A'Hunting We Will Go

Coming down off Promise - no luck for 'shroom or wildlife.





Of course we started the hunt in earnest the next day.   Went out Powatka and on down to the river then up Eden Bench.  The road down is one switchback after another.

And there they are on Eden Bench......too early for babies though.

BUT NO MUSHROOMS!

Eden Bench from Powatka Ridge


And we live to hunt another day!

More Chasing of the Goose

Well we finally found a few mushrooms but it was hard picking.  This was a few hundred yards of the trail at the head of the lake.  Wiley even got in on the action.

Then we went down the Imnaha; found a fish weir (I guess) and Dave figured the whole thing out.

There are still snow drifts in the county.  The dogs liked to wrestle on this little one.  They weren't sure what snow actually is.

The Upper Valley looking toward the wilderness.

Then on to the north side of the county.  Looking down from the Powatka Ridge.

The narrow steep grade down Powatka for the final descent to the river.

On Eden Bench. An old orchard.

A little way down the road we DID find mushrooms as well as more scenery.

Wiley loves to look out the open window.  He's beginning to think he's a big dog.

And then I drove pellmell into a rotten snow drift.  Actually on purpose - There were two of us.  And after a few tense minutes we headed on until  we found a "huger" snowdrift.

And then we turned around and went all the way back to Troy then up Buford to Enterprise and home.  Thanks Dave for the pull.

Moving Norther

We had a good time at Elk Hollar but it was time to move to Wallowa County.  Maybe there'll be mushrooms over there.  Thanks Wes and Cindy for allowing us to crash at your spot.  We loved it!

Darn! No mushrooms here.  But we did have a nice walk.

This picture is for the Sista Linda.  Deb and I are sure she could come up with something artsy fartsy with them.

Dave and Deb left the day before us to meet other friends in Union.  We had arranged for Ken's neice Marilyn to come visit.  We have seen her for almost 20 years.  Man!  She does look like her Dad, Bob, Ken's brother.

We had a great visit!

And then it was time to pull out.  Ken was at the "hand direction" center of the operation.  I drove through two sets of trees to get turned around and hook up the trailer.  Hey!  I missed the trees by about 6" on each side.  Yup!  The brain is back working quite nicely \ken.

There's a nice little RV Park right by Union Hot Springs where we found Dave/Deb/Pat/Ward.  Visited a little, took  a couple of pictures and headed on to Wallowa.

                                                          Deb, the tour guide!

In LaGrande we landed at Ken's sister, Grace.  Don was washing the side of the house and not really getting the job done.  Ken was tickled to get the Awesome and watch it come right off.

And on to Wallowa

The Landing Spot - The First Week

Shoot I wanted to have 3 panoramas of  Elk Hollar but the moon is almost full and I think I won't be able to include the current elk herd that passes through grazing.  

So I'll just post this and hope I can get a better one.  

Austin Unity Hereford Circle Tour

Headed out to do a circle of Austin-Unity-Hereford and back over Dooley Mountain.  Dooley Mountain I've just found out is popular with motorcycle riders as it has 188 turns on it.  Well maybe it does include down the river.

Forgot to say there is a new member in the group: Hugh M Stick 008  (remind one of the road in Boise called Ustick???  Deb's hard of hearing)

Anyway Hugh had his coffee and was ready to rumble.  Dave drove the pkup with me/Deb in the back and Ken navigating.

We've been trying to tell D/D how, where the mushrooms might be found: beside old rotten dead and down trees, in old burn piles, on old skid trails where the dirts been messed no too long ago, etc.  So we stopped a coupld of time before we got to Austin to go out on mushroom forays.  Yes we knew it was too early.  Yes we knew it was too cold.  You have to start sometime.

Me?  I stayed up on the highway to be the photographer.

Well it was a nice walk anyway.

When we got back to the pkup Hugh was a bit grumbly so we told him to quit whining and sit the window like a good guy.  He seems to be much happier being able to look ou both the front AND the back.  No - that purple bag isn't full of Crown Royal it's full with a pool stick holder.

Stopped at the spring below Austin to get some fresh water.  Still as good and cold as it's always been.

It's been many years since I've been inside Austin.  They've really cleaned it up and it's a cute little historical spot on Highway 7.  For sale if you're interested.

The bar's been there since the 1800's.



However that wasn't as surprising as the makeover at the Waterhole in Unity.  You could have knocked me down with a feather.  Upgraded and updated into a cute cafe, bar, town hangout.  Kimela Koontz (sorry don't know her married name) owns it now and we had a very nice lunch.  Saw Eddie June Greenwood - sure didn't recognize her after all these years.  She knew I look familiar but didn't recognize me either.
Dave found just the thing for us pool players.  A stick with a scope on it.  :)  We'll see about that.

The drive down the valley was pretty but alas I took no pictures.  You'll have to go back to 2010 to see them.  Cranky old Biddy I am I am!!