Friend's Picnic

Have you been reading my blog long enough to remember my post last year about the annual Volunteer Picnic for the Friends of Multnomah Falls?  It was yesterday and it was the best day!  Perfect weather, happy people, good food, a successful event.  Last year one of the ladies brought her two grandkids and I spied her plates (I asked everyone to bring their own plates and utensils so we weren't adding to the landfills with disposable things) and fell in love with them!  They are well-made enamel on tin vintage camp plates.  So, I came home and found some on Etsy and was able to show my friend my plates, and she brought hers too!  I also asked for everyone to bring their own tablecloths so we didn't use those big rolls of plastic to cover the tables.  It was fun to see all the different cloths on the picnic tables.

Aren't these the perfect plates for a picnic? 

We had a table set up for desserts, so I snapped a few shots of them.  Lemon bars.  Oh how I love these, let me count the ways.. gooey tart topping, crunchy savory crust underneath.. bliss. 

Brownies, cream puffs. 

And every year one of our male volunteers brings two.. count them.. TWO amazing cakes from a French bakery called "Petite Provence".   

The Friends provide hot dogs, hamburgers, buns and accoutrements - and the volunteers bring potluck items such as Orange Baked Beans (us), fruit ambrosia, potato salads, etc. 

Yum.  The Ambrosia salad was unique, it used small pearl shaped pasta in it! 

People brought flowers from their yards for the tables.  What a neat group of people! 

We had a surprise and welcome visit from the previous site manager for the falls, Aaron Pedersen.  He got tons of hugs and a joyful reception from us all.  Two of the USFS guys also attended.   

I always organize the annual photo - Dayle is the photographer so he's not in the shot.  Of course, 4 people arrived right after the photo was taken! 37 people attended.

Every year I take a photo of the old Latourell house - it's still standing but falling in more each year.  It's sad as the descendants still own this but have let it fall into this disrepair. 

We drove home on the historic highway and stopped at Vista House to take a few shots.  The weather was beyond perfection.  This is the Columbia River Gorge looking east, if you're new to my blog.   

This is the view from Vista House of Washington State.  They made the gorge a "National Scenic Area" when plans were being made to cover this hillside with homes - and now we know this view will stay rural in perpetuity. 

My beloved Vista House.  I was the Executive Director and one of the founders for the Friends of Vista House, so I'm part of this place.  It just went through a 4 million dollar restoration, so it's in tip top condition again.   

We drove on to Portland Women's Forum - I was hoping the wild sweet peas would be in bloom - and got this shot of the Vista House, the gorge with flowers in front. 

Pretty little peas. 

I am so grateful to live here. 

I'm going swimming today and also to the fabric store to get more holiday printed cotton for the yo-yos I'm making for a centerpiece.  

OK.. now I think I need a nap. :-)  But what we really need to do is start making lists for our trip to Waldo Lake in a week.  The fun just doesn't stop. LOL!  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)