Did dendrology ruin me for life?

Tell ya what. If you like trees and plants and dont know what dendrology means, you better take a lil time and learn about it. I'm not saying "learn Dendrology," I'm saying learn what it means. A little warning, it can lead to excessive tree spotting, questions like "what kind of leaf was it?" & "did it have three needles or five?" and various inquiries like that. BUT, (and I never start sentences with BUT) if you like trees and plants, you'll never look back. It is the education of identifying trees or plants.
Being a Bend native, I'd heard of sage, juniper, and the majestic ponderosa pine. Also in my hunts for an X-mas tree, I had run across the the noble fir, incense cedar, and an occasional spruce tree. Sure we did eventually learn about bitterbrush and rabbit brush and some of the grasses. Woodcutting, I learned how to tell a lodgepole from a Tamarack and others of the PINACEAE family. PINACEAE, he said? What the hell is that? It sounds like Pine with a pretentious flair. Well, it is pine. No pretension. Basically, anything with needles is of the PINACEAE family. Not all but most needled species are PINACEAE.

OK, now that I've gotten you all confused , here is where it gets simple. Everything has an order and in dendro, EVERYTHING has an order. Here's an easy one: Pinus ponderosa. If you can identify that one and post it, you will win a prize. OK, too easy....let's try Pinus Lambertiana. Yea, it's a pine (or needled tree) but what kind is it? That will earn a special prize, think cone. Or this one, Pinus Contorta, its clue is that : it keeps you warm in the winter [in C.O.] See how crazy this can get? I know I'm 'nerdin' out here but I've got to tell you, it's fun. It is an empowering feeling to learn the vegetation that surrounds you and know its effects on its/your surroundings. We all know what a Homo sapien is but what is a Salix babylonica or an Arctostaphylos patula? Hopefully you all aren't saying " F-you Gilly, you're trying to brainwash us." I am.....but I'm not. It's your decision to learn if you should call manzanita, Arctostaphylos or call a willow, Salix. I'm not writing rules, I'm just following rules (for a change) and these 'Greek" sounding things were Greek to me a month ago. Now I can identify alot of plants in their proper (latin) names. I'm not telling you to go there but if the interest is there, DO go there. Did you know there are three different kinds of Ceanothus within Deschutes county. WTF is Ceanothus you say? I say google it. How about 3 different kinds of manzanita in Deschutes county? Yea, buddy, its here. OK, to sum this up, "I'm going off the rails on this crazy train" -John Michael Osbourne (aka OZZY)
I have become the plant geek. I'm not sure that deserves 'title' status just yet, but I'm working on it. Trees and plants kick ass and their benefits are immeasurable. So to coin an old Joy Bus song......I'm all wrapped up, all tied up, all tangled up in Dendro........
Tree fans, check it out. The rest of y'all, just know: "There's more to a plant than meets the eye."


Now that school is out.................."geez, Gilly why you gotta make us learn shit when we just want to melt into Facebook and see what's going on....?"
OK, here's you're Tech Tales for this week:
Who the hell said that the internet was easy?
I don't know. I just thought it was a good way to start a Tech Tales. The internet is a great resource but a major pain-in-the-ass at the same time. Filtering information would be great if I had a tie-in to my brain. I dont, so filtering still sucks. It's as easy as mining gold. Just about one-ton of material to sift through and about 1-ounce of worthy prize. I'm tech'd out for the night, I've still got trees on my mind.....Cornus stolonifera......Amelanchier alnifolia.......Chrysolepis chrysophylla.............red osier dogwood, Pacific serviceberry, and golden/giant chinkapin. AHHHHH, I gotta run b4 I go totally nerdo-matic on y'all.
Thanks for lookin' and I'll be back to tell you why gawd created cowgirls, sagebrush(artemisia tridentata) and all the other relative things pertaining to the title of this blog. It might be a journey but I'm glad you've hung in there and followed.

