Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Overseas is not as exciting as it sounds. That’s local old-timer slang for crossing the Columbia River. The rainy day that made it possible for us to go to Costco to refresh our larder with coffee and other staples in bulk also gave us a dull view from the bridge.
Here is the same view taken by our friend Christl at dusk on the beautiful Sunday earlier this week.
I am so relaxed going over the bridge in our van compared to how I felt in the low-to-the-ground car that we used to have.
We made a slight detour before point B to stop at Petco for some cat supplies.
And then: our favourite north Oregon coast nursery and one of our favourite collector’s nurseries, Back Alley Gardens in Gearhart. The shopkeeper in the Natural Nook shop (which is the other part of the business) told us they miss seeing us shopping with our old, small, two door car and then trying to squeeze all the plants into it.
Every time we visit Back Alley, I admire the gazebo of doors in the front garden of the next door antique store.
On our way back to the highway, I stopped for some blog fodder: photos of Neacoxie Creek as it meanders through the town of Gearhart.
In Seaside, we digressed, as we always do, to look at Pam Fleming’s curbside gardens, and as always I just took photos from the vehicle instead of getting out on the always crowded sidewalks.
South of Seaside, just before highway 26 goes east toward Portland, sits the large 7 Dees garden center.
On the way back north, Allan remembered The Stand, a delicious and authentic Mexican restaurant that we used to dine at each time we nursery shopped in Seaside.
The rest of the day consisted of two long stretches of grocery shopping.
Now I just hope the rain, which continues at 9:45 PM as I write this, stops tomorrow. Much as I would love a rainy reading day, we still have a bit of work to do to prepare Long Beach parks for the Razor Clam Festival and Port of Ilwaco gardens for an unusual April session of the Ilwaco Saturday Market.
The pictures of Neacoxie Creek were my favourite of all your splendid pictures.
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We stopped the car and turned around for those as I said to Allan, “Mr Tootlepedal and his sister Susan would like to see a photo of that.” Really!
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You were right….though I liked the white poppy best of all.
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We love the Strand! We often get take out if we are not ready to eat at the time.
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Your posts about all the cool communities and businesses you find are great and make me want to visit many of them myself. Thanks for the armchair tourism opportunities!
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Thanks, I hope you do. I got the idea of being more of a “travelogue” from the wonderful Tootlepedal blog.
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Is omeiana the same as perennial Impatiens omeiana that blooms in the fall? If so it does great in moist areas and will spread into a nice size clump. Like the color of the foliage of this cultivar.
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Yes, same. I have the “regular” one so am hoping this nice pewtery one does as well.
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