My new favorite album is being released today, and I thought I would share. The Lowest Pair , the amazing banjo duo of Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee, has recorded their second album of acoustic goodness in an old church, and aptly named it "The Sacred Heart Sessions." Some of you may remember my post about the Lowest Pair's House Concert back in June: Give Me the Banjo, when I had the good ...
To Look at a Flower
“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.” ~Georgia O'Keefe ...
Flowers in February
Apparently I'm not the only one enjoying these February flowers. The pollinators have noticed them too! The wild honeybees are having a ball at the rosemary bush. It seems that Spring is making her appearance early around here. Buds are popping, flowers are blooming and things are certainly in a buzz. Fingers crossed that we don't get any sneaky late cold snaps, but I am ...
At the Mouth of the Mighty Columbia
On our recent trip with my brother's family, we made an excursion one morning out to the mouth of the Columbia River. As we climbed up the viewing platform and took in the view around us, I was struck not only by the vast expanse from where we stood to the Washington shoreline, but by how profoundly steeped in history this place is. I thought of all the accounts I had read of the Lewis and Clark ...
Stories of Sibling Shenanigans
Continuing on with a tradition that began when we were in diapers, my brother and I met up for our annual family camping last weekend. Having hiked, biked, camped, rafted, backpacked and explored together for over three decades, we certainly have some stories to tell, and it's a lot of fun now that we're parents getting our own kids in on some of these family shenanigans. We ...
Free Woodchips!
A trailer load of woodchips really is something to crow about around here! While the chickens did a fine job of supervising, a huge thank you goes to Mountain Man Corey for collecting and spreading the woodchips around the blueberries and raised beds while I was under the weather last weekend. Little by little we're getting ready for the next growing season and it's looking to be a ...
Where we Love
"Where we love is home- home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. ...
Rivulets
All the rain this week made me think of a favorite passage from Henry David Thoreau's Walden, as he observes rivulets of water running down an embankment in the spring. Whenever I read it, I am reminded of the valuable insights and meditations people stand to gain when they spend some quiet time alone, observing nature. It is fuel for the imagination and a healing remedy for the soul. From ...
DIY Vintage Valentine Decorations
With Valentine's Day coming up, I had a little creative fun with decorating for the holiday. Not a lot is happening in the garden in February, so it's an excellent time for craft projects and cheery indoor festivity to enjoy after a rainy day pruning fruit trees or mulching blueberry bushes. I kept my eye out over the year for interesting vintage Valentine odds and ends, and had some good finds to ...
Hunting the Wild Oregon Hedgehog
When Oregonians talk about going out to the woods to hunt for wild hedgehogs, fear not! No cute critters are being harmed on these expeditions. The hedgehog, or sweet tooth mushroom (Hydnum repandum) can be found in our forests from about the time other mushrooms pop up in the fall, and continue growing through mild periods of the winter and into the spring. Their flavor is a little sweeter than a ...