Wednesday, August 26, 2009

All Creatures Great and Small

I just have a couple more things to share about our recent trip to Oregon. One thing that amazed me was the variety of wildlife we saw everywhere. (And that's not even counting the safari.)

We saw numerous birds, lots of deer, tide pools full of fantastic creatures, and a fish farm full of young trout. We also saw this California Gray Whale lolling just off the coast. Did you know it's really hard to get a photo of a whale spouting?



Some of the most spectacular animals we saw were these Roosevelt Elk. They were near the south end of the Redwood State Park in the meadow area along Highway 101. They seemed quite comfortable with all the traffic and all the attention. Folks were stopping their cars right on the highway to get out and take photos.






At the other end of the spectrum size-wise were these slugs. We found this magnificent black one sliding through our campsite one damp morning.

And these yellow ones were at one of the fish hatcheries that we visited.



Whales, Elk, Slugs....

and the Lord God made them all.

7 comments:

Blondie's Journal said...

Laura,

These are fabulous pictures!! I love the elk. Sad though, that they have to have cars and humans all around them. But a great experience for we humans...

I could have lived without seeing the slugs! lol!! How big were they?? The black one (to me) is right out of a sci fi movie!!

But I am so happy you enjoyed your trip. You are an incurable nature lover, Laura!

xoxo
Jane

becky up the hill said...

Enjoyed your Oregon blog very much. We just came home from a week in Brookings, Oregon. Drove to Charleston, Ore. and visited Shore Acres. It's worth the visit. The hidden cove and pink sea shell beach is wonderous. Gardens and history. Reading your blog has made me miss it all the more.

Just a little something from Judy said...

Being from a different part of the United States, I was so happy to see all of these pictures from Oregon...all of them except the slugs. That black one must have been quite a sight. I really found these posts fascinating. Thank you for allowing to share in your vacation.

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

Beautiful photos. I love your appreciation for all the creatures! C

Mary Bergfeld said...

Your photos, slugs and all, are terrific. I'm so glad you enjoyed your visit to our state.

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

I love your photos! What magnificent animals, especially the Roosevelt Elk! Reminds me of a trip "C" and I took to Wyoming and Montana years ago when she and her husband had bought some remote Montana acreage. The buffalo hold some kind of mystique for me--such quiet, massive creatures. We also saw a moose at a creek's edge not too far from the road. Amazing! V.

Laura said...

The black slug was about 3" long and the yellow one was about 4" long.