caribousmom » Travel

Portland Book Blogger Retreat

Caribousmom — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:35:28 +0000

*Click on photo to enjoy a larger view

From left to right: Juli (Suzi) from Whimpulsive, Gabe from Reading Local, Wendy from Caribousmom, Gilion from Rose City Reader, Ali from Worducopia, Kristen from We Be Reading, Teddy from So Many precious Books, So Little Time, Bethany (in front) from Dreadlock Girl, and Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?

A group of book bloggers from Northern California, Washington, Oregon and Canada got together this past weekend in the wonderful city of Portland, Oregon to meet each other and participate in some fun activities. Gilion from Rose City Reader has posted a terrific wrap up of the weekend, and so has Ali from Worducopia.

We (of course) took in Powells (one of the largest independent new and used bookstores in the world) and were treated to a tour of the store, including the rare book room. We got to see Lewis and Clark’s journal with a copy of their original map tucked in the back (and worth $35,000).

*Click on photo to enjoy a larger view

We also ooohed and aaahhed over a book which exhibited fore edge painting (art is painted on the edges of the pages where it is not visible until one fans the pages to reveal it):

*Click on any photo to enlarge

We also visited the Multnomah County Library where Jim Carmin showed us some amazing rare books from their collection. **CORRECTION from my original post where I said: “This library boasts the third largest rare books collection in the United States”… Actually their Native American Literature Collection (poetry, fiction, drama) is one of the top three largest collections of its type in the US (thanks for the correction, Jim!!). Among other things we got to view a silk thread woven book from the 13th century, the serialized version of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and one volume of the complete set of The Birds of America by John James Audubon. I wanted to take photos there, but I did not think there was enough light without using my flash (prohibited!), so you will just have to take my word for it that what we saw was stunning.

We also spent about an hour with author Molly Gloss who was charming, funny and talkative. Teddy’s camera has the photo of the group with Molly, so I’m hoping she’ll post that soon!

I stayed with Terri from Reading, Writing and Retirement who was unable to join the group. As always, spending time with Terri and her partner Laurie was a joy…and especially this time given that they have just added a new puppy to her home. Liza is one cute pup and at four months old and just over three pounds, she lacks no energy:

Overall, this was a tremendous weekend. It was so much fun to meet face to face with book bloggers who I read daily…and Portland was the perfect bookish city in which to get together. I have a feeling we will be doing this again at some point, and maybe there will be even more of us next time!

Mt. Shasta Lavender Farm: High Desert Beauty

Caribousmom — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:01:45 +0000

“Here’s your sweet lavender
sixteen sprigs a penny
that you’ll find my ladies
will smell as sweet as any.”
Lavender Seller’s Cry – London England 1900

Located deep in the high desert off of highway A-12, just 20 minutes North of the city of Mt. Shasta, lies a jewel glittering beneath the sun. The Mt. Shasta Lavender Farm sprawls over a sunny slope of land at 35oo feet elevation. Visitors to the farm make their way up a long gravel driveway lined with juniper trees, and past a small vineyard where the heady smell of lavender and the drone of thousands of honey bees greet them. Mt. Shasta stretches into the sky, a magnificent backdrop to the rows of English and French lavender.

Lavender has long been used as a herbel remedy to remove nervous tension, facilitate sleep, relieve pain, disinfect scalp and skin, enhance blood circulation and treat respiratory problems. Used in potpourris and perfume, lavender oil is extracted from the flowers of the plant. Aromatherapy utilizes the blend of lavender oil with other essential oils such as cedarwood, pine, clary sage, geranium, and nutmeg.

But it was relaxation and fun we were looking for when my sister, niece, husband, and I traveled to the Mt. Shasta Lavender Farm last week. For only three dollars, we picked a fat handful of 100 stems to take home and dry. A bubbling fountain gave us the opportunity to watch dozens of bees drinking their fill of the cool water.

Inside the shop (which is actually the owners’ home when the farm is closed) we enjoyed a refreshing, complimentary glass of lavender lemonade, and could not resist buying a packet of lavender butter cookies whose sweet taste literally melted over our tongues. The gift shop offers a variety of items for sale including soap, artwork, lavender wands, essential oil, and garden hats.

Walking among the rows of lavender, stooping now and then to snip a few stems, visitors inhale the pungent fragrance of the plants and find themselves transfixed by Mt. Shasta’s peak. Small groups stroll through the lavender maze or pause to admire the view. Far from the bustle of any city, the farm serves as a moment of startling beauty and relaxation.

