O.C.F Caretaker's Journal O.C.F Caretaker's JournalSunday 31 January Another Winter month comes to a close as the march of Spring edges ever closer. Seasons wrestled for control today, sunny blue skies predominated---but a hail storm punctuated the middle. I took advantage of the lovely weather to inspect the site. In the last several days we have seen several trees brought down by the beavers. The water is still high in the lots and the recently flooded areas are soggy and muddy indeed. I spent time puttering around before sitting back to enjoy that annual American ritual, the Super Bowl---an event as different from our own as night is to day.
Saturday 30 January Took off with David Liberty to the coast to look for the the perfect piece of driftwod for my aquarium. We had an adventure when he ran out of gas, but much to my surprise, a local picked us up in his pickup and gave us a ride in to the gas station and back. We located a great piece of wood that will set the entire composition for my tank. Steve and I took a canoe ride and walk around in the late afternoon to survey the site and we collected a bunch of cans and bottles. Many vociferous geese out in the lots, which is Nature's precursor (one could suppose) to all the honking vehicles to come.
Friday 29 January More work on the Super Top Secret Mailbox Project. That is probably more information than I should devulge at this time, but all will be revealed soon. Out the door by four to the gym. Off to the sold out Yungchen Lhamo show at the WOW Hall. What amazing songs and words of wisdom from this outstanding female Tibetan vocalist. I can't believe it's 2 am.
Thursday 28 January I can barely lift my arms up to the keyboard. It was rainy so I worked in the Warehouse most of the day on the mailbox and on the general mayham. Frank Sharpy showed up to talk to Steve but had to settle for me. He recommended some new fire extingusher placements, so I did that. We exchanged URLs to our respective sites and here is Frank Sharpy's website.
Wednesday 27 January Spent a jolly good old time belly crawling around under the Yurt, taking off the old insulation and installing the heat tape. I emerged for a break cold to the bone, whereupon I decided I would go back under to finish that job mañana. Of course that means it is gonna get a lot colder between now and then. Instead I focused on a fun project during the afternoon. Steve has gotten a mailbox and is going to have mail delivered on Suttle Road. As it will be in a visible spot, I'm transforming our mailbox into something much more fairlike. I won't say how just yet, but it is definitely going to stand out from the other mailboxes. I'm heading off to the gym now, although my arms are pretty sore from yesterday's initial workout.
Tuesday 26 January It's back to the old salt mines. I confered this morning with Steve about my work projects and he set the weatherization under the Yurt as the first priority. Clif Cox kindly donated a Noble Fir to us over the weekend I planted that first off to get the blood flowing to my brain. Next I set to work building a box around the shower drain P-trap which sticks down into the outside and is the first thing to freeze. My solution is serious overkill perhaps--- but it should never freeze again. Then it was off to Jerry's to buy the heat tape for the the exposed water lines. It is also neccesary to replace the existing foam insulation with the nonflammable fiberglass type. I called Jim Sahr and he okayed the setup I am going to use. Finally I headed over to the Body Connection to pump iron, Day One of my newest fitness regime!
Monday 25 January I have returned from the Great Wet North where I had an enjoyable time visiting with my parents. The train arrived back in Eugene about five o'clock and so I stayed to attend the Board's budget approval meeting at seven. While not actually a requirement that I attend, there is always more to learn about the Fair's inner workings. The informal get togethers after the meetings are also interesting. As always I am happy to be back home again at the Oregon Country Fair!
