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The passing of another Feliz Navidad and the arrival of a new year have brought about a time of reflection in the backwoods. Overall, an off-season has set in, leaving the rod-and-rifle crowd time to celebrate successes and mull over mistakes. Continue reading
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” These are the iconic words of Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights champion who our nation celebrates every January. Though, tragically, Dr. King was gunned down on April 4, 1968, the words of his legendary “I Have A Dream” speech have lived on to become some of the most memorable — and powerful — words ever uttered on a public stage. Continue reading
Migration is the word for this month. The ponds and reservoirs in the valley are teeming with winter residents. Nothing makes having nice binoculars pay off more than feasting the eyes on the intricate patterns of a male green winged teal, shovelhead or bufflehead. I never get over the flash of amazement at how quickly a bufflehead can spin over and disappear under the water on a dive. Similarly startling is a cormorant suddenly coming up like a submarine periscope breaking a glassy surface. Continue reading
The biggest and best marriage news of 2012 was the advance of equal rights for LGBT folks: Washington, Maryland and Maine voted to legalize gay marriage and Minnesota voted not to constitutionally ban it. But that also leaves gay people in a patchwork maze of marriage recognition laws. Continue reading
Three-ring binders full of pictures clipped from magazines are out. Pinboards are in. When you hear the engaged say “Pin it!” chances are they’re not talking to a tailor, but instead saving images to their Pinterest accounts. Continue reading
When I tell people that I will not wear white for my wedding (if ever and whenever that may be) I’m usually greeted with puzzled looks. Even my pragmatic, progressive Dutch South African mother flat-out told me I was being silly. “Well, why not?” she asks, baffled. Continue reading
A good friend calls late at night, breathless with exciting news: “He proposed!” she exclaims. And whether you whoop with joy or nervously gulp chardonnay like Kristen Wiig’s character in the wildly funny movie Bridesmaids, one thing’s for certain: You’ll soon be making room in the closet for a dress you most likely have no control over picking out. In addition to letting it gather dust or letting it gather dust at Goodwill, there’s another option: the upcycle. Continue reading
Studies show that native plants attract a wider variety of pollinating insects than standard garden ornamentals do, and pollinators need all the help they can get these days. That’s just one more reason to include native plants in your landscape. This top 10 list of showy, well-behaved native shrubs reaches a bit beyond the boundaries of the Willamette Valley, but all will tolerate conventional garden conditions, including summer irrigation. Vine maple (Acer circinatum) Continue reading
One minute you're hearing former Eugenean Mat Kearney sing "Breath In, Breath Out" on Grey's Anatomy or it's "Nothing Left to Lose" while you're driving down Highway 58 (avoiding that ammo someone spilled this morning) and the next you're like, "Oh, shit, is that a song about Chip Kelly?&quo Continue reading
Zot! I never could’ve guessed that here and now, at the end of the whole world, indeed all existence, I’d be strapped to the bench tapping out another wine column. I always imagined myself huddled with my loved ones, sharing final kisses, maybe slurping down that last bottle of 1961 Dow’s Port as the mushroom clouds rise on the horizon. Continue reading