Sunday Nursery Hoppin'

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We try and divide our time between riding and gardening and last weekend was no exception.  Since we had a great day of riding on Saturday we decided that Sunday we'd drive to a few plant nurseries and take a look see.  Also, we were in search of a Magnolia "Little Gem" tree for our front yard.

By the time we left the house it was almost noon so we stopped and grabbed a few sandwiches to go and figured we'd find a nice bench at the first nursery and have lunch.

First up was Dancing Oaks Nursery. They are a little out of the way to the North and West of Corvallis.  They are definitely worth the drive because of their display gardens. We've bought several trees from them previously.

After driving through the beautiful farmland we made a right turn onto a gravel drive. Although we were in the Subaru, I think it would be a great road for dual sports. 

(head for the hills)

Getting closer

(I think I can, I think I can......)

Once at the top of the hill we go down the other side.  You can barely make out some buildings in the middle of the left side of the photo.

(Over the hills and through the woods......)

Once we arrived we grabbed our lunch and water bottle and started wandering.  We found a nice pond area with a wide ledge to sit and relax.

(Pond where we had lunch)

(Our lunch companion)

(Our view while eating)

After eating we wandered through the display gardens and greenhouses snapping pictures as we went.

(Hellebores )

(To me this looked like a tribal mask and headdress)

(Troubadour found a plant with his name on it)

(Pink Flamingos for Keith at Twists and Leanings)

(Flowering Currant)

They did not have any Little Gem Magnolias, but on the way out we saw the coolest kitty.  We sure wanted to take it home with us.

(Cool nursery cat)

As we were driving away Troubadour stopped at the top of the hill so that I could take a few pictures of the Willamette Valley below.

(Looking North East)

(Looking East)

(Looking South East)

From Dancing Oaks we made our way to North Albany along the back roads and decided it was the perfect time to use my free Starbucks coupon.  All the fresh air and sunshine had made us thirsty.  We hit up the Starbucks drive thru and then went to Tom's Garden Center which is nearby.

I didn't take the camera in with me as I didn't think I could safely juggle my drink and the camera at the same time.  I am a bit clumsy you know.  We took our time and enjoyed the sun.  Another nursery cat took a liking to Troubadour and he even carried her for a bit.  Alas, they didn't have a Little Gem Magnolia so we had one more stop to make.

On the way to Corvallis on Highway 20 from North Albany is Garland Nursery.  It has always been a  favorite of ours, but then Troubadour did work there for nearly 3 years so we might be a little biased. We know a lot of staff that are still there and the owners.

More wandering and photo taking ensued.  

(Camelia)

(Object d'art)

(I also found a plant bearing my name)

(Clematis)

(I love snail statues!)

(Camelia)

(Does it go faster when it's orange?)

I took the above picture on the way out.  It is in a bed in the parking lot.  Very eye catching.

We did find a Little Gem and brought it home and planted it in the front yard.  We had three large overgrown miscanthus grasses in a bed out front that had over stayed their welcome and weren't doing very well. So far it has been a nice change.  When the rest of the bed is complete I'll take a picture.

Rumor has it we'll see 75˚F (23.8˚C) this weekend.  Woohoo!  Sounds like riding and gardening weather - in that order.

Does anyone have any fun plans for the weekend?

- Au Revoir

" The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five sense." - Hanna Rion

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Saturday Scootin'

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Helmet......  Definitely helmet........

We were out of bed by 7:00 am on Saturday and looking forward to riding.  The weather forecast was looking good and the sun was shining. 

We rode to coffee where we were met by Andy of Adventures with Bud E fame and also Meg - aka SpartanBabe.  Actually there were over a dozen people at coffee Saturday morning all with different plans for the day.  

We'd prearranged a ride to Eugene to meet up with SpartanBabe's hubby Josh, who'd ridden down earlier in the day.  Steve, riding his Harley Road King, also joined us for the ride.

The plan was to arrive in Eugene by 11:30 am to meet for lunch.  True to form we arrived at 12:10 pm.  Sorry you had to wait for us Josh.  We had lunch at the Cornbread Cafe but it wasn't as good as it had been in the past.  The food seemed really salty for some reason.

We left the cafe in Eugene and headed south. Three dual sports, two cruisers and Max. We were a motley crew.

The first stop was to check for directions and wait for Josh who was running behind due to stopping to fuel up his V-Strom.

(I managed to get all 6 bikes in this one)

(Troubadour and Steve)

Andy checked for directions and we decided which was the best way to go.  We were heading towards Territorial Road so that we could hook up with Hamm Rd towards Creswell.  It has a nice stretch of 15 mph twisties and switchbacks that no one can resists.  A GoPro would have been nice to have.

