… and he’s coming back to Lincoln City for their 21^st annual Antique Week – February 10 – 20 – ten full days of citywide antique sales, special antique Japanese float drops on the beach (you find it, you keep it), exhibits, movies, live entertainment, and appraise-a-thons.

And not only that – but – if your antique or collectible sports a Superhero (like Superman, Wonder Woman, or Spider-man), sign up to have Harry appraise it. The most valuable one in Harry’s judgment, will win its owner a getaway for two in Lincoln City.

It is fun having HGTV’s former Collector Inspector in town!

The cost for the Oregon Coast Antiques and Collectibles Appraise-A-Thon at Chinook Winds Casino Resort is $10 each or 3 pieces for $25. Contact Linda at 888-244-6665 ext 2323 for an appointment. Open to the public. Those who just want to watch, enjoy and learn are welcome, even if they don’t have appraisal items.

Click here for the 2012 Antique Week Map and Schedule or contact the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau at 800-452-2151

Oh I’m just wild about Harry – and Harry’s wild about me – smile.

Luv

Sissy

Portland Oregon on Christmas Day; photo by Bryan Kellar http://cascadiadaily.com/

… If you’ve only seen Portland Oregon in the sunshine, you’ve missed something special. Bryan Kellar took this cool photo from Terwilliger Boulevard.

In the foreground is a leafless tree – yep – the leaves don’t come back until March or April. In the back ground are the twin glass towers of the Oregon Convention Center – the largest convention center in the Pacific Northwest. In between, are two of Portland’s eight bridges – the first is the Hawthorne Bridge and behind that the Morrison.

I don’t think Mr. Francis Pettygrove (originally from Portland Maine) and General Asa Lovejoy (originally from Boston Massachusetts) saw anything that looked like this in 1845 when they argued over whether to name their new city Portland or Boston. They settled their dispute with a coin toss during a dinner party in Oregon City. A copper penny was tossed in the air three times – it came down tails in favor of Pettygrove’s Portland twice and heads for Lovejoy’s Boston only once.

Poor Boston doesn’t have a beautiful namesake in the Pacific Northwest. Poor Boston.

Luv,

Sissy

… Get out your calendars, mark some of these dates and then start your engines  and get over to the beach – you’ll thank me for it – smile.

