching very close as it has a bulge growing on its south west side that has lifted the area up a few inches all the way to highway 20 over the Santiam pass. They don't think there is any danger at this time but they are studying and monitor it constantly. I think it is funny that I learned of this from my friend is Australia who belongs to a geological club a year before I heard about it in Oregon. I am not afraid of the mountain but at the same time I must say I am glad it is on the Southwest side and I live on the Northeast side.

I took these right off highway 97 between Madras and Redmond this morning when I was going over to pick some things up in Redmond at 5:30 am. I am so blessed to live in Central Oregon. 

Seed crops

One of the biggest crops now in Central Oregon is seeds. This field is all set up with a drip line where they don't waste water and it really keeps the weeds down. Seeds crops are a multi million dollar crop now and lots of work.

An old fashioned crop of barley growing with a hawk flying around.

I love haying season and have many happy memories from hay season. I love the smell of fresh cut hair and I love watching the hawks get he mice when you move a bail of hay. I love everything about haying.

I can't wait until the mint gets big enough to smell and then harvest time and cooking mint in August. I love the smells of central Oregon.

McCoin Orchard, the desert oasis

This old tree is scarred and battle worn but continues it fight to live in the harsh climate of the high desert of Central Oregon among the sagebrush.

Almost all the old homesteads of Central Oregon have poplar trees to block the wind on the high desert. There was a wind blowing last night and I did not realize how much noise it makes going through the poplars, it sounded a lot like the ocean and was very relaxing sound.

I love old stumps, they are like natures sculptures and all have such different personalities.

They probably did not know how this orchard and area would last for so many years and it still produces apples. I noticed in the paper that they are taking a tour to this orchard and 3 others in Central Oregon and it costs $45.00 to go on it. Some people are going to study and tell about how this type of apple tree is so hardly that it has survived and still producing after a 100 years. I don't know if this one is that old but I know it is old. One of the other ones they are going to is Cyrus Springs Orchard which is not far from this one on the north side of Grey Butte in Jefferson County out of Madras, Oregon.

This is so relaxing, I pulled over and rolled the window down where I could hear the birds singing and the wind through the poplar trees and read my nook for awhile and I could just feel the stress and tension from fathers day and missing my dad seep out my toes.

I was so tempted to just pull my blanket out of the back and sleep here if I did not think my mom would worry about me all night. 

Walking around the orchard and thinking about the people who built this home and all the enjoyment that people for years have had from their labor.  Do you ever wonder if they know that the work and love that went into their home was going to be enjoyed by so many for so many years. A legacy left behind.

When I see a small memorial like this I always wonder what happened to the person and it is so cool that people still bring flowers for them. Did they hit this tree on their ATV or motorcycle? Did they have a heartache leaning against the tree? What a peaceful place to rest.

Right up  from the flowers is this small graveyard with a sign that says brothers forever. Is this a grave or another memorial. I wish I could be buried someplace like this when I go. It is so peaceful and beautiful and you can see the sagebrush, the poplars, the apple orchard of the land I love so much.

Headed back to civilization down the little dirt road that runs by the small creek. There are several springs along the way and in  spring this is one of my favorite drives. I have seen elk, deer, rabbits,birds of all kinds, antelope in this area.

This is one of the springs in the little canyon that runs from McChoin orchard. The springs have water year around so it is a good wildlife viewing area especially later in the year as the streams start drying up.

There is a trail from McChoin orchard that is 7 1/2 miles long that you can hike to the back side of Smith Rocks or ride your horse.  Sometime when you want a hike you should try this one and see Smith Rocks and many other cool things from a different angle then most people do.

This was a fun drive and I slept like a log when I got home so the orchard and the poplars did the trick and relaxed me on fathers day, a stressful sad day missing my father.

animal tracks, what kind?

We  were up on Green Ridge out of Camp Sherman this week and came across these tracks at a small lake, does anyone know what kind they are?

They were about twice the size of Hanks paw prints and Hank weighs about 65 pounds and has fairly large feet. I wish I would have put my hand down by the print where you could see how big it was.

