…at the end of the tunnel…. Thinking of the song, ‘Sitting on the Dock of the Bay’… Spending time decompressing and watching sunsets… Resting and Relaxing!

This time of year my garden is way on the back burner.  I just finished my busiest season, producing enough work for not only the galleries and shops that carry my glass, but also enough work to take to the holiday art and craft shows, my studio sale AND my on-line store at 1000 Markets.  Whew!  Now for a few days of Resting and Relaxing!  And catching up here with you!!

No doubt you’ll be happy to hear that Treasure and I are well on the road to recovery after our misadventure last month. I’m so appreciative of all your comments, good thoughts and prayers.  It really helped me get through that difficult time.

Hope your holidays are filled with light, love, and laughter!  If your preparations are frantic, I hope you can take a little time to join me for a moment and enjoy the sunsets.

Thanks for stopping by….until next time……

I would like to take this time to personally thank all my clients who either bought prints, licensed images or used my images in a magazine or calendar.  This was a great year. To all my friends and family who have supported me and put up with my need to be outdoors and shooting our amazing landscapes we have here in the Northwest.  I would also like to say thanks to all the photographers I have met this year through Flickr. Flickr has been a great source of inspiration and motivation to keep raising the bar and putting out better images. I thought I would share with you a few of this years images…..Thanks again to everyone for all your support and understandings!!!!!  May your holidays be filled with Joy and Happiness!!!!

Cover Image for 2009 Summer issue of Columbia Gorge Magazine

Summer Sunrise

Cover image for 2010 ODS Companies Calendar

Backdrop For Widmer Brothers Brewing at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO

Thanks again to everyone who takes the time to read this blog…..and remember ordering prints is simple and I will always make sure you get what you want. I deal one on one with my clients to ensure the highest quality of service out there!

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Darren White

October 10th approximately 8pm, I was leaving the woods after an unsuccessful night of hunting in Hood County. I had to make a decision; spend another night at camp or pack-up and drive home to make sure I made my soccer game on Sunday (we lost). I decided to pack up and go surprise the girlfriend back home, and allow myself some more sleep in the morning, but don’t let her know!

I arrived home around 1am after a long drive, which I always enjoy.

Getting side tracked, I must say I am a big fan of the Columbia River Gorge & Hood River County commissioners for there efforts and protections to keep both the Gorge & Hood River County such a beautiful and recreation filled place. Oregon & the rest of our country could take a page from there book on Urban Growth Boundaries.

Ok, sorry, getting back to the story!

I’m not one bit tired and lucky for me she wakes up the same. So I hopped into bed and grabbed Oregon Dept of Fish & Wildlife Conservation Strategy. Project Wilderness had already began plans to submit habitat restoration/biodiversity improvement in Hood River County, so I figured it would be a good chance to review the guide and see what animal and plant species we could assist with the project. The first page of the species table the fisher catches my eye. At that point I held no knowledge of the animal (oh how that has changed), but something about it stuck with me. I made notation to do further research at another time, it’s listed outside the area we’re working. As I turn the page, there is a short description and history of the fisher in Oregon. This only further intrigues me.

Image courtesy of extirpated.org

Historically the fisher inhabited from British Columbia to California. Preferred resting and den areas generally coincide with late-successional coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forest. High forest canopy closure or multiple canopies and shrubs. Areas supporting diverse prey base are most used. Dens & rest sites are generally used in large diameter trees, large snags, tree cavities, and logs. To sum it up, they prefer forest which have the characteristics similar to old growth forest.

Terry Farrell, Oregon Fish & Wildlife assistant wildlife biologist in Roseburg is quoted stating he estimates there are less than 100 fishers total in Oregon. Those are in thanks to reintroductions in 1961, 1977 and 1981, when fishers were taken from British Columbia and Minnesota and released in Oregon forests to help control porcupine damage to timber. However very little to no tracking was done to track population growth or success of reintroduction.

In 2003 Keith Aubrey & Jeffery Lewis wrote an article; “Extirpation and reintroduction of fishers in Oregon”. In this article they researched sightings of fishers throughout Oregon. Categorizing the reliability of sightings with a number value of 1 to 6, one being the highest reliability (photographic data or trapped fisher) and 6 being the lowest (visual sighting only, no tangible evidence). Rankings 1 through 4 are then mapped. The highest volume of reliable reports came from the two populations in Southern Oregon. However reliable sightings are also mapped in or around Joseph, Tillamook and Mount Hood. Then research was done on any previous surveys, which, is greatly limited. The largest areas in Oregon surveyed included those where the 2 known populations call home. Which of course received positive identification of fishers habiting the area. No real data has ever been taken from other parts of the state. Leaving these couple questions open;

Are the populations in Southern Oregon growing, declining or stagnant?

Have fishers from Southern Oregon expanded to new areas?

Are their unknown populations of fishers in other parts of the state?

These and many other questions Project Wilderness would like to answer. We have submitted our initial proposal to receive authorization to formally assess the status of the fisher within Oregon.

Dominic Aiello

Founder & President

www.projectwilderness.org

www.facebook.com/projectwilderness

www.twitter.com/prowilderness

]]> http://travelrificjournal.com/2009/11/25/columbia-river-gorge/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:32 +0000 Linda Tancs http://travelrificjournal.com/2009/11/25/columbia-river-gorge/

By Linda Tancs

Is there a bad time to bike the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon?  It all depends on your seasonal preferences.  Weather in summer east of the Cascades can top 100 degrees fahrenheit.  And be prepared for spring rains, icy winters or slippery fallen leaves in autumn.  So, pick your poison, as they say.  Whichever season you choose, be sure to take in the scenic delights offered by the Historic Columbia River Highway (a national scenic byway), the first scenic highway in the nation.  Three Highway State Trails are now open, and more are under construction.  Beginning at the city of Troutdale and traveling east, you’ll find Oregon’s most visited waterfall, Multnomah Falls.  Views of the Gorge include Portland Women’s Forum Scenic Viewpoint, Vista House at Crown Point and Rowena Crest.  Enjoy the view; just remember to share the road.

