Happy New Year's Eve

Driving home from Christmas

We spent the Christmas holiday up in Spokane, Washington, celebrating with my family and staying with a dear friend. Our departure was timed perfectly, just as the temperature changed to chilly (very chilly, 16F!). Driving home the sky was blue and I was enjoying the view so much I started snapping photos just out of Spokane, as we headed southwest on Interstate 90.

This one further west, as we neared Ritzville, Washington. 

This is wide open farm country.

Now we've left I-90 and are on 395 headed towards the Tri-Cities area; Kennewick, Pasco, Richland.

We've just crossed the Columbia River and are back on the Oregon side, about to turn and head west, still another 178 miles to Portland.

The first few miles in Oregon are a bit inland from the river.

But then it reappears and Interstate 84 follows along the Columbia River Gorge all the way back home to Portland. Oregon on the left, Washington on the right...

Looking towards Washington.  

Wind turbines along the ridge.

This view never gets old.

There's snow on them there hills! (Washington)

Andrew wanted to get a closer look at Multnomah Falls (the tallest waterfall in Oregon at 620ft), figuring with all the rain that's fallen recently the show would be a good one. We pulled off I-84 and realized most everyone else passing that way had the same idea, as the line of cars hoping to park was backed up almost onto the Interstate. Since it didn't look like we'd score a parking spot I took this shot out of the open sunroof, yes it was cold.

But we got lucky and were able to park and walk up to the falls.

This is Multnomah Creek as it heads away from the falls. The two silver spots in the water, towards the bottom half of the photo, are large salmon (dead). 

I also snapped a few photos in my mom's garden...

This was fun to see, a gardening friend who lives in Spokane gave me a bunch of tiny seedlings from her Helleborus foetidus back in 2023 and I planted a few in mom's garden. The ones that lived are about to bloom.

This dignified fellow has acquired a nice smattering of lichen.

Lots of things in the garden were colored up nicely, cold weather will do that. Sempervivum...

Mahonia

Bergenia

Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'

And Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'... it was a good visit.

The Bit at the End

Today I'm giving a shout-out to Kris at Late to the Garden Party, a faithful commenter here on my blog and consistent voice in the garden blogging community. Kris published her first blog post on this day back in 2012, which means today is her 13th anniversary—or blogoversary. If my math is correct, she's written over 2,095 posts in those years! If you attended the 2017 Capitol Area Fling, the 2018 Austin Fling, or the 2024 Puget Sound Fling then you might have met Kris. I visited her garden in Rancho Palos Verdes (southern Los Angeles County) about this time of year back in 2019. It was just as fabulous as I thought it would be. So those are the details, but what I want you to know about Kris is that she's an extremely supportive, kind, and humble human. The dialog we have back and forth on each other's blogs is a meaningful part of my garden blogging experience, Kris always has something positive to say. The humble bit is how low-key she is about her garden and all that she's built there, she's got vision, creativity and isn't afraid to work hard! Thanks for blogging, commenting on my blog, and being a friend Kris!

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Wishing you...

 A very saguaro Christmas!

That's a drawing Andrew did, we decorated bags for a friend who was making bagged lunches for charity. I loved this one so much I had to scan and share. Happy Holiday!

It's Christmas Eve, and so I can't resist

Let's face it, not much gardening is happening in the Northern Hemisphere on December 24th, so I'm gonna go ahead and let my Christmas joy take over today. First up, the Santa Clones. For several years now I've shared photos of the 400 blow-mold Santas that gather somewhere around Portland. Their location always a bit of a mystery and to find them you follow the clues. I set out to hunt them down on a night we had an incredible sunset. As I drove I watched people stop and turn west, phones held high, it was great fun. This is the best shot I got.

Once parked I beat feet to where I thought the clones were this year, only to discover I was wrong. Not too far off though, since this is what I saw.

Thankfully I've been at this long enough to know that looking up and scanning for the red glow will usually pull you in the right direction. The large shiny face is Splash by Michael Benisty.

The clones...

The clone gathering began in 2010, this is their 15th anniversary.

Andrew asked me why I needed to go again this year. Hadn't I already seen them?

Yes I have. Many times. But I will continue to go every year. Isn't that the point of having an annual holiday tradition? The repetition marks the season and the celebration. The family or community involvement brings people together. I've had many interesting conversations with strangers while visiting the Santa Clones over the years.

