Military Romance Author
In case you missed National Watermelon Day on August 3rd, the animals at the Oregon Zoo can give us some tips on how to best eat this summer snack. Since I can’t figure out if this is our third or fourth heat wave, why count anyway, thought it might be a nice treat to enjoy.
The mongoose, bats, lions and elephants have excellent snacking techniques, but the bear has this watermelon scarfing treat time down.
Have a great, safe, cool, weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!
Getting out of town is a time to find new places to see and visit old friends. That’s what we did on our beach trip. On the way home we decided to stop by the Alder House III glassblowing studio. It had been decades since we visited, so the time was right.
When we walked into the studio, Treasure was demonstrating his glass blowing techniques and educating the onlookers. We quietly joined the small crowd and realized everyone was listening and learning. Not a piece of tech in use!
He was working on a glass vase and went through the process of firing, blowing it hollow, shaping and adding embellishments to it. Fascinating. From the hot glass to the super hot furnace, his artistry was on display.
After the presentation we wandered the wonderful glass items on display. Three pieces of artwork magically jumped into our hands. We had to take them home.
My friend Kathy started with one bowl and then the matching two pieces in the set also jumped into her hands. We happily packed them up and put them in the back seat with the seat belt on. Precious cargo.
If you want to visit, the Alder House III, it is located a half mile north of Salishan Lodge on Highway 101, at 611 Immonen Road, between Lincoln City and Gleneden Beach at Siletz Bay. The lovely three-fourths of a mile road leads you along the river and through the woods. Literally. There is also Mossy Creek Pottery studio next door.
You can check out their website at www.alderhouse.com They are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1st through the end of October. The five glass artists make creations for everyone, so don’t be surprised if one launches itself into your hands. It’s a good thing!
Art is for everybody!
Lucky for me, our annual beach trip coincided with the spike in the heat wave last weekend. Fog and drizzle never felt so good! But we did have glorious sun in the morning, then when the valley heated up, the fog came in. Best of both worlds.
Today is a nice cloudy day so I can get some work done outside. But the heat is coming back, so take some tips from our black bear, Takoda, at the Oregon Zoo. He figured out how to beat the heat; bear bathing!
Have a great, safe weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!
We’re dealing with a heat wave here in Oregon, much like everywhere else. So what do our girl elephants do at the Oregon Zoo? They hit the pool! Nothing like getting the beach towels out and having a great day in the water.
Stay cool everybody and Happy Quirky Friday!
Practice water safety!
When the going gets tough, I leave town. During the crazy of the web site remodel, construction project and heat wave, a day trip to the coast seemed like the best course of action. My friend and I headed for Astoria for cool breezes, clouds, seafood and research.
We both have wanted to tour the Flavel House Museum for years and finally our timing was right. The Flavel House was finished in 1886 for Captain George Flavel, a mover and shaker in early Astoria.
Not only did Flavel see the coming shipping boom, his most impressive feat for me is being the father of the Columbia River Bar pilots. These men and women today continue his legacy of heroic measures to keep river traffic flowing across the Columbia River Bar, considered the most dangerous bar in the world.
Flavel did it with wooden ships, sail and row boats. Yowsa.
So working hard and smart his whole life, he had an 11,600 square foot home built for him and his wife, Mary, and daughters Nellie and Katie. His son, George Conrad Flavel, had married and did not live in the home.
The most amazing part of all Flavel’s accomplishments? He was regarded as a fair, good man by the community. He was truly mourned when he died in 1893, after living seven years in his retirement home.
The house went on the National Register of Historic Places in 1951. The refurbishing of the home over the years has been nothing short of astounding. The additional Carriage House was built in 1887 and now holds the Visitor Center, gift shop, introductory video, and exhibits.
The home and Carriage House take up one whole city block. With a great river view of course.
This grand old lady is well worth taking a visit to see. The fresh sea air, cool interior and fabulous food in town made for a great day getaway.
I took more than one-hundred twenty photos and I could have taken more. I’m lazy so I take pictures of the placards so I can read them for in-depth research later.
Astoria is famous for movies being filmed there like “Kindergarten Cop,” “Short Circuit,” “Sometimes A Great Notion,” and of course “Goonies.”
But I think the star of the town is the Flavel House. She was there first and she’s the belle of the town.
For more information: www.cumtux.org
by Kimberly A. Cook
Bagged the bird! For those of you who thought I’d lost my mind last week, my poultry paparazzi patrol paid off. Did a quick recon before leaving for my fiction critique group last Saturday to see if the violin playing chicken was in attendance. No fowl. Dang it.
Got in the car and headed for my meeting. Ready to make a left turn and looking right, chicken ahoy! I ignored my left turn signal, and the car behind me, and turned right to get a quick chicken pic. Using my vast stealth abilities from the military, I parked a block away and then went chicken stalking. Got two pics. Here is the best one.
Now this fowl encounter has become a quest. I want to know the chicken’s back story. My journalistic roots are tingling. When did the chicken take violin lessons? Why here? Why now? Why the outfit? Does the chicken have a website? Do all chickens wear Birkenstocks? Or flip-flops? (I’d say thongs, but I don’t want to confuse people and I really don’t want to go there with this chicken.)
Saturday is the big Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade so we all know what that means, rain. Not sure the chicken will show if it doesn’t like to get wet. But I’m intent on getting an interview.
When writing fiction, the author always needs to know the back story of each character. Where do they come from? What happened to them to make them do what they do now? What is their biggest goal? Worst fear? In my fiction books I’m writing, there are quirky animals too. Of course. And like their human counterparts, they all have back stories which explain their motivations.
In “real” life and fiction, everybody’s story is important. We all matter. Our stories matter. What better life long pursuit than to fight for our own happy endings?
How do we do that? We find out each other’s back story. Don’t judge a book by its cover or a chicken by its violin.
Every chicken has a back story!
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