Not Bad for Under Two Years

          When I was 7th grade, the mandatory history class focused on American history and Utah history.  We had first did a brief study on Europe and the reasons given for explorers making their way to the American continent. 

I don't recall a lot on either Revolutionary or Civil Wars though I'm certain that each was mentioned.  We cruise through Utah history as 95% of the class had been raised in the LDS church and obviously knew more about Utah's history than the text book - which had Joseph Smith martyred by hanging - in Utah.  Joseph Smith was not hung nor did he live long enough to see the Church move toward the Utah territory. 

          That is just one example that I remember.  The instructor was not LDS, but he could see that the class wasn't going to budge - weather right or wrong. I think we ended up skipping three chapters.  It was toward the end of the year anyway.  So how much of what we had already learned had even been accurate?  The entire book could have been done on speculation without resources to back up the so called information.

          Jenna's social studies have been focusing on pyramids and castles????? That's all well and good for those of us who live abroad, but wouldn't it actually be more useful and beneficial to start with your own state and country before expanding into places you might not actually ever get to.  I'm almost 55 years old.  The only castle that I've seen is the one Walt Disney had built for Disneyland.  It doesn't fit the history of the castles that Jenna has been learning about.

          We live in Oregon now.  I want to know about Oregon, specifically Douglas County.  I want to know the history of the things that are tangible to me - not the man-made architectures that I may never see.  All history is important - but not all are priorities - not for me anyway.  I've been trying to understand this county ever since we got here.

          The other day I was visiting with my friend Carolyn (mentioned in this post) and she showed me a Douglas County visitors guide (2017) that had come with the latest edition of the newspaper she recieves (I'm guessing Sunday's edition of the News Review)

         I'm aware that there are many who may live in a state or country all of their lives and not see any tourist attractions.  I am proud to say that I have seen (or are at least familiar with) more than half of what is considered Douglas County's top 10. 

          Before we were fully unpacked, one of the first things that we looked into was getting library cards. Roland found a video of the Roseburg Blast.  Wow!  Very informative.  It was mind blowing, heart breaking . . . very well done, I thought.  Certainly a lot more informative and more impressive than the Douglas Museum of History and Natural History.  After having visited many museums in Salt Lake City, the Douglas Museum was actually quite disappointing.  In this case, I am happy to have watched the video first.

published August 7, 1959

           I'd taken pictures of the lumber yards shortly after we moved here.  Some of these I've already posted back in 2015.

taken in Riddle

Glendale

           Even Myrtle Creek had once thrived on lumber dependency.  See here and here

from the Myrtle Creeks Day Parade July 2015

This was the picture in the News Review brochure

Ireland Trucking participates in July and December parades

           I had only learned about the owls earlier this month.

           Roseburg isn't always windy, but does seem to be windier than myrtle creek.  Just this past Saturday we had looked sheds before moving to inside the store and finding plastic owls and other finds for our yard and house.  The wind was howling something fierce and it felt like the tin sheds would rip out and blow away.

          I have been to Crater Lake only once.  This picture was taken in September when my brother Corey, came to visit.

taken September 2015

          I have not heard of Little River Rapids.  I have pictures of both north and south Umpqua rivers.  Mostly South - as the Umpqua bridge in these photos takes you from I5 ramp 108 to downtown Myrtle Creek

North Umpqua September 2015

North Umpqua July 2016

South Umpqua from railroad tracks of 4th St. January 2017

North Umpqua July 2016

South Umpqua November 2015

South Umpqua January 2017

South Umpqua November 2015

South Umpqua March 2017

         

          I have not been to Yoncalla.  I am familiar with its name and location on the map

  

now called Yoncalla High; taken from web

          I think we had gone to Drain when we were looking at houses.  I would have guessed "Douglas High" would have been in Roseburg

          I am so NOT into sports. 

scanned from News Review's Visitor's Guide 2017

          In addition to the 10 things to know were articles that featured great parks to visit, spectacular waterfalls (I had only been to Watson)

Watson falls from Corey's photos

and music.

Also a little blurb on Diamond Lake.  Corey and I stopped by to take pictures when he was here in September 2015.

I cropped this from one I had taken at Diamond Lake

Corey took this one of me

          There was also an article that featured Historic Oakland a city north of Roseburg. 

We missed the 2016 event, but I will be certain to put this on my agenda for 2018. 

Looks fun.