BUY LOCAL, EAT LOCAL

Klicker Berries and More

Around Walla Walla, summer, strawberries, and Klickers are synonymous. The Klicker family has been growing strawberries in the Walla Walla Valley since 1918. Having picked too many strawberries from their mother's garden patch in the Blue Mountains, brothers Del and Jake Klicker hitched a wagon and drove 15 miles to town where they sold the vine-ripened mountain berries for a premium price. They quickly discovered that the berry business paid better than the family Klicker Springs Hotel business. And the rest is history, as they say.

Klicker Berries, as they are referred to locally, can be purchased whole with the stem in tact or pre-sliced and unsweetened by the bucket. Depending upon what you plan to do with them, Klicker strawberries are indeed a natural sweet treat of every Walla Walla summer.

In addition to strawberries, Klicker's also grows and sells blueberries along with other locally grown fruit including raspberries, peaches, apricots, and melons. Combined with giant, shortcake biscuits from John's Wheatland Bakery, the berries and stone fruits make a great summer dessert or even breakfast. Why not?

And while you're there, why not pick up some fresh, locally grown veggies. Sweet corn, green beans, and zucchini are in season right now with plenty of vine ripened tomatoes arriving soon. 

And of course, don't forget the Walla Walla sweet onions grown only here in the Walla Walla Valley.

You can buy them singly . . . 

or by the bag. 

Either way, they're the sweetest onions you'll ever taste.

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE

Happy 4th of July to My American Viewers! 

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME

Play Ball!

The Walla Walla Sweets baseball club, named after Walla Walla's famous sweet onions, is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league. They are part of the East Division of the West Coast League, which includes teams from the North and South Divisions such as the Bellingham Bells of Washington state and the Victoria Harbourcats of British Columbia, Canada, to the Bend Elks and Gresham Greywolves both of Oregon. 

The Sweets, seen here dressed in their throw-back uniforms, watch the game from the dugout.

 The ballpark is part of Walla Walla's Borleske Stadium and seats at capacity 2,376 fans. 

Even on a hot summer evening, the fans are (mostly) shielded from the setting sun in this east-facing setting. 
Come nightfall the area is well illuminated to keep the game going well into extra innings, if necessary.

 "Hey Batter, Batter!"

According to Jim Caple a senior writer for ESPN, "Today's Walla Walla Sweets play on the same diamond 
as Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith and Tony Gywnn once played, as well as actor Kurt Russell and quarterback Drew Bledsoe. 
It's also where Walla Walla's baseball team once was managed by Cliff Ditto, 
perhaps the most serendipitous managerial name in baseball history, " 
which is a reference to Ditto's management of the Walla Walla Padres baseball team from 1973-1978.

A Yakima Valley Pippin swings at a low ball while his teammate waits in the on-deck circle.

In the background stands "Borleske Blue," the park's signature 16' tall x 40' long hand-operated scoreboard.

Looking out from inside the scoreboard. 

Photo courtesy of Walla Walla Sweets 2010

The bat connects with the ball and the Sweets' runner is off to first base.

In the opposite corner of the ballpark from Borleske Blue, an electronic sign also keeps track of the score. 
This sign was bulit as a cooperative effort between Walla Walla Community College (construction), 
Walla Walla University (engineering) and Whitman College (foundation).

By the way, the Walla Walla Sweets went on to beat the Yakima Pippins 3-2 in 11 innings.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

Oh beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain! 

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood, 
From sea

Barnstable Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

to shining sea. 

Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Happy Independence Day, U.S.A.

All photos were taken by As Seen By Susan. All but the beach scenes, as noted, are of the Walla Walla Valley. 

LOOKING DOWN--CDP JULY THEME

Skyscraper of the Palouse

This is one in a series of photographs taken by As Seen By Susan of the silos and grain elevators that dot the landscape 

throughout the Palouse region of eastern Washington, including the Walla Walla Valley, and western Idaho. 