Last week I created a series of products using my photo,  Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5. As the sun rises over the Columbia river, a masonic lodge and church steeple rise above the forest of the surrounding hills in Rainier, Oregon. Silvery gray and luminescent white in the early morning light, the clouds blanket the pacific northwest sky.

Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
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Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
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Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
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Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
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Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
Design a custom sticker at zazzle

Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
Browse Church steeple T-Shirts

Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
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Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
More Church steeple Cards

,
Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
Design photo mugs with zazzle.com

Sunrise Over the Columbia River #5 by dlmtleArt
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Dawna’s Gallery of Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, and T shirts

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mossy carpet

Exploring local natural areas is an important part of rewilding. It helps develop sense of place, and you can create “foraging maps” in your head as you go along. I try to go on a walk or a hike at least once a week with no other purpose in mind than checking out a new place. If I find some stuff to gather–bonus! I checked out the cape horn loop trail which is about 7 miles east of Washougal, WA.  This is a lesser known, close-in, Gorge hike with stunning views. It’s a strange one, pieced together from public and private lands. You will find yourself on gravel roads, paved roads, wagon roads, as well as regular trails.It was a miserable cold rainy day and the hike was looong (about 8 miles) and knee wrenching (lots of ups and downs) . I picked some blewits, a type of mushroom, and saw lots of wild rose hips. I don’t know if it is legal, but there were also a lot of flat overlooks up top that looked good for camping.  For more information on this hike visit,  http://www.hikingupward.com/WSP/CapeHorn/.

Cape Horn, Columbia River Gorge

As we reported back in September, the authentic paddlewheel Queen of the West was purchased by American Cruise Lines. The ship had last sailed the Columbia River in 2008 for the now defunct Majestic America Line.

The only paddlewheel sailing American waters, the Queen of the West is due to sail three itineraries on the Columbia River departing from Portland, Oregon and Clarkston, Washington starting August 2010. Stops along the route will include the Columbia River Gorge, Multonomah Falls, Mt. St. Helen’s, The Dalles, Hells Canyon and Astoria. Passengers can look forward to a few modifications to the ship including a number of even larger staterooms and a decrease in passenger capacity, allowing for an even higher level of personal service from the all-American crew.

Passengers who have had the pleasure of cruising on Queen of the West in the past can expect the same unparalleled experience they had aboard this grand ship. But now they can discover the additional features, such as exceptional cuisine and the highest level of personalized service, for which American Cruise Lines is known.

Stay tuned for details on these unique itineraries.

It is Wednesday and that means adventure day. After brainstorming Mike and I decide to head up to Larch Mountain in the Columbia Gorge. Driving up there, as we gain elevation snow slowly becomes part of the landscape. Snow covered trees symmetrically line the road.

We decide halfway up to pull of to the side of the road and explore the surroundings. Opening my door I am pleasantly surprised at the absence of sound. Dead silence. I get my camera out and position myself in the center of the road to capture the symmetrical landscape in front of me.

Out of the silence a strange methodical sound surrounds me from above. I look up and see two huge hawks sweeping above the trees.

Twenty minutes later and we’re back in the car and on our way to Larch Mountain.

We are often so set on getting to our desired destination that we fail to enjoy the journey. While getting to the top of Larch Mountain, with the amazing view of Mt. Hood National Forest, was breathtaking, the most enjoyable part of the adventure was stopping and exploring the forest area along the road.

Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge were in fine company earlier this year when the National Geographic Society released a pair of new maps in their Trails Illustrated series covering both areas. This map series is generally limited to national parks, so the few outstanding areas outside the National Park System (NPS) included in the set read like a who’s who of places that should be made into national parks or recreation areas.

For locals already familiar with these areas, the new maps feature surprisingly accurate, up-to-date information on trails, campgrounds, forest roads and — most impressively — the many new and expanded wilderness areas that were legislated this year with the new Mount Hood wilderness bill. This information, alone, makes them a worthy addition to your map collection.

As with any National Geographic map, the cartography is lush, and containes a wealth of details. One example are Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Oregon State Forest (OSF) lands that are helpfully mapped where they abut national forest boundaries. But most importantly, the new maps show numbered forest trails on a backdrop of contour lines an relief shading, making for an excellent trip planning tool or handy map for the field.

The Mount Hood map (No. 820) extends from Lost Lake south to the edge of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, and from Table Rock on the west to the Warm Springs reservation on the east. New, expanded boundaries for the Mount Hood, Badger Creek, Bull of the Woods and Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness Areas are shown, and are interesting to study for those who have only seen the new wilderness legislation on cryptic web maps.

This detail of the Cloud Cap area includes a note about the washed-out Eliot Branch crossing on the Timberline Trail

The Mount Hood map also includes the newly created Clackamas and Roaring River wilderness areas, the new “Mount Hood National Recreation Area” (a new designation adjacent to Badger Creek Wilderness) and the various new additions to the Wild and Scenic River system. Map blurbs provide travel information, area history and surprisingly detailed specifics on each of the wilderness areas that will be valuable to visitors exploring the area.

The Columbia Gorge map (No. 821) extends from Troutdale east all the way to the Deschutes River, encompassing the entire Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The map also extends from Lost Lake on the south well into the Gifford Pinchot country north of the river, incorporating a good portion of the Indian Heaven Wilderness and all of the Silver Star Mountain backcountry.

