Tell Me a Story February 2015 - The Sweetest Creek of All

 

Sweet Creek, OR is east of Florence, OR near Mapleton.  Our weather has been gorgeous so we took advantage of that and decided to go to Sweet Creek and Old Town Florence on Saturday, February 21st.  What a treat the day was.  We picked up my brother and sister in law where they camp host in Winchester Bay and headed North.  The skies were blue and it was a cool 50 something degrees. 

 

I had decided to NOT bring my tripod on this trip thus no silky waterfall photos that I love.  I also only took my 50mm 1.4 lens.  I kind of regretted not bringing my 18-200mm lens but such is life.

 

One of the falls along Sweet Creek. I stitched 6 images together to make this panoramic image.

 

 Someone put these Cairns up by the creek.  I thought it was interesting.

 

 

 

 Mushroom growing out of a tree stump.  I loved the swirly pattern on the top of the cap.

 

 My husband with his walking stick and the falls in the background.

 

 Another mushroom growing out of an old stump.

 

 This looked like a huge turtle head to me.

 

My husband walking down to my very favorite place to take photos of the creek.  There is a flat spot you can sit with your tripod and camera to the right of him when the water flow is a little less than it was this time of year.

 

Old Town Florence

 

When we were done with our hike along Sweet Creek, we decided to go walk around old town Florence and have some lunch.  We parked and starting walking towards town when out of the public parking lot came a string of old restored cars.  I'm not sure what they are, but I was able to take 3 images below.

 

We ate lunch at the Bridgewater Ocean Fresh Fish House.  It was delicious! I had the Mandarin Avocado Blue Cheese Poppy Seed Salad which was a bed of fresh romaine lettuce. Also had red onion and hazelnuts tossed with a sweet poppy seed dressing.  I chose to add chicken to my salad.  Oh my was it ever a treat! I would go eat here again and again!

 

The Kyle Building is historically the most significant building in the Florence-Mapleton area. Named after William J. Kyle, a Scotsman who came to Florence in1884, it is considered a dassic example of the false­ fronted general stores build during the early pioneering days of the West Coast. It remains virlually the same as it was when it was built in 1901.  It was added to the National Historic Registry on December 2, 1981

 

A view of the north end of the bridge over the Suislaw River on Hwy 101.



 I've never seen the draw bridge open for a boat before.  I was excited to see it and to get an image.  Suislaw River

 

Since the weather was so nice, bikers were out in force.  They were LOUD but fun to see.  Here is another old car that was parked on the street.

 

These were in front of a storefront and sun shining thru the color just captured my eye.

 

 We had a thoroughly exhausting, but fun day.  This was the view back to the parking lot.

 

 This is not my photo, but here is a photo of me and hubby.  It was taken by my sister in law, Laura with her iPhone!

 

 

 

 

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead. ~Louisa May Alcott

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Tell Me a Story January 2015

A trip to Winston Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon

 

What a fun wonderful few days with my husband, brother and sister in law!  We decided to go to Roseburg for a couple of nights and visit the waterfalls on the Umpqua River and the Winston Wildlife Safari.  I've been to the Wildlife Safari several times, but my brother and sis in law haven't.  I see something every time we go that we hadn't seen before and I always, always enjoy the animals, so that is what I decided to write my blog on this month.

 



Not my photo but a photo of the drive thru map at the Safari.  It's quite a drive and very beautiful with or without the animals!

 

 There are usually western pond turtles in this pond, but I didn't see any this time.  I did notice the reflection of the clouds in the pond and thought it beautiful!

 

Another view from the drive.

 

Our first animal was the ostrich.  Such powerful birds!

 

With UGLY feet!

 

The majestic Lion.  He would NOT look our way, almost aloof!

 

I've never thought turkeys were pretty but he had such gorgeous colors. I think it is an Ocellated Turkey

 

Watusi Cattle and Elund

 

The Southern White Rhinos were all the way up the hill facing away from us.  HOW rude!

 

 Kingfisher above the pond.

 

 Hippos laying and sleeping in the mud.  These are usually always in the water when we go here, so it was fun to see them.

 

 Some sort of Oryx?

 

 Male and Female Mallards on the pond while it was raining.

 

Another Horned Animal

 

 African Elephant with a Pretty eye!

 

This is a new water feature and it was this girl's first time in it (I can't remember her name).  The trainers were trying to bribe her with cantaloupe.  She wouldn't go in the water all the way, but did several tricks that I couldn't get photos of.

 

While we were viewing the elephant and her trainer, this Emu tried to come thru the window.  He was making funny noises and then opened his mouth wide!

 

It's feathers were beautiful!

 

A Greater Rhea laying in the grass perhaps on it's nest.  Males incubate the eggs and rearing of the chicks.

 

Giraffe with his tongue sticking out

 

 American Bison

 

 Roosevelt Elk has lost his antlers for the season.

Barbary Sheep

 

 I can't even stand on one leg while awake let alone asleep like this Egyptian Goose!

 

More turkeys

 

 Winston Wildlife Safari has the most successful breeding program in the US,

 

Partly due to Lovers' Lane.  This is the breeding area that is excluded from all public eye.

 

 Wanna head to lovers' lane big boy?

 

No? Sigh

 

This was interesting. It was a picked over carcass in the cheetah's enclosure.

 

Next came the regal tiger! And that was the end of the drive-thru safari part!

 

Once again not my photo. It's a map of the Wildlife Village, which is a walk thru little zoo.  Tons of fun too!

 

The Wildlife Safari also has 1 cheetah in the walk thru village so you can see him up close.

 

Cute little Cotton-top Tamarin

 

 These little guys had the cutest faces!  They are Geoffroy's Marmosets

 

 Ringtail Lemurs

 

Wallaroo

 

 There were two mountain lions in the enclosure and they were growling!  I'm glad I wasn't in there with them. I think they wanted to eat us!

 

 Bobcat

 

The Maned Wolf has often been describes as a "red fox on stilts".

 

There were many many more animals, but I've gone over the 15 allowed photos here.  I'm sorry it's so long, but I just could not decide on 15. Hope you enjoy my little "safari" at Winston Wildlife Safari.

 

 

 

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.

~James Herriot

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Stacey Markel Photography | Maryland Family & Child Photographer