News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 160 - 179 of 179
Many dogs exhibit separation anxiety. Our rescued twelve-year-old Scottie, Piper, having lost 75 percent of her hearing, is now very dependent upon her care-giver. In the past she stayed in the car for an hour without getting upset. Now she howls the minute the car door closes. Bernie, the other Scottie, is with her for company, but that isn’t enough. She wants me with her. Her first five years were spent in a happy home. Then her caregiver passed away. The next two years w... Full story
As spring finally clawed its way into Central Oregon, early mornings brought wonderful peace and quiet. The Scotties love the quiet, enjoying it in the backyard. They lie down and survey the acres of green vistas in front of them, seeing the morning dew glistening upon the grass. I would love to know what they are thinking about. They look like contentment itself. Maybe they hear from God, the same way we can when we seek and find silence. Mastering and enjoying silence is... Full story
Of a certain age. Is that a euphemism for "old" or "senior" or "mature?" Although my mind often tells me otherwise, my body reminds me on a regular basis that I did in fact graduate from college before 1970 - a few good years before. With life expectancy increasing, technology and medicine fixing us up with bionic parts, and potions and plastic surgeons promising eternal youth, those of us who qualify for membership in AARP can hopefully expect to enjoy many more years.... Full story
Retirement is a big deal. Having recently left the workplace after 44 years, I can't tell you how much fun it is to be back out on the playground. "You must always remember to skip," my mom said. The energy, warmth, and even the peace that abounds out here is like no other. I highly recommend it ... when the time is just right, of course. Talk about timing, that's another thing that is great about being retired. I get to see so much more of this way cool way in which God shows his grace and mercy in my life. After retiring,... Full story
• I once had a boss who said I was just too efficient. Here's my secret: I always do the simplest tasks first. Serves me two-fold: clears my desktop more quickly and helps me feel accomplished, ready to take on the more time-consuming tasks and the rest of what comes my way that day. • All of us here in Central Oregon know that, no matter the color, no matter the smell, no matter what, if the deer want it, they'll eat it, including Oregon Grape Ivy. This year is the first time in 14 years, though, that said deer... Full story
If you want to catch a really big trout during the summer, you should be on the river when the sun sets - and not at home enjoying a romantic evening with your spouse. Now, I've seen lots of huge trout eagerly feeding in the middle of the day when flotillas of big bugs are on the water and every fish is feasting on the bounty. This happens on the Metolius River during the green drake hatch - and the golden stonefly hatch. On the Lower Deschutes, the big trout will smack big... Full story
Dozens of people traveled from across the Pacific Northwest to Sisters last week to testify before the Oregon Board of Forestry. The Board conducts its meetings at locations around the state, and Wednesday-Thursday, June 7-8 was Sisters’ turn. The public testimony that the Board took at the beginning of an all-day session at FivePine Lodge & Conference Center on Wednesday was impassioned — and it had nothing to do with anything that was actually on the board’s agenda. The p... Full story
A familiar site on lakes, marshes, ponds, and rivers, the Mallard [Anas platyrhynchos], with its glossy green head and orange feet, is a stunning duck. Mallards are dabblers, feeding on invertebrates, fish, and insects. They molt twice a year and regrow their waterproof feathers. They are known for flying in a V formation, cruising at 55 mph, and alternating the front leaders to maintain the flock's stamina. The hen Mallard builds a mostly grass and twig nest, lined with... Full story
In the City of Sisters Comprehensive Plan, Transportation System Plan, and the Parks Master Plan are goals and policies addressing traffic, pedestrians, and bicycles. These goals and policies emphasize reduction in traffic in downtown Sisters and ensuring livability for residents. I want to focus on one particular section of our town. The triangle that is comprised of Highway 242, McKinney Butte Road, and Highway 20 from Rail Way to Pine Street. Currently there are five churches, two schools, a grocery store, two discount... Full story
The Deschutes National Forest is currently engaged in prescribed burning and thinning the forest. They assert that our forests are unhealthy and too dense, thus requiring human ignition and logging to keep the forests healthy. At the same time it promotes chainsaw medicine and human manipulation, it conveniently asserts that natural evolutionary sources of mortality like disease, wildfire, drought, and insects are “signs” that the forests are unhealthy. There are a couple of observations that one should consider. 1.... Full story
