An Easy Day Away in Everyday Ramblings

Okay, I admit I didn’t even now there was this island in the mouth of the Columbia River out by the Pacific Ocean. It is quite rural and because it is full of waterways and so close to big water it attracts people that like a rural life and an aquatic one, boat people with horses. So even though there are spectacular and practical gardens everywhere it is not really a farm community.

The picture is at the Ferry Landing on the island side. It is an open air boat that holds maybe 20 cars with a small enclosed area for pedestrians and bike riders, costs $5 per car, runs every hour and takes abut 15 minutes. It is a joy to be on our mighty river.

The island apparently is in Washington State and there is a high bridge over on that side. That is how we went; on a long quiet road out of Longview. The ferry takes you to Oregon.

It was a relaxed easy day and I was in the car for a total of about 3 ½ hours with S and F, both of whom I have known (originally from church Women’s Circle) for gosh, 17 years.

I was tired. On Thursday night after work I walked across town to a big grocery I had a $10 off coupon at and wandered around getting the ingredients, including some yummy aged Gruyere for a Summer Squash Gratin, that I had never made before but as it has veggies chopped up small and rice and eggs and cheese I thought I could eat for the potluck.

It was a lot of work! I took it out of the oven after my usual bedtime and I didn’t have a big enough earthenware gratin pan for the recipe so I used a glass one and it seemed kind of flat to me and I fretted because I am a ridiculously insecure cook.

The cats were exercised about all the time I was spending in the kitchen but finally settled down. (I had to put the milk I had in a prep bowl in the fridge because Carlo, Mr. Dairy Maniac was on the counter drinking it, sigh) As an aside, I got the most adorable set of nesting glass prep bowls a couple of month’s back that they recommended on America’s Test Kitchen. The dietician at the Mason Jar class was using the same bowls.

In the morning I had an inspiration, I have a couple of black regular dinner plate sized ceramic plates and I cut it up in squares and placed it on the dish and wrapped in in plastic.

I was a little unclear about what exactly the whole day was about or even actually where we were going. It turns out the Trail Club of Oregon has quarterly potlucks at a member’s home to celebrate the birthdays of all members during the last three months. This was at the rural home of a lovely couple that own about 12 acres on the island.

They don’t have horses but everyone around them does, and they loan out their back pasture to a neighbor. We saw 2 adorable colts and apparently 4 were born in line of sight this spring. Their children are grown and away and our hosts live in a heavily renovated farmhouse that is over 100 years old. It is so comfortable and gorgeous inside with beautiful floors and a huge partially enclosed wrap around porch.

They have a very large sailboat and a smaller multi purpose boat. The slough is across the road.

They have an orchard, a berry enclosure, and a fabulous large garden with a deer enclosure. They have lived in the house for 38 years.

He was an engineer on a freighter, gone most of the time, and she raised the girls working part time as a lab tech. The house and property are a huge amount of work to maintain. They have geothermal powered heating and cooling.

They are going to build a comfortable cabin down the road by the boats and sell the big property to a young family. Lucky, lucky family that will be. She is already planting fruit trees down there.

We all marveled at how with all that to do how often she makes it into Portland or out to lodges to hike with the group. I am sure hiking is like downtime for her, and an opportunity to be social when living in such an isolated area.

I don’t know exactly how to describe this group. They are friendly and easy going and practical but they wear just ordinary clothes, no fancy high tech stuff and they like to be outdoors and active without being at all competitive about it. For a person with social anxiety they are a joy to be with.

Four of the women; all older than me, took their bikes to the Oregon side and took the ferry over and rode the four miles to the house.

Oh, and they like to eat! The potluck was awesome and there was homemade pie.

My gratin was gone in less than 10 minutes. :)

Last updated June 18, 2016