Hidden away by the hills around it, this sturdy old barn will probably last another 100 years.

 

And... This is the 8 Mile Schoolhouse near Dufur, in North-Central Oregon. It was built in 1904. The 8 Mile Cemetery is a short distance away and dates to 1887.

 

Unused, windows gone, but still standing proud, the Locust Grove Church is about 4 miles from Wasco in North-Central Oregon. It was built around 1900.

 

Another amazing old tree on the dry side of the mountains!

 

Nature's sculptures-- Dead trees next to the abandoned homestead. One is resting, the other still stands tall.

 

Looking in through one window in the abandoned homestead-- and out through another one to see a squirrel watching us from a fallen tree...

 

High in the Goodnoe Hills of Washington State, not far from the Columbia River, this old house is one of the few reminders that there used to be a small town here--with a school, and even a store/hotel.

 

No school today...

 

The White River Falls, near Tygh Valley, Oregon.

 

Eastern Oregon is a geologist's delight-- This is near the ghost town of Boyd. I don't know what the wooden structure is, but I like the look of it.

 

The old Nelson house, near Dufur, Oregon-- I'm so glad we got to see it before a wildfire burned it to the ground.

 

Young tree, old window...

 

Till the cows come home... More from the "dry side".

 

Rust, paint, and lots of history!

My Favorite Barn on Tygh Ridge in North Central Oregon...

 

Many people from around the world don't realize that the Pacific Northwest gets quite dry east of the Cascade Mountain Range. The eastern half of Oregon is largely high desert, and eastern Washington State is full of farms that require irrigation. We occasionally go to the "dry side," traveling along the Columbia River Gorge. Here is the first of a few October pictures from there. Tucked under some trees, here's an abandoned house that's seen better days...

 

Here's a sweet pair seen canoodling near the pond. She's a hybrid, a Mallard/domestic mix, and is adorable. He looks to be fully Mallard. Vive l'amour!

From another spot in the wetlands, in the late afternoon sky, a Great Blue Heron is showing his amazing 7 to 8-foot wingspan...

 

The water plants are beginning to show as March arrives in the wetlands.

Lucky dogs! Their owner takes them along much of the time, and he built this box so they can safely ride in the back of his truck, stay dry, and look out through the windows on the sides and the back. I've seen too many dogs fall out of the back of pickup trucks, and this is a great idea.

 

Winter, Summer, Spring, or Fall... In the deep evergreen forest, it's mostly just the light that changes.