A Stinky Skirmish

The trellis "before"

 The quiet evening peace was interrupted by a click-click-click sound and a faint fluttering shadow racing towards the stairwell light. Upon close inspection, an armor-plated bug was spotted on the wall. Recognizing it as a stink bug, I carefully snatched it with a tissue, quickly dispatched it with sufficient pressure to end its existence and flushed it down the toilet. How could such a bug be in the house I wondered? Another day cleaning a bedroom I discovered to my growing disgust a number of these unwanted insects hiding in strange, dark places such as between the pages of a tablet, between a mattress and box spring, in the clothes closet and in the folds of a curtain. Ewwww!

After summarily eliminating these additional invaders I began to research them. According to the information I found these bugs lay their eggs on the leaves of various plants, including tomatoes, which I had planted under this bedroom's window. They prefer south-facing surfaces, again the bedroom window, and look for places to winter over before heading out to populate the earth in the spring. I left the window open all summer to promote air circulation. Hence the hibernating bedroom population. I took measures to rid the place of all bugs, closed and never re-opened that bedroom window and enjoyed a bug-free house for some years.

A stink bug

A few days ago, while watering on the deck and admiring my wild and crazy yellow Clematis tangutica sprawling on a trellis wall abutting the house, I noticed a stink bug. And then another one. And then realized it was an infestation of prodigious proportions! The leaves, seed heads and stems were coated with all sizes of bugs ranging from newly hatched tiny ones to large adult, egg-laying ones. Oh mercy! I began squishing them in a flurry of defensive action but realized that there were too many to battle and it was only a matter of time before some of them breached the deck door and found winter headquarters in my house. What to do?

 Clematis tangutica blooms

This variety of clematis is a favorite of bees and hummingbirds, both of which are a delight to watch while sipping a morning coffee or an afternoon iced drink on the deck. The vine is a great summer "wall", adding privacy to the deck. It grows constantly until frost, showing buds, full blooms and seed heads simultaneously. It is an unusual and beautiful clematis. To spray poison on it to eradicate the bugs would put the bees and birds in peril. To let it be would only allow the bugs to mature and begin their handy invasion of my house. The remaining alternative was to remove the year's growth completely, leaving a "naked" wall, but ensuring that a significant number of the bugs would be removed to the yard debris container.

The trellis "after"

Option "C" was selected and in a short time, secateurs in hand, I had clipped the clematis down and the foliage was in the trash. A final squishing sweep of the deck eliminated some survivors, and once all was restored to order, the appearance wasn't so bad. A few potted plants replaced the clematis function. I'll be on guard, however, all winter and spring to monitor dark places for hunkered down stink bugs and will be quick to show them who's boss, at least for now. Did I mention they like the color yellow?

Equine Estates

Grazing mare

 Diverging from the Interstate highway affords you the opportunity to discover a host of elegant equine estates in the Sherwood area. The Wilsonville Highway winds through the gentle rolling hills where large fenced pastures frame beautiful horses that contentedly munch grass throughout the day.

The estates are well maintained, manicured and accessorized in picture perfect styles, giving rise to photo opps for those who carry cameras. The sunny summer days showcase ripening grain fields, green row crops, fruiting orchards and a variety of farm animals.

Crocosmia 'Lucifer' and Russian sage

Freshly washed stalls await horse clients at some of the facilities that specialize in various equine services. Each animal has its own stall and corral and an attendant to keep them fed and watered.

Stables

Grand estates

The sprawling estates have borrowed views of the surrounding topography, the coastal range to the west and the snow-peaked Cascades to the east. As the Willamette Valley narrows towards the south, the land flattens to large crop fields. This part of Oregon is close enough in for a day drive yet gives you the feeling that  you are far away from the madding crowd. Take a Sunday or other day drive to enjoy the expansive equine estates of the Willamette Valley while the weather and agriculture are at their best. And learn more about this quiet industry that helps support Oregon's economy!

Biking the Vineyards of the Willamette Valley

Bicycling aficionados as well as casual but determined riders were lured to the Eola Hills Winery in Rickreall, Oregon by the opportunity to ride in a premier cycling event. This established winery sponsors weekly Sunday rides in August that tour some of the many small local wineries. Our cycling team gathered in the early morning coolness to check our bicycles and gear and grab a few fruit snacks before heading north into the vineyards. We even made the Facebook page of the winery.

The flashy, colorful branded cycling shirts, fancy bicycles and bike lingo could have been intimidating to our casual riders, but the pros among us assured us it was all just about a good ride. We let the sprint starters lead off and blaze the road ahead of us, and they soon left us far behind. 150 people riding single file along the Pacific Highway West is quite a sight and gives cars on the road ample warning of the need to slow down, although most do not. This requires riders to maintain concentration in the presence of whizzing automobiles just a few feet from their shoulders.

