Get away to Oregon's Hidden Seaside Town is the title of the article recently published in Sunset Magazine.
The hidden seaside town is Port Orford and the writer, Susan Houser, and the photographer, John Clark, have done a very good job of portraying "the not-so-sleepy charms of one of Oregon's most idyllic seaside towns."
I've been telling you all about Port Orford in my localizm blog but here is an outsiders opinion that substantiates what I've been blogging about.
Local artists and craftsman display their work in 4 of our local galleries.
Master wood worker and wood carver displays his own work at the Cook Gallery at the corner of 7th and Oregon St.

The Johnson Gallery is at 530 8th St.

The Pottery Gallery is in the 900 block of Oregon St/Hwy 101.

The Triangle Gallery at the intersection of Hwy 101 and Oregon St.

A prospective buyer from California recently asked: "What kind of town is Port Orford?" I spoke about the natural beauty of the area then explained that in my opinion the people in Port Orford are its greatest strength. I shared with him my own experience about how open and accepting the community was when my wife and I arrived back in 2005 and how supportive our new friends and neighbors were when my wife needed major surgery to restore her to good health. Then I shared my sense of our community's spirit and our community's sense of place, He decided he needed to experience Port Orford first hand and is scheduling a visit in the next few weeks.
After our conversation I reflected on Port Orford and came up with the following list of strengths which I have discussed individually in previous blogs. Port Orford is:
In the Pacific Northwest moss growing on your roof can affect the water tight integrity of your roof and if it gets too bad your insurance company may cancel your insurance policy or refuse to renew your homeowner's insurance until the moss is properly removed and the roof is inspected (FYI - Insurance companies will periodically check homes that they have insured).
As in any home maintenance or repair project, if you have any questions consult a professional. For your information, I have provided some roof maintenance tips below.
An ounce of prevention ... The best prevention for roof moss is copper ridge and hip caps. They are expensive but they work.
If you ask around about a roof moss problem some people will tell you that a mild laundry detergent will kill the moss. However, it would be more accurate to say that the zinc phosphate in the detergent kills the moss and there are better chemical solutions than laundry detergent. For example, a soap-based treatment called Moss Aside (see gardensalive.com) and I have also heard people recommend Lilly Miller Moss Out, or Worry-Free Moss.
If you have moss growing on your roof you should follow a 3 step procedure:
Professionals advise that you proceed cautiously when applying chemicals to your roof. They recommend that you try the least toxic product available before taking more drastic measures and they suggest that you try it in the least visible part of your roof first.
Moss Aside should be applied in the spring or fall using a garden sprayer, mop, or brush.
When the moss is dead flush it off the roof with a pressure washer making sure to point the pressure washer down the roof to avoid driving water under the shingles.
After the roof is cleaned and clear of moss, you can discourage future re-growth by installing zinc strips at the peak and at down-roof intervals (see z-stop.com). After installation rainwater washing over these strips releases zinc carbonate into the storm water that washes over the roof which treats the shingle granules and prevents or significantly reduces moss growth.
According to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department approximately 18,000 Grey whales will pass by in the 4 weeks from mid-March through mid-April in their yearly 10,000 mile migration from the Baja Lagoons of Mexico to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea. The main body of whales is about 3 miles off shore however; when feeding the whales can be seen closer to shore. During the peak period approximately 6 whales per hour will pass by specific viewing sites.
The Northern migration starts in the spring during the week of March 21 - March 28. Trained volunteers will tell you that the younger whales travel by first followed by adult whales and lastly the mother whales and their calves (see Whale Watching Spoken here website http://whalespoken.org/ for more info).
The Parks and Recreation Dept. website listed below documents a few whale watching tips.
http://whalespoken.org/OPRD/PARKS/WhaleWatchingCenter/watch_weeks.shtml
They advise that any spot with an ocean view may yield whale sightings, but higher locations like Cape Blanco and Battle Rock Park are better than sandy beaches.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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