Saturday 23 January You were right, the site is still flooded. The morning burst into sunshine by 10am. Jen Lin, Charlie, Marlene, and John D all showed up to canoe. It was pretty easy to get Steve to leave his office to join us. Your friend Randy was there in a kayak (he looked familiar from my New Frontier days, only shorter in the kayak); he asked about you. We paddled out to Maple Gate, and when we turned to look north, there was a full rainbow. In Chela Mela, there were some spots of green, and the water was spilling into the meadow from the river. The current was mild on East 13th, a slight tumble in the water level that we pretended was white water. The biggest excitement was that Randy took a spill (while in the lots) and rolled over. Those of us dry and wobbly in the canoes were impressed. Marble decided canoe riding was okay. This was her second chance. She was calm, standing like a sentinel looking over my shoulder. When we were leaving, doing the final leg in canoe instead of the row boat, Marble decided that she would rather ride than wade. Her reentry to the canoe looked to be inspired by determination rather than grace. Her scrawny, wet rear legs flailed in the air as she scrambled into the boat.---Hilary Anthony
Thursday 21 January Tomorrow morning I am heading up to Washington
for a belated visit with my folks, delayed when the pipes froze over Christmas,
so I won't be making another entry until Monday when I get back. Today was
extremely quiet around site, nobody here but myself. I was working hard
getting the Yurt cleaned up for norma, as she was going to be staying here
over the weekend while I was gone. Then she called to say that she had decided
not to come out due to the flooding. Personally I can't get enough of it
and I promptly abandoned my cleaning duties to go canoeing!
It is all but guaranteed that the Eight will remain flooded over the weekend---so
go ahead and make your canoeing plans if you would like to check out this
awesome spectacle. There is a depth gauge on either side of the dip in Chickadee
Road. A car can come through at the 1 foot mark or even a bit above that
if you're brave. A high centered truck or four wheel drive can make it through
at the 2 foot level. My Jeep began to float when the level was at about
2 feet 4 inches, which was about the highest that it has gotten there this
season. Right now it stands at 1 foot 5 inches, up about 8 inches since
yesterday. I will leave the rowboat on the opposite side to get across with.
There are two canoes at Moz Road that can be borrowed.
Wednesday 20 January Precipitation without any beginning or end today, although for some mysterious reason the flood level has actually dropped about three inches. There is still over a foot of water flowing across Chickadee Road. I met James Bateman, a friend of mine from the WOW Hall, at Dixie's Cafe. After breakfast we canoed across the site and back again, a first for James. Worked for another hour or so upstairs in the Warehouse after he left. Right before 5:00 pm I drove out to the post office on a mission of prime importance---to buy five 1¢ stamps so I could mail in my bills.
Tuesday 19 January I've been a little under the weather today and spent the afternoon cleaning out old rat's nests, both these clichés meant both literally and figuratively. I am organizing our inventory of supplies upstairs in the Warehouse to make them more easily accessible. Sorting out this random jumble of new and used nuts, bolts, screws, nails, and other miscellaneous hardware of every size and description is going to be a tedious and time consuming job. Being able to lay hands on things quickly rather than running off to the store will be a big energy saver in the long run, however. A big storm blew in while I was upstairs and the pounding of wind driven rain on the tin roof was really quite loud and exhilarating. The Fair Site remains in a heavily flooded condition and by the looks of the weather forecasts, it will remain so throughout the weekend.
Martin Luther King Day Yesterday I attempted to upgrade my WYSIWYG editor. Big mistake. What I ended up doing is corrupting my main page temporarily and I apologize for any inconvenience. Everything should work smoothly again. It was raining pigs and chickens last night which is a total degree of magnitude beyond the rather domestic cats and dogs. The third flood is now inundating the Eight. It's Showtime folks, so come on out and check out the Fair as you may not have seen her before.
Sunday 17 January I went into town with David Liberty, who has enthusiastically agreed to help me create a fantastic aquarium setup in the Yurt. This project is going to take some time, the 70 gallon tank we ordered today it is going to take up to six weeks to arrive, but it is going to be something special when it is done. At 4:20 I attended a showing of Shakespeare in Lovewith six other fair family staff folks. (Jen Lin, Anne Morris, Leslie and Charlie, norma, and Hilary.) It was a great movie---we all agreed--- and one that I can wholeheartedly recommend. After we converged on Hilary's house for dinner. "What does any of this remotely have to do with the Fair?," you may very well ask. Well absolutely nothing, but even the lowly Caretaker needs to get out and have a little fun every once and awhile! Besides, it rained cats and dogs all day long so I don't have to feel even the tiniest bit guilty. The third flood of the season has started in the lots, so canoeing on the Fair Site once again is a possiblity.
