Alton Baker Park

Well, I can't seem to get anything done around the house so I may as well enjoy some old memories.   Another of my favorite places in Eugene (I have MANY) is Alton Baker Park.  This is Eugene's largest developed park and has walking/jogging trails, fishing, picnicking, canoe rentals (seasonally), and reservable shelters.  Here is a link to tell you everything about the park.

http://eugeneareaparks.com/park.php?id=1

Alton Baker has something I have never seen in any other park: It has a scale model of the solar system!  This is the sun:

When I was taking these photos back in 2004, they were simply snapshots for the family so excuse the personal touch!!

Venus is just a small speck on top of this spire.  All planets
are sized in relation to the sun. 

The idea for this display was to encourage people to walk from planet to planet.  Some of the planets are very far away along the bike path, clear out of the park.  It's really pretty cool.

Alton Baker is within walking distance to the University of Oregon's football venue, Autzen Stadium.  It is very close to the center of town.   Yet some of the paths within the park make you feel that you are a long way removed from civilization.  There are plenty of places to fish, either by yourself....

...or with a group...

The herons are usually pretty generous about sharing the best fishing holes.

When you are done fishing you can feed the ducks and pigeons.



  In the last couple of years the city has requested that the Canadian geese NOT be fed at
all as they have taken over the park.  They can be quite aggressive, and the city has
at times, hired herding dogs to chase the geese from the park.  This photo was in 2004
and we were feeding the ducks, not the geese.



Please NEVER feed white bread and such to the water fowl.  We ONLY feed cracked corn or chicken scratch.  Bread is very bad for water fowl and can cause their wings to develop improperly and inhibit their ability to fly.  Also, it's just plain not good for their digestion.  We probably shouldn't feed them at all but it is a good memory from my childhood and all kids love to feeds the ducks.

This is one of the invasive geese.  Quite a contortionist!

This is a totally weird photo!  This was at night in the park.  I left the shutter open
on the camera and fired the flash off camera as the heron began to walk away.  It
is not a multiple exposure, just multiple firings of the flash. 

This is a very small sample of things you would see at Alton Baker Park.  It is also the site of many community events throughout the summer.  The Cuthbert Amphitheatre is located within the park and is a popular venue for summer concerts.  All in all, a very interesting place to visit.  There is no campground here but Armitage Park is just about 5 miles away (I wrote about Artmitage in another post).  Armitage is a county park featuring full hookups and is open year round.  A small portion of the Alton Baker parking lot is designated city parking for homeless campers (vehicles only, no tents).  There is a Marriott Residence Inn just down the street and a La Quinta right at the entrance to the park.  This is a prime location if you are ever in town to see your favorite college football team play the Ducks at Autzen Stadium...or just to visit our fair city.

Go DUCKS!

I'm still sick today but couldn't let the day pass without giving a shout out to my DUCKS.  I live in Eugene, OR, the home of the University of Oregon Ducks.  I went to my first Duck football game in 1972.  I remember walking into the stadium and asking my friend, "where do we sit?"  He replied. "Anywhere you want to."  Never happen today.


I knew very little about football in those days.  I didn't know a punt from a kick-off.  But I do remember my friend saying many times, "They're going to have to boot it."  I now know he was referring to the fact that the Ducks were fourth and long AGAIN and would have to punt the ball. 


Well things have changed quite a bit since those lean and hungry years.  It's a mad scramble to get a ticket for a Duck football game now, and Coach Chip Kelly is just as liable to go for it on fourth as to "boot it."  We had season tickets for several years and spent many hours enjoying the Ducks in Autzen Stadium.


A few years ago we looked at our finances and what we were donating to the University just for the privilege of attending 4-6 home games a year, and decided it was time to move on.  Not only was it getting increasingly hard for Russ to make it up the ramp to our seats, we figured for the money we spent on donations and tickets, we could do a lot of travel. 


But we still love our Ducks and we watch them on TV whenever possible.  Today it IS possible and that is exactly what we will be doing.  My voice is GONE so I cannot yell for the Ducks today but I will be cheering them on in my heart.  I am so proud of the players and the coaches and no matter what happens today, I LOVE MY DUCKS.  GO DUCKS!


And so indulge me if you would (or just skip the rest!) as I share some of my favorite Duck Moments.



Me with "Ducky" at some function or other.  Ducky's official name is Puddles the Duck
but no one ever calls him that.  He is just "Ducky".



Son John, and his daughter Bekah, at Autzen Stadium.  They are now devoted
Duck fans even though they live in Portland.

John being silly after the game.  Someone walked by as I was
taking this picture and said to John, "I guess you lost the bet."

