Weekends in Dundee

Join us as we explore Willamette Valley Wine Country one weekend at a time!

A Wedding on Orcas Island

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Before I get back to all things Dundee, I wanted to do a quick recap of our weekend spent on Orcas Island celebrating the marriage of our two wonderful friends.

As I mentioned in my last post, we arrived to the Orcas Island on Friday which also happened to be the First Friday of the month! Lucky us, we were treated to all sorts of sales at the local shops in Eastsound. If you plan to visit Orcas Island you really need to make sure you have adequate time to visit all of the shops. The town of Eastsound is straight out of a movie with a quaint downtown perfect for strolling about.

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Blogging from a Boat

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Last weekend we took a few days off work and headed north to see our wonderful friends get married. Traveling to the wedding location turned out to be quite an adventure! The wedding was being held on Orcas Island off the coast of Washington.

And right now, you might be asking yourself, how do you get to an island with your car?

The answer: You take a ferry!

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A Walk to the Beach for The Native Fish Society

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This past weekend The Renaissance Man was asked to give a presentation for The Native Fish Society as part of the 2014 River Stewards Retreat at Camp Westwind on the Oregon Coast. It was a fantastic event, and I was lucky enough to tag along for the adventure. Camp Westwind is located just north of Lincoln City in the Cascade Head Scenic Research Area.

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Lady Commodores on the LPGA

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Growing up as a junior golfer in the Oregon Junior Golf Association, I spent every summer looking forward to the annual LPGA golf tournament. The Safeway LPGA Classic, as it once was known, was a chance for me to get up close and personal with the professional golfers that I idolized. I volunteered at the event every year, and would carry a sign board for one of the groups.

And for those of you who don’t know what a sign board is, below is a picture. In my picture you’ll also notice that the “Mom” is hanging out with the board, while her “daughter” is in the blue t-shirt sitting on the chair. I will tell you that when you’re ten years old, that sign board is much heavier than you think! That’s what parents are for right?

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Cluck! Cluck! Watching the Chickens

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Living in a small town certainly has its benefits. Unlike living in the City where neighbors seem to pass each other like ships in the night, in a small town you get to know your neighbors. We actually know almost every single one of our neighbors, which in my opinion, is pretty darn impressive!

So when we learned that one of our neighbors was heading out of town and needed someone to watch their chickens, we were more than happy to help out.

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Succulent Sea Shell

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Our home is filled with house plants and I think they make our space feel comfortable and inviting. However, before we move into our new home and were still living in the apartment, The Renaissance Man had put a moratorium on any new house plants. Our apartment was becoming a bit of a jungle. But with a new house, we suddenly had so much space and not enough plants! Or at least that’s how I felt about it.

Lately, I’ve been looking for some fun containers to add to our collection and I was ecstatic when I found this bronze conch shell at Goodwill. It reminds me of a container that my Grandma Martha had in her house when I was a kid. I promptly headed to the nursery and picked up some succulents.

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4th of July in Sunriver

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It sure has been a busy few days, I guess that’s what happens when you take a vacation. The vacation was much needed, and well worth the extra effort it’s taken to get caught back up at work. As I’m sure you have probably guessed, we don’t spend every weekend in Dundee, and this year we spent the holiday weekend in Central Oregon at the Sunriver Resort.

The Renaissance Man and I took off for Sunriver on Thursday morning and made good time over the mountain. I love how the landscape changes the further you drive. You travel from lush valley land, through the mountains along Detroit Lake, and eventually into the high desert. Family, friends, and a concert were waiting at the other end of our long journey.

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Five Ways I Know The Heat is On!

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Today was a scorcher! I slipped outside at lunch for a quick walk, and before I knew it, I had a bead of sweat went rolling down my forehead. I’m not sure about the “official” high-temperature, but the heat is on, and here’s how I know!

1. Temperature in the Car

That’s right, the trusty Subaru said it was 102°F as I drove through Newberg on my way home. How about that for July 1st!?

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2014 Vanderbilt Baseball College World Series Champions!

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I am such a proud Vanderbilt alumni! As a former Vandy athlete I will tell you that winning a National Championship is the ultimate prize that you grind toward all year long. Early morning lifts in the weight room, afternoon practice, late nights studying…all of that work pays off in one way or another. We’ve come close a few times, but watching our baseball team get it done tonight and win a National Championship is something I will always remember! The fight of a team. together. to the end.  #AnchorDown #CWS #VandyBoys