Crutcher's Bench and the Smithsonian Museums

Snow falling on cedars… hemlock and doug firs, too. It snowed all over Crutcher’s Bench yesterday on the next to last day of April. I was not there. Everyone must have thought I was at Buckingham Palace attending the royal wedding. But no, I had to eschew that invitation because of a more pressing engagement: the ADAPT demonstrations in our nation’s capitol calling for home and community based services for people with disabilities as opposed to forcing folks to live in nursing homes and other institutions.

The weather and flora and fauna are gorgeous in Washington: 70 degrees, sunny, a light wind. Apple, pear, peach, varied colored dogwood trees, and azalea all with bursting blooms. Here, they squeeze in the flora and fauna between buildings and concrete.

I’m enjoying this time in the city where every convenience is at one’s fingertips. Groceries, drug stores, and yummy restaurants are within walking distance. And culture? The Capitol Mall with Smithsonian museums lining either side is just 2 blocks away.

I get why people live in great cities with all that we think we need just minutes away. Where I live, it is a 30-minute drive to a drugstore. The nearest art museum is over an hour’s drive and pales when compared to the National Gallery or the Met.

Still, I wouldn’t trade life on Crutcher’s Bench for a return to my old Georgetown condo. Something comes from living with trees, rocks, and rivers that is lost with urban dwelling.

A few short steps out my back door and I am among giants. Tall trees, boulders, moss, owls, and other creatures share this land. It is a path that leads not only to forest but unswervingly to the core of me. Oh this land that holds me, cries me, smiles, shakes, and dances me clear to the very ground of being.

This week will be full of having conveniences at one’s fingertips and visiting the National Gallery and National Museum of the American Indian. It’s a time to move along streets packed with people and inhale the plethora of spring blossoms.

Then, with profound joy, I’ll return to forest and family…home to Crutcher’s Bench where shopping is at a distance but soul and center are accessible.

Mountain Beaver or Boomers or Ground Bear or Poor Folks Guinea Pig

Mountain beaver or Boomers or

Ground Bear or Poor Folks Guinea Pig.

 Source: http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/07/Mountain_Beaver.jpg

About a year ago a neighbor asked me about mountain beavers.  He claimed one had eaten the new growth on his rhododendron plants.  I thought he was kidding me.  I’ve never heard of mountain beavers – sounds just like was being set up for some joke.  We have rhododendron plants in our yard also and nothing has been eating them.  In fact we live where rhododendron grow wild – the post office we use is named Rhododendron!  He insisted that there was such a thing.  His wife stopped by and swore she even saw it.  I pleaded ignorance and no joke came.

So I got online and did the ol’ internet search thing.  And wonders of wonders they do exist and we live in a habitat just perfect for those critters.  Our hilly, woody area with plenty of water is just what they need.  I’ve even noticed that a few of my plants had a way of being chewed off also but attributed that to deer or packrats.  But it may have been the mountain beaver afterall.

The results of my earlier internet search plus some new links are provided below.  Enjoy!

“Even though the name might suggest that, the Mountain Beaver doesn't actually belong to the beaver family. It's considered to be a primitive rodent and it's known under a couple of other names, like Giant Mole, Boomer, Aplodontia or Ground Bear.

“In most cases Mountain Beavers have a brown fur, but in some cases they will be blackish or reddish. The tail is short. The weight generally ranges between 500 and 900 grams (18 to 32 oz). The length of a male Mountain Beaver is between 30 and 50 cm.

“Mountain Beavers are usually found in places ranging from the mountain ranges from Sierra Nevada to the coastal area that can be found in the Pacific Northwest. In most cases Mountain Beavers will be met in coniferous forests.

“They live in burrows that have specialized chambers for food. They usually eat ferns or other fleshy herbs.

“The Mountain Beaver breeding season happens during the first three months of the year and each litter has 2 or 3 newborns. Their lifespan is between 5 and 10 years.

“While they can climb trees, they don't usually go too far from their burrow.” http://www.newbeaver.info/mountain_beaver

http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg/segments/view/1400   is a link to a OPB piece/video on the Mountain Beaver.  While this piece highlights their destructive impact on forest seedlings, esp. the replanting after a lumber clear cut, the narrative notes the MB are beneficial most of the time.

