Horseback Ride

I joined some of the group  on our RV outing for a trail ride along the Cascades.  It was hot and dusty, and we all wished we could have led the horses, rather than them following each other, but it was a nice outing, just the same, with beautiful scenery.

On the way to Leavenworth, WA

 A view point in Goldendale afforded this amazing view of Mt. Adams. The Klikitat valley produces "famous" goldendale hay,  has 35,000 acres of alfalfa and 25,000 acres of wheat!

We were able to see Mt. Hood, but it was a bit hazy, as you can see, so the other mountains "were not out."  

Winnie and her "bug"

Winnie came over for a walk in the neighborhood, and brought her VW, which she treasures.  And who could blame her!  An original, which she has had for years, and is now "retired" and comes out only in good weather.   We walked up and down steep hills, and got plenty of chatting in!  Nice way to spend a sunny afternoon.

what in the world???

Cleaning up after dinner, a soap bubble formed on the top of the bottle, and I thought it was pretty neat!  Simple people are easily amused, they say!  :-)  Actually, it was the artistic opportunity that presented itself to me.....my story, and I am sticking with it!  If you look closely, you see the windows in the family room, and even my lens.  A fun little bonus.
Not quite tack sharp, but I like the shallow depth of field, and the shapes that are created by that in the background.

Summer Sunset

We have been rewarded with summer weather that Oregon is famous for.  Sunny warm days with low humidity, and cool evenings.  And spectacular sunsets!  I have so many photos of this view off our deck that I have said many times I could probably paper a room with them!  But I am always out there taking another anyway, and my neighbors always chuckle!
That is the Coastal range, which separates us here in the valley from the Pacific Ocean.

Reflections

........and a daisy!  

Orcas Island

Looking over Rosario Resort, once a mansion. 

Those gray skys finally burned off, and we enjoyed a nice afternoon strolling around the only town of  Eastport, before taking ferry back to Anacortes.  

A view of the harbor getting back on ferry.

There are  somewhere between 200 and 800 islands, if you count all the rocky surfaces that just up from the water.  I forget how many are actually named, but only four are accessible from ferry.  We met folks on the bus who were taking their boats to some of the other islands.  Shaw is  residential, and Lopez is flat and a favorite with cyclists, and nicknamed "Slowpez" because it is very quiet.  We explored only San Juan and Orcas.

San Juan Island

Took a ferry to San Juan on a chilly foggy morning, but the sun broke out by the time we landed in their only town, Friday Harbor.  Nice little port town, but quiet, and not much in way of stores.  Clem was thankful!  :-)

We took a shuttle bus to the other side of the island to Lime Kiln State Park, the only park in the country dedicated to whale watching.  We did a lot of watching, but no sighting!  But we enjoyed the walk out to the point and the lighthouse just the same.  

The area supports three pods of orca whales which  are studied , and they have even been able to trace their lineage.   I had hoped to do some kayaking to see some better, but it was so chilly, we decided not to.   

Anacortes

Located on the island of Fidalgo, we drove over the bay to our campsite, which was probably 5 minutes out of town, and right on the water.  Though our site was not!  If we go there again, we need to book enough in advance to get one of those sites.  We lucked out and there was an art fair in its final day, so we went in, walked around, and enjoyed dinner at a local eatery. 

This gorgeous building looked like something out of Nantucket!  Built in the 1800's, and a posh hotel and spa.  

Just a cool fire hydrant!

The first time I spotted one of these paintings I thought it was a person standing there!  An artist created this fun project all through town, depicting original owners of historic buildings, shop keepers, and even mayors.  Very fun addition to a neat little town.  

Chateau St Michelle Winery

From album of photos of winery

Chateau St Michelle Winery

On Saturday we had an afternoon wedding to attend, and afraid we would not get back from the market in time, decided to visit the nearby winery.  It is just beautiful, and we enjoyed the grounds, and a free tour which, surprisingly, included a free tasting at the conclusion!  I am sure it pays off for them as we came away with a case of wine, in addition to some other goodies from the cheese and gift shop!

Seattle

Seattle from the monorail tracks.

