Developing an ecotheology of critical hope in Cascadia
The other day, my mom brought us a bag of frozen blueberries, because she knew our boys like to have them as a snack, and we were out of blueberries. While I appreciated the gesture, I hesitated. Why?! Why, you might ask, would you hesitate, when your kids' nana brings them a HEALTHY snack (as …
This summer, I've invited others to join me on Friday "hikes" or nature excursions around our small region. Part of this has to do with my church's current emphasis on getting to know our watershed so that we can better take care of the space around us. We can only love places that we know, …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Champoeg Nature Play Area"
Well, sometimes when you go hiking with kids, you have to admit your failures...at least if you're me! So, we went hiking with my friend Lotus and K's friend N to Magness Memorial Tree Farm (which, by the way, is not a tree farm, but is a demonstration forest with hiking trails, a covered picnic area, …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Magness Tree Farm"
I got a little behind in posting anything, but K and I have still been doing our weekly hikes in the area! We've been hiking with other people lately, which has been fun. I'd always heard about the trails at the Trappist Abbey of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and I've driven by there countless times, …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Trappist Abbey"
For our Friday adventure this week, K and I visited Bob & Crystal Rilee Park & Equestrian Trails, which is just east of Newberg on Parrett Mountain. According to the Chehalem Park & Recreation District blog, this has only been officially zoned as a park for a few months, although the purchase of the property and …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Bob & Crystal Rilee Park"
I took a study/grading break and K and I went for a little walk/hike around the Gettman Loop Trail. This one really only counts as a walk (since it's short and doesn't really get out in un-manicured areas for most of the time), but it was fun, especially since it's right here in town. It …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Gettman Loop Trail"
Continuing in my study of the term "hope," I also ran across a really interesting article on Aristotle's understanding of the term hope: "Aristotle on Hope," by G. Scott Gravlee, which appeared in the Journal of the History of Philosophy in October 2000. I previously wrote about hope in Hebrew as well as the Greek …
Continue reading "Hope in Ancient Greek: Aristotle on hope, optimism, and courage"
The other day, for my sister's birthday, we decided to check out Miller Woods Conservation Area. None of us had ever been there before, and in fact I didn't even know it existed until recently when I started looking around for hikes in the area. This is a great location! 130 acres, it contains many …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Miller Woods"
Champoeg State Park is a beautiful place to go to be outside in the Newberg area, and I have many fond memories of it: biking on the trails with my family as a kid, biking there with my eighth grade class (along a highway!!! Looking back, I'm really surprised they let us do that), hikes, …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in Chehalem Valley: Disc Golf at Champoeg Park"
Over spring break, my kids and I decided to try the 4T Trail around Portland. 4T stands for train, trail, tram, and trolley, and it's a loop that takes you on a trail starting near the Oregon Zoo, up to Council Crest and across to Oregon Health Sciences University, where you catch the Portland Aerial …
Continue reading "Outdoors with Kids in the Chehalem Valley: the 4T Trail"
Cherice Bock 