Shrimp and grits 1-hour demo February 2nd; photo courtesy Lincoln City VCB *Wheelchair accessible event   Through March 31 Vessels glass art exhibit at the Jennifer L. Sears Glass Studio. Free. FMI 541-996-1274* Through Memorial Day 2012  Finders Keepers on the Beach: Weather and ocean conditions permitting, every day colorful hand-blown glass floats are placed on the beach. If you find a float, bring it to the Lincoln City Visitors Center at 540 NE Hwy 101 to receive your certificate of authenticity and a biography of the artist who made the float. FMI 800-452-2151 or 541-996-1274 or www.oregoncoast.org   Feb 02  Shrimp & Grits 1-Hour Demo class at the Culinary Center in Lincoln City from 2 – 3PM. Cost: $20, includes wine and a $5 coupon for a regular class. FMI Chef Sharon Wiest at 541-557-1125, 800-452-2151* Feb 03 – 04  Comedy on the Coast at Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Tickets $15. Show begins at 8PM.*   Pimento cheese at the Southern Supper 1-hour demo; photo courtesy Lincoln City VCB Feb 04 Southern Supper Demo at the Culinary Center in Lincoln City from 11 – 2PM. Cost: $50, includes wine and meal. FMI Chef Sharon Wiest at 541-557-1125, 800-452-2151*   Feb 04 Blue Valentine Band Concert at the Lincoln City Cultural Center 7PM. FMI 541-994-9994 Feb 10 – 20 Antique Week featuring in-home appraisals, guest appearances by Harry Rinker, citywide antique sales and more! FMI 800-452-2151.    Feb 10 “Lincoln Town Hall” at the Lincoln City Cultural Center at 7 p.m. Actor Steven Holgate highlights Lincoln’s most famous speeches, including the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address, then opens the floor to questions from his audience members, who take on the role of Civil War-era journalists. FMI 541-994-9994* Feb 11 Charleston, SC Cooking Demo at the Culinary Center in Lincoln City from 11 – 2PM. Cost: $50, includes wine and meal. FMI Chef Sharon Wiest at 541-557-1125, 800-452-2151* Clam chowder 1-hour demo with beer pairing; photo courtesy Lincoln City VCB Feb 16 Clam Chowder 1-Hour Demo class at the Culinary Center in Lincoln City from 2 – 3PM. Cost: $20, includes wine and a $5 coupon for a regular class. FMI Chef Sharon Wiest at 541-557-1125, 800-452-2151* Feb 18 – 20 Special Glass Art Drop of 100 additional glass floats, 100 antique glass floats and 100 sand dollars or crabs along the 7.5 miles of Lincoln City beaches, weather and ocean conditions permitting. FMI 800-452-2151, 541-996-1274.   Feb 18 Hands-on Italian Winter Dinner at the Culinary Center in Lincoln City from 11 – 2PM. Cost: $50, includes wine and meal. FMI Chef Sharon Wiest at 541-557-1125, 800-452-2151.    Feb 18 Speakeasy Night with Miss Rose & Her Rhythm Percolators at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, 7pm, $15 advance/$20 at the door. 541-994-9994.* Feb 19 Ronnie Milsap at Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Tickets $15-$25. Show begins at 5PM.* Feb 20 – 21 Grady Champion the 2010 International Blues Champion will play in the Melville room at Surftides from 7:00PM-10PM.    Feb 25 Perseverance A new publication on the history of African Americans in Marion and Polk counties, Perseverance, will be the subject of a presentation at the North Lincoln County Historical Museum in recognition of Black History month.  This free presentation will take place at 1 PM on Saturday, February 25 at the museum, located at 4907 SW HWY 101 in Lincoln City. Museum admission is also free, thanks to a grant from the City of Lincoln City. For more information contact Anne Hall, 541, 996-6614.    Feb 25 Easy Appetizers Demo at the Culinary Center in Lincoln City from 11 – 2PM. Cost: $50, includes wine and meal. FMI Chef Sharon Wiest at 541-557-1125, 800-452-2151.* See you there? Luv, Sissy Click here to go to complete Calendar of Events   EVENT DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.  PLEASE CALL THE “FMI” NUMBER TO CONFIRM.

Photo courtesy Guinness Breweries

… like the Sea Lion Caves in Florence are the biggest in the world, The Caveman statue in Grants Pass is the biggest caveman statue in the world and the Colliding Rivers in Glide are the only rivers in the world that meet head on. But, what I didn’t know that it was the Guinness beer folks from Ireland that started the book of records itself.

Here’s what happened (per Wikipedia):

“On May 4, 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of Guinness Breweries, went on a shooting party in the North Slob, by the river Slaney in County Wexford, Ireland. He became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the kochin golden plover or the grouse……”

Well, you can see where this story is going, right? Today, Guinness World Records holds its own world record as the best-selling copyrighted book series of all time – and – it is one of the most frequently stolen books from public libraries in the United States.

Who would have thought!

Luv,

Sissy

One of 50 or so remaining waste-wood burners remaining in the state, the old Beaver Lumber Co.burner sits near the town of Clatskanie; photo by Tom Nichols.

… out of the thousand or so obsolete waste-wood burners Oregon started out with, there are only about 50 left (see a photo of the one in Drain I posted April 27, 2011).

If you should be lucky enough to spot one, it would be good for you to know that these free-standing conical steel structures (ranging from 30 to 60 feet high) were used to burn waste wood in logging yards and sawdust in sawmills.  However, even though their tops were covered with a steel grill or mesh, the smoke and ash they produced into the air was too much.

Since they were legally banned in Oregon (they were taken out of use in the 1970s), we have since developed a use for wood waste as a component in various forest products such as particle board, paper and mulch as well as a burning process that produces steam to make heat and/or electricity.

The burner pictured is located near Clatskanie. To go there from Highway 30, turn north (left or right depending on the way you are going)  at the light – at the end of Nehalem Street take a left  on 5th, continue to Depot Road and take another left. Cross the tracks and turn right Clatskanie District road. You only need to go about a quarter of a mile and you will see it. For those of you who have a deeper interest in wigwam burners, visit the blog site of the new Oregon Wigwam Burners Association:

http://jaycritchley.com/2010/11/11/oregon-wigwam-burners-association-formed/

Anyway, if Oregon has 50 burners left and I have sighted two, it means I have 48 more to go – smile.

Luv,

Sissy

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