WoodRat - Photo Albums

Saturday at home

11 images

Working on a little project in the garage, then barbecuing dinner on the back porch.
10 miles on the Rogue River, Aug. 2009

78 images

We caught a ride upriver in Shady Cove, Oregon with Rogue Rafting Company. Besides renting equipment they provide shuttle service and will shuttle people having their own gear for $20 per raft/inflatable. They hauled us to Cole M. Rivers Fish Hatchery at the base of Lost Creek Lake. The 10 mile float back to Shady Cove is an easy stretch of river; no serious white water, class one, light riffles. The photos are in chronological sequence.
Costa Rica, June 2009

41 images

Maintenance on the property in La Mona near Golfito had stalled due to my regular guy's string trimmer being broken and after weeks of nothing happening I decided a visit was needed to jump start the process.
Crescent City, CA May 2009

7 images

Seeking relief from the week-long heat wave in May, we made the 2-hour drive to Crescent City, California which is the nearest town on the coast from our part of Southern Oregon.
1973 Bayliner Jamaica 19'

13 images

We used this boat quite a few years, during which time I had three different engines on it. Originally it had a 35 HP Chrysler O/B, which was fine for fishing and poking around. Then I found a 70 HP Chrysler O/B and put it on. Double the horsepower was quite an improvement. Some years later I came across a Mercury 115 HP O/B while working at Pier 99 in Portland, but the boat was at home 300 miles away. Fortunately I had a friend in the area who let me park it in his yard and even helped me swap engines. It was a bigger job this time, involving more upgrades, and it stayed in his yard a few months. It was a great day when the work was finally done and we towed it away to the boat pen at Pier 99.
By train and boat to Cabo San Lucas, Dec. 2008

89 images

The idea was simply to ride Amtrak south for a brief escape from winter in Oregon and enjoy a few days in San Diego. Then my wife and daughter discovered the cruises and the itinerary slid steadily toward boarding a ship for Baja California. They had done cruises before, but I had never wanted to go. While I enjoy sailing very much, the idea of being herded around like cattle in a floating hotel didn't appeal to me at all. But the girls insisted, and with the cost of a 5-day cruise being less than our train tickets I agreed to go along.
Costa Rica, Dec. 2007

166 images

While this was a trip to manage property issues, I wanted to maximize my opportunity to mingle with people, practice Spanish, and get some photos in the bargain. I had rented a car previously, when accompanied by my wife, but this time I was going solo and decided to get around the country by bus. It was a good choice. Not only was it much less expensive but I had a lot more fun interacting with all the people along the way.
Costa Rica, zona del sur 2006

86 images

Golfito is well known among coastal and blue water sailors as a good place to stop over for replenishment and repairs. Golfito Bay is one of the best natural deep water harbors on the entire Pacific Coast of Central America; tucked inside Golfo Dulce on Costa Rica's South Pacific Coast. The area is wild and surrounded largely by protected lands teeming with flora & fauna. This was our destination on our first trip to Costa Rica.
Fancy Gates in Costa Rica

17 images

These gates all appear along a 30 km stretch of the Pan American Highway extending from Rio Claro to the border with Panama at Canoas. Any excuse to get out and take photos is good enough for me; so on this occasion we're collecting ideas should we ever need to build a gate for ourselves.
Applegate Lake in an inflatable kayak

21 images

I decided to drag the inflatable kayak out of the garage where it has been forgotten for a couple of years and press it into service. Applegate Lake is in Southern Oregon about 30 minutes from our home.
Working the Honda Rancher 420 4x4

14 images

This machine has been a great help working on our property in Applegate, Oregon, especially when it comes to getting the firewood in.
Off-road recreation in Southern Oregon

86 images

The quad is a 2007 Honda Rancher 420 4x4 5 speed Manual Shift (TRX420FM). Although it's not intended for two-up riding, my wife and I are not what you'd call big people and it has worked well hauling us around off-road in Southern Oregon.
Sailing from Scappoose Oregon to Brookings

37 images

All the photography on this trip is courtesy of Gary Marsh, who bravely volunteered to go along. Our task was to sail Wind Chime from Rocky Pointe Marina near Scappoose, to her new slip in Brookings on the Southern Oregon Coast. The first 100 miles takes us down the Columbia River to Astoria, then over the Columbia Bar and another 300 miles down the length of Oregon's Pacific Coast to the Port of Brookings.
Sailing from Scappoose Oregon to Barkley Sound, B.C. and back again in 9 days

64 images

This album documents a sailing trip my wife and I took in September, 2005, and is digested from a version I had on another website. That one is not functional now apparently due to some change in the Google map interface which I haven't had time to look into and fix yet. Trying out My Opera as an alternative, the interface here gives a nice result and is easier than the way I've been doing it ... enjoy.
Spirit 28 Sailboat

20 images

We managed to get in a lot of enjoyable sailing during the few years we had the Wind Chime. Now we're hooked, and are considering a little larger catamaran as our next boat; something like a 34' Gemini 105M would be great if we can ever afford one.