Oregon: part four

Thursday was the class at Art & Soul. It was a fun day, and the class was a hit...

Tory made a bag for each member of the class with all needed materials inside...

She made me a larger version for helping her with the class...


Afterwards, we headed back to Salem and ate a delicious dinner at the Road House.
Friday we went to the annual art sale put on by Local 14, a group of local women artists. We didn't buy, but had fun looking. We then visited Oregon College of Art for lunch and art-viewing...

and on the way home we made another trip to the bins...

That night Tory's husband took us to dinner at a yummy Chinese restaurant, and then I took on the huge task of fitting the piles of stuff I had either been given, or collected during the week into my luggage. Tory entertained herself by watching...and laughing.

Saturday was vendor night. Debi was going to join us, but was still recovering...(we missed you Debi!) Tory and I left for Portland early so we could set up and still have time to look around before the swarms of shoppers descended.

Tory's display looked awesome...




We were in the big ball room, and were lucky to get a table against the wall. The whole floor was filled with tables, and there were vendors in the hall outside also...



These winged-pendants were best-sellers. This one went home with me...

I've wished I could collect antique cameras for a very long time, so I couldn't pass this cool one up...it was only $10...


I got something else fabulous too, but my luggage was too heavy and I had to leave it with Tory. She's an awesome friend and has already mailed it to me, even though she was coveting it for parts...its an antique travel typewriter so its small and cute...

She also included some gifties in the box. Look at the cool necklace she sent, made by jewelry artist Susan Lenart Kazmer...

It was late when we got packed up at the show, but fortunately Tory's friend Suzanne had offered us lodging for the night. She lives about 10 minutes away from the airport, so it was an easy commute in the morning for Tory to drop me off.
Tory actually came into the airport and waited until I made it through security before she left. I had some very "unusual" carry-ons, and we weren't sure they'd be allowed on the plane. Luckily, the security personnel were distracted with confiscating a protein shake I had forgotten in my backpack, and my bag made it through without having to unpack the carefully wrapped contents...



to be continued...

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!