Exhaustive Summary of Today: a student planned & facilitated day of TrackersTEAMS with Emily Porter
Exhaustive Summary of Day:
7:30 a.m. - Meeting time comes and goes with a few mobile calls to ensure folks are en route, while Tom picks up denatured alcohol for use in pop-can stoves later.
7:45 a.m. - Tom and Ariel meet at TrackersHQ, fashionably late. Cellphone calls circulate amongst the entire group to meet up at various points along the Springwater Corridor Bike Path en route to Powell Buttes, 10.5 miles away or to tell the team that they're taking it easy for the day. 6 of 9 are up for it after a long day & night of shoe-making. 8:00 a.m. - The ride commences.
8:10 a.m. - Tom and Ariel meet up with 'Matt! at the Spokane entrance to the Springwater Corridor in Sellwood.
8:12 a.m. - 'Matt! phones Michelle to let her know of the time delay and she relays her location: in a tree along the corridor near the organic farm who had us trap nutria for them. Gabe meets up with the group.
8:20 a.m. - Michelle jumps down and gets onto her bike to join the gang along the corridor.
8:30 a.m. - Like a bungee cord the group occasionally spreads out along the trail as some speed ahead and others lag behind (Ariel, hah). Everyone looks out for the others and ensures everyone is happy with the pace.
8:45 a.m. - Gabe points out Zenger Farm along the Springwater Corridor, one of the growing sites for the Sellwood House's CSA membership. The group notices that there is 3+ miles to go in a ~15 minute period from rendezvous time and takes a poll on what to do. The group decides to push it and speed up in order to meet the crew arriving separately at Powell Buttes. 9:00 a.m. - Tom, Ariel, 'Matt!, Gabe, and Michelle enter Powell Buttes park and cellphone Trackers Associate Emily Porter confirm meet up location and time at the the parking lot on Powell & 168th.
9:05 a.m. - Unforeseen closure of trail sends group looking into maps, sending a scout ahead, and moving forward with ease.
9:30 a.m. - Arrive at Powell Buttes parking lot 15 minutes late - it's all good, though. Mike and his family, Calli and Natasha, join the group. Location for the Herbal lecture is discussed and the benches downwind of the site's bathrooms are chosen to block the constant ~10 mph wind with ~ 15 mph gusts, not to smell the roses.
9:45 a.m. - Emily Porter serves up a Nettle Infusion and Ant Cupcakes!
10:30 am. - Set out into Powell Buttes for a wild medicinal plant walk and mindful tiny harvest.
11:00 a.m. - 'Matt! harvests the invasive Scotch Broom to make a broom.
12:30 p.m. - Break for lunch.
1:00 p.m. - We meet Kevin, the caretaker of Powell Buttes, who came over because he saw 'Matt's Scotch broom and tells us about opportunities to help tend the park's wildlife, while harvesting from & building lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the land.
1:30 p.m. - We make friends with Kevin and he shares with us some info & stories on local restoration efforts. We offer him an Ant Cupcake & he eats one, too! YES!
1:45 p.m. The group decides to change location for the afternoon session to the parking lot of the Bi-Mart down the street in an act of artistic flair to both display contrasts and shatter them.
2:00 p.m. - Ariel, Michelle, and 'Matt! process some sustainably harvested Oregon Graperoot and add vodka to make a tincture.
2:30 p.m. - The group heats oil with sustainably harvested Herb Robert mixed in to make a salve. The heat was provided by pop-can stoves made by the group two weeks ago. Thai chai tea is made, as well, with the help of Michelle's camp stove, after many attempts/experiments with modifying another finicky pop-can stove.
3:00 p.m. - Mike McKelvey & fam call it a day & the group wishes them a good weekend and holds a short impromptu meeting on the activities of the week and the next week. Another on-the-spot location change is decided by all, this time to the suburban housing development down the street. Another experiential art genius move.
