14 March: getting out to Get Out

Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Allan mailed our 26 postcards to the White House, part of a nationwide drive to express our opinions to its most well known current resident.  The cards are awfully pretty, considering that we are annoyed.

It takes a lot to motivate me to go to a (non Star Wars) film at a theatre instead of waiting to watch a DVD in my comfy chair.  Today I ran across more articles that I wanted to read but that were full of spoilers for the movie Get Out.  This inspired me to suggest that we spend out rainy afternoon at the movies in Astoria.

Smokey and Frosty preferred a comfy chair.

Those who know me know that going across the river is my own little horror movie.

First, the dreaded Chinook tunnel:

the maw of the tunnel

A good friend who is a professional Seattle Metro driver was once completely horrified when she was driving us one way through the tunnel and a big semi truck (that’s a really big lorry) went through the other way.  She said the truck driver was screaming.  I had closed my eyes.

Then, along the mighty Columbia River. On a stormier day, waves come right over those rocks at high tide.

Glad we did not pass that school bus in the tunnel.

Then the 4.2 mile long bridge.  I wouldn’t mind the bridge so much if it were a no passing zone.

Astoria Megler Bridge

The south end rises so that large ships can go underneath.

Astoria hills rise higher than the bridge.

I don’t like the curve down.

Not one little bit.

Downtown Astoria has much to offer.

Astoria Gateway Cinema

Get Out was well worth the drive for this semi-agoraphobic.  Now I can read all sorts of interesting articles about it.

I’m also excited about this movie, coming this summer to Astoria.  I hope it has the rescue by the little ships.

The film let out too late to have a meal and still drive home before dark, so all we did was gas up and go.

view of the river and a jetty from the petrol pump.  Three misty lights that are higher up (left) were from a ship moored in the fog.

bridge, returning, Washington side lost in the mist

In Googling for who played the mother in Get Out, I learned to my delight that one of my favourite non fiction books has been made into a movie.  It’s about someone who would NOT get out.

The book

I don’t suppose it will play here.  It would get me to a theatre if it did.

 

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21 May: Allan’s red boat club meet at Willamette Park in Portland

Saturday, 21 May 2016: Allan’s day

warning: The following content may be limited in variety as there are only a few different shots available. When you got to keep up with the group and the group consists of identical looking red boats, camera fiddling just slows you down.

I had been looking forward to this trip for months. West Cast Sailing, who had sold me my boat was inviting everyone with similar Hobie boats to an afternoon sailing around Ross Island in Portland Oregon. Picnic provided and over fifteen boats had RSVP’d. “It looks like we will have good wind and a low probability of rain.” The owner of the shop, Peter McGrath, had confirmed all around and I was looking forward to learning, looking around and fun as sailing kayaks are scarce around here.

The event was at Willamette Park in Portland. The plan was to sail around Ross Island and return for socializing. The computer said about two and a third hour trip, the GPS for the car said three and a third hours. SO, I believed the car’s GPS and set out really early. As I cruised past Hillsboro, just west of Portland, it showed I still had over an hour to go. I backed out the screen’s view. I was headed to Willamette Park in Corvallis, south of Salem. The Portland park of the same name wasn’t listed. I reprogrammed it to Ross Island Grocery Store which would  get me close and presto,  now I was going to be an hour early. Yay. Wish I had brought a paper map.

Portland (the rose city) features roses heavily in their landscaping such as this freeway ramp

 

Setting up forty minutes early should make me on time when they start

A delightful audience of a young boy full of questions and observations as I expertly fuddled about. All was good except an outrigger is installed backwards (a training wheel to the little guy).

A wooden dory with leather oarlocks, and a good sail boat to boot. I would have loved to listen more as he explained it to the fellow with the brown shoes but the party was beginning.

Carl and Connie had just arrived from the tri-cities, about 220 miles away, a day trip that humbled my 85 mile trip.

He brought his new two passenger  model (with the comfy seats).

A home modified version  of a similar trailer we use for Tangly Cottage Gardening.

Our host Peter  (in the back), and his guest, Carl & Connie in the middle red boat …and that was it. The rest canceled partly because showers were predicted.

I was putting the wheels away (I now see that they can ride behind), and guess who was going to be last in?

A trampoline is handy for phones and strong enough for people or crab pots.

Julez from the Salt Hotel told me before I left: “What makes an adventure is when things go wrong.”

A Canadian goose is first out

Leaving the dock by foot power

Heading off. Carl on the left using the new spinnaker, Peter sailing, and I’m about to head for the beach to flip around the outrigger.

The wind was so light we all went about 4 mph no matter what. Carl put up two sails and I pedaled harder. Peter just sailed. His shop has a wide array of small sail boats but these are the only ones with built in pedal drives. That feature allows sloppy sailing techniques for the rest of us. He’s been sailing almost weekly since his teens. I pedaled, sailed hard and caught up with him so I could shadow him and learn. “How do you know where to head without a wind vane?” “I’m a wind ninja” Ah. more practice is needed.

Connie with her phone on a stick camera. Carl now has both sails up. We’re still all together.

Ross Island is a rock processing site. Couldn’t really explore as I had to keep up.

Rounding the top of Ross Island near the Hwy 26 Ross Island bridge. The Tilikum Crossing is behind it.

The wind was much stronger on this side of the island

Kayakers under the Tilikum Crossing, the largest car free bridge in the country.

I barely got my camera ready in time to catch this fast paddler with an outrigger.

A fireboat quietly went by on its way to a kayak gathering up north.

Peter giving the ‘thumbs up’ as I might be able to share this good pic with him later. My better camera was back in its bag after refusing to snap pics.  I found out later that it recorded a useless ten minute movie instead. It’s busy out there!

Connie taking my picture after I ran parallel with them on the last stretch

Peter heading off while the fire boat displays for a kayak event up north. It even briefly sprayed a red white and blue pattern.

