A longtime coast dweller, the ocean was calling me after so long living inland, and with fall--and rain--approaching, I figured I should get out and explore while the weather is still good.

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Trek to Florence and
Heceta Head Lighthouse

Shoot Date: 8-26-2006

Mapleton, a village of less than a thousand inhabitants, is definitely a water-centric community.  Stairways behind modest homes on both sides of the river descend to private docks.  Riverside homes are also raised a good 8-10 feet above ground level, indicating periodic winter flooding.

Along the riverbank I saw what's become an increasingly familiar sight during my time in Oregon--flowering plants I'm completely unfamiliar with.  The bushes at right extended anywhere from 5 to about 20 feet along the riverbank and were filled with curious upright spikes of tiny flowers, very picturesque along the water's edge.

One of the bushes above can be seen in the picture at left behind two rows of posts that appear to have sprouted new growth at the tops.  I'm not sure if the posts themselves have sprouted or whether bird-dropped seeds are responsible.  In any event, they were a curious sight.

Across the road from the riverbank stands a row of shops that constitute the entire Mapleton commercial district.  These are the backs of two multi-tenant buildings that house a hardware store, fishing/bait shop, hairdresser and several other businesses.