Carmen, oooooot

Field trips are the cure for everything....

I know, you already know that. However, I felt it time to remind you again. If you're feeling out of sorts, in a rut, or just plain indifferent, it sounds like a time for a field trip. If you want to have a good time, it sounds like a time for a field trip. No matter what, no matter when, it's always a good time to take a field trip. Trust me. Try it and I guarantee you wont be disapointed. Have a great time.

OK, I think we left off at why god created cowgirls. This one is great because it offers so many possibilities and reasons why or why not. Hopefully I'll keep you involved enough to keep an ear to the tracks.
OK, I'm taking a math class so we're gonna break this down like a math example to begin with and get more exploratory from there. So we'll start with WHY. This is the dynamic that must hold water. GOD. Your definition will work. CREATED. The conception or evolutionary need for... COWGIRLS. Your definition will work (mine will be used in this summary.) SAGEBRUSH: Atemesia tridentata, cowgirls only known predator and a big aromatic bush found throughout the EO (East of the Cascades, aka Eastern OR).

Here we go.
It all started with the first woman who decided that she needed to take command of the stock took charge, jumped on a horse, and never looked back...
Artemesia tridentata became aware of the cowgirl the second she jumped on a horse....

I'm gonna leave you right here and let your imagination take you a little deeper. I will be back soon to continue from where we left off. You wont be left hanging too long.


Carmen ooooot!

Did you really want to know why gawd created cowgirls...?

Stay tuned til next ...!

This week has to do with the topic of why Time wont wait. The Rolling Stones said that time waits for no one and it wont wait for me.

That is about as true as death and taxes. If you have a way of beating it, let me know. Other than that, I believe that to be the most TRUE statement ever uttered. Time waits for NO ONE and it wont wait for me. Sometimes the bus waits and if you get lucky, the babysitter might wait til you get home, if she likes you. Otherwise the clock is still ticking. It's still ticking as I write this and as you read this. So what do we do with time? Other than waste it? We manage it. Right? We try as much as we can to control the sand that slips between our hands. Inevitably it runs away as if we were Bigfoot and it was a scared little child. Why must you run time? I offer no fear? Please, hang out and enjoy some good company...Why must you flee so quickly? Have I offended you? Are you lost? Must you catch a train?
All questions Time wont stop to answer. Why? You got me....Time, can I get your attention? Time! Time!!, Hey Time, slow down!!!
Damn, I missed it again....It appears Time waits for no one and it wont wait for me. 

Keep on goin' Time, I'll catch you some day!

Carmen oooot!

PS. God/Gawd or whatever its name is told me cowgirls were created for ... ... ... ... ... ... ...stay tuned for the next big post

Tumbleweeds must have a home...

Just like all of us, tumbleweeds must have a home right? I mean, where are they going when they blast out in front of you in the middle of a wind storm? They're headed home. That's right, tumbleweeds have a home too. Do you know where it is? If you were to ask me, I'd say it's somewhere between hops, barley, water and yeast. Yea, they're looking for beer. Or bread. I'd tend to think it was beer tho. Them damn tumbleweeds are smart. They know where to go to get the goods. At least they are always crossing my path on the way to the pub. They seem to have a radar for good beer. I give the tumbleweed props for that. So here's your lesson for the day: If a tumbleweed crosses your path, assume it's on its way to find a good beer and you are more than welcome to follow it.
Velveta aside, here's your Tech Tales #3
Twitter and the stain it leaves on your shoe

Twitter. A social networking tool that can get you into more trouble than you want to imagine. If that wasn't enough, I can elaborate more on the subject if anyone desires, otherwise I'll let that dead horse lie. There are you Tech Tales for the week.

