PORTLAND DRIZZLE

🐳It’s Saturday, goshdangit! Cool and dry today — high of 52°F, zero chance of rain. Spring arrived yesterday and already my garden is blooming. The PCC strike grinds through its second week with no deal in sight. Gas in Oregon is now averaging $4.78 a gallon and rising. Go spot some whales at the coast - if you take a good photo I’ll feature it here.

On March 18, Oregon Humane Society dispatched five staff members to Christmas Valley in Lake County after a suspected animal neglect call. Working alongside the Lake County Sheriff's Office, they rescued 17 dogs, four cats, five birds, and two gerbils found living in unsanitary conditions with no reliable access to food or water. Several animals were found dead on the property. Dogs and cats were transported to OHS's Portland campus; birds and gerbils went to the Humane Society of North Lake County. None of the animals are yet available for adoption. No charges have been announced.

Spring Whale Watch Week kicks off today and runs through March 29 along the Oregon Coast. Trained volunteers and park rangers will be stationed at 15 sites daily from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help visitors spot gray whales and their calves as they migrate north toward Alaska. The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with binoculars provided. There's a catch, though: NOAA estimates about 13,000 gray whales will pass Oregon's shores this season — far fewer than earlier projections, and the lowest population numbers since the 1970s. Bring binoculars, dress in layers, and go anyway. They need the audience.

Ten days in, and the first-ever strike in Oregon community college history is going nowhere fast. Bargaining has stalled after an administration proposal was rejected by the Faculty Federation, and the union's president says they've made "very little progress" in more than a week — with the college's cost-of-living adjustment offer budging by just 0.25% since the walkout began. Students, meanwhile, are caught in the crossfire: final grades for winter term haven't been posted, emails are going unanswered, and scholarship applicants say they've heard nothing back. Spring term is scheduled to start March 30. At this rate, someone's going to blink — the question is who, and whether it happens before 50,000 students are staring down a second disrupted term.

I just thought this event looked nice so I’m sharing it. Walk around and make friends? Yes, please!

On March 21, 2009, the Oneonta Tunnel in the Columbia River Gorge reopened to hikers after 61 years of closure — giving Portlanders back one of the most dramatic short trails in the region.

Get outside this weekend. It's dry, it's 52, and the Timbers are playing LA Galaxy at Providence Park on Sunday by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]