Did it All Happen in a Week? Time Flies!

Live from Hillsboro, Oregon:

This week was full. I don’t know exactly what happened but we are loving it.

We have decided to be a little more organized when it comes to the wineries we visit. No repeats probably ever...there are so many that we will never get to each and every one. Here in the Willamette Valley, wineries are all the rage and Pinot Noir is the big wine of choice. In fact at many wineries, that is about all the they have.

The week we visited two very good tasting room located about 10 minutes apart.

 The first was the Ruby Winery. They grow all their own grapes so the wine has a uniques flavor only their own. I for one loved it.

Ruby Vineyard

Then we visited the Ponzi Winery on the other side of a small valley. Of course Ponzi is a household name for those here in the valley that like wine...it is so glitzy. They serve some very good snacks including cheese trays with wine to accompany them. We took advantage of the whole thing and took some time to enjoy the view.

Ponzi Vineyard Grounds

We visited the doctor over on the eastside of Portland recently and then stopped at a bakery for a quick lunch. I loved this sign...thank heavens I read the small print!

Addie Jo doesn’t always smile but when she cries it is no surprise. She's been sick for a few days so we understand.

I do love the summers here in Oregon. :)

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Oregon Wine Country: Better and Better

The lovely thing about living in Oregon Wine Country is that every small trip can turn into a vineyard tour. I don't recall having a plan for that day but as we drove home to Hillsboro, Oregon from Corvallis after our grandson's graduation at Oregon State University we found ourselves on the backroad. It was a beautiful summer day and we are retired so we have a lot of time to do as we want.

We wandered up Oregon Highway 99W which runs north and south through the Willamette Valley west of the I-5 corridor. The pace is slow and the wineries are plentiful. It was just a matter of take your pick! In this particular case we happened on to Illahe Vineyards near Salem, Oregon. Illahe is a relatively small vineyard with a setting that took my breath away. While we did buy a couple of bottles of wine, the biggest treat was the way the winery left everything out in the open so the whole process was visible.

A very old Tommy Dorsey record was on the turntable and we just wandered around during the tasting taking it all in. It makes me smile everytime I think about that beautiful day.

A view and the tools of the trade plus a bicycle gear!
I didn't know how any of it worked so maybe that gear is important.

I hope your summer is as wonderful as ours. Be well!

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This part of Oregon is home to several Native American tribes. The word "Illahe" is Chinook for earth, place or soil. 

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Capturing the Story: 5 Photographs that Tell a Story

I don't suppose I am doing this for you as much as for myself. The joy of taking pictures is one of my great loves. Being able to capture what I see with my minds eye and then bring it to my computer to make the image my very own is very satisfying. Adding my lovely iPhone camera to the mix and my life is perfect. Here are 5 images that tell a story.

Maddie just completed her horse show
which she absolutely loved...all of the pictures afterwards? Well not really!

Outside our favorite Mexican restaurant...a driving dog waiting for carry out?

Playing Scrabble with my daughter is not quite as modern as it could be.  The unabridged dictionary was her late mother-in-laws. We sat and played until the stars shone and the crickets sang.  It is one of my favorite memories. (iPhone)

He was walking on the sand near Cannon Beach, Oregon. His paraphernalia included a CD player, giant earphone, an umbrella and a spring in his step.  All he wanted was to "find a pretty lady to dance with". Oh, and he was nearing 90 years of age.

When to walk to the edge of Bald Peak State Park near Hillsboro, Oregon, you are treated to a view of the gorgeous Willamette Valley facing west.  On this fall afternoon the valley was shrouded in mist and the fall leaves glistened in the late afternoon sun. can't you smell fall in the air?

My youngest son had just graduated with his masters degree and we all gathered to celebrate. His baby loves her aunt a lot. She wanted to be just a little closer to Auntie so she grabbed her earrings...perfect kissing handles I think. (iPhone)

Hotspot: Wine Shop in Oregon Wine Country

I love the smell of a beautiful wine in a beautiful glass...in fact I love wine, period! So how did that wine shop on main street in my little town (Hillsboro, Oregon) get there without me knowing? I cannot figure it out.

Washington County Countryside, 2012

Earlier in the summer my husband bought a wine tasting for two from Living Social at Primrose and Tumbleweeds in down town Hillsboro, Oregon. When he asked me if want to go, I was less than enthusiastic. After all Hillsboro is not the cultural center of the western world. What I forgot was that Hillsboro is fast becoming the gateway to Washington County wine country. This might be the new hotspot in the wine world and Primrose is banking on it!

If you are from Oregon and have missed Washington County, it is an emerging trendy country setting for little restaurants, bed and breakfast and wineries. You need to check it out. This place is beyond beautiful but still laid back, unpretentious and welcoming.

I am glad that we decided to take advantage of this Living Social coupon.  Primrose and Tumbleweeds is a beautiful unique kind of place. The wine shop features a full service bar, a bistro with lots of gluten free fare and the world's largest collection of Oregon wines! Really! It is impressive.

Their collections included some of our favorites...wines that do not appear in the local grocery store or anywhere else that I know of. For example, Cana's Feast near Carlton makes the most wonderful Bordeaux style wines. I have tried to buy the wines at the winery but was turned away because their wine club members get first pick. Primrose has the wine in stock. 

Our Living Social coupon gave us a wine tasting that consisted of 6 different wines and two appetizer plates to accompany the wine. I was impressed with everything they did.  Locals dropped in to buy wine or have an appetizer place after work. They were busy as you could expect on a slow Monday evening. I would recommend it to anyone.

I am told that their Tuesday night event is great. (Farmers) Market opens on main street and this beautiful little down town area comes alive. Primrose always has something special on that evening + they feature live music on Friday and Saturday.  


I thought you needed to know!

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