June, 2024
With all of those dry rock walls and rock cliffs and all of that lava/rock-filled land that I’ve shown you here in Washington and Oregon, just east of the Cascade Mountains, that I’ve been living in and driving through every day while I was camped here, today I wanted to head out and find something else, something different. So today I headed due south in my big white truck. I drove south into Oregon, into some really beautiful farm land there.
Ahhhh, green! There still weren’t many trees, but at least there were green plants almost everywhere the eye could see.
In the photo below, along the front edge of that huge acreage of wheat, you can see how this land probably looked and what the native plants probably were before crops were added.
I drove several hours in this country, turning down one road or another, following along with my map book, but also simply choosing a road to the right or to the left. Once in a while, not very often, a home would appear. It was always next to a water source so there were trees around it for shade, and water for flower and vegetable gardens.
But mostly the land was just this one crop. I think it’s wheat, yes?
Besides fields of green wheat, there was an almost equal number of fields that had not been planted. The evidence of last year’s crop was there, but nothing new had been planted this year. I’m no farmer, but I suspect some land is left fallow for a season now and then for the health of the soil, or to avoid surplus production. Or maybe there will be a fall/autumn planting in these fields.
I came up over a slight rise in the road to find this extraordinary view below. Obviously I stopped right in the road and took the photo. The barn/silo on the left … the mountain in the far distance … the sky … the expanse of fields. And the air smelled so clean out here. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)
This “barn” did not have any access except from the bottom … just windows up above, on all four sides. I did notice the large doors at the bottom, that looked like a vehicle could drive in through those doors. I wonder what it’s used for. The blue/white sign on the side of the “garage” says “Fairbanks-Morse scale“. So there must be machinery inside that weighs a vehicle … unloaded and then loaded. But what does that tall building hold? Hmmm.
Down the road just past that building above was the entrance to the Wingate Ranch, est. 1903. There were some trailers and equipment in the distance, but I couldn’t see a home or a tree or a barn anywhere. Without a single tree (or even a shrub!) around me, I felt like I might just float up off the face of the earth and into the sky.
The mountain in the distance above, to the west, is Mt. Hood in Oregon. It is among the many mountains here on the west coast, and especially lots of them here in the Pacific Northwest, that are active volcanoes.
As much as I was disoriented out here without trees around me, this country is beautiful!
There was one small town, Wasco, further south down the road, so I turned onto McDermid Lane and headed to town. 🙂
Here’s Wasco. Mostly homes, a couple of churches, one very tiny post office that doubled as a coffee shop, a small grocery store, a small hardware store. That’s about it. Nice little town.
And then I turned around headed back north, back towards the Columbia River and the campground.
To the east … lots and lots and lots of wind turbines that produce electricity, easily seen on the near ridge, but they are also on the far ridge.
Another view (below), this time to the north. There’s Mt. Adams in Washington State, north of the Columbia River. And yes, it too is an active volcano.
Further along the road was this church (below), with a brand new roof and a brand new steeple.
But when I looked closer, the lower portion of the building was needing some work. The building was empty, there was no front door in place, no glass in the window openings. With that new roof, I’d bet the local folks are restoring the building. It was handsome!
Throughout the day, there was always wind here. I’ve read about the wind on the prairies in the mid-west, constant wind. But I’d never been aware of it here on the prairies of Washington although I’ve driven across Washington many times. Today, I noticed the wind. Other times that I’ve driven through areas such as this one, I was always on my way somewhere. I wasn’t out sight-seeing. Today, I was ambling along, looking left and right, stopping here and there, getting out of the truck and walking around, and so I began to see the action of the wind on the large fields of wheat. I’ve read comparisons between ocean waves/currents and the movement of grass or crops on the prairies, but I’d never seen it before. Today, I saw some of that. It was fascinating. I took several videos but my digital still camera doesn’t have a very high resolution for video. The video below was the best one, but even it is a bit “choppy”, and it’s only a few seconds long. In real life, the wheat in this field had such smooth waves running through it from the wind blowing through the plants. It really was beautiful.
Ah, another super day. Again, I saw things I’d never seen before, things that are not that far away from where I live in my stick-built home but far enough that I probably would never get to see them if I weren’t staying in the area. I’m so lucky and blessed to have this travel trailer (Towhee the Trailer) so I can see parts of the world in comfort and at my leisure.
And now it’s time to drive back to the campground. Back to my cozy home on wheels. 🙂
oh I love so many of these!! That first one with the winding road, and Mt. Hood (oh my!) and that BARN thingy and the rows of crops. When we traveled in central CA I thought all the fields were so beautiful, and it seemed like there was every type of produce growing there I’d go back to do more photography there in a heartbeat…where you were seems like a similar place.
