Oh hey! Another girl has joined my Common Merganser friends!
Zig and Zag the Hooded Mergansers are here too!
At the Solidarity Garden, someone has planted Lettuces!
oh, their Fava is blooming! I'm jealous... the Fava I planted is all dead.
And then I wander thru the downtown neighborhood.
I don't really read news articles any more. It's just too terrible.
I just look at the headline...
And then I watch another little section of my soul get darker.
And then I move on.
This morning's headlines (don't bother clicking, Wired has a paywall): The CDC Has Been Gutted And The DOGE Axe Comes for Libraries and Museums
America will never recover from DOGE. Kids are dying from the lack of USAID. The medical research that NIH funded will never get back on track. People will start dying of Bird Flu (or something worse!), but we won't know about it without the CDC. More than 100,000 federal workers fired so far, and all those people were important to keeping America as the leader of the free world.
And now we're tumbling into being a third world country, run by a filthy dictator who ignores the Constitution. And everybody just lets him and DOGE do whatever they want even tho all of it is FUCKING ILLEGAL!
It's disgusting. And I'm pretty upset about everything when I head out for my walk. It takes a while to get out of my head and let Nature do her healing.
...
On my way back down the hill, I come around a corner and see an older guy. He's stepped off the path, with his walking stick... not like a cane, but the kind that looks like a ski pole. He's staring intently at something on the ground.
I'm coming down steps, and when I look at him again, he's leaning over and reaching down for something on the ground.
As I pass him, I see that he is gently, gently picking up a skeletonized leaf.
I smile and my heart fills up with love.
This guy is noticing the beauty around him!
I want us all to be this affected by the wonders of Nature!
And, ya know. That is why I share my photography here. I want to share my experience of Nature with everyone.
There are beautiful things and there are sad things, and that's all okay. Empathy makes us better humans, and the rest of Nature will heal us.
Loads of flowers!
Haha! Someone has a Frisbee Golf goal in their yard!
I like these!
Okay, yeah. That was a lot of flowers.
It's a bummer when I don't get to see the Turkeys or the Deers when I go up Hidden Trail. But there's so much beauty in the neighborhood and in the forest, I can hardly complain! *smiles*
And it starts to rain as I get home. Good timing!
There's an email from the Community Garden when I get home... Oh, this is cool!
The Garden is getting a big shipment of free compost from Love Food Not Waste later this month!!
This is awesome!
This is a local trash pickup service where residents put their food waste into their yard debris bin. A local company composts it then offers it back to the community for free.
It's a brilliant thing, very important! But it's not vegan.
You should not put meat or dairy into ordinary compost, if you're doing that at home. But this is an industrial composting site and they make sure the temperature gets hot enough to kill pathogens.
For the most part, my plot at the Community Garden is veganic. Organic in that I would never, ever use any kind of pesticide or poison. And Vegan in that I don't use animal based fertilizers... No blood meal, no bone meal, no fish meal, no bat guano, no cow manure, etc.
Yeah, there's a lot of dead animals in fertilizers. It's sad.
The Love Food Not Waste compost does include dead animals, and I would never BUY it. But it's free. So I'm not paying to have the animals murdered.
And the dead animals will only make up a tiny portion of the compost. Most of it will be plants.
It's not a great excuse for going against my ethics. But no one can be a perfect vegan in the world we live in. Animal suffering is a part of civilization unfortunately, and it works itself into just about everything.
And, regardless: Composting is a good thing... Everyone should do it! And it's great that my city makes it relatively easy to do for most folks who live here.
Foo. But this is an American Goldfinch, who has gotten his bright colour back for the spring!
The ornamental cherries are just starting to bloom.
But most of them haven't opened up yet.
Yep, I am such a sucker for the flowers! Even when they haven't quite arrived! :)
This is a good article at the National Parks
Conservation Association, which is
a non-profit that works to be the
voice of America's National Parks.
(I have donated to them in the past, and they do good work!)
∞ The Unsung Heroines of Stonewall
LGBTQ history is American history...
In February, the National Park Service removed all references to transgender and queer people from Stonewall's website. As a result, we are facing the literal erasure of history at the site where the modern LGBTQ rights movement was born. This sets a dangerous precedent for American history. If we pretend queer and transgender Americans have not and do not play a critical role in shaping this country, whose stories will we erase next?
The write up about Stormé DeLarverie was fun to read! But all the people here are interesting!
You have to put your nose in the shadow?
It doesn't make for good photography, you know.
*humph* ... Some people! They just don't care! *Laughs*
The Red Maples are making seeds.
Well, sheesh. I guess nobody wants to show their whole face today!
I come around the corner from the Events Center and Oh My Gosh!
Wow! This is so cool!
The air is just filled with Honey Bees, flying all around! And this tree where they are swarming is right here, my head is maybe six feet (1.8meters) away from their hole!
I don't get any closer, but I'm not concerned at all, altho one Bee accidentally bumps into me... Ha! They are obviously preoccupied!
I walk on, but I wonder if the swarm will be removed. It's not a great place, right next to the sidewalk. But I'm thrilled that I got to see them!
I'm back at the creek and Wood Duck!
haha, he gets one look at me and he's outta there!
And his girlfriend, too!
Oh well. Maybe next time.
It's 11:20 when I finally get out the door. I had meant to leave earlier but I'm so nervous, I had trouble getting a move on! haha.
And this one was right outside.
