Horse-Rings

Horse-rings still exist in Portland--both on residential and business sidewalks. I guess someone thought this ring, across the street from the Pearl Bakery, could stand a little use.

Tunneling Through Trees

Lest you think Portland does everything with aesthetics in mind, I offer this photo. If ever a city begged for burying wires, it must be Portland. Many old neighborhoods here have streets lines with gracious old trees. In the summer they offer much needed shade. Winds shooting down the Columbia River Gorge bring both ice and windstorms into Portland, wreaking havoc on the gorgeous tree-lined streets; surely burying the wires would, over time, save the city work and expense, and save some trees from humiliating trims!

Bathtubs

Here's the backyard of Portland's own Rejuvenation--a store that sells original and replica hardware, lighting, furniture etc. You can tell it's a Portland company partly by the fact that they post an Emily Dickinson poem on their homepage--lots of reading goes on here in Portland, some of it even in bathtubs.

Another Reminder

If anyone really needs it...this is the view looking out a window at Pearl Bakery, one of Portland's very best for breads and pastries. I suppose it can't hurt to remind people, though I suspect they're preaching to the choir!

Fall at the Farmers Market

This picture is from the second to last (for 2005)Wednesday market in Portland...a sure sign that summer is over (apparently I'm a bit in denial)! Luckily, there are things to enjoy about each season--and mushrooms are one of the Pacific Northwest fall's pleasures. This weekend we got one of our favorite phone calls: "Do you want some chanterelles? We picked too many to use, so come get some." That helps us forget one of fall's displeasures--the end of baseball season, a little early this year, for a Red Sox fan.

Title Wave Bookstore

Title Wave Bookstore is a great Portland spot--a library sale every day but Sunday. Once you get over the sadness of seeing so many old books being sold off (focusing on the huge number of blockbuster books--such as Harry Potter--decommissioned every day is less painful) something will grab you. Besides books you can find videos, audiotapes, DVDs, LPs, paintings, and magazines here. The 1912 building is also worth checking out--this was the original Albina Branch (the present one is in a strip mall), one of thirty-one Carnegie Libraries in Oregon.

Directions

I've noticed lately that a lot of new restaurants in Portland are less than self-explanatory. This happens at otherwise wonderful places. One new place--a really great place--has you, at lunch, look at the menu at your table, and then go up to the counter to order. But when it's time for dessert you order from your waiter. Who could guess? Another place I lunched at recently put me through the following interchange, after looking at a menu board that read 'pasta...sandwiches':





Me: "What kind of sandwiches do you have?"
He: "We can make what you want."
Me: "Can I get salami?"
He: "We're out of salami now, but I can do something else."

So I really like it that Bar Pastiche, a breakfast-lunch-dinner tapas place that is pretty great, had the smart idea of putting directions up in plain site. I couldn't get them all in the picture, but basically it tells you how to order, when to pay, where to sit, and what to do with your napkins...throw them on the floor, just like in bars in Spain. It makes you feel so much more welcome when you know what to do.