Looking back to the building where I thought the clones were hanging out. It's a 1940's Pepsi Cola bottling plant.

Speaking of tradition, yes of course I did a Grinch drive-by!

I love him so!

New this year, Andrew and I finally took a stroll through the holiday lights at The Grotto, after talking about doing it for (nearly?) 20-years! "The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, The Grotto, is an internationally-renowned Catholic shrine and botanical garden located minutes from downtown Portland, serving over 300,000 visitors annually" (from their website). Andrew and I had visited once before, back in 2010.

The purple lights illuminate the cliffside that separates the upper and lower parts of the garden. The cave itself (the grotto) is some 30' wide, 30' deep and nearly 50' high. I read somewhere that it was carved out of the face of the cliff in 1923.

We got there just after opening at 5pm but the crowds were already intense, on a random weeknight! I took a lot fewer photos than I normally would have, simply because of the number of people. This was a calm moment in the crush.

Truth be told I was extremely bummed when I learned the event (and thus all visitors) was restricted to the lower part of the garden. No taking that bizarre elevator up to the heavens above.

Their lights were done up nicely though and it was good to finally see what we'd been missing all these years.

Back home I'm thrilled one of my neighbors has put up her own Christmas Grinch, and his dog Max too! However you're spending the holiday (if you celebrate) I hope you have a warm and joyful day.

The Bit at the End

Perhaps you've already seen this short on Instagram, after all it has nearly 1.5 million views. It makes me smile every time I see it, just a group of Scottish school boys ringing someone's doorbell and singing Last Christmas to get them in the Christmas spirit. 

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Making the moss Christmas tree

Once I decided to make a moss tree for Christmas I knew right away what the base would be. Thank god I'd saved this chicken-wire covered tomato cage I used back 2017 to make the opuntia Christmas tree, even before that the tomato cage was the base for my "Cousin Itt" tree in 2014.

In case you're curious how the opuntia tree came together there was a "how I did it" post for that one too. 

It was November 12th when I got to work on the moss tree. Having our extra-long outdoor dining table to work on made a huge difference; lots of space, great light, and no need to worry about making a mess. Yes those plastic bags are full of moss.

I sorted the moss into piles according to size and type of moss (going by looks only, I don't know moss at all). 

I used some older dried moss I had on hand, and the loose pieces from this haul, to stuff the inside of the tree form. I feared if I covered only the outside with moss it would dry out too quickly. I then laid the moss over the form and started wrapping with wire. If you've ever made a wreath wrapped with paddle wire this is the same idea. 

Peeking inside before I filled it up the rest of the way.

The finished "tree"...

I made the moss wreath that same day, using an old wreath form I had on hand.

After I finished the tree and the wreath I stored them in our garage until Nov 28th, aka decorating day. I didn't want them getting too wet in the rain, and I didn't want any animals picking at the moss. I did take them out of the garage a couple times and hose them down.

A few days after completing the big tree shape I went ahead and covered the two larger of the three mantel-sized trees. The smallest one was actually my first run at the idea and had been in the basement for weeks getting misted on the regular to see how it would hold up.

These I filled with ripped up paper bags.

And a layer of plastic at the bottom. They were going to be on the painted wood fireplace mantel and I was hoping to cut back on the drips.

Remember the bird that made it into the Christmas scheme? It was a fluke that I happened upon these (very) red birds for 50% off at Pomarius. How could I not take one home for only $3.88?

I used the metal drum the moss tree is sitting on to keep it off the floor in the garage. It was pure luck the form fit right inside the lip. It worked so well that I decided to use it in the house too. 

I think after Christmas I'll pull the moss off the small tree shapes (I don't want them to rust up too badly), but keep the big tomato cage tree intact and take it out to the garden. It will be a fun addition for as long as it lasts.

The Bit at the End

Andrew asked how I was going to bring a moss Christmas tree into the house, without also bringing in a bunch of unwanted critters. That was part of why it was nice to work outside. I thoroughly inspected the moss before I added it to the tree form. I picked off a few beetles, slugs, and worms. Since it was in the garage for a couple weeks I reasoned any remaining creatures a chance to flee. Then I watched this video "Moss, the brilliant green icon of the Pacific Northwest, and the microscopic world it supports" okay so I guess there's an entire wildlife safari in my living room now...

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.