Not Much Goin' on in Dufur, Oregon

Last weekend my writing group went on a field trip to Dufer, Oregon. Our friend Connie has been telling us about Dufur for years, so finally we made it a destination, and were not disappointed!
Life is very slow in Dufer. It's a farm town of about 600 residents. I couldn't figure out what people did in Dufer, so I got up really early one morning and went snooping. This is what I found...the pictures tell the story pretty well, I think.

The Balch Hotel

View from My Window

Details of the Old Window Sash

Ft. Dufer 1889

          There was a familiarity about Dufur that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but when I saw the old Victorian house with "Ft. Dufur 1889" on the front of it, I realized it was identical to our farmhouse in Silverton. That house had been built in 1893 and we moved there in 1973. The town  was quite similar to Dufer back then and our old house was on the verge of collapse.

 I love snooping around small towns, so I arose at the crack of dawn walked all over town. Most of the people were still asleep, but some nasty dogs turned me around quickly a few times!

                   

                   

During my farming days, I spent a lot of time trying to keep the sheep inside the fence lines. Winch, posthole driver, metal posts, barbed wire... When I saw this in back of the pickup, I could literally feel my calloused hands, aching shoulders, the weight of my handmade sweater pregnant with winter's wet, and I recalled how I loved working with the land and the sheep. Too bad the farmer wasn't there; I would have enjoyed helping with the tasks of the day.

Old wooden fences intrigue me. I always want to know what's being fenced in and what's being fenced out.  As for this work of art on the right....it's part of an old bulldozer that apparently still runs. Can you imagine being the mechanic for that thing!

Antlers, Baby Stroller, Pumpkin, and Wood Splittin'...It's October!

Humor!

Not much happens in Dufur, Oregon, but you sure do hear a lot!