Chapter 6 - RES URANT OP N

I'm still playing catch-up and we're only two days into the New Year. I'm beginning to think this will become a familiar refrain in the days ahead.

Well, we've got one day down. And because it's 2016 there are still 365 days to go. Oh, if you weren't aware, 2016 is a Leap Year.

Aw, heck, why wait around?? Let's get started with having some fun totally unrelated to anything in this blog.

Fun Facts:  The ancient Egyptians were some smart cookies; they quickly figured out that the solar calendar and the man-made calendar didn't quite match up. It takes the Earth 365 days to travel around the sun, but the Egyptians realized that it really takes "365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds" to be exact. 

So the extra time amounts to an extra day on our calendar which means every four years we have a - Leap Year!! Julius Caesar made it all legal when he officially added the extra day into Roman calendars over 2,000 years ago. What a guy, eh!?!

Let's fast forward a couple years to when the Feminists arrived and women began the custom of proposing to men in a Leap Year (Hahaha, that sounds a bit quaint nowadays). As the story goes, this tradition began in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about the fair sex having to wait for men to propose. Patrick finally relented and set February 29th aside as the day women had the right to ask for a man's hand in marriage.

The tradition continued when Queen Margaret, of Scotland, declared in 1288 that on February 29, a woman had the right to pop the question to any man she fancied. She also added a little addendum to the declaration: Men who refused to wed were faced with a fine in the form of either a kiss, a silk dress, or a pair of gloves to be given to the rejected lady fair. Also, according to tradition, women either had to wear breeches or a scarlet petticoat in order to pop the question.

In Greece, they consider it bad luck to be married during a leap year. That's why only one in five engaged couples wed during Leap Years. Those silly Greeks.

Finally, people born on February 29 are called "Leaplings" or "Leapers".

Do you know any "Leapers?"

Enough, let's get back to the blog, shall we?

There's a storm out to sea. Fortunately, it didn't hit shore around our area. We've had enough storms during December to last quite a while, thank you very much. 

Although, I have to admit, it's kinda cool sitting on the couch and watching the storms blow by, along with shingles, chairs, wicked witches and an occasional gull or two.

Ok, as I mentioned earlier, this was going to be a "catch-up" blog. Here's another one I'll catch-up now, one about the latest member of our Happy Little Band here in LCO. 

We've been adopted by a local gull. He's a Western Gull.

Fun Facts: Gulls can desalinate salt water for drinking, but they prefer fresh water. Who wouldn't? "Seagulls" can be found living far inland and that's why "gull" is the proper term for them.

The Western Gull is a large white-headed gull that lives on the west coast of North America. It ranges from British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, Mexico.

The Western Gull is rarely encountered inland or away from the ocean. It's almost exclusively a marine gull. It nests on offshore islands and rocks along the coast and on islands inside estuaries. A colony exists on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. In the colonies, long term pairs aggressively defend territories whose border may shift slightly from year to year but are maintained for the life of the male.

 Our new BFF has taken to stopping by our back door every morning and waiting patiently on the side of the house where we can't help but see him. 

He's a real pip. He can take down a piece of bread in less than 7 seconds. Plus, he's not given to sharing. If I throw out pieces of bread he'll run around squawking and pecking at the other gulls and crows. Stupid bird doesn't realize he isn't getting any food because he's so busy trying to protect it.

We can easily recognize him by his lopsided wing. See how much lower his left wing is than the right? Makes him easy to ID. Fortunately, it doesn't impair his flying. 

His name? 

Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. 

Haha, c'mon, now!! Don't tell me you didn't see that one coming!

Speaking of birds, we've got a lot of traffic at our feeders...sparrows, chickadees, cowbirds, junkos, flickers, Brewer's Blackbirds, towhees, pigeons, starlings and crows. Sometimes the traffic gets a little hectic.

The big news is the whales are migrating...to the south. And the Coast is a-buzz with excitement. All along the migration path, they have volunteers set up to answer questions about whales and to also point out where the latest sightings were.

