Oregon Vacation - Part One

I thought I would write a little about our nice vacation and also post some of the photos.  I hope you enjoy.

The first night of our vacation we stayed in Ashland, Oregon known for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  Bard's Inn provided us with a very nice Jacuzzi Suite with a great view and within walking distance of the Downtown Plaza. Ashland Creek was very close to our suite and had a lovely little park, about a quarter-acre, named Bluebird Park. After walking through the plaza and stopping in at a few shops, we enjoyed dinner of fish and chips (for him) and Fillet Mignon (for me) at an upstairs British pub named The Black Sheep that overlooked the Plaza. The food was very good and we enjoyed everything about the casual environment after a full day of traveling. The next morning after a very nice breakfast at the Inn, we walked in the plaza some more before heading north to Crater Lake.

Crater Lake is five miles wide and ringed by cliffs almost 2,000 feet high, and the lake rests in the shattered remnants of a volcano called Mount Mazama, which erupted and collapsed into itself  7,700 years ago. It filled with rain and melted snow.  At 1,943 feet deep, it is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world.

Later eruptions formed Wizard Island and other volcanic features, now hidden under the lake. The island  is a cinder cone rising 760 feet above the lake's surface.

This was truly an unforgettable sight. The water is sapphire-blue and they say the water is so pure and so clear it absorbs every ray of the sun, reflecting only the deepest blue hues of the spectrum back to the surface.

and then north west to Steamboat Inn. 

We traveled along the Umpqua River until we arrived at Steamboat Inn which has a rich history of fishing for steel head trout and salmon. As you can see the cabin had a nice deck just above the beautiful river. The sound of the river was very relaxing.  Since my brief visit to the Inn in 1989, many changes have been made including the addition of a very fancy library for wine tasting and appetizers prior to dinner.  One of the changes that I was disappointed in was the dinner.  In the past it was featured as a "Fisherman's Dinner" with everyone around a long table, like a family style dinner. Yes, the long sugar pine table was used as well as several smaller tables for a guest number of thirty-one. The food was disappointing, mainly because it seemed as though they were trying to be current with the flavors of the present times - and they fell short. But, none the less we enjoyed our stay with the cabin accommodations and The River.

Then we were on our way to the Coast to visit and stay a night in Florence. -  -  - More in the next post.

I hope you are having a Fabulous Day.

WONDERFUL - WONDERFUL

Our vacation - trip to Oregon was WONDERFUL.  We truly had a grand time. We filled our days with lots of activities, but not too many so we would not be exhausted all of the time.

This photo was taken from our private balcony where we were staying at Pier Point Inn overlooking the Siuslaw River in Florence, Oregon.  It was really beautiful, especially at night with all the bright lights on the bridge and across the waterfront.

The Siuslaw River Bridge was impressive.

This beautiful waterfall greeted us at the entrance to our lodging.

The accommodations throughout our trip were wonderful. But this king suite was exceptionally lovely with the magnificent view of the river from anywhere in the room.

And, we had a fabulous Seafood Cioppino dinner at Bridgewater Restaurant on Bay Street.

Perhaps, I can post more about our trip in later posts when I have a chance to look at all of the photos.

Hope you are having a Great Weekend.

Here We Go

It won't be long and we will be on our way.  The dogs have been dropped off at their respective dog-sitters. Our bags are packed and the vehicle is ready. And, before the day is over we expect to see this highway sign - - - - - - - -

And, by the third day we expect to see some of these sights - - - - - - - - -

I will have my laptop with me. So, perhaps I will have a post or two and maybe a photo or two for you during the next few days.

I hope all of you have a Good Week.

Bittersweet Day

One more Social Event before leaving town.  I am preparing a good old standby recipe for Bean Salad to take to the picnic. It doesn't get much easier. And, easy is what I need at this time.

For the second year the picnic is being held at a beautiful lake north of here. The church service will be held outdoors with lots of good worship and music followed with more music, fun and food. 

Last year was the first time I attended the annual picnic and I went alone.  It will be so nice to attend as a couple. However, the day will be bittersweet for me this year. After the picnic the pastor that has been with us for the past three years will be leaving with his wife to return to the area that they lived prior to coming to serve our church. They are returning to "the city" where they are more comfortable. Employment opportunities for his wife have been dismal in this area. She has secured an excellent position in the school where she previously taught. 

