An Old Friend...

 June 18, 2013

Gardiner, OR

For many years, I used to camp with some friends and we referred to each other by a camp names.  My camp name was Bert.  We were known as Jock, Dot and Bert.  Time passed, folks changed and moved on but Jock and I stayed in touch.  When I told Jock that I was taking off for the summer to spend my time in Oregon, he gave me a traveling buddy.

So Bert travels with me everywhere I go this summer.  And knowing that Oregon requires use of a seat belt, I keep Bert belted in the front seat, unless, of course, someone else calls “Shotgun” first.  He’s good company, doesn’t talk back and is not a back seat driver.  The best part is that he doesn’t eat much and has no laundry expenses.  The biggest drawback is that he doesn’t have his driver’s license and, consequently, I have no designated driver, should I need one.  Mostly, it’s a fair tradeoff, company on my travels but no problem with incessant chatter.  Jock is supposed to be coming by sometime this summer, so we can have an old friends’ reunion.

There is big news from Reedsport this weekend.  The Oregon Chainsaw Carving Divisional Championships are being held during Father’s Day Weekend. 

Already there are booths being set up, products for chainsaw carving being sold, and concession stands being built.  

The portions of the trees which will be carved have been set up and marked for the contestants.  The contest runs from Thursday, June 13, 2013 through Father’s Day on Sunday, June 16^th.  In addition to the Chainsaw Carving contest, there are sculptures auctioned off to the public each evening.  The noise is incredible.  Imagine 20 to 30 chainsaws running at the same time, in an area the size of a 100’ by 100’ square.  It is so loud that the venue offers free ear plugs to avoid injury.  And my $3.00 entry admission gives me one free entry into the raffle (need not be present to win) which is giving away two sculptures carved with a chainsaw.  That means I have two chances to win!  The competition carving/sculpting is over about 11:00 a.m. on Father’s Day.  The winner will be announced and the final sculpture auction will be held at noon on Sunday.

The next set of pictures is of a specific sculptor.  From his bio, below, he must get practice with Ice Sculptures...

Mr. Poynter is working on the completed sculpture in the picture below.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get the name of the winner, but I was able to get some pictures of the finished sculptures that had not yet been claimed by the new owners.

These completed sculptures were not even in the final three or four.  I sure would have liked to see what the top three sculptures looked like.  Some of the staff from the Championship were in the yard when I took these final pictures and, apparently, the winner sculpted a pair of wolves on rocks that were very lifelike.

As with any outdoor environment, there is wildlife in abundance.  There fish, beaver, otters and geese/ducks in the water.  There are deer, raccoons, and bears (haven’t seen any bears myself, but have been told that there are bears in the woods around the lake).  And we have the small stuff, chipmunks, squirrels, and other rodents.  

Well, I was sitting in the motor home, reading, when I heard this noise.  I could not figure out what it was.  I had seen a small chipmunk in the area behind my pickup truck, right outside Irv’s picture window.  I turned around in my seat and 

Of course this was a bit of a surprise…!  I chased him off the screen door, but he kept coming back.  He even was investigating the door slide, which gives me access to the handle to open the screen door.  I couldn’t have the chipmunk open the door so I banged my gloves on the plastic slide and he shot off the door like a bullet.  He hasn’t come back to investigate.

Early morning fog on the lake...

Check back again soon....