Sunday, November 27, 2016

Thanksgiving



As has been the custom of late, I took the week of Thanksgiving off for a little adventure.  I drive up to Salem, Oregon every year and I like to take the long way around.  My plan was the good old stand by route, Salem via Redwood and Olympic National Parks.

Mount Shasta, CA
It was not to be.

My dad had a mild heart attack the weekend before Thanksgiving and had a triple bypass on Monday.  Instead of a leisurely drive up the coast I bombed up I-5 on Sunday.

Yet another family emergency.  That seems to be all I blog about these days.

American Kestrel -- Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge, OR
On top of all the time spent in the hospital, it rained most of the time I was up there.  It wasn't the kind of rain you can just button up your jacket and go out for a hike in, either.  It dumped buckets for a good part of the time I was up there.  Pongo and I drove out to the coast anyway, but it was too wet to do anything outside.  We got some smoked salmon at Barnacle Bill's and some cheese and fudge at the Tillamook Cheese factory but stayed in the car for the rest of that afternoon trip.

Bald Eagle -- Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, OR
The Willamette Queen -- Salem, OR
Salem, OR
Actually, we had one good day for getting outside.  It was Black Friday.  Based on the crowd at Silver Falls State Park, the stores probably weren't as crowded as they have been in the past.  Dogs aren't allowed on the Canyon Trail where most of the waterfalls can be experienced, but they are allowed almost everywhere else.  I wore Pongo out hiking on some of those other trails.  Poor guy.

South Fall -- Silver Falls State Park, OR
South Fall -- Silver Falls State Park, OR
South Fall -- Silver Falls State Park, OR
There is a quarter mile trail to the Upper North Fall that dogs are allowed on, so we were able to see one of the waterfalls up close.  I took some pictures there that all turned out blurry because I couldn't keep the lens dry from the mist and the rain.

Lower North Fall -- Silver Falls State Park, OR
Lower North Fall -- Silver Falls State Park, OR
Upper North Fall -- Silver Falls State Park, OR
For the record, by dad is doing well.  He was on his feet the very next day after surgery and was at home watching John Wayne movies and football on Thanksgiving day.  He's grouchy from being bossed around, but he's just going to have to deal with that for a little while.

Silver Falls State Park, OR
Soundtrack:

  • The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
  • The Police - Message in a Box [1]
  • Pearl Jam - Ten
  • Pond - Pond
  • Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
  • Wilco - The Whole Love
  • Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

2 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about your Dad, hope he's recovering well. The misty rain shots really convey typical PNW weather.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. Dad's doing well. He's tough. One thing I can count on with those Thanksgiving trips is rain photos.

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