Standing around in 38-degree weather is a little painful but it’s worth it to learn stuff about nature while on a guided Eugene First Saturday Park Walk. Things learned on the group hike: 1. It is unnaturally difficult to control nature. 2. Staying on trails is environmentally respectful. 3. Vote to fund parks and public… Continue reading Mt. Baldy (Ridgeline trail)
Category: walking
Wild Iris Ridge
Half the group waited at the wrong trailhead. After an hour of walking, we found the group we were looking for. Wild iris ridge opened in 2017 and is part of Eugene’s ridgeline trail system (though not actually connected). Many large oaks, madrone clusters, and bushels of poison oak decorate the landscape. The views are… Continue reading Wild Iris Ridge
Port Townsend
The areas of the brain that process emotional thought and response are larger, percentage-wise in the brains of orcas than any other animal. So said a sign at the visitor center in Port Townsend. Port Townsend is a place that I love. Historically, some people say it’s “the city that whiskey built.” I didn’t drink… Continue reading Port Townsend
empty clothes
On walks, I often see scattered piles of pants, shirts, or socks, shorts, or jackets. By walking paths, under bridges, near bushes, at intersections,in alleys, near parking lots, by fences. What is the story? Do people dematerialize and reconstruct in other places, leaving clothes behind? Are clothes the first layer to go when change is… Continue reading empty clothes
transformation betwixt land and sea
Plankton are abundant here. “It smells very biological,” said one man I met in the sparsely filled parking lot. One area in particular did smell like the brew of a million creatures. The South Slough Reserve is so understated, I think it goes unnoticed by the crowds. It was America’s first estuarine research reserve, established… Continue reading transformation betwixt land and sea
Lichen sanctuary
Some of my best ideas start out as jokes. Such as, the lichen sanctuary. The lichen sanctuary would rescue wayward lichen. There would be ample space to relocate displaced lichen. This place would be a safety net for lichen that has been pushed out of its habitat, fallen out of a tree, and unable to… Continue reading Lichen sanctuary
Notes from January
We gathered on my living room floor near the flickering stove to start our group meditation. The orange tabby loitered in front of me. The small dog jumped in her round bed, 2 feet away. “So, tell me what brings you here to meditate? “ The cat started to chase a bug. The dog stared… Continue reading Notes from January
Give into your whole self
New storms come Not on schedule But they blow around and wash the old away Maybe today you’ll find your ancient tomb All the colors still showing life and reverence To bring to your highest priest self, in current time The hollow ancient space in your chest Will connect with the lost heart of art… Continue reading Give into your whole self
Walk slowly and look closely
Dave could read coyote scat like tea leaves. “See this hair? That’s nutria.” Others contained grain, a mouse, grass. “That’s a thigh bone,” he pointed down to the ground to what looked like a mess inside of a mess. We saw no possums but were told that no one enjoys eating them, not even vultures.… Continue reading Walk slowly and look closely
A walk through backwater sloughs in a riparian forest
It’s like the place where Winnie the Pooh lives. It’s not the grounds to prove physical accomplishments, victories, or achievements. About 11 miles south of Corvallis, off Peoria road, Snag Boat Bend is a simple walk in a quiet place. It offers grass, blackberries, willows, water, leaves and trees. There is a bog. Beavers live… Continue reading A walk through backwater sloughs in a riparian forest