Tuesday November 29

As many as fifteen people at one point in the hour. Likely the drier weather helped, along with the treats for a birthday celebration.

Monday November 28

About seven at the beginning, growing to a dozen at 6:00PM. A young woman of Mexican ancestry from Los Angeles joined us for the first half hour, a welcome mark of wider support. The Monday treat was tasty pumpkin bars.

Sunday, 27 November

A steady rain and a steady 7 people and then we were 6 for the balance of the hour.  A grinning head mask of George W. is looking out at the traffic from the van's trailer hitch these past two nights.
Brownies, with a mystery ingredient,  are offered.  If we were the old hippies some detractor's like to label us there might be no mystery - but this is a new century and no one can guess that black beans are the key ingredient.

Saturday November 26

Seven of us for the first half hour grew to ten at 6:00PM. We talked about far-away relatives and favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

Friday November 25

Seven of us for much of the hour. The street in front of the Benton County courthouse had one lane closed for the annual Corvallis holiday parade, so that even not much traffic felt busy. Some passing wondered whether the vigil was part of the parade.

Thursday November 24

Four, briefly five, of us for the Thanksgiving hour. Rain hung in the air but mostly stayed there, and we did not get wet. Traffic was light, with an occasional honk of support and no disagreeable disagreements that we could see.
Three of us had attended community potlucks for the holiday, one in Albany and one in Corvallis, a custom to be affirmed and supported.
One of us had just read In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson, an account of the Nazis' first years in power from the viewpoint of the American ambassador to Germany William E Dodd. She sees the book as a cautionary account of missed opportunities to unseat the Nazis and so possibly to avert World War II.

Wednesday, 23 November

I was a late arrival - as I walked up I saw our faithful first arrival heading home - so I count myself as the replacement.  Seven for the first 1/2 and five for the remainder with one Dog for Peace. Tasty seasonal muffins were a still warm treat.  Talk was about the recent SOA Watch gathering in Georgia.  A man shouted from a passing car.  Did he tell us to "go home" as we thought we heard or "bring 'em home"?

Tuesday, 22 November

One waiting as the clock chimed and I blew across the street with the flurry of wild wet leaves.  We stood in the darkening day behind a solid line of parked cars. Then, as if on cue, the sign-bearing van arrived and several cars pulled away and two became three and the nightly accretion continued with 8 gathered to stand in our various ways and intentions, for peace.  We spoke of the local "occupy movement" - the larger purpose and how it might gain in consequence.  Our newest 'regular' sees the vigil as representing a steadfast presence and she joins us with a clear sense that this is "doing something".  I am heartened for I hear other comments that suggest this is an empty gesture.  I remember a man I met who, for many years maintained a vigilant presence in protest of nuclear weapons made and transported from the Pantex factory in Texas.  He knew his presence led others to questions and some to change their attitudes.  I believe this little cadre of people outside the county courthouse has a similar consequence.   We also spoke of food.  I'd seen the German documentary film, Daily Bread, last night - all about the miserable practices of factory farm food production.  Why, we asked, are we unable/unwilling to feed people; heathy sane food? How is it that the government subsidizes corporate food not small farms?  How is it that we are so mesmerized by the cultural myth of Getting Ahead that we forget to care for one another?  What, really, would it take to have food security in our community?  I recall taking an elder friend from Appalachian Kentucky on a trip to Philadelphia.  Grace had not traveled before and her commentary of sights along the way was engaging.  As we explored Washington DC she looked at the expanses of grass and noted that they "were not even cemeteries; just think of all the food they could grow on that flat ground!"  Indeed.  lawns into food production.  how hard would that be?  And, is not that part of creating peace?
As the hour ended our injured companion stopped to wish us all a happy day of thanksgiving.

Monday, 21 November

Warmer & wet - 6 to enjoy the cookies - which are a Monday tradition.  The illuminated snowflakes are up on the light posts.  Winter holiday decorations festoon the courthouse - soon the lights will be lit and the cheer will spill over the sidewalk.  We spoke of fantastical devices to facilitate holding a sign and an umbrella and responding to waving people.  And, how about an umbrella engineered to scoop in the sound so conversation can be unhampered.  Maybe lights for the signs.  More seriously, we marveled at the bravery of the Egyptian protestors.

Sunday 20 November

Startlingly cold.  6 hearty folks stood the hour.

Saturday, 19 November

Conversations circled - "the Occupy Movement"  - the younger generation's engagement; the diversity of people engaged.  Albany Peace Seekers intend to sponsor an essay contest - starting around Martin Luther King's birthday.  I am impressed.  What else might some of us in Corvallis do?

