Buntings and Picnics

Hello!  Welcome!  I've been happily crocheting away for several days on some colorful flags/pennants/bunting to hang on our shade canopy we put up over our picnic table at camp.  This is what I have so far and I want to at least double or triple it.  Don't mind the hanging strings on the bottom, I need to buy some bells to hang on the bottom of each one.  Two of them have bells I found in my craft drawer.  I thought it would be fun to have them tinkling in the breeze.  

These are easy - I chain 28, then double crochet into the 3rd chain from hook, and dc across to end, chain 3, turn, then dc into 1st dc (do not dc into beginning chain 3 as this is how you decrease) - dc across to last true dc, ch 3 and turn.. you do this back and forth until you have 2 dcs - tie off.  Make sure that each row is one less than the last.  When I get all my pennants done, I will chain a tie for about 25 ch or so, then sc across the pennants with 2 or 3 chains between the flags, on the end, another 25 chains, tie off.  Why don't you try this with leftover yarn?  I recommend cotton, but I'm sure anything would do.

Yesterday we made a huge pot of Orange Baked Beans in our big turquoise French oven to take to the Friends of Multnomah Falls Annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic at Guy W. Talbot State Park in the little village of Latourell in the Columbia River Gorge.  Each year one of our male volunteers brings 2 special cakes from the amazing bakery called "Petite Provence".  Take a gander at this one!  And it was good.. 

He brings the same ones each time - the chocolate one and this strawberry one with lady fingers all around.

One of the guys told me.. no photos this year.. they are all the same.  WELL.. excuse me, but we had a photo.  :-)  Actually, it's kind of fun to get everyone posed.. the bravest ones go on top of picnic table, then the bench, then the standers, then the sitters.  I think it came out well, what do you think?

Dayle and I brought and put up our shade canopy, with the help of 2 of the guys.  We also brought a folding 7 foot table with my retro green oil cloth tablecloth with cherries on it.

Here is our BBQ lunch.  We never assign potluck items to bring, but we might have to do a bit more planning as most everyone brought dessert!  LOL!  Not one potato or pasta salad!  :-)

One of our volunteers, Chris, brought several old jars filled with flowers from her garden, I got to bring this one home with me!  I think it was one of our best picnics and everyone told me it was a great time.  

My yearly photo of the poor old Latourell house.. the family is letting it rot away instead of fixing it up or selling it to someone who would.  ::sigh::  The blackberries are winning this battle.  :-(

On our drive back home from the picnic I pulled over to get a shot of these pretty wild sweet peas and Queen Anne's Lace.  I'd spotted them on our drive there and vowed to get a shot on the way home.  And we did!  Behind these are the Columbia River and Washington state across the river.

We wheeled into Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint and snapped this shot of the flowers.. I loved it so much I made it my desktop picture.

And a shot of the gorge.. we are having horrible forest fires in both Oregon and Washington, so the air is not as pure and clear as usual.  I do hope they get them out soon.

Our son Travis took his family to his 20 year High School Reunion picnic yesterday and shined up his car - which is the one he had when he graduated from high school.  When we bought the car he was 15, and he took it all apart and put all new suspension, springs, shocks, and steering in it.  It's a 1966 Mustang GT Fastback.  His pride and joy.

Time to make another pennant?  And check our camping lists.. it's a beautiful day here.  What is happening in your neck of the woods?  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)