I have always been a big fan of beer and to hear that a local brewery has come out with something called Tri-Cerrahops, I was intrigued. When I heard they came out with a triple(fresh)-hopped  gem known as Hop-po patamus, I was enthralled. Yea, I'm a hop-head and love my beers (ales for you snobs) with more hops than you can fit in the bottle. The kind of brews that bite back a bit and settle down when you show them you are the boss. Get the picture? Great!
10 hours ago I was sitting in computer class trying to figure out how to pass my Ecology quiz when it dawned on me...Think about beer. I dont usually let my mind wonder into the beerscape while I'm educationally learnin' myself but today had a call I had to answer. It was hops. While all of America and parts of Europe celebrate the Octoberfest season, I was subconsciously celebrating hops season in the NW. Call it my own little "Harvest Festival." I guess what I'm saying it that: "All of you thinking about pumpkins and cornucopias, think about the effect that the NW has on the beer industry this time of year. It's more awesome than Alaskan King crab, Louisiana crawdads, and Maine lobsters combined." So next time you go shopping for your favorite brew, think NW first and you too will be treated to a wonderful ride down the taste-bud highway. Props to NW hops and good old fashion beer.

OK, was that beer commercial better than any of those cookie-cutter mega-brewery spots?

Enough for now. Enjoy a brew and check back soon for a topic that will turn the world on its' rear...or is its ear? Either way something is gonna get turned upside-down.


Carmen, ooooot

Public Transportation: Why are MOST bus drivers so bitter?

Let it be known out of the gates, I'm not calling out every bus driver, just most of them and they know who they are. I've been indulging in the public transportation thing now that I have returned to school and find that most of the bus drivers for BAT (Bend Area Transit) have more attitude than 12 high school sophomores. It's like they are reluctantly letting you board their personal vehicles. Alot of sneers, frowns, and just plain p*ssed-off looks. They call the stops as if they were commanding you to get out of their hair and get the hell off their bus. What's up with all this attitude? Shouldn't they be happy they have a job? A secure job no less. Granted, I have met some friendly drivers who are a pleasure to ride with but the majority seem to have a stick inappropriately placed in the middle of their bus-driver seat and they want you to experience the misery they are feeling. I've been around and have done several jobs in which driving "precious cargo" to and from has been part of the gig. I have never felt the angst and/or rage these drivers seem to have bottled up inside. Did I miss something? I will continue to ride and enjoy the happier drivers but I will continue to be baffled by the drivers that make you feel like they are going out of their way to drive you to the place that they are already going to anyway. Just one of those things that make me go "Hmmmmm???"

Dragon flies and Lightning bolts

Verbs and/or nouns??? Hmmm, let's examine this quandary. Well, my grammar teacher would tell you that they are both nouns with adjectives preceding. I'm not here to teach grammar, so let's get into the meat of this article. I just thought that these two phrases described my day as well as made a good title for a blog post. Let's start with dragon. Otherwise spelled draggin', as in, "draggin ass." That was how I felt when I hit MTH 085 @ 7:30AM. I mean really? Who wants to do math at 7:30 in the morning? Flies came from the nasty critters that seemed to pester me all day long. Apparently seeking shelter indoors (in my classrooms) as the temperature begins to fall into its' normal Autumn pattern. Lightning, was all about the surge I felt from actually learning something that I was totally unaware of prior to its introduction. It also could have come from the 3rd Mt. Dew I drank before 10AM but the learning was WAY COOL, too. Bolts, that was me after my final class hurrying to get to the bus before it left and kept me stranded for another 50 minutes in the cold Autumn breeze. So the lesson for today is: Everything is not what it appears to be. For you grammar nerds....Dragon = VERB, Flies = NOUN, Lightning = NOUN, & Bolts = VERB. You can work it out from there. Me, I have to write 3 sentences about some new, fresh, techno stuff now. So while you geek out on the grammar, I'm going to go techno nerd for a moment. Skip to the next paragraph if you want to catch up with the story at hand.
*TECHNO WARNING*
Tech Tales V.II
Once again my geeko-matic whizz kids at  http://www.techfresh.net/ a.k.a. my Tech-Freshies have got more crap(or poo) than Mike Rowe could shovel in one episode of Dirty Jobs but still there are some nuggets of information I find relative. So I'm going to share it with you. Here are the weeds in the garden to start with in case you are interested. Acer has a mini smart-phone with projector capabilities for under $500, Gateway has rolled out some phat monitors (23"& 24".) Flat-panels, back lit, and just waiting to hop on your PC for under $300. Asus has come out with their own little tablet to rival the iPad and it even comes with a kickstand. How cute is that? This little beauty come in at only...hmmm, they don't appear to be confident enough to mix in a price for this gem. Anyhow, I'm sure it will be competitive with the iPad and the previously mentioned (Tech Tales I) Android tablet. Personally, I find tablets more for the doctors and folks that are used to carrying clipboards that can't get dirty. If you want to compute on the fly get a laptop (imo.) So there's the gadget update. Once I find something that get's my blood coursing I will bust out all the pertinent information I find worthy but until then, I'm going to help you wade through the meir of crap that lays before us in the fertile world of new technology. That concludes Tech Tales V.II.

