O. C. F. Caretaker's Journal O. C. F. Caretaker's JournalThursday 30 September Another month draws to a close, and this last one has been particularly fine. The weather was beautiful with cold nights and warm days. There aren't any mosquitoes left but there are more houseflies than there have been all summer. I imagine that the explaination is that the cold nights and dry days have taken care of the mozzies but the hot sun on that giant pile of chicken manure must make the ideal breeding ground for those happy, happy flies. The wetlands restoration project is underway, an enormous earth scraper working for the past two days, removing sod and consolidating the wetland and highland areas---under the watchful eye of Charlie Hodges, who is making sure that no sites of archeological significance are disturbed, and Dennis Todd, who is overseeing the project. There are millions of ripe blackberries there too, and I usually eat a couple pints each time I go over. Bi-Mart is going to build a new store on the corner of Highway 126 and Territorial (next to the old Dairy Queen), and will be required to do wetlands mitagation to replace the site they will use. They were there on the Far Side today looking at our barrow pit as their potential project. The Land Swap should finally be taking place quite soon. All and all things are falling into place for the Fair to own the riparian zone on both sides of the Long Tom River, plus the Ballfield.
Wednesday 29 September Today is Michaelmas, the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel, honored since ancient times as a protector. The ancient Celtic peoples celebrated this Quarter Day as a time of release and purification symbolized by the harvest being brought to the table. Most of St. Michael's churches built are on high places, often upon the very sites where Lugh, the Celtic god of light, was worshiped earlier. For instance, the church atop the Tor at Glastonbury, it is said, was the first Christian church built in England. . . now only the bell tower survives. During the Middle Ages, when crops were harvested and sold, farmers would pay their yearly rent to landowners. Great Market Fairs were set up and it was a time to hold elections. After the harvest children returned to school and this traditional ritual has been handed down to our present day. In Voodoo, Michael is equated with Elegba, the messenger god. All ceremonies begin and end with petitions to Elegba, whose shrine is kept behind the door. Today some groups, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch, continue to keep the Michaelmas, or "Harvest Home," tradition alive, although for the most part it has fallen into disuse since the Catholic Church abolished it, along with several other ancient celebrations, during the eighteenth century. Michael is the mythical warrior angel often pictured with a sword poised over a a demon that he tramples underfoot. In others he is depicted fully armored, riding a white horse, and carrying a trident and a three-cornered shield. Yaarrg! Opinions may vary as to what exactly an archangel is. It seems to mean something like a celestial prince or captain--- but the Greek Liturgy styles Michael as Archistrategos, the "highest general" and the Roman Liturgy call him Princeps militiae coelestis quem honorificant angelorum cives which sounds pretty dad gum impressive to me. Of the seven archangels only Gabriel, Michael and Raphael are mentioned in the canonical Scriptures. The rest, according to the Book of Enoch (which is probably why we have never heard of any of 'em), are Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel. Since Michael also is portrayed coming down with a pair of scales to fetch the souls of the dead, he is considered the patron saint of all trades that use scales, such as pastry chefs, grocers, and weighers of grain---as well as temptation, Airborne paratroopers, and police officers.
Tuesday 28 September Just above freezing last night. I bopped in to Coyote Steel for a four foot by one inch thick rod that will serve as the fork extension on the new bike. I worked with Steve moving soil to Chela Mela from the Nursery, then with Michael Bishop, helping him finish off his project and working on mine at the same time. We used a copper pipe to increase the fork extension diameter for aesthetic reasons, and I followed the idea through on the paint job with copper metallic paint. Steve promptly dubbed it the Copper Chopper. I took Michael to dinner for his labors on the bike, but he has also been out here for four long days volunteering his professional skills to the Fair---well above and beyond the call of duty. I understand his desire to see things through though. Finishing what you start before moving on to the next thing is a lot more efficient. It also leaves fewer loose ends, which have this annoying tendency to loom larger that life and cause undue stress if not completed in a timely fashion. While practicing the dark Art of Procrastination, I have fallen irrevocably behind on my timesheets, and can understand this feeling all too well. The quote section which you see above is my latest experimental addition to this webpage. I thought about changing it once a month, but the quote might be quite stale long before that. A daily quote would be practically a full time job and even weekly would be pretty regimented. Perhaps whenever I find the next pertinent quote will be right timing---it remains to be seen it seems.
