Isobel: A Fine Dog (1998-2012)

Isobel was a member of our family for fourteen years. She was definately of regal blood as I never took her for a walk in the neighborhood where she deigned to so much as look at another dog or a cat if she could avoid it. She walked right by my heel no matter that she had no prior leash training whatsoever.

In the daytime, "Izzy" shared an uneasy but sometimes friendly backyard domain with our other dog, Abby. When Abby passed away two and a half years ago, Isobel mellowed considerably and became queen of the kennel with a easy patrician style that set the standard for all other dogs along Oak Knoll Drive.

Good-by, dear old "Westie Terrier". You shall be missed.

Running Waters, Woody Wildfowl and the Odd Deer or Three: Spring in Oregon!

A early April Day at Lithia Park. The sun was out so off I went to find animal life.

The Bright Colors of Fall in Southern Oregon

Recently built a few years ago to replace a bridge lost to a rapid flood on New Year's Day in 1997.

Some pictures from a recent visit I took to Lithia Park in Ashland.

My Trip to Mount Ashland: Operation Excelsior!

The mountain itself stands 7,500 feet high. It is the biggest mountain between the smaller coast ranges its West and the mighty Cascade Range east of the Rouge Valley.

This week I took a daytime trip, camera in hand, up the winding roads of Mount Ashland, to capture some of nature and the lovely vistas here in this part of the Pacific Northwest.

That Was Too Close!---The Day We Almost Lost Our Home

The ivy was scorched by the fire,but the fire crew managed to save not only the house but our little gazebo. This shot was taken on the empty lot that was where the fire crews stopped the blaze.

On Tuesday August 24 I was returning home from work on the freeway south from Medford fifteen miles to Ashland. I noticed a large amount of smoke coming from near where my end of town was. As I drove closer the view only got more ominous. I soon discovered my neighborhood was on fire!

A fire that started about four in the afternoon by a careless or malicious transient jumped the four-lane section of Interstate 5 near where Shirley and I live. It burned down eleven homes in all. By the time I got to the block where I live the police had cordoned off the area. I stood about with other residents and photographers from the papers.

As carelessness would have it, I had forgotten my cell phone so there was no way to contact Shirley who I assumed had left work and was heading up to the area. All I could do was manage to slip past the police roadblock on foot and take a walking trail toward the back of my block.
Imagine my relief when I saw the house still standing! There was a fire truck parked right in front of our place and the next door neighbor's. I could see part of my back fence was gone. I looked above me and two or three helicopters were bumping large buckets of flame retardant right in the narrow field just in front of our back yard! It looked very touch and go at this point. I thought about our Westie terrier, Isobel, and hoped she was safe.

When I caught up with Shirley--who had been with two ladies crying their eyes out because their home was burning--I took here the back way I had to see the house. A fire fighter from the State Forestry Department told us we had to leave. There were maybe a dozen firefighters around the area and we were really just on the perimeter of being in the way. Seeing that they were doing all they can, including hosing down our roof, we left to go and get something to eat. I help so helpless but I was also hopeful the fire would be contained.

It was. After some two dozen firetrucks and several units coming from all parts of the county, the near-by cities and the state forestry department fire/rescue teams, our small subdivision was spared only a few singed roofs and our fence. The folks in the next block over were not so lucky, although some houses in the area were spared.

As it stands a suspect is in custody. What was going through his mind if he did set that blaze in 103 degree Fahrenheit heat I don't know. I do know Shirley and I were spared being burned out of our house. I told one of the firefighter crews I would gladly go door to door the next time there is a bond issue to get them a new firetruck.

The next morning around seven a city planning inspector came around. I was standing in the back yard with Shirley in the early light. "That was sure close for you folks," he said.

A little too close.

Oh, yes, Isobel came through okay.

A Voyage Around The Garden

They only bloom a few weeks a year.

