September Remembered

Though it is officially fall now...

it still feels like summer. 

Can I still call it Indian summer?

We are waiting for rain!

It has been three months since we have had any significant rainfall.

The last of the corn fields are being harvested as I post this.

Some fields are looking rather parched.

We are always thankful for the help of friends come harvest time.

It takes a village to run all the equipment!

This handsome fellow and his friends had a 'hay day' in the corn field that lies next to the mountain.

The neighbour took drone pic's...

so we knew who was doing all the damage.

 

This flattened patch of corn was over half and acre in size.

Early in September we packed up the RV for a visit to the Oregon coast...

and I recorded our adventure on a separate blog post.

It was a good way to end the camping season 2022.

Tim (son-in-law) had an adventure of a lifetime this month.

He cycled over two of the highest passes in the world in the Himalayas of northern India,

as part of a team of six riders who were raising funds for Himalayan Life.

Cycling the Khardung La Pass at 18,380 ft and Chan La at 17,586 ft was not ' a piece of cake'...

but they all made it! 

September 11th is a date to remember for more reasons than one over here.

Grandpa (Dad, Elmer) had a birthday and we gathered the gang to celebrate.

September 14, 2022 would have been my dad's 100th birthday.

He left us a little too soon...

but he is not forgotten.

Dad had an amazing cactus plant for years and wanted us to all to have a piece of it.

On his 100th birthday...

we gave each of our children (his grands) a thriving cactus...

from those he had propagated.

The one pictured here that sits in my front entry is a two-year old descendant of his original plant.

Our smiling happy-go-lucky Maggie is fourteen.

Always on the go...

never one to complain...

she is a joy!

Carol, Darlene and myself.

We go back a long way...

graduating from high school together in 1970.

Life took us all on different paths and we have only been together once in all the years since.

Since we were all celebrating milestone birthdays this year...

we made plans to meet up in Osoyoos.

Last week Carol and I took a road trip to the Okanagan in her little 'Daisy'...

and met up with Darlene there.

We had such a great time together...

picking up where we left off...

sight-seeing, shopping, visiting wineries, playing games.

Eating, laughing, reminiscing.

'Friends are friends forever..

if the Lord's the Lord of them.'

Our friend Vi had planned to join us as well but was unable to because of a recent surgery.

Since she lives less than two hours from where we were staying...

we drove out to see her one day.

Since today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation...

it seems appropriate to end with this photo of a beautiful metal sculpture at the Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos.

And that was how September played out over here.

Happy Autumn!

The Oregon Coast in September

The Oregon coastline includes 365 miles of windswept beauty.  We had been to a few spots along the coast in the past but decided to spend a week there earlier this month. 

And we are so glad we did!

Our first stop was Astoria...

a lovely port city at the mouth of the Columbia River...

which is also a cruise ship terminal.

It happens to be the oldest city in the state of Oregon...

founded in 1811.

We had fish and chips on a pier...

where we watched sea lions in the waters below.

We could see the Megler bridge in the distance.

At 6,545 meters, it is the longest continuous tress bridge in North America.

It was completed in 1966...

replacing the ferry service which was the only link to Washington State

Such beauty.

Ecola State Park.

Nehalem Bay State Park...

our home base for our visit.

With miles of sand beaches...

...dunes to climb 

...and trails to cycle,

it was a good choice.

Our visit to Cape Meares Lighthouse was a bit of a disappointment as the fog rolled in that morning.

 

By the time we reached Oceanside (a few miles to the south),

the fog had lifted.

We stopped at Three Arch Rocks...

a national wildlife refuge.

Each of the three rocks seen in the distance is an arch.

The refuge is home to many seabirds.

We drove the 'Three Capes Scenic Loop' stopping here and there along the way.

Who knew Oregon had two Haystack Rocks?

This is the lesser known one at Cape Kiwanda,

just north of Pacific City.

I hiked to the top of the sand dune at Cape Kiwanda...

...for amazing views.

It was worth the half-mile climb up sand!

We stopped by Tillamook Creamery for ice-cream...

along with hundreds of others who also thought that was a good idea! 

I can recommend their salted caramel ice-cream!

And then there was Cannon Beach...

...with its famous haystack rock.

We spent an afternoon there...

...watching the kite fliers and the castle builders.

Back at our campsite...

we had visitors daily. 

The deer were right at home...

...and we bumped into elk a few times along the trail. 

The Oregon coast sunsets were amazing!

Waves of sand.

Our northern Oregon coast adventure was the perfect way to end the camping season for 2022.

I decided to give my Oregon memories a separate post.

Stay tuned for my September monthly re-cap...

coming soon.