Tried a new food cart downtown called Delacata.............should also have delicious in that sign. Since we just returned from a long trip part of which was spent in Catfish country imagine my delight to find fried catfish.....not the whole fish like in the South or where I grew up in Illinois.......but perfectly fried fillets.............so good! It was served with jalapeno cheddar hushpuppies, cilantro lime coleslaw and dill alioli dipping sauce but the catfish didn't need any help.........I will definitely return to try some of the other offerings. I am not sure how this food got here but I do hope it stays.......

Home from vacation in Florida Et Al

Palm Sunday

Doing a early Easter dinner for grandau who is home on Spring break from New Mexico. Just got the ham glaze on and yams are baking..........trying some white asparagus this year. Rolls, butter and relish tray with strawberry shortcake for desert.
Found a brand new Waterford tablecloth at an estate sale that fit our dining room table exactly.........colors went well with the Royal Doulton Moonlight and Roses pattern and used gold chargers and flatware to complete the blue and gold theme. Didn't do tulips for a table centerpiece but used my green depression ware as serving dishes and kept things simple. I did have lovely damask blue napkins that I really enjoy how they fold and feel to the touch.
Ham was very tasty and altho my white asparagus didn't turn out looking like a French art form......we enjoyed the flavor and textures. We had the dish in Marseille and it was simply elegant and wonderful. I did have Dijon mustard from Beaune and very zesty. Keegan said it was a great contrast to the sweet cherry ham sauce. Yeasty rolls and butter and yams finished the feast.
This will be my family dinner for Easter. Sue had to work till late so we decided to go out on her birthday as it is one week past Easter Sunday and I really didn't want to do another ham dinner back to back.
This was Kat's first family dinner in 3 years and I didn't take a photo but she dressed up and it was fun to have her and Keegan.
Me and Mikey will go out for a brunch Easter Sunday........should be great and leave the dishes for someone else. Have a Blessed Easter everyone.

Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition/Coastwatch

Saturday we were at the Tillamook Community College all day for lectures and workshops on a variety of topics. Everything from Be a Paleobotanist to watching for Snowy Plovers. We learned about tidepools, identification protocols for stranded animals, understanding climate change, the future of the Northwest's shoreline, tunicates and other invasive species and more. Very interesting stuff.
That evening found our tired brains trying to debrief at a little eatery called Fat Dog's Pizza.....had a excellent calzone and went back to the motel to shower/swim and kick back. After we got home Mike discovered his vest was missing and altho that was expendable our camera was not. After checking at the pizza place they did have it and offered to send it to us. We were amazed that no one had picked up the camera and that the owner was willing to do that. Small towns usually equal good folks and thanks for making me more confident in the human race!
A sunny morning found us at Cape Lookout State Park where Curt Peterson took us on a great walk along various beaches to explore coastal geology. Once again great info and something to ponder.
Home on Sunday evening and unpacked....early bed after a very nice four day holiday at the coast.

Sharing the Coast Conference March 3-4 2012

Had a very informative and interesting four day trip to the coast starting last Thursday. Went to the above conference which was sponsored by Oregon Shores and Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators held at Tillamook Community College. Leaving on a Thursday after our morning BOGS group we arrived at Cape Cod Cottages on a nice sunny day. Checking into our cabin we decided to go get something for dinner to enjoy that sun as long as possible and maybe we would be treated to a sunset.
Coming home with Enchiladas and a side dish as well as peanut butter pie slices, I had brought an old movie with us and we had decided to have a computer holiday and for me that means no FACEBOOK which was ok. Mike was able to walk down to Big Stump and do some measurements while I enjoyed getting us settled into the cabin.
Next morning we were on our way to Tillamook to attend our conference. We toured the Tillamook Pioneer Museum and an old WW11 hangar that housed blimps as a shore watch. Huge building with old fighter planes on display.......blimps had long been removed and they converted into a museum with a snazzy gift shop and a retro cafe. Watched a movie with old clips from the war and saw signage telling us that barn owls had taken up residence so we could see pellets here and there where we were walking or even messier stuff so we kept an eye out.
For a little while I felt like a big band could start playing boogie woogie swing music at any moment.........what a great sound that was and I still enjoy listening to music from the big band era.........now they could really play without all this electronic crap that passes for music now.
Checked into our Shilo Inn which also had a nice restaurant in a separate building as well as a gas station and a convenient store.....made it nice after a long day driving and sight seeing to just walk to the eatery and then home...oh, forgot to bring....no worry........walk to the store....
We also toured and tasted cheese at the Blue Heron French Cheese Factory. More tomorrow on the conference.

