This is our second trip to the Monaco Service Center, our first being in the fall of 2012. We returned to have a couple of new gremlins looked at and one carryover from the fall trip that was not quite right. While at Monaco I had RV Glass Experts come in and replace the drivers side widow because the dual pane failed and let water in thus obstruting my view of side traffic...not a good thing.
New items were a door that need adjustment, rear jack that quit in the parking lot (lucky for us) and the carryover of a slide that leaked. I have to admit when the wife is correct, she is correct. All winter she thought the slide didn't come in or go out like it should and me, with all my mechanical knowledge, thought...what do girls know about this? Donna was right, they ended up removing the slide for adjustment and had to replace the 11 year old slide motor because they burned it up trying to adjust the slide. Cost to us...$0, Matt, the service manager said it should of been done right the first time...now that's what I call integrity.
Our three night, two day, stay at Monaco was just enough time to go out and see Eugene in the spring time. During our fall trip everything was green, but this time anything that could bloom...did bloom.
Thistledown Farms in Eugene had some wonderful produce and gorgeous flower arrangements. I noticed this nice looking vine growing up a pole with some very unusual flowers.
The flowers looked like beautiful gold christmas ornaments and being a self-learned botanist, I just had to know what they were. I picked one and took it to some guy watering the flower bowls and asked the question. With a slight chuckle he told me that what I was looking at is the seed pod...after the flower petals drop off. How cool is that, first you get a beautiful flower and when that dies, you get a "twofer" a great looking seed pod.
If you have ever driven by beautiful fields of wheat in the fall when it's gold... I can tell you it is just as pretty in the late spring when green.
We thought for sure because of it's size this would be a bald eagles nest. After
talking to the farmer, who's land it was on, we find it is the biggest osprey nest we have encountered. It had to be at least 24 inches in height from the wires
While I'm on the subject of birds...here is a red shoulder or a most likely red-tail hawk, having a mouse or mole in his mouth for lunch.
Stopped at Bellfountain County Park for an early lunch of fruit while out exploring. I am amazed that this little out of the way town had such a well groomed park with one of the longest picnic tables I had ever seen.
As we passed one pasture we noticed something on each of the fence posts, about 20 in all. Little bird houses, each of a slightly different design.
This field we had to look up and believe it is crimson clover and full of bees.
There are 1500 grass farmers with over 500,000 acres under production in Oregon, most of which are in the Willamette Valley. When you look out upon your front or back yard or even the neighborhood golf course, chances are the fescue, bentgrass, bluegrass and other varieties were from seeds grown here in Oregon.
This field is filled with coriander plants.
Ok...I'm stumped on this crop and there was no one around to pester for an answer but it sure looked pretty.
I couldn't end a blog without a bridge, my wife or a bird of prey, could I?
Although we found a date of 1887 on the bridge there is no plaque that gives any info about it. It is now a walkway and it spans the McKenzie River near Coburg, Oregon. I have to give applause to bridgehunter for having the information I needed on the Armitage Bridge.
This osprey is "bringing home the bacon" for mom and kids. We couldn't see the little ones but could definitely hear them.
This ends our time in Eugene and will move on to Salem and new adventures.
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