And I was able to take a breath and have a moment to center myself with a friend.
I headed down to the bus stop and got a ticket and waited a few minutes. I spontaneously wave at the bus driver as he pulls up, and he waves back! :) I get a seat, but there's quite a few people riding today. And more people get on at most every stop.
There are a couple people with protest signs who get off a couple stops before I do... and I wonder what they are up to!
I get off at my stop,
and go to wait for the light to cross the street.
Two older women are waiting with me and they strike up
conversation. Are you going to the protest?
I am!
What's your message?
ha. I pause for a moment because
my brain is all, oh... where to begin? *laughs*
Finally, I just wave my hand and say, We just need to
get rid of them!
They laughed and agreed, Dump Trump!
and the one
lady had a small cardboard sign with an American flag
stickered to it. We need to take back the American
flag as OUR symbol!
We went across the street, and I kinda wanted to walk with
them for a while. But they were going slow, and I was
excited to get there. So I bid adieu and told them to
Have Fun Today!
and I raced ahead!
I get to the Riverbank Path, and oh my gosh! There's an Osprey up in the platform nest, yelling!!
How cool is that!!
I really miss coming out here... The bus ride is so long tho. I wish I had a car!
Okay! Focus! There's a protest to get to!!
There are a good number of people coming up the bike path, some holding signs. I pause for a moment at the Downtown Riverfront art pavilion.
I can see people going across at the walking bridge down stream. And I can hear people cheering at the city hall. It's a few minutes after noon, now... which is the time the protest is to officially start.
And there are a LOT of people here.
We are blocking the bike path... there's a few bikers coming thru, they have to walk their bikes tho to get thru all the people.
I've found a place to hang out where I am comfortable, at the edge of things. Behind me, there's a steady stream of people coming in! I have no idea where all these extra people will fit, but the crowd is moving around constantly and somehow ever more people make their way in!
Speakers started at 12:20pm.
The first person to speak said there were 2,100 people registered to be here on the MoveOn website alone. And this protest was the combined efforts of ... I'm not sure how many different groups!
We've got 50501, Indivisible, MoveOn, Womens March, and more.
The next speaker was Stan Taylor, with ACES, Activists Coalition of Eugene Springfield.
He reminded us to take care of each other. And to remember your de-escalating training!
I stayed for a few more speakers. I couldn't hear their names when they were introduced, tho. I've not found a list of speakers, online, yet. I'll add that later, if I find it.
Around 1pm I decided to walk around to the front of the building to see what was going on over there... There was no way I was going to attempt to walk thru the crowd, so I backed up the way I had come in and went the long way around.
And wow. There's a LOT of people up here too. I couldn't find a higher vantage point here, so the photos I did take don't do justice to the crowd.
All the groups were tabling here, but I didn't stop to look at them all.
The protest was set to run until 3pm, but I'm heading out.
The protest estimate is 3,500 people!
∞ Eugene Weekly:
Hands Off!
Thousands in Eugene Protest Donald Trump and his administration
Brilliant photos here!!!
∞ KEZI, Eugene ABC news station: Anti Trump 'Hands Off' protests in Eugene see thousands in attendance
∞ The Register-Guard, the corporate Eugene newspaper:
Eugene crowds join national day of protest against Trump policies
Gallery of photos and some videos here, as well as the write up.
∞ Oregon Public Broadcasting:
Protesters across Oregon stand against public services cuts under Trump and Musk
(They didn't have any reporters in Eugene, but they covered
quite a few other cities across Oregon!)
It was sprinkling when I woke up this morning. I had kept the window open all night, so I was able to listen to the rain for a while before I got up. It's a lovely way to start the day!
And it makes yesterday's beautiful weather for the protest, all the more amazing! I'm still very excited that I went.
Too dreary for photography today.
And it continues to sprinkle off and on.
I am walking the same route I did last Sunday, with the Pansies and then the neighborhood flowers.
The bed frame at the end of their flower bed cracks me up!
When I got home, I discovered it had rained into my room thru the open window! GAH! Stupid Wind!
I close the window and try to soak up rain from the blankets and beanbag on my bed. And it gets stuffy in the house almost immediately.
Sighs. Remember the good old days before climate change when I never had to think about the damn wind!
I'm unfortunately heading to the garden for more volunteer work, murdering invasives...
It's puddle-y wet. And digging invasives out of puddles is not my idea of fun.
But I'm running out of time to kill Lesser Celandine!
Not only are they going to die back soon, I'm also fighting against the wave of humans who want to start gardening...
I would rather do my work by myself. Especially since I am working in other people's plots. I just don't want to have to explain myself. It wouldn't be a problem... people would understand immediately.
I just don't want to talk to anyone!
And when I add up my time, I've got 3h 50m of volunteer work so far. The requirement is for 4hours but I want to go well over that.
So, I'm going to work in puddles today because of all that.
But first, I have to get there. The Ornamental Cherries are looking lovely.
And one of my Common Merganser friends sped right by.
I thought I had just missed the others... or is she alone today? hm.
Okay, I am going to dig at the far edge of Plot 15 today. ugh, you can see how puddle-y it is. Part of the tarp is underwater, even.
Someone has come along and thrown some leaves on top of the Lesser Celandine. Yeah, that didn't even slow them down!
I moved the one wood plank, so I can get under the tarp, because the tarp didn't slow them down either.
