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For years, we have helped retirees find their perfect retirement home in Jacksonville. It’s very enjoyable seeing their excitement as we tell them all about Jacksonville and Southern Oregon. Most of them have come from out of state so there is lots of education that goes […]
Good Evening. Looks like the father of the bride is scheduled last to toast tonight. That’s okay. It gives me what may be the last opportunity to thank you so much for being here. Our family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love on this […]
One of the (few) perks of getting older is having a longer view of life. Being a newly-minted mother of two teens, I’m remembering just how inwardly awkward and stressful adolescence is. Figuring out who you are and how to navigate life is rough on rats. And parents.
This month, I’m breaking away from speaking about a specific antique item to point out an obvious fact about one of our most common commodities—soap!
Soap is a household item that we often take for granted. There will always be soap of one […]
With all the wildfires that have devastated communities throughout the west recently, fire safety is at the forefront of many property owners’ minds. The increase in population over the last century has pushed much of the growth into what used to be forest and grasslands. […]
Some readers may remember a column years ago about my falling and then riding in an ambulance to the ER. It struck me as humorous how repeatedly I was asked my birthdate… 11-14-29. However, I annoyed a couple of readers who mistook my humor […]
In July, Pioneer Profiles highlighted Peter Britt’s renown as photographer, artist, and documenter of pioneer life in Southern Oregon. However, Britt was also an avid gardener and is considered to be the father of Southern Oregon’s commercial orchard, wine, and ornamental horticulture industries. Britt Park, now the Britt Festival […]
Summer Sundays at Hanley Farm—Have you been looking for ways to spend a Sunday afternoon? Look no further! Every Sunday, the farm is open from noon to 4:00pm for family fun, afternoon picnicking and children’s heritage games, docent-led house tours, and self-guided farm and garden tours enhanced […]
The subject of the August “Sensational Seniors” article, Carolyn Kingsnorth, has the most extensive and varied career resume of anyone I have ever met. I will only be able to touch on some aspects of her vita; hopefully, it will give the flavor of this statement. Carolyn was […]
Back in early July, I spent a Saturday afternoon enjoying a wonderful reception and book signing at Art Presence Art Center. As I stood in line to purchase three of Debbie Earley’s creative little glass mushrooms, I flipped through Ken Gregg’s beautiful new book, A […]
MEDFORD, OR – The Britt Festival Orchestra performance scheduled for 8:00 PM this evening, July 26, 2019, will be presented as scheduled. The decision to perform outdoors at the Britt Pavilion was made this morning per Britt’s protocol by an ad-hoc committee consisting of the Britt President and CEO, Artistic Operations Director, Britt […]
JACKSONVILLE, OR – The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO), led by Maestro Teddy Abrams, returns to southern Oregon for its 57th season with three weeks of exhilarating orchestral programs at the Britt Pavilion in Jacksonville. The annual BFO season begins with a new series for families and people of all musical interests entitled Teddy’s Discovery Tuesdays (TDT), which offer […]
When is a bookstore more than a bookstore? When a longstanding goal, a passion for literature, and the perfect curating team combine forces. Owner, Eileen Bobek had dreamed of opening a bookstore in Jacksonville. Three years ago, with community support, an ideal storefront and the perfect sales assistant in Marcella Bell, the dream came alive. Recently I visited […]
“It is what it is.”
My husband introduced me to this phrase. He uses it all the time and to be honest, it used to annoy the bejesus out of me. I’d get all snarky and retort, “What does that mean? It means […]
In the last month, several people have come into the shop requesting an appraisal of their valuables. None of us here at Pickety Place are appraisers per se, but we do know how to find, for the most part, a current market value for items.
Many households in rural areas of Oregon obtain their water from a well. The question that always comes up in real estate transactions is how much water does the well produce and how much do you need?
