July in Photos and a Surprise

Too busy to blog, as usual in the short summers of Grand Ronde, Oregon, so here are photos of some of what's been happening...
One of our Black Oystercatcher sites is at Hart's Cove. Above Johnny stands part way up the long trail-less meadow that must be traversed after the first three miles of steep trail. Below friend Carol, who joined us on the hike last week, celebrates the view at the bottom of the meadow.














A stream crossing on the trip back provides a welcome photo op... and chance to rest.

Friend Michael stands beside a huge Sitka Spruce on one of our more adventurous Black Oystercatcher trail sites shortly after the Hart's Cove hike.



Sometimes we find sea lions instead of Black Oystercatchers.


But, believe it or not, we spend most of our time on the farm, working. This photo was taken on a tansy and bull thistle digging mission. And also searching for Nightingale's grazing muzzle, which she tends to lose frequently. Sometimes I ride Mr. Smith around looking for it. The lovely cinder block building is the well house that started my obsession with split face cinder block foundations on all our buildings.

Once in awhile, I get time to weed the roses, which are lovely in July. This floriferous beauty is Playboy.




And always there's work in the garden: hoeing, weeding, watering...




But then we're off again to the coast... Friend Michael took this one of Johnny and me today as peeping toms, watching Black Oystercatchers on an offshore rock. Johnny is perched on a log. I'm buried in Salal.


Later today Johnny and I hiked Cascade Head but found none of our birds. Our consolation prize was this field of foxglove.



Often the day is crowned with a dramatic summer sunset, as it was this evening... followed by thunder and lightning...


And always the day begins and ends with feeding the horses...













And milking and feeding the goats. Tonight, however, there was a surprise in the goat barn: two, actually. While we were off at the coast, monitoring Black Oystercatchers, Ebony, whom I had forgotten I'd run with the buck for a time, had twins. Fortunately, the doeling and buckling were both fine, fed, and looking like they'd been around for a week. The buckling is fast asleep in this photo, behind his mom and sister. Maybe I should stay home more and watch the calendar?