Here's a few photos taken around the house of the garden my wife put together. Also, some shots of my two favorite dogs, Abby the friendly Flemish Schipperke, and her kennel-mate, the Ill-tempered Scottish cur, Isobel. .

Ashland Oregon 4th of July Parade

Start:

Jul 4, '08

In which everything from zooming fighter planes and old politicians riding in old cars with even older ideas in their heads to peace groups and rich "hippies" in painted Volkswagens will come together and make for a unique event.

Saying No to the "The Naked Lady"

Ashland has a major 4th of July Parade.  It's an artsy college town on the progressive side, so it's not the usual parade you'll see in most places.  There are the things you'd expect on an Independence Day Celebration: the flag/color guards, fighter jets zooming overhead, Masons  in their little cars, politicians in vintage cars, political wanna-bees handing out flyers, fire trucks with guys throwing candy at kids along the sidewalks, floats sponsored by local businesses, and musicians from the civic band and rotund clowns on large penny farthing bicycles..

 But there are also lesbian Harley riders (D**** ON Bikes") and parents of gay and lesbian couples, and some funky floats with all kinds of political and social messages from legalizing pot to anti-war contingents--things you might not see in a Deep South/Middle West  parade.   

But is it possible for a parade entry to go "too far".  In my opinion, yes, it is and I offer this little item from the Ashland Daily Tidings as Exhibit A.

 

'Naked Lady' will abide by parade ban

By John Darling

For the Tidings

Declaring that she is standing up for individual liberty on Independence Day, near-nude rollerblader Jen Moss says she will go topless wearing a G-string and the crown of Lady Liberty at Ashland's Fourth of July parade, but will stay on sidewalks and other areas where she isn't banned.

The Ashland Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the annual parade, has received overwhelming support for its decision not to approve Moss' application to participate, said chamber spokeswoman Katharine Flanagan.

The chamber's parade permit gives it control of Main Street, Siskiyou Boulevard and the Plaza from curb-to-curb, but not the sidewalk, cross streets and the after-parade festivities on Winburn Way, said Chamber Executive Director Sandra Slattery.

If Moss, known as "The Naked Lady," enters the parade route in any state of nudity that would offend a family audience, she will be asked to leave, and if she doesn't leave, the police will be informed, Flanagan said.

Ashland city ordinances allow nudity anywhere in town, but genitalia must be covered in city parks and the downtown commercial district. Since exposed female breasts are legal everywhere in town, Moss said she plans to go topless on the Fourth of July. Typically, Moss rollerblades or bikes in pasties and a hemp G-string.

Moss said she plans to contact the American Civil Liberties Union in hopes of filing suit against the Ashland chamber for what she sees as discrimination, based on her beliefs about freedom of expression and dress.

"I will sue them to the greatest extent I can," Moss said.

The chamber allows entries with controversial political views. But after consulting its attorney, Allen Drescher, the chamber denied Moss' application because nudity is inappropriate for the parade's "positive, family-friendly theme," Flanagan said.

ACLU Executive Director David Fidanque, reached at the organization's Portland office, said because the chamber receives money from the city, it may be an "actor of the government" and thus required to comply with the Constitution and "wouldn't be able to decide who's in the parade."

********************************

Now I'm all for free speech, but there should also be standards protecting children from lewd behavior and skateboarding exhibitionists seem to fit that catagory in my humble opinion.  A parade is not a strip act and upper full-front female nudity would seem to be crossing the line, at least in Ashland.  Ms. Jen Moss has already been told by the local authorities she could no longer perform her "act" on a bike around Ojai, California, so she is relocated up here because of the more tolerent enviroment.       

And although upper body nudity is technicaly legal in the city limits, I have yet to see or hear of any women who exercise their right to go about their business topless. 

 Might I suggest you find another form of parade dress, and stick to the nude thing in your  own house or backyard, milady.

