Our day started out with bad news. The first was when I turned my computer on and read on yahoo that Elizabeth Taylor had died. Jorge was cleaning the bathrooms at this time and I knew what he'd be thinking as soon as I told him - "Life with Father" - his favorite movie with her in it, and although a small part but super well acted part. Mine would be "Father's Little Dividend" again a small part but one that any American girl could put herself in. Our Prayers go out to her family and her fans...
Then came even sadder news that came in the form of an email. My poor friend reported that a past tenant of the Rufus RV Park, Mike Bottom passed away (this is the gentlemen who was pulled out of fire when his rig caught on fire almost 2 months ago) last night, and to add injury a family member of hers had a major heart attack in which she received the call first thing this morning. And so as you can imagine tears and much sadness lays on her heart. A complete wreck and needing to escape and recap her memories both good and bad of a friend passing and a family member beyond ill. She invited us to hit the falls. In honor of both these very important people in her life. So much love... A true honor to call a friend.
And so a hug was exchanged and in the car we went. We listen to some sad, funny, loving and everything else stories as she unloads her past and present memories. Still as we sit here now we wish there was something more we could do to make them feel better. Time and hugs my husband says - time and hugs...
So we headed for Horsetail Falls (Oregon) and just as we get there, the sun decides to disappear. So the photos are not super great but still tells a heck of a story. There are actually two waterfalls along the creek. The upper falls, called Upper Horsetail Falls or Ponytail Falls, can be accessed from a footpath located next to the historic Columbia River Highway. We didn't go all the way up but as far as the bridge. A sad day with beauty all around us that makes us smile for a moment for our blessings of our stories of life.
So before I get to the pictures - this blog article is dedicated to my friends the managers of Rufus RV Park and to their family. And to Mike Bottom who is now out of pain and now in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jorge and I never got the chance to meet Mike but just walking through the RV park you knew he was very liked and loved and would do anything for anyone. I do understand he has family in Florida and our prayers go out to his family as it does for our friends family. I am asking all of our readers to add our friends to their prayers.
Today I will not be posting a QUESTION OF THE DAY but ask that you leave comments for the Rufus RV Managers and for Mike Bottom.
Jorge and I would like to personally say we are so sorry for all loss today and that they may feel the power of prayer going out just for them. We want them to know if there is anything we can do - we are there in heart beat. God Bless ALL!!
I do know that in this part of the country it gets more then it's share of rain - and I don't mind rain... Honest, it's the snow I have issues with. But today was a very nice change of pace. I had to work before any fun was to be had. Don't I just look hateful of my job? NOT
After my work was complete, we decided to take the dogs on a little walk... UP, UP, UP, UP we went... And stopping every once in awhile to say hello to the local Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner friends (lol - private joke)...
And we get so close to the gate when we decided to head back - note the shoes and I didn't want to roll back down the hill... And so we head back down and start getting ready to head for town with our friends..
Me telling stories... Jorge tends to be on the quiet side when ever we are in a group setting... But as you can see he is goofy... And cute too!
We drop RL off at the dentist (and very thankful it wasn't either one of us having to head to the big chair - eeeek). And then we head down town for A's Sewing Shoppe & Janitorial Supplies for a light bulb for Jorge's sewing machine. And then we walked Main Street (LOL I think it was Main Street). Some really cute shops in which we only had time to enter a handful which included a cool quilt store (the apron caught our friends eye big time) and then a few doors down a yarn store in which only a rich person could afford - no thank you... A thrift store and what appeared to be a pawn store I'm not sure (over priced big time). Made it to the last thrift store when I came across this.... SORRY BUT I AM A MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR (YOU GET THE POINT) MAJOR MAJOR UCONN FAN.... HA HA THEY WON TODAY...
And then LW said "Oh my we better go get RL" and sure enough he was waiting for us in the parking lot. And then the real fun begins... They headed on an old highway and wow it is so pretty and trees again lol... A lot of trees... And the rest of the blog will be about just pictures but before I jump into the pics - I saved the best picture for last. It's Jorge inside of Papa Murphy's and you'll see the tellie screen behind him - OMG it was the UCONN women playing. It was about 5 minutes into the game and already they where whipping butt. 14 to 7 and then we left - turns out as I expected they won the game!! Congrats UCONN women for another great game... OK enjoy the pics and don't forget to read the question of the day at the bottom of blog....
•The town of Maryhill, Wash., is located in the central Columbia River Gorge. Activities include hiking, windsurfing, swimming and water-skiing. Fish for salmon, sturgeon, steelhead and walleye from boats or for bass from the shore. Visit the Maryhill Museum of Art, located on a bluff just above the town of Maryhill, the Maryhill Winery for a wine tasting, and a full-scale replica of England's Stonehenge. Shopping and restaurants are available in Goldendale, 12 miles to the north; there is also a restaurant and lounge in Biggs Junction, Oregon, one mile to the south across the U.S. 97 bridge.
