That tiny dahlia is called "Little Scotty".
A few days after the pie social, I flew out to Spokane to see my daughter Gabe and her garden. And we made big plans to go to Swan Island Dahlias' Open House (in Canby Oregon) as well as a tour of Heirloom Roses (23 miles west in St. Paul OR). I have ordered from both of these family run businesses for years and I was excited to see the farms up close and personal. After I arrived in Spokane, Gabe and I immediately set off for Portland OR that very day by car, a six hour journey. We stayed the night near downtown Portland and spent the next day playing in that fair city until evening. Then we drove to my sister Dede's, aka Pig Nose's house, where we enjoyed dinner out at a Thai restaurant with her and Brad and then play time with their new Labradoodle puppy, Bourges.
Salt and Straw Ice Cream - deliriously good!
Gabe's cute living room. She knitted that giraffe on the gray chair there.
We were told we would stand in a long line for a long time but we arrived and there were only three people in the doughnut shop. Overrated doughnuts - crazy names and flavors (topped with kid's cereal?) but very ordinary tasting - sorry VooDoo!
Colorful Portland neighborhood
Now the doughnuts at this shop (Blue Star) across the street from Salt and Straw Ice Cream were phenomenal! Stuffed with pastry cream - decadent chocolate, tender crumb!
Salt and Straw. The Pear Lavender flavor was amazing!
Portland Rose and Japanese Gardens
Yep, you can order your dahlia tubers from that website right there. Every dahlia in my own garden started at Swan Island (oh, except for a few my neighbor down the road gave me - we all have the dark red one of his in our yards in this village it seems).
Pig Nose, Brad and Bourges
I painted that flower in blue vase for Dede's birthday last year. It was nice to see it hanging in her reading corner.
40 acres of dahlias in full bloom!
Large rooms were packed with huge bouquets of every dahlia they grow.
Our passenger buckled in for the ride back to Spokane.
Lovely farm land near Canby Oregon. We passed a mint farm and the smell was incredible!!!
Heirloom Rose farm above and below.
Gabe teaches a Sunday School class to primary aged children - they were 10-11 year olds I believe. I sat in too. She is reading scriptures on her phone - you can't see me or all the kids across from her - it was so fun.
I slept in that cozy red room in there.
Sunday dinner - ground turkey burgers topped with mozz, pesto and Gabe's tomatoes. The burgers cook along with the sweet potatoes we cut up - one sheet pan cooking - so delicious!
Sunday after church chillin'.
Gorgeous gardens just a couple blocks from Gabe's house - Manito Park
I caught Gabe out in her cutting garden early one morning ...
Pig Nose and Bourges at Swan Island Open House.
Gabe and Mark threw a Pie Social of their own September 10th - she sent out fancy invites with a wax seal!
Another view of Gabe's little cutting garden.
Good bye cute cottage in Spokane wherein dwells Gabe, Mark and vases full of zinnias, roses, and dahlias! Speaking of dahlias - look at the contrast between the two dahlias below - that's why I love those flowers so much - all shapes, sizes and colors and they keep your garden full of life and color from early August to frost.
My Dan Man
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