One of the most delightful articles about our “boomers” is from the Seattle Times, in an article titled The Pacific Northwest’s elusive mountain beaver by Carol M. Ostrum, at this link http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008706268_pacificpbeaver08.html

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A picture http://professorpaulsnatureencyclopedia.blogspot.com/2010/12/aplodontiidae-mountain-beavers.html

 

Sometimes, in life, and even with fun items, we are tested.  So for some reason I found link with 10 questions about mountain beavers.  So feel free to go the link and see how well you did  http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Animals/How-Weird--The-Mountain-Beaver-260647.html

An Oregon high school (Toledo) has the Boomer as a mascot.  Here is a copy of their t-shirt design.

 

Source: http://www.infowright.com/mtbeaver/boomers.jpg

http://dirttime.ws/Notebook/Aplodontia.htm is a link to some great information and pictures

A Carpet of Trilliums

It was a spectacular 60-degree day on Crutcher’s Bench on March 29. Walking a path near the rushing creek, I glimpsed the season’s first Trillium. Several more of those delicious spring heralds appeared. In fact, I cannot remember a year when the Trillium flower has appeared in such abundance on Crutcher’s Bench.

Two days later the weather turned. There were days of wild wind, snow and hail. Warmed by a crackling wood fire, I thought of those trilliums and wondered whether the delicate blooms would be killed off or survive freezing temperatures and extreme weather.

Spring weather returned and there they were, those rugged flowers…a little bent and battered in places but still lovely. I was struck by the metaphor. Those Trilliums are rather like us. We humans open strong and willing, and survive all manner of life’s batterings. A flawed lot, most of us manage a core of integrity, compassion, and humor.

Here on the mountain, our modes of survival and communication are sometimes stellar…as in responding to the recent flood, which brought out the best in most of us. Sometimes too, those all too human flaws surface.

Drama, gossip, jumping to conclusions without factual inquiry are human flaws that sometimes batter our rural community like hail on Trilliums. After our high water event, when some Lolo Pass dwellers were stranded without phone communication, some folks were in high dudgeon about lack of cell coverage. The outcry for cell towers was ubiquitous and leveled with criticism of those who had successfully defeated placing a cell tower on Benchwood Lane.

The fact that the Benchwood Lane location would NOT have brought cell phone coverage to Lolo Pass residents was seemingly ignored, as was any inquiry into whether a tower was planned in a location that would actually serve our community. After all, why would one resort to ferreting out actual facts when drama and gossip are entertaining?

We all fall prey to expressing our flawed parts from time to time even when those flaws batter others. Spring, Trilliums, and shining though life’s storms remind me to trade drama and gossip for integrity and compassion.

Not just because of Easter, Sunday Was …

Not just because of Easter, Sunday Was …

Not just because of Easter, Sunday was a great day.  The serious Spain rain (yes, “the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain, I mean “Tacoma”, no that was when I was a kid, I mean here now – the rain forest I live in) didn’t start falling until evening.  So during the day the mist, light rain, and sun breaks were very manageable.  Even our neighbor in front cut down two Alders (like a weed hereabouts), burned the branches in a large bonfire, and cut up the Alders into firewood.  But the neighbor’s activity had nothing to do with the day’s greatness.

For the first time, I wore my new “Dave the Breadman” outfit - white sweats and large white t-shirt.  I decided to make some gluten-free crumpets for Janine to take on her trip back east.  

The first thing I wanted to do was to make the crumpets using whey (draining yogurt overnight results in whey and yogurt cheese).  The crumpets I make are a take-off of Bette Hagman’s recipe which, I read somewhere, all by itself is sufficient reason to fork over the bucks to buy her book The Gluten Free Gourmet.

After reviewing the recipe I decided on making four dozen – one dozen of four different kinds.  The four kinds were coconut flour, yellow popcorn flour, garbanzo bean flour, and sweet white sorghum flour.  In each I replaced one cup of whey for one cup of water and for the last dozen I mixed the four with the whey and let it sit for about 3 hours before using the dough in the last batch.

