As it goes by

For the last three days I’ve been in the most beautiful places. Places without internet, or mobile coverage, but beautiful none-the-less.  As I travel, my phone will suddenly get 19 texts, and 48 notifications, and I’ll snatch it out of my pocket, text everyone back, post a picture to instagram and hit send on nine emails. It’s so weird –  and makes it all seem urgent and strange, and then eleven seconds later I have no coverage at all, and it stays that way for hours and hours.  Connect, disconnect, all at the whim of the wind.

I left the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival on Monday with my friend Judith.  (It was a terrific event, by the way, so if you’re ever in the area…) I’d decided, since I had to be in the country until Monday for that event, and then back today, that it would be sheer lunatic nonsense to fly home, all the way across the continent, only to fly back two days later. As homesick as I am right now, I know I’d just be so tired if I’d done it the other way.  So I made a decision that I’d stay, I’d see things with Judith, we’d have a little time together – we’d work, I’d get some stuff done… it would be great. Now – we’re not the sort of women who don’t make things nice, so we decided there was no need for that work time not to be as beautiful as we could make it, so as we travelled from The Dalles to where Judith lives in Forks (yeah, that Forks) that we would take the best route we could.

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We meandered up the Columbia Gorge, following the river, and it was ridiculous. I mean, it was beautiful to the point that at some points the feeling that you were driving through an impossible postcard was overwhelming. At one point I stood on the edge of a cliff, looking out across the river and thought “oh, C’MON OREGON. Get a hold of yourself.”

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We saw waterfalls, and camels and zebras (I know. I don’t know why they’re there either) and a volcano and it was amazing. Nothing short of amazing.  I could barely knit in the car, that’s how lovely it was. I was too busy shouting LOOK AT THAT DO YOU SEE THAT OH MAN.

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We kept on trucking, and night time came, and we were still driving, and we arrived really late, and after a debacle or two, I got myself tucked into a little room on the Quileute Nation, at La Push. (Yes. Those Quileutes. But the real people.) It was dark, and though Judith told me the ocean was there, there really wasn’t a ton of evidence. (There was the sound. I grant you that, but it could just as easily been a constant, enormous train.)

In the morning I woke up so early, about 5:30 in the morning, and I lay in bed, looking out the window and watching the stars wink out as the sky began to brighten. I was excited for dawn to come, and to see the ocean, and all of a sudden something came together in my mind.

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How often, I wondered, will I wake before dawn in what is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places on earth? I got up, I made coffee, threw myself and and out of the bathtub, swaddled myself in wool, grabbed my knitting and my camera, and threaded my way down through vast rafts of driftwood, down to the beach.

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La Push is gorgeous. It is wild and huge and the waves are bigger than me, and there is driftwood the size of houses. Whole centuries old trees flung up on the beach, where they will sit and weather for centuries until another storm takes them away, keeps them in the sea for years and years, and then flings them up on another beach somewhere else in the world.

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(Bonus points if you can find my coffeecup in that one.)

When you stand on the beach at La Push, and look out to sea, and take a step towards the waves, you are moving in the direction of Japan. There is nothing between you and Japan. Not an island, not a peninsula… nothing.  Just the sea, and then the sea, and then then sea, and then Japan.  The sun rose while I thought about that.

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I looked at it all, and I took a thousand pictures of waves, and I watched the light change, and the beach and water re-make itself a thousand times. It was so beautiful that even though I am not really the mushy type, I may have had a little cry.

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The waves rushed in like horses, and it was spectacular.

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I’ve seen a lot of really incredible things over the last few days, but I think that dawn on the beach at La Push was something I’ll remember for a long, long time.

178 thoughts on “As it goes by

  1. I love that part of the world! Must have something to do with the fact I was born and raised on the Olympuc Peninsula but now live in a totally different part of the state.

  2. Ethereal. That is one gorgeous place.

    Even though I grew up in San Diego, right on the Pacific, I never went down to the sea without remembering that I was on the very very edge of the continent. Like you, I looked for Japan.

  3. Holy. Moly. I would have cried buckets at that incredible beauty. Shoot, I cry at the beauty of the fall leaves every year I drive up to Rhinebeck. It’s nice to stop, unplug, and take it all in once in a while.

  4. OMG – so gorgeous. I’ve only experienced the “tamer” beaches of FL and CA, but this really, really makes me want to see more of the west coast.

    La Push looks to be an ethereal experience.

