Sunday, January 29, 2012

Road Trip Adventure...

Saturday was sunny and beautiful and a perfect day for a road trip.  So my husband and I and Sammy, our dog, headed up the gorge.  We love this drive even if there's no destination in mind because it's so scenic and beautiful.




But, of course my plan was to happen onto a few antique shops along the way.  Can't do a road trip and not stop when you see a sign that says "ANTIQUES".   My husband is so patient when it comes to stopping down and letting me shop while he takes Sammy for a walk, plus it gives us all a chance to stretch our legs.  But  I was so disappointed to find out that all the shops in Hood River, Oregon, are gone!  How does such a cute little historical city not have one antique shop! How is that possible.  We drove on to the Dalles and found a couple antique shops there but nothing to bring home.

We decided to cross over to the Washington side and head  towards home.  In  the little town of Bingen,  I found some great little treasures and a great Mexican restaurant that made the best tacos and marquritas...yum!


And then something else happened...

Back on the road and as we're driving, right off the main road, I spot this huge herd of deer, and not just deer but antelope and elk, all clustered together!  It was hard to get a picture of all of them from the car but it was quite a sight to see.



This made us curious enough to want to get a better look so we turned off onto the next  road that led into something so unexpected...





Buffalo...
Lots of buffalo!
You can see Mt Hood in the background

And Zebras too!


I think this one is pregnant!

All roaming together and roaming free!  And guess what else...

Giraffes and Camels too!

My pictures of the camels turned out too blurry and the giraffes weren't within camera shot.  It was an amazing sight!  We couldn't figure out what this place was.  Was it a refuge or a private ranch?  There was a sign that said Schreiner Farms and as we drove up the road taking all of this in, there were signs posted saying "stay inside vehicle and don't feed the animals". 


What is this place?  A safari in the middle of nowhere.  I had to find out.

When we got home, I did some research and found out that www.SchreinerFarms is a 12,000 acre ranch that raises 20 species of exotic animals.  Located across the Columbia river from the Dalles, in Dallesport, Washington. 
Who knew!  

It was the icing on the cake to our road trip!
I highly recommend this trip.  It's a beautiful drive up there, about an hour east of Portland. 
It's a animal lover's paradise!  Click on their website to find out more.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Joyce




Saturday, January 28, 2012

A Frosty Sunrise


Gorgeous sunrise this morning!
This is a shot of my neighbors place across the road from us.
Love his old barns. It's one of the oldest homesteads in the Ridgefield area.


This is a shot from my front porch looking across the road.  
A very frosty landscape this morning...beautiful.
I never get tired of this view.


Frost covered field

Our neighbors frosty driveway.


Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day!

~Joyce

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Flashback to 2008

We got lucky this year and didn't get hit with the deep snow like some.  But I came across these pictures I took in 2008.  It was beautiful but no fun digging out. 
Take a look...

This was the first evening of the big snow...


The next morning, a few inches more...



We ended up with almost 2 feet of snow and no power.

Two days later, it still looked like this...


I stayed home for 3 days waiting for the slow melt.


 Can't wait until the deck looks like this again...


Come on Spring!

Thanks for visiting!

~Joyce


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Somewhere in Time...

Today as I celebrate my 50 something birthday, I celebrate
my other life...


My past life.
I've always wondered what life would have been like for me in Victorian times. I've always been drawn to that period in  time...
...somewhere in time.  

Here's to Victorian style...my style.

~Joyce

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Dreaming...

I think all of us in the Pacific Northwest would like to be sitting here right about now...


Or here...


We can always dream...


...now back to reality...


Burrrrrrrrrrrr! 
 It's about 5:00 in the morning and I just snapped this shot of the deck.  It's already starting to melt away but, baby it's cold out there!

I'll be staying in today!

~Joyce

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Shades of Gray...


Today is a dreary cold & rainy day so I thought the color gray was appropriate.  
It's also a great day to stay inside by the fire, make some popcorn and watch one of my all time favorite movies
Somewhere in Time
 with Jane Seymore and Christopher Reeve.  Set in the 1800's and filmed at the Grand Hotel on Lake Michigan.  

Now, back to the movie.

Hope you're having a relaxing day!









~Joyce