Oscar Night Party Gala

Usually my daughter comes over to watch Oscars with me. This year she had a conflict with the date so my husband suggested we go to a party. I am glad we did.
Althought no one dressed up the house was decorated with Oscar decor...I have no idea where they have found all the decorations but apparently it has grown over the years. They stick with gold and black for colors and have many posters scattered around to remind one of not only current films but old classics. There were two huge rooms set up for viewing and one boasted two tv's and the main room had a large screen so we could watch in style. It was fun being part of a totally unashamed group of Hollywood film lovers. There were hoots of laughter created by Billy Crystal and some gasps as surprise winners were announced...and yes we love the glitz and glamour but folks were mainly glued to the film clips and what a fun night.
Food was offered non stop in the kitchen where a buffet was set up and one could get up during commercials and grab a snack or drink....some folks chose to stay in their seats as movie trivia with prizes was being played. As we entered the home our picture was snapped and we will be pasted onto a Hollywood star of fame and displayed in next year's festivities.
I won a door prize...a Bugs Bunny coffee mug and Mike won a Planet Hollywood shot glass.....fun way to spend a dark rainforest evening with good company.
I was surprised to see Ms. Streep win but didn't she deserve it? What a Woman!

Saturday Dining with friends

Our Daily Bread is a little cafe in a renovated old church in a small town. It is where the locals go to eat and with good reason. A very different and unique menu which is refreshingly different from most franchise joints. They bake their own breads and pastries and offer different specials especially for the holidays.
Met two friends there on a day when it was snowing one minute and sun and blue sky the next...welcome to Orygun where if you want to know the forecast look out the window and your guess is as good as the weatherman!
Noticed there was a special St. Patrick's Day Menu with live music and Guiness!
Appetizers, salads, and soups.
Hot spinach and goat cheese dip. Prawn cocktail, oyster shooter. Cup of Irish stew and soda bread.
Entrees
Corned beef and cabbage
Shepherd's Pie
Celtic Pan-fried oysters
North Sea Salmon Rolls
Poached cod
Fenderbender's Special Prime Rib
New York steak a la Remy Martin
Specialty desserts....must be some Irish coffee and Bailey cream somewhere.....
Now I have to decide between this and the K of C celebration with their corned beef/cabbage dinner....then have to support the Italians somewhere along the way for St. Joseph. Welcome to March.....almost done with February.

Sunny Day in the Rainforest February 24

Looking at the weather forecast and checking my own known weather by looking out the window.....we have a saying in the rainforest. If the sun is out so should you also be there. So merely following that wisdom I drove us to the coast. Sun the entire way and by the time we were in Florence, the town made famous by the Dunes we were so happy to have made our choice as we could see the blue sky and the blue ocean as we made our way to Waldport.
We have stayed many times in this charming little port and today we had a few pieces of business to conduct as well as enjoy the day. Made a stop to the Cape Cod Cottages to talk to the managers about driving down to THE STUMP. Mike has been doing research on this redwood stump for years and is getting very close to having an article published. Troy and Cammie are the guardians of THE STUMP as it is on their ocean side property and are happy to see it get some recognition. There will be more on this later. Into Waldport for a seafood lunch. There were two older women who came into the locals cafe and after exchanging pleasantries with the very witty waitress placed their order. As only it can be in a small town, we soon heard and were updated on all the locals business.........you see there is no canned muzak in here and no jukebox and as the sign says you pay in cash.........no plastic accepted.
I heard one of the ladies gasp as her order was delivered and I looked to see two giant turkey day platters in front of her.......steaming hot with biscuits and gravy.......she opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out and she simply dissolved into hysterical giggles as she slumped into the back wall amazed at her order. "Even in Texas we wouldn't serve this big! Anybody in here hungry?" There were no takers as everyone else was dealing with their own Paul Bunyon portions. I thought this moment was worth the whole trip. My Dad would have loved this place.
After lunch we headed to the museum to talk to our contact person who was not there but enjoyed talking to another local about early Waldport. Time to hit the road and this morning I am watching it snow here in Bluejean Eugene........need I say more about the timing for our trip yesterday? I think not.

