It's been a while...

Hello all you readers out there. Now that the canning season is finally winding down, I can post what I have been up to. Back in August, I went to the Oregon State Fair. While there, I had to check out the Jackman-Long building as that was the place to go to check out the crafts. Hanging around on the walls of the building were quilts made by local Oregonians. Some of them were spectacular; sadly I didn't have my camera with me. In the artisan corner, a local artist let me try my hand at making fabric with a loom. That was pretty cool. Other artisans were spinning wool, which I also found interesting. The Artisan Village and the gardens were also quite interesting.

The Aumsville Corn Festival was also back in August. As usual the corn was good. Some of the vendors had interesting things for sale. If you live in the mid-Willamette Valley and like corn, you should check out the festival next year. Be sure to bring your kids as there are plenty of stuff for them to do. They even have a parade, but I skipped that so I could get in line for the corn early, even though I did have to wait a while.

In September, I checked out the famous (at least around here) Mount Angel Oktoberfest. Good food, good music, and good crafts make for a great time. I got myself and several family members some slab soap from a local vendor. I believe the soap I have is called 'Ocean Mists.' As I happened to be in the right spot at the right time, I got to see the local kids put on the May Pole Dance--something I haven't seen before.

Just last month, on one of my few days off during the canning season, I went over to the Oregon Coast and had some clam chowder from Mo's, a famous restaurant chain on the Oregon Coast. Luckily I went on a day when the coast was not so windy and the sun was even out (all the while it rained in the Willamette Valley). Fortunately, I do have some pictures.

As I was walking down the beach, I saw this lone seagull looking toward the sea.

It seemed like the waves were getting higher as the tide came in.

 When I was walking back to my car, I saw a line of seagulls looking south.

As for the cannery, we only have another week or two of onions before the seasonal workers will once again be looking for another job or waiting until next season. I myself, will be looking for another job so that I can be working year-round and have more time during the summer to do stuff with family. I also am planning on taking a business class at the local community college so that one day I can own my own country store.

Good news on Friday the 13th

On the 12th, I finally got the call to come back to work as the bean and summer squash season has begun in the Willamette Valley. So on Friday the 13th, I went a little early to work--which ended up being a good thing as the line to get a new punch-in card was quite long a half hour after I got there. I ended up being a tote builder, which is basically a person who folds up large boxes and puts them on pallets to be used to put product in them. Luckily enough, I got to work with my friend. Last year, we did the same thing for most of the season and smashed the old record of how many totes we built in an 8 hour shift. The previous record had been 350 boxes built by 3 people, but between me and my friend, we built 383 boxes. Several times last year and even the first day back this year, we had to go and help the tote builders on the other end of the cannery as other people don't work as fast as we do. So now when we get the call to come over, we say that they are calling in the cavalry.

Another good thing was that originally we would have gone home early, but since there was more summer squash coming in than anticipated, we got to work the whole shift. It sure feels good to be working again. Of course, I don't really view it as work. Instead, I view it as being paid to work out--especially since last year I lost 19 pounds in 19 weeks and built up who knows how much muscle. Over the last several weeks I was getting so anxious about going back to work, that I was fearing I wouldn't be able to work as good as the previous year, but that feeling is now gone.

In other news, the marionberries are now ripe. I will get a picture of them up later (they look like jumbo-sized blackberries). As the story goes, they were created right here in Marion County, Oregon.

Three potholders in three days

I have been trying to find which patterns work for potholders. The first pattern was one I made before, and is a simple weave design.

The next one, I made on the 4th. I wanted to use the same colors but a different pattern. After making it, I decided that I would abandon that pattern as it allowed some of the strings to be too loose.

The third pattern, I did yesterday. I wanted to see if I could thread a simple design into the potholder before finishing up the edge. In this case, the design was a cross. I also used a piece of thread along the edge for this one to give it a clean look.

The final pattern was one I did today. I chose the Oregon State University Colors and weaved a different design than I have before. I like this design, and will do others similar to it.