I'm digging in water, and I hate it. I just want to get it over with, and so I go as fast as I can. I'm just filling the bag with water instead of taking the time to squeeze any out.
Which is kind of dumb, now that I think about it... If I had taken the time to get the water out, that would have added to my volunteer time! ha. oh well.
I double bag it before putting it in my small backpack. Wow, that is heavy! It'll be a good workout walking that home. But first I go around and look at the flowers!
Oh! These are an exciting colour!
I love them so much! And I'm crouching down here, then moving over to there, to get all the different shots I want...
Basically doing squats. With my heavy, water filled backpack! I'm starting to wish I had left it somewhere.
... And then, suddenly, I can't get up! Bahaha!
My leg muscles simply refuse!
*laughs* I'm a bit embarrassed, but I have to put my hand down in the mud to brace myself to get up!
So, okay! I guess I'm done getting down with the flowers! ... Looking down at the daffodils...
Well, that's no fun. I guess it's time to leave.
I don't have to crouch down for the Apple tree right outside the Community Garden!
I love the tree branches going every which way!
I'm at the Community Garden again today. Yesterday, in my wanderings I saw that a plot close to my friend Roz's, had some Lesser Celandine growing in it. There's several blooming clumps in the front, and then hiding behind this... is it Chives?
Shoot. It's really well established. I should have been more on the look out.
Got that dug up, and there's a bit more room in the bag. So I return to the plot that is diagonal across the path from mine. There's raised beds in the front, someone has planted some Marigolds...
... but they are ignoring the infestation at the back of the plot.
There are dozens of invasives coming up all over the damn place. I dig until my little trash bag is full.
And then I just go around, hacking at the leaves of the rest. I don't know if I'll be able to do this again tomorrow... I was lucky that the bit of extra rain is keeping people away from the garden for me today.
Sighs. Fighting off the inevitable invasives is starting to feel a little bit hopeless.
But then I look up! There's a pair of Bluebirds!
Sprinkles have turned to rain, and the camera lens is getting wet. But oh my gosh they are so cute!
They are so interested in this thing!
I think it's supposed to be a bat house but no one lives here. A Flicker made that hole, but once they could see in, they realized it was inappropriate for a nest!
Sorry! Ya'll need to keep looking for a nesting spot!
They fly away and I load up my bag of invasives into my backpack to haul home.
Mmmm! Apple blossoms!
This tree is a bit further along than the Apple tree outside the Community Garden!
I get to the Garden and I am momentarily distracted by the flowers!
Okay! There's a couple clumps of Lesser Celandine in this front plot... their little greenhouse has fallen apart!
Probably the 19mph wind of this week. It was hiding their
against the rules
Olive Tree, so I suppose they will rebuild it.
And then I move back to the flooded plot that I started the other day. There's still some puddles here, but it's a bit better.
I fill up my bag with Lesser Celandine, but there's still some left growing here.
There's nice weather on the way, and I think this will probably be my last day of wandering around other people's plots to murder their invasives.
I head out. This yard, in the Garden neighborhood, delights me with all the colours!
Those layered spikes of purple are Heal All!
Hi Henrietta!
Standing on litter, sighs. I wonder how much plastic he has to eat every day. Like humans have about a credit card of plastic, in our bodies... how much does he have?
I've got the backpack and stuff, just in case I can go into the Community Garden for more volunteer work... But nope. The sun is shining and people are gardening!
That's okay. I've now got just over 5 hours of volunteer work. Well over the 4 that's required!
And really, I should be gardening too. It's Late! I usually get started at the beginning of April.
It's just so stinkin' wet! There's still puddles! It's pointless to plant anything... the slugs are right there and will gobble everything up!
So I walk. I wonder how long it will take to dry out.
Ha! The Honey Bee swarm is still here!
I'm glad!
I wonder how much room they have in there. This tree is alive, that hole can't be that big, can it?
I should walk along this street more often!
As I walk home, the clouds are rolling in.
The wind builds from 6mph to 12mph... and I wonder if I'll get rained on. There was 60% chance of rain after 4pm. It's only noon, and I don't have my rain jacket. I suppose I can put the camera in the backpack, wrapped in a trash bag?
But no. Not even a drop of rain falls. The wind continues to pick up and it's 20mph in the evening. And still no rain.
It's sprinkling this morning and I wonder if I can get into the Community Garden to dig up some more invasives. So I've got my backpack with me again... but nope. There are several people wandering around the garden.
Oh well. I walk on by.
Ha! It looks like she's up there, standing on air!
She's eating the new leaves. A yummy salad!
Oh Nice! This is a Golden Crown Sparrow with breeding plumage! Smart black feathers!
And of course, I have to continue to be a sucker for the ornamental, double petal Cherry blossoms!
I'm making a loop in a different direction... and this tree catches my eye!
I'm not sure... but I think this is a Cherry Tree, with a graft from a Apple Tree, which is currently blooming!
Haha! The Parks People do that every once in a while. There's a Ornamental Cherry Tree, with the pink blossoms near my house that has a grafted branch of Sweet Cherry, with the white blossoms. They bloom at the same time, instead of being separated in time like the normal ones!
I get back to the creek.
Are we thinking about taking a bath?
A sunny day would be nicer for that? Yeah, I hear ya!
And the Apple tree outside the Community Garden.
Oh yeah! I'm heading to the Events Center for the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale!
Books are just 2$ and I'm taking my small backpack so I don't go overboard!
