tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285382712011-12-31T18:10:05.577-08:00Hikes, birding, paddling, biking, wildflowers, camping, places and nature in the Pacific NorthwestCathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.comBlogger1261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-57345011697150884492011-12-30T17:41:00.000-08:002011-12-31T18:10:05.624-08:00

Taking a small ferry ranks in my top ten list of cheap thrills. On our two transits of the Columbia River via the Wahkiakum Ferry, we have seen scaup, ring necks, western grebes and double crested cormorants. The last ferry operating on the lower Columbia, it travels between Westport, Oregon and Cathlamet, Washington. Besides a fun ride, it's our favorite way access the Julia Butler Hansen

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-37559135115438434782011-07-09T08:21:00.000-07:002011-07-09T08:43:47.363-07:00

Last autumn, we took a walk at Camassia Natural Area. We knew that the little island of nature was not in its prime during the fall, but wanted to check out the location so we'd be ready for spring. When spring rolled around, we almost missed the show, but snuck over there right before leaving on a trip. These photos were taken on May 17th.As it was many days this spring, the sky was overcast

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-16395634222485410522011-05-11T19:23:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:26:05.572-07:00

Flat and fast across farmland, this rails-to-trails is a great way to spend a morning, and eventually, a long day. Now, only a few sections of the trail are paved. In the future, a 56-mile ride from Chehalis to South Bend, Washington will be possible. We started out at the Chehalis trail head (GPS N46.64750, W122.97419), just west of I-5 at Hillburger Road on the Saturday before Easter. The

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-18549306324236546242011-05-04T17:31:00.000-07:002011-05-05T16:29:42.605-07:00

As waterfalls go, this one is barely a ripple, at least this time of the year. Perhaps as water levels drop? We did, however, spot two raccoons racing along the bank opposite the highway. We parked on Highway 6 and walked the barely two miles of trail on the south side of the highway on April 21. Lots of trillium were in bloom, as were a few skunk cabbage, and Cardimine nuttalli. Bleeding

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-27757451744818651222011-03-29T17:57:00.001-07:002011-03-29T18:06:49.316-07:00

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-41183007246281926992011-03-08T14:23:00.000-08:002011-03-08T14:52:11.757-08:00

On our recent hike, in this canyon that's a small branch to the Columbia Gorge, melting snow cascaded down the canyon walls, watering the moss that was everywhere and occasionally watering us. In addition to the impromptu waterfalls, both Metlako and Punch Bowl Falls were roaring.While we were surprised to see so much snow on the trail, signs of spring included this western saxifrage just

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-74425087510754248812011-02-22T17:07:00.000-08:002011-02-24T16:38:00.695-08:00

After living in Oregon, sixty miles from the coast for most of my life, I am surprisingly ignorant about the maritime lifestyle. I feel much more enlightened after our visit to the Columbia River Maritime Museum.Before entering the museum, I looked at the Coast Guard boat displayed in the huge glass window; it's almost standing on end. Did they have trouble fitting it in the space? Inside I

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-37884640728310056842011-02-12T16:32:00.000-08:002011-02-14T12:15:23.810-08:00

Two years ago, we took the ferry from Port Angeles, Washington to Victoria, BC. The crossing was an experiment in “pelagic on the cheap.” Sadly, our avian expectations were severely bruised. We saw very few birds from the ferry.On the other hand, we had a beautiful view of a single valley in the Olympic Mountains bathed in sunlight under an otherwise overcast sky. Once in Victoria we toured the

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-89839312317030969352011-01-26T16:39:00.001-08:002011-01-28T19:01:45.567-08:00

Out for a walk one day, I just happened to have a camera when I saw this large flock of geese doing a little grounds maintenance in the baseball field. Canada Geese are one of the easier birds to catch with a camera, so I snapped a few pictures without pausing too long to look them over. They're just Canada Geese, right?When I pulled the photos off the camera, I looked a little closer. Some of

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-3220483149539720312011-01-05T11:55:00.000-08:002011-01-07T20:05:50.214-08:00

Last month, this lovely lady was a frequent visitor to the suet feeder. I haven't seen her for awhile, but now, this fellow coyly creeps through the brush before deciding to check out the food.As I watch twenty or thirty bushtits zip in and away from the suet, I'm fascinated by the variety of bird behavior. Birds of a feather flock together [bushtits], except when they don't [woodpeckers].

