Walking down the Mill Race

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 10-27
Location: 44°56'16.02"N, 123° 2'23.66"W, entrance of Creekside Fly Fishing store
Time: 1305-1320
Weather: Sunny, clear skies, 60˚F

As a class, we followed the Mill Race (Pringle Creek) downstream through downtown. We ended up at an enclosed concrete square area where water effused out in a clamor of several waterfalls. Golden leaves fell into the ditch, a thin layer floating on top of the water. Along with the dead leaves were a couple of beer bottles and an empty soda cup, complete with lid and straw. As the water flowed out of the area toward the Willamette River, I saw an accumulation of grey sludge, perhaps oil, near the grids that were designed to slightly filter the water. Well, at least the design was formulated with the environment in mind. Several benches were set up along the walls of the concrete, permitting people to rest and dispose their litter into the trashcan in front of them. Just outside of a fishing store, there were two wild mallards flexing their wings under a crimson broadleaf tree. Both had brown/mahogany chests, vivid orange feet, emerald heads, and a thin collar of white. The third duck was the incongruity, with grey undersides, a hybrid of a wild mallard with a domesticated one. Twice it attempted to fly up the concrete wall and reach the other two. Twice it failed. Ultimately, it cleverly walked up a wooden ramp attached to the inner side of the concrete. As a group, the three drakes walked south, away from the river, and crossed the pavement with little regard to people passing by. When we turned to walk back, two men heavily clouded an evergreen shrub with ashy wasp repellent.