O.C.F. Caretaker's Journal
O.C.F. Caretaker's Journal
Sunday 29 Nov 98 The VegeManEC Crew (Vegetative Management and Erosion Control) had a potluck here at the Yurt today starting at one o'clock. I spent the morning getting ready by cleaning and cutting some firewood, then walking around the Fair Site and eating with the Vegies in the afternoon, and at twilight, a canoe ride with Charlie Zennache. The water has receded back out to the lots, but I expect another slight rise from last night's heavy rain. While it may not have been a productive day in terms of actual work accomplished, it was very productive one for me on a more cerebral level. Ideas were exchanged, plans were made, and plots were hatched. Historically, the VegeManECs and the Caretaker have shared philosophical values and a sense of responsibility towards the land. I intend to continue to foster this alliance.
Saturday 28 Nov 98 On this day Anna Delocis, Blake Scott, and myself built covers for the timbers on Jill's Crossing. Rot and carpenter ants are beginning to take their toll on the structural elements, which was built in 1991, and we are attempting to preserve it for as long as possible. When we were all done we stepped back to admire the new heavy-duty post industrial grunge look that the recycled corregated tin roofing had imparted on the rustic old bridge. Super volunteer David Hoffman was also here, doing his usual wonderful work.
Friday 27 Nov 98 This is a good day to fly. My folks drove Clif and I back down to Toledo after we stopped in Chehalis to get a five gallon can of aviaton gas. We flew down to Kelso and fueled up the Cessna and then had a lovely flight back to Eugene, with lots of billowy clouds to fly around, over, and under. When I returned here, there was a stream running across the dip in the road at Dahinda's Acres. I found a note from Arrow stating that he was out canoeing the eight! So I grabbed my camera and another canoe and found him down in the Great Meadow at Main Stage. This is an early flood and probably only the beginning, but it was receding quickly and the Eight should be high but not so dry by tomorrow.
Thanksgiving 26 Nov 98 Spent a quiet day with my parents and we went over to their old friends, the Willis', to celebrate the holiday. I hope everyone else had a Happy Tofu Day as well.
Wednesday 25 Nov 98 I am in Tacoma, Washington after a slightly hair raising airplane ride with Clif. All started out well from Eugene but with a strong tailwind, after we commited there was no turning back. We climbed to about 12,000 feet and were flying above the clouds until after Portland when we experienced iceing on the wings and had to decend. There we were buffeted by heavy turbulence and low visibilty and were forced to make an alternative landing in Toledo, about 50 miles short of our destination in Olympia. From the airstrip we hiked 3 miles into town in the pouring rain, and waited in a dingy bar while my ever faithful parents drove an hour and a half through the worst traffic possible to bail us out. I've always said that adventures only become so in retrospect and this was definitely one of the more memorable ones.
Tuesday 24 Nov 98 Not much to report about the Site today. It did rain another inch and a half in the past 24 hours with the coresponding rise in Lake Piggy. I went to the dentist to have my teeth picked and my pockets cleaned. Then I made a day out of it by running some town errands and going to see a movie. Steve left this evening until Monday for Thanksgiving and I am leaving tomorrow and coming back on Friday. Arrow will be babysitting the site while I am gone. You probably can't help but notice the groovy new hit counter above. That will enable me to determine if anyone is actually reading this drivel or not! Also, if you click on the counter itself it will transport you to an interesting resource, if you are interested in building your own website.
Monday 23 Nov 98 I walked around the Fair Site and took a few pictures to begin this new Photo Page with. The sun was my inspiration when it peeked out briefly, but it was never actually out when I was taking a photograph. The water in the lots has receded a few inches and I found many floatible "treasures" along the high water mark. I encountered the teenagers who gather up on Aero Road and I gently reminded them of their obligation not to litter, but come to think of it the mess has been relatively minimual since Steve and I first talked to them. About three o'clock a storm blew in, complete with thunder and lightning, ending my artistic aspirations for the day.
Sunday 22 Nov 98 The Guidelines Committee met today in the Yurt and we continued to refine our proposed Guideline changes that will be presented to the Board in January. Today we focused on making the overall structure of the Guidelines more logical to read and refer to. After we were done, it was down to the lots for some spirited canoeing. It has continued to rain and the water is now over two feet deep in the middle of Miss Piggy's. We were able to negotiate our canoes all the way up to the beaver dam on the northwest corner of Trotter's Field.
Saturday 21 Nov 98 It is a curious fact that roofs only seem to leak when it's raining. Therefore, this morning I accended a 35 foot ladder clad in full raingear, lashed myself to the top, and patched a six inch hole in the apex of the Warehouse roof which had never seemed to be a priority until the water began to pour in. It has rained over 3.5 inches in the last twenty four hours! When I rode my bike down I amazed to see Miss Piggy's Lot already inundated with water. The wood pile that we planned to burn this weekend now sits comically in the middle of a pond. I got the oil changed on the tractor and then Steve and I decided to take a canoe down and paddle around the lots. Here is a picture of Site Manager Steve in his natural element.