Plus the fact that I'm walking to the Events Center which is two miles away... I HAVE gotten used to carrying a heavy pack, since I've been hauling mud and invasives home from the Community Garden...
But no! That is not the attitude I am going with! Just a FEW books! Not a lot!
*Laughs*
It is a lovely day! Last year, it was sprinkling.
Okay! I can't get stuck here, looking at Cherry Blossoms! I've got stuff to do!
oh!
The very first Camas Lilies!
Okay, I am allowed to get stuck here! *laughs*
I've arrived at the book sale! I get a map at the door and head straight to the two aisles of science fiction books!
I've arrived quite a bit later in the morning than I did last year, and I'm a bit shocked at the lack of books. Last year, the books were stacked on their edge so you could only read the spine. But today there's enough space to lay some of them out flat!
I nabbed that Flight in Yiktor book by Andre Norton! I already own it, but it's packed away in a box. It would be nice to read it again!
I got a couple other books and then wandered around aimlessly. And then I got in line to pay... Last year the line wound around the entire room, snaking in on itself! But today there were just a dozen or so people in front of me.
The guy ahead of me looked at the little pile I
was holding and
smiled and said, That's it?
Yep. He had a
backpack too, and I assumed his was full. You've
got restraint!
*laughs* He got distracted and
I wasn't able to tell him I needed to be able to
carry what I bought for two miles!
The line moved fast. 8$ and I shoved the extra 2$ into the tip jar.
And... heading home. But this thing catches my eye... I thought this was a Cherry Tree!!
What is that thing? Is it deformed? But all the fruits on this tree look like that.
That is really weird! So weird. And google tells me nothing about it. Weird!!
And a Heron, hunting past the trash. Sighs.
This is the third time I've walked this way... and the first time with sunshine!
I think these almost light blue ones are my favorite.
But all the colours together is delightful!
And then there's a little quiet spot, right before going thru the neighborhood.
And this is that grafted Cherry tree that I was talking about the other day...
The tree is the ornamental pink, double petal Cherry blossoms on the left. And then the white Sweet Cherry blossoms are on a branch that's grafted onto the pink!
Ordinarily, the white Cherry blossoms bloom very early and are quite done by the time the pink, double petal blossoms come along! But these bloom together!
Oh! Female Anna Hummingbird!!
I hardly get to see the girls, since they are quieter and don't draw attention to themselves like the males do!
And Look! I've found another Not Cherry Tree with the weird fruits. Exactly like the other one, these flat, bright red, leathery looking things.
Google is still not helping... maybe some kind of Plum? But there's nothing with these flattened fruits!
So maybe both trees have a disease that's deforming their fruits? The two trees are a bit more than a mile apart.
I'm just not figuring it out... and I kind of wonder if I'm missing something obvious! *laughs*
... I wonder who I can ask. Maybe the University Extension Office.
Yep! I've sent an email with these two photos of the weird fruits to the local University Extension Office! Let's see what they say!!
Anyway! Back to my walk!
The Honey Bees are still here and I'm glad!
There's fewer Bees flying around now. They are settling into their new home!
Oh, these are different!
They are called Five Spot Flowers and they are native to California!
I love it when the name is so descriptive!! :)
aw, bummer. Someone planted Lettuce at the Solidarity Garden and the stupid hot sun has wilted them!
There's some Beets there too. Will they live? It's not looking good.
Here's another fruit tree that I don't know... It's right outside the dog park near the Solidarity Garden, and growing with, entwined in an Apple tree.
(Or I assume they are separate trees... It is entirely possible that this could be another grafted tree! haha! I will have to look more closely at the branches and trunks!)
I think last year I got to look at the fruits but never got around to IDing them.
Keeping a variety of Bees happy!
Walking by the Community Garden... are we thinking about using this nesting box? :)
You're not sure?
You're not sure, either?
hmm.
And the Apple Tree right outside the Garden.
Well. That was a lot of photography for the day! But everything is so beautiful!
So much for checks and balances, huh.
∞ PoliticsGirl: Emergency Announcement Fascism is here.
∞ Parkrose Permacuture:
This is extremely bad. It's a red alert.
Aw, look at this cute little glade! Doesn't it look peaceful and lovely.
The purple is Spanish Bluebells.
Wow, I caught this flower bed at it's most colourful!
And here's another beautiful display!
Just making sure everyone knows that I LOVE bright colours!! *laughs*
Okay... moving on! Hello My Dear!
*laughs* oops!
Finally arrived at the ponds!
I don't see Herons out here very often, but this one found someone to eat as I was watching! I missed the catch, unfortunately.
There was someone else hunting here today...
I don't see shore birds very often and I'm terrible at identifying them. I studied this helpful page: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: Shore Birds and I think this might be a Long Billed Dowitcher still in their winter feathers.
But don't quote me on that! ha!
I'm heading for the little patch of forest, but stop to admire the view before going on.
There's a wet prairie pond on the other side of the street, just before the park parking lot... It's looking lovely today as well!
There's a pair of Canada Geese here, and that's a Northern Shoveler. There's other smaller ducks back there, too, but I can't tell who they are.
As I walk into the little patch of forest, I hear
Wika, wika, wika
of woodpeckers talking to
each other! That's exciting! Who could it be?
The pair are bouncing around like crazy birds, and finally I get a glimpse.
Ha! Acorn Woodpeckers! Here?
Yep, definitely!
Here's the male.
