19 Sept: Sylvia Beach Hotel day two (before lunch)

Friday, 19 September 2014

Breakfast is included in the price of the SBH rooms and is kindly served till 10 AM so we night owls do not have to get up too awfully early. Carol and I walked around the outside of the hotel to get to the dining room to avoid the stairs (due to my sore knee).

Flossie followed us….

…around the building and down the sidewalk to the outside entrance to the dining room.

Flossie, the outdoor cat (not let in because apparently the hotel cat is territorial) was due to go to a loving home the following Monday.

The Sylvia Beach Hotel breakfasts are lavish.

coffee or tea, and as much juice as you want.

A selection of about six different breakfast treats. The very best lemon squares I have ever had anywhere. The peach kuchen is also wonderful (but the photo came out blurry)

all the fresh fruit that you want

hard boiled eggs

AND a delicious hot breakfast choice that changes every day.

AND this view.

Then…back into the hotel. I was oh so fleetingly disappointed that the weather was good. The predicted rain would have been perfect for staying indoors; I always feel a little guilty staying indoors in good weather. However, nothing would keep me from the room journals, my SBH obsession.

heading back inside…

Good weather would have been quite perfect had we had one of these rooms with the little deck right by the front entrance: Jules Verne and JRR Tolkien.

Back to the Alice Walker room, I read journals while waiting for our next room to be cleaned. Carol went to the library, as we were just shifting next door so I could accomplish it easily.

I was able to snag enough journals from the nearby Hemingway room to keep me happily occupied for hours.

Hemingway Room

Hemingway room

Hemingway room

a treasure trove of journals

An antelope head used to hang over the bed, leading to journal complaints about killing animals and journal humour about the antelope watching over amorous antics in the room. Now it has been replaced with paper mache heads.

the bed got many rave reviews

Back in the antelope head days, a journal writer was inspired to draw this.

 

The roomie (i.e. the creator of the room) wrote this about some of the reactions in the journals:

How enviable an experience to be one of the roomies (also knows as roomers). I like her attention to detail:

I guess it’s ok to use her full name. She put her phone number in the journal so guests could contact her.

The Hemingway room view would be blocked by parked cars. However, journal entries revealed the convenience of being able to load one’s luggage in and out of the window.

Hemingway room view

I had read several of the Hemingway journals years ago when staying in the Agatha Christie room. They always hold up to re-reading. Often the hotel guests do their best to write in the style of the author in whose room they reside, and the results are funny and charming.

 

Journelers also share their experiences that relate to the author:

 

And they share the inspiration they got from the author:

 

And they sometimes share why they don’t like the author (as sometimes one takes whatever room is available).

from my favourite room journaler, Pat Henderson

There are many references to books in the journals, and I wrote myself a list of recommendations.

a journal reference to one of my favourite books

My journal reading was briefly interrupted when I moved our belongings to the Virginia Woolf Room, right next door to Alice Walker.

Virginia Woolf Room

on the door

Virginia Woolf room

Note there are only two room journals on the bed. That is all I found. I thought that the old ones had disappeared until I realized in reading one entry that this was fairly recently transformed from the Sigrid Undset room into Virginia Woolf. I long to know what happened to the Sigrid room journals as often the more obscure and quiet authors are the ones who inspire the most introspective journal entries.

This journal entry solved the mystery of the missing journals:

Carol is my only friend who has, I know, read and indeed owns the Undset Nobel-prize-for-literature-winning trilogy, Kristin Lavransdatter.

Virginia Woolf room

I would not have understood why the furnishings and were painted as they were had I not read these journal entries:

my reading chair

Each room is provided with a good array of the books by and about its author. If I ever finish all the room journals, I would have plenty of other room-appropriate reading material.

my view

next to my chair

from a room journal

After awhile, in order to save the last Woolf room journal for bedtime reading, I went exploring for more journals (and more rooms).

JRR Tolkien Room

JRR Tolkien room

Sadly, the room used to have THIS bed but something did it in. (photo courtesy Destiny Grose)

Tolkien room

Tolkien room view

Jules Verne Room

I’ve read old journal entries from the guests of this rooms previous incarnation, Robert Louis Stevenson. (Those journals reside in a glass fronted bookshelf in the attic of the library.) It was suggested, because of the rushing of water in the ceiling pipes, that 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea would be a good theme for this room, and here it is.

the Jules Verne bathroom….This and Mark Twain’s are the two spacious bathrooms of the hotel.

 

John Steinbeck Room

I stood and read the new journal entries in the Steinbeck room. This used to be the E.B. White room where I stayed three times with friends (because it is the only room with twin beds except for the dorms…more on the dorms in a later entry).

the brilliantly decorated Steinbeck room, which would have been one of our rooms this time but it was booked.

