MorseBlog

During her last visit (see previous posting), Vicki and I headed out for a weekend trip camping on the coast. She had seen the coast on other trips before but always the northern sections more accessible from Portland. Now we had time to see points further south. We drove from Hillsboro to Lincoln City and Newport. From there she was in fresh territory. Tide Out at Siletz Bay The day was clear but cold and windy. We stopped to see the estuary of the Siletz river at Lincoln City. The tide was out and on the distant sand bar seals were sunning themselves. This is called Whale cove. This is where the sandstone bluffs and basalt meet for some interesting color contrasts. Seals Lazing in the Sun Sea stars and mussels At the Driftwood house you learn how to dream... Beach We stopped at the Siltcoos river which is one of my favorite places. It is a short river that runs through the dunes from Siltcoos lake before breaking out to the ocean. On past trips I have seen salmon in this river and ha...

Vicki came for a visit the week of Sept 17th. I scheduled a an overnight horseback ride at the Flying M Ranch near Yamhill, OR. The Flying M I had heard about before but had not visited despite its proximity to Yamhill where I lived in my farm before my divorce. It has been owned byt the same family for years and has a kind of quirky hospitality where friends, family, and neighbors mix with the guests. If you are interested in a typical hotel/resort experience you won't find it. It is more like being invited over to visit a family you don't know. Flying M Ranch The Ranch is based in the Yamhill river valley at the base of the local mountains. The North fork of the Yamhill river runs through the property. The proprietors are Barbara and Bryce Mitchell whose family lived in the area since 1922. Flying M Ranch Aerial View (click to enlarge) Here is an aerial view with the building at the top of the image the Main building seen in the photo above and the stables are at the bottom. ...