Art Deco in Eugene.

 Most folks think of Eugene, Oregon, as a place of towering trees, bicycles, and Ducks football. But during one of my recent wanderings through downtown, I stumbled upon something that made my little ears perk right up: Art Deco architecture.

Now, I've always had a soft spot for old buildings. They have stories tucked into every corner and carved into every stone. So when I spotted one of Eugene's finest Art Deco treasures, I knew I had found the start of a new adventure.

First up was the Eugene Post Office, built between 1938 and 1939. Standing proudly downtown, it's a wonderful example of Depression-era Art Deco architecture.

Unlike the flashy skyscrapers that often come to mind when people think of Art Deco, Depression-era designs tended to be more restrained and practical. The inside was quiet but you could sense the importance of this old building - it's quiet but it's seen a fair share of history.

The post office has all the hallmarks of the style. Strong geometric lines. Symmetrical design. Decorative details that add character without going overboard. There's a sense of permanence about it, as if the building was meant to reassure people during uncertain times.

As I stood outside looking up at its clean lines and carefully crafted stonework, I imagined residents walking through those doors more than eighty years ago. Letters from loved ones, news from distant places, and perhaps a bit of hope all passed through this very building.

Not bad for an old building spending it's day quietly handling the mail. 

My next Art Deco discovery took me across town to the University of Oregon campus, where the magnificent Knight Library (previously named Main Library)  stands as one of Eugene's architectural crown jewels.

Completed in 1937, the library is widely considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Oregon. 

The artistic details woven throughout the building were amazing. Art Deco often celebrates progress, learning, and human achievement, and Knight Library wears those themes proudly. Every entrance, window, and carved ornament seems designed to remind visitors that knowledge is something worth celebrating.

Of course, being a fox, I was also drawn to the quiet atmosphere inside.  Such a grand entrance for this building and so true to the Art Deco style.

What struck me most was the lobby. Despite sitting in the heart of a busy campus, it was eerily quiet. The sounds of university life seemed to vanish beyond the doors, replaced by a reverent, almost cathedral-like silence that felt shaped by generations of students and scholars.

The geometry on the glass, the polished stone on the walls and iron gates on the door.  

A true masterpiece. 

Junior Pilots Canada Goose Airways

 The new pilots for Canada Goose Airlines are in training. 

The senior pilots were supervising the new pilots very closely. 

Mail Call - Thank you Ajdin and Sandy

 Hiya Gang,
Wolfy and my pal Choya here (Little Fox is out hiking or on some other adventure) but we have the keys to the blog today and LF left a note saying to do the mail.  So here we are.

“Who’s first?” Choya asks.

“Let’s start with the second oldest message. It looks like it’s from LF’s creative friend, Ajdin.”

Ajdin always has some kind of side business going—these days, he’s in the magnet business. It was incredibly kind of him to send these our way; they were a wonderful gift. The Sequoia magnet now sits proudly on the fridge, right in full view of the roommates. 

"Next up is some mail from Sandy and crew." muses Choya.

 

"Yep,   Sandy sent a post card from London and his time hanging out with Beanie and the gang." 

Choya grins. “A postcard—from London. Looks like he’s been running around with Beanie and the gang.  Does Sandy ever slow down?” 

 According to the note it seems Sandy is on an Art Deco Photo hunt (LF is  going to San Francisco "this summer - maybe there will be some Art Deco out there?).

“In unison—happy birthday to you, happy birthday, Little Fox!”

Little Fox's birthday came and went this year in mid January without much fanfare.  No cake, no hike, but Sandy and crew came through with this awesome card of polar bears wanting cake (Little Fox knows the pain of wanting cake and not getting anything from the roommates, not even a crumb.

Finally, a nice sympathy card from Sandy and Crew.   We are 100% sure that Sequoia is having a ball playing with Minnie, Rascal, Daisy and Spooky.

A Spring Adventure: Wildflowers, Ice Cream and Wine.

 Hiya Gang!
Little Fox here, it's been a while since I have had a chance to blog.  It's Spring and it's wildflower season.  A few new hikes were discovered this year.  

A perfect day.  The Lupine and Balsam Root are blooming at the same time.  Such a treat for May. 

