Wordy Wednesday - January 14, 2026 - A Trip to the River

 My oldest was visiting from the East Coast earlier this week.  The mornings have been very foggy, but by afternoon it clears. We went out to one of my favorite places (that is, easy to get to, with a turn-out to park) to view the Rogue River.  The Rogue River is one of the original eight rivers in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.

The sun was too bright this direction.

The opposite way has some rapids.   There are "falls" further downstream, which I will visit, but from the road they look more like bigger rapids.

I thought the river was quite calm considering how much rain we'd had recently.  Then I saw the huge pile of sticks and branches at a high water line.  It must have been wild! 

I don't know how the couple and their dog got over there, what looks like a road is a train track.

Someone constructed a stick arch from the wrack (the organic debris mix of sticks, branches, reeds, etc.).

From this photo you might think the tree is in bloom.  But, it's covered in beard lichen, or old man's beard lichen.  It's not harmful to the tree, it's actually a sign of clean air.  It's non-parasitic and doesn't penetrate into the bark.  

This tree had another type of lichen, Caloplaca.  Same thing goes as with the beard lichen, a sign of nice clean air!