Notes from the Flatlands...

 

The view from the crest of Mt. Piscah, Eugene, Oregon

Last Monday, I got to hike Mt. Piscah and it was beautiful.  As I reached the crest I could see a shower taking place across the valley, and that is what you see above.  When I first summited the peak the rain shower was more to the right, and it looked stunning.  I was slow to the draw and I missed the "A" shot, but this is close.

On the trail up Mt. Piscah

The sun peaked through and there was a inspiring tunnel of light that shined down on the ferns.  I am too close here, so you don't get the sense of the sun hitting one spot, but not another.

WPA era bridge over the Siuslaw River Bridge

I love these bridges on the Oregon Coast.  There are several bridges that appear to have been created during the WPA era.  According to Wikipedia this bridge opened in 1936.  Brilliant work.  I am pulled in by the detail of the spires on the bridge.

Center section of Suislaw Bridge

Mark Brody's "Glam-Y Salmon"

We stopped in Florence for an excellent lunch and this artwork was across the street.  Love the salmon artwork.

After ice cream at BJ's we strolled down to the marina and looked at the whole range of vessels that were harbored there.

Finally we headed off to the beach.  Despite the weather apps telling us there was no rain in the area you could see a nice squall to the southwest headed our way.

Great visit.

Brea in the harbor on the Suislaw River.

Beach at south of Florence.

 Dear Harriett,

Happy Birthday.  Wow, 79 years old — way to go.  

Harriett Hadlock Rice - circa 1978

So it has been a long time since I have written and I have been thinking of you this week.  I thought it might be good to update you on what is happening here.

I not sure that I shared with you that Erik is married - for several years now.  He has married a wonderful woman, Mary, and they are now raising two wonderful children —Jude and Aria.  Jude is nineteen months old and talking more and more.  Aria is beautiful, she looks like her mom, and she recently began rolling over.  Eeek…Erik and Mary live in East Chicago, and Erik works in downtown Chicago.

Maura lives in town and she is the Operations Manager for a local cheese and meat shop.  She was the cheese buyer for three years, but now she has moved up a level.  She has been dating Austin for two years now; he also works at the cheese shop, and is now the person who buys the cheese.  Great fun.  Austin is a very interesting young man who studies plants, history, and is currently teaching himself Russian.  He seems to love learning, which makes the two of them a great match.

Karyl and I are stepping into retirement.  She is in her last week of working in the Communications department.  She has pictures of the first day of school to take, and a couple of projects to put to bed and then she will be done.  I think she may take some pictures here and there for the school, but we shall see.  This week teachers are back at school, and I am not there.  I miss the people of the middle school, but I don’t miss the pace and the drama, so I am learning to enjoy time to do all the projects that working 8-5 got in the way of.  So far, so good.

Karyl and I are hoping to visit Winston and Gaylord soon.  More details on that to follow.

You have been gone now for twenty-one years, but you are still very much with us.  Your laugh, humor, and graciousness shaped the way we navigate these crazy times.  All three qualities are in short supply, but I won’t bore you with those details now.  Suffice to say the world has changed a lot, and we are working to catch up and help shape a new future that is equitable and safe for all.

So, we will host a bowl of mint chip in your honor.  Cheers,

Byron

Egret on the left, osprey up top, geese on the right.

 

Osprey

Coopers hawk

Warbling vireo

Magnolia warbler

Black and White warbler

American redstart

 I found this this morning on Twitter...

 

Katie Scherer, Gargi Bajpai, Beckie Alexander

School has started and for the first time since forever ago, I am not there.

All summer long people have asked me how "retirement" felt and my response was always, "Well, I am normally off in the summer, so right now retirement feels like a normal summer."  Not so this morning.

The sun has been coming up later, and it is cooler at night (thank goodness) and it feels like time to convene with fellow middle school teachers and laugh, plan, and begin the next academic year.  I will definitely miss the time with colleagues.  They are the best.

There are some parts that I will not miss, but we don't need to go there.  The good news is I have colleagues with whom to meet outside of school and lots of projects that require my attention...

So, it is truly time for the next chapter.  Here's to doing some kick-ass writing on that next chapter...

Last night I watched the Vikings preseason game versus the 49ers.   The game took place here in Minnesota, our only home game of the preseason.  Here are my takeaways:

Last Sunday the news came that Bill Russell had died.  No.

Bill Russell has held a place of great esteem in my life, and as I look back, I don't know how that happened.  I don't remember watching him play in the early sixties, but somehow, over the years, as I learned more about Bill Russell, I came to have great respect for the way he has lived his life.

