Portland Rose Garden

This is one day I wish I had a better camera with me. The Portland International Rose Garden is one of my favorite parts of Washington Park. It was a beautiful sunny day and our senses were on overload for much of it.

A plaque in Shakespeare's Garden

A tribute to the Portland Rose Queen's. Each has their own stepping stone, dating back to the early 1900's when the rose garden was established.


Leading into Shakespeare's Garden

Portland..City of Roses

It's Wednesday morning, and we are sitting at a corner coffee shop by the university, a cool breeze blowing now - but we are told to expect temperatures in the high 90's here today. We are heading out to the Rose Garden and Japanese Gardens in Washington Park in just a few minutes. Today is a "free" day, with nothing on the itinerary other than soaking up the plants, roses and local culture. Here are just a few pictures from yesterday while we were on the bus tour sponsored by Kelloggs Garden Products. We started out at 7am, first stop was the Portland Zoo. They opened the gates two hours early for us and we were treated to a behind the scenes look at the horticulture department as well as the innovative ways they use all the "waste" that is produced a daily basis. The "Guru of Zoo-doo" was not only informative, but entertaining as well. We also visited three wholesale growing grounds, and a vineyard. More to follow......... too much to see, too little time.

The "Guru of Zoo-Doo" giving his presentation.

Camp Garden, What Fun!

CAMP GARDEN 2009

This last Tuesday marked the last day of Flower Tree's Camp Garden for this year. The summer went by so fast and we watched as the number of kids grew each week and with it the fun. A huge THANK YOU to Donna March for organizing, reading and entertaining not only the kids, but the Moms and us every week. Melinda Clifton stepped in this year to assist her, and her quiet smile was always a welcome site. We are already making plans for next years Camp Garden, hope to see you there, and don't forget - we have a monthly Children's Reading Hour the 2nd Saturday of every month. Watch the newsletter for more info and reminders. It has been a great summer, thank you to all who participated. We hope you had as much fun as we did. Here are some pics from this last weeks final day.

Happy Birthday Travis!

Happy 30th Birthday to a fellow Leo, and the most amazing & wonderful father of my grandson!

(You know they built this statue just for us)

Blues, Brews & BBQ 2009

The early afternoon was partly cloudy, the storms off in the distance were threatening, but nothing to seriously as I walked out to re-open the gate for our 17th concert here on the river. Blues, Brews & BBQ 2009 opened with the local Fallon band Ten ta Midnight, who did a fabulous job of getting the crowd going, and then Terrapin Road hit the stage as the sun was setting and drops of rain started to fall. It didn’t slow them down though, and the music was amazing. People in the grass dancing, the winds gently keeping everything cool, and the bar was hopping as everyone was trying their hardest to make the decision which of the 25 varieties of brews to try. Jaime and Bob kept up with the masses with a smile and a joke or two, while Linny and Sarah manned the front gate. Michelle and I got to be the rovers, wandering around re-stocking and visiting, dancing and laughing….tough job……glad it was ours! Big Ed’s BBQ kept up with everyone descending on their booth, and the sweet potato pie was a huge hit for me. Blue Haven took the stage and the night just got better as the moon came up over the river. The last set was a Terrapin Road/ Blue Haven jam, my favorite every year, and as we begged for more they played one last song….and the night ended. It was a record turnout, over 320 blues lovers, the most we have ever had... and even Harriet got to stay up late for the evening.

Who knows, maybe an Oktoberfest needs to be thrown out there for consideration………….hmm…………………
http://www.blue-haven.com/
http://www.terrapinroad.com/

pics (by Shawn Myers, Sarah Henderson, Michelle Nelsen and me)

Michelle's GIANT lotus

This beauty graced Michelle's pond this year. The blooms do not last very long, making it even more special.

( lotus slocum 'Maggie Belle' )

Steven @ Red Zinnia

It's always a great evening whenever Steven Christie stops by to play during the wine tastings at Red Zinnia. He is touring in the Sturgis area right now, and hopefully we will get to see him one more time before he heads back south for school in the fall. (ps, He has cd's available now also)