The amount of […]
Every month, I read the real estate sales statistics in the Mail Tribune provided to them by the Rogue Valley Association of Realtors. All the numbers are averages, or medians, calculated for the last 90 days. Overall, they are reporting a seller’s market which means limited […]
I was 16 years old when I went to college. The year was 1946, World War II had ended, the GI Bill had been passed by Congress, and the colleges were flooded with soldiers returning home to resume their lives. It was no […]
Hanley Farm is pleased to welcome the Rogue Eagles RC model airplane club, “one of the largest and oldest clubs in the State of Oregon.” On Sunday, July 7, from noon to 3:00pm, club members will demonstrate radio controlled airplanes and drones. A perfect day for […]
It’s Britt season, so what better subject for summer’s Pioneer Profiles than Peter Britt, whose pioneer homestead is now the site of Britt Festivals, the Britt Gardens, and portions of Jacksonville’s Woodlands Trail System. Perhaps best known as the pioneer photographer who documented Southern Oregon’s people, activities, and landscapes […]
My interview with the July “Sensational Seniors,” Steve and Susan Casaleggio, took place at their Jacksonville home off Third Street. It was emblematic of their high energy, for one would make a statement and then jump up to ponder the next thought while the other took over and […]
What you might be missing…
Oh my, it’s July! The epicenter of summer and picnic weather. We kick-off July 1st and 2nd with blockbusters, Kris Kristofferson and Michael Franti. And who doesn’t know the masterful work of Dwight Yoakam, the iconic band […]
My roots are firm into this ground. Over the years they have been exposed from harsh weather, but they are still planted holding me strong.
But I’m still standing strong…
It’s warmer now. The air thickens and the rain drops are bigger.
My branches are starting […]
The dining scene in Jacksonville just keeps getting better. This month I visited three new or evolving places for great eats and tasty treats. First stop, C Street Bistro.
Restaurant meals are only as well-prepared as the chef. At C Street Bistro, we’re blessed to have chef/owner Paul Becking cooking for us. Chef Becking first […]
Is your property fire season ready? The countdown is on, and fire season arrives soon, ready or not. Dry conditions, weather uncertainties, and human carelessness all carry the unknowns of how, when and where fire will spark. The question remaining is, what combustibles are available to fuel its path of destruction? As we’ve witnessed to our horror […]
We kept this big guy. Look at that face. How could we not? Mary calls him Happy. That’s fine for a house pet but not for a hunter. I’ll call him Happ when he’s in the field. It works.
I used to ride a wonderful horse named Sam. Sammy was an Arabian, which means that Sammy liked to bolt. If a bird startled him, or the wind blew, or a fly went by, he would react. He could go from standing stock still to galloping hell […]
Every day we get compliments that our colored glass display window is one of the best windows in town. We have arranged the color scheme so the colors flow into each other. Viewing from the outside or the inside, the rainbow effect is indeed quite striking. Each […]
The magical town of Jacksonville is beautiful year-round, but when summer arrives there are special opportunities to enjoy the “landscape” and beauty that summer accentuates.