Like the Mount Hood map, the Gorge map includes trail and travel information, map blurbs with travel information, area history, details on popular destinations within the Gorge and depicts the new wilderness boundaries resulting from the recent Mount Hood wilderness legislation.

This except from the new Roaring River Wilderness shows the new boundaries in green, and the new Wild and Scenic River designation for the South Fork Roaring River

Both maps are printed on waterproof paper for use in the field, and measure approximately 4.25″ x 9.25″ folded, fitting neatly into a coat pocket or backpack. Both are at a scale of 1:75,000, which is a bit small for some hikers, but has the advantage of being a great travel planning map – or just a nice way to explore those new wilderness areas from the comfort of your traveling armchair. Each map retails for about $12 directly from National Geographic or from online book sellers.

Click here: Nov09 (then click on the pdf icon that appears) to open the Rochester Nordic Ski Club Newsletter with articles about:
-Nature Conservancy Hiking Areas Near Harriet Hollister
-A map of Winona State Forest trails in Tug Hill

Rochester Nordic Ski Club Meeting 7:00 PM, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009
Presentation; A trip to Oregon.
Gary Reif will show and tell us about his trip this past August to Portland Oregon,
-an old growth forest on the Pacific ocean (NOT sequoias!),
-waterfalls and hiking in the Columbia River Gorge,
-the beautiful craftsmanship of Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood (built and furnished from local materials in 1935!),
-all summer skiing on Mt. Hood.
-plus (if all goes well); short films (Goofy Goes Skiing, and Cross-Country Snowboarding)

As usual at these meetings, snacking, ski tales, (tall and standard) equipment chit-chat, and assorted camaraderie will also occur.
Meeting Location:
Carmen Clark Lodge, Brighton Town Park
Haudenosaunee Trail (the name of the road)
(~1/4 mile West of Clinton Avenue off of Westfall Road south side)
(A smoke-free, alcohol-free environment)

A few days ago I used my photo, Misty Moon Over the Columbia River, to create some items on zazzle.

In this picture the moon lights up misty clouds with translucent white light in a stormy looking purplish sky above Longview, Washington. Surrounded by mountain ranges which disappearing into distant haze, the city lights blaze like dots of fire along the banks of the Columbia River. Seen through the forest on the hills of Rainier, Oregon the river flows thought the Columbia River Gorge towards the sea as the dusk begins to deepen into night…

Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
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Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
fridge magnets online by zazzle

Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
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Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
Make ties online at zazzle.com

Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
Make a personalized notecard on Zazzle

Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
Make picture postcards at zazzle

Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
Create custom made mousepads at zazzle.com

Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
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Misty Moon Over the Columbia River by dlmtleArt
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Dawna’s Fine Art Prints at

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Cliffs, vines, and new beginnings

Serendipity: The occurence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

…How do you “start over”?

You can move, change jobs and make new friends, but ultimately you have to trust your instincts. For me, it was quitting my job, selling most all of my earthly possessions (not my wine, though, no-no-no…) and following my gut all the way across the Atlantic for the summer. And while the experience was profound, it didn’t answer that burning question: What do you really want?

Wine is an extraordinary creature– it can drink you in, reveal to you all sorts of flavors and textures, and then quickly spit you out. Such was the case for myself after years dedicated to the retail side of wine. Margin. Profit. Inventory. Display. Sell.

Rinse and repeat daily.

Because of the daily pressure to sell, sell, sell, I found myself (gasp!) falling out of love with wine. I hate to even write that down, but it’s true. It occurred to me I was becoming a stranger to the things which brought me to its doorstep in the first place: small family farms, ancient history, cultural connections to people, the magic of yeast, the land and the vine. If I had a day off and was invited out to one of the local wineries, I’d scramble to come up with an excuse for being unavailable. I’d sneak away to the Gorge by myself. My beloved wine books at home began collecting dust. And worst of all, I started giving sample bottles away as if they were junk mail. Commence burnout…

Signs of the past along the Deschutes

If you’re reading this and you’re in the wine biz, I know what you’re thinking: join the club. And it’s the business of wine that allows it to be enjoyed and explored by millions of people every day. I’m not trying to rail against the economics of retail or wholesale- I’m saying one needs to be honest with themself.

Back to that pesky question. The past few weeks here in Oregon has, ironically, led me back to the same constricted feelings I had six months ago. Should I go for another steward position? No. Mind you, I loved my job for a long time and hold no resentment for the company or any of the people. But after ten plus years, it was — and remains — time to move on.

How about wholesale? I have many good friends who work for wine distributors here in Oregon and some other states as well. And I have a truckload of respect and to some extent, sympathy, for what they do. Hell, a lot of them had to deal with me every week! It’s a dynamic and high-energy job, full of self destiny, if you will, but not my cup of tea. Trying to get from account to account, I’d probably get multiple speeding tickets, high(er) blood pressure, and some serious emotional scarring from select buyers. I really don’t know how you guys do it, but God love ya for it…

*    *    *

I met Bob Lorkowski at his winery and vineyard, Cascade Cliffs, about five years ago on a trip out to the eastern end of the Gorge. His laid back, friendly and content demeanor was something you wanted to be around and something you wanted to live up to even more. I was amazed that his focus at the winery was not the typical cabernet, merlot and syrah (although he produced them too) that prevails in Washington state’s warmer wine country. Bob was growing and producing top-notch barbera, dolcetto, and nebbiolo.  “Piedmont’s about 6,000 miles that way, dude,” I thought. But the wines were awesome- richer than the traditional Italian expressions of these grapes, but still layered, intense and lingering.