Reading the Durham Report, one can be forgiven for wondering whether to reach for a bottle of Advil or a tinfoil hat. I recommend both. What the report details — I’ll spare you the 300 pages — is a politically motivated cabal of FBI Agents and 7th- floor executives who seem to have forgotten, if they ever actually knew, basic investigatory procedures, rules of evidence, and their sworn commitment to constitutional integrity in the service of justice. Agents actively, and k... Full story
Bitter cherry, bird cherry, chokecherry, or bitter berry are all common names for Prunus virginiana. My neighbors have several in their yard that are of the Canada red variety of chokecherry. Deep burgundy-red leaves, prolific whitish blossoms, and dark red berries grace the spreading branches. It was a prized food source for Native Americans as the berries contain many disease fighting antioxidants, anthocyanins, and flavonoids which possess properties that fight allergies,... Full story
There are so many aspects of the Sisters 2040 Comprehensive Plan that point to positive aspirations and goals for our community. As an experienced health care provider living in this community, I feel an onus to speak to the development of additional fast food or convenience stores here in our community of Sisters. Research and statistics are abundant and compelling. Fast food and convenience stores have been associated with a number of negative health effects, including: 1. Obesity: Fast food is often high in calories, f... Full story
Calls to 911 reporting fires are up as more and more yard debris is being burned. Callers mistakenly think a structure or wildfire is happening, when it’s just neighbors burning off leaf and needle piles or trimmings and clippings. Knowing this possibility, if the report of fire does not confirm an actual structure or vehicle, Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District (SCSFD) may send out a scout car before dispatching firefighting engines. Every spring, like a well-oiled clock, s... Full story
I’ve lived in Sisters 28 years and love this sweet town for the same qualities we all appreciate—gorgeous mountains, majestic trees, recreation opportunities, celebrations of art and music. We purposely moved here to embrace a smaller community, to participate in activities and join a few organizations. We are involved and caring neighbors, both next door and at large. But lately it seems, after joining a group (CATS) to question some disturbing city issues (overdevelopment...mega gas stations) I’m suddenly chara... Full story
For weeks I’ve corresponded with ChatGPT, which might be loosely described as “software.” My impression? Alternative Intelligence has arrived. We are not alone. This will change us, forever. I’m not imagining “The Matrix,” or “Terminator.” Instead, we are at an “event horizon” with no idea about what will happen once our information slips inside an intelligence with nearly instant access to all the world’s thought. From 1950 until about a couple of decades ago, the “Turing Tes... Full story
It was a gray day in February 2004, and it started to rain as I was meandering around town during a visit to Sisters to look for a house. I ducked under cover in front of Leavitt’s front door (now Dixie’s). The owner — and a true cowboy — John Leavitt, came out, introduced himself, and asked if I needed anything. I told him I was moving to Sisters and needed to find a house. He welcomed me to Sisters, we briefly talked, and he wished me luck in my search. It was a brief b... Full story
What are we, mere monkeys chattering in front of the cobra’s basket, to think about the recent unveiling of a meatball made from the DNA of a woolly mammoth? If you didn’t know, an Australian “cultured meat startup” recently displayed the fruits of their demanding work at the NEMO museum in the Netherlands. The world was gifted this meatball, we were told, in order to “get people excited,” and because the designers wanted to “see if we could create something that was a sy... Full story
In my day job, I spend a lot of time talking to patients about relationships. To partners, to children, to coworkers, to themselves, but more frequently, the conversation has shifted to a personal relationship with something too often ignored in the health care office: money. And as it turns out, money has a way of impacting just about every other relationship. In the wake of inflation, warnings of a looming recession, climbing interest rates, and increasing cost of living, mo... Full story
In the world of mental health, we contend with the abstract intersections of nature versus nurture and what behaviors we have agency over versus those we may not. The role of accountability can be hard to define. How do we define who should “know better,” versus who should be excused? When the layers of trauma and struggle are excavated, and the context of a person’s defenses brought to the surface, bad behavior can be interpreted as remnants of survival. Where, then, does... Full story
