Impromptu History Lesson in Everyday Ramblings

This morning, because I could, I grabbed my camera and went in search of easy access to “The Elevator Stairs”. I tried to follow the route that S. and I took last month from the top of them up to the castle house with the immense chocolate bunny.

Although I came close I did not find that street. I did find others though and thoroughly enjoyed wandering around up there. At one point I found this wooded area that had a faint trail and a sign saying Governor’s Park. I thought it might be a scenic way down. So off I trek and I am having trouble finding the trail ahead, it is not very well maintained and narrow and I am thinking I must be crazy to be so intrepid to just boldly head into a woodland that I know nothing about.

I mean there was a guy sleeping on one of the narrow rest benches on the Elevator Stairs, who knows who could be in here?

But gamely I went on thinking how good this adventure was for my brain and my body, this totally new place so close to home.

But then I came to this part where the trail just stopped. It was woodland all around with houses down below and the city proper down below that.

So I turned around and carefully made my way back up and there was a fellow walking his beagle kind of hanging around at the top of the trail. He called out to me that his dog thought I might be a fox.

I asked him when I got closer what was the deal with the trail. He said I was right, that basically it didn’t go anywhere and that had everything to do with the homeowners below that had blocked off access to any connecting trail or street.

He lives in one of the absolutely gorgeous homes right near where we were standing and apparently the land had been clear cut in the late 1870’s and then given as a gift to the city as park land that was supposed to go all the way downtown to what we call The Park Blocks.

It was wonderful to chat with him, he knew all sorts of cool stuff including how old the trees were. There were a few trees right where we were talking that are about 140 years old. I think he may be a professor at PSU. He seemed pleased that I knew certain stuff (like the derivation of the term Skid Road) as someone would with a student (although I am pretty sure he was about 15 years younger than me) and he told me about a place I might be able to find some photos of my neighborhood as it used to be. He also pointed me in the direction of how to get back to a different set of stairs to get home.

There are no sidewalks up there. I would not wander around at night in that area. There are, however, some marvelous gardens and on a day unlike (gloomy glare filled) today, spectacular views.

Yesterday when I was down in Salem, Kes and Most Honorable and I went for a walk at their local conservation area down by the river on a meadow trail none of us had been on before and at one point I noticed an adorable little brown face with round ears watching us from the grasses. There was no one but us around. We thought maybe it was an escaped ferret (they are popular pets here) but we couldn’t see his body.

It turns out it was a wild mink. There are a number of them in the area.

I was glad to have gone down. It was a nice break from the routine. They made a yummy shrimp frittata and we had that with a big helping of cooked sweet kale.

There are rumors that we might have some clearing late this afternoon. This coolish oppressive gloom is getting just a tad bit old.

Still I am happy to have this unstructured time to procrastinate doing chores in. I might even take a nap.

Radical idea that.

Last updated May 24, 2015