It's the light in the evenings that I really notice, since I go check my mailbox around 5pm! There's just a couple months where it's completely dark at that time, and I have to maneuver to catch light from a sidewalk lamp to be able to see the lock! But otherwise our winters are mild... right now the alders are full of catkins, and I saw a couple witch hazels blooming!
I love it when a squirrel greets me on the steps, right outside the door!
Two Hooded Mergansers trying to catch the attention of the girl!
But the boys were so focused on competing against each other, they didn't notice when the female wandered off! haha!
Ah Spring!!!
Also blooming in the neighborhood: Snowdrops and Winter Heath.
This girl has been hanging out near Blazey's spot on the bike path. I'm pretty sure this is the one who was eating his food the other day! None the worse for wear, after eating yucky cat food!
Four little Nutrias, ran for the creek as soon as they noticed I had stopped to look at them.
Nutrias are supposed to be 9 to 20 pounds. But these guys were SOOO little. Maybe like 6 pounds? My Dad wondered if they were babies. It doesn't seem like the right time of year for babies... it's winter! But I guess they must be!
And now that I really look at the pic... yeah, those are babies! And why else would there be four of them, together? They are usually pretty solitary.
oh, haha! I was looking at the male Teal, and didn't even notice his girlfriend behind him!
I decided to walk a different path today, and I headed over
to Westmoreland Park. It's a Frisbee Golf course, but the
park is relatively small and I wondered if it was a full
18 hole
course or just 9.
I headed over to the other side of the park to look at the kiosk to find out.
uh. weird. Did I walk past it? I know I get distracted... ? I turned around and looked around and... oh.
What the Heck? WHY?
The kiosk was removed recently, there's still tire tracks in the mud from the heavy machinery they used.
And I'm so bummed because there was info about the native plants and how the first people used them!
Update
Here's what happened to the kiosk... Arson!
What a shame.
The neighborhood association, Friendly Area Neighbors asked if it should be investigated as a hate crime, since the information on the kiosk was mostly about the native people who lived here, the Kalapuya. But the police determined that the incident does not meet bias crime criteria.
It will cost 12,000$ to replace, but the neighborhood is determined to put a new kiosk up! Good!
But then, walking home, this one showed up and made my day!
This is right around the area where I chronicled the nesting Anna Hummingbird last year. (You can go check that out in the archives, starting in March 2022)
I am pretty sure this is the mama Hummer, altho I suppose it could be one of her daughters. She definitely recognized me!
Wouldn't it be awesome if she let me take pics of her nest again this year?!
Blazey the Bike Path Ambassador has been missing since Jan26, and people have started leaving tributes to him.
As I approached his spot on the bike path, there was a lady
talking to her little one in the stroller. What do you
want to see?
she asked him. I couldn't hear what he said.
Blazey is sick or something. He might not be back.
She didn't have a thoughtful answer for her little one. Probably because she was upset herself about Blazey not being there. And maybe the bike path isn't the place to start a conversation about death with your toddler. Because of judgmental passers-by. *waves*
They moved on and I stopped to take pictures of the tributes.
The lady called out to me, Any updates?
No. Well,
common sense says...
she couldn't say the words out loud.
I replied, yeah.
I didn't know what to say.
What do you say? We obviously share grief.
But we are strangers. And Blazey wasn't our
cat,
altho he was a part of our community, so he kind of is
our cat. What do you say?
It's really sad,
she said. Yeah.
I went on, but I'm thinking about my own tribute to Blazey.
I've got that one great photo of him, where he's actually
looking up at me. It's on this page somewhere.
I could get some kind of outdoor photo frame, and write on it.
In memory of Blazey, bike path ambassador and friend
to all who pass by.
*cries*
I usually ignore photos where my cute lil fuzzy or feathery
person has their eyes closed... Birds especially, just look
weird when they blink, their inner eyelids are white!
(A couple photos down on this page: You can kind of
see on the pic of the
something artsy
Teals.)
But this squirrel is just so cute! :)
Oh! This is good...
They are installing some new LED lamps along the bike path!
Loads of happy Robins around... the damp (and above freezing) weather brings the worms to the surface.
But this one looks pissed off and is stamping her foot!
A half decent portrait of a Teal? wow, when does that happen?
