Adelman Peony garden

adelman Peony garden
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

The Willamette valley is full of beautiful gardens and nurseries. Adelman Peony is not far from Schreiners iris gardens. Memorial Day is the height of the bloom season. The peony that I got last year from this nursery is about ready to bloom. As soon as I find room for more peonies I will buy more. They are such lovely long lived plants.
5690 Brooklake Rd, NE Salem, OR 503 393 6185 Open May 1 to June 15, 2007 www.peonyparadise.com

Cooleys iris Garden

Cooley's iris farm
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

Last Sunday I had a lot of fun visiting iris gardens. Cooleys garden is a nice garden by Silverton, Oregon. It isn’t as big of garden as Schreiners. The smaller size is nice for a short stroll. Currently the irises are in full bloom. Pick out irises for your garden. The quality is high and their policy are very friendly including; nightmare insurance available for $3.00. It provides replacement for unthinkable things like your dog or husband digging up the irises. They have a replacement policy for problems that are their fault like the tuber is rotten.
Peak Bloom Festival May 19th to June 2nd, 2007. Free admission, Daily from 8am to 7pm. Cooley's Gardens is at 11553 Silverton Road NE, just outside of Silverton and nine miles east of Salem, Oregon's Capital. www.cooleysgardens.com

Schreiners Iris gardens

Schreiners Iris gardens
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

Off of I 5 just north of Salem is a beautiful iris nursery and garden. It is delightful to look out gazing over the fields of irises. Last Sunday we drove down to wander thru the iris gardens. It was a rainy day. The crowds were thin. The irises sparkled with rain drops on them. It is fun to pick out the irises for your garden. Preorder for fall planting. Also available are nursery plants ready for your garden. Cut irises are for sale. Food and drink is available for purchase. Bring a picnic; there are plenty of picnic tables. On May 28, 2007 from 11:30 to 4 pm is a chicken BBQ.
Open May 4 to June 3, 2007 Dawn to Dusk. Free Admission. 3625 Qiumby Road NE Salem, OR, 503 393 3232
www.schreinersgardens.com

Fabric Depot

Fabric Depot
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

Acres of fabric surrounded by an ample parking lot. The new reader board signs announce when the big sales are. The outdoor sale starts this weekend. All summer long you will find lots of useful bargains at the outdoor sale. I walk inside and look at all the wonderful fabric. There are numerous quilts hanging from the ceiling and on the wall. Over the bridal section there are elegant clothes hanging from the ceiling. With all the fabrics to choose from, quilting cottons, fashion fabrics, bridal fabrics and home decorating fabrics the store has the largest, most complete selection of fabric in the west. They have an impressive collection of sewing, quilting and crafting supplies. I look around for new treasures. The staff is friendly and helpful. The web site has a new layout.
700 SE 122nd Ave Portland, OR 97233, cross street SE Stark. 1-888-896-1478, Hours Mon –Sat 9am to 9pm, Sunday 10am to 7pm.

www.fabricdepot.com

Hawthorne Coffee Merchant

Hawthorne Coffee Merchant
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

One of my favorite places to stop and buy coffee. I have been shopping there for a long time. Having a fresh brewed pot of coffee made from coffee purchased at Hawthorne Coffee Merchant starts my morning off happy. I usually buy merchants blend ground for Mr Coffee. The friendly staff does a good job in helping you pick out just the right beans, ground for your coffee pot. They sell freshly roasted specialty coffees and premium teas from all parts of the world, ready to brew at home. Stop in a different shop on the street for lattes or espresso.
Open 7 days, 9am to 7pm, 503-230-1222, 1-800-662-1533, 3564 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland OR, 97214
www.hawthornecoffee.com/

Meianna Bakery

Meianna Bakery
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

I like stopping at the Fubon Shopping Center in Southeast Portland and go to the Meianna Bakery. With all many choices of pineapple buns I have a hard time picking out which one that I want to eat. I usually get one with custard in the middle. The buns are reasonably priced at $1.10. Because the top looks like a pineapple, the buns are named after pineapples. Pineapple is not an ingredient in pineapple buns. It is fun to explore the rest of the shopping center, munching on a pineapple bun. 2850 SE 82nd Ave, Suite 27, Portland, OR 97266, 503 788 7968

