👋🎨 Who's Hiding Thousands of Painted Rocks Around Tualatin?

TOGETHER WITH

Good Afternoon, South Metro. Yes, we are a few hours late…and a dollar short? Not really, but it sounded good. Great week ahead!

Coming up in today’s South Metro Weekly:

🎶 Let’s get it started in here!

-Scott Michaels

If you've ever wandered through Jurgens Park in Tualatin and spotted a colorful painted rock tucked along the trail, you might have wondered who put it there. And now, thanks to our friend Nora Hart at Fox 12, we know.

Is it a secret society of rock decorators? An unusually artistic squirrel?

Nope. Just an 81-year-old man named Phillip Roberts, who's been quietly spreading happiness around Tualatin for the past eight years.

And boy, has he been busy.

Roberts is a professional artist whose work has appeared in galleries from San Francisco to England. He's traveled through Europe and Mexico looking for inspiration. These days, he works from his home studio in Tualatin, sometimes painting until 10 at night.

But somewhere along the way, he discovered a new canvas. Rocks.

It started as a way to use leftover paint. Roberts collects rocks from his backyard, cleans them up, and transforms them into colorful little creations. Then, during walks with his wife, he leaves them around Jurgens Park for people to discover.

He's been doing this for eight years, leaving roughly four dozen rocks each week. That's potentially thousands upon thousands of little surprises.

And sometimes, they make a bigger difference than he ever imagined.

Roberts recalled meeting a mother whose seriously ill daughter found comfort in searching for his painted rocks during a difficult time.

That's a pretty remarkable return on some leftover paint.

Roberts still walks about three miles a day and plans to keep hiding his creations as long as his legs will carry him.

So next time you're strolling through Jurgens Park, keep your eyes open. You might find a tiny masterpiece.

And now you know the guy behind it.

Sometimes self-care gets pushed to the bottom of the list. Work gets busy, the calendar fills up, and suddenly “taking care of yourself” means remembering to drink water before bed.

This Wednesday night, Azend Hot Yoga & Wellness is giving you a reason to slow things down.

Renewal Rituals is an evening built around a little restoration, connection, and fun, with guided facials, personalized tarot readings, skincare education, and a few extra touches designed to make the night feel special.

You don’t need to know anything about skincare or have a perfect wellness routine. Just show up, settle in and enjoy an evening that’s actually about you for a change.

The event runs Wednesday from 6:30–8 PM at Azend Hot Yoga & Wellness in Wilsonville. Tickets are $65.

Ready for a little midweek renewal? Visit AzendHotYoga.com to reserve your spot.

💧 Oswego Lake Is Losing It – About 10 feet of water, to be exact. The Lake Corporation is conducting its once-every-three-years drawdown, giving waterfront homeowners a chance to tackle maintenance projects while the city and corporation do some work of their own. Water is being released into Oswego Creek, with the lake expected to reach its lowest level by Friday. Refilling begins naturally January 1, and everything should be back to normal by April. No need to panic. Nobody pulled the bathtub plug.

🎨 From Clackamas to Bend – CeramiCafe is spreading a little more creativity around Oregon. The family-owned pottery-painting business, which got its start in Clackamas back in 2002 and has a location in downtown Lake Oswego, is opening its fifth Oregon studio next month in Bend's Old Mill District. Owner Krista Courtney has grown the business to include locations in Beaverton and Corvallis, too. Apparently, Oregon just can't get enough of painting coffee mugs.

🚒 Wondering About All Those Sirens? – If you heard a parade of emergency vehicles heading southwest of Sherwood on Saturday, here's why. Firefighters responded just before noon to a barn and field fire in the 2100 block of Ringer Street. Crews arrived to find the barn engulfed in flames and collapsing, with fire spreading through a nearby field. Firefighters from multiple agencies responded and made significant progress within 30 minutes.

🏐 Lions Roar Toward League Title – West Linn's volleyball team is one win away from claiming at least a share of the Three Rivers League championship! The Lions knocked off rival Lakeridge Thursday night in four sets (21-25, 25-13, 25-15, 25-17), improving to 10-1 in league play and 17-9 overall. Junior Gigi Martin led the way with eight kills and three blocks. West Linn can clinch at least a tie for the title tomorrow night when it hosts St. Mary's.

Most weeks, South Metro Homes features enormous houses with sprawling estates, gourmet kitchens, and enough bathrooms to host a small convention.

This week, we decided to go in the opposite direction. We went looking for some of the smallest homes for sale in the South Metro area.

And boy, did we find a couple with a view!

Sitting right on the Willamette River in Oregon City are two neighboring floating homes, each measuring a whopping 300 square feet.

That's right. Your entire house could fit inside some people's garages.

The little red house was built in 2004 and features walls of windows, a spacious deck, and gorgeous river views. Its tan neighbor dates back to 1940 and offers French doors, vaulted ceilings, and built-in storage.