And then I met CB. It's kinda nice when other walkers or bikers on the path introduce themselves.
Almost home, and I see this Western Grey Squirrel, who has been in the area for months... Tho I have a heck of a time trying to get his pic. But he's been around long enough, I think I'm gonna name him Wes. :)
You know, as in Wes Crusher of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D! :)
It is pretty unusual to see a Western Grey Squirrel in town. For the most part, this territory belongs to the invasive Eastern Fox Squirrels, and our native Greys are regulated to the forests and the more wild edges of town. So it's really cool to see Wes now and then!
A little dusting of snow last night... I woke up at 3:15am to witness it falling. It switched back to rain pretty quickly, tho, so I'm super surprised to see any left on the ground today!
So. Computer stuff...
I have had a working computer for 2 weeks now.
Slowly but surely, I have been trying to catch up with all the projects that I wasn't able to work on during the time I didn't have a computer... Sorting photos, catching up the Mail Log, and, because it's LetterMo, writing mail every day.
I'm a bit frustrated at how long it's taking. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the mail log, that should be done this week. (January mail log, anyway. The December mail log is still a mess!) But I'm only a little more than halfway thru my photos. I've been working so hard and really feel like I should be closer to finished!
But then I went to count the days I was basically without a computer...
The Tablet died when I tried to turn it on, 14 Jan, Saturday morning. But I had lost my files from 13 Jan as well, since I do backups (for photos and active files) in the afternoon, rather than at night.
Shenanigans ensued. I'll type about that later.
This computer arrived 30 Jan, Monday evening. But setup took a day and I didn't get to my projects until 1 Feb.
That's 19 days. So I guess that's why it's taking forever... because that was practically three weeks without a computer! In theory, my goal is to work on two days of photos, every day: today's pics and a day of catch up pics. But it doesn't always work out that way, some days there are just too many pics to go thru!
I've got six more days of photos to catch up with... and a few of those days are ones that I've been avoiding because they were big photo days with hundreds of pics to go thru.
Realistically, even if I jam, this will probably take me thru to the end of February. And then I'll need to work on all the same stuff from December, since I was on holiday for a couple weeks, visiting my family.
And some birds...
Flew away before I could get closer... but this is a Red Shoulder Hawk being watched by two Scrub Jays...
Brr! Frost and ice this morning.
I know all these Dead Computer Updates are boring! But I need to write them so that I can feel organized. :)
∞ I've got a few typed blog posts, and I will be moving them to the main page soon.
∞ After that, I'll be filling in some photos! That's what we are all here for, after all.
∞ And once I get my templates set up, I will be clearing out the main page and archiving the old blog posts. I'm not sure how many old posts I've got on the main page, hundreds probably, and it loads up pretty slowly because of all the photos.
Hey could you settle, please?
Oh, hey, Thanks!!
huh. That Heron is still hanging out. The hunting must be good here.
Out to the river today, but it's just too quiet...
The spillover is dry...
And the Ponds are so low there are big islands, which def
should not be there during our rainy season
...
The Delta Ponds were all but empty. There was a pair of Mallards in the overflow pond. A single Ring Neck diving in the main pond. And some far away shore birds...
And we'll never know what species they are because shore birds are hard! But I'm super impressed by how well they blend into their surroundings... I couldn't see them at all on my camera screen and had to guess where to point the cam!
So I walked across to the official Delta Ponds. There's usually some birds there...
But first, I notice some park improvements! This bench has been here for a few months, but the gravel path up to it is new. I love this bench, it is perfectly placed for the view there, so I'm glad it got a little pathway!
And now I find some birds!
I come around the corner, and whoa! A whole flock of Mallards!
I don't want to disturb them, so I turn around... and look at who I found!
So cute! Look at her big ol' nose! and her sweet face!
She swam away, but would pop up and look back to see if I was still there.
So, so awesome! So glad I decided to walk this way!
I've decided to make some soup, and I'm gonna need a Leek! So I'm heading to the Garden today to dig one up!
Was it last year that the Parks People got all obsessed about painting over the graffiti along the bike path? Maybe it was the year before, but it was crazy. They'd be painting every week or so, such a waste and occasionally covering up pretty good art.
*laughs* I don't know why I even bother with Chickadees!