After spending more than twenty years of my life in Jacksonville, I would like to point out […]
If you just finalized your 2018 tax return and you’re now focused on how to “legally” lower your tax rate for 2019, you should read on. There are lots of tax benefits of being a landlord, most expenses are tax deductible, from finding tenants to […]
Ah! Summer! That long-awaited season of warm sun, balmy winds, and blue skies. Just as Mr. Gershwin wrote:
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high
Let […]
Part of being human is to identify things by naming them so that we can relate to them, personalize them, own them if you will. My parents named me Carolyn. To distinguish me from my mother, family members called me Lynn. To long-time friends, I’m Fox or […]
Historic Hanley Farm, established in 1857, is a picturesque working farm just outside of downtown Jacksonville. Owned and operated by the Southern Oregon Historical Society, the farm’s mission is to preserve the history of the people who settled the land and their contributions to the agricultural […]
This month’s “Sensational Seniors” article focuses on four retired men who dedicate hours each week doing “hands on” work at Jacksonville’s Forest Park, a 1,460-acre gem one mile out of Jacksonville. This hardy foursome, made up of a miner and three retired school teachers, acknowledges their senior advisor, […]
Using the recent words of our new Facilities Operation Manager, Andrew Mustain, “It was Rob Buerk’s generosity and leadership that we owe gratitude to for overseeing the removal of the old picnic tables and installation of the new picnic tables. The Britt Experience has always been […]
It is late, morning is closer than evening. Sleep has avoided me once more. I wander the house in slippers and robe. My mind chewing on last night’s party talk. I walk to your room, pull the chain of a small green banker’s lamp. A warm light fills the corner where you are resting. You are as […]
MEDFORD, OR — Britt’s 2019 full season line-up goes on sale to the general public starting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 10. At this writing, tickets are still available for all concerts in the 2019 lineup, with Chicago reserved seating full and limited seating remaining on several other shows. In addition, the “Best of Britt” event […]
I’m completely over the puppies-experience. By week two of eight, my decision-making paradigm was under major assault. In winter-time, one puppy can be a full-time job if your set up is flawed…eight puppies test the outer-limits of what’s humanly possible assuming hygiene and thoughtful care are […]
By the time you read this, school will be back in session and I will be celebrating the end of another spring break “staycation.” Two weeks without the benefit of an entertaining trip to an exotic locale—or even a lousy locale—is about ten days too many. (Okay, we […]
The glory of antique furniture, be it a piece from the Federalist period, the Victorian era, mid-century Modern, English or American, it’s all about the wood. You identify wood by its grain. Wood can be stained any color, so it’s important to know what you’re looking at.
A new, warmer season has arrived, and with it comes a chance to return to the joy of outdoor living. Many would say that this time of year is the best season, and I’d have a hard time disagreeing. It’s such an exciting time to bring […]
Oregon has a housing shortage and that shortage has been growing in part because of a lack of housing being constructed combined with an influx of people moving to the state—lured by the state’s job opportunities and its forests, mountains, coastline and quality of life. […]
The Southern Oregon real estate market has seen some bumps and bruises since the west coast erupted in fires last summer. We began this year with a very slow and weak market and then it exploded. Here is a quick review of the Good, Bad […]
Recently, I was having lunch with some leading citizens when one of them, Linda Kestner, spoke about her deep love for our little town. You may recall that Linda was a recipient of our Citizen of The Year award, and if anybody can […]
With the Britt Festival’s new season just around the corner, we find ourselves jittery with anticipation. “Music,” they say, “hath charms to sooth the savage beast.” We agree, but that suggests music of the hear (see what we did there?) and now. So what, we asked ourselves, […]
May—definitely a busy month at Hanley Farm! Put Sunday, May 26, 1:00-3:00pm on your calendar for the first event in our Sundays at Hanley Farm summer series, “Growing and Propagating Heirloom Plants.” Learn from the experts—Chris Hardy, of Hardy Seeds, will speak about the importance of growing and saving heirloom, bioregionally-adapted seeds; Brad Smith of Feral Seeds discusses plant […]
The May “Sensational Seniors” article features Stan and Judie Lyon. Both native Californians, Stan was born in San Diego on April 15, 1939. Stan’s mother oversaw the home while his father had a long career as an electrician with Rohr Aircraft. Stan and his younger brother were especially […]
Whether you were a teenager in the 1960s, or born in 2001, Britt is the place to be this summer. Diverse, varied, and assorted, were all words used to describe the 2019 Britt Line-up at our April 11th Season Announcement Party, where our Britt family […]
Hi, my name is Tom Pickering – some call me ‘Tommy’ but I don’t like it. I live in Iowa City with my Mom and my Grandma and Grandpa Phend. My Mom says she’s going to get a divorce from my Dad, but she hasn’t […]
“When most people come in and start looking around they say, ‘“Oh, this reminds me of my grandmother’s house, or my mother used to have this,’” says Margaret Barnes, one of four partners of Pickety Place Antiques and Collectibles. I recently visited with her about this treasured Jacksonville fixture.
Pickety Place has been drawing treasure seekers […]