3:15 p.m. - Emily Porter points out and discusses various medicinals along an untended strip of rich soil next to an apartment complex. Tom, Ariel, 'Matt! Gabe, and Michelle harvest Dandelion & Dandelion root for tea & tinctures and Bearberry for a smoking mix.
4:00 p.m. - Gabe invites all to a stew pot dinner featuring Trackers-butchered buffalo meat and local organic CSA root veggies.. The group bids adieu to Emily Porter ('Matt! thanks her & asks about a potential return to share herbal wisdom & gives a hug) and sets off back down the Springwater Corridor.
4:15 p.m. - The group chats about life and developments at Trackers and generally feel really good on the way home.
4:30 p.m. - Stop to prune/take Fig tree cuttings from a tree Gabe ate from 2 years prior and said was delicious.
4:45 p.m. - Group bids adieu to Michelle as she turns off the trail to bike to her Milwaukie home. 'Matt! got sad cause he was biking ahead and missed her leaving, and missed his chance at a hug, so he texts her about it.
4:50 p.m. - Tom spots two nutria on the east side of the trail near three cement pipes that emerge from the ground in a small depression. The group stops and 'Matt! quickly goofily stalks them, and gets close enough to kick one, but doesn't of course. Tom points out lots of first year Mullein and 'Matt! sustainably harvests two pocketfuls for his smoking mixture.
4:55 p.m. - Ariel breaks off from the group and heads to the Goodwill Bins. 'Matt! doesn't get to hug him, but knows he will see him at the Sellwood House that night, though Ariel doesn't live there, and won't be invited, and doesn't need to be.
5:00 p.m. - Gabe splits off and heads to New Seasons and Tom and 'Matt! arrive home at the Sellwood House, :1.
6:00 p.m. - Dinner is post-poned till 8-ish. Tom and 'Matt! talk about Trackers happenings while 'Matt! writes summary of the day and Tom finishes sewing his leather shoes.
7:00 p.m. - Ariel shows up at Sellwood House, :1.
8:00 p.m. - 'Matt! finishes writing the now exhaustive summary of the day, :1.
7:30 a.m. - Meeting time comes and goes with a few mobile calls to ensure folks are en route, while Tom picks up denatured alcohol for use in pop-can stoves later.
7:45 a.m. - Tom and Ariel meet at TrackersHQ, fashionably late. Cellphone calls circulate amongst the entire group to meet up at various points along the Springwater Corridor Bike Path en route to Powell Buttes, 10.5 miles away or to tell the team that they're taking it easy for the day. 6 of 9 are up for it after a long day & night of shoe-making. 8:00 a.m. - The ride commences.
8:10 a.m. - Tom and Ariel meet up with 'Matt! at the Spokane entrance to the Springwater Corridor in Sellwood.
8:12 a.m. - 'Matt! phones Michelle to let her know of the time delay and she relays her location: in a tree along the corridor near the organic farm who had us trap nutria for them. Gabe meets up with the group.
8:20 a.m. - Michelle jumps down and gets onto her bike to join the gang along the corridor.
8:30 a.m. - Like a bungee cord the group occasionally spreads out along the trail as some speed ahead and others lag behind (Ariel, hah). Everyone looks out for the others and ensures everyone is happy with the pace.
8:45 a.m. - Gabe points out Zenger Farm along the Springwater Corridor, one of the growing sites for the Sellwood House's CSA membership. The group notices that there is 3+ miles to go in a ~15 minute period from rendezvous time and takes a poll on what to do. The group decides to push it and speed up in order to meet the crew arriving separately at Powell Buttes. 9:00 a.m. - Tom, Ariel, 'Matt!, Gabe, and Michelle enter Powell Buttes park and cellphone Trackers Associate Emily Porter confirm meet up location and time at the the parking lot on Powell & 168th.
9:05 a.m. - Unforeseen closure of trail sends group looking into maps, sending a scout ahead, and moving forward with ease.
