Oregon History, Fiber Festival & Dahlia Garden

Goodness, I've had an eventful few days.  Yesterday I went swimming, then got my hair cut, then decided to get my nails done, then I figured, why not get a pedicure.. and then the technician asked if I wanted anything waxed.. so I go, okay, can you do my chin?  OY!  It was painful and after she was done my face was numb.  When I got home I felt my chin and it was covered with bumps.  That will be the last time I do that!  Today it's still itchy and painful and bumpy.  

OK.. on to today.  Hubby and I headed out to the Canby Fairgrounds to attend the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival (OFFF).  This first photo belongs at the end, but I wanted a neat photo for my little thumbnail photo for this post. :-)  This is from the Swan Island Dahlia Garden, pretty, huh?

When we passed through Oregon City, I pulled off at the Willamette Falls viewpoint.  Some history below.

Here are the falls.  Kind of sad that there is so much concrete to control the falls.. but it's still pretty.

This wonderful bronze statue of Dr. John McGloughlin below at that viewpoint.

His story.. the short version.. that fits on a plaque. :-)

We then went to lunch at a place where hubby used to go when he was still working as an Engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad.  It's changed hands and is now called "Biscuits Cafe".  This is my bacon cheeseburger and ohhh myyyy gooooooooooodnessssss... it was the best cheeseburger I've had in a LONG time.  NUMMY!

After lunch hubby took me to see the Vietnam Memorial there.  For those of you new to my blog, my husband was a helicopter pilot in the Army and flew troop insertion in a Huey and later a C model Huey gunship.  Then he went to aerial recon as a Scout.  It was during that period that he was shot while flying and had to put down the copter in a hostile environment.  He was awarded the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and several other medals.

Here is a Medivac Huey helicopter.

Then we went on to the Canby Train Depot which is now a museum, with a cool caboose beside it.  Hubby became a railroad engineer when we returned to Oregon after living in Louisiana for 5 years (where we married) and where he flew offshore helicopter for the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.  We had our first 2 children while living there.

Then on to the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival!!  Below you will see a sample of the scores of small booths selling all kinds of raw wool, carded wool bats, spun wool, dyed raw wool and spun, finished knitted and crocheted items, crochet hooks, knitting needles, and just about anything you'd need or want regarding fiber, etc.

There was also virtually every single kind of fiber known to "woman", such as wool of every type, alpaca, silk, camel, yak, cotton, hemp, angora sheep and rabbit, ummmmm... everything!!

The bats above are alpaca and SILK.... and I bought two of these!  One of the pinks and one of the blues.  Ohhhh boy!  Hubby was my walking ATM and I picked out stuff and he paid for it.. and carried my purse so I could look with two hands.  Oh yeah, I'm that spoiled.  :-)

To my credit, I only bought 2 bats... :-)

All the above and below were already spun and dyed *THE* most amAYzing colors!!

There was a huge building full of booths, then outside there were booths and there were ladies spinning everywhere!  This lady brushes her pet Angora bunny, then spins what she gets off of her.  Then brushes... then spins.  I do believe he's giving us a *look*.  :-)

We then entered the animal barn.  Here are 2 adorable Jacob Sheep.  I love them!

Is there anything more regal than a Llama?  How cute is he?  Kinda messy though. LOL!

There was a whole section with Angora bunnies for sale.  Awwwww

Here is a very adorable Angora goat, which makes mohair fiber.

Our purchases today, 2 braids of 70% alpaca, 30% Tussah silk... and a new straw hat for Dayle to wear when he's mowing the pasture on his tractor!

After we left OFFF, we veered off the road home to take some photos of the Swan Island Dahlia Gardens.  Here is a pretty and large pink variety.

Below is a very cute one that is red, with white extra petals and a yellow center.  Adorable!

We took wayyyyyyyyy more photos than I'm showing you, but you'd probably have gotten tired of seeing them by now and not made it to the bottom.  For those of you who made it down here.. bravo!

((hugs)), Teresa :-)