Coast Guard Training on a Cold River

Astoria, Oregon ~ December 14, 2011

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Red-breasted Sapsucker

Jewell Meadows, Oregon ~ December 3, 2011

Here's another of the critters living in Jewell Meadows besides the elk seen in an earlier post. I couldn't have told you what a sapsucker was until I looked it up, but a sapsucker is a kind of woodpecker. The "woodpecker" part I could have guessed. Take a look at his handiwork on that tree! The red-breasted sapsucker lives all along the West Coast of North America from the southern tip of Alaska to Baja California in Mexico.

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Saloon and Store in Olney

Olney, Oregon ~ December 3, 2011

The gas pumps at this store probably saved our tails on the way back to Astoria from elk-watching near Jewell. We were so enthralled with the scenery and conversation we weren't paying attention. . . . I'm sure many of my readers know this place.

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Gray Day

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 21, 2011

Although I took this photo on November 21st, it could almost be today. After days of cold sunshine, it's been raining and everything outside my window is deep gray. 

I don't mind, but I had thought of taking product photos today for my online store, and the lighting didn't cooperate. My overhead "daylight" fluorescent does a pretty good job, but it helps to have some light from the window. I guess I'll take the day off and get the photos another time.

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Craig W. Holznagel Memorial Wayside

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area, Oregon ~ December 3, 2011

Of course, this beautifully-situated tree with Saddle Mountain in the background is what first caught my attention. It's an idyllic setting, and we have a chance to see Saddle Mountain from the side opposite the one usually seen from the Astoria area. 

Then I noticed there was something beneath the tree. In its scenic and exclusive location is a memorial to Craig W. Holznagel who died at the age of 42. The plaque indicates that he must have loved the elk here. The text told me that the plaque was a collaboration between Craig's family, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation. I figured I could learn more about Craig when I got home and looked him up online. Not so. The only places where I found his name either wanted to charge $39.95 for information that might not be relevant or a monthly fee for something similar.

With such a prominent memorial, I thought there should be more. Can any of you help me with this? I'll post the information on this blog and Craig will be able to be discovered from today forward. Thanks!

By the way, I've added some links to the post about the Chinese junk, Flying Dragon.

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Chinese Junk: Colorful Boat, Colorful History

Astoria, Oregon ~ December 4, 2011

While it's unusual to see a Chinese junk on the Astoria waterfront, it's not the first time this little fishing sailboat has been here. Details of the junk, Flying Dragon, can be seen in this ad as she is shown and described for potential buyers.

Thanks to info from Joanne Rideout, the Commodore Hotel, Elleda Rhiannon Wilson, Twitter, and Facebook, I learned that the boat was rescued off of Clatsop Spit by the Coast Guard on Monday after the junk had taken on an awfully big drink of the ocean.

Both of the links below are fascinating and full of information. The podcast link will tell you more about the Flying Dragon and The Ship Report is always a great source of info about current shipping events.

. The Ship Report podcast by Joanne Rideout

. The Ship Report Web site by Joanne Rideout.

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Roosevelt Elk

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area, Oregon ~ December 3, 2011

Our local Roosevelt elk are certainly among nature's most majestic creatures. Almost the size of domestic cows, they are quite a bit larger than deer. Check out the video on this page to see them in action and listen to a description of the reserve. We did not see the herd of hundreds described - only a dozen or fewer were grazing the area on the day we were there, but I have seen them in huge herds much nearer home. Only about five miles down the road they used to congregate on the land that has now become Home Depot, Costco, and Goodwill, among other big boxes. I've also seen them near the airport and the UPS office just across Youngs Bay. Here the elk would swim in the bay around the fencing and get inside the fenced area to graze. It was quite a sight.

I haven't been out to UPS or the airport recently. Does anyone know if the elk still congregate there since the new stores have come in?

There are several places in Oregon along certain highways where you can pull into a viewing area and watch the herds forming in the evenings. As it turned out, we had a beautiful day on which to enjoy elk-watching. Not the least of my enjoyment was the beauty of the area with its back-lit bright-green mossy trees.

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Jewell Meadows

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area, Oregon ~ December 3, 2011

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Munching on Brunch

Astoria, Oregon ~ December 2, 2011

Yesterday I posted a photo of a newly-arrived bufflehead duck. Today I'm watching the mallards feeding. This female has just found a yummy morsel under the water and hauled it up. Shortly after I took this picture, the tide was out far enough that the ducks could stand on the concrete and nibble without dunking their heads.

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First Bufflehead

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 28, 2011

I don't know when our winter friends, the bufflehead ducks, are supposed to arrive here, but this was the first one I've noticed this year. It's not the first one I've posted on this blog. For more buffleheads, click on the label below. 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.