the Servite Brothers

Here is another picture taken at the gardens of the Grotto in Portland, Oregon.  The top picture shows the monastery of the Servite Brothers. The oval rose garden is on the front lawn of the old stone building.  The bottom picture shows the monument dedicated to Mary.  The monument is located on an overlook high above the city of Portland and the Columbia River.  Both are beautiful settings.

the gardens at the Grotto

Above the Grotto, high on the cliff, are the gardens.  There is an elevator built next to the cliff (no mountain climbing!) and this takes you directly to the gardens.  There is a marked pathway with stops along the way to see, smell and admire the flowers and statuary.  The hydrangeas are magnificent.  There is, also, another beautiful blue flower that I have never seen before.  The delicate petals surround a whitish cluster of tiny flowers.  I am fascinated by this flower.  The walkway passes ponds with trickling brooks and an oval rose garden.  If you visit the Grotto, please be sure to see the gardens on the cliff.  They are so peaceful.  The mixture of the gentle sounds of nature and the respectful quietness of the people walking about gives this place a genuine feeling of sanctuary.

the Grotto

We visited the Grotto in Portland, Oregon the other day.  The actual name for this place is The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother.  It was  the dream of Father Ambrose Mayer to build this sanctuary and it was formally dedicated in 1924.  The grotto at the base of the cliff was carved out of the basalt rock. An altar and a reproduction of Michealangelo's Pieta was placed inside.  Church services are held outside during the summer months and a chapel serves as a house of worship during the winter months.  The statue of Mary was dedicated in 1933.  The Grotto is a very lovely and peaceful place.  It is maintained by the Servants of Mary ( known as the Servite Order).

Mission Mill Marion Museum

There is a museum in Salem, Oregon with a lot of M's in it's name.  Mission stands for the Methodist (another M) mission that was established in this area during the westward movement along the Oregon Trail.  The mill stands for the woolen mill that was built here in the mid 1800's.  Marion is the name of this county and museum...well you get it.  If you are in this area, please stop by and visit this fabulous historical museum.  My brother and I toured the museum yesterday and we easily spent four hours just walking through the grounds and buildings and talking to the knowledgeable docents who are ready and willing to answer all your questions.  The mill still houses all of the original equipment and the self guided tour using the posted informative signs gives the visitor the opportunity to walk through the building at your own pace.  The life and work of the people who operated the various equipment and machines was well presented.  The woolens produced here were beautiful.  The process used to create the finishes were very interesting to me.  This building is very well laid out and easily accessible for tourists.

The parsonage is one of the oldest frame dwellings west of the Rockies.  The building, like the other buildings on this site, is filled with historical information about the life of the people in the mid 1800's.  This house was moved to this location from it's original location a few blocks away.

                                  The old church.  Very simple in design...both inside and out.

The mill race was engineered by diverting water from a nearby river into a creek and then forcing the water to channel through the mill race before it again emptied into the creek.  At that time it was common practice to empty used dyes and chemicals into the creek.  The color of the creek was determined by the dye lot of the day.  Beautiful fabric.....not so beautiful water.  well...maybe.

Salem's Riverfront Carousel

There is a wonderful carousel in Salem, Oregon.  I was here yesterday and I rode a horse named Westwind round and round and round while the music played.  The horses and other animals are wooden and all are built on site.  This carousel has an ever changing array of animals.  They are changed out every so often and there are also seasonally themed animals to ride.  Come   Ride   Enjoy   Laugh   Have some fun   Be a kid again

the carousel workshops

The carousel horses and other animals are built on site.  In the carving room the drawings with the intricate design patterns are posted on the wall.  Each animal is given a name by the sponsor.  The animals are carved out of large blocks of wood, put together and then the detailed carving takes place.

This is what Blackberry looks like while it is being carved.

More horses (and a giraffe) in the carving room.

After the animals are finished in the carving room they are moved into the painting room.  Here they are given several coats of paint and layers of protectant sealer.  The animals are then stored until it is their time to take their place on the carousel.  The sponsored animals ($15,000 a piece) are mounted on the carousel and they are used for one month by the riders and then they are turned over to their sponsors.  Horses and other animals are continuously created and the animals rotate in and out of the

carousel.  There are seasonal themes to the carousel animals.  What an amazing workshop!!

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Isn't this beautiful?  This is the view from the deck at the Willamette Valley Vineyards and Winery near Salem, Oregon.  One could spend a lazy afternoon on this deck, sampling the wines and taking in the view, couldn't one.  Oh, that's right.  I did.

West Salem UMC

This is the church that I have been attending while I have been staying in Salem, Oregon.  It is an older white frame building with a long history of serving the neighborhood where it is located.
 

Portland Rose Festival

It's that time of year.  The roses are in bloom.  The air is filled with their fragrance.  Wonderful!!

the park by the Locks

There is a park that covers a small island formed by the separation of the Columbia River and the Cascade Locks.  It is lush and green and very peaceful.  It is a great place to just sit and watch the river flow by.  Again, very peaceful.

Cascade Locks

The Cascade Locks are located along the Columbia River.  The river at this point was originally filled with rough rapids and steep elevation changes.  In order to better navigate this section of the river, the locks were built in a channel next to the main river flow.  The locks are no longer in use because a system of dams now regulate the depth of the water and the rapids are no longer an issue.

the museum at Cascade Locks

I just thought you might like to see this building.  It is currently serving as a museum at the Cascade Locks along the Columbia River in Oregon.  There's beauty in it's simplicity.

The Oregon Pony

The Oregon Pony is a steam engine that ran on a short track at the Cascade Locks along the Columbia River.  This "pony" replaced the horses that originally were used to move the boats through the locks.    The Oregon Pony is now on display next to the museum at the locks.

another look at the falls

On my way back from Boise I stopped (again) at Multnomah Falls and snapped this picture from a distance.  This gives a better idea of how high the top of this falls is and how long the drop is.  The observation bridge is out of sight at the very bottom of the picture.  Just magnificent!!

interesting roots

I came across this interesting root system at the base of a tree at the western most Idaho welcome center.  It is very intricately woven and lies very exposed on the ground surface.  I thought you might like to see it.