PNW Farm Tour: Lavender & the Hood River region of Oregon

On our last 'walk' way back here we traveled to the Columbia River Gorge---an area renowned for its incredible beauty. In this post we'll continue that 'walk'--this time in the Hood River area, located on the river between Portland and The Dalles.

Since I am SO into lavender this summer (having visited 3 farms thus far) we'll start there--at a lavender farm that is.

Now to do this walk well you'll need to use your imagination a little. I want you to imagine yourself in this field with me. We're surrounded by several kinds of fragrant lavender; all set within sight of two beautiful snow capped mountains under a warm summer sun.

The flower stalks are swaying in the breeze, on this nice day, and you aren't rushed for time. You don't need to run and get groceries, gather dirty laundry or wash the dishes piled in the sink. No phone is ringing, no TV is on and you have plenty of time to stop and gather lavender bouquets to bring home and dry for later use

(and if it is culinary lavender you can even use it for cooking or making lavender sugar).

You can take a moment (or maybe more then a moment) to relax in the picturesque gazebo and savor the sweet atmosphere of this idyllic setting

or sit in the Adirondack chairs and bask in the sunshine.

It truly is a place where the views are beautiful and the setting peaceful.

As I've already said, you can see two mountains from the lavender fields. The first as you look towards the field's end is Mt Hood, located not too far from Hood River, and this one, located to the north, is Mt Adams. You can see it, peeking above the green trees, as you walk towards the gift shop/farmer store. Mt Adams is located in Washington right across the river.

Isn't it beautiful? I SO love snow capped mountains, don't you?

After you've gathered armfuls of fragrant bouquets, taken your fill of beautiful photos and made memories of this incredible place---there's still two more to make here!

The first is in the farm store!

Since I LOVE farm stores we just have to stop and shop there for a bit. Besides it's great when you can actually talk to the owners of the stores where you visit--hate to say it but today's supermarkets, although well stocked with products from A to Z, are just too impersonal for me. I use them but not with the delight I feel when shopping at a farm store :)

Well I found what I came for--besides the views and lavender that is. Lavender flavored honey and lavender-raspberry jam for winter toast, and maybe an aebleskiver or two! And as long as I'm here, I have to pick up a few of the trial sized lavender toiletries--nice for guests and me!

But there is just one more thing I HAVE to do before we can leave---Yep, I just have to peer inside the Lavender Loo! After all, not everyone can visit a Loo that is this pretty...

and lavender.

Time to leave now as there are many more places to explore in this area. Since we're a bit short of time, we won't get to drive the Fruit Loop or visit the numerous farms there, but maybe-hopefully when you're in the area again we can do that!

This area has a large agricultural presence and in some ways reminds me of the farm areas of north-central Washington and British Columbia that are located along the Columbia River there. I think this area gets more rainfall though. Another thing to keep in mind for any future visits is that, depending on the season, there seems to be many festivals and celebrations here--events that honor the fruit blossoms, lavender, hops, heirloom apples, pears and more!

But now it's time for us to move on to our next stop. All that talk about fruit and strolling through the lavender fields has made me very, very hungry and there are some nice places to eat here, some with great views of their own!

Nope, we are not eating at a pear orchard--although the restaurant we're eating at is known for its yummy pear dumplings! It also has great Caesar salads too (and Aimee has loved her Caesar salads since she was much, much younger then she is now). We will be eating at the Riverside Grill where we can get both AND a good view of the river!

While we are there enjoying our food we might get to see a windsurfer; after all the Gorge is THE spot to windsurf! But don't expect this grandmother of 5 to engage in that very popular pursuit; NO way will I EVER go there with you--no matter how much I like you, BUT I will be most glad to show you my support by staying right here while you do your thing. OK?

And I will even try to get a picture of you doing your thing--in between bites of pear dumpling that is! Yum, munch, munch, yum!