Agatha Christie Room

I’ve stayed in Agatha’s room with Carol and with Mary (the latter being a Christie fan from way back). Last time I stayed in her room, the journals were missing, all but the most recent, a true and tragic mystery (and I searched EVERYwhere).

Agatha Christie room with a sleeper couch

and a big comfy bed

and a working fireplace

and its own balcony.

I caught up on the Christie journals. (The rooms that are not currently occupied are left open between 11:30 AM till the next guest checks in.) There is a series of clues left around the Christie room, although over the years I think they have gotten kind of mixed up. There used to be a pair of shoes peeking out from behind the curtain, and a bottle of “poison” in the bathroom cabinet, which may still be there.

The treat referred to was left by a previous guest. More on this in a later entry.

With that little mystery, I will close this long journal entry of mine and Carol and I will leave the hotel for lunch.

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18 Sept: Sylvia Beach Hotel day one

Thursday, 18 September 2014

Off to the Sylvia Beach Hotel with Carol, a good close friend of 36, yes, 36 years.

On the way, we stopped in Pacific City for lunch at the Grateful Bread Bakery. We drove around for awhile not seeing it, till I used my iPhone and discovered to my amazement that it led us there with a blue dot (us) on a blue line (the route).

I love modern technology!

at the Grateful Bread Bakery

Grateful Bread

adorable cottage across the street

the view

We both had “dory caught” tuna melts. Delicious.

Pacific City is renowned for their dory fishing fleet, and all the fish on the menu was proudly described as “dory caught”.

The women’s restroom had inspirational walls:

If I lived in Pacific City, I think this would be my place, although I suppose it is crowded with tourists (like us) during the summer.

We stopped for one viewpoint further on during our three plus hour drive. Our mission was straightforward, to get to the Sylvia Beach Hotel as soon as we could. However, I had noticed this particular view last time and this time I was prepared to ask Carol to stop.

The tide was very low; on our way back the wee island was surrounded with water.

low, low tide, south of Wheeler, Oregon

Then, onward, southward along the spectacular Oregon Coast until:

My favourite place

This is the hotel where every room is decorated for a different author.

Our room for the night was the Alice Walker room. We had figured out that we could bring a comfy tri-fold mattress for the second sleeper, which opened up a whole new world of rooms. (Previously, we’d stayed in the expensive large rooms (Colette, Mark Twain, Agatha Christie), or the EB White Room with twin beds (the only one so outfitted, now the John Steinbeck room, rarely available as is perfect for friends), or the smaller rooms with trundle beds (Oscar Wilde, Dr Seuss!).

Alice Walker room…mural

The Color Purple, of course.

The room had a wonderful scent. As soon as I started reading the room journals and found mentions of it, I realized that the scent was from baskets…the nice natural fragrance of baskets.

I was thrilled to find many room journals to read; sometimes the old journals are missing. There were a couple of years not there, but as you can see, I had lots of reading material, some going back to 1987 when the hotel first opened:

The room journals are my favourite part of a trip to SBH.

I sat myself down in a wicker chair by the window and began to read, and kept reading until sunset. This was my view:

Ok, this is what it really looks like. I tuned out the cars.

Carol settled down across the room to read:

the perfect companion

All we lacked was the hotel cat. Carol loves cats but is mildly allergic, so we did not invite Shelly in.

I immersed myself in the journals till dinnertime. I intend to share more later, on different themes; here are entries specifically about the Alice Walker room.

Goody Cable is the visionary who created the Sylvia Beach with the help of close friends.

Some people questioned whether or not the mural should show an African scene or instead a scene in the Georgia where Alice lived and wrote her books. This journal entry solved the question, I think:

I loved this affirmation of our own beauty:

 

Someone all the way from Belgium had her mind on the Agatha Christie room that is just a few doors down:

The entry below makes reference to the Two Truths and a Lie game that we are “forced” to play during dinner at the Tables of Content restaurant in the hotel.

After while Carol went up to the third floor library till dinner time. From my chair, I looked up now and again at the changing view.

After sunset, we walked right across the street to April’s at Nye Beach restaurant.

April’s: right across the narrow street

Carol had oh so delicious trout.

Sadly, I was feeling a bit poorly so I had a simpler dinner.

The balsamic vinegar on the bruschetta might, I thought, soothe my digestion.

After dinner, I got right back to reading journals in Alice’s room, while Carol went up to the library again.

I was pleased to see a reference to my favourite author, Iris Murdoch, who has become obscure now.

Many journal entries speak of lost love. I will gather more of them together later on.

I thought this entry was especially lovely:

I hope these two are married now:

A bit after ten PM, Carol thoughtfully brought me a cup of mulled wine from the library, so that I would not have to climb two flights of stairs to get there. A tradition of the SBH is hot mulled wine provided in the coffee room off of the library (and all day there is hot water, assorted tea bags and coffee). I read the journals till past midnight.

view from the bed

I wish for reading lamps like these at the head of my bed at home.

