Sunday, July 11, 2010

My Visit to Ashland, Oregon - Part II & Scripture Memory Verse Sunday

Hi everyone...It's Sunday. I hope everyone is having a good day. Here's the memory verse for this week out of John 7:38.  This is a photo that my friend Jennifer took at Yosemite National Park. Thanks, Jennifer, for letting me borrow this beautiful photo :) :) :) I thought immediately of this verse...

Feel free to borrow this and share it on your blog or with friends and loved ones!!!

Okay, today I'll finish up my little tour of Ashland, Oregon. This is just a small sampling of what there is to see. Here's another bridge that was donated to Ashland by the Lithia Springs Rotary Club in 1998.


More blooms...I like the white of this flower...


Here's a map of Lithia Park. It points out some of the walking trails and other highlights worth checking out...:) :) :)


This is just a teeny tiny glimpse of the Shakespeare Theatre. There's actually three theatres here...but this one is where all the Shakespeare plays are performed. It's an exact replica of "The Globe" theatre. Back when I was in college you could walk into the open air theatre and take a look at the stage. They don't let you do that anymore...


The downtown plaza area. This is the center island and there's all sorts of shops here... It really is a nice place to walk around...I love it here. Oh my favorite yarn shop "The Websters" is located here on the plaza. Click here to check them out.  They do ship to your door.  I buy my favorite German sock yarn here...:) :) The ladies are nice and know their stuff...


Another beautiful flower....


Ah yes...the famous Lithia Fountain. There's a long history here dating back almost 100 years or so..the water comes from a natural mineral spring about 4 miles away. Let's just say it smells like sulfur and tastes like it too...It was thought to have healthful properties. At one time it was even bottled and sold...but it didn't last long because of the extreme smell and taste....I actually remember the original fountain in this 1930s photograph. I tried the water once...and never again..just giving all of you a tip because I love you!!!


The water contains sodium, calcium, iron, bicarbonate and other healthful minerals...Again, it is a natural sulfur spring....tastes just like it smells.  I'm ashamed to say it but locals encourage tourists to "drink" it...but don't tell them about the taste...poor things. I am also ashamed to admit that it makes me chuckle a little bit.....remember, I know what the water tastes like.  I just walk a few feet over for clean, fresh drinking water at the other water fountain :) :)


Beautiful hanging flower baskets...I was walking along the plaza and noticed these. Very beautiful and charming!!!


I'm standing at the edge of the plaza looking onto cars coming down East Main Street...As you can see, traffic is heavy....not!!!


This is the backside of Alex's Plaza Restaurant and Bar. I've never been inside, but I love this building.  There are places to eat here that are nice...right beside Ashland Creek. There's also a crafter's market here every week. It's lots of fun...


I encountered this lady on my way back to the car. She's part of a group of actors who portray real life pioneers here in Ashland, Oregon...and other characters from the late 1800s and early 1900s...all pivotal in the development of the city of Ashland.  She was dressed up and passing out invitations to the event...


This is the corner of Oak St and East Main..if you look at the detail on that yellow house. That's typical of many homes in the downtown area. I'll snap photos of the houses when I go to Ashland on my next day trip!!! There are many old homes...Victorian to Craftsman style all over the place...my favorite types of houses :) :) :) Those homes have all the interesting nooks and crannies....I love farmhouses too. I'll see what I can do to get some photos...


Okay...I know some of you used to live near Ashland back in the day. This is actually at a used car lot somewhere in Phoenix or Talent, Oregon. There's a teeny tiny red, white and blue car stuck up on that pole. It's been there for DECADES ...ever since I was in high school. Not sure why...but it sure gets noticed. It's one of those quirky Oregon things. ...that and political protest signs....but it all adds up to making Oregon an interesting and beautiful place to live :) :) I love it!!!


I believe this is also Phoenix, Oregon. There's lots of farmland everywhere...I love it. I think it's beautiful. Here there are lots of cows...In Ashland a lot of farmers raise sheep...and of course, pears are THE FRUIT grown in this area too!!!!...We're known for the Royal Riviera Pears...also known as comice pears that only grow here ...and no where else in the United States..:) :)



I made homemade soap at my friend Julie's house last night.  It was fun and very easy.  Mixing the lye into the water was a bit anti-climactic. We did mix it outside because of the fumes...but still, I think we were expecting more to happen. NOPE...I'll be going over to her house today to take photos of her stamping and cutting the soap into bars... I'll make sure and blog about this tonight and have it up by tomorrow!!!

Oh, I slept with my window partially open last night...heaven...it has a screen so I don't have to worry about creepy crawly bugs...but it really helped cool down my room from the heat...I might try that again :) :)

That's the news from Oregon. Have a great week everyone!!! Lots of love and hugs to all, Heather :)

12 comments:

Gerry's Soap N Stuff said...

