Oregon Coast Sunset

So relaxing to watch the sunset from our room last night. It's been a lovely much-too-short get-away. Headed home today via the scenic route.

(Hoping it works ok to post 2 pics at a time from my phone. We'll see.)

Columbia River

On our way to coast for a quick weekend getaway for Lyle's birthday. This is our second year in a row to do this. Does that make it a tradition?

This picture was taken at a rest area not far past Lyle, Washington. I overheard some lady say to her husband, "There's Lyle." I was startled. How did she know my husband? Then I realized she was talking about the little town around the bend of the river! :-)

Here a Chick... There a Chick...

 My goodness! It's been nearly 3 months since I posted a Chicken Update. I'm sure you'd love to see how they've grown and catch up on all the hen-house gossip, wouldn't you?

You'll be glad to know the Girls continue to be happy and healthy. They are close to full grown now, and are pretty and friendly birds. Becky lets them out to forage in the backyard at least once a day. They are curious critters and will fly up on the roof of the hen-house to see what they can see.

 Cookie takes her job as Head of Ranch Security very seriously and watches them intently. Every now and then she'll try to herd them, but for the most part she leaves them alone.

 It's funny to watch them come down off the hen-house, because when one does, they all decide they need to. They do fly, but they aren't very graceful on the wing. Not that they are all that graceful on foot. Chickens just aren't.

 Much to our surprise, they started laying a couple weeks ago. I had read somewhere that it was usually about 6 months before they started laying, but I guess my information was wrong. Or maybe it said it could take "up to 6 months." Anyway, we weren't really watching for eggs yet.

Becky loves to go out a check for eggs several times a day now. We've been getting 1-3 a day. Once we get 4 in one day we'll know all four Girls are laying. For now we're not sure, because we can't quite tell which eggs belong to who. The white ones are obviously Daisy's (the White Leghorn), but the other three Girls are brown-egg layers. I expect Becky will figure it out before long.

 And then they pull stunts like this... while I'm trying to have my devotions on the deck. Silly Girls!

And here's the Head Chicken Keeper posing with Marigold (who was the one who happened to be the most cooperative at the moment).

...everywhere a chick-chick... E-I-E-I-O!

The Workbasket (Installment #14)

Time for some more scans from my collection of vintage Workbasket magazines, this one from June 1953. (Which I guess I should have posted in June, huh?) Anyway, 60 years ago.

 "Here is a hat which will keep you looking cool on the warmest days and is a perfect match for those casual summer dresses." So, I'm supposed to believe that wearing one of these fetching little numbers will keep me cooler than wearing no hat at all? Oh, wait! It says "...keep you looking cool..." That's entirely different. I definitely want to look cool in my casual summer dresses. Better whip me up one or three.

This is apparently what they considered "Air-Conditioned Driving" 60 years ago, before real air-conditioning  was a standard option in most cars. "You'll drive cool as a breeze through the hottest summer months with Cool Rest at your back! And there'll be no more wet sticky clothing, either!" Bless their hearts!

 This "Surprise Package For The Non-expectant" is "real fun"! Can't you just see the 1953 housewives giggling over the cleverness of the idea?

 I'm sorry, but I can't imagine that a inflatable pool that's only 42 inches across and 8 inches deep would "hold up to 8 children comfortably" and no, I don't call that "GIANT" either. (However, they do offer larger sizes at the bottom.) The fine prints says: "A private swimming pool all their own for your kids to splash in. Endless fun with all the different ways they can play--cooling carefree frolic in the water plus the added joy of bouncing on the broad air-cushioned seat." Yeah, how "endless" do you think the fun would be with 8 kids bouncing on the sides of the thing? But... it does come with a "free maintenance kit" so I guess you can just keep repairing it every time it deflates, huh? For "only $2.98" what did you expect?

 Let me see... If I sell 9 tubes of wonderful Genevieve Bedford's Creme Shampoo... (Wonder who Genevieve Bedford was? A shampoo guru, I guess.) ...at 89 cents each, I'd need to send in $8.01 for my aluminum pitcher "ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT COST." That seems kinda high to me at 1953 prices. But then, that does include all those tubes of shampoo, too. But I'd hafta get out and sell 'em to raise the money. Hmm... not sure I need a Cheerio pitcher that bad.

Speaking of 1953 prices, there's at least one thing that has amazingly not been hit by inflation over the years-- a ball point pen! The "sensational ball point pen" (with "actual photo") is an "unbelievable value! Not one--not three--but EIGHT Ball Point pens for $1." 

Guess what? I saw a package of not one-- not three-- not eight--but TEN ball point pens on sale at Wal-Mart just last week for $1! Better hurry over and stock up while they are still available at less than 1953 prices!

 This month's Women Who Make Cents column includes ideas for painting dog portraits on hankies, gluing "any bright colored feathers I have on hand" onto paper for stationery, and painting "different designs" on hand-made aprons. First of all, I don't think I could paint a dog portrait that anyone would want on their hanky... nor do I just happen to have bright colored feathers on hand. The apron thing? Well, maybe. If I liked to sew. Which I don't. So this month's suggestions to "add to the family income" are pretty worthless to me.

 I do like looking at the dainty dress patterns from long ago, though.

Hope you've enjoyed this bit of nostalgia. Which snippet did you like best?

Amateur Photographer

Another thing we did while my parents were here was to go on some photo shoots. My dad has a wonderful DSLR camera that he let me use. I had got to use it last fall when I went out to Oklahoma, so I was anxious to get to play around with it again.

Since Becky's senior year is approaching I wanted to see if I could actually take some pictures of her that we could use as her senior pictures. She loves horses and cowboys, so I thought it would be neat to have a western theme for her pictures. When my parents heard of my plan, they offered to take her shopping for a cowboy hat for her 18th birthday so she could wear it for the pictures.

I asked some friends if we could use their place as a backdrop since they have horses. They were happy to agree. And so we set out...

Since I had never done this before, and my dad is also an amateur photographer, he got some advice from my sister who is a professional photographer. "Set the camera on Auto and just snap-snap-snap!"

And that's what I did.

I was pleased with the results. I would love to have a camera like that, but I guess I can probably borrow it just about any time I'm around my Dad. Because he's generous like that.