  5. I know you said ‘whole trees’, but without the coffee cup I’d have had no clue of the scale. That thing is HUGE even for a whole tree.

  6. Thanks for posting the pictures. I hope to get there someday, but realistically it probably won’t happen, so I appreciate the beautiful pictures.

  7. I ran the Columbia Girge marathon a few weeks ago. It’s hard to distract yourself from the pain after running 20+ miles, but that scenery managed to do it a few times. I am, however, still vaguely traumatized by those hills.

  8. I’ve been to the area twice (only driven past Forks) and it is one of my favorite places on Earth. Your pictures are gorgeous and I’m jealous of your sunrise at the beach. I’ve never stayed in the immediate area so I’ve had to drive in and by then it’s mid-day. Enjoy!

  9. I have taken pics of that very same driftwood tree. Love Multnomah Falls; I used to hike to the top as a highschooler. My family took a vacation one year and drove the Lewis and Clark trail, so we saw all those same sights. Gah-jus!

  10. I do actually know why there are zebras and camels in that part of the world. I used to live up on 101 in Oregon (Upper Left Edge!) and there were a few farms out there that take in abandoned or retired circus animals. It’s pretty awesome.

  11. I spent my birthday two years ago, driving from Seattle to La Push so my visiting Kenyan, could see the Pacific Ocean. It was an all day drive to have a half hour on the beach and dinner in Sequim, but it was worth all of it to see the joy on this man’s face when his feet hit the water (it was late July). Great memory!

  12. OMG yes, absolutely one of my favourite yet most dreaded drives, shooting down the I-84 to PDX, down along the Columbia… And yes, the ocean, the Dalles and Mt Hood and what’s left of Mt St Helen’s: all of it. Miss it a lot, thank you so much!

  13. Glad you got to spend time in The Gorge! And nice shot from the Lyle Rest Area. You can see why I’m very fortunate to live here, and I’m still blown away by the views! You have another convert to lever knitting style, and yes, I’m practicing (almost) every day!

  14. I live on Vancouver Island, and I agree there’s nothing like that feeling of being on the west coast and watching the waves roar and crash against the shore. The power of nature is amazing to see.

  15. I’m so glad you got to see our coast. It’s hard to describe to someone who hasn’t seen it. They say, yeah, I’ve been to the beach, but it’s more than that. You captured it wonderfully.

  16. I drive through the Columbia Gorge to the Oregon coast from southern Idaho a couple times every year. Even though I grew up in Colorado with the beauty of the Rockies, I still find the Washington and Oregon scenery, especially the coast, to be some of the most spectacular and mentally rejuvenating I’ve ever seen.

  17. I don’t think I have the words to describe that beauty, and that’s saying something. Thank you. Another place I need so spend some time exploring, with camera in hand. Good for you for unplugging and taking the time.

  18. That is absolutely amazing. I’ve been enjoying your instagram coverage of Forks. The publicity they get is hilarious to say the least.

    Good thing for the Fiber festival, I was worried about your disturbing lack of yarn.

  19. Wow, those are some beautiful shots! Thank you for not sleeping in like you likely needed, and having that experience. Thank you for sharing it with us, so willingly. I may have cried a little with and for you….

  20. There is no place that has captured my heart like Washington state where I grew up and still live. My husband and I are currently pondering a move to the Olympic Peninsula from the Seattle area. If you go back, Stephanie, take the time to visit the Hoh Rainforest. It is a temperate rainforest and one of the loveliest places on earth. LA Push is on one of most feral, prettiest pieces of our coast. I am glad you enjoyed our beautiful state.

  21. Thank you for the beautiful post. As an Oregonian, and a previous Washington resident, it was wonderful to read the ode to our beautiful landscape. It was a pleasure to have you visit!

  22. Beautifully written, thank you for sharing, and for the pictures.

    33 years ago I took a road trip with a girlfriend that ended on the west side of Vancouver Island, back when there was just one road across the middle of the island that ended on the beach. I, too, thought that day about there being nothing but ocean between me and Japan. It is a mysterious, rare place to be. Thank you for reminding me of that day.

  23. It really is a most beautiful coast. I cant count the times ive been looking at the sunrise from the water. Born and raised on the Olympic peninsula I know how lucky we are here.

  24. So great that you recognized such a rare opportunity to witness that glorious sunrise in such a beautiful, wild place.
    And that coffee cup really knows how to work the camera.

