In years past, our tomato-growing technique consisted of two steps: 1) put plants in ground, then 2) pick ripe fruit. And for the most part, this has worked out ok. We’ve enjoyed lots of fresh, juicy tomatoes! But this year, I decided to try something new: pruning.

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We got up early on the 4th of July and drove up to Mary’s Peak, which is located southwest of Corvallis and, at about 4,097 feet, is the highest point in Oregon’s Coastal Range. (Interestingly enough, exactly one month ago, on June 4th, I’d expressed interest in Mary’s Peak in our entry about Alsea Falls.) [...]

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View from Oakmont Park’s “meadow”As mentioned in my previous post, we spent a little time over at Oakmont Park. It’s a neat little park that was designed to meet the needs of its visitors as well as the people who live around it. In what was previously just a flat lot, planners varied the [...]

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On this weekend before the 4th of July, we stayed close to home, avoided the heat and the crowds, and celebrated in a low-key way. We’d really wanted to attend this year’s Art and the Vineyard at Alton Baker Park, but unfortunately, the event didn’t open until 11:30 AM. (Why so late?) Because of Evan’s [...]

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For Father’s Day this year, Jen and Evan gave me a day of diving! They conspired with our friend and dive buddy Jason, who agreed to accompany me beneath the crystal clear, ice cold waters of Clear Lake, OR — one of my favorite freshwater dive sites. The date was to be June 24th. And [...]

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June 16th was my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, and to celebrate the occasion, the family gathered in Cannon Beach, OR, for an extended weekend. We stayed at The Victorian at White Heron Lodge, which is part of the Waves Motel. We rented the entire building, which consists of 4 beachfront units in a single, two-story [...]

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