Peter mixing with his own kind and a fishing boat on the right.

A tourist boat glided by among all the little boats.

Keeping up as we headed back to the launch. Note the wet sail. Nothing says fast like lots of water splashing in your face. The newer boats have designed out a lot of the splashy fun.

A forty-six second video of Carl & Connie sailing can be seen here.

With just one person and 64 percent of their sail area I felt pretty good about keeping up. Nine mph felt fast because of the wind and spray.

Packing up for a long ride halfway across the state. My boots also were filled with water.

One way around Ross Island

The Portland Aerial Tram went by overhead. First time I became aware of its existence.

Tree bases are set in stone with car / bike / people deflector stones on either side.

Must be art on poles. I looked it up and it’s called Inversion Plus Minus

Whump! A gale blew in so suddenly I saw a convertible on the shoulder working on getting the top up – quickly.

Sunset over the Columbia from Astoria’s Maritime Museum.Back to the quiet local waterways and home.

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27 August: overseas to Astoria

Thursday, 27 August 2015

Astoria, Oregon

From the 4 mile long bridge: lots of little fishing boats on the Columbia

buzzing about

Carol has a sore foot…an injury from too much walking, as walking is one of her hobbies.  So we looked for activities that required little walking, and a good restaurant where we could park right outside.

The Bridgewater Bistro

The Bridgewater Bistro

I had a cougar burger, a reference to a sports team.  Owner Tony Kischner glided by, still as graceful and personable as when he and his wife Ann operated the Shoalwater Restaurant in Seaview.  I miss having their fine establishment closer by.

made with Cougar Gold cheese

Carol pronounced her fish and chips to be delicious.

We then took in the view from the deck on the restaurant’s north side.

The building to the north is the Cannery Pier Hotel.

the Astoria-Megler bridge

the restaurant’s herb garden on the sunny, sheltered south side of the building

Carol was able to walk a block to the trolley stop, as we had decided that a ride on the Astoria Riverfront Trolley would be the perfect use of our afternoon.

Astoria Riverfront Trolley

The trolley stop was by the Maritime Memorial park.

Under the bridge. A sign warned to beware of falling objects. (!!!)

Carol sang a line from The Trolley Song as we waited.  It had been lurking in my mind since the last time we saw the trolley with Debbie Teashon. Later that evening, I found a delightful video that shows almost the entire run of the riverfront trolley, speeded up, accompanied by the song.  Enjoy!

The trolley runs about every 45 minutes on good weather summer days, so we chatted and waited.  The ding ding ding announced its arrival.

All aboard!

old boat at the west end of the line

The conductors, drivers, and tour guides are volunteers.  Carol, a Seattle Metro bus driver, said she would love to do this if she retired in Astoria.

“Ding ding ding goes the bell!”

the Columbia River

the old Uppertown Net Loft

That building was purchased by artists who were fixing it up as an art studio when the roof blew off in the 2007 windstorm. A couple of them were in it during the storm, and barely escaped, crawling along the wooden bridge to shore.  The trolley tour guide told us that quantities of art blew out of the building and were lost in the river.  The dramatic story is told here: “Around town, telephone poles snapped and car windows caved in under the pressure of the hurricane-force winds. Eddie Park, a friend of the Nebekers who had been helping board up the windows was thrown 40 feet and broke his arm against a wall. Royal and Park were trapped in the loft as winds raged around them. After 20 hours, they escaped by strapping themselves to a ladder for weight and then crawling on their bellies down the long gangplank to shore.”  Two days after I took this photo, part of the gangplank was lost in an unusually powerful summer windstorm.

The east marina, with sea lions all over the docks.

cropped to show the mass of sea lions

When the trolley reaches the end of the line, passengers are instructed to take the handle on the seat backs and gently swing the back to the other side of the bench, thus enabling us to sit back down facing forward again.

turned around

passing the Mill Pond Village

Millpond Village and its many little gardens

the old mill pond

the west end of Mill Pond Village

historic train station (I wish the train to Portland still ran.)

near the Maritime Museum, a bar pilot boat

I love this mural.

mural, part 2

Wet Dog Café

Note the man to the right, waving.  As the trolley clangs along by the River Walk, many passersby wave and trolley passengers wave back.

Every time people waved, I felt all choked up and teary eyed.  It really gets to me and reminds me of this line from What a Wonderful World:

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky,
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands, sayin’, “How do you do?”
They’re really sayin’, “I love you.”

And I think to myself, What a wonderful world.

on the deck of the Wet Dog Café with the trolley reflected

We were waving back.

looking south up an Astoria street with a fellow photographing the trolley.

The industrial waterfront is fascinating.

There’s another trolley reflection.

We disembarked back at the Maritime Memorial.  The wonderful trip had cost us only $1 each. For a slightly higher fee, you can ride back and forth on an all day pass.  Due to a non-waterproof roof, the trolley only runs in good weather.

We paused at the memorial wall.

Maritime Memorial

The Maritime Memorial park

flowers taped to the wall for loved ones

She loved the river.

Here comes the trolley again: Clang, clang, clang!

Ding, ding, ding!  These folks were not quite into the swing of waving yet.

Garden of Surging Waves

Carol moved her car to a spot downtown that was a short walking distance to The Garden of Surging Waves.  I knew she would be interested in the Chinese heritage of Astoria.

on our way to the park, some of Astoria’s excellent planters.

Next to the park, around a soon to be developed plaza, we stopped to read some informative signs.

The Garden of Surging Waves

I love the wall of words.

contrasting styles of architecture

“To learn and to practice what is learned time and again is pleasure, is it not? To have friends come from afar is happiness, is it not?”

Carol, visiting from afar=happiness.

