Thanks for visiting River Bar Soaps online!

Hello, and thank you for taking time to find us online.  Our products can be obtained in these ways:

• From the “Purchase Online” link above which takes you to our Etsy shop:  RiverBarSoap
• From our fine retailers at the “Purchase Locally” link above.
• At local happenings such as:
  • Downtown Crescent City Farmers & Artisans Market
  • California Redwoods Art Association’s 4th of July Arts & Crafts Festival
  • Soroptimist International of Crescent City Holiday Artisan Fair.

If you want something that you’re not finding at one of these locations, help is only an email away:  riverbarsoaps@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Rick and Ginger Finley

River Bar Soaps

 

 

Transition Time

I’ve made my annual transition from the outdoor summer farmers market in Crescent City, CA to the wintertime market in Brookings, OR.  We had a super summer in Crescent City, and now Wednesday mornings will find me traveling up the coast to the Chetco Grange. It’s been great to see my old Brookings buddies from last year, as well as meet some new folks.  It’s a thriving market with a lively atmosphere and lots of conversation and laughter.

Here at River Bar Soaps we’ve been gearing up for the holiday season: making soap, contemplating gift packaging, rearranging displays and updating signage, and discussing promotional ideas. We are so appreciative of those who are helping us to grow by purchasing and using our products, carrying River Bar in their stores, boutiques and vacation rentals, and spreading the word to friends about their favorite soaps!  One of our biggest thrills is to have someone tell us that they “just have to have more of this soap!”  We enjoy so much making and sharing it with all of you.

A Rare Treat

“How many people in the world,” my husband asked, “go for a walk after dinner and see a beaver swimming in the river?”  We’ve had a bit of rain in the last 24 hours, and wanted to check the river’s rise.  While standing on the bridge, we enjoyed the rare treat of a beaver sighting.  As we watched, Rick gave a loud clap and the beaver dipped under the murky green, surfaced further along his trajectory, turned and looked in our direction and continued to the far side. We’ve seen beaver in this area for 40 years, but each infrequent time I see one, I’m so happy they are still thriving in this spot.  In answer to Rick’s question, I’m thinking not many people in the world get to see a beaver on their after-dinner walk.

Lagniappe

I learned a new word this past weekend: lagniappe!  Do you know this word?  I liked the sound of it even before I looked up the definition.  Here is what the dictionary says about lagniappe, which is pronounced lan’ yep.

      1. a small gift, especially one given to a customer who makes a purchase

      2. something given or obtained as a gratuity or bonus

In Honor of

Today is Veterans Day in the US.  My husband and I have walked by this marker hundreds of times over the years, but this morning is the first time I remember stopping to read the inscription.  It sits on the edge of Jedidiah Smith State Park and is, by this time, a moss-covered fixture of the forest.  It reads as follows:

A New Adventure

Tomorrow I embark on a new adventure: The Wednesday Farmers Market at the Chetco Grange Community Center in Brookings, OR.  

Slippery Slope

**HEADLINE**  RIVER BAR SOAPS HAVE A NEW (OLD) USE!

Embrace the Update

I worked today on taking new product photos and updating our online store.

The Hog and Dog Whisperer and a Pro Rodeo

My time in South Carolina this summer included a stint as a food service worker in my brother and sister-in-law’s new project: a food truck called The Hog and Dog Whisperer.  The featured fare in this wagon is Southern-style BBQ and dressed-up hot dogs, all of which have cute dog names:

River Bar Travelers

We started making these smaller soaps for a couple of vacation rentals we’re working with and for wedding favors, and this year I decided to take them to the Downtown Crescent City Farmers and Artisans Market where I hang out on Wednesdays.