Crafty Wonderland May 13

Stuffed Animal viruses
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

Art and craft fair with over 40 independent venders selling their work. Held on the second Sunday of each month at Dough Fir lounge, 830 E Burnside, Portland, OR
On May 13 Audrey Eschright will be there selling hand dyed yarn, iPod cozies, crocheted wire bracelets and purses. I will be selling stuffed animal viruses and making origami polyhedrons.

www.craftywonderland.com

Gartners Country Meats

Gartner' Country Meats
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

The bright red building is easy to spot. Parking is behind the building. Gartners Meat Market prepares meat German style. It is an old fashioned meat market and deli. It is a great place to stop before a picnic or BBQ to buy what you need. Marinated ribs, beef patties, butt rubbed chicken and sausages. Buttrub is a custom meat rub that is spicy. Sandwich fixings: cheese, deli meat bread and buns. Deli salads and chips and charcoal. They sell fresh seafood in the summer. The meat loaf mix was very popular when I served it for a birthday party. The prices are good; the best value is the freezer meat packages. My dog always appreciates a dog bone. The smoked dog bones come in all sizes small to large. Take a picture of your dog enjoying the bone and have them place it on the wall with the other pictures of dogs enjoying bones. They process wild game. On Killingsworth close to pdx hotels.
7450 N.E. Killingsworth, Portland, Or. 97218, 503-252-7801, hours: Tuesday though Saturday 9:00 AM TO 6:00 PM Sunday 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM
www.gartnersmeats.com

Cup Saucer Cafe

Cup Saucer Cafe
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

The other day I walked over to Cup and Saucer Café on Hawthorne Blvd. It was spring day with sun breaks and sprinkles. I ordered breakfast for lunch. I had French toast made with cinnamon raisin bread. It was delicious and I had a hard time making up my mind with all the choices of bread for French toast, including sourdough and brioche. The restaurant also makes a good scramble, with nice fluffy scrambled cage free eggs. The café has a large selection of soups, sandwiches and salads. There is a good selection of vegan food. It is a popular café, sign the waiting list to get a table. The café has location on NE Killingsworth and in Kenton.
3566 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214, 503-236-6001
3000 NE Killingsworth, 503-287-4427, 8237 NE Denver, 503-247-6011

Wahkeena Falls

Wahkeena Falls
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

Last Sunday I went on a hike on one of my favorite trails, 420 Wahkeena Falls on the Oregon side of the Columbia River gorge. The park is on the old Columbia River Highway near Multnomah Falls. It was an overcast day and not too warm. A few years back on the first day of summer I went on a hike on that trail and it rained almost two inches. The trail became my favorite when I was a child. I fell in love with fairy falls, it was just my size and I could walk thru it. I was amazed by Wahkeena Spring. I start hiking at the picnic area at the bottom of the trail. There is a bathroom, picnic tables and barbeques in the picnic area. Cross the road and hike on the paved path up to the bridge over the creek about ¼ mile, then continue on up the now paved second part of the trail up to the view point. The boy scouts did a nice job rebuilding the trail holding up the side of the hill with rock walls. The trail zigzags up the switch backs. Enjoy the view, and then continue up the trail following the creek. Stop at fairy falls. Just past fairy falls there is a branch in the trail, both ways go to the spring the branch following the creek is muddier. At the top is the spring. The trail continues on you can go right to Angles Rest or left toward Larch mountain. It is a great trail for children. The trail is wide and the exposure to cliffs is limited. My dog loves the trail; she has easy access to water most of the trail.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/forest/recreation/trails/WahkeenaTrail.htm

Ambassador Restaurant

Ambassador Restaurant
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

The other night we ordered take out from the Ambassador Restaurant. The food was ready in less than 20 minutes. Everyone enjoyed the meal. The Ambassador Pan Fried Noodles dish came with lots of vegetables, baby corn, broccoli and mushrooms. I am impressed with the remodeling of the restaurant. The outside is nicely updated and looks like a temple gate. They are still working on the inside. The bar area is finished. Gone is the dingy smokey bar in its place is a shiny back lit bar. They have karaoke every night. The song list is on their web page. The Ambassador Restaurant has good Chinese food the best in Hollywood.
4744 NE Sandy Blvd
Portland, OR 97213-2076 Phone: (503) 280-0330
www.ambassadorrestaurant.net/