And the female.
Unfortunately they stay a bit too far away for decent photography.
That's okay, it's awesome to see them here!
They are obviously looking for a place to raise a family. And Acorn Woodpecker's families are big and complicated!! They are just a pair right now, but a family group can have up to three females, seven males, plus possibly the kids from last year! All taking care of babies in a single nest!
They are fascinating creatures!!
But this pair won't be staying here. There are lots of oak trees making acorns for them here. But Acorn Woodpeckers use dead Douglas Fir trees as their granery trees. And there are no fir trees at all here, let alone nice soft dead ones.
I'm definitely wishing them luck on their search for a territory!
Oh, you found somebody to eat?
And I've spotted more flowers on the way home!
oh, dang it! That blur is the Bluebird who must still be thinking about using this nesting box!
Roly Poly, not a bug! They are crustaceans! They have gills! When they roll up, it's called Conglobation! ha! Fun little creatures! I love them!
More of these weird fruits...
I've not heard back from my email to the local extension office, yet. I figure I will give them a week and then try again.
Aw! There's a pair of Golden Crown Sparrows bouncing around!
They have a ways to fly before they get a nest going... Golden Crowns migrate north to Canada and Alaska! But it's sweet to see them pair up here!
*laughs* This one was right outside my bedroom window...
I don't think he's Mr Unnamed, I think this is someone new.
I head out the door for my walk...
But as I'm looking at the trees on the hill, I also see the camera battery is flashing red! Oh crud! I didn't notice the power was getting low!
And then one of my bike path
people stops to chat with me! ha,
she wonders what I'm taking photos of... Oh, just
the trees in the distance, all their spring colours!
She went on to say there used to be Quails who lived here. They used to not mow the berm and you could hear them in the grass, with their cute Quail voices, talking to each other.
It's a little sad to learn of the wildlifes who don't live here anymore. Just like the lady who told me about the Green Herons who nested near one of the bridges along the bike path. Until they built the medical clinic that's there now.
Sighs.
And then I just kept running into more of my bike path people... The lady with the black pug, who used to also have a little white dog. Then Eric waved as he went by on his bike. The lady on the recumbent bike. And then the dog Petunia and her human.
*laughs*
I guess these two are still thinking about using this nesting box at the Community Garden. It's not a great place... Humans will be here in droves before too long, working their garden plots.
Tho of course _I_ would Love for them to nest here! Bluebird fledglings are the cutest!
But back to the camera that's running out of energy. There's usually about four or five minutes left, once the icon starts flashing. And I think if I can snap a few photos quickly so the camera doesn't warm up too much, I can maybe get some more shots before it dies.
And I really should save the energy for any birds who I run into or other unexpected wildlife... I shouldn't waste energy on these flowers which will still be here tomorrow!
*Laughs* I can't help it!
Oh, Hello!
A red columbine! I am just too much of a sucker for the pretty flowers!
And the camera keeps going!
oops... that stupid car in my shot is actually the owner backing into their driveway. ha.
I run away :) and look for the next set of tulips to photo!
Rude!
Also Rude!
I gave up with the Towhee and I realized a lady with
a dog was waiting for me! When I turned she asked,
Can we go by?
Oh, yes!
I figured you saw something.
I laughed and said, There is a Towhee in there,
I
pause and note the Towhee is still singing, but there's
branches in the way!
She replies, Damn Trees!
BAHAHA!!
Here's the fourth!
They make their way across the street and head up the hill. And I continue on my way down the hill.
This is so utterly horrifying and it makes me sick to my stomach.
What the hell is wrong with people?
If this doesn't cause you to panic at the state of fascism in America... Well, let me just break this down for you.
This is an official White House social media post. They are making a joke about human rights violations that they caused.
This is government sanctioned kidnapping. Zero due process.
...
I just can't. I will finish my thoughts another time.
...
More commentary here:
∞ Let's unpack this social media post. It's from the White House. So you know it's crap.
I was going to drive out to Saturday Market and buy some veggie starts for the garden.
I usually start the garden with the first Saturday Market of the year. Which was Apr5. But there's been so much rain over the winter and spring, the garden is still mud.
I can't plant anything in that. The slugs will just eat it!
And thinking about it, as I head out the door with the car keys... I spontaneously decide to drive out to the river instead. I'll worry about the garden another time.
Ah. It's been ages since I've been out here.
I haven't wanted to drive the car, and it's almost an hour by bus to get here. So I've not been coming out.
I've missed it terribly, tho.
I wasn't expecting the goslings!
And here's another Canada Goose family!
They are so cute!
And their little feet!
And so fluffy!
Moving on. At the other end of the ponds there's birds
twittering in the bit of forest, a robin in the distance
saying Cheery! Cheerily!
. A Downy Woodpecker taps
at the top of a snag. A Scrub Jay turns over leaves,
looking for a snack on the forest floor.
A Turkey Vulture soars overhead. And a Stellar Jay
bounces around with their partner.
Past the ponds, I'm at the river again. Some domesticated geese are preening happily... escaped from their terrible fate with humans and free in the wild.
This beautiful place on the river is my turn around point today.
And back at the ponds, three species on a log...
A tiny Turtle and a Damselfly!
The three baby family has moved up to the bank.
As I go back across the walking bridge, there are swallows swooping.
In the past, Tree Swallows swoop here... but these birds are a dull brown colour, not the blue of Tree Swallows.