Saturday 16 January I was off the site most of the day working on a kind of extracurricular project. Traffic Crew people were out here on site having a meeting and several of them are staying the for the night. There was a Coordinator's Potluck at Leslie's house in Eugene tonight and I had the occasion to hobknob with many of the top movers and shakers from around the Fair. The scope of the dedication neccesary for this essential event is an enduring source of wonderment for me . Six months from the last Fair and half a dozen to the next, the work and the planning continue on unabated.
Friday 15 January The Long Tom has in fact shown a quite significate rise since yesterday, within several feet of flood stage, but the rain has subsided today and that should result in a corresponding drop in the river. There is definitely an approximent 24 hour delay between the cause and effect. Upper Indian Creek has spilt out of its banks enough to put some of the lots several inches underwater---and that has made the all the ducks quite happy. As for my part in the Grand Scheme today, I performed maintenance on the brush hog, cleaning, lubricating, and sharpening the blades. In the evening Steve and carpooled in to attended Doe's get together celebrating her signing with a publisher to have her first novel printed.
Thursday 14 January It has been raining steadily since last night and therefore nobody is around here but us ducks. I spent a good part of the day bossing around vast quantities of electrons. The thing is though, once I finally turn this confounded gizmo off, the dirty dishes remain in the sink, the laundry is still undone, and the dust bunnies are still defiantly on the loose. During the afternoon I sloshed around the site, mainly to investigate the water levels. I saw a whole gaggle of Canadian Geese in the Crafts Overflow Lot along with the usual contingent of Buffleheads, and Great Blue Herons down along the river. The upper portion of Indian Creek is still a several feet below the fields and the Long Tom is still way down inside its banks, but as the rain continues this could change radically overnight.
Wednesday 13 January A bit of a day off for me today although I did take a walk around the property. John Stamp was here checking out tree damage, which is minimal with the exception of the big limb that came down in Crafts Lot, and we talked about what will be done with that. I am heading in to see the New Old Time Chatutauqua starring the Flying Karamazov Brothers and others. It should be a nice dose of Fair energy to tide us over. The Guestbook is brand new today so someone go ahead and be the first to make an entry.
Tuesday 12 January Met with Palmer Parker, Personnel Committee Liason of the Month, in town for lunch. We had a good chat and cleared away various questions I had about my restructured job requirements. After the power lunch I went in to the Fair Office and talked with Leslie about similar topics. Palmer arrived and waited around patiently while I read my new contract and the Personnel Policy Manual, and he answered my questions about them as I went along. I made copies in triplicate at a copy shop (the office machine was temporarly out of commision) and signed them all on the dotted line. I then hung around town until 7:30 for the Land Use Management Planning (LUMP) meeting at Chapman Hall on campus.
Monday 11 January I tethered platforms from the sixpack near X-Ray Park to trees, as they had floated free during the last flood and were in danger of disappearing completely during the next. While out along this lower part of the river I also moved some other dimensional odds and ends away from the brink. I confered with the VegeManEC coordinators via email about the idea of creating an environmental report card for all the booths. The gutter that I installed yesterday was quickly being put to the test today, and it wasn't fairing very well. The water was dripping all down around the backside and required a trip to the hardware store for some flashing to correct the problem. Putting it up in the pouring rain allowed me the opportunity to check my work as I went. Later I worked inside the dry Warehouse, cleaning and organizing, a job I have been saving for these dark Winter days.
Sunday 10 January Another incredibly nice day. I finished up the gutter and downspout on the west side of the Warehouse. Steve and I went on a stake and tie mission around the site and repaired several bale dams. Some of these straw bales were quite a distance from where they originated and you can believe me when I say that they were anything but light even before becoming soaking wet. During the late afternoon I concentrated on clearing away some of the neglected clutter surrounding the reefer boxes. Several folks were out here enjoying the warm sunshine, including our own illustrious General Manager, Leslie Scott.
Saturday 9 January Is it way too early to be eagerly anticipating the eminent arrival of Spring? I would say that it definitely is---but it sure feels like it anyhow. In the late morning I accended the communications tower to the roof of the Warehouse, and with Steve belaying me from below I swept off several years of accumulated fir needles. David Hoffman helped out with the resulting cleanup and stuck around to begin putting up some gutters. Charlie and Emily, and norma came out for walkabouts. Hilary arrived and I willingly abandoned the gutters to go for a walk with her. Steve gave me a list of assignments for the month. The day was gone before I knew it.