A sunny day Bird wallk in February

Today was our BOGS birdwalk in Golden Gardens Park and we were rewarded with approximately 25 sightings of species and as it was sunny.....many Western pond turtles were on the logs taking advantage of the warm and light. Upon entering the park we noted a cormorant fishing and right in front of us he caught what Steve said was a big catfish! The group watched in fascination as he attempted to swallow the fish and althought it took many tries finally the fish went down. Too bad there wasn't anyone with a video camera. There are several large ponds here and one huge flock of wigeons were in one.......many geese, a few gulls, kestrel, hawk, some warblers, a turkey vulture circling overhead and the usual squawky scrub jays.
Had about thirty folks enjoying the two hour hike and altho chilly and I wore my sheepskin boots..........it was lovely to be in sun and light.
Stopped to pick up a couple of lamb gyros on the way home for lunch and did a little pruning of my potted plants as some of my herbs like parsley and sage have already sprouted and grown enough to use.
The pink camellia bush is blooming madly and we have primroses, pansies and daffodills in bloom as well as crocus and heather...........have seen a few azaelas in bloom around town.........Welcome Spring........

Facebook

Facebook............you either love it or hate it. For me it has been a way to connect with distant family and friends. I used to wait for weeks to see the photos from Christmas as film had to be taken to be developed and then there was the pick up and sometimes I was viewing these in February....well ty FB not anymore. I see them as soon as they are taken thanks to my brothers posting on their pages and other relatives are doing the same. It is almost like being there and such a good thing.
Games was a new thing to me.........a niece or nephew would send me an invite to play and other cousins joined in as well as my brother and we would all compete madly for awhile and then I one day realized it was mostly me that was playing. By then I had hooked up with other gamers all over the country and Brazil, Italy, France, Egypt, England, Scotland, and places I have no idea where they are.........so interesting. I have friends who poke me every day and that actually is keeping in touch more so than most of my friends and relatives so I thank them for thinking about me....tis a strange thing.
Friends who don't do Facebook are miffed at me for not keeping up with email but when one can IM on FB and talk to someone in real time..kinda hard to go back to email. One of our former French students is in NYC this week with his family and I have so enjoyed seeing the photies on FB.............I don't plan on leaving this fun thing in my life. Always there to entertain me.

Asian Celebration

Went to The big Asian festival at the fairgrounds on a cloudy day with some menacing looking rain clouds hanging over my head. Inside I am transported to Asia with music, art, food, martial art demos and a very colorful dragon running around.
Main Stage had Waka Daiko or young adult Taiko drumming which is hypnotizing both in sound and visual. Next wandered the booths looking at lovely water colors and chinese brush painting. The Asian Heritage Exhibits were interesting to see as they showed ol photos about early Asian loggers and farmers. One of our most famous Oregonians was Bhagat Singh Thind who helped plan India's rebellion against Britain from Astoria.
Did you know that men from Hawaii and Tahiti were at Ft. Umpqua in 1836 or ever wondered why eastern Oregon has so many places named Owyhee? I can only wonder what they thought about a dark and rainy and cold Oregon Winter.......
The food court was great......live cooking demos going on and learned about lemongrass chicken..... I ended up making a tough choice on food as there were so many good ones. Yakisoba noodles and teriyaki chicken worked really well. Had to buy money vouchers as the food folks decided they didn't want to handle the money exchanges and I thought that was a great idea to keep the food much cleaner.
Saw nothing but smiles on folks who were happy to see the sights and sounds of Asia...........I will return next year! I even enjoyed the martial arts display.