Carol spotted five whale spouts while we were there.

OK, while we were at the Boiler Bay Wayside (I still laugh when I call them Waysides). I was playing with my new camera, the Nikon. I zoomed it out and picked up the Inn at Spanish Head just beyond the beach near Taft. Pretty clear resolution, right? How far away do you think I am?

Take a guess...

I was pretty doggone far away. It's about 8 miles away. 

It was the first day of the Whale Sighting Season and there were a lot of people out. It didn't hurt any that it was a bright, clear, sunny, albeit, chilly day.

See the woman in the purple jacket? She lived in Arcadia, California, just a bit away from Carol. Even went to Arcadia High. Small world, eh?

No, that's not Jonathan, you can tell by the wings. This guy was just posing on one of the fence posts. He does cut quite a striking figure, doesn't he!?!

Hahaha, see a theme here? I can't help it, they're just so doggone many of them. They're everywhere and I am, hahaha, a weak man.

And in B&W.

Speaking of which, the camera meet-up, Oregon Central Coast Photography, that I'm a member of has challenged everyone to shoot in B&W this month. And I'm trying. 

On a walk, I finally stopped by the George Jetson In-Door Swimming Pool at the Surftides. I've been by it dozens of time but I've never seen the inside...until today. 

Hahaha, it's a pool!!

I was sticking to the B&W thing...trying to see in terms of B&W. It's not easy. Try it yourself. Pick a scene and visualize it in the tones of black, gray and white.

Like this flower...I totally didn't see this one coming. The orange/yellow in the flower turned a very light gray and the curled tips seem almost white. See!?! 

It isn't easy to do, this seeing in B&W. But it will be an interesting challenge.

Here's what the flower looks like...

...in color. 

It's the same flower but could you have imagined how it would look in B&W? I sure didn't. Each one has its attraction. Which one do  you prefer. I think the edge goes to the color picture.

Whup!! 

Here it is, my first picture of the new year. Carol developed a 'must-have' which, unfortunately, could only be found in McMinnville, over 50 miles away. Well, what the heck! It's a beautiful day and we had nothing else planned so we motored on over.

But before we got started, I grabbed this shot through the front windshield of the Mini while I let her warm up. It's been way cold at night and I wanted her to get her oil thawed out and moving before I took off.

It is my very first shot for 2016. The first!!

And, BAM!!, we were on the road. Heading up OR 22 to OR 18 and then Highway 99W. Which is the way we always go to get to Portland. It's not one of my favorite drives but that's only because I know I'll soon be in the mess, the hell, that is known as Driving (Hahahaha!!) in Portland. 

If you take Portland out of the equation then it's not that bad a drive. Not bad at all.

We got to McMinnville, quickly took care of our business and then headed back. Then we took a short drive through the Old Town, the former downtown ... it was like driving through Bedford Falls ... without the snow.

In fact, once the weather gets warmer, we're going to come back to McMinnville and spend some time walking around the Old Town. Looks interesting. 

Love that Small Town America. See the movie marquee on the left? Kinda hard to see but it actually says, in big bold letters, ---(Trigger Words Warning)--- "Merry Christmas".

And they did Christmas up right. Leaving the town, I got this picture.

And then we were heading back to LCO. But I had planned on stopping for lunch.

Long story tried to make short...there's a number of kids I went to high school with living up here in Oregon. There's Linda, Kathy and David. Oh, and Christy Fifield, too. She graduated a couple years before us and writes murder mysteries (I have her first four books). Plus, I met a guy at the American Legion meeting that graduated from Arroyo in 1960.

Small world!!

Kathy had mentioned to me that she lived outside McMinnville near the Lawrence Art Gallery and the Barrel 18 Restaurant. She's been there for over 27 years. I wasn't sure which was her house but I was sure of its general area.

So I decided to stop by the Barrel 18 for lunch.

It's an interesting place. To be honest, I thought it would be like a small town diner with formica tables, a counter and grease-covered menus.