Russ and Donna at a donor brunch prior to a game.  We always enjoyed those brunches
but it ended up being a lot of work.  My sister and I volunteered to decorate and serve as
greeters for every brunch so we always had a LOOOONG day.  Fun though!

Our beloved Autzen Stadium.  There is no better place for football.

I always got chills when we sang the National Anthem and they rolled out the flag.

Two of my grandsons, Tim and Mike at the Casanova Center.  This building houses
the training center, meeting rooms, sports offices, and a "Hall of Fame' display of Duck trophies.

This is how the team enters Autzen.  First the Duck roars out on the
back of the Duck motorcycle, and the team runs out behind.  The motorcycle
 goes once around the field and by then the crowd is PUMPED!

This is Doug (the ONLY motorcycle driver) and my granddaughter, Bekah.  Bekah got too close
to the exhaust pipe during a photo op and got a bad burn on her leg.  Doug was so kind to
bring the motorcycle to my house the next day so Bekah could get her photo taken.  Normally
that motorcycle goes NOWHERE except to Duck functions.  This was quite special for
Bekah... and her burn healed quite nicely.

We don't always have perfect weather in Autzen Stadium.  During the
"Civil War" on November 5, 2005, the fog rolled in until even the
announcers had trouble seeing the plays.  It was still fun and the
Ducks won that game 56-14. 

I've only been to one bowl game and that was the Holiday Bowl in December 2005.
This is my sister, Laila, and her husband, Brian, being silly in the Black Bear Diner
in Shasta, California.  We drove all the way and had a great time.  Fun Memories!

Russ and Donna in San Diego for the 2005 Holiday Bowl.
We lost that game but we had so much fun.

And so today, my sister and her husband are in Glendale, AZ getting ready to watch the Oregon Ducks take on the Auburn Tigers.  We are here in Eugene, OR where we will be rooting for our Ducks.  Maybe when that motor home gets done we will travel to some of the games.  I don't know who will win today, but I think it will be a good game.  Whatever happens, I am proud of my Ducks.  Back in the 1970s, we NEVER would have dreamed this day would come.  GO DUCKS!

Update 9:50 p.m.  We didn't win but it was certainly a great game.  When a game comes down to the last two seconds, you know the teams are evenly matched.  Congratulations to the Auburn Tigers for winning the National Championship.  And congratulations to the Oregon Ducks for making it to the title game and for giving it your best.  Next year awaits...

No Post Today

No post today...hot tea with honey and lemon and back to bed.  I'll be baaaack...

A Clean Sweep

We have been looking around for a small vac to use in the motor home and we found one yesterday at Costco.  It is just a small stick vac and is lightweight and easy to use.  We also got a new video camera so we combined the two to show you the new vacuum.  Pardon the poor videography - it is the first time out of the box so still getting the hang of it!

Hope this works... slight learning curve for uploading the videos. 

Finally put them on You Tube and loaded from there.  That seems to work.  

  We love this little vacuum and if the carpet in the motor home is too dense for it to work well, we will just keep it at home.  We feed our dogs on those two little mats in the kitchen.  They eat brown rice for their carbs as one is allergic to wheat and corn.  Both dogs seems to end up with as much rice on the mat as in their tummies and it is a pain to clean up.  The little vac seems to do an excellent job of cleaning up even sticky brown rice.

The Costco website lists this vacuum for $89.99.  We bought it in the store for $20 less!  Not sure what that's all about.

Hendricks Park - Eugene

One of my favorite places in Eugene is Hendricks Park.  Situated close to the University of Oregon, the park encompasses 78 mostly forested acres.  Located within the park are 6000 varieties of plants, many of them showcased in the formal rhododendron garden.  The park also features many hiking trails, two covered picnic shelters and a small playground.  Although the rhodies and most of the flowering plants are at their best in the spring and early summer, this park is still a peaceful respite all year long from the cacophony of the city.  Following are some of the photos I have taken over the years during our visits to Hendricks Park.  This is not a major tourist destination but if you are ever in Eugene, I hope you will take the time to visit.

Welcome to the Rhododendron Garden.  There is much more here than just rhodies.

I think this is a camellia.

For as many flowers as I grow at home, you would think I would be more informed about the names of these flowers.  Some I know but I don't want to appear a fool so I'll just let their beauty speak for them.  After all, a rose by any other name....

I hope this just whets your appetite to see more of the beauty in Eugene.   Most places that I mention here in my posts can be researched online so I try not to bore with too many details.  Would love to share my fair city with readers who might be passing through.

Happy Birthday to ME!