Monday 27 September There weren't but about thirty-eight teensy weensy little degrees out stirring around as I froze my way into Eugene this morning in my open sided Jeep. I was there to look at Palmer's garage roof, or more accurately, the lack of one. . . and it looks like I've been recruited to help him remedy that situation. While in town I hit Tsumami Books, Oasis Fine Foods, Mr. Chainsaw, and Mike's Bikes---and at the latter I picked up parts for our latest Frankenstein Bike creation, The Chopper. Michael Bishop is still here diligently welding up the new coreplugger and (while Steve wasn't looking) I wickedly diverted his attentions temporarily into assisting me transmogrify perfectly good American bike frames into grotesque and unnatural forms.
Sunday 26 September The day dawned clear and with a definite Autumn nip to the air. There were plenty of sleep deprived and hung-over people hanging around this morning, although I am happy to say I was not one of them. I finished off the skylight with two tubes of acrylic caulk and two tubes of 100% silicon, which should stop just about anything Nature can throw at me---short of a tree of course, knock on wood. This evening I went with Hilary, who was just back from a juggling conference up in Portland, over to the WOW Hall to see something completely different, The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. If Vaudeville is sort of twisted theater, then this was sort of sick and twisted Vaudeville. Great if you go for that sort of thing. . . which we certainly do.
Saturday 25 September Quite a lot of energy around the Oregon Country Fair site today. During the morning a walk was led by Kevin Hillary, unoffical Fair Arborist, to observe some of the many ancient old trees along the paths. The Tree Crew is having a work party this weekend. Steve, Shane, Anna, and August did Site Crew work transplanting trees and shrubs out of the new Maple Gate location. Michael Bishop is spending a couple days welding up a frame that will hold two corepluggers pivoting independently of each other--- and so soon it will be possible to double the current swath we make while coreplugging up to eight feet wide. Palmer and Marlene showed up to start the cleanup at our new property (once the Hubbard's and in now badly in need a new name). We hauled a small load of rubbish to the dumpster in Palmer's pickup, a medium load of dimensional lumber to the Ware House on Mothra, and a large load of metal recycling to Bolton Hill Transfer Station on the Site Truck. Which for me leads quite naturally to this joke. Q. what do you call a crystal ball gazing vertically challenged person who is being sought after by the authorities. A. a small medium at large. Any witch way the evening dissolved into a free for all from there. First there was a quick wedding in Chela Mela. There was a Equinox / Harvest Moon / Adora's Birthday Party at traffic camp---which included such diverse activities as bale bucking and enmass cross dressing. The Tree Crew, not to be outdone, had a live band and was giving snorklelift rides at Main Camp. Finally there was ritual Full Moon intermingling between the festively attired Festers and the more rusticly clad Tree People---but then that there is yet another totally whole entirely different story best left untold.
Friday 24 September I would much rather write about things other than about what I've been up to as it all seem rather mundane sometimes, but then I don't suppose it would be much of a journal if I don't do it at least once and a while. Marlene noticed that the plants on the old Hubbard property were seriously wilting down so Bucket and I used the Site Truck to water them the other day. Then the electric company was summoned to turn on the power, the pump ran, the sprinklers watered and the thirsty plants drank. Last night it rained, doing little more than washing the dust off the leaves, but one can feel the difference. This morning I took it upon myself to clean up the bags of ticket stubs, beer bottles, plastic sheeting, rug scraps, and loads of miscellaneous junk that has been laying around the back of Main Camp since the yurts were taken down about a month ago. I'd certainly rather not have to clean up after these privileged old-timers, but then who wants to play chasing down soggy garbage with a canoe in a couple of months? Maybe those old-timers would like to have a go at it! With the rainy season impending, this afternoon was a good time to finally get to fixing the leak in the Yurt skylight dome, which has been there since I moved in. This is a manufacturing flaw, one that required that I drill out the rivets and remove the aluminum frame, pry apart the three layers of acrylic, clean them, then recaulk and reassemble the whole thing---a fairly time consuming process which I will finish tomorrow.
