Paws for a Cause

Last Saturday morning we headed down to the South Water Front, at the base of the OHSU Tram for a dog walk Paws for a Cause.  It's  the second annual dog walk event supporting Parkinson's research.

It was a beautiful day, and before the event started we had fun wandering around checking out the sponsors like these cute dogie Tu Tu's. 

Lulu and Molly loved checking out all the dogs everywhere.

Former Trail Blazer basketball star, Brian Grant hosts a big annual Parkinson's weekend every year at the same time, which included a gala, and golf tournament.  He also had a large group of walkers participating.

Our buddies, Mark and Barb joined us with their dog Murphy, who also happens to be Lulu and Molly's brother. Barb brought along the forth of July dog costumes which were perfect for this Olympic year! 

Our dogs found a little Hula Buddy.

Everyone was excited to start on the 4k walk that looped around by the Willamette River

Pretty cute!

We found this shoe along the way...I'm sure it would have a story to tell.

It was a hot day, so the dogs appreciated all the water stops.

At the end of the walk, there were celebration tables with biscuits and water.  It reminded me of runners with their energy bars and Gatorade.

A refreshing dip in the fountain never hurt!

Duck Pond Cellars was one of the sponsors, and offered Pinot Gris by the glass for the walkers to purchase.

This was a well organized event, and had cute contests following the walk.  Above, there was a dog-owner look alike contest. We convinced Mark to enter with our trio and received an Honorable mention.  They also had a Dogie Costume Contest.

We thought this little dog with a horseback rider was a riot.  He had a little hat to go with his costume that was hilarious.

Another contest was the small and large dog 'Pie Eating Contest.'  We fed our dogs beforehand, so they turned their noses up at the offering, which was rice, veggies, and chicken.. 

It was a doggone good time and the pups were tired.  We all headed over to the Lucky Lab Pub on Hawthorne for lunch, vowing to come back next year.

Herb Garden in Containers

I always have herbs in my garden, but I usually plant them along with the flowers that I've planted in my deck containers.  Since I have a very shady yard, it's impossible to grow veggies and herbs in a large space, so I work them in containers when I can.  However, this year, I decided to have a dedicated herb container.

Recently I made dinner for my Book Group and spent $7.50 on fresh herbs for the meal!  In early June I went to the local Farmers Market and bought a selection of fresh herbs for about $2.50 each. I found my container there too, and think it's a perfect size for about ten plants.  The rectangle container is 26 inches long, 13 inches wide, and 8 inches tall.

I figure growing your own herbs is a bargain, even if some of them only last through the season.  I planted Italian Parsley, Basil, Chives, French Tarragon, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Sweet Marjoram, Winter Savory, Dill, and Dwarf Sage.  Container Herb Gardens are so much fun for any age and situation!  I recently planted one for my Mom to enjoy in her apartment space, and my college student daughter was excited to make a planter for her downtown condo.

 The Mint is getting too large and will have to be planted in it's own container, so I thought I'd replace it with some Cilantro.  I was thinking Catnip might be fun to plant in it's own container too.  My Sister-in-law says her cats like eating it off the plant, but many people dry it and put it in toys.  Now to find some recipes to use all these great herbs, stay tuned!