photo essay--second installment

The beginning of our orchard last year was this asian pear. So you can imagine our joy when it recently popped out these beautiful blossoms. Our bathroom window is that kind of old-fashioned glass slats so when we open it up and look between the slats, we really see what's out there. Nothing's in the way. And what we see is our asian pear and Bartlett and French prune trees, and beyond that the blackberries, and beyond that, open expanse and the foothills of the Coast Range in the distance.




Shortly after Aaron left I cheered myself up by taking a trip with Courtney to the Territorial Seed Company in Cottage Grove, south of Eugene. Beats going to the bars any day. In anticipation of our dear buddies Margot and Allen coming to visit, we cleaned up the patio from the neglect of winter, repotted and generally spruced up.




There seems to be no limit of interesting and beautiful flowers and herbs that grow well here. Something about the colors and forms and smells that just thrills me, especially with stuff like sedums and lamb's ear and licorice plant and sages and lavenders and scented geraniums and jade trees and ..........stop me before I spent all our grocery money! It only scares Courtney when I say who needs to eat?!




We've planted a hops plant (against some people's recommendation), an incredibly rapid and aggressive grower, but one I love dearly. We haven't taken any pictures of it yet, but will soon. It makes the most beautiful little flowers that look like paper lanterns in the shape of pine cones. Day before yesterday I transplanted it to a larger pot (we're afraid to put it straight in the ground) and already today its tendrils had found the trellis and were starting to climb. Stay tuned for the Hops That Ate the Pacific Northwest. If I quit blogging you'll know it was the hops. Please notify the authorities.




I swear, the simple pleasures in life are the best. So are the times spent with friends. The two nights and one day that Margot and Allen were here were filled with so many magical moments--some induced by grand amounts of coffee--it was just pure enjoyment. It rained, of course, the one day we had to walk around and show them the town. They were good sports, though, and we all put on our raingear, met up with Maya and Ben, and cruised the downtown scene. Showed them the riverfront, mine and Maya's Starbucks hang-out, our favorite used book store, Book Bin, and a new thrill for me, the Living Earth Bakery with gluten-free breads and muffins and cookies. Eating a gluten-free and no dairy diet, like I do, can be kind of challenging, so places like this new bakery really make it easier and yummier.




Well, there's more photos to come, so please keep reading.....on to the next,

Valori