Thursday 23 September Ever wonder what makes leaves turn color in the Autumn? As we know most plants rely on sunlight for energy. Each leaf of a tree contains chlorophyll, which uses the Sun's energy to combine carbon dioxide with water---to make sugar and carbohydrates through a process called photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is what makes leaves appear green. The shorter photoperiod and the decreasing intensity of the sunlight, combined with cooler temperatures, reduces the food-making processes which had flourished during the spring and summer. Several weeks before the leaves change color, a hardened cell layer forms at the base of the leaf due to this decreased photosynthesis. The nutrient and moisture flow to the leaf is blocked, and the tree begins to absorb the nutrients into its trunk and roots. Once chlorophyll is no longer being replenished yellow pigments referred to as carotenoids, which were not previously visible, are able to emerge. Red and violet pigments are formed when the sugars become trapped within the leaves. These pigments, the anthocyanins, extend the life of the dying leaves by protecting them from frost. Other pigments called tannins create the brown colors associated with oak leaves. Weather has a lot to do with why certain fall foliage displays are more dramatic than others. Healthy leaves are required for vibrant colors, which in turn require an abundant amount of precipitation and sunlight during the summer . During the fall the days need to be sunny with cool nights. Clouds decrease the sugar production, and too cold temperatures result in an early dropping of leaves from the tree. It is possible that leaves directly exposed to the sun may turn red, while those leaves on the shady side turn yellow. Learn more about the chemistry of Autumn leaves here.
Wednesday 22 September Tomorrow morning at 0423 PDT, the Sun will once again momentarily stand directly over the equator, appear to cross from the Northern Celestial Hemisphere to the Southern Celestial Hemisphere. Unlike the two soltices and Vernal Equinox, which tend to occur on the 20th or 21st of December, June, and March respectively, the Autumnal Equinox normally falls (as it does this year) on the 23rd of September---although because the number of days in the year is not a whole number this date may vary by more than two days. Day and night are the same length over the entire Earth, the word equinox literally meaning "equal night". Night overtakes day now at its fastest rate and it will continue to do so until the Winter Solstice. The leaves will turn colors and fall. The Earth will grow cold. We will go armed with the new strengths and wisdom that we have reaped over the past year. We will gather around fires during the Winter Night to feast with friends on the gifts of the harvest. And the light will return as it always does but, as we know only too well, we must earn it by enduring the long darkness first.
Tuesday 21 September Did a practice Long Tom water quality sampling under the Highway 126 bridge, and under the watchful eye of Cindy Thieman from the Long Tom Watershed Council. Earlier Steve and I reloaded the water tank on the Site Truck and I rewatered the rushes that have been set aside at the wetlands project. During the afternoon I disassembled our brand new coreplugger. Well actually it was still brand new when some unknown culprit backed over it during pre-fair. Some creative bending and sledge hammering and it is as good as new again---well almost. Don't click here unless you like cutesy animal pictures.
Monday 20 September Worked with Dennis Todd over on the Far Side surveying for the wetland restoration project. More of a wetlands consolidation project actually. Earthmoving will begin there on Wednesday. Speaking of earthmoving, ODOT has just begun their decelaration lane project today out at Maple Gate. I called the Fern Ridge Library and they are interested in displaying the kaleidoscope there, and so I took it over. Me and three old guys (okay, okay--- that makes four old guys) unloaded it and got it inside. They are still moving things around and I will return to set it up in another week or two. Beverly Effinger was out here visiting all the way from Germany. She was a fellow sign painter back in the good old days, but has moved on to other things as we all eventually must. Even though my own planned South American odyssey is still about three years in the future, I am already again eagerly anticipating life out on the edge.
