Walla Walla Ponderings

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Comings and Goings

Cougar sighting closes Walla Walla nature trail © Diane B. Reed

Big excitement in our neighborhood when a cougar was spotted last Friday on the Blue Mountain Audubon trail at Fort Walla Walla Park, less than a mile from us. Cougars occasionally make an appearance in town, though generally they don't seem to stay long enough to become a problem. In a way, it's not surprising that one would show up at the park, which encompasses a fair amount of acreage and features a deer herd that seems to make a circuit between the park, the defunct Blue Mountain Mall (they actually bed down inside some of the partially constructed buildings) and Mill Creek. Haven't heard of any more sightings since then, but that doesn't mean he/she is not around. It's just part of living near wide open spaces and the Blue Mountains - cougars, moose, coyotes, turkeys and other critters.

Pine Siskins and House Finches © Diane B. Reed

There was a flock of Cedar Waxwings hanging out on the island in the pond today. They darted between the snag and the Cottonwoods stretching up Garrison Creek. We haven't seen many of them this summer, but now it's the time of year when things are changing daily, a time of transition from summer to fall. Birds are migrating, stopping by the bird feeder and the pond as they make their way to their winter homes.

All that bird activity led to an exciting encounter right in our own back yard. We were enjoying sitting out in our chairs overlooking the pond. A flock of Pine Siskins were on the feeder and the ground close by. A few doors down we noticed that a large bird had landed on the roof of a neighbor's house, right next to a standpipe. Mildly interesting, but the binoculars were in the house so we ignored it. Turning away from the sunset's reflection on the pond, I was astonished to see a large bird with wings outspread heading straight toward me. I ducked as he passed inches over my head. My husband said that a small bird had just flown by with what turned out to be a hawk in hot pursuit. Apparently the hawk was so intent on his prey that he simply saw me as an object to fly over, not a person. I'm not sure who was more surprised, me or the hawk!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Jubilee Lake

We finally made it to Jubilee Lake in the Umatilla National Forest in the Blue Mountains of Oregon. Although it's not that far from home, we had never been there. Getting there involves a fair stretch of gravel road, but it's well worth the trip. The lake, which the Forest Service created by damming Mottet Creek in the late 1960s, is popular for swimming, fishing, and non-motorized boating including kayaking and canoeing. It's high up in the Blues at 4,824 feet so it's a popular spot in the heat of the summer.

There is a large campground at the lake and a number of picnic sites for day use. We had thought that it might be a nice place to camp for a weekend. But our day trip to the lake changed our mind. We were dismayed to see trash all over the place in the parking lot and in the picnic area. A walk along the lake trail became an exercise in dodging dog excrement. When we were trying to enjoy our picnic dinner at a picnic table a loose dog ran over, jumped on us and stole some of our food. So while the lake is a beautiful spot, we've taken it off our list of potential camping spots. We'd rather go over to Wallowa Lake State Park, a beautiful and well-managed campground.

Why do people think that its okay to throw trash all over the place? And why do some dog owners believe that the leash laws (including the one posted at Jubilee Lake) don't apply to them? And why do they think that they can just let their dogs defecate anywhere and they don't have to clean it up? And can't they understand that not everyone wants to have a strange dog jump on them and steal their food?

So enjoy these pictures, but keep in mind they don't show the garbage, loose dogs, or the excrement. It's a shame, because it's otherwise a beautiful spot.