a morning on Sauvie island
Sauvie Island is a small island on the Columbia River just 10 miles from downtown Portland, but with all the farmland and a view of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens on clear days, it can feel like you’re a million miles away from any urban city. It was one of our favorite places to go when we lived in Portland and it’s still one of our favorite places to go when we’re in town. Blueberry picking season was just about over, but Mark and the girls managed to pick enough berries to make the blueberry lavender cake that he baked that night at Jen’s. Blackberries, on the other hand, were abundant and ripe for picking, but I gotta say that the best blackberry picking we’ve ever found is right in Mark’s mom’s backyard. I’m not sure I’ve had sweeter blackberries than hers and we don’t even bother buying them here in New York.
And maybe you’ve noticed all the dahlias throughout our all our photos of the Norwthwest? Dahlias are super abundant here, but you don’t see them as much back East. There are a ton of different varieties with some as big as dinner plates and they’re really inexpensive to pick at farms or buy at farmer’s markets. It’s not often that the girls get to run around in flower fields with blooms almost as tall as they are. They’re really super conscious about not picking flowers in public places like parks, gardens and people’s front yards here at home so they thought is was the best thing in the world to be able to pick any flower that they wanted.
Your flower girl brings me to tears. Her closed eyes, holding on to the moment forever. This is what life’s all about.
I can’t stop smiling waking up to these beautiful shots of Sauvie Island. My dude and I had so many dates there in the mid nineties. And Mark, I think that is my favorite looking cake of all the ones posted over the years- super pretty. I would love the recipe, but no pressure!
I was just thinking of Sauvie island! It did feel so far away. That’s one of the great things about Portland, or that area in general. Just ten minutes out and you’re in another world. I loved berry-picking and then pairing my pickings with a bowl of Tillamook ice cream.
Lovely photos! I’d love to go flower and berry picking.
@Roos Oh, your comment brings me to tears. Thank you.
beautiful pictures and what a lovely experience for your girls. I remember going to pick-your-own farms with my mum, so much fun and fruit!
Claudine looks like Mia on that picture!
I love the colours of the photos Jenna, they’re so summery (even though I’m totally ready for Fall). The one where Claudine is running through the field reminds me of Sound of Music.
aw man, we missed Sauvie Island during our trip! couldn’t fit it into our sched. oh well.