Hello Bloglandia! If you've been wondering where Finn McSpool has been lately, well, he's been in the exact same place at me: Stuck at home with no prospects for travel for a very, very long time thanks to the moronic... [very long rant redacted in exchange for...] Okay, I won't get into the ridiculous embarrassment … Continue reading Finn McSpool Embarks on a Mini-Escape
A Friday Smile – Part 6
Hello Bloglandia! It's that time of the week when I've gone scouting around the neighborhood (because where else am i going to go?) to find something that will make you grin. This week's photos not only should bring a smile to your face, but might also make you feel like you've escaped your home and … Continue reading A Friday Smile – Part 6
Summer Flashback – Strange Visitors, Men in Skirts, and More!
It's the last weekend of summer, which means it's a sad time around here. Faces are glum, moods are down, and we're already counting down the days until it comes around again. So, what better way to hold onto summer than to have a little Summer Flashback full of the strange visitors to my garden, … Continue reading Summer Flashback – Strange Visitors, Men in Skirts, and More!
Urban Hiking at Tryon Creek with Finn McSpool
urban hiking and outdoor activities await at Tryon Creek State Park in Portland, Oregon. Article includes the history of the park and photos of the hiking trails and bridges.
Hankering for Haggis at the Portland Highland Games
After all the book sales, reading competitions, and hunting for book bargains lately, Finn McSpool decided it was time to take a break from all that smarty pants literary stuff and head out for a round of bagpiping-haggis-muching-caber-tossing fun. Luckily, the Portland Highland Games fit the bill to a T and they just happened to be … Continue reading Hankering for Haggis at the Portland Highland Games
A Monstrous Pest Problem in My Fruity Garden
After a few false starts, spring is truly getting underway now in Portland -- actually, it seems we've skipped over spring altogether and launched right into summer! Regardless, winter's well over and that means my garden turning into a jungle. Unfortunately, I'm also dealing with a certain stripey pest problem... Classified in scientific terms as … Continue reading A Monstrous Pest Problem in My Fruity Garden
The Beastie-Filled Signs of Spring
After the late season snow and freezing temperatures that plagued Portland last month, Mother Nature is putting down her foot and giving Old Man Winter the boot (girl power!). That's right, the signs of spring are finally upon us. For some people that means hay fever, for others it means breaking out the spring fashions, … Continue reading The Beastie-Filled Signs of Spring
Finn McSpool Gallops Into a New Role
As I announced on Wednesday, it’s book release time again and that means the Beasties are offering up a little bit of congratulations once again!! Okay, I’d like to believe Tammie and David Beastie are doing this because they’re eager to support my efforts as an indie writer, but I think it’s more about them … Continue reading Finn McSpool Gallops Into a New Role
A Monstrous Christmas at Pittock Mansion (aka ‘The Solonian Palace’)
That's right, Finn McSpool is back and he's not only ready to show off some local holiday cheer, but also the building that inspired my favorite location from my fantasy world of Osteria: Portland's Pittock Mansion (aka "the Solonian Palace"). I went hunting through my old blog posts, certain that I had covered Pittock Mansion … Continue reading A Monstrous Christmas at Pittock Mansion (aka ‘The Solonian Palace’)
Tammie Painter 