Friday 8 January In the morning I cleared away the worksite outside my front door. Steve and I went out with the tractor and site truck and got a load of gravel. We filled in the potholes along Areo and Chickadee Roads with a mixture of gravel and cement. I used a wheelbarrow full to finish off the ramp approach. Steve strapped on the blower and I grabbed a rake and we plunged into the capacious Oak leaf accumulations around the Warehouse/Yurt area. Between moles, weeds, pine needles, oak leaves, and the deep shade, having a real lawn is virtually impossible, but we valiently stuggle away anyway---against all odds. I aired up all the site truck tires towards twilight and then chopped up all the wood scraps from my project for firewood. A great side benefit to the wheelchair ramp, I discovered, is that I can now haul a cartload of wood right up to my door!
Thursday 7 January Today I finally finished up the ramp. It is certainly the best if you can finish one thing completely before moving on to the next. I underestimated how long it would take to intall all the balusters though, and ended up doing that most of the day. The weather is surprisingly mild and I worked in shirt sleeves throughout the afternoon. I have also noticed the daylight lasting a little longer. Once again it was a very quiet day around here.
Wednesday 6 January A quiet day at the Oregon Country Fair. I continued work on the ramp, installing a couple more pier blocks underneath it to eliminate springiness, nailing down roll roofing underfoot for traction, and milling up all the railing slats. In fact, the aformentioned pier blocks and roll roofing were basically the only expense for this project, which totaled less than 25 dollars. Although some of the lumber was left over from our previous Fair, a good portion of the project was built out of recycled material from Woodstock, our lumber reclaimation center. There were no visitors today besides the Best Pots service guy.
Tuesday 5 January This morning Marlene and Dr.Jim showed up about 11:00 and Steve and I took them for a tour to inspect the flood damage. After they left, I went back to work on the wheelchair ramp and got the posts cut, handrails installed, and some other miscellaneous tasks done which took me until dark, even though it doesn't sound like all that much. Steve has left until Friday and I have to say that I always really enjoy when I have this big, beautiful place to myself.
Monday 4 January I could again walk around the old swampy this morning and observe some severe path erosion, especially on East 13th near White Bird. Then I did some more work on the ramp project, clearing away the previous day's construction mess and setting a couple of Yew posts. I went into Veneta to do some banking and shopping and,while I was at it, got some roll roofing for the deck and some couplings for the new impact wrench. I had to go back a second time to get it right though. Later I carpooled in with Steve to the Board Meeting, which was a long one as usual. The Guideline changes were introduced and I was on the hotseat for a while, since our committee's suggestions were the only ones submitted. While the exact wording is subject to change, I feel confident that our basic tenets will be adopted next month.
Sunday 3 January Today was the VegeManEC's work party day, and since the most of the Site was too muddy to work in, they gathered up to build a ramp to make the Yurt accessible for wheelchairs. This was a truly a fine day to work in and there was an enthusiastic turnout as well. By nightfall the ramp was ready to be put to the test. Randy gave it the inaugural maneuverablity try out and declared it fully functional for alter abled people, however--- it will take the addition of railings to make it safer for the consciously impaired.
Saturday 2 January This is one of my favorite days because the holidays are over and things can finally get back to normal. It was cold and overcast but at least it wasn't raining. There were several large logs lying across Snivel Road and Steve and I used the tractor to clear them away. We then went down along Indian Creek with a couple of canoes and gathered several hundred Willow and Red Alder cuttings. These will be planted later in the spring along the banks of the Long Tom River in an attempt to stabilize the banks and prevent erosion.
New Year's Day At midnight Arrow and I were out in the lots to bring in the New Year. The Full Moon directly overhead, the mist enveloping us, and still waters below us created an eerie and supernatural atmosphere, punctuated by the occasional sounds and sights of distant fireworks. 1999 started out with a beautiful day and there were a lot of people out visiting the Site. A Native American sweat took place at Dahinda's Acres in the morning. During the post meridiem there was a multitude of blithesome anthropos observed fluidly navigating across the aqueous environment of the inundated terrain. In other words, a bunch of folks having fun canoeing in the lots. I spent the day facilitating the festivities.