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Fall Yard Colors
23/11/24 12:51
Fall creates a lot of color contrasts as the rain moves in mixed with sun breaks. The leaves change to a mix of yellow, red, and brown as exhibited with the trees in our yard in this photo.
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51st Anniversary Morning
01/09/24 09:24
The sunrise was quite striking this morning of Bob's and my 51st Anniversary. We were such young people. Not much planned today other than odds and ends and hope to get some sewing done.
Enjoy the sunrise on our 51st wedding anniversary day!
Enjoy the sunrise on our 51st wedding anniversary day!
Our New Subaru Outback
29/08/24 19:38
Last Friday we went to Corvallis Subaru and traded in our charcoal gray Crosstrek in for a Subaru Outback Touring XT. Very nice and well appointed. Lots of bells and whistle.
I thought I'd never get a white car and had disliked them for years. They have added a Pearl White type color with black trim to many car lines, especially Subaru.
Here is a photo of the lovely gem in our driveway. Not an ideal set up for a photo but still good.
I thought I'd never get a white car and had disliked them for years. They have added a Pearl White type color with black trim to many car lines, especially Subaru.
Here is a photo of the lovely gem in our driveway. Not an ideal set up for a photo but still good.
Signs Rejuvenated
08/03/24 11:04
Scott and Olisha found a number of older signs on the property from prior times. They cleaned up and refurbished them to where the signs look closer to new. They certainly stand out. Scott took a photo of the signs placed on the new garden fence and can be seen as people come up the driveway. Background on each sign:
Thayer Copper Sign - was given to me by a cat owning client in Walnut Creek, CA who came to see me at Civic Feline Clinic. The nameplate he said came from the C.A. Thayer sailing ship located in the Alameda harbor. He had done work on the ship and acquired the sign. He gave it to me and we have had it located on our front deck here on Berlin Rd. since the new house was built.
Lansberry-Wolfenbarger "The Bonanza"- was a sign that was made and bought at the Oregon State Fair. It was the name of our 1 acre property and cabin located on Day Rd. In LaPine OR. This was a special getaway spot for my parents and maternal grandparents who bought the property and built the cabin. There was a lot of hunting and fishing recreation in that area.
V.L. Thayer, DVM - was a sign made for my first location at Civic Dr. for Civic Feline Clinic in Walnut Creek CA. The practice is still operating though on Broadway Dr. in Walnut Creek. It was a profitable and still is growing, active cat practice. I am so proud of what I did and it has become.
Thayer Copper Sign - was given to me by a cat owning client in Walnut Creek, CA who came to see me at Civic Feline Clinic. The nameplate he said came from the C.A. Thayer sailing ship located in the Alameda harbor. He had done work on the ship and acquired the sign. He gave it to me and we have had it located on our front deck here on Berlin Rd. since the new house was built.
Lansberry-Wolfenbarger "The Bonanza"- was a sign that was made and bought at the Oregon State Fair. It was the name of our 1 acre property and cabin located on Day Rd. In LaPine OR. This was a special getaway spot for my parents and maternal grandparents who bought the property and built the cabin. There was a lot of hunting and fishing recreation in that area.
V.L. Thayer, DVM - was a sign made for my first location at Civic Dr. for Civic Feline Clinic in Walnut Creek CA. The practice is still operating though on Broadway Dr. in Walnut Creek. It was a profitable and still is growing, active cat practice. I am so proud of what I did and it has become.
Wildlife Quilt
31/01/24 08:52
I finished the Wildlife figures quilt started for Victoria. The image panels had eagles, deer (a buck), bear, owl, fox, and other images. It is quite colorful and was relatively easy to do (except for the binding which needed one side to be hand sewn). I'm not sure what will be my next quilt project. I will have to take a break to determine what is doable as I am getting busier with other tasks.
New Year's Day 2024 and Wildlife
01/01/24 14:02
Pointing North In Fog
31/12/23 14:22
Pointing North with the cat weather vane with fog in the background. The sky was blue and clear early in the day but the fog came in due to it is a cold day, temperature-wise.
New Year's Eve Tonight — Enjoy!
New Year's Eve Tonight — Enjoy!
Full Moon Gloom
30/12/23 18:57
The full moon for December (seems like a witching moon) was out in the early morning hours this past week. I was able to snap this photo of the moon glowing through the large oak tree by the house. The light through the limbs of the tree gives an eerie cast to the image.
A Quilting We Will Go
19/12/23 16:11
I recently finished a quilt I started about 10+ years ago at a quilting class in Sweet Home. It is called House in the Hamptons. I am pleased I was able to complete it and it looks good. Not perfect yet colorful. It is more a lap quilt size or wall hanging. Here is this early masterpiece.
Gingerbread Houses
10/12/23 09:47
Olisha and the girls (plus Olisha's sisters) invited their former neighbors to the house to decorate gingerbread houses. The children seemed to enjoy and get into the spirit of Christmas. This is the third year for gingerbread houses. They all seem to be colorful, different and fun. See for yourself.
The Trees
10/11/23 08:47
Bob's long hoped for project of having our approximately 20 acres of Douglas Fir trees thinned to provide health and growth for the rest of the trees is finally done. Roughly 42 truckloads of trees were hauled from our property. It does look vastly different to look through the forest and see more daylight. Yet from a distance looking at the hillside at a slant, it still looks like before where there are still lots of trees. It took about 2 weeks for the loggers to do the work.
The following is a photo showing an edge of the log pile to be trucked away and how the forest looks as thinned.
The following is a photo showing an edge of the log pile to be trucked away and how the forest looks as thinned.
Prime Apples
20/09/23 16:12
There is a lot of catching up to do on this blog with trips and lots to tell. It has been difficult to get time to sit down and focus on writing up information and sharing photos.
