Writings of Big Meadowin honor of Joie Armstrong
from Mike Rivers, YI Instructor Fall 1978 through Spring 1986. Resident of Foresta from Fall 1979 through Spring 1986 with Maggie Waters Rivers and daughter Anne Marie (Annie) Rivers, born in Sonora in 1984. Annie's first home was the Abbot-Miller cabin, one of many lost in the August 1990 Arch Rock fire. We visited in October of 1990 and I made this sketch from the Big Oak Flat overlook. Upon hearing of this memorial project for Joie Armstrong, I scrambled to find any notes I had made of Big Meadow and unfortunately could only find these four brief ones and this sketch. I'm now a park interpreter for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department on the Oregon Coast at Waldport. Maggie is the Port Manager at the Port of Alsea here. Annie is finishing her sophomore year in Waldport High School. She raises pedigreed rabbits, grooms and rides horses, snow boards and just got back from the state championships with her varsity golf team. Above is a thumbnail of the sketch. If you click on it you will get
to a larger 145 k image: use your browser's "Back" button to come back
to this page. If you would like a print quality letter sized 362 k ".pdf"
format of the watercolor you may download that from this link: BigMeadowletter.PDF
Here are my sketchy notes. Some of the natural history information may be inaccurate. The abundant life of Big Meadow is just hinted at here. While I never knew Joie, I know her life was a reflection of that abundant life in Big Meadow. I hope this collection and this small contribution help heal her terrible murder, and the wounds to Big Meadow and us all... Mike Rivers
As written in my 'Field notes' (exactly) Sorry these are somewhat cryptic: the 'Wisdoms' refer to my trip to the Yosemite Valley dentist's office that day. 'Lynn' is Lynn Fuller, YI instructor and resident of Foresta. 11 Dec 80 Wisdoms out. Not a cloud in sky at Big Meadow East End 12:55 P.M.
30 Dec 80 Foresta Big Meadow
Feb 1 1981 Big Meadow, Foresta
1 May 82 Foresta
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