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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services Ducks, Buckeye fans make playful wagers ahead of championship game Old stained-glass windows face threats College on the K-12 dime Mobile Health Center pulls out of Gold Hill Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Emergency services One killed Friday in single-vehicle crash in Rogue River Emergency services Men sentenced in heroin case Politics and Elections Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Education College on the K-12 dime Students forge links between forest health and people Medford School Board meeting deferred because of Ducks game Medford bulks up student support for math, reading Ashland schools to implement chickenpox precautions Environment OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock State News Oregon State University plans $60 million forestry complex Washington man arrested in Portland hotel slaying Timber group updates green label forestry standards Attorney: Use Boy Scout files in sex-abuse trial Oregon capitalizes on championship run Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Ricardo Ruiz-Santillan Richard Thompson LuErna Mae Jacobson Robert Charles Pollock Bob Lozano Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? 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Mobile Health Center pulls out of Gold Hill ... Latest attempt at public safety levy targets specific needs ... Old stained-glass windows face threats ... Mobile Health Center pulls out of Gold Hill ... Latest attempt at public safety levy targets specific needs ... SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL Chasing the mopes Comment By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 11, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 11, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News Don’t let the fog catch you crying. Oh, I know the song says to not let the sun find you at it, but we saw maybe 22 minutes of the rays today, so it would have been a challenge even for the sun. But after catching a chilling glimpse of what so much of the country has to endure, I’m reminded that even with the shroud, we’ve got it good. I get a little bluesy after the holidays — the kids leave, and even though I tire quickly of shopping hype, there’s excitement in the preparation. January doldrums fall with a hollow thud. In an effort to revive my flagging spirit, I discovered that winter afternoon walks are far superior to pre-breakfast summer jaunts when I have to beat the heat. Forty degrees beats 80 on the trail. That’s why yesterday I swaddled myself, allowing for a 20-degree warmup, remembered the Nikes this time, and picked up my friend, Lane, so we could take in a mood-reviving hike over and among the hills near Jacksonville. We have several great hikes near us that a decent explore, as Pooh aptly put it, doesn’t require greeting the sun (fog if you dwell low in the vale). We chose Jacksonville because it’s one of my favorite haunts any time of year, and I wanted to visit a new friend who lived in the area. We drove to an unmarked dirt parking lot on the left, past the Britt grounds on Highway 238. We began on the Sarah Zigler Trail that took us on an easy climb into a scrub oak grove. It wasn’t long before we shed our coats and gloves. There were abandoned mines if we’d continued on, but we cut the hike short and drove about 14 miles farther, past the small town of Ruch, and on to the picturesque Applegate Valley. We were calling on Maryanna and her husband, Neal, at their Horsefeather Farms Ranchette. It felt fitting that the Marshall Tucker Band was on the XM channel playing “Heard it in a Love Song” as we rolled up the long, gravel driveway and Lane recalled happy family times spent in the Applegate area upon relocating from L.A. in the '70s. We passed goats, horses, chickens and geese that sounded the alarm. Situated alongside the crystal clear Applegate River, the Horsefeather Ranchette is, for me, a slice of country-rock goodness right out of the 1970s playlist. I really should have been wearing a Gunne Sax dress with flowers in my hair. The friendly dogs welcomed us first, but only three of them. Maryanna came down and told us to make ourselves at home and check the place out. Something tells me she loves saying that and says it a lot. She obviously enjoys people and visiting. As she regaled us with information, I looked around the room enjoying that every inch of wall space was adorned with friendly pictures of flora and fauna, including one of a squirrel I noticed had googly eyes. She told me a guest had added them. She chose not to change it, for which I was glad. The googly eyes belonged. Horsefeather provides a funky respite for an individual or family who needs a cozy getaway. It’s rustic, not fancy. It’s quirky with a sense of humor. I bid Pita the spaniel farewell. Had it been a tad earlier, we could have enjoyed one of 18 nearby wineries. The Applegate Wine Trail is well traveled. But the Bella Union restaurant, or The Bella, as locals refer to it, is usually open for business and their happy hour small bites and discounted drinks, served 4 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to closing, was just the ticket. It was the perfect way to spend a winter afternoon chasing off the mopes and enjoying one more corner of our home sweet home. Peggy Dover is a freelance writer who works from a 1900 farmhouse in Eagle Point. Reach her at [email protected]. By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 11, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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