We filled our baskets and our senses with the sweetness of lavender and departed the farm with a bit of reluctance, rumbling down the gravel drive with the mountain at our backs.

Beyond The Shadow of War: The Living Memorial Sculpture Garden

Caribousmom — Mon, 28 May 2007 17:51:20 +0000

I wrote this article and it first appeared in The Piker Press in November 2005.

I thought I'd post it again here as a tribute to Memorial Day.

Situated in the high desert of Northern California, in the shade of Mt. Shasta, there lies a sculpture garden dedicated to all veterans. The USDA Forest Service offered this land for the creation of a memorial. Bronze artist Dennis Smith served his country as a Marine and brings to life a personal and intimate portrayal of our history. His philosophy of art (“…to uplift, edify and educate”) is apparent throughout the garden and labyrinth.

On a perfect late spring day, my husband Kip and I drive away from Redding, north on highway 5. We exit in Central Weed and head north on highway 97 toward the stark beauty of the high desert. To our southeast, Mt. Shasta rises into a clear blue sky, her snow covered peaks shining in the sun. We find the Living Memorial Sculpture Garden one mile north of County Road A-12, in the heart of Siskiyou County and are greeted at the entrance by The Peaceful Warrior sculpture. With one bronzed arm raised to the towering pines, the figure appears triumphant. As our car enters the parking area, my eyes are drawn to the Hot LZ Memorial Wall, which on this day (only a week after Memorial Day), is covered with the red, white and blue of small American flags and the rich colors of dozens of bouquets of wildflowers. Names of veterans, living and dead, are etched in the wall’s granite surface. Glinting in the sun atop the wall are two bronzed sculptures of helicopters. Mt. Shasta’s snow covered slopes soar behind them and I can imagine the helicopters, blades whirring, lifting into the Spring sky.

We drive away from the parking area and down a dusty road where junipers and pines blow in a gentle breeze. Purple Penstemons, Northern Buckwheat and Hawks Beard are just a few of the dozens of species of wildflower which cover the ground. Dennis Smith’s sculptures catch the sun’s rays, throwing light toward the rocky outcroppings on the northern end of the park.

Kip and I climb out of the car. The breeze blows away the heat of the sun and wild thyme and sage flavors the air. We walk out to the POW-MIA sculpture. A soldier lies in a cage, ankles bound, hands curled limply at his side. People have placed wreaths, bracelets, flags and notes in front of him. An American flag, sun bleached and tattered, flutters. My throat tightens and tears blur my vision. The silence here is broken only by the occasional rumble of a truck making its way along highway 97; and the sweet trill of a single bird.

Kip and I take our time wandering among the sculptures. We wait for awhile at the site of The Flute Player, symbolic of peace and tranquility. It is said when the wind blows just right, the sound of a flute comes forth. But not today.

We walk out to The Nurses memorial. An injured soldier rests on a stretcher carried by two men; a nurse, hand outstretched as if giving a blessing, leans over him. Someone has tucked a tiny bouquet of blood red Desert Paintbrush inside the injured man’s hand. I imagine the thump-thump of a helicopter’s rotors, the thud of distant bombs, and the soothing voice of a nurse in the chaos. I imagine a soldier in pain who looks into the eyes of another and is comforted.

Kip and I move on. We feel the despair at the Korean War Veteran Monument; and hope as we gaze at the outstretched arms of the central figure in The Why Group.

The minutes tick by. I am filled with a peace that is hard to define. This site is dedicated to war veterans and one might think the violence of war would find a place among the monuments. But Dennis Smith, who believes that “through art we have the means to peacefully consider violence,” has created a remembrance that fills the observer with reverence and tranquility. On this day, Kip and I are alone among the bronze and dwarfed by a mountain. We stumble upon other tributes left where once only wildflowers grew. “To Papa,” says one; “To my brother,” says another. Crude bunches of flowers, small flags, piles of rock nest in the desert grasses, almost hidden; and their presence touches us, makes us feel this place is special.

When finally we climb back into our car, our words have been silenced. I roll down my window, allow the wind to blow past my face. Dust sifts and billows beneath the car’s tires. We leave the parking lot and turn south onto highway 97 toward home. I glance back once more to see the Peaceful Warrior standing guard.