They were pretty fresh, I would say within 24 hours. I was surprised at how big they were. I am not very good with tracks so I don't know what they were, I just know they were big. I would love it if someone could tell me what they thought they were.

Big reason why I love Central Oregon

This picture shows one of the reasons I love Central Oregon. In fact several of the reasons. First, Mt. Jefferson, what a beautiful mountain with so many stories behind it. Do you know you can't plant until the rabbit shows?  That means the freezing is over with.  The top if you look close shows a canoe with packs in it, frozen in time by a jealous rival Mt. Hood.

I love the palisades and rock formations of our volcanic past.  I love the big flat plains, the sagebrush. Central Oregon is just a great place to live. The people are great. We are poverty with a view. We don't need the money to come spend our vacation at the Cove or the high cascade lakes. We live here 365 days a year...

Flowering trees in the sagebrush??

Going out for a drive at sunrise and came across some beautiful flowering trees right in the middle of the sagebrush and juniper with no house for miles around. Pretty good sign that at one time a homestead was here. I do not know what kind they are but they smell wonderful. The high desert is blooming like mad right now and so beautiful. The grass is tall and green from all the rain, kind of scary of what fire season will be like.

Oregon flowers & Rhododendron Garden in Porltand

Driving around western Oregon in the spring is a delight to the eyes. Every where you look you see color. If you ever get a chance in the spring go to the Rhododendron Garden in Portland. My kids took me there once for mothers day and one of the best mothers day I have had.

Here is the web site with map.http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=27&action=ViewPark

It is well worth the time and money to go....

Fir tree planting

I was driving down the road and saw them out in the field and could not figure out what they were planting. I had never see this operation before so I stopped and the owner was walking toward his pickup at this end of the field so I waited and asked him what he was planting and he told me. He was a really nice man and laughed when I said I was from central Oregon and could not figure it out.  IT as weird to see the little houses going down the rows.  I sat for a little while and watched them.

I drove out into the farm area and saw the different crops they grow, trees, flowers, shrubs, hops. It was a fun trip to see the difference in farming life there and here.Growing up on a farm it was really interesting to watch the difference.

Off to enjoy Oregon

Headed out for the weekend to enjoy this great state of ours. You guys have fun and everyone be safe. See you Monday

Cyrus Springs Horse Camp

I think this is one of the best horse camps in the state. There are trails that go every direction from here but many places to ride cross country. The corrals are in good shape and they have a manure pit for you to put your pen cleanings at.  They have a pit toilet, water and plenty of room to park. They have areas you can set up your own pen or pens for your use. The views of Haystack Reservoir and the snow covered Cascade Mountains are beautiful.  There are 2 old apple orchards close to the camp that if you get there at the right time, early or evening you can see plenty of wild life.  Elk, Deer, rabbits, eagles, hawks, antelope have all been seen in the area.

So if you want a place to come camp in the high desert here is a neat place. Request that it be kept clean and don't damage things where others can come too. Many volunteers from Prineville riding club keep this place in good shape.  If you see someone damaging or leaving their trash please get as much info as you can safely get  and report to the sheriff's office 541-475-2201. It is our duty to help protect this wonderful camp and area where we can continue to use it.

You can locate it from Haystack or go out Hwy 26 towards Prineville and turn right about milepost 13. It is on the forest service maps and they are free at the BLM offices statewide.  You can also get a copy of a listing of all BLM and Forest Service camps in the sate at the office while you are there.

Have fun riding and remember part of our duty of using the camp is helping take care of it.

Crane Prairie Reservoir

Crane Prairie is a wonderful lake and Forest Service campground..  They also have a RV park, a small store, laundry mat and gas. They rent boats and many county paved roads to ride your bicycle.

It is a fun place to go fishing and has some really big ones caught here. Some of the largest fish I have ever seen caught in a lake were caught here. Looked like salmon out of the ocean.

Wickiup Reservoir is just down the road a few miles as is South Twin and North Twin Lakes. You can rent canoes and paddle boats there for the kids.

If you are looking for a fun spot to go camping I would like to suggest this high Cascade Lake, one of my favorite places to go as a child and still as an adult. There is also a lot of Osprey and ducks and other birds and deer in the area.