After a series of slow rolling hills over the initial 13 miles, we veered off the main road into back country where acres of vineyards carpet the hills and valleys. Small, independent wineries are tucked atop picturesque hills, inauspicious in their frontage but fully stocked with their individual wine selections. Some of them buy juice from other growers and just make wine while others grow as well as produce the finished product.

Miles and miles of neatly planted grapevines line the hills like corduroy ribs, green and slightly puffy but neatly trimmed to ensure a maximum grape harvest. The blue sky of late summer grew gradually brighter as the day progressed and the temperature rose. We were so thankful for the scheduled stops with their refreshments! Unique names such as Left Coast Cellars, Haun of the Dauen Winery, St. Innocent Winery, Strangeland Vineyards






and Winery  made us wonder how these came to be called such. Each offered friendly opportunities to sample their products and of course buy, preferably cases, from their selections. The road crew, headed by the event coordinator Rich Washburn, always had fresh fruit, snack bars, cold water and Gatorade waiting at each stop. The sag wagon followed behind, ready to help with repairs or to transport people and bicycles that couldn't make the final push up Gillette Hill.

Olives grow amid the grapes

The prize at the end of the ride was a salmon BBQ with more sides than your plate could hold, plus glasses of any of the Eola Hills wines, followed by icy dishes of homemade sherbet, fresh caramel swirl ice cream and a large display of baked desserts. As the riders drifted in after the 42-50 mile routes, they lounged under white canopies and tapped their toes to the beat of a three piece jazz group. The lingering conversation among good friends kept us occupied until late afternoon when we finally packed up our bicycles and began to plan another ride into the vineyards of the Willamette Valley. Although a planned event such as the Wine Country Tour is great because there is food and entertainment, an independent journey through the area is another opportunity to enjoy the great Pacific Northwest scenery and its agricultural variety. Plan a drive or ride before harvest, taking a picnic lunch along as well as your camera. Look for the newly planted olive trees amid the grapes. It's a new agricultural venture being tested by Eola Hills. Think EVOO Oregon style. The excursion will put your urbanized life at ease to experience the open spaces of the wine country.

Heirloom Rose Gardens

Shakespeare's Juliet argued that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" and so it is at Heirloom Rose Gardens in St. Paul, Oregon. This rose growing and hybridizing business lies tucked away in the Willamette Valley's vast rolling farm country, and the journey there is half the fun. Over the years they have transformed their greenhouse business into a large internet business and designed new display gardens to showcase the many varieties of roses available to shoppers.

The drive to the St. Paul area winds over Clark Hill, Bald Peak with its nearby state park, and Chehalem Mountain with its 1265 foot summit. The views from these hills are stunning as the valleys below spread out their vineyards and various crops of beans, wheat, filberts, corn and other seasonal foods. Laurel hedges and flowering plum trees line parts of the road while ripening, fragrant blackberries crawl up the hillsides, begging to be picked. Alas, there are few stopping points while going over the hills so bring a friend to take pictures while you drive. Crossing the wide, smooth Willamette River and passing by a dairy, you wind the final miles to the rose gardens.

My friends and I met at the entrance and began to wander among the many rows of grass-edged flower beds, bending near to smell the different fragrances of some roses or to peer into the colorful petals of others unfolding in the warm summer air. Hundreds of varieties from tall ramblers and climbers to tiny miniatures are grown in the manicured and labeled beds. There are a number of named gardens on the property, each with a sign and some with arbors garnished with lovely climbing roses.

There are benches strategically placed under shade trees and at view points so visitors can rest between strolls as the gardens seem to go on and on into the distant hills. White picket and sash fences line the perimeters and gardeners quietly work to pull unwanted weeds, deadhead roses and otherwise keep the gardens looking their best. Each rose seems to be grown twice, once on each side of the bed, and is labeled with its name and variety type. Some of the roses are still in the experimental stage so have code names for the present.

Once our noses had been sated with sweet fragrances we unpacked our lunch on a stone paved patio under tall conifers, the shade a welcome relief from the now hot sun of noon. We dallied in starting our lunch as the view from the patio was so peaceful and engaging. The cold quinoa salad, iced coffees and fresh peach cobbler was such an appropriate menu for the scene. Conversation brought us late into the afternoon as the shade worked its way around us, a cooling breeze adding just the right touch to a perfect gathering of friends.





Visit Heirloom Rose Gardens before they close for the season at the end of September and select a rose or two to add to your garden or to give to a gardening friend. The plants are grown on their own root stock so they will always come true to variety in the event of a partial loss of the plant. As you drive away, the sweet scent of roses will stay with you long after the gardens drop behind the hills.

