It’s Still Spring

I know that Memorial Day seems like the beginning of summer.

Foxglove

But summer doesn’t actually start for another month.  So we are still seeing things spring up and out and through.

Salal Flowers

The delicate pink flowers on the Salal shrubs will turn into plump blueberry-like berries.

Those close to the ocean get a light coating of salt on the berries; which makes them especially yummy.

3 bulls – last year’s spikes

These cousins only had spikes last year.  We’ll see how many points they grow this year.

Nice Velvet Dude

This was taken on a different day so it could be one of those in the previous photo for all I know.

River Moss

The moss is getting thick in the Alsea River too.  We’re still not sure if this moss has grown on the branches or if they just caught it at high tide?  It sure seemed to happen quickly.

Osprey Couple at WHS

I hadn’t seen the osprey fishing in our front yard all week.  My theory was that the chicks had hatched.  Based on what we saw today (above), I’m sticking with my theory.

Algae Bloom

The algae bloom makes the water look thick and almost chocolatey – if it weren’t for that slight greenish tint.

Not so inviting for swimming but lots of marine life love it.

And apparently it doesn’t adversely affect the shellfish: http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/pages/shellfish_status.aspx

Group C001 is blooming in Sutton Campground

The campgrounds are sprouting tents!

We’ve really had a dry May so we really need the rain we’ve seen this week.  But a break for Memorial Weekend would really be nice.

Yearling Elk Nursing

Some people’s children never grow up.

I’m trying to figure out how she can nurse for a whole year?!

What to do at the beach in the fog

When the “valley” gets hot, the “hot” go to the beach!  It’s cooler on the Oregon coast beaches but sometimes fog comes with it.

Foggy Tillicum Beach

So, what’s there to see in the fog?

Pacific Mole Crab

Well, there’s still the little sand critters to play with.  If you see the mole crab tracks or their holes, dig a few inches down to find them.  No, they’re not good to eat!  Just fun to catch.  The legs tickle your fingers as they wiggle like crazy to get away.  See if you can figure out which end is their head. 🙂

Castles from Yachats Beach

Building sand castles isn’t just for kids!

Salal Berries

Graze on the Salal berries.  They start from a pink flower, turn into a pink berry and ripen to dark blue.  In Tillicum Campground, the berries collect a fine layer of salt from the salty air.  The berries taste like blueberries.  Sweet and salty  –  YUM!

Huckleberries

The huckleberries and blackberries are just starting to ripen in the campground.  The blackest ones are the sweetest.

Oregon Berry Season

Now that’s something I can sink my tooth into.  These salmonberries are so pretty!  But the orange ones are still a little sour.  Salmonberries begin ripening in late June to early July, depending on the elevation.

I only found a couple ripe salmonberries.  The red ones are sweet.  I like them even a little redder than this one.

I had to arm wrestle that spider for this one.  But it was worth the 8 matches. 🙂

Ripe Salmonberry – Sweet

Horse Creek Campground has lots of salmonberries and thimbleberries.

Flowering Thimbleberries

The thimbleberries are just starting to come on but it seems like they ripen faster than the salmonberries.

Ripening Thimbleberries

That red one is ready to eat.  The thimbleberries remind me of a hollow strawberry.  The flavor is similar and the tiny seeds crunch between your teeth.

Ripe Thimbleberry

They are very delicate.  The berries are easy to squish when you pull them off the plant.

And they almost have a slight fuzz on them, like a peach fuzz.

Salal Berries

In mid to late-July the Salal Berries ripen.  They taste like a blueberry.  The ones near the salt air of the ocean get a slight salty crust on them; to add a yummy dimension.

Canal Creek Snacks

And, of course the blackberries can’t be missed.  There are a couple different varieties of wild blackberries.  Himalayan is one and I think the other is either called Evergreen or Trailing?  You see them covering the roadsides and fields and old cars and houses!  The ones along many of the roadsides are sprayed for weed-control; so don’t eat those.