The Pacific NW - Understated Majestic Beauty

Oops! Lounging in my draft folder since August! 

The Pacific Northwest has its own particular look, feel and culture that’s distinctly different then New England or virtually any other place we have been and, as those of you who follow our humble blog know, we’ve been to more then a few places.  Besides the visual, this unique sense permeates the food - people’s sense of personal space - the pace in which they walk.  

For  us, no trip out west feels complete unless we’ve been in Eugene to visit Evie, Clara, Erin and Jeremy.  The landscape has a bit of everything, but we particularly love the rolling hills. The kids small piece of paradise thrives with fruit trees, veggies, flowers, hay, chicks and a few other four legged critters.  Close by vineyards in the Willamette Valley offer an evening escape for the adults, with Karen gladly sampling a flight of local whites.  The summer days are warm, as we join the family for an early bike ride along the river, allowing Evie to demonstrate her newly expanded bike riding skills.  Pop-pop and Bubbie are more than happy to go with her to her to witness her new found fascination with horseback riding.  Clara’s  artwork and passion for reading are complimented by her participation in debate club. Erin continues her art making and finds time for hospice work.  Jeremy continues to teach in the nursing program while caring for the farm’s orchard.  (Only Evie agrees to the occasional photograph, or we’d gladly include a picture of the entire family.) 

Then it’s on to Orcas Island - north of Seattle on the Puget Sound and nestled in the San Juan Islands close to Vancouver Island.  Yes, that is a bit complicated.  You can take a ferry and weave through a hundreds of verdant islands or you can fly by seaplane. We chose the latter. One’s entire energy shifts as Seattle’s Harbour disappears behind you and literally hundreds of islands appear below you.  By the time one lands, the mainland seems thousands of miles and many days in your past.   Anyone recognize the cool looking guy in the shades?

We were hosted on Orcas by dear friends Stephanie and Frank.  Orcas is known for its bucolic natural beauty, picturesque water inlets, terrific hiking opportunities and love of nature both by its native America residents and those who are more recently arrived, as well as its wildlife - particularly the Orca whale.  We gladly went to local outdoor markets, hiked, indulged our senses, slept late and simply enjoyed these amazingly peaceful surroundings.  (Yes, I was there too, but someone has to take the photos!) 

A less known Orcas Island factoid is it’s history as a west coast berry growing stronghold.  In 1935, local farmers established the Orcas Island Berry Growers Association (OIBGA) to build a cold packing berry station in the town of Olga. The plants opening  was made possible by the arrival of electricity through a New Deal program, which, in 1938, brought electricity via underwater cable. Workers brought flats of freshly picked berries from trucks through the buildings large sighed door and weighed them on a floor scale, present even today.  The site also boasts a wonderful small restaurant and gallery filled with diverse works by local artists.  So add the Catkin Cafe in Olga on Orcas to your list for an outside lunch date. The Dutch Baby Pancake is ABSOLUTELY worth the calories.  

 Beautifully green hills dotted with richly colored wildflowers, views of water around nearly any bend and friendly folk who smile simply to be surrounded by such beauty. We have a friend who insists Orcas Island is where she is determined to take her last breathe.  We can now understand why. 

Eugene - Summer on the Farm

                          

                       

Eugene is one of those unusual places. Coming in by air, you pass over dense hilly forestland juxtaposed against flat farmland, punctuated with lakes, rivers and small towns. It's the Pacific northwest but has moderate winters and summers that can get VERY warm - you know the 95-105 degree type of warm. Sunsets are often amazing, as mist rises or debris from forest fires states away drift into the atmosphere, enhancing the sun's last rays. 

                        

We always look forward to the days we share with Erin, Jeremy, Clara and Evie. But it's a special treat when we all go to Saturday Market.  There's live music, lots of internationally fresh cooked foods, local crafts - which inevitably includes the Eugene favored tied die and fabric painting - along with local crops of flowers and vegetables. Delightful fun in every way!

