O.C.F Caretaker's Journal O.C.F Caretaker's JournalWednesday 31 March In like a lion . . . . out like lion, although there was a beautiful sunset tonight and I'll take that as a good sign for next month. Miss Piggy's was flooded today but receding. I finally got my aquarium filter after over a month of waiting, and I spent some time today getting it all put together before taking myself out to the opening day of The Matrix"You cannot be told what the Matrix is. You must see it for yourself." If you are into science fiction like I am, then you must see it for yourself---but otherwise don't bother.
Tuesday 30 March There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said about the latest bombing campaign in Yugoslavia, but I'll throw in my proverbial two cents to the wind anyhow. As in any war, innocent civilians suffer disproportionately, but it is doubly ironic when their ordeal has actually caused more hardships resulting from our attempt to help them. Certainly there is to be collateral damage. A smart bomb is about as much of an oxymoron as military intelligence.Targeting troops is yet another way of killing the proletariat. The United States' latest concept of fighting a push button war from afar is unworkable. True, we are destroying planes, radar installations, and other infastucture at our usual prodigious rate, but these are not the weapons being used on the people we wish to protect---rather, we are merely protecting ourselves from retaliation. One has only to look at Northern Ireland to see how ineffective intervention in a religious war can be and this latest conflict is actually six hundred years old. Look to Iraq to see how unproductive bombing to achieve compliance can can be and realize that unlike their coverless terrain, there is an almost unlimited supply of mountainous shelter in Serbia. Vietnam comes to mind in that respect. Supplying weapons to fuel a civil war has been tried many times, and it is normally a disaster. IMHO, if we are truly committed to stopping the atrocities in Kosovo, then the only realistic solution is to create a separate State and help defend its border. We should capture Milosevic and put him on trial for war crimes. Are we willing to undertake the drastic ground measures necessary or are we going to be content with putting a band-aid on a cancer?
Monday 29 March With close to three inches of rain in the past few days the lots are beginning to flood slightly. While I really don't expect the Long Tom River to rise above its banks this time around, I have been wrong before. It was a good kind of day for Steve and I to wade around and check the flow patterns down at Kilgallon Acres. This is where the old Indian Creek used to flow before the Army Corps of Engineers carved out its current canal. We explored over across the property fence into Dr.Joe's field and traced the old creekbed to its confluence with the Tom. Since Kilgallon Acres is going to be the site of the Open Sesame Fix, we were brainstorming ideas on how to improve the drainage in this area. One way would be to restore the old channel with the cooperation of our neighbors. Another would be to direct the flow along the fenceline towards the river. Either of these projects would require some ditching, but as these are already natural watercourses during the flooding, they would only need the minimal removal of silt deposits to greatly enhance runoff. Finally, the Sauna draninholes could be used as sumps and the collected water pumped away. Having camped in this mosquito infested swamp for many years, I know better than most that a permanent solution must be sought before we can reasonably expect to develop it further.
Sunday 28 March Spent some time helping the Veggies this morning raising a tree over by X-Ray Park, so that the path can be rerouted beneath it due to bank erosion. The US West Guy was right out here, on a Sunday no less, and he fixed the problem, so I'm back on line after three days that seemed like an eternity! Spent the afternoon with Anne and Adora working on the VegManEC website which has just landed in it's new home at Cyber-dyne! Look for this site grow in the near future. David Liberty came out with a pump to begin circulating the water in the aquarium. The filter has been taking longer than expected to arrrive and the stagnate water was rapidly turning into an expensive science project. Cold and rainy day today.
Saturday 27 March Tommy was right out here this morning to fix the phone line. To have such extraordinary human beings at my disposal as Caretaker is indeed a rare privilege, but unfortunatly the problem turns to be on the US Worst side of things---where my influnce is nonexistant. Problems have also begun to appear with both the Site phone and fax lines, and it is a pretty good bet that moisture has gotten into the cable while it was underwater during this Winter's floods. Brian Dahl came down from Corvallis to meet me at the WOW Hall and start the sewing on the Hemp Tipi. It turned out to be a good place to work, both for the room it afforded and the help we recuited, for we used fully the entire length of the Hall and, at the end, five people running the huge canvas across the machine. Much work remains on this project, but it is exciting to have it underway so early on. My thanks to James Bateman for lending us the space. The Coordinator's Potluck was being convinently held at the Fair Office just a few blocks away; so we finished up, headed over, and hit that buffet hard!