Who knows why I even bother with anybody, really! :)
Okay, at the Garden, and here's my little patch of Leeks. We've had some freezing nights and the Leeks are looking a little pathetic, but they are mostly still alive!
I dig up one for my soup...
And then check for invasives. Nope, we're good on that front. But there are some happy volunteer Elephant Garlics coming up! Yay!
Yep, time for the annual Polar Plunge... unfortunately I've come too early today to see anything cool. They are just setting up as I arrive, and after my walk they still haven't done any Plunges. bummer. (You can check out a couple photos I got last year... Feb19 River.)
And, again, we don't exactly have polar
weather! It's 36°F
and the water temperature is 40°F (2° and 4°C).
But I'm sure that fun was
had... and Special Olympics Oregon got well above their
donation goal of $40K with 48,570$, so that's fabulous!
And on with my walk...
The spillover is dry.
But at least there's some birds hanging out at the ponds today!
hmm? Who's this??
I thought she was big enough to be an Eagle, and look at those deadly feet! But she would not turn around so I could see all of her face. Dang it, bird! *laughs*
I walked on, but I was near my turn around point. She was still here when I came back. And with a different angle...
Oh yeah. She's a juvenile Bald Eagle! 1.5 years old, based on the small amount of white feathers on her head... which won't be totally white until she's five.
I was hearing celebratory yelling from the other side of the river. Before the Polar Plunge, they were also doing a 5K Fun Run. The excited shouts made me smile, but I was glad they were on the other side of the river. :)
oh look! It's not winter any more!
As I cross the bridge, coming back from my walk... oh, people.
I decide to make my way down there. But like I said, nothing exciting happening yet.
I didn't wait around, and I make my way back to the parking lot.
One of the running teams went by, just finishing up their Fun Run and I was amused that they were all carrying pool noodles shaped into pretzels! Ha! I looked them up, and turns out they were the team that brought in the most donations: Reality Kitchen Dough Getters
Their team leader says that last year he went in up to my tummy.
This year my goal is to raise $1000 and dunk my head under.
*laughs* I don't know if he dunked his head, but he def raised
more than 1000$, so that's cool!
I am not familiar with Reality Kitchen but it turns out they are really awesome!
They are a Community Supported Bakery!
You put your weekly order in for breads, pretzels, and desserts. They are baked up by kids who have aged out of the special education programs here in town. They are paid a decent wage and they are learning job skills and getting work experience.
And then you pick up your CSB box, filled with delicious bready goodness! And yep, they have some vegan items! I might have to try this out for myself.
Oh! I don't know who this artist is... Grafik? but I like this skeleton! A skeleton with a heart! Will be on the lookout for more of their art!!
People leaving tributes for Blazey, missing over three weeks now. sighs.
Laa laa laa!
What? That's not how it goes? :)
Blurry, blurry, blurry...
And then this is the clear photo I get??! Sheesh!!
Oh! and even WORSE... This stupid thing that you can't see is a Kingfisher...
This is one of a pair who laughs at me every single year. They fly up and down the creek, looking for a good nesting spot. They tease me by sitting until I stop to get their pic. And then they fly away before the camera is ready!
And today this one was sitting so perfectly! On a branch, out over the water, I had a clear view of her in the sunlight with the darkness of the bridge behind her. As I pulled the camera up, I was thinking what an amazing photo this would make, a beautiful portrait... of one of my rivals.
ha. Yeah, right.
At least she didn't laugh at me as she flew away!
Oh, hello friend Nutria!
A lucky pic of a Chickadee. They usually bounce around too quickly and I can't keep up with them! They are so cute! And so annoying! :)
oh, foo! I love what is going on in this busy pic... too bad our feathery friend isn't in focus.
This is the same squirrel who has been hanging around at Blazey's spot on the bike path. At least she's eating something healthier this time... a peanut rather than cat food!
oh foo, again! I haven't seen any Varied Thrushes around, lately. So I was excited when I heard one whistling above me! I searched and scanned and searched some more in the trees above... and Finally found this bit of orange.
I was able to take just a couple photos, and then he flew away. SIGHS!
The bike path ends in the east at a dog park, and that's my usual turn around point. Walking that loop makes my walk 4 miles.
But I've started exploring the neighborhoods beyond the dog park. It's pleasant, looking at all the houses and yards. and I'm happy to get more exercise!