Oh gosh, it has been decades since I drove through those CA fields, but I remember thinking the same thing you did, how extraordinarily beautiful, and peaceful. It would be impossible to get a photo (or even several) that gave the whole picture, I suppose. But gosh think of all the photos just waiting there to be taken. I haven’t thought of those fields in years! Thanks Dawn. 🙂
I haven’t been to Wasco, but I’ve been on a LOT of other roads hereabouts. The wheat fields are gorgeous, especially in spring when they’re young and green and a gentle breeze is blowing. Great description and photos. And the mountains in the distance, I never tire of seeing them.
Oh yes, the mountains here are gorgeous aren’t they? When you’re driving through a lush field of grain, and you can see for miles, then you come around a hill or over a ridge and WHAM there’s a HUGE mountain in front of you. It’s really dramatic. No wonder we love our mountains.
We loved this! In our RVing days, we’ve driven through so many wheat fields in the mid-west and practically drove off the road watching the wind on the wheat. Your video was perfect. A great snapshot of what it looks like. Don’t have a clue what’s stored in that barn thing, but it does indeed weigh vehicles or trailers full of produce. We’ve seen so much, and usually never took a photo, now we sure wish we had. Your blog is precious! Favorite photo is the 9th one down … that wide open expanse of field, the barn, the mountain, and such a gorgeous sky. Thank you.
You are welcome Marge. And, your comment adds more to the story. Some day maybe I’ll see those TRULY huge fields that are in the middle of our continent, USA and Canada. Maybe I’d best have someone with me to drive so I don’t drive off the road … ha! 🙂
Have lived in western Oregon and California all my life, never been east of the mountains, how dumb is that? It’s beautiful over there! Grabbing some friends and going. 🙂
Go Fran! 🙂 Grab those friends … drive slowly and stop often.
Very nice! I love driving by fields of grain when the wind is blowing nicely, it’s so peaceful. And yes, it’s always blowing here in Nebraska, sometimes gently sometimes ferociously, it never stops. Love the distance photo of the barn/silo. Your mountains are stunning! Ours are just small hills in comparison.
The State of Nebraska is very well known for its monster huge fields of grains and other crops … huge fields. I’d love to see them one of these days. It’s also known for its thunderstorms and tornadoes. I just looked up the highest point in Nebraska … Panorama Point at just over 5,000 feet high. Nope, no mountains there, but beauty is everywhere isn’t it!? My mom spent a year in college in Omaha around 1930, or maybe it was the one in Lincoln. She loved it there.
Ah, yes, the wind in the fields of grain, mesmerizing. Did you drive south into the Deschutes canyons? That’s another, entirely different, gorgeous area.
I didn’t take the time to do that drive, David, but I sure will the next time I’m there. I have now looked at photos and videos of that drive because of your question. It’s a gorgeous drive through steep canyons and lovely valleys, running beside peaceful parts of the Deschutes River and right next to raging rapids too. Wow, it’s on my list. Thank you!
Jim has driven across the prairies of central Canada and reported being truly amazed by the views of the winds and the fields of grain. Like you, I’ve read descriptions too, but I guess to actually see that is pretty spectacular. Although I’m not sure I’d want to live in a place where the wind never stops blowing. Nice little community church, good of them to rebuild it. Love the silo/barn thing, great photo.
Janey
I think I wouldn’t want to live with constant wind either, Janey, but lots of people do and wouldn’t live anywhere else. Home is important. And the crops they raise, the animals they raise, are important for all of us. It’s all good, we’re all in this together. You folks know how I feel … kindness and inclusion and respect.
Gorgeous. Sometimes I wish we didn’t plant over “nature”, but we need food. Great photos. Thanks!
I thought about that too, Walt. But, like you say, we need food. And the fallow fields provide food and nesting material and other stuff for wildlife. It all works out, I guess. Interesting to think about.
One fall coming home from a trip through Idaho, Steve and I came southwest from Spokane, using back roads to Yakima. We traveled through landscapes much like these. The roads were excellent and almost completely empty of traffic. The sky was blue and the wheat fields were golden. Coming up the side of a ridge, we wouldn’t be able to see anything beyond the blue sky and gold of the crest, which made me feel like we were about to drive off the face of the earth. Then we’d top that crest and drop down and do it again on the next ridge. It was a gorgeous, memorable, magical day!
What a great description! Thanks Fritzi. I can see a video of it in my head. Sounds magical indeed.
Fabulous! Another part of the world I would never see on my own. Thank you. 🙂
You’re welcome, Judy. Let’s see where else I can get to that you haven’t been to. 🙂 Nice to have you along.