On Sunday Bracken and I went on an adventure. We drove to Elkton, Oregon for the first time, to celebrate a good friend’s 31st birthday. The drive was beautiful and I had never seen the Umpqua River before. (We didn’t know about the elk preserve before our trip, but on the drive home spotted a whole field of elk. Next time we drive that road we have plans to stop at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area.) I’m constantly in awe of how much there is to see in the state of Oregon that I have yet to explore, and some of it not even that far from my door. Oregon is such a beautiful place and I feel grateful to live here.

We went to the Elkton Community Education Center. It says on their site that their mission is “Creating a cultural, educational and social oasis for all ages in rural Oregon.” It was such a great place! That weekend they were having their annual Fort Umpqua Days (our friends had their booth set up there) and there were lots of activities for kids and families. Some of the activities reminded me of the Living History Festival that we went to in June. The kids had a list of stations to complete if they wanted to win a prize. Pump and carry water to the garden. Wash, wring, and hang clothes on line. Sort beans and grind corn. Press apples to make cider. Complete voyager course. After the obstacle course, Bracken and his friends went to collect their “payment.” I thought arrowheads were an awesome prize.

Of course I gravitated towards the yarn! I loved seeing the colors that came from the different natural dyes. My favorite was the yarn dyed with indigo and knapweed, which made such a gorgeous green. We saw some animals, including an adorable goat. We ended the day with cupcakes and singing happy birthday. (I was able to use the awesome 3 candle my friend made for last year’s 30th birthday festivities.) We had such a great day and I’m so glad we went, I loved celebrating our friend we love. In the next post, I’ll share Bracken’s favorite part of the day…