The City of Roses

Portland is the city of roses, a gem nestled near the Willamette River, hidden between the peaks of Mount Hood and the purple Coastal Range. I do miss this city I still call home, and realize I took it for granted when I lived there. There is parking everywhere, either on the street or in Smart Parks, which only cost $1.25 per hour. People drive the speed limit, let each other into the lane ahead of them. There is public transportation galore. I think Portland had the Max Train built about 15 years ago, and now streetcars link the downtown core to the trendy Pearl District, and 23rd street. One truly does not need a car in Portland.

miss the International Rose Test Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Chinese Garden, the Oregon Zoo, and the mutlitute of delicious restaurants with friendly service and 1/4 the price of Seattle. I miss the thrift stores and vintage stores and the funky Hawthorne and Belmont districts.

I've lived away from Portland for a few times in my life, and I always end up going back. In college, I moved to Eugene, but by the time my junior year rolled around, I went to Portland every weekend. I lived in Mexico for three months, and was incredibly homesick. Then after college I moved home, and got bored with the city. It felt too small, there was only murder and rape news stories to cover, the people didn't seem interesting enough.

But now I realize how wrong I am. Whenever I go to Portland, I take a deep breath, relax, and realize how lucky I am to call it home.

If you've never been, she will welcome you with open arms, with the scent of roses on her breath.

Flying Heritage

Today I went to the media preview of the Flying Heritage collection at Paine Field in Everett. It features World War Two fighter planes from FIVE countries. Above is the P-51. I talked to a veteran who flew this actual plane in the war, and he recounted stories of shooting down German airplanes.

The airplane below is a Japanese fighter plane currently getting fixed up. All these planes are in flying condition.

Here is a picture of bits and pieces of planes in the museum.

I like this picture, showing the old and new technology.

The below picture is a missile with a COCKPIT. They tested this flying deathtrap out in Germany, but never used it in combat because there is no way fro the pilot to eject. If the pilot did try to eject, his head would get sucked back into the engine.

The below plane has wings that fold up, so it can fit better on an aircraft carrier.

The below plane is from 1919, and is the oldest plane in the building.

I just like this plane because it looks scary.

Could it possibly be true?

So, Obama has clinched the democratic nomination after today's primaries, and rumor has it that Clinton is open to the Vice Presidential seat. Is it just me, or would this be absolutely amazing? It's time for the Democratic Party to unite, and together, I think these two are unstoppable. I can already see the signs, "Obama, Clinton."

Icky, Yucky

You can't tell from this picture looking out from my front porch, but the rain is pouring down. The rain makes me feel cozy, like I want to stay inside and sip hot coffee and read with a blanket. I don't want to get dressed, or get ready, or go catch a ferry and a bus and make it all the way to work. I don't mind the rain, but it makes me feel incredibly unmotivated. Kinda like a tranquilizer pill. Today, I don't need the tranquilizer. I need a big ole dose of SUN stimulant to get me going. It's going to be a loooooong day.

Hello Alamo

A year ago in June, I went to the country of Texas. I learned the local customs: pounds of barbecued meat, Mexican food for breakfast, churches the size of Safeco Field. I learned the official language, including "y'all", and "margarita." I even participated in the official sport: intertubing down the river in sweltering sun. I was a minority with my pasty skin and blond hair. Two people even said, "Y'all aint from around here, are you?" as David and I waited at a bus stop in Austin. I actually got so dehydrated in Texas that I got heatstroke at the airport.

Today, we got our passports ready (cowboy hat and swimsuits), and booked a return trip to the longhorn country. We're going to his family reunion in Austin, which I'm actually really excited about. That city is really the only one worth visiting in Texas. The people are friendly and smart, there's a huge live music scene, and liberals abound. It reminds me of Portland, Oregon, but instead, the hippies are tan with bare feet.

I'm excited to eat along the RiverWalk in San Antonio, and hang out on a canoe on "Town Lake" in Austin, which is actually a river. This time I'm not going to go on hour long walks at 12pm, and I'm going to drink water instead of margaritas.

Why I love BBQ

This is a typical dinner at our house. Yes, we go all out on our tiny BBQ grill. It's such a great way to spend the evening, with our chairs on the front porch, David tending the grill, me sitting there sipping wine. We made this meal today which served as lunch and dinner. It is lamb, salmon skewers, red bell peppers, and sweet walla walla onions. DELICOUS!!

Love

This white-faced dog is 14-years old. His owner dropped him off at Furrytale Farm because he moved into an apartment that doesn't accept dogs. This is beyond me. How does one love a dog for 14 years, then give him up like he's a piece of furniture? This dog is old and tired, and looks at me with those big brown eyes, asking "Why me?" When I stand near him he rests his head against my leg, not wanting to run after the ball I throw. He walks slowly, lies down a lot. He probably won't be adopted due to his age, and will wander around the farm until he dies. I scratched behind this dog's fuzzy ears often, I want him to know he's loved.


Here is another dog that I loved today. He is a 10-year old fuzzball, with wrinkly elbows and matted fur. I got several brush fulls of fur from his coat, and whenever I stopped, he'd stare at me with grateful eyes, then put his head on the floor and moan. His fur was thick and dusty, but as I kept brushing, his beauty was exposed. The dirt and old fur caught in the teeth of the brush, and out came glossy black. I believe everyone and everything needs love for their true potential to show.



I also played with the puppies again today, which are much bigger than last week. Their 14-year old owner has had an upset stomach for a few days now, and refuses to nurse. The puppies are fed milk four times per day out of a bowl. They are such delicious bundles of joy, just learning to walk. Some of them tumble over their own big feet, then yelp in surprise. They growl with tiny voices, and clambor all over my legs like its a jungle gym. I tried to take some pictures, but the pups were moving so much a lot of them came out blurry. I also took a short video.









I love playing with these animals and showing them that they're special. Every one of them has a story to tell, just like humans. One dog is a Hurricane Katrina rescue with a huge swatch of fur missing from his neck. Apparently the dog was impaled while running in the woods. His name was "Pellet" when he came to the animal sanctuary because people shot at him with pellet guns in New Orleans. He took a long time to warm up to me but rewarded me by sticking his butt in my face. Gotta love dogs!


I also got to clean out poop from the horse pasture. It was another great day at the animal farm!