9:30 a.m. - Arrive at Powell Buttes parking lot 15 minutes late - it's all good, though. Mike and his family, Calli and Natasha, join the group. Location for the Herbal lecture is discussed and the benches downwind of the site's bathrooms are chosen to block the constant ~10 mph wind with ~ 15 mph gusts, not to smell the roses.
9:45 a.m. - Emily Porter serves up a Nettle Infusion and Ant Cupcakes!
10:30 am. - Set out into Powell Buttes for a wild medicinal plant walk and mindful tiny harvest.
11:00 a.m. - 'Matt! harvests the invasive Scotch Broom to make a broom.
12:30 p.m. - Break for lunch.
1:00 p.m. - We meet Kevin, the caretaker of Powell Buttes, who came over because he saw 'Matt's Scotch broom and tells us about opportunities to help tend the park's wildlife, while harvesting from & building lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the land.
1:30 p.m. - We make friends with Kevin and he shares with us some info & stories on local restoration efforts. We offer him an Ant Cupcake & he eats one, too! YES!
1:45 p.m. The group decides to change location for the afternoon session to the parking lot of the Bi-Mart down the street in an act of artistic flair to both display contrasts and shatter them.
2:00 p.m. - Ariel, Michelle, and 'Matt! process some sustainably harvested Oregon Graperoot and add vodka to make a tincture.
2:30 p.m. - The group heats oil with sustainably harvested Herb Robert mixed in to make a salve. The heat was provided by pop-can stoves made by the group two weeks ago. Thai chai tea is made, as well, with the help of Michelle's camp stove, after many attempts/experiments with modifying another finicky pop-can stove.
3:00 p.m. - Mike McKelvey & fam call it a day & the group wishes them a good weekend and holds a short impromptu meeting on the activities of the week and the next week. Another on-the-spot location change is decided by all, this time to the suburban housing development down the street. Another experiential art genius move.
3:15 p.m. - Emily Porter points out and discusses various medicinals along an untended strip of rich soil next to an apartment complex. Tom, Ariel, 'Matt! Gabe, and Michelle harvest Dandelion & Dandelion root for tea & tinctures and Bearberry for a smoking mix.
4:00 p.m. - Gabe invites all to a stew pot dinner featuring Trackers-butchered buffalo meat and local organic CSA root veggies.. The group bids adieu to Emily Porter ('Matt! thanks her & asks about a potential return to share herbal wisdom & gives a hug) and sets off back down the Springwater Corridor.
4:15 p.m. - The group chats about life and developments at Trackers and generally feel really good on the way home.
4:30 p.m. - Stop to prune/take Fig tree cuttings from a tree Gabe ate from 2 years prior and said was delicious.
4:45 p.m. - Group bids adieu to Michelle as she turns off the trail to bike to her Milwaukie home. 'Matt! got sad cause he was biking ahead and missed her leaving, and missed his chance at a hug, so he texts her about it.
4:50 p.m. - Tom spots two nutria on the east side of the trail near three cement pipes that emerge from the ground in a small depression. The group stops and 'Matt! quickly goofily stalks them, and gets close enough to kick one, but doesn't of course. Tom points out lots of first year Mullein and 'Matt! sustainably harvests two pocketfuls for his smoking mixture.
4:55 p.m. - Ariel breaks off from the group and heads to the Goodwill Bins. 'Matt! doesn't get to hug him, but knows he will see him at the Sellwood House that night, though Ariel doesn't live there, and won't be invited, and doesn't need to be.
5:00 p.m. - Gabe splits off and heads to New Seasons and Tom and 'Matt! arrive home at the Sellwood House, :1.
6:00 p.m. - Dinner is post-poned till 8-ish. Tom and 'Matt! talk about Trackers happenings while 'Matt! writes summary of the day and Tom finishes sewing his leather shoes.
7:00 p.m. - Ariel shows up at Sellwood House, :1.
8:00 p.m. - 'Matt! finishes writing the now exhaustive summary of the day, :1.