Chapter 28 - The Quest Goes to Spring Lake

I'm enjoying myself with these quests. Simple little guided walks looking for clues that lead to a hidden cache wherein a stamp can be located and used to prove you did the deed, walked the walk, followed directions and arrived at the end.

And, yet, I grumble and growl at the clues and the vague wording and the expecting me to bend way over and sometimes get on the ground to find a clue mentality. In other words, while I am doing the Quest, I'm complaining, to myself, about it.

And, bottom line, I occasionally ask myself "What the heck am I doing this for if it irritates me!?!" Every time I ask that question, I always answer "Hey, you're having a good time. Relax and enjoy." And so it goes. I wrestle with the wording or having to get down on the ground to find a clue and then I force myself to relax and try to enjoy it.

I mention this because the dichotomy of emotions I'm experiencing are, well, stupid...maybe complex is a better word. Complex in that I want to continue doing the Quests but I know I'll get upset or frustrated, several times, by the vague wording that leads to a clue or one of those difficult to see clues.

So I resign myself to continuing this battle between happy and angry. Between satisfied and disgruntled. Between relaxing and working myself up into a bonafide snit. Hahaha, I'm right there between being a responsible adult or a short-tempered jack-ass.

And I think the jack-ass is winning.

But today I conquered another Quest...this one at the Spring Lake Open Space. I've been there before, several times, mostly for bird walks and then for a walk-around with my camera.

But, today, today I was on a Quest for the coveted Stamp!! The third addition to my growing collection of inky, colored proofs of my diligence, intelligence, forbearance and patience.

There's the reason for the name of this Open Space. The actual Spring Lake. There's a spring way back there that I'll actually end up on when I find my stamp. And, of course, being the solid thinking kind of person that I am, I'll totally forget about getting a picture of the bridge the stamp was hidden under. The very same bridge that spans that spring that creates the lake.

Duh!!

Look big and then look small. Haha, there's just so much to see. I like it when I can perambulate at my own chosen speed. I get to spend the time with the things that interest me.

Like these tiny beauties.

Or this ripe salmonberry.

The folks who designed this Quest wanted to make sure I got to see the trails going and coming. So, several times, they had me walk out and then back down the same trail. Like this one.

Turns out, this paved path is a small part of what will eventually become the Cascade Head to Siletz Bay Trail. 

Yeah, that's right!! They're going to eventually create a pathway from the northern end of LCO, Cascade Head, and run it all the way down to the southern end of LCO, Siletz Bay.

Coolio!!

Now I just wonder what the time frame is for this. Because, as far as I know, this is the only part of the proposed path that's done. I will have to look into this some.

But the folks who made this Quest wanted me to see it all so they had, in order to find the very first clue, me walk to the end of this path at 18th Street and then back to the beginning at 14th Street.

It is a nicely done path with plenty of wildflowers growing left and right on it.

Yeah, OK, I realize these two pictures are of the exact same subject but I couldn't decide which one to keep and which one to ditch. I used two different shots but one I zoomed in on a little more and then cropped it a bit tighter than the other.

Which one do you prefer?

Plenty to see along the trail.

Including these. Actually, I got this shot to send to Ian Keene, the LCO Open Space Coordinator. I don't know if he is aware of how fast the creeping ivy has been climbing these trees. Left unattended, these ivies will eventually grow over the tree and kill it.

They're pretty simple to control, just cut the vines around the base and the ivy dies. But, you gotta get out there and cut it. That's where Ian comes in. He gets volunteers organized to come out and control these ivies. 

And, obviously, he needs to get on it...soon.

This was taken coming back on the path. Note the abundant wildflowers growing on either side.

And the poplars growing, too.

The Quest took us down one side of the lake and then around and up the other side. 

I was shooting with my Nikon P900. I'm not overly fond of this camera. It's still a chore to use. The main problem is that it isn't a Canon and, honestly, the basic functions that I use are got at in a different way with the Nikon and it's frustrating. 

Plus, this one doesn't shoot as fast as my Canon SX60. Which I really like cuz it's so easy to handle and, need I say, understandable.

I really like these Open Spaces the City has set aside. It's like a miniature National Park kinda thingie right in our town.

One that the wildlife can use.

Like these guys who flew in as I was making my way up the other side of the lake.

It was a cloudy, dull, listless and bleak kinda day. Not one for shooting photographs. Everything was muted and semi-gray.

Part of the trail I was on. 

Getting near the end of the Quest, I was heading up the east side of the lake towards the spring. Which you can see towards the middle of this picture...back there in the growth.

And, besides the lake, there was plenty other things to see while Questing.

Plenty of small flowers...

...and these tree mushrooms.

The Quest took me down this hill to the foot bridge that spans the spring. The clues formed the final clue which was "MIDDLE OF BRIDGE" In other words, the words told us where to find the box containing the stamp. 

I'd made it to the end of the Quest and found the hidden box. Right there in the middle of the bridge. Yeah, I looked around and then got down, in the middle of the bridge, on my hands and knees and looked under the bridge and found the box sitting on a support log.

EZ, PZ, I grabbed it up, got my stamp, entered my prize into my Quest Book, made my witty little entry into the book and, finally, got back down on my hands and knees and put the box back in its hidey place.

Mission accomplished, I head back to the Mini where I found these. All growing wild.

You could easily fit one of those blue and white flowers inside a dime. Easily.

And here you go. Proof positive I am a bonafide Quester. Hahaha, only seven more and I gets me a patch attesting to this fact for all the world to see and marvel at.

Next up will be the Downtown Oceanlake Quest. Woo, woo!!

So I got out, took a walk, got some pics, had a couple challenges, had to make a couple decisions about which path to take, exercised my brain and got another stamp. Yeah, OK, I got a bit testy about some of the clues but, in the end, I had a good time. So, yeah, I'll keep on Questing...and getting frustrated. In the end, though, I'll only keep the good memories.

And there it is. Another day, another Quest.

Life is good.

          Hooah!!