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-43005675609593781092010-11-05T20:57:00.000-07:002010-11-06T07:30:40.445-07:00

We visited today, realizing that fall is not the area's best season. In the void created by the absence of the famous flowers, however, we noticed the variety of trees in this tiny preserve. Above, oaks; left, aspens; and below, madrone. And we can't forget the profusion of ferns.The marked loop trail is only .6 mile long, but I will put it on my list for next spring anyway. Located in West Linn

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-45577715487101311612010-11-03T17:30:00.001-07:002010-11-06T07:31:50.589-07:00

I watched an entire episode of Oprah today for the first time in my life. In the end, she encouraged people to go to Yosemite National Park. I don't think she took the same shine to the camping experience. Some of my favorite quotes: "Camping is a lot of work." "I liked the people. Camping people are different." "We have a tent trailer. Is that really camping?"I have asked myself the same

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-48626088364017922502010-11-01T20:43:00.001-07:002010-11-01T21:17:32.297-07:00

I'll let you in on a little secret: October at the coast ain't bad! We hiked three miles of the Fort to Sea trail in the last week of October without one raindrop touching us. In the past, we've hiked from Fort Clatsop some distance going west, but today we tried the west end heading east. There's a short section of coastal woods leaving the Sunset Beach trailhead, but then it was cow pastures

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-45897278624898818752010-10-07T09:20:00.000-07:002010-10-07T09:25:18.913-07:00

This couple visited all of Oregon's state parks in ten years. For the next ten years, I'd try all the national parks in the country.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-46969668077978787712010-10-07T08:00:00.000-07:002010-10-07T08:13:13.388-07:00

We saw no ox, but two deer grazed on the brush right inside the entrance to this surprisingly quiet park on our early autumn visit.East of Portland, the Sandy River makes two big U-shaped bends in an "oxbow." One circles Camp Collins and another loops around the campground and hiking trails of Oxbow Park. What this means for hikers is that you can do a loop trail and be next to the river much of

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-56760597940768382592010-10-06T17:26:00.000-07:002010-10-06T17:29:55.523-07:00

Found in the garden today: leopard slug eggs. I'm no expert on slug eggs, but mom was right there with them.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-60149395413103165362010-10-02T15:19:00.000-07:002010-10-02T19:49:50.289-07:00

In all 24 years that I have lived at the same address, I have never had mushroom in the yard, and now, a small crop of Agaricus campestris.The birds are going nuts (or is that seeds) over the bird feeder. We had a group of bushtits swing by this afternoon and look forlornly (I'm sure I saw it) for the suet block that has, for the past several years, hung from the bird feeder, as shown in this

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-22957437597694693152010-10-01T09:10:00.001-07:002010-10-01T10:47:21.100-07:00

Barely did I get the last post up before I had the first visitor to the feeder. Memory, alertness? I'm not sure, but it didn't take long. And do birds watch each other? The answer is most decidedly yes. Within seven minutes of the appearance of this junco, a towhee, another junco, a flicker and a chestnut backed chickadee all came to the feeder. Forty minutes later, a song sparrow showed up

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-7356450453486546342010-10-01T08:09:00.000-07:002010-10-01T08:23:42.962-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I searched the garage for our tray feeder, taken down over a year ago when we left for Beijing. Not finding it, I put up another feeder until the tray shows up. This morning, the autumn sun shined its approval. (And I see I need to clean my window so that I can get a good focus!)Couldn't resist this shot of someone other than me snoozing on our deck.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-42551602586070415932010-09-27T10:42:00.000-07:002010-09-29T21:21:45.459-07:00

The throng had all the appearance of an outdoor concert. People congregated on the grassy hillside around the school in anticipation. As dusk approaches, flapping black specks appear in the sky. More arrive until the specks look like swirling clouds of insects. Through binoculars, the insects become the Vaux's Swifts that they are. At some moment nearing darkness, the chimney at the school

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-18848360061592302892010-08-27T13:56:00.000-07:002010-08-27T14:08:13.283-07:00

Following our return from China, I wandered around the yard, seeing what needed to be done. I came across something I have never seen in our yard before: sap wells, pictured above, most likely made by a Red-breasted Sapsucker. Sapsuckers drill holes in young tree bark to, umm, suck the sap and return to eat the bugs attracted to the sap. As it turns out, lots of birds and insects like sap,

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-14644768359302705382010-08-08T15:31:00.000-07:002010-08-08T15:44:15.896-07:00

We have returned to our former abode in the good ol' US of A with many memories of our time living and working in Beijing. One example is our favorite grocery store, happily name Merry Mart. The store is huge by Chinese standards and because it is cheaper to build up than out, the store has three floors. When you are ready to go up or down one floor, you step onto what looks like a metal conveyer

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-74399766407983981452010-06-29T17:40:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:03:52.233-07:00

When I was young, we had several labels for places that were in the middle of nowhere: Timbuktoo, Siberia and outer Mongolia being a few that I remember. Just to show that we are not too far gone, we traveled only as far as Inner Mongolia, which is part of China. Though a short trip, we enjoyed sleeping in a yurt on the Mongolian grasslands and traveling to look across the Ergun River to a

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-53092353976003757872010-06-09T22:52:00.001-07:002010-07-17T13:04:20.598-07:00

Continuing in our uncanny ability for bad timing (we invested in the stock market in July of 2001), we went to the Shanghai Expo on the day that a new attendance record was set. I have gotten used to large crowds, so we were quite prepared for the experience. We went in with the attitude that we would see what we saw and not stress about the fact that this would not be our "choice"

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-57080095873076795942010-05-02T16:59:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:04:35.559-07:00

Beijing traffic is getting worse and worse. At the end of 2009, four million cars were crawling the city streets. About 2,000 new cars hit the road every day. Apparently, driving in the city has gotten so frustrating that the government has had to post signs instructing people not to set their cars on fire.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-65684482028301151392010-03-31T23:45:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:04:54.860-07:00

