Under a Red Roof

The Old Neighborhood

June 20, 2018 in Loving, Traveling by Colleen | Permalink

Direction: Northwest!!

Hood * Jefferson * Three Sisters

And Mt. Hood, all by its lonesome.

The most wonderful reasons for my return to Portland! Solveig’s little Luna had her third, and we sure hope final, open heart surgery, the Fontan. Our girl (now age five!) is a true heart warrior, having the strength to come home from the hospital a mere week after surgery. While she isn’t 100% and we need to be careful not to bump or jostle her, the strides she’s making are really quite remarkable. Her baby brother, Zoran, has grown by leaps and bounds since we last cuddled and bounced, with an adorable personality to match. I love them all so much!

Most of my time alone was spent sleeping and wandering the city for old haunts and memories. I am super happy to report that many remain. I was so afraid of a city so changed as to be unrecognizable. Though there are differences (good gracious SE 50th Avenue!) there was much more that sent my heart galloping with glee.

Brown Lumber was one of our beloved local spots to buy supplies for our million and one home improvement projects. They have super customer service, but I liked their sign best:

WATCH OUT FOR THE POST WHEN BACKING UP

POST 111

TRUCKS 0

Gets me every time…

At the zoo…

Southeast Portland gets its Bushwick on, fabulous mural style.

GUN not GONE

Never was, never will be.

Tofu makes my body wanna DIE, but I’m happy to see this old Portland business is still plugging along.

One of my favorite Portland peeps (Hi Susan!) with some of my favorite food:

the cocktel del pulpo at Tacqueria Nueve!

Southbound Number 75

I shall never tire of this view

Or this one!

More to come…

Tags: Portland, Traveling

Spring Road Trip 2018: Texas Panhandle and on Home

April 23, 2018 in Eating, Traveling by Colleen | Permalink

When we were newlyweds, Greg’s Grandma Rouble, in between serious laments for my failure to change my name to Cooper (Are they really married?), sent us photos of Texas Bluebells and other wildflowers in an attempt to convince us to visit while they were in blossom. Though we did visit in springtime, we sadly missed the blooms. So, every time we drove past a field dappled with every color and hue, we thought of her bidding us good day from the sweet hereafter, the pair of us offering our most cheerful “Hello Rouble!” in reply.

Good coffee and even friendlier service in Post!

Greg’s Dad grew up in Ralls. Hi Alan!

While in the Panhandle, we stayed with our cousin and very fine host, Cynthia. Juniper was ready to romp with her dogs. This is Groot.

League adjacent bowler…

Sunrise at Cynthia’s

Juniper in wild wonder at the sight of bison at Caprock Canyons.

Adorable babies!

Hello!

Cousins AND fabulous music fans.

Jimmy Dean – most notably of breakfast sausage fame, hailed from Plainview. We went to his museum and learned he was a singer, an actor, and super dandy dresser, too.

When I was a little girl, my Grandma Frances LOVED Furr’s. She would always convince me to go by saying that I could get anything I wanted, which actually translated to most anything (Jell-O!) but not everything. I could never-ever have a pat of butter or a beverage, because, at the time, they cost extra. So, when I saw the sign for Furr’s, you bet I wanted to go, and so we did, TWICE. You bet I got extra pats of butter and iced tea, too!

Kress sunset

A wee slice of Oklahoma.

Two Buttes

Tags: Traveling

Spring Road Trip 2018: North to Austin

April 21, 2018 in Eating, Traveling by Colleen | Permalink

Our breakfast stop in San Marcos – a full twenty-five (for dramatic emphasis) degrees cooler than the beach! When we embarked on our journey, the hubster delighted in what he thought was the fact that he wouldn’t need to wear pants again until October. With a high of 43 one of the days we were there, he was mighty disappointed to put on jeans.

While in San Marcos, we visited the diminutive and sweet LBJ Museum off the town square – that’s one of his hats up there! They run audio of his speeches and commentary, and I do believe we stumbled upon the comedy section. The man made me chuckle!

Welcome to Austin! Sadly, I don’t believe they are Keeping it Weird (Portlanders, did you know the expression came from here??), but it IS rather fine.

melia azedarach

Smells so sweet!

swan song

The best Croque Madame I’ve had outside of France at June’s All Day.

My favorite turquoise on one of my favorite trucks for the wanderer win!

The company of our old friends Whitney and Michael – we’ve known each other since we were newlyweds – the absolute highlight of our time in Austin!

My favorite Cooper at Cooper’s BBQ – It’s All About THE MEAT! What fine meat, too. Good golly!

The Driskill

Thank you, Austin!

Tags: Traveling

Spring Road Trip 2018: Corpus Christi

April 20, 2018 in Traveling by Colleen | Permalink

one foot

L O V E

wind blown

pelicans

Wind Dancer

H.W. Tatum

Rollerblading Nun

She gave a homeless man candy bars and called him by name.

pattern

uplift

I’ve owned a Swiss Army knife since I was a teenager. It’s a big, bad-ass version, not with ALL the things, but darn close (the Swiss Champ, sans pliers or pen and pin, ruh-roh). The first longest stretch I’ve been without it happened on my honeymoon, when it was stolen from my pocket in Saint Mark’s Square in Venice, a VERY sad day! I had to wait to replace it until arriving in Switzerland, which was actually pretty special. I still remember climbing up these steep steps to a tiny chalet and being utterly dazzled by the selection.

The second was this trip. I swore I put it in my purse and was wrecked when I went to slice an avocado and couldn’t find it. Every day, I would have a need for it, and every day I would be heartbroken not to have it. Then, under this sculpture in Corpus Christi (what say you, flowers or spurs?), I found one, nonchalant and half-hidden in the grass. Not as special as mine, but darn sweet. One of those grand times when the universe tipped its hat in my favor. Hey there, this blade was well loved and lost, but I know you’ll take good care of it. You bet I will.

tussock moth caterpillar

I heart Guadalupe…

small mouth

Texas Surf Museum – it’s FREE, but they’ll gladly take a donation.

ride

Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens

movement

stillness

Goodbye, Corpus Christi!

Tags: Traveling

Spring Road Trip: Fredericksburg to Luckenbach to San Antonio

April 18, 2018 in Eating, Traveling by Colleen | Permalink

Fredericksburg Public Library – isn’t it a peach? Coincidentally, they are rather famous for their peaches, but we were a bit early for harvest, sigh.

Main Street is lined with charming buildings, many of them erected with Austin stone, which I LOVE. The original settlement, as you might have guessed from the name, was German, and named after King Frederick of Prussia (where my Sohn ancestors hail from). In keeping with this heritage, we noshed on some uber-tasty German cuisine at the aptly named Old German Bakery and Restaurant. We were not disappointed!

I don’t know if it is actually true, but this look, to my eye, is quintessentially Southern.

And on to the namesake town of one of the best country songs, EVER, Luckenbach, Texas. Juniper made acquaintance with one of the very few actual residents.

Oh boy, if ever I decide to return to truly greener pastures, I am high tailing it to Texas Hill Country. I never expected to be so smitten with this rolling, rollicking landscape, but boy howdy is it something, with every manner of flower and tree growing with abandon. Beautiful!

The San Antonio River Walk – my first glimpse since I was a babe of four.

Star jasmine, which took a bit of coaxing to grow in pots on our Portland patio positively thrives here, winding wildly amongst trees to massive hedges, some fifty feet in length. The scent and memory was positively intoxicating.

Tower of Life

Fine adobe and Guadalupe niche at La Villita

The wind can be whipping wildly and the streets crowded and cacophonous, but descend the stairs to the River Walk and all is calm, lush, and contemplative.