The first of the New Year and dedicated to Sue of Sue Dreamwalker.

A week ago, Sue left a nice comment about our ‘backyard’ here in Oregon. Specifically with regard to the two photographs of deer feeding in front of the house.  I replied by saying that today I would offer a selection of views of our property.

First off, an aerial view with the property boundary line overlaid, taken from the sale particulars.  The right-hand, Eastern boundary follows the edge of Hugo Road. We are some four miles from Merlin in Southern Oregon.

The solid blue line is the course of Bummer Creek that flows from top to bottom of the image.  The thin, dotted blue line is the driveway that runs from Hugo Road up to the house, a distance of a 1/4 mile.  The house is close to the Western boundary almost hidden from sight in this picture by the trees.  There is a faint label ‘The House’ just below the building.

The above photograph was taken from a point about half-way along the driveway, the house being behind the camera.  Ahead, the driveway dips down to cross the bridge over the Creek, as the following picture reveals.  Luckily the boundary fence is dog-proof!

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Pharaoh in Bummer Creek just downstream of the bridge.

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The barrier across the Creek seen in the upper half of the photograph is a flood irrigation dam installed many years ago, presumably for agricultural purposes before the plot was sold for house building prior to 1977. One installs an iron pole on a centre bolt embedded in the dam and then places a stout plank across the flow on top of the dam.  The plank can just be seen to the right of the dam, resting on the bank.  Never tried the dam but going to some day!

The above picture was taken close to where the previous one was shot.  Simply by swinging around to the left and looking back up.  The house is barely visible in the background behind the metal gate and wooden fence posts in the middle of the photograph.

Again, the picture above is taken not far removed from where the previous two were taken.  If one looks at the aerial view of the property in the first picture, in the top-right corner there is a small area of grassland; what would have been an offshoot of our neighbour’s grassland in previous times.  After my sister, Corinne, died in the Summer of 2013 we named that area of grassland Corinne’s field.

So now we are back standing just outside the Eastern side of the house looking South-East out over the main area where the dogs are walked twice a day.  The picture was taken a little before noon and shows the low mist that has been with us for about two weeks.

Above, another photograph picking up on the mist that has been with us for some days.  Until yesterday!

Yesterday dawned cold, clear and frosty. As this picture of one of our tall pine trees so vividly demonstrates.  (The tree edges our driveway, about half-way to the house.)

So will close today’s post with three more pictures of a frosty Saturday morning in Merlin, Oregon, USA.

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So there you are, Sue!

Needless to say, Jean and I are reminded almost daily how lucky we and all our animals are at finding such a beautiful place to live.  I can’t ever imagine taking it for granted.

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