Whirlwind Visit

Weather Update for 27 July – 4 July

High Temp.: 91.6

Low: 61.2

Humidity: 86% - 14%

Rain: Zip

Cheryl's News from Camp Webegone

30 June 2015

Guests arrive!

Theresa and Phil land in Natural Bridge Campground, visit, and stay overnight in site 16. They brought gold: fresh blueberries and homemade pesto sauce. The pesto sauce we ate with gusto over noodles. Leftover olive oil from the pesto sauce we drizzled over bread. Exquisitisimo! 

Phil, Terry, and Rich

I managed to save a few blueberries for pancakes, very yummy. The rest disappeared quickly down our gullets. Short life expectancy for both the blueberries and pesto.

Rich and I also took them on a mini-tour visiting Natural Bridge and the Rogue Gorge. Then, in less than 24 hours since their arrival, they head out. A whirlwind visit, to be sure, but great fun for us. And you can't beat visitors coming bearing gold.

Rogue Gorge

By the way, Campsite 16 in Natural Bridge Campground is ranked as one of the top ten campsites in Oregon.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2008/07/camping_oregon_top_10_tent_sit.html

From Kittens to Tadpoles

Rich's News from Camp Webegone

July 1, 2015

For those who have been following along, you may remember that last year we rescued some kittens. Well, this year we are rescuing tadpoles...

Tadpoles

When I was growing up outside Grants Pass, the area was filled with various sumps and pools that frogs loved. I can remember seeing the eggs and watching the tadpoles. But I have realized that I did not have any guidance while exploring the natural phenomenons that surrounded me.  In those days the only natural exploration and experimentation was the usual kind of cruelty administered often by young boys. I don't remember doing anything cruel myself, but I certainly did have friends who did. And frogs were an easy target.

So as I experience this place now, I regret that I did not have guidance that might have opened my mind to the miracles around me. Without that guidance, as I grew up, I soon abandoned those explorations of the wilds. And it is only now that I am recovering what I think is my natural curiosity.

Getting Water

Each day I get the opportunity to observe a new bird or mushroom or bug. Some we can identify like the pilated woodpecker, but many we cannot. How do you distinguish a white fir from a grand fir? And there, what a gorgeous beetle, and what bird sings that beautiful song?

The diversity here is thrilling, and in being here I slowly reclaim some of that curiosity and awe from my childhood.

Adding Water

But to get back to tadpole rescue. On one of our journeys to watch the water ouzels, we came across a small pool of water. It was the only standing pool on the lava flow that still had water - after this long, hot summer. And inside that pool are lots of tadpoles.

We started to watch them each time we came up, and soon realized that the pool (which is at most 2 ft. wide) was losing water. So we have been getting river water and filling the pool. We missed one day, and the pool was very depleted when we arrived the next day, and I am sure we lost half of the tadpoles. But the remaining tadpoles are now developing legs, and we hope that they get a chance to fully develop into frogs. 

Meanwhile the ouzel nest is now silent, and we hope they survived their introduction to air and water. We cross our fingers.

Late Update: Alas, alack, last visit to the little pool of tad poles and the water was gone..... Dang....

When does a tree become a log?*

Cheryl's News from Camp Webegone 


*A tree that falls of its own volition is known as a downed tree.
A tree that is cut or sawn down is called a felled tree.

Downed or felled trees become logs when they are sawed into smaller sections.

Thanks to the Prospect librarian, who comes from many generations of loggers, for the answer to this question. 


About 9 PM, as I am putting away the outdoor kitchen, I hear the unmistakable crack, crackle, creak, crack sounds of a tree in the process of falling.  The noise is loud and close.

I freeze.

Looking up to scan the tree tops for movement, praying that I don't see any. Praying that the tree is not going to fall into our camp.

Big THUMP! The ground vibrates.

But, whew! It wasn't a tree near our camp. Still obviously somewhere close, though. Rich and I jump on our bikes and go in search of the downed tree, very much hoping all camps and campers are okay.

Everyone was. As it turned out, the tree fell across the road, I estimate about 200 yards from our camp. It didn't hit anything. The prevailing emotion of the campers is excitement mixed with relief that everyone is okay.

The next morning, I went out to examine the tree. And I discovered that the tree had broken off about 3' from its base, its core totally rotten. The culprit is a conk fungus. Our mushroom book does not include this particular species, so it remains unnamed for now.

Forest Service personnel aptly call it a “cow pie” conk.

May Blooms

Cheryl's News from Camp Webegone

Last summer there was a large variety of blooming flowers all during the season at Natural Bridge Campground, unusual for the area. This was a result of increased rainfall during the winter and spring that year. And while I was at Camp Webeback, I couldn't help but wonder what this year's summer blossoms would be like, how much there would be if there wasn't all that rain.

But upon arriving in camp, it was clear that a lot of rain had fallen during this winter and spring, as well. Lush greenery all around, and the campground was laced with vole trails. Voles ruffle the surface of the earth as they tunnel around seeking worm snacks or - optimistically - a night crawler for dinner.

Rain = worms = voles. And thus, conversely, if you see vole tracks, it means there's worms, which means there was rain. We will be blessed with bountiful blooms again this year.

A lot of plants bloomed in May. I have pictures of 15 different plants. Here are my favorites.

Dogwood

Iris

Solomon's Seal

(Slipper Flower)

Vanilla Leaf

Wild Strawberry

Sometime I would like to come up in April to view the trilliums in bloom. There are a few precious such plants in camp.