After a relaxing lunch we can do a bit more sightseeing if you'd like. We can drive the road again that took us to the Lavender farm. Wow! Look at that view of Mt Hood; one just never gets tired of seeing that mountain!

I wonder what my pioneer forefathers and mothers thought as they viewed her for the first time when they came through here in the 1850's. What a change from the drier areas of the eastern part of Gorge they had just traveled through. Both have their own beauty though, as does all God has made.

And here is part of the Hood River Valley.

Love it here; always have.

Wish we had more time. If we did we could run up to Panoramic Point, located not too far from here where there is a gorgeous view of the valley and more! And travel the rightfully famous (and often photographed) Hood River Fruit Loop drive mentioned above.

But we'll just have to do that at another time, won't we?

Until later...

Blessings, Aimee

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Photos: 1-4: Lavender Valley; 5,7, 8: Locations near Lavender Valley; 6: Riverside Grill deck

Links of Possible Interest to the Hood River Visitor:

Lavender Valley

Riverside Grill

Hood River Visitor Info

Hood River Fruit Loop

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Note: Let me make a little disclaimer note here. Though the businesses (farms, shops, eating establishments, etc) I feature here on my blog have all kindly given me permission to do so, they may or may not agree with the writings and opinions found on this blog. I didn't ask them so I don't know. Also, I have not been paid to feature them here or are, in any way associated with these businesses, but because I TRULY think they're wonderful places to visit and felt, from my own time there, that others might enjoy doing the same, I am featuring them here.

Dala World (Scandinavian Festival)

Happy September 5th; it's time for a trip again!

Living in the PNW you'll likely go to one of its many festivals at least once in your life there; festivals that celebrate the region's agriculture, pioneer or Native American history, cultural heritage and more. I've been to some of them myself-a Pow Wow, Mai-Fest, Oktoberfest and various Scandinavian Festivals.
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In the latter category, there are Scandinavian festivals that take place in both Washington and Oregon: the Midsummer Fest that used to be held at Scandia Gaard in Gig Harbor (loved that place. Sigh, it closed down permanently a long time ago), Viking Fest in Poulsbo (great little town with a beautiful harbor), Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Astoria (in a beautiful hillside location in the hometown of the 'Goonies')...and the list goes on and on.
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This summer the weather cooperated and we went the Scandinavian Festival in the central Willamette Valley of Oregon-it was great fun!
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Here (and at other Nordic festivals) you'll find folk dancing by costumed performers from children to adults. I think folk dancing is great; since I seem to be very uncoordinated when it comes folk dancing, I just enjoy watching it.

You may also find music being performed by talented musicians and
folk tales being read out loud to children...

and adults that like listening to them too!
And at festivals, sometimes, these 'folk tales' may come alive and you may find a troll

(or maybe even a group of trolls)!

'Scary' but also very, very cute:)
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At Scandinavian festivals you'll find, and likely devour, some Nordic food like lefse---a Norwegian flatbread. I like mine with butter, cinnamon and sugar please:) Even though I get more then one to go as we're leaving, mine never makes it far down the road!

And the yummy, round, Danish donut-like treat known as Aebleskivers. People wait in long lines here to get some; you can take my word on that! I like mine with raspberry or lingonberry jam and can make them at home-from a mix or scratch using a special aebleskiver pan (you can make lefse too but I haven't tried it yet. Maybe this year; I'll try Goro or krumkake too)
Frikadeller---a yummy Danish meatball. Always a stop for me but easy to make at home. They remind me of Swedish meatballs. Speaking of Swedish meatballs, I also like Ikea's frozen ones when I am lucky enough to be in their big yellow and blue store (or can beg someone who's going to get some for me)

Some 'pretend' play areas for children and adults too.

This one here and another with a little Viking ship.

And you can find craft demonstrations, mini-language classes and lots of booths with folk arts, imports and more----my favorites being ones for rosemaling and wheat weaving. These are the decorated food jars I bought from the rosemaler at the festival, to add to my ever-growing collection of rosemaling at home.

