Eugene Mini Meet

For those of you who don't want to look at the whole blog, this is the mini-meet in Eugene. Beginning on the left in bright blue is Melizard, followed by two brand, spanking new virgin boxers who were going out for the first time and I can't read their stamp or remember their names, our hostess with the mostess, Poodle Dudes, Smiley, Spiral Seekers, Team Springamajack, Poodle Dudes' son O' Ryan (hope I'm spelling that right), yours truly, and Esmerelda. We lunched on organic fare on the patio of The Laughing Planet Cafe, and it was yummy. We exchanged, we laughed, we ate and drank, and a good old time was had by all.

Everything Is Covered In Moss

The forests we hiked in are considered temperate rain forests and everything is covered in a layer of moss. It is a very different experience than hiking on the east coast. We did see some old growth trees but sadly I neglected to take pictures.

I have just finished reading The Wild Trees, by Richard Preston. Some of the things I learned about the giant trees in Oregon and California are amazing. The tops of some of the trees are so thick you can walk across them with snow shoes. They have found small groves of huckleberry bushes growing in them, along with microscopic aquatic creatures. Each tree is a complete ecosystem unto itself and is truly amazing.

Spiders, Oysters, and Trees

A view while stamping in. Not too shabby huh?

The strong ocean winds and salt air turn the roots of this fallen tree into a giant, bleached spider.

Those faint lines you see in the distance, inside the rocks make up an oyster farm.

I love the combination of forest and ocean.

Hold On To Your Hats!!

On the surface I suppose most people will see these as boring videos but in the first one, you can see how hard the wind was blowing by the waves of sand racing along the beach. Then in the second, that loud sound that gets even louder toward the end, is the edge of the hood of my jacket as it was being whipped by the wind. AWESOME. I love the power of the waves and the wind.

This is Face Rock, at Bandon. The Native American Legend tells us that you can sometimes hear a young girl calling out across the water. Read the whole story at TreeHuggerz.com. Bandon is considered Oregon's Cranberry Capital and has 900 hundred bogs to prove it. You can also buy chocolate covered cranberries, which are much more fun than an old bog in my never humble opinion.


The beach near Bandon, Oregon.

The tulips were in bloom at Shore Acres State Park south of Coos Bay. The house and gardens were once the estate of timber baron Louis Simpson.

Video Of Watson Falls

Watson Falls is the highest in southwest Oregon and is one of 10 located on the Umpqua River. Note the snow on the wooden bridge. Later we drove to nearby Diamond Lake, also in the Umpqua National Forest. It was still frozen.