The Nature of Springfield
But, not that Springfield ...
There are at least eight cities in the US named Springfield, not counting the one in which The Simpsons live. My Springfield did, however, enter the contest to have The Simpsons Movie premiered here. The Mayor went so far as to have one of our statues painted Simpson yellow. But, alas, we lost - to Springfield, Vermont - even though Simpsons creator Matt Groening is from Portland, Oregon.
Oh well. Despite this blow to our ego, Springfield, Oregon continues to thrive and is, everywhere you look, awakening to the Spring season.
A Pleasant Culture Shock
For me, the biggest culture shock of living here after growing up in Southern California was the amount of wildlife that share the city with us. Most foremost are the squirrels. Walk down any street and you'll encounter them, playing, chattering and gathering nuts, and recently, I've been seeing hummingbirds, too! Later in the season, when the lilac bushes are in bloom and scenting the air, you'll come across apple, pear, cherry and peach trees... right along the sidewalks, with ripe fruit hanging down and waiting to be picked. Right now, however, in April, the trees are still blossoming, and the first Spring flowers are blooming: crocus, daffodils, tulips, rhododendrons, and more than I know the names of.
Take a stroll along the bike path which runs along the waterway and you'll come across ducks, geese, nutria (these are basically large rats), herons, the occasional king fisher and wild blackberry vines. If you get there early enough, you'll be able to watch a family of raccoons as they make their way back home. Take it easy on them: They've had a hard night of pillaging unsecured trash cans and terrorizing local felines.
Springfield is an ever-growing city, with malls, paved streets (don't laugh, I remember when many of the side streets weren't), but still wild enough where you can see actual nature going on around you. On the outskirts of town, people regularly see mountain lions (Those aren't dingos, but they'll still "eat your baby"). I once watched a peregrine falcon bring down another bird and kill it and eat it right in my back yard... while I sitting out there. Beavers are a regular sight in the numerous rivers and waterways which run through and around the area. And once in a while, if you're sitting quietly outside at around dawn, you'll see an opossum making his way across your yard.
The Yearlings
One of my most memorable moments - ever! - happened as I was riding my bike through Eugene (Springfield's sister city) suburbia and came across a pair of deer, a male and a female, both about a year old. They were emerging from a very small stand of small trees right off the bike trail I was riding on. I stopped and stood looking them, as they stood looking back at me. Slowly, I walked my bike a little closer. They didn't bolt. I came a little closer and they stayed. Finally, after I got about eight feet away, they began to walk off, slowly, keeping an eye on me.
Now remember, this is in the middle of a Eugene neighborhood... not in some remote location. So I followed, still walking my bike. Then, the yearlings began to trot a little, walk a little, then trot again. I got back on my bike and began coasting along side of them. I was on the sidewalk and they were walking across lawns. Passing drivers were doing double-takes and slowing down. A man was standing in front of his living room window, on his phone and pointing at us. What a sight we must have been: Some guy coasting along on a mountain bike with two deer, as they casually strolled across the front lawn. We circled about a four block area until we wound up back where we'd started. From there, I thanked them for their patience and the once-in-a-lifetime experience and rode off, leaving them to their deer business.
For a week after that I kept marveling to myself, "Wow, I rode with yearlings!"
The Starlings
While the monarchs are fluttering about during the day, and the crickets are singing at night, the starlings are building their nests in building outcroppings or small bushes next to sidewalks. As the female is sitting on the eggs, the male, who's perched nearby and keeping watch, will dive-bomb anyone who walks by. One particular male, who was guarding a nest in the middle of an outdoor mall, was so aggressive in his dive-bomb attacks he made the local evening news. Lucky viewers got to watch footage of the expressions on the faces of passersby (or on their own face - "Hey Jenna, is that you on TV being harassed by that bird?!") as he made kamikaze runs onto their heads. It was great television! Entertaining AND educational.
And, you know those hazelnuts which we love to flavor our coffee drinks with (I know I do)? Here, they used to be called "filberts" and the trees are literally everywhere. These bountiful nuts are what the squirrels eat.
No wonder they're so chipper!
