Cold temperatures have been extreme in Northern Ohio this year. They still have alternating cold and warm, but melting has started. The ice is melting and the river ices are breaking up which can cause damage to docks and boats left in the water. Flood warnings have been posted at times for the rivers. 

50% of Lake Erie has been frozen during the winter. Some of it still is although there has been melting there, too. A day of 50 degrees here and there breaks up the cold and melts the ice. 

Winter isn’t over by a long margin yet, but, during the worst of it, out by the Lorain Ohio/Black River Lighthouse, the ice was thickly frozen creating a perch for these winged masters of the air. The American Bald Eagle has made a major comeback here where natural areas protect their nesting, people leave dead trees in their yards for them to rest on and hunting is plentiful. It is exciting to see them fly overhead while driving down the highway. Photo credit to Maureen Smith on Pinterest.

The Oregon Coast is famous for its Dungeness Crab. It is great fun to grab your crab traps and head to the docks at Windy Bay (Winchester Bay) or Charleston outside of Coos Bay for a day of catching crabs. Sooooo yummy, we have spent many happy family times crabbin’ on the coast (https://umpquariverhaven.com/2015/09/26/lets-go-fishin-7/) You can crack and cook your own, or, you can spend a few extra bucks and have someone there do it for you. The latter is a lot easier, I can tell you, and worth the price.  All you have to do is take them home and enjoy! Hint:  Be sure and wrap the shell leavings well as they get smelly in the trash!

Crab fishing is serious business for the commercial Mariners who make a living fishing on the Oregon Coast. This year’s crab season has been delayed due to weather and price negotiations. But, the boats have headed out to sea now and the pots are in the water. Price negotiations are in, however, the exact pricing isn’t known. Not until they bring in the first catch will the price be available to us.

The good news is that they are out fishing and will provide local businesses with delicious Dungeness once again. We can attest to the yumminess of Dungeness! If you can’t catch your own, it’s good to know the Mariners are out there braving the elements to catch them for you.

And brave the elements they are. Right now they are hurrying to fish their catch before the next big storm moves in. The storms come in on a regular basis in the winter and produce some of the most spectacular happenings that Mother Nature can provide. Our friend, Deborah Heldt Cordone, has filmed a very stormy day on the Oregon Coast at Florence (January 18, 2018). The elements don’t always allow for fishing. We thought you would enjoy watching Deb’s video below. Storm watching on the Oregon Coast is a winter activity you can partake in when you are here visiting www.umpquahaven.com! But watch from a distance as these storms are very hazardous, not just to the fishing boats, but to anyone near the water.

It should be noted that Ms. Cordone is a Coast Guard Auxiliarist working with active-duty personnel to obtain this footage and safety precautions were taken. The public was warned to stay off the jetties, coastal rocks and beaches during storms and high surf conditions. Mariners should always take special precautions and be aware of conditions related to weather and going out to sea.

Thanks, Deb, for sharing this video and for your input!!  Here’s the youtube link also:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPNn3LHtbxg 

Oregon City is on the southern edge of Portland along the Willamette River and is the county seat of Clackamas County. It was founded by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1829 and was the first U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated in 1844. It was established near the Willamette Falls in order to run a lumber mill, harnessing the power of the falls.

Oregon City was also the destination for those wanting to file land claims at the end of their Oregon Trail travels during the 1840s and 1850s. Today, it is the site of several large paper mills on the river and boasts a population of 31,000 plus.

The “End of the Trail Interpretive and Visitor Information Center” is located here. This is where you can learn about the history of the Oregon Trail and the people who traveled it. There were many hardships traveling the trail and those that made it through were grateful to be done traveling and settle in.

The center holds many events throughout the year but the one coming up is about the music of the Oregon Trail. Sunday, January 21, at 1:00 pm you can hear and learn about the music of the Oregon Trail from local musicians. Nancy and Rob Downie of Heartstrings bring their popular music program from this era, information on the history of the tunes, the role of music on the Oregon Trail and the origin of their instruments. Their featured folk instruments are the hammered and mountain dulcimers, fiddle, acoustic bass, banjo and Native American flute.

It’s a bit of a drive from Umpqua River Haven but not bad if you rise early and head northeast. It’s a little under 3 hours with some of it along the beautiful Umpqua River and most of it on I-5 which is also a very scenic drive. Come stay with us at www.umpquahaven.com, and you’ll come home to your own cozy bed after an afternoon of fun music.

Heartstrings

Yes indeedy it’s cold. 3/4s of the nation was below freezing for days and days. Maybe weeks. A friend in Vermont was at minus (-) 25 degrees the other day. Their furnace isn’t fully operational and inside it was 55 degrees. At least they aren’t freezing inside—just cold. Northern Ohio was hovering from sub zero to a mere 12 above. And Wyoming was minus (-) 17 a few days ago. A ‘bomb cyclone’ hit the east coast bringing torrents of snow and extreme cold that traveled inland to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana.

