01/18/09 - Week 109 Hang In There So the "Great!" winter weather continues for a great many of you. While we haven't had the sub-freezing temps here in Oregon that many of you are having to deal with, we ended up socked in with fog and just below freezing at night. It's that nasty kind of fog that just sits there and never clears all day long and turns everything a nice shade of light gray. When you can see the fog blowing down the street between you and the house across from you, you know it's about soup. They say rain is on the way. We shall see. Needless to say this photo of the week was not taken this week. It is one from the archives that helps get through those gray days knowing that the weather is going to get better. Actually right now this Rhododendron is covered in snow about 3000 feet up in the mountains and the road to it is closed. Rhodies like this one grow wild in the woods here in Oregon and this is one of many growing along the hiking trail that takes you into Proxy Falls in the Oregon Cascade Range (I'll post a photo of the falls next week) off of the Old McKenzie Highway (242). The road closes with the first snow of winter, normally some time in November and opens again in May or June when the snow melts. The highway was bypassed in 1962 when the Santiam Highway was finished as the route to Central Oregon over the mountains. If you make it to Oregon in the summer months this is a scenic drive that you really shouldn't miss. More information on it can be found here. Stay warm, drive safe and look forward to spring and the flowers. Hope you enjoy. Have a great week! |
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