It's tiny, it's a weed, and it's probably doomed to death by herbicide, but I was so happy to see this little sign of spring, the first flower of the year, growing in the dead brown lawn.  I'll try to be so happy next spring about the weeds growing in our lawn.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-91138486959273825662010-03-20T00:35:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:05:12.171-07:00

Last night, I was very tired—ready for bed by 7:30. I attributed it to our active day, riding our bikes to two different parks and spending about 6 hours wandering through them. Come to find out it was just the effects of a visit from Mr. Sandman. We were warned that spring would bring sandstorms, so here we are on the first day of spring with yellow skies and a layer of sand all over

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-89041414420966608862010-03-18T17:11:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:05:26.481-07:00

I don't like to go grocery shopping—or at least I didn't until I came to China. Shopping now is like an Easter egg hunt.   We can't read or speak Chinese, so if there is a particular thing we are looking for, we just have to wander around until we can find it or give up. As soon as we learn where something is, they change it.  (I did, however, learn the word for popcorn, so that we never

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-45972879924476608702010-03-14T04:08:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:05:41.786-07:00

After Obama's visit to China last fall, I heard people say that he did not experience the "real" Beijing. For example, his visits to the Great Wall and Forbidden City were unrealistic because both venues were closed to the public while he was visiting. Thus, he missed what it is like sharing those places with thousands of Chinese--a much more normal situation. I also heard comments

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-10593714309452025952010-02-28T04:40:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:05:59.802-07:00

Tonight is Lantern Festival, which ends the two week Spring Festival, which follows Chinese New Year. We've heard fireworks for those two weeks, but things really shifted into high gear tonight around dark when a light snow started falling and the fireworks level started rising. There's no picture with this post because a photograph cannot convey the experience of standing on the sidewalk,

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-11551372379677379242010-02-21T03:55:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:07:07.315-07:00

The Stone Forest and Angkor Wat

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-41784489489962171532010-02-21T03:48:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:07:46.475-07:00

 

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-88645780794101734752010-02-21T03:34:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:08:06.109-07:00

 

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-43520835881630058522010-02-21T03:28:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:08:43.931-07:00

Summary of our three and a half week trip through southeast Asia: We were cold, cool, warm and hot. We caught the communal cold and recovered. We traveled approximately 11, 900 kilometers (7438 miles) by plane, bus, horse cart, tram, cable car and boat through 17 cities and towns, 3 countries (4 if you count Hong Kong, as we had to do a border crossing to go there and back into Mainland

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-51751503656251239482010-01-19T17:28:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:10:00.507-07:00

We all set out from the tour bus together, walking as quickly as we could across the icy parking lot. The sole illumination immediately around us consisted of the headlights of cars trying to make their way in and out of the chaotic mass of people, buses and other cars. We started to string out, having to dodge around the masses. Soon, our group dissipated into the surroundings. I could no

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-7579688077899245952010-01-09T00:17:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:11:25.609-07:00

You haven't been somewhere really cold until your nose hairs freeze on your first breath outside. You haven't been somewhere really cold until the condensation on your glasses freezes before you can clear it. And you haven't been somewhere really cold until you swim in water that is steaming through a hole in the ice. Okay, I only watched the last part, while visiting the Chinese city of

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-37752896993128998292009-12-25T00:31:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:12:23.152-07:00

For a place that doesn't celebrate Christmas, we sure have been to a lot of officially sponsored Christmas parties.  It is a very nice gesture to make us feel more welcome here (or is it "any excuse for a party"?)   On Tuesday night, we traveled to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for dinner with the president of the university and some other officials from the Foreign Ministry.  After a

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-53640648891736570792009-12-11T03:06:00.001-08:002011-03-15T19:00:58.883-07:00

Ho hum, another day in Beijing.    Cal was feeling a little under the weather so we went to the on-campus clinic for a little pick-me-up.  He left with a full complement of the best that East and West has to offer for his cold symptoms.   We mailed a Christmas package to Cal's daughter, watching as the postal worker wrapped each individual piece in bubble wrap, then wrapped the box in

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-41475308693026909462009-11-14T03:58:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:15:20.294-07:00

I'm someone's tourist attraction. Among the very odd things that have happened to us here in China, one is being approached by complete strangers who want to take our picture. The first time this happened was when we visited Tiananmen Square. We were standing at a low iron fence outside the building where Mao is entombed when a girl of about sixteen came running up to us. After a few moments

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-52089203165167373562009-11-01T04:47:00.000-08:002010-07-17T13:16:16.038-07:00

I'm sure glad we heard that it never snows in Beijing.  Otherwise, I might think the white stuff falling from the sky  for several hours this morning was snow.   Brrrrr.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-9217796865648040262009-11-01T04:42:00.001-08:002010-07-17T13:17:02.529-07:00

Flat. As a pancake. The cliché was designed for Beijing's topography. Which makes Beijing perfect for bicycle transportation. After watching Chinese traffic for a month, we traded our walking shoes for pedals. Actually, we traded one hundred dollars for two bikes equipped with fenders, a rear rack and front basket, and two heavy cable locks. Then we cycled into the twilight zone of traffic.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-85749580976625798042009-10-18T00:21:00.001-07:002010-07-17T13:18:30.812-07:00