I would re-visit this area of the gorge many times after that hiking, driving, and just getting away for the day. Dramatic basalt cliffs, warm and bright sunshine, and ancient petroglyphs welcomed me back time and time again. I ignored the winery not because I didn’t love the wines, but I made it a rule not to do anything “wine” on my days off. In a twist of righteous fate, I can now be somewhere I love personally and embrace all the aspects of wine I neglected for so long.

I’ve been hired by the winery to help them in all facets of operation, including marketing, sales, event planning, grape picking, vine pruning, bin stacking, floor sweeping, tasting room duties, and deliveries. Among other things. And really, that’s usually the deal at a small, family-run winery and exactly what I was looking for. To be part of something, literally, from the ground up.

A winery. After wandering around throughout the country and overseas, it became clear to me that this is where I wanted to be. Not in some monster, large-production winery where there are locked gates, men wear suit and ties and the women click-clack around the polished floors in their best heels. No, I needed some good ole’ fashioned country winery, where the people behind the counter have grape (nebbiolo!) stains on their pants and everyone’s family.

I’m having a hard time just staying calm, keeping my big mouth shut, and not trying to build Rome in a day. A couple of years ago, they expanded the back of the winery and added an upper floor that will soon be an event center for dinners, parties, private tastings, and who knows what else. If you’ve not been there, get there. I’ll give you a personal tour of the vineyards and winery myself. Bob and his wife Denisse also grow Garlic, produce honey, make mead and more importantly, will know your name when you leave.

*    *    *

Will “Jared Wines Up” turn into “Cascade Cliffs Wines Up”? Nah. That’s my own personal forum for ranting and one of my goals is to create another blog for the winery’s website. I’d like to apologize to those of you who’ve tried to see me while here– it’s been a personal whirlwind of sorts for me lately, and I’ve been desperately trying to get settled. But I now feel the spin cycle coming to a slow halt.

I hope to see all of you out at the winery. I’d better. This post could have, maybe should have been focused on the winery, its 20 acres of vines that overlook the Columbia river, and the awards that the Barbera (2009 Best of the Best Wine Press Northwest), Nebbiolo, and others have won. But as usual, it’s all about me. What can I say? It’s been a while since we last talked, so I gave you all an extra pour…

With grateful and blessed cheer,

Jared

A parting view as you leave the winery

]]> http://carollight.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/ice-cream-snow-and-wolves/ Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:05:55 +0000 carollight http://carollight.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/ice-cream-snow-and-wolves/

Part 4

Washougal is located at the beginning of the Columbia River Gorge–well, “beginning” if you are going from west to east.  In those days the roads were narrow and winding;  no freeways at all.  Almost every winter the road up to where we lived was blocked with snow.  We were snowed in–sometimes for days on end.   After my father Harry came back from spending a year in Fairbanks, Alaska, he would hike out, wading through the snow for about two miles downhill to Washougal to buy groceries for us.

I am not sure how my mother Cora coped that year when Harry was gone.  They had just purchased the little, one room house from one of Cora’s relatives;  Harry immediately built two bedrooms on the back.  Then he got the chance to work in Alaska on the new air force base being constructed.  At first they were going to move all of us to Fairbanks, but because my sister Joy had such severe allergies, including to wool blankets, they decided that Harry would go and Cora, Joy and I would stay in Washougal. 

Once–and it may have been the year Harry was gone–Cora fried bread dough into something resembling a heavy beignet or doughnut on the oil-fueled heating stove in the living room of our tiny house.  It was the only time I remember her cooking that.   Looking back, I realize that the electricity for the kitchen stove must have been cut off by the severe winter weather, so she improvised.  Fried bread dough dusted with sugar tasted delicious as far as we girls were concerned. Much better than the biscuits she tried to make for years and always failed.  Finally when Bisquick was introduced, she gave up trying to make home made ones.

My best friend, Peggy, was in the same grade and lived across the road in a ramshackle old farmhouse with her father and two slightly older brothers.  If there was a mother in that family, she escapes my memory.   While I only ate food, Peggy could cook–cornbread.  And it was pretty good.  I think that at times, that pan of bread may have been dinner for the family.  (In another post, another time, I will write about the people who lived on Mt. Norway Road in those days.)

A big treat in winter was “snow ice cream”–basically snow, canned milk, sugar and vanilla extract.  Then, one year after an aluminum plant was built across the Columbia River and slightly to the east, all of us girls developed large, painful boils after eating the snow ice cream.  Cora was convinced, rightly, that the smoke/emission from the aluminum plant was poisoning the snow.  So no more snow ice cream.

The winter of 1948 was particularly brutal.  There were huge snow drifts behind the house.  Then a warm Chinook wind blew down the Gorge for one day and melted the snow.  The next day it froze again, creating almost an inch of ice on top of the snow and on all the tree branches.  It was glistening and beautiful.   Our little house, however, was uninsulated and the bedroom where we girls slept was very, very cold.  I remember laying awake at night, hearing the howling of wolves which had come down out of the forests in the mountains behind us to attack some sheep on a farm down along the river.  No one could ever remember that happening before.

So the wolves ate lamb that night, but we didn’t eat lamb until years later in Spokane.

Next: Carol the chicken rancher

Sunrise...

Another day begins…

After taking a skip down my road I had to settle in and finish up some commitments I’d made in the studio.  Earrings, bracelets, butterflies, and beautiful glass boxes are finished and delivered or underway and nearing completion.

