Day 242: Wine Dinner at Ft. Vancouver & Locavorism

Thursday, May 15

 

I woke up to a beautiful morning.  The forecast called for temperatures in the 80’s.  I was excited!  I worked on some print materials this morning and prepped for a wine dinner I was doing in Vancouver this evening.  I agreed to help out our sales manager, since he was double  booked.  Strange, but I had never been to Vancouver.

 

I went with my co-worker to the Coffee Cottage in Newberg, just around the corner, for iced coffees.  After I finished up the day, I drove to the winery to pick up a 9 case wine order to deliver to the sales rep in Vancouver who I was meeting for the wine dinner. 

 

The day was glorious, up to 87 degrees out, clear skies, just how I like it.  I was jamming to some good music in my Hyundai Tucson, Goldie Hawn, as I drove to the winery to pick up the wine.  A little Marley, some Samples, the Clash.  On the way to Vancouver I took it to country -  Dixie Chicks.  And then I went to a Journey Live CD.  I stopped by my home to change into a pair of sleek, stylish seersucker pants and a great green t-shirt with a lovely ruffled, slightly-plunged neckline made from organic cotton and bamboo.  I touched up my make up, put my hair up, pulled on a nice pair of high-heeled sandals and continued on my way to Vancouver.

The traffic was ridiculous.  It took me over an hour to travel 17 miles!  Not a good sign in Portland, as it feels like the region is morphing into a Seattle.  When I finally crossed the bridge, I headed toward City Center, picked up Evergreen Road and parked in Ft. Vancouver.

 

I fell in love with this quaint stretch of historic land.  It reminded me of the southeast – with wrap around porches, historic houses and buildings lining the road with gorgeous, old trees creating a canopy of leafy boughs.  If I squinted, I could have been in Charleston or Savannah.

 

I had a lovely, gluten-free dinner to accompany the wine pairings.  The guests were lovely, the restaurant staff were very kind and accommodating.  It was a gorgeous evening out.

 

When I got home I watched ABC’s Nightline.  The opening report was on localvores and growing provisions in your own back yard, which is both extremely environmentally friendly and great for the pocket book.  The segment highlighted a family living in a house near L.A. where you can eat everything in their front yard – edible pansies, chives, lavender, kale, guava, figs and bananas, and mor which grows down the side of the house and into the backyard.  It’s a little family farm in the middle of suburbia.  What they don’t eat, they sell.  It’s quite beautiful.  The idea of doing it yourself.  Go back to basics.

 

A good reminder of why I want to garden this spring and summer.  I need to pick out some pots and lettuces, tomatoes, herbs, etc.