Once through the twisties the more experienced riders waited at a fire station for the rest of the group.  

(Troubadour giving me 'the look')

(Steve, Josh, Meg & Andy)

Across from the fire station was a beautiful pasture.  My zoom wasn't quite up to getting a close up of the cows though.

(Facing North - across from fire station)

I thought views of the road might be good too.

(Looking towards the West - where the twisties are)

(East towards Creswell)

Oooh look at the beautiful puffy white clouds against the blue sky.

(ooooh........)

(Ahhhh..........)

We rode back over Hamm Road then down Territorial to the highway to Cottage Grove (<--- link shows Hamm Road and highway into Cottage Grove) where we stopped at the Safeway for Petrol and to use the facilities.  I didn't take any pictures because, well, it was a grocery store parking lot, not very exciting.

We relaxed for about half an hour and soaked up the sunshine with our jackets off. Steve and Andy decided to head out on a different route since they were aiming for the East side of the valley.

Josh, Meg, Troubadour and I suited up and headed back the way we came.  Instead of turning to wards Eugene we kept a bit west to Veneta then to Cheshire and north towards home.  We made a quick stop in Cheshire for a break since we were getting weary.

Again no more pictures.  

Out of the house before 9:00 am and arrived home at 6:00 pm.  A great day with great friends and great weather.  The best type of Saturday.  (193 miles, 310 km)

- Au Revoir

"Well trained reflexes are quicker than luck" - Author Unknown

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Why Not....

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On my way to the post office before work Tuesday morning, I was stopped at a red light on the corner of Jefferson and 4th Street in downtown Corvallis.

I noticed the building on the corner, which has been under construction for over a year, had tulips and Hyacinths blooming in a planter around it.  Luckily the red light was long and I had the camera with me.  

I took the above picture, but then the light changed so I couldn't get a zoomed in shot of the tulips.  
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Yesterday morning as I drove by the sun happened to be shining and I managed to get a more wide angle picture to better show the placement of the flowers.

I am glad someone thought 'why not' and planted some tulips to spruce up the otherwise drab construction site.  When I see it, it makes me smile.

- Au Revoir

" People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us." - Iris Murdoch, in A Fairly Honourable Defeat
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Sunny Sunday Ride

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On Saturday SpartanBabe (aka Meg who just bought a Triumph America) came to join us at coffee and we discussed a possible ride for Sunday if the weather was nice.

Sunday dawned with nothing but blue skies and the promise of warm temperatures. Just before 9:00 am SpartanBabe sent us a text message stating she would be ready to roll at 11:30 am.  I sent her a message back and let her know we'd meet her at her house.  She was planning on riding around the east side of the valley and that suited us fine since we were having trouble coming up with ideas for a route.

Troubadour led me though the back roads for about 24 miles and we arrived with a few minutes to spare.  Troubadour parked in the driveway, but because of the incline I opted for parking at the end of the driveway since we were at the end of a cul-de-sac and I knew there wouldn't be any traffic.

Here  is Max all by himself at the end of the driveway.

Soon enough we were off.  Troubadour and SpartanBabe both needed fuel so we stopped at the Safeway petrol station.  I managed to snap a few more pics.

We headed east and turned this way and that, went south for a while along the river then east some more, then north a little.  I can't really tell you exactly where we were as I had no clue for most of the day.  I don't know much about the back roads on that side of the valley.  It is a good thing that SpartanBabe was gracious and led the way.

At one point she made a slight detour because she thought I'd be interested in a local covered bridge.  She was right.

The Thomas Creek (Shimanek) covered bridge.

(Thomas Creek - Shimanek Covered Bridge)

Oregon has the largest collections of covered bridges in the west and one of the largest in the nation.  For more information on the names and locations of our covered bridges please click this ---> link.

I also took a few other pictures while stopped.

(Notice how the Suzuki has to trail the Triumphs ....... kidding ...... I swept by choice)

(wide angle to show some terrain)

This was the last stop of the ride.  We looped around and ended back at SpartanBabe's house.  I think it was about 2:00 pm.  From there we headed home.

Round trip for us was 125 miles.  Not a long ride, but is sure was nice to be out in the sunshine.  A lot of other folks must have had the same idea as we saw a lot of other riders on the road.

When we arrived home the thermometer said it was 68˚F (20˚C) in the back yard in the shade.  We decided it was a perfect time to relax on the deck and just enjoy the warm weather for a bit.

This weekend is looking to be another warm one.  Fingers are crossed for some more riding.