While things warmed up for a bit, there is more coming. The East/Midwest is gearing up for yet more cold and snowy winter weather. At 15 degrees (that feels like 10), Thayne, Wyoming is still pretty darn cold. While you probably never heard of Thayne, Wyoming, it is a beautiful place where family lives. Very close to Freedom (see our post from February, 2017:  https://umpquariverhaven.com/2017/02/02/the-road-to-freedom/) and not far from Jackson, Wyoming where it’s been 17 degrees feeling like 10.

The Wyoming high country winters are among the harshest with extreme cold and tons of snow that the highway workers spend hours plowing, sometimes 24/7, to keep them safe for travelers. But it is some of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, country you will ever see no matter the season. The Tetons are here, of course, outside of Jackson. But Thayne is located between the Salt River Mountain Range in Wyoming and the Webster Mountain Range in Eastern Idaho (where the Caribou National Forest resides): https://umpquariverhaven.com/2015/04/24/picture-of-the-day-2/ ) where the mountain scenery is just as spectacular in its own way. 

We have posted photos from this area taken by a family member before but this one kind of says it all to us as to the cold, snow and extreme beauty of the high Rocky Mountain Winter.  Stay warm.  Stay safe!

At the beginning of the 20^th Century, the use of stained glass in windows, from churches to private homes, grew rapidly in popularity. American architects and glass workers traveled to Europe, studied medieval windows and the creations of Rouault, Chagall, Albers and other European painters. Soon, Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan incorporated stained glass into their new ground-breaking architectural designs. Private glass studios in the United States created lamps, vases and windows for private homes, churches and civic buildings. This practice extended into the Art Deco Era of the 1920s and didn’t recede until the Depression and World War II. Today, we often find old stained glass windows from this period in antique stores and flea markets. Now and then, one may spot a window still in place in a home built during the heyday of U.S. architectural stained glass. Today, contemporary glass workers design and create for private residences, commercial and civic buildings throughout the country.

Somewhat recently a family heirloom popped up on the horizon bringing with it great memories. It is a stained glass window that lived in a family home of 2 generations ago. I remember sitting at the dining room table in this home as the sun shone through the glass causing streaks of color to dance on the white tablecloth much like a spinning prism. It was fascinating. The colors were as warm as the sun unleashing a child’s imagination. Visions of faeres and butterflies floated about in those multi-colored reflections creating an atmosphere of warmth and safety.

The oldest family member of this 3^rd generation had different memories:  It was a beautiful window, hand-made and quite old, I think. When the light was just right, it would cast colors on the crystal kept in a glass case in the dining room.

The color reflections were something everyone remembered.

The introductory paragraph to this post was written by a family member who also took this photo. We all have so many memories coming from this one, beautiful heirloom. It is amazing what good, fun memories emerge from one very old thing that was an everyday part of life at the time. It has been lovingly restored to its original detail down to the dark green frame and hangs again in a home that loves it.

I thought you would enjoy seeing this restored beauty that was probably made around 1915. So from our family at www.umpquahaven.com to yours, envision the magic of the sun-created colors.

Sunset Bay State Park near Charleston, Oregon is a beautiful Oregon Coast setting surrounded by rocky cliffs on two sides, a large beach area in the center and picnic grounds and facilities. Seagulls hang out scavenging lunch leftovers. Seals and Sea Lions occasionally wander in. This is a great place to go tide pooling also, and we have done so discovering Turban Snails, purple Sea Stars, Sea Anemones, Muscle Clams and more. The Bay is a fun place to visit, swim, picnic and hike around.

One outstanding adventure happens in the Bay every January 1, New Year’s Day. That is the Polar Bear Plunge. Enthusiasts flock to the beach in all kinds of garb to take the plunge in celebration of the New Year.

This year will be the 29^th Annual Polar Bear Plunge in the Bay starting at precisely 9:00 am on New Year’s Day. The one rule dictates that you must completely immerse yourself. “Spend one to 5 minutes here in the water and you’re sure to start your New Year off right,” the promotional information tells us!

Is it cold? You bet! The average summer temperature of the Pacific Northwest Ocean is 55 degrees. Surfers wear wetsuits to insulate themselves from the cold, summer waters when they are riding the waves here. It has to be pretty darn hot in July for many to venture into these waters to swim.

This event can be a bit crazy, but mostly it’s fun for those who venture out here to dip in the ocean or just to watch. A great way to celebrate the coming New Year! You can watch some of the fun from 2012 in the following video.

We are just about an hour from Sunset Bay so do stop in to see us on your way to the Polar Bear Plunge, or stay with us for a night or two at www.umpquahaven.com

Happy New Year From Sunset Bay, Oregon!