It was an early day, an extremely early day for us. But, c'mon, I'm retired!! I shouldn't have to do anything early.
But, well, I guess this was voluntary. Yeah, OK, it was voluntary. I mean, I've been looking forward to going on this walk for a while now. The odd thing was, I thought it started at noon. I learned, just a few days ago, that it really starts at 0900. And that meant, since we live in LCO and the walk is in the BayOcean Peninsula County Park just outside Tillamook, 49.4 miles away, I would have to leave early in the morning. Argh!! The things I do for fun.
OK, I accepted that I'd have to drive the nearly 50 miles to the Park and planned my time accordingly. Knowing that I, literally, drive like my Old Grandma these days, I allowed an hour and fifteen minutes for the entire trip. Then I padded it by 15 minutes because, well, just because. And good thing I did because, as things turned out, we pulled into the parking lot at the Park at exactly 0857. Hey, I was still early...just not by much.
Hahaha, I do, I really do drive like an Old Grandpa!! I rarely hit 55 and when the caution signs say slow down approaching a curve, I do. And, when going uphill, I take it off Cruise Control and peddle along about 45-48 miles an hour....saves gas, y'all.
But there is a method to my slowness. It enables me to somewhat leisurely motor down the beautiful highways here in Oregon. And, boys and girls, that's a treat unto itself. Totally!!
And this morning, in addition to the already great sights, we got to see them shrouded in layers of fog. Tres bien, y'all!!
But, first things first, we first stopped at McDonald's for some coffee. Thank goodness Mickey D's is only a half-mile away. It is, conveniently convenient.
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Ah, there ya go. This will get the engine running. Now for a pleasant drive up the Oregon Coast.
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And, here we go. You can see what I mean about it being a foggy kind of morning.
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And, here you can see just how leisurely this drive is going to be. Yeah, that's right, a big 44. The speed limit is 45 and I usually drive one to three (that worked out well, didn't it?) miles an hour under the stated speed.
Hahaha, I'm retired!! I don't have to rush anymore!!
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The other thing is, driving at a slower pace allows me to enjoy the scenery. The drive, whether you're going north or south, is just, well, it's entertaining. It's beautiful and it keeps me looking as I'm driving.
Of course, I drive safely. Hahaha, of course.
You get to go through small towns and rural neighborhoods. And it is fun when there is some fog to dance in and out of. It changes everything.
Isn't this something else!?!?!
I mean, c'mon, it's great!!
We pulled into Cloverdale and saw a table set up outside The Shell Game store. You remember it. Carol bought a piece of coral there when we visited for the July 3rd Cloverdale Parade. She's been hankering to get back to the store and so, when I saw the table out front with coral on it, I assumed the store was open. I parked and Carol hot-footed it across the street to take a look-see.
And she got this shot of a very imaginative and well done sign outside the building.
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Meanwhile, I was by the Mini, when the art gallery we'd parked in front of caught my attention.
Not bad, eh? This was my favorite of the pictures displayed in the front of the gallery.
And this one isn't bad, either. I like the combination of bright, bold colors with a simple subject. Kind of why the first one appealed to me, too.
I am, as anyone who knows me even marginally can tell you, a simple man. A very simple man.
Bummer. The Shell Game was closed.
Hahaha, small-town America. Closing up the shop and too tired to bring everything in? WTH, just leave it out there...it'll be OK.
And it was.
But, after we got past our disappointment, we pressed on. Oh, interesting side story. I was standing in front of the Art Gallery taking a picture when someone passing by in their car honked. It startled me and I quickly turned around to see some guy waving at me as he was driving by.
Going with my first impulse, I was raising my arm in a one-fingered salute when I saw the profile of the driver and saw this rather large, prominent mustache.
Hahaha!! I recognized the mustache as being to Jody....a fellow ASLC Birder. And, thankfully, rescued my salute and resurrected it as a hearty wave accompanied with a big smile.
Nice save, Jackie!!
You'll see that mustache later on in this blog.
But let's get back to the road and the next small town, Hebo. There it is just around the corner. And the next corner...
And there it is. And this is, pretty much, all of Hebo's bustling downtown. Here's the bridge spanning the single river named Three Rivers.
Hey!! It's Oregon. Nothing has to make sense!!
I am a bit sorry about all the road pictures. Believe me, these are just the tip of the iceberg. And I trashed a whole bunch of them to get to just these.
