Thursday, May 23, 2013

Around The Rogue

Here for two months, soooooo we can take our sweet time and really explore the area. Gold Beach has a number of "Cat Houses". NO NO NO - not houses of ill repute. These are literally cat houses at the base of the north jetty at the mouth of the Rogue River. They are unique to say the least. Cool cats welcome! Food and water available. Sort of a B&B for Miss Kitty.


Along the banks of the river, we collect myrtle (Oregon Bay) leaves for drying and wild dill and anise. Around the coast from the mouth of the river, we go musseling for beautiful blue mussels some of which we steam and eat, some of which we saute in white wine and garlic for immediate consumption, and some of which we steam then place in chili oil and smoke for an hour or so in our portable smoke house.


We also pick up and tote back to our site as much dry driftwood as we can carry each time we go out. Already we have had free campfires that would have cost us big time had we purchased the firewood- something I have a strict aversion to....

We've been fishing along the jetties and the spit between the north and south jetties with some good success and we have taken pictures of the spit from both sides of the mouth of the river.


One of the things you can count on is that the sea lions will be in the surf fishing along with you. That isn't a problem until the salmon start running at which time they are definitely salmon thieves! The salmon run has not begun in earnest because the lack of rain has allowed the water in the river to get too warm. That is what they say. Hard to believe as many of the days are completely socked in with heavy fog so that we are often in a mist- but that is different from steady rain and therein lies the problem.


There are frequently horse back riders coming through camp to go out to ride on the beach. Depending on the light on the beach, that provides a very beautiful and picturesque scene.

The natural beauty of the area is something to behold. We offer a slide show in support of the things mentioned in this report. In future posts we will be photographing the coast while exploring the "little roads" that veer off of the coastal route 101. Really looking forward to that!


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