Sunday 19 September Steve seeded the path on Saturday with David Hoffman's help. I did some irrigating to insure good germination and later went into town to retrieve the kaleidoscope. Saw FOR LOVE OF THE GAME *** which was strongest during the baseball portions of the movie I thought.
Saturday 18 September Friday morning I drove the Site Truck into town loaded down with celebratory items, including the Giant Peach and the Giant Kaleidoscope. Craig and Entienne met me there and we proceeded to set up the kaleidoscope on Broadway at the intersection of Olive Street. We also dropped off the new booth at the Saturday Market office, who were kind enough to lend us some space to keep things safe at night. Then I drove over to our own office and, after brunching with Craig, finished up the sign for the booth while other volunteers worked on the float. I stayed in town overnight to enjoy the Eugene Celebration and early Saturday Morning found me setting up the booth. After that I rode the tall bike in the parade which was lots of fun---despite the technical difficulties of a slowly leaking tire. The highlight of the day was seeing The Red Elvises, kick-ass rock and roll from Siberia. Driving home late at night I suddenly heard a load whoppawhoppawhoppa noise that sounded to me exactly like retread coming off. Upon inspection, however, I could find nothing wrong. Now suspecting the worst, I nursed the truck on down the road until I got to the Texaco station where there were lights. Much to my relief it turned out to be as simple as a piece of canvas, possibly part of the float regalia, that had somehow managed to become entangled around the driveshaft.
Thursday 16 September Craig Huber came out today and helped me load up the Kaleidoscope, which we will be setting up tomorrow near the corner of Broadway and Olive. It is certain to draw some attention there. Millions of holes now pockmark East 13th and the west half of Strawberry Lane. Coreplugging is done to counteract the effects of compaction (caused by the pounding of human feet and vehicles during Fairtime), by allowing air and water to penetrate the hard surface and break it up. You don't have to be the Caretaker to realize that the Wheel of the Seasons is slowly turning, but I do get all kinds of little signs around here to confirm that this is so. Here is one.
Wednesday 15 September Today was a much needed day of solitude, in which I never left the property or saw another person. I stayed busy irrigating the paths in preparation for coreplugging---which I will do in the morning. I also finished the stick booth and have begun a sign for it which should be done in time for the Eugene Celebration. A beautiful day, so much more so when contrasted with the scenes of the oncoming Hurricane Floyd on the East Coast.
Tuesday 14 September Entienne called to report that the semi-truck she had lined up for the Eugene Celebration had fallen through, so it is now down to the Site Truck, which I will have to get ready. I am building a Saturday Market type booth for the Fair and designing it to be slightly more stable than the typically flimsy affairs that they actually are, the one we are replacing being a leading example of that genre. I am also bring the Giant Kaleidoscope into the Celebration to celebrate our thirtieth anniversary. Our float will be getting decorated on Friday at the Fair Office and will definitely need some help. The Parade leaves from around 19th and Patterson on Saturday morning at nine o'clock. Dress up and come join in the fun---because, after all, we all love a parade.
Monday 13 September Hot, hot, and hot, probably one of the hottest days of the year without any exaggeration. Not that I'm complaining---Winter will be here way soon enough. We worked on hauling and grading some of the stockpiled soil onto the paths, in preparation for growing more grass. Also we filled up yet another dumpsterload with trash left over from the Fair. It is a full-time job picking up after each Fair, until the next one hits. In the evening Steve and I went in to the annual personnel evaluation meeting. Being the subject of such careful research is probably not anyone's favorite cup of tea, but even the worst of the Fair's bureaucracy is probably at least several magnitudes better than enduring the usual corporate bumbledom on a good day. I am very cognizant on a daily basis about how rare a job this actually is and how lucky I am to be the one getting to do it. Amen brother.