There's a certain beauty, dignity to these road pictures. I like the idea of the two-lane blacktop stretching out to adventure and who-knows-what. I think, as I do reflect on it, that this may have a connection with the road trips we'd take every year back to Oklahoma for Christmas.
We'd hit the road with a canvas waterbag hanging in front of the radiator and a hamper filled with fried chicken. Traveling with two, bigger and very butt-headed older brothers meant that I always got stuck in the middle in the back seat.
That old Route 66 would look, in just a couple places, like this. Mostly, though, it was desert but you get the idea.
And we would flit in and around the clouds and catch the sun here and there.
We passed through Tillamook and then hooked a left headed west until just past the Tillamook River where we turned north on the final leg of our journey.
To get to the BayOcean Peninsula Park, we had to follow this winding road alongside the Tillamook Bay. Do you get the idea they like naming things after Tillamook.
Fun Facts: The city, bay and river are named for the Tillamook people, a Native American tribe speaking a Salesian language who lived in this area until the early 19th century.
The Tillamook were the southernmost branch of the Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest who were separated geographically from the northern branch by tribes of Chinookan peoples.
The name Tillamook is of Chinook origin, and refers to the people of a locality known as Elim or Kelim. They spoke Tillamook, a combination of two dialects. Tillamook culture differed from that of the northern Coast Salish and might have been influenced by tribal cultures further south, in northern California.
Here, this gives you an idea of where the park is. I doubt we would ever have found this place on our own. This is another reason I am enjoying the ASLC so much; it has introduced us to so many new and different places in and around LCO.
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Once you get to the entrance to the park, it turns into a dirt lane. There's one lane for cars going in and one for those going out. and it runs out on, as you can see from the map above, a peninsula.
Tillamook Bay to the right and the Pacific Ocean somewhere over to the left. And as we were driving in, we saw several Great Blue Herons and Belted Kingfishers.
Woo, Woo!!
And it was a good thing we had left earlier than we had originally planned. I pulled into the lot at 0857....three minutes to spare. That was cutting it too doggone close.
But we made it and met up with the others. There wasn't a large group but they were an enthusiastic group. There were seven of us for today's walk.
And the fireworks started early!!
Bam!! a Great Blue Heron (GBH).
Full disclosure, we saw plenty of GBHs today. I have a large number of pictures of them and, because I likes ya, I have forcibly restrained myself from posting nearly all of them as was my first impulse.
You're welcome.
"Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?"
Hahaha, I know it seems like I've put all the GBH pictures in here but, believe me, these are just the tip of the iceberg. The tiny, uppermost tip of the iceberg.
Hahahaha, OK, this is the last one...for a while.
This was a stellar trip for me vis-a-vis bird pictures. I got a couple. Hahaha, and I even spotted the American Robin!!
Smokin'
We walked north, up the peninsula. This is looking back towards the Bay and the city of Tillamook beyond that. It was a cloudy and gray day but it wasn't cool. In fact, it was pleasantly cool. The clouds were hanging low.
Here's part of our happy band. You can see where the road leads straight down the peninsula. Kinda hard to get lost on this trail.
Carol was lagging behind texting her sister. When I turned around she saw a picture opportunity and when I saw the cell come up, I struck a very typical 'Carol' pose.
Touchdown!!
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Just had a hard time with the light here. But, hey!! It's a bird!! It's a White-Crowned Sparrow.
Score!!
We started our walk at high tide. This is looking across the Bay to, of all things, Bay City.
It's a neat little town. We went to a flea market there. At the VFW.
A Sandpiper. There were loads of these little guys running around. You'll see them again. I am, if nothing else, consistent in my selection of pictures for these blogs.
This is a typical picture for a bird walk. Some looking with their binoculars and some chatting away about this or that. No demands and no worries. And then, when the chatters get done the binocs come up and the whole cycle repeats. It's loose and it works...everyone has a good time.
The wetlands are a prime source for seeing shore birds. I was already making plans in my head for bringing the kayaks up here and cruising around the bay.
What the...!?!
More Sandpipers!!
Whoda thunk!!
And another one.
Hahaha, you might, just might, see another shot or two of these guys.
We were a small band but we were mighty in our sightings!! We (actually, they...as I was really just along for the ride) recorded sighting 23 birds today.
Twas a dark, dismal, dingy, dim, dull, drab and dreary day, dammit.
We were moving along at a leisurely pace. We ended up going a couple hundred yards into the woods in the distance. If we had stayed on the trail, we would have eventually ended where the bay opens up into the ocean. From here, if we'd turned left and kept on, we would have come upon the beach fronting onto the Pacific Ocean. Right in front of us in this picture we saw plenty of clam shells the shore birds had feasted on.