Each has an open studio layout, a sleeping loft, and one bathroom. Not exactly room for a grand piano, but who needs one when you've got the Willamette River outside your window?

Now, here's the interesting part.

The red house is listed for $210,000, while the tan one is $150,000. But they're being sold together, so you'll need $360,000 to call them yours.

Both come with ownership of their marina slips, and the listings say short-term rentals are permitted.

Live in one, rent out the other. Or keep one for guests. Or maybe just have a second home when you need 300 square feet of personal space.

They're tiny. But that view? Anything but.

More info here: Red Home | Tan Home

🎈 = family-friendly event
💲 = ticket or purchase required
🎵 = includes live music
😋 = there will be food

😋💲 Chocolate Truffle Making Class
Tumwater Vineyard, West Linn | Tuesday | 5–7:30 PM | $85
Calling all chocolate lovers! Certified chocolatier Natalie Richards will guide you through the delicious art of making your own chocolate truffles. Learn about cacao, sample chocolates from around the world, and create a box of handmade treats to take home. Includes a monogrammed apron and recipe card. Ages 21 and up.

😋 OpinioNation Game Night
Langer's Entertainment, Sherwood | Tuesday | 6–8 PM | Free
Think Family Feud, minus Steve Harvey and the television cameras. Team up to guess popular survey answers, compete for prizes, and find out just how well you know what everyone else is thinking. Must be 21 or older.

🎈💲 Kids (Parents) Night Out: Fairy Gardens & Slime
The Hot Spot, Sherwood | Thursday | 5:30–7:30 PM | $40
Parents, need a couple of hours to yourselves? Drop the kids off for an evening of creativity, fairy gardens, and wonderfully gooey slime! Kids ages 6–13 will enjoy hands-on art activities while you enjoy a little grown-up time. Two hours of fun for them, two hours of freedom for you. Everybody wins!

🎈💲 Skate Like a Girl Workshop
Lake Oswego Recreation & Aquatics Center | Friday | 9:30 AM–12:30 PM | $80
Calling all future skateboard stars! Kids ages 7–13 can learn new tricks, build confidence, and explore skate culture in this three-hour workshop. Along with time on the board, participants will create their own mini magazines. No need to be the next Tony Hawk to join the fun.

🎈 Halloween Art Workshop
Lake Oswego Public Library | Friday | 11 AM–Noon
Little artists can get into the spooky spirit with a Halloween-themed drawing workshop led by Drawn2Art. Kids ages 5 and up will learn to draw and color some favorite Halloween characters. A fun way to get those creative juices flowing before the candy-fueled festivities begin.

🎈💲 Curiosity Kids: Sasquatch Science Team
OMSI, Portland | Saturday | 9 AM | $22-30
Bigfoot meets big curiosity! Little scientists ages 3–5 and their families can explore science, engineering, and the mystery of Sasquatch in this hands-on, bilingual workshop. Kids will use their five senses to investigate the world around them while parents join in the fun. Who knew Bigfoot could be so educational?

🎈 Oregon City Repair Fair
Oregon City Public Library, Oregon City | Saturday | 10 AM–1 PM | Free
Got a broken toaster, torn jacket, or gadget that's seen better days? Don't toss it just yet! Volunteer fix-it experts will help repair small appliances, electronics, clothing, and more at this free community event. Save some money, learn a few tricks, and keep perfectly good stuff out of the landfill. Bring one item at a time.

🐶 Meet Parmesan! No, not the cheese.

This adorable 8-month-old German Shepherd mix is 60 pounds of energy, enthusiasm, and puppy personality! Parmesan loves walks, outdoor adventures, and activities that keep her busy brain working. She's friendly with other dogs at the shelter and would love a family with older kids ages 13 and up who can help her learn the ropes. A fenced yard would be a big plus, along with some patience for basic training. If you've been looking for a hiking buddy who doubles as your new best friend, Parmesan might be your girl!

Reach out to the Clackamas County Animal Shelter if you are interested in meeting this big, furry personality.

THANKS!

A final thought…

It's a powerful thought.

We all have things we'd like to accomplish. Dreams we'd like to chase. Changes we'd like to make. Maybe even a few things we've been putting off for years.

But there's a difference between wanting something and believing in it deeply enough to do something about it.

Conviction is what keeps us going when enthusiasm wears off.

It's what gets us out of bed when we'd rather stay there. What helps us make the difficult decision instead of the convenient one. What reminds us why we started when quitting would be so much easier.

And convictions aren't just about big dreams or impressive achievements.

Sometimes they're about being the kind of parent, friend, neighbor, or person we said we wanted to be.

So here's a question worth asking this week:

Are the things we're giving our time and energy to actually the things we believe matter most?

Because what we accomplish in life often begins with what we're unwilling to give up on.

See you Thursday morning!