Oregon!

We went to Oregon for a week to scout out a future home. Here's some random pics, not in any kind of order, really. We drove as far north as Wenachee, Washington, then over to Wallawalla, WA, then back west to Portland and southward home down the 5. Generally I fell in love with Oregon. Of course it's warm and sunny and beautiful now. But just knowing that the summers are so glorious, I think I could make it through the winters.
And although we all think of Oregon as rainy, to the east of the mountain range it's very much like the deserts of Nevada, complete with sage and tumbleweeds. One species of tree in indigenous to eastern Oregon is the Oregon Shoe Tree....

















Yes, there is was, growing so tall and proud along Highway 97, north of Bend. I shouted "Terry turn the car around!!!" He snarked, "Why? It's just a SHOE tree!" Like there would be another one down the road somewhere.... LOL! Anyway we did turn around in order to snap these shots. Loved it!


















Towards the end of the trip we stopped in the little town of Cottage Grove for lunch and drove right by Territorial Seeds. It was another "Terry! Turn the car around!" moment.... Wouldn't you?































Terry's friends live in Dallas, OR where they have a beautiful yard, and in the back they have all kinds of fruit trees and veggies growing. Up there the Japanese maples grow like crazy! Here is one she has to cut back just like a hedge. I never knew it, but the leaves that don't get sun stay green. Hmmmm....


















Maple samaras. Pretty aren't they?
























Gorgeous!!!!!!












All these plants that don't do well in San Francisco- Azaleas growing wild, Hostas everywhere.

















This is the entrance to the Oregon Garden, east of Salem in Silverton. They are hiring gardeners right now... hmmmmm We got there so late, it was getting ready to close. But the grounds are really attractive, and there are lots of folks planting and pruning.












OK, this is a crappy photo, but these are fields of Iris. There are HUGE nurseries here, east of Salem.












One plant that we have in common is this broom-- I'm assuming it's the noxious Scotch variety, absolutely overtaking the areas that have been clear cut. By the time I found my camera (it had slid between the seats) we had passed areas completely inundated with it. The hills south or Dallas OR are very scarred by clear cutting, and it doesn't look like much attempt has been made to replant these hills.












Anyone like barns?





































How about old gas stations?
























We had a great road trip and have decided to make the move. Now we just have to find jobs....
On the way home we passed through a storm and got to see a beautiful sunset just south of the Oregon-Cali border.












Mt. Shasta to dusk on the way back home.