View full sizePhoto of the week: Donna JD Edgley, Troutdale, surprised a spider in one of her fuchsia baskets in September. She used a Canon EOS Rebel T1i with a 100mm macro lens at f/5.6, 1/200th of a second with an ISO of 400 to capture the image.
Each week we feature a photo that was an entry in our 2010 photo contest. The 2011 contest has ended; look for the winners in the Dec. 24 weekend edition of Homes & Gardens of the Northwest.
Events are free unless noted. Fees usually include materials; call to confirm. All area codes are 503 unless noted.
TOURS
Oregon City Christmas Parlor Tour
Visit historic Oregon City homes decorated for the holidays, as well as three museums. Actors in period dress will bring each home to life as they engage in holiday activities of the era.
WHEN:
2-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10
TICKETS:
$20; available at Friends of the Library Bookstore, 503 Seventh St., Oregon City
DETAILS:
650-1851
EVENTS
SATURDAY, DEC. 10
"Christmas Around the World":
This year's bedecking of the mansion features 23 rooms filled with multicultural Christmas customs and traditions. Open during museum hours, through Jan. 2. See website for schedule. Pittock Mansion, 3229 N.W. Pittock Drive; $6-$9;
or 823-3623
Habitat Restoration:
9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Help volunteers plant trees to improve the habitats around the refuge. Registration requested. Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge -- River "S" Unit, 1071 S. Hillhurst Road, Ridgefield, Wash.; free; www.ridgefieldfriends.org/volunteer.php or 360-887-3883 or by email to
Holiday Lights at Shore Acres State Park:
4-9:30 p.m. daily, through Dec. 31. Enjoy this holiday tradition of almost 300,000 lights, Christmas trees, lighted sculptures, pond area, decorated Garden House and offerings of hot cider, punch, coffee and cookies plus entertainment in the pavilion. Shore Acres State Park, Cape Arago Highway, 13 miles southwest of Coos Bay/North Bend and U.S. 101, Coos Bay; $5 parking fee per vehicle;
or 541-888-3732, 541-756-5401 or by email to
SUNDAY, DEC. 11
Spend an Afternoon at the H. Russell Albee House:
2-4:30 p.m. Take a self-guided tour of the house designed by Portland architect A.E. Doyle for Mayor H. Russell Albee. Historian Philip Niles also gives a short presentation on Doyle, while Janice Dilg -- project director for Century of Action: Oregon Women Vote, 1912-2012 -- discusses Albee and his role in shaping Portland. Meets at the H. Russell Albee House, 3360 S.E. Ankeny St., off East Burnside. $5-$10
MONDAY, DEC. 12
Clackamas County Master Gardeners:
7-8 p.m. Maurice Horn of Joy Creek Nursery presents a humorous look at nurseries and their customers in "Horticultural Case Book: Psychiatric and Medical Disorders in the Garden." Milwaukie Center, 5440 S.E. Kellogg Creek Drive, Milwaukie;
or 653-8100
CLASSES + DEMONSTRATIONS
SATURDAY, DEC. 10
Keeping Your Gift Plants Giving:
11 a.m. Registration required. Portland Nursery, 5050 S.E. Stark St.;
or 231-5050
Decorating Centerpieces and Wreaths for the Holidays:
1 p.m. Al's Garden Center, 7505 S.E. Hogan Road, Gresham;
or 491-0771
Make Your Own Holiday Wreath:
1 p.m. Learn how to make a wreath that will bring holiday cheer into your home. Bring gloves and pruners. Registration required. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; $30, includes materials;
or 788-9000
SUNDAY, DEC. 11
Festive Christmas Wreaths:
1 p.m. Registration required. The Garden Corner, 21550 S.W. 108th Ave., Tualatin; $45 covers materials;
or 885-1934
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Calendar items run on a space-available basis. Please submit notices at least one month before the event to Homes & Gardens Listings Desk, The Oregonian, 1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201; or by email (send as a plain text file, with Homes & Gardens in the subject line) to listings@oregonian.com. Except for cancellations and corrections, notices cannot be accepted by phone.