Friday 20 Nov 98 Now the rain has begun in ernest. On the Weather Channel one can see a solid storm that comes all the way across the Pacific from Japan. It's a giant firehose and it's pointing right at us. Rain today, rain tomorrow, and rain for the foreseeable future. Grounded, I spent most of my day drinking hot cocoa, working on the old Mac, and studying my new flight manuals. About the only thing I accomplished for the greater good was to go to the auto parts store and pick up a couple oil filters for the tractor but I couldn't even bring myself to install one and get that oil changed, so caught up was I, on this day, in the revelry of being warm, cozy, and dry.
Thursday 19 Nov 98 It's drizzly. As things often go on the first thing of the day, I spent a frustrating while yanking on the pressure washer but eventually, after cleaning the spark plug and otherwise dinking around with the thing, I got it up and running. I cleaned the tractor, the site truck, and while I was at it, my funky old Jeep. Then I did most of lubrication on the tractor and soon found out I couldn't change the crankcase oil as I would need a certain special oil filter, but that needs to happen. I topped off the hydraulic dump ram on the site truck since it has a small leak and won't go up all the way after awhile. I also installed some steps leading up to the roof of Leslie's office where we store the propane. My usual run around the site is getting a little soggy with all the standing puddles that are getting a little bigger every day. I saw quail, deer, a blue heron, and not a another human being all day unless you count the all cars going down the highway. The Oaks seemed like they dropped the rest of their leaves today and they are now all bare. The Maples seem to be waiting for the first frost to drop all theirs.
Wednesday 18 Nov 98 I walked the eight and spent a bit of time on denailing, a default project when there is little else to do. It is another gorgeous day and much to nice to spend doing this, I decide. I called up and advanced my first flying lesson from next Monday up to today. While this has nothing to do with being Caretaker it is exciting in my life, so I mention it. While I was waiting to go I took this picture of the Yurt, the residence provided to me by the Fair. Betty the cat is in the foreground.
Tuesday 17 Nov 98 A Beautiful Autumn Day! For an hour and a half in the morning I worked on denailing the pile I have created over the passed several days. After lunch Steve and I took the tractor and site truck down to the Crafts Lot and cleaned up some hay bales, dimensional lumber, and other miscellaneous things abandoned during the Great Exodus. I locate some campsite platforms at the edge of the woods. Steve and I have philosophical differences on how to handle such cases. He wants to leave it and make the responsible parties deal with it or just accept it. I am more proactive than that, ready to yank out any and all structures that I feel are have no business being there and that are detrimental to the natural beauty and character of our fair site. Yet I will always defer to the Site Manager's defense of the Fair's community. These interactions provide a check and balance system that helps ensure that both the natural and community needs are met, but if your sleeping structure is no longer there when you return next year . . . you will know who to blame. I went for a five mile run around the site at the end of the day, which comes early when sunset is about 4:50.
Monday 16 Nov 98 Once again I spent a few hours down at the project area, once again tearing out some old fences and counters, but this time on the west side of Sesame Street. I stacked the rotten wood on the pyre and saved the rest. I covered the stack to keep it from getting any wetter until next Sunday. The leaves are almost all down now and the ground is ablaze with fall colors. There are mushrooms and fungi almost anywhere you look.
Sunday 15 Nov 98 It rained hard all last night and early this morning. Sensing an invasion by the Path Planning Committee I spruced up the Yurt but by noon the day is clearing up. All told about 20 people showed up and walked around site of next year's expansion project. With the fences gone it is easy to get a sense of how nice this new part of the Fair is going to be. The Child Care side is going to be pushed back 10-15 feet as well and that will help create an even larger open space. While some people continued to talking, others of us decided to begin hauling out debris and piling it up in the center of Sesame Street for a bonfire.
Friday 13 Nov 98 Back down at Sesame Street for a good part of the day. It was overcast but relatively warm, great working weather. I cleaned up in front, then tore down the obsolete fence, loaded it on the site truck and moved the whole mess up to Woodstock in a couple of loads for recycling. Working my way back, I begin the job of clearing out the dimensional debris within the area I flagged off yesterday. When the fair floods the water pushes loose lumber down into this section of the Fair. Over the years this debris has been piled up and eventually overgrown with vines. While recent clean up efforts have dealt with some of the larger piles, many smaller ones remain. It is extremely satisfying feeling to restore things back to Nature.
Thursday 12 Nov 98 Today I am working down in the Killgallon Acres / Sesame Street area, flagging and clearing, getting ready for the Path Planning meeting coming up this Sunday. This portion of the Fair has long been an eyesore with its long row of Best Pots. For the 30th Anniversary this area is going to receive a long overdue makeover, dubbed for now the Open Sesame Fix. While this plan will force four booths to relocate, they will be able to stay in the same neighborhood. The cul de sac configuration, the addition of tables and small stage, its proximity to the Ritz Sauna, several food booth anchors, and room to relocate about eight more "esoteric" type booths will make this new area a natural draw for people wishing to get out of the hustle and bustle for a while.