October 1 was National Day, the celebration of the founding of the People's Republic of China. We were fortunate to be here on the 60th anniversary of the founding. Sixty is an important number for the Chinese because, as I understand it, their calendar runs in 12 year cycles (5 x 12 = 60) and sixty is considered a life cycle. There was much excitement and flowers all over the city leading

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-80186148667841355092009-10-01T17:27:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:19:41.639-07:00

If you visit Orlando, you go to Disney World. When you visit Beijing, you must make a trek to the Great Wall. On a beautifully sunny day, we made sure to cross that off our list before our first month was over. The Huangyaguan section of the Wall is about two hours from Beijing (three if you take a "shortcut"). A road approaches the Wall in a river valley. We easily gained access to the

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-91017057015144457642009-09-29T15:48:00.001-07:002010-07-17T13:20:57.976-07:00

Be there Sunday night!   The notice said we should not bring cameras, purses or bags because of strict security.  We were good and did not do so, but were sorry later when we saw many other people with cameras.  And there were many Kodak moments as we dined with approximately 1800 others in China's Great Hall of the People.   While there are no pictures with this post, someone sent me this

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-83390988606994688512009-09-28T20:26:00.001-07:002010-07-17T13:22:32.480-07:00

In the past, our domestic water supply was not among the top ten things in my daily thoughts. I used to go to the tap, turn it on, and drinkable water would come out. In the back of my mind, I knew that we are fortunate in the USA to have good, drinkable water issue forth from the tap. But tap water wasn't high on my list of concerns. Here, water has become a BIG DEAL. I think about it every

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-43429197796460969472009-09-19T17:27:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:24:01.981-07:00

  Imagine every sort of item to which is affixed the label "Made in China." Now, if you can, imagine all those things on display in tiny booths, crowded together on six double-football-field-sized floors in a garishly decorated building. Cram thousands of shoppers into narrow aisles, bumping each other with large packages and stuffed shopping bags. If you can envision it, you are imagining

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-40354437324859409372009-09-06T18:42:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:26:52.559-07:00

Little kids do it. Older people do it (just not as intensely). It was "Stare at Americans Day" at Bei Hai Park in Beijing on Wednesday. Of course, we brought much of this on ourselves. It wasn't bad enough that we were foreigners in the park; we drew even more attention to ourselves by also staring—it's just that we were gazing through binoculars and we were looking at birds. Our first big

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-36919882999901697632009-08-26T08:18:00.001-07:002009-08-27T07:32:19.714-07:00

One summer, when I was between semesters in college, I got a job cutting potatoes for seed. Every morning for several weeks, I and my coworkers descended into a dark potato shed, aligned ourselves at a conveyor belt and proceeded to slice the potatoes that rolled by for several hours. I fought boredom by singing, which, fortunately for my coworkers, could not be heard over the roar of the

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-62467170101682438932009-08-09T06:02:00.000-07:002009-08-09T13:45:39.658-07:00

In 1985, Ronald Reagan was president, leaded gas was officially banned in the US, and I spent my last semester as an official student. That was too long ago to fully prepare me for the rigors of last week.As part of our commitment to teach in China, Cal and I are in the middle of a two-week, 100 hour course that covers Chinese history, culture, religion, politics, economics and foreign policy as

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-46540611941227993482009-07-17T14:55:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:31:38.910-07:00

A short trail with a big reward at the end, the path to Munson Falls sidles up to the creek, which is nearly overgrown with salmonberry, elderberry and wildflowers. We made a snack of the dangling salmonberries--not quite ripe, but still yummy in a slightly bitter way.In spite of a few rolling hills, you'll barely be out of breath by the time you hoof it over the ½ mile trail. Swainson's thrush,

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-29967041658056313132009-07-03T17:14:00.000-07:002009-07-17T15:22:50.985-07:00

We needed no zoom lens at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area near Reedsport. The big guys easily leaped the fence and seemed only wary rather than afraid of us as they strolled across the grass and into the parking lot.Elk belong to the same family as deer. Both lose their antlers every year in winter. It seems like deer and elk antlers should be all over the place, but rodents love the calcium and

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-89248216733707793372009-06-30T10:25:00.000-07:002009-07-01T17:13:18.694-07:00

I'm trying to learn Mandarin Chinese and one of the first lessons was numbers. It occurred to me while learning to count in Chinese that teenagers only exist in the English-speaking world. Not that youth in other countries don't go through the same aging process, it's just that "thirteen", etc., does not exist in other languages. (For those of you keeping track, it's shi san in Chinese.) Does

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-23792361737865127242009-06-27T11:04:00.001-07:002009-06-27T17:54:18.135-07:00

  Spring green colors and the smell of deep forest greet us as we exit our vehicles. Today, we hike to the heights of the Columbia Gorge's southern cliffs with Oregon Wild's Wendell Wood. (In my opinion, Wendell is THE MAN when it comes to botany in the gorge. Wendell often refers to Russ Jolley's wildflower book, but I've never hiked with Mr. Jolley, so I can't compare the two. All I can say

