Wisconsin Snapshots: Oregon tidbits...

A visit to my childhood home has some elements that are always the same. But each time I can count on something new popping up, just to keep us on our toes. Both of my brothers and my mother live within a few miles of each other, and keep many of the same family customs we grew up with - woodcutting, hunting, fishing, clam digging, family dinners, spending time in the hills and on the bay and beaches. We have always been outdoor-oriented, and thanks to active knowlegable parents we know a lot about nature and self-sufficiency. Great times together, no matter how long inbetween visits.

Family dinners are full of talk of the latest adventures, much laughter and of course our favorite foods that we enjoyed as kids. This particular evening was unprecedented for an entirely different reason. All four of us "kids", unexpectedly without spouses or progeny, ended up at a spontaneous meal around the table with mom. We figured out we hadn't done that since we were all in highschool! The stories and memories were thick with fun and love, a cherished moment out of time.
Dinner was fresh clams fried to perfection, "Indian spuds" which you HAVE to eat with clams, and fresh crispy green salad with all the fixin's. Terry even shared his favorite Blue cheese dressing, good enough to eat with a fork all by itself!
Note: "Baby P" looking on, in the corner.

Another theme running through any visit home is to spot the resident elk herds and get some photos of the current bulls. It's a wonder any of them survive hunting season, but some those wiley oldsters with the huge racks of antlers manage to get through. Of course as soon as hunting season is over, they come down from the canyons and hills, to hang out with the dairy cows and tease the tourists. This bunch is part of the Kilchis herd, enjoying some green pasture just a few hundred yards off Highway 101. They can be real traffic-stoppers.

This fine old fellow was having to put up with the shannigans of a couple of spike bulls, trying out their muscles. He was pretty tolerant. It will be a different story by fall rutting season, when the young bulls are kicked out and the monarchs claim their harems. The calls of the bull elk echo through the hills like demented buglers. Makes for some exciting photography when out spotting with my family.

This is only about half of the mixed group of cows and youngin's hanging out that day. Elk are large animals, can move with amazing speed, always alert, and forever bring a thrill to our hearts when we see them. Elk and hunting are tied to our growing-up years, family traditions and the source of told and re-told great stories. Not to mention, some really prime eating - elk beats beef any day.

Part of Tillamook County history involves Native Americans. Without going into a history lesson, suffice to say that artifacts and remains still surface, often in unexpected ways. Brother Terry traps moles (subject of another post - you won't believe it), and one day as he was doing his thing, the sun spotlighted an exquisite white arrowhead right on top of a mole hill! Terry, along with the rest of us, loves finding and collecting arrowheads. He is quite knowledgable about them, and can give a great lecture in his inimitable way.
This little assortment are bird tips. Terry had them stashed in a tiny container in his pocket to share with anyone standing still long enough to get the "lecture". The white arrowhead on the lower right is the mole hill find. It is so delicate, a wonderful example of a tip used for hunting smaller birds.

The red tip in the middle is a little heavier, probably used for ducks, which were thick along the bay. The upper red tip is an almost perfect specimen. The nickle gives some scale for these little beauties.

Terry's collection is museum-worthy, and that's where they will probably end up someday. In the meantime, they are family treasures that we all get to browse and enjoy, each time we visit. Living history, right in our back yard.