Oregon Coast Trip

 We're fortunate to live a little over an hour from the north Oregon coast; one of the most beautiful places in the world according to National Geographic. Sometimes after work we'll head to our favorite restaurant on the beach for a delicious seafood dinner and be back home in plenty of time to enjoy dessert. 

Let's head to the beach!

Going thru the large Doug Fir forest 
to the beach

Our favorite seafood restaurant.

Sunset on the beach

Oregon beaches are pristine.

Oregon beaches cannot be privately owned. If anyone builds near the beach, they must provide public access. After living a couple of decades in California, it is nice to now have free, clean, non-commercial beaches to enjoy. 

Our beaches give a lot of happy inspiration
for many of my paintings.

Let There be Color

Glorious! God has given us such a pretty gift of color. We had the perfect mixture of rain, sun and chilly nights here in the Pacific Northwest to make for a perfect autumn.

The maples and oaks are in full color at the moment. Walking on our paths around this little farmstead feels like walking through a rosy camera filter.

The pumpkins have been harvested. Some are set aside to "harden off" before placing in the garden house for storage over the winter, others tucked in and around the house. 

 

 

Time to Paint

 The first fire of the season is crackling in the fireplace, stew is in the cooker and the music is on! Fall is such a fun time to paint.

Sometimes I'm lucky enough to get to paint the season we're actually in. Most the time, though, I am painting for products 6 months out of season; yes, I am painting spring and summer in the fall and winter. This week, I'm painting summer garden scenes.

I hope that all of you are enjoying a cozy autumn day, too.

A Good Year for the Garden

We have two large vegetable gardens. 

South garden mid-summer. 

The south garden is about 2,000 sf with 5 large raised beds. It's planted with summer vegetables; corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, summer squash, artichokes, garlic and onions. I plant cutting flowers around the garden and tuck a few between vegetables. Sometimes it's hard to find the vegetables from the flowers toward the end of garden season.

Sunflower soldiers surround the south garden.

Spring planting in the north garden

North garden mid-summer

The north garden is fenced, about 5,000 sf, and planted with winter "keepers;" potatoes, winter squash and pumpkins.

August, September and October are
super busy with preserving the harvest.

Tomato and Onion
Everything seems to grow twice the normal size around here!

All of our vegetables are organic heirlooms. With exception of the corn, I collect the seeds each year around this time, then start propagating them around the first of February in my small greenhouse.

Vegetable starts

I never tire of watching a tiny seed perform its miracle from February to harvest. Some, such as the San Marzano tomato seeds from Italy that we bought on my husband's 60th birthday, have fun memories that make me smile with each seed that I plant and each tomato I pick. 

Our little farmstead is an inspiration for some of my paintings, and each year the vegetable gardens spur new ideas; whether the cute rabbit gnawing on some of the plants before I shoo him away (and spray rabbit deterrent,) the flocks of chickadees enjoying the sunflower seeds or the pretty bean blossoms on the plants climbing the fence.

The Scent of Apples

 There's something about the scent of apples in the fall. We grow three types of apples.

The Red McIntosh apples are the first to ripen in early September. These are my favorite apples to make applesauce. Each year we can quarts of sauce that don't need extra sweetening due to these juicy, sugary apples. Loaves of apple bread also get baked and frozen. 

There's nothing like a slice of homemade toasted apple bread with a smear of cream cheese to brighten a winter morning. We also use the homemade sauce as a substitute for the fat in our homemade zucchini bread. It makes it moist and oh, so delicious! (not to mention fewer calories!)

Next to ripen is my husband's favorite apple; the Granny Smith. Toward the end of September we peel, core, slice and freeze quarts of these for future homemade pies. Of course, we have to enjoy a fresh made pie during picking, too.

Then, the best tasting apple for fresh eating, the Fuji apple, ripens in mid to late October. They are super sweet and called Ice Apples if you let them hang on the tree a little longer to catch the first light frost. If they're carefully wrapped, they can store in the garden house for fresh eating during winter.

You might not have apple trees, but I urge you to make a homemade pie from fresh apples this season. It is so different, and much more delicious, than any store bought pie. And, the scent is intoxicating!

Happy Birthday!

 My husband is having a milestone birthday this week! It's extra special for us. Two short years ago, on this day, he was in the ICU fighting for his life from pancreatic cancer. They call the operation that he had a "whipple." Part of his pancreas, stomach and intestines were removed. There were a few complications and a heart specialist was also called in.

A young Glen at his Grandma's house in Kentucky

We have to be careful what he eats; fats, sugars and spices are hard to digest. He takes enzymes to help. All that said, he is a walking miracle. 

Early morning deep sea fishing

He exercises regularly and has kept strong. He eats just about whatever he wants in moderation as long as he takes prescription enzymes along with his food.  With a huge garden and small orchard,  we were healthy eaters anyway, so sensible eating isn't too hard.

We love a good salad

But, there's times, such as eating a large slice of his favorite birthday cake with lots of frosting, that have me holding my breath.

"Cotton" carrot cake

As much as I like to be in control of everything (yes, that's a downfall I've tried to correct for years!) I've learned to let him decide what he can handle. And, I pray. 

Never underestimate the power of prayer. God knows what we need. So, whether you're calling for protection for you or a loved one, know that the Lord is listening.

I ask, and don't thank, nearly enough, Lord.

Glen and Cotton are chopping and stacking firewood right now. That's no easy feat; our large oak and fir tree rounds that he splits must weigh over 50 pounds. 

Cotton and Glen chain sawing one of the smaller trees today

I thank God for the wonderful hospital and doctors that we have. And every day I thank Him for blessing me with another day alongside my husband at our little farmstead. I think that I will enjoy my husband's birthday more than he will.

Glen shares everything, even a once-a-year
fast food hamburger, with his sidekick, Cotton

Autumn Has Arrived!

Well, what I can I say about the absence of my writing in 2020 and most of 2021? I suppose that I could blame it on Covid like everything and everyone else, but it really was a number of things combined. So, to spare time and boredom, let's just get on with a new blog and new start to a beautiful season. Autumn has arrived!

It was a beautiful summer here in our little corner of the Pacific Northwest. We had gorgeous weather and our vegetables and flowers thrived. We're still harvesting tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and peppers along with copious amounts of apples and pears. Last weekend we harvested the pumpkins! I've never seen such a good crop of beautiful orange, red, white and blue-green gourds. 

I placed most of the decorative pumpkins around the porches and patio, with some large ones tucked in corners along the paths on our acreage. The sweet, edible pumpkins and winter squash are hardening off in our garden house.

The trees are starting to turn. We've had a beautiful start to fall with lots of rain in September, mixed with blue skies and warm 70's afternoons; perfect for turning the oaks, maples, crabapples and dogwoods into the vibrant shades of fall.

Our peak of the fall color is around the third week of October, so stay tuned to a post when that show is here. 

I'm always inspired by our nice weather and the enticing scents of fall. I want to do everything...travel, garden, and paint! I hope you are enjoying a beautiful start to autumn, also. No matter where I travel in the United States during the fall, most people say it's the most beautiful time of year there. I have to agree.