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-56786013827779852492009-06-02T19:21:00.000-07:002009-06-09T22:00:18.715-07:00

These are the days of strange noises. This morning, early, I heard an agitated scrub jay. I wondered what was going on, since the last time I heard such excited utterances was when the scrub jays were being stalked by a cat. As I was working out in the yard later, I kept on hearing buzzy scolding sounds, like a hoarse squirrel. Later in the afternoon, I finally spied the culprit—a gray-headed

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-34404463477310180022009-05-04T18:14:00.000-07:002009-07-21T18:29:40.588-07:00

Sheets of wind-driven rain pounded the roof and sides of our little trailer, perched on a hillside near Florence, Oregon. We were snug and warm inside, but our mood matched the gloom. This downpour was as welcome as a house cat under the bird feeder.The next morning showed us the error of our disposition. We ventured out, toward Mapleton on Highway 126, across the Suislaw River bridge and right

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-66018601186024317822009-03-13T14:29:00.000-07:002009-05-04T19:34:43.717-07:00

According to the bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus), nesting season has arrived. Within the past week, the little bushtit swarm that completely covered our suet feeder has pared to two birds. Kenn Kaufman says that when winter bushtit flocks break up, the birds pair off to establish nesting territories but do not defend them, tolerating other bushtits even near the nest. Last year, I first noted

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-70457995660747330052009-03-12T14:23:00.000-07:002009-03-12T14:38:27.662-07:00

For the third year in a row, red tailed hawks are nesting in plain sight of this webcam. How convenient!Okay, okay, the camera was installed after the hawks built their nest on the fire escape of a Portland, Oregon office building in 2007. Last year, I tuned in frequently to see how parents and eggs, then babies, were doing. This is fascinating stuff, way better than most of what's on

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-87673996081319403132009-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:002009-03-06T09:34:03.056-08:00

For all (three) of you who read this blog, my long silence has nothing to do with the doldrums of late winter, although that would be a good excuse. In fact, we just returned from nearly a month in Georgia and Florida.Exploring a new area can be overwhelming. My mind attempts to assimilate all the new plants and birds into known categories. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. I

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-71942673557352921572009-01-16T17:22:00.000-08:002009-03-16T18:01:49.511-07:00

We rarely travel just to bird. There's usually a little hiking involved, sometimes visiting. But we made one short trip solely for the purpose of looking at birds.Sea birds topped the list as motivation for our grand tour. Being the "frugal" travelers that we are, I got this wild idea of doing a pelagic trip on the cheap--by ferry. After reviewing our options at this time of year, we decided to

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-24883619549801762782009-01-03T12:23:00.000-08:002009-01-03T22:32:31.522-08:00

One of the great things about being outside is that you never know what you are going to find. We had planned a little morning birding outing at Fernhill Wetlands in Forest Grove, Oregon but we couldn't get close enough to see anything even with a scope--the road came to an abrupt end and we didn't bring our boat: Next stop, Jackson Bottom in Hillsboro. Besides abundant tundra swan west of the

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-91853590647808709772008-12-27T09:07:00.000-08:002008-12-27T09:54:41.326-08:00

Full in the midst of his own strength he stands,Stretching his brawny arms and leafy hands.~VirgilOaks cover the low hills of Baskett Slough NWR in a microcosm of olden-days western Oregon. A short year-round trail and a longer spring/summer trail allow a glimpse back in time to what much of the Willamette Valley must have looked like almost two hundred years ago when David Douglas arrived.On a

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-53429631909547892152008-12-24T11:04:00.000-08:002008-12-27T14:16:57.973-08:00

Looks like our two weeks of winter are coming to an end. The progression of the accumulation of precipitation was matched by the progression of the height of my footwear.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-79266149946542440482008-12-17T21:02:00.000-08:002008-12-17T21:44:56.819-08:00

Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year: A Month by Month Guide to Natural Events : Oregon, Washington and British Columbia by James Luther Davis My review rating: 5 of 5 starsShould be on the shelf of every nature lover in the northwest. Places to go, things to see and you'll probably learn something just holed up inside reading. Know the difference between Rocky Mountain elk and Roosevelt elk?

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-80434923989552861482008-12-17T11:24:00.000-08:002008-12-19T13:43:50.455-08:00

People seem to have a visceral dislike of crows. I have never understood this. True, they are as black as a starless night, and their "song" has as much charm as the neighbor's car alarm. But have you ever watched crows playing with the wind? I cannot think of any other way to describe their flight on gusty days. I've also noticed that the wing beat of crows somehow lacks the urgency of

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-87953623196721728922008-12-15T13:43:00.000-08:002008-12-15T14:05:21.697-08:00

In the lowlands of the Pacific Northwest, we joke about our two weeks of winter, two weeks of summer and the remainder of the year as alternating between spring and fall. Snowfall west of the Cascade Mountains is as rare as a winter swallow (thanks, Balzac). Yet, here we are today with snow on the ground, frigid temperatures and an east wind that stirs the dry snow into glistening whorls.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-45197641410142364472008-12-05T20:27:00.000-08:002009-07-21T18:33:51.143-07:00