Earrings coming to 1000 Markets ~ Steider Studios

I also had some upcoming teaching commitments that include my basic six-week kilnforming class.   I’m hoping we have ten new converts to the wonderful world of kilnformed glass via The Dalles Art Center!  My students are having fun with their projects so far!  Tomorrow I’ll be hosted by Georgia at Glasshopper Patterns, the Queen of DICRO SLIDE for a glass clay class in Portland.   I’m packed up and ready to have a full day of fun with a great group of students that Georgia has invited into her studio.  Next weekend I’ll travel to Cascade Glass Art Center near Seattle for my ‘Powderology’ course. There might still be a spot open if you’re interested!  Join us!!

For order inquiries, linda@steiderstudios.com

More commitments coming up include participation in another Pittock Mansion Artist Spotlight, and working with local elementary age students in an after school program.  My local art galleries are already preparing for their holiday sales, so the next round of glass work will no doubt be geared for them.  And somewhere in between I’ll have my annual studio sale.  Would you like an invitation?  Send me a note so I can add you to my invitation list.  I turn my entire house into a gallery setting filled with sparkling beautiful glass for your shopping pleasure!

Sunset along the Columbia River Gorge

Between commitments I try to keep breathing & every once in a while remember to look up and enjoy the incredible vistas that surround me every day.  I take great inspiration from the landscapes of the Columbia River Gorge. The majesty of it gives me energy and spirit to move on to the next round of projects and the next set of classes.  Sometimes I have to stop everything and just breathe it in.

Mo & I decided that it would be nice to take a week-long vacation for out 20^th anniversary this year, and the trip we finally put together was our first visit to Portland, OR and to see Vancouver, BC prior to the Olympics next February.  We chose to leave in early October, since it was after K had moved out to college, but before the rainy season in the NW begins in earnest.

The first part of our vacation was spent in the Portland / Salem area.  One ulterior motive of seeing Portland in the first place was to visit our good friend Jenny and her new husband Pat, and by extension, Jenny’s parents Steve & Laurie.  We ended up making home base at S&J’s beautiful 10-acre home near Salem.

Pat was a gracious driver for our two outings while in Oregon; the first day, we drove westward and saw many beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean from Lincoln City down to Newport.

Pacific Ocean at Depoe Bay

The second day we headed the other direction and traveled along the Columbia River Gorge.  We stopped at several scenic vistas, and a handful of the waterfalls which line the southern bluffs, each with its own unique characteristics.  I couldn’t help but to notice too the mainline of Union Pacific’s Portland Subdivision running along side us most of the way, and BNSF’s track hugging the northern side of the river.

Crown Point Vista House and Rooster Rock, as seen from Chanticleer Point

Mo at the base of Latourell Falls, tucked away in the trees

the beautiful multi-tiered Multnomah Falls

It was a real treat to reunite with friends again (S&J, you haven’t aged a bit!) and see the beautiful countryside of NW Oregon.

Next: pt 2: Portland to Vancouver

It’s not every day that the major environmental group fighting to close down a coal-fired power plant gets an escorted tour of the power plant owner’s energy operations.  Yet that’s just what happened this past Thursday, when representatives from the Oregon Sierra Club and our allies in the fight against the Boardman Coal Plant joined Portland General Electric (PGE) officials for a guided tour of the PGE-operated Boardman Plant, as well the company’s Coyote Springs Natural Gas Plant, and Biglow Wind Farm. 

The drive out to Boardman, home of Oregon’s only coal plant, was a long one.  The group of us Sierra Club-ers in our van followed a PGE plug-in electric Prius down a highway that led through the heart of the Columbia River Gorge – one of the most beautiful areas in the state.  The lush greenery and towering conifers of western Oregon gave way to the starker beauty of central/eastern Oregon as we crossed the Cascade Mountain Range, and headed into one of the most sparsely populated areas of the state.  Watching the rear end of PGE’s Prius driving down the road in front of us, the words “Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle” plastered to the back, I had to wonder if PGE was hoping to diffuse the ardor of our fact-finding mission by showing us their environmentally friendly car. 

All during the trip, PGE staff were friendly and welcoming to our group; yet I find it hard to believe anyone involved ever forgot our very real conflicting interests.  PGE was clearly hoping to impress us with their green credentials, and convince us that the company isn’t a bunch of evil-doers.  We fact-finders, on the other hand, were there to observe firsthand some of the effects of Oregon’s single largest source of greenhouse emissions: the PGE-operated Boardman plant.  I watched the natural beauty of the Columbia Gorge slide by through the window, spotting red-tailed hawks sitting on tree branches and black-billed magpies perched in roadside brush.  And I was reminded that Boardman is not only responsible for releasing 5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year – it’s also a major source of smog and acid rain in the Gorge, and a direct health threat to wildlife and people alike.

 We turned off the main highway and headed down the side road leading to the Boardman Plant.  After passing through security, we parked outside the building, Boardman’s towering smokestack looming far above us.  In famously green Oregon, few ordinary people realize how much of the energy they use each day comes from giant smokestacks like this, continually belching a haze of smog, mercury, and carbon dioxide into the air.  This coal plant is located in the sparsely-populated eastern half of the state, out of sight of any major urban area, for a reason.  It is the job of us activists to remind the green-minded consumers of the state’s urban centers that this is where their electricity comes from.

We were led inside the plant and taken to an office where PGE officials described to us Boardman’s place in the company’s energy portfolio.  It was obvious that supplying PGE’s customers with consistent, inexpensive energy is no small task, as patterns of energy use fluctuate with the day and seasons, and different energy sources vary in the amount of power they can deliver.  Yet one of the most telling moments in the presentation was when someone from our group asked about wind power.  We were being shown a graph detailing to scale where PGE energy comes from on a daily basis.  The chart clearly showed PGE’s most reliable sources of power, which the company was likely to turn on first to meet demand: first came power generated from dams, then the Boardman and Colstrip Coal Plants (Colstrip is located in Montana, but includes two units owned partly by PGE).  After that, the company turned on its Coyote Springs and Port Westward gas plants, and various other energy sources followed.  Despite PGE’s widespread advertising of its wind energy investments, however, wind power barely registered on the graph.