- Au Revoir

"Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Happy Easter

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Easter seems to be yet another Holiday/time of year when the supermarket shelves are lined with different types of chocolates and candy.  One type of candy most associated with Easter here in the USA is the marshmallow Peep.   They typically have bunnies and chicks.

I found this picture on the interweb.  I think I've seen it before so it isn't too recent. Someone was very creative with their Peeps.

(Peep Show)

We don't celebrate Easter but I know a lot of people do, so to you I say Happy Easter.  

- Au Revoir

"Twas Easter Sunday.  The full blossomed trees filled all the air with fragrance and with joy." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Spanish Student

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Soupy Fields and Soup for Dinner

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Our weather hasn't been conducive to riding lately, although we have seen the sunshine in sporadic bursts.

Saturday after coffee Troubadour headed to the range to teach/intern another Team Oregon class and I headed to Salem in the car.  It was time for a Costco run.  We were almost out of their in-house roasted coffee.

I decided to take the backs roads as I was not in the mood to fight heavy traffic on the interstate.  Meandering along Independence highway allowed me to stop and take a few pictures of the flooding.

(water is only supposed to be a small channel flowing under the bridge)

(water not supposed to be beyond the trees to the right and the back of picture)

(Close up of back tree line - flooding the grass fields)

A little further and I made a right turn to the East and headed over the river to a favorite twisty road.  I was stopped short by this sight.

(Some people chose to ignore the sign and take their chances)

After snapping a pic I did a u-turn and headed further North then East onto Highway 22 before I could cross the river into Salem.

I stopped at Costco and Lowe's and a few other places.  I was shopped out by early afternoon.  The people in the stores were driving me nuts.  I am not good with crowds. The lack of common courtesy with the general public these days has a tendency to piss me off and give me tourettes.  I know when to call it quits.

I decided to head for Starbucks and then go home.  I had to dig the trusty GPS out of the center console and click on favorites until I found the Starbucks I wanted.  With an iced soy latte safely ensconced in the cup holder I pointed the Subaru towards home.

The weather could not make up it's mind on Saturday.  Sunny, rain, sunny, rain.  It made for some interesting clouds heading home on Highway 99W.

(Looks like a boot coming out of the clouds)

(Close up of boot cloud getting ready to stomp)

I got home and put everything away and Troubadour sent me a text and let me know he was on his way home.  With being outside in the elements all afternoon I figured he needed a big bowl of soup for dinner.

One of the benefits of a cool wet spring is that soup season has been extended.

I decided on one of our favorites; potato onion soup.  Not a traditional potato soup.  It is lighter and we like it better.  

(5 cups sliced red potatoes cooking in 3 cups un-chicken stock)

(3 medium onions sliced thin and sauteed/caramelized until soft)

When the potatoes are soft - about 15 minutes I break them into smaller pieces using a spoon or potato masher.

When the potatoes are soft and the onions cooked, add the onions to the potato mixture as well as 2 cups of soy milk (or cow's milk).  Add fresh ground pepper to taste  and voila.

(finished potato onion soup)

The original recipe calls for cooking bacon then sauteing the onions in the bacon drippings, but I use a little liquid smoke for the same flavor boost to the onions and then top with a few soy bacon bits instead.  I also substitute unsweetened soy milk for the moo cow milk.

(Soup topped with Tofutti vegan sour cream, Daiya vegan cheddar, fresh ground pepper, and soy bacon bits)

The recipe makes 4 big bowls.  We ate it Saturday night and then had the leftovers for dinner on Sunday.

(Leftovers patiently waiting to be put in the fridge)

Here is the complete recipe:

Potato Onion Soup

6 slices of Bacon (optional - can use liquid smoke instead)

5 cups sliced Red Potatoes

3 cups Water

1 Tbsp instant chicken bouillon (I used Better than Bouillon vegan no-chicken base)

3 medium Onions, sliced thin

2 cups Milk (or unsweetened soy milk)

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

** Sour cream, green onions, shredded cheddar, and bacon bits are optional for toppings.

1.  In large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings in skillet.  Drain bacon on paper towel.  Crumble bacon and set aside.

2.  In large saucepan/stockpot combine water, bouillon, and sliced potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer covered about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

3.  Meanwhile cooked sliced onions in reserved bacon drippings over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until tender and golden.

4.  Do not drain potatoes.  Use a spoon or masher to break potatoes into smaller pieces.  Stir in bacon, onions, milk and pepper and heat through.  If desired season to taste with additional pepper.

- Bon Appetit

"Only the pure in heart can make a good soup." - Ludwig Von Beethoven

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