Quilting Interlude; building a little stash

The birds and the bees -  or rather, this week is birds and quilts, fabric and whatever comes my way.

Like this doorway in Merrill, Oregon, a traditional square made from tiles . A quilter must live or work here.

And here in Klamath Falls, Tisha, a quilter running a small business from her home.

Popping into local quilt shops in Klamath Falls

A little stash it is, but so colorful for my special quilting group back home.

Northern California: caving in Lava Tubes

The outside temperature hovered in the early 90 degrees, while in the lava tubes it dropped down to almost freezing, the winter air gets trapped and it is so cold that there is permanent ice at the bottom of Skull Cave.

Its dark and eerie underworld and I felt as though my breath was shallow and loud in my ears.

Mushpot Lava Tube Cave

Caving not my scene, but how amazing to see these caves created by flows of smooth lava thousands of years ago, like veins carrying blood, they formed kilometers of these tubes as the lava forced its way to the surface.

Mushpot Cave was the only lighted cave, in the others we walked in the pitch dark with weak torches provided by the Visitors Centre, bending and taking care not to bump heads.

Gnarly indeed….

Walking through Mushpot

Skull Cave: This cave is the remnant of 3 very large lava tubes.

Entrance to Skull Cave

That's me, gingerly walking into the cavernous dark….

...relieved to see the daylight.

Valentine Cave, almost feels man made in its smoothness.

Extraordinary shapes..

…and no further for me, caving done at this point!

Northern California: Lava Beds National Monument

Popped back into California for a gnarly afternoon among surface lava flows, lava chimneys and caving in lava tubes.

We drove from the emerald green potato fields, blue lakes and birds of southern Oregon into this otherworldly place.

All I could say was wow.

Its raw and you can almost feel the power of the volcanic action, not since the Galapagos Islands have I been this engaged with lava.

Devil's Homestead Flow, a dark, foreboding layer of lava laid down on the land, with only a few hardy plants taking root.

Impassible

Devil's Homestead Flow, vast indeed

Fleener Chimneys a place where you can peep into the earth and imagine lava spewing out.

Fleener Chimney

Peering into the chimney

Birding: Lower Klamath

Birding in Lower Klamath with Mt Shasta floating in the background

Up early and birding.

I am reminded  that the rhythm of being in the field requires patience and can be both rewarding and challenging.

And we experienced both. The area has natural beauty but at times I wondered why we were driving up and down a random track…

Anyway, got some great birds along the way and my list is ticking up.

American White Pelicans

Bullock's Oriole at the Visitor Centre feeder

A calling Western Meadowlark

Birding: Klamath Basin Birding Trail

Its breeding season here in the Klamath Basin.

Summer is in full bloom and I have been looking forward to birding in the Klamath Basin, one of the top birding hotspots in the States.

During migration millions of waterfowl pass through and in winter it hosts Bald Eagles. Its a great year round birding destination though.

As I am blogging Western Scrub Jays are squawking near the veranda, Northern Flickers are in the pines as are the Bushtits, overhead pelicans and hawks...




My first priority - after Fred watched the very tense Netherlands vs Mexico game - was grebes, and hopefully seeing a 'water dance' as they run in tandem across the water.

Well got my two lifers - Clark's and Western Grebe.  Saw a water dance! We watched their antics and marveled at their loud 'kreek' calls. Loved my first outing and cannot wait to get out again.

Clark's Grebe.

Beauty of Clark's Grebe, well done Fred!

Catching a Western Grebe 'running'.

Our trip in numbers...

Finding reminders of home in odd places!

We have been traveling for 8 weeks in the USA:

•   travelled 6589 miles, (10604 km)

•   been in 4 US states – California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon

•   explored 7 National Parks - Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, Golden Gate Alcatraz, Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods

•   visited 7 State Parks - Big Sur, Salton Sea, San Jacinto Mountain, Hearst Castle, Red Rock, Red Rock Canyon, Humboldt Redwoods

•   National Forests; 4 Sequoia, Sierra, Tahoe, Lassen

•   slept in 18 beds; 6 hotels/inns, 5 motels and 6 timeshare units, 1 private home (make it 24 with Bahamas)

•   ate Ben & Jerry ice-cream, 7, Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, Triple Caramel Chunk, New York Super Fudge Chunk, Americone Dream, Cheesecake Brownie, Everything but the…

•   added 37 birds to my US bird list which is now 201 and my world list is 1484, top bird Roadrunner

•   popped into 4 museums, Palm Springs Art, Cable Car (SF), De Young (SF), Maritime Museum (Lake Tahoe)

•   farmers markets, 2; Oakhurst, Ferry Building (SF)