We will miss him terribly. One of the reasons for our sadness is that he is the person that My Special Man contacted (after first asking me) to guide and assist us in our difficulties following our trip to Germany. "There are many people who come and go in our lives. A few touch us in ways that change us forever, making us better from knowing them." And, He certainly fits in that category for us.

The charming little church that we attend is almost across the street from where I live. It was founded in 1868.  But, of course it has been enlarged and updated through the years. It is such a nice church and the people are great.

You see, this church is the first church I have been a member of in my adult life. Six years ago, I decided to become a member after attending occasionally through the years that I have lived here. This little church is where I met My Special Man. It so happens that we each moved to this area about 18 years ago after living in the San Francisco Bay area for many years. His wife passed away two years ago following a long illness with Alzheimer's Disease. And, it seems as though I had been single forever - but not quite.  We did not know each other prior to the beginning of this year, other than the fact that I knew he had been singing in the choir for years.

It is time for me to get out the door and be ready to drive to the lake.

I hope you are having a Wonderful Weekend.

P.S. The Lake, Service and Day was wonderful!

Such Indulgence

Last nights dinner  -  down town  -  ended with sinful indulgence of a Brownie Sunday  (Belgian chocolate, hot fudge, vanilla bean ice cream and whipped heavy cream).  But, since we shared it, maybe it wasn't so bad!  Who am I trying to kid, anyway?
 
It is so nice living so close to main street in our little historic town that we can walk to dinner. I never dreamed that I could possibly have a special someone at this stage of my life to walk to town with, especially on a regular basis.

Yesterday was another busy day for me.  Since we are leaving Monday on our trip to Oregon,  I have a lot of last minute things to take care of in the garden. You never know, the weather could get warmer/hotter like what would be our seasonal norm which could get into the 100's.  I do not have automatic watering throughout the garden.  So, I have been setting up hoses with timers for different sections so that I do not have to have someone come every day to water.  It is something that I have wanted to do for quite some time because it would save me a lot of time on a daily basis.

Also, I had a few plants in pots from the nursery that really, really needed to be planted in the ground. I was able to get that accomplished also.  And, of course, there is the general garden, patio and garden paths that I like to have in order before leaving town. The garden is still looking quite lovely and I hope yours does to - especially, if you are a gardener and do the garden work.  It's garden work only when you don't want to do it or don't have time!

I hope you have a Very Sweet Day.

A Little White Goodness In The Garden

I am so happy that the White Dahlia named White Alva has started to open before I leave town next week.  I have been watching them daily to see if they will show some of their beauty. As you can see, they are just starting and they will open much wider. 

The White Dawn Climbing Rose on the fence is still continuing to bloom on a less profuse manner than earlier in the summer.

And, the White Mission Bells are also putting on a show.

 

That's about it for today. Sorry for the terrible photography. I've been kinda busy getting ready for our trip.

I hope you have a Wonderful Day.

I Love Planning Road Trips

It won't be long before we will be jumping in the vehicle and heading north for five days of vacation. Road travel will be very comfortable for my back (I have a bad one!) and nice for us both because we will be driving a SRX Crossover! It is not a car, not a SUV, but a crossover which offers the best of both worlds. It is made by Cadillac and it is the 2006 model. I had NO idea what a Crossover was before meeting MSM.

We plan to stay in Ashland, OR the first night. After kicking around the area we will head up to Roseburg and then east for about 38 miles on Highway 138 along the North Umpqua River to the area called Steamboat. I visited the  Steamboat Inn in 1989 when I took a road trip alone with my little Yorkshire Terrier Puppy , Pixie and  my Tabby Kitten, Puff to visit my oldest brother in Portland. I do not recall exactly how I heard about Steamboat Inn but I do know that I bought this great history/cookbook in the store at the Inn.

I loved the Inn and the surrounding area with the river and gardens. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be returning to Steamboat and spending a night in one of their cabins and also attending their Fisherman's Dinner where the guests gather around a long sugar pine table which was hewn from large logs in the 1930's.

The North Umpqua River has been fished by fly anglers for more than half a century. Perhaps, the most famous fisherman to fish these waters  is Zane Grey, who started fishing for salmon and steel head trout in the late 1920's.  Many fishing camps were set up along the banks of the river. The whole area is rich with history about fly fishing.

This visit will be of special interest to my MSM because he has enjoyed active membership in the local Fly Fisher's Club for years. He had never heard of Steamboat Inn but some of his fishing buddies have.

I have always been an adventurous person wanting to know what is around the next bend and over the next hill. So, in the past, I often found myself in some interesting locations when taking a little road trip to the California Coast wineries or wherever I could go for a few days.

