oregon coasting: begins.

i love beer.
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

so, we headed off down the Oregon coast.
what a drive!
it has been seriously incredible!
(photos can only describe...)

we lunched at the Pelican Pub & Brewery.
where I sampled a beer flight.
yum!
I think this should be more common!
it's so fun trying all the different kinds!

(Brent...good idea for Redlight for sure!)

the drive was made even more wonderful by my 5 cd Oregon Coasting collection.
o yes.
it has been a perfect mix so far!
every genre imaginable!
(available for purchase when i get back to FL.)
heehee...

so after our yummy lunch...we always split our food!
so we both get to taste everything!
we kept heading south to Newport!

Mariah's gracious friend let us stay in her beach house,
literally...right on the beach!
we went walking for over 2 hours this morning!

anyway, plenty more to come,
with LOTS more photos!

but it's bedtime now.
the mead has kicked in....


xo.

erika&jess' nite out.

erika&jess
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

don't you love the kind of friends that you just click with no matter what?

she's one of em.
since so, so long ago.
it's so special.



we had a lovely nite out last saturday.
lots of giggling.
(it's what we do best)
some whiskey was involved.
and my aunt's cookies!
haha.

well....as of now I'm out on the coast of Oregon.
Good grief...its breathtaking. literally.

editing those pics now.

(like i said, i think the best way to keep track of me is to check out the flickr!)

but I'm having a blast in Oregon.
again, I can't thank my aunt enough for this trip.
it has really meant so much.

she's sitting across from me at our little table now.
editing her aquarium photos...
(phenomenal! we had a blast...those pics will be coming!)
having a red wine, while I sip on my hot mead!
we are 2 of a kind for sure.
I'm so blessed to have her back in my life.

I love you Mariah.


xo.

huckleberry shake!

huckleberry hound : 2
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

had to throw this in too!

huckleberry shakes rule.


that is all.

alpaca!

feeding time!
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

so then we were on to an alpaca farm!
(mind you, this is all in one day!)

so now i also want an alpaca!
they hum to their babies!
its so soothing, we were in the "maternity ward",
and it was just full of hums.

and their fur is as soft as cashmere,
and not itchy at all like wool.
there was a fabulous red beanie i wanted...
but perhaps i could get some alpaca yarn and a certain friend of mine could make me a hat from it...heehee!

it was fun.
when we left, my aunt and I discussed the humor in the fact that we were enjoying all these simple, kinda cheesy, touristy things.
but we were! so much!

we met so many awesome people.
and heard their stories, and how they are making it with a small family run business.
it's very inspiring.
and comforting.
there are people who are still just people.
living life.
happy with what they have.

lavender pirate.

lavender pirate : 2
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

ok so i'm sure i'm like alot of folks.
lavender seems super girly to me!
and i think the only time i've smelled it has been some fake candle or lotion.

but wow.
i am so hooked on real lavender.

we went to an organic lavender farm so i could pick some!
fresh! from the plants!

i'm drying it out now.
to make a tincture!
and a room/linen spray from that!

like before, lots more lavender pics if you click on the photo and continue on to flickr!

xo.

purrfect.

purrfect.
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

i want this cat.

on our way...

on our way...
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

to Mt. Hood and the Fruitloop!

it's so cool to see terrain like this.
all i'm used to in florida are billboards, billboards, billboards.

macro: pink crazy flower

macro: pink crazy flower
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

the also had AMAZING flowers at the hatchery!

all the buildings were original.
it's like the oldest hatchery or something!

fish hatchery.

through the looking glass.
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

we went to the bonneville dam and fish hatchery.

they have a sturgeon there that is ten feet long!!!

its crazy!

i'm getting really good at writing alot for each photo in flickr.
so click on the photo to read more fun stuff about my adventures!

xo.

yes i'm catching up on blogging today.

eat your heart out uncle rico.
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

so today was jam-packed with sight-seeing!
whew!

i am pooped!

but i really would love to get alot of my pics up tonite.

i tried to write alot on each of the pics on flickr.
so check that stuff out if you want.

this was from our first stop:
Multnomah Falls

so pretty!!

so click on to see more pics and some tidbits of info about the falls.

