Willamette River and My Hiatus

I snapped this photo of the Willamette River while looking northwest of the easternmost footbridge, near Springfield (the city immediately east of Eugene). Beautiful.

My husband and I recently learned that our landlord was planning to sell the house we're living in. No big deal, right? Well, after meeting with the realtor today and learning all that is involved in selling a house, we've decided that we're going to try our hardest to move out in the next month or so. Since we haven't even found any housing prospects yet, we've got our work cut out for us. So...I need to put my blogs, and my life, on hiatus while we sort out finding a place to live and then actually move. Sigh.

Roller Derby

My apologies for being away for a few days. I had some technical difficulty with Blogger and with my laptop cache and it took me a little while to figure out how to log back in.

The above image is the last one I'll post from last weekend's Eugene Celebration parade. These two women are with the Emerald City Roller Girls. Too cool.

Lots of Pigs

I wish I could recall the name of the organization of pigs who put on such a great show during the parade. I believe the group represented sustainable development and growth, but I was too busy trying to snap some photos that I didn't catch their name.

2007 Slug Queen

Meet the Eugene Celebration's 2007 Slug Queen, Queen Glorious Gastropause (aka Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant), a comedian from the region.

Judging: A Serious Business

The rosey-nosed fellow and his two companions were the judges for today's Eugene Celebration parade in downtown Eugene. For the next few days I will feature images from this year's colorful parade. Stay tuned!

Food Not Lawns

This home near downtown Eugene has an edible front yard instead of a lawn. Densely planted edibles cut down on water use (and the grocery bill) and create a wonderful, interactive space.

Street Scene

The Bel Ami restaurant and cafe at 16th and Willamette streets. I haven't eaten there since it was the L & L Marketplace (many years ago), but I hear it's good.

Noggin Rubs

This kitty, outside the public library, appears ambivalent about the attention.

Unusual Flower

I spied this flower in a nearby neighborhood and snapped a photo to help me identify it. Anyone familiar with this unusual beauty?

Recent Canal Repair

This section of the Amazon slough was recently "repaired" for erosion. These wonderful rocks were brought in and the water has been clearer and the ducks happier ever since.

Tahkenitch Creek

A beautiful place to spend the first day of September. Tahkenitch Creek and Campground is located about 15 minutes south of Florence, Oregon. Not a Eugene photo, but beautiful, yes?

Feed the Birds

An interesting place to put a bird feeder, yes?

Beautiful Blue Sky

While out dropping off my rent check I noticed the bright blue sky and wispy clouds and snapped this photo on 16th near Willamette St.

Bread Bullies

Otherwise known as geese, these are pushy and persistent buggers. The last time I fed some geese (many years ago) so many of them ganged up on me that I tripped over my own feet and fell. I probably should have stood up to them, but they were bitey.

Fence Bird

This bird paused to take in the view of the fields at O'Hara School.

Golden Grass

Dry summer weather has prompted the many Willamette Valley grasses to die back, as they are naturally inclined to do. So the usual green carpet of this area is, for a time, replaced by golden grasses instead.

Duck Watching

It's a popular pastime in these parts.

Beautiful Beans: Grassroots Garden III

At Grassroots Garden beans are planted very close together and trellised over a series of "walls." There are three or four bean walls at the garden this year and these beautiful veggies are keeping volunteer pickers busy.

Grassroots Garden II

A section of the Grassroots Garden that includes beds of celery, onions, young cole crop starts, beans, raspberries, sunflowers, etc. In the far distance are more than ten varieties of tomato plants as well as sweet peppers. Very inspiring!

Grassroots Garden I

For the next few days I will feature photos taken at the Food for Lane County Grassroots Garden site. The Grassroots Garden is a wonderful place. It's a very productive mini-farm (producing 52,789 pounds of food for hungry families in Lane County last year). It's a great place to volunteer. It's a learning center. It's also a great place to lose yourself for a while.

I've been volunteering at the Grassroots Garden this summer and loving it. I've learned a great deal and feel like I'm doing a little something to help my hungry neighbors.

This shot, taken in one of the greenhouses, features a variety of pepper plants and shows some onions and garlic bulbs curing. Yum!