I imagine participants in any hobby or pastime have their communal quirks. For birders, one of those has to be our affinity for “waste water treatment facilities” (otherwise known as sewage ponds). Water is water to the birds, so like birds, birders in winter flock to these man-made “ponds.” The Astoria “Ponds” area is just the kind of place only birds, and birders, could love. Viewing is a

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-2829236284862436802008-11-26T17:26:00.000-08:002009-07-21T18:34:22.221-07:00

We roam all over the Pacific Northwest, but because of proximity we see lots more of the Portland area than anywhere else. Having lived here most of my life, I keep thinking I've seen all the great local places, especially in the city. I'm not sure why I persist in that notion, because I keep finding other great places. We got to one this week.I've heard about Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-35881567201251998922008-11-10T11:11:00.000-08:002008-11-26T20:05:24.361-08:00

After spending all day outside at the coast, I was standing in line at the grocery store, glanced over at the newstand and read a headline that caught my attention: visits to National Forests are down. I bought the newspaper.The article lobbed several reasons for the decline, from increased gas prices to increased fees in the forests. Many of the proposed reasons may have merit. I have some other

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-89633720851142455372008-11-06T20:17:00.000-08:002008-11-08T14:07:36.010-08:00

I had only read the headline of the article published this week in the Oregonian when there was a little ping in my brain: these kids need to get out more. And when I say "out", I don't mean to the mall or a video arcade. I mean outside--playing.The article suggests some connection between rainy days, TV and autism. This spring I read Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-68181285625625960332008-11-03T07:18:00.001-08:002008-11-03T12:24:30.735-08:00

Fort Stevens State Park has got to be the best place in Oregon for the average Joe or Jane (which includes me) to ride a bicycle. On a pleasant autumn day, we parked at Battery Russell, unloaded the bikes and set off.We breezed through an alder, Sitka spruce and Douglas Fir coastal forest. The background song included the dull roar of the ocean, chestnut-backed chickadees and red-breasted

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-18923143653432531422008-10-03T13:05:00.000-07:002008-10-03T17:03:02.362-07:00

In the realm of eerie coincidences, I finished this book today about National Park Service Ranger Randy Morgenson, who disappeared in the High Sierras while on patrol. The original multi-day search turned up nothing, but several years later, a hiker found some effects that led to the discovery of Morgenson's remains. The Last Season by Eric BlehmMy reviewrating: 4 of 5 starsInteresting book for

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-23205074028817041942008-09-24T16:24:00.000-07:002008-09-24T16:27:46.821-07:00

The citizens of this city are silent, immovable and solid. Like silver-gray sentinentals, these granite pillars stand guard over their territory, as they have for centuries.The City of Rocks National Reserve is a surprising find surrounded by brown hills and agricultural fields in south central Idaho. Rock climbers dig in here, but we enjoyed the quiet scenery. We visited in the fall, so

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-21589417620149201802008-09-24T15:26:00.000-07:002009-07-21T18:35:27.353-07:00

Spend time outdoors and eventually you'll discover the presence of birds trickling into your conscience. One day, working in the garden, you notice a turkey vulture shadow pass over the ground in front of you. While walking the dog, you hear the squawking of a scrub jay from a nearby tree. After washing the car, you see a house finch stealing a bath in a puddle you've created. You may not

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-18220719034083939672008-07-25T17:05:00.000-07:002008-07-25T17:09:15.324-07:00

Going to sleep in a tent means muted voices, the crack of pitch leaking from a flaming log, nighthawks searching for the last meal of the day. Darkness seeps in, not at all once at the flick of a light switch.Waking up in a tent means the first glow of day on the eastern horizon, seen by the birds, who then share their excitement to rouse the sleepyheads. Before the heat of day, life is.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-15582075390261267572008-07-21T20:08:00.001-07:002009-07-21T18:36:17.833-07:00

I'm still on my way to becoming a fully-fledged birder. There's just too darn much out there to see. Look down at wildflowers and you completely miss what might be perched overhead. Look over there--aren't those pronghorn antelope? What, that shadow was a golden eagle? I missed it!So, I've decided I'm an outdoors enthusiast. I love being out and looking at most anything that's there. It's

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-64999670201335343362008-05-30T16:53:00.000-07:002009-07-21T18:36:40.593-07:00

Variety being the spice of life, those of us living in the Pacific Northwest are well-seasoned. We got a little taste this week. First, we took my brother-in-law and niece hiking at Eagle Creek in the Gorge. They were anxious to be on the road to head home to Idaho, so our hike became more of a march. We were finished by noon.It seemed like such a waste to go home from the Gorge at noon. My

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-6434743516817512642008-05-21T19:29:00.000-07:002008-09-03T07:25:03.472-07:00

Continuing on Highway 218 (a nice drive in late spring because of the wildflowers), our giant leap back in time began with a visit to the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. For three short hikes to experience the ancient past, stop at a roadside pullout marked only with a sign that says “Picnic Area Restrooms ½ Mile” about three miles beyond the John Day River bridge.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-32359972799623204472008-05-20T21:24:00.000-07:002008-05-20T21:43:47.839-07:00