                     

 Then it's back to the farm. The girls, Jeremy, Erin and even Bubbie-Karen burn off some calories on Clara's birthday trampoline. This is fun and a LOT more exhausting then it looks. The girls have a variety of special moves and then there's the leaping basketball hoop. Bubbie clearly needs lessons. Next time we're all determined to get Pop-pop to join in.

                          

Just about a year into the new homestead, it's amazing to see what the family has accomplished. There are about 20 various fruit trees in place, ranging from apple to pear, fig and plum - just to get started. Beds of berry bushes and hills of strawberries promise spring and summer delights, along with the herb and veggie patch. The Cinderella pumpkin plant orb simply glows! Erin's has begun to put her stamp on the landscaping and is experimenting with an acre of cut flowers beds. The menagerie has certainly grown. This single beehive hums, with those little winged creatures producing close to 100 pounds of honey. Three ducks dive into their bath and perform entertaining antics. The bunnies continue to thrive and the girls have learned how to avoid their scratches. The fox literally got into the henhouse, so all 20 egg producing layers are gone for the time being. Then there are the cats and let's not forget about Henry - the family dog who just doesn't quit. 

                                  

With all there is to take care of - along with two very active girls - it isn't often than Erin gets a moment to breathe, so stollen quiet moments while the girls, Dad and Pop-pop are rare and cherished! And since we are both generally the designated photgrpahers, a photo of either of us is a RARE event.

                     

Pop pop Steve's other side inevitably comes out when he's with his girls. There's puzzles with Evie (We think this is the first time she completed 100 pieces all by herself with a "little" help from Pop-pop), admiring Clara's claymations and dress up costume parties. Did we mention the inevitable tea party with doll dress up - LOT's off doll dress up.

                   

While Clara attends French-fairytale camp (yup, we needed an explanation too), Evie is entertained with miniature golf, carousels and whatever else we can cook up. The reward at the day's end is chocolate ice cream - naturally - they are Steve's granddaughters.  We are hoping for an autumn visit, but in the meantime, we're restocked on new memories and simply can't believe how much this family accomplishes in any given day! 

     
   

     

Eugene - the Next Chapter

Always our favorite place to travel, we've just spent a wonderful weekend visiting Erin, Jeremy, Clara and Evie at their new home! They've left downtown Eugene for 10 acres in a more rural area in Oregon's renowned wine country. Although within reach of town; horses, cows, sheep and pastures prevail along with acres of forestland. 

               

Plans are still evolving, but the chicks and bunnies have arrived. (This chick roosting on Evie is now about two months old and ten times the size.). Goats and sheep may be next, to help keep the property tamed. A small raised garden is a place holder for a much larger area for vegetables and flowers and eventually a fruit orchard.

                                   

We should have taken lots of pictures to share, but were  too busy exploring the property, Steve (yes Steve) helping  to finish the chicken coop, going to the local children's outdoor theatre, swimming and an adults only night out at a local vineyard for wine tasting, food and music. 

                                     

The girls have clearly embraced their new home. It's hard to imagine them anywhere else. We are so pleased for the whole family and can't wait for our next visit. 

Simply the BEST!

How to begin the new year? What could be better then the schlep out to Eugene to spend time with Erin, Jeremy and the girls?

Clara has introduced Evie to one of her favorite past times - reading books. Evie, still obsessed with hats, is sharing her favorite page turners with Pop-pop and won't let him skip a word. Big sister Clara does a silent scream and gets lots of points for her patience with both of them.

We all had a wonderful time. Next? Keep a look out for a family visit to Useppa this Spring followed by European adventures this Summer. We'll keep you posted.

Story time is the best time!

Video calls undoubtedly help to keep us connected with our granddaughters, but there's no substitute for being with them. Evie models the hat she's most recently obsessed with, gleefully swings as we push her as high as possible and quickly remembers who her Pop-pop and Bubbie are.

Big sister Clara is learning French instead of Mandarin, much to her Pop-pop's chagrin. She's getting so tall that she's rapidly approaching Bubbie Karen's chin. She loves her new teacher and is flourishing!

But at the end of the day everyone shares a meal and snuggles up to read goodnight books. That alone makes a weekend trip to Eugene worthwhile!