Oregon Dunes for the Summer: This and That, and some of those...

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Phoenix, AZ

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Tahkenitch Landing Campground

Gardiner, OR

Great news. Deborah, my wife, had cataract surgery on her left eye. The surgery went very well and the clarity of her vision in the left eye improves a bit more each day. Her description of the difference between the old vision and the new vision is the difference between a basic color TV and 1080P High Definition 3D LED Flat Panel TV. She can get up in the morning and not have to immediately reach for her glasses. In fact she doesn’t wear glasses anymore. Currently she uses a contact lens for her right eye, which, by the way, will have cataract surgery on Thursday, Aug. 29^th. She is very excited by the vast improvement in her vision on her left eye. The only drawback is that she must wear readers/reading glasses for any close work. She can see clearly again. I will be back in Phoenix again next week to be with her for the next surgery.

Do you remember the paragraph or two, in a previous blog posting, about the roadside memorial for KARLA? I have news. One of the librarians at the Reedsport Public Library, Jennifer, knew who KARLA was. Her full name is Karla Huebner. She was born on September 7, 1960, in Cottage Grove, Oregon and died of injuries received in an auto accident on November 1, 2004. She had been living in Reedsport, OR, since 1972. She was survived by two sons, Drew of Roseburg, OR and Aaron of Reedsport. She was buried in the Reedsport Masonic Cemetery. She was 44 when she died. Rest is Peace Karla.

I had lunch today with Sean and his girlfriend, Karli, in Eugene, OR.

They are on their way to Boynton Beach, Florida. Sean has accepted a position as a chef at the Breakers Hotel and Resort in West Palm Beach. http://www.thebreakers.com/ He is driving from the Northwest corner of the United States to the Southeast corner of the United States. He is very excited about this new opportunity to add to his culinary skills. And best of all, it is not a seasonal position. It is a permanent, full time position, working at a top of the line Hotel/Resort. I am very proud of you Sean.

A couple of weeks ago, I drove about four miles east from Reedsport on State Hwy 38 to the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. The following text is taken from the Douglas County website: http://www.co.douglas.or.us/countyinfo/elk.html

“Dean Creek is a mosaic of pasture, woodland, and wetland providing a variety of viewing experiences. A heard of 60 to 100 Roosevelt elk are year round residents. Numerous birds can be seen in the area and waterfowl are visible in the wetlands.”
“Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area (EVA) totals 1,040 acres. The 440 acres of bottomland consist of pasture and wetlands, and the 600 acres of woodlands contain hardwood and coniferous forest. Dean Creek is managed to provide optimum viewing opportunities. Pastures are mowed, grazed, and fertilized to improve the nutrition and palatability for the elk. Portions of the wetland have been enhanced to provide more standing water for a variety of waterfowl. “
“The best times to view elk are early mornings and before dusk. Elk roam in the area freely, and their numbers fluctuate with the seasons. The cows seek seclusion in the uplands to calve in mid-May to June. Calves and their mothers become visible on the area by mid-June. Bugling and harem gathering are signs of the breeding season, which occurs from mid-September to early October. “
“Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area is jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The area stretches along a 3 mile section of Oregon Highway 38, with 2 viewing areas and several pullouts to observe wildlife in the area. Dean Creek is located on the Oregon Coast approximately 8 miles East of Reedsport on highway 38.”