We're off to the Original Pancake House for my birthday breakfast - pictures to follow haha!  The dogs are excited as I always save most of my bacon for them.  I had lots of birthday wishes on Face Book this morning so I felt very special.  Plus two more cards from Hubby, and he actually signed them!

The Original Pancake House near the University of Oregon.  Those are
dorm rooms in the background.

My favorite - bacon and eggs with pancakes.  I don't like syrup but butter is good.
I saved the two best bacon pieces for my fur-babies! 

Note to E-Squared:  the pancakes here are wonderful.  If you are ever in Eugene and want pancakes, this is the place to go.

Russ had Joe's Special - scrambled eggs with sausage, onions and spinach,
plus pancakes of course.  Good stuff!

Well that should hold us until dinner.  Now we're off again to finish our shopping and then to Izzy's for dinner.  Mine is FREE today - can't beat that!

Okay, last post about my birthday, I promise.  I don't care how old I get, I still love birthdays - except for maybe my 60th - that one was hard for some reason.  But I got over it and have enjoyed them all since.  I had SOOO many birthday wishes today.  Wish I could bottle them up and savor them slowly throughout the year. 

I never did get my grocery shopping done.  I went to Walmart instead.  Unfortunately I found the Christmas clearance.  I got little lunch sized Christmas bags for 6¢, cookie tins for 25¢, boxes for 25¢, and flannel backed vinyl table covers for $1.25.  These were just a few of my finds.  Good thing I just cleaned out the attic.  Oh, I got two long sleeved Christmas t-shirts for $1.25 each.  They work great even after Christmas if you layer them under a short sleeved shirt!!  I had a blast.

Then we went to Izzy's.  We got there a little after 4p and they still gave us the lunch price.  WOW!


I started with bar-b-que chicken pizza and a slice of combination

Russ likes his pizza too!!

Next I had to have two chicken wings and their wonderful garlic green
beans, mixed grilled vegetables and just a taste of potato salad with
a dill pickle.  The potato rounds were yuk so I left them.

I ordered ONE pork slider from the grill but she gave me two. 
Just a bite was plenty, but Russ helped me out, of course! YUM.

 

Since it was my birthday, I ate what I wanted and left the rabbit food for another time.  All of this and our total bill was $7.99 - such a deal!  I also left the dessert bar alone as I purchased a piece of Chocolate Lovers Cake at Market of Choice.  This market has the best bakery in Eugene.  For $3.99 you get a huge slab of cake.  I slice it into 4-5 pieces and it is plenty.  I hate buying or making a whole cake as so much goes to waste (or waist as the case may be).  So here is my dessert which I shall partake of after the Izzy's dinner wears off.

This cake is so rich and moist that just a small piece satisfies.

Good night all and hope you all have a good day tomorrow.  I was hoping for a call from the Mother Ship today telling me that Therapy was finished, but no such luck.  Any day now, any day.

Going "Buggie"

I have been so restless since December 30.  That was when Christmas was officially over for us.  The last of the relatives had been visited with, the last of the presents distributed, and the ham was almost gone.  Now it seems all I can think about is getting that Lazy Daze finished and getting into Therapy.   I know I still have plenty to do to get ready but the wait is starting to drive me "buggie".  So in honor of that I dug out some of my bug pictures to share.

Normally I HATE bugs of any kind, especially spiders.  But when I started looking at them through the lens of a camera, I found something fascinating.  Now I still don't like them in the house, but if they stay outside and off me, I love taking their photos.  Most of these were taken in my yard, unless identified otherwise.


It may seem cruel but it is simply the way of nature. 



Just a lowly and common blue bottle fly, but look how beautiful the colors are.
This was taken at a wonderful place on the Oregon coast called Shore Acres Park.

 

I love taking pictures of bees.  They really are beautiful if you take the time to look.

This little fella loved the lupine and I am guessing that is a load of pollen he's carrying.
I don't know much about insects, so I could be wrong.

I think dragonflies are pretty cool.  They are so colorful.  This one loved sitting atop this
garden stake.  At one point, as I snapped photo after photo, I swear he was watching me
as much as I was watching him.

The spider has long since abandoned his lair, but his handiwork lives on to capture
the frost of a cold morning and turn it into a delicate display of wonder. 
How do they DO that?

The butterfly photos were taken by Russ in Crescent City, CA this past September
on our way back from our trip to Montclair to order the Lazy Daze.  I think they're
pretty good photos.

Okay, I'll try not to bug you too much in the next few weeks.  I still have stories and photos to post of sights around Oregon and I will try and keep it travel related.  But with me, you just never know when I will get a bee in my bonnet and write something totally unexpected!  Happy Travels!