We sat for awhile on a bench.

overhead

I like this screen with names of contributors to the park

Astoria Coffee House and Bistro

We skipped checking out the River People’s outdoor market as Carol had already walked too much, and drove to park near the Astoria Coffeehouse…which had, since my last visit, transformed into a fancy dinner bistro and bar.

This took me by surprise!

Fortunately, the excellent weather meant that we could sit outside in the early evening.

with delicious chocolate cake

That is the end of Carol’s visit as she must return to Seattle tomorrow.  I gave her my certificate for a free night at the Sou’wester (a door prize that I won!) in hope that she can visit again this fall.

meanwhile, Allan’s day at home

a trip to Oman Builder Supply to be able to pick up posts without a passenger or the trailer involved.

He watered and deadheaded our post office garden

Life Flight going over Nora’s house; we always spare a thought for whoever is hurt.

before the rain: painting the gate to match the new arbour; the reason will be even more clear tomorrow.

seen at the marina when Allan took the recycling to the bins.

Allan’s productive day was perhaps not happier than this fellow messing about in a boat.

a sign on the dock

making apple cobbler

It was delicious.

We had gotten so much work done on Wednesday that we decided to take Friday off, as well.

 

 

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25-26 July: evening and morning in the garden

Saturday, 25 July 2015

Ilwaco Saturday Market

I wanted most of all to have a day at home.  Allan helped by going to the Saturday market to take some photos.  I sent with him a small bouquet for Salt Hotel.

Allan’s photo: Salt Hotel’s co-owner, Laila.

Salt Hotel: cleaning wetsuits from a surfing lesson (a sideline of theirs)

lilies at the market

fishing folk at the port

on the docks

just relaxing

at home

From last night: Rain had collected in the barrels!

a fair amount

The rain had not been enough to quench the needs of the garden, and it did not take long to dip all these out and give drinks to thirsty plants.  Still, it was satisfying.  I hooked up a siphon hose and drained some rain water into the water boxes to refresh the tadpoles’ home.

the back garden

those amazing lilies

elephant garlic and cosmos

outside the deer fence

one of the water boxes

evening light on a day when I did not accomplish much in the garden at all…

I was resting up because we would have to get up VERY early tomorrow to go to Pam’s lecture and tour of the Seaside gardens.

Sunday, 26 July 2015

…in the ridiculously early morning

We got up at six in order to leave early enough to get to Cannon Beach at eight for Pam’s lecture.  Because of my night owl wiring, I couldn’t get to sleep early, even though I tried, so when we arose I’d had three hours of sleep.  And yet, I was able to appreciate the light on the garden, an early light that I so rarely see.

Allan’s garden from the front porch

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ at 6:30 AM

lilies

Achillea and Leycesteria ‘Golden Lanterns’

more lilies

the greenhouse

front garden looking west

Nicotiana langsdorfii

Digiplexis ‘Illumination Flame’

so bright…from the east…

Lilium Leichtlinii

Melianthus major

from outside the fence

looking east along the garden path, & AM, time to go

on our way

I texted Nancy to say “We’re on the road. It’s a miracle!”, and she texted back “We are leaving in two minutes, also a miracle!” A text came from Todd:  “On the backroad, singing Rise and Shine.”  Melissa and Dave had been in Portland and were driving west to join us, and Steve and John were on their way from the bay, all converging on Seaside for Pam’s garden tour.

Crossing the bridge at 7:15; I’ve never seen it with so little traffic.

over the rail

between the rails: the lumberyard that was in the final scene of the Dexter telly series.

around the scary curve

 

7:49 AM: We arrive in Seaside, Oregon at almost exactly the same time as Todd and Melissa and David.

The bookstore to the right will be the site of Pam’s lecture…in ten minutes.  In blog time, that’s tomorrow’s post.

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28 June: the way home

bonus post: Sunday, 28 June 2015

I didn’t want to sully the beauty of the Jane Platt garden with the trauma of our parking before the tour, so have added this last bonus post.  (I keep this record for myself and don’t really expect anyone to read two posts a day.) The Jane Platt garden entrance is on a curvy road, with a private road up a steep hill to a parking lot by the garden entrance. Because that lot was full, the volunteers on the main road told us to park by a blind curve, facing the wrong way, where a car had just pulled out.  I don’t blame them at all; they had just arrived and were unprepared for the situation.  Unlike an earlier tour garden on a curvy road, there were no cones or signs to slow traffic down.  After considerable trauma (mine) and turning around (scary!!) a bit further down the road after pulling out on the blind curve (ACK!), we parked facing the right way.  Then a red Miata came roaring around the corner at top speed and veered toward the middle of the road, and sped past with a roar.  I had already gotten out of the van and hobbled, with my cane, down between two parked cars, or it would have taken me out.   Panic: How can I cross the road, with a cane, if cars might come that fast?  I still find is disconcerting to not be able to move fast.  I used to walk so fast that random men in downtown Seattle would make fun of me (for not walking like they thought a woman should, I guess).

We were between two blind curves.  I managed, because I had to, to cross the road (feeling like a chicken), and then the volunteers let Allan bring the van and drive us up the steep narrow road to the actual parking lot, because another touring vehicle had left.  (They said they should have had traffic cones and signs.) All through the beginning of the garden I was in a tizzy about that red car, and filled with dread about leaving again.  I encountered Jeanne, and bent her ear about it, and realized I was spoiling the tranquility of the garden so did my best to unwind and enjoy it…quietly.  (I was told that way up in the quiet Platt garden, people had heard that red car roar by like a race car and wondered what was going in.)

