Live Oregon

The courtyard’s greenery, protected by elevated walkways, stem from a love for traditional Japanese gardens.

By the Water’s Edge

Serene outdoor spaces with elegant water features transform two Oregon homes Written by Melissa Dalton Ashland: A tranquil courtyard replaces a driveway This mid-century home close to downtown Ashland sits on an enviable lot: it’s about two acres, complete with majestic, mature evergreens and views down to Lithia Park and across the valley. But when Jeff Mangin bought the property in 2014, the yard was not living up to its potential. “The house was interesting, the site was not,” said landscape architect Kerry KenCairn of KenCairn Landscape Architecture in Ashland, who worked with Mangin and locally based Solid Ground Landscape to change that. Mangin, who’s retired from the finance industry, picked the property for its privacy and proximity to the park, where he likes to hike. He started with a total gut on the house, keeping only the framing and part of the foundation. The garage was converted to a…

Katie O’Grady will be appearing in a newTV pilot, “Kill the Orange-Faced Bear.”

Stage Blazer

Portland acting coach discovers her style fits kids, athletes perfectly Written by Cathy Carroll When Katie O’Grady’s daughter was eight years old, she told her mom she wanted to learn how to act. It was around 2008 in Portland, and O’Grady, a television and film actress, was coming up short. She wanted to find a program for children that emulated hard-working, professional acting, not just acting for fun—so she created one. Since launching The Studio Northwest, O’Grady has not only become known as a go-to source for young talent in the region, having trained hundreds of students, she created her own production company, was declared “marvelous” by The New York Times as the lead in the 2011 film “Rid of Me” and has been collaborating on film projects for companies such as Nike, stop-motion animation studio Laika and the Portland Trail Blazers. It was her reputation for coaching child actors that…

From left, Nevada Sowle, Cooper Trail and Olaf Ydstie’s journey explores several genres.

Living on the Edge

Cooper Trail’s Desolation Horse makes music for the wandering and aimless Written by Ben Salmon Cooper Trail sounds like a lovely hike across a verdant forest or a mountain range, and … well, it might be. But it’s also the name of a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist originally from Idaho whose band, Desolation Horse, recorded one of 2020’s best albums on opposite ends of Oregon—at a friend’s house in Astoria and at the historic O.K. Theater in downtown Enterprise. Before all that, though, Trail had what he called “a solo project with jutting edges” called Mise, which released three albums and toured around, playing shows for people. Mise started when Trail was in high school, and when he listens to those recordings now, he feels “somewhat embarrassed” by them, but reminds himself that they are warts-and-all documents of his embryonic musical self. “I am probably just jealous of young people who make…

DIY Container Water Garden

DIY: Design a Container Water Garden

A container water garden, also known as a patio pond or “pond in a pot,” is much lower maintenance than an in-ground pond. The formula here is simple: container + water + aquatic plants = container water garden. PICK A CONTAINER Start with a water-tight pot that’s big enough to hold the chosen plants. A wood vessel won’t work unless lined with a plastic tub, so look for ceramic, metal, plastic, or sealed cement. Or, get creative and repurpose something, like a vintage pail or crock. PLACEMENT Make the water garden a focal point among the plants in an existing garden bed, or tuck it into the landscape to create a sense of discovery as people walk around. It will also work well on a small patio or balcony. Beware of plopping it where there’s super-hot afternoon sun, as that may be too intense for the plants, depending on what…

Forested roads between Bend and Sisters are ideal for bikepacking to Suttle Lake, the setting for an eponymous Three Creeks Suttle Haze IPA.

