Bird walk will be something worth squawking about

COTTAGE GROVE – If you are not familiar with the feathered members of our community, this Saturday would be a good chance to make their acquaintance. The Coast Fork Birders will be led on their Fall Bird Walk by Grace Fowler-Gore and the bird walk is open to all birding enthusiasts, novice to expert levels.
This is a good one to get your feet wet in the birding field, without the actual moisture. The walk will take place at the Row River Nature Park and most of the tour is on paved pathways. There will be some off-pavement walking, but it is on good pathways.
The wetlands in the Nature Park, also known as the Turtle Ponds, host a variety of waterfowl as well as songbirds. There will be lingering leaves and access to the Coast Fork of the Willamette River.
Mind the weather and dress appropriately, and bring your own water, snack and birding gear if you have any. Meet at 9 a.m. near the weigh station and the walk will last about two hours. You could, of course, peel off and head off if you only have a limited time available.
If you would like more information or to RSVP, contact [email protected] or call 541-942-9717.
After putting away your binoculars, you could head over to the Cottage Grove Armory to take advantage of the South Valley Winter Market. Those hard-working local farmers are taking their market indoors with the uncertainty of the fall weather. They are taking a break from their Thursday market days and setting up inside these coming Saturdays. Joining them will be crafters offering handmade holiday gifts and clothing items. Also offered are children’s activities and live music.
The Market will be held the next five Saturdays, taking only Thanksgiving weekend off. Hours are from 1 to 4 p.m. except for Dec. 7, which will run until 5 p.m. for an extra-special Holiday Market to coincide with the Downtown Christmas Kickoff Event.
If you are feeling lucky and want to try your hand at taking on a card shark or two, you are welcome to have some fun at Penny Poker over at Magnolia Gardens. One of the newest residents is issuing the challenge and Magnolia is providing the pennies, so all you need to do is let them know you are up for a few hands.
Penny Poker will get rolling at 6 p.m. on Friday evening, but if you plan to attend, please let Linda know at 541-514-2485. And try not to lose your shirt!
And if you forgot about the roller skating at the Armory last Sunday, you really did miss a great time. There was constant action as skaters big and small circled the wooden floor to lively music and some games organized by the Skate World staff, who helped out on all fronts. These folks assisted from renting the skates to cruising through us hard sloggers with effortless grace and smooth moves.
There was a wide diversity of skating ability on display, from true beginners being held up by a friend to some trick skaters doing the backwards waltz weaving through the crowds.
I was there during the All Ages time slot and got my money’s worth, for sure. It had been a few decades since I had been on wheels, but it all came back pretty quickly. I remembered that growing up we would skate in our armory. The floors weren’t nearly in as good shape as the ones in Cottage Grove, and you would get your teeth nearly shaken loose when you went across the lay of the boards.
As crowded as it was, I am sure roller skating will be back again in the Grove. It was a popular use of the Armory in yesteryear, and since we own it now, look for skating and other family-friendly events coming to this community treasure.