Celeste's Breadbox

Spring at the Coast

Took our annual spring trip to the Coast this past weekend. Lots of good animal spots, including a short-tailed weasel carrying its catch to a burrow behind the hotel. That was a first for me. Also my first spot of a pair of Wandering Tattlers, on their way up to Alaska for the summer.

We had the benefit of a very low tide in the late morning on Saturday, and got in some excellent tidepooling at Cape Perpetua. Lots of little nudbranchs, the usual starfish and bivalves. Every sandy pool was full of tiny sculpins, isopods, and gunnels. We even managed to catch one of the tiny, fast-moving gunnels and take its picture in a jar.

(I have to insert a product endorsement here: Bogs boots. I bought these mostly for working in the muddy garden, but they're fantastic for tidepooling. The soles are thick and have enough traction to navigate wet rocks, and they're super comfortable, warm and totally waterproof.)

Then we hiked my favorite trail in all of Oregon, Sweet Creek. Saw a pair of ouzels at the upper falls, flying in and out of their nest in the high rocks right next to the falls. One of them followed us as we went downstream, picking aquatic insects out of rushing rapids.

Sunday was semi-ruined by a wrong turn on a forest service road, a flat tire, and the new exhibit at the Oregon Coast Aquarium not being open yet. Oh well, had a good time anyway, got to say hello to my octi and the snowy plovers, and met my new favorite fish, the grunt sculpin.

Go (former) hawks!

I haven't brought up hockey here in a while, I know most of my friends and family couldn't care less about it. But last night was pretty noteworthy - two former Portland Winterhawks scored the game- and series-winning overtime goals to close out the conference semi-finals.

Marion Hossa was a late-season trade to the superstar-laden Pittsburgh Penguins, and scored the winner to close out the series with the NY Rangers. In that same series, former 'Hawk Brandon Dubinsky had a big goal and assist in a big win for the Rangers.

But the game everyone's talking about was the Dallas Stars/San Jose Sharks matchup that went into a fourth (!) overtime period before the winner was scored by their captain, and former captain of the Winterhawks, Brendan Morrow. Fantastic game, especially the spectacular goaltending at both ends, entertaining for all 5 hours. And it ended on the best note of all, with Brian Campbell in the penalty box and Morrow with the game winner. Ha, ha, stupid Sharks.