Friday 26 March "In space, no one can hear you scream" went the original Alienmovie promo and so it feels writing to this Journal without an being able to post it. I can rant and rave all I want, but by for anyone read this---the problem with the phone line has to be fixed first. Meanwhile, all I can do is continue type into the vacuum and await rescue. Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello . . . . . .
Thursday 25 March For no apparent reason my phone line went dead this morning. I had been having major problems with my cordless for weeks on end before this but I would just switch to the old bombproof kind of phone. Now there is nothing but static. It is frustrating. Me and phones never did seem to get along anyway, but there is no known cure for my internet jones. I won't be able to post this tonight obviously but writing to this Journal has become a real ritual for me--- one which I have come to thoughly enjoy. I met Matt at the Office and we worked some more on the awnings. There has been quite a bit of trial and error getting them together but finally we did it. Leslie is back and she had a great time in France and I'm going to have to get my passport renewed. Norma wanted the Giant Peach out of the basement to make room for the Coordinator's Potluck this Saturday, so I brought it home and hung it up in the Yurt!
Wednesday 24 March Often, these single individual entries might seem trivial. Today is possibly such a entry but, like pieces of a puzzle, I want to believe they take on a meaning within the context of the entire whole. So. . . starting this morning I sent off email about some various projects, went to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned (The first use of my new Health Plan!), and worked on the office awnings, among other things. I hear that Leslie and Charlie are back from France, ---Welcome Home you two if you are reading this! Went to see True Crimewith Hil, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. It is a thought provoking thriller concerning the death penalty, and it earned two thumbs up from us. Meanwhile, the rhythmic patter of showery raindrops was in ever present concumitance throughout the entire cycle of the Earth's latest rotation. That is a nicer way of saying that it rained all bloody day long.
Tuesday 23 March Today is my 42nd birthday. A couple days ago Steve mentioned that I should do something on this day. He says I don't get out enough. I had to explain to him that lately I have been on an inner journey of sorts. "Is that what you call surfing the Web?" he asked. Ouch! The Truth hurts. Consequently, I was forced to defend my honor and go up skiing at Willamette Pass today and, not surprisingly, had a great time. Skiied really well too, unless you count when I smacked into that tree and knocked myself silly for a minute or two, but that is about par for the course---for me at least. Actually, I can get my full megadose of Nature right out here on Site, but Steve is definitely correct when he states that one needs a little perspective now and again. So here is my new year resolution---GET OUT MORE OFTEN.
Monday 22 March I am really happy with my new digital camera, the Sony Mavica FD51. Besides producing a much higher quality image than my old Kodak DC20, it has a flash, a macro (closeup) setting, a rechargable battery, preview, delete, and picture effects, all of which I lacked before. The best part of all is that it uses 3.5 inch floppies as the media---which means I can take a virtually unlimited number of photos before returning to my computer to download. This new camera, combined with the capabilities of Photoshop, has reopened the world of photography for me. I used to develop my own black and white photographs when I was a teenager, but there are many exciting possiblities in the immediacy and manipulability of the digital image. Here is a new photo of Erica Lerch in front of the Grand Fir that came down in the recent windstorm.
Sunday 21 March A small site report might be in order as I've
literally been literally all over the past several days. Everything is drying
out and greening up nicely, the first Trilliums are even starting to bloom!
