Oregon Books

Wandering around West Yellowstone, Montana waiting for the weather to clear, I discovered this treasure. I wanted to find out how Lewis & Clark managed without a trailer equipped with microwave, Gortex and DEET. Manage they did. The thrill of discovery outweighed the difficulties. This was my first read of the corps of discovery. It serves as an introduction. The selected sections of the journals are followed by explanations and interpretations. The black and white photos of the described sites and plants complement the text beautifully. The feeling of "being there" comes off the page. The maps are somewhat difficult to follow. As an introduction and a pick-up during the Montana thunderstorms, it made a fine addition to a well rounded vacation.

Fascinating look at the logging industry and the battles to protect the last of the few giant trees left in this country. The author lived in logging communities and spent a great deal of time with both loggers and the people trying to stop logging of old growth forests. Also covers the politics behind the rape of the environment, including the greed of politicians selling off old growth for money. By focusing on drama, personalities, and the earthy language of loggers, this book is a fun read. The author is clearly on the side of the conservationists, but thoroughly covers the arguments of the pro-logging contingent as well.

This book emphasizes what everybody shoud have done for a long time : listening to the Indians of the Pacific Northwest to protect the rivers and salmon. Serious and sometimes irreparable damages have been made on these rivers and salmon because of a continuing destruction or bad management by greedy or selfish nonIndians. It is time now to respect the Si'lailo Way and to restore the rivers following this way.

Interesting book, containing letters of a army bride sojourn in Washington and SE Oregon in the 1860s. I just wish there was more to read about her life. It is interesting to read how optomistic she was while living in pretty harsh conditions.

This magnificent book is gem. Beautifully illustrated, concisely written. This is a MUST HAVE for regional birders and wildflower fans.

Someone to Belong To is the 4th and final book in the Whispering Pines series by Melody Carlson. If you are looking for a cozy, wholesome read, with lovable characters and small town charm, this is the perfect book.
My only wish is that Meloday Carlson would have continued with the series.

I bought this book because I was raised in a Pullman passenger car sitting on the ground next to the Southern Pacific line in Southern Oregon. The book is a wonderful compilation of photos from all eras over all of the lines in Oregon. I was most interested in the Siskiyou line but the authors do an equally competent job covering the Cascade or Main line west to San Francisco (SF), the Coast line and all the branches around Portland. For you non-SP fans, trains going away from SF are headed East regardless of the direction and those headed toward SF are headed West. One of the best things I like about this book is the maps. There are strip maps of the entire SP system in Oregon showing terrain and all of the siding and communities of today and years long gone past and the mileposts. Mileage markers are also figured from San Francisco...SP headquarters on Market Street to be exact. The words that accompany the many photos provide a history of each segment of the line, some of the communities along the way as well as interesting stories the authors have acquired. One of the authors, Tom Dill, was a fireman-engineer for 18 years on the SP and Ed Austin's uncle worked for the company too. Over the years they took many great photos and you'll see them all in this book.

So you always wanted to be an engineer on one of those big locomotives climbing up out of Eugene into the Cascades and headed toward Klamath Falls. Here's a quote from the book:

Even with three AC's handling a train, speeds between Oakridge and Cascade Summit seldom exceeded twenty miles per hour and often dropped to ten miles per hour. Thus, heat and smoke in the longer tunnels on the Cascade line presented a significant problem for train crews...On one trip fireman Herb Abarr, using a thermometer in the cab of the second helper locomotive, measured a temperature of 176 degrees in tunnel No. 7.

There is a second book that accompanies this one and it is called, "The Southern Pacific in Oregon - Pictorial". It is made up of many of the extra photos that wouldn't fit in the first book. If you can find it you'll also be pleased with the coverage of the line but be warned that both books are hard to find. If you can get them, however, you'll be very pleased with your purchase. I know one thing. You're not getting my copies.

I bought this book because I was raised in a Pullman passenger car sitting on the ground next to the Southern Pacific line in Southern Oregon. The book is a wonderful compilation of photos from all eras over all of the lines in Oregon. I was most interested in the Siskiyou line but the authors do an equally competent job covering the Cascade or Main line west to San Francisco (SF), the Coast line and all the branches around Portland. For you non-SP fans, trains going away from SF are headed East regardless of the direction and those headed toward SF are headed West. One of the best things I like about this book is the maps. There are strip maps of the entire SP system in Oregon showing terrain and all of the siding and communities of today and years long gone past and the mileposts. Mileage markers are also figured from San Francisco...SP headquarters on Market Street to be exact. The words that accompany the many photos provide a history of each segment of the line, some of the communities along the way as well as interesting stories the authors have acquired. One of the authors, Tom Dill, was a fireman-engineer for 18 years on the SP and Ed Austin's uncle worked for the company too. Over the years they took many great photos and you'll see them all in this book.

So you always wanted to be an engineer on one of those big locomotives climbing up out of Eugene into the Cascades and headed toward Klamath Falls. Here's a quote from the book:

Even with three AC's handling a train, speeds between Oakridge and Cascade Summit seldom exceeded twenty miles per hour and often dropped to ten miles per hour. Thus, heat and smoke in the longer tunnels on the Cascade line presented a significant problem for train crews...On one trip fireman Herb Abarr, using a thermometer in the cab of the second helper locomotive, measured a temperature of 176 degrees in tunnel No. 7.

Touching poetry that brings about the warmer human side of humanity - "Spilling the Moon" is an anthology of poetry that seeks to do just that. His debut collection of poetry, Schumacher's poems are lyrically vivid and emotionally satisfying, making you wishing for more. A satisfying debut indeed for him and there is hope for more in the future, "Spilling the Moon" is a must for poetry lovers and poetry collections everywhere. Man Dreams He Turns to Snow: I dream the snow reveals secrets to me alone./This snowball my fist forms is a doorknob I turn/And walk into a stalactite cathedral./Its furnishings swirling oceans/Of wind, moon, ice crystal./And I would drown in the undertow/But my snowshovel's a ballast./I hold its wooden handle and my bones float./ My body's elusive as breath./My particles fall/Slow miles to quiet the earth. My nerves, Minuscule icicles./I capture your footsteps/without a heart./Frostbite itself knows I'm a ghost.

Whether you are looking for a gift or just love the Oregon Coast yourself, this book does indeed capture, "the spirit of the Oregon coast". The Watkins have a keen eye for capturing the essence of many aspects of this beautiful place.

The photos are original in both content and perspective and they provide a real sense of place not often found.