It’s About Time – October 2013

The chanterelle season got a bountiful start this year. A dry summer favors high production in this mushroom. Then rains followed by a warm spell made the first flush not only plentiful but with wonderful shape and form.

In our culture, Halloween is the gateway to winter, time of wet, cold days and long nights. Humans have a tendency to get glum during our rainy season, cowering inside until the spring equinox. Most of our forest trees, evergreen conifers, find winter a wonderful time. With plenty of moisture to keep stomates open, they photosynthesize at a steady rate all winter.

Deciduous broadleaf trees miss out on this winter activity because without leaves they can not photosynthesize. The mosses on now lighted branches dance with delight, awakened from their summer desiccation dormancy. Extra light and moisture makes their green become brighter as new growth appears at the tips of their stems.

Lichens dominate the outer parts of oak or ash branches. Like mosses, this is the start of their main growing season. Lichens come in more colors than mosses. Not seen are the dyes that can be made from lichens with proper fermentation: hidden, nascent colors for weavers. The growth form of lichens is more varied than mosses. All mosses have tiny stems with tiny leaves. Lichens form ribbons, tubes, bushes and swags.

Someone walking along the riverbank path at Mount Pisgah will see long, pendulous lichens that look like Spanish moss. These are fishnet lichens, a nice Halloween sight.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!