Spring is kicking in with LOTS of activities and events in Southwest Washington. Here are a few ideas to get you moving:

March 18-April 24 Spring break is FIVE weeks long at the World Kite Museum in Long Beach. Make a kite, get coupons for local businesses at a museum treasure hunt, participate in themed weekends at the Spring Fling.

April 1-3 – Passport Weekend to a World of Wines in 40 Miles -Start the month with a trip to Columbia Gorge wineries with this special event, which takes place on both sides of the river. Details here on where to purchase your $15 passport, which will give you special offers including lodging deals.

April 1 – First Fridays. Both Vancouver and Camas have first Friday events. Enjoy art, meet the artists, have dinner and celebrate with friends. Camas even has “Will you pick the golden egg?” contest happening at various shops. Details are at Vancouver Art Walk and Camas First Friday.

April 2 – 30 – Woodland Tulip Festival No need to travel to The Netherlands to touch tulips. Tour the bulb fields and display gardens of Holland America Bulb Farms. This annual event includes crafts, music, children’s activities and more. Check here for details.

April 4 – Guitarist Greta Pedersen performs a matinee concert at the Columbia Theatre in Longview as part of the Rainy Months Series. Information and tickets are available here.

April 9 – International Discovery Walk Festival This beloved event attracts walkers from all over the world to Vancouver. It is such a delight to see the flags of the countries represented. Biking and swim events are offered, too. Admission charge. Go to the Festival Web site for more information.

April 16-May 8 – Lilac Days Festival We have plant hybridizer Hulda Klager (plus MANY volunteers) to thank for this fragrant festival, which is held on the Klager homestead in Woodland each year. All things lilac are offered at a special store (including lilac starts) and Hulda’s home is open for tours. The Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens are located at 115 S. Pekin Road, near the Holland America bulb fields. Admission. Click here for more details.

April 23 – Easter Tea Tour the historic house at the Pomeroy Living History Farm and enjoy tea with scones, sandwiches and desserts. Admission. Visit the Pomeroy Web site for more information.

April 27 – What do I do now? A financial summit for women will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Red Cross Building at the Fort Vancouver National Site. Financial writer (www.sixtyandsingle.com) Julia Anderson will moderate a panel of experts. Admission. Details and tickets are available here.

There is so much to do this month. See you out there in Southwest Washington!

“As far as I am concerned, a painting speaks for itself. What is the use of giving explanations, when all is said and done? A painter has only one language.” ~Pablo Picasso

Picasso may have it right, but meeting the artist AND seeing the art makes for a rich evening. Vancouver’s First Friday Art Walk always proves that point.

The evening was definitely worth enduring the Niagara-like rain storm. A sampling of the art and artists:

Gallery 360, in its spacious new location at 111 W. Ninth Street, featured a “Cut and Paste” exhibit of mixed media as well as oils and other art from members.

DaBat at Gallery 360

Connie Cleaton at Gallery 360

Dorene Steggell at Gallery 360

Skip Enge’s bright-hued floral portraits gave energy and a longing for spring to the wet March evening at Aurora Gallery at 1004 Main Street.

Skip Enge at Aurora Gallery

North Bank Artists Gallery at 1005 Main Street showcased The Seven Deadly Sins Exhibition. Kaori Freda illustrated “Gluttony” with her Cupcake Diet drawing.

Kaori Freda at North Bank Artists Gallery

Up the street, Angst Gallery at 1015 Main Street celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Inner Light Photographic Society with a group exhibit.

Photographers Chris Eagon, Al Flory and Linda Freeland in front of photos by Chris at Angst Gallery

Last stop was Art on the Boulevard, 210 W. Evergreen Blvd. for the rich oils by Ridgefield artist Oleg Ulitskiy. The exhibit included work produced during a recent trip to his hometown of Odessa, Ukraine and from Northwest locations.

Oleg Ulitskiy with his favorite painting at Art on the Boulevard

As always, the First Friday crowd was patronizing downtown restaurants and bars. We chose Woody’s for margaritas and excellent seasonal quesadillas just steps away from Art on the Boulevard.

The exhibits will be up through March 26. Plan a personal Art Walk to see the creative work of our local artists!

It’s March and, though it’s not quite here yet, spring is in the air. The roses are pruned, our daffodils are starting to open and it’s time to plant the peas. If you are itching to get out and about, here are some options around our region:

March 4-26 – The Inner Light Photographic Society celebrates 25 years of image making at Angst Gallery, 1015 Main Street, Vancouver. Opening night will be at the First Friday Artwalk – Friday, March 4, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Don’t miss all the other galleries, too. Downtown Vancouver is quite lively on First Friday nights!

March 13- Marble Mountain to Chocolate Falls Snow Shoe Adventure – Check out Mount St. Helens Institute for details. Snowshoeing is the best! All the fun of cross-country skiing without the bruised bodies and egos. If you can walk, you can snowshoe.

March 12-19 Japanese Culture Week in Longview at various locations with events that include anime, Taiko drumming, origami and much more. The week culminates with an exciting performance on March 19 by Taiko (re)Generation at the Columbia Theatre.

March 18-20 – Don’t miss the 16th annual Peninsula Quilt Guild’s show in Ilwaco. More than 100 quilts will be on display. Quilts will be at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco.

