November 11, 2025

Saw whet owls, Dad's new project, The Marginalian, and fantasy football.

From the Woods

Five years ago, I was out in “Snag Patch,” a stand of fir, pine, and cedar planted in 2000. I was looking for honeysuckle—not the fragrant kind you can suck sweet nectar from—but the kind that has no fragrance, twines around the bole of young trees, and strangles them. When I found a tree attacked by this vine, I’d cut away the vines, the prune up the branches so new vines would have no purchase. On one tree covered in honeysuckle was this northern saw whet owl just staring at me. I decided to leave his tree alone.

This year, as I walk the gravel road through Snag Patch, I’ve been noticing honeysuckle leaves sticking out the top of one of the fir trees. I’m pretty sure, well, I decided, it’s the saw whet owl-tree. So last week, I went into the stand to find it. I did, and freed the tree from the vine. Sadly I have not seen another saw whet owl.

People Ancient As Trees

Dad has decided to prune about three acres of Douglas-fir and western red cedar. These particular trees are along the Spring Trail, trail we often walk—and sometimes find morels—so it will be nice to have a pruned forest there. Also, Dad hopes the fir will make good peeler logs for veneer.

Timber Charles, nephew (mine) grandson (Dad’s) son (Julie’s) brother ( Griffin’s) has been visiting the tree farm these past two weeks. He and Dad and Julie have been splitting firewood everyday, making the patriarch most happy.

What I’m Reading/Writing

I’m 97% finished with The End of Drum Time and on page 295 of 419 of The Antidote. I’m very ready to be finished with the former but will be sad to end the latter. As I listen to the End of Drum Time, my head edits out about every 5th sentence, and every 8th paragraph. I find it over written. But I want to know what happens!

Reading both these books at the same time has been interesting. Both deal with new people, “settlers” on old lands, lands that have been lived on/used differently by other people—Sami in the Arctic and Ponca, Omaha, and Dakota in Nebraska. The clash is tragic in both books.

I also read Maria Popova’s weekly newsletter, The Marginalian. This week I learned that lichens are not plants but a hybrid of fungi and algae. And that Beatrix Potter of Tale of Peter Rabbit fame studied fungi, lichen, and algae, producing beautiful illustrations. Potter was an early naturalist who used the proceeds of her writing (and an inheritance from her aunt) to buy and conserve much of the land that is now the Lake District National Park in England. Beware! The Marginalian is full of rabbit holes that will consume many minutes and hours.

Stumptown

Timber and Julie came to Portland this week. Timber and I dined at Phuket Cafe—delicious and then watched Thursday night football. At the time, our fantasy football team had a 70% chance of winning, but alas, by Sunday night the West Coast Victors had been vanquished by Charleston Charmers. We are not doing well this year, but it is fun to talk QBs, TEs, and defense with my nephew.

Julie has a great eye and took these photos of leaves—it’s been a radiant and colorful fall.

Friday morning, Timber took my grocery list, his boots, and crew socks to the store.