Quiet night on the train after an hour late start. We got good seats in the front of a car near the back of the train. That means extra legroom and less foot traffic at night after dining and snack cars close. In the morning we were awake before the sun came over the Cascades and saw a little snow on the north slope of Mt. Shasta. It's dry every where in the middle of what has become a year round fire season. It's hazy in the distance near the town of Weed as one would expect with a name like that.
Farther north I can recognize the Klamath valley by the large green irrigated fields, wrecked vehicles and trailers. Nice to enjoy a little LTE cell phone coverage while passengers pile out for the "fresh air" break. The next one won't come until Eugene on the other side of the mountains in the Willamette valley. The air was way too smokey to be considered fresh though, especially around the small community of Oakridge we passed through.
Train time gives one time to relax and think. If I was hanging on to a steering wheel there would be little time to look around. From high over head in a plane the view below would be limited to cloud cover, smoke, and specks on the ground. No way then to get a feel for the terrain and things altering the landscape mostly in view at all times.
Right now I'm thinking about a wolf named OR-7 or "Journey" who made history by trekking into California several years back for a return that was nearly 100 years in the making. We are passing through the same part of Oregon where that wolf spent a lot of time. Wandering in and out of California while logging thousands of miles in search of a mate, this wolf got international attention while hardly ever being seen or detected and yet doing what wolves do. Back in Oregon last year another surprise happened in the general area we are now. A mystery wolf turned up and they produced at least 3 young pups and started a pack that could repopulate California too. Those of us who worked on wolf conservation and management saw this coming but not so fast. Nature is full of surprises. The mystery wolf wasn't known in Oregon where wolves in the few established packs are tracked by radio collars. She may have fled the heavy hunting pressure in nearby Idaho where there is a very different approach to wildlife conservation.
We were soon beyond the large range of mountains that separates Oregon from California in many ways. We next got a close look at the agriculture and range lands that are the heart of the Willamette valley and Oregon. As we stopped for fresh air in Eugene I remembered getting off here with bikes and baby Lennon a few years back on a 600 mile fall ride through the same valley up to Portland to visit Rowan & Katie and then over to Astoria and down the coast to Florence before heading back inland to Eugene. What a trip that was and eye-opening how families with young children could travel and camp by bike. Elle and family have since raised that bar significantly.
Right now we are traveling a very familiar path at the beginning of this trip. Hey, what happened?
"Tunnel!"One always shouts that when it suddenly goes dark on a train. Try that on a plane sometime. It can work in a car but only when you are traveling with friends. Otherwise the drivers around you may swerve unsafely.
Where was I? Oh yes this part of the trip is familiar and so are our thoughts. As we continue on there will be a lot more questions and quickly scribbled bits of information.
We arrived just in time for Rowan to pick us up after their farmers market ended. Back on the farm, baby Ella has grown and changed some since our last visit a month and a half ago and we could see many new projects and additions elsewhere too. Playing with Ella while we help with chores came back naturally and we were soon enjoying a dinner of tamales and farm salad with everyone. Of course tomorrow starts early with tasks to do for all so it quiets down quickly afterwards. We are on a farm you know.
A "new"60+ year old dozer to grade around the barn for a new grant and lots more
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