Monday, October 24, 2016

Harvest Time and Community of Dayville, Oregon

Today, as we journey through Harvest Time, we take a little trip to Dayville.  I wrote about Dayville in October 2013 when the community was celebrating their Centennial including a fun video I put together of the creative scarecrows that lined their main street.  You can check out this post at the below link, which gives some background history about Dayville. 
http://turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/10/centennial-scarecrows-dayville-oregon.html
Three years later, the friendly town of Dayville carries on their harvest time tradition, complete with this welcoming sign featured in the park. 

In all kinds of weather, through storms and sunshine, the sturdy scarecrows remain vigilant during October welcoming travelers driving through on Highway 26.  The residents who join in the creative fest for best harvest scarecrow, outshine in individual handiwork and it is difficult to make a choice as to a favorite ragamuffin.  Here are just a few samples...


 

Not to be outdone by scarecrows, pumpkins come into display with their whimsical faces drawn by a talented Dayville resident.  Featured at the Community Fall Festival, they were a hit as well as the food fare, prepared and served with plenty of delicious cuisine choice.


























Many thanks to the Dayville residents who make Harvest time in the John Day Valley unique with creative scarecrows and to Ruthie Moore for her 'funtastic' pumpkin faces - all done for our viewing pleasure!

Join me next time at The Turn-Up Patch (not Pumpkin Patch!!) on Monday, November 7.  Until then, sending to you a harvest of God's good blessings.....
 

Monday, October 10, 2016

Harvest Time and Community of Sisters, Oregon

Harvest time!  October is typically a month to enjoy the last hurrah of fall and begin the preparation for winter for those who live in seasonal conditions.  Mowing the lawn for the last time, digging up what is left of the vegetable garden and putting gardening tools away are only a few of the indications of weather change ahead.  Bringing in fire wood for those who have a wood stove, covering air conditioners and the usual house readying for cold weather.

October is typically celebrated as harvest time with special outdoor events staged before the onslaught of winter.  One such community is a lovely city called Sisters that is located in Central Oregon and is the gateway to the Cascade Mountains.  Tourists enjoy the many stores exhibiting local and specialized talent, art gallerias ranging from paintings to pottery to photography. 

An event that has been held annually for the past 30 years is the Sisters Harvest Faire.  Held in   downtown Sisters, there are streets blocked off for quality vendors featuring their handcrafted items. People come to enjoy quality handmade items as well as take advantage of the food court and live entertainment.  My friend and I journeyed over to Sisters for the day to take in the colorful display of creations in an energetic atmosphere.  There is much to be said about Sisters, but that will have to wait until a future post.  For a condensed version, Sisters is a western themed community, both charming and unique and lies at the scenic base of the Three Sisters Mountains.

With all the creativity that abounds during Harvest Faire.... God is not be outdone!  Our Master Creator painted His own beauty in our drive over to Sisters and on our return to the John Day Valley.  Since we left in the early morning hour heading West, this was the view of the eastern sunrise that was behind us.  Of course, I had my friend pull her car over, so I could take some shots, several of which I share with you....
Sunrise in Eastern Oregon
Driving home, there was a glorious sunset that was in strong competition for the sunrise scene.  Finding a safe place to pull off the narrow highway, I was able to capture these photographs of the western sunset.  Since the sky in color and cloud formation changes very quickly, a photographer should not wait long to take pictures, keeping in mind safety on the road.  Only a fellow photographer knows this frustration.  Some shots have been lost because of not finding a place to stop.  I can happily state that was not the case as evidenced by these pictures.... what a great way to begin and end a beautiful day!

Sunset in Eastern Oregon

Join me in two weeks on Monday, October 24th at The Turn-Up Patch with a continuing post on Harvest Time, featuring the Dayville scarecrows.