The personal and professional website of Douglas Van Bossuyt
Driving from Newberg to Corvallis, Heather, Erin, and I took the back roads. We found this pretty scene outside Lafayette.
Outside Corvallis we found a field full of cows.
The sun was setting over the coastal mountain range. Low clouds and fog were starting to come over the hills.
The cows had calves with them!
Heather and Erin walked down the road to visit with a few of the cows.
Calves interested in what we were doing.
Heather and I went for a hike in the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is just a little south of Corvallis. As it is bird season, we hiked through the oak forest rather than out in the grasslands. The grasslands are closed during migration season to allow the birds a place where they can rest on their flights.
A boardwalk through the muddier parts of the forest.
Lots of oak trees. The refuge is starting to actively manage the forest now. They have removed conifer trees and some smaller oaks that were choking out heritage oaks.
This is one particularly massive heritage oak. I had to stitch together a bunch of photos in an attempt to capture the whole thing.
Driving out of the refuge. I believe we might be seeing some of The Three Sisters in the distance.
Lots of snow in the mountains.
The Willamette Valley sure is beautiful!
The valley leading up to Williams is incredibly pretty. According to our guidebook, this area grows 20% of the legal marijuana in Oregon and much more of the illegal crop. Based upon how nice all of the houses and vehicles around here were, I think that is accurate.
