I brought Don Wardwell, captain of Meliptus, Wanderer co-conspirator, to the Lanahan spread near Eugene yesterday. The parking areas were packed with pickups and other construction crew vehicles: both the patio makeover and the main house reroofing were under way.
Steffan and Barbara had extended their stay so we could overlap. Steffan and I had both been directly involved with Sam in promoting C6XTY and the Lattice Gallery in different ways. We had subsequently discussed his dream for a video recording studio (all before covid) and then lost touch. Fast forward and I discovered his dreams all came true.Steffan is a pro prestidigitator, a stage magician slash illusionist, mostly retired. He gave us an impromptu performance as we all sat around in the trailer. The pounding on the roof by the roofers at the house, meant the destination trailer (a nice one) became the setting for out get together. Steffan did some excellent card and rope tricks.
Don got the tour of the barn, to which the trailer is adjacent, including of the main pump, out of the river for this season and mounted on blocks, and of course, the modest Flextegrity Museum with some of Sam’s souvenir latticeworks. The C6XTY lattice in copper is depicted. The property has other such sculptures on display, including one in colorized aluminum (red white and blue).
Then Don and I clambered onto the Gator, a two-seater carry-all, like a fossil fuel golf cart, and I drove us around the perimeter, including a stop where the pump is actually situated, when in service. The property is by now intensively plumbed. This would be a pretty sweet farm for someone with animals, but for now it’s more an Oregon garden slash wetland.
But for a rented out portion and a grassland section, Sam had the entire acreage planted in wild flowers this year. The bees loved it.
The entire day was enshrouded in fog. We left Portland before daylight and returned after dark. The dogs likewise had fun.