Folks are beginning to appear out of the woodwork to walk around the paths
and check in on their booths or campsites. I spent part of the day coreplugging
the lawn with the tractor, Steve then seeded it with some leftovers from
last year, and Nature provided a nice shower right on cue to water it all
in. This evening I had some good friends over for a nice little potluck
get together at the Yurt. It was a combination Equinox Celebration, Academy
Awards viewing, and early Birthday Party for me. Although I'm not actually
very good receiving attention, I really was touched by it all--- complete
with cake, candles, flowers, presents, and the Song. I bought a new digital
camera from Laura Stuart that she had won in a drawing, a birthday present
to myself I suppose, but what it will really mean is nice high quality photos
on this website from now on.
Now on to the good stuff, Hollywood's Big Night, the Oscars. Woppi Goldberg's
costumes and persona, the whole Shakespearean theme I found wonderfully
whimsical and the set itself was totally incredible. Roberto Benigni winning
Best Actor and Best Foreign Film was absolutely the right choice. He completely
carried his film Life is Beautiful,and his enthusiasm completely
infectious, both during the film and at the ceremony. The low point for
me was the treatment Elia Kazan during Lifetime Achievement Award. Forty-seven
years is an awfully long time to carry a grudge. The Academy was honoring
the man for his Art. He's old and broken and all he has left is his pride.
So he made a mistake. Certainly he has paid a terrible price and I personally
see him as just another victim of the McCarthy Era. Stand up and clap and
have a tiny little bit of compassion, how hard can that be? Finally I disagreed
with the Best Picture Award. Shakespeare in Loveis undoubtably a
great film and won, in part I think, because it dealt with theatrical themes
and was fresher. But Saving Private Ryansends an extremely powerful
anti-war message that will continue to resonate for many years to come.
Saturday 20 March I am temporarly hosting a brand new VegManEC website on my server. Spring arrived today when the Vernal Equinox occured at 5:46 pm PST. It is one of the two times during the year when night and day are of equal length the entire world over. It is a time marked by the passage of the Sun from the Southern Celestial Hemisphere, across Celestial Equator at the ecliptic, and into the Northern one. The time when the Sun reappears at the north pole, after being away for six months, and the time when the Sun crosses the zenith at mid-day for equatorial people. It is a time almost everybody feels revitalized by the rapid climatic changes that are taking place.Also a natural and traditional time of celebration for untold millennia. Superstition has it that an egg can be stood on its end during the exact time of an Equinox. Actually this has been scientifically proven to be true. Although this feat is far from trivial, a skilled and persistent person can usually succeed on a hard level surface by using the slight iregularities of the shell. Of course the only problem with the superstition is that eggs can be stood on end during any other date of the year as well.
Friday 19 March Since I have been reading some of the, shall we say, more literary online journals, I must admit I have started feeling just a tad bumpkinish. After all what I did today is very aptly covered by that characterization, and what I did was cut the grass. Yes sir-re bob, for the first time this here year that there grass was a needin' a mowin' and I reckoned I were just the man fer the job. Now you and I both know that bouncing around in circles on some ol' confounded internal combustion engine, all the while whacking away at vegetational accumulations, might not be the most glamourous thing in this whole wide world, especially when you take into account all them acres and acres of mowing, seeding, core plugging, irrigating, and even more mowing that needs doing for the entire rest of the Spring and Summer---and Spring not even having quite offically gotten here yet. That be that it may, there is something so extremely satisfying about this kind of work that it almost plain defies description. The rich smell of the earth and the fresh mown grass, the carpet of green, the sun smiling down on it all. About the only way I can think of to relate it is to compare it to something else altogether. Do ya'll know how it is when you haven't done yer dishes in over a week, the sink is plumb overflowing, there ain't a single clean plate or piece of silverware left anywhere in the house, so that what you finally have to do is break down and wash 'em, and then that incredibly rewarding feeling that you have just after the last dish is put away? Well actually you probably don't, because you are probably much more sophisticated than me, being from the city and all. . . . . but if you did then you would know how good I felt when I mowed that grass today!
