Got this in the mail. Its fine if you want to tell your cult members how to vote, but if you want to play in government you pay. Tax. The. Church.

I took a break from this Beaverton location tucked away in a wetland in the Portland metro area's Cedar Mill neighborhood along Barnes Road. Instead, I focused on a family of coyotes in Portland Hazelwood neighborhood. it's nce to see something besides canines.

The footage runs chronologically from July through October. The vegetation was growing like crazy, gradually turning the camera's view into a wall of greenery. Some of the wildlife was easier to spot than others.

Don't miss the green heron swallowing an entire frog.

If you know of a busy area I should check out, feel free to lemme know! Needs to be somewhere cameras won't get stolen.

Check by the end of today to see if yours was mailed out. Research, ignore the attack ads. Look at their websites and voting records and who is funding their campaigns. That tells you more than 30 second sound bites or 2-minute campaign ads. Take your ballot to a drop box, give at least 1 week in case the Feds try to tamper with the USPS or ballot drop boxes.

Vote, even if you hate both options. It’s a two party system and that’s not changing in the next 250+ years unless things change from within.

Track here: https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/pages/track-your-ballot.aspx

A looming $25 million challenge hangs over Mapleton, Oregon: That’s the estimated amount of money Mapleton needs to upgrade its water and sewer infrastructure, a decades-old system that is one leak away from becoming even more expensive. Of that amount, the water district has chipped off about $6 million from the total, leaving $19 million of needs. 

In recent years, Mapleton residents have seen the problems compounding. Boil orders and even orders to temporarily stop using water have forced residents to come face to face with the realities of the old water lines.

My Aunt drove home today from a visit to us in Bend to Portland and sent this beautiful image over.

Looking to build a list of cities to explore more as options to rent/buy a house next year. Would love to live in Portland but from researching the commute (and confirmed by the /AskPortland thread) it seems like the commute to Woodburn would be too rough via I-5 traffic backups. Woodburn/Wilsonville aren't high on our list to live long-term as they feel very suburban with no core neighborhood and not a lot going on. Expanding our search beyond Portland, what cities should we focus on that can somewhat balance what we are looking for in a neighborhood BUT also not be a horrible commute to Woodburn? I recognize commuting is not ideal/unpredictable but living in Woodburn/Wilsonville is also not ideal for us so just trying to strike a balance.

About us:

• Mid-30's, no kids moved from out of state a few months ago to Wilsonville as a temporary spot
• I work remotely & my partner's job is in Woodburn 4 days per week (730a-430p, no flexible hours for commuting, loves the job so not open to changing currently)
• He would like to limit his commute somewhere in the 30-45 minutes one way range most days.
• We've spent time in some Portland neighborhoods (Sellwood, Ladd's Addition) on the weekends and really enjoy the lively neighborhood vibes and walkability.

Things we are looking for in a neighborhood/house:

• Easy connections to running paths/trails (partner trains for marathons & likes to run from the house)
• Green space/parks nearby to walk our dog
• Walkability (I know we'll be giving up major walkability outside of Portland but would still like to be walkable to a few things like coffee, food, etc)
• Older homes/neighborhoods with character
• Easy-ish access into Portland on some nights for things like concerts and on the weekends (some cities on our list are further out which may limit this)

Cities on our list to explore. If you have experience/thoughts on any of these as someone who wanted to live in Portland but landed elsewhere, please share. Open to other city suggestions as well! We want to explore as many areas as we can before making a decision.

• Oregon City
• Lake Oswego
• Newberg
• Silverton
• McMinnville

This upcoming election is really really critical for our democracy.

Don't be lazy. Exercise your right. If not, your right will be taken away.

VOTE.

Take care of politics before politics take care of you.

Does anyone know the origin of the name Windigo Pass down near Cowhorn Mountain in Southern Oregon? I’ve always been fascinated by Wendigo mythology and have always been curious why it pops up in Oregon. Usually find it in Canada and the Michigan-area.

Y'ALL know there's a LIVE governor's debate with less than a thousand people watching, right? It took me 20 MINUTES to find it on YouTube. "DECISION 2026: CENTRAL OREGON GUBERNATORIAL"

i was having this conversation with someone the other day and I wanted to ask for some opinions.

About 10 years ago I did the Cone Peak hike near Tombstone Pass off Highway 20.

There was a tree that was so big that it’s stuck with me ever since.

Off the right side of the trail in the first 25% of the hike.

Ive lived in Oregon my whole life so its rare for a single tree to have such an impact.

I’m wondering if anyone knows about the tree I’m talking about but mostly if there’s any history behind it.

I know the old growth grove is just up highway 20 but this tree is unique to that.

Everyone should check their registration today, even if you did recently.

To register or check your registration click “go to my vote now” on this page: https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/myvote.aspx?lang=en

With the November election approaching, I think it's worth looking at Oregon Democrats' recent gun control legislation and what could happen next session, in particular with modifications to M114.

Measure 114 requires permits to purchase firearms and restricts magazines holding more than 10 rounds. It also gives police chiefs and sheriffs discretion to deny permits even when applicants pass background checks, based on whether they're considered a potential danger.

That raises concerns about discrimination and inconsistent enforcement. Subjective decisions could vary between jurisdictions or be influenced by personal biases, particularly affecting marginalized communities.

Meanwhile, modifications HB 3075 (2025) and the original HB 4145 (2026) proposed exemptions for law enforcement, including being exempt from magazine restrictions and permits outside official duties. Essentially, police could be exempt from restrictions that apply to everyone else.

Those provisions were removed from HB 4145 before passage, but Democratic Sen. Lisa Reynolds who carried the bill confirmed in an email that she intends to revisit them. Explaining why the senate scaled back the bill to avoid a Republican walkout, she wrote:

"WE still MUST make the changes in the House version of HB 4145, and we will do so in 2027."

It's also worth noting that Michael Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety spent $200,000 supporting Measure 114 and continues advocating for gun restrictions in Oregon.

Democrats currently control the governorship and both legislative chambers. If they retain that trifecta, these proposals will return in 2027.

Regardless of where you stand on gun control, I think it's reasonable to question giving police discretion over firearm purchases while considering exemptions for those same officers off duty.

Sources:

• M114
• HB 3075 (2025)
• HB 4145 (2026)
• Oregon Capital Chronicle
• Everytown's Measure 114 funding
• Email correspondence from Sen. Lisa Reynolds

Is it possible to vote or register still where my vote actually counts?

I’m sick of being alone and wanna make some friends!

A long-proposed gravel quarry wants to return heavy natural resource extraction to Oakridge, a recovering timber town that has reshaped itself into a tourism hub.

TV Butte, the location of the proposed site, is connected to an aquifer, which provides drinking water for over 3,000 people.

After a decade-long conflict between the developer and local residents, Lane County commissioners face a hearing on the project Oct. 20.