  25. So glad you got a chance to experience the wild beauty of the Washington coast. The area around Forks is so remote, many folks never see it, preferring the tamer southern beaches. Happy to see you got some nice weather too, as the area can be totally fog bound for weeks, or blowing a gale.

  26. I am Canadian, but I choose to live in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula, only a short drive from the beaches at La Push, and am so glad that you have finally had the opportunity to see this neck of the woods. Not a day goes by that I don’t count my blessings for being surrounded by what I think is the most beautiful part of the USA. And how cool is it to be able to say “Oh, yeah, that Forks” 🙂

  27. I’m from Oregon, so I am happy to hear you got to see some of the loveliness of our beautiful state. Three are so many places I haven’t yet vistited that appeal- the Gorge being just one of the places I add to my ‘let’s go there this year!’ List. La Push looks lovely and such a great representation of the Pacific Northwest coastline- rugged and rocky, rainy, windy and cool.

  28. Such beautiful pictures — some of those seascapes look like something out of Ursula Le Guin’s alternative world of Earthsea (at least the way I imagine it) … and now I think of it, Ms Le Guin does live in Oregon. I’m glad you had some time to just be there and appreciate it in peace and quiet. Your pictures are going to fuel my fantasies for some time to come!

  29. I may have had a little cry just reading this and looking at your stunning photographs. (Mind you, I *am* the mushy type, and it’s been a long week….)

    Gorgeous. Just breathtaking.

  30. “I watched the light change, and the beach and water re-make itself a thousand times”

    Knit, tink. Knit, tink. Always the same and always different. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclites: you can’t step in the same river twice.

    Gorgeous photographs, good words.

  31. Thank you for beautiful, beautiful photo. Also, mentioning Japan. I am on the other side of the ocean and knitting, reading your blog.

  32. I love the part where you say “C’mon Oregon, get ahold of yourself.” On my one visit to Seattle, I felt as if the place was constantly striking poses for me and shouting “Ta-da!”
    It’s _that_ gorgeous.

  33. I live in Washington and was a Native American studies major back in my college days (we shan’t discuss how long ago those were LOL) – so THANK YOU for sharing that Burke Museum link about the Quileutes. 🙂 A friend sent it to me a while back; she’s a big Twilight fan but wanted me to look it over in case my now-teenage daughter reads the series or sees the movies. I love, love, love that you passed that along to your readers.

    Speaking of your readers, I just finished reading All Wound Up yesterday. I may or may not have done a happy dance when I spotted it at the library. *innocent look*

    You’ve captured the wild beauty of our coast so well – thank you for that, as well.

  34. Columbia Gorge is also a classic bike ride on the Oregon side. Experience on car or bike is different depending on which side of the river you travel. Since you saw the falls I’m guessing you were in Oregon. And- Multnomah Falls is only one of many beautiful fall in the Gorge.

  35. You’ve captured our coast so beautifully. We natives sometimes forget how special the coast here is. My baby brother called that place Lake Push because he got knocked down by waves.

    Joan near Puget Sound who needs to visit Forks again soon.

  36. You just made me incredibly homesick. I grew up in the Northwest, and we would spend every spring vacation on the rainy, windy, chilly beach in Oregon, where my sister and I would spend all day playing in the mountains of driftwood, and we’d get up early to look for old Japanese glass fishing floats that had crossed the entire Pacific to wash up on the shore. I have a stone I keep on my desk from that beach; just the touch of it takes me back instantly to the pounding waves and the smell of the salt in the air.

    I’m glad you appreciate what to me is the most beautiful stretch of coast in the world!

  37. Now you know why I LOVE living here in Portland Oregon.
    All that and more within miles of my home.
    Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to be sure I’m not dreaming.
    (disclaimer: I do not care for the last two summers here. Too hot and most homes in Portland do not have central air conditioning. But other than the summer heat, Oregon is wildly wonderful.)

  38. I wonder how many will take the time to really stop and see because you chose to–a lot of us, I imagine. Thank you. So gorgeous.

    I haven’t seen the beaches of Oregon or the Columbia River Gorge since I was ten years old but I’ve never forgotten how the landscape commanded that we look. At our campsite, my parents grilled tuna caught nearby and showed me that this is how it’s supposed to be, wild and real like our surroundings.

  39. Now you know why I love living here. Sometime when you are at Madrona, take some extra time to see what else we have here to delight the heart. See you in February, stay warm.

