Feral Rooster of Oaks Bottom and the 3 W's of Gardening

This morning I rode my bike to work and my route takes me through the upper parking lot of Oaks Bottom on Milwaukie Ave. As I rolled through the lot on my way to the bike path, I stopped to chat with a gentleman who was walking his two dogs. I asked if he had seen the feral chickens I thought I had witnessed a couple of weeks ago. Just after he said no, he looked up said, "Wait, there's one right now." Lo and behold, a rooster was foraging around the edge of the area. Thus, I now have independent verification of at least one feral rooster residing in Oaks Bottom or at least on its fringes. We both wondered how long it would survie until either a coyote or a bald eagle would get it. I'm guessing somebody got backy chicks and one of them turned out to be a rooster which are forbidden to keep under Portland's laws. They probably let the rooster go to get rid of it.

As for the garden, we are now in the zone of the three W's: water, weed and wait (or watch). All of the first planting is in and all seeded plants have sprouted except for the most recent planting of potatoes and I expect to see them by next week. So now it is the routine of watering in the mornings when needed (and boy have we needed it these last two weeks), beginning the cycle of weeding and waiting for the crops to mature. There is some aesthetic yard work to be continually done, but that will get done as I get to it through the rest of the spring, summer and fall.

And because the garden work is now limited to that, we can escape for a long weekend down in Sacramento. We are driving down tomorrow for two primary purposes. For me, it is to watch the Intercollegiate Rowing Association championship regatta which is the national championships for men's collegiate rowing. In its 114 year existence, this regatta has never been held on the West Coast, until this year. For April, she will be visiting her high school, Loretto, and some high school friends because earlier this year, the order of nuns that own and operate the school announced that the school will be closed down for good after this year. And they mean it. The property has already been sold to a charter school which will take over the campus next fall.

On our way home, we are stopping in Redding to visit a friend that will soon be living in Santa Monica and then stopping in Ashland for the evening to spend the night with a friend ours who also has chickens. While we are on our trip, April's mom will come over and take care of our cats and our chickens as well as water the garden as needed.

Until next week...