1. map 2. “42”, 3. halloween house, 4. The Peter Iredale 2, 5. A Little Bit of Amsterdam in Astoria, 6. Foggy Bridge, 7. Astorian Sunset, 8. long live liberty, 9. fog light in the forest
“On November 2, they drifted into the quiet upper reaches of tidewater on the Columbia. Clark, on November 7, wrote: Great joy in camp we are in View of the Ocian, this great Pacific Octean which we been So long anxious to See.“
This from a book about Lewis & Clark’s Expedition along the Missiouri & Columbia River. That was 200 years ago. And now I will be making my own Voyage of Discovery up to the wilds of Oregon in a few short weeks. I want to see with my own two eyes this wonderous place where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean. Astoria has grown in my imagination over the last year. I first read about her on a blog and was smitten. The little San Francisco of the Pacific Northwest. Who doesn’t want to go there? Uh…I DO!
HERE’S an article from the New York Times about Astoria. And HERE is one that appeared in Sunset Magazine.
I’ve been dreaming about Astoria in my journal since last year. I made this page on Sunday. Bought my tickets on Monday. Portland & Astoria here I come. Oh dear, my 6 week vacation looms on the horizon. If I wipe the steamy window I can almost see it.
I decided against driving. I’m flying instead. I’m smiling as I imagine stepping out of this dry heat and into the moist coolness of the Pacific Northwest. The idea of 2 new beautiful places to explore thrills and delights me.
My mailart of a couple weeks back made it safely to Suzanne in Chicago.
I have a boy in my class who draws very well. The other kiddos always want him to illustrate their stories and draw pictures in their journals. He has a good eye for drawing things they way they appear. This is my other artist. No one asks him to draw anything for them, but that doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm or uninhibited sketching one bit. I prefer his style of artmaking. I mean will you look at this!? This….this is a MASTERPIECE. Look at those long arms and meaty hands! Those determined lips. I like the way the face seamlessly blends into the dress. And oh look, feet like giant commas. There is madness in those eyes. What? You don’t recognize me?
m.a.~finally got the mosaic thing down! see my newest post~
xoxoxo
diane
OH!!!! Those photos!! I must get that book!!! I could move into that hauted house, say, Now? LOVE IT! xxo
Bravo for the “other” artist, he will be the genius one day! BTW your work’s pretty good too.
I too have been to Oregon…really spending time…just once…those foggy, misty, fern laden forest…the place where fairies must surely reside.
The Ms Moss portrait is lovely! I have lots of those too 🙂
I will be off to the NE tomorrow morning on a wonderful, bloggy, birthday trip!!
Oh, you are going to have so much fun. It is beautiful and to see the river enter the ocean is amazing. We camp at a campground there where you can stay in yurts and it is great.
I hope you have a great time. You can find all kinds of good things on the ocean beach there. I am getting so excited just telling you all this.
Wow, you make ME want to go to Astoria. I’m impressed. As a former Portlander, I’ve never thought of Astoria as a destination (just as a place to drive THROUGH heading down the coast). But looking at those photos, I might have to change my mind. 🙂
Hey! Is that one of the new journal stamps…in red around the edges of the photo? How cool! I knew that you would find some awesome ways to use these! Hope you are having fun!!! RM 🙂
Can you give the creator of Ms. Meaty Hands a picture of me and tell him I want to commision him to capture my likeness? oh please, oh please, oh please. You can NOT keep him all to yourself!
Now that you mention it, I do recognize your eyes but let’s face it, the nose was THE dead give-a-way… I would know that nose anywhere.
Oh, our weather up here is heavenly today – cool and moody, moist and green. You will have a great time meandering the back roads at this time of year. I love the page of anticipation. Dreaming about travel is half the fun. And the drawing. Spectacular. What little wonders your ponies are. You have my email. If you have time for a little meet-up in PDX give me a jingle.
Why, Miss Moss, I’d recognize you anywhere from this portrait!!
(I have a treasured file of such portraits myself. I can actually remember the clothes I was wearing from them!!)
Have a wonderful vacation – it sounds dreamy. I have only been to Oregon once, a memorable trip. You’re leaving on my birthday so I know the trip will be celebratory!
I’m off myself in 2 days – if I can only get packed!! (Finished hemming the new pants on the new sewing machine but STILL no word yet on the (ugly – only one left!) apt. a Roma.
Arrivederci, S.