A Little Timing

The opportunity for virtual meetings has made it easier for me over the last year and a half to continue to serve on several boards. But it seems like I run out of available time for the meetings just as quickly as when, in the good old days before the pandemic, I had to make allowances in my days to travel to the meetings, attend and get home from those meetings between my other duties. With the virtual option available, I can pull up the meeting on my phone while I am beginning, finishing or in the middle of my other chores.

Such was the case for the Upper Nehalem Watershed Council. I could have driven into Vernonia for the meeting that started at 5:30pm or I could log in and still help Mike finish the chores before dark. I opted to log in and go into mute mode so the sound of the dogs, the cows or the Gator didn’t interrupt the meeting.

It was in the point in the meeting when public comments were being bantered about as I was headed over the bridge with Mike to do the chores across the river. It was noted by a Vernonia resident that salmon had been spotted in town, the first of the season to enter into the river system from the ocean on its way to spawning. After last years tremendous salmon run, it was exciting to hear that after the beginnings of our fall storms the water level was high enough to support the species at least as far as the town. I looked down into the river as we crossed the bridge and sure enough I saw one lone salmon wiggle its way through the passage below the bridge. Mike stopped to Gator and we both watched the progression upstream. I turned off the mute button to share that even though I was upper, upper Nehalem that I too was able to document that salmon were beginning to come upstream.

After we had the chores done, the board meeting had concluded, and just as dusk turned into full dark, we sat at the river to see if we could spot any more of salmon as they make their way up the shallow crossing. We were not able to see another fish, I guess I just needed a little fortuitous timing to see the first salmon of the season and will have to wait to see how the run continues with more rain to fill the river.