Saturday, August 6, 2011

Amazing day...

I had been thinking for days about things that absolutely needed to be done today: pick the peas, pick the last of the raspberries, pick the blueberries, pick the zucchini (well, you get the picture). So this morning when I couldn't go back to sleep, I just got up. I went outside and it was glorious. The neighborhood was so still and the morning was cool, but not cold. It was really nice just being out there. It wasn't long before dear hubby came to join me and we made pretty quick work of the picking and a little weeding. Well, two hours worth. But we also watched the furballs having a ball running all over their yard. Smoke and Tigger did a little tree climbing, but we only got pictures of Tigger in the tree (don't worry, they are small trees, no kitty was harmed in the making of this blog post). Eventually they all tired and found their own places to rest for a bit. Chewie picked the top the rail on the deck.Smoke found his favorite hiding, ready to pounce "resting" place in the flowers under the deck:Cha-Ching was in his "no hoomans can get me here" and don't you dare get too close or I'll run resting place. I swear that cat is the most beautiful apple faced seal point but he is the least photogenic cat I've ever seen with Tigger running a close second. Eventually even ADHD kitty, err Tigger, decided it was time to rest too and found a comfy(?) place in the barkdust.While watching the furballs cavort, I finished picking the blueberries and said for about the 100th time that I was going to pull out the one blueberry bush that I don't think has grown an inch in five years and looks half-dead. Of course, I say this every year so I mentioned to dear hubby that I wanted to go get a new bush. He said we'd have to wait until next year when the stores will have them again, but I protested that Al's would have one and since we were planning a drive a little while later over to Silver Creek Falls, why not head that way afterward? He didn't seem to keen on the idea. Maybe it's that I also mentioned wanting to pull out "the beast" in the front yard and the peach tree that didn't have so much as a single peach this year...

Any how... a quick shower later, we piled into the truck and took off to tour the campground at Silver Creek Falls. It seems that we always camp at the same places every year so we've decided to look at some other options. This one is not too far away but is always booked solid. Now I know why. It's a really nice park. There's great walking and hiking trails. Many of the campsites are very private. I love it, oh and the falls are stunning too. Here's the north fall from a viewpoint during our drive: So we were driving on the backroads when I just could not believe my eyes. There were these entire fields of flowers. No, this is not photoshopped, this is an actual picture (well minus the big old sign that says private property and not to stop and no trespassing)... Honestly, I didn't pick a one and I really only stood on the edge of the road to get the picture of these bachelor buttons, African daisies and California poppies. So then we drove through Silverton and hubby pointed out where he went to grade school and floated milk carton boats down a drainage ditch in the summertime. Doesn't that sound like something every grade school boy would do? Now for my favorite part... We stopped to get Oktoberfest sausages. I love Oktoberfest. So sad that I won't get to go this year, but this is the next best thing...Then it was off to Woodburn! I didn't turn him off with all my talk of pulling out trees and vines and such. On the way, we saw another field of flowers. It wasn't quite as stunning as the first, but still quite remarkable. I often forget just how much we grow here in the valley until we go for a drive on the backroads. It really is stunning. So now we are back home and I'm going to try my hand at making a Kusudama flower, well right after I go eat the garlic chicken that hubby was cooking. Here's a shot of it browning in the skillet before he pops it in the oven. Yes, those are whole cloves of garlic and I have the most amazing just baked french bread to spread those on. Yummo!

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