Nope, it's a trendy new bar. They're just getting started. They used a lot of old wine barrels in their decor, hence the name Barrel. It's also located on Highway 18. Add the two together and it became Barrel E18ghteen. 

You can see the wine barrels...look at the trim on the bar. Those are the staves used to make a wine barrel. They're turned inside out here.

I opted to sit at the bar...it was quiet as we were the only customers there at that time.

And, besides the obvious quiet, that also meant we got the full attention of Nick. And, Boy Howdy, did we take advantage of that. Nick has a degree in business but is also getting into beer making. He and his cousin, who run the place with the backing of their Dads, are making arrangements to begin brewing their own IPAs soon. Nick, himself, prefers a porter but he is smart enough to know what the General Public wants and so he agreed to the decision to brew an IPA. I pleaded for a lager but...

And their little restaurant was still decked out Holiday-Style.

Our chef cooking up our lunch. This is one of those things that irk me about myself. I have the hardest time holding onto a name. Unless I write it down or hang it on a hook in my head, it gets lost. I asked this young man's name, heard it, even complimented him in the delicate balance of meat, kraut and sauce in his Reuben and yet, as I write this, I can't recall his name. 

Was it Kevin? Devlin? I don't know. Forgive me. He made a great sandwich and the fries were very good, too.

Just talking before the food arrives. One of those pleasant things about human nature is that most everyone is OK with my picture taking. Those little business cards help an awful lot, too, but generally, hardly anyone has a problem with my little addiction.

Being the Great American Pacific Northwest, they have their share of Craft Beers. No PBRs, but they did have Coors Light. Alas, no beers on tap...they need a different license for that. For now, until the brewery gets started, it is just the bottled beer. And wine. Plenty of wine. For $7 a glass!!

Which is exactly why I don't drink wine.

They found a local to do the woodwork in their new bar. They had found 300 or so sticks used in tanning of animal hides and worked them into their decor. See the 'rays' emanating from the sun (the top of a barrel of wine)? Those are the tanning sticks. Very ingenious. Reminds me of the Arizona Flag, right?

In fact, the whole place was done up nice. Black wooden tables and chairs worked with the natural wood walls and decorations. Everything was understated but it all worked well together. You feel comfortable.

But now it was time to eat. First up was Carol's Fish 'N Chips.

And then my Reuben.

Yeah, I know, we are so very, very predictable. 

But, it was very good.

And there was plenty to drink.

Nick has done a little digging on the history of the building. It started off as a small market, then grew into a gas station and, with an addition, into a garage, too. Then it was back to being a market with a butcher's shop and, finally, a restaurant. 

Quite a history for such a small place.

You can get an idea of how far out in the country it is from this grab off of Google...Not a lot going on that way other than Highway 18 to Portland and the farms.

And, of course, the bustling town of Amity is just six miles up the road.

But for a little place on Muddy Valley Road it sure is busy. In addition to the restaurant and a Glass Studio, it even has an art gallery.

Fun Facts: For 38 years, collectors and artists from around the world have known Lawrence Gallery as Oregon's foremost purveyor of fine art. The Gallery is dedicated to showcasing the first art the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Specializing in original paints, indoor and outdoor sculpture, clay, glass, and wood, Lawrence Gallery features world class work by local artists with special exhibitions of modern masters such as Dali, Picasso, and Chagall.

Well, whoda thunk!?! There's a lot going on at the intersection of Muddy Valley Road and Highway 18. A lot.

And just behind the Gallery and the restaurant are the fields and fields of farmland.

After lunch we walked up Muddy Valley Road. One of our classmates, Kathy, lives just around the corner from the Art Gallery and I wanted to just see what the area looked like.

And it was just a couple houses with a long road leading out.

Turns out we did find her place, wasn't too hard as there were only three, I think, residences behind the Gallery. Hers was the one that sells chicken eggs. A nice looking place. 

But it was cold and we were in the shadows and so we left. 

