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Last month I went on a field trip with my daughter’s class to Crater Lake. The weather was strange all day. This is what it looked like when we arrived at Walker Elementary School at 7:30 in the morning.
Over the next few days you’ll get to see photographs from the rest of the day’s adventures.
My traveling companion had never been to Castle Lake before. Since it’s only about 10 miles off of I-5 I decided to take him there. I had no idea how beautiful it was going to be, never having been there in May before. Chico was about 90 degrees so I wasn’t expecting snow and ice on Castle Lake. The temperature was nice at almost 70 degrees, but the view was a winter one.
Amazingly enough, we were the only ones there enjoying the above scenery. I’ll share one more picture of Castle Lake with you tomorrow. To get to Castle Lake, follow the signs to Lake Siskiyou and just before you get there you’ll see one pointing to the left saying “Castle Lake 8 miles.”
A cow grazed in this pasture until last year when the old heifer died. The American flag in the center is in front of Premier West Bank. The building to the left is the Apple Cellar Bakery & Cafe. The mountains in the back are the Siskiyous. And the cherry blossoms are now gone. But they were at their peak last month when I took today’s photograph.
While waiting to pick up my daughter from Walker Elementary School, the weather and view were too nice to pass up.
One of my favorite views in town is from the Ashland Middle School. I took this picture from inside the school looking out to the north. If I was a student I would not be able to do anything but stare out the windows–especially this time of year when things have gone green. We only get a few months of rich green before summer turns much of this view a duller, brownish color.
I previously mentioned how Ashland was the inspiration for the setting of the recent movie, Coraline. While on a recent bike ride the view in the above photograph reminded me of that movie, at least the foreground. If you’ve seen the movie you’ll remember the environment surrounding the well. Where I took this picture from, the terrain, trees, and general atmosphere is very similar.
There are many other things in Ashland that were drawn on and appeared in the movie. The most obvious, of course, is the letter that says “Ashland, OR” right on it. But there are others that I’ll share with you in the future.
I took this photograph from N Phoenix Road in Phoenix, just north of Ashland. Although the “mountain” on the right seems higher, it is actually only at an altitude of about 7,150 feet. The name is Wagner Butte and it makes for a beautiful hike in late spring.
To the left, and still covered in snow, is Mt. Ashland. The elevation of Mt. Ashland is over 7,500 feet. It appears lower from this angle simply because it is further away.
View out the kitchen window on a day when the weather couldn’t quite make up its mind…
Any current or former SOU student will recognize this setting. A few feet forward and you are standing under the Southern Oregon University entry arch. Walk across the street (being careful not to get hit by a car), and you will have survived the trip to Mihama’s (Case Coffee, 7-Eleven, the Electric Beach, etc.). In the distance a freshly powdered Grizzly Peak overlooks the town.
I’m frequently asked if I own Case Coffee Co. (being that my last name is Case). The answer is “no.” It turns out there are several Cases in town. The owners aren’t closely related that I know of. They seem to do a great business though. The location has been a revolving door of businesses over the years, none of them doing much business until Case Coffee Co. took things over. Now the place always seems busy. I haven’t done business there since it turned into a coffee shop though. I can’t stand the stuff. Just the smell turns my stomach. Actually drinking coffee to me would be like drinking bad breath. No thanks.
I was kind of hoping that the old Island Juice (which wasn’t very good) at this location would turn into a Jamba Juice. Alas, we are still left without a single Jamba Juice in Southern Oregon.
