We spent a day with Paula bumming around. She took us out to Diamondville, Frenchglen and to the Riddle Brothers old ranch. This is WAY south and east in Oregon. When we left Burns Harney Lake was encroaching its way toward Burns. It is an alkali lake so it leaves “stuff” in its path. like destroying farms and ranches. Since we left it raised several more feet then has nearly dried up now.
We toured all around there. One of the places we stopped was the Petye French Round Barn. Pete French was a cattle baron in the late 1880's in SE Oregon. Pete built the barn to train large teams of horses that pulled freight wagons over a nearby wagon route.
The structure, which is 100 feet in diameter, has a circular 60-foot inner corral surrounded by a 20-foot track used for the horse training during the winter. Juniper posts and an umbrella-shaped center truss-like structure rise from inside the corral to support the roof. What a cool place.
We then stopped at the visitor Center, The center pole is a huge juniper. I didn't realize juniper came that big. :) Paula's ex created it as well as a couple of other novel items: a township sign and a mailbox. |
| Paul and the manager of the Visitor Center |
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| Ken and I setting in the "hands". |
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| A juniper mail box! Look at that swirl!! |
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| I would be SOOOO upset if I'd driven out there and it was CLOSED!! |
What a wonderful day we had seeing new places and thinking about HOW isolated these were. White Lightening? hmmmmm?
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