Under a Red Roof

On the Streets Where We Live

February 17, 2009 in Eating, Exploring, Loving by Colleen | 3 comments

Golly, yesterday was a banner day! Not only was it a holiday (thank you Presidents), but a sunny and dry, perfect for being outdoors kind of day. Greg and I took full advantage and walked to our favorite Asian restaurant, Stickers, where we enjoyed our usual Scallion Pancake, Kung Pao Chicken, and Satay Sampler, before heading north to New Seasons for a slice of cake and coffee, and home again, collecting four varieties of pine cone, assorted plant life, groceries, and left-overs along the way .

For fun, Greg made a map of our journey – almost nine miles of beautiful Portland splendor!

Here is what we saw while we were out and about:

The lovely and rather idiosyncratic Reed College – a study in contrasts, yes indeed.

A fitting display of President’s Day patriotism on Milwaukie Avenue. I love America and this town.

This sight is always worth a chuckle while noshing at Stickers. I admire the owner’s fantastic sense of humor, but not nearly as much as the handsome man. I’m no fool.

The lovely old clock for William R. Johnson jewelers.

We don’t tend to enjoy walking on very busy streets, preferring the sound of birds and our own voices over the din of automobiles, but I was pleased as punch that Milwaukie was our only option after we stumbled upon this beauty. Oh my goodness! It is the finest example of a 1958 Thunderbird I have EVER seen. I was so excited that I got misty eyed. Silly girl.

Why yes, I am a tourist attraction – at least that’s what my hubby says!

Above my head was this perfect sky. Hello beautiful.

Heavens to mergatroid – a 1940’s Studebaker Champion with suicide doors!

But wait, there’s more! A gorgeous 1960 Corvette and a 1942 Chief Plymouth. Will you look at that hood ornament? How amazing is that? I thank my lucky stars for all the wonderful automobile sightings, and this isn’t even all of them. I gave the dear hubster a break and skipped snapping a photo of a rather fine example of a 1964 Ford pick-up. You’ll just have to take my word for it on that one.

After all the excitement of the cars, it was nice to come across this stand of bamboo. We stood for a few moments and enjoyed the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. Ahh, bliss.

I think this is the cutest chicken coop I’ve ever seen.

Here are the occupants, happily pecking away…

We cast a long shadow.

A Peach of a Day

September 1, 2008 in Exploring by Colleen | 3 comments

Once upon a Friday, we went to the Fair – all manner of creation was there.

An ever so curious goat,

Who was as kind as can be.

And an eager fella

That said, “Pet me! Pet me!”

A little bit later we were asked to dance.

While this cutie thought, “Maybe if I stay perfectly still, no one will see me, not a chance!”

The baby goats were ravenous

And this little piggie, too, looking for milk everywhere, wouldn’t you?

The Poultry House was rather dignified,

With this very proud rooster to greet the flock.

Another channeled Phyllis Diller…

While these two were more punk rock.

This charmer talked no turkey…

Nor did this handsome man.

But when the lights came on, our photos got jerky.

Time to head home – as fast as we can!

Exploring Portland

July 30, 2008 in Drinking, Eating, Exploring by Colleen | 1 comment

My Uncle Chris was in town this past weekend, therefore affording us the opportunity to explore the city in ways we don’t normally. Chris is very fond of views, so we went to every spot we hadn’t taken him before, like the rooftop restaurant Rocket on East Burnside where we enjoyed some tantalizing cocktails. Mine was The High Ball, a perfect combination of bourbon, tea concentrate, and tamarind syrup, topped with a delicious cherry!

As Portlanders will be able to surmise from the photos, we also went for a short hike in Forest Park to show Chris the very cool ruins of a stone house built by the WPA in the 1930’s. It always looks so beautiful! We also made a stop at the Mount Calvary cemetery for the stunning Mt Saint Helen and Mt Hood vistas. Though they didn’t photograph as nicely as they looked in person, sigh.

Surprisingly, we had never taken him to Washington Park, so that was our next stop. It was a perfect day to be out among the myriad roses, and while not in their full glory, they were still quite impressive. After the Rose Garden, we visited the Holocaust Memorial – a very sad place that reminds me of the importance of kindness and forgiveness. Hating people for having beliefs different than my own can lead me down a very dark path.

After all that hiking, walking, and driving, we took a bit of a siesta at The Matador in Northwest, an uber-velvety place with stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon (hello decadence) and the best margarita I’ve ever had. Wouldn’t you know, it had tamarind juice in it? I think I am becoming a little predictable!

After more decadent dining that evening at The Berlin Inn and a good night of sleep, we spent Sunday looking at real estate. Our most interesting stop was at The Benson, where we got to see our fair city from the 24th floor. I wish I hadn’t been a ninny and forgotten to take photos. It was really quite nice to see my home from a new angle, and one so flattering as well. Portland, you look mahvelous! Thanks for being such a great place to live.