Saturday, September 24, 2011

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 :-)

22 comments:

  1. What a jam packed post. First, I love those Dahlias. I would have left with several racks of fiber and yarn. LOL

    That look. I recognize that look. Get it several times a day here. I can't believe the rabbit just sat there. Dammit and the girls would never do that.

    You actually left without getting a bunny?

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  2. Looks like you had a wonderful time! Oh, the fiber! Just amazing stuff :)

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  3. I don't know where to begin.

    Firstly, I love the father of Oregon from Rivière du Loup. I've been there twice. :-)

    Secondly, he dahlias are beautiful as always. I must plant some next spring. Do I say "plant dahlias"?

    Thirdly, the wool, huch, a feast of colours.

    Finally, the lamas. There is a lama farm next to our place. These animals look so peaceful and proud at the same time I think.

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  4. What a brilliant Flock and Fiber Festival! Look at that Big Angora bunny next to the spinning lady - seeing the pic of the one for sale, for a moment I thought you had bought him :-) I absolutely love the Angora goat, I had never seen one before. Thanks for sharing, Teresa! :-) xxxx

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  5. Wow what a lovely time you have had for the last few days Teresa. I really enjoyed reading about the history of Oregon and also seeing your old haunts. Then the fibre festival...what a treat. Your hamburger has made me feel very hungry. To cap all this off I have some news for you.....you won my giveaway! Congrats, I shall email you for your address etc.
    Happy Sunday,
    Jane x

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  6. What a great day. And there are never too many photos of a fiber festival. Can we have part two tomorrow? I used to go to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival with my sister. My favorite place to be in the world. Now high school swimming has taken over that weekend. I'll return in a few years.
    Have a great day,
    Meredith

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  7. Amazing, amazing hubby, amazing photographs, amazing flowers, amazing fibre, amazing animals, amazing that bunny sits so still and amazing you were good and only bought two lots of gorgeous fibre :) xxx

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  8. Such a fun set of images...I adore Dahlias...I need to plant some for sure! Thank you for sharing...happy Sunday to you. xo

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  9. I was amazed at all the things in this post...and found each item extremely interesting..lovely places, lovely falls, amazing husband and his experiences, lovely dahlias and lovely colourful fibrefest,,,and the cute bunny sitting so still and patient!! Thank you for sharing Teresa. Have a happy week ahead.
    Helen x

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  10. Yarn porn! Ahhhh...

    That hamburger looks so juicy-delicioius. I could use one of those about now. Of course, I would pick the food picture to talk about. Ha-ha.

    That first rabbit looks so neat. I've never seen one like that before. As always, all of your pictures are great. I love your header.

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  11. It took me a minute to revive myself. First, those Dahlias are stunning. Fields and fields. What a great bit of info on the hubby. It's amazing to hear such war tales of what they have gone through for freedom in our country. How did you contain yourself at that fair is beyond me. All that glorious color. I can't wait to see that spinned up. You do have to do a posting on that for us when you get to it.

    It's been a weekend of outdoor chores getting the beds ready for the painters this OCT. So, sad to see the gardens going to sleep so early this year, but there is a chill in the air.

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  12. What a busy lady you are! You have such a wonderful husband, I hope he knows that too! I wish I could get my pictures to have the same beautiful quality yours do. Such color and clarity! I just wanted to reach in and grab some of that yarn and pet those pretty animals! It sounds like you had an absolutely wonderful time and did a very good job monitoring your buying. Congrats :) You'll have to let us know how those bats spin up! Beautiful choices.
    ~Lacey

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  13. Hello Teresa such beautiful photos the flowers,animals,fibre, water etc. You certainly get about. Your DH sounds a very brave man and a lovely kind DH. Anne x

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  14. Lovely photos. I would have like to attend that fiber festival. Love those animals.

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  15. Oh wow! What a fabulous post! I love all your photos! They're really gorgeous! I'm so glad you had a great trip! And the fiber is amazing!!!! Really enjoy reading the Oregon history, thank you so much for sharing us!!!
    Wonderful week ahead to you too!
    Love and hugs,
    LS, xo

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  16. Wow! Can't believe you only came home with 2 skeins. I would have had an angora bunny under one arm, and the alpaca under the other. LOVE alpacas, they're so cute! :-)

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  17. What an awesome post! Flowers, food and fiber...oh yeah I am so there! Your photos are always so beautiful. You have the eye of an artist!

    Thanks also for the pumpkin pattern, I will have to make one, it's very cute. :)

    Blessings to you and yours

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  18. Wow!! Looks like great fun!
    And please thank your husband for his service. Blessings on you both.

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  19. Hi Teresa, what a lovely day you have had. All that lovely yarn, I think you did well just to come away with the two! Love your pumpkin from the previous post - thanks for sharing the pattern. Hope you have a good week ((hugs)) Joanna xx

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  20. Hi Teresa,
    This post is filled with loveliness! Oh the yarn, and the flowers and the animals, oh my! Love your purchases! I can't believe that angora bunny, would love to have some of that.
    xoRobin❤

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  21. Wow....so much beauty in this post!!!!

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  22. Not only have I got to the bottom, Teresa, I've read back through all your posts to get to this dahlia one (and enjoyed myself very much in the meantime). Thanks for all these photos, I'm so enjoying seeing what you get up to and the beautiful place where you live. I'd love to be in America right now, all those pumpkins and fall colours. Nobody really celebrates that over here.
    Hen xxx

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