I love all of your news from Oregon. ♥ the mountains, the building, flowers, streams etc. Gerry

betty said...

glad the soap adventure turned out good; looking forward to seeing the finished product! enjoyed the pictures/news about Oregon and Ashland in particular! loved the pears too when we lived there; enjoyed Harry and David although I'm not sure if it is still owned by the same people or what, but took a tour there when we lived in Medford and liked that very much indeed!!

awesome scripture you are memorizing too!!

betty

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

@Gerry/Gerry's Soap and Stuff...
Thank you...I'll be posting photos of the soap-making on Monday's blog...maybe sooner, if I get my act together :) :)

@Betty/that corgi...thanks...loved making soap...can't wait to actually use it!!! Harry & David has unfortunatley gone through many owners..They are now owned by a company in New York called WAsserstein...have been for a few years now. I won't comment any more other than to say, that my dad and other friends have worked there longer than I...and the best was when H & D was owned by a company in Japan..but H & D still sells those fabulous pears!!! So buttery/juicy you need a spoon to eat them with....literally!!! I haven't done the tour myself yet...but I love the free samples when I am working there :) :)

Thanks for writing to me ladies. I love your comments...Love and hugs, Heather :)

Annesphamily said...

What fun you are having Heather. I really like all the different photos you took.I like the way you do the Scripture verses on the photos. I am not sure how to achieve that look. I am so new at shooting pictures for my blog. I have such a little digital camera. I long for the days of owning a Csnon Rebel or other nice camera. Ah....

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

@Anne/Annesphamily..
I use a photo editing program called Picasa...I click on edit..and all thte options show up..and I pick "add text"...but you can do this in any photo sharing/editing software program...like Kodak EasyShare and PowerPoint...those are a couple I've also used. Just play around with it and have fun...and practice. You'll get the hang of it. That's all I do!!! My favorite pictures with Scripture are the ones from Prairie Flower Farm...check it out. There's a button on my sidebar :) :) Me too...I'm new too taking digital photos. It's so much fun though!!! Love and hugs, Heather :)

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

@Anne/Annesphamily..
I use a photo editing program called Picasa...I click on edit..and all thte options show up..and I pick "add text"...but you can do this in any photo sharing/editing software program...like Kodak EasyShare and PowerPoint...those are a couple I've also used. Just play around with it and have fun...and practice. You'll get the hang of it. That's all I do!!! My favorite pictures with Scripture are the ones from Prairie Flower Farm...check it out. There's a button on my sidebar :) :) Me too...I'm new too taking digital photos. It's so much fun though!!! Love and hugs, Heather :)

Camille said...

How fun! I *love* exploring and visiting new places. Such pretty pictures! :)

Blessings,
Camille

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

Hi Camille....
Ashland is a beautiful place and you will WANT to go walking around here :) :) :) I plan on taking more pictures of Ashland at a later date...as well as some of the older buildings in my hometown :) :) :) I think my next post will be on Tuesday when I show off some more tea things!!!! Remember, I love tea :) :) :) You are such a sweetheart AND you love Jesus and your family!!! Have a great week, CAmille!!! Love and hugs, Heather :)

aimee said...

How fun it is to see photos of Ashland--another of my favorite places in southern Oregon! And, yes, I am pretty sure I have tried the yummy (not!)Lithia water.
A long, long time ago I saw a Shakespearean play down there--I seem to remember it was held outside--maybe someday I can see another:)
Thanks a bunch for your tour of so.Oregon!
Blessings,
Aimee
PS: I've made soap from glycerine before but never a lye based soap. I admire you for tackling a new skill:)

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

HI Aimee....It's great to hear from you again. Thanks for putting my blog on your sidebar. I think I just noticed that this evening :) :) That's a high compliment...
Yeah, that Lithia water...I won't be drinking that anytime soon. It's not bad for the body...it's just smelly tasting.. I don't recall Shakespeare plays being done outside, outside...of the theatre I mean..but maybe? I just know the Elizabethan theatere..the open air one...
I'll have to ask about glycerin soaps...was it liquid or bar? Soapmaking was a ton of fun. Now comes the waiting part of the process :) :)

Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :) :) :)

Anonymous said...

Hey Heather!
You are welcome--I feel privileged to add you to my PNW bloglist:)You will be a great addition!

You know it probably was the Elizabethean open air theatre I remember. I will have to check with a family member. It was a long, long time ago because I am SO very old you know--LOL!

It was glyerine that came in huge blocks I bought at a craft store. You melt the soap and pour the liquid into all kinds of soap molds. You can also add colors, herbs, fragrance, etc. It was a lot of fun and SO easy. I don't think it had to be cured; seems like we could use the soap right away. Makes pretty little 'guest' soaps for the bathroom or gifts. A lot of different (and fairly cheap) molds are available or you can make your own!

Blessings,
Aimee

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

Hi Aimee :) :) :),

I asked my friend Gerry about glycerine soaps...and it does contain some lye, but there's a process it goes through where other things are added to give it that translucent clear color...She explained it to me much better than I ever could. It basically comes down to this...no lye equals no soap :) :) :) I know the ones you're talking about because I see them in craft stores quite a bit :) :) I've never made them myself, but some of my friends have ..and they're very easy :) :) :) Once, a friend gave me a nice glycerine soap with oatmeal in it :) :)

Hope you haveing a great week. Love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)