Thursday, August 30, 2007

New Phenomenon

We all know about the crop circles that mysteriously appear in farmer's fields around the world but not many people know about a strange phenomenon that takes place in Stewart Park in Roseburg, Oregon during the summer months. Every Tuesday morning starting about 6am, blankets and quilts start popping up on the ground on a hill in the park. They start early and by 9am the hill is covered in a colorful patchwork design.

Saving Places2

The ground covering remains on the hill all day, rain or shine.

Concert

By 6pm that evening, people rush to their saved spots on the hill to watch the Tuesday night summer concert, Music On The Half Shell.

This tradition has been going on for 16 years, almost as long as the free summer concerts have been going on. People used to start showing up in the middle of the night to stake their spot with a blanket but the parks department said they have to wait until dawn now.

It says a lot about our small town that few blankets are ever taken even though they are left there all day and no one is there to watch them. People even leave folding chairs out.