A look at the sky by Mr. Rick Kang

Today our birding group had a guest speaker who is an Educator with Oregon Atrophysics Outreach. Our program today was an intro to the hierarchy of Deep Space and we learned about our Solar System, the Milky Way Galaxy and Our Universe.
He had gorgeous photos of everything from planets, the galaxy and black holes.
We got updates on ongoing space missions such as Mercury Messenger, Mars, Juno to Jupiter, Cassini at Saturn and the involvement of other nations in space exploration.
Finally we received dates of upcoming events to be observed March thru June.........Planets:Conjunction, solar eclipse and partial lunar eclipse. He also stressed using proper eye protection. A very good talk and nice handout for future reference.
Stopped at Soup Nation and had a hot bowl of one of their exotic soups and fresh baked bread and then went on to the cinema to see "The Grey"...............lots of violence and not a happy ending so now I have decided to watch hoops to keep from thinking about the wolves and the cold that I observed in "The Grey"

St. Valentine's Day

We went out for a very nice lunch and opted for a light dinner at home before going to our Tuesday night film classs.
Our host said he was pleased to present a very cynical noir movie from Billy Wilder "Ace in the Hole" from 1951 starring the one and only Kirk Douglas. We have been going to these classes for a few years and a former Hollywood director relocated in our town is the teacher. We enjoy these sessions and the opportunity to critique the film with a large group and just think about the film making techniques. We then extend the discussion upon arrival at home and in the Summer we would be out on the deck sharing wine and cheese but in Winter we are inside and last nite had pie and ice cream to conclude our big Valentine's day feast.
I received some lovely pink tulips that have been fun to watch open. A few silly but meaningful cards concluded our day......in years gone by I would have received some jewelry or huge chocolate box and remember saving those pretty heart shapes till one day.........?HUH? why am I saving these. Now we just enjoy and recycle.
Back to the one and only Kirk Douglas...............it was fun to see him in a film I didn't know existed. he was such an original........I watched him post stroke walk onto a Oscar stage and receive a standing ovation for his remarkable career. Watching him perform last night made me realize not only was he easy on the eyes but he was dynamic and oozed energy. I had two aunts when I was growing up who both loved movies. They bought movie magazines which they would let me look at and would explain their faves and then allowed me to cut out photos of the ones I liked. I made a scrapbook and lost it over the years but have thought about how much entertainment it was for me to cut and paste. Thanks to Aunt Ella and Ruth for telling me all about the magical Kirk Douglas.

Winter Break

Looking at the extended forecast we noted a four day window for sun and decided to head to the Southern Oregon Coast. We always feel like we are heading back to Memory Lane as we lived in Elkton for a time and the little town was magical for two folks just getting off the sidewalk in L.A. but that is another story.
On the way we stopped to have coffee with friends who have a home on the green green Umpqua River......in historic Scottsburg. The river is always lovely to gaze upon and we spent a very nice hour sipping and looking and catching up with each other's lives. K.R. and Jeff always have winter projects set up and they make interesting items from hooked hangings done in Pendleton wool to beaded bags aka Indian style. K.R. told me to be sure and see a huge collection of Indian baskets at the Trees of Mystery in California so I mentally filed that one away.
In the charming small town of Reedsport we bought locally fished and canned albacore. It is gourmet stuff and you can't quite go back to Starkist once you have eaten this.....the only thing better would be fresh caught and cooked on a cedar plank aka Indian style.
Bandon was another stop...love my little towns and I made a quick tour of the Cranberry Candy Factory and bought a bag of assorted chocolates while Mike read at a little cafe in the sun. We looked at the cranberry bogs as we left town and drove thru Port Orford....which has become a arts mecca yet still charming and small and then Gold Beach. I noticed a nice looking resort with a huge indoor heated pool and spa as well as hot breakfast and ocean view so we quickly made it our headquarters for three nights while we went exploring redwoods in California.
That evening we went across the highway to a charming old home turned into a restaurant and enjoyed crab and steak dinners before turning in on a long but great day...did I mention it was warm enuf to just have a light jacket on? Truly we found the banana belt and I was looking forward to sun , ocean and light for a few days and to be out of the gloom and grey of a normal Oregon Winter.

No Shame Theater on a Friday Nite

Went to the show last night and it was entertaining. Improv is sometimes brilliant and also can be tedious. Had a very sexist ?comedian who I found not funny but offensive to the max. One great moment was when two ballerinas did the two sides of the Black Swan and it was a little bit like being at the ballet when suddenly a Mad Viking appeared in the background mocking their every move.........it was hilarious..........didn't hurt to see the great hulking hairy dude playing the role and he was surprisingly limber. Did I mention he was the cook for a local campus eatery?
We are off to the Northern California Redwoods for a few days so more when we return.

