To Eugene, Oregon & the Cousins! June 21-July 8

Crater Lake is on the way to Eugene, Oregon, which is where Audrey (almost 3) and Owen (7) live, my niece & nephew.  I also like to visit my sister, her husband and her husband's parents --- as well as walk around Eugene as much as possible (bakeries, anyone???) because it is a very walkable and enjoyable town.

The weather is normally a wonderful middle ground of not quite cold enough for snow to stick in the winter (except this April when it was 85 in South Bend and they were building snowpeople in Eugene...) and the summer is usually lovely although sometimes quite cloudy.  Except for the summer that Audrey was born when Jonathon and I were there for 2 weeks in 95 degrees daily and melted along with the rest of the town, we are hoping that since we have already had that experience we will not have to live through it again this year!

Depending upon how much fun we are having at Lassen and how anxious we are to get to Eugene, if we decide to forgo Crater Lake this time, we can go there another time that we are visiting Eugene.  We go at least once a year since the kids were born, often twice :)

Saturday, June 23
Lassen Volcanic National Park (CA) to Eugene, OR
346 miles
A long day of driving, but we'll have beds waiting for us at the end :)

We'll go through Ashland, OR which is famous for it's ongoing Shakespeare Festival.  I'd love to stop and see Animal Crackers, but it is sold out for that day :(  The age recommendation is:  "will be best enjoyed by playgoers 10 and up who can keep up with the puns and wordplay", sounds right up Jonathon's alley.  We'll stop and wander around anyway.  And see if we can get the movie from the library after we get back home.

Hello, I must be going!Hurrah for Captain Spaulding, the African explorer, skirt chaser and wise-cracking guest of honor at a posh Long Island house party. High jinks meet high society when he and his cronies mix it up with social climbers and stolen paintings. Written for the Marx Brothers, this slapstick madcap musical busts out with zany songs and lavish dance numbers. Released as a film after the 1929 Wall Street crash and recently adapted, it proves that you can’t keep an anarchic comedy full of pungent one-liners down. Image: Mark Bedard (Captain Spaulding)

Sunday, June 24
Black Sheep Gathering
In Eugene, we will arrive in time for me to attend one day of the Black Sheep Gathering.  For those who know my proclivity for fiber-related events, this will not be a surprise.  My friend Wendy has purchased several (ok, SIX!) Gotland sheep from a Eugene farm and I am invited to come meet the sheep before they come east to their new Indiana home.  The drive up Hwy 5 from Eugene to Portland is dotted with green fields of (little from the road) sheep... I am thrilled that I may get to actually meet a few of them :)



The specific event that I want to see at the Gathering is called Spinner's Lead:

Entrants wear their handspun garments or creations, while leading a sheep or goat or carrying a bunny.

The event is open to all producers and spinners of wool, mohair or rabbit fiber.

If you don’t have livestock entered in the Black Sheep Gathering animal shows, we can arrange for you to borrow an animal. However, these arrangements must be made in advance so we can find a match for you. Spinner’s Lead Rules Articles must be 100% handspun, (commercial warp or canvas OK) Entries may be hand or machine knit, hooked, woven, crocheted or felted. The articles may have been completed at any time; it is not limited to items made in the past year. Someone other than the entrant may make the article, although the maker of entered article must be identified in the entry form. Articles must be at least 80% wool, mohair or rabbit. Garments should represent the breed of the animal being led. Entrant doesn’t have to own the animal used in the lead. Only animals entered in the Gathering are eligible for the Spinner’s Lead. Judging Criteria for Spinner’s Lead Originality and difficulty of design 30 points Color, fit and style 25 points Suitability of garment to use of fiber 20 points Handspun by entrant 5 points Knit, woven, etc., by entrant 5 points Overall appearance of entrant and animal 10 points Animal owned by entrant 5 points Note: In case of a tie, judges will award bonus points on the basis of originality.

Someday, I am going to walk in a Spinner's Lead.  Not this year, but it's on the "someday" list :)  And, yes, this is one of those things going on in most states of the Union that until you enter the World of Fiber, you don't even know they are out there...

U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials
Another unexpected opportunity is that we are going to be in Eugene during the US Olympic Trials for Track & Field.  The stadium is about 5 blocks from Elaine & Greg's house, and apparently there are giant TV screens set up in the surrounding streets so it's just a 10 day block party and we can saunter over anytime and see running, jumping, throwing, hurdling on the screen or buy tickets and go in to see it in person.


Rowell Brokaw Architects
I want to include a photo of Rowell Brokaw Architects' office in downtown Eugene, at One East Broadway.  Greg & his partner have built up a successful business where Elaine frequently is also working and Emily spent some time working a few years ago.  I keep "threatening" to move there and beg for the job as office manager, I think I'd love it, and I seriously doubt that I'm going to become an architect at this point, still don't have the confidence that I could create anything from scratch.  Isn't the building gorgeous???  The downstairs building partner Oveissi & Co. is a premier retailer of Oriental rugs, and they are beautiful to look at up close as well as through the windows of the 1st floor.























Bakeries, Eateries
Remember when I mentioned bakeries??  Well, here are a few of my favorite eateries, including bakeries:

Here is the Eugene City Bakery which is next door to the Puckler's Gourmet Ice Cream (where Obama had ice cream when he was in town during campaign season), and only a few blocks from the house.  So very close to the University of Oregon Track, how convenient during the Olympic Trials!

When I have Audrey to myself, we walk or stroller to breakfast where she sits next to me on a tall stool enjoying her scone & milk and we talk about the dogs that walk by with their people.  The bakery has free bone shaped biscuits for the dogs and an always filled water bowl outside.  1607 E. 19th Avenue, open at 6:30 a.m. weekdays, 7 am weekends.


For fancier fare, Sweet Life, started by two sisters in 1993!
Downtown at 755 Monroe Street


There are so many vegan and vegetarian options in Eugene that it would be easy as well as delicious to make that my primary eating mode.

Morning Glory Cafe lists all of their suppliers on their website, featuring organics and local/regional products. they offer breakfast and lunch at 450 Willamette Street very near downtown.


Ok, that's enough ramble for one post!