Next: The Virginia Woolf room and another day of journal reading.

 

 

 

 

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17 September: workday two of two

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

A two day work week?  My goodness, we have gotten lazy.  We have more time off as we have quit jobs that were too hard on my knees (the up and down steep slopes jobs).  When I was very mildly fretting today about whether we should be trying to make more money, Allan pointed out that time off now, when we can enjoy it, might be more valuable than time later when we might be in wheelchairs, perhaps with money made now but with less mobility to get around the garden or the lake.  Our late and missed neighbour Nora often reminded us to do things and SEE things now while we still could walk and had good vision.  Perhaps she herself wished that she had worked less.  The day may come when we have to give up restaurant dining and garden tour trips; we will live on memories, online touring, and Allan’s good cooking.

We made the north end rounds today; next week, we will check on all the rest of the private gardens.

We went all the way to Marilyn’s in Surfside today.

The Depot Restaurant in Seaview (between Ilwaco and Long Beach)

the weekly photo looking west from the east end of the flower garden

Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’

It looks like the Fort George Brewery Co-HOPerative folks may have come to pick the hop flowers for brewing a beer from several different local hops sources.

Basket Case Nancy, if you are reading this:  The windowboxes still look good for this time of year; I just forgot to take a photo!

Long Beach Welcome Sign

There are a lot of Cosmos ‘Happy Ring’ to deadhead, an enjoyable enough task, and the twelve unenjoyable Agyranthemum ‘Butterfly’, which it crossed my mind could be pulled out soonish.

The bidens along the front provides plenty of yellow to “stop the eye”.

The back of the sign is edged with white bacopa.

Golden Sands Assisted Living

The four quadrants of the courtyard garden aren’t looking too bad right now, thanks to Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, Solidago ‘Fireworks’, some sadly yellow-foliaged Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, and not enough cosmos.

Google Earth of the building surrounding the courtyard.

SW quadrant

NW quadrant (the front a little bare where a bench used to sit).

NE quadrant

SE quadrant

Every week Allan removes with the pick a couple more of the tatty old carexes that are behind the quadrants.  I think when they are gone, the snail problem will improve as I am sure they hide in those grasses.  That could make it easier to grow more dahlias next year.

I had three ideas later in the day of plants I can get for free to add to the very late summer show at Golden Sands.

Sometime this winter I want to get around to a blog post about how the residents decorate the entryways to their rooms. How would you decorate if this area was your statement to the world?  I thought I’d write it last winter and did not.  Perhaps a sneak peek will motivate me.

One of the residents clearly likes the Rod Run.

Klipsan Beach Cottages

the weekly look in the east gate

Mary made a new container planting.

‘Streamer’ sweet peas

and more ‘Streamer’ sweet peas

boxwood and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ backed with Persicaria ‘Golden Arrow’.  A piece or two of that Persicaria will go to Golden Sands.

Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’; a piece of this could go to Golden Sands (and to Marilyn’).

the garden bench backed with Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ and Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’

The Corokia cotoneaster has happily lived in the big blue pot for years.

Sarah (0r Timmy?)

Oman Builders Supply, Ocean Park

Some deadheading of the Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ was all this low maintenance success needed.

It could use a new plant here later, maybe another Gaura ‘Whirling Butterfly’; something got swiped here, probably another Eryngium.

Marilyn’s Garden, Surfside

We had a talkative audience from the next door roof.

Marilyn’s daughter, Nancy who is co owner of the Depot Restaurant, has been doing a marvelous job of keeping the garden well watered.

Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, taller than me (as it gets with enough water)

looking south

Phygelius can go to the Golden Sands garden! I can get many pieces of it from here as it wants to go out into the gravel path.

Some of the cosmos are seedy and hard to reach. That’s ok because this is a bird garden and birds love cosmos seeds…especially goldfinches.

We’re keeping the cosmos along the path deadheaded.  The Buddleia to the right is a sterile cultivar, ‘Blueberry Cobbler’.

the deck with pots planted by Basket Case Greenhouse Nancy.

The chaise lounge keeps the deer who live in this garden from browsing the annuals on the deck.

Looking northwest; A gust of wind made the giant Miscanthus rustle enchantingly.

Wiegardt Gallery, Ocean Park

Eric’s gallery was hopping with a painting class which had been brought by their instructor “to get inspiration”.  They had painted at Oysterville Sea Farms the day before, and today at the Oysterville church and school, and tomorrow they will paint at the Ilwaco boatyard.

front garden, cosmos underlaid with the very determined Bad Aster.

fall crocus

the old kitchen door

picotee cosmos

a Miscanthus beginning to take its autumn bow.

The dratted deer ate the tops off of the Sedumn ‘Autumn Joy’…

leaving the front garden looking rather empty.

the north side of the gallery

The predicted showers for today had not happened yet.  Rain is so much needed, I would have welcomed working in it.