Sorry that was well more than 3 sentences and "by golly" it has muddled my mind enough to loose my previous train of thought. So, until next time let Dragon-flies and Lightning-bolts fill your mind with possibility and provocation.

Carmen, oooot

Diz-Knee-Land in the woods

In conjunction with the last fire-side chat, I will elaborate on the opening weekend of Buck centerfire season. It all started Friday night. I arrived at my hallowed campsite with visions of sugar-plum bucks dancing thru my head and a day of hunting awaiting my awakening in the morning. I got camp in order before I set down for my evening nap. All was right in the world. Not a sound other than the coyotes yipping and yowling at the clear sky and the bright crescent moon. I should have known from that what foreboding details were on the wind. A weather forecast of highs in the mid 80's and clear skies. A deer hunters worst nightmare in October. Good weather is not good when it comes to stalking the great Mule deer. I bit down hard and decided to buck up and give it the ol' college try. As I set out for my few 'choice' spots, I began to realize this was a wasted effort. It wasn't even 7:30am and I'd already seen more hunters than deer. I'd seen less deer throughout  my whole 3 months of scouting. By noon, I'd seen another 20+ hunters and NO deer what-so-ever. The woods appeared to be a new theme park for geriatric motorhome drivers who needed an excuse to see Oregon. It was ridiculous. I felt if I were to see a deer, I'd be pulling my gun out in the middle of the Pine Mountain Senior Center. God forbid you pull a gun in the middle of geezer meeting while they're playing bingo or majon or bridge or whatever it is those old folks do. It was the worst management of hunting resources I have seen in many years. The Forest Circus had all the roads in the unit closed other than the main arteries, keeping the entire population that was hunting the unit contained into certain corridors and off all the good hunting roads. So, hence, DIZ-KNEE-LAND. I felt like I was waiting in line for Space Mountain to get a chance to (let alone SEE a deer) shoot my buck. By 12:30pm, I gave up on the hallowed grounds (where I hope MY buck made it through the weekend) and traveled north to Prineville rez. The scene there was much the same. Fortunately all the people around there were hunting a spot on the lake, something I wasn't all that concerned with. Unfortunately, there were just as many deer there as there were back at Pine Mountain. NONE. The day wound up at Reynolds Pond. Enjoying a cold adult beverage and the cool water of the passing canal, I cooled my feet (and head) and relaxed for a while. I got a chance to chat with a local BLM ranger and learned from her that no one was having any significant luck hunting that day. Really, it was obvious. 80 degrees and blue sky do not = good deer hunting, no matter who or where you are. I cashed in my chips and called it a day. What a waste of time, gas, money, and effort. I should have known better but the temptation of OPENING day was just too much. Here's to the next hunt, hopefully better (worse) weather and less fricking geriatric tourists in my way. The week is long and so is my constitution and I'm not going to give up. I'm just wondering when Californians come into season.........?