Sadness in the beauty of the day.My cold fingers ache in half finger cycling gloves, yet early morning sun shines bright enough to need shades. I feel sad in the beauty of it.Sad for those I miss who no longer are here.Sad for those who no longer are as they once were. The stillness of the air, … Continue reading Sadness in the beauty
Willamette River
From Zidell to Illahee: put these bunks to bed
I will admit that rarely has a bunk bed been my favored, most comfortable sleeping spot. Decades ago a fall from my brother's top bunk led to a jagged, sloppily sewn scar I still wear today, created after I struck the corner of a dresser drawer. A decade or so later, I suffered through nights … Continue reading From Zidell to Illahee: put these bunks to bed
Win a free book: identify this river stretch
The Willamette and Columbia Rivers were big players in my memoir, My Music Man. These moving waterways play smaller, yet important roles in my novel. While Oregon (and beyond) rivers exude stretches of beauty and intrigue, who might recognize the stretch I selected to film my Beyond the Ripples trailer? Name this stretch for a … Continue reading Win a free book: identify this river stretch
The snow made me do it
Yes, once daylight appeared I had to set out to do my most favorite thing. Walk in the fresh snow, even if only a mere inch or two. And it made me remember this excerpt from my memoir. Had I known then, my snow-deprived self would have been jealous to have learned about the boisterous snowstorm … Continue reading The snow made me do it
Power of story at Willamette Falls
I am excited to share the video produced by the Willamette Falls Legacy Story Telling Project about our family history and “My Music Man.” Kudos to the beautiful work of Ian Probasco and Shelly Parini. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdri5L9pi4M&t=42s Learn more about My Music Man, upcoming readings, and the Willamette Falls Legacy Project .
River stories
My new friend, author Robin Cody, suggested he was my Clackamas River Cousin, the one I didn’t know I had. The one related not by blood but of water, of rivers that run and pool, and carry us from today to tomorrow. How is it I had not discovered his writing until now? As I … Continue reading River stories
The Portland Steamer keeps on puffing
"BUT OF ALL boats, Dad most loved steamboats. They ruled the stories he shared: carrying goods and passengers up and down the Columbia and the Willamette. Oh, to have been a passenger on the early steamboats puffing along the two-thousand-mile long Columbia River! Our Columbia: the river that introduced William and Chloe to the Oregon … Continue reading The Portland Steamer keeps on puffing
Wilsonville 1968: the big vote by a small community
In 1968, my dad - Dick Montgomery - and his brother Bill, sparred over whether Wilsonville should incorporate. Bill, my family, and my grandparents all lived on Montgomery Way on the bank of the Willamette. "While we were young and naive, we knew that adults disagreed about what should happen to our town and its … Continue reading Wilsonville 1968: the big vote by a small community
In this moment I eat blackberries
The smell of river summer doesn’t fully ripen until late June. It rises mildly on a morning, simmering until late afternoon as the banks absorb the sun’s warmth and then, finally, release the ultimate river smell: a fishy blend spiked with decomposing cottonwood fibers and soon-to-burst blackberry blossoms. … Continue reading In this moment I eat blackberries
Willamette Falls Locks reimagined today
How many in our bursting metro area know much about our aged Willamette Falls Locks? Ask a longtime local and they'll fill your ear. The Locks opened on New Year's Day 1873 and were operated by several owners prior to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' purchase from Portland Railway Light and Power Company in … Continue reading Willamette Falls Locks reimagined today