plenty more to come from today...
petting zoo (which consisted of seven goats and one sheep)
lavender farm (can you say i'm completely obsessed with the stuff!)
alpaca farm (i want one)
a pregnant kitty
sturgeon (the fish)


o yeah and to start it all off,
as we are pulling off onto the first exit,
i look to our left and there is a body on the side of the road.
yeah a human body!
so we pull over and decide it would be best to call the authorities,
considering we are 2 ladies and i don't have my knife on me.
ha.
so we end up calling 911 and as we are waiting an old dude pulls up to see whats going on,
he won't go over and see if the guy is ok either!
(which i thought was kind of redic, but considering the times we live in, i can understand)
so an Oregon State Trooper pulls up in a minute or 2.
she walks over to the body, and when she is about 3 feet away the dude jumps straight up to his feet!!
i almost peed in my pants.
i was starting to get upset and feel really bad about not going over to help the person...
but i'm glad we didn't cos who knows!!

we didn't hang around to see what his deal was,
maybe he was drunk and passed out,
maybe he was napping,
maybe he was conducting a social experiement.
we will never know!


but i do know that it does really suck that no one else stopped.
no one would go over.
what a world.
it's kinda sad.


ok.
sorry to put a damper on things!
sturgeon pics are next!
(those are those huge bottom feeders,
huge like ten feet long and 650 lbs!
i like to call them scoundrels.
as i told the hubby on the phone tonite...
hahah. yes i totally meant scavengers,
but i do like scoundrels much better!)

xo.

pod.

pod.
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

click on the photo to see it larger!

and we saw harbor seals too!

and a bald eagle!

orca ahoy!

orca ahoy!
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

so the next day we went whale watching!!

it was so incredible.
seriously, words cannot describe.
i had some sort of spiritual experience out there.
freaking amazing.

we were surrounded by the J pod.
one side of the boat, there were a few not 100 feet away!!
just cruising along..in and out of the water.

then over to our right, a group of atleast 6 were splashing and playing around like dolphins!
it was a sight to see!
really one of the neatest things ever.

i got some great photos too.
i borrowed my aunts zoom lens.

and right as we were leaving,
one flipped out of the water, a total 180!
and jumped back in with his tail splashing around,
just like a dolphin.....which they are by the way.
i was speechless.

xo.

ferry to Friday Harbor

Friday Harbor
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

then on sunday we took a ferry to the San Juan Islands,
to go whale watching!!!

the ferry was fun in itself.

we stayed out there for 2 days.
it's so neat how some people live out there,
they take boats or the ferry to work.
it's beautiful!

our hotel was about a mile out of town,
and we decided to hoof it.
bad idea with bags full of cameras and computers!
nerd alert! haha.

as for the hotel...
i've got 2 words to describe it,
and you'll only get it if you are a SNL fan:
Welshly Arms.

hahaha. o yes.
hot tub and everything!
and i think swimsuits were optional!


"....although the waters look calm from above,
below is a frenzy of activity...."

bahahahhahahah!!

(you tube it if you don't get it.)

me in the igloo o' bottles!

me in the igloo o' bottles!
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

one of the coolest things at bumbershoot!

recycled plastic bottle igloo!!

i want one!!

click on the photo to go to my flickr and see how the outside looked!

BFF circa 1986

erika & me.
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

she's one of those really really special ones.

5 dolla flowers

5 dolla flowers : 2
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

freaking beautiful!

the market is full of them!
i wish i coulda sent some to my mom & gramma!!

most amazing wall ever!

most amazing wall ever : 2
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

one day it will be mine,
o yes...one day it will be mine.

Seattle!

postcard.
Originally uploaded by STRAYcreative

ok so i've been slacking on the blogging...
but not the flickring!
click on this photo to see tons more of my trip!

so...
let's see...

we went to Seattle for 2 nites.
it was awesome!
as the story goes...
i got into Bumbershoot to vend!
super exciting! pretty much got the last booth they had.
but unfortunately we just couldn't make the funds work to pay for it.
but my wonderful aunt decided to keep our hotel reservations,
and we went for the day saturday.

Erika, one of my childhood pals, was going to be there too,
with her boyfriend, who was vending there.
he makes AMAZING recycled belt cuffs.
so cool.
i wish he had a website so i could send you to it!

we got to Seattle on friday, and walked around town a bit,
went to Pike Place Market!
(i'll put up some of the market pics as well...but you should prolly just check out my whole flickr!)
i had the most amazing bowl of clam chowder.
(it's not supposed to be thick!!)
saw the space needle and took fun pics there.

then we Bumbershoot-ed all day saturday.
it was a madhouse!
super fun.
saw some bands, checked out a bunch of indie artist,
i'm definitely doing it next year!
it would be so worth it!

so i'll post a few more seattle pics now!

xoxo.