I will be giving the last two (along with several others) to my church's parking lot sale near the end of the month. The proceeds will go to benefit mission projects. It will also give me an idea of how much to sell them for.

Happy Fourth of July!

Last night, I picked black currents, blueberries, and raspberries to that I could have black current scones with fresh blueberries and raspberries this morning.

 
May all my readers have a good independence day.

After a damp and dismal day, we get a nice sunset

After a full day of grey clouds and constant raining here in the Mid-Willamette Valley (something that Colorado needs right now), we finally get to see the sun just before it sets. So as I went out to put the chickens away for the night, I grabbed the camera to get proof that the rainclouds let the sun visit today.

 

 

 

 

Finally, some pictures of the fruit that is ripe

We have two small patches of strawberries that are of mixed variety where I live. I know that some of them are the sweet and juicy Hood variety (my favorite). [By 'We' I mean my parents as I am living with them while paying off my student loans and trying to get back on my feet so-to-speak]

 

 

We also have several rows of blueberries (of which only three bushes are producing ripe berries so far)

The cherry trees are starting to produce quite a bit, but it is always a battle between us and the birds to get them first. One year the birds ate all of the cherries off of our old tree while we were on vacation. Sadly, we had to cut that big tree down as it was rotting from the inside out.

I also made another hotpad this morning (the harvest colored one) since I need something to keep me busy until I go back to the cannery. The other one I made on Memorial Day.

 

Just As I Predicted....

Just as I predicted, we will have another delayed canning season here in the Willamette Valley. When did I predict it? Back in March when we were getting snow during the first couple days of Spring (highly unusual for the Willamette Valley). I even said so on my post about March Madness: http://beavercountryramblings.blogspot.com/2012/03/it-looks-like-it-will-be-another-cold.html

Due to the cool, cloudy, and sometimes wet weather that the Willamette Valley is experiencing, crops are being delayed, which is delaying the local canneries. It seems that over the last three years, the season has been delayed a little bit longer. Last year some of the 2nd year workers at the Norpac in Stayton, Oregon (including myself) started on the strawberries around the 20th of June and were still working by December 1st. (I heard that a normal season is done by Thanksgiving) So what's in store for us this year? Will the cannery season go into the second week in December?

A nice June Sunset in the Mid-Willamette Valley

Last night, I went outside after 9 pm at night to check out the sunset. It was a good thing I brought my camera as it was a nice one. From where I live, the sun now seems to set in the Northwest or West Northwest (between West and Northwest) direction.

 

As I was scanning the sky, I noticed some nice coloring  on the clouds to the South. So I went out into the empty cow  pasture to get a better look. As I was taking pictures, the three cows came over to see what I was doing.

 

Before heading back up to the house, I zoomed in to get one last photo of a cloud in the West that was close to the horizon. I'd like to see the folks in nearby Salem get pictures like this without buildings in the way.

The Strawberries are ripe and the Blueberries are comming into season

The strawberries growing in two little patches where I live are producing many berries, and I was able to pick a popcan-sized amount of blueberries from three bushes, but many other blueberry bushes are not even close to being ripe. Both types of berries are perfect for desserts made for the holiday just two weeks from today. I will have to have some blueberry pancakes with strawberries on top for breakfast sometime soon. I am actually kind of surprised that I haven't been called back to the cannery yet to sort out the good and bad strawberries. I will have to get some pictures up later of the blueberries and strawberries.

It's Finally Canning Season in the Mid-Willamette Valley

It's that time of year again. The canneries in and around the greater Salem area are about to open their doors to seasonals to come in and package strawberries and other early fruits. In roughly one month from now every cannery will be bustling with activity as the new-hires come on. Strawberries are already being picked on local U-pick farms such as Fordyces' near the Willamette Valley Fruit Company. Speaking of which, the Willamette Valley Fruit Company is giving free slices of pies to Dads for Father's Day. Have you tried their Forestberry Pie yet?