Nature Girl

 If you haven't noticed before I am definitely a girl that loves nature.

Each and every day I love noticing what is just outside my window.

Recently I had to step out in our parking lot in my robe just so I wouldn't miss this partial eclipse about 9:30PM on a clear night. I wasn't the only one out there. So often we have clouds, but this was a perfect night for viewing. Needless to say, I was thrilled.

And then because I knew dahlias were blooming, I had to go in search of dahlias.

I found a dahlia festival happening about a 1/2 hour from my home at Swan Island Dahlia Farm. Now with each one I saw I would say "this is my favorite". Really they were all my favorites.

Even the clouds were magnificent! I was a rainy week this past week and Saturday was the first non-rainy day. The clouds were out in all their glory, but the sun won and it was gorgeous.

It was hard to pick a favorite, but I did bring home a bouquet of magenta ones.

I also picked up a catalog because my daughter loves dahlias in her garden. I am thinking dahlia tubers might make a fun Christmas gift.

Then today my friend said "do you want to come with me to walk downtown and find crows?"

Well they aren't just any crows. Laika Studio (a local film studio) is coming out with a film from the Wildwood books that were popular a few years ago. The crows were promoting the film. A different artist in town was asked to decorate each crow. I don't know how many crows are out and about right now, but we found four of them today. I would guess there are about 25 of them; so there might be more searching if time allows.

There was a stop at Lan Su Chinese Gardens for some tea and goodies, then we spotted one more crow in front of the gardens. I am showing the lotus because the garden is full of lotus blossoms right now. Each is more beautiful then the other.

The final crow for today.

Do you love nature?

Do you searching for beauty and whimsy?

Sending love,

Marilyn

Flowers I Buy Myself

There is an old song sung by Neal Diamond and Barbara Streisand, You Don't Bring me Flowers. that I was thinking of recently as I purchased a bouquet at our farmer's market. Even when I visit Trader Joe's I most often buy myself flowers.  They are a self love gift to myself and I enjoy each and every one of them.

This past Sunday I had a teatime date with two nieces. For some reason I later found out about I showed up, but they didn't. I waited awhile and decided I would treat myself to teatime alone. Then I saw this pillow sitting in the tearoom and knew I could buy myself tea and I could bring myself flowers.

Miley Cyrus also sings about Flowers, I can buy myself Flowers.

 What a treat to sit quietly and enjoy the moment of sweet indulgence with a pot of tea, two savory tarts, sausage roll, and a pavlova with fresh berries.

We don't need permission to treat ourselves with love or to bring ourselves flowers.

At the farmer's market in town, there were flowers. Though I didn't buy the flower in these two pictures, I did buy the bouquet at the beginning of this post.

Then today I walked in Lan Su Chinese Garden and shared tea with two friends. As you see the lotus were blooming and the flowers just touched my heart.

Aren't the pink lanterns beautiful too?

Flowers touch my soul, make me smile. Even if I don't buy them all, they bring me JOY.

Do you buy yourself flowers?

Do they bring you JOY?

Sending love,

Marilyn

End of June and Celebrations

As you know, Father's Day was yesterday; but my family decided to celebrate on Saturday. It was a most laid back day to celebrate with no rush to go anywhere else. It was just the right sort of day for a celebration. My "live-in gardener" (husband) wanted a picnic on our daughters new deck at her house. She barbecue for the first time and I brought everything else. My family said I always make pie for company or other people, but it was time to make apple pie for my family. Father's Day was the best day to finish off the last of the apple pie fillings in the freezer. It will probably be the last time we have apple pie (gravenstein apples) from the apple ranch that once belonged to my grandfather; so it was extra special.

I took time to walk in my daughters garden and smell the flowers. Jill grows chamomile for tea.

My husband built the tree house during Covid for our grandson. The tree has grown up around it. What a fun hideaway place to go.

Then on the actual Father's Day I took Jim out for lunch on a floating dock along the Columbia River. It was a lovely, sunshiny day; so it was fun to watch the boats come and go.

There was a stop in Camas, Washington. They have a downtown, vintage movie theater. I loved seeing the lights. It is a sweet downtown.

This past week we also visited Fort Vancouver in Washington State. It has a wonderful early history that included the Hudson Bay Company.

There is a garden just outside the fort and I needed to savor the garden for awhile. What a beautiful day to walk in the garden.

Hollyhocks were growing beautifully there. I always wanted hollyhocks in our garden, but they never did well. It was fun to see how well they were doing here. I think they like full sun.

Bachelor buttons took up the showy blue color for the garden. With a pause I enjoyed them.