Ashland's Public Spaces

This wrought iron bridge was installed in the park after the big New Years flood of 1997. (Caused by unusually heavy rains throughout December of that year and the collapse of a nearby reservoir.) The masses of water destroyed many of the older 1930 era wooden bridges and flooded businesses adjoining the park. (No loss of life occured luckily.)
The flooding changed much of the park forever, but the newer bridges like this one still lend it an old time feeling.

Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon and some of its surrounding landmarks. The park itself is 93 acres and is situated near the grounds of the three theatres that make up the venues for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The park itself was started in 1892. In 1916, the city commissioned landscape architect John McLaren to make improvements. (McLaren also designed San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.) It's a nice spot for a frisbee toss or a bit of exercise or a stroll. Local high school track teams use the trails for Cross Country Tournaments. It's also a nice place for tree hugging.

Town that Shakespeare Built, Part Two

The Town That Shakespeare Built, Part Two

Above is the entrance to the main theater at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Elizabethan. It was designed after the only extant drawing of a theater from that time, The Swan, which may have been used by several theatrical companies of the day, including the company William Shakespeare was affiliated with, The Lord Chamberlain's Men. That group of players became the King's Men shortly after James I came to the throne in 1603. (photo by me.)

	above) the surviving sketch of The Swan, from roughly 1596. It was late in 1598 that Shakespeare's group built the Globe Theater across the bank from London in Southwark. (photo from Wikipedia).

The present interior of the Elizabethan Theater in Ashland. The performances here are only in the evenings, from June to September. Almost all the major productions here are of Shakespeare's plays, although in recent years John Webster's "The White Devil" and Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" were also staged here. There are two other theaters near-by that make up the other main parts of the festival.

A still from a recent production at "The Lizzie" of "The Tempest" with the critically acclaimed Derrick Lee Weeden (left) as Prince Prospero and Amando Duran as the usurper he seeks revenge upon. (photo from the Medford Mail Tribune).

Actors in Shakespeare's day had to be in companies and be protected by "sponsors" who were noblemen in favor with the crown. Without such protection from a blue-blood, actors were subject to arrest as "masterless men" and could face being whipped or jailed. Religious zealots like the Puritans controlled London's civic affairs and would not even allow public productions within the city limits. Luckily for Shakespeare and his contemporaries, both Elizabeth and James were great fans of the theater. The only hitch was that all plays had to be submitted to a "Master of the Revels" (censor) prior to public performance to ascertain if their were any scenes that might provoke a riot amongst crowds, particularly younger male apprentices. (A very scary thing for the authorities off the day as there were no police forces to prevent the spread of such an event.) Also censorship was hard on any play that in some way, even unintentionally, undermined the status quo of the monarch and his/her court. Ben Jonson and a couple other playwrights were jailed for a time in the late 1590's for writing and performing a satirical play, The Isle of Dogs . It no longer is extant, but was considered by historians a lampoon of some nobility at court, possibly Sir Walter Raleigh's faction and perhaps even the Queen herself. Holy lese-majeste, Batman ! How that one slipped past the old Master of the Revels I'm not sure.

This is a view from the plaza of the outside of the Elizabethan in the Summertime. (from Flickr photos ).

 

The Town That Shakespeare Built...

...is Ashland, Oregon, home of the largest theatrical season in America dedicated to the Bard of Stratford On Avon. The brainchild of the festival was actor/teacher Angus Bowmer, who put on "The Merchant of Venice" as part of a Summer theatrical festival in 1937. Seventy some years on and the plays now number a dozen--about four by Mr. W.S. every year--and several more by playwrights as diverse as August Wilson, Tom Stoppard and Anton Chekhov. The plays attract folks from all over the world and run in repertory from February to October. I try to see two or three plays a year, usually not in the Summer because I'm (a) cheap and the bargain prices are in the Spring and Fall and (b) I'm a little allergic to crowds.

Having seen a few plays in major cities, I can say without doubt that the quality of the productions here are as good as anything you'll see on the West Coast.

