University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History

The Plein Air Group were painting this week at the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History. I didn't see them there but they may have finished there are before I arrived or were painting behind the building. I only had a few minutes to shoot these pictures because we had just made a Costco run and had frozen food in the car.

Speaking of runs this statue is titled "Spring Run" and depicts a Native American woman pulling a Salmon from the river. Mack Holman did this bronze in 2001 for the Museum.

This trellis of wrought iron was interesting and I noticed it as I walked into the courtyard. I'm not sure it was the intent, but it looks like people standing on each others shoulders. When you think about it that's really what history is all about. It reminded me of the excellent Ken Follett book "Pillars of the Earth" and it makes me wonder how we judge success. Ken has probably made millions from his book and I wonder how much the person who made that trellis got for his/her efforts. Then again Ken worked hard to make his book more than a symbol but a fleshed out piece of descriptive art.

The courtyard had a north and south portico leading into the small but beautiful open space. There was also a portico over the entrance to the museum on the east side of the courtyard.

Each portico had a figure adorning the apex of the roof and all facing the courtyard. This is the South figure and depicts an Eagle.

The East portico at the entrance of the museum has a Salmon with its hooked jaws, hump back and fins.


I think this is a wolf on the North portico.


The stone and plaque on the West side of the courtyard notes that this is "The Glenn Starlin Courtyard 1990."

"Glenn Starlin was a leader on the University of Oregon campus and part of the generation that established Oregon as a major research university," Dean Tim Gleason said. "Over the years, he worked closely with the broadcast faculty in the School to enhance the teaching of broadcasting at Oregon."

So what is this funny looking thing in the courtyard? I first thought it was a cross section of an old growth tree. For the answer look at the next picture.


It's the Willamette Meteorite the largest meteorite found in one piece in North America

"The iron-nickel Willamette Meteorite, discovered in the U.S. state of Oregon, is the largest meteorite found in the United States, and the sixth largest in the world. No impact crater was preserved at the discovery site; it is possible that the meteorite landed in what is now Canada and was transported to where it was found by moving ice sheets.

Physical characteristics

The Willamette Meteorite weighs about 32,000 pounds or 15.5 tons. It is classified as a type III iron meteorite, being composed of over 91% iron and about 8% nickel, with traces of cobalt and phosphorus. The approximate dimensions of the meteorite are 10 feet (3.05 m) tall by 6.5 feet (1.98 m) wide by 4.25 feet (1.3 m) deep. The distinctive pitting on the surface of the meteorite is believed to have resulted from both its high-speed atmospheric entry and subsequent weathering. In the case of weathering, rainwater interacted with the mineral troilite, resulting in a form of sulfuric acid which slowly dissolved portions of the meteorite. This resulted (over a very long period) in many of the pits that are visible today." source Wikipedia

Amazing! but check out the real deal I found online



Well that's about it but I should add the frozen food didn't melt but I did fine one cracked egg.....

Scrabble Score ~ Scrabble Queen 376 ~ The Contender 334

Quote of the Day ~

“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

Jack London quotes (American short-story Writer and Novelist whose works deal romantically with elemental struggles for survival. One of the most extensively translated of American authors. 1876-1916)