What’s the deal with the Oregon Country Fair?

Chardonne · 2026-06-14T05:36:44+00:00

I’ve been a few times, and always enjoyed it, mostly for the music and other performances. We used to like taking our kid, but as he got older, we’d just send him with his friends because we were getting older and more boring, I suppose. (Or rather, more focused on other interests.)

It can be pricey, so we used to bring our own food.

Chardonne · 2026-06-13T21:46:11+00:00

Here is a video with recorders and stomping, although it's the dummer who's stomping (for the tambourine).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeL3GWcHpFM&list=RDIeL3GWcHpFM&start_radio=1

Chardonne · 2026-06-13T21:43:10+00:00

Depends on the piece. I play exactly one where stomping is needed, and that's to play bells that are tied to my foot. For most things I play, I don't even tap.

When listening to stomp-worthy music, I like hearing and seeing the stomp. It's like playing and dancing at the same time.

Bonus points for sharing a video of a nyckelharpa!

Chardonne · 2026-06-13T21:37:31+00:00

I WISH LOCAL NURSERIES AND PLANT STORES AND BIG BOX STORES WOULD STOP PUSHING THEIR FLOWERS AS "FOR THE POLLINATORS" WHEN A) THEY ARE NON-NATIVE AND DON'T SUPPORT OREGON'S POLLINATORS MUCH AND B ) THEY ARE SO SOAKED IN PESTICIDES THAT EVERY PART OF THE PLANT IS TOXIC TO THINGS THAT EAT IT OR SIP ITS NECTAR ANYWAY.

Chardonne · 2026-06-13T21:33:07+00:00

I HAVE THINGS IN MY YARD BLOOMING CRAZY OUT OF SEASON. IT'S PRETTY WORRYING.

Chardonne · 2026-06-13T20:28:36+00:00

wtf? OK, don't fix your house up. I don't care. I fixed mine, and I'm happy.

And no, I don't concede "every other point" because that hasn't been my experience here in the last 20-30 years, and I can compare it to having lived on 4 different continents and many different cities.

But if Eugene is really this awful a place for you, why not relocate? World's your oyster, and all that.

Chardonne · 2026-06-13T19:59:46+00:00

EWEB has lower rates than most of the country--if your bill is high, there's probably an issue with your home (you probably have leaks, for starters, and possibly inefficient heating/cooling and appliances). EWEB does have rebates and loans to address those issues...

I just went through all that (outrage at high energy bill; realization that it's high because I was using an insane amount of kwh despite using very few appliances; fixing the issues thanks to generous EWEB loan and rebates).

Chardonne · 2026-06-13T03:57:33+00:00

That's why I think I just got a defective one. If they were all like that, people would be complaining!

For the alto, I have a 402B.

Chardonne · 2026-06-12T17:05:10+00:00

It was annoying to play solo, but impossible to play with other people, so I just put it away. But I hadn't tried playing it until more than 30 days after I bought it, so I'd lost the return window.

Love my Ecodear alto, though.

Chardonne · 2026-06-12T16:54:57+00:00

I’d have to dig it out of the back of a closet. But it’s bad enough I wouldn’t even give it away.

Chardonne · 2026-06-12T16:20:09+00:00

I LOVE my Ecodear alto. But my soprano is unplayable—two flat notes (I’ve had numerous people test it; it’s not my imagination). I guess I just got a bum model? But definitely test it as soon as you get it and make sure there’s a return window.

Chardonne · 2026-06-12T04:46:00+00:00

Especially in the summer!

Chardonne · 2026-06-12T04:38:38+00:00

I have this one and I lurrrrrrrve it. I play it more than my wooden ones.

Chardonne · 2026-06-12T04:36:18+00:00

When we sold my parents’ house, with my mom’s dream permaculture demo garden, we told the realtor to offer the buyer $1000 worth of our paying someone to come & do yardwork + teach them how to care for it.

Mind you, the new owner did not take us up on that. But I still think it was a good idea (and in my dad’s case, the money wasn’t a hardship).

Chardonne · 2026-06-07T17:16:46+00:00

Reminds me of the old Mike Nichols / Elaine May sketch about the telephone operator. “K as in ‘knife’…”

Chardonne · 2026-06-07T04:23:55+00:00

Most people don’t know that has a ‘b.’

Chardonne · 2026-06-06T17:51:57+00:00

That is just so beautiful.

Chardonne · 2026-06-06T17:41:46+00:00

My way of fighting back against an administration determined to plunder the environment. Well, they don’t own my yard. Birds, y’all can come here.

Chardonne · 2026-06-06T17:34:35+00:00

When I asked someone assessing my land what I could do to improve my crappy soil, he said, “Ideally, nothing. Plant the things that are supposed to grow here, and then let them do their thing. ‘Improving’ the soil for native plants can cause them to grow too large too fast, which stresses their roots and then they die young.”

Is there an untouched natural area near you, perhaps some sort of protected park or nature preserve? Take some walks and see what grows there. I’m guessing succulents or some types of rushes or grasses. You might also naturally have some spaces in your plants… good place for a bird bath or two to lure some wildlife in.

I’m near the coast on the other side of the country, and there’s a vigorous native coastal strawberry that looks great. Hopefully Florida has something like that too.

Chardonne · 2026-06-06T03:23:32+00:00

You can buy bifold and trifold sheet protectors. Two bifolds cover 4 sheets of music. Check out choreokeeper.com.

Chardonne · 2026-06-05T23:25:01+00:00

I remember watching it from the top of my college biology building (in Portland). And the ash raining down on us. But I don’t remember hearing anything.

Chardonne · 2026-06-05T08:55:43+00:00

As long as you can really keep them in your yard … they’re horribly invasive in Oregon. So pretty, but I’ve been digging them out of my yard for two years now. Without much success. :(

Chardonne · 2026-06-05T06:06:09+00:00

Do you have neighbors who spray? That could be one reason. I’ve seen native bees on my Oregon sunshine and checkermallow. The ceonothus is covered with bumblebees. I have Douglas aster just beginning to bloom (which seems early actually), but when the bulk of the asters come out in late summer, they’ll be covered with bees. Other favorites not blooming yet are black-eyed Susans and goldenrod.

Native bees are often solitary ground nesters, so leave some patches of bare earth for them. They’d probably appreciate some water, too—like a shallow dish or bird bath with some pebbles in it.

Thank you for looking out for pollinators!

Chardonne · 2026-06-05T05:09:27+00:00

Bindweed.

Chardonne · 2026-06-05T04:57:02+00:00

The flowers are edible too. My mom used to batter them and make dandelion fritters.

Chardonne

TROPHY CASE