19-FEB-2018
Cold With a Bit of Snow!
All week long they have been forecasting snow for the Willamette Valley floor. I took a wait and see stance. After I thawed the car out, I decided to take a short drive to see what we got. I thought this scene shows what we got, not at home but just a few miles away. Tomorrow they are predicting icy roads and I have an appointment with my heart doctor. Fortunately, the appointment is in the afternoon, after the ice has melted, hopefully.
19-FEB-2018
Elk Creek Bridge, Noti Oregon
This is a short railroad bridge just out of Noti. The bridge was built in 1907 and trains still use the line today. In the past it was part of the Southern Pacific RR, but is now on the Coos Bay Rail Link (CBR). SEE
http://bridgehunter.com/or/lane/bh50689/
Just down Vaughn Road a short distance from this bridge is the longer Noti Creek Trestle, built in 1912. I will get a photo of it when it works out. Finding an accessible parking spot is difficult very close to the trestle. Here is some information about this bridge:
http://bridgehunter.com/or/lane/bh52205/
The rail line runs between Eugene and Coos Bay on the Oregon Coast. The father of a close friend of mine used to make this run as engineer, back in steam days and later.
21-FEB-2018
Local Eatery
I passed by this pastoral scene, bathed in late afternoon sunshine, and thought about dinner time. It was time to head home to my own pasture.
22-FEB-2018
Surprise Snowfall
When I got up this morning and checked out the front door, I was quite surprised to see the ground covered with snow. This had been predicted for a day or two before, but it didn't materialize then. We had a couple inches on the ground. But by afternoon it was mostly gone, leaving wet roads and surroundings. Tonight it is getting down into the mid-twenties, so they are warning of slick roads, especially for the morning commute.
Interestingly, when we get snow it is often in February. One would expect that it would be earlier. Our biggest snowfall ever was in January-February, 1969, when we had four feet of snow on the ground. Snow surely does beautify the landscape but it leaves a mess.
23-FEB-2018
Mural - Kelley's Hardware, Veneta, OR
This interesting mural is on the front of Kelley's Hardware store in Veneta. I thought the artwork is outstanding and the scene humorous.
Carol and I now live near Veneta, about 10 miles west of Eugene. As of 2010, Veneta's population was about 4500. It has an interesting history. According to Wikipedia
- "Veneta is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,561. Veneta was established in 1912 by Edmund Eugene Hunter, who named the settlement after his five-year-old daughter. Veneta post office was established in 1914. Veneta Hunter Vincent, the city's namesake, died in 2000 at age 91. She had attended the city's 70th anniversary party in 1982."
24-FEB-2018
The Candy Stripe Barn
I have always admired this interesting barn along Territorial Road north of Elmira, OR. Fern Ridge Lake lies in the background. Water is low because they let the water out during the winter for flood control. The paint job certainly makes the barn stand out! :)
25-FEB-2018
Western Oregon Hills
When I took a drive to see the countryside out here where we live after a brief snowfall, I came across this scene and loved it. Being a native of the Northwest, I love the mountains and valleys of Western Oregon. And the rain doesn't bother me, it brings out the beautiful green vegetation.
27-FEB-2018
Glamour Shot!
I saw this beauty on a fence post not far from home, so decided it was time for a glamour shot! Well, you have to admit that this Turkey Vulture has a beautiful body, but with a face that would only please its Mama. Still, they are remarkable birds and do a great service as sanitation experts.
28-FEB-2018
The Owl! A "milk train".
Recently I posted a photo of a railroad bridge near Noti, Oregon. This bridge is on the line that ran between Eugene and Coos Bay, on the coast. I noted that the father of a buddy of mine was assigned to that route back in steam days. I thought he was an engineer then, but that came later on. He was fireman at this time. Anyway, my friend used to ride with him at times when he was a youngster of about 12 or 13. His father is the one at the controls in this photo. The photo was probably taken in 1953, on the last passenger run out of Coos Bay.
Here are some really interesting thoughts my buddy shared with me:
"What info. I have is what Mom wrote on the back of the picture. She just put the year, so I don’t know the month. The Owl was what was called a milk train as it had a combination of freight cars and passenger cars. It would stop on the run from Eugene to Coos Bay at places along the way and pick up 5 or 10 gal. cans of milk and or cream which is where the name milk train came from. It left Eugene at around 2 AM and I would be riding in a passenger car. Some place at probably Noti, it would stop and the conductor would come to where I was sitting and tell me I was wanted up on the engine. So I got to ride in the cab from there on to Coos Bay. So that is how I learned to fire that particular engine because the same one was almost always used on the run. Of course S.P. was not aware of me being up there as it was against the rules for anyone not an employee to ride the engine, but since this was way out in nowhere the crew , which consisted of the engineer, fireman and conductor didn’t worry about it."
"After S.P. abandoned the line, and I don’t remember the year, there were no more trains run on the line. Some company in Coos Bay was started and was going to run trains again but there are about 3 or4 tunnels between there and Eugene and they all needed work, so the last I knew there were still no trains running. Have you seen any since you have been out and around there?"
Trains are running again between Eugene and Coos Bay on this same line. The line is now called CBR (Coos Bay Rail Link). I am not sure how often it runs, though it can't be more than once a day, and I don't think it runs that often. Interesting to see that it was revived after being abandoned for so long. Here is a shot of the engines used today:
01-MAR-2018
Which One is Life of the Party?
During a short walk this morning at Kirk Park, I met this friendly group. Their owner graciously gave me permission to shoot a picture of them before she would let them out of the back of the pickup. The delay certainly didn't seem to affect the mood of one of them. :)
02-MAR-2018
The Round Barn, Blachley, Oregon
I remember this round barn, not far from Triangle Lake. It has deteriorated over the years, and now an effort is being made to restore the old barn, which was part of a dairy farm in past years. It was the only round barn in Oregon that was used on a dairy. I hadn't seen the barn in a while and was disappointed to see how bad it now looks. There is even a 'gofundme' website devoted to restoring the barn. See this link:
http://restoreroundbarn.com/
03-MAR-2018
Farm Near Triangle Lake, OR
I saw a lot of pretty scenery on a drive to Triangle Lake, including this beautiful farm scene. I loved the sugary snow dusting on the hills above the farm.