A crazy day at the fish trap.

We were taking a load of steelhead (about 35) from our trap on the Siletz River to a Reservoir near Toledo to release. The fish are in a big tank on the truck. On the way down the logging road the tailgate pops open so we stop and I get out to close it and check if we lost anything. I don't see anything on the road and we're in a bit of a hurry so I close the tailgate and off we go. 20+ miles later we get to the reservoir and discuss how we will have to net the fish out of the truck because the water is too low to back down the ramp (very muddy). Normally we would back down, pull the plug on the tank and woosh, water and fish neatly delivered. As I climbed into the back of the truck it hit me - we lost the only fish net! Luckily there was no one at the reservoir at the time, because this was an ugly scene. All we could do was let most of the water out of the tank and then attempt to put the fish in garbage sacks, then flounder down the muddy bank to the lake. So I am inside the tank trying to get these flopping slippery fish in the bags (very similar to your cat rodeo), then hand them to Joe, the bags keep getting holes in them and fish are tumbling and flopping everywhere. If someone could have videotaped this it would be priceless. We did manage to get them all in the lake but about halfway through it got funny to me, which was not helpful at all of course. What a day that was! Isn't life just a hoot sometimes?

Monday, October 12, 1998

From a damp spot on the edge of the continent I ponder aloud. I am a woman, a wife, a biologist and a writer of journals. I stumbled upon online journals and originally thought the idea a bit strange - baring one's soul to the entire planet? And who would really care to read some of the drivel one puts down? But my second thoughts were more positive: it might provide inspiration to write more often, it would be a way to connect to friends and family, and it might even be fun.

I would also like this to be a place for my family and friends to share their writings if they wish. This would be a wonderful way to learn more about each other.

This day began and ended with rain, a typical autumn day on the Oregon coast. A warm fire in the wood stove is the simplest of pleasures and I am content to sit here musing for a bit. There are things to be done of course, but I am trying to learn to be still. I tend to rush about "doing" too much and miss some of the really important things that are happening, and in the blink of eye entire years seem to sweep by - a frightening phenomena.

October 13, 1998

Spent half the day dealing with a supposed cougar attack. This was just down the road from our house so I started out pretty concerned - envisioning one of my children dragged into the bushes while wating for the bus. I didn't get to talk to the victim the night it happened because he was passed out (from fright, medication...???). Started wondering at that point. Next morning I go to his house but the lady sharing his house tells me she cannot awaken him. Hmmmmm. Left my card for him to call me and went to work. Much later he calls and gives me his story. Said he went out late at night to pen up his geese when something knocked him into the duck pond (plastic wading pool), scratched and bit him, and then leapt over his 5 foot fence with ease. Claimed it was as big as he is. He was pretty convincing. I proceeded to alert folks in the regional office, etc. and sent an OSP officer out there to check out his injuries and look for cat sign, to try and determine if this was really a cougar. First thing he admits is that he had four shots of tequila before venturing outside. When questioned about the animal he said it could have been a bobcat or even a big coon (or his own cat??). The scratch may have come from his collision with the pool, which broke on impact. No bite wound. Sooo.... just your typical wildlife encounter with bit of delirium thrown in. We won't calculate how many person-hours were spent dealing with this one!

Thursday, October 15, 1998

1. chocolate

2. curling up with a good book

3. a mega-hug with someone I love

4. a hot shower

5. a walk in the woods

6. puttering in the garden

7. writing to a friend

8. browsing in a bookstore

9. crafting a gift for someone

10. listening to piano music