A Trip to Astoria: Friday Update
A rare slow week for me. My justification for the slowness was coming off of a cold the week before and still enjoying the high of a weekend away in Astoria, Oregon.
Astoria is a small town at the mouth of the Columbia river. It was the first settlement west of the Rockies and the ending point of Lewis and Clark’s famous journey across what is now the United States. It was the site of historic moments, such as the first continental shelling site by the Japanese during World War II. It is home to the most dangerous inlet in the United States where the fresh Columbia smashes into the sea, creating such turbulence in the water that the sandbars are ever shifting and the seas have claimed over 300 vessels. In yesteryear, it was the largest salmon fishery and cannery in the world but with changing times it has settled into a quiet, charming town, proud to display it’s history and delighted to entertain, sporting museums, restaurants, breweries, and recreation at every turn.
After a vacation my family knows there’s one question they will begrudgingly have to answer. It’s my favorite question because it invokes self reflection, a moment to enjoy the happenings and relive the emotions experienced on a trip. That question is, “what was your favorite part of the trip?”
Since you asked, my favorite part was the Flavel House Museum. This was George Flavel’s retirement home. He lived his life in Astoria, gaining wealth as the sole licensed bar pilot in Astoria and used his monopoly to propel his family forward. He was involved in politics, the school system, and his many businesses. Quite an extrodinary person. If you would like to learn more about George Flavel, I highly recommend visiting the Flavel House in Astoria.
I love to learn, but learning about Flavel was not what made this my favorite part of the trip. It was the way his house made me feel. I was in awe as I walked through his home. It is a 11,000 square foot Victorian mansion, but the grandeur wasn’t it. I’ve seen more elaborate, larger homes in Charleston, SC. It was his modesty and restraint that was reflected throughout the home. The woodwork was amazing with thick doors and hand crafted moldings, but it was all simply finished and of local Douglas fir, all vertical grain very nice Douglas fir, but fir all the same. For perspective, Douglas fir is used for 2x4s to frame houses, it’s not a display wood, but Flavel put it everywhere, including the flooring.
The rooms were spacious, but there was no grand ballroom. The ceilings were tall, but original furnishings modest. Flavel could have spent more of his wealth, but decided to save, to invest in his family’s future, and that was apparent throughout his home. I could tell this was a home to be lived in. There was life here. It wasn’t a home to show off, although I’m certain it was shown off, but it reflected Flavel and his personality. For example, even in retirement he was a part of his business. He built a tower which he would climb to see his ships off. He had pride in what he did and I admire that.
Ashley and I were immersed in the house, we loved it, so much so that we realized after we left that neither of us took a single picture of the inside. If you want to see it you’ll need to plan your own trip to Astoria to enjoy the house in person.
KB Wood Jewelry
In other news, I launched a new product this week, KB Teardrop Earrings. I wrote a separate blog about the earrings and created a short video. Check that post out for more details and if you are interested in purchasing a pair, visit my shop. I plan to update the product with pictures of the variations I offer and additional styles. This is just the start of something great, I can feel it!
Floating Shelves
I was commissioned in December to make floating shelves for a neighbor, Isaac and Megan. These shelves are going to be black walnut, but not just any black walnut. This wood came from Isaac’s childhood home’s tree which fell during a storm. His parents had the tree milled and it has been sitting in a barn since. I feel honored to work with such meaningful wood and can’t wait to see the final product.