The Rufus Stone is a memorial to King William II, son of William the Conqueror, who was also known as Rufus. Rufus was killed by an arrow in the lungs in 1100 whilst hunting in the New Forest in Hampshire. Whilst this was reported as a hunting accident, the issue has never been resolved. His hunting compnion, Walter Tyrell, fled to France (the Sir Walter Tyrell inn just down the road is named after him). His brother, Harry, hurried to London to secure the treasury and the crown, and the nobles fled to secure their own estates. Rufus ruled with an iron fist, and whilst he was popular with the army, the people hated him. His body lay unattended for a few days and was then carried to Winchester Cathedral by a local charcoal-burner. Rufus was interred within Winchester Cathedral.
The Rufus Stone was erected by Earl De La Warr in 1745 and marks the approximate spot where King Rufus died. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the stone had become damaged and was encased in iron in 1841. The Rufus Stone is triangular with an inscription on each face. It stands in a glen in the new forest near to the A31.
One of the inscriptions on the Rufus Stone reads:
Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100. King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that city
My friends Leila and Randy have some breath taking pictures in which I so wish I could post on this blog and so sorry world that you are stuck with my lame brain pictures. If you get a chance get here and see for yourself the beauty and power of the presence of this way cool land mark.....
Today is about yesterday (I feel like that's a title of a good book)... Fun facts about this hidden quiet paradise. And that's just what this area is Paradise.
According to 2009 there where only 215 people living in Rufus and so just by my guessing and being almost 2 years later - I'd say a little over 300. Elevation is a 206 feet which is allowing me to breath once again (we lived above 3000 feet for over 2 years). I so feel like running/biking but gosh dang my hernia which is taking it's sweet time healing. The type of jobs fall in these fields, construction-metal industries-trucking transportation-food service-agriculture--- forestry--- fishing and hunting---wind mills service .....
The Columbia River Basin is North America's fourth largest, draining about 250,000 square miles and extending throughout the Pacific Northwest and into Canada. There are over 250 reservoirs and around 150 hydroelectric projects in the basin, including 18 dams on the Columbia and its main tributary, the Snake River.
-Windsurfing is especially challenging in the Columbia River’s unique wind and water conditions near Biggs and Rufus on I-84.
-The John Day Dam is near Rufus on the Columbia River with Giles French Park located just downstream from the dam.
-Sportsmen come from near and afar to hunt deer, pheasant, quail, chukar, ducks and geese in the fall and winter. Fishing on the Columbia, Deschutes and John Day Rivers is popular and seasonal.
Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery - The Columbia River
Starting in 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the famous Corps of Discovery expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, a journey that lasted two years. Since their instructions came from Thomas Jefferson in 1803, the Lewis and Clark bicentennial runs from 2003 through 2006.
Maryhill
Maryhill Museum of Art, Maryhill State Park & Peach Beach, Maryhill, WA on the north bank of the Columbia River - wind surfing, boating, RV & tent camping across the Columbia River from Biggs and Rufus. http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/
Giles French Park (say jiles)
Located on the downstream side of the John Day Dam on the banks of Lake Celilo, is popular for sturgeon, walleye and bass fishing, camping and boating. -U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
John Day Dam U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (541) 296-1181
John Day Dam, 216 miles upstream from the mouth of the Columbia River, is at the head of Lake Celilo. The Dam bridges the Columbia River near Rufus, Oregon, and can be reached via exit 109 off Interstate 84 East of The Dalles. Current Homeland Security does not allow visitor access to the any part of the facility.
The project consists of a navigation lock, spillway, powerhouse and fish passage facilities on both shores. Various recreational facilities are provided along the shores of Lake Umatilla and on the John Day River. Lake Umatilla, impounded by the dam, extends upstream about 76 miles to the foot of McNary Dam.
Construction began in 1958 and was completed in 1971, at a total cost of $511 million. At the time of its completion, John Day Dam Powerhouse was the second largest in the world. Completion of the John Day Dam marked the final step in harnessing the lower waters of the Columbia River.
Lake Celilo
Columbia River impoundment of The Dalles Dam, is accessed at the mouth of the Deschutes River at Heritage Landing, at Biggs Junction near the grain storage bins and at Giles French Park at Rufus.
Deschutes River State Park
Deschutes River State Park (say deh-shoots) is an oasis on the east bank of the Deschutes at its confluence with the Columbia River on Highway 30 from I-84 exits at Celilo (seh-li-lo) and Biggs. Amenities include Deschutes River State Park, an interpretive kiosk, an upriver abandoned rail bed trail for hikers and bicyclists (horses in season), camp sites, wildlife, views, restrooms and picnic sites.
The Deschutes appears as Clark's River on the Lewis & Clark map;
Towarnahiooks is a Chinook term used for the river
-The French Canadian fur traders called it Riviere des Chutes," French for "river of the falls."
- History of the Expedition under the command of Lewis and Clark, edited by Elliott Coues.
