Monthly Archives: January 2011

The Willamette Queen sternwheeler exiting the locks at Oregon City, Oregon; photo by Jan Jackson

… well, only if you need to remember how to say it (it does rhyme nicely – smile).

It’s quite a river – 187 miles long, flowing south to north (which most rivers don’t) totally within the state of Oregon.

In the 1920s, water in the Willamette River wasn’t suitable for swimming or drinking and rumor has it that fish died within minutes of contact. Concerned Oregonians enacted the nation’s first pollution control laws in 1938 and since 1997 it is listed as one of 14  American Heritage Rivers.

It starts at Waldo Lake (near the town of Oakridge) and ends in the Columbia River in Portland. It is the life blood of commerce, agriculture and recreation and belongs equally to everyone involved in those enterprises. As you travel through the Willamette Valley, you will cross it many times. Salute it.

Luv,

Sissy

Take your pick from the list and watch a free video (or all eight of them) at the Champoeg State Park Visitor Center.

… when you are ready for some fun on a rainy day (or even non-rainy one), drive to the Champoeg Park Visitor’s Center and watch their free videos. If they aren’t busy, you can watch them all (they do schedule groups there from time to time so you might call before you go – 503-678-1251). Get a load of the list…

1. Champoeg – 15 minutes – Champoeg’s role in forming the first American government west of the Rockies and destruction of the town during the 1861 flood.

2. Western Bluebird Project – 10 min – Bluebirds were once very common. See what’s been done to restore the bluebird population here at Champoeg.

3. Bluebirds Inside the Nest Box – 15 min – See the hatchlings!

4. Radar Archeology – 10 min – High tech is being used to see through Champoeg’s past and find the best places to dig.

5. Uncovering a Past: Champoeg Park – 20 – A detailed look at the 1997 archaeological dig.

6. They Hailed a Steamboat Anyplace - 30 min – Award-winning view of steamboats on the Willamette River.

7. Oregon White Oak – A Landscape Legacy – 15 min – White Oaks are important to Willamette Valley ecology. They are in trouble, but there is hope.

8. Road to Statehood – 30 min – In 1859, Oregon became the 33rd state in the Union. Road to Statehood celerates Oregon’s 150th birthday by exploring the lives of Native peoples already living here and the missionaries determined to change them, the mountain men and fur trappers who came for adventure and wealth and the pioneers who brought their hopes and prejudices with them over the Oregon Trail.

You can find out what all Champoeg has and how to get there by visiting www.champoeg.org. Trust me. This is a fun way to get a dose of history and a whole lot more – smile.

Luv Sissy

Sheep grazing in the grass seed fields along I-5, between Salem and Eugene.; photo by Jan Jackson

… When you are driving I- 5 between Salem and Eugene or along many of the roads that run through Oregon farmland and you see sheep (with their little tiny easy-on-the-grass feet) feeding on beautiful bright green grass, they are probably eating the stuff that produces the grass seed that the Willamette Valley is so famous for.

But, let me tell you, it is a complicated deal.

The grass seed farmer needs that grass cropped (by something with little tiny feet) so it branches out and gives a better yield and the sheep grower needs a winter grazing place for his lambs and – voila! Some farmers charge pennies a day per head  for the sheep grower to pasture his flock (like 3 to 5 cents), and others weight the sheep before they go into his field and weigh them again, when they take them off and charges the sheep grower for how much weight they gained (like 30 – 40 cents a pound).

Of course there are all kinds of variations that come into the deals, but you get the point. While you are looking out your windshield, I just want you to know what’s going on out there. Now, slow down a little and enjoy it and the next time you order “grass-fed lamb,” you’ll know what they mean.

Luv,

Sissy

Built in 1938, Oregon State Capitol is on the National Register of Historic Places; photo by Jan Jackson

… sits on top of the Oregon Capitol. Everybody wonders who he is but, he isn’t anybody in particular – he’s every pioneer who came here to make Oregon a better place. Not everyone likes to have people know how big they are, so don’t tell him I told you that he is 23 feet tall, weights 8.5 tons AND covered in about 11.83 ounces of gold leaf.

You might notice that the modern Greek structure of the Capitol itself, is highlighted with four different types of marble. Also, so you don’t have to try counting them, there are 350 windows – smile.

It makes a wonderful place for a self-guided tour in the winter or a guided tour between Memorial and Labor Days. Check out the details at:http://www.oregonlink.com/capitol_services/capitol_services.htl

Luv,

Sissy

Enjoying the wurst

… and it IS the best high winter entertainment to be had anywhere – bar none. Area sausage makers present for sale the best of their wurst – bratwurst, bockwurst, frickadelwurst, famous Oktoberfest sausage and many other variations garnished with sauerkraut, grilled onions and the Benedictine Sisters award winning Monastery Mustards (see a related story in Stories From Oregon). For a cold winter day, try a steaming cup of Bavarian Gluhwein (hot mulled wine). Select cheeses, sausage pizza, baked goods, chocolates, roasted nuts along with hot dogs and chicken nuggets for the kids and it goes on and on and on.

Save the dates now – Saturday, February 12 from 11 AM to 11 PM and Sunday, February 13 from 11 AM to 5 PM. For the first 2,000 people, the $10 adult admission fee includes a half liter Warsteiner souvenir Bavarian glass beer mug, easily worth the price of admission (kids accompanied by an adult are admitted free until 9 PM on Saturday and all-day on Sunday). It is also the  last event in the old Biergarten, so you’ll be there to bid it farewell (they start dismantling it the day after Wurstfest and the construction of the new building will start shortly thereafter. More details at http://www.mtangelchamber.org/

Check out the inserted YouTube video from our first Wurstfest in 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvjEKNvpjok&feature=related.

It gets better with each passing year and I know because I’ve been there. My advice? Don’t miss it!

Luv

Sissy