A day on the road - I-5, of course. 08-02-19

KoKo and I had breakfast in Beaverton, OR, with out friend Terry Grant.  We met at a place with outdoor dining, but we were a little worried because when we woke up it was raining and we took our walk in the rain.  Dried KoKo off as best as I could, fortunately it was not cold.  

After a tasty breakfast and an all-too-short-visit with Terry we followed the Waze (an app) directions to I-5 south and did some "touring" of residential areas as I missed the "turn right".  Then we crawled in the traffic south of Portland for quite a few miles.  But things loosened up and it was not the congestion I saw on the way north.  

The clouds moved away and finally the sun came out. 

Lovely blue sky with fluffy white clouds. On the far hill right in line with the highway is a clear cut hillside surrounded by the tall uncut timber.  It is such a wound on the landscape.  And always makes me a little sad. 

Now days when they clear cut they do at least leave a few "mother" trees to help reforest the broken land. 

Somewhere along the way we stopped at a rest stop for a piddle and KoKo got tree sap on his feet.  I tried to wipe it off with some doggie wipes, but that wasn't very effective.  When we arrived here in Ashland, OR, for the night I tried again with hot water and soap.  No luck.  So, out came the scissors and I trimmed it all (I hope) off with the hair between his toes.  He was very tolerant of this operation and has not been chewing at his feet.  Hope it was successful, we'll see what his groomer says after we get home. 

After we were in our room I had an e-mail from Phyllis Reddish, a quilter from Orange County who I have known for many years, but seldom see these days.  She said, "You are staying at our motel, I saw you in the lobby, but you got away before I could catch you."  How amazing!!  I almost never run into people I know and certainly not so far from home.  We met in the lobby and had a little visit and a hug.  So nice to see her again.  

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Just trees tonight 08-01-19

One of the great things about Oregon and Washington is the abundance of trees.  If I had realized all those decades ago how much I would miss them I might not have moved to California.  My original destination was San Francisco, but somehow I ended up in Southern California where trees are landscape decisions rather than natural growth.  The towering Douglas Firs are my favorites, with their shaggy growth and funny "tongues sticking out" pine cones.   In Mt Vernon they have many varieties of trees, but it seems that cedar is the most common.  Majestic. 

Bark of a cedar tree - shaggy. 

Cedars in Mabel and Mac's backyard. 

 Showing the back deck overlooking the backyard and the cedars. 

Mixed forest with evergreens and deciduous trees.  Big leaf maple, I think. 

Around every house in Mabel and Mac's neighborhood are groves of tall trees. 

 And there is an occasional dead branch but not many.

 And a sumac tree with berries. 

Under the trees a great variety of ferns grow naturally. 

I couldn't tell if these two stumps were left in place or "posed" there.  Great cedars again. 

Fir tree branches growing close to the ground.  

More ferns.  Sword fern, maybe. 

In all this green I can tell where to turn into Mable and Mac's driveway because long ago they planted a lovely Japanese maple that is red toned all year. 

I remember these evergreens from my childhood, but don't know their name. 

It was planted here, not natural to the area. 

And the same for a lovely blue spruce planted in the same yard. 

Huge leaves on this - again, I think it is called a big leaf maple. 

Here we are all packed, ready to head home.  KoKo thinks he should get the driver's seat. 

There is my umbrella at the bottom of the picture, all ready for rain that never came. 

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Quilt & Textile Museum in La Conner, WA 07-31-19

Last day in this area and Mabel and I drove to La Conner to see the exhibits at the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum.  They have rearranged their rooms and the gift shop is on the main floor with exhibits on the second and third floors.  The stairs are difficult for me, but I hung on to the bannisters and made it up and down.  The main exhibit currently is SAQA's  "Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth" (June 28th - September 29)/  Quite a nice selection juried by Ann Johnston.  Here are a few pictures to tempt you to see the exhibit when it is at Visions Art Museum in San Diego in Jan - Apr 2021.

Del Thomas and Mabel Huseby in front of Mabel's favorite quilt. 

I am an admirer of Kathleen and her quilts.  I recognized this immediately as Kathleen and her husband - even from the back.  Lovely quilt. 

 

Leaping flames and burning trees.  WOW!

Unusual and intriguing.  I kept going back to look at this one several times. I do wonder about the zippers which are not mentioned in the materials or the explanation.  

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Lots of summer flowers. 07-30-19

Walking KoKo exposes us to different plants and flowers.  All of these are from Mt Vernon, WA, or Coupeville, WA, except for the last three from San Juan Bautista.  It is very dry here as they haven't had rain for a while.  But there are lots of landscape plants that are kept watered.  Not so much the lawns. 

There are, of course, dandelions everywhere. 

All along the roadways.

We see them on our two daily walks. 

Not sure about these.  Watsonia? 

Unbelievable tuberose begonias grown by Max, Mabel's husband here in Mt Vernon. 

The large ones are the size of luncheon plates. 

The smaller ones are such lush colors. 

Madonna lilies in the yard of Max's SIL, Marge. 

 Stigma and anthers of the Madonna lily - the anthers are so precisely attached they quiver in the slightest breeze. 

More lily buds with Del and Marge reflected in the window.

More lily buds, they are so elegant. 

Amazing two tone dahlia.

And a white lily - name  unknown. 

Lacecap Hydrangea

Closeup of Lacecap Hydrangeas. 

More Lacecaps

I was thinking this was a guinea gold vine, but I looked it up and I am wrong. 

Ideas?   The waterdrops are from sprinklers, no rain while I am in town!

Chicory - just starting to open. 

Chicory is a late summer/fall wild flower. 

Shasta Daisies. 

Shasta Daisies closeup.  

???

Matilija Poppies

Matilija Poppies

Lilies along the roadside.

A pile of hydrangeas. 

More lacecap hydrangea. 

And the regular "old fashioned" hydrangea.

Looks almost like gaillardia - this is cultivated though. 

And a closeup. 

Hollyhock in San Juan Bautista.

A common "old fashioned" garden flower, but tonight  I can't think of the name. 

Growing in downtown San Juan Bautista. 

Rose of Sharon (a bush) flowers in San Juan Bautista. 

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