This folk artist had many beautiful works of art there at the festival (you can check out the link below for more examples of rosemaling). A big TY to her for permission to post this photo of her beautiful art here :)

An old Finnish locomotive and some historical museums.

Love this locomotive--love trains!

A lot of flowers everywhere you look, even in people's hair.

At most festivals I purchase a dried flower headband and then bring it home where I hang it up; it reminds me all year of the colors and flowers of summer, the festival and the fun I had while serving as a simple decoration for my house.

Blessings,

Aimee

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Top photo:

Dala Horse at Festival -- I LOVE this horse!

Other photos described above,

Links of Interest:

Rosemaling

Dala Horses (info about. links)

Lefse (info about, links)

Aebleskivers (info about)

Krumkake (info about)

Goro (photo of this beautiful cardamom cookie/cracker, recipe)

Note:

Photos taken at the Junction City, Oregon Scandinavian Festival.

Click on any photo if you would like a better view of them :)

Had a bit of a problem uploading earlier.

In Loving Memory:

This post dedicated in loving memory of my noble Norwegian friend and my Swedish extended family member and his wife who gave shelter to my ancestor during his storm of life.

Of Sissel, Pita Bread & Blackberries

Happy September 3rd!

So what does Sissel, pita bread and blackberries have in common?
Well for most people absolutely nothing, but for me they (and more) were all part of this third day in September!

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We began our day shopping for Nordic goodies like Cardamom bread (double yummy!) and I was happy to find the CD I had been wanting to buy--Sissel’s 'My Heart'. If you've never heard this Norwegian singer--you should! She has an incredible soprano voice and this CD has some songs I've liked for a long. long time!

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After our nice sojourn in the land of the Vikings (or at least a little taste of it) we moved on to the Middle East--land of pita bread and other delicacies. I didn’t (moan, moan) find my favorite -- long time, no taste--baklava though; considering I'm still losing weight and I LOVE this calorie-laden goodies, this is probably a good thing...maybe even a blessing in disguise:)

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And how did we end such a perfect PNW day? Well we ended up at a farm where the owners were kind enough to let us come after hours and pick up some bounty to take home! Bounty being something much better then gold---NW Elberta peaches (yea, there is not going to be any left to freeze if I have my way. Munch, munch!), fresh off the vine Early Girl tomatoes, cucumbers (literally picked by the farmer just for us), green peppers, sweet corn…..oh can hardly wait to begin tomorrow’s munch-festJ

Sweet corn. Yum! Love this stuff!

Assorted red and green farm goodies proving that good things that come in red and green aren't just limited to Christmas!

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Thinking of a warm peach-blackberry cobbler and the Dala Horse cookies I'll make this autumn; and the Caprese salad and sweet buttered corn on the cob I’ll be munching on tomorrow (along with some more Nordic and Middle Eastern goodies).

And now I'm off (before it is midnight) to freeze the blackberries I brought home...

I'm glad that they are so easy to preserve:) Oh sorry about the pictures--it's late evening here and the lighting in my Dining Room leaves much to be desired!

Blessings,

Aimee

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Links for freezing blackberries:

http://www.pickyourown.org/freezingblueberries.htm

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/blackberry.html

And some recipes for blackberry desserts and vinegar:

http://www.homestead-farm.net/RecipeBlackberry.html

On the Freezing of a Peach

Happy September 2!

