Amazing Grapes...and Glory Bee!

Almost everyone who has grown a garden has planted tomatoes. Once you have a home grown tomato you can't stop comparing them to the bland, not so flavorful tomatoes we eat most of the year. Well, have you ever had a home grown table grape? No Seeds! Heaven is wrapped up in each juicy bite! These are amazing grapes! We're ruined! Store bought grapes will never be as good! Where did we get our hands on these? From Sandy, of Boardacres Nursery, whom I met at watercolor class. She grows and sells the plants, and now we are owners of ten grape plants! We decided on two varieties, Diamond Muscat(green) and Juniper (red). Their flavors are tangy, flowery and sweet! This is the perfect time to plant grapes , so we did. A fence is needed to protect the grapes from the deer and we had just the thing. We are using a portable fence until getting around to building a permanent fence. It wouldn't take our herd of deer long to chomp down these little plants!!
The Delphinium has put out one last long blooming stem. It sits right outside my kitchen window and today was the day to capture the hues of blue, purple and lavender. As I was preparing my camera, this rather large bee came swooping in for some nectar. I looked closely at it and couldn't help put my finger against its orange and black bee fur. I assume it's a she because of her size and what a beauty she is!

She flew from blossom to blossom until she had gathered nectar from each one.

Take a closer look.

Then stand back.

Glory Bee!!

Caution

In a few days Mt. Hood will be covered with snow, but today the snow will melt. The next three days will be in the nineties!

As I walk each day, Mt. Hood and the trees surrounding Stone Gate Golf Course show signs of the coming change in season. See the line of red maples? I love this three mile jaunt around the golf course. There is a wonderful area that goes down into the woods and along a roaring creek. Today there was a sign posted and we must assume it means what it says! I will be taking a large can of Mace with me from now on! I hope that big kitty finds a better place to live!! The golf course was a farm before it was tranformed, and did not encroach upon the Cougar's territory.

Seeing a sign like this, after you have just walked through the woods, is sobering!!

Have a good week and beginning to the Autumn season!!

Crater Lake, Oregon

Crater Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the United States! And, we take every opportunity to visit it when we are camping in the area.

Crater Lake National Park protects the deepest lake in the United States. Fed by rain and snow (no river or streams), the lake is considered to be the cleanest large body of water in the world. The water is exceptional for its clarity and intense blue color. The lakes' depth is 1,943 feet and its width measures 4.5 to 6 miles. The lake rests inside a caldera. A 12,000 foot tall volcano collapsed following a major eruption. Later eruptions formed Wizard Island, a cinder cone near the southwest shore.
Today, old-growth forest and open meadows blanket the volcano's outer slopes.

We visited the park on Saturday and it was hot (in the high nineties)! Thunder heads formed in the distant sky and sun rays poured through the clouds to illuminate the lake. Many professional photographers were standing near me with their amazing cameras and I wondered if my little Coolpix could capture the scene as well as what they were getting! Not bad. This day was made for taking in the immense, jaw-dropping views!

Maggie and I enjoyed a nose to nose moment on the craters' edge.

This camping trip marks the end of camping for 2009! I hope you have enjoyed seeing one of the grandest places on the earth!!

The rain

The rain came back this week. It has been gone a long time and after our 100+ degree days I vowed to not complain about the cooler weather. Rain is what makes Oregon green, fresh and alive! I can hear the frogs celebrating!

In no time the flowers regain their strength.
The woodlands become lush.......

......and the ferns spring back. These two pictures are in an area of our woods that I call the Cathedral. It provokes a feeling of worship and thankfulness. The canvas that covers the area are large leaf Maple trees. In a short time these leaves will turn golden, fall to the earth and blend into the ground. But, for right now it is still green!

I am reminded that today is September 11, 2009. It is a day to stop and remember all the people who lost their lives so many years ago. We remember where we were and what we were doing. I shall not forget! Have a good weekend.

Indulgence!

I fell in love with this dog at first glance(see Highlights of the fair). A very special person arranged for me to have her and she is in my arms as I write. Meet Magnolia (Maggie), a Pomeranian, the color of cream, with dark undertones and a dark tipped tail. She only weighs about 2 lbs. Maggie is tiny.

Maggie is pretty.

Maggie is alert and smart!

What a gift!!

Thank you, thank you!

Orange....is happening!

Professor is peering over the fence in the direction of the garden. He can see the pumpkins and knows they taste good but he will have to wait a few more weeks before getting to chomp into one!

The pumpkin harvest is going to be really good this season! I have counted more than twenty orange spheres growing under the vines. It's fun to line them up across the front porch and when that day comes...blogland will be the first to see!

Have a good week!

Highlights of the fair

We visited the Oregon State Fair this week. The thrill of seeing the animals, up close, is the highlight! There are always tons of people, wonderful smells, terrible smells and lots of noise! It's a wonderland of sorts and an opportunity to take in the sights of another world!

We saw fairies on horseback .... ...more fairies......

...big, big horses.....

....horned sheep.....

spotless sheep.....

....large pigs....

...cows.....

huge tractors......

... loaded hot dogs......

and precious puppies...!
Did we take anything home? No. :( This six week old Pomeranian was tempting...there is always next year....and time to dream!!

Black Salvia and Gravenstein Apples

Each year we go out of our way to grow new(to us) flowers. There are so many varieties of Salvia and this one promised to be special. It looks very sturdy, rarely needs watering, and it is thriving. Black Salvia is really cobalt blue. For that, I am glad!! You can kind of see why they call it "Black" but "Blue" is so much prettier! Black Salvia is a perennial, and we will cover it with mulch, late in the autumn, to insure its return next spring. Many of the perennial plants need a little extra help to keep them coming back and we are learning from year to year about such things.

We were given a huge box of Gravenstein apples last week. It's just about the best apple the Northwest boasts but it is only available for a short time. It doesn't hold over long, even in the refrigerator. So, I got busy and made applesauce and cinnamon apples. The cinnamon apples are canned, using an age old recipe given to me by my friend, LaVina (see recipe below). She told me about how nice it is to have apples done this way when you want to make a quick Apple Crisp or pie. Half the work is done before you even start!

We now have twelve quarts of cinnamon apples ....all done!!

Thanks, LaVina!!
CANNED APPLE PIE FILLING
4 c. sugar2 tsp. cinnamon10 c. water3 tbsp. lemon juice1 c. cornstarch1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Cook first 5 ingredients until thick and bubbly. Place cold apples in clean jars.
Pour hot syrup over apples, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Seal 20 minutes in hot water bath or 5 minutes in cooker. This syrup makes enough for 9 quarts of apples.