One Thing Leads to Another

Though neither of us is an Oregonian, at least not yet, Ann and I [I’m Tim—the bearded one] are West Eugene Wetlands Partnership volunteers this summer. How did we, me originally from California and Ann from Maryland, get here? Well, you know how life goes—one thing leads to another.

We just happened to be taking this summer off, me from Park Rangering and Ann from retirement, and we were traveling in the Pacific Northwest. Ann’s van, our home on the road, though big for a van was small for a home. You see we are kind of old and like a modicum of comfort. The cramped conditions led us to shop online for a used small travel trailer.

In June while in Washington we found a little trailer we liked online and it just happened to be in Oregon—Eugene of course. Who else happened to be in Eugene? Our friends Holly and Matt and Avery.

Holly, a green-minded person, works for WREN teaching people about wetlands while Matt, equally green, coordinates Eugene's Stream Team of wetlands volunteers. Avery is a little person, closely related to Holly and Matt, who moved in with them a couple of years ago. Holly and Matt and Avery put us up while Ann and I bought the trailer. [We have named our trailer Patience, which let’s you know what the buying process was like, but I stray.]

Even before we officially bought the trailer, Holly showed Ann and me the Red House, the headquarters for the West Eugene Wetlands Partnership where Holly works. Ann and I noticed the Red House’s pleasant surroundings, what with regular breezes, mature big-leaf maples for shade, and the bike path and restored wetlands nearby.

“What a great spot this would be to park Patience for a while as Ann and I make her more livable,” I mused aloud. “Well,” Holly replied, “our site host left three days ago, so we just happen to have an opening!”

As you can see, one thing has led to another and another and now Ann and I feel a part of the Partnership family, for a couple of months anyway.
Look for us out on the bike path watching birds, picking up litter, and yakking with folks about the wetlands.
Or, drop by the Red House to see us in Patience, our little trailer house. We’d love to have you say hello.