Space Needle behind the Music Project

Seattle Art Museum

We arrived in Seattle amidst blue skies, and saw wonderful views of the mountain ranges and Mt. Rainier as we drove, but it all disappeared on Friday for our touring day!  At least it was cool to explore.....I GUESS!!  Our trip here for the wedding has coincided with a fleet week they call Seafair, and the crowds made us nervous to drive in, so we took a bus from our campsite.   The monorail took us to down town for our first area of exploration, and we took in the Music Project in its radically designed building which supposedly resembles a smashed guitar from the aerial view.  Paul Allen was a Jimmy Hendrix fan, and created this place in his honor.  Interactive exhibits allow you to play instruments and even record if you chose to do that.  There is also a sci fi museum, but we had to admit, it is all a wanna be to other museums we have visited.


Our next excursion was a "Duck Tour" on a WWII ambiphibian vehicle around town and then into Lake Union.  We had done a similar tour in Boston, which was great, and this proved equally interesting and entertaining, with the driver donning multiple hats, playing music , and telling silly jokes as he filled us with interesting facts about the city and its history.

Then up to the top of the 600 ' Space Needle, constructed for the World's Fair, for fantastic view of the city, lakes, and mountain ranges......sort of!  The snow capped peaks definitely not visible this day, as the sun never burned off the marine layer of clouds.  We were both amazed by an interesting camera/computer display that allowed you to "zoom in" on the real time goings on in the area.

A full, lovely day, that  ran later than we had anticipated, and we did not have time for Pikes Market, so headed back to the motor home.



See the photo stream for more shots of the city.

Went to buy strawberries to serve to my book group, and came back with a flat of mixed berries! Had already frozen blueberries to last through the off season, and as I was preparing some of these fruits to do the same, got to thinking about an amazing pie recipe I have used in years past that calls for three kinds of berries plus rhubarb.  It is the most delicious pie I have ever tasted, and my mouth started watering!  Well, no rhubarb on hand, but I had  those frozen blueberries, so I made a four berry pie instead.  Pretty yummy!!

Anyway, glorious weather has finally embraced us, and we had our meeting on the deck under the shade of the umbrellas to discuss The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  All agreed it was very interesting and well written.

Silver Falls State Park

This was a hike from last summer. There are 10 waterfalls in this park! Since my hiking buddies are injured or away, I am missing hikes in the woods.  Posting this for my Florida friends to enjoy.....and hoping to enjoy it for real very soon!


Click on the photo to see album.

Ahhhhh.......

A lovely late afternoon reading on the deck under the umbrella, and my little friend came out to join me......what could be better!

Nice City Walk on Sunday

Portland is full of wonderful neighborhoods, and a book has been written guiding walks through them, pointing out uniques buildings, and telling their history.  Like this gorgeous Queen Anne from the 1800's that is on the National Register of Historic places.  

Many other interesting homes and apartment buildings on this one.  The latter took the place of mansions as the wealthy folks moved out of the city into the suburbs.  Unfortunately, many were torn down to make room.  

And of course, there are always characters!  Hard to get photos sometimes, but this opportunity presented itself.  Should have had a little camera to capture some of the odd outfits and colored hairdos! 

Historic "Benson Bubblers".  Installed in the 1912 by a rich entrepreneur to keep his working loggers out of the saloons and  bars.  Originally only a few, they now total 57, and Portland takes great pride in them, and keeps them spiffed and polished.  Unique to Portland!

We walked from PGE park, through the alphabet district, also a national historic district, and through what is knows as Nob Hill, and on downtown streets, including 23rd, with its variety of stores and eateries.  Always bustling, especially on a sunny day, folks gathered for coffee and treats, and a chat with neighbors.  We had a yummy gelato before finishing our walk.  Lovely day.

(Using Chris's 70-300 lens, which he loaned me to try.  Not a great walk around lens.....think it would be better on hikes and zoo visits.  Could not get far enough away in a lot of cases.  )

a PRETTY healthy snack after a walk!