This is one of those cases that the more you learn about a person, the more impressive their life seems.  I

Bill Russell - The master of the blocked shot.

grew up listening to Bill Russell's cackle of a laugh as he called NBA games on the Sunday CBS Game of the Week.  I knew Russell played center for the Celtics when they won a bunch of championships back in the early 1960s.  Something about Bill Russell caught my eye, or in this case, my ear, as I listened to him.  I remember that he would interview an important player before the game and end with, "I'd wish you 'Good Luck,' but it's better to be 'good' than 'lucky.'"  

This week I have learned that Bill Russell was at the 1963 March on Washington and declined to speak that day.  He sat in the front row during Dr. King's historic

Bill Russell with Mohammed Ali and Kareem.

speech.  I also learned that Bill Russell was with Mohammed Ali when he declared that he wasn't going to fight in Vietnam.  Russell wasn't a self promoter, but he was very much at the heart of the movement to improve opportunities for equity in our country.

I also learned that he was in twenty-one finals games and he went 21-0.  Bill Russell considered the measure of a successful game was - did his team win, and did he help his teammates play better.  That is a damn fine standard.

Apparently when Bill Russell was in high school the expected norm was that everyone stayed with the player they were assigned to guard.  Russell didn't do this.  If one of his teammates got beat, Russell would rotate over and stop the player from having an uncontested basket.  If I understand the story, because of this tendency colleges didn't offer Russell a scholarship.  He went to USF and won two national championships in 1955 & 1956.  He changed basketball.  Amazing.

Bill Russell wouldn't sign autographs, but he would shake your hand.  William Felton Russell - well done.

Vin Scully: 1928-2022

This morning I woke up to the news that Vin Scully has died.  The announcer of Dodgers baseball games for 67 years (1949-2016).  Scully was so artful at working in stories as the baseball game progress.  You
never had a sense that he was bored by the game (if it was a blowout) - he seemed to have a never ending supply of information about the players and people surrounding the game.  I read this morning that someone described him as "effortless excellence," –– that sums it up so well.  There was always great comfort in listening to a baseball game called by Vin Scully.

So as I head into this next chapter of my life...I want to take these men with me.  I want to helps others around me do better, and I aspire to living with "effortless excellence."  Thank you gentlemen.  I greatly appreciate the standard you have set.

Slightly foggy morning

Red wing blackbirds are using the first sign of spring.

Common Goldeneye

Hooded Mergansers

Red tail hawk

Beaver or where A boat tied up?

Trumpeters...

 

 So waking up this morning and the Minnesota Twins have signed free agent shortstop Carlos Correa.  This is a shocker.  

Carlos Correa. File Photo by Trask Smith/UPI |

 Spending big has not gone well for the Twins of late, so I expected the Twins to trade for talent not dive back into the free agent market.  We just off loaded Josh Donaldson and his 50 million contract on the Yankees, so I thought "once bitten, twice shy," but no, that is not the approach the Twins are taking.  This is a big jump in offense and defense for the Twins. 

Two chickadees

Downy woodpecker

Red bellied woodpecker

Hidden Brown creeper

Less hidden Brown Creeper

Another Red bellied.

The view from the bottom of the Minnesota River Valley.

Hairy woodpecker.

Decaying tree looking like rock.

 

Welcome to Minnesota Mr. Kiner-Falefa; you don't know how happy we are to see you.  We love that you are a glove man.  You help us in two ways, first your are a reassuring presence to our pitching staff, and second you keep Jorge Polanco at second base, where he has been killing it.  

The middle defense for the 2022 Twins is now a plus defense - according to Aaron Gleeman and Dan Hayes from theathletic.com.  Having Polanco at shortstop would not a plus defensive move...

This way if Martin or Royce Lewis comes along we have all sorts of positive options.  The two prospects won't be thrown in the deep end and expected to survive.  

 

 So I have always known that if I were to become president, the first phone call goes to a friend named Steve.  He has the best analytical tool kit I know.  

When discussing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Steve is of the opinion that the Russians don't want to fight Ukrainians, so they will be content to bomb Ukraine into the Stone Age.

The slow to move line of transports fits this theory.  The random nature of the rocket attacks in several Ukrainian cities also speaks to a plan to break they Ukrainians by destroying everything.

All this because Russia is nervous about a westward looking Ukriane on her borders.  Can't risk having a democracy that has an economy that has connections with the West.

Today I lost all faith in the Cubs.  They signed Andrelton Simmons.  Did these people not watch a Twin's game last year?  I am floored by this signing.  Who thinks this is a good idea?

Talented player.  Yes, at times outstanding, but at other times not-at-home.

Good Guy In the Clubhouse:  I believe that Simmons refusal to get vaccinated did not help the Twins clubhouse.  I am sure there were other people who did not get vaccinated, but Simmons is not a guy to pull a clubhouse together.  I am without words for this.