Here he is, the big dude himself, along the side of a local hotel. This culture trap make millions, makes tourists pay a lot of local taxes, and this guy's heirs don't see a dime in royalties. Life really isn't fair, is it?

In my next blog, I post some of my recent pictures of the ol' hometown. In the meantime, here's a link to the festival. (below)

pictured above: The Elizabethan Theater, taken from the festival  square

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Some More Oregon Photos

This horse posed wonderfully for me--too bad I had no apples.

Here are some photos of Ashland and environs I forgot to post a while back, plus some newer ones I took in the last couple of weeks.

Ashland Sites--New Pictures

I'm uploading some shots of Ashland. Not a bad little burg and since I am a bit of an amateur photo-maniac, as my friends know to the very limits of their patience, why not show the old town off a bit before it goes to perdition? It's only been, like, five months since I got around to replacing that picture of the horse I've had on my main page. The damn nag was starting to demand royalties!

The picture above I took on a rare sunny February day from the hills in the residential west side of the "metropolis", looking over the downtown. The large building in the center is the venerable Ashland Springs Hotel.

Others in the set I took that sunny Wednesday afternoon were taken either near Pioneer Plaza or at the south entrance to the main thoroughfare near the public library and a gas station. You will be able to activate a "slide show"of the offending material under "Ashland Sites" at the upper right part of the "Photos" area on my main blog page.

Any feedback is welcome on the shots. I also include here a more professional and comprehensive site about the town so you can get an idea what goes for fun around here with the locals. (see, and enter, below)

http://www.ashlandchamber.com/

Ashland, Oregon--Glad to be here

It's another new year, well it will be in a couple hours. I just realized I have lived here in Ashland Oregon since September, 1992. It is now 14 years and some change, the longest I have lived anywhere in one town in my life. Even though I was fortunate to grow up in two of the most beautiful and pleasant areas in the country (the San Jose/Santa Clara Valley before it was overdeveloped by the computer industry, and four years in Naples, Florida) and spent another roughly ten years in Contra Costa County, I think I would stay in Ashland even if I won the proverbial lottery and could live anywhere.

There's something nice about living in a place that has a first-class but small university near-by as well as a lot of theater courtesy of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Oregon Cabaret (pictured above, looking down on East Main Street where the Ashland Springs Hotel is the big building in the background) . It's not that I'm a great theater-goer. I might go to the Shakespeare Festival (which shows both the Bard and more contemporary fare from February to October) just twice a year and hit the cabaret or some other local productions once or twice. But having professional live theater creates an ambiance of visitors around the area that makes it a much more inviting place than if the town had, say, the HQ of the Hell Angels or the Yakov Smirnoff Theater al a the attractions of Branson, Missouri.

It's cold but not frigid in winter and hot but not humid in the Summer. The snow stays up in the hills above us for the most part and that makes the street driving safer.

There's Lithia Park (some pictures of which you can see on my slide show feature on the upper right sectionof this site) and several good used book stores.

The people are generally tolerant; Ashland is a liberal/progressive enclave in conservative Southern Oregon. Still there area lot of churches and American flags flying on holidays (or all year around) so one can feel at home no matter what your political mood at the moment.

It certainly isn't like some white-flight suburb in central California or the Deep South, but it doesn't have the practiced contrarian ethos of of Berkeley, California, with that polis' emphasis on being so counter-culture that Che Guevara could get a seat on the Ashland city council if he could only get past his usual "hey, give me a break, amigos, I'm dead" excuses.

Nor is it likely to become a pro-growth way station for rapacious developers. The only thing you can count on in this world is change, someone once said, but Ashland is going about its growth slowly and letting the outlying communities do most of the development. I like it that way.

Part of me will always miss the Bay Area and south Florida. But this is my home now and I am a lucky fellow to be living here. My New Years' Resolution is for my wife and I to travel to someplace we haven't been this year, but move--not if I can help it.