Albany, Oregon - Historic Carousel and Museum, Part 1

I wanted to divide this into two parts because there are at least two different areas that I want to focus on. As a third I will put a bonus here, that a recent article on Albany attractions included the carousel, and except for a parkway, everything was within two blocks of each other. Albany is compact.

The other thing that I appreciated was the focus on the animals.

That is the magic of a carousel, and they really try and highlight the animals here.

There are charts of the animals, including animals that are not yet on display.

It is nice to see that they have names and what those names are, especially when you see how gorgeous they can be.

The tiles on the bathroom walls highlight different animals.

It is clear that the animals get the stage, and that feels as it should be.

 You can love the horses and still be glad for the more unusual members of the menagerie.

 I may have seen elephants before, but that is a frog to the side, and the quail was a first!

When you learn more about the museum, it makes perfect sense that they are highlighted in the way that they are. More on that next time.

https://albanycarousel.com/

Beaverton, Oregon - Tualatin Valley Water District Water Efficient Demonstration Garden

There are at least four demonstration gardens in the general area, and there is a link to more information on them below. The one I know best is for my own water district, Tualatin Valley, located on 170th and Merlo Road in Beaverton.

I knew there was signage, like this one on mulch, but I was surprised to not see tags identifying the different plants.

In photos of lawn replacements, these tufts always show up, but what are they?

Then we saw the structures with not just maps, but lots and lots of different handouts.

This is where I realized that were were not just seeing one possibility for a water efficient garden, but three.

The areas are divided into sunny, shady, and mixed, so you can get different ideas depending on what best suits your property.

I appreciated the variety and clarity of the information available. This allows for self-guided learning at any time.

The traditional lawn is wasteful and surprisingly sterile,  but also not very imaginative.

Building on a wealth of free information available, you can find alternatives that are better for the environment and more beautiful for your own enjoyment.

The transition may still take work and involve some headaches, but can also be very rewarding.

And that is not just referring to a lower water bill!

https://www.tvwd.org/

https://www.conserveh2o.org/sites/default/files/plantguide_demos.pdf

Pacific Northwest Lily Festival

Synchronicity hit recently when Julie and I both saw mentions of a Lily festival.

A little research revealed that it has been around for seven years, and is the only US lily festival this side of the Mississippi, so we made our way to Parry's Tree and Lily farm in Forest Grove.

The people were really friendly and helpful.

The farm is decorated with whimsical fabric figures...

and they understand that children may need some additional entertainment...

and there are tables and chairs at the ends of the rows so you can take some time to relax.

Food and drinks are available from local business Diversity Catering.

Obviously, the real attraction was the lilies.

It is not just that they are beautiful, but the smell is heavenly.

Well, not all of the lilies are fragrant, but enough are that it affects the whole area - not overpowering, just good - and there are helpful labels with each variety depending on what kind you want to take home.

There are lilies rooted in the beds and lilies in pots. They plant two weeks apart, so if the variety you want has already finished blooming in the beds, there is a good chance you will still be able to find it in the pots.

Prices seem reasonable, especially for the large cut bouquets.

There is yard decor available as well.

Still, it's mainly about the lilies.

So many colors...

and shapes....

and sizes.

August 11th will be the last day of the Lily Festival, open from 10 AM to 5 PM.

http://www.lilyflowerfest.com/

Audubon Society of Portland

The Audubon Society of Portland has educational resources, performs animal rescue, and has a large amount of hiking trails.

The hiking trails were kind of a bust. Their location on a steep hillside means that while we might have gotten our mother down these trails, we would never have gotten her back up. Those kinds of trails do work for some people, but they can definitely not be considered all access.

Other aspects are better. Rescued birds can often be seen - sometimes up close with handlers. We got to learn more about their raven, Aristophanes.

Having never seen a raven around here (lots of crows, though), it was a good reminder that there are more local species than what you see: habitats and fauna change, even in relatively small areas.

Because of that, one of my favorite features is the bird-watching window, something that had stuck in my mind from a school field trip long ago.

It is just a large picture window with multiple bird feeders outside to attract birds, but that can create a lively scene.

Unfortunately that day, two of the feeders were empty and one was broken. We only saw a handful of dark-eyed juncos, two Steller's jays, and two rats.

Still, I appreciated the book of pictures underneath the window to help identify the frequent species. One of my hopes was to identify a new visitor to our yard, and the book showed me that it was a Wilson's Warbler.

(But not this. This is a Steller's Jay.)

Ultimately, that particular visit might have been disappointing, but there were good things about it, and I know that the work they do is good, both for the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation and for the educational programs that are frequently run. We can find good walking trails in other places. Also, it was free.

The did have a really good gift store, full of fun and educational options.  But ideally they would keep the feeders full and in good repair.

https://audubonportland.org/