And then Carol spotted this on the inward side of the trail.
An anthill. More specifically, a mound of Thatching Ants.
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And they were hard at the work of being ants. And, here we go again...
Fun Facts: The Western Thatching Ant is usually a good neighbor because they stay away from the house.They'll feed on just about anything dead or alive and, because they're not picky eaters, they sometimes can help to control the population of carpenter ants and spiders.
These Western Thatching Ants are common through Western Canada and the Central-Western U.S. In fact, they were mentioned in the scientific papers written during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s. (Quick quiz, which U.S. President authorized the L&C journey with the Corps of Discovery?)
A new colony is started after some winged male and females leave the nest and mate. The male soon dies (Ain't that always the way!!), and the newly fertilized queen gets rid of her wings after she finds a suitable location to start laying the eggs.
Yowsers!!
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More Fun Facts: As the new members evolve into worker female ants, the new colony starts taking shape. They begin collecting food and tiny twigs and the workers dig deeper into the ground making many tunnels and chambers for more space to increase their population.
Usually, if the thatch part of the nest is 3-ft tall, the underground part of the nest is 3-ft below ground level. Before long there are thousands of ants working away for the good of the colony. Sometimes more than one ant hill forms a colony. One mound that was studied in Oregon had 200 nests with a population of over 56 million ants.
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(Answer to the quiz question: President Thomas Jefferson to learn exactly what America got from the Louisiana Purchase. And it were a lot!!)
Enough about ants. Hey!! Look!!
A couple of Caspian Terns!! I was nailing them today. Hahaha, it's a lot easier on a shore to get pictures of the birds than it is in a forest.
Right about this time, we were lapped by this lady walking her two dogs. Well, one dog was walking. The other was along for the ride, I guess. I figured he'd have to get down and walk sometime. Maybe on the return trip.
The nature of these walks is such that you can drop in or drop out as you please. In this case, Carol and Jody got into an animated conversation and were content to chat away while the others occupied themselves with looking for birds and enjoying the walk.
The way I like it.
Oh, remember when I was taking pictures of the Art Gallery and someone honked at me and I recognized who it was by the mustache? That's Jody, the fellow that honked, there with Carol Can you see how I recognized him now?
Then someone spotted these two Cedar Waxwings (CW).
The neat thing about a CW is that if you spot one you'll usually be able to spot another. Neat looking, stately birds.
Back to that dark, dismal day. Looking across the bay towards Garibaldi. Ominous, we would get a Seattle Rain later on. Oh, for you that don't know, a Seattle Rain is a good drizzle, a mist coming down.
We were getting to the woods. The tide was starting to go out a bit.
And, Whup!! Another GBH!!
Flying!!
Hahaha, I do need to work on my abilities with taking a picture of a moving subject.
I do better with scenics and still lifes.
Tillamook Bay.
And another Waxwing.
Nailed it!!
But it is still grainy. I left it on a digital 1.6 zoom. I'm gonna switch it to 'Off'. I might not reach as far as I do now, but I am hoping to see an improvement in the resolution of my pictures.
Another shot of Garibaldi across the Bay.
And then the dogs came back on their return trip.
OK, I know this dog didn't say this...aloud. But his attitude, his expression said it.
Smart Aleck Dog.
Autumn is one of my favorite seasons and this scene reminded me that Autumn is just a month plus change away.
Woo, Woo!!
Meanwhile, Carol was busy communicating.
In the distance, you can see the Smart Aleck Dog walking.
Then there was an excitement!! Someone had spotted a Peregrine Falcon. Way out there on a limb.
Coolio!!
I was exceedingly proud of this. I spotted this American Robin. This so seldom happens that when it does, when I actually spot a bird first, I feel like everyone should celebrate along with me!!
Hahahaha, I feel like that but I don't say anything about it. They already think I'm thick enough as it is, I don't need to reinforce it.
A lot of these CWs. They're a good looking bird.
And, remember what I said about seeing one then you might see another. Here ya go!!
We finally made it to the woods. It wasn't because it was all that far away. No, it was because we were moving at a bird walk. Hahahaha, I crack myself up....moving at a bird walk = play on the verb walk and the noun walk describing our journey. Hahahahaha.
Enough!!
We were in the woods.
Just a nice arrangement. Now that I've learned, after I don't want to count so many years, the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom, I just might try to learn about the controls here to help improve my color. I also need to learn the art of being patient.
