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Severe damage is evident as a result of a residential fire at 2627 N.E. 108th Ave. that occurred on January 6.
She Who Watches’ presides over the winter scene in a Mid-County garden.

MEMO PHOTO: DARLENE VINSON
The Legend of She Who Watches
There are several versions of the Tsagaglalal, or She Who Watches legend but the one that is told by the Wishram native people is as follows: A woman was chief of all who lived in this region. Before Coyote came up the river and changed things. Before people were real people.

Coyote, in his travels, came to this place and asked the inhabitants if they were living well or ill. They sent him to their chief who lived up on the rocks where she could look down on the village and know what was going on.

Coyote climbed up to the house and asked, “What kind of living do you give these people? Do you treat them well or are you one of those evil women?” “I am teaching them to live well and build good houses,” she said.

When she expressed her desire to be able to do this forever, he said, “Soon the world will change and women will no longer be chiefs.” And, being the trickster that he was, he changed her into a rock with the command: “You shall stay here and watch over the people and the river forever.”

People know that Tsagaglalal sees all things for whenever they are looking at her, those large eyes are watching them.
A tale of two storms

Winter descends on Mid-Multnomah County, bringing tranquility to some, chaos to others

DARLENE VINSON
THE MID-COUNTY MEMO

January in northwestern Oregon. The powers of nature can delight or terrify us.

Occasional snow flurries above 500 feet or so are common. Certainly the passes over the Coast Range and the Cascades can be problematic. But snow on the valley floor is less frequent and brings with it a wide spectrum of experiences.

Last month, forecasters provided residents with the opportunity to prepare. Lines were long at tire stores as motorists had snow tires installed and purchased chains. Just in case. Store shelves were emptied of items such as bottled water, batteries and compressed fireplace logs. Just in case. Movies, on tape or DVD, were scooped up at the video store. Just in case.

Then the snows came.

There is nothing quite so peaceful as a neighborhood blanketed in snow. In one Mid-County backyard, a garden replica of the famous ancient petroglyph/pictograph in the Columbia Gorge “She-Who-Watches” oversees the landscape and contributes to the tranquility.

Not far away, the tranquility is broken in the Parkrose Heights neighborhood when fire erupts on the front porch of a residence. Earlier that morning the resident had placed a cardboard box in the enclosed front porch containing the ashes cleaned out of a wood pellet stove. According to Portland Investigator Rick Aragon, the ashes most likely smoldered all day. Light smoke slowly built up in the house so the owner opened the front and back door in an effort to clear the smoke. Within minutes, the wind fanned the ashes enough to ignite the cardboard box and spread to other contents on the porch as well as in the home. Two adults and one toddler were assisted in their evacuation by a neighbor who happened to be an off-duty Portland Firefighter.

Then the ice came.

Again there are two aspects of this event for many of us. Creativity abounds as we find innovative ways to navigate the slick steps, sidewalks and roadways. Neighbors check on one another and children relish ‘snow days’. Because we are homebound for much of the time, most small businesses suffer. Nature takes some of her own when age-old trees succumb to the extra weight on branches and loose saturated soils below. Birds crowd feeders filled just before the snow came. A hummingbird visits a frozen nectar bottle in search of nourishment.

January in northwestern Oregon. We were delighted. We were terrified. We moved on.
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