After touring the garden, we left and the volunteers at the top of the narrow road told us no one was coming up.

the drive down to the public road (Allan’s photo)

 When we got to the bottom, another car was turning in to go up, and the volunteers were on the walkie talkie saying “Why didn’t you tell us someone was coming down!”  I was terrified to have Allan turn left, in front of the blind turn, so we turned right.  The previous day, when I had asked Todd if route 26 home would be closer to today’s gardens, he had said “Just don’t get lost in the west hills; it’s bad there.”  Well, sure enough, we did get lost.

where we were

Or sort of lost.  The GPS thought it had the right idea and took us all around those curves at the lower right.  I kept saying “Ignore the GPS!  Go down! Down!!!!” thinking if we followed the main downhill road, eventually we would come out somewhere level.  (We would have, somewhere around 405 and I-5 closer to Portland.) Instead, we kept circling up! up! until we went right by the Platt road again heading the other way.

Around about that time, a text from Todd arrived.  (He had been touring ahead of us that day.)  It said “Road curvy to Platt garden and if out of parking walk up the driveway.”  This warning had been floating in the ether and arrived too late.

I have never, ever been so glad to head west again on the Sunset Highway toward the coast.

I told Allan I would pay for the plants he’d bought over the weekend, to make up for the screaming.

leaving the heat of Portland behind…

over the coast range…

back to delicious beach weather

We stopped at Fred Mayer in Warrenton (almost home!) to buy milk.  I discovered that they had really good plants.  Somehow, I was determined to fit them into the van.

penstemons

I filled my cart with gallons sized penstemons and agastaches that were only about $6 each.

I was inspired by Evelyn Haddon’s lecture about Hellstrip Gardening to add more colour to the port gardens, and decided to donate some plants (and, of course, keep some for my own garden).

I managed to get the plants loaded into the van, telling Allan to let me open the side door so I could grab the ones that might fall out.

crossing the Astoria bridge with the Long Beach Peninsula in sight

We took a drive around the Port of Ilwaco just to make sure the plants were holding up all right, so that we could sleep in the next day before going out to water.

the coastal sky over our bogsy woods, from the port

sky over the boat storage yard

sunset from our very own driveway

Allan’s photo

 

 

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7 June: Beth Holland’s garden

Sunday, 7 June 2015

Friday night, I hadhappened to open an email from the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, thinking it might be about the study weekend.  Instead, it was the weekend garden tour update and there was Beth Holland’s Cannon Beach garden on the list for Saturday and Sunday!  So much for getting my ladies in waiting planted; I could not miss the chance to tour Beth’s garden.  I had been there years ago (in 1998) and hadn’t had the opportunity to see it again. She is a gardener whom I greatly admire, as she was instrumental in a lot of the business landscaping in Cannon Beach.

Because the cold north wind still blew fiercely across our garden, I did not feel the loss of a good at-home gardening day.

First, of course, I have to write about crossing the Astoria-Megler Bridge.

approaching the bridge: a surprising field of coreopsis

a field of coreopsis and daisies at the south end of the bridge, by the Columbia River

Due to bridge work, the crossing was slow, just the way I like it.

below us: fishing on the Columbia

one lane traffic because of workers (shows how narrow the 4+ mile bridge is)

 

Allan says I should show the lumberyard to the west of the bridge, as it was in the final scenes of Dexter.

work vehicles at the top

On the other side, we heading south of Cannon Beach, about a 50 minute drive in reasonable traffic.  Today was not only a weekend, but also the 30th anniversary of The Goonies movie, and Astoria was hosting a huge celebration.  We saw some signs of it even though we did not go into Goonieville.

an interesting spelling of “doubloon”?

We skipped our usual swingaround of Pam Fleming’s Seaside gardens because of the heavy traffic, and made the requisite stop at 7 Dees nursery south of Seaside.

7 Dees

at 7 Dees: Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

purchases: Allan’s photo; I don’t remember what the little tree is, and it’s too cold  as I write this to go outside and look at the tag!

I only bought three plants (a variegated nepeta, a fancy papyrus, and I forget the name of the third) because I am getting anxious about the number of ladies in waiting that I now own.

Beth Holland’s Garden

From the HPSO Open Gardens book:  In 1989 my husband, Mike Moran, and I bought 3.6 wooded acres adjacent to our home in South Cannon Beach.  I owned Holland’s Flowers downtown at that time, and we started a garden nursery and built a greenhouse to support the shop until its closing in 1995.  Since then I have enjoyed twenty years of designing both public and private gardens as well as my own.  The garden is surrounded by forest and filled with the sound of the surf.

under the highway and through the woods to Beth’s garden

Allan’s photo

It was clear to me as we walked along the road that Beth has done some pruning of old fronds of the ferns by the side of the road.

the first glimpse

on the other side of the road: steps I am glad we did not have to take

Allan’s photo: I was contemplating who has to go down those steps to the pumphouse.

the gate and a greeter

Allan’s photo

We were greeted by Mike and by one outgoing Corgi named Chippie; the other Corgi is shy.

meeting Chippie

the shy one

The greenhouse is the grand centerpiece of the garden.  Its windows came from an old Astoria grade school.  The memory of it has stayed strong in my mind since my visit here long ago.

Here it is in 1998:

Beth Holland’s garden just outside Cannon Beach., 1998

Beth’s greenhouse was constructed with large old windows from a school. (1998)

And today:

the greenhouse, bigger than some houses I’ve lived in

in we go

looking out the other side

the old Hollands Flowers sign

How well I remember Hollands Flowers from when I first lived at the beach in 1993 and 1994.  It was hidden in a little courtyard off the Cannon Beach main drag and even though tiny, it always had interesting plants for sale.

with Mike in the greenhouse, which must be the best private greenhouse in the Pacific Northwest.

in the greenhouse

Chippie in the greenhouse

in the greenhouse (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

We went back outside to tour the gardens, preceded by Chippie, an excellent tour guide.

terracing

winding paths leading to new vistas

the pond

When I was here in 1998, the pond landscaping was so new that its edges were still raw dirt in places.  Mike said it has large koi, that were not visible today.

the greenhouse barely showing from the pond walk

waterlilies

Allan’s photo

Chippie guiding us

Allan’s photo

looking back up the slope

path along the greenhouse, south side

To the left, the slope down to the pond

overlooking the pond

approaching the west flower beds

a sit spot by the pond

Mike told us that the heron figure keeps real herons away.