Shen Yun

February 1, 2012 found us in the Hult Center as the blackberry curtain went up on The World Premier Classical Chinese Dance Company performance of SHEN YUN.
The words evoke a sense of wonder, magic and the divine..........I fell we experienced the experience of a lifetime which one would never see in China. In a word.........beautiful.
The name Shen is a term for divine or divine being while Yun refers to the overall manner of a dancer and the meaning behind his or her movements. It was all of that with some stumpendous moving backgrounds and gorgeous harmonious colors of the China landscape including parts of the Great wall..........I found it fascinating to think of the diversity in China.
Currently the DAC book club is reading Peter Hessler's book called "Country Driving" A Chinese road trip. He drove the entire great wall of China and did a commentary of the impact that the car culture has not brought to China but the current evolution of that vast country as more and more Chinese discover the car. His viewpoint as a Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker is fascinating as well as insightful. The show helped bring the visual and sound to the book as a new look at a country I will probably never visit.
The Oregon Falun Dafa Association was instrumental in bringing the show to town. Falun Dafa is a form of religion not condoned in China . Peter Hessler speaks of it in his book and the show artfully displays the people trying to practice their faith while being persecuted.
The show was not only spiritual but had a message and it doesn't get any better than this. I am so glad that on a whim we bought tickets nearly a month ago and we got a lasting memory.

8th Annual Open Lens 2012

January 28th 2012 was a good way to spend an afternoon and evening at the Diva sponsored Open Lens film festival. It celebrated independent short films with a wide selection of selections including drama, comedy, documentary, thrillers, experimental film and animation.
The crowd pleaser was a comedy and rightly so. "Sudden Death" was a spoof of a famous masterpiece from 1957 called "The Seventh Seal". Al Kline turns that film's famous scene where a knight of the Middle Ages plays chess with death............Kline uses a henpecked husband, Sherman who plays basketball with a be-robed death.....one who calls Sherman piggy and the one on one hoop moves were very entertaining. Impossible not to laugh at this one and the broom and sweeper wielding wife were very effective in the film.
The documentary was called "Fight: Arena of Gamers" which depicted the Portland gaming community. Showing clips from actual games and competitions it was easy to understand the attraction of this activity in a digital age.
Other films were very entertaining and thought provoking. One 7 minute presentation was called "Will". A man facing a death sentence adds a clause in his will that his best friend, a bbq master prepare his body for cremation by first adding his famous bbq rub.............Folks just let their imagination run wild on this one. This was droll rather than amusing.
There was opportunity to meet the film makers and Davis catered the after film fest activities.
Earlier in the afternoon Doug Hennessy gave a seminar "how to watch a movie like a film critic" It was very entertaining as he illustrated his points with actual film clips. I , who go to the movies just to enjoy and be entertained now have a new way to understand film. Doug also has a blog The Movie List Blogster and has written about movies in newspapers and magazines for the last 30 years.

Winter Rains

The Monsoons are here and although I am not a big fan of January weather in the Pacific Northwest......I can't complain when I wake up and find the temperature is 50 degrees F. There is no snow on the ground or in the foothills around our street. It is in the mountains where it belongs so if you miss the white stuff you can always drive to the snow, ski or just have a look, turn on the car heater and then come back to the valley.
Rivers are rising and they are releasing water from some of the dams and some folks are driving boats around town and not cars. It won't last all that long and we have lots of year round firs and bushes that need a good long drink.
I drove past Lowe's yesterday and the garden stuff is all out. Spotted a robin on the weekend and the daffodill bulbs are shooting up. I am ready for another long Oregon Spring .