Today I had to walk around this.
Oh my gosh, I feel so bad for this guy! This semi has NO BUSINESS being on these little streets, and he is stuck trying to go around a tiny round-about! Whoever gave these directions, whether a buddy or the gps, needs a stern Talking To...
Maggie?! What the hell?
(haha! Maggie is the name my parents
gave to their gps!!)
Some blue sky before the next rain shower rolls in!
Eurasian Collared Dove, invasive but cute!
And the rain!
Hello, my dear. How is your morning?
And Hello, my other dear.
Brr! The trees in the hills are dusted with snow.
Hi sweetness.
Translation:
ATL to EUG [Atlanta, Georgia] [Eugene, Oregon] [USA]
Free them All
∞ Cop City opposition spreads beyond Georgia forest defenders Law enforcement training center has drawn attention and concern from a broad range of local and national US voices who worry about its impact
Yes. More than concern...
Militarizing the police is very, very bad! Cop City is evil and needs to be shut down.
I'm sick!
Just a head cold...
But my face is exploding every 15 minutes or so. UGH!
lordy.
Doing much better, tho my face is still sniffly.
I am happy to go out walking again. I wonder what I missed!
oh. This Nutria was right next to the path, and letting humans get Way Too Close! When I got close enough, I could see the problem... Doesn't have an eye?
Or actually, she does have an eye... she's just squinting it shut. She's sick! (oh ugh, I can empathize excessively, with my recent and current exploding face disease!)
I go around to her other side. Oh thank goodness... she's only half blind!
This is a place where the neighbors occasionally feed the ducks, and I'm wondering if they might be feeding this girl as well.
Nutrias are herbivores, they just eat grass and plants. But the extra calories in the grains of the duck food are probably welcome when they are sick.
Poor girl, I wonder what her fate will be. As an invasive species, Nutrias don't have any natural predators here. Except humans and cars. I suppose a cougar might eat them, tho she's safe here in town, obviously! But it's going to be tough living if she goes totally blind.
Ha! There's a bit of a breeze today, and look what it's doing!
Well, sheesh. But it's a cute blur!
The good-eye side of my half-blind Nutria friend.
This is just a cool blog post that caught my attention...
∞ Dawn Chorus: We Are Everywhere
This is a list, in photographs, of the birds who can be found all across the US, for all of the year! It's kind of funny that the author forgot Song Sparrows, tho. My Favorite!
This Great Blue Heron has been hanging out in the same area of the bike path for a little while. My new friend!
Oh! haha! She rousted and her feathers are all fluffed!
Aww! She let me get so close!
On the other hand, when the little bird is too bouncy, I just point the camera and click in the general direction. Every once in a while, rarely really, the bird is in frame and might be somewhat in focus.
Can you find the bird? :)
Here they are!
*laughs*
I come around the corner, and my new friend sees somebody to eat and stalks forward!
Eats poor little minnow and then floofs the feathers!
But that little thing wasn't even a mouthful... Anyone else swimming around here?
Oh. Maybe I scared them all away!
*laughs*
I've decided to call her Henrietta Heron... As in Henrietta Lacks. You know about HeLa?
∞ Goodreads:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
This is an excellent book, I read it a while ago and will def read it again some day. There's also a movie, I think.
The HeLa cell line is incredibly important to science... That cell line was the first one they found that propagated indefinitely, and it's been used since 1951 in all kinds of medical research!
Since then, other imortalised cell lines have been discovered.
Including HEK-293... remember the anti-vaxers throwing a fit about the covid vaccine? They pretended to want a religious exemption because HEK-293 originated from fetal tissue of an elective abortion, Finland 1973.
∞ Abortion opponents protest COVID-19 vaccines use of fetal cells
Idiots. They didn't realize that almost all common medications had been tested for safety with HEK-293. Of course they took Ibuprofen when they had a headache, Sudafed when they had a cold, and Benadryl for allergic reactions!
They don't actually care about the source of HEK-293, and they didn't care about the hypocrisy. It was just a convenient excuse to not get vaxxed.
Anyway. Back to our regularly scheduled programming! :)
Oh, cool! There are a couple of killdeers running around, near my turn-around point!
And Henrietta is still hanging out, on my way back!