The other day I was on a mission to get some peaches before the harvest season ended for them. Although I really prefer the more 'tart' taste of apricots, who can resist the idea of peach cobblers and peach pies? So I had to get at least some, right?
Once I had made up my mind to get some peaches and preserve them, the hunt was on to find just how others have approached the whole peach freezing thing besides the normal, traditional way. After all some changes are good and I do like to think 'outside the box' when it comes to streamlining processes.
Could there be another method that was easier and more efficient? Was there a method that was cooler???After a bit of cyber searching, I found my answer--there were at least two other ways to preserve my 'catch'--a 10 pound box of the golden, juicy beauties-besides the traditional one. Yea Internet!!
First let's recap the traditional way because we know it works...or at least 'they' say it does:)
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Method 1-Traditional:
In this method one sorts, rinses and peels the peaches (the latter accomplished by using a boiling water dip followed by an ice water plunge to loosen the skin, or just peeling with a knife). Once the peach is peeled it needs to be pitted, have the bruised areas removed and then sliced or halved. Finally you GENTLY toss the peaches with ascorbic acid and sugar; place all into freezer containers, leaving headspace, and freeze.
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Links for this method: For more complete directions
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/peach.html and http://www.pickyourown.org/peachesfreezing.htm
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My Comments: As the temperature and humidity level were already maxing out my ‘delicate’ PNW constitution, I decided to skip the boiling water/ice water dips and opted for the knife method finding it no big deal to pull and peel the skin of the peaches off. Now since this is my FIRST experience with peaches (yea I am a peach newbie), it might just be that the type of peaches I used are easier to peel -- but it worked OK for me (OK being defined as no cuts on me or great frustration in dealing with peeling the skin off) .

I did play around a bit with the directions I found on the Net, following the manufacturer’s recommendations for the amount of ascorbic acid to use and adding it first-dry, not mixed with water-finding that the peaches produced more then enough liquidy goodness to mix this powder in well. Also, I opted for the dry sugar option rather then the syrup one as I was intending on using the peaches in recipes that would not need a lot of extra liquid.

Method 2-A Little Bit of the Novel:
Sort and place whole fruit in the freezer. Yep that’s it. OK not really…there’s a more to this method. First you place the peaches in the freezer for about 1 ½ hours to 2 hours, then remove and thaw them slightly and voila--the semi-frozen fruit should peel off fairly easy. After that you just follow the instructions in method 1--you know: pit the fruit, etc!
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Link for this method: For more complete directions
http://www.soonsorchards.com/visit/Ideasforpeaches.html
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Comments: I really liked this method! It seemed to make peeling the skin off easier---more came off in bigger pieces. I just held the semi frozen peaches under cold running water for a few seconds and then started peeling. I did have to use my knife still in a few places, but I might not have thawed it enough. I did try--when I ran into a little trouble, to microwave them for about 12 seconds and then it went easier. Also, the fruit, being a little firmer and delightfully chilly, was much more fun to slice and looked --- cool!! I would definitely use this method again, especially on a warm September day.

Method 3-Novel & Yet Somehow Familiar:
Sort and place in freezer; some say rinse before doing this and others don’t. OK now stick in a freezer container. Yep, that’s it. Well not quite---at eating time remove fruit, thaw slightly (to make the peel come off easier), slice and enjoy! According to those who have tried it, this method results in close to fresh taste…. Now the question of the day is: do you know why this sounds somewhat familiar?
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Links for this method: For more complete directions
http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/t/655087.aspx
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Relish/Freezing-Peaches.aspx
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Comments: I decided to try ONE peach this way…because I am OK with change and with a novel one at that, but my freezer is just too full for a lot of these baseball sized, peachy looking frozen objects. I rinsed the one before freezing; have a thing about pesticides and such, and apparently didn’t dry it off enough before freezing! If you don’t want to become adept at using a crowbar (JK) to remove frozen fruit from your pan, DRY thoroughly please! I am awaiting the final results on how well this method works: I am thinking on a chilly autumn morning with just hint of fog on the mountain…when hot cereal and fruit of the summer sounds really good! So I will let you know!
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Summary: I might try and add some spice to the peaches but want to research that first. Also, if you must preserve peaches on a warm, summer day be prepared for the ‘siren call’ of this wonderful, juicy fruit….all those bruised areas (and some of the perfect ones) did NOT make it to the garbage!! YUM!
Disclaimer: as I have said, I am the newbie here. Hence the links for information. If you do try any of the methods or have one of your own feel free to leave a comment. Most of all--be safe, work smartly and HAVE fun! Think of how glad you'll be come winter to enjoy the taste of summer's peaches then!

