Visit to Sauvie Island

Nearly 20 years ago while in Japan I thought I had lived through my last typhoon. Storms of this nature just don't find their way this far inland. Or so I thought. After a week where it felt like the rain was falling at all hours of the day, the sun came out with perhaps one last gift before the seasons shift back to the wet-and-grey of fall and winter. So hop in the mini-van we did, driving a few miles to the north and west to visit one of the many farms on Sauvie Island, and enjoyed a pleasant drive through quaint country.

I'm not sure how much these farms rely upon the highly seasonal uptake in visitors--those like us hoping to get lost in their corn mazes and finding the great pumpkin and purchasing products grown within their borders--to pay the bills and feed the animals, but the city folk seem to enjoy walking through what is becoming more and more scarce within the urban growth boundary. We spent no more than three hours on the farm--including the time we dined on our pre-packed picnic lunches under a tent habitated by many a nasty yellow jacket--but breathing the fresh air, feeling the sun warm the skin, and seeing the plants in all their variety brought such peace to my mind and relaxation to my heart.

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