 Our PGE guides led us through the interior of the plant, then up onto the roof where we got a clear view of Boardman smokestack and surrounding land.  The pure scale of the power plant was frankly amazing.  Hills of coal lay below us, and artificial ponds blackened by coal dust cut into the landscape.  The line of train cars that delivers new coal to the plant several times weekly stretched off into the distance.  From the roof, we seemed barely any closer to the top of the towering smokestack, and the shadow of the stack dwarfed cars and buildings on the ground below.  The Boardman Plant is over 20 years old, and plant workers who have spent years running the operations clearly take pride in their work.  “We’re proud of our plant,” one worker told our group.  These are men and women doing work which they clearly see as valuable – and they seem frankly a little puzzled to find their workplace suddenly the source of so much scrutiny from the environmental community.  Yet that doesn’t take away from the fact that Boardman is a major obstacle to the state of Oregon achieving its carbon reduction goals, and becoming a leader in the field of renewable energy.

After Boardman, we toured the Coyote Springs Gas Plant, owned and operated completely by PGE.  Though PGE’s gas plants have yet to attract as much attention as Boardman, plants like Coyote are also a major source of greenhouse pollutants.  As I watched the steam rising from Coyote’s enormous cooling towers, I was reminded that PGE’s plan for meeting energy demand in Oregon over coming decades includes not only increased reliance on Boardman’s coal, but the construction of two additional gas plants that will add still more carbon to the air.

From Coyote Springs, it was a little more than an hour’s drive west to reach the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm.  One of the largest wind projects along the Columbia Gorge, Biglow is owned and operated completely by PGE, and is the company’s main source of renewable energy.  As our van came in sight of the giant wind turbines, turning slowly over miles of wheat fields, the change in mood within our group was palpable.  We were done documenting the bad in PGE’s portfolio, and making ready to tour one of the fastest-growing clean energy projects in the state.

According to the power point presentation which we witnessed at Biglow, the wind facility at present supplies only 4% of PGE’s energy mix.  Yet the project will deliver more when it’s finished, as only two of three phases of Biglow have been installed so far.  And perhaps the most impressive thing of all about the wheat fields studded with wind turbines is that just a few years ago these same fields were empty.  Even in the last couple of years, PGE’s use of wind has grown significantly, and it will be still higher once Biglow is finished.  It’s a stark reminder of just how quickly a booming field of technology can grow.  Yet near the end of our tour of the wind facility, a few words from our guide at Biglow brought us Sierra Club-ers and the PGE officials closer to outright vocal disagreement than at any point during the trip.  Biglow’s site director wanted to impress on us that though he was in the wind business himself, he beleives that wind alone cannot power a state’s energy grid, and that a need exists for more stable energy from coal.

Clearly, PGE’s on-site workers  have mixed feelings about both their coal plant and their wind farm.  The company knows wind turbines make for a better image than smoke stacks, and their advertising reflects that reality.  At the same time, for a company that’s spent decades burning coal, the idea of ending their dependence on Boardman and other coal sources seems to be rather frightening.  While the misgivings of PGE and its employees are understandable, it seems the company has become so entrenched in nineteenth-century technology that it has simply failed to realize this is a new day, with new demands on energy providers and new solutions available to old problems.  PGE can close Boardman and phase out its reliance on coal – and by failing to do so, it stands in the way of Oregon’s clean energy future.  The solutions are there; PGE simply fails to see them.

For one thing, though one of the most lucrative renewable energy sources in Oregon, wind is not the only clean energy source in the world.  Oregon has the potential to be a major producer of solar energy, yet PGE’s plans recently released Integrated Resource Plan includes a pitifully small commitment to solar power.  Likewise geothermal energy, so far virtually untapped by the company, could be another major source of power in coming decades.  Perhaps most glaringly obvious of all, PGE has largely failed to consider the degree to which energy efficiency and conservation can meet a large part of Oregon’s power demand.  Finally, PGE’s proposals for meeting future energy demand have steadfastly ignored the certainty that the next several years will see some form of carbon regulation from the federal government, making reliance on dirty coal considerably less attractive.

Studies by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council have shown it is possible to move the Northwest United States off coal.  And while no one is saying this will be an easy challenge to meet, the alternative – catastrophic global warming – is much worse.  It behooves us climate advocates to consider the very real impacts that shutting down fossil fuel infrastructure will have on the workers at plants like Boardman; yet building a new energy economy is going to create far more jobs than it eliminates, and the overly simple equation that closing a plant means every worker now employed there will be out of a job is inaccurate and outdated.  Many of the workers at Boardman were employed elsewhere by PGE before they came to the coal plant, and their experience and expertise will not be lightly tossed aside simply because a particular plant closes.  A certain number of Boardman workers will be ready to retire by the time the plant closed down anyway, even under the fastest phase-out scenarios put forward. 

The great challenge of my generation will be to make the transition away from fossil fuels as just and equitable as possible – to help those who have built their livelihoods around coal plants make the jump to a new era, while recognizing that we cannot keep burning coal simply to preserve specific jobs.  When at last we make this transition successfully, the economy is going to be a much safer one for working-class people than the old.

When that happens, maybe PGE’s plug-in electric vehicles will sport a new sticker: “Powered by 100% coal-free electricity.”

This piece is based off of the replica Stonehenge memorial site erected by Samuel Hill in the Columbia River Gorge.