Yum! Juicy, sweet, summery peaches...

freezer fresh and ready for those autumn and winter desserts (and more)!!

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And now -- time to draw up plans for tomorrow's catch (or catches) and maybe just get the sleep I really, really need....yawn.
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Blessings,
Aimee
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Photos:
Some of the peaches ready to be processed in the traditional manner
A peach after being placed in the freezer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours
A totally frozen whole peach---experiment in process. More to be revealed later:)
Peaches in ascorbic acid and raw sugar mixture (yes, I do have a THING about raw sugar)-and honey too! Orange blossom honey:)
Rinsed, peeled, pitted, sliced, tossed in ascorbic acid and sugar peaches relaxing in a freezer bag before making the trip to a cooler place,

Welcome September:)

For the last several weeks I've been looking forward, with great eagerness, for this day to come. And why, you ask?
Well the answer is easy, for today marks the beginning of my favorite month of the year and the start of 'autumn' in the PNW!! (yea I know it isn't officially autumn yet, but believe me it IS the beginning of early autumn here with cooler nights, mostly nice days and even--possibly--an occasional day or so with showers! Maybe.
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So how to best spend the first day of my most favorite month? Again an easy answer! Take a trip to farms & farm stores what else? And so my best friend, "Little Friend" and Little Friend's sibling and I took off...
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At the first farm, I ate my first apple of September 2009, picked just seconds before ....SO good (really good obviously since there's no photo! Munch, munch!) But here is a photo of the apples my best friend picked while we were there.

Have I said how GREAT that apple was? How perfect it was? Oh yea, I guess I did:) And looking at these right now makes me think of how good they would be in a cobbler, pie or just baked with some spice and a bit of caramel maybe.

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-Besides the wonderful apples, I also saw some great green plums, a couple of BIG beautiful sunflowers, purple cabbage, BIG tomatoes and more! Plus I (and my friends) had a great time visiting with the family who lives there! I LOVE farm families!

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Then we were off to our next mission--peaches. Because pretty soon peaches will be gone for another year and I had to get some. We actually went to a couple places to look at peaches and yes, I got a box to bring home (and some other goodies too). I intend to conduct a couple experiments with them:) Really!

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-Apples, plums, peaches, berries, corn on the cob, sunflowers, cooler nights, farm stores and farms. Some of my most favorite things about early autumn and September in the Pacific Northwest!

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How did you spend your first day of September?

Hope it was a good one for you!

Blessings, Aimee

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-"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..." Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV

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-"Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His: and He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him. I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O thou God of my fathers" Daniel 2:20b-23a KJV

Coming Attractions---hopefully soon:) AKA Aimee's 'To Do' List

I decided to move my cyber 'things to do'/coming attraction list to the side where I can change it on an on-going basis more easily. But...I had to leave this photo up because

1) It is from one of my favorite places

2) I think these birds are SO cute:)

Photo: Port Townsend, WA view

A Walk in His Gardens--Northern CA

Keeping another promise (happily)!

Well ... as you can see I am trying hard to be a good girl; all the while I'm being a 'bad' girl by being on the Internet still (and my garden is now a LOT warmer then it was when I started this morning plus the Farmer Boy wants meatloaf tonight). Sigh.

But first things first...
These beautiful photos are from my like-minded kinfolk, who unlike me, their usually cliff avoiding relative, don't mind the 'high places' at all! In fact, having seen some of their really scary hiking photos --- I am sure they're both part mountain goat!

