The view from the top

Looking at a town from the top of a mountain gives us clearer outlines, a cleaner sense of the interaction among people, their jobs, their environment and their history.

Looking from a distance of 65+ years one can see areas that have become congested, neglected, and abused. One can also see beauty never seen before.


Descending back to our corners of the world, we know what needs to be done at fever-pitch immediacy. We see the waters surging and destroying levies, winds toppling trees and shattering structures. We have seen; and we can't remain silent.

We can join to clean roads, build bridges, shovel dirt, teach children, feed the hungry,
interdependence made obvious, the runoff from one farm into the other, the struggle of the fish to pass the damns and return to spawning sites.


On Mondays we will deal with Governance , from issues affecting this hamlet, to the status of the economy in Oregon.
On Tuesdays, we'll address educational issues and what the current administration hopes to accomplish.
On Wednesdays, our backyards, rivers, forests, ports and natural areas will be featured.
On Thursdays, communication ,media , status of knowledge gathering, status of newspapers and reporting of the news will be featured.
On Fridays, the arts, music, painting, photography, movies, and all other aspects of culture will be reported.


For the weekend, we'll shoot the breeze, try new recipes, learn a new language, garden, take a trip, share stories, throw a party, go shopping for hand-made goodies, or just do nothing.

This is quite ambitious work I plan to undertake. I will attempt this pace for one week, then evaluate the results. The areas that receive the most comments will probably survive and become regular features. Those that struggle might become victims of the marketplace.

Last week I dedicated some songs to my regular visitors. I hope some of you dropped by http://www.feelthecomforters.com/ , and listened for your song. Let me know if you liked my choice for you. The trouble with giving gifts on line is, you never really know if people received them, or worse, if they liked them at all. I promise, I will not send you empty-handed...........................................................................................................
With such an agenda, visitors can drop in when they are interested in the topic.


As of today, the number of regular visitors exceed the number of students in a regular classroom, even college courses. It's hard to know you well if you don't raise your hands, ask questions and wave at me now and then. I tend to walk around, stop by your desk/blog and ask questions about your interests. We are all adults here; we know when we need to take breaks, drop out, or divulge more immediate and necessary information. Let's enjoy the journey.