Allan’s photo

seating at the west end of the greenhouse

The garden had no annoying wind, and just as the description said, one could hear the surf, perhaps ten blocks of less away to the west.

looking west

a large hebe in flower

Cotinus (smokebush) all aglow

Chippie shows off

Allan’s photo, with Beth, and me fawning over Chippie…again

looking back at the greenhouse

Allan’s photo

returning to the greenhouse

Chippie at the door

my new friend walks with us some more

lots of small touches

tall nicotiana

nicotiana flowers

diverging paths

Beth gave us a postcard of a painting of one of the paths.

this one

Japanese iris at the east end of the garden

Iris ensata

east end of the garden

We had to leave although I could have happily wandered around some more.  We would have if there had been more tour guests than just us.

Allan’s photo: Beth and the shy corgi

on the way back down the road

As we returned to the van a couple of blocks away, we saw Ann’s foam green Fiat arriving, so we met up with Ann and Kate and chatted with them for awhile.  They headed off the the garden, and Allan ran up to the viewpoint to snag a couple of photos of Cannon Beach.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo, with escallonia in bloom

As we departed, we saw Kate and Ann walking toward Beth’s garden.

 

 

Later, Ann commented how much she liked the way that Beth had edited her woods arund the garden, and I realized we had not even gone into any woodsy paths, so I do hope she blogs about that.

going home again

The obligatory grocery stop at Costco:

I wonder if the Seattle Costcos  have crab pots.

ceanothus in the Costco parking lot

On the Astoria Megler bridge: Here is why one end of the bridge is so tall.

looking east from the bridge

in the work “tunnel”

As soon as we got out of the van at home, we were hit with the wind again!  At 5 o clock, I went to the shelter of the patio, thinking I might pull a few weeds.

view south from the patio

Paul’s Himalayan Musk rose, windblown…

Paul’s Himalayan Musk rose, windblown…

petals strewn across the lawn

Allan got on a ladder up there to install a holder for some blue bottles (too windy to put up the bottles yet) and was closely observed by a chickadee.

The chickadee has a nest around here somewhere.

chickadee atop the arbour

Three hours later, I had potted up my new papyrus, and two Juliet tomatoes (given to me by Ray Millner of The Planter Box) in the greenhouse, tidied up the greenhouse just a bit, planted a couple more ladies in waiting, and most miraculously, pulled out a bunch of errant raspberry, a task that had seemed almost impossible last week.

from June 4: “I must get the running raspberry OUT of here.”

today: I found the strength

Smokey kept me company; you can see the new papyrus to the right of the topiary bird.

What an excellent weekend.  Tomorrow, we are planning to take up the beach approach weeding job again…only if the horrid wind dies down.

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12 May: rainy day plants

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

We woke to unexpected rain and wind.  Much as I would have liked to stay home, reading The Stations of Solitude by Alice Koller (author of An Unknown Woman), a plant expedition called to us.  We are so busy with work that we rarely get to go plant shopping off the Peninsula.  In previous less busy years, we were able to go to Joy Creek and Cistus in early May each year.  A sudden thought:  Maybe that was partly because my old garden was more or less done and did not require the time, on days off, that my newer one does.

by the driveway: Eleagnus ‘Quicksilver’ bowed low by rain. (Thanks, Todd, for IDing this plant for me.)

At the post office, I saw through rain drops something ominous: new boards in the fence along which I had planted sweet peas.

through the passenger window: Unpainted new boards bode ill for my sweet peas.

While sitting in the van, I saw our client Diane approach.  She asked when we would be planting up the container down at the Peninsula Sanitation office.  I said we had not even done Long Beach yet, but soon.  Perhaps I should not tell people this, but I usually do grease the squeaky wheels ASAP so getting some plants for her business container became a priority at our next stop:

The Planter Box

Before heading south, we went north to The Planter Box to stock up on cosmos.  While we try to avoid such a waste of gas and driving time, we need, when possible, all the good weather waking time to plant rather than shop.

Allan’s photo: someone’s load of cow fiber ready to tractor away soon

baby chicks at the Planter Box

soft and yellow and fuzzy

a wide assortment of bird feeders

Well grown Cerinthe major purpurascens are hard to find in nurseries. I’d snap these up if I were you.

Allan’s photo: a load of cosmos

Allan’s photo: a van full

Before offloading the plants at home and leaving the Peninsula, we cleaned up old bulb foliage and added four new plants to the Peninsula Sanitation planter.

at Pen San: will add more plants next week

Going Overseas

Off we went, east through the town of Chinook.  When we pulled in toward Chinook Coffee drive through, a tree boggled my mind.

I did not get a long shot of it.

It took me a few minutes to remember that it is a buckeye AKA Aesculus.

Why doesn’t this glorious tree get planted more often around here?  I remember that I planted one up in our former garden at Discovery Heights.  I wonder if it is still there.

Chinook Coffee drive through window

and window box

Someone immediately took a big bite out of my mint chocolate brownie.

heading east out of Chinook

mist on the hills

to our right, the Columbia River rolls on.

Now for the scary bits.  We have to go through the Chinook tunnel.  My longtime friend and professional bus driver Carol dreads this tunnel, as she thinks it is too narrow after the time we were driving through it with a semi truck driver coming the other way and his mouth was open with an expression of sheer terror.

here it comes

AAAAAAAAAAAA!

whew, out the other side

When you emerge at the east end of the tunnel during a winter storm at high tide, wave spray crashes over this rock barrier onto your windshield.

