News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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While there are many different constellations that are visible in November, this month's is a challenge to locate because, 1) it skims about 15 degrees above the southern horizon, and 2) its brightest stars are still faint. Sculptor is interesting because it is home to several impressive galaxies, as well as the South Galactic Pole. The best way to find Sculptor is to start with Fomalhaut, a first magnitude star situated near the eastern border of the neighboring... Full story
In the lead-up to the election, Sisters area residents are even more vigorous in expressing their opinions than usual. This I believe to be a good thing. Publications such as newspapers balance a variety of agendas and necessities. The editor acts as a filter and gatekeeper, helping writers understand the larger context and audience for their work. The editor typically influences their community and is influenced heavily by it. In a geographically based publication, the... Full story
It is a delightful day indeed when an angry reader writes in — exercising the First Amendment — to attack a column or, more to the point given the nature of the language, the columnist, written in defense of the First Amendment. It’s delightful for several reasons — not least of which is that when you are taking flak from a sandbagged position on the ground it is a certain indication that you are flying over the target. Lawyers and judges, though they are often slow to admi... Full story
In my email queue, I get lots of emails from Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the politician representing our oddly shaped, wiggly District 5 in U.S. Congress. In my physical mailbox I receive a boatload of shiny flyers from her campaign and supporters. Chavez-DeRemer appears to be as wiggly as our newly shaped district itself. In debates, Chavez-DeRemer positions herself as a bipartisan, non-extreme centrist in an attempt to gain the votes of District 5 NAVs like me, the non-affiliated... Full story
The October Community Builders meeting was held at the U.S. Forest Service Sisters Ranger District garage. Attendees were welcomed by Lauren DuRocher, acting district ranger while Ian Reid is on a four-month temporary assignment on the Modoc National Forest. He will be back in Sisters in early December. (A separate article on the Sisters Ranger District activities will appear in the October 23 Nugget.) • Kellen Klein, C4C executive director, announced that their first ann... Full story
Something in the American mind has been hacked, and while the meat of the case rests on the erosion of barriers between citizens and government, one excellent lead to follow might be burgeoning threats to the First Amendment by the very people charged with preserving it. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is a good example. By suggesting, during his debate with Senator JD Vance, that it is illegal to shout “fire” in a crowded theater he did two things. First, he lied. It is not illeg... Full story
In which the writer continues to contemplate and blather upon the subject of joy, inspired by a writing prompt in musician and writer Nick Cave’s column “The Red Hand Files.” Mr. Cave seemed to advocate seeking out joy, treating joy as a decision that one makes. Here’s where we left off last column (Click here to see previous column.): We can court joy and look for it. We can imagine it is within our control. Or we can turn our back and wait for it to tap us on the shoulde... Full story
A dark, postpunk musician I’ve admired for decades, a man beloved of Goths and Johnny Cash fans, has somehow become both a mainstream rock star and a religiously inspired advice columnist. Yes, I’m talking about the inimitable Nick Cave. On his beguiling blog “The Red Hand Files,” Mr. Cave usually answers questions. Recently he turned the tables. He asked us, his readers and fans, to answer his question: “I have a full life. A privileged life. An unendangered life. But somet... Full story
We wrote about this trail four years ago, but it bears repeating given its proximity and beauty. A near perfect trail for families or hikers simply looking for an easier outing full of scenery. It's mapped as a 2.6 mile out and back undertaking, longer if you take an extension. Plan on a bit more than an hour. It's well maintained and easy to navigate with new trail markers to guide you at the junctions. It's a great trail for dogs, especially those fond of water. Why go: The... Full story
Quickly moving rivers and streams are home to the Common Merganser (Mergus merganser). Cruising jet-like up and down waterways, only a few inches above the ripples, landing and then diving for fish and crustaceans with their serrated bills, this Merganser sports either a vivid rust coloured crest (female) or an iridescent green head (male) that is a joy to behold. The Common Merganser nests in hollowed-out trees, on cliffs or on the ground, normally on the banks of rivers.... Full story
When I interviewed the owner of The Fly Fisher’s place, Jeff Perin, a few months ago, just before his guide trip to Belize, he observed, a little jokingly, that fly fishing is life, and reconciling that idea with the life-is-a-game perspective, it would follow that fly fishing is, too. How is fly fishing – or life – a game? What is the system we’re playing within? What is the objective, and how do we keep score? Where does the game start, and where does the game end? And maybe most importantly, what is the metagame? As I di... Full story
In recent years and especially on the heels of COVID’s onslaught, which generated a potent, collective grief, popular culture has given new fame to concepts such as social-emotional learning, self-care, and burnout prevention. It also put the spotlight on a concept that has long been loved in this country because it evokes sentiments of self-determination, grit, and perseverance central to our national identity. We are talking about the buzz word of resilience. We have all h... Full story