•   decaprio 3 movie catch-up, Aviator, Gatsby and Departed

•   Oscar 5 movie catch-up, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, August: Osage County, Zero Dark Thirty, Charlie Wilson’s War

•   relished organic extra virgin olive oil, 3 farms 

•   walked 159 miles; beaches, mountain trails, coastal meadow, high altitude lake, golf courses, climbing red rocks, canyon rim, valley trail, desert paths, Las Vegas Strip, mountain hikes, many city blocks

•   walking well ahead of schedule, 27 miles credit, (for each 50 miles driven we want to walk 1 mile)

•   longest hike 10 miles on Four Mile Trail with 3200’ climb on steep switchbacks

•   took a bike, cycled along the Truckee River for 16 miles, (26 km)

•   watched 7 episodes of Game of Thrones, season 4

•   lowest driving elevation, 214’ below sea-level at Furnace Creek Golf Course, Death Valley

•   highest driving elevation, 9945’ Tioga Pass, Tioga Road, Yosemite

•   got cold at the lowest temperature below 40 degrees F in Tehachapi (3 degrees C)

•   was hot at the highest temperature of 115 degrees F while walking in Death Valley (46 degrees C). Car registered 125 degrees F at one point – over 50 degrees C

•   wine tasting, 2 at Tablas Winery, Paso Robles and Souza Family Vineyard

•   modes of transport, 8, helicopter over the Grand Canyon, ferry to Alcatraz, cable car, bus, metro, streetcar, bicycle, paddle boat on Tahoe

•   shows/events, 5, in Las Vegas, O Cirque du Soleil; in San Francisco, Beach Blanket Babylon, SF Giants baseball in San Francisco; in Reno, Extreme Bull Riding; in Reno, Rodeo

Delicate beauty among the huge redwoods

Fred almost a tree-hugger, he loved the redwoods and the experience of their majesty.

Oregon: a wild coast line

We have moved from the coast inland to Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon. 

We made one more stop along the Oregon Pacific coast this morning to take-in the rock structures that make a real statement and dominate the scenery, and one in particular is Arch Viewpoint. 

The rain had stopped overnight and the morning light on the ocean was gentle, the sea color shades of blue and green. Another picture perfect place.

Oregon scenic coastline.

Oregon: a Wedderburn whimsy

Wedderburn
Unincorporated community
Wedderburn Location within the state of Oregon
Coordinates: 42°25′47″N 124°24′50″WCoordinates: 42°25′47″N 124°24′50″W
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Curry
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)

Just had to swing past Wedderburn!

Its a store, a deli, a post office and not much else over the Rogue River from Gold Beach, Oregon.

Founded by RD Hume in 1895 and named after the home of his ancestors, Wedderburn Castle in Scotland.

I remember on my first trip to Scotland, researching the Hume Clan, buying the clan tartan tie for Dad and getting excited with all the Wedderburn references in Edinburgh.

My mother spent many years creating the family tree, documenting the first Wedderburn's arriving with the 1820 settlers in South Africa.

So here I am, visiting Wedderburn, chatting with the current owners of the store and just generally remembering my Wedderburn-ness….

A Wedderburn in Wedderburn

View from Wedderburn Store across the Rogue River, Oregon

But more important my Dad is on my mind as I travel so far away from home. He has been our role model Wedderburn.

At 85 he has seen much, experienced much, has loved and suffered as a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather. I love you Dad and all the special Wedderburn's that surround me.

Dad. Grandpa Percy Wedderburn bottom left.

Sent postcards home from the tiny Wedderburn Post Office

Northern California: Fern Canyon

Another gem on our route up to Oregon this morning. 

Fern Canyon, in the Redwood National and State Park. Its a narrow gorge, where the moisture and conditions have created a fern wonderland and according to the write-up, really ancient species of fern too.

We just marveled at the five-fingered fern, a beauty that dominates the canyon. Its gossamer thin leaves hang from the finest of stems and seem suspended directly from the moss, which seeps and drips.

Its a narrow canyon with the pebbled Home Creek meandering through the canyon.

Beauty of the Five-fingered fern.

Foodie Interlude: Supporting local businesses

I am so enjoying supporting the local family owned businesses along our travels and I appreciate the long hours and the work to feed me.

Ferndale is no exception, biscuit and gravy, philly cheese filled pastry with home-made boysenberry jam from Humboldt Sweets. Then picking up sour dough sandwiches from Ferndale Meats for our picnic along the Lost Coast.

Off now to Loleta Cheese factory for medal winning cheese, sounds perfect. And it was, lovely spot in Loleta, choose delicious organic Monterey Jack, my go to cheese here in the US.