  40. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the Pacific Northwest. We really loved your keynote address, at the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival Banquet. You had us laughing so hard, our sides ached! Please make this an annual trip! We would love to see you again next year! (…and you can spend more time exploring the PNW.) 🙂

  41. La Push is one of my favorite places on earth and I’ve been lucky enough to have visited numerous times. I am always awed by the enormous trees strewn upon shore.

  42. I never thought of “having a happy place” but in truth Oregon – its mountains, valleys and coast – is my favorite place on earth. So glad you could take a little extra time and enjoy the quiet, beautiful pleasures of the Oregon coast.

  43. Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos, they reminded me of waking my husband during our honeymoon in Hawaii to take photos on the beach 10 years ago.

  44. Now I’m REALLY sorry I missed the Gorge Fiber fest, though I had a good and necessary reason. You’re enjoying my part of the world, and I’m so glad. Also glad that you shared some “not green” shots of Oregon/Washington.

  45. As I looked at your pictures, I remember standing on the beach in the Pacific Northwest, holding my dad’s hand. I was very small, and he leaned over and whispered that if I looked very carefully in the distance, I could see Japan. I was thrilled. Of course I ran and told my sister, and she delighted in setting me straight. When confronted, my father asked if I knew what the word “gullible” meant!

  46. Ahh, Sweet Steph, I am so so glad you got to see just a little piece of Oregon. I’ve lived here off and on for about 30 years, and the Columbia Gorge, I can tell you, is but one of a couple hundred just-as-incredible spots in this little state. Seriously, it seems there are about five countries contained within the borders of the state of Oregon. The southeast high-desert country is NOTHING LIKE the Columbia Gorge, the high peaks of NE Oregon look more like Switzerland than Colorado does, the lush vineyards and rolling oak hills of SW Oregon are even prettier than north-central California Wine Country, and the lakes and volcanic peaks of the High Cascades of central Oregon … well, you just have to see that to believe it. I’m so glad you didn’t fly home.

    Come back for more of Oregon. (But you should warn Joe, the more time you spend here, the more time you’ll want to spend here.)

  47. I lived for 35 years on the North West Coast and love its rugged shoreline and big waves…this year I went to upstate NY and Rhinebeck (from Idaho) for the first time and had your experience of a postcard moment everywhere we drove. Is this an amazing country or what?

  48. Stephanie, those photos were so beautiful! Thank you so much for the link to the Burke Museum. I wanted to visit La Push from seeing Twilight. Now more than ever, just for the pure beauty!

  49. When I get depressed about the gray skies and the rain, I look around at what you were amazed by, and am amazed again every time. Thank you for the reminder that where I live is a gift. La Push is truly amazingly beautiful, and quite near me.

  50. I read but rarely comment….but tonight I have to. Thank you for loving my corner of the world!! You travel so many places, you could get blase about it all, but you still see the wonder. That is a gift.

  51. your pictures are so well done…i gasped at your morning photos. i could feel the power and pounding of the waves. My sister lives in the Columbia Gorge and I am enthralled by so many places near there. Now I have to see that beach and a sunrise there. thank you

  52. Thank you. I am seriously homesick now despite just having been in Oregon and Washington only last month. The PNW is (insert your favorite superlative here). Thanks for a taste of home with your gorgeous pictures.

  53. Totally fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us all. Waves and ocean movement has always been so special and bone deep for me, having grown up near the Atlantic. La Push is now on my Bucket List.

  54. Grew up in Washington, live in Oregon, and have visited Judith in Forks. I’m a Northwest gal and am so happy that a Northeast Canadian has experienced the areas that I love so much. Enjoy the solitude.

    • Er, well, Toronto is neither very northern (it might even be further south than parts of Washington state) nor eastern (got to be at least 1000 km from the east coast)! But the point does indeed remain that those are pictures of some pretty amazingly lovely areas.

  55. 1. Ha, exactly. The Impossible Postcard. Lived in Oregon for a while; the mountains, coast, rivers and waterfalls are a different world.
    2. Saw the cup; now where’s the obligatory sock???

  56. It’s hard to believe that you have travelled to both of my “second” homes over the last several months, I was born in The Dalles and my family moved to Southern Alberta as a young girl, I attended college in Montana instead of my first choice Oregon. Any chance for vacation, my family chooses Alberta or Oregon every time. Thank you for the beautiful post Stephanie, thank you.

