Author: jeannehoadley

It’s just a 5 to 10 minute walk from my house down to the Bear Creek Greenway. I kind of consider the stretch from Suncrest north which loops around behind the rest area then reconnects to parallel the freeway my personal walking path. I have put in a lot of miles there in all seasons, worn out a few pairs of walking shoes, learned my local birds, and taken countless photographs.

Yesterday I decided to take the walk again and assess the damage. It wasn’t until I got back home that I decided to do a before and after comparison. Some of the before pictures were taken during my Lensbaby project so they may appear out of focus but were intentionally that way for artistic purposes.

So first up, as I turned off Suncrest onto the Greenway I would see some old barns with a patchwork of rusty tin roofing.  The barns did not survive.  If you look closely you can see the white plastic bucket hanging on a fencepost in both photos. In fairness, the blackberries in the before picture had already been removed before the Almeda fire struck. Along this stretch of the path I often saw Tree Swallows, Black Phoebes, and Acorn Woodpeckers who stored their acorns in one of the poles seen in the before picture. The pole burned but is still standing. I don’t know if they can eat roasted acorns. I did spot one woodpecker shopping for a new home in the remains of the poplar stand that lines this pasture on the Suncrest side.

Next up is my favorite oak tree. I have photographed it many times from near and far. I have also had the property owners come after me a couple of times only to decide I was probably harmless. Sadly, their home was lost in the fire. I hope the tree survives, it doesn’t look too badly damaged

After crossing the bridge over the irrigation canal I would enter a densely vegetated stretch lined with blackberry bushes. Here I most often saw spotted towhees and the odd Robin.

At the end of the forested stretch is a broad meadow. Here I often saw lesser goldfinches and there was one tree where in spring there would always be a hummingbird surveying the area. Acorn Woodpeckers also frequented this stretch and once in awhile a Scrub Jay made an appearance.

At then end of the meadow is mile marker 14 and here I entered another stretch of forest where I often saw more Spotted Towhees, Robins, and Scrub Jays. Once in a great while a bevy of California Quail would skitter out of the undergrowth. These next photos show the trees at the edge of the forest where there was also a large expanse of blackberries. Hawks could often be seen resting in the tall trees. And it was just between the blackberries and the trees that I always found the best California poppies to photograph.

Sometimes I turned around at milepost 14 and sometimes I went on to the freeway. On the way back there was one place where you could just get a glimpse down the creek through the underbrush. Here if I was very lucky, I might spot a Great Blue Heron or a Belted Kingfisher.

I suspect come spring that this area will be alive with new life. It will never be quite the same but I hope I will again be able to count up to 20 species of birds on my morning walks.

 

 

 

 

The Bear Creek greenway is a roughly 20 mile bicycle and walking path that parallels Bear Creak from Ashland through Talent, Phoenix and Medford and into Central Point. The path and the creek also parallel Interstate 5 and Highway 99 through the valley.

The origin point of the Almeda Fire was near the Ashland Water Treatment Plant just off Almeda Street in the Quiet Village Neighborhood in Ashland which is also very close to the southern terminus of the greenway. The winds that day were perfectly aligned to carry the flames up the greenway and into the dense vegetation along the creek. But in the mean-time it took out many homes along Eagle Mill Road and in the Valley View area as well as the Burger King at the Valley View Interchange. From there it was a hop, skip and a jump into the south end of Talent and up Highway 99.

I borrowed this image from the internet to give a better picture of the extent of the fire.

And this map I created to show more specifics on the neighborhoods burned, especially in Talent where I live. It’s only meant to be a rough approximation so please don’t take it too literally.

I’m still not convinced that there were not multiple origin points along the Greenway but officials have, understandably, been playing the investigation pretty close to the vest.  I am quite certain that when I evacuated at 2pm there was already a column of black smoke ahead of me in Phoenix while the column of black smoke behind me had not yet made its way into Talent. Still, it was a wind driven fire and embers can carry a very long way.