Beer-Powered Adventures

Written by Beau Eastes If you’re reading this column I’m probably preaching to the choir, but I’m continually fascinated by how great beers can inspire—dinner parties based on beer pairings, brewpub running clubs, hikes to forage for fresh ingredients. And of course my favorite, beer tripping. This concept born of years of research at institutions such as O’Brien’s in Portland, Max’s in Eugene, The Rainbow Cafe in Pendleton and Cascade West in Bend, beer tripping involves your favorite beer and making an adventure out of its name. Here’s a few of my favorite beer tripping adventures: HIKING BLACK BUTTE One of the first hikes I wanted to do when I moved to Central Oregon nearly fifteen years ago was Black Butte, and that was 100 percent proof of my affinity for Deschutes Brewery’s iconic porter. Not quite 4 miles out and back, the hike up Black Butte is a steady climb…

Lemon lets the Oregon blackberries shine in this traditional pie.

Pie Eyed – Double Crusted Blackberry Pie

Written by Thor Erickson Photography by Tambi Lane When I was about three years old, my parents emptied their savings account and bought a small bakery. For the previous forty years, this bakery had earned a reputation for producing all kinds of cookies, pastries, cakes and pies. As part of the sale, before hanging up his apron and retiring, Ernie, the original owner, agreed to train my father how to operate the business. Although my dad had a bit of kitchen experience, when it came to baking, he was a newbie. Ernie prided himself on maintaining operating costs for the bakery. He bought flour, sugar and spices in large quantities, used bottled flavor extracts and pre-made fruit fillings packed in five-gallon buckets. With the exception of dairy products, none of the ingredients were perishable. With minimal storage, all of these items were stacked high and took up every last inch of space….

Grab a drink and stay awhile at Takibi, inspired by traditional Japanese izakaya, which translates as “stay-drink-place.”

Traditional Japanese Restaurant Takibi

Written by Lauren Sharp Outdoor enthusiasts and foodies can rejoice with the opening of Portland’s new Japanese restaurant, Takibi. It’s a collaboration between Submarine Hospitality, known for acclaimed Portland restaurants Tusk and Ava Gene’s, and Snow Peak, a Japanese outdoor apparel and lifestyle products retailer. “We like to consider ourselves the foodiest brand in the outdoor industry,” said Matt Liddle, Snow Peak’s chief operating officer. “Most of Snow Peak’s products are food related, as we’re well known for our top-of-the-line camp cookware, tableware, and grills. We see it as an extension of our mission to bring out outdoor values into the dining room, giving friends a gathering place to reconnect.” Founded in 1958 by Yukio Yamai in the Niigata Prefecture of Japan, Snow Peak has strived to create heirloom quality mountaineering and camping gear. In 1980, the founder’s son, Tohru Yamai, took the helm as CEO. He jumped at the opportunity…

Wayfinder Beer

Portland’s Brewing, Not Burning

written by Beau Eastes Let’s kill the “Portland is burning” narrative right here. Yes, Stumptown is changing, as any dynamic and modern city should. But Portland still oozes creativity and innovation, it still embraces anyone willing to think outside the box, and it still finds ways to surprise and inspire. Especially in the city’s perpetually evolving beer scene. We here at Beerlandia recently took up the cause of exploring everything new, awesome and funky coming out of Portland’s craft beer scene in the hopes of shattering the notion that the city is essentially RoboCop’s dystopian Detroit with bike lanes.  Here’s what we found: Helles yes to Wayfinder: Is anyone in the state making better beer than Wayfinder Beer on SE 2nd? Their helles, the Wayfinder Hell, won silver at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival and their CZAF Czech-style pilsner is the poster child for the perfect Zoom-with-buddies beer. Best…

Mary Andrus teaching students

Art and Soul

Art therapy can satisfy our deepest needs, transform lives and heal communities written by Cathy Carroll Mary Andrus has seen how working with people through art therapy can transform their lives and build community, and she believes it can ultimately create a more just society. She has spent years working with people in a range of settings, from community mental health programs and nursing homes to an inpatient psychiatric hospital and therapeutic day schools. Art therapy and artistic expression in general, however, can benefit anyone, she said. Art therapy’s aim is to help people function better in their lives and elevate a sense of well-being. “It would be for anybody open to using the creative process to find and get to know themselves,” she said. “Art therapy isn’t about drawing pretty pictures … it’s about tapping into who you are inside—and maybe drawing really ugly pictures—and giving yourself permission to…