Banana?  No brainer.  Nutella?  Hazelnut, skim milk, cocoa......ok, a little high in the sugar department!  Sure was yummy!  :-)

BeaterVille Cafe

I have to put a couple of these in post.  Have told several folks about it, and had to look up the name!  I was also asked about the food (minor detail!), but yelp rates it very good.  I may con Clem into breakfast tomorrow, as I had injection in my spine today , and exercise curtailed for a couple of days.  Why not?!

coffee in the garden....

Went for a walk in North Portland with the walking group from the club, then had coffee at an Italian cafe, where a case full of Italian sweets tempted us!  I split a huge, wonderful biscotti studded with hazelnuts with one of the gals, and vowed to come back for a meal.  The street there also had a funky cafe where parts of old cars served as a tables and even awnings over windows!  The inside was covered with not only car parts, but toys and tea pots, and collectibles of all kinds.  Fun, fun!  Definitely will go back there as well, with Clem in tow, so he can see it.  The photo stream has several shots.  The group does a monthly "field trip", but they walk too fast for photos!  Glad I had taken the little camera along just in case!

Portland Rose Test Garden

 On such a glorious afternoon, I decided we should go walk around the garden, where we have not been in some time.  4.5 acres, 700 varieties, and something like 9000 roses!  About a month behind due to the bad weather, but that was to our advantage.  It was stunning! Wish I had taken my good camera.....and I intend to do that again early in the day very soon,  The light here was mid day and harsh, but wanted to put a few in.

They are offering tours this year, and surprisingly, Clem suggested we do that!  And he thoroughly enjoyed it!  He remarked that his Dad loved roses, and would have enjoyed the garden.  Everyone seems, to, rose lover or not.
 In August, there are summer concerts here in an amphitheater, which are very fun to attend.

It always brings a smile to my face when I see a dog riding in a car with his head out the window and especially if his ears are blowing in the wind!  Rarely is there an opportunity to get a photo, but this car was driving in front of me on the way to the gym, and pulled into the turn lane.  Guess he wondered what I found so interesting!
The sun was shining for a change!  We were ALL enjoying it!

and the "fruits" of my labor............

Two batches of Marionberry Jam.  It is uniquely Oregon, and Clem's favorite, so I think this year I will only make this kind.  The last time I made Strawberry, Marionberry, Raspberry, and Peach.....a little over the top maybe.  He loves peach, too, but it is so delicate that it does not get used as much. (can't stand up to peanut butter!)  While making it, I did notice a recipe for mixed berry, and I may be tempted to do that.  

Berries!!

The weather is not so great, and our tomatoes may reamain green, but the berries are coming in!

And Loki appreciates them, too!

This was taken the same day as that car show, in Oregon City.  There is an interpretive center there, for the end of the Oregon Trail.  Signs posted about were taken from journals of the settlers that made the trek, and this one held sort of a special meaning for me.  Wonder why that might be?  :-)

I just like this shot!

Taken at the car show some weeks back.

Car Show in the Park Blocks

A gorgeous Saturday afternoon, and we went to see this weeks collection of Mercedes and BMW's sponsored by the Art Museum.  There will be different cars every weekend, drawing attention to their exhibit "The Allure of the Automobile."  We went to see that last weekend, when it was a total downpour on Sunday.  It was totally amazing!  Cars I had never seen before, all worth multi millions of dollars.  We topped off a lovely afternoon strolling around the city with "Tartberry" self serve yogurt.

Fruit Trifle

Made this for the 4th of July.  Desert and Fireworks on the deck after dinner at friend's house.  It was a new recipe for me, and a huge hit with all, as they went back for second helpings!  Definitely a keeper , with home made chocolate cake layered with a fantastic cream and the fruit.  I chose the blueberries and strawberries for the Red, White, and Blue!

Ahhhhhh......the sunshine returns!

Chilly Day

Weather has been pretty awful for July, with very few sunny days, and mostly cloudy, cool, and often drizzly.  Except for this past weekend when it POURED!!  Very unlike Portland!  Loki decided a warm dryer was just the place to curl up for the afternoon.  Of course, my laundry chores came to an end waiting for  his nap to be finished!  Are these cats spoiled, or what???