Though initially closed in the wake of the fire I was pleased to read that as of yesterday the Greenway is now open north of Suncrest Road. My favorite walking route is from Suncrest north to where the trail intersects with the freeway as it loops around a rest stop and is (or was) somewhat sheltered from the freeway noise. I’ll try to feature a walk through that stretch in a future blog. The Greenway remains closed south of Suncrest due to safety concerns but I observed a number of bikers and a few walkers on the section south of Lynn Newberry Park yesterday. Might be safer on the Greenway than riding or walking the shoulder of 99 at that.

One of the many sad things about this fire is the loss of wildlife habitat. I saw a great blue heron flying over the neighborhood looking a little lost the other day, or maybe just looking for some place green to land. These Mallards I spotted on Bear Creek the other day seemed content. If you didn’t know the golden leaves reflected in the water were from fire damage this might be a pleasant autumn scene.

I happened to notice on my walk the other day some burned out cars being loaded onto a flatbed truck.

I got to thinking about how many cars were destroyed by the fire. We know that over 2500 structures were burned. Not every structure had a car with it but many did. There were also instances such as this small car dealership in Phoenix where many cars were lost.

I would have to put the numbers well into the hundreds if not over 1000. Which begs the question of what they are going to do with all those car carcasses. I suppose there is some metal to be salvaged.

 In most cases the tires were burned completely off. In some cases if you get close enough you can see puddles of metal that melted and recongealed.  Occasionally you see a car that is only half burned. Maybe the firefighters got there before it was gone.

You can just see my house in the photo above behind the trees between the building and the truck. In any case the cars are just a drop in the bucket of what needs to be cleaned up and hauled away. On the bright side I have been seeing some shiny new cars around town so some people’s insurance must have paid off. And I’m sure the local car dealers will be glad of an opportunity to recover some from their COVID losses.

In case you missed me yesterday, I decided that, while I am committed to continuing to show and tell the story of the Almeda Fire and recovery efforts, I just can’t do it every day and still have a life. Once or twice a week is probably more realistic. But stay tuned and know that I am out there gathering photos for the next installment.

Today I drove into Talent from the south on Hwy 99 for the first time. Most of the businesses from the south end of town to West Valley View were wiped out with a few exceptions. But I was moved by the sight of the Mountain View Estates, a high-end mobile home park for seniors over 55. Of 158 homes only 8 survived. Mountain View has been home to friends of my parents and parents of my friends over the years. It has been sort of the last stop before assisted living for many people.

On the lower end of the income scale was Wagner Creek Estates. This is where my Mom’s housekeeper lived. A good soul who has lived a hard life, Tammy didn’t have much to lose but she lost everything, including her false teeth, and she probably didn’t have insurance.

And across the way was the Oak Valley neighborhood, another 55+ community. I looked at two houses here when I first moved back to Oregon but decided I was not quite ready for senior living. Good thing because it is 100% gone.

 

 

Signs are popping up all over. Some just express simple gratitude. Some encourage strength and courage, some tell idiots which buildings to stay out of, and some are advising residents who have lost their homes that there is a process they must follow in order to do cleanup on their property.

I have seen folks out visiting their ruined homes and I have even seen heavy equipment rumbling around town but I think the process to get cost covered using emergency funds is still ongoing and may take awhile.

We have been told that the remains of the commercial building will be hauled away in a few weeks but that it will take at least a year to rebuild. Just when we thought construction in our neighborhood was about done.  Sigh.

Now that I am back home and trying to get back to my normal routine, I’m finding it a little difficult to focus on this blog. I’m contemplating cutting back to once or twice a week. But we’ll see what turns up to inspire me in the meantime.

 

When I was working on my 100 days of beauty project it was my habit to take a walk on Sunday mornings around my neighborhood and the Autumn Ridge neighborhood just to the east to find all the beautiful blooming flowers. I retraced my steps this morning and found so much devastation that I had to keep looking around to get my bearings it was so hard to recognize where I was.

This first image is from what used to be the Crown Market, a convenience store just two blocks from my house. You can see the beverage containers still standing on the refrigerator shelves that stood along the back wall of the store.

I had heard that the senior living center on Suncrest had survived but the heat from the townhouses which all burned down next door was enough to melt the vinyl siding.