  57. And because you thoughtfully shared your stunning photos and poetic thoughts, we will be remembering with you.
    I feel as if my feet should be wet-we stood on edge of the world watching the waves for at least 2 coffee refills.

  58. As a native Oregonian who lives in beautiful Boulder, Colorado ,you made me homesick even though we spent 3 weeks in Oregon and Washington in September.
    Thanks for the trip back ‘home’.

  59. So many thanks for the hit of my native Oregon from this ex-pat in Pennsylvania. My roomie and I (MANY years ago) made it a challenge to try to climb every trail in the Columbia Gorge – both sides – while we lived in Portland. Kept us sane while attending OHSU. Thanks for the memories!

  60. I visited LaPush a couple years ago. Love the area and the people. Truly beautiful in all aspects. I hope to return very soon.

    I visit Oregon almost yearly and while I often go back to my favorite sites, I always manage to find something new and awesome to explore. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. I may even try to move there someday. That’s how much I love it.

    So glad you got to visit and enjoy!

  61. Oh, the Columbia River Gorge, makes me homesick for home! Love that area (and all my family who live there)! Can’t wait to be back soon!

  62. You were so close to me…..If I’d known you were coming I’d have baked a cake.
    My heart is warmed knowing that you were so taken with the beautiful gorge! And also knowing that you are having such a rich experience in this little pocket of flyover country.

  63. Click and touch the airplane. In a heartbeat! Thank you for your gorgeous words and photos. I grew up on the coast in British Columbia but I have been so long in California I had almost forgotten the beauty of the beach. Thank you so much for bringing it rushing back.

  64. So glad you got a chance to explore new horizons; thank you for sharing. As you can see from the many posts above, those of us lucky enough to live (or have lived) in the Pacific Northwest are inordinately proud of our area (heart swells, misty eyes). There’s nothing more restorative than being at the coast and watching the light play on the waves.

  65. Lived in Vancouver for a year and never got tired of either its beauty, or the fact that Japan was on the other side of the ocean!

    Also, I see a new photo series ahead: Where is the Yarn Harlot’s coffee mug?

  66. The Washington coast is pretty good, but the Oregon coast is even better if you ever have the chance to see it. And I am speaking as someone who has lived in both states.

  67. Changed from Toronto, which I love, to the Sunshine Coast of B.C. Every single day is beautiful beyond belief. The sea is less than 2 minutes away. The trees on the beach are tossed around like toothpicks by the ocean. The skies are indecent at times, and the rain is part of being connected to the rainforest. Mother Nature is alive, ( and asking for our help) and totally awesome.

  68. I was lucky to travel thru the Columbia Gorge in early Aug. I agree with you that it is impossible to knit & enjoy the scenery. A little envious you are on the Olympic Peninsula, but you deserve the break.

    Interested to read how you have resolved your unyarniness.

  69. My wife is from Oregon, and when we go back to visit her family, I am always struck by how beautiful it is. Thank you so much for sharing those pictures and your experience.

  70. I got teary eyed just reading this post and looking at all the pictures. I have driven by there and lived close to there but never actually been to Forks WA. I live in Washington state but currently I live in the South Eastern area in a small city called Richland. It is dry and there is no ocean. We do have a couple rivers but it isn’t the same as being near the ocean. There is beauty here in a different way but I miss the ocean, the moisture, the sounds and the feeling that comes over you when you are that close to the ocean. Thank you so much for sharing your trip. I love your pictures. I don’t comment often to your blog but I read it every day. Or at least I check every day to see if you have posted something new for me to read. Again, thank you.

  71. I live in Japan right by ocean shore. Your 5:30 am was my 10:30 pm. When you were looking at us with morning coffee, I was almost ending my day with a glass of wine. I imagine bigness of the ocean and the earth.

  72. Those are awesome pics. I’ve always found it’s worth it to wake up early and see the a lovely sunrise (and then go back to bed or take a nap later in the afternoon).

  73. I cry every time I go to the beach and get overwhelmed by the majestic stormy waves. The sound, the smells…. It’s the best way I know to be reminded of how “not” in control we are and how that’s alright. Living and working in the majestic desert of Arizona however my heart and home are in the south cost of Oregon. Thank you so very much for the photos.

  74. I’ve been to La Push three times, and it absolutely is as beautiful and magical and ethereal as you say – and your photos are much better than mine. I’m glad you got a chance to see it all misty and wet and the waves rolling in.

