Oregon

A recent day at Henry Hagg Lake, about 25 miles southwest of Portland, Oregon, drove home the point that when it comes to leaving a mess behind the Oregonians are no better than those who fish in California. Found discarded water and beer bottles, food containers, plastic bags, and fishing tackles. You wonder about the state of their homes. But perhaps they believe in the right to leave garbage in public places and keep their homes clean. Scumbags, I Scumbags, II Scumbags, III What makes them turn a nice cove into a garbage dump and go home at the end of the day without giving a damn about others is a mystery. Posted signs "Pack It In - Pack It Out" are very visible. Perhaps they cannot read. Hikers and backpackers don't do it. Bicyclists don't do it. Some picnic grounds show the effects of piggish behavior but not as much as fishing spots. In California, apart from those who fish, commercial mushroom pickers are the only ones that leave a lot of detritus behind them.

During a trip to Hillsboro, OR , Arani Sinha and I decided to get away from wet and cold weather for a few days. We drove to Bend, about 190 miles from Hillsboro. The first few pictures were taken at Lava Beds National Monument, few miles outside Bend. Drake Park, adjacent to downtown is scenic. Great place to walk, enjoy the view, and have a picnic lunch. Bend was sunny. Lovely fall colors. But on our drive back to Portland we passed an area that had a lot of snow!