Wattenpaugh Ave. - Former place in the country and Nic

My former neighbor!

ARRIVAL!

Hello friends! We have arrived in Corvallis, Oregon where the weather has been kind and the sun generous. We are thoroughly enjoying our time here and spent part of Labor Day walking down the Willamette River picking wild blackberries. I told Michael that I felt like we were at that point of a vacation when one says, “I don’t want to go home!” only this time, I don’t. I know that will change once Michael leaves and the intensity of classes begin, but for now, I am taking in the newness of our environment. 

Michael and I have met some wonderful and encouraging folks out here. I don’t think it’s too hasty of me to call a few of them friends. I am particularly grateful for our chum Judi, whom I refer to as my social angelfly. She has invited us to parties, introduced us to countless folks and is doing her best to see to it that I attend the High Holiday services at the local JCC. She is enticing me with little facts about the rabbi, like how he teaches meditation classes on Wednesdays.

We’ve encountered so many amazing parallels here. Dick, the man I’ll be house sitting for beginning in October, is retired but was an EFL educator. We’ve read some of the same books, find overlap in inspirational philosophers, and what’s best is that I’ll be temporarily inheriting his library (I hope!!!). I knew we were kindred spirits when I saw a book entitled, Pedagogy of the Oppressed in his library.  Ironically, Dick’s son is enrolled in the same program I was accepted to at Columbia. He does not love the program and I’m sorry for him, but took this as another sign that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Another woman I begin house sitting for today lives next door to one of the professors I mentioned in my OSU application essay. It seems like everyone we encounter is either an artist or an activist and they travel all over the world to boot! I sense that inspiration and encouragement will be free flowing in Corvallis. 

Our drive out here was uneventful for the most part. The road gave us time to talk, listen and think. Some of what I pondered is a direct result of having just taught a year of American history beginning with pre-contact Natives. I find that I am still processing information through the lens of “what if?” Here is a revised version of a journal entry: 

“No more could I only encounter the simplicity of the Midwest for its capacious farmlands, or be fully distracted by Temple Square in Salt Lake City. I now think about the tribes that inhabited these lands before European contact. What would the world be like had the enchantment of gold, spices and expansion not enticed European royalty? 

I hope not to reduce what took place on this pre-contact land, to some romantic account. I don’t mean to aggrandize a could-be nation because every nation has its baggage. Tribal wars, child abductions and environmental decimation were rife in some areas of these continents, but like other places in the world, so too existed egalitarian cultures and prolific peoples who honored the Spirit and looked to nature for its messages. What would have become of “America” had it remained untouched by European patriarchal oppression? What philosophies would govern here now, and how would government be defined? How would the various tribal roles of women and elders through the ages influence the world at large today? What most piques my curiosity is wondering in what ways science and technology might have progressed worldwide as a result of “American Indian” contributions? And what would the Americas be called anyway? How would we refer to its inhabitants? My mind does not stop there. It ventures into Africa too.”

Perhaps these are questions for the 5^th graders I taught, but I am glad that I have not stopped asking them, and I hope to continue to lead with curiosity. In the words of Wilma Mankiller, “America would be a better place if leaders would do more long-term thinking.” She also wrote that, “The secret to our [future?] success is that we never, never give up.”

My friends, I hope you are well and I miss you dearly. This place only stands to grow richer with you here, so please visit soon! The following pages contain images on the road with much shorter descriptions than this! I hope you enjoy them and I look forward to hearing from you (you can post comments on the blog). 

Much love,

Stephanie (and Michael!)

Oregon

Our first Oregon morning took place in Burns, where it was 38 degrees.
I absolutely second guessed my decision to move here!

Moon and stars

Controlled forest fire

The backyard of our first landing station was on a farm
outside of Corvallis.

"Mr. T" was adopted from the vet school at OSU.

My first encounter with the student body at Oregon State.

Our second landing station: house sitting for two ceramic artists.

Breakfast from the backyard

Sign reads, "Or just take one if you're hungry."

Photo credit: Michael Kahn

Voodoo Doughnuts - a must see/do in Portland

Doughnut line

Will this be the last phone booth in America?

"Wghippe" the mechanic who checked my radiator's health in Portland

Garage owner

MK outside the Portland farmers market

My final house sitting gig beginning in October!

Idaho

Our interest in the west was growing ever curious. Idaho provided unique small town cultures and an expensive gas station with alpacas and rattle snakes. Rupert was among our favorite stops. We camped at a scenic park that overlooked a lake. The downtown was a small square, sleepy and quiet with a diverse population.