On the way home and the kids were arguing relentlessly about the Game Boy games, I took a moment to watch the scenery (or delve into denial, take your pick). While fully utilizing the cruise control, I snapped photos with the digital camera. I will show you a few, keep in mind, I took hundreds more, that is photography at 65 mph, there will be some lemons.
Started off in the Rogue River Valley. Didn't discover until after a rest stop that I needed to use the sports function that took pictures better while in motion. So just remember the movie "River Wild" with Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon from the 90's, it was filmed there. Very rugged country, lots of fast streams, and beautiful. I caught one picture that is okay. It has the clouds coming over the mountain. On a clear day, you see rolling mountains for miles. Stunning at sunset. I got a few.
I love the state of Oregon. I grew up in Colorado and I love it there too, but the stalker lives there. Through my amateur photo journalism, I will take you on a summary tour of Oregon, because I drove almost the whole length of it today.
I just noticed that I downloaded these in chronologically the opposite order. So feel free to start from the bottom and go up on the captions. I am thoroughly fried, and don't want to do that all over again.
Remember I said blackberries grow wild in Oregon? Here is the I-5 median covered with them. If you could see better, you would see huge blackberries dripping off of the canes. They are in full season right now.
Developers seem to ruin the landscape.
Fruit trees, one of Oregon's many harvests.
You can feel it, fruit harvest is coming soon and the farmers are getting ready. This semi has a load of fruit bins typically used for apples.
The Albany paper mill. It is smells so putrid driving through, it's disgusting.
Grape vines. Oregon's wineries are recognized world wide and have given California wineries a run for their money.
More wineries.
We are in a 50 mph section of I-5. It's hard to go from 70 to 50, but this news station did a report a few months ago about how stiff the fines were for speeding through this very section of interstate. Then this guy goes whizzing by me at about 70.
The Willamette Valley. Would love to own a farm backed up to the hills.
Once you are outside of the cities (Portland, Salem, Eugene, etc) Oregon becomes very rural and agricultural very quickly. 
It is harvest time.
Finally! Sleep! Quiet! Sleep away the grouchies!
The beginning of our trip in the Rogue River Valley. See the rolling hills through the overcast skies.
About the only decent shot I got of the hills.
A picture postcard farm.
Blackberries, everywhere. This bunch has been sprayed with poison.
Again, very rural very quickly once you're out of the city. I want to thank my good friend B, for letting myself and kids overtake her home for a couple of days. She is part of my girlfriend network, and I love her dearly. We had a great time and we'll see her again soon. Hope you got some rest today as well. Our kids really wiped each other out. Her backyard looks out across hills like these, and it adds a bit of peace to a hectic schedule. Thank you!
Also thank you to B for letting me entertain my friend, Tracy and her husband, in her home. You can link to Tracy's blog on my list of blogs. I haven't seen her in years, and have never met her husband. I have been dying to meet him and it was nothing short of an honor to meet him and enjoy their company at B's kitchen table for a few hours.
I did give both B and Tracy a bit of my harvest. Several jars of jam, blackberries and 18 eggs were divided up. And Tracy was so nice to give us some huge cucumbers and yummy cherry tomatoes. Thank you Tracy!
I told B this morning "I don't know why this trip seemed more hectic." She said it was because I was working, and I disagreed at first, but now I think she has a point. I did do some candle parties, and I am good at setting it aside, but it was just enough added onto the whole trip it did make it hectic. I have more candle parties in the future and will make a point to protect against that.
I had too much fun today watching the scenery. I will make a point to watch it going to my destination instead of heading home. I promise to let God's artistry soak in and give me a mental spa treatment instead of being a bit too task oriented.
I still had a fun trip. Thank you to those who contributed!
PS See Tracy's comment under "Proud Marine". I think the eggs were a hit.
3 comments:
AM: Great pics! You are a woman after my own heart. You really captured the flavor of Oregon pretty well.
Thank you! I know you are a picture queen as well. I take it to heart that you liked my little photo tour. It was fun and rather therapeutic.
I am impressed and a bit scared that you took all those pictures while you were driving... :o) Very nice ones of the hills. Sometimes it's easy to take the picturesque-ness of Southern Oregon for granted.
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