A Western Bluebird that I saw at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge today.

For #WoodpeckerWednesday, here's a Red-shafted Northern Flicker. This one is a male and was possibly excavating a nest cavity before it took a break and flew over to another tree. A female was nearby. #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #Oregon #WillametteValley

A little sky and clouds to cleanse the timeline with.

The Vineyard-A scene from the Willamette Valley in Oregon! https://pixels.com/featured/the-vineyard-thom-zehrfeld.html #vineyard #wine #winery #winelover #nature #WillametteValley #Oregon #PNW #BuyIntoArt #Art #Landscape #ThomZehrfeldPhotography #PhotographyIsArt #Photography #Fotografie
#ArtForSale #ArtMatters #MastoArt #Mastodon #ArtforInteriorDesign #HospitalityInteriors
#InteriorDesign #Wallart #InteriorDecorating #WallArtForSale #PhotoOfTheDay #FediGiftShop #GiftIdeas #FediArt #Prints #FediArtShop #Colorful

#ThreeGoodThings from yesterday, since I forgot to post.

1. Gorgeous golden-hour views on my drive to dinner (pictured).

2. Date night at my favorite restaurant with my husband, tended by one of my favorite servers (he truly knows how to make an experience).

3. Clean bedding, clean towels, and clean laundry (always feels so good).

(Edits to fix typos and such)

America stinks right now.

It's so many things. More than half of SCOTUS is genuinely nuts. Half of Washington, D.C. is a full-on gerontocracy. The military is out of control on the world stage as per usual, with indiscriminate drone bombings in almost any country that remotely threatens US dominance over their oil imports and US oil exports.

And here in the #PNW more specifically the #WillametteValley in western Oregon, the high cost of housing including the rental cost for both apartments and townhouses is literally going through the roof. Here in #Corvallis, we have so much land available and yet much of our zoned land within the city limits is being used to build #OregonState grad student housing and also build more luxury apartments that no one but rich foreign students can afford.

It's this kind of stuff that agitates the political fringe groups such as MAGA to no end. We are more or less giving land handouts to foreigners and also entitled young people who may not deserve an all-expenses-paid-for college education. A lot of others who do not have that access starve on either side of the political spectrum which they hail from, while the politicians are often throwing stones.

Hey #Oregon,

What do you call this?

Too small to be a "panhandle"; a "cowlick" maybe?

#saturday #dinner Sautéed Tuna Steaks with Sweet Red Pepper, Onion, Mango, Dill, Scallion, Moruno Spice & Lime, served with Sesame Broccoli & Jasmine Rice.
#wine pairing is a #WillametteValley #chardonnay offering crisp green apple, pear, lemongrass & marine sediment notes.

Still snow in the hills

#WillametteValley
#trains

The lambs are very cute, but there's no way I'll get a good photo

#WillametteValley
#trains

Even though they are super common in this area, I still really love watching Dark Eyed Juncos. Cute little things.

Ever wonder why when you were a kid in Oregon, you learned about the Iroquois and Cherokee tribes of the Eastern USA but nothing about local Native Americans? Why you learned about the pioneers crossing the plains on the Oregon Trail, but nothing about what they did once they arrived?
...Or maybe you didn't even notice how much was left out until this very moment, reading my words?
Here is the missing piece.
"Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley" by David G. Lewis.
Fair warning, this book made me so upset that I cried. Not at the author, he's done an excellent job. At the astonishing cruelty, violence, and dishonesty shown to native people by (many) white settlers. At how little they asked for, and still didn't get. At how little is left of the ecosystems that sustained people and wildlife and were carefully maintained by native people. At how much astonishing wealth has accrued to those who stole from natives, even to the modern day.
Land acknowledgement statements are not enough! If you are a white person in Oregon, you need to read this.

One of my peanut mongers was keeping watch this morning. I have around 8 - 10 visitors to feed.

#Oregon
#WillametteValley
#NaturePhotography
#StellersJay
#FridayMorning
#HalfMoon
#Fall
#WinterIsComing

#PizzaFriday
1. Shrimp, Chorizo, Potatoes, Peppers & Onions w/ EVOO, garlic & grated Reggiano #pizza
2. Sautéed Shallots, Garlic, Truffled Mushrooms, spinach & tomato w/ creamy Feta cheese pizza

#wine pairing is a #WillametteValley #PinotNoir offering cherry, strawberry, rhubarb, compost, prosciutto & basalt minerality.

Science and nature minded folks in the Corvallis, OR area have plenty of options for activities over the next month. From classes to cleanups, fundraisers to field trips, my latest for the Corvallis Advocate is a local calendar to help plan a natural and nerdy January 2023: https://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2023/corvallis-science-and-nature-january-2023-calendar/
#oregon #corvallis #OregonStateUniversity #pnw #willamettevalley