Oh! That flash of white from the forehead... They are Cliff Swallows!
And it looks like they've got a place to hang out under the bridge.
I wonder if they will nest there!
With the usual flowers!
Aren't they all lovely! But these are lovely in a different way!
It's chilly. I had to close the windows yesterday afternoon, and they stayed closed all night. I think about wearing a heavy shirt for my walk today.
I'm just taking kitchen scraps out to the garden to dump as compost in my plot. And when I get here, ah! No other humans! So I have a walk about!
There's signs that humans have been working, all over the place.
Looks fancy, huh? But it makes me *roll my eyes* big time! And that black plastic is so cringe.
And here's my boring old plot! Volunteer Elephant Garlics.
Oh NO YOU DON'T!!
That grassy stuff is what's left of the Crocuses. But those other leaves are Comfrey, which I've been trying to murder for a while. Since Fall 2023, to be precise.
I dug them up, but I couldn't get deep enough to find the root that they are springing from.
I walk a bit after leaving the garden and find a new patch of Camas Lilies!
I know. I'm such a sucker for the flowers!
The Unknown Fruit...
This angle makes it look plumper than it actually is... but it's very flat. I wonder if there's a seed in it. Or a pit, I guess?
There are definitely not so many fruits on the tree now, so it's being eaten by the wildlife. And it's been a week since I sent an email to the extension office asking about it. They've not replied.
IDK, maybe they don't take questions from the public. That's a bummer. Because I keep asking google, and I keep finding nothing!
I know, more stupid Camas Lilies... :)
Most of the yellow flowers in this wet prairie are our native Western Buttercup. But this is a patch of some kind of invasive, it looks like dill.
Okay. I got kind of carried away with all the photography today! *laughs*
It's a lovely day. And the ornamental Cherry blossoms are starting to fall apart... the petals gather in drifts like pink snow.
This flower bed isn't as bright as it was the other day, but it still has beauty.
Oh... the photos don't do justice to these tangerine coloured Poppies.
With a mention of orange opium poppies
google
found this interesting post for me to read!
First ducklings at the creek! But, aw foo, I only caught a glimpse thru a thicket of Willows and they paddled after Mama too quickly.
There are still some big puddles at the Ponds... it's been ten days since the last rain. Apr11 we had 0.08 inch.
And there are Swallows swooping above, going after the bugs! I don't get any photos, sadly, and I'm not sure if they are Violet Green Swallows or Tree Swallows.
Still plenty of water in the ponds on the south side of the street!
But eventually this will all dry out to the summer prairie
phase of Wet Prairie.
It really is so beautiful out here.
I get into the little patch of forest, and I'm listening to the birds singing... and I totally trip over the damn root in the path AGAIN!
*laughs* I mark it with a stick, again. sheesh!
At the back of the park, there's a mixed flock of sparrows. White Crowns and Golden Crowns.
But they don't let me get close enough for decent pictures. Oh well.
They are doing construction on the other side of the creek.
how sad.
Just Sighs.
∞ Hundreds of scholars say US is swiftly heading toward authoritarianism
∞ Al Gore draws parallels between Trump 2.0 and early Nazi Germany in speech Former VP said the administration was creating its 'own preferred reality' and slammed it for green energy U-turn
∞ Don't believe the doubters: protest still has power Demonstrations rarely lead to immediate policy change. But they are essential to building community and long-term resistance
I was able to keep the bedroom window cracked about one inch last night, all thru the night. *laughs* Chilly, but it's so nice to have to cold air streaming down while I am tucked under the winter quilts!
And the sun shines and it's warmed up to 54° (12°C) by the time I get going... The forecast says the high will be 69°, which is uncomfortably over the normal of 63°.
Ha! I stop to talk to this pair and the sweet girl is just calmly walking toward me.
*laughs* I have no treats for you, my dear!
Such a pretty little patch of wildflowers. But Look! The Green Line has been repainted!
This is the contour line that is at 420feet above sea level! Just a fun, quirky Eugene Thing!
It meanders thru downtown Eugene. I know where it begins and ends but haven't ever followed the middle of the line.
My brain said: The wind made that bit of trash look like a mouse!
*laughs*
∞ Democrats meet with students abducted by Trump administration
What happened to Mahmoud Khalil pisses me off to no end. He was the first student to be kidnapped by the government, and is imprisoned in Louisiana.
This is not a due process
thing. This guy is in the
US legally, he did nothing wrong and there are no charges
against him.
The thing that is happening here: pure evil.
And exactly the same thing is happening to students all over the States... Here's what we are dealing with in Oregon.
∞ Federal
judge temporarily blocks deportation of UO student
Four students at the University of Oregon and 13 students at Oregon State University, have had their Student Visas revoked.
And at least 1,000 other students at 150 universities across the nation have had their Student Visas revoked.
Just... why? To be cruel? Is that it?
Seems to be.
I feel for these kids. I remember university. It was a wonderful learning experience for me especially since I had grown up a bit sheltered. My time at college made me a better person.
And these 1,000+ kids, too. They want to broaden their horizons. They want to learn!
Instead they get to learn about discrimination and racism and the State's new xenophobic policies.
They get to unwillingly participate in the fall of democracy as our dictator kills America.
oh foo. Little bird didn't stick around for decent photography.
oh foo some more.
Hello? Excuse me? Any chance you could look at the camera?
You're busy?
Oh. sighs. Okay.