Blow up of piece:

self portrait… I look so young

Hollyhock

Skip work and chores?  Skip meals?  Skip the meeting, or blow off practice?  No, I mean take a friend’s hand or your dog on a leash and skip down the street.  Like you did when you were a kid.  That joyful giggly way of getting down the road a little quicker yet slow enough to take in the sights around you.  Caution:  This activity may cause anyone seeing you to smile or…even laugh.

Autumn Leaves

This week begins a new 6 week entry-level kilnforming class and I looked forward to leading a new group of students into the world of kilnformed glass.  As I sat at the computer printing up handouts, mentally preparing the steps I like to take new students through, I looked out the window and just had to get outside.

Elderberry

Outside into one of the most gorgeous, windless, warm fall days ever.  Outside, into quite possibly the last beautiful day before autumn rains and (shudder) the snows of winter hit.

Treasure

My heart begged me to leave the work at hand for a little while, take my beautiful dog who’s not had enough attention for too many days in a row and go for a walk.  A long walk.   It felt so peaceful, not a car passing, no loud lawn machinery, no one else around, just me with my dog, the birds and blue sky.

Elderberries lush & full

Ready for harvest

My heart singing, I notice my surroundings with acuity.  It’s so beautiful I have to breathe in with all my senses.  I see the glory of fall surrounding us as we make our way down the road.  Really see it, the sharp lines of each leaf turned red, the achingly bright blue sky.  It’s so still I can hear the silence and the fresh crisp air is intoxicating.  The allure of an elderberry draws me in to touch it.  I feel the texture of the bark and the smooth round berries.

Goldfinch

As we continued down the road, joy overtook me and I began to skip.  Yes, as in “skip, skip, skip to my Lou, skip to my Lou, my darlin’. I laughed, my dog looked at me as if to say ‘what’s up with that woman now’, but went with the flow and joyfully danced alongside me.

Catching some Rays

An hour later I was back to my class preparations, renewed with fresh excitement and tingling energy .

Bumble bee drinking Cosmos nectar

For some, the electric energy of a city, people and cars moving at a fast pace at the feet of skyscrapers are inspiration and gets their blood flowing.

Chickadee

For me, it’s the song of nature in her many forms.  What inspires you?  what makes your heart sing?

Overlooking the Columbia River

Will you skip down the road with me?

I haven’t written an entry here in a couple weeks, but grumble no more, I am indeed still kickin. In fact, I’ve been kickin it with this lady I met on the Oregon coast named Dana quite a bit. She has become a partner and companion, and we’ve spent most of our time in the past month together. She is passionate about Buddhism, salsa dancing, social justice, and many other things. And she is an adventurer. So, I feel lucky to have bumped into her.

So after spending time in Portland I went and played in an ultimate tournament with people I had met in Bend, OR… but the tournament was in Salem. I then spent some time camping and hanging out in the Willamette Valley (aka Oregon wine country, amongst other things). I got some free tasting vouchers from the local chamber of commerce, and went to two wineries, one of which was called “Four Graces.” The guy was a bit curt with me, possibly on account of my scraggly appearance in his fancy winery, but the wine was excellent and I got two bottles.

From the Willamette Valley I went back to Portland and met back up with Dana, and then we headed out to the Mount Hood/Columbia River Gorge to do some camping for a few days. The Gorge was rad. There was a major windsurfing/kiteboarding event going on at Hood River, the weather was good, and we caught an unbelievable sunset one night having hiked out onto this rocky outcropping that jutted into the river.

We crashed once again in Portland for a night, and then headed up to Seattle for a few days. I couch surfed with some wonderful, wonderful folks. Dana and I took a ferry out to Bainbridge Island one day and caught some amazing views of Mt. Ranier and Seattle itself, the sunset glow of the island on our way back. Seattle was really fun… it felt BIG. It’s funny – after living in NYC for so long Philadelphia always seemed like a small town when I would come home. But after traveling through rural areas and hiking out in the wilderness all summer, the highways, neighborhoods and density of Portland and Seattle were a bit unsettling and overwhelming at times. Traffic! It’s not like the traffic was even bad… but it was there. Seattle felt way bigger than Portland (probably because it is). Dana and I spent another day riding bikes through Seattle neighborhoods, stopping at the University of Washington campus to hang out. I saw two concerts while hanging out in the big city – the better of which was a band called Beach House – featuring Victoria Legrand who used to sing for a Philadelphia band called LeRoy Brown (in which yours truly played bass). Beach House has been very successful in the past few years and they’ve been touring all over the place. Their set was EXCELLENT, and it sounds like they’ve got a new album on the way. I am immensely proud of Tori; she is a total rockstar – she drew a crowd of over two hundred people on a Sunday night. Check out Beach House at myspace.com/beachhousemusic .

So yeah, Seattle. Good food, fun city by the water, good music.

willamette valley, grape vines and (mt hood visible)

ferry to seattle from bainbridge island

Do you know LeLo in NoPo? She writes a fabulous blog about a life well-lived, with lots of pictures of beautiful food and gardens, and sweet moments of life savoring.

Here’s a story that she sent me. It’s so serendipitous.

This is a two part story originally posted on my blog in June 2006. It may be too long, but it’s one of my most popular “at a party” stories to share, and the long version of my answer to “So how’d you end up in Portland?” Isn’t that a question we are all asked at parties?!

Winning a radio contest; all roads lead to Oregon

I was living in Chico, a year or so after graduating from college . It was a warm weekend day and I was working and playing in my first garden as an adult. The pink stucco California house had been transformed with help from my sister, with a garden full of pink daylilies, impatiens, and the beginning of a wild and raucous trumpet vine. The side window held the air conditioner, wedged up there and hooked up to the garden hose. This old house didn’t have central AC, but the charm made up for coping with 120-degree heat and the unique scent of moist air blowing through the swamp cooler.