Thursday 18 March Last night I surfed on out wondering if there were any other online journals such as this one. Frankly I was astonished to find that there are literally thousands of them. Many are organized into webrings as such as the one I joined above---although it probably will be a couple days before mine is activated. It is very interesting (to me at least) to check out how other people approach their own diaries, and some of them might also become interested in visiting these pages. I have also determined that I am going to start writing more esoteric entries from now on---just to keep things a little more interesting. The emphasis will always continue to remain on the Oregon Country Fair Site and my relationship to it, but there are some days when there is little more that I can say without sounding like a broken record. Does anybody really want to know if I went out for a walk? I think not.
Saint Patrick's Day Every schoolkid knows that St. Patrick converted Ireland to Christianity, made the Shamrock the national symbol, and drove all the snakes into the sea in 432 A.D. As with all legends the truth can never be quite this simple. In the first place, unification under the Christian rule was nothing new. Ireland was merely a last bastion of paganism, and Patrick was a trained operative who applied the lessons which had been learned by the Church all over Western Europe in the preceding centuries. It is likely that he used the Shamrock not as a representation of the Christian Trinity, but because he was sensitive to triadic pagan Celtic religious iconography. The Shamrock, as it turns out, is not the offical emblem of Ireland---that honor is reserved for The Harp. Snakes never existed in Ireland during historical times, the climate there simply being too inhospitable for these misunderstood creatures, but yet again they were employed by the Church to denote the Devil. The myth of drowning snakes actually symbolizes the annexation of the former Druid religions. St. Patrick Day Parades, like pizza and french fries, have their roots not in in Ireland but right here in the good ol' U.S.A. Originally the parades were used in the late 18th century to recruit Irish emigrants into the Army---but today the holiday has turned into an excellent excuse for excessive drunken debauchery and it is certain that, upon downing a wee bit too much green beer and Irish Whiskey, many a reveler has seen those aforesaid imaginary snakes swimming before their eyes! Find out more about the myths associated with Saint Patrick here.
Tuesday 16 March Ahhhhh, clear blue sky, and the kind of day that I would have loved to have spent on site, yet duty called me away. After running a few errands, I went into office and began working on assembling the awnings. The project slowly dissolved into a mysterious conundrum however, owing to indecipherable instructions, what you might expect for something made in Taiwan, but these awnings were made Canada---where the Queen's English is still spoken, eh? That I will eventually figure it all out is practically 100% unquestionable---the only doubt being how the thing is going look when I ultimately do! The best part was working out in the warm sunshine in a tee shirt, and I think I actually caught a bit of color for the first time this year. Meditated mediatorial media meeting which met at five thirty, post meridium.
Monday 15 March Today is the Ides of March, anniversary of the famous 44 B.C. assassination of Julius Caesar by his friends Brutus, Cassius, and a conspiracy of other Roman senators---which plunged the empire into many years of civil war. "Beware the Ides of March" along with "Et tu Brute" have become famous Shakespearean quotes and the day is believed to be unlucky. It really isn't though and many gardeners actually consider it the time when winter can be deemed over with and planting can begin. March was actually the first month of the year (named after Mars, God of War, because it was the start of fighting for soldiers) until Julius reorganized the calender, naming July after himself. I was off aiding James on his ongoing house project, wherefore I hath nothing to report---thus yon history lesson.
Sunday 14 March Got up and got up Arrow and Mike. Steve is off at a wine festival. The three of us worked on the Vehicle Shed putting up the ratwalks, and then they decided to clean up and go play some Frisbee golf. The next workparty to hopefully finish the structure is scheduled for April 3rd. Left to do is the knee bracing, half the roofing, and sheathing the gables, plus a few other odds and ends. Over a dozen folks were out here visiting---including none other than Chez Ray.
Saturday 13 March Got out fairly early and helped Steve set up for today's workparty. A relatively small turnout, but what we lacked in numbers we made up for in enthusiasm and hard work. And while the weather was not like last week's, at least it didn't rain. I had an interesting time drilling and bolting the posts and trusses with Rande Wilmart, after which we got up and worked with Tim Wolden putting on the roof. Also out here helping out were Dave Peek, Arrow Anders, Mike Snyder, David Hoffman, Randy Nowell, and Howard McCartney.