The past tugs at our hearts and minds with eerie threads of fascination, seduction and haunting. We can't go back, yet we curiously seek out places of history, we become nostalgic for a time we never knew and we long for what seem to be simpler days. I contemplated these peculiarities during a spring outing in central Oregon, where the flood of moments passing by erodes the relics of time more

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-61459599683738234092008-05-07T21:28:00.000-07:002008-05-07T21:29:28.084-07:00

Some time ago, I pretty much stopped watching TV and in particular, network TV news. I didn't do it on purpose, nor am I a fanatic about not watching--it just kind of happened. Every once in awhile, though, I am reminded why I've not missed it.I've read that about 2 percent of the earth's surface is covered with cities. Close to 75 percent of the land surface is non-urban. Even assuming that

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-71180055128752437472008-05-02T11:01:00.000-07:002009-07-21T18:32:47.970-07:00

Baby birds babble. That's the conclusion of some scientists at MIT. This one doesn't come as a surprise to me, having read Donald Kroodsma's book, wherein he makes the same observation.So when we're out in the field, we have to remember not only changes in plumage, but that we can hear some pretty strange things coming from the brush.Kroodsma also points out that birds vocalize in local dialects.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-48988090641320013412008-04-21T21:35:00.000-07:002008-04-22T17:12:39.716-07:00

Spring arrives and so do the songbirds. I've often wondered if it's because I'm just not out and about enough to notice them come in or if the birds sneak in at night. One warm spring morning, a new song twitters through the flower-scented air.As it turns out, some birds do slip in under cover of darkness. I was surprised to learn that many birds migrate during the night, including sparrows and

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-62596300447919655482008-04-15T14:28:00.000-07:002008-04-15T14:43:45.305-07:00

Well marked and well maintained trails let you experience the rain forest, towering old growth and lots of water--both terrestrial and celestial near Quinault LakeYour first stop should be the Pacific Ranger Station, Quinault office where you can get a trail map and information about trail conditions. The staff may let you park in their lot (depending on the season), where you can start right out

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-30856937599681568142008-03-26T11:23:00.000-07:002008-03-26T11:32:42.947-07:00

The highest point on Fidalgo Island, near Anacortes, Washington, offers fantastic views, especially when the sky is clear.To get there, follow Highway 20 westbound from I-5 toward Anacortes. After about 12 miles, veer left toward Whidbey Island. Go 2.75 miles farther, turn right on Campbell Lake Rd. Drive 1.5 miles to an intersection and turn right on Heart Lake Rd. After 1.25 miles, look for

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-89317554223499116402008-03-21T22:48:00.000-07:002008-03-21T22:56:45.016-07:00

They don't look like much, but those rocks rising from the ocean out there are as much home to birds and wildlife as your family room is to you. Because they like it so much out there, that same wildlife inspired naturalists in the early 20th century to fight for protection of the rocks as a wildlife sanctuary.Now, Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge provides Oregon's only north-coast

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-7930448598311064992008-02-29T16:31:00.000-08:002008-02-29T17:04:41.773-08:00

On this leap day, two typical Oregon winter features return. One, I'm certain was here all the time, just outside of my senses. The other has been conspicuously absent for many days!The winter wren is one of the few birds that sing during Oregon's cloudy and dark winters. The cheery song, surprisingly loud for such a little bird, is like a beam of sunlight during the winter's gloom. Is it a

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-35651245491934578872008-02-22T18:23:00.000-08:002008-02-22T18:30:42.076-08:00

Tucked in the Fishhawk Creek Valley of the coast range, next to the hamlet of Jewell, a mile-long stretch of Highway 202 passes neatly-trimmed meadows. Even if you are expecting them, it's still a surprise to spot meadow-tan Roosevelt elk standing or lounging in the open there, seemingly without a care in the world.In some ways, these massive mammals, with their showy antlers, don't have a care.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-81503717260800972562008-01-18T15:10:00.000-08:002008-01-18T15:15:14.598-08:00

Cold, high overcast day. Bird of the day, a belted kingfisher. Also seen and heard: three hummers (probably Anna's), house sparrows, robins, song sparrows, male and female wood duck, mallards, common merganser, scrub jay, juncos, chickadees, starlings.I have heard that blue birds are not really blue, hence the appearance of this kingfisher is just a refraction (or maybe just a figment of my

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-1954054955240941642008-01-17T21:23:00.000-08:002008-01-17T21:27:50.299-08:00

A frosty morning with a brief snow shower midday. Just above freezing during the day so it didn't stick. Birds were mostly quiet, but a few active: chickadees, song sparrow, juncos, Stellar's jay, towhee, robin and of course, the crows. One brave flower in bloom today, defying the freezing temperatures overnight and the snow. It is only January, right?