One note here---because it has been awhile since I recieved these, I've forgotten exactly where they were taken. I do believe that they were in northern CA in the mountains there just over the Oregon border (and if I am wrong you'll correct me, right?). A BIG TY for M. Blessings for permission to post these beautiful photos here:)

Aren't the wildflowers beautiful?

Isn't the view gorgeous?

And...

Yea, I know...

mountains and summer just make for an amazing combination!

Other favorite mountain spots for summer wildflowers: Paradise, Mt Rainier; Snowbird, Utah and Red Butte Garden, Salt Lake City area.

Photos: this post
© 2009 A. & M. Blessings

(and another BIG TY for all the beautiful photos you've sent me to share M!)

A Note for Baby Love (and Her Family)

Dear Baby Granddaughter,

You know Grandma & Grandpa...

we just DON'T like it when you're not feeling well.

Not at all!

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Now we understand how it works---for we've walked the Baby Road before with our own children. And we know that on that journey, babies and children get fevers, earaches, runny noses, 'stomach flu' and more.....

BUT we still don't like it

and,

honestly, never have!

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So how about an early Grandparent's Day gift?

It's all we'll ask for

and it's all we really want anyway...

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Stay well Baby Granddaughter

(and that goes for your big sibling, mom & dad too!)

OK?

Blessings & Love Always,

Grandma Aimee & Grandpa Farmer Boy

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"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee,

and be gracious unto thee..."

Numbers 6:24,25 KJV

Confessions of Aimee (and A Walk in His Gardens)

I'm being bad. Not about my diet; that's going well and this AM it looked like things are progressing nicely:) No---I am being bad, because instead of being outside working in the gardens, I am on the time-sucking, hours robbing, addictive Internet.
I do, however have good intentions, and one of them is to get caught up with some promised posts so here goes (at least for awhile till I HAVE to answer my garden's call)...

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Earlier this summer--
I should have stayed with family; after all that is an expectation when kin gets together (besides being one of the joys of such occasions). But I couldn't--at least not yet. I could hear them in the distance though, chatting and enjoying each others company. But still something about the gardens, here at my in-law's home, and memories made there called me away and so I walked--alone--and remembered other times.

Now, as I look at these photos today, I still remember. How could one ever forget? For they, who are gone from us now, have left their touch on the gardens of the land their shoes once walked upon, and most importantly in the memories of those they loved and who loved them.

So, this 'Walk' post is dedicated to their memory and the family they loved.

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"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."
Matthew 5:4 KJV
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Blessings to my family,
Aimee
-P-
Photos:
Waterlily.
Flower of the field
and those of the garden.
Birdhouse.
Rooster checking Aimee out.

A Summer Day's Thoughts

Wow! I just opened up a bill and am a bit (actually a lot) overwhelmed at the amount due! It isn't that we don't have the resources to pay for it; we do. But it's the highest one we've ever received and it makes me wonder if we have more problems with this house then we are aware of (and we're aware of a lot), or if it just a case of not using resources wisely (poor conservation), or the abnormal PNW weather (or a combination of some or all of the above). Well the nice thing about it is if it is a matter of weather, we're now on our way to autumn which means cooler weather and a little rain.
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Speaking of the house, still so unsure what to do...I've prayed about it; family and friends have prayed about it. Still don't know which path to take--remodel and repair, remove and replace or do nothing - yet. Sometimes I wonder if I am a bit like the man who prayed to be saved from a flood and God sent several people to rescue him (but he didn't recognize them as answers to prayer and kept waiting for a miracle till he died in the flood)...at times I wonder if the solution is simpler then I am making it out to be (God has already provided the answer) and if it is a sense of fear in the future that is stopping me; of course at other times I wonder if God does indeed want us to wait because he knows there will be a better solution coming if we do. Much to ponder...

