Burnt Toast

For the last few weeks we have smelled burnt toast in the late evening air. After several weeks of this aroma, we have come to realize that the fragrance was not a meal gone bad, but actually the local coffee roaster working into the evening.

We have also witnessed the sky full of falling white tufts, blowing slowly in the breeze without a source to explain. It appears to be snowing, yet it's a warm day without a rain cloud in sight. This wonderful experience, we have since learned is the seed of the Cottonwood tree.

It has also been our pleasure to experience the incredible sweet flavor of strawberries grown and sold locally. I have truly never had such a sweet strawberry in my life, in fact, it is so sweet I like to call it liquid strawberry sugar. Unfortunately, I was saddened to learn that “local” may also mean grown in Redding, trucked to Medford, and sold in the roadside shack with rows of strawberries behind it! Yes its true that some times when the local crop is a bit short they import strawberries from California. Our friend Katie said, according to Sunset Magazine, "local" is a leisurely days drive. I guess with that in mind these berries are "local."

This weekend, along with the Thompsons, we went to Eagle Point and visited the Butte Creek Mill and local Pioneer Days festival. We had lunch overlooking the creek while listening to a bluegrass band and enjoying the quilting ladies and old tractors next to us. After lunch the boys had a physical, went through training and were successfully enlisted in the civil war. The drill sergeant explained that there were only two requirements: to have two top and two bottom teeth to tear open the powder charge and a finger on your right hand to pull a trigger. The boys had a blast and did very well listening to instructions.

We then drove to Medford to the Art in Bloom festival and looked at the Smudge Pot Potpourri exhibit. For those that do not know what a smudge pot is used for, think of it as an outdoor heater used in orchards to keep fruit from freezing. The idea for the smudge pot exhibit came from six ladies looking for a unique way to raise funds for local artists. Since smudge pots are synonymous with agriculture in the region, and there are plenty of pots lying around, the idea took off. After the exhibit the pots are auctioned off at an event held at a local winery. Last year they auctioned 60 pots for over $150,000.

After reflecting on all that has happened this week, it is clear that we still have so much to learn and experience. Sights and sounds continue to change creating paths to be experienced all over again with the changing season.

Also please visit our photos from the month of April.