Having patience enough to wait for a picture like Jody and the others do and the patience to learn the necessary skills to improve my photography.
Hahaha, I admit it, I am a lazy person.
We saw plenty of these guys and I had a lot of this one in particular to share...what's that? You want to see them all!?! Well, hahahaha, nice try. I know when you're pulling my leg.
And then I got this one to pose for me. Pretty lady.
You can't tell it here because I zoomed in so close but, yes, she is in the standard 'Carol Pose' with both arms raised in the air signifying either Victory or Touchdown.
And, just for a change of pace, a seed head for a weed. Because I can, that's why.
Hahaha, and also because I like looking small....
There's a storm across the valley, clouds are rollin' in...
The afternoon is heavy on your shoulders....
There's a truck out on the four-lane, a mile or so away...
The whinin' of his wheels just makes me colder....
Con Mucho Gusto, Señor John Denver.
I like putting lyrics in my blog...I usually learn, finally, the correct words to the song.
I always thought it went:
There's a storm across the valley, clouds are rollin' in,
The afternoon is heavy on my shoulders.
There's a truck out on the four-lane, a mile or so away
The whinin' of its wheels just makes me older.
Small yet important differences. Sorry, John.
Hahahaha, I know, all that stuff put you to sleep, didn't it!?!
Wake up!!
And enjoy these pictures of the Sandpipers.
Hahaha, that was fun.
We'd hit the woods and, since this walk was for seeing shorebirds, we turned around and headed back. Admittedly we were going back a bit faster than we came out.
Because, other than being done, we were feeling some drizzle coming down.
And these two picked up a new topic to discuss.
Clouds across the valley, the weather's closing in...
Oh, c'mon, there were a lot of GBHs out there! It was, honestly, a target-rich environment and I shot away. Again and again and again.
See?
We finally made it back to the Mini just as the drizzle was beginning in earnest. It wasn't bad, it was just inconvenient.
This is looking down the two roads leading into and out of the park.
And soon enough, we were on the road, again. Following Jody.
Heading out. This was an interesting place to visit. I'm hoping we'll be back soon with our kayaks. And lunch.
On the paved road paralleling the bay, I stopped to get a shot of a GBH near a fishing boat and then that Bad Boy took off.
Hahaha, using my keenly honed skills as an Ace Cub Reporter, I whipped up the camera and was very pleased to get this ONE picture.
Winnah!!
There's just so much beauty to this coast...to this State.
Seeing small. Berries.
And so I tried a couple of artsy-fartsy shots of the fishing boat on the moody bay.
Gives you a sense of being lonely.
The passing scene along the bay on our way back to The 101.
And we had an agenda. Since we were in the area, we couldn't pass up a chance to stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for some ice cream.
And, despite the crowds (note to self...don't visit the Cheese Factory on a weekend in the summer, dummy!!), we did.
There busy, y'all.
But, when you want something, doggone it, you want it. And, remember, I am trying to learn the art of patience.
There she is, she's next in line to order. And look at all the happy people.
I know this picture is self-explanatory, but I'll go ahead and state the obvious....it were busy.
Almost there!!
Success!!!
A Hot Fudge Sundae!! Ah, a just dessert.
Hahaha, most of these folks were around my age. Hey, we're all about having some fun AND some ice cream these days!!
The bridge over the Wilson River. It separates the Cheese Factory from the city of Tillamook's downtown.
And we're creeping into the downtown area.
And, soon enough, we were through it and on my favorite part....the drive back. There's the Air Museum housed in the old dirigible hanger.
And as we're driving we're looking and I spotted this unusual cloud formation. Hahaha, it's all part of the entertainment on the drive home.
Here's the other end of Cloverdale as we're entering from the north heading south. FYI, I wouldn't recommend The Dory. There is a Mexican Restaurant in the town and I think, if we ever eat in Cloverdale again, we'll probably go there.
See what I mean about the views.
It never lets me down. Making the ascent on the final hill/mountain before we get to LCO.
It was a good trip. I don't mind the drive, in fact, I look forward to every opportunity to drive along The 101...it's that good. Plus, we got to see some birds, take a nice walk, discover a new place and chat it up with friendly people.
It works all the way around.
The plan was to hang out for a while and then go on over to the Sandcastle Contest at Taft. That fell apart...completely. 'Nuff said.
Still, it was a very good day. It just goes to reinforce my belief that, despite all the bumps and bruises,
Life is good!!
Hooah!!
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