Following our visit to Steamboat, we will drive to the Oregon coast and travel north stopping when the mood hits us. No special plans have been made about how far or where to find lodging.  It will be simply spontaneous travel for a couple days until we return home via Redding where we will visit the Sundial Bridge Turtle Bay Exploration park.  From what little I know about the bridge and surrounding area it is a sight not to be missed.

We expect this little trip to be VERY enjoyable since we have resolved many issues that rose their ugly heads during our trip to Germany. Our relationship and love for one another is stronger than ever! And, we feel so blessed to have one another in our lives. 

I hope you have a day filled with LOVE.

Rednesday - I Love Red

Please join us for Rednesday sponsored by It's A Very Cherry World.

Today is the first time I have joined in a Linky.  And, I would like to show you my current header that I have at the top of my blog showcasing some of the Red Things that I have around me. I have placed them in a mosiac for you and I call it -  I Love Red..

Please join us by clicking on the photo at the top of this post, Today is REDNESDAY.

I hope you have a Fabulous Day - maybe you could wear something RED.

Feeling In The Pink

Such a delicate rose. Her name is Elle'  by Jackson- Perkins. Her color is shell pink with yellow and she gives a lovely citrus and spice fragrance.  

Yes, I am feeling a lot better, kinda like in the pink. I no longer have any dizziness since my head injury and the swelling on the back of my head is minimal. There is still some tenderness at the area of impact. But, overall I am in the pink and feel extremely fortunate! 

 

I am able to enjoy this rose and a few others from my living room window. I enjoy them so much when I open the shades in the morning.

I want a new camera! No matter how hard I try to get nice clear and crisp photos, I always feel disappointed. I am considering the Olympus-e-450 camera with lens.  Any suggestions?

I hope you have a Fabulous Day.

Pretty Pods

At the entrance to my patio, the purple seed pods on my Anemone plants are very colorful at this time of the year. As you can see they sit on top of a purple base with irregular red shaped material around them.  Aren't they interesting?  These plants were on the property when I bought my house eighteen years ago.  I think they are Japanese Wind Flower (A japonica) from what I can tell with my research in The Royal Hortifultural Society Encyclopedia and the Sunset Western Garden Book.   

It looks like most of the purple seeds have already fallen from the pods.

I love, love, love these flowers!

I did a post on the White and Pink  Anemone  flower in May. http://everydaydelight09.blogspot.com/2010/04/birth-of-anemone.html.

And a post on the Red Anemone Flower, also. http://everydaydelight09.blogspot.com/2010/04/this-time-it-is-red-anemone.html.

I hope you have a Colorful and Fun Day.

Sad News From Germany

In June when we went on vacation to Germany, there were two people that showed us the sights of Berlin. They were so gracious in every way.  Prior to our visit, we met them through email exchange related to her interest and search regarding genealogy.

I mentioned them in a previous  post prior to our departure in June. http://everydaydelight09.blogspot.com/2010/05/lovely-thoughtful-people.html.  These photos are of the four of us on the Berlin Underground on our way to Alexandra Platz.

We had such a wonderful experience with them. She had two full days planned out for us to see many different places. He was with us the first half day. And, then he wrote a lovely note which she hand carried to us the second morning. He stated that he was sorry that he could not accompany us because of health issues.  

These two people were exceptional in so many ways. They were truly intellectuals. They were from East Berlin and had lived under the Russian regime.  She had a doctorate in Physics and he had a doctorate in Literature. She had worked in the government plus the University.

A couple days ago we received word via email from her that her husband had taken his own life and died on August 9. He was eighty-one and just could not carry on with his disabling health issues. She is about ten years younger and will miss him dearly.  Needless to say, we are shocked and very saddened with the loss of him.

"There are many people who come and go in our lives.  A few touch us in ways that change us just by knowing them." These two individuals certainly fall into that category. We will miss him and remember them always. 

Wishing you a Pleasant Day.

Evening Sky

Last evening the sky from the deck of the home of MSM was extraordinary in color and intensity. It almost looked like the beginning of a seasonal change. Further north toward Lake Tahoe, rain showers were forecast and it looked and felt like we may get a few raindrops, ourselves. But, we did not.

           

We spent a quiet day at home with the dogs. In all honesty, I slept most of the day following church services and going out to Brunch. I was and I still am a tired girl. A lot has been going on and I hope life calms down soon!

I hope you have a Great Day.