AIRPORT ART

Illuminated Gateway Arbors

Late last December, Walla Walla received the newest addition to its collection of public art--two sculptures by artist Koryn Rolstad--located at Walla Walla Regional Airport. One is located near the general airport entrance and the other (seen below) is on the tarmac just outside the passenger exit and entrance to the terminal. The project was funded in part by the Washington State Arts Commission.

The powder-coated aluminum poles of different lengths are topped with colorful translucent crescent-shaped resin substrate "wings." The sun shines through the translucent wings during the day (as seen above) and multi-colored in-ground LED lights take over at night (as seen below).

As a University of Washington graduate and Seattle artist, Rolstad has a background in architecture, engineering, 

and fine arts, and her public work can be seen around the world.

For more about the artist, follow this link: http://www.krstudios.com/http://www.krstudios.com/

BLUEBERRY-LICIOUS

Learning on the Land--It's the Berries

Lampson Blueberries was the site for Saturday's Learning on the Land series with Blue Mountain Land Trust. The acreage is located on Walla Walla River Road, only two miles from the turnoff at Highway 11 at the south end of Milton-Freewater. Clark Lampson and his wife are the owners and growers of over 20 varieties of blueberries which are sold exclusively as U-Pick during the short 30-day summer season.

Nestled along the Walla Walla River, several acres of blueberry bushes thrive in the NE Oregon sun. 

The Lampsons have learned through research along with trial and error which varieties do best in the specific climate 

of hot, dry summers and potentially cold winters.

Samples of 12 varieties were available for tasting as each has a slightly different taste with some being very sweet while others are definitely more tart. 

When coming to U-Pick, the Lampsons try to direct you to the size and flavor of berry that you prefer. 

Of course, that all depends upon which berries are ready for picking that day. 

Depending upon the variety, blueberries ripen differently. 

On some bushes, the blueberries ripen one or two at a time, making picking a little more challenging for the blueberry connoisseur.

Whereas with other varieties, the berries ripen in a group, making blueberry picking easy for kids and those who want instant blueberry gratification. 

All I know is that I have yet to meet a blueberry I don't like.

OUT TO PASTURE

 Rusty Art Amidst the Wheat

Driving the backroads between Ritzville and Pasco, Washington, there are multiple photo ops for someone like me who loves rolling hills, wheat silos and elevators, dilapidated old barns, and rusty farm machinery. This stop turned out to be a bonanza with two vintage vehicles (both old Chevrolet trucks), and several pieces of farm equipment--all ready for the capture and set against a dramatic sky. 

  

GHOST SIGNS IN THE SUN

 Signs of the Past-2

Walla Walla has its share of old buildings with faded, painted brickads still visible. 

This sign is an advertisement for Owl cigars which were sold for a nickel 

which can be seen on the sign on the adjacent building.

Additional signage (only partially visible in this photo) includes the name M.A. Gunst & Co Inc., 

a San Francisco based company that made and sold cigars to both wholesale and retail markets. 

More than likely this was an advertisement for the cigars rather than signage for a store in this location.

YEEHAW ALOHA!

"Where buying is giving in Walla Walla"

I've never met a thrift store I didn't like. And Walla Walla is lucky to have several despite its small size. One of the best is Yeehaw Aloha which just recently moved into their remodeled and bigger digs at 1524 E. Isaacs. Here you can find just about anything from clothing, books, vinyl records, hardware, plumbing, housewares, sporting goods, yard and garden items, and more. 

In fact, it's where I've found some of my best re-purposed objets d'art for my garden.

One of two vintage vehicles used to collect all the good stuff for the store.

Like vinyl records? Lounge in this rolling oak desk chair while you browse through the large selection.

Or relax amidst the book aisles as you peruse the titles of fiction and non-fiction.

All the glassware and knick-knacks are organized by color to making browsing easier.

Around every corner there's a different collection of items; and don't forget to look up as there is even more on a mezzanine level.

But what makes shopping here more special is that all purchases fund a variety of non-profits most of which support the youth of the community. 

So their motto of "where buying is giving to Walla Walla" really makes sense.