Now, the always traumatizing (to people like me) 4.1 mile long Astoria-Megler bridge.

the long straight stretch on which people like to PASS.

going up; bridge work was off today because of the weather…

better a school bus than a huge logging truck

almost to the top

rollercoastering around the curve

whew!

Our first fun part of our excursion was to drive up and down Broadway in Seaside, 17 miles south, to look at Seaside city gardener Pam Fleming’s gardens.

As usual, I just took photos from my window, as we are always short on time to walk around.  I missed getting the tall lavender thalictrum.  Some photos are blurry; am including them here for my own record.

daisies and catmint

looking west on Broadway; note the shelter on the right

by the shelter with benches: a little tree, and hydrangeas

my kind of bridge, across the Necanicum River in downtown Seaside

one of Pam’s tinier gardens, with lambs ears

daylilies, and…I wonder what that tree is?

outside the Pagan Pancake

Let’s call this one impressionistic.

white against glaucous foliage

the turnaround at the west end of Broadway, with Lewis and Clark and a garden fully exposed to oceanside elements.

north side of the turnaround

south side, with the headland obscured by rainy mist

Our main destination for the day came next, a few miles south of Seaside:

SevenDees Seaside

I often still call this nursery Raintree, as it was when I first moved to the beach in 1992.  I miss Janice who used to work here; she was so helpful, friendly, and a plantswoman who always pointed me to something cool and new (like Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’!).

Enkianthus in a large pot by the entryway

entry display

Allan’s photo

an unusual colour of calibrachoa: Coralberry Punch.  Had to have a few.

also found it necessary to get this Salvia.

salvias and heucheras

Allan’s photo

The angel and I ponder a cool Euphorbia

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo: part of our haul

Allan’s photo: all ours

Allan’s photo: The van could have held lots more.  I’m still not used to that after years of shopping in a small car.

I found the outdoor sink arrangement by the sanican to be worthy of sharing.  It would be nice to have anywhere on a garden tour where a portable loo is provided.

the sanican (a large and luxurious model)

and next to it, the outdoor sink with a bowl of coloured glass pieces.

We had to do some necessary grocery shopping at both Costco and Fred Meyer; both stores have lighting that makes me long for escape and makes me wonder if I need to urgently see an optometrist, a feeling that lingers till I have been out in normal lighting for half an hour.  Only during plant buying season to I regularly go to these stores.  In the winter, Allan enjoys going alone as there is less kvetching that way.

my vision goes all blurry inside Costco

in one of the parking lots (Fred Meyer?), rain continues

now, the downhill bridge ride over the Columbia River

Just to the east of the dreaded Chinook Tunnel lies a peaceful lagoon surrounded with yellow Iris pseudocaris (considered an invasive weed).  Sometimes a heron fishes there.  No parking place exists to ever see it is more than a flashing drive by glimpse.

peaceful lagoon…whoosh, and it is gone

Ilwaco and home

Back in our town, I collected a couple of photos for the Music in the Gardens Tour page “Rhodie Driving Tour” album.

at Spruce and Maryann

at Lake and Elizabeth

flowers and fireplace smoke

safely back in our own driveway

My cool plant acquistions:

Euphorbia, Eucomis, Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’

Eucomis ‘Glow Sticks’

Geum ‘Banana Daiquiri’

some $2.00 ferns and a little bright conifer and Agastache ‘Golden Jubilee’ from Fred Meyer (I’d been wanting that Agastache).

more little ferns and a sedum

Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’

Now I just need a day at home to plant them, and other ladies in waiting:

the unusual primula given to me recently by Kathleen

and Panicum ‘North Wind’; fell in love with it last summer at Rhone Street Gardens

I had time to briefly assess some good and bad by the ladies in waiting area.

This asarum from Todd has survived the slug and snail attacks….

that appear to have completely decimated ‘Shell Shocked’.

I have hopes for my Tetrapanax getting as tall as my garden tuteur.

The view from my bedroom window shows that it will be awhile before I have a day at home to appreciate my own garden.

a patio full of plants for jobs

Because it was Tuesday night, we watched The Deadliest Catch and I pondered how wimpy I am to be so scared of a bridge and a tunnel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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14, 15, 19 March: there and back again—3 nurseries

Saturday, 14 March 2015

At last, Allan and I left for the long awaited trip to the Sylvia Beach Hotel.  Allan suggested these photos of crossing the four plus mile long Astoria Megler bridge in foul weather:

a long stretch with no escape from trouble

flock of gulls riding the air currents

up…

and around…

On the flatland again…with the scariest part over…we turn right and go south.

7 Dees garden center, Seaside

Past Seaside, we stop at 7 Dees.

I got myself a corydalis and a new-to-me pulmonaria.

and all of these Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’ at just $6 each.

On we go down the foggy coast road.

Monkey Business 101 Nursery

38005 Hwy 101 South
Cloverdale, Oregon 97112

Teresa from The Planter Box had suggested we stop at a nursery called Monkey Business.

a road to the left just after Cloverdale, Oregon

a sign that made me laugh

Allan’s photo

Monkey Business

The nursery specializes in monkey puzzle trees and has a lot of other cool plants.  The woman who is the plant nut was not there; she was off at some sort of dog event with the smarter dog.  We bought our plant selection from her spouse.

Allan’s photo

I got two of these spider azaleas, one for me, and one for Steve and John if they want one.

a rhododendron area stretching out behind the greenhouses

and to the side (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

I found this narrow leaved hosta interesting enough to buy one, despite slug fears.

more rhodos

healthy and pretty dianthus

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

one of the dogs (Allan’s photo)

the sign by the road

Sunday, 15 March 2015:  Allan’s drive home

Wheeler, Oregon

Allan only stayed one night and drove home on Sunday.

just south of the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport

Here are some photos he took in Wheeler, Oregon.  I had been intrigued by the look of the Wheeler Hotel.

an old photo of the Wheeler Hotel

as it is today (having lost one letter to a storm)

inside

a nearby bakery

I’m sure this was named before seeing the horror of tsunamis elsewhere.

