Surprise, surprise, surprise!

A seal in the river at the pier in Florence, OR

Our time spent in Oregon turned out to be a series of surprises. The first, of course, was meeting for the very first time, my mother's half-sister, Bonnie. Then we were surprised by the chilly weather we experienced and the beautiful sand dunes all along a coast that are used for dune buggy riding or Jeep off-roading - not sunbathing.

A big surprise was going out for dinner one evening and having a total stranger pay for our meal. According to our waitress, the good Samaritan had gone salmon fishing and made a huge haul and decided to celebrate with several friends. We remember a large table of folks enjoying huge plates of fish fare, but don't know who it was that decided to pick up our bill, because when the waitress came over to tell us our meal was already paid, the group had already left. As a firm believer in "paying it forward," we were sure to leave a surprise for the waitress with a hefty tip.

One day we took a ride to Florence, OR and spent most of the time walking along the shop-lined streets and meandering in and out of art galleries. There were many restaurants that I would have loved to have tried, but we had already eaten lunch and it was much too early for dinner. We strolled down by the river to watch some folks crabbing. Most of their catch had to be tossed back into the water, because they can only keep those of a certain size and can only catch a specific number. From what we witnessed, it appeared that the rules were being followed.

Crab cage. Bait goes in a smaller cage in the center.

 

A seagull battling with the seals for used bait that was being tossed back into the river.

Waiting for bait...

Too small to keep, he was tossed back into the river.

Artwork around the pier - Florence was a very "artsy" town.

One of the fishing boats at the pier awaiting its next journey out to sea.

Me and my cousins, Chrystal and Aleta

Friday turned out to be great family reunion night at my Aunt Bonnie’s and Uncle Ed’s home. Their daughter, Chrystal, her husband, Scott, and son, Nathan, made the trip down from Seattle for a long weekend that coincided with Chrystal’s parents’ retirement.  It was perfect timing for me, as I had been Facebook “friends” with Chrystal for almost two years, but wanted to meet her in person.  Chrystal’s sister, Aleta, and her two sons also came by and we had a most enjoyable night. I can only describe it as feeling like a puzzle piece that had found its place within the scene. 

They say that “blood is thicker than water,” and that saying rang true by the way we all hit it off so easily and comfortably. Friendships were forged in only a few hours, and the love I felt will last a lifetime. Chrystal and I sat with my laptop foraging through my Ancestry.com account searching for long-lost relatives. We found a few missing pieces and that puzzle is really filling in nicely. As nice as it is to know from where you came, it's nicer to see and appreciate where we are. 

The night came to an end amid lots of hugging, good wishes and some tears. My aunt pressed an envelope into my hand at the end of our embrace, but I waited until getting home to read her words and found tucked inside the envelope a most beautiful and unique pendant. I am quite sure she had gotten it many years ago in Kenya, and it was a special token of affection that I will forever treasure.

The next morning we pulled up our jacks and headed to Diamond Lake, OR which was very close to Crater Lake National Park, one of our scheduled National Park visits. 

The first day after getting settled in at Diamond Lake RV Park, located in the Umpqua National Forest, we decided to tour a few of the many waterfalls  along the Umpqua River Scenic By-Way. We got quite an education on falls during our driving and hiking adventure. The first thing we learned was that there are eight different types of falls, of which, we were able to view fou

Tokatee Falls

The first waterfall was a "Tiered Waterfall," Tokatee Falls. This was a “moderate” uphill hike to reach the best viewing vantage point. It was our first stop and most strenuous hike of the day. It was so worth the time and effort. We hiked though old-growth forest along the Umpqua River and traversed 200 steps leading to a deck that overlooked the two-tiered falls. In Native American “jargon,” Tokatee means “pretty” or “graceful.” It was both.  We learned that the word, "moderate," has a different meaning for different people.

Ever-ready hiker with my boots and walking stick!

All together, there were 200 steps needed to climb or descend in order to view the falls.

It was a peaceful hike and the air cooled significantly while in the forest, close to the falls.

We made it!

George checking for cell service.

Plunge Waterfall

 Watson Falls, A “Plunge Waterfall”  – This was our second attempt, but we weren’t able to make it to the top due to my blood sugar levels that were "plunging" like the falls. Our guide book claimed that the hike was only .4 of a mile long, but after about a half-mile, we ran into several people coming down who told us we still had another half-hour hike to go!!! That sealed the deal. I couldn’t expend that much energy with my unstable glucose numbers.

This is a lower portion of the falls showing a small plunge...

Add caption

Me, learning I must give in to my limitations sometimes.  :(

Punchbowl Falls

Our next stop was at Whitehorse Falls and unlike the last, it had an easier vantage point for viewing as it was located close to the roadside. As you can see from the photo below, this type of fall is aptly named, as the water flows into a "punchbowl-looking" section of the river.

Located in a public picnic area, this peaceful place would be frequented often if I lived in the area.

Whitehorse Falls

The last fall we visited was Clearwater Falls, a "Segmented" type due to the flow being divided, or segmented as it flows down a 30-foor drop over moss-covered rocks and logs. This was a short and easy hike and also located very close to a picnic area. The pictures don't do the falls any justice. You have to see their uniqueness, hear their roar and feel the spray to truly appreciate them. So, although I took about 60 pictures and videos, I have only shared a ample of each.

Clearwater Falls photographed in less-than-perfect lighting.

It was a warm day, but the forest and closeness to the falls caused the temps to drop significantly. Looking at the different flora was interesting. In some ways, it was similar to Great Smokey Mountains National Park forest, with pine needles as the base forest floor and the ferns and laurel carpeting the middle levels. Hard woods, pines and fir making up the upper level. Unfortunately, we didn't see any wildlife.

The Umpqua/Rogue River Region is quite rustic, pristine and well-protected by the state of Oregon. The Umpqua and Rogue are both very clean and very blue rivers packed full of fish and crab. All of the Bureau of Land Management properties in the area provided places for hiking, fishing, picnicking, tent camping, and in some places even RV camping. There was no charge to enter or use any of these facilities (except for camping in some locations), making appreciating nature a very accessible pleasure for everyone.

The types of falls that we didn't get a chance to see due to distance and time, were the Block, Horsetail, Fan and Cascade styles.

It was a fun-filled day that only cost us the price of a lunch. We occupied the better part of a whole day driving to, hiking and viewing the falls.

Deep thought for the day:  A tree can never have too many leaves, bear enough fruit or produce sufficient nuts. As does a family. Here's to all the leaves, fruits and nuts in mine! Love you all. ~ vc