Road trip, 5th of July....

Sunday Hubby and I took a road trip. Down to see my cousins camping park where they lease a spot in a private park. Taylor park. It is down in north central Oregon, we were about 100 miles from Bend Or.

It is on the North Fork of the Santiam River. Here is Hubby and DeeAnn and Liz beside the river.

Stella (the dog) and another cousin Steve in the water and his cousin Kyle.


Pete had fun, he is a water dog!

Pretty stretch of river.

There were these cool old power line poles, made out of all wood! You dont see that much anymore.

One of the cabins in the campground. This is how most of the area is, deep woods and they carve their own little camp space out of the lot they lease.
We had a nice visit and got to see the camp ground and there were a lot of people camping!

We took a rural route home as opposed to taking the Highway home. This is a cool old house we drove by.

And this one, neat old architecture.

and coming across the I-205 Bridge, view of Mt Hood and all the people playing on the Columbia river.

The Mt was a little hazy in the distance, it wasnt real clear out, probably because of the hot weather we had over the 4th, it was 90 degrees for 3 days in a row!

Hwy 14, Mt Hood always greets us when we head home, even though we are on the north side of the river.

More people playing on the river, it was a good weekend for it! It was about an hour and a half drive down to Taylor park, and a nice drive home.

Quiet $th of July...

We had a quiet, except for the explosions of course, 4th of July. Just Hubby and I and Meg, David and Ashley. We had Shish-ka-bobs, done on the BBQ and chips, the ka-bobs turned out good! Watched the Nascar race, quite a finish to Daytona!

As it started to get dark the kids started playing with pyrotechnics LOL. The girls started with smoke bombs and snakes, then as it got darker they started with some of the ground stuff.

Ashley on the left and Megan. The moon was putting on a show too! couldnt get any really good pics of it though, it was really hazy out.

Ground fountain, I had fun playing with the settings on my camera, it does have a fireworks setting that has a delay.

When the girls went out for more fireworks that afternoon, they found glow swords! LOL

The moon was really pretty, pics kept coming out really grainy.





The fireworks setting is cool, as long as my timing is good LOL.

There was a vapor trail past the moon that looked cool, camera just wouldnt do the night pics.

This turned out kinda cool.

That vapor trail in front of the moon again, not zoomed in.








This is my favorite fireworks pic!

Sat. AM they raked the field, and....

Nice rows of hay waiting to be baled.

We went on a road trip Sunday, which I will post about later, and when we got back they already had it all baled! Boy! cut, raked and baled in three days! seems a little fast for me, especially when you know how wet the ground in out there. I dont know that I would want to put it in my barn. They spent until after 10pm last night picking it up. Our neighbors, a Russian Apostolic family got the hay again this year, they have cows and goats. All they have to pick it up in is a Chev mini van, he drives and she loads it? LOL they got the job done!

Happy 4th of July!

Here is a Red, White, and Blue tractor and Rake for you! Thought this was great for the 4th!! LOL The hay guy came and raked the field this morning.

Everyone have a safe happy 4th of July!!

It is really SUMMER!!!

What symbols really say Summer to you? One of them for me is the cutting of hay. This guy showed up this morning to cut the neighbors 4 acre field.
I guess another would be that its the 4th of July! BBQs and finally good weather!

He had a big old Ford tractor, that sound is pretty unmistakable. I first heard it when I stepped out of the shower this morning, and thought "oh they are cutting the hay!" at about that same time Hubby yelled at me " they are cutting the hay!" funny how after 20 years together you have the same thought at the same time LOL.

Here you can see most of the mower, as he was clear across the field from me when I took these.

The first row!

And when we got home this afternoon, it was all down! I dont know how smart it was cutting it all just before the 4th, hopefully the neighbors aren't so wild with the fireworks! I guess its better than standing, maybe? LOL Still will catch on fire!

And the big part of the field all cut and in pretty rows. I expect them to rake it tomorrow or Sunday. Cant you just smell the new mowed hay?

obnoxious, tenacious, territorial, noisy....

Obnoxious, tenacious, territorial, noisy, little birds LOL. But fun to watch! That would be hummingbirds. See the little critter?

Here is a close up, he was making sure the Rufus male would not come to the feeder, and would lie in wait for him and chase him off, over and over!

I finally I.D.ed him. He is an Anna's Hummingbird, known for their talking and territorial ways LOL.

Isnt he beautiful, feisty little feather ball. I figured out he is an Anna's because in the description it says they are the only ones with an all red head.



In darker light he looked black. The little white stripe behind his eye threw me off for a bit, until I searched enough websites and found a few with this stripe.

He looked and watched and waited. I set up the tripod so I could get some good close ups, and I am proud of myself, my closeups are a lot better than the websites I visited!

They are such characters, again that pretty red head.

Little brat!
I will have to put up another feeder now!

And this little one was interested in the hummers fighting or she has a nest in the tree, couldnt figure out which. She kept coming back and landing in the same spot, and the hummers left her alone.
She is three times the size of the hummer.

I couldnt figure out what she was, as I cant find my bird book. I thought she might be, at first a female goldfinch, but not sure, she has some yellow on her breast. But after looking them up she isnt. I like how she had the bug in her mouth. Females are so much harder to identify.

Tuesday night ride....

Meghan and I rode last night! She hasnt been home, she has been working, so I havnt had anyone to ride with. The sun was so bright I tried to darken these pics somewhat, and it was really dusty. I got some pics of Meg and Easy. I finally had someone to take pics of me LOL.

Just dont look at my short pants LOL LOL, I wore these because they are comfortable, didnt realize they would be so short when I was in the saddle LOL. Oh well. Emma was good, she doesnt want to go fast at all LOL she was a brat when I asked her to trot, but for now thats ok with me that she doesnt want to go fast, as I wouldnt be able to keep up with her yet LOL, boy I am so out of shape! We trotted some and I posted, working on some exercise for me and keeping in sinc with her, did ok, I still have balance issues so I think riding will be really good for that.

We both need a lot more exercise LOL, and next time I may wear my spurs, she sidepassed ok, with a little argument, cramped up my muscles though LOL, and she backed beautifully, and did pivots good. I dont care to go fast at this point in my life so she is just fine for me! She isnt a slug on the trails, she walks out wonderful, and really enjoys trailriding, she hates roundy rounds in the arena type setting, we have to get out on the trails!!!

Fat girls posing LOL LOL

This was why I greyed down the photos, Emma just glowed in the setting sun light! LOL

oooo I think we are actually trotting here LOL I have to make fun of myself sometimes, I feel almost like I am starting all over again, I have all the knowledge and memory, but my body doesnt cooperate all the time, but we will work on it!!