We have had lots of experience with water falling over the past month! Like many places, Oregon has had even more than its normal, generous annual rainfall. We dodged raindrops most of our first weeks here. The weather has been better lately and we’ve been able to get out more.
The water falling makes everything green, green and more green – with some color for good measure! Rhododendrons are prolific in the area and have been beautiful.
These pictures are from Shore Acres State Park, once a private estate. The grounds are now available for strolling and special events.
At our site, the salmonberries behind us have grown several feet in the past month. If we were here another month, the back end of our trailer might disappear!
Our bikes, covered and unused because of the rain, have sprouted their own berry shoot!
We have enjoyed hiking through old growth forests that are moss and fern laden.
Even dead trees grow again in an old growth forest!
Water falling means muddy trails. We tried to avoid it, but Elko didn’t bother!
Of course all the water falling from the sky made for spectacular waterfalls! We went on two hikes to see some remote falls. The first hike took us to Golden Falls and Silver Falls.
Golden Falls
Looking down from Golden Falls
Silver Falls
Even though Oregon State Parks are generally superb, these restrooms at the Golden and Silver Falls Trailhead were the worst we have ever seen! I thought they might be from a third world prison and Randy said they were worse than the restrooms he saw in India. The area is remote but sheesh!
The second remote hike was the Sweet Creek Trail with eleven waterfalls in 1.1 miles. This was one of the best hikes we’ve ever been on for its sheer beauty.
At the Sweet Creek Falls viewpoint I asked Randy to take the picture because he was in the corner nearest the waterfall. He climbed the fence to get even closer. I don’t usually get nervous when he does things like that because he does things like that all the time. However, this time I was very nervous because the rocks were mossy and wet. I hadn’t wanted the picture that badly!
Randy’s Sweet Creek Falls photograph
As we finish out our month volunteering near the Oregon coast, we have learned we enjoy cleaning yurts and will look to do it again in future volunteer gigs. We weren’t really “on the coast” so we had to specifically drive there if we wanted to go to the ocean. It was always worth it!
Oregon’s rugged coast. A sea lion colony is in front of the largest rocks.
A closer look at the sea lions. We’ve enjoyed the wildlife.
The human wildlife has arrived in the area for the Memorial Day Weekend! There haven’t been any RVs around this lake until the last few days. The sand vehicles run at all hours of the day and night. People seem to be having fun!
During this past week we celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary and our third anniversary of living as full time RVers!
Remember the pesky bird foe from the last blog post – the Steller’s Jay? – We got him!
Next foe up is Randy’s traitorous bladder. God willing, we’ll get it too. Treatments begin next week in Boise.
Serene Wandering 
We visited many of those waterfalls in 2008(?) when Teri and I made a visit to Oregon. Certainly some of the nicest waterfalls in the country! That restroom looks terrible. As fellow volunteers I can’t help but think “why don’t the volunteers do something about this” when I come across something like that.
We know that you are anxious to get Randy’s treatments underway and hope that all proceeds quickly and most importantly, successfully!
We have picked up trash etc. in Oregon parks that aren’t our own this month – in the spirit of volunteering – but those bathrooms were just too awful and we weren’t prepared. They just need to be bulldozed! We aren’t sure if anyone ever goes out there to check, certainly not recently!
We have enjoyed your blogs so much, especially when you are at places we have been before ourselves. Safe travels home. You and Randy and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers as Randy begins treatment.