Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 07.27.06

Everywhere we go, we see art. From the graffiti not quite power-washed off the store down the street (we know there's a disagreement about the artiness of graffiti, but that's so 1980s) to the infinitely poignant pictures snapped by photographers on 100+ degree days (too much flesh, anyone?), summer's a haven of art-tasticness. And some of the best — far better than that to which we could aspire — comes in the Last Friday Artwalk. This lil' event has become an extravaganza of goodness and, we're happy to see, "colorful art in a soulful funky garden" (that's at 9th Place Studio), where we hope there's lots of shade along with lots of art. At Kiki Metzler's Polk Studio stop, there's a Laffed Friday Art Party including her art (pictured right), food and what she calls "drink (spirited)." Mmmmm, yes. Snag the list of the multitudinous venues online at www.lastfridayartwalk.organd get out to enjoy the (relatively) milder weekend (we really, really, really hope). See Friday Calendar.

OK, we admit it. When we moved to the Pacific Northwest, we knew nothing, nada, zip, zilch, about canning. (Whuh … canning? Like our grandparents did in the 1930s?) Yet we are now crazed canners, mostly of fruit. Raspberries? Snagged 'em. Cherries? Oh yeah, baby. Picked 12 pounds, bought a cherry pitter, and preserved the heck out of 'em. Now, we see by news of The Blackberry Jam Festival in Lowell that it's time to scour the alleys, cricks and Elijah Bristow State Park-like places for buckets o' that invasive yet wonderful fruit. Even though the thought of buying jam makes us scratch our steam-canner-frizzed hair, we like the festival's quilt show (we can can, but we do not sew, capice?), the spectacle of folks snarfing down blackberry pie in the pie-eatin' contest, and the super-fun kid activities like the Greased Pole Climb and Coins in the Hay. Lowell's not very far away, and hey, if you're a fisher-type person, you can even join the fishing derby and take home — we kid you not — $10,000. Yee-haw! See Calendar.

We know, it's been insanely hot, and who wants to go outside in the heat? But wait … doesn't the mountain (South Sister) look all inviting and snowy and cold? OK, the USGS took that photo in February, but we hear there's still snow up there. Flipping through the Calendar listings this week, we noticed that the Obsidians hikes, the GEARs bike trips, a Mount Pisgah hike with ice cream and a lot of other events — including a butterfly walk on Saturday — involve heading up in elevation (though not to the Sisters; you'll have to get there on your own). We like city walking normally, but people, it's high summer. The concrete wants to burn our little Keens-clad feet. Oregon is at its most gorgeous, and moving up in elevation means moving into cooler air. Doesn't that sound scrumdiddlyumptious? Grab buddies & gear or join a scheduled outdoors event and glory in the most beautiful state, like, ever, all while you build calf muscles and endurance for those dashes between buildings in the rainy months. See Calendar.