Category Weekly Columns

macro photo of a fuzzy orange caddisfly with black stripes on their wings. they are on a small sweet pea leaf in profile. they are facing downward at an angle to the right.

Crawlies with Cri – California Mortarjoint

Sometimes it’s a long journey from “I found a cool bug!” to “I can actually write a Crawlies about it!”

To date, this week’s crawly represents the longest journey yet. It took me eight years from the first time I saw our featured critter until I was able to ID our featured critter.

Photo of a vibrant orange flower.

Cri Goes Rogue – June 24, 2026

A few weeks ago, I pulled over (safely!) while driving so I could get a pic of a cheery, orange wildflower. The flower was growing on other side of a small seasonal waterfall/stream as Oregon wildflowers so often are.

photo of wayne on his ebike.

Wayne’s World – June 24, 2026

une is only half over and already it has been an ordeal.  The journey began on the third when I had to take Da Beast into very south Medford for an overhaul. It needed new brake pads and a replacement of the front rotor for the disc brake and other basic maintenance.

photo of a tufted puffin in breeding plumage swimming in calm water.

All Things Oregon – Oregon’s iconic coastal birds Pt. I

As we head in to the “Dang! It’s hot!” summer months you may want to take a break from the heat and head over to the coast for a day or two. While there is no shortage of fun things to do along the Oregon Coast (or do nothing but chill), we’re going to give you just one activity over the next two weeks of All Things: Look for “Wait, what? We have those birds in Oregon?” birds.

photo of a cluster of pacific ninebark flowers with a cluster of unopened buds to the left.

A Botanist’s View of Local Flora – Ninebark

I was first introduced to Ninebark in college when I was taking and teaching woody plant identification classes. In the eastern U.S. Eastern Ninebark (Physocarpus oplifolius) was a common large deciduous shrub with showy flowers in late spring, beautiful fall color in yellows, oranges and reds.

photo of a metallic green bee on a st john's wort flower.

Winding Trails by Al Hobart – The Plant Names

To anyone interested in wild plant study the derivation of the plant names, both common and botanical, is a source of never-ending fascination and puzzlement.  Many of the plant names are so far-fetched and imaginative they seem almost ridiculous. 

photo of a male short-nosed scorpionfly perched vertically on a tall blade of grass.

Crawlies with Cri – Short-nosed Scorpionfly

As long-time readers know, once in a while we revisit a past crawly if we feel we didn’t give that crawly enough attention the first time around.

This is one of those! I recently found this week’s crawly – the first I’d seen in 10 years – and realized “I don’t know how to find this critter. I don’t know anything about their life history. I’ve found a (literal) few just by stumbling upon them.

photo of a chocolate merle schnoodle sitting on a rug. she is wearing a pink harness and turquoise martingale collar.

Cri Goes Rogue – June 17, 2026

“Rescuers used ropes to climb 100 feet down a cliff face to save a dog trapped on a ledge in Ecola State Park over the weekend.

The dog’s owners contacted a park ranger Saturday afternoon after the pet ran off during a hike at the Oregon coast park and disappeared” The Oregonian, June 9, 2026