The John Day Painted Hills

The last part of our journey, but certainly not least of the John Day Fossil Beds tour was the Painted Hills.  Actually it was the very best part.  There are a several hikes to view the area.  Of course, I had to hike them to make sure I didn't miss anything.  LET NO GOOD HIKE GO UNHIKED! I had heard that the best time of day to view the hills is at sunset and that proved to be true.  It is as if the waning sunlight magically intensifies the colors with each passing minute.

Breathtaking

A close up view of the popcorn soil

Resting waiting for sunset

The most ordinary looking hills in the distance belie the intensity that is beneath. Time and weathering reveal the magnificent colors that are beneath the surface. 





 

Sun setting on a smokey sky

A restful stop at the Spray Motel in the Elk room

Local Farmers create their own 'fossils'

A stop to view a sculpture made of horseshoes in Ritzville, WA

Power of the Past

Outside of Baker City, Oregon was an unexpected sight.  It is not listed on any travel brochures nor found on the internet.  It was purely a drive by that beckoned me back for a closer look.  Yet it pulled at my historical heart strings in a way that many 'tourist attractions' never could. Right there on the side of the road in a farmers field, I found .....

                 The place where old ranch and farm equipment go to die.
 

            
                  

The hay stacker lifted the bales against  the stack brace to store for winter when a barn was  not available. 

Farmers and ranchers depended on horses and oxen to do the farming and ranching chores.  Without hay through the winter months the animals would die.  The interdependence between the farmers, ranchers and animals they kept, was undeniable.

Off in the distance the Chuch wagons were needed for feeding cowboys when moving the cattle.







The work was hard, the tribulations great, and the early pioneers were weary at the days end.  The Elixir wagon made regular rounds through local towns to sell the 'medicines' of the day.  (Click on the picture to enlarge it for better viewing)

KickAPoo Juice Wagon

Seeders, cultivators, thrashers, combines, and harvesters,  they were all first horse or oxen drawn and eventually powered by steam engines.


To my surprise there in the middle of equipment graveyard was a living tribute to the backbone of the past, the horses and oxen who came before him.

Sorry buddy - No carrots today!

The machinery graveyard's humble caretakers cottage....

The JunkIt or FixIt Ranch

You can see them working in the fields.... you can here the cattle calling...you can feel the history in the air.   

     In the place that old ranch and farm equipment went to die.

Escape to the Wallowa Mountains, Part 1

Life can is stressful and it is a time for a much needed escape.  Its not exactly like traveling when full timing since timetables dictate the agenda.  But it was a needed reprieve from the stresses of living with a child with challenging behaviors and getting a house ready for sale. 

The Wallowa Mountains in North Eastern Oregon are a mere 213 miles from Spokane where I have lived most of my life, yet a place that I have never been.  It is a place rich with Native American and pioneer history waiting to be explored.

 So my Auntie and I set out for a four day adventure.  The first half of our journey winds easily through the farmland of the Washington Palouse.  Is is a wonderful scenic drive through rolling hills ripe  for harvest.

Amber Waves of Grain

The road down the grade into Lewiston, Idaho and beyond was my first trip pulling my little Lolita up and down (and around hairturns) on mountain grades.  My Ford Explorer and Lolita handled the journey superbly.

Up, Up, Up, Down Down Down,  with no shoulders or guard rails!

 This was repeated over and over again.  Sometimes I just plain scared myself!  I scared Auntie too!  We rolled along sometimes at 20 miles per hour.  So the 213 miles took us six hours.  MapQuest you really ought to check that out.  Once again you lead me a stray!

Joseph Canyon

As a firm believer in stopping at historical markers we did find some along the way.  Can you imagine leading a band of Native Peoples or a wagon train of pioneers through this rugged country?  It is thought that Chief Joseph was born in a cave during the winter below this spot.
  




  After the up, up, up, and down, down, down,  many times we see our first view of the Wallowa Mountains. It is mid August and snow and glaciers are still visible on the mountain peaks.


 

I have made it my mission to learn life lessons by doing them wrong first. Then, I am sure to remember the lesson from the 'mistake' when I finally get it right.  When heading out on this impulsive trek, I neglected to  check what might be going on in Joseph, Oregon.  Well that turned out to be a wonderful learning opportunity.  We were joined in Joseph, Oregon by 20,000 other visitors to the Annual Bronze Blues and Brews Concert.  Lesson Learned....

So of course, finding a place to park Lolita became a bit of a problem.  Finally we pulled in to a little motel/RV park ran by a character of a man.  Auntie and I met a couple who took us to find the owner who found us a spot and even parked Lolita.  We had a grand time laughing and drinking coffee.
 

     

   






Views of Wallowa Lake

Lots of tame dear.
Momma wasn't happy though with the stare down.

Stayed tuned for more Wallowa Mountains travels....... tomorrow. 
                                         zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz