Welcome to SquashPractice, my attempt to chronicle experiences focused around gardening, beekeeping, and living lightly in a suburban setting in Eugene Oregon.   My wife, Ellen, and I live in the River Road neighborhood in Eugene a few blocks from the river bike path that takes us into town.   Both Ellen and I enjoy the bike paths, especially with Sage our dog running along side our DateTrike.
Most of our one-acre lot is covered with large Douglas Fir trees, so getting enough sunlight is a challenge for gardening. A few years ago I tilled up the front lawn to provide enough space for a serious garden.
I keep two or three hives of bees – not so much because I like honey, but rather because the bees are fascinating creatures, and because “Gary’s Gold” is our trademark general purpose gift and barter product.  The plight of the bees has inspired me to learn about the effects and function of pesticides.  You will find several blog posts on this subject.

I am retired now from being the design engineer at Applied Scientific Instrumentation where I did a lot of electronic design, mechanical and optical engineering, and invention. My formal training included a stint at Cornell University where I received a PhD for work on a large pulsed power ion beam generator.  In recent years I’ve taken up the ham radio hobby and have found the technology and the community stimulating, naturally inspiring a few blog articles.

The blog menu, by general topic, should help you explore where our interests intersect. I strive not to waste my readers’ time, so I don’t post unless I have something to say.  I hope you come by often and leave a comment or two!

Gary Rondeau
Eugene, Oregon