She said, this is what it’s about. Community. Vote for your community, she said. I said, yeah, totally. It was 44 degrees and raining most of the time and also muddy. Still, people showed up at this neighborhood party that was advertised on sign posts. I walked over with a couple poems in my back… Continue reading Neighborhood party
Tag: Oregon
Willamette river
Can one person make a difference? Trying feels better than not trying. I spent a couple hours this weekend doing a volunteer trash pick-up for a river that is 35 million years old, give or take. The Willamette river is the 13th largest river in the U.S. It is 187 miles long. A key source… Continue reading Willamette river
Habitat Restoration
It was beautiful. It was fun. It was hard work. We brought our love of beavers, nature, and our lunch to spend the day tackling a habitat restoration project under the care of Beaverworks. We worked very hard with hand tools for hours. You must have wit, grit, and a sense of wonderment to complete… Continue reading Habitat Restoration
Crow habit
I have a crow habit. I know them: Crow, Crowie, and Croatia. There are more but I can’t remember their names. Some have asked me to paint them as they see themselves. It’s hard to describe but they don’t see themselves like we see them. They can be oversized black squares of energy that talk… Continue reading Crow habit
Remember to play
Bats, ash, and garlic
Less than 1/10 of 1% of bats are believed to carry rabies.” – Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife What’s happening in autumn? Some animals migrate or hibernate, deciduous leaves change color and fall, winter crops are planted. Winged mammals Bats are hard to notice, but they are here. Their DNA is much closer to… Continue reading Bats, ash, and garlic
Flotsam & Jetsam
If you don’t know what to do, pick up litter at the beach. It’s never the wrong move. At one point I am alone by the surf and this is where loud singing is released. I went to Heceta beach in Florence to pick up trash and I remembered a Mary Oliver poem that goes… Continue reading Flotsam & Jetsam
Green Island
This is where two rivers meet: McKenzie and Willamette. Sometimes I think we ask too much of nature. We go forest bathing and swimming in it; walking and running through it; drinking, huffing, and gobbling it down, all the time. It gives all that we need. How do we give back? I thought this while… Continue reading Green Island
Beaver Balance
Why do beavers matter? It’s like asking why does water matter? We need one for the other. There is something magical about beavers. They know the secret of restoration. We had beavers for a long time, about 7 million years, and then we almost lost them due to trapping. Now we are trying to build… Continue reading Beaver Balance