A short little hike on an unknown trail (aren't those the best?).  Came across a few other hikers with their dogs, a man on a horse (for real) , and a deer escorted us along the trail too. 

Afterwards a little reward for my effort.  All of these flavors are handmade in the back of the shop. 

Ended up with Apple Crisp and Strawberry Rhubarb.

Then we zipped over the Washington side of the gorge for a little wine tasting. 

What a view eh?  

The Trail is Quieter Today.

 It is a heavy, somber day in my corner of the woods. My tail is low as I share some heartbreaking news with you all.

A few days ago, my dear hiking companion Sequoia suffered a neurological event. Despite his strength, it was a mountain he could not climb back from. The vet gently let us know it was time for his soul to find a new path.

Sequoia was the ultimate master of the trail. While I was carried in the backpack, he was always there—nose to the earth, cataloging every scent the wind carried.

 He knew the best spots for a long drink of icy creek water and never, ever missed the crinkle of a wrapper that signaled a shared snack of cheese.

The forest feels different now. The rhythm of his paws alongside mine is a melody I will miss every time I step onto the dirt.

Onward my friend. May your new trails be endless, the creeks always cold, and the cheese always plentiful.

LF

First Hike of March

 Hiya Blog World.

Finally a blog post (a'hem) and a hike.  One of the best photos came from the start of the hike before the roommates even left the car.  The purple flowers were the main wildflowers out today but they were abundant. 

An old telephone pole, perhaps I will be learning about this in Archeology 301 this quarter? 

Some damage of last years fire, a lot more on the other side of the trail but someone (ie the sekrebeary) decided pictures of the dog were more important than me documenting the fire. 

Such a nice day, Spring is so close. 

**cough cough** Oh yeah… I do have a blog… and, wouldn’t you know it, it’s about Everett, Washington.

 Little Fox has been quiet on this blog lately, not out of neglect but because my roommates keep stealing my time, my focus, and possibly my snacks.  Typical, but I finally got an adventure.

Today, I'm scampering through the waterfront and downtown of Everett, Washington, letting the salt air, ferries, and city corners tug me back into the world (and back into writing).

I came across this cool building at Boxcar Park—it was once the headquarters for Weyerhaeuser Lumber, a company founded in 1900 by Frederick Weyerhaeuser that grew into one of the largest timber and wood-products companies in the world, shaping much of the Pacific Northwest’s industrial history.

Now, it's a coffee shop and whiskey bar. It's early so no whiskey but a coffee and scone for sure. 

While waiting for my coffee, I  paused by the old safe, imagining it once guarding the forest’s worth of secrets—ledgers, wages, and the quiet weight of a lumber empire locked behind cold steel.

The old safe no longer guarded secrets of lumber and ledgers, but had been reborn as a hoity-toity vault for customers’ whiskey and red wine, which felt both suspicious and very human.

Fortified with coffee and scones, Little Fox set off on foot—the best way to explore—leaving Boxcar Park behind and trotting onward in search of Grandview Park, a historic hillside park established in the early 1900s and known for its sweeping views over Everett and Port Gardner Bay.  

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As I wandered around town, I trotted past the luxurious homes of timber and railroad barons and the more modest houses of the workers, a reminder of Everett’s rich history of labor and union organizing that shaped the city’s streets and spirit even to this day.

Then Little Fox wandered past the quirky and colorful corporate headquarters of Funko, a playful contrast to the historic lumber and railroad buildings dotting Everett; inside, the company designs and produces its iconic pop culture collectibles—vinyl figures, toys, and memorabilia that celebrate everything from movies and comics to music and sports.

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Time to move, Little Fox thought, trotting off to a cozy coffee shop for lunch—where breakfast burritos and sandwiches ruled the menu—and my eyes couldn’t help but linger on a painting for sale that seemed to whisper, take me home.

Sigh, Little Fox’s pockets weren’t deep enough to take the painting home, but I could still enjoy it—and speaking of enjoying, the weather was amazing, with sun glinting off the water and a gentle breeze ruffling through the streets of Everett; sure, the majority of the state may just drive through, but one would be amiss to skip this charming and historically rich town.