Sword ferns are looking unusually distressed from hot dry weather.

Port of Ilwaco

When we got back to Ilwaco, we took a drive around the town to check on the Howerton Way gardens.

We saw three dandelions at the east end; Allan hopped out to get them.

Then we decided to deadhead at the Port office and Time Enough Books.  In the garden north of the office, a Sedumn ‘Autumn Joy’ was pulled almost out of the ground.

Did someone get interrupted mid theft?

South side of the Port Office and Don Nisbett Art Gallery with baskets from The Basket Case

Don’s baskets are bigger from more watering and fertilizing.  He’s been asked to give his special attention to the port office baskets as well next year.

Cosmos ‘Seashells’

and the marina

at home

I did just a bit of weeding and clipping in the front garden.  Tomorrow (September 18th), I’m leaving for the Sylvia Beach Hotel with Carol, a Seattle friend for 36 years.  Rain would be the perfect weather for staying indoors at the bookish hotel.  I was pleased when a drizzle finally began just before I came indoors to blog.  At dusk, the drizzle continued; may it continue for three days so that Allan does not have to do any watering work while I am gone.  (With just a break for the painting class to do their pleine air painting at the boatyard.)

delightfully drizzly window views:

north

north

looking east

I hope that when I return and share whatever I wish to share from the trip that I can then somehow catch up to publishing this blog closer to real time.

 

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16 September: workday one of two

Tuesday, 16 September 2014

My work behavior, or lack of it, is shocking these days. Just took three days off, and we are going to cram the work into just two days now so that I can go to the Sylvia Beach Hotel with old friend Carol from Thursday through Sunday. I am hoping we get enough done so that all Allan will have to do for work during that time is water Ilwaco (and maybe Larry’s garden if we have dry weather).

Long Beach

After the hot, dry weather, we definitely had to water the Long Beach trees and planters. Some showers are predicted for Wednesday and Thursday. Getting the soil moist now will help the rain water to soak in; otherwise, just showers would not penetrate the soil.

Allan wished to promote this decal that he saw on a car; the owners were happy to see him photographing it.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if this inspired me to really pursue adopting a greyhound? (Because Allan does not want a dog.) I have heard that some greyhounds chase cats, and that would not do in our house.

All the retired greyhound friends that I’ve had have been wonderful dogs indeed.

Allan’s photo: This planter was complimented as a unique one and a visitor wanted to know what was the plant mix and where to get them.

This is the same planter I was fretting over last week as being full of creeping red clover.

Allan’s photo: Trying to reduce the fall die back under a dry tree.

The tree south of the stoplight on the west side has no working water system so unless Allan hauls a bucket to it from the next planter down, it stays dry.

Allan’s photo: The next thing for your car, the tail wags with the wiper!

Allan’s photo: Long Beach was blessed as a field trip destination.

Allan’s photo: a very dry hanging basket before it got watered by city crew with 75 foot hose.

Some of the baskets looked so stressed I thought they might have been missed on the weekend watering, or maybe it was just from the 85 degree weather. This and the other one by the Fifth Street Park restroom are just about at the end, while the four at the gazebo and police station still look excellent.

Allan’s photo: city crew member watering a hanging basket

Allan’s watering life would be easier if his water trailer was set up like this. Unfortunately, to water Ilwaco he needs 100 feet of hose (two 50 footers joined together).

SW quadrant of Fifth Street Park…loving the striped cannas although only two out of three bloomed. Next year: fertilizer so they get bigger. This is a damp corner, which they should like.

across the street kitty corner in the NE quadrant of Fifth Street Park: Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ steals the show.

moldy old Dorothy Perkins rose

I would love to dig out that Dorothy Perkins rose, always whiteish with powdery mildew, from the NW quadrant to the park. That would undo the match with the healthy and beautiful Super Dorothy on the other side the of the street. Even so, I think plain old Dorothy has to go. It is irksome to have to constantly clip her back from the driveway, which she would love to engulf.

The city has replaced the bench that disappeared during Rod Run last weekend.

This was our original planter, one of four, back in volunteer days. In fact, my four planters caught the eye of the city administrator back then (Nabiel Shawa) and that led to my getting the city flower-care job eventually.

the planter by the credit union…still excellent with dahlias and California poppies and Geranium ‘Rozanne’

Andersen’s RV Park

The park was still almost full of RVers.

Clamming season will soon begin and bring even more park guests.

The Bad Aster is putting on a good show. As soon as it is done, I will pull as much as possible so it does not take over the whole park.

the picket fence garden looking autumnal

I’m currently reading a delightful and amusing book about ‘trailerites’; I highly recommend it.