The weather continues to be beautiful, with the smallest but most definite hints of autumn,, and I am constantly filled with a sense of wonder at the smallest things around me...God is good! Never before have I been this much in tune with the world He created and I find it nourishing to my heart, body and mind. Creation certainly does point to the Creator who makes all things beautiful!
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It must be time to go--a song just came on and I find myself singing along with this prayer with tears falling down my cheeks as I do so. I'm so thankful that God is patient and loving with His children! I have so much to learn...
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Blessings this summer day from Aimee's Place to yours,

Aimee

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways..…Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:5-8, 17 KJV

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Photos:

What else? Yep, crocosmia -- again:)

Lichen amidst the stone of a dry creek creek/fall

Waterdrops on spiderweb

--

The Song Prayer (I was listening to)

'Stone by Stone', Michael John Poirier

A Walk in His Gardens: More at Aimee's Place

My weight loss journey is headed in the right direction--down (each week's progress will be on the right side under This Week at Aimee's Place...). I have been careful to watch the amount of calories I am eating but still need to be more consistent on the exercise part). So...how about another walk at my place since I had to be down today nursing a very sore foot? In a weird way I am hoping that doing a cyber walk will almost (NOT) make up for a real one!

Oh well, let's get started anyhow. We'll start in the Woodland-Bird Garden -- because we recently made some changes there.



This is a New Guinea Impatiens (wrong! a begonia). I find this color irresistible! It is just SO perfect a pink and looks so delicate, so pretty, so pink!
 

Reflections in the bird bath.

AND I'm happy to report we've been honored with visits from the feathered ones here!
 

 

A new addition to our gardens is this Dicentra, Bleeding Heart. This one is 'Spring Magic'. The sun rays hit the blossoms just right and made it look rather magical, don't you think?

Although they are not pictured, we added some PNW natives here in this garden bed: more salal, kinnikkinnik, an evergreen huckleberry (love them!) and winterberries. I would like to use a lot of native plants here.
 

Near the ponds I caught (on film that is) these beautiful leaf shadows on the rocks there. They remind me of plant fossils, which of course reminds me that soon---not too long from now--the mountain roads of Colorado and Utah will be transformed into a photographer's delight of gold and red. Sigh! I love, love, love Aspen in the autumn!
 

And our own version of autumn is starting here with the laceleaf Japanese maples -- a little at a time.
 

Pieris in sunlight. This amazing plant does something each season!
 
 

Another photo of crocosmia and cosmos. Hopefully you won't tire too much of seeing them before the season ends:)
 

 

And what does every cosmos have? Well a mascot bee of course. And yes, I was RIGHT there---I have lost my fear of bees for the most part (and that was after years of getting stung every summer. Of course there are bees, and then there are yellow jackets; since the yellow jackets were my annual summer nightmare as a child, I still don't like them too much!)
 

I include here the lowly dandelion (seed) -- now I know these little guys are pests which I too mow down. But after a long winter, the bright cheery yellow of these 'weeds' in flower is welcome, albeit for a short time:)

I think they are rather pretty though, don't you?
 

My best friend was helping me transplant two of our less tamed herbs and when she picked it up, it reminded me of a bouquet---a bouquet of orange mint! Yum:)
 

I must include the native blackberry here. Although a much hated weed of the PNW, it does--like the dandelion--have its benefits. However, I must confess, these beauties weren't from our gardens. Nope! Here those little stubborn, thorny vines are ripped out before they can produce a single blackberry. Although today I did-for a moment or two-consider trying to tame one of these vines in a raised bed to get some berries.

But thankfully this moment of insanity passed quickly...

BTW-it was almost painful to post this photo here.

Anyone have an idea why that would be?



And last, but not least, is a recent visitor to our raspberry here. In fact, she was right there as I was picking and munching down on a few of the golden, juicy ones.

That stopped when I saw her...praying mantises and bare fingers didn't seem like too good of a match!

And now...since it is about 1:30 AM, I bid you goodnight/morning!

Blessings, Aimee

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"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Numbers 6:24 KJV