Book Reading List - 2021

• Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu - Author: Laurence Bergreen
• Galileo - Author: James Reston Jr
• The Day the World Ended at Little Big Horn: A Lakota History - Author: Joseph M. Marshall III
• Conquistadors - Author: Michael Wood
• The Oregon Trail - Author: Francis Parkman
• Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures - Author: Merlin Sheldrake
• At Home - Author: Bill Bryson
• Facing the Mountain - Author: Daniel James Brown
• The Last Englishman - Author: Keith Foskett
• I Am a Man: Chief Standing Bear’s Journey for Justice - Author: Armando Duran
• Natural Rivals - Author: John Clayton
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley - Author: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
• How to Avoid a Climate Disaster - Author: Bill Gates
• Wonderlandscape - Author: John Clayton
• Leave Only Footprints - Author: Conor Knighton
• Clanlands: Whiskey, Warfare and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other - Author: Graham McTavish, Sam Heughan
• How I Built This - Author: Guy Raz
• A Promised Land - Author: Barack Obama
• Greenlights - Author: Matthew McConaughey

Birds - Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

It's truly amazing how Anna's hummingbirds are able to survive the cold winters here in the PNW. This guy stayed busy guarding our two feeders from at least two other Anna's. I'm thinking we may need to put up a few more feeders 🤔

Road Trip - Fort Rock, OR

Fort Rock State Monument, Oregon

Visited Fort Rock State Monument on a recent road trip through central Oregon (scroll down for 3D photos). Fort Rock is an amazing volcanic formation that can be seen from miles away. It was created during the last ice age when lava erupted from a vent in the earth's crust. As the eruption continued, layers of tuff accumulated around the vent eventually building a circular feature or tuff ring that stands about 200 feet high and 4,460 feet in diameter. Fort Rock got Its name from its tall, straight sides that resemble a fort. According to Wikipedia, William Sullivan, an early settler in the area, named Fort Rock in 1873 while searching for lost cattle.

Fort Rock State Monument, Oregon

Over ten thousand years ago Fort Rock was surrounded by a lake with wetlands and wildlife which provided the foundation of life for prehistoric humans. Numerous well-preserved sagebrush sandals, ranging from 9,000 to 13,000 years old have been discovered in the area making it the earliest evidence of humans in North America.
Sources: Wikipedia & Fort Rock State Monument visitor information

3D Photo of Fort Rock State Monument, Oregon

Aerial 3D Photo of Fort Rock State Monument, Oregon

Road Trip - Fort Rock Valley Homestead

I love ghost towns and on the way to see Fort Rock State Monument, I ran across a gem in the high desert of Central Oregon (scroll down for 3D photos). Fort Rock Valley Homestead is composed of a museum and numerous restored historic buildings from the area that were salvaged and relocated to Fort Rock, creating a sort of ghost town in the middle of nowhere. 

The restored town was opened in 1988 by the Fort Rock Valley Historical Society, and grew over the years as more buildings were saved from demolition or donated. The historic town is made up of three houses, a doctor's office, a mercantile, three cabins, and a school.

The town originated as a result of the Homestead Act of 1862 that fueled a land rush which allowed heads of households, widows, and all single people over 21 years old to purchase 160 acres at $1.25 per acre, or by paying a $15 filing fee after 5 years of residence and cultivation. Motivated by dreams of a "Garden of Eden" or simply the desire to own land, thousands headed west.

While the land was essentially free, getting
to the land, building a home, and plowing the land required money. The harsh environment also defeated many. More than 1.3 million claims were filed in the United States before 1900, but less than half proved successful.
Source: Fort Rock Valley Homestead visitor information