We’re off on another camping trip—this time to Strawberry Reservoir on the Winema Freemont National Forest near Bly, Oregon. For the past two years, we’ve made this journey with our dear friends, Jim and Pat Arneson. Jim has been conducting a breeding bird survey in the area for years and managed to rope Janice into helping him. They’d rise at 4 a.m., head out into the crisp dawn, and survey until noon.
Pat and I—faithful, if somewhat begrudging, support crew—agreed to hold down the fort in our respective campers, just in case a flock of rare or exotic birds decided to grace the campsite while Jim and Janice were off counting feathers. I, for one, often spotted a bald-headed, sleepy-eyed bird at dawn (ahem, in the mirror). And, on more than one occasion, the infamous flipping bird made an appearance—especially if the dogs and I got too noisy in the early hours.
Sadly, Jim and Pat couldn’t join us this year, but we decided to go anyway. We had hoped to leave earlier, but there was still some work to finish up with Umpqua Watersheds, and of course, the garden needed watering before we left.
A stop at the Grocery Outlet turned into an unexpected highlight of the day. We saved an astonishing $140—enough for me to take a victory lap around the store, high-fiving fellow shoppers and staff alike. Though, if I’m honest, I’m starting to suspect this whole “you saved!” gimmick is a bit of a racket. The so-called savings seem to be compared to prices at Steve’s Super Store for Smucks, where everything’s marked up because Steve’s secretly running a squirrel bordello in the back of the store and renting out “peak rooms” for folks with unusual obsessions.
Anyway (and yes, I’ve noticed I say “anyway” a lot more in my golden years—must be a perk of aging), after unloading most of the Grocery Outlet haul into the motorhome (did I mention we saved $140?), we mounted the e-bikes, which took some extra effort because we had to remove the bike rack from the Honda CRV.
By the time we were ready to hit the road, it was after 4 p.m. We headed east on North Bank Road, then picked up Highway 138 to cross the Cascades, before turning south onto Highway 97. We made it as far as Spring Creek, where we decided to spend the night.
Spring Creek is a magical place—its waters so pure they nurture Mare’s Eggs, those curious, gelatinous blue-green algae that resemble rocks but are, in fact, living relics of Earth’s ancient waters. This sacred place is deeply important to the Klamath people, and we always try to be mindful of its significance and history.
Sadly, the forest here has changed since we last visited. A bad fire in 2020 scarred the landscape, and much of the area has been heavily thinned since then.
After settling in, we fed the dogs and Comet, had a quiet dinner, and played a couple of rounds of Spite and Malice (our favorite card game). The night was peaceful, the only sounds being the soft breath of our family tucked in for the night—Comet nestled on her pillow between Janice and me, and the boys sleeping up front.
This trip is more than just a getaway—it’s a chance to recharge our batteries after the many months of work, challenges, and victories with Umpqua Watersheds and KQUA. The projects we’re dedicated to—whether it’s protecting the rivers and forests we love, supporting education and community, or sharing stories and songs over the airwaves—require passion, energy, and heart.
But even the most steadfast hearts need time to rest, reflect, and restore. That’s what these journeys give us: a chance to step away from the daily hustle, breathe in the clean air, listen to the birdsong (whether Jim’s counting them or not), and reconnect with the simple joys of life—quiet mornings, good meals, the company of beloved animals, and the wide, star-filled skies of Oregon.
Here at the edge of the forest and the water, we can feel our spirits realigning with the rhythms of nature, reminding us why we do the work we do. The gratitude we feel in these moments fuels us for the road ahead—just as the Mare’s Eggs thrive only in the purest of waters, we find strength and inspiration when we immerse ourselves in the wild beauty of these places.
As we head into the week at Strawberry Reservoir, we carry that gratitude with us, knowing that the work will be waiting when we return—but for now, we rest, we play, we wonder, and we give thanks for the gift of this life.
