Vernonia, OR

A sad tale this is. This home had been on the market for a very long time. It had been bought, totally remodeled and put up for sale for a long time, going through two different realtors. It had been bought in February of ’08 for $59,900 and 7 months later, after an extensive remodel, went back on the market at $230,000. It was listed til yesterday for $100,000 less.

It has stood vacant all of this time. Until yesterday it was “sellable”. I drove by yesterday and saw firetrucks. These are the pictures I quickly took today. It could be arson or possibly squatters, but regardless, it’s sad to see this just the same.

Everyone loses in a case like this. The owner, the realtor, a future buyer. This is a nightmare no one wants to have happen.

Gayle Rich-Boxman
Realtor® Vernonia Realty Direct: (503)755-2905
Specializing in Fishhawk Lake Real Estate
"Your Gateway to the Lake!"
http://activerain.com/blogs/gayleatfishhawklake

My website: http://www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com/
My blog: http://fishhawklakerealtor.wordpress.com/

PicNik....Scccaaaarry stuff!

One of the things I love most about living on a lake in the country is to take pictures. One of the newest things I love most is then going into PicNik and spending HOURS playing with those photos and seeing what I come up with….all for free.

They not only offer all kinds of ways to tweak color, framing, effects, but they have certain seasonal cool things that you can utilize to add some special quality to it just for that occasion. One that some of my favorite bloggers have used lately is for Halloween.

Cindy Westfall changed her profile for some scary results (that also look kinda sexy!)

On the other hand, William Johnson took the same style of effects and used something completely different.

Lightening, moons…it’s all soooooo scary.

Can you guess what this is???

It’s actually THIS:

This historical piece stands proudly at the Peterson House, a country museum in Vernonia, Oregon. So, it's just plain FUN (and maybe a little bit scary at first, but you'll get over it) to play in PicNik.

Gayle C. Rich-Boxman

Realtor® Vernonia Realty Direct: (503)755-2905

Specializing in Fishhawk Lake Recreation Club

"Your Gateway to the Lake!"

http://activerain.com/blogs/gayleatfishhawklake

My website: http://www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com/

My blog: http://fishhawklakerealtor.wordpress.com/

PicNik....Scccaaaarry stuff! Copyrighted by Gayle Rich-Boxman, All Rights Reserved 2011

Drive by shooting….got your attention, didn’t I? Well, this one didn’t hurt anybody, but it sure made MY day!

This is a small collection of what I get to see on my drive from Fishhawk Lake in the big city of Birkenfeld Oregon (ha!) to the bigger city of Vernonia Oregon where my real estate office is located.

Mist is located 8 miles from my home on Fishhawk Lake. This was one of my first "shootings".

Right after this home is where Highway 47 goes through Mist and heads into Clatskanie, Oregon.

I’ve always thought this little guy looked kinda lonely.

I have friends here and always beep when I drive by.

I’ve driven by this place many times in the last eight years and finally stopped to take a few shots—without bullets, of course.

Along the road is this sign:

I’m sure there is much to learn about this lovely roadside attraction….for another time. (I’ll have to research it). I never see anyone here, and today was no exception.

Here's an old log that looks like it was wrangled up and fought hard before it gave up....

I found so many treasures…this was behind a fence in the barn.

There were so many things to “shoot”, but I didn’t want to get caught, so had to keep moving!

I did find this piece of art in the mundane:

Last shooting before heading into Vernonia, where I do real estate at Vernonia Realty.

Gayle C. Rich-Boxman

Realtor® Vernonia Realty Direct: (503)755-2905

Specializing in Fishhawk Lake Recreation Club

"Your Gateway to the Lake!"

http://activerain.com/blogs/gayleatfishhawklake My website: http://www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com/

My blog: http://fishhawklakerealtor.wordpress.com/

Drive By Shooting Copyrighted by Gayle Rich-Boxman All Rights Reserved 2011

Vernonia Pioneer Museum-A New Addition to an Old Heritage

This Vernonia Oregon historical building is recognized nationally, and is registered as an Historic Place being described as the Oregon American Lumber Company Mill Office. Built in 1924, it is #52 on the Walking Tour.

The Vernonia Pioneer Museum includes artifacts from throughout the county. You will see a variety of rocks and other items from the local Native American tribes. Admission is free and it is a wonderful place for families to visit. Vernonia Museum is an ADA accessible building. We welcome groups, but appointments are encouraged.

In addition to that, we have logging information, pictures and tools, as well as items depicting the life of early settlers in the Nehalem Valley region.

Back in the 20s, it used to be quite the boomtown, with a whole bunch of millhouses being built to house the influx of loggers and their families.

There is a recent new addition to add to Vernonia's nod to their heritage at the front entrance leading into the Vernonia Pioneer Museum. He’s a Greeter of sorts…a modern day pioneer, maybe and still living, even though this version of him is made out of carved wood.

His name is Mike Pihl and he and his company have kept the logging business going in this bedroom community through hard times and good times. This depiction bores a striking resemblance. Mike is also one of the stars of a reality show called Ax Men, the History Channel's show about loggers' lives. Mike has 40 employees mostly Vernonia residents, so he spreads the wealth locally. He always seems to help the underdog; people who can't seem to get hired anywhere else will be given a chance by Mike.

“People ask me why I’m a logger,”Pihl said. “I tell them I like the smell of the forest.”

I have a personal reason for thanking Mike Pihl. In the first few months of 2006, as a new broker withVernonia Realty, Mike was my VERY FIRST CLIENT. He didn’t know me, but thanks to our past Principal Broker of Vernonia Realty, Derl Roberts (and lifelong friend of Mike’s) he wanted to get me kick-started, so as a favor, Mike allowed me to be his selling realtor for the vacant lot he was purchasing. All went smoothly, I got my first check (a VERY SMALL AMOUNT) and they all laughed at me because I was SO excited to get my first check and make it official!

Gayle C. Rich-Boxman

Realtor® Vernonia Realty Direct: (503)755-2905

Specializing in Fishhawk Lake Recreation Club

"Your Gateway to the Lake!"

http://activerain.com/blogs/gayleatfishhawklake

My website: http://www.lakehomesatfishhawk.com/

My blog: http://fishhawklakerealtor.wordpress.com/

Vernonia Pioneer Museum-A New Addition to an Old Heritage Copyrighted by Gayle Rich-Boxman All Rights Reserved 2011