 

driving through a windstorm, with the gale at his back. (Gusts up to 100 in Newport!)

He arrived home to lots of twiggy storm debris in front of our garage…blown over the house from the bogsy woods.

chairs and branches blown around in the back yard

It was quite a storm; the chairs rarely blow this far from the fire circle.  I rode it out in the swaying Sylvia Beach Hotel.

two storm flags at the Port of Ilwaco

Thursday, 19 March 2015

  So on the way home five days later, I had a different companion: Carol, who had driven down from Seattle to join me on Sunday evening.  On our drive home, I searched Trip Advisor for a lunch stop and I was fortunate to find a garden center with a café and with five star food review, located just south of Tillamook, Oregon.

Hidden Acres Greenhouse

display garden

 

a big gunnera emerging

outside the Café

door to the café

inside

A mahjong club was meeting.

many attractive displays

The café counter; the young man was the sandwich maker.

table service, and a menu

the view from our table

delicious food

after lunch: out to explore the nursery

That’s Highway 101 in the background; the nursery is just a bit down South Praire Road

I can tell this place will have a good selection of interesting plants.

Digiplexis, not easy to find around here! (I got just one because of the size of Carol’s car.)

a whole shelf of just-emerging Terra Nova plants

I definitely plan to be back to this nursery on a day trip later this year (and Monkey Business, too!)

Now, on the usual plethora of Sylvia Beach Hotel entries.  I will publish twice a day till I get caught up; those of you who are not as interested in SBH as I am could wait till gardening posts return perhaps three days hence.  WARNING: To avoid two lengthy posts a day going on and on and on and ON about the SBH, tune back in on March 27th for a boating excursion by Allan.

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13 September: cottage tour prequel and thoughts

Saturday, 13 September 2014

We spent a very few minutes before going “overseas” on a visit to the Ilwaco Saturday Market, as I still feel responsible for getting some weekly photos for Discover Ilwaco.  Allan went up on the port office balcony and happened to capture the moment when I encountered our good friend Kathleen.

We were both in blue.

a brief market stroll

I wanted some Swedish traveling cake from Pink Poppy Bakery; unfortunately, I happened upon the very few minutes that Madeline was away from her booth, and I was anxious to get on the way to Cannon Beach.

Howerton Way garden on the walk back to the van

While stopped on the Astoria bridge because of construction, we got to enjoy the view.

looking west

lots of little boats out fishing

tiny boats in the vast Columbia River

Part of my hurry to get going from the market had been that I wanted time to stop at 7 Dees garden center south of Seaside.

The plants need much water in this heat.

Very cool tree, Azara microphylla, for sale.

an unusual arbour

detail

This gorgeous brugmansia was tempting, but would have had to sit in a hot car all day and then been babied through the winter.

Allan’s photo: Ready to plant wall art with wood surrounds and screened.

Lots of chrysanthemum blooms just coming on

The plant for which I was on a mission was plain, simple, rustic Rudbeckia (black eyed Susan).  I only had ten minutes to shop and keep on schedule and I did not see any…except in the display garden.

On we went to Cannon Beach.

heading south…84 and rising!

When we got to the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum, we had about half an hour to wait before tour maps would be available.  It was better to be there early; we had left early as one never knows how long one might have to wait for construction on the Astoria Megler bridge.

Cannon Beach History Center and Museum, photo from Cannon Beach Visitors Center.

Filled with eager anticipation, as I look forward to the cottage tour all summer, w e walked half a block to look at one of the cottages that would be on the tour later.  (Actually, just the garden on this one was open.)

a vacation rental with pretty garden

I saw that the same sign of rules was up as last year.

I find it just shocking that anyone would open cabinets or drawers inside a tour home.  What a shame.  Or smoke…or use the restroom…or pick, remove, or alter flowers!  Goodness gracious.  Human nature astonishes me sometimes.  Adults should behave themselves better.

I must address the no photography rule so that readers will know we are not scofflaws.  Before the tour, I messaged with the executive director museum about whether or not it would be ok to ask to take photos and she said she did not think anyone would mind.  We asked at each place, at least at the ones where we wanted to take photos of darling cottage details.  Because most of the historic cottages this time were vacation rentals, there are already photos of their interiors on the Cannon Beach Vacation Rental website, and two of them were for sale with lots of interior photos up on real estate sites.

I had a good conversation about it with the docent for the amazing home overlooking Haystack Rock, whose owner was there and was completely open to people taking photos.  The ever so pleasant and jolly docent said he did not think any owners minded photos being taken.  I said that some must, or the rule would not be in place.  We agreed that a great solution would be to have a sign on the doors of houses where the owners do object, saying “No photography in this home, please.”  It would save the embarrassment of someone like me with social anxiety having to ask…and it would be nice for the other guests, as well.  I saw many people with fancy cameras around their necks who may not have known that they could ask, and  one woman mournfully said to me upon hearing me being given permission, “My husband would have come if he had known he could take photos at some of the houses.”

The charming docent who said he thought none of the owners minded and who liked my individual sign idea said he would talk to the director; I said “Oh, dear, she will know it is that obnoxious woman from Ilwaco again” and he laughed and said he would be sure to say that it was the idea of the obnoxious woman from Ilwaco.   The tour certainly does not need to accommodate my wishes to succeed, as it is a sellout every year.  Allan kindly pointed out that they would not miss me if I stopped going.

I love to be able to share photos of cottage details with blog readers (all three of them) back east, in the UK, and in Australia. The light coming in through a beach view window and falling upon a vase of flowers, a basket of shells, a set of books about beach life.  These details do not reveal anything that could be used in a damaging way, even if I exert my direst imagination to try to figure out how that could happen.