I was sitting in the Outlaw Women Saloon in Augusta, Montana, enjoying an interesting conversation with the bartender - a young lady from southern Florida who came to Montana because she wanted to learn to be a cowgirl, and a fellow named Log Man, who was finishing up his adventure on the Continental Divide Trail -when a loud chorus of boos and hisses suddenly erupted from the other side of the bar. We all swiveled in that direction, expecting a good, cow-town sort of bar... Full story
• I can’t sing a lick, but when the Gary Gruner “Made in America” song comes on with their TV ad, I sing every word about as loud as I can. That ad looks, feels, and sounds so Central Oregon. Thank you, Gary Gruner. • When Hazel called the other morning and asked if I’d like to make a Costco run, I jumped at the chance to ride along. I gulped down my breakfast, threw on some clothes and quickly did what I could with my hair, including spraying it with Endust, which was sitting right next to the can of Suave Max Hold. • Sec... Full story
Lighten up! Make your work fun and you will succeed more than ever. This is just another thing I’m learning from these new puppies we’ve adopted. They are nearly a year old, and they are smarter than me sometimes. I’m more than a Scottie mom. I’m also the primary care person for my husband who is dealing with cancer. I have a busy life with lots of responsibilities. It would be easy to get bogged down. But … These Scottie puppies won’t let me do that. Everything is a game to t... Full story
Tumalo Falls Loop Trail appears on just about everybody's top five list of trails within an hour of Sisters. If you've been, you'll likely agree. If you haven't then you should make it a priority. It truly is a gem and one of the most-photographed hikes in all of Oregon. At seven miles, it's not a walk in the park. Neither is it grinding despite its 1,200-foot elevation gain. The ascent is gradual and spaced over 3.5 miles. The sheer beauty of the thick forest and cascading... Full story
The Cohen Brothers’ movie, “The Matrix” is returning to the big screen. In the movie, humanity lives within the Matrix, where pleasant virtual reality daydreams have been substituted for reality, and self-aware machines farm the slumbering humans for energy. Neo and his compatriots manage to extricate themselves from the Matrix, fighting back against the artificial intelligence that has enslaved humanity. Perhaps the Cohen Brothers were onto something, that each of us lives within a matrix; not one fashioned by artif... Full story
While perched on the tip of a branch the Ash-throated Flycatcher [Myiarchus cinerascens] will tweak its head from side to side in a quizzical manner as it waits for its next insect meal. They prefer drier environs and do not drink water because all is needed are the fluids from their insect diet. Small lizards, fruits, and berries are occasionally consumed. Three to seven brown- streaked white eggs are laid after a nest of grasses, twigs, and rootlets are woven together and... Full story
It’s a beautiful September morning in Sisters Country. The sun is out but it’s not too hot yet. The sky is brushed with a hint of smoke, nothing much compared to the last few summers. The forest is quiet, other than some loud equipment, a dog barking, and a small plane flying low. OK, not really that quiet. Compared to a city, though? The forest is heavenly. It’s a good life, in a good place. I am one of the lucky ones and I totally know it. But by late afternoon I may have fo... Full story
There’s Minnesota nice. And Wisconsin nice. And Canada nice. Maybe some others, probably mostly in the Midwest. I don’t recall Oregon nice. Nor California nice. And then there’s Sisters nice. You know the kind of nice I’m talking about. It mostly just happens, right? It happens so routinely that we don’t need to put it into words. Like many of you, I ride my bike around town. And, much to the chagrin of my adult children, an electric scooter. Not one of those three-whe... Full story
The night sky is home to bewildering spectacles. I remember the first time I noticed. I was six years old living in Edmonton, Alberta, with my family. My brother and I were awakened one winter night by our parents. "There's something you need to see," they said with glee. They wrapped us in fleece blankets and cradled us out the front door of our Canadian home into a brilliantly cold evening. My parents were shoveling snow from the driveway when it began. My eyes traced my... Full story
How long has it been since you became giddy with joy just watching a bee scoot around a daisies’ pollen-laden center, amazed at how the bee could fill its pollen basket (also known as the corbicula) with so much pollen and still be able to fly? When did you last watch a procession of ants, being filled with wonder, and then try to follow the line to its end? These are just a couple of the wonders my young Scotties have helped me enjoy seeing recently. The Scotties were born in Idaho during the late fall. Cold had already k... Full story
This delightful, easy to moderate outing is occasionally confused by other nearby trails. It is not the Three Fingered Jack trail or even the Jack Lake Trail (there is no Jack Lake trail per se). At the Jack Lake trailhead you are treated to options one of which is Canyon Creek Meadows Loop part of which is on the Old Summit Trail. The loop section is just at five miles with an elevation gain of roughly 600 feet. There are branches that can turn it into a 7.6 mile or longer ex... Full story
Before moving to Sisters in 2004, I researched the medical community in Central Oregon – doctors, clinics, hospitals, emergency services – and was encouraged that quality medical care would be readily available. And it was, in the beginning. When I moved, I had just turned 60 and was not yet eligible for Medicare. My first job at hospice offered me excellent group health insurance coverage. I quickly established relationships with several medical practices where I found it... Full story
Snoop Dogg, it turns out, brought unexpected levity and light to an otherwise smoke-filled summer. His observation that pole vaulters get “high-high” was as prescient as reporting seems to get anymore, and so this space counts it a solid win for the otherwise dismal condition of the fourth estate. Most of the smoke locally is the result of fire, of course, discounting the tropospheric smoke and radiation from the world’s most embarrassing presidential election cycle. With... Full story