Good friends from Seattle made a surprise visit for a few hours on Sunday.  They were hopping around while the baking was done.  So I had several more guinea pigs for the modified results.  Just out of the oven warm crumpets were sliced, buttered, and devoured.   

great weather day

Planted a bunch of potato starts (Yukon gold) – about a 12’ row plus another 10 starts in the 55-gallon drum.  Potatoes take about 90 days – so I’m looking for some summer potato salad come mid to late July.  Imagine I’ll be planted some more as we have some potatoes on the kitchen counter that are already growing.  Cleaned up some more of the garden spots and planted 3 rows, about 6’ each with 3 kinds of peas (hopefully these old seeds will come up - Frosty and Oregon sugar pod with 1 row of Alderman).  Peas will take about 9 weeks, which will be late June.  Around these parts, folks plant a second season of peas in early August. I plan to try that this year.  In another area I planted 2 20’ rows of fava beans (new seeds of Broad Windsor, Statissa, and Negreta). We usually pick our fava beans when they are young, not waiting until late summer for the beans to get large and dry.  In between the two fava bean rows, I put in a row of radishes (cherry belle, organic).  In the raised cold frame I planted a 5’ row of mesclun blend.  Of course, the mesclun and radishes take a shorter time so we should be enjoying them by Memorial Day or sooner.  I watered all the seeds, except potato starts, and closed the glass cover on the cold frame.   Another day I’ll take the covers off the rhubarb plants and weed, cut their “flowers”, and fertilize.  The chicken wire covers will go back on until we start picking the rhubarb.  Without the covers, one of our “neighbors” will take the first, young stalks before we’ll have a chance to get any.  Gardening at 1500’ and next to the wild is interesting.

This evening I heard a strange cry from a distance, one I hadn’t heard in a quite awhile.  First, thought was the coyote, that is hanging around the neighborhood, may have caught something.  But no, thankfully that wasn’t it.  The sound was from the neighbor across the road and downhill a bit.  Then I remembered!  It was the dinner time cry of a baby goat!  She had one last year and must have gotten another just today.  Guess she her horses and pack of St. Bernards need more company.  

Sourdough etc

Well this past weekend while I was busy baking bread,  one of my neighbors calls me on Monday talking about the sourdough bread he made over the weekend.  So we agreed he would stop by and taste each others bread.  What a delight when in he comes with parts of 5 beautiful loaves baked to perfection.  He is a budding bread baker and is doing wonderful loaves with just water, flour, starter, flour and salt.  Sometimes he added soaked wheat berries (hard red or white).  We sliced added butter or dipped in olive oil.  It was a very rewarding evening.

Bread, and more bread

Bread

This weekend has been bread baking time.  My clients have ordered more loaves plus I had an inquiry from another. 

On Friday I made four loaves of gluten-free bread for “J” which is about her regular monthly order.  The recipe is specific for her needs and tastes and includes cooked quinoa, currants, and sunflower seeds.  Every day she has several slices in the morning.  She’s looking to see if I can add even more protein to the bread.  I expect I’ll be tweaking this recipe a bit for next month.

About a month ago, another friend has asked me start making some low-carb bread.  I wasn’t familiar with this “low carb” stuff so I did some research, primarily internet, plus she wanted me to add grated zucchini (that she already had frozen).  So I put together a recipe which included lots of fiber and Splenda as the sweetner.  All is good because she asked for more loaves – this time without the zucchini.  Along the way my research into bread making for special diets kept coming up with the idea of using sourdough (such as a sourdough starter, or letting the flour and liquid sit overnight).  Chemically the sourdough process reduces some of the negative impacts of modern flours and enhancing others.  Some of the articles also brought up the advantage of using whey as the liquid, rather than water, in the sourdough.  So, for this client, I will be making two loaves with an overnight sourdough of hard red wheat flour and water and another two loaves also with an overnight sourdough but with rye and whey.  In both recipes I’m including Splenda so the bread will not have a sour taste.  Hopefully, they will turn out to her liking.

So it was whey making time (Friday night into Saturday morning).  I dumped a large container of Nancy’s yogurt on a linen towel over a strainer which was placed over a large bowl.  I ended up with four cups of whey and about three cups of soft cheese.  The whey will go into the bread making.  I’m not sure what’ll happen to soft cheese – I trust Janine will have some ideas.

The local restaurant, The Soup Spoon, called Saturday with an order for three loaves of the buttermilk sandwich bread.  This bread is based on the recipe from Bette Hagman’s book Cooks Fast and Healthy:  Wheat-free Recipes with Less Fuss and Less Fat.  Of course, my recipe is slightly different and is made with mostly organic ingredients.