 

The next three images are from the Autumn Ridge neighborhood. I had been thinking when the stairs got to be too much for me, I might move here since all the houses were single story. Well, maybe by that time they will have rebuilt. I counted about 10 houses still standing in that neighborhood including the home of one of my friends. The last image here is from in front of the home of another friend whose house did not survive. I was so pleased to hear that she plans to rebuild and I look forward to documenting her progress.

 

Yesterday I drove into Talent from the south for the first time via Talent Avenue. My first impression was “this isn’t as bad as I thought.” Yes, entire neighborhoods were wiped off the map, including the one I desperately wanted to live in before being priced out while I was waiting for my house in New Mexico to sell. But entire neighborhoods were also left untouched, especially on the west side of the road. The OSF Costume warehouse was also unscathed in case anyone was worried about that.

I was on my way out of town again when I spotted the Talent Strong sign and had to turn around and find a place to park so I could take a picture. Besides the sign, these good people have a tiny free library and a tiny free pantry. Items for the pantry were overflowing along the fence and there was a polite handwritten sign directing donators what was acceptable and not. They also had a sign in multiple languages which said: “No matter where you are from, we are glad you are our neighbor.” I think I would like to meet these people.

I also was deeply touched by this bucket of flowers someone had placed on the driveway of a burned-out house. And I was impressed with the number of bowls of food and water left out for stray pets. But more on that tomorrow.

Today, I have to go to my house, (Yes! we are allowed back in!), and clean out the refrigerator and air out the house while we have some improved air quality. Getting the gas turned back on may be too much to hope for but that’s on my to do list as well.

The TV news and social media all seemed focused on showing pictures of destruction which, make no mistake, is vast. But I wanted to highlight some of the businesses in downtown Talent that are still standing. I don’t know about you, but I had to see it with my own eyes.

I was very worried about the Camelot Theater though I still haven’t gotten around to seeing a play there. Whenever things return to normal I’ll be buying season tickets. It doesn’t show up here but the Pizza parlor that never was (if you live in Talent you know what I’m talking about) did not make it nor did most of the little businesses on that side of Talent Avenue. No more Biscuits and Vinyl, so sorry, I never did understand the concept behind that name. Here is a shot from in front of the Pumphouse (Talent’s favorite burger joint) which does survive as does the Grotto Pizzeria across the street.

The historic storefront on Main street that houses Rogue Hair Design and the Ohm Sweet Ohm Yoga studio also stands tall along with the historic church across the street. I could not get all the way around the Downtowne Coffee House due to the Fire scene tape but it appears to be intact.

And best of all my favorite restaurant in Talent, Sweet Beet Station, housed in the old railroad depot is still there.

The latest on the neighborhood is they are hoping to get us in by tomorrow. Part of the problem seems to be figuring out traffic flow to keep us off Hwy 99. I can, at least, now get into Talent from the south so I don’t have to go through Medford and back. I think I have put more miles on my car in the past week than in the previous three months.

And now just for fun, here is a link to a YouTube video of Elton John singing what could be our new theme song “I’m still standing.”  https://youtu.be/ZHwVBirqD2s

Yesterday I went into downtown Talent to pick up my mail at the Post Office. As I came down Colver Road to make the turn onto Talent Avenue I saw buckets of sunflowers lining both sides of the street. On their sides were painted the word Hope and yellow and blue hearts. One of the overwhelming positives in all this is the outpouring of love and community spirit we are seeing.

There was a young man from Phoenix High school who started passing out bottles of water and ended up providing breakfast for evacuees on Sunday morning. His home was spared but many of his friends had lost theirs. It is estimated that 80% of children in the Phoenix elementary school lost their homes and 50% of those at Talent Elementary.

One of the local TV stations has started a Southern Oregon Strong campaign to support the local Red Cross. They have already raised $80,000. Go fund me sites are popping up on Facebook right and left. Evacuation centers have had to tell people to stop bringing donations. The loss is great but so are the hearts of the local community.

I also took a walk around downtown Talent to assess both the losses and the businesses left standing (more on that tomorrow). I came across this sign in front of Ray’s supermarket. It may have been there before the fire but is certainly more appropriate than ever now.

Still no word on opening our neighborhood but they say they are doing all they can to make it safe for us to return home.