Anchorage Cottages

I was delighted to see a good review of The Anchorage on Trip Advisor with raves about the garden. I snagged the photos from the Trip Advisor app on my phone. As you can see, I have been setting my blog to publish in the early morning, but it gets written in the late evening. At least, I think these are taken by a guest, because photos from the management say “Anchorage Management” on them. Anyway, whoever took them, I like seeing the gardens (even undeadheaded cosmos) through someone else’s eyes.

Today at the Anchorage:

Fuchsia ‘Golden Gate’ (I think)

Fuchsia magellanica ‘Hawkshead’

Persicaria ‘Dimity’ still looking good in its decline.

center courtyard with painted sage

arbutus in bloom

cosmos and Fuchsia magellanica; windowboxes are mismatched now as Calibrachoa died on the lefthand one.

Anchorage office

home

At home in the evening, I did some hose watering and especially admired two plants.

Mahonia gracilipes, for which I once paid $45 from the Dan Hinkley Heronswood catalog even though I was rather poor. Note the white back to the leaves.

I had seen a photo of the gleaming white leaf undersides in a photo during a Dan Hinkley lecture and could not resist. As a young plant, the under-leaves were not white; that developed later.

I’ve had it for years and it is blooming and berrying for the first time. (It was set back from being transplanted from our old house.)

And I noticed some pink berries on a special snowberry that I bought…somewhere. Maybe Back Alley Gardens when Pam Fleming was there.

Allan made the second tasty dinner with Nancy’s and Phil’s gift of salmon.

with our seemingly endless supply of cherry tomatoes

This post is set to publish on 9-27 (as I fell way behind again with cottage tour posts) so:

Happy Birthday, Kathleen!

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14-15 September: hardly working

Sunday, 14 September 2014

After all the walking on yesterday’s cottage tour, my knee and calf were both playing up, so almost all I did was sit and blog about the tour. Garden Tour Nancy came over with a large piece of salmon which her hunter/gatherer spouse, Phil, had caught in his secret fishing place. (I cannot tell.)

Feast your eyes on that, caught six hours earlier.

At least I had some flowers to offer in return.

Fortunately for this blog entry, Allan rowed around Black Lake for awhile and took some photos.

Allan writes: A fisherman (a ‘Superfisherman’) arrived and told of the trout he had caught, eagles that watch the lake from the surrounding trees and confirmed that I had seen otters as he’d seen them swimming in the weeds north of the dock.

Ready to row the sailboat hull from the Yacht Club.

a couple taking wildlife pics

two kayakers who had launched from a dock by the school

The dock by the highway turn off was a gull hangout.

A lot of feathers gathered downwind.

The kayakers meanwhile had pulled out and a couple of kids were swimming by another dock.

Meanwhile I had found out with our wrapped up car GPS that I can row about 3 mph, top out at 4 .3 mph, and can’t row and take pictures at the same time. The other photographer on the lake had a paddler too as her equipment was not a modest pocket camera.

I loaded up the boat, strimmed the grass where it had been, and loaded it on the vertical cart at home.

home for maintenance; the purpose of the vertical cart is to move the boat through narrow garden paths. (Parked temporarily on Nora’s lawn)

We postponed eating the salmon for one day, as I had it strongly in mind to have a fire (with sausages) that night while the weather was still hot and not windy. Warm, still evenings are rare here (or have been in past summers; that may have permanently changed). If we could acquire a fire ring grill top, we could cook salmon and other delicacies outdoors but for now we are limited to food that can be toasted on a campfire fork (sausages and buns, and marshmallows for Allan).

starting the fire

Allan managed to start the fire with no paper at all; I usually use wads and wads of newspaper before I can get one going.

Allan’s photo: “NO paper, NO starters, just cedar and a lighter” (and alder wood)

garden in evening light

Smokey was happy to join us near the fire.

Stipa gigantea, my favourite grass (backed with river of Geranium ‘Rozanne’).

Tomorrow, I would have to do extensive watering as the garden had become distressed in the heat.

Persicaria ‘Firetail’ lying almost flat

honeysuckle looking sad

The fire burned bright and clean with no smoke.

We wished that Kathleen had not had to go back to the big city, as last week when she came for a campfire, we had gotten rained out. This particular fire was the most perfect one of the summer.

the perfect fire

and the experience we had hoped to share with Kathleen of watching the coals burn out

Monday, 15 September 2014

We have become slackers, me more than Allan as he still goes out to do the necessary Ilwaco watering on a weekend. Having spent a day at the cottage tour, I felt a strong need for two days at home so declared Monday a day off. That will make this another TWO day work week for me as I am leaving Thursday, fate willing, for a trip to the Sylvia Beach Hotel.

The day began shockingly hot again. I was thrilled when it soon cooled down and I could see fog in the distance.

the delicious sight of fog at the east end of Lake Street

a pause to admire Azara microphylla variegata by the front porch

It was a workday for our friend J9, who stopped by after work for a visit and to get some vegetables.

sent her home with some tomatoes and some Yukon gold potatoes…and a little piece of fresh salmon just right for her dinner.