Gulliver's Garden

A recent reading of a book on digital photography introduced me to the macro lens view of garden life. The f/3.5 aperture coupled with the "tulip" icon brought me into a Lilliputian world of pollen, ants, flowers within flowers, minuscule new growth and fuzzy framed single blossoms.

Strolling through the garden this morning, having missed the dawn light so highly sought but needing an alarm clock to meet, I found treasures in the focusing ability of my camera to see what the naked eye cannot find: intricate structures of plant and animal life. 



There is joy at seeing the world in minute detail. The petal colorations that escape a quick look come to capture my attention in the macro lens. The tiny but busy life of bugs is fascinating to watch as they busily attend to their food and grooming chores, oblivious to the giant human hovering near. The energy of these little creatures puts our daily duties to shame as we exhaust ourselves in a mere eight or ten hours of work.

Backlighting from the morning sun highlights petal structures and veining.

The growing light level makes it possible to see into the inner form of seed heads and unfurling leaves. The shallow depth of field through the lens gives a soft backdrop to the sharp image of the closest or farthest view. To see the garden at its tiniest gives pause to think of life around us. What charming or intriguing details do we often miss in our hurry to get somewhere? The adage of "stop and smell the roses" really takes on a deeper meaning when looking at the expanding display of a two-toned Rose 'Double Delight'.  Grab your camera and take a macro stroll through the delights of nature right out your back door.

Peach Time!

Red strawberries and cherries are gone. Blueberries are dwindling. But peaches are here! Those golden globes of drippingly juicy sweetness are finally ripening and ready for picking. The trees are kept short to accommodate pickers and the grassy lanes between the rows keep the shoes relatively clean. The bees and yellowjackets are not yet at work as there is not much fruit drop.

Now is a great time to pick and process these delicious varieties for winter eating and baking. The early varieties like Red Haven and Sun Star are freestone, meaning the pits don't cling to the flesh. They are fairly easy to peel when allowed to rest for a day or two after picking. The later varieties will come soon to extend the season with intriguing names such as Elberta and Suncrest.

In addition to canning peach slices or halves, you can mix up pie filling, eight cups per gallon bag, and store it in your freezer for quick winter desserts such as pies, cobbler or crisp. Peach jam is always a favorite, either canned or frozen types. That sweet taste of summer on a chilly fall or winter day will bring memories of warm afternoons rushing back. Peach jam on toast with a cup of coffee in January will quell the winter blues and give you hope for another season of fruit.

Many orchards are close to residential areas. My special field is a mere ten minutes from my front door. Because the season is only 40 days or so long, it is imperative to get out and fill your boxes before regret settles in over another missed crop.  Grab them now and enjoy another fabulous Northwest fruit crop. Don't let any of those sunny peaches fall to waste on the ground. 

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

A random drawing at a local employer left us with tickets to "batter up!" with the new Hillsboro Hops Class A Short Season team at their new ball field. The setting for this spectacular field, reputed to be the best of its kind in the nation, is back-to-back with the Hillsboro Stadium, a soccer and football facility just off Highway 26 at exit 61. The field, looking absolutely perfect, is entirely artificial including the "dirt" around the playing field.

Under a bright summer afternoon sky, the seats filled up quickly, fans waving styrofoam hands and sporting various team paraphernalia. Seats on the main deck provided a full view of the field plus all the activities in the stands. The getcha-cotton candy-lemonade-peanuts-popcorn hawkers were in full voice, eyes scanning the crowd for raised hands and $5 bills. Their banter with patrons was hilarious as they kept enthusiasm revved in between pitches. Crowd control staff, glowing in their neon green shirts, kept a watchful eye out for running kiddos, fly balls (heads up!!!) and high fived anyone who caught a fly ball. The local paramedics were on hand with ice bags for the stinging palms of anyone trying to catch a ball without a mitt.


In the fight against patron boredom during the slower innings, there was the Bunny Run with little kids chasing a rabbit-headed mascot across the field, the tee shirt toss, the tire roll contest, the eat-the-cookie-on-your-nose contest as well as the seventh inning stretch and multiple attempts at The Wave. The game provided exciting moments of double plays, outfield catches and an over the fence home run as well as lots of fly balls right over the crowd, one even smashing the relish container at the  hot dog stand behind us!

As the sun faded towards sunset, the wind picked up and anyone without a jacket hunkered down for the final four innings. The sky turned golden in the west and pink and purple in the east, the silhouetted  "flying" roof of the stadium taking on the aura of a ship at sea. Fresh air, happy cheers and lively chatter were the reward for this close to home outing. Nature is all around us, just waiting to be enjoyed by your attendance. Grab some tickets and come on out to the ball game!