  75. As a native Oregonian I appreciate all it has to view… But the Columbia gorge is a wonder in itself. I always try to imagine what Lewis and Clark saw as they paddled down the Columbia. Glad you enjoyed your road trip and morning on the beach!

  76. I am blessed to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest portion of the United States, in fact a stone’s throw from The Dalles (where the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival is held). I’m so glad you got to see this amazing part of the world. It is very very special. Come back soon.

  77. I saw your cup, but I have to agree with another commenter above: I don’t see your sock! I’m so glad you had fun up there, It looks amazing, even from the little I saw. Thanks for sharing

  78. Now I see where Socks That Rock get their Raven Clan colorways from. Seriously, if it isn’t already it needs to be made one. Or two. Or even three.

  79. Looking at the photos and reading your prose was a moving experience. I’ve lived it through your post. You should be a writer… oh wait, you ARE. And I mean — you are a capital letter “WRITER”. Awesome!

  80. Beautiful!

    And yet, it may be time to send out the Knit Signal. The world is getting screwed up again, and that can only mean there aren’t enough knitters on the job. I don’t really know how to fix the world’s problems (other than wallowing in stash, friends, and perhaps a glass of wine), but I trust you and all the other knitters to figure it out. It’s heading into hardcore knitting/holidays/freaking winter time, and we need to buckle down to this. Suggestions?

  81. Thank you so much for coming out to Oregon! I’m so glad you got a little time to explore. I’m happy to spend the rest of my life mucking about here. I think whale migration season is late October.

    I hope you come back.

  82. You should visit Oregon more often. I can’t believe there was a fiber festival that close to my hometown and I didn’t even know it! Wish I’d been there! Glad you liked the Gorge. I love driving through it every year. It is always wonderful. But now I’m going to be looking for those Zebras (what? THERE ARE ZEBRAS IN THE GORGE WHY DIDN’T I KNOW????? OREGON I’M SO SORRY!) so beautiful!

  83. Even though we do get more than our fair share of rain here in Washington. It is a beautiful part of the world especially our coastline. Thank you for sharing! I will catch up with you at one of your events someday!

  84. Amazing stupendous photos Steph! My daughter wants to move to Oregon, and now I will not try to talk her out of it, visits would be exquisite.

  85. Thank you for this beautiful post. I am fortunate enough to live in the San Juan Islands in WA and am grateful for exhilarating views and rugged coastlines every day. My family spends a lot of time thinking, dreaming, and knitting (!) at the beautiful beaches on San Juan, while waving across the water to our lovely neighbors in Victoria, B.C.

    Hope to make one of your retreats soon!

  86. Amazing pictures, Stephanie. You’ve made us ALL want to experience that beach! Glad you took some time to “refill your tank.” Well done!

  87. Thank you so much, Stephanie, for sharing your thoughts and photos from a most magnificent experience on our northwestern coast. The way you value nature, good folks, fibers, wine, etc., are what make you such a wonderful artist and woman. Love, rock, & stitch on!

  88. Oregon is a state of a myriad of climates. The rainy but fertile Willamette Valley is only one. There are south coast cities of winter sunshine, a coast range of dense forests; high deserts of sage and pine ( and quite a lot of bare miles on the far SE side); snowy ex-volcanoes march down the center for great skiing and boarding, a valley of pears and wine grapes surprise visitors in the SW corner, surrounded by mountains and minutes from N. California. Fields of wheat in the northeast and data farms in the center where you would least expect them to be. The Columbia Gorge, before our US Thanksgiving, is a beautiful place of waterfalls – just don’t try to travel the usual black ice at the holidays. Windsurfers color the Columbia river all summer while the apples grow in nearby Hood River for the best apple cider around. Oh yes, Oregon, get a hold of yourself, indeed.

  89. I’m not on twitter, so I’m going to respond your post about the vintage 3/4 sleeve coat & fingering cashmere here. Hopefully you’ll still see it. Might I suggest some pretty long gloves? I think these are nice: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/waves-17 and I’m sure you could design (or find) a cowl pattern to match (continuing w/your concept of attempting to wear, you know, outfits…) with the leftover yarn.

  90. I am also not on Twitter: I think “Au Jardin de la Reine” is a very pretty shawl to compliment your vintage coat. You need about 400-600 meters of fingering cashmere. Just about what you have. Looking forward to next posts and photo’s.

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