The Hazelnut House

Three years ago we went on a family trip to Oregon, and came back raving to anyone who would listen about how great of a place it was and how much fun we'd had. Sam's parents, who were on a mission at the time, were a captive audience to our letters about it. In the midst of all that we hatched a plan to go back to all the same places someday, and take them with us. And this year…we finally did it!

It wasn't EXACTLY the same trip (since you can't step twice in the same river, and so forth)—for one thing, we didn't start at the redwoods and drive up the coast, which was sad, but necessary due to time constraints. BUT, before meeting up with Sam's mom and dad on the coast, we did stay at the same rental house we stayed at last time. Because we love that place so much. I don't know why exactly, but it's become part of our family history and lore—we just felt like it was OUR PLACE. And in fact we have presumptuously been known to refer to it as "Our Hazelnut House," which would probably come as a surprise to its real owners. Ha ha.

But…we just can't help it. Because it IS our Hazelnut House, and every single one of us wants to go there again someday. So forgive me if you have a feeling of déjà-vu when reading this post, because we did so many of the same things, and it almost felt like going back in time. But when I look at the pictures, we have indeed changed…I mean, look at this fresh-faced little cutie! Or this Goldie who could only crawl around the yard and put leaves in her mouth! And of course, we didn't have little Teddy at all back then!

If you look closely you can see a teeeeny red Malachi running along this row between the trees

In case you have forgotten, this particular house is situated on 40 acres of a hazelnut orchard. I guess it's a good spot for hazelnuts, because there are similar orchards all around the Aurora and Hubbard area. I think the nuts ripen in the fall, but the owners of the house always have a jar full of hazelnuts out for their guests to eat, and they are WONDERFUL.

There is something so great about walking (or running) through the rows of hazelnut trees. I can't get enough of the way the light changes at different times of day, and the way those straight rows radiate out in every direction from where you stand.

This year our stay at the hazelnut house coincided with an unusual heatwave in Oregon, and the temperatures were over 100 degrees! The boys had brought their hammocks with them, so they decided it would feel nice to sleep outside in the orchard. And they loved it! They could feel the night breeze and listen to the crickets while they rocked in their little cocoons. I was wishing I could sleep out there myself! But we all had fun enjoying the hammocks during the day, too.

Goldie and Teddy loved rocking in the matching rocking chairs. The house isn't fancy (in fact it's a little old-fashioned and reminds me my grandma's house when I was young), but it's just homey and clean and snug. Which is part of why we like it, I think.

These guys were so happy to get all settled into their hammocks soon after we arrived. At first they set up on trees near each other, but the second night they all spread out into different parts of the orchard to enjoy the solitude. I thought they might be nervous about that, but they weren't.

Teddy and the girls enjoyed their snug little beds inside. (And there was air conditioning upstairs, so that was nice.) Look at little baby Goldie asleep here three years ago!

It was fun wandering out among the trees saying goodnight to the boys and listening to the night sounds (isn't it interesting how the birds and the insects always sound just a little different when you are traveling?). I loved all the interesting textures that came out on the moss and the trees in that sideways evening light. Those fuzzy gold outlines around the leaves, like the edges of snow or ice—and the soft dangling bits of moss—and the mushrooms growing on the tree trunks! So cool.

The evening is my favorite time in the orchard. I loved the way that subtle green moss caught the light.

And I loved this golden arch framing the sunset under the darkening trees.

But I have been remiss in not mentioning another reason why we love this house. And it is not exactly because of this house—but by association. Because this house is the place where we have eaten the BEST MEALS OF OUR LIVES. Now…of course…there have been many good meals over the years. In Rome, for example. But last time we visited this house, we picked our own strawberries at a farm down the street, and made crêpes with them, and it was one of those transcendent experiences you almost can't believe in, later. We have brought it up repeatedly in these intervening years. "Remember those Oregon strawberries? And those crêpes?" That question always elicits wistful groans and sighs of longing as we bring them to mind. So, our greatest fear when we were planning this trip was that strawberry season might be over (we were going about a month later in the year). And we were a little afraid that maybe the strawberries wouldn't be as amazing as we remembered. I mean—how could they be?

But…I am happy to report that the strawberries WERE still in season. Sam and the older kids picked pounds and pounds of them…no, really…maybe like 30 pounds? Last trip we had to eat them all that same day, since we were going to a hotel next, but this time we felt free to pick even more since we would be driving to another house with a fridge.

So, Saturday night, Sam and Daisy made huge stacks of crêpes, and Abe and Seb and I sliced mountains of strawberries, and we whipped enormous mounds of cream, and we had…again…the best meal of our lives.

I can't even describe the anticipation that was in the air as we assembled these ingredients on the kitchen table

Later that night we had a round of strawberry milkshakes (and then Abe gazed sadly at his empty glass until we consented to…a second round), and then the next morning we had strawberries with our oatmeal, and then that night at our beach house when we met up with Sam's parents, we had strawberries and crêpes AGAIN, and then milkshakes AGAIN…it was pretty much the most delicious weekend of food ever. And I think there were some genuine tears in our eyes when we finally ate the last of them. O Oregon Strawberries, how we miss you!

In between all this business with the strawberries, we had a lot of fun just playing in the orchard and in the yard. Sadly the rhododendrons weren't out this time, but everything is so green and pretty that it was still such a pleasure to be outside. (Even in the heat!) The kids played hide-and-seek and I loved watching Goldie and Teddy "hide," and the other kids helping Teddy play this game he didn't even really understand. Such happy times.

I woke up early the two mornings we were there, and went out to wander in the cool(er) air and take pictures. The morning light was just as pretty as the evening light!