Allan went out to water Larry and Robert’s garden, our volunteer Post Office garden, and the Ilwaco planters, all of which are one-person jobs.

cosmos at the post office

He marvelled: “A planter with new soil and next to a field hit with Round Up still manages to get a dandelion & a chickweed”

(The vacant lot downtown is treated with Round Up by its owner, which we think is a shame as it used to grow wild beach peas.)

This was the planter that was vandalized in later summer, then moved and replanted.

the planter by Larry’s Antique Gallery Too! with vigorous nasturtium

My big garden plan for the weekend had been to chop up some of the garden debris pile and put it into the compost bins. We have decided to no longer collect kitchen compost from a nearby café for several reasons, one being that the compost bins stink up the garden in hot weather, one being that the amount of time spent collecting and processing takes more work hours than the cost of a load of dairy manure, and another being that a neighbour had….RATS…and the cats brought in a rat the other day, an ominous sign. With four plastic bins of kitchen compost, three of which could be breached by a determined critter, we were perhaps asking for trouble.

The first day was too hot to do the garden debris project and the second day I was just too darn lazy.

After watering, Allan made a delicious salmon dinner with Phil’s salmon, and some of our Yukon Golds and tomatoes (and storebought everything else).

I try to eat a bit of sauerkraut every day as it is supposed to be healthy.

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13 September: evening in Astoria

Saturday, 13 September 2014

On the way back from the Cannon Beach Cottage tour, I remembered that tonight was Astoria Art Walk night and that an acquaintance was having a show called “Sock Monkey Album Covers”. We decided to stop by the Street 14 Coffee House and see for ourselves.

an actually hot late summer evening

inside the coffee house

Long Beach Peninsulites hanging out

sock monkey album covers by Leslie Hall Lipe, including my beloved Ramones

I do not understand the sock monkey fetish, but it is very big at my favourite bookstore, Ilwaco’s Time Enough Books.

The Commodore Hotel lobby seems to share space with the coffee house, and is a space that I find beautiful.

The wall display is of items found when renovating the old hotel.

cool old stuff artistically displayed

hotel check in

We decided to walk down a couple of blocks and check out a new-ish store with garden decor among its offerings.

Allan’s photo inside a bookstore

Astoria’s Commercial Street has well maintained container gardens full of choice plants.

Jessica Schlief cares for many of them.

The ones with wire sides are great favourites of mine.

good from every angle

Because they are against the buildings and not in traffic sightlines, they can have tall plants.

Forsythea, run by Pat Fagerland of Seaview

inside Forsythea

more sock monkeys

really nice stuff

more stuff

Wine and appetizers were on offer, but we were on our way to dinner. Allan thought maybe we could have fast food at the Roller Derby…

Allan’s photo

The town was full of sunshine.

art gallery window

Outside a shop called Cargo.

I wanted to pass on the Roller Derby and go to Indian Cuisine and Allan agreed. It was very placid and dull of me, I think now. The delicious food, however, made us very happy.

Allan’s photo

We chose to go on to dinner at Himani Indian Cuisine (again).

Allan’s photo

After dinner, on our five block walk back to the van, I looked with nostalgia upon all the bars and clubs hopping with young folk, and reminisced how that was my life once. I wish I had taken some photos of the windows glowing in the dusk on such a rare warm coastal evening; the only photo I took was one of a ship on the river.

sunset time on the Columbia River

I had a revelation and told Allan we did not have to move to Astoria to experience it; we could just rent a place for a couple of months, and after that I would probably be happy to move back to my quiet Ilwaco home. I couldn’t do such a thing while my cats are alive though; they would miss me too much.

 

 

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13 September: Cannon Beach Cottage Tour, 2 cottages, a house and 2 gardens

Saturday, 13 September 2014

Cannon Beach Cottage and Garden Tour

a benefit for the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum

Clark’s Cabin

from the programme:  This red and white cabin was built in 1920 in the heart of Cannon Beach’s presidential neighbourhood [where streets are named for U.S. Presidents] and is a whimsical nod to Lewis & Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition.  This cabin has been lovingly outfitted in gorgeous handmade furniture and colorfully cast in the deep greens and wood tones that make this corner of Oregon famous.  The cabin’s large kitchen and living area has the feel of a classic coastal lodge, with fun decor and lots of space.  With its rustic character and beachy nostalgia, this comfy cabin is a craftsman’s dream come true.

Clark’s Cabin

Clark’s Cabin is for sale.

You can see the listing with lots of photos here.  It’s also a vacation rental.  Information and more photos can be found here.

The clear red paint job reminds me of my grandma’s house.

around the side of the house

side door

I admire a neatly trimmed sword fern.

hydrangea

shady back yard

Allan’s photo: “lining up for the booty drill”

peaceful view from sink window

The handmade furniture all has the same rustic wood look.

