New to Us This Week.......Cow Pies and Butt Rot

Joan and I have finished Week 2 of our workamping gig and we've learned a lot of new stuff about our jobs and Mt Hood National Forest. Tuesday and Wednesday started out with Hazard Tree Training offered by the Forest Service for their concessionaires and workampers. 1 day in the classroom and 1 day in the forest. On Thursday Joan got to utilize her new-found knowledge by assisting one of our site managers inspect one of the unopened campgrounds for trees that would need removal prior to the CG opening. Unfortunately it was raining with temps in the low 40's. She came home wet and cold, took a hot shower and warmed up with a little Irish Cream and coffee.

On Friday we traveled to the east side of Mt Hood to help prepare some of the CG's for campers. We cleared  fallen limbs, cleaned fire pits and raked campsites; all of this in the rain.....with a little ice mixed in. On Saturday we got word that the primary work center on the east side was ready for occupancy; so the 'extra' RV's that have been staying in our work center began preparations to leave. About 10am a convoy left headed east....1 5th wheel, 2 MH pulling toads, me driving the dually work truck loaded with tools and equipment pulling a 20' trailer carrying one of the golf carts, Joan driving one of the work trucks loaded with office supplies and 2 other work trucks loaded with various campground supplies. Here's what we ran into as we passed Mt Hood.....

Rain & Snow at 38 Degrees

Once we were on the east side the sun came out, the sky was blue and it was really pleasant. I hope I don't end up jealous as they expect lots of sun and very little rain going forward. We still have a month or two before our weather dries out on the west side. Friday night we left the rig about 10:30 and drove up to the pass entering the valley where we're located. Friday night was the night during which the moon was its closest to the earth this year. Joan snapped a few pics, experimenting with some of the settings of her new camera.

Sunday was our first of two days off and it turned out to be gorgeous; blue skies with no clouds and temps in the high 60's. Now that the extra campers have left the workcenter, we used most of the day moving and setting up our RV in its seasonal site. 

Lazy Bend Work Center
Our RV on the Right

This is the backdrop of our site. We're also started work on adding some personal touches to the space between our rig and the workcenter building including a fire pit, picnic table, hummingbird feeder, wind chimes, bird feeder, tomato and herb bed and flower garden.

We had a hard time raking some of these rocks.    They kept flying away!

When we got too close they turned into blue butterflies 

Well it's getting late and I'm pretty tired from all of the 'home' work we did today. So I'll just say 'Good Nigh..." Wait a minute... I think I may have forgotten something....What is it?... Let me read back through the blog.....Oh Yeah, I know......

Cow Pies and Butt Rot. It's not what you think. It's not from cattle or from riding the motorcycle too long on a hot summer day! In Oregon, according to the Forest Service, cow pies and butt rot are signs of a diseased tree. Schweinitzii is the formal name of the infection commonly called butt rot and is found in Douglas fir trees. When a tree suffers from schweinitzii the wood of the tree heart will deteriorate and break into little brown cubes. Cow pies are another sign of butt rot and grow near the base/root of diseased tree. They look very similar to the cow pies you find left over after a herd of cattle has been in the area.

So there you have it. No matter what you know, you can always learn a little more. Joan and I are having a great time. In fact Sunday is our anniversary....6 years since we started our new life as a couple. We can't believe how much we've done since we got together. And how much fun we've had. Our current workamping adventure is just one example. 

Stayed Tuned....More to Come!