Hold That Thought!

With the Columbia Gorge Art Festival behind me, my thoughts are turning to the yard. In fact, I spent all day Saturday working in the yard, and part of Sunday. Attendance at the show seemed low, and I’m betting that’s one reason… the first gorgeous weekend in a while, and people were chomping at the bit to get things done in their yards. Bob and I went to Farmington Gardens and came home loaded with bedding plants for the vegetable gardens and flower beds. Most of them are now in the ground, but I suspect there will be one or two more trips to the local nurseries before we’re done!

We have two new visitors to the backyard! A pair of blackheaded grosbeaks have been stopping by the last few days to partake of the birdie buffet at Chez Zorko. Here is a picture of the male, chewing on a sunflower seed from the tube feeder. They really like those sunflower seeds! With their brilliant colors and large beaks, they look almost tropical!

We also have another type of grosbeak that frequents this feeder, and they seem to be taking turns with the new blackheaded visitors — it’s pretty funny.

Below is a picture of the female. While beautiful, she’s not quite as striking as the male. Nature is funny that way… in most cases the male is more beautiful than the female. Except in the case of humans.  ;-) 

In other birdie news, we have a pair of nesting chickadees who have taken up residence in the beach house… a birdhouse we bought a few years ago on our first anniversary trip to Cannon Beach. The house is make from a big piece of driftwood. The chickadees seem to like the house and are preparing for their new arrivals. It’s fun to watch them going in and out. Too cute!

It’s Thursday morning and I’m busy getting things ready for this weekend’s show, The Columbia Gorge Art Festival in Corbett, Oregon. This is a fun show, one I’ve done for a number of years now, and I urge everyone to come out for it. The weather is predicted to be sunny and warm, and Corbett is just a short drive east of Portland off of I-84.

You’ll find everything there from handmade cards to large garden sculptures! I’ll have my notebooks, Note Totes, wearable art pins, and handmade soaps there, and this will also be the first time that my new paper-tiled mirrors will be available for the public to see (and hopefully buy!).

A trip to the Columbia Gorge Art Festival makes for a fun outing, and you can use the opportunity to see and do other things along the beautiful Columbia Gorge. You can even enjoy lunch while at the festival… they always put on a great barbecue — the hamburgers are wonderful!

Here’s the address… 35800 East Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett, Oregon 97019
From I-84, take Exit 22, go up Corbett Hill Road to Historic Hwy and turn right. Art Festival is about 1/4 mile on left.

I’ll be there Sunday afternoon, and plan on doing some shopping of my own… last year my big “find” was a wildly painted papier mache cat that now occupies a comfy perch in my studio. He is painted in psychelic colors and has emerald green metallic whiskers. His yellow glass eyes watch and encourage me as I create new things. He is my “mews”! I’ll have to take a picture of him and post it — he’s really quite spectacular!