Friday, 18 November

Blustery rain persists - five for the hour, six for a portion of it.  Conversation on my end of the line circled the ideas presented by Bill McKibben last night.  The vital importance of local action feeding into national and global change.  Could someone design equipment appropriate to recycling plastic in the community of use rather than shipping it distances?  Keeping carbon sequestered in trees and buried "fossil fuels" - changing forestry practices...
Another side of peace.

Thursday, 17 September

One waiting under his umbrella and two more arrive with the clock chiming the hour.  serious rain for a bit.
four for the remaining time - one arrives and the faithful first at the curb person bids us good evening.  Several people pass and make the effort to let us know they support peace.  We speak of hostility and steps one takes to live safely in a culture of violence.

Wednesday, 17 November

A blustery evening with leaves sailing golden in the street lights.  We seven marveled at the beauty around us.  We were prepared for the big rain with our array of umbrellas.  4 more joined us for the later 1/2 hour.  Conversations are compromised by the umbrella barriers.  One of our regulars is off to Georgia for the annual SOA watch gathering.  Another was having surgery to repair a broken wrist.  And, in this hour, how many people I will never know suffered  because of the wars my government sustains?

Tuesday November 15

Ten or twelve people throughout the hour. It seems to me that the traffic was unresponsive this evening, with few honks or gestures, but maybe that is just my impression. I do not ask the others what they think.

Monday Movember 14

Eight to ten people throughout the (blessedly dry) hour. We talked about caring for horses and dogs, and about the impact of medical technology on how we die.

Sunday November 13

A man who only recently began joining the vigil chose to celebrate his 31st birthday today by posting an invitation on his Facebook page. So the hour was an invigorating mix of "old regulars", many of whom do not have a Facebook identity, and hip younger folks. Is "hip" even the right slang nowadays? We all enjoyed being and witnessing together.

Saturday, 12 November

Still here despite the portentous 11/11/11 with various dooms foretold.  It seems there is enough everyday doom -what with the ongoing wars and all manner of nefarious political posturing.   6 this Saturday night in the dark rain.  Many friendly toots and headlight flashes.  These are the nights it feels particularly important to stand the hour - with winter's darkness closing in and the blusters of rain squalling about.

Friday, November 11

Darkness is again part of the vigil.  It is harder to see the people who wave as they pass us.  With this visual  uncertainty we can choose to declare all gestures to be affirmative for the cause of peace.  A man with a 99% sign joined us for the hour after giving the afternoon to standing at Bank of America in the spirit of the growing Occupy movement.  11 for most of the mostly wet hour.  We heard about the annual veterans day parade in Albany - which included a contingent of nuclear test site veterans.  A young man offered us the 1/4 sheet flyers that VFP passed out - giving the Armistice Day history of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918,  as the end of that "war to end all wars".   Here we are 93 years later with a deep habit of war as a fact of our national policy.

Thursday November 10

Only one vigil-er to start the hour, but folks trickled in until there were seven of us at 6:00PM. One interesting conversation was about people's strong reactions to traffic roundabouts, in particular the proposed roundabout at SW 53rd Street and Western Boulevard, as opposed to stoplights and stop signs.

Wednesday November 9

Half a dozen to ten people throughout the hour. An account of a 21-year every-Friday peace vigil in Concord, Massachusetts; encounters with coyotes in Corvallis and in New York's Central Park; discussion of whether there will be any effective response to climate change -- we do not lack for things to talk about. It is easier to talk when the weather is dry than in the rain. :)

Tuesday November 8

Only two at 5:00PM, about eight at the end of the hour. A faithful long-time supporter stopped to give us a sliced loaf of banana bread. We are appreciative and thankful.

Monday November 7

No rain today. Four or five at 5:00PM, a few people coming and going throughout the hour, seven of us at 6:00. On Sunday the time changed from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time, and now we mostly cannot see the people driving by, so that now the vigil's interaction with passersby feels much different.

Saturday November 5

Guy Fawkes Day had steady rain throughout the vigil, but it was still well attended, with eight at the end. A couple of us wore the Occupy-style Guy Fawkes masks. We had a visitor, a man very concerned for the welfare of veterans. He said, "They don't how to be civilians." When we asked what we could do, his suggestion was to "help one veteran".

Friday November 4

Hard rain for the the first half hour, then dry at the end. Three of us to start the hour, seven at 6:00PM.

Thursday November 3

Three people at 5:00PM, seven at 6:00. We shared Halloween candy (still) and green tomatoes.

Wednesday November 2

Four people to start the hour, fourteen at the end.

Tuesday November 1

Five people at 5:00PM, nine at the end of the hour. One person brought Halloween candy, and we had a birthday celebration.

Monday October 31

Six to nine of us throughout the hour. One vigil-er brought a box of costumes for this Halloween vigil. We thought that the scariest costume was the George W Bush mask. :)

Sunday October 30

Five people at 5:00PM, seven at 6:00. An uneventful hour, and luckily dry.