Sunday 12 September I must still be recovering as I went to bed early. Anyway the day was taken up by the evaluation of this year's Fair, held out on site. About twenty people were in attendance. We used the Open Space procedure for organizing our meeting. Basically four simple principles and one rule guide this forum. 1) Whoever comes is/are? the right people. 2) Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. 3) When it starts is the right time. 4) When it's over, it's over. The Law of Two Feet dictates that you participate in a process only if it feels right to do so. At any rate topics ranged from the practical, such as the use of path misters---to the esoteric, such as our visions for the next thirty years. Dreams must first be expressed as ideas, then refined by process, and finally given substance. The Oregon Country Fair is a place where this process works extraordinarily well.
Saturday 11 September In the morning I helped Dennis Todd mulch and water some rushes that have been moved to the side in preparation for regrading of the fields prior to the land swap. Fingers of wetlands and uplands are going to be consolidated and native plants restored. In the afternoon I worked with Steve and the VegManECs raking and moving the rest of the hay and straw off East 13th. While I was gone most of the obvious dimensional lumber was trucked out and we are now ready to close the path off to vehicular traffic and plant some more grass next week. In the evening I went back to the Far Side with another load of water and discovered that blackberries there are ripe, plentiful, and delicious. Come on out and pick a bunch for pies!
Friday 10 September Early yesterday morning I went for my flight physical and endured the usual poking and prodding before being given a clean bill of health. Back at the Site I coreplugged Main Stage Meadow and started to get settled back in. Bob Waldren is visiting with three twenty year old women from Kalamazoo, whom he met at Burning Man. He has definitely been converted into a true believer in that event. Today I was finally caught up on sleep, and worked around the Yurt and Warehouse, cleaning up some of the leftovers from the trip and preparing for this weekend's Evaluation Meeting on Sunday. What a beautiful sunny day it was and yet one can now feel the crisp tang of Autumn begin to creep in. I've reconnected to the tube---football season is upon us---and hoping to get a waiver so that I can get the networks on satellite as well. This evening Steve and I did our traditional Friday dinner at Our Daily Bread and were joined by Charlie Hodges, an anthropologist who is going to be making studies of the soil types during the wetlands reclaimation project that is going to begin this weekend over on the Far Side.
9.9.99 As if the computer geeks don't have enough to worry about with the Millenium Bug, there is a whole string of other potential problems lurking in several dates leading up to Y2K. Today's date is significant because it has traditionally been used to signify no expiration date and also in cases where it was unknown. Many computers have also been programmed to recognize 9999 as an "end-of-file" command. The string of nines on the calendar thus has a potential to shut down some older programs. In Asia, computers aren't the concern, rather it's luck, and Four Nines Day represents a paradox in superstitious in Asia. In Japan, nine is considered very unlucky. Pronounced "ku'', it is a homonym with the word for pain and suffering, and is a very inauspicious number at hospitals, which avoid rooms that ends with nines, or fours (a homonym in Japanese for death), or thirteens. Meanwhile in China however, nine is considered a day for love---derived from the fact that "jiu" has a homonym meaning long, and is considered providential for couples wanting to stay together. So we might expect the world's most populous country to become quite a bit more so after this extremely impassioned once in a millenium occurence.
Wednesday 8 September I'm back after a wild, wicked, and wacky week at Burning Man but it will take several days to get all the playa dust out of my system. We arrived amid a full blown sandstorm which lasted throughout the next day. Doubts were beginning to surface, but it was great after that. Not as hot as last year and some of the nights were cold but all and all great weather. The only real downer was that when several of us decided to climb a nearby mountain, Bucket badly sprained his ankle and was on crutches for the duration. Other than that everything was awesome, we had a great kitchen, house band, costumes, and a lot more. The scale of the event and the outrageous stuff people did there is impossible to describe in so many words--- it must be seen for ones self. Plans are already being laid for the next version of the Unoregonized Country Fair Embassy. Anyone interested in participation next year can contact me.