-Deschutes River Campgrounds in Sherman County
www.oregonstateparks.org/park
Beavertail Campground is reached via Highway 216, ten miles north of Sherar's Bridge on the Deschutes River. Located on the bank of the Deschutes River, facilities include tent and trailer sites, picnic sites, water, firepits, handicap-accessible pit toilets, trails and a boat ramp. Visitors enjoy fishing, hunting, rafting,boating, views and geology. A Deschutes River boater pass is required for river use. -Bureau of Land Management.
Macks Canyon Campground is a 14-day campsite on the Deschutes River bank eight miles West of Grass Valley, reached via Highway 216 and north on the Lower Deschutes Access Road north of Sherar's Bridge. Facilities include picnic, tent and trailer sites, pit toilets, boat ramp,water, fire pits andtrails. River users are required to obtain aboater pass. Visitors enjoy the site for itsfishing, hunting, views, geology, rafting, hiking and boating. Bicyclists and hikers enjoy the trail along theabandoned railroadgrade. -Bureau of Land Management.
Jones Canyon Campground is 8.5 miles North of Maupin on the Lower Deschutes Access Road North of Sherar's Bridge. Facilities include picnic, tent and trailer sites, tables, fire pits,vault toilets, but NO water. Visitors enjoy fishing, rafting, boating, hunting, picnics and the view. -Bureau of Land Management.
Twin Springs Campground is 15.5 miles North of Maupin on the Lower Deschutes River Access Road. Visitors enjoying fishing, rafting, hunting, geology,and hiking are furnished with picnic, tent and trailer sites, tables, fire pits and vault toilets, but NO drinking water. Fees are required for camping and a boater pass is required for river use.
Rattlesnake Pass Campground, 22.5 miles North of Maupin, and North of Sherar's Bridge, on the Lower Deschutes River Access Road, is furnished with picnic, tent and trailer sites,tables,fire pits, toilets, boat ramp and trails. Fees are charged for camping and a boater pass is required for river use. -Bureau of Land Management.
Buck Hollow is a day-use fishing and picnic site on the Deschutes River 9.5 miles North of Maupin on the Lower Deschutes River Access Road. Facilities include wheelchair accessible restrooms, vault toilets and a raft-launch site. NO drinking water.
Deschutes State Park
Deschutes State Park is an oasis on the east bank of the Deschutes at its confluence with the Columbia River. A national and state scenic waterway, the Deschutes drops about a quarter of a mile in its final 100 miles as it twists between canyon walls 700’to 2,200’ high. Visitors enjoy day use, camping, fishing, boating, rafting, picnics, views, wildlife,hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. Boater passes are required for river use. Bicyclists enjoy access to the abandoned railroad grade along the east bank, also open to horseback riding at certain times of the year. The park has restrooms, but no showers, RV sites, primitive camp sites and a group RV/tent sites. -Oregon State Parks.
For information call: (541) 739-2322 or 1-800-551-6949
For reservations call: 1-800-452-5687
Heritage Landing
Located on the West bank in Wasco County provides boat access to the Deschutes and Columbia Rivers at the mouth of the Deschutes River.
John Day River
Cottonwood
On the east bank of the John Day River on Highway 206 east of Wasco is the site of a Bureau of Land Management boat launch site with public toilets at J.S. Burres State Park about 12 miles east of Wasco. A wild and scenic river, the John Dayruns through Grant, Umatilla, Jefferson, Wheeler, Sherman, Wasco and Gilliam counties before reaching the Columbia River east of Rufus. Visitors enjoy the solitude, wildlife, scenery, history, camping, swimming and fishing. Facilities include the boat put-in and take-out sites and vault toilets on the Gilliam County side of the John Day River.
LePage Park at the John Day River’s confluence with the Columbia River is located east of Rufus on I-84. Facilities include a boat ramp, dock, swimming area, picnic tables and restrooms.
– US Army Corps of Engineers.
John Day River. Baptiste LePage.
"Monday, October 21st, 1805 ... On the left side of the [Columbia] river at this place are immense piles of rocks, which seem to have slipped from the cliffs under which they lie; they continue till, spreading still further into the river, at the distance of a mile from the island they occasion a very dangerous rapid [Squally Hook]; a little below ... on the right side are five huts. For many miles the river is now narrow ... the hills continue high ... a small river, which seems to rise in the open plains to the southeast and falls in on the left. It is 40 yards wide at its mouth, but discharges only a small quantity of water at present. We gave it the name of Lepage's river, from [Baptiste] Lepage, one of our company. Near this little river and ... below it, we had to encounter a new rapid... At the end of this rapid are four huts of Indians on the right, and two miles below five more huts on the same side. Here we landed and passed the night, after making 33 miles."
---History of the Expedition under the command of Lewis and Clark, edited by Elliott Coues.
Philippi Park, in Gilliam County and upriver from LePage Park, is accessible by boat.
– US Army Corps of Engineers.
Whitewater Rafting - The Deschutes and John Day Rivers
Imperial River Company, Maupin • 1-800-395-3903
ORE-Oregon River Experiences, Beavercreek • 1-800-827-1358
Ouzel Outfitters, Bend • 1-800-788-7238
And of course you must either stay or come say hello to the friendlest folks in the entire town
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