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-23646108380179007032008-01-09T20:46:00.000-08:002008-01-09T21:40:16.909-08:00

Another calm-after-the-storm day. I thought a yellow-rump warbler would be my favorite sighting for the day, but then this Townsend's popped in later! It took a chunk of suet, then blasted right back to the vegetation to eat. Contrary to typical bird behavior, it actually sat still long enough for a picture.Other sightings/sounds: red breasted nuthatch, crows, robins, song sparrow, scrub jay,

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-86471831224021151312008-01-08T19:52:00.000-08:002008-01-08T22:13:32.500-08:00

Water gushes in a small stream across this vacant lot. I'm sure I've walked by here more than 50 times and why today I took special note of it, I don't know -- perhaps because it's a wet, sloppy day resulting in a decent amount of water in the tiny ditch.I decided to walk through the lot to follow the stream behind several houses. The lot is triangular and when I reached the point of the

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-3543700267978111002008-01-07T13:19:00.000-08:002008-01-07T17:42:51.938-08:00

A cool, breezy day, but a few blue patches in the sky. Lots of birds out and about (note to self: take your binoculars next time!) I noticed a maple today that had virtually all of its leaves. The leaves were a bright fall-color red, but this is January! I read somewhere that some maples have been genetically engineered to keep their leaves. Is this such a variety, or an ominous sign of

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-78439932983249184132008-01-05T23:01:00.000-08:002008-01-05T23:02:50.801-08:00

Lots of rain during the night, coming in with the south wind. Much calmer this morning. A Bewick's wren came early to the suet feeder, took one bite then spent some time under the feeder and flitting in the vegetation. Evergreen debris down on the roads from the wind. In the 30's tonight.

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-52549769488875562008-01-04T17:13:00.000-08:002008-01-04T17:16:07.039-08:00

A skylight opened in the clouds today for about an hour around noon. A group of about 40 crows cavorted on the warm south wind, their black wings turning silver in the sunlight. Heard a chickadee and possibly a Cooper's hawk. Some house finches were flitting around.Bushtits swarmed the suet feeder about 1:15. They arrive in a group of about 25, but there's always a few stragglers who remain

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-35962097372309214982008-01-03T14:45:00.000-08:002008-01-03T14:55:46.871-08:00

Another rainy day, but not as wet as yesterday. I saw a few green bumps poking out of the barkdust in people's yards today—looks like the beginnings of crocuses already. A scrub jay tried to attach itself to the suet feeder long enough to get a bit of food, but it has a tough time. A Bewick's wren was singing from the trees and I heard it sing at least two variations on its song.The Bewick's

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-56455799987886982772007-11-12T09:49:00.000-08:002007-11-12T17:26:26.323-08:00

Winter approaches, temperatures drop, and hiking boots sink lower in the closet. Winter hiking, though, brings its own pleasures--among them, less congested routes and a different look to the surroundings. One of the joys unique to winter for us “westsiders” is the possibility of a complete transformation of the scene in just a few hours, as happened to us on this hike. We set out on a cool,

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-54037981477918768122007-10-24T15:45:00.000-07:002007-11-12T19:49:01.230-08:00

We stop at Warner Valley Overlook and feel the quiet. It hangs on us, noticeably creeping into our senses as we take in the view. The entire Warner Valley spreads before us, clear across the lakes and sagebrush range to the hills beyond. Directly below us, racing up the ravines, are flame-colored aspens. So much space, so little sound. So much beauty, so few here to enjoy it.From the hot springs

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-19485318463344976792007-09-20T20:37:00.000-07:002007-11-25T19:46:43.426-08:00

Reflected in the pale blue water of Benson Pond, Steens Mountain dominates the distant horizon in the shimmering high desert air. A slight breeze rustles the leaves of a few hardy trees. Your horse’s tail swishes impatiently. You lean back in the saddle and wipe the dust from your face with a faded blue bandana.Okay, it is more likely you will be in an air conditioned car and wiping sun

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-34163871296477140122007-09-20T17:24:00.000-07:002007-09-20T17:38:54.033-07:00

One of the most prominent features in Bend is also a state park, with a swirling 1.1 mile roadside trail gaining 500 feet to the top. A large circular platform offers 360 degree views with interpretive signs and mountain and butte identifying markers.  Early travelers coming from the east used the butte to "pilot" them to an area where the Deschutes River could be forded.From 3rd St/Hwy 97

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-46532655546775190912007-09-20T16:58:00.000-07:002007-09-20T17:21:52.059-07:00

Part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, this one mile trail gets you up close and personal with the results of volcanic lava flows.Drive south of Bend to Cottonwood Rd., 14.8 miles on Hwy. 97. This route is temporary while work continues at the Sunriver exchange. Bright orange signs show the detour route. Brown signs take over once you reach the detour’s end. Travel eleven miles from

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28538271.post-53409060685778074512007-09-20T16:37:00.000-07:002007-09-20T16:52:46.377-07:00

Just outside of Bend lies this very nice park for hiking, biking or picnicking. Trails criss-cross the park, but the two main trails are the Tumalo Creek Trail and a loop trail of 4.7 miles (ignore the signs that say it's 6 miles, we measured it with a GPS unit). Drive the center road to reach the various stream side picnic areas and a covered bridge at Hixson Crossing. The paved road ends at the

Cathy Crandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14908280414499913149noreply@blogger.com0