Friday 12 March Last night I tweaked my back a little bit while working out and so I took it fairly easy today. While out walking the paths towards evening I took this picture of Arrow standing in erosion caused by skirtboards, a widespread problem this year, and one which we are going to try and do something about. Don't forget to come out to the workparty this weekend to put the roof on the new Vehicle Shed.
Thursday 11 March A beautiful and warm sunny day! The site is drying out nicely and greening up quickly---more rain on the way. I met three board members (Marlene, Brad, and Dr. Jim) out walking the Eight checking on site conditions. We began planning for a pre-cleanup workparty for April 4th. There are piles of debris everywhere and the sooner we get started, the better it will be for the whildflowers, grass, and other undergrowth. I had a call from Rebecca Harris and we got to talking about this website. One bit of advice she gave was to make the tables invisible, which is as easy as changing the border value to zero. A suble change yes, yet simpler is better.
Wednesday 10 March I dropped off the sign at Arna's, went to Springfield and picked up the awnings (which were finally in) and took them to the Office. Got a check from norma and got the canvas for the Tipi at Sow Much Hemp. Spent the rest of the day driving around loaded with hemp! Returned to the office and read the plans for the awnings to figure what I will need to assemble them. Turns out I will require a riveter, so I picked up one of those a Freddy's along with a frame for the Highway Cleanup Award---after checking at Ace Buyers, Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul first. I also made stops at REI, the Keystone, Pet Time, Heinke, WOW Hall, U.S.Bank, and Albertsons. Finally I went to Señor Frog's and then to the movie October Skywith Stephanie, her daughter Haley, Laura, and her son Kennan. Five thumbs up and that was my day. Just a whole lot of shopping around and extremely boring to read about I know---but there you have it.
Tuesday 9 March Still cold and actually saw some snow mixed in with the rain today---although that is nothing compared to the what the Midwest is experiencing. At any rate I did get out and do a few things such as fixing a ladder and installing a smoke alarm. John Stamp was out surveying the recent tree damage and Bruce was back out breaking ground in the Nursery with his rototiller, where he plans to plant peas. So the new garden space has begun, however modestly. There is plenty of room for anyone who might need a small plot of earth to grow something. I finished up the sign I am doing for Arna, as she wants it by tomorrow. Dropped by the gym on my way in to see Analyze This,which earns two thumbs down from Hilary and myself.
Monday 8 March Waxing poetic about Spring yesterday was slightly premature. Today it was back to overcoats and gloves. The snow level is dropping down below a thousand feet. I spent most of the day around the Yurt but Steve and I did take a long and sloggy walk around the Site discussing various plans and options for the upcoming months. One thing is for sure, we will all have our work cut out for us. We are now awaiting the arrival of Charles Drew, wearing his Personnel Committee hat, to meet with us seperately---after which I am heading over to the gym for some much needed exercise.
Sunday 7 March Tee shirt weather for part of the day although it was certainly frosty during the early morning. There were fewer people working on the Vehicle Shed than yesterday, but still about ten of us left and we got quite a lot done. Hopefully the project can be finished up next weekend. The VegeManECs were out here in force today as well, but the site is still so muddy that there is little they could do besides walk around to survey the wreckage--which is extensive. There are a couple of large Grand Firs down in Graceland, an Big Leaf Maple split in half at the Junction, and a behemoth Grand Fir down near Phun Gate from the last storm alone, however indications of Spring's eminant return are also in evidence amid the disarray of Winter's last. One of Nature's great pageants begins to unfold for the untoldth time, as the reemergence of the Sun nurtures delicate new spouts and the ancient antiquarians alike.
Saturday 6 March Pole barn raising day Finally arrived and a gorgeous day it turned out to be and the turn out was equally gorgeous. Unfortunatly, my camera went belly up (maybe it's just the battery) and I can't post pictures like I would like to. Anyhow, today felt just like the pre-fair was already here, lots of high energy folks, the sun shining down on us all, me running frantically at top speed all the long day and somehow in the spirit of things downing two cups of high test coffee---a huge mistake for a puritan like myself, for now it's more that fourteen hours later and I'm still exuberantly bouncing around off the walls. The building is quickly taking shape and by tomorrow there will be a roof on it. Oh yeah!
