TrackTown, USA: We woke to another cloudy day in Eugene. Just a few weeks away from Palm Springs weather, we are not enjoying the Oregon "summer" weather situation. Dave and I met with the University of Oregon Library this morning to talk about our on-going Leadership and Legacy project to digitalize the zillions of athletic photos and video owned by the university and local community. This is an important topic to us, but one that needs to be addressed world-wide. It is important to capture all the photos, film (actual film!) and preserve/transfer the content to a digital format before time/moisture/elements make it all mold away. (Important to do this with all the photos and film in your basements!)
I am going to take a five minute break from reporting on film preservation and The One True Sport tonight and write a bit about another lovely pastime. Needlepoint. If you have been reading this website for anytime at all, y'all know I am a very busy stitcher. I am not a fancy stitcher. For 30 years or so, I have been needlepointing and rarely vary from the most basic basket weave stitch. (Think knitting, but with only employing the basic knit stitch.) My craft may not be embellished, but there is never anything wrong with a simply stitched canvas. Boring, yes, but still satisfying. I am a dull girl.
I have recently purchased a little canvas to stitch for a charity auction. A fox. A "nighttime fox" with stars, a pretty blue sky and brilliant green grass.
If you do not needlepoint (and I advise to never ever ever ever take up this addictive hobby), the process is to purchase a canvas hand-painted on a stiff mesh fabric (usually 18 or 13 squares/holes per inch). Then the stitcher (me) chooses fiber (usually wool, silk, cotton... or a combination) to use in covering all the "crosses" to complete the tapestry. After the canvas is stitched, it can be made into a pillow/cushion or framed to hang on a wall, or made into any other sort of decorative item.
Big Problem: needlepoint is no longer a popular craft. Like Sears, needlepoint shops are closing all over the country. It is more and more difficult to find a canvas and fiber to complete the work... and then it is super difficult to find someone to sew your creation into a pillow/cushion! There is still a wonderful needlepoint shop in Eugene at the Fifth Street Public Market. Mindy paints incredibly detailed canvases and sells all sorts of fibers to complete needlepoint projects. Mindy also, somehow, understands my simple needs for my simple stitching and can always help me make a canvas pop with interesting fibers.
I brought the fox canvas to Mindy this afternoon and she helped me choose a fuzzy fiber to give Mr. Fox a bit of texture. Just what was needed to make this jumping fox jump! I can't wait to stitch this "Nighttime Fox" for the auction. And now we will continue with the regularly scheduled program.
Historic Hayward FieldThe skies looked dangerous, but it did not rain and the sun actually appeared several times this afternoon. It was not warm, but it was not cold.
Day Two of the NCAA Championships was for the ladies. Women only today, in what I reported yesterday as a leap-frog girl/boy circuit. There is a bit of pressure on the Women of Oregon. The Ducks have already taken the national cross country title and also won the NCAA Indoor Championship in this academic year. If they win the outdoor prize - the "triple crown" - it will be the first time a school has completed this feat.
Can the Duck women win the NCAA's? After solid performances today - and a few lucky breaks - the chances are looking positive. Oregon sprinters, Ariana Washington and Deajah Stevens, bring a ton of speed and experience to the Ducks. Raevyn Rogers has won the NCAA 800m title indoors and outdoors (twice).
Raevyn Rogers winning her 800m heat
Duck senior, Ashante Horsley, in the blocks in the second heat of the 400mIn the first heat of the 400m hurdles, Wisconsin senior Brenna Detra took a serious spill, injuring her knee. Very frightening moment. Paramedics surrounded the athlete, but it took quite a while to stabilizer her enough to get her on a stretcher, roll her out to an ambulance, and get her to the hospital. The other heats were delayed and the entire stadium was on pins and needles worrying about the fallen Badger.
The decathlon concluded today. The multi-events are not on a boy-girl leap frog - the men compete the first two days and the heptathletes compete the final two days. The 2017 NCAA decathlon champion is Lindon Victor of Texas A&M. Mr. Victor (seriously, how could he not win with that name?) was also the 2016 NCAA champion.
Decathletes collapse as they finish the final event (1500m) of their two-day competitionFun highlight: A new NCAA hammer throw record was set by Arizona State's Maggie Ewen, 240 feet 7 inches.
Another highlight? I get to sit next to this guy:
Until my next update, I remain, your Ducky correspondent.You may also like:
Official results: Women
Official results: Men