Written by Mickey Weaver, FOMR Volunteer
My Aunt Mary is 12 years younger than my mom, and I am 12 years younger than Mary. So, throughout my life, she has always felt more like a sister to me. Growing up in Portland, I was always drawn to art, culture, independent thinking, and the beautiful diversity of the world around me. But some of my most meaningful childhood memories were created far from the city.
Every Summer, I would head to Idaho to spend three months with Mary and my grandparents. Those summers became the foundation for my lifelong appreciation of the natural world. My family taught me to slow down, look closely, notice the beauty around me, and find creative ways to express my love for nature.
More than 50 years later, Mary and I are still creating memories together – and blazing a new trail of our own. This is our third year volunteering with Friends of Malheur Wildlife Refuge , and here in Harney County, we have found a place that somehow feels both wild and familiar.
On our days of from working at the Crane’s Nest Nature Store, we follow dusty roads into the wide-open landscape, never quire knowing what we might discover. There is something magical about this place. The birds, the wildlife, the endless skies, the quiet, and the vastness of the land seem to offer little gifts along the way.
Perhaps the greatest gift of all is being here together. Over the past three years, our adventures have taken us up and down the Auto Tour Route (Central Patrol Road – CPR), where every turn seems to reveal something new. We have discovered the magic of Sod House Ranch in the early morning light, traveled the Steens Mountain Loop, soaked in the hot springs in Crane and the Alvord Desert, we share wonderful meals at Hotel Diamond and Frenchglen.
Of course, there are always more adventures waiting just beyond the horizon. We still have not experienced a burger and shake in Fields, journey into Hart Mountain, or the Malheur National Forest.
It’s like we started writing a book in the early 70’s with ‘revised editions’ coming out every year. I am grateful that I have these memories to hold in my heart.