Allan found out that “the old porch had been enclosed with chalk boards where old window cut outs had been”.

(Allan’s photo)

I’d like to know who made the rustic furniture.

Allan’s photo. Hmm, I had been bellyaching about my knee and the heat.

the docent and a guest, LOVE the green floor (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo: “They thought the original outside door with its simple lift latch was now the study’s interior door.”

You can see the listing with lots of photos here.  It’s also a vacation rental.  Information and more photos can be found here.  I’d love to stay here just to feast my eyes on the furniture.

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On the way to our next destination, we passed another red and white cottage.  My grandmother’s colour scheme was very unusual in its day; perhaps she would have fit right in in Cannon Beach.

a red and white cottage…for sale!

The Presidential Pardon; it was on the tour in 2004 (a tour I did not discover til 2007).

While it’s for sale, you can see in photos here that the inside has been completely modernized.

also on the way, a pleasant garden

1893 Cottage with Garden

The next cottage was “garden only”.

from the programme:  This 1893 original homestead is a 1925 Sears Kit Home.  The cottage garden reflects what gardens of that era would have included.  You’ll notice beautiful roses, lilacs, and hydrangeas in this well-tended garden.

the enticing 1893 cottage

side garden by driveway

buddleias and hydrangeas and rugosa roses on other side of driveway

Allan’s photo: Cake and lemonade was on offer!

Allan’s photo

The refreshments were most welcome.

Allan’s photo, narrow garden beside driveway

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On the way to the next house:

a garden with archway

hint: If these epimidiums were cut all the way to the ground, they would come back nice and fresh.

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 1997 home

from the programme:  This 2 story home was built in 1997 with careful detailing and much wood design.  The home features a great room with vaulted ceilings.  The landscaping has been recently renovated to include tropical plants that survive in our climate.  

banana

side

other side

bamboo

looking down on garden and wetland from back deck; the ground slopes to a hidden stream.

grape vine growing on back deck

woodsy view from back deck

Someone pointed out that from the deck, one could see the back of a tiny house next door.

I could live there!

I had to walk next door to see the front of that house.  It looked just perfect for me, and in Cannon Beach it might go for as low as $350,000, or am I just dreaming?

next door, tiny cottage perfect for me with lots of garden space!

walking on, back of modern house from the street

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On the way to the last cottage:

“Beware of Pug” arbour

a large parklike garden with a shady pond…

belonging to this establishment.

digiplexis along the main street

a stone garden, Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

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last stop:  Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals:  Garden only

We are back where we started, which I now realize is the office of the Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals.

picket fence garden

Allan’s photo

fuchsias and windowboxes

silvery eucalyptus

a sheltered sit spot

Thanks to everyone who made this tour, one of the highlights of my year, possible.  Our wish is that those of our readers who live elsewhere (especially overseas) and thus have no way to take this tour themselves enjoyed touring with us vicariously.

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13 September: Cannon Beach Cottage Tour, Wee Mist

Saturday, 13 September 2014

Cannon Beach Cottage and Garden Tour

a benefit for the Cannon Beach History and Museum

Wee Mist Cottage

from the programme:  This tiny, California bungalow cottage was built in 1941.  The easy to build rectangular, California bungalow style was found in mail-order design books and was adopted and preserved throughout Cannon Beach for summer homes and rental cottages.  The Presidential Streets [named after U.S. presidents] attracted a number of sea captains whose houses incorporated nautical themes and collections, which is depicted in this cottage.  Today, this cottage retains its classic California bungalow style and sweet street sense.  This home is also featured in Jill Grady’s Cannon Beach Cottages.

Allan’s photo

Wee Mist

a delightful porch (and a vacation rental sign)

the over-shoe booties for house touring (Allan’s photo)..or you could wear your socks.

Allan’s photo: “The booklet was full of reference pages for local resources and how to take care of your rental.”

Allan’s photo

reading corner

Allan’s photo

table with a view

old fashioned fireplace

efficient kitchen

kitchen colour

crisp white bedroom

white wicker bedroom

shell tray in bedroom

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo:  “The kite print reminded me of one of our beach clean-up trips.”

Allan’s photo: “It was on taking these tours I learned about the stacking washer and how they fit in so well in these small old homes.”

We think it’s really neat that so many of the vacation rentals have laundry facilities for guests.

at the end of the block (one lot away), the path right to the beach

For more interior photos and information on how to rent Wee Mist, go here.

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On the same block as Wee Mist are two of the cottages we toured last year.

Hopper’s House

and just perhaps my favourite cottage of all the tours!

 

 

 

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13 September: Cannon Beach Cottage Tour, Pacific Breeze

Saturday, 13 September 2014

Cannon Beach Cottage and Garden Tour

a benefit for the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum

After touring the most wonderful log cabin above Haystack Rock, we took the long, up and down hill walk back to town.

a modern house along the way

with garden art

Halfway back to town, we reached the next cottage on the tour.