Friday 5 March Bruce Berryhill was out here in the morning and we went out to look over the nursery by Totter's as a place to start a community garden. It is 100X100 feet, fenced off, and has a water tank, and just needs a whole lot of work by interested gardeners to make it happen. We plan on doing a few small crops this season, then establishing a compost pile, and clearing and planting a cover crop to ready it for wider use in subsequent years. We canoed over to main Camp and looked for any storm damage but didn't see any. The mailbox has been bashed again, less than 24 hours since being back up. I am ready to concede defeat now. Arrow, his friend Mike, and Steve all arrived and in the afternoon we lined out all the trusses and lumber in anticipation of the big Vehicle Shed raising workparty this weekend. We need everybody to come on out and join in!
Thursday 4 March The big accomplishment of the day around here was to finish repairs on the Fair mailbox and remount it. I didn't bother carving another propeller because the last one was used to lever off the front hatch and then carried off as a souvenir. Now you will have to imagine that the prop is spinning so fast it has become invisible. Not quite as whimsical---but perhaps a bit more realistic. Naturally it hailed on me as I was putting it up and so after that experience I retreated into the Yurt and contented myself working on Arna's sign, bringing it to near completion. I still haven't been out to see if there have been any blowdowns caused by Tuesday's wind storm, but I will hopefully get a chance to do that to tomorrow.
Wednesday 3 March It is said that "March comes in like a lion..." and certainly that couldn't be more true this year---what with the wind, rain, sleet, hail, snow, and mud we have had here in just the first three days. We can only hope that the "...and out like a lamb." part of this saying might come to pass as well. I met with Craig Huber of the Kalideoscope Booth this afternoon and he will be helping us with the Giant Kalideoscope Project for the 30th Anniversary. I also went back to Sow Much Hemp and ordered the hemp canvas for the tipi. These two projects are underway nice and early, and that is a good thing because I am going to get extremely busy later this year. On the way home I stopped to see the movie 8mm.I couldn't recommend it to everbody, yet I think it is an excellent film---but don't go see Payback.
Tuesday 2 March This morning was spent gertting ready for the work party this weekend, putting out ladders and sawhorses, clearing up the ground floor of the Warehouse, and the like. Site Crew Ryan showed up with his friend Troy and they collected some more cuttings from Indian Creek via canoe. Chickadee Road's low point is visible for the first time in a week, that portion of the road having taken a beating. I converted three broken posthole diggers into two working ones and brought the mailbox back to the hanger for repairs. The weather was sunny and warm and it was almost hard to believe that there was yet another storm on the way, but it arrived right on cue. High winds around here have set the big trees into motion, sending cones and other woody debris boinking off the roof, while at the coast are predicted to hit 100 m.p.h. There seems to be a strong probablity of seeing more tree damage in the morning.
Monday 1 March Spent the day away from site but I was doing Fair stuff never the less, at least part of the time. I met with Leslie and norma for an informal staff meeting at Mekila's Thai Resturant (ain't life rough!) although Steve got delayed and couldn't make it. Leslie and Charlie are off to France for three weeks starting tomorrow morning. BON VOYAGE! I went by Sow Much Hemp to re-establish contact there about getting the canvas for the Hemp Tipi. Later on I attended the monthly Board Meeting. It was a long one for sure, but two exciting projects did get preliminary Board approval. The first is the possiblity of a documentary about the Fair being be shot this year by six professional independent film makers, following six different storylines. It could end up as a four hour mini-series and be shown on PBS, HBO, MTV, or the like. The second thing was the Further Festival Field Trip, which is most likely coming for a two day show, with camping, either the first or second weekend in August. Phil Lesh has recently had a liver transplant and the Oregon Country Fair is one of only a very few venues to be picked this year. This is absolutely, positively going to be one extremely well sought after ticket.