City parks often come from land nobody wants. Tugman park, in south Eugene, used to be a dump and a major flood zone. The park was born in 1958 with actual structures going up in 1965. It was a sweet little community park but in the late 60’s some worried about the people who gathered… Continue reading Hippie haven
Category: oregon
The Yew
(Published in Take Root magazine, Winter 2020) The Pacific Yew is a quiet, understated tree. In fact, it is considered an “understory” tree. It doesn’t get that tall and is beneath what are called “overstory” trees (the tall ones). Maybe you are reading the recent novel about trees, The Overstory, by Richard Powers. Throughout history… Continue reading The Yew
Zombie parasols
The way you recognize mushrooms is the same way you learn faces. You just have to get familiar with them, like you do when you meet people, or groups of people. Here are a few notes from a fungi sermon at Hendrick’s park. It was supposed to be a walk too, but most of the… Continue reading Zombie parasols
Notifications
I bicycled over the river today in the morning fog. There were rows of spider webs catching the wind from the bridge railing, about 500 or so. Never saw them before. Saw them today because each strand carried moisture that illuminated their webs. At the arch of the bridge, there was a group of a… Continue reading Notifications
Turtle Club Med
Western pond turtles live here! Here is Golden Gardens park, in west Eugene. It’s nearly 200 acres of land, with a mile walking path that weaves around ponds. This area became ponds after gravel was removed to build freeways. Back then they didn’t demand that gravel businesses restore the land. Instead, they left steep loose… Continue reading Turtle Club Med
A few days in Joseph, Oregon
I didn’t rinse off my paddleboard after this trip. I wanted it to absorb and hold the water molecules of Wallowa Lake. This water is sacred. I think all bodies of water are sacred, but this lake seems acutely so. I paddled to the middle of the lake. I laid on my back, face to… Continue reading A few days in Joseph, Oregon
Swimming with herons
It’s true what Heraclitus said about getting into a river. Every time, it’s not the same river and you aren’t the same person. I went to the Willamette river to update the settings of both the river and of me. Get a feel for what is currently happening in our current. What is the flow… Continue reading Swimming with herons
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
Cottonwood trees
Cottonwood trees are the fastest growing hardwood tree in North America. The eastern cottonwood is Nebraska’s state tree. The black cottonwood is what we see around here. Black cottonwoods range from southeast Alaska down to Baja California, from the Pacific Northwest to the Dakotas. They usually grow along rivers and streams, avoiding dry ground. Cottonwood… Continue reading Cottonwood trees
Juxtapositions
I heard a hawk’s cry come through a starling’s beak. It was a perfect imitation. Messages come through however they can. Sometimes to break up monotony. Other times it’s a specific insight. Still other times, it’s just funny. We need juxtaposition to mingle and jostle healthy brain activity. I think this is true but I… Continue reading Juxtapositions