I had the radio on, and between songs, a voice came on that I recognized. Stopping my watering, I listened carefully. Who was that? Was it Bret? It was! My friend Bret, also a communications major but specializing in radio, had obviously landed a job beyond the campus radio station and was announcing on commercial radio. He sounded great, and I rushed in to call the station to tell him I was listening.

The line was busy.

I hit redial. Still busy. Redialed and there was a ring. The familiar voice answered but instead of a standard phone greeting, he said “Congratulations! You’re the 12th caller!” I stumbled a bit and said “Bret, it’s me, Lelo!” Turns out I was a qualifier for the big summer give-away prize, meaning my name would be put in a hat along with a kajillion others. Yeah right! Bret and I caught up and chit chatted: good times.**

A few weeks went by when one morning, a friend calls me to tell me they’re saying my name on the radio. Another friend calls, too. You know what’s coming here, right? Ends up I won the big summer giveaway prize: a whitewater rafting trip for 4 to Inn of the Seventh Mountain in beautiful, Bend, Oregon. Bend, Oregon. Hmmm. I was a total paddlehead and loved rafting, and this was the perfect opportunity for a group of us to go together. And I had never rafted that far north. Nor had I been to Oregon.

The trip was fun, and I quickly fell in love with this place, Oregon*. I was at a point in my life where I needed to move on, and I wasn’t sure where I would land. So many friends had gone to the bay area, but I didn’t have that calling. And I didn’t have the gumption to bite the bullet and move to Chicago, despite my mentor suggesting I would thrive there. Too far, too much snow, I love the West Coast. As for Oregon, I figured the main city was somewhere up north from Bend, Portland, right? I picked up a Sunday Oregonian on our way out of town and perused the job listings. Lo and behold, there was a listing for a job very similar to what I was currently doing. It wasn’t that common of a job. What the heck, I thought I should apply…

They called me for an interview for the job applied for. I couldn’t believe it. I needed to go to Portland, so I tracked down a friend from school who I thought had moved north. She and her husband shlogged to the airport at 3:45 am to pick me up, and over the course of the weekend, I fell in love with the place.

Rainy, damp, old: this was a city, more than the little college town I was visiting from. Bridges, dingy old town (this was pre-Pearl), parks and things so green. I saw the Columbia River Gorge and it took my breath away. We had the best beer and rustic pesto bread at the downtown Widmer bakery and brewpub (it’s now Southpark). The music scene was beginning to buzz with the grunge scene of the early 1990s, and we saw live music, visited Saturday Market, had the best coffee at a place called Coffee People and we rode the MAX to most of the places we went. This was a really cool city.

The interview went well. While at my friends apartment, I received a call. It was a voice from a long time ago, my friend Sally. We grew up together, with shared memories from first grade through her marriage in Scotland—which was the last time we had spoken… I had called her on her wedding day at the Scottish pub where they were celebrating, her thick accent surprising me, but like old friends do, the miles between us flew away and we laughed and giggled and enjoyed the moment.

It was Sally’s voice now that I heard on the other line of that phone on my second day visiting Portland, and she said she had called my parents in Southern California just now, hoping to reconnect with me. She wasn’t in Scotland anymore.

“Where are you now?” I asked, imagining New York or California or London. “I’m in Portland, Oregon,” she answered “and I work downtown near Saturday Market. I couldn’t stop thinking about you today and needed to track you down.” Of course I had been at Saturday Market that day, oogling at all of the hand made items, especially the spoon man and all those things he could make from spoons.

I had to sit down. It was a bit much of a coincidence. It had been months, or years since we had last spoken, and to think she tracked me down while I was visiting Portland for the very first time. Of course, we met up while I was visiting (over coffee, duh!), and her love of the place was infectious. By now I saw all of the pieces falling into place and the obvious direction I was being pointed towards. I was meant to live in this place, and if I got the job, I knew I would return.

A week back in Chico, I got the call of a job offer. They even paid for my move. I was moving to the place I was meant to be, in Portland, Oregon.

Sunrise! Thank you God.

Spectacular morning!  Thought I’d share it with you while you’re waiting for my next post.   I’m writing about the wonderful time I had touring the Le Tour des Plants put on by the Oregon Association of Nurseries.  Coming soon.  I promise!

Thanks for stopping by!  Until I get the next entry finished up…..

I took at trip a week ago to go visit my friends in Kalama, WA.  I made sure to take my camera of course so I could take pictures and share them with you.  I am amazed at how beautiful it is out there with the mountains, lakes, ocean, etc.  None of it looks the same out there and there are so many things to do and see! 

The picture on the right here is at a tourist center about Mount St. Helen’s and where you can see it.  It was a little cloudy that day but you can still see it standing tall in the background there.   It’s actually amazing how it looked before it erupted compared to how it looks now.  They say that the middle of it is starting to form again.

This photo was in Kalama right beside the Kalama river that actually a lot of people travel from all over to fish in.  This barn happened to be across the road from where we were and I could not help but think it looked like an oil painting you see in a country home.  Not even just a country home but any kind of house! 

This photo is from Lake Sacagawea Park in Longview, WA.  These redwood trees were just sitting next to the lake.  They are ridiculously tall!  We literally looked like ants standing next to these trees.

This was a photo I took while we headed up that morning to go white water rafting on the Salmon River.  This is the Columbia River Gorge that divides OR and WA, which is pretty cool I gotta say.

This is only a few from the handful that I took on my trip, so be sure to check back as I post more photos over the next few days!