Art Exhibit and Sale at Oregon Convention Center

Today is the last day of the Arts and Craft Showcase at the Oregon Convention Center. Admission is free. The Portland Handweaver guild has demonstrations showing how the spinning wheels and looms are used. Beautiful textiles are for sale. I liked the shimmer of the rayon and bamboo hand-woven textiles. The Oregon Potter’s Association Ceramic Showcase has over 300 artists displaying their ceramics. I admired an inscribed vase depicting a scene of salmon spawning. I enjoyed all the hand painted tiles. I admired the Mexican potters hand painted cats; each one had a different expression. One cat looked like it was going to sneeze. There are demonstrations, and separate areas for adults and children to work with clay. The Oregon Glass guilds Glass gallery show and sale was impressive. Sue Bradley’s black glass cats with green eyes reminded me of my cats. Chris Hucke’s iridescent purple glass vase caught my eye. The Portland Bead Society bead show has may lovely beaded necklaces. The Metal Arts Guild presents jewelry and metal art. Wow all the gold jewelry for sale. Also a silent auction for CASA. The shows close at 5pm May 6, 2007. Oregon Convention Center 777 NE Martin Luther King Blvd, Portland, OR

First Thursday Art Walk May 3rd

I am looking forward to a nice evening strolling around downtown and the Pearl looking at art. I hope the weather acts like spring and I don’t get hailed on. I am excited that Margo Jacobsen has come out of retirement and opened another gallery. I enjoyed looking at the art that she sold, especially the glass artist’s works at her old gallery. Margo Jacobson Gallery 1306 NW Hoyt St. # 301. www.margojacobsenartdealer.com

Quintana Galleries 120 NW 9^th, www.quintanagalleries.com is showing Tundra and Sea Artic Arts of Canada and Alaska. Quintana has an impressive collection of Native American art. Blackfish Gallery 420 NW Ninth Ave is an artist owned gallery. www.blackfish.com Works showing for the month of May are by Kate Simmons.

I am going to stop in Lawrence Gallery 903 NW Davies, www.lawrencegallery.net, sip a glass of wine and look at art. Attic Gallery, www.atticgallery.com, Pearl location 539 NW 10^th at Hoyt is showing Gretchen Gammell. I enjoy looking at her art. She captures being a woman so well. The Albina Community Bank at 430 NW 10^th always has a nice show. Mark Wooley moved to the east side of the Willamette River to the Wonder ballroom 128 NE Russell. www.markwoolley.com Take the free Russell Shuttle service from the Pearl District to the Mark Wooley gallery. The Grove Bomb Bus looks like a fun ride across the river.

Wine Tasting at McMenamins Edgefield

Bruce walking into Wine Cellar
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

McMenamins Edgefield is a fun place to visit. I like to stop into the wine cellar and taste their wines. The cellar is in the basement of the manor building. Walk down a ramp into the wine tasting room. The light is dim in the room. There is a small bar that is often very crowded. Glass walls separate the tasting room from the tanks where the wine is fermenting. Along the walls are tables and chairs in the style of all McMenamins. The furniture is a collection of items from garage sales, flea markets, thrift shop and attics. I sat in an old captain’s chair next to an oak coffee table from the 1970’s. The tasting fee is reasonable, ranging from a dollar to five dollars. They make a wide variety of wines, a few are Syrah, Merlot, Riesling, and Chardonnay. The table wines are delicious,
2005 Cuveé De L'abri Rouge, and 2004 Black Rabbit Red. I bought 2005 Umbrella Jimmy Dry Rosé Pinot Noir, a nice summer wine.
Local: (503) 669-8610
Elsewhere: (800) 669-8610
2126 S.W. Halsey St.
Troutdale, OR 97060
www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=78&id=441

Ruthies Rags

Ruthies Rags
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

Ruthie’s Rags is a Natural Fabric Shop located in Parkrose. The shop is on the list of most fabric shopping tours in Portland, OR. It carries a nice selection of natural fabrics, hemp, bamboo, linen, cotton, wool and silk. All the notions that you need to finish your project are available. You can find a wide selection of independent patterns. Classes are offered, given by top notch teachers. Ruth the owner is very friendly and fun to chat with. She stocks the store with the fabrics that she is passionate about. She is getting ready to launch an online store. Last time that I was in the store I bought a bamboo woven fabric printed in a tropical print and a linen blend embroidered fabric. I am going to make a Hawaiian type shirt and a cool skirt for summer.
10602 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR (503) 261-7177