Three Rivers Petroglyph - Camping

Our first overnight of the season - trying to remember where everything is stashed. This is a small campground in a pretty setting, with outstanding petroglyphs (photos above) nearby. It is the site of a Jornada Mogollon - a tribe related to southern desert tribes, even the Aztecs - settlement of some size. The circle with an x and surrounded by dots (as in the 2nd photo above) is also found in the Aztec civilization.

Three Rivers was on a trade route...a meeting place for Plains and Southwest tribes, as well as an agriculture community - as 3 rivers were near here. The settlement flourished until 1300, when it withered - as did all the other Native American settlements in New Mexico. It is thought that severe drought was the cause.

There are some remnants and recreations of the earlier civilizations.

Green chile cheese breakfast rolls

On the road to a more primitive campsite in foothills

This more rustic site, no hookups, is 14 miles on dirt road from a highway, up into the the foothills - with hiking and riding trails. This is ranch land - big cattle country. We saw maybe 4 ranch houses along the way. We hope it is our next camping destination.

Bosque del Apache in Winter

A wintering ground for migratory waterfowl, this is a federal wildlife preserve adjacent to the Rio Grande. It was cold - so birds weren't very active and there was a skin of ice on the ponds, so the often dramatic fly-ins and fly-outs were limited. But the colors and drama of the landscape make the place visually exciting.

Snow geese are big visitors - and they were huddled on one of the open ponds for warmth . Then as we were on the other side of reserve we saw this mass of white fluttering as the huge flock took-off and went to adjacent pond.

The other winter stalwart - Sandhill Cranes

A bald eagle

A fly-in - ducks, geese and cranes. It is humorous to watch the cranes put down their "landing gear". The birds overnight in the ponds as it is safer than to be on land - prey to the roaming coyotes and mountain lions....this last a recent park visitor.

Mount Hood and Fossil, Oregon

turn right, hands on wheel, Mount Hood

Turn right, FAST !!

Fossil is quieter !

Portland Miscellany

A Portland look...a mature one.

Go Timbers!

Reminders of the "hot" music scene.

Multicultural Portland

Chainsaw Art

To Your Health

Wilson Ranch Retreat

Outside of Fossil - in north-central Oregon

A Sears Roebuck catalogue kit house - I guess around 1920's. It was used for the ranch hands until about 10 years ago. Then bank wanted to foreclose this farm raising 400 head of beef cattle and the owners - 9th generation Oregonians decided to open a B and B with an emphasis on horseback riding. It is helping them survive. I think they have 10,000 acres. They offer a sunset ride up in the hills where no ambient light can be seen

Gentle rolling land.

Cows starting to give birth - this calf is 48 hours old.

Hattie and Felix

Breakfast with locals. As we were the only guests, they invited some of there friends for breakfast. Real characters - the lot of them. We laughed and laughed at the stories - it was a soap opera.

The Mercantile store in Fossil - a little bit of everything - bullets, tools, food, etc.

There is a field to legally - honor system fee - dig for fossils.

On to the Painted Hills , a national monument

Posing

The Coast Regardless

Eagerly awaiting a trip to Manzanita on the coast, to a 70's motel right on the beach... weather was looking promising, temps in the 50's...however.....

Where - in about 1 minute - we were soaked to the bone with driving rain - foul weather gear required. Word was that sea stars/urchins were arriving on the beach.

So... we pressed out noses against the motel sliders and imagined better days.