Eight Counties in Four Days

Our Winnebago is shown here yesterday morning parked in the Palisades Picnic Area of the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, --- an impressive mouthful for an equally impressive scenic stop. We were in route to bag two more counties, to bring our county total for this trip to eight. Seven of those counties are new for this year, bringing our total for the year to an even 20.  For those who just tuned in, or have a retention or memory problem, we are on a quest to note bird observations in all of Oregon's 36 counties. Our days route from Fossil took us through the towns of Antelope, Madras, Redmond and Sisters. After Sisters we stopped to check out Indian Ford Campground near Black Butte, and finding it almost empty, only one camper, and tired of driving, we elected to make it our camping destination for the day.  Campsites are without hook-ups, but only twelve dollars, less 50% for Senior Pass means we spent six dollars for a quiet site with the scent of pine and sage.  We took a nice walk and picked up some birds for Deschutes County.  Later in the afternoon our friends Dan & Charlene drove out from Bend to join us for dinner at the Kokanee Cafe in Camp Sherman.  A pre-dinner walk along the Metolius River netted us some birds for Jefferson County. (no cell service in Camp Sherman, three bars of service at Indian Ford) Now it's back to Salem for a pause before the next venture out.