Saturday Revisited - Save French Pete

When I was in college studying for a degree in Outdoor Education, I became involved with a group of students equally incensed about the possibility that one of only three, un-logged, 10 mile or longer, forested valleys left in Oregon was about to be clear-cut. A road was slated to be built along French Pete Creek and all the ancient trees were to be "harvested". 1968-1972 we became the student “activists” for the Save French Pete committee. The Endangered American Wilderness Act finally restored the French Pete valley and surrounding area to the Three Sisters Wilderness Area in 1978.

Last Saturday, the Sierra Club, University of Oregon School of Law and Special collections Library at the University of Oregon held a daylong meeting to record personal stories of those who actively participated in the Save French Pete campaign. Many former, close friends, I have not seen in years, were also in attendance. The Sierra Club has determined this campaign to be “the organizing event for the Sierra Club and emerging wilderness movement in Oregon and had a deeply symbolic power in mobilizing conservationists, reaching far beyond this single valley and beyond the state of Oregon. It inspired a movement whose lessons are applicable today”.
In 1969, to raise public awareness of the issue, we organized a protest rally that marched from campus to the US Forest Service Headquarters. I took this picture from on stage. One of the speakers was author Ken Kessey, who arrived in his now famous bus named “Further”, along with the Grateful Dead band. Unlike the Viet Nam protests, there was no need for police intervention. Immediately following the protest march, everyone rushed back to campus for the free Mason Williams concert we had arranged to stave off a post rally riot.

I am proud to have been called a “Tree Hugger”. In Saturday’s paper, Zonker best describes my day.

Easter Breakfast

When I feed Cedar in the whelping box, I place her food bowl on a little stool to keep the puppies out of the bowl and away from Cedar's nipples as she tries to eat. This morning the pups discovered that by climbing up each other they could reach the bowl. At one point, Willow even got herself up onto the pig rail for a better grazing angle. The puppies now have all their little, very, sharp, baby teeth making nursing a painful experience for Cedar.

Time for puppy gruel. Within seconds of putting it down, the pups rallied around the trough to test out the new diet.

Cedar joined in the free for all.

Mr Nome cleaning the trough. Cedar cleaning the puppies.

While Nome checks out access to the milk bar, Elim and Koyuk check out Cedar's bowl.

Week 3

With help of many hands the pups got their weekly picture taken and weighed. During the weigh-in, most of the pups had body parts hanging outside the scale bin.

Ms Willow - 2lb 13 oz Ms Takotna - 3lb 1oz
Mr Kaltag - 3lb 5oz

Ms Koyuk - 2lb 5oz

Ms Elim - 2lb 14oz

Mr Nome - 3lb 5oz

Day 21

Today was extremely busy at BrownStone Chinooks. While I was away at a conference, Dave wholeheartedly took on the chore of puppy socialization. Three families were invited over to meet the Chinooks. The pups also had their weekly pictures and weigh in. Tomorrow, this blog will be amended with all the details and more pictures.

Day 20 - rain, snow, wind, sun, hail, teeth and new photo program

Today Oregon got hammered with a winter storm. The kind we have been missing all winter. I took a series of pictures of our tattered flag during the horizontal rain, blowing snow, brilliant sunshine, and hail. I also installed an upgrade to my photo program. The new program refuses to download all of the pictures off my camera but I did get these two.

rain and wind.

The weather did not make the puppies cranky today, though they did startle during the thunder claps. Teething made them cranky. They are getting strong, loud voices, especially when Cedar is near or someone calls "puppy puppy". Poor Cedar's boobies have to endure padding from feet with sharp nails, forceful sucking and now little sharp emerging teeth. I trim the nails daily but can not do anything about the teeth. Solid food may be on the menu soon.

well fed, peaceful little boobie thrashers

Day 19

Today was a very busy day. Cedar and her pups entertained two families.

Future Chinook owners, Brock and Amy came for a visit.I don't know who was more enamored, Daegen or Kaltag.
Snow of two days ago is gone. Time for a trip to the yard.

The pups are so much fun to watch right now. They can see a little bit but are still just as awkward in their attempts to walk. Chinook Tag is becoming a favorite game. They try to ambush by leaping onto another pups. More often than not these attempts fail and they fall flat on their nose.

Chinook Tag in the whelping box.

"Kaltag and Nome jaw wrestling"

The day ended with a visit from awesome Sarah, builder of the world's most wonderful whelping box, and her sons.

Sarah, Nick and Riley - future Chinook family? Cedar seems fine with it.

Cadence

My great niece, Cadence, had her second open heart surgery two days ago. She was finally weaned off the ventilator just prior to this morning's picture. What fun it will be to see her playing with her cousins Luke and Abbey as they grow up together. Her new heart valve should give her the extra boost she will need to keep up with them.