Red Butte Mountains

Peggy and I arrived home from our three month to this thunderhead hanging over the Red Butte Mountains. The view is from our patio.

Peggy and I arrived home from our three-month trip around North America to see this thunderhead hanging over the Red Butte Mountains. The view is from our patio.

When Peggy and I returned from re-tracing my bike route, we were more than happy to hang out at our home in the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon. The wildlife entertained us and the surrounding country provided scenic views. It wasn’t until fall that we returned to our wandering ways with short trips to the coasts of Northern California and Oregon.

We finished off our year with a trip to Connecticut to visit our son Tony and his family, and North Carolina to visit our daughter Tasha and her family. In between we worked in a trip to Boston. There is a lot of good blog material! Right now I am sitting in Google’s Charlotte, North Carolina office where our son-in-law Clay works. One of my blogs will be on what it means to be a Googler and be Googley. I find the company fascinating!

Another view from our patio. The clouds frequently provide us wit beautiful sunsets.

Another view from our patio. The clouds often provide beautiful sunsets.

The mood changes dramatically when the mountain mists roll in. The Applegate River runs through the canyon.

The Applegate River showing its fall colors on a sunny day.

And fall colors in the Upper Applegate Valley.

On the opposite end, a pair of bucks go at it in preparation for mating season. I face my writing chair so I can see all of our back yard action and keep a camera handy!

Fall is when the bucks go at it in preparation for mating season. I face my writing chair so I can see all of our back yard action. I keep a camera handy!

And I am sure that most of you remember Little Buck. "Does anyone have an apple?"

And I am sure that most of you remember this photo of Little Buck. “Does anyone have an apple?” He was December on our Family Calendar.

Whipped cream, anyone. If you've never see sea foam whipped up by a stormy sea, that might be your first thought. I took this photo on our recent trip up the North Coast. It's a preview of blogs to come.

Whipped cream, anyone? If you’ve never seen sea-foam whipped up by a stormy sea, that might be your first thought. I took this photo on our recent trip up the North Coast. It’s a preview of my next blog.

As is this: the Humboldt Lagoon north of Eureka.

Peggy and I had a great year wandering and sharing our adventures. I’ve also taken great pleasure in wandering around the world with you on your adventures! I am looking forward to 2017. My New Year’s Day blog will feature my plans for 2017.

Happy New Year!

Curt and Peggy

The two of us on top of a lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Mourning dove leaves ghost-like impression on window. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

A crash-landing Mourning Dove left its impression on a window of our home on the Applegate River in Southern Oregon. It looks like a ghost bird hovering outside.

“This can’t be good,” Peggy commented from her office. I suspected that the deer were chowing down on her flowers and walked in to watch. Instead, neatly imprinted on her window, was the image of a bird with a 16-inch wingspan. It looked like a ghost. The Mourning Doves now had something to mourn about. One of them had taken a beak-dive into our window. I grabbed my camera– like what else was there to do– and recorded the crash landing from inside and outside of the house.

Black tail deer visits the Mekemson house in Southern Oregon. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

What I expected to see– a hungry black tail deer lusting after Peggy’s flowers.

Impression left by dove after crashing into a window. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

What I saw instead. I took this photo from the outside looking in with our trees being reflected in the window. Note the eye. Eerie, isn’t it?

I fully expected to find one very dead birdie on the ground, but none was to be found. Peggy and I are hoping that the dove picked itself up after the incident and flew off, a wiser bird with a headache.

Since I decided to put up a blog between blogs today, here are a few more photos from yesterday that I took while Peg and I hiked a section of the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail. The trail follows an historic 26-mile ditch that was built in 1870s to carry water to Sterling’s hydraulic mining operation outside of Jacksonville, Oregon. Its relatively flat nature makes it an excellent beginning of the season trail. Backpacking season is coming soon and Peggy and I have to get in shape! In the next couple of months we hope to explore the Red Butte mountains that look down on our home and I have a 40-mile hike along the Rogue River planned.

Peggy and I have looked out on the Red Buttes since we moved here three years ago. Now it is time to meet them up-close and personal. Recent snows may delay our backpacking trip.

Peggy will be floating down the Rogue River in late May with our friends Tom and Beth Lovering. Since I need the exercise, I am going to hike the 40-mile backpacking trail that follows the river. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Peggy will be rafting down the Rogue River in late May with our friends Tom and Beth Lovering. Since I need the exercise, I am going to hike the 40-mile backpacking trail that follows the river. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Photo of the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail in Southern Oregon taken by Curtis Mekemson.

The historic 26-mile Sterling Mine Ditch Trail wanders through a variety of terrains ranging from dry, brush covered slopes to cool, pine and madrone filled valleys.

Shooting Stars found along the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail in Southern Oregon.

Early spring flowers, including Shooting Stars, added color along the trail.

Oregon Grape flower found along the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail in Southern Oregon.

We also found this impressive Oregon Grape flower, which happens to be the state flower of Oregon. Later in the summer these flowers turn into berries that wildlife find quite tasty and supposedly make good jelly.

Old tree stump along the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail in Southern Oregon.

A rotting tree stump caught our attention for a moment. You can see tunnels left by insects as they feasted off of the wood.

A vine-twisted madrone tree found on the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail.

Our most interesting find of the day. Peggy and I love Madrone trees and their silky, almost sensuous bark. But we have never seen one twisted like this. Close inspection showed that it had been caused by a vine that had worked its way up the tree.

NEXT BLOG: My choice for the title of the book on my Peace Corps experience.