A giant wooden grain elevator, built in 1916 in Boyd, Oregon. The dirt road on the right is where the trains picked up wheat. The door to the left is where wagons, and eventually trucks, did the same. The old elevator is unused, but sturdy and likely to be standing another 100 years.

 

A BNSF oil train westbound on the Washington Side of the Columbia River. The Hills in the background are on the Oregon Side. Each state is divided by the Cascade Mountain Range with the green west side having more rain than the east side.

 

Just one of many rural 1 room schoolhouses from around the turn of the last century, the 8-Mile School, near Dufur, Oregon, was built in 1904. It served farm kids until the 1940s.

 

Summer on the dry side of the mountains...

 

Bathing beauty...

 

Old-growth forest and a perfect path!

 

He stands like the captain of a great ship. He likes the water lilies.

 

Sweet memories of my summers at my Uncle's Ranch in north-central Oregon, a very long time ago. The ranch was sold well over 50 years ago, but it's still "family" in my heart.

 

I have a feeling these two don't want you to pick their flowers...

 

A natural bouquet near Coldwater Lake.

 

“I say it is the moon that shines so bright.”

 

I was surprised to find a vole in some grass in the wetlands who appeared to be munching on a foxglove flower. But here's the thing-- Foxglove (digitalis) is highly poisonous! Much online research suggests that voles don't have an immunity, so he was either not eating the flower, or the flower was not foxglove, or he's no longer with us. I'll go with either option 1 or 2.

 

Good morning, Mountain!

 

St. Urban is a small, unincorporated area about 30 miles north of us. There's not much there now, but it was a much more active place in the late 1890s when this church was built. As the area's population declined, the church was deconsecrated and fell into disrepair. In the early 2000s, nearby residents got together and rebuilt it. Today, St. Urban's is owned by Lewis County and is available for weddings and other events. The pump organ still works! And yes, that is a fairly large cemetery behind the church.

 

At last! We had a little rain Friday, and quite a bit more is expected Saturday.

 

There's just something about wild roses that makes them magical!

 

Do you suppose little brown birds wonder what it would be like to be an eagle?

 

This small boat is slapping across the waves-- The water can be rough on the Columbia River.

 

"Where are we going?" "I don't know." "Are we there yet?"

 

It's almost impossible to show foxglove in a photo and have it not look like it's been painted. They pop up in many places here.

 

Bunches of Yellow Iris grow around the wetlands. They're always a treat to see!

 

Boistfort Peak in the Willapa Hills. Boistfort, Washington, is a small unincorporated community north of us. The first public school in the Washington Territory was established in Boistfort in 1853. The name comes from the French "Boisfort" which has been translated as "Small valley surrounded by green hills." Well named!

 

There's a lot of history in a graveyard--- Like this monument in a little graveyard not very far from yesterday's barn. It says that Samuel P. Ferrier was born in 1808, in Smith County, Tennessee. The USA was pretty young! That's before our last spat with the British, The War of 1812! Samuel died in Lewis County (Lewis and Clark, explorers), W.T., in 1882. W.T.? Washington Territory! Washington wasn't even a state until 1889.

 

Here's another old, but well-maintained barn near Winlock-- about 20 miles north of us.

 

Even an old barn looks great on a day like this!

 

Honeysuckle--- A hummingbird magnet!

 

Little Miss Wood Duck is looking for her mate in the wetlands. We don't see many wood ducks.

 

Like diamonds, raindrops on a leaf, while the ferns watch adoringly...

 

The wetlands walk at a different time of year-- This is a picture I prepared for a project, and I thought it would be good to share here.

 

Not much happens on the waterfront in Cathlamet, Washinton. Be careful walking on the floating piers.

 

This cute little bandit loves being up in this tree!

 

Not much going on - It's just another quiet day in Hazel Dell.

 

She's a bit timid, but she is beautiful!

 

Oh look! There's Russell the Crow again. He's always a welcome sight.

 

And then she looked over her shoulder to see if that beautiful Mallard was still watching her...

 

A crow decided to take a walk in the wetlands. His name is Russell.

 

Springtime peacefulness and beauty...

 

Coldwater Peak with clouds...

 

"Sit down," said the old tree, "and talk to me for a while. Is Ike still President? Have you people grown up yet?" We talked for a while, and then I went home.

 

You can think of me anyplace, but remember me in the forest...

 

A tiny flower with a big personality!

 

Well ventilated! The airflow is excellent!

 

Friendly swallows!

 

One last picture from Johnston Ridge: If you look in the opposite direction from yesterday's post, you'll see Minnie Peak instead of Mt. St. Helens. It's the darker range in the center of this shot. I love the sky! It's a late Fall image, so the flowers are gone. I wish they'd reopen the road to Johnston Ridge this year, but it will be 2027.

 

This was the same day and the same general area as yesterday's picture. This is the Lewit viewpoint on Johnston Ridge. The view of the Mount Saint Helens crater is the best you can get to by car, and the wildflowers are beautiful. Again-- the road to Johnston Ridge was washed out a couple of years back and is not expected to be open again until 2027. The Toutle River Valley is between the ridge and the mountain-- about 2 thousand feet straight down.