Crater Lake, 2013

Before leaving Cape Blanco, just have to include this cute little guy who hung around our campsite a lot.  Of course, Hobbes thought he would make a great dinner, but we just enjoyed watching him enjoy his munching.

He (she?) was just so darned cute!

From Cape Blanco, we moved to Elk River Campground to hang around for the 
4th of July events in Port Orford.  Because I had stomach issues, we really didn't do much on the 4th.  We did enjoy our quiet campsite,

and a week of doing very little.
We did manage to get in more meals at Griff's on the dock and at Paula's Bistro.  Great food both places.
Do you know that the trees in Oregon wear fur coats?

It's true.....

After enjoying the local Farmer's Market on Saturday and getting acquainted with another person we'd like to know more next year, we moved on to Diamond Lake near Crater Lake, Oregon.

All I can say about Crater Lake is that it is everything you have ever been told about it and it is BLUE!
It is impossible to let one photograph stand for the whole, so I am including a series....

First view.....

Someone along the way equated the first view of Crater Lake to one's first view of Grand Canyon.  Not a bad comparison.

This is the "Old Man of the Lake", a full sized tree that makes a daily transition of the waters.

This lake is an intense blue due to its depth.

This is essentially a 33 mile drive of one beautiful overlook of this very blue lake after another.  One viewpoint followed by another and another and another as one drives the crater rim.  Pretty darned wonderful!

This is the oldest structure in the lake.  It is actually a part of another volcano that predates the obvious volcanic cone.

We did take time out for lunch at the historic lodge,

then enjoyed a rest in the rockers outside the lodge for a "blue" fix.

Then back to more lake views and of course, the volcanic cone.

Awesome power!

We were surprised to discover Bristlecone Pines in this location.

And more surprised to find them relatively unproclamined.......

All too soon, it was back to Diamond Lake and future adventures.

Next stop:  Ashland, Oregon and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Return visit, much anticipation.
First performance, King Lear.  No disappointment here!
Two more days of theatre and a lovely town to explore!
Home away from home at WellSprings home of "Profoundly Healing Waters"...so may it be!

Cape Blanco's North Beach

We enjoyed our last few days at the lighthouse.  We managed to get in one hike on the north beach starting at the Hughes house rv parking lot.

We walked about a 1/2 mile to the beach right where the Sixes River enters the ocean.

Along the river, we saw this gaggle of geese.....

This is the point of entry for the Sixes River.

This stretch of beach is lovely....always one of our favorites.

The focus as we walk---the lighthouse.

On this trek, we made it all the way to the end of the north beach and the lovely, shiny black rocks.

Hobbes seems able to always find a starfish,

and Jim found plenty of "soft logs" upon which to rest.

 One look at all these rocks and one can understand why a lighthouse was a necessary navagational aide in the 18th century.

A long walk back through the pasture grasses.....

and we once again enjoyed the flora of the Cape.  Many wild iris...

cow parsnips,

and other lovelies in our vicinity.

Sunset

So one evening about 8:45, we decided to take a walk and view the sunset.

We went down to the cliff, then headed north toward a picnic table in the woods.

Alas, when we arrived, the table was occupied.....so we had to walk even deeper into the woods.

Before long, we came to an open area, complete with concrete bench for our sunset viewing pleasure.

Of course, our primary focus was the lighthouse.

It did not disappoint.

Life on the Oregon coast is very special.

Walking around the Cape

For the last several days, we haven't done much other than our required duties.  Both Jim and I have had bad colds, so we have stayed pretty quiet.  We did get one day when we had enough energy to go down to the south beach.  I love looking at all the wood that has collected and bleached in the sun.  I will begin with the times we sit out on the cliffs just down from our parking space.

We like sitting here and enjoying the view.

But then sometimes, we make it down to the beach.

At low tide, the beaches are huge.
Hobbes loves the smells.

Some of the tree parts are huge.

There are always things of interest and beauty on the beach.

On this particular ramble, we visited with horseback riders.  There is a horse camp here at the state park.

We noted cormorants nesting on the rock,

then walked on to the end of this beach to the hole in the rock.

Back past the lovely tree parts,

then back up the hill

to home, sweet home.

It was a good day.