Mt. Hood got my back!

The view from here is from the south.  Today things looks pretty sunny (our 2nd nice day since the equinox, which was many days ago).

Luckily, I can glance to the west and, with imagination, I can see the foolishness from the west.  I can also see to the east, and again with imagination, I can see the foolishness from the east.  To the north is Mt Hood and it has my back.  But from the north, clear and cool weather tends to come.  From the south we get hot, more humid weather.  From the west, we get the prevailing winds off the ocean - which are temperate and moist, whether a "pineapple express" from the tropics or a stream of storms, perhaps including the radioactive mess from Japan.  From the east, we usual get wind, most times just a bunch of  hot air (if from DC it can be toxic, cut funding for Planned Parenthood, give me a break).

I'm glad Mt. Hood got my back!

April fooliness continues

April fooliness continues.  I know it is already a week into April, but the weather is still March like.  We are having another bout of wet snow glop.  The view out our window towards the south looks like real bad TV reception (in the analog days of rabbit years).  Colder than normal continues.

Supposedly the blue bloom of nuclear particles (see earlier report) is overhead today but it is all white, winter like.

TerraDaily reports that the US Geological Survey wants to monitor a volcano near Bend in Eastern Oregon.  It reports


"We're doing this on Newberry because it's a potentially active volcano," John Ewert at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash., said.

"And as far as volcanoes go, it's one that, were it to reactivate, we'd be pretty concerned about because there are substantial numbers of people and infrastructure nearby."  http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Oregon_volcano_to_be_monitored_999.html

Keeping the fires going, enjoying the beautiful views, and glad the power is still on.

However, I can’t say, “spring has sprung” yet.

Bog

April 4, 2011

Our spring is starting.  However, I can’t say, “spring has sprung” yet.

First off, on the last day of March, during one of our little hikes in the woods in back – called Crutcher’s Bench, one of the foothills of Mt. Hood – we spotted our first trilliums of the season.  One trillium was by itself right in the middle of a little path we created last year and, then we spotted a wonderful collection of three trilliums a little closer to home.  Of course, Janine posted these sightings on Facebook right away besting our neighbor’s FB reports by one day.

April 1^st brought the nicest day we’ve had since some time last year.  60+ degrees and blue skies was the April fool treat the weather gods and goddesses gave us.  During the walks we could see just how healthy the moss, ferns, Oregon grape, and oxalis are.  The next day, Saturday, was filled with wet snow and wind.  I’m sure the mountain got another foot of snow, Portland got some rain, and our rainforest got a lot of glop.  Actually it was rather fun since it didn’t pile up and hinder us getting around.  Sunday was overcast, cool, but dry.  Today, Monday is cold and rain, rain, rain. We look longingly at the naked deck furniture.  Just where is that spring?

Nonetheless, I’ve made the trip to the garden center on Sunday full of hope.  Picked up several heirloom tomato plants that I’ll have to repot and keep inside for, at least, a month before I can transition them to harsher conditions.  I also got one new hose and some spray nozzles.  Soon the faucet covers will come off (it’s called procrastination at this point) and the four outside faucets and hoses will all be set up to use when spring actually comes.  I put the regular tires in the truck bed and will be going to our local tire store to have the studded tires switched out.  During the next try spell (day) I’ll take the chains off the trusty Kubota tractor.  By tax day or earlier, I’ll be planting potato starts (funny name since the starts are really the ends of organic potatoes that we didn’t get around to cooking) and maybe seeds of radishes, fava beans and parsnips.

Of course all this nice spring weather talk ignores the potential impact of radiation from Japan.  Authorities mention the impact will be minor, if at all.  Less mainstream news sources suggest otherwise.  Perhaps we need to get our hands on a Geiger counter.  I wonder if my rhubarb, which of course is already up J, will be redder this year.  The garlic, which was left in the ground over winter, is also up a good 4 or 5 inches.  I’m wonder how their anti-oxidant properties will be affected by the “blue plume”

http://enenews.com/fukushima-forecast-radioactive-particles-concentrated-northwest-april-6-video  Just another day, another season, another forecast, another foolish April.

Risk of cell phone article in today's NY Times

Cellphone Radiation May Alter Your Brain. Let’s Talk.

By KATE MURPHY

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/technology/personaltech/31basics.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage