This is a short account of hospitality and a question - Who doesn't know
Chuck.
As I was walking Elliott Ln outside Prineville last Friday morning looking
for Tricolored Blackbirds, I was nervous about being an unwelcome outsider
taking photographs of birds feeding on private property.
I finally settled down after the fourth truck stopped and the folks inside,
once again, asked me in a kind interested way, what I was taking pictures
of, and after a few minutes of discussion about the differences between
Tricolored and Red-winged Blackbirds, the son of the father and son duo
said "You know, when I was in school there was a teacher who was always
reading about birds". And, I laughed out loud when he told me the name of
that teacher was Chuck Gates.
After mentioning that it is a small world, I told them that I was standing
where I was because of a report posted about Tricolored Blackbirds in this
exact spot by Chuck Gates. From that moment on - I was golden. At the
end of that conversation, I was invited out to their ranch near Paulina to
photograph recently hatched Sandhill Cranes. Unfortunately, that never
came together. But when I was standing in the general store in Paulina,
the store clerk, and two patrons overheard my (landline) telephone
conversation with the son who was explaining why it wasn't going to work
today.
When I hung up, everyone wanted to share a story with me about Chuck. At
the end of the day, let it be well known that Chuck really loves his birds!
On my way to Trout Creek Recreational area, I thought I would stop back by
Elliott Ln to see if I could get a better picture of a Tricolored. It was
then that another truck stopped to ask me what I was doing. It wasn't
until the guy got out of his truck with his dog to show me some of his
favorite photos from sixty years of wildlife photography that were
coincidentally sitting on the passenger seat of his pickup.
The next thing you know, I was standing in their house with him and his
wife overlooking some of their 20-acre parcel groomed to mostly to attract
a wide variety of birds. Both are life-long, professional-level
photographers who have had the good fortunate to be able to travel the
continent photographing birds, landscapes, and other wildlife. A truly
remarkable couple.
When they heard my answer to their question about what brought me to the
area - they said simply "That makes sense, he knows everyone."
On my way out to the car, I wondered - Who doesn't know Chuck.
The funny thing is that my stop that day on Elliott Ln was intended to be
nothing more than a brief detour on the way to another destination.
Watch out for the detours - sometimes they bring unexpected joy into your
life.
Jack Williamson
West Linn, Oregon
