So, there’s this bridge that connects the Oregon town of Independence with the road to South Salem, across the Willamette River, some 12 miles away. I wanted to get a picture of it, but just about every angle I tried was either pretty uninteresting or was mostly shielded by the trees. In the end, this [...]
The peaches have been harvested from this little grove in the community of Buena Vista Oregon. Of course, the scene was confirmed by the fact that I had just passed a hand-drawn sign up the road that said “Peaches” and a nearby family fruit stand. Photo: Taken from Buena Vista Park in Polk County Oregon [...]
On one of the last sunny days of Summer, it is nice to find a secluded spot, with the clear waters of the Willamette River flowing gently by, and the reflections of the trees to see. I found my spot near the rural community of Buena Vista, about six miles upriver from Independence Oregon. Surrounding [...]
When we think about a visit to the zoo, or even when we think about animals that roam our forests in Cascadia, we seldom think of the fish first. The Oregon Zoo has not forgotten about them, as they are a part of its Great Northwest Exhibit. Whether they are roaming the zoo or roaming [...]
Perhaps it is cheating to take a picture of something in the front yard, but this pumpkin has sort of, well, grown on us. Here, we see it after a night of rain and looking good. The story here is that the seed took root in the planter, started a vine heading toward the ground, [...]
There is something just a little sad about the end of the fair. After months of anticipation, and after two weeks of more events that most mortals could ever experience, there comes the time when the decorations are taken down and the exhibitors take their exhibits home. Here, there are no more chickens left, no [...]
One of the great new things to be added to the fair in recent years is the recognition of artists of various sorts. There is now a section where a fair-goer can meet Oregon authors from around the state, chat with them for a bit, and perhaps even purchase an interesting book. I am told [...]
Depending upon how you look at life, the State Fair is either an opportunity to expand your horizons by testing the limits of your abilities, in this case by being slung into the air by this contraption; or, it is the opportunity to spend thirty bucks a head to do something so crazy that a [...]
The whole point of the fair is the agricultural shows that they hold, whether they be in the field of animals, growing of crops, or in home economics. To this day, there are people who strive for the best cake or pie, or the best jar of canned fruit in the fair. There are literally [...]
When I think about the State Fair, no matter which state we are talking about, I’m thinking about the celebration of our roots in an agrarian economy. There’s also the entertainment and the greasy food that you gotta try once a year. But for some of the kids, it’s about the rides and the chance [...]