The girls love their fresh apples and our Honey Crisp apples are prime samples this year. Lots of them and so juicy to eat.
The girls love their fresh apples and our Honey Crisp apples are prime samples this year. Lots of them and so juicy to eat.
The Hail You Say
31/03/23 11:09
This has been a colder, wetter, and snowier (in mountains) winter and spring so far. Not to many warmer, sunny days though when we do have them it is pleasurable. We recently had such a large pea-sized hail storm come through that I had to get a photo of how much the deck was covered with white.
Happy 2023 Year
01/01/23 08:18
The start of a new year, 2023. We are home and staying quiet as we often times do.
Here is a wish for the new year - it will be happier and better than the last three years.
Here is a wish for the new year - it will be happier and better than the last three years.
Upwards To 170 Years
22/12/22 07:22
I am finally going to take the initiative and explore getting a Century Farm designation for our piece of property. I am a direct descendent of Joab Powell's 4th son, Peter Powell. The family migrated from Missouri to Oregon in 1852. Peter Powell applied for a donation land claim in this part of the Willamette Valley of Oregon. We have 40.2 acres remaining of that claim as a descendent. I have located the coordinates on a geographical map and will explore with the city and state to get more information toward an application. For now the information on a deed map of our property is:
Sec.36 T.12S. R.01W W.M.
Linn County, OR (MAP !2 1 W 25)
S.W. Cor. A. J. Alley CT. 4431
Interior Corner of Peter Powell NOT.2507
Sec.36 T.12S. R.01W W.M.
Linn County, OR (MAP !2 1 W 25)
S.W. Cor. A. J. Alley CT. 4431
Interior Corner of Peter Powell NOT.2507
Oregon People
20/09/20 16:04
The smoke finally cleared away with the rain early Friday. Today is a sunny, relatively warm day, without smoke.
Too many of our fellow Oregonians lost their homes and businesses in the different fires. Many of the people in the small towns in Oregon are the heart and soul of community.
Many came to help their fellow neighbors as fires threatened.
The lovely rain that poured on our ground 2 days ago that settled the smoke and ash.
Too many of our fellow Oregonians lost their homes and businesses in the different fires. Many of the people in the small towns in Oregon are the heart and soul of community.
Many came to help their fellow neighbors as fires threatened.
The lovely rain that poured on our ground 2 days ago that settled the smoke and ash.
Fire Status
12/09/20 07:05
There are big fires all around us and other areas in western Oregon. We are not threatened with evacuation at this time yet so many have lost their homes, some horrifically their lives. Heart-breaking news. One of the closest to us and threatening the home of friends of ours out in Holley is the Holiday Farm fire. It is extended from the south where it started along the Willamette River and such communities as Vida and Blue River have been lost. This article does show how the area is dealing with this threat.
Heat, Wind, Fires and Smoke
08/09/20 06:43
Last night we had the start of serious, once in a generation weather conditions. Higher heat over the Labor Day weekend with very low humidity. Due to a cold front dropping down into Colorado and Plains pushing the hot air west and creating strong, hot east winds out of the Cascades, we have had bad fires spring up all over western Oregon. The power was out last night due to limbs blown on power lines. Debris was blown all over the yard and decks. What a mess and extremely serious "red flag" conditions.
Here is a picture of the sky with all the red smoke taken just before dark.
Plant Rising From Dead
11/08/20 20:13
I admit I am not good with plants. No green thumb it seems. They tend to die. I am better than I used to be yet no gardener.
Last year we had an empty large container that needed a plant and to be put near a flower bed. I found one I liked at Bi-Mart and planted it. The plant seemed to be dead, either by too much sun or over the winter by cold. It was dried brown dead. Instead of pulling it and tossing away, Bob trimmed it back. This plant rose from the dead like Lazarus and has come back even more beautiful than before.
We will have to give it some more special attention this winter. Right now it is near the greenhouse. Maybe kept inside the greenhouse? It is nice to see life come back to this pot and the plant inside it.
Last year we had an empty large container that needed a plant and to be put near a flower bed. I found one I liked at Bi-Mart and planted it. The plant seemed to be dead, either by too much sun or over the winter by cold. It was dried brown dead. Instead of pulling it and tossing away, Bob trimmed it back. This plant rose from the dead like Lazarus and has come back even more beautiful than before.
We will have to give it some more special attention this winter. Right now it is near the greenhouse. Maybe kept inside the greenhouse? It is nice to see life come back to this pot and the plant inside it.
A Rose Is A Rose
22/07/20 07:17
We have two rose bushes that were the first we planted and tried in our garden here in Berlin. One is a peachy-apricot color and the other is more approaching the reddish color of a peach skin. They have been prolific flower producers in the past and then got trimmed back plus deer-eaten. They are now in bloom. It seems to be a good rose year. I was able to snag a set of buds and put in a bud vase. Enjoy the blooms.
Parterre 2020 Version
03/07/20 07:35
This past 2 years have been difficult to work on our garden areas and keep them clean up from weeds and grass. Many are a bit overgrown. Age and medical issues have caught up to us. I will say that our parterre area is looking particularly nice and mature this year. One area to enjoy and be pleased on how it has turned out from our small version of an English type of garden. Enjoy the view!
Berlin Sunrise Color May 2020
26/05/20 14:41
Yesterday morning about 6 a.m. the clouds were light in the eastern sky. The sun was coming up and created a lovely sunrise. One area over the Peter Mountains had a cloud tail as if it were likely raining there. It was a beautiful bit of color to greet the world. I do love seeing these sunrises.
A Glaze of Ice
08/01/17 12:02
I woke up early in the morning while it was still dark outside. The yard light was on and just showed how the light glares off the slick ice. I hope it melts soon.