I googled around about home tours and found that the no photography rule is common for home tours in the cities.  I wonder how tour goers feel about that?  I assume folks go on such tours to gather ideas for their own homes.  How can they remember the look of a certain kitchen cupboard or woodwork trim without a photo?  And yet I can understand why big fancy houses (which I would not want to tour anyway, and that’s not just sour grapes) would want to protect their STUFF.  Little cottages usually don’t have big fancy stuff and the sorts of things that I love and want to remember are seashells hanging in a window, a vase of flowers on a table, old dishes on a worn pantry shelf.

Here are some examples of treasured memories from past tours (memories only because of the photos):

old fashioned fireplace surround

window

rustic headboard

Oh how I wish I could get a special press pass that allows me to take just details like the above!

If there were a “cottaged-up double wide home tour”, would I let people take photos inside?  Why yes, I most certainly would.

So we asked at each cottage, and were given permission for the photos that follow.  We only wanted photos at the old and/or quirky cottages.  Ironically, at one house Allan was allowed to take photos but when I went back later (and the docent shift had perhaps changed), I was told no photos, possibly by a different docent who did not know that the rule was optional.  I am still pondering about that one, as not only has it been featured on HGTV but it has 20 interior shots online at a realtor’s site.  Oh, well!

Enjoy!

 

 

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1 Nov: work and Back Alley

Friday, 1 November 2013

We had made a plan to go shopping “overseas” (NW Oregon) but had to squeeze some work in first.  (My Facebook friends know that I am trying to avoid using the word “but” too often in the blog, but here, oh, and THERE, I will allow it!)

I had noticed on Halloween evening as we toured the town’s decorations that Cheri’s garden definitely needed some fall clean up.  The dead brown stalks of Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ might have looked spooky for the big Ilwaco holiday.  Now it is over, so today down they came.

Cheri’s, before

One of the cats (Jake, I think) was out in the new cat enclosure.

Pet me! Rub my head now! More please!

KITTY corner across the street, I checked on Mike’s garden as well.

pale pink Schizostylis and Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’…

…and Pulmonaria and Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’ in Mike’s garden

Then, at the Port, we weeded the Time Enough Books garden.  The next day a big event would take place.

Soup Night book signing tomorrow!

I took some photos in order to help promote the event on Facebook.

books and bowls

Local potter Karen Brownlee, she who organizes the wonderful Empty Bowls charity event here on the Long Beach Peninsula, had created some bowls especially for Soup Night.

I particularly looked forward to the event because the author, Maggie Stuckey, had co-written the excellent kitchen garden book, The Bountiful Container, and because Maggie is friends with Peninsula garden tour organizer Nancy Allen.

I then checked on the wee garden on the south side of the Port Office.

after a bit of deadheading and weeding

The marina’s mirror like reflection belied the storm warning evidenced by two triangle flags.

looking west….so peaceful….

looking east…placid and still

and yet!!

The gale warning gave me something to worry about.  What if the power went out when the storm came during the night or the next morning?  How would we have delicious soup at the book signing?

Even though the weather continued into the afternoon warm and wind free, we went across the river.  I felt bad about it as we should have been working.  And yet Bulb Time fast approaches and I wanted to check out the fall plants available at Back Alley Gardens.  Crossing the river in the wind (on a bridge, not a boat) scares me.  And the cats would be quite agitated if we did not replenish their canned food treats at Costco….so off we drove.

Back Alley Gardens in Gearhart

It is pleasant to browse a nursery on a beautiful day.  We usually take trips there only on rainy days.  For the longest time I felt that the nearby town of Warrenton had a bleak and miserable appearance until I realized one summer garden touring day that I had ONLY seen it on rainy day Costco shopping trips.

As always, Back Alley had a collection of wonderful, irresistible plants from Xera.  Theirs is the only nursery locally to offer them.  I made another purchase to add to my collection of plants I have no idea where I am going to put…

They are must haves….

One of the most interesting finds was a hardy water plant, to the left, above.    Xera says:  “Cyperus sp. ‘Zero’:  A large growing perennial for moist locations including water containers and the margins of ponds.  To 4′ tall and upright, outer stems bend outward in time.  Excellent textural plant throught the summer months.  Stiffly rising green stems have the look of bamboo topped with umbrella shaped leaflets.  Deciduous in winter (freezes back to the ground, returns in spring).”  I have one from the Planter Box that did come back once.  This one might be a more unusual cultivar!  Over the winter we intend to install an embarrassingly generic black plastic pond that we got for free (and we do appreciate it!), so we had better have something cool to make it special.

Another plant new (to me) was Escallonia ‘Lou Allen’.  I adore Escallonias even though many of my friends consider them passé.  Escallonia ‘Lou Allen’ is described by Xera as a “FANTASTIC compact form of Escallonia that grows relatively slowly to only 2′ tall and 3′ wide. Great low hedge or small scale groundcover.  Very formal looking. Medium pink flowers appear in early summer and sporadically throughout the year.Tough low maintenance shrub that is drought tolerant when established. Evergreen. Full sun to very light shade in average soil. No pruning necessary- it just grows like this. Cool.”  I have NO idea where I need three compact Escallonia (other than sitting in pots waiting to be planted somewhere).  They are here now!

on the deck at Back Alley

inside the shop, “The Natural Nook”

All summer long, we could count on being stopped near the highest spot of the Astoria Megler bridge because of work going on.  Now that storm season is here the work has ceased, so I cannot show you a good photo of a marvelous sight we saw going home.  All I can offer is a hint taken from a fast moving van.

looking east, at 45 mph

The Columbia River by Astoria, Oregon, was so calm and clear the the lights of cargo ships reflected in the water, while low tide revealed the sand bars.

I have rarely seen such still water in the river.  It was hard to believe a storm was coming. Tomorrow, storm or calm, would be a day off for us because we had three artful events to attend.

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