Tiger Leg Monkey Frogs

These almost cryptic critters at the Oregon Coast Aquarium hide their stripes until they are moving. Are they tiger frogs? Not sure, but the colors are tigerish on the underside of their bellies. Only one of this bunch was on the move in the late afternoon. I am not even sure what country they come from. It may be the Panatela Swamps of Brazil or the Chaco of Paraguay. They are in a corner of the swampland exhibit at the Aquarium. Hidden right in front of you, suddenly they appear, and then they are so bold. How could you miss them?







Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis azurea
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Lichens Of Marys Peak

These wonderful whispy beards hanging from every tree in Oregon's rain forest, sprouting and covering every large boulder are things of mystery to most of us.




 
These particularly interesting matchstick like growths are just now poking their heads out of the moss along the East Ridge trail of Marys Peak. The common name here in the Northwest is Devil's Matchsticks. The scientific name is Pilophorus acicularis, a mouthful and not nearly as fun as Devil's Matchstick. This is one of many Club Lichens found on this trail in the winter. Pilophorus means ball-bearing in Greek, and acicularis means pin in Latin. Some other club lichens to look for on Marys Peak are Lipstick Caldonia with, you guessed it, a bright red tip, and False Pixie Cup that looks a bit like a golf tee.

Amanda's Trail Yachats

A woman loses her daughter to her common-law husband because he refuses to marry her. Without a legal marriage she not only loses her daughter, she is forced to walk barefoot and blind from the Coos Bay area to Yachats in May 1864. She is just one of many on this trail of blood and tears when the Bureau of Indian Affairs forced the relocation dozens of members of the Coos and Lower Umpqua tribes from their homes to an internment camp at Yachats.

Today we can retrace a very short segment of Amanda De-Cuys’ trail of torture. I cannot fathom the pain of Amanda De-Cuys as I leave the waterfront of downtown Yachats along Highway 101 to Gender Drive. Where I cross to the east side and wander to rainforest where I find Amanda’s shrine.

Was it Amanda’s gender or her ethnicity or both that tore her daughter, Julia, and her home from her? I wonder if we are still part of this violence today as a group of women here in Corvallis seek to change the rape law of Oregon. You do not see the connection? I do. Women are used and abused here today in Corvallis, Oregon, and if there is no demonstrable physical harm them, they have no remedy under our law.

As I walked Amanda’s trail the Trilliums and Bleeding Hearts were in bloom last spring. What a disturbing metaphor for Amanda’s life. What a disturbing metaphor for the victims of today’s violence in Oregon.

Smoke and Mirrors in Corvallis

Corvallis has a long tradition of protecting the streams, creeks, watersheds, and rivers in and adjacent to the city.  Dunawi Creek Tour - City of Corvallis is an example of what the city does for protection. However, the city follows this tradition only when it is convenient. The newly approved Creekside Center development, at the northwest corner of Philomath Blvd. and 53 St., is a project that as approved will destroy an Ash Wetland and severely impair Dunawi Creek.

Both the city and the developer have recognized this wetland for what it is. See photos of warning signs now on the site. The smoke and mirrors comes into play with the unique remedy the city gave to the developer for mitigating the destruction of the wetland on the south side of Dunawi Creek. The city requested the developer to build a 12 foot wide asphalt hiking trail through the wetland on the north side of Dunawi Creek. Hmm!! interesting reasoning here on the part of the city planners.

Liz and Bob Frenkel, both local seasoned riparian and political experts, have brought this misguided reasoning to the attention of both the city's planning commission and the city council. The city has completely ignored this information and approved the development which will include a Walgreen Drug store, several shops, and apartments. Only one city council member objected to this development. Surprisingly one of the Pacific Green Party members of the council approved the project. The other Pacific Green Party member recused himself from voting.
I wonder if Walgreen Drug knows that it is participating in the destruction of, in the city's own words,  "one of Corvallis' wild and wonderful urban streams."

Swans, Poets, and Friends

Mary Oliver’s poetry snaps my body in all directions trying to find her images in the air. I looked for her images while walking with friends on the wooden boardwalk at Cabal Marsh on the Finley Wildlife Refuge. Finley is about 15 miles south of Corvallis, Oregon on Muddy Creek. In the winter every year thousands of migratory ducks, geese, and swans hang out here to graze on the lush winter grasses in the refuge and on the near by farmers' fields. The Tundra Swans with their glistening black bills and sparkling white feathers float regally lording it over the much smaller Dusky and Cackling Geese.

Every once in a while on this wintry Sunday afternoon a playful Bald Eagle would swoop down to the slough spooking hundreds of geese into the air.

This is a small piece of Mary Oliver’s “The Swan.”

A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet

Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river?

And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?

And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?

And have you changed your life?

And these are photos of my friend and I who enjoyed the bald eagles, tundra swans, and “The Swan.”

 

Beaver Creek State Park Oregon

Beaver Creek, Oregon’s newest state park is a big hit with the Marys Peak Group of the Oregon Sierra Club. 26 of the group hiked this new park in the bright sun Saturday, January 22. The view from Snaggy Top is all the way to Ona Beach and the Pacific. We ate lunch in this delightful meadow while our photographer, Ricardo Small, was busy documenting the scene. Brian Fowler, the park ranger, has organized a weekly bird count every Saturday for the whole of 2011. If you are lucky, like we were, you might get some fresh baked cookies from the park hosts.

The park is on North Beaver Creek Road just over a mile inland from Ona State Beach. The turn to Beaver Creek State Park is about 8.5 miles south of Newport, Oregon off of Highway 101.

Here is Ricardo's group photo.

Marys Peak in January

Who would believe the East Ridge Trail to the top of Marys Peak is dry and warm this time of year. Here it is the end of January and the snow is gone. The Rattlesnake Orchids and White-lined Wintergreen are sprouting out fresh leaves. The Evergreen Huckleberries on top of the stumps look like they are ready to blossom.

Once you are above the valley fog on the East Ridge Trail you can see all the way to the 3 Sisters and Mount Jefferson. 

When the weather is like this in winter I am wondering if it is a sign of a warmer planet.  No way for me to know, but the Jazz loved the trail, and she is not covered with mud like she is from a run at the river.