The ponds are starting to dry out and the only bird I see today is a single Killdeer.
There is a huge patch of Camas Lilies blooming!
The native people here, Kalapuyans, cultivated Camas Lilies for the super sweet bulb.
Aw! This is nice! Article at NPR.
∞ The delightfully analog art of letter-writing
The book looks interesting as well... Syme's Letter Writer: A Guide to Modern Correspondence About (Almost) Every Imaginable Subject of Daily Life
Not a rant! Yay!
*laughs*
This is what I've been watching the last couple days...
∞ Great Gray Owl nest cam, on Explore.org
So cool and amazing!
The web cam is on tribal land... Confederated Salish Tribe and Kootenai Tribe!! Thank You!
I am tackling the Porch Room for my Tiny Cleans. and today I moved the plant shelf so that I can get to the blinds and the floor and the wall and all.
The new configuration makes me feel a little overwhelmed. The plant shelf is blocking the porch door and there's just so much to be done.
But the Tiny Cleans keep getting done and building up!
It's cloudy today and the forecast says 30% rain after 3pm. Hm. Can I trust that?
Nope. With the camera, if there's even the tiniest chance of rain I take the rain jacket to protect it.
But it's too warm to actually wear it, so I stuff it in the small backpack and take that. It's kind of a pain... but it turns out it was a good thing!
The Seven Spot Ladybugs love Camas Lilies, I'm not sure why. And they're never very cooperative with the photography either! *laughs*
And the yellow flowers are our native Western Buttercups.
Okay! Moving on!
And when I pass the Community Garden...
Ah! The free compost from Love Food Not Waste has arrived! There's enough for each plot to get four wheelbarrow loads.
I walk on by... but I'm thinking!
It's Friday... so there are going to be a ton of gardeners there tomorrow. Ugh. Maybe even so many gardeners that it will be difficult to get a wheelbarrow and shovel. There are only so many.
But right now, there's just a handful of people!
And I'm pretty sure the garden gloves are in the backpack, under the rain jacket. That's all I need to haul my four wheelbarrow loads. Lucky thing I brought the backpack!!
Yeah. Let's get this done! I make a loop and head back to the Community Garden!
When I get inside, I drop off my bag at my plot and dig out the gloves. Kevin, our volunteer Site Coordinator is wandering around and I chat with him for a moment.
I ask him if he thinks I can handle a full wheelbarrow
load of the compost. He gives me a look that says Huh?
and I clarify, how heavy is it going to be.
He gets it and tells me the compost is surprisingly dry. But if I need to, I can estimate with half wheelbarrow loads.
Nods. I get to work!
This is heavy. A full wheelbarrow is right on the edge of my capability... I don't have far to push it, but going thru the lumpy grass along the path takes some serious work!
I get my fair share of four loads. And I'm glad it's not 5 or 6 loads!
By the time I'm done, there's fewer people in the garden and I walk a couple aisles to look at stuff.
Here's a Seven Spot who is more cooperative with the photography! Thank you, my dear!
And these Pansies are unusual with the green on their petals!
Okay, this time I've got the car and I'm definitely going to Saturday Market!
I go to my farmer's stall and pick out some veggie
starts: Sugar Snap Peas, Lettuce, Beets and a Ring
of Fire
Sunflower.
They've raised their prices again this year and now the bigger pots are 4.50$. Yikes, it adds up quickly! But I am happy to support a local business and awesome people!!
I wander thru the Farmers Market and Saturday Market. It's fun to see all the offerings. I get back to the car and I won't be going to the Community Garden to plant anything today... especially not Snap Peas or Lettuce! The slugs would eat them right up.
The day is overcast and cool and the veggie starts will be okay in the car for a while. I'm heading for the river for a walk!
I've parked at the Rose Garden. It's too early for most of the roses, tho there are these pink ones blooming in the heritage section. The petals are unfurling in a cool way!
No Ospreys at the platform nest.
Oh, this is cool! A Pacific Dogwood!
The Pacific Dogwood is of course native to the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada, and you can tell it's closely related to Flowering Dogwood which is native on the eastern side of the US... But Pacific Dogwood has 4 to 8 bracts on their flowers, mostly six but it seems to be kind of random, where Flowering Dogwood just have four.
And here is one of the ends of the green 420 line that goes thru Eugene. This is RiverPlay and the trees in the background are part of Skinner Butte.
The Downtown Riverfront Park.
A Bald Eagle was yelling from this nest, having returned for another year!
There was a guy with a long lens, but he was just waiting for a potential shot... I looked from all the angles and the Bald Eagle could not be seen! haha!
I'm getting back to the Rose Garden.
I don't know what these pink flowers are.
I live in such a beautiful place and I'm so happy that we invest so much love and money into our local parks!!
Oh, your poor ragged fur!
I hope he's just shedding out his coat, rather than mange or something! Must be uncomfortably cold in the meantime.
*laughs* Their white eyelids amuse me.
Oh wow... a big dent has been taken out of the compost pile at the Community Garden. I had gotten the first loads on Friday, and now two days later...
Salsify! (Pronounced Sal-suh-Fee... sal like sally, NOT like salsa!)
You can eat the root of these flowers, and I'm always vaguely interested in growing some in the garden plot. Maybe later I will gather some seeds!
Haha! I went around this way to get photos of the Wisteria blooms... but they are all on the other side of the fence. Oh well. But isn't the trunk of the vine interesting!