But I know Spring is coming...someday...I saw Robins. Actually, there were a lot of robins. They have apple trees and a lot of the fruit has fallen to the ground and the robins were making the best of it.

From the parking lot of the Barrel 18, you can see Mt. Hood way off in the distance. Let's you know what a beautiful, clear, chilly winter's day it was. 

See the sign on the left? It gave this blog its name. Evidently they don't have all the letters they need yet.

"RES URANT OP N"

Who wouldn't respond to a sign like that!?! Another nice touch of Small Town America.

Rather than drive back directly on 18, we drove along Muddy Valley Road for a while. Enjoying the sights of the rural Oregon Willamette Valley.

It's a different world when you get off the main highways and poke about.

We got to see this Great Blue Heron taking off across a field.

Plenty of open space and farmland.

And we ran across this fellow taking his ease on a telephone line.

A good-looking Red-Tailed Hawk.

Fun Facts: A common deciduous forest animal, the Red-Tailed Hawk is, in fact, one of the most common bird species in North America. This animal is also known as the Buzzard Hawk, Red Hawk and Chicken Hawk. This is a bird that can survive in a variety of habitats and climates. They're commonly found in deciduous forest throughtout the U.S. When hunger strikes, they prey on most of the small forest animals and insects, like moles, weasels, birds, squirrels, opossums and mice. What sets this hawk apart from others is the distinctive loud screeching call it makes. 

Red-Tailed Hawks are skilled hunters. They perch high above the ground and use their keen eye-sight to find their prey.

The loud shrieking call of the Red-Tailed Hawk is usually done while in flight and is a sign the bird is hungry.

In an attempt to avoid predators, the Red-Tailed Hawk builds its nest, which will be used for many years to come, high in the trees. It's made of a combination of sticks, leaves and barks. (which reminds me of a funny story about a panda...another time, perhaps) 

Although the Red-Tailed Hawk was at one time becoming an endangered bird, it has made a comeback in recent years. It is still protected by the Migratory Bird Act which makes it illegal to hunt or capture these birds for any reason.

Even as skilled a hunter as the Red-Tailed Hawk has to be wary. The Red Fox, Golden Eagle, Great Horned Owl and the Raccoon are all predators of the Red-Tailed Hawk.

(Hahaha, OK, here's the joke I was reminded of: A panda walks into a restaurant and gets a sandwich. After he finishes eating the sandwich, he pulls out a gun and shoots the waiter, and then starts to go. 

"Hey!" shouts the manager. "Where are you going? You just shot my waiter and you didn't pay for your sandwich!"

The panda yells back at the manager, "Hey man, I'm a PANDA! Look it up!"

The manager opens his dictionary and sees the following definition for panda: "A tree-dwelling marsupial of Asian origin, characterised by distinct black and white colouring. Eats shoots and leaves.)

(See why I was reminded of the joke about the Panda? I could see the Red-Tailed Hawk...eats sticks, leaves and barks being asked by the waiter after dinner when the hawk goes outside, "Why are you howling at the moon?" and he replies..."I'm a Red-Tailed Hawk!! Look it up!!)

(Sorry, my mind goes different ways at times.)

You lookin' at me!?!

And then we were back into the farm roads.

At the end of one of the roads we were on was this magnificent oak.

You could write a story around this tree.

Country roads with the setting sun reflecting off the lines. Looks like a spider web in a way.

I like driving the back roads of America.

And then we were back on Highway 18 and chasing the setting sun as we headed back to LCO.

We got settled in and had plenty of time left to get ready for the first sunset of 2016

It's like a carbon copy of the last sunset of 2015. There were around 50 people gathered near and around the beach access just waiting for the sun to set...and the light show.

It did not disappoint.

Full of promise. It's going to be an interesting year.

Small adventures, unexpected pleasures and a constant variety of things to entertain us. We are fortunate. 

And, as the maraschino cherry on top of the sundae, something to top off a good day, we were treated to a brilliant light show.

Y'Know, life is good.





          Hooah!!