March 18 – St. Patty’s for the Parks featuring Patrick Lamb at Shorty’s Garden & Home, Mill Plain Store in Vancouver. This is a benefit for the Parks Foundation of Clark County. Over 21 only. Food by Beaches.

March 19 – St. Patty’s for the Kids – same location as March 18 but with a family focus and free!

March 19 – Clark College at Columbia Tech Center Open House and Green Resource Fair, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 18700 SE Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver. Includes cooking demonstrations, gardening tips, local wineries and a showing of one of the best food movies ever, The Big Night. You will find the flyer here: Spring 2011 Open House Cooking School

March 27 – Third Annual Fort Vancouver Run – Shake off your sluggish winter body with a 6K, 10K or 15 K run plus kids’ events. Starts at Fred Meyer Grand Central Shopping Center.

As always, lots happening in Southwest Washington! See you out there!

Where is the most beautiful shop in Southwest Washington? Nope! Even if we knew, we wouldn’t say. One of the shops that would surely be on the list, however, would be Shorty’s Gift Store. The store is located in Shorty’s Garden and Home at 10006 Mill Plain Boulevard in Vancouver. (A second nursery is located at 705 NE 199th St north of the Clark County Fairgrounds on the east side of I-5.)

Here are a few of the lovely objects (and one furry mammal) found in the shop, which is delightfully decorated by Ines Mahoney:

Artful displays fill the shop.

Welcome plaques suggest umbrella-free days. (Wouldn't a dry day be nice?!)

Garden worthy gnomes gaze at shoppers.

Fairies watch over the shop.

More fairies...

A fairy hanging with the monkeys.

Unique bunnies are available for Easter.

Rain boots with a stylish attitude.

A plethora of plants with a guard keeping watch over the foliage.

An elegant chandelier for the diningroom.

Fine dining under the chandelier.

Vibrant wool blossoms.

Colorful coin purses.

Birds for spring decor.

Beautiful floral cards.

Lily the cat keeps a watchful eye on the shop, and the shoppers.

The gift store is stocked year round. Pots of all sizes and statues are displayed outside around the nursery. And plants, shrubs and trees are arriving for spring planting at both stores. Bantam and Grouse is open for British-style food at the Mill Plain store. Check out Shorty’s Garden and Home for hours and special events. See you in the garden!

What would you suggest if asked how to reuse a 100+-year-old military hospital? The Fort Vancouver National Trust is asking that question about the Post Hospital.

But wait! The question gets even richer. Input is sought on how to reuse the hospital as an arts education center and visual arts museum.

The Post Hospital opened in 1905. It served more than 20,500 victims of the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic. More recently, it housed Army offices. It has been vacant since the mid-1990s. The building is owned by the City of Vancouver but is leased by the Trust.

On Tuesday, February 15, artists and other community members are invited to join a Community Conversation about the future use of the hospital. This important meeting will be held at Pearson Air Museum from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. What a great opportunity help shape the future of this landmark building.

Imagine. What would you do with these spaces?

Post Hospital from the SE Corner

West side of the hospital next to I-5

One of the larger rooms

Lots of hallway and small rooms

A vintage ladies room

A view of a few Fort buildings from the hospital

A view to the west of the new Vancouver Community Library

Fir tongue-and-groove floors plus fireplace

Welcome to the past. What will the next sign say?

This is a building that will obviously need much work. But what an opportunity! Officers Row was saved. The Red Cross Building and O.O. Howard House were restored. It’s time to preserve our historical architecture again. To RSVP for the Community Conversation, contact the Trust at 360-992-1804.

How do you do justice to the memory of one of the world’s most important leaders for equality and peace? The life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was remembered with music, poetry, video presentation and an inspiring sermon on Saturday, January 15 at Clark College. The Dream and the Dreamer, a breakfast celebration, also honored Vancouver’s Earl Ford, who received the Mosaic Compass Award.

From Clairece Rosati’s moving performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Visions” to the dramatic poems of Emmett Wheatfall on slavery, civil rights movement and the Constitution, it was a time to reflect on the incredible life and impact of Dr. King.

Dr. Terryl Ross of Oregon State University shared a documentary video “The Door to Equality is Voice Activated,” which interspersed clips of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement with comments from OSU students on what needs to be done now to achieve equality.

In his impassioned sermon, Pastor Matthew Hennessee of Portland’s Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church asked: “We have the stories. Do we have the courage and the heart” to make a difference and stand up for justice? “We’re too worried about what the cost will be…The problem is the 18” between our heads and our hearts,” he said. “We have the intellect to understand,” he pointed out. “We need to close the gap.” Pastor Hennessee also honored Coretta Scott King, a personal friend. “I didn’t just marry Martin,” she had said. “I married his cause.”

Event organizer Deena Pierott shared advice that she received from award winner Earl Ford. When she expressed concerns about running her company he told her she could “stay on the porch or run with the big dogs.” She chose to “run with the dogs,” working to expand her business, Mosaic Blueprint, an international job recruitment and placement firm. Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt presented Earl with the Mosaic Compass Award for outstanding community service and diversity advocacy. Earl is past president for 10 years of the Vancouver Chapter of the NAACP, among many other achievements.

You cannot remember Dr. King’ courage and actions without being inspired to do more. In his words: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just that the first step.”