Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon

On Saturday, April 13, 2013, we took a drive up to Woodburn, Oregon, which is about 45 minutes north of where we live in the Willamette Valley, to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.  It was a great day too.  The sun was out most of our visit, but the rain slowly moved in as we were leaving.  The tulips were beautiful!

This post is very photo-heavy.

  

I rained on us on the way up to the Tulip Festival, but when we got there, to our happiness, the sun was shining bright.

The sun hitting the different colors was such a cheerful sight.

  

Skylar just loved the rainbow colored ones over the solid color lines of the tulips.

There was a small patch of the tulips mixed in the multicolored ones that were a u-pick group.  We picked about 20 stems and they look just lovely in our house now.  See the bottom of the post to see our stems from the u-pick field.

The wooden shoes were such fun to try and walk in.  

Some of the walking paths were covered in filbert shells.  This is one idea that I will be incorporating into my own garden.

The steam tractors were out for the day too.

The rain started rolling in as we walked back toward the entrance of the tulip fields.

It started sprinkling on us a little as we made our way through the beautiful flowers.

I found a red rose among the white ones.

The pink John Deere was a hit with all of us.

Skylar got in a quick ride on the Wood Shoe Kid's Train before the rain started coming down harder.

As we were leaving, the food carts began closing their windows and Jeff was a bit bummed that the Bratwurst stand was closed. :-(

  

The display of wooden shoes in the gift shop.

It was a great day!

  

And now we have tulips to enjoy for a week or two.

Eco-Tip:  When considering a trip with your family take one called a "Stay-cation" instead.  A "Stay-cation" is a vacation that is close to home, or right in your own town.  These "Stay-cations" are getting more and more popular over the years and help save a family a lot of money.  It also helps you take advantage of the wonderful sights and places in your own area too.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

Wednesday Walks (4-17-13)

This week was the second Wednesday we've taken a walk around our neighborhood taking in what spring has to offer, but instead of venturing around in just our neighborhood, we ventured out a bit more and looked for nature in other places as well.  Here's a break down of our Wednesday Walks for yesterday.

We found a hidden camp site back in the deep parts of the woods.  I wouldn't want to be in this camp when the water of the creek starts filling the "trail" again this summer though.

The leaves of the dandelion on edible, so I welcomed this pest to my yard.

When we returned from our hike, I noticed new growth and realized it's time to clean up the yard.

Then it rained.......of course.

But then the sun came out.....Oregon, pffft....typical.

It was a great Wednesday Walk.

Eco-Tip:  Sort through clutter in your home during the spring and get rid of anything not being used for more than 6 months.  Downsizing is a great way to go green and live a simpler life.  Also look through cleaners in your home and replace them with eco-friendly varieties instead.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

Spark of Love this Week: Steak, Posters, View, Picture, Boots, Image, Beer, Cider, Pictures, and Doggie

This Steak.

Because it looked like a sea horse to me.

These Posters.

Because they speak the truth.

This View.

Because the sun made the lake seem so scene.

This Picture.

Because we like to have fun.

These Boots.

Because they have been my go-to boots this winter.

These Image.

Because this little boy makes my whole world seem better every day.

This Beer.

Because Dead Guy Ale is a good microbrew.

This Cider.

Because when it was heated up it made my scratchy throat feel a lot better.

This Picture.

Because when I went back on my camera to clear the memory card of photos, it was still on there and it was the first picture I took with my Nikon camera when I bought it last year.

This Doggie.

Because he really is a cute little PITA........When he wants to be.  :-)

Eco-Tip:  Go green on Earth Day with your work routine.  Carpool, bike, or if you live close enough to your job walk there and back on Earth Day.  If you enjoyed one day of walking, biking, or taking public transportation consider incorporating it into your work routine more than once a year.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

Spark of Loves this Week: Package, Oil, Sign, Cat, Drink, Sucker, Skyline, Curd, Tickets, and Alert

This Package.

Because I thought it was the neatest thing.

This Oil.

Because I have been dipping more and more into essential oil therapy and it's working.

This Sign.

Because it made me laugh.

This Cat.

Because I love her and Skylar took this picture with his video camera.  Double treat.

This Drink.

Because my allergies have been giving me fits and I've been experimenting with different all-natural, holistic cures. 

This Sucker.

Because it's in the shape of a Christmas tree and it was tasty.  Find them HERE!

This Skyline.

Because watching the rain come is really rather pretty.

This Curd.

Because cheese curds are so good!

These Tickets.

Because Chamber Dollars are fun!

This Alert.

Because I wish it was in our yard!

Eco-Tip:  When washing your car this season look to chemical-free soap cleaners and waxes.  Look to castile soaps and essential oil.  Adding a bit of peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita) will allow a pleasant scent while you wash your car and help combat stubborn road grit as well.  Consider washing your car on top of your lawn too.  The lawn will get the water run off and it will help keep cleaners out of the storm drains too.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.