Oregon: part three

Tory and I played for the next three days.

She taught me how to make her crow sculptures so I could assist her students...

we visited the very unusual house Tory posted about here....



I wandered around Tory's beautiful yard and took photos of her flowers after a rain...






We took her Newfoundland , Winnie, to the dog park next to the Willamette River...

I took pictures of all the berries and flowers along the walking trail...




a murder of crows flocking to this huge tree....

a blue jay nest...

and Winnie enjoying the day...




The area was beautiful, and I loved being able to ask Tory to identify bird songs...a walk with her is like having your own personal ornithologist along!

to be continued...

Oregon: part two

Tory and I made our way to Lincoln City, Depot Bay, and Newport,,,
we decided not to go swimming,
We braked for wind swept trees....

what-not shops...

and bridges

We watched sea lions...



boats...

and sea birds in Newport.

This gallery had a tile floor with handmade fused glass insets. It was amazing...



Tory was a good sport and took me sight-seeing in the scenic coastal country-side. I loved how ferns were growing on this old granary roof.



If you'd like to see more of the Oregon coast, visit this link to my father-in-law's blog. Dad took hundreds of incredible photographs during the month he and mom spent there this last summer, and he posted a small number of them on their blog.

to be continued...

Oregon: part one

My blog hiatus is over!
I flew to Oregon the end of September to help Tory with a class she was teaching at Art & Soul in Portland. She wanted us to be able to play while I was there, and had all the class preparations done before I stepped off the plane...
First stop the bins! It's an outlet center where you get to dig through huge bins of junk. You pay by the pound so you can get cool stuff for amazing prices. Perfect place for finding odd and curious treasures.

Here is some of what i left with...

Our friend Debi drove to Salem to meet us. After we dug through every bin, we went for lunch and visited some fun shops in Salem. I sent Lane updates from my phone camera throughout the day...


That night we had a slumber party at Tory's. We experimented with making Halloween candy skewers, ate many failed attempts, and Debi gave us a show & tell of the beautiful art papers she makes. She gifted me with this incredible sheet...its a huge 36" x 25" !

With plans to drive to the beach in the morning, our heads finally hit the pillows...
unfortunately, Debi woke up extremely ill the next morning and had to go home. Tory and I headed for the coast on our own.
On the way out of town we stopped at the Willamette wildlife sanctuary. We saw a heron, and some nutria through the telescope, but they were too far away to get a good picture.


One of our stops was Mossy Creek Pottery . They feature the work of over 40 NW potters. The gallery is surrounded with the wild and lush NW flora that I love.




We both chose a colorful trivet as a souvenir of the day.


to be continued...

Fallen Nest Haiku

Nest

Fallen from a bough
The refuge of life and hope
Suspended in time

Credit for the above photo goes to my father-in law, Frank Stobbe. It was taken at a bird rescue center, and I've been given permission to use it as long as I don't wax eloquent.

p.s.

Dad takes amazing and artistic photographs. I'm frequently gifted with photos of things that remind him of me...old doors, rust, lichen, trees, the curious and odd...

thanks dad!

Glimpses: Recently consumed deliciousness

.

1. champagne grapes with blueberries

2. california rolls with wasabi, sushi ginger, and soy sauce

3. jalapeno & peppadew cheddar cheese, champagne grapes, and four cheese rice crackers

4. tossed salad with romaine hearts, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, fresh zucchini, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and fat-free feta cheese

5. gingersnaps with herbal teeccino (organic carob, organic barley, chicory, organic dates, organic orange peel, almonds, and organic figs)

Dragonfly Haiku

Dragonfly

Iridescent wings

Still shimmering with the sun

Fragile dragon rests

A Curious Walk

I try to walk on at least one of my breaks at work. There's an empty lot near the office that offers up a seemingly endless supply of rusty metal, odd bits, and curious photo opportunities....

Glimpses: From My Home

.

1. wood camel

2. pooh & cinder

3. nature filled teacups

4. vintage paper parasol

5. old wrought iron cage with nest