Eugene / Journal · January 3, 2024

Morning walk

through a hushed and foggy park before breakfast this morning. I left my phone at home because I thought it was too foggy for pictures. A scant few days past the equinox, and the birds are already increasing their activity in response to the slightly longer days. We heard the chiming sound of redwing blackbirds along the canal. The winter waterfowl were out in all their variety: mergansers and grebes and cormorants and white-cheeked buffleheads. We rarely see river otters in the canal, but today one popped up to stare at us and then did it again, just so we could believe our eyes. A pair of bald eagles has returned to a tree near the pond where we have seen them before.

We warmed up afterwards at Studio One Cafe with my favorite Eugene breakfast, a Big Easy half-benedict with sweet potato fries.