Yeah, Wisteria gets pretty invasive here!
I'm heading home, but I stop when I hear some very
excited Wika, Wika, Wika!
I look up and search
the branches... Oh My GOSH!!
This is a female Northern Flicker, and she's shouting her joy with her mate! They must have just finished carving out their nest!!
The hole looks pretty snug...
but look how perfectly it fits her body!!
And the male is bouncing around so quickly, I can hardly catch him!
Totally Exciting!! I can't wait to see what happens next! *grins*
Oh! The first ducklings at this end of the creek!
But arg, I don't get any good pics. SIGHS.
There's three babies here... more interested in exploring the world than getting their photo taken!
Well. This is just the beginning of ducklings, so I will get many more chances to get cute pics!
I desperately want to check on the Flicker nest that I found yesterday... but as I'm walking by, suddenly there are stupid humans all over the place. Gah! Go Away!
*laughs* I do manage this one photo, in between the invasive humans...
But, haha! This is not the nest! This is an old hole on the same trunk!
I didn't realize it at the time, but there are actually three Flicker holes on this same dead tree trunk! The new and active hole is the middle one.
But I can tell, even with all the humans walking by, that it's all quiet today. As it should be, if the parents have laid some eggs!!
Walking on. I've got some kitchen scraps that I'm dropping off in the garden plot to compost, and have a quick look around.
The big Strawberry plant has survived the winter, but the volunteer Fava that was growing over it, is just a dead stick now.
I'm really disappointed that most all of the cover crop Fava has died. And I move the leaves around, but it looks like ALL the freebie Strawberries that I planted in the fall, have died as well. Wai!
But the one Strawberry that I bought seems to be strong. There's a little Strawberry in the making!
So I guess I must content myself with that.
I get back to my walk along the creek... The minnows are back!
ha. I should get a filter for the camera to make it easier to see them! They are so cute and I love to watch them!
I'm making my way at the back of the Events Center... hmm, what's going on?
OH MY GOSH!!! They are planting trees!! Right where the Leaning Tree used to be!!
I walk past, but can't help having a little cry...
I'm mourning the Leaning Tree in a new way with these replacement trees and I am so devastated.
...
But I'm also excited ... thrilled! To start my relationship with these three newbies! I love them already! Three little sapling baby trees!
Their tiny trunks are straight up right now... but maybe they will lean in the future. Maybe. :)
I hope they will outlive me.
Despite climate change, I hope they will live.
But this makes me mourn again.
Sighs.
And when I come around the corner I'm so distracted thinking about the trees I walk right on by the Bees! Ha! I come back to look at them!
We've got a new flower in the little wildflower Hell Strip... I think it's some kind of Coreopsis!
They've got Sweet Peas blooming at the Solidarity Garden... which is a bad idea, in my opinion. I'm not sure everyone understands that Sweet Peas are toxic!
I walk past the Events Center again on the way back. Before, they had been placing posts around the saplings, and now they are wrapped with fencing to protect them from beavers, deers and the lawn mower!!
I stop by the Flicker nest...
And I make sure I'm looking at the correct hole this time! haha!
Oh, hey! No wonder the Bluebirds didn't use this nest box!
I was just thinking about all the humans walking by, but the squirrels would be a problem for a nest here as well.
We think of squirrels as just vegetarian, eating all their nuts... but like a lot of others, they will take advantage if they find a nest. Eating eggs or babies probably upsets their tummy, but the extra calories would be worth it.
blah. I'm glad I'm vegan!
Okay. I'm at the Garden and I am going to do some weeding on the right side of the plot, in the back corner... The right side neighbor isn't around yet and I'm going to be proactive with the grass that's growing on the border. And I'll murder some of that invasive Horseradish as well, as I don't want it spreading to my plot.
The diagonal plot has been tilled and supposedly there's new gardeners there. Last year, that was the plot of the crazy lady who destroyed her daughter's plot, who was my left side neighbor.
The Drama! Hopefully the new people are less crazy.
It's too wet to do real weeding. I just yanked up what I could.
But my goal this year is to stay on top of the grass so I don't get any complaints from the Compliance Checks. I will be breaking the rules with my Borage, I will see how far I can push that, so everything else needs to be up to code.
The Drama, right? Sighs. I love Borage. And the new rules are stupid.
When I dumped the grass at the compost heap, I saw that someone had dumped their clover there! What? Why? It should be tilled in!! That's good nutrients that you've wasted!
Ha, I grabbed it for myself!
This is the the stunted tofu patch of last year! I plan to spread out that good compost dirt and then just leave this area fallow for the season while I throw as much fertilizer on it as I can!
Yeah. I'm too lazy to get the soil tested to see what it actually needs! (Yep, and I'm too lazy to till it in, too! ha.)
I briefly admire the Strawberries coming on.
And I still have time for a longer walk, so I head out of the Garden!
Haha! Testing for a new colour! But those are huge colour swatches!
Oh sheesh! I am looking at the wrong Flicker hole again!
I know. I am such a sucker for the Camas Lilies!
Here's a couple of artsy ones for you.
I am visiting the new sapling Leaning Trees.
The information tags say they were planted by Friends of Trees and they are Oregon White Oaks.
A new wildflower has popped up at this hell strip!
Birds-Eye Gilia!
I'm back at the creek, and I'm happy to see ducklings!
There's three babies here... Looks like the same family I saw on Monday.
