What a time we had, Rosie Old Girl!

 Today, we decided to do some exploring. We weren't sure what to expect, because this part of Oregon is like a foreign country to us. Nevertheless, we had heard that the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was a must see.  So, after a leisurely breakfast and a soak in the hot spring, we piled into Red Ryder and off we went to find the refuge. 

Now, I never claimed to be good at planning trips, so there were a few things I forgot:  1) to program the GPS (affectionately known as "Gerty," in phrases like, "Shut up, Gerty;" and "You screwed up, Gerty.") 2) To bring the binoculars, 3) To bring the map.  Otherwise, we were fully prepared. 

As we confidently drove along Princeton-Narrows Road, we came to a sign that said, "Malheur National Wildlife Refuge - Visitors' Center 13 miles."  "Good, we're on the right track," I said, as I proceeded to turn with the paved road.  It was about six miles later that I realized we should have gone straight onto the gravel road.

We found a place to turn around and headed back the way we came.  Finally, on the correct road, we found the Visitors' Center.  It was closed for lunch. If you have been following this trip with us, you will recognize a theme here.

We looked around and went up to the overlook.  There we saw the wide open spaces of the refuge looking to the east and the north toward Malheur Lake. 

 Here we are looking East. The dark line at the foot of the hills is the water of 

Malheur lake.  When it is filled with water, the lake extends much closer to our

vantage point. 

 This view is looking north. Again the water is the dark 

line, which is much receded from its banks.

We went back and waited for someone to show up at the Visitors' Center, but no joy.  So, we decided to press on.  Back in Red Ryder, we headed west on Sodhouse Rd. toward Narrows.  Narrows is at the junction of Sodhouse Rd. and Hwy 205.  It comprises a grocery story, cafe and gift shop.  Our new destination was the Buena Vista overlook, another section of the refuge. 

After a lovely drive, we found another overlook that provided some very nice views.

 Here is one of the Buena Vista ponds, which are filled year round and 

provide habitat for birds, deer, and other wild life.

 Here's part of what we saw along the highway.

 Looking southeast from Buena Vista, the mountain "range" on the horizon, 

is actually one mountain called Steens Mountain. 

At about 50 miles long it is essentially a monolith pushed up by seismic activity.

 If you click on the picture above, you can see some of the wildlife (birds) in this pond. 

Tom forgot the binoculars, so they could be egrets, swans, geese, or wads of discarded newspaper. 

 Another view of the wildlife ponds. 

 This is one of natures most beautiful formations. Oh, yeah. The rocks are nice, too.

 Did you ever see fluffier clouds?

 Our photography just doesn't do justice to the subtle pastels we saw looking across the plains.

When we left Buena Vista, we headed southeast toward Diamond. We had no idea what we might see. Well, the name of the road should have been a clue "Lava Beds Rd." Ya thank?? We passed through another national monument called Diamond Craters. The photo above is a mound that appears to have been lifted by volcanic forces and then as it cooled, it apparently cracked open .  There were lots of these things.

 Here is what appears to be a lava crust about 25 feet thick.  This must have been 

some kind of a hot bed (you should pardon the pun) of volcanic exuberance.

 Another lava topped hill.  Erosion has apparently removed the 

surrounding ground like a bas-relief carving.

 

Jill simply calls this one "Big Sky."

  

OK. So, another serendipitous find was the Peter French Round Barn. This baby is a marvel of ingenuity.  

Peter French at age 23 left California with 1,200 head of cattle, a cook and half a dozen hired cowboys.  They drove the cattle north to the (are you ready for the name of this river valley?) "Donner und Blitzen River!" They began ranching and eventually, according to the signage, "part" of French's ranch included the 200,000 acres that are visible from the vicinity of this barn.  

In order to manage all the cattle on the ranch, French and his men trained dozens of horses.  They kept them in several round barns, like the one pictured above.  The genius of these barns is that each one was made of stone walls made in a circle.  Outside of the stone wall was wooden wall, leaving a 20 foot wide paddock, where the horses could be run round and round for exercise and training. 

Here is a view of the "track" around the inner stone wall. 

Here is a picture of the center pole that holds up the roof.

 

We headed back to the Hot Springs. It was one of those days that always reminds me of a line that Humphrey Bogart spoke to Kathryn Hepburn in the movie "The African Queen."  After they had successfully navigated their 30' steamboat over several rapids and a waterfall, they found a quiet backwater,  where they tied up for the night. Kate looked on demurely as rough and rugged Bogie said, "What a time we had, Rosie old girl! What a time."