I’m keeping a close eye on our little dark-eyed junco with the bum leg; he visits the feeder every day.

The wiggle is back

Jackson and I made it through crate lock-down. It’s been six weeks since his spinal injury and I’m happy to report, his wiggle is back. He’s walking more confidently and his little round butt is swaying back and forth as he pumps his short Doxie legs.

Sister Starla’s ramp is working perfectly, and Jackson got the hang of it immediately. As the vet said, “No stairs for long-spined short-legged dogs. No roughhousing. And no jumping.” So though we now have an open-crate policy, these dog days will continue to be low and slow. But at least we’re moving, and just in the nick of time, too — Jackson and I have both gained weight since our walks were curtailed while our daily calorie count continued unabated. (We became couch bunnies just watching the birds — our favorites were the little torpedo-like nuthatches; and a dark-eyed junco with a bum leg.)

Even the baby birds are getting out and about more. They’ve started feeding themselves, though some are still doing their fluff-up-wing-fluttering act just to see what it gets them. (Mostly just side-eye.) I have a long-time friend and award-winning bird and nature photographer arriving next week, and we plan to have coffee with Dr. Madeline Kalbach, so I may have other more exacting birds notes for you soon.

In the meantime, I did get out of the house to take advantage of one of the joys of our summer months: open air markets.

Saturday Market in Ilwaco, Friday in Long Beach

I stuffed J. in a backpack — the car was way too hot — and a friend and I sauntered up and back along the harbor promenade in Ilwaco. (Market info: www.ilwacosaturdaymarket.com). There can’t be many places with a more beautiful setting for a summer market. The harbor was buzzing. Some lucky boat people were lounging on the dock or their vessels in deck chairs, sipping something cool. The eateries along the way were full of crowds enjoying the weather and each other. And the easy-ups were bustling with a range of eye-popping delights: fruits and vegetables, hand crafted bread boards, intricately cut wood plaques, handmade bird houses, weavings, dog coats, wool beanies, flowers, photographs, metal art, fused glass; and tons of yummy-looking offerings: including tamales, fudge, honey, olives, and shrub vinegars. (Shrub what? Read on…)

Yep, amid all this whimsy and wonderfulness, one sign caught my eye: “Shrub vinegars” — and a poster asking, “What the heck is a shrub?” Exactly. We had to stop and talk a bit more with Elaine Fosse, from Fosse Farms in Raymond, purveyors of “salt free, soy free, dairy free, gluten free, vegan and organic dressings and shrub [drinking] vinegars” (www.fossefarmsinc.com).

Elaine discovered shrubs when a client asked, “Do you make shrub vinegars?” She says, “I’d never heard of it but I went home and started researching. It fascinated me and I thought, ‘I can do this!’ I started infusing vinegars with fruits and other flavors. You know they used shrubs in colonial times for health and other purposes.”

Some think that vinegars have healing properties. I have a Pennsylvania Dutch uncle who drinks a couple tablespoons every morning and swears that it’s helped with his high cholesterol. There are a variety of opinions on this so don’t take my word for it, or my Uncle Bob’s either. (Here are a couple sites with pros and cons: tinyurl.com/5babkbph and tinyurl.com/yj3bcb6d.)

At any rate, Elaine continues, “We started trying it at the markets. Usually you can tell right away if something is going to be successful — and shrubs were an immediate hit! Raspberry is our top seller, then probably garlic. Then we started branching out into other flavors: ginger pear, marionberry, blackberry cacao nib, jalapeño lime, and so many more.”

After tasting a few different combinations — I stuck with the garlic herb dressing and marinade. It’s delicious and, just as Elaine said, it can go directly on a salad or be used as a marinade. It’s also yummy simply to sip from a big spoon.

“The difference between the shrubs and the dressings is that the shrubs have no oils. So for folks with dietary restrictions, it’s a great alternative for salads.” The Fosse Farm also participates in the Columbia Pacific Farmers’ Market in Long Beach on Fridays, June-September from noon to 5 p.m. (longbeachwa.gov/recreation/farmersmarket). Note that the Ilwaco Market runs until Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both markets have a stage for live music, restrooms nearby, and plenty of sights and sounds to keep the whole family entertained.

Sunday Market in Astoria

My sis and I ventured across the river to take in the lively Astoria Sunday Market, all up and down 12th Street from Marine Drive to Exchange, Sundays through Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (www.astoriasundaymarket.com). In the “old days” — the market started in 2000 — the parking lot at Duane and 12th was available for cars, but now the whole lot is taken up with four additional rows of vendors. The more the merrier — though parking is a bit tricky. (We found parking on the east side of the market, slightly off the beaten path up the hill from the Blue Scorcher and adjacent to the KMUN building.)

Our Washington-side markets are fun and colorful but, sorry folks, nothing beats the Astoria market for variety, generalized hubbub, and people watching. Not only that but the comprehensive market map, listing vendors and locations, also categorizes products, crafters, and growers — with live links — to help you decide what to visit. It’s super helpful (www.astoriasundaymarket.com/vendors).

There is an array of the “usual suspects” at the Astoria Market: flower and plant vendors, hand crafts of all kinds, T-shirts, jewelry, hats, whatnots, tasty products, and produce items. The food court on the river-side of the market is wonderful. We shared crab cakes (scrumptious) and a Reuben sandwich (oozy and gooey!) while we sat under an umbrella listening to the Brownsmead Flats — these days they’re a sometimes random gathering of gray-haired guys serving up singalong tunes and folk favorites. Great way to spend a sunny Sunday.

There were two vendor products that caught my eye, out of so many delightful offerings: traditional stone-ground Sasquatch Mustard made by Darling Foods — a family-run specialty foods company. It’s fantastic on sandwiches of all kinds but especially on any kind of seasoned meat, sausages, brauts or salami.

Secondly, right across from the food court was the charming couple of Patsy and Don Buford, former owners of the Dust Devil Mining Co., located on Bureau of Land Management Road No. 6115 in a remote stretch of Lake County, Oregon. They sold their claim to the mine in January, but they’re still showing their gorgeous natural and gem-cut sunstones — the official Oregon gemstone (tinyurl.com/5c2cmjtm). As Don said, “It was just time to retire — we’ve been doing this for over 20 years.”

Many folks don’t know sunstones, but thanks to friend Vicki Reece, I was given a beautiful collection from her rock hounding expedition several years ago. These are glorious stones in a variety of colors — yellow, champagne, red, green, peach, pink and bi-color — and have even been called “Plush Diamonds” by Tiffany & Co. (Some of the fields are near Plush, Oregon.) “We’re very particular about who cuts our stones,” Don continued. It shows. Their selection of jewelry is eye-catching and unusual.

Outside the bubble

I’ve been keeping Jackson company for six weeks now, so escaping his crate prison was my escape too. We’ve been out and about and taking advantage of summer. Oh my!

Enjoy it while you can because here we are in August already. Those clock hands — or little digital numbers, take your pick — just keep flying. These are the days to eat, drink, and be merry. Maybe even wiggle a little!