Roses too!!!

And lots of California poppies!

Then because we needed a good walk, we enjoyed the shade trees of the fort.

There is even a restaurant in one of the old buildings on the fort grounds.

We must remember to have lunch there soon.

There is a big 4th of July celebration that takes place here with music in the bandstand and fireworks too. When my children were small we enjoyed the fireworks on several occasions, but now I prefer not fighting the crowds and traffic. Is it that I am less patient now or is it that there are more people out and about now? Maybe a combination of the two?

 I love this time of year with sunshiny days to take small adventures and just celebrate the day. Hoping you are also enjoying each day with small celebrations and adventures.

Sending love,

Marilyn

A Little Oregon History

Many of you may have heard about the Oregon Trail; so this is a little history lesson. One of these days I will take some pictures of the actual end of the Oregon Trail. It's where my grandson and daughter live. Right now it is having a big transition. It had a large paper mill right on the river. Originally it was sacred fishing grounds for the Indian nation and now the land has been returned to them. The paper mill is coming down. The governor just had a ceremony to dedicate the land last week. 

Jane Kirkpatrick is a local historic fiction writer that writes most of her stories about the Pacific Northwest. I have a book on my "to be read" pile about women in history along the Oregon coast. I am looking forward to reading it, as I read the first of the two book series several months ago. I didn't realize there would be a second book and I was left hanging; so glad she will finish the story.

Well another place she has written about is Aurora, Oregon; which is very close to Oregon City. Oregon City is the end of the Oregon Trail. Just down the road by covered wagon a religious group settled. It has remained a small town with many antique shops, a few places to eat, and a sweet little museum. Every once in awhile I like to venture there just to browse and have lunch. It's about 30 miles from where I live and right along Pudding Creek. 

"The colony was established by Dr. William Keil, a Prussian‑born tailor, apothecary, and preacher, along with followers from the Bethel Colony in Missouri. Keil had rejected organized religion to create a primitive Christian community based on the Golden Rule and communal living City of Aurora. In 1856, after moving from Willapa Bay, Washington, he purchased a donation land claim on the Pudding River in Marion County, naming the settlement after his daughter, Aurora City of Aurora+1.

The Aurora Colony grew from about 250 settlers who left Bethel, reaching a peak of over 600 people City of Aurora. The community was known for its orchards, crafts, and German traditions, and its members practiced the principle of “From each according to his abilities; to each according to his needs” Old Aurora Colony."  Quote taken from my search online.

Jane Kirkpatrick's trilogy includes: A Clearing in the Wild, A Tendering in the Storm, and A Mending at the Edge. All about Emma, a young woman that settled in Aurora and a part of Dr. Keil's group.

The museum has different events throughout the year. In October they have a quilt show. One year I actually entered a quilt square into a contest and got chosen to be part of a quilt they auctioned off for a fundraiser.  The museum hosts Jane Kirkpatrick occasionally for book promotions too.

Saturday my "live-in gardener" and I went to the White Rabbit Bakery for lunch and a little browsing, but I couldn't help myself; I had to snap a few pictures just for you.

If you ever visit Oregon and you love a bit of history; Aurora, Oregon is definitely a peaceful, pretty place to stop for awhile.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Gardens - Roses and Pansies

 I have been visiting a lot of gardens lately. It is indeed garden season, which is my favorite season. Here is the original rose garden for Portland, Peninsula Park. It is in full bloom now and just gorgeous! The day I was visiting this garden there was a wedding taking place in the gazebo in the background. What a beautiful place for a small, intimate wedding.

It is Rose Festival time in Portland right now. That festival is always centered around rose season and so beautiful.

But sometimes I must just savor what is out my backdoor.

We seem to have a lot of pansies this year.

The birds are certainly enjoying the little bird bath and sunflower seeds.

I was gone over the weekend and the feeder was half empty when we returned.

A Child in a Garden

by Ethel Romig Fuller in Kitchen Sonnets

Once I had just half an hour

To frolic by myself;

Presto! By a lilac bush

I changed into an elf.

I whispered to a ladybird,

"I really am a child!"

But the disbelieving thing

Shrugged it's wings and smiled.

A dusty bumblebee and I

Robbed the honey crocks

Of the Canterbury bells

And the hollyhocks.

And beneath a pansy plant-

A place no grown-up knows-

I pirouetted with an ant

On my elfin toes.

Then down the spice-pink-bordered path

Mother came for me;

The elf became a little girl

Ready for her tea.

This is what I imagine a childhood should be like in the garden.

Happy Spring Garden Days!!!

Sending love,

Marilyn