First Boring Day

Whoops, a better title might be The First Day in Boring, Oregon. It was the next stop on the WIN circuit, and close to Portland and all the attractions there.

The first day we went on a couple tours, all but boring. First, the Bonneville Dam.

It differed from other dam tours that I have been on in that they actually let you go down to the generators.

Lots of fish go through here on the fish ladders. They actually have someone count all the fish.

The fish don't have to jump up, there are holes in the ladders that they swim through. We got to see the fish through the windows.

There were lots of these guys working on cleaning the windows - they look like eels, but in fact are not even related. They are Pacific lamprey. They operate a lot like salmon - the larvae go to the ocean, then return to migrate upstream to spawn.

In addition to the fish ladders, there are lighted tunnels for the fish to pass through to avoid the generators. Although even if they do go through the generators, most survive.

We also went over to Washougal, WA to tour the Pendleton Woolen Mill.

They make a lot of blankets here, all the way from the raw wool to the finished product.

The other items in their line are actually made overseas after the wool is spun and died here.

No pictures are allowed on the tour, but there are plenty on the internet to "borrow."

Before I got to Boring, I visited Trillium Lake east of town, where I saw this strange character coming out of the woods. What's the story here???

Turns out he's a model, and they were doing a photo shoot for the Pendleton Christmas catalog.

I managed to tear myself away and take a picture of the lake...