January 25 2012

Last week at our BOGS meeting, Bill Burwell, a Naturalist and author spoke on the history and ethnology of the McKenzie River watershed. He also shared stories of the Kalapuyan Tribe and the early settlers entering the valley.
The tribe lived in winter villages here close to the river and used rock faces for additional shelters while using gill nets to catch salmon as they were skilled fishermen. Women gathered berries and made unique baskets from cedar bark to not only carry them back to the village but to store them. Bill brought a replica for us to see....and it was not only functional but artistic and we were able to "try them on" as they had a fiber rope to hang around the neck . This was enjoyed by everyone as usually these objects are behind glass in a museum or "you can't touch".
The women also used a digging tool to harvest camas which was the source of their starch in the diet. Camas has a root bulb and they learned to cook it on heated rocks. Men hunted using obsidian tools which came from the Obsidian cliffs nearby. They were also used as trade goods and were quite beautiful pieces. We also learned that due to being out in the elements caused dry skin as did their cedar bark "clothes" rubbing on them so from the lamprey eel they were able to obtain an oil they called oolachon pronounced oooolaajohn. Some settlers called them the P.U. tribe which probably meant the oil did not smell all that great.
Burwell also had a book called "Kalapuyan Texts" stories about the tribe colled by a man studying native tribes in the valley in the 1930's...and he told us one about Coyote, the trickster which had a message we could all relate to in 2012.
This was a lecture day at BOGS aka Birds of Oregon and General Science and is a birding group that meets every week . Every other week is a field trip somewhere different to walk and observe birds. We are really enjoying this group and finding new friends.

January 18 2012

Today is my brother Mike's birthday and I can't wish him a Happy one as he is no longer with us so I thought I could share some memories of him because as they say he is gone but not forgotten.
I was the oldest of five children growing up in the Midwest. Mike was my childhood playmate. I was considered a tomboy and was duly influenced by both my brother and my father. They taught me how to catch a baseball, dribble a basketball, hit a golf ball, and even throw a football. We had favorite baseball teams. Mike loved the Cardinals and I was wishy washy but went with the Cubs as my Dad said.........they are the hometown team Bird. Sigh....yes that was my childhood nickname......and still have some family members who call me that. I even got a christmas card from my brother Pat addressed to Bird Miller.
My dad would be listening to a baseball game on the radio while watching another one on tv. He taught me how to keep score and did I forget the bowling ball? Mike loved to bowl and was very competitive as we all were. We loved to win and that extended into board games. Monopoly was a huge fave and some folks who won't be named would hide big money bills up their sleeves and appeared to be broke and then pull it sneakily out and land on the property they had been "saving" the money for.
Dad was Irish and my brothers had the names. Mike, Patrick and Rob...........but I was Bird. I once asked him why he called me that and he said I flitted around like one and reminded him of birds and the way they moved.
Me and Mike also watched boxing on the tv.......I knew the names of all the great fighters. I also knew the NBA teams and watched the greats. It was a golden time for sports.........a big travel day for the family was to go to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals as it was easier to get around that town than Chicago . We were thrilled to watch Stan Musial play. I only remember one game at Wrigley Field but knew I was in the big time. Yes, the 50's were a great time to be a kid.
Today I wish my childhood companion and brother a big Happy Birthday in heaven. Love you Mike and "Tanks for the memories" (private joke)

Flashback

I noticed the sign as I was sipping my steaming cup of coffee. It was an old sign from the early days of this restaurant franchise and it was almost in disbelief I read the offerings.
Coffee 10 cents. Coke 10 cents. Hot chocolate 15 cents.....Guess that exotic chocolate was more spendy than coffee beans or Coca Cola's secret formula.
Jumbo fried shrimp 75 cents. Green salad 25 cents. French fries 20 cents. I could have had a feast for a mere buck and some change......today January 10, 2012 that doesn't cover the coffee I am currently sipping. Intrigued I read on........chili dog 30 cents. Hot dog 25 cents. Fish and chips 75 cents. Tacos 25 cents. Tamale with chili 40 cents. Special burger 50 cents. Tuna fish sandwich 35 cents. Junior burger 25 cents. A family oriented place and this is almost a free spot for kids to eat like certain places would advertise today.
The only "free" offering I had was a glass of ice water with a slice of lemon thrown in......I wonder if we ever understood how reasonable those prices were and not have the sticker shock we see today on menus for inferior food that is better prepared at home.
May be wishful thinking but I know the quality of that burger, malt, shake, french fries was very good and well prepared and served with some style....not handed out a window in a bag in a hasty manner.
This was a good flashback and made me realize how I long to sometimes slow down the pace of modern life and just be......not have to be on a treadmill.