On Dining Outdoors

Apple Blossoms

n this spectacular Oregon setting of ours, dining al fresco is something we do a lot of. Outdoors, food and wine taste best and conversation flows. Mid-spring through mid-autumn we rarely use our dining room at all, rotating breakfast, lunch and dinner through our four outdoor dining "rooms."

Hatha Deck

There's the private Hatha (Sun/Moon in Sanskrit) Deck on the east side of the house where we watch both sun and moon rise. It' the perfect spot for breaking the fast in our sparkling early morning light (and is also a wonderful place for a yoga practice, by the way). This deck has an angular, sturdy, antique teak table and chairs that remind me of something you'd find in the captain's quarters shipboard the Bounty. And yes, those are neighboring cows you see just beyond the rail, augmenting our country ambiance. Sometimes the cows are exchanged for sheep, equally pastoral and serene.

Harvest Table

Another special place is the ipe wood harvest table handmade by My Baby. This treasured table sits on the lawn just steps from the back door, tucked into the low-lying branches of an enormous fir. Table and tree match the generosity of one another in this beautiful outdoor room. Our harvest table, flanked by benches on all four sides, engenders convivial conversation and is wonderful for family gatherings and parties.

The White Table

The iron White Table on the westerly edge of the property is the perfect place for observing the sunset. Surrounded by a cedar grove, this space makes it all too easy to linger late at the table, as we don't want to miss the show of the early night sky that is always offered here. Performance art at its best.

Apple Tree Table

My favorite outdoor room, though, is roofed by the branches of an old apple tree, right in the center of the garden. Our garden is divided into four quadrants; one section in seasonal vegetables, one in blueberry bushes and strawberries, one in tiny kiwi and Marionberry, and the final quarter, herbs and flowers. This is the table I love to set with pretty cloths, our best dishes, flatware, glassware and flowers or candles. We've fallen in love many times together under this tree; with one another, this place, and friends and family. The Apple Tree table is intimate, and this tree has a special way of sharing its wisdom with us each time we sit under it.

Have I mentioned that this is a very nice life?

We love our place and all it offers, indoors and out. We are nurtured here, and love to share the gift with others. Family, friends, and internet friends are welcome!