Jean Elmore, GRI, e-PRO

We in Yamhill County like to think we've achieved a degree of sophistication with our vineyards in the hills, world-famous pinot noir, fine dining and local artists. After all, the area was recently written up in the "Havens" series in The New York Times. The article entitiled
Rural Vistas, Natural Healing and Pinot Noir is a testimony to our arrival on the national scene as "a place to be".

That article was published on November 28, the same day as the McMinnville Santa Parade, and the irony was inescapable. There were thirty-seven entries in the parade and each was a reminder of our real selves - an agricultural area of small towns full of residents with a sense of fun.

The mounted Sheriff's posse with the lead horse sporting antlers and a red nose started things off, followed by children in a home-made miniature Christmas train, and always the "Rakettes" of the Garden Club with their decorated rakes and creative hats performing choreographed routines along the route that would make a Rockette hang up her tap shoes for good.

We'll welcome the New Yorkers who may come to visit or relocate as a result of the Times article, but we'll always be secure in the knowledge that deep in our roots there's a little bit of Mayberry.

I meant to move on. Really I did. It's December now - the comforting Oregon rains, the welcome sunbreaks and the occasional chill wind that makes Oregonians hustle to the nearest coffee bar are beginning for real. I usually cherish this time of year, but this time I find myself counting the days until until the McMinnville Farmer's Market opens again.

It's more than just an opportunity to browse the stalls for the abundant fruits and vegetables grown in our ownYamhill Valley, it's the total experience of the sights, sounds and aromas of colorful displays, a local musician, fresh herbs and mouthwatering barbecue.

It's also a weekly social experience in McMinnville in an ambience of friends greeting old friends and making new ones, and always the laughter and good humor of the local residents so glad to be in such a lovely place.

The holidays will distract me and the usual short winter in the Yamhill Valley will give way to sunny days, warming soils and tender green sprouts before I know it.

May will come soon. Really it will.

In McMinnville, Oregon, of course! The same Evergreen Aviation Museum complex that houses Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose and a state-of-the-art IMAX Theater recently opened a Space Museum. The solar system walkway is just the beginning of a beautifully done display and history of the United States space program as well as the early rocket designers and the great minds that enabled development of the systems and technology required to make space flight possible.

A centerpiece of the museum is a Titan II rocket. Watch a simulated launch sequence from a Mission Control reproduction complete with sound effects. Interactive displays for kids of all ages is another feature.

My husband and I began our married years near Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida just after the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. He was actively engaged in work on the Apollo program and we had the privilege of seeing many launches in person, so our initial tour was a nostalgia trip through one of the most exciting times in our nation's history.

The pathos, humor, disappointments and, yes, the tragedies of accomplishing goals never before attempted is evident throughout the museum and a testimony to the pioneering spirit that allowed these goals to be reached. I hope we're not finished yet.