Pacific Breeze

from the programme:  Pacific Breeze is a legacy home from a mother to a daughter, and from a daughter to her children.  In 2005, construction began on the home when the owner’s mom was diagnosed with cancer.  While Nana never saw the home to completion, the daughters were committed to making this a living legacy for generations.  Nana designed the home to best take care of her guests, allowing four of the five bedrooms to have private baths for the ultimate comfort for visitors.

garden art (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

the upstairs view (Allan’s photo)

You can find more photos and information about renting Pacific Breeze Cottage here.

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 more of the walk to town

across the street: a garden entry

On the flatlands again: I was so glad to look back at the end of the narrow roadside walk…

and return to the land of sidewalks.

bedding out

streetside garden

Allan’s photo: hanging basket “almost as nice as Long Beach’s” along the way

next: a true and tiny beach cottage.

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13 September: Cannon Beach Cottage Tour, West-Bouvy Cabin

Saturday, 13 September, 2014

Cannon Beach Cottage Tour

a benefit for the Cannon Beach History Center

We had a long walk to the next cottage.  As always in Cannon Beach, charming sights abounded.

a wee cottage with a garden full of potential

The walking route took us along the narrow shouldered lane uphill on Hemlock Street.  Now me, hobbling with my cane and with cars going by and a drop off on one side, was probably the only one in the world acrophobic and car phobic enough to be scared.

I really was quite toe curlingly anxious.

However, I survived the walk both ways.  Allan was with me on the way back and told me quite comfortingly that if I fell down the slope it would be into brambles and not all the way down. It was quite, quite a long and uphill and downdale walk and I was glad I had brought my cane.

the first view of Haystack Rock

and a clearer view as the walk progressed

Allan says “I stayed above the highway on a ‘shortcut’ with this double decked house facing Haystack rock…”

“and a flowering hedge below” (looks like Escallonia to me)

“and standing stones south of the main rock” (The Needles)

“and a house of river rock (& a few plants)”

I was walking alone as Allan left the previous house after me, and as I finally neared the destination, older folks leaving the property said to me, “It’s worth it!”  I realized that with my cane, I am now bonded to the older folks.  I guess I am one of them!  They were so right, the destination was well worth the long, hilly walk in both directions.

West-Bouvy Cabin

from the programme:  Originally built in 1913 for Oregon governor Oswald West, this is one of the most historic homes on the tour.  The property sits on a basaltic precipice with a breathtaking view of the ocean.  The rectangular, one story Adirondack style log cabin is 40 by 48 feet and sits 80 feet above sea level.  The Wests sold their retreat in 1926, where it was sold to a Dr Harry Bouvy and his wife Gladys in 1936 and later passed down to their descendants.  In late May of 1991, the homeowners had made plans with the Oregon State Preservation Office to nominate the home on the National Register of Historic Places.  It wasn’t until May 30, 1991, a 16-year old arsonist set the home ablaze and 55 years of family history had gone up in smoke.  Following the fire, the home was reconstructed in its exact location.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

seesaw on north lawn

As you can see, the home has a second story; I’m not sure if that was added later.

view from north lawn

I stood in the queue on the west side porch having a delightful chat with the docent.  He said interior photos were just fine, and so did the owner, who was inside.  We were even allowed to wear our shoes in the house despite the very fine wood floors.  The docent told me that the house had been recreated by sifting through the ashes to find the original footprint, and also had been recreated from photographs.  (I did not think to ask if the second story was original or added later.)

The name of the young arsonist is a mystery; because of his age, the records were sealed.  I can only wonder why? why? why?  I found this good article about the rebuilding (although when I look at it, the colours are very odd and hard to read).  Here is another, and easier to read, article.

Allan’s photo of me chatting with the docent.

Allan’s photo

massive stone fireplace

many spots for reading

 

south window view with an old original building

china cabinet

kitchen

Allan’s photo

The red counters remind me of my grandma’s kitchen

log cabin knife rack

old fashioned pantry

log construction

back to the living room

Allan went upstairs

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

reading nook, Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo of historic photos

the upstairs view (Allan’s photo)

upstairs view (Allan’s photo)

snoozy spots (Allan’s photo)

woodwork detail, Allan’s photo

on the expansive west veranda

view to Haystack Rock

The Needles

SW corner of the veranda

the original woodshed

a green roof; the bank would have been spangled with white ox-eye daisy earlier in the year.

spent daisy heads

south side of house

path to beach, Allan’s photo

cabin from below (Allan’s photo)

behind the house, the old well house

inside the well house…

…the old well.

Allan’s photo